How Religious Fundamentalism Hijacks the Brain (tags)
In moderation, religious and spiritual practices can be great for a person’s life and mental well-being. But religious fundamentalism—which refers to the belief in the absolute authority of a religious text or leaders—is almost never good for an individual. This is because fundamentalism discourages any logical reasoning or scientific evidence making it maladaptive.
Evolution is more than struggle for existence and competition. Modern scientists are discovering elements of beauty, play and freedom in nature. Apparently spontaneously, life keeps producing new forms. Yet evolution seems headed toward a goal: the universe can view and enjoy itself.
Author Darrel Ray Lectures on “God Virus” (tags)
It’s not every atheist author who begins a lecture to promote his book with a bit of a fire-breathing Fundamentalist Christian sermon on the nature and ubiquity of human sin and the need to appeal to the Holy Spirit to be cleansed of it. But that’s what Darrel W. Ray did at the San Diego Public Library September 19 in an appearance sponsored by the Humanist Association of San Diego (HASD). A former believer, Ray discussed the total lack of logic in religious appeals and the way religions mimic the behavior of germs in spreading from person to person, use classic hypnotic techniques in their services, and inculcate guilt in their believers — especially about sex. Ray also mentioned ways rationalists can talk to belivers without immediately putting them on the defensive, and offered help for those who are — in his words — “recovering from religion.”
The Nature of the Christian Faith and the New Atheism (tags)
New atheism fights against fundamentalism, human religion, sees all violence as the product of faith, doesn't recognize the positive good in the church and theology and conflates all faith with fundamentalist literalism and reductionism. That Jesus is the way means no mone is alone.
Traces of the Authoritarian Personality in the Three Abrahamic Religions (subtitle of enti (tags)
We will examine whether terror is institutionalized in the psychology of some religions. There are many interesting and provocative ideas discussed. Arguably, this work is as controversial as it is timely. Such an intelligence estimate, if you will, would not have been written had it not related to many important and critical political issues and crises of our day (particularly as related to dominant “cultural clashes” as so framed by various think-tanks). But this work also significantly relates to political theory, history, criminal justice, jurisprudence, as well as social and political psychology etc.
WHEN GOD BECAME THE TERRORIST: Traces of the Authoritarian Personality in the Three Abrah (tags)
Arguably, this work is as controversial as it is timely. Such an intelligence estimate, if you will, would not have been written had it not related to many important and critical political issues and crises of our day (particularly as related to dominant “cultural clashes” as so framed by various think-tanks). But this work also significantly relates to political theory, history, criminal justice, jurisprudence, as well as social and political psychology etc. It has something of interest to many inquiring minds. Ideas here will not likely be easily dismissed—irrespective of one’s stance.
When God Became the Terrorist (tags)
Arguably, this work is as controversial as it is timely. Such an intelligence estimate, if you will, would not have been written had it not related to many important and critical political issues and crises of our day (particularly as related to dominant “cultural clashes” as so framed by various think-tanks). But this work also significantly relates to political theory, history, criminal justice, jurisprudence, as well as social and political psychology etc. It has something of interest to many inquiring minds.
Northern Rock,GB:Republican 'Libertarian' Ron Paul Lies About Naked Shorting (tags)
Dear SEC, I was only beginning to organize my thoughts about the Republican 'Libertarian' Ron Paul's statements re SHO to the SEC,(U.S Securities Exchange Commission),that were only recently posted here. However no sooner was I getting over the shock that Mr.Ron Paul was aiding the fraudulent penny stock naked shorting claim of his well heeled Libertarian pals such as the NTU founder James Dale Davidson, Porter Stansberry,Bill Bonner,et.al.,than 'news' came out of England that Northern Rock was a victim of 'naked short selling' as well.......
Sheep Dreams and Kitten Memes (tags)
The revolution is now. The revolution is all the time. Welcome to the revolution.
The Future of the World at Stake (tags)
Every good republican knows the world is solid Kerry territory. A survey by pollsters HI Europe earlier in October found that, if Europeans had a vote, they would back Kerry over Bush by a 6 to 1 margin. Bush would win just 6% in Germany, 5% in Spain..
The Higher Order Memeplex: Divisions of Labor (tags)
Have you been assimilated? Are you an autonomous individual acting of your own free will, or have you unwittingly become the tool of some larger organism? Before you reject these questions as absurd, consider the following. Even if you act of your own free will or, at least, believe that you act of your own free will, what if the information that you base your decisions upon has been constructed with the intention of causing you to make various predetermined choices?
Complex Adaptive Systems & Revolution (tags)
This paper proposes a new theory on revolutionary change. This paper is motivated by the desire to fill a gap in understanding between those bound to traditional anarchist methodology of change and the new disorganized resistance movement, a movement promulgated by the author. The hope is to facilitate understanding of this new paradigm of revolution among traditional anarchists. The disorganized resistance movement encourages multithreaded revolutionary activities and thus seeks not to replace the traditional methodologies but to increase their utility by supplementing traditional methodology, which we consider to be a necessary but insufficient component of revolutionary struggle with that which it lacks, a complete revolutionary methodology adapted to the realities of modern life. This new methodology embraces the concept of meme-warfare. However, before addressing meme-warfare in detail (as we will in a future article), we introduce you to the underlying concept space.