Sam Harris: The Fireplace Delusion

. . . I recently stumbled upon an example of secular intransigence that may give readers a sense of how religious people feel when their beliefs are criticized. It’s not a perfect analogy, as you will see, but the rigorous research I’ve conducted at dinner parties suggests that it is worth thinking about. We can call the phenomenon “the fireplace delusion.”

. . . Of course, if you are anything like my friends, you will refuse to believe this. And that should give you some sense of what we are up against whenever we confront religion.

Read more . . .

Aphorism: “On Private-Sector Callousness”

By Madison S. Hughes (09.03.2011)

Am I the only one that noticed how, the probabilistically nearly impossible, latest jobs report showed that 17,000 private-sector jobs were created, while government payrolls were cut by an exact equal 17,000? Seriously, an EXACT inverse relationship . . .

Is this just irony? It could certainly be interpreted as such, and maybe I just have a warped way of interpretation. Nevertheless, I don’t see it as irony, but instead take it as insult. The “Haves” have been incessantly attempting to privatize the public sector for private profit since government’s genesis. Of course this comes with a blatant disregard for the “Have-nots” that they so easily exploit. However, in the past the “Haves” would at least go through the gyrations of herd concealment so that only the helpless minority of politically astute would realize its happening.

The zero sum of private-sector gain at the total expense of public-sector loss is reprehensible. It is yet another outwardly demonstration of the unfettered callousness of which the “Haves” regularly display.

In Solidarity!

Rick Perry To Spend The Weekend With A Pseudo-Historian, A Christocrat, And God’s Sugar Daddy

David Barton is already well-known to readers of this blog – he’s the Religious Right’s favorite pseudo-historian. . . Rick Scarborough is a self-proclaimed “Christocrat . . . ” [Jim] Leininger has been called “God’s Sugar Daddy . . . ” We can now add these activists to the ever-growing list of extremist Religious Right activists with whom Rick Perry is associating himself. Read more . . .

Audio: “Al Gore Lets Loose In Aspen Institute Speech About Bull**** Anti Global-Warming Pseudoscience”

In a passionate rant, Gore says his opponents are a group of people, “washing back at you the same crap over and over and over again. There’s no longer a shared reality … It’s no longer acceptable in mixed company — meaning bipartisan company — to use the goddamn word ‘climate.'”

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Article: “Elected Officials Should Lead by Doing, Not by Praying”

Religious beliefs may have an effect on policy and so we, the voters, should be aware of the candidates’ beliefs and what choices they may make because of those beliefs. For example, being a Catholic does not make a candidate more or less qualified to be an elected official. However, the impact that a candidate’s Catholic faith could have on their views regarding issues such as private school vouchers, abortion, contraception, gay rights, and restricted access to health care should be fundamental concerns to voters.

http://wp.me/p1GRG6-tu