After roughly outlining my version of an ideal secular humanist party, it’s now time to see how the Canadian political parties line up with it.
The first party up is the new upstart Green Party of Canada. Although they only have one member of parliament (who changed parties and wasn’t elected as a Green), I still think they are worth consideration (unlike Harper, Layton, and the Canadian Media).
So what are the Green Party’s positions:
Continue reading Humanism vs. the Green Party of Canada
At the [tag]Rogues Gallery[/tag] today (the blog of the [tag]Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe[/tag]), there’s a familiar question brought up that most [tag]skeptics[/tag] usually have to think about. The question is whether there are some harmless beliefs thats its okay to just let people hold.
In their post Mike Lacelle discusses how his friend was hoping to have her baby on the full moon (due to the [tag]lunar effect[/tag]). Mike decided that he should inform his friend that despite her doctors information (her doctor told her about the lunar effect!), many studies have refuted the idea. He did wrestle as to whether or not he should discuss it though.
Continue reading Should we just let people believe?
Over the past week and a bit I have been filling in posts and helping complete what looks to be an awesome source for news and commentary on atheism, secularism and scepticism.
The place is a new blog called Edger which is an initiative by the Centre for Inquiry. The mission statement summarizes it nicely:
Edger presents hard-hitting and reasoned news, views, and event promotion on issues pertaining to secularism, atheism, science, humanism, and the cosmos, and actively promotes and celebrates international freethought activism. Written in a youthful tone, but mature in content, Edger is sure to be a driving force in the new intellectual enlightenment.
Mission
To create an outlet for prominent young freethought leaders to express their views and get them heard. Blogs are becoming very commonplace, and alone many blogs fail, but together, with the proper direction and an engaging and professional site, these blogging leaders can come together to make an impact far beyond what they could have achieved on their own.
Affiliation
Edger is a Center for Inquiry student initiative.
So subscribe to Edger and watch for future posts there coming from me (I will still be posting here, Edger will just provide extra commentary).
Yesterday I wrote a bit about the 9/11 Truth movement, and how its been shown to basically be quackery. But today I want to issue a bit more of a warning, one that extends beyone 9/11 conspiracies and covers all types of non-scientific fields.
And that warning is that believing in this stuff is dangerous. It is dangerous to your wallet, it is dangerous to your intelligence, it is dangerous to your friends and family, and it is most of all dangerous to society.
Continue reading The Danger of Conspiracies and Pseudo-Science
9/11 an Inside Job?
“Edmonton Questions 9/11”
This is what you see upon entering such nether-regions of the web as Edmonton 9/11 Truth.com
You also get to see lots of ads for documentaries that will supposedly open your mind to the obvious fact that the government(s) are actively keeping the truth hidden from us about September 11th.
They even had MP Laurie Hawn watch one of their documentaries, and they post his reply:
I watched the DVD in its entirety. There were interesting questions raised, but I didn’t agree with all of the assessments of what physically happened in the collapses.
Which essentially means he thinks they’re a bunch of nuts.
But are they? Or are there really questions to be raised about the events that unfolded.
Continue reading Sometimes 9/11 fiction is strager than 9/11 truth