Category Archives: Religion

Coyne on Bryan’s Myth, vs Reality

Posted on Tuesday 4 March 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Jerry Coyne discusses the Bryan College issue. Bryan College forces its faculty to swear to historical existence of Adam and Eve Coyne is not only a *real scientist* but also a guy willing to address the arguments of those with … Continue reading →

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Anti-Vaxxers and Irrationality

Posted on Monday 3 March 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Slate: According to a New Study, Nothing Can Change an Anti-Vaxxer’s Mind Apparently you just can’t change anti-vaxxers’ minds. This reaction, where people become more assured of their stupid opinions when confronted with factual or scientific evidence proving them wrong, … Continue reading →

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Education vs. Indoctrination

Posted on Monday 3 March 2014 by Mark R. Kelly

Friendly Atheist: If Faculty Members Don’t Accept Young Earth Creationism, This Christian College May Fire Them Bryan College in Tennessee — yes, named after William Jennings Bryan of the Scopes trial fame, or infamy — has a notion to force … Continue reading →

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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 →

Posted in Religion, The Gays | Comments Off on Uganda, Scott Lively, Arizona, Mark Regnerus, Gay Denialism, and the connection between them

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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