It’s remarkably hard to imagine what it might be like inside our minds. But doing so helps us to see that the real task of thinking should involve throwing a spotlight on our elusive vague thoughts.
h/t: Friendly Atheist
I’ve watched a lot of Stephen Colbert over the years. When you watch enough of one TV show, you start to notice patterns. For Colbert, I noticed he talks about religion a lot…at least more than other late night TV shows. What can we learn about this?
According to the Gospel of Matthew, the magi bring gold, frankincense, and myrrh as expensive gifts to the young Jesus. We all know what gold is, but what is this frankincense and myrrh stuff? What did the ancients use it for?
The issue of “fake news” is one that’s currently being discussed around the internet, and it’s being framed as a big problem in the digital age.
Some have suggested that fake news is an ugly target that needs to be eradicated and blocked from the internet. Both Google and Facebook have taken steps to make fake news less prevalent, and a host of major news outlets from NPR to CNN and Forbes are all discussing this “problem.”
In many ways, it is a problem. For example, the owner of a pizza joint in Washington D.C received death threats and negative online reviews after a fake news story reported that Hillary Clinton was running a satanic child-sex-trafficking ring out of the back of the restaurant. In other ways, fake news can be highly entertaining– satire often is. It has a way of exposing our fears, our assumptions, and bringing a degree of humor into what can often be a depressing news cycle.
But honestly, in a culture that places such high value on the freedom of speech, I’m surprised at the way the entire discussion is being framed. I’m surprised that so many seem to think that the fake news itself is the problem that needs to be addressed.
It’s not.
You see, the problem isn’t fake news at all– the problem is a lack of critical thinking on the part of so many Americans.
Stories about Jesus’ birth are famous. But what about stories about Jesus’ childhood? One early Christian text, the Infancy Gospel of Thomas, invents some pretty crazy stories about the schoolboy Jesus. But what did this text mean for an ancient audience?
At an Armed Services Committee hearing on Wednesday, Senator John McCain attacked reporting by our guest, Aaron Glantz, on the University of Phoenix’s deceptive recruiting practices that prompted the Pentagon to put the for-profit school on probation for deceptive recruiting practices. The move was welcomed by consumer advocates and veterans groups. We air an excerpt of the report for Reveal from The Center for Investigative Reporting and get Glantz’s response.
Always Question Authority 