Monthly Archives: February 2014

Panic and Alarm, part two

Posted on Friday 28 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

In a thematic echo of yesterday’s post, CJ Werleman of Alternet (using language more blunt that I try to use) sees the right-to-discriminate-against-gays bills in Arizona and numerous other states as the desperate moves of a dwindling Christian right. Dwindling … Continue reading →

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Panic and Alarm (and Why This Is About Science Fiction)

Posted on Thursday 27 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Salon: I lost my dad to Fox News: How a generation was captured by thrashing hysteria Sad case study of a man whose father disappeared into the paranoid, outraged worldview of Fox News. Like certain kinds of religious extremists, Fox … Continue reading →

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Why the World Is This Way Rather Than That Way

Posted on Thursday 27 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Good quote from Sean Carroll (from his post debate reflections about theistic vs naturalistic worldviews. (via) If we would presume to contemplate theism from an intellectually honest perspective, we would try to decide what kind of universe we would expect … Continue reading →

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Uganda, Scott Lively, Arizona, Mark Regnerus, Gay Denialism, and the connection between them

Posted on Tuesday 25 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

You wouldn’t necessarily think there’s a connection between antipathy toward homosexuality and with being Christian (*footnote below), and I have no particular animosity against Christianity any more than other religions (all of which I find unpersuasive and obsolete, if not … Continue reading →

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Josh Barro

Posted on Tuesday 25 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Just became aware of reporter and (Republican, gay) commentator Josh Barro, triggered by news that he’s leaving Business Insider for the New York Times, though it turns out I’d read a piece by him before a few weeks back: There … Continue reading →

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A Better World

Posted on Sunday 23 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Jerry Coyne links this item at Prospect by Daniel Dennet: If I ruled the world. His prescription for a better world: educate the children. I would like my first step on ascending to the dictatorship to be decreeing high quality, … Continue reading →

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Debates about Science, Creationism, Accommodationism

Posted on Friday 21 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate: The Myths of Anti-Creationism This is the latest round in a fascinating debate in recent days between William Saletan of Slate and Sean McElwee in Salon. Can you be a creationist and also be a scientist? McElwee says no; … Continue reading →

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Wishful Thinking vs What We Know About How the World Works

Posted on Friday 21 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Physicist Sean Carroll’s site is always interesting to dip into – he has a long list of posts from the past decade under his ‘Greatest Hits’ tab – and here is one from 2011 about Physics and the Immortality of … Continue reading →

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The Passing of Blind Obedience to Decaying Creeds

Posted on Monday 17 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Traditional religionists are in panic, it seems, from advances in social policy concerning same-sex marriage (which we proponents call “marriage equality”) and other things like legal euthanasia (is your right to die your decision – or the government’s?). Here is … Continue reading →

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Prothero and Vick on that debate

Posted on Thursday 13 February 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Donald Prothero summarizes the Nye-Ham debate. http://www.skepticblog.org/2014/02/12/hearts-and-minds/ Tristan Vick explains why he didn’t watch the debate, but sides with those who think it was a good idea. http://www.advocatusatheist.blogspot.jp/2014/02/why-i-didnt-watch-bill-nye-vs-ken-ham.html We have to debate Creationists, if anything, to share the accumulated information, … Continue reading →

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