Sam Harris: It’s not about atheism, it’s about reason and genuine respect for the well-being of others

Having just watched the recent Sam Harris + Rabbi David Wolpe debate on the existence of God, I was reminded of Sam Harris’ very important and agreeable position that a big part of the cultural struggle being fought be secularists should not be about atheism specifically, but about reason generally. Now, the subject of religion surely earns very special consideration in the struggle because it is one of the few, if not the only, domains in which people are not pressed for evidence for their beliefs, and are often even treated favourably for holding these beliefs in the absense of evidence. And of course, there is also the aspect of the secularist movement which is pushing for the raising of consciousness with the respect to the fact and inappropriateness that atheism is apparently one of if not the last hot button social characteristics for which it is still fairly socially acceptable for one the display overt bigotry toward. So definitely, given all of this and the great political import, considerations of religion remains the highest individual priority for the movement. However, at its core this movement needs to be more generally about anti-dogmatism and open-minded and genuine respect for the well-being and freedom from suffering of others.

Is one arrogant if they point out the irrationality in believing in leprechauns? What about God?

A query to the rationalist community: Don’t you just love it how religious people believe that their beliefs are somehow special? And that to point out the irrationality in believing them and to refer to the beliefs as having all the tell-tale signs of a fairy tale until proven otherwise is arrogant?

Backlash: Proponents of Complementary & Alternative Medicine take issue with David Colquhoun

During his recent visit to Toronto, Dr. David Colquhoun, Pharmacologist at University College London, appeared on CBC Radio’s Sunday Edition. As usual, he made many damning remarks about the validity of Complementary and Alternative Medicine (CAM). Notably, Colquhoun asserts that an appropriate means of categorizing the different types of medicine is not scientific versus CAM, it is medicines that work versus those that don’t. The C & A medicines, according to Colquhoun, are those that don’t work—or at least, for which there is not sufficient evidence to assert that they do. If such evidence was present, these medicines would not be called CAM, they’d just be normal medicine. Many listeners asserted that Colquhoun’s views were narrow-minded, that Western medicine does not affectively address the mental side of health, and rightly pointed out that studying many alternative medicines scientifically is often strongly discouraged by the high costs of research and the very low financial rewards (alternative medicinal products often cannot be patented), not to mention the desire of pharmaceuticals companies to minimize competition. In response to this listener backlash, CBC Radio had 2 CAM practioners on this past week. You can listen to the PodCast here. I will not comment much on what they said as I am not strongly versed in alternative or standard medicine. However, a few highlights:

New study indicates that marijuana smokers face rapid lung destruction

Marijuana Smokers Face Rapid Lung Destruction
As Much As 20 Years Ahead Of Tobacco Smokershttp://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2008/01/080123104017.htmScienceDaily (Jan. 27, 200 — A new study finds that the development of bullous lung disease occurs in marijuana smokers approximately 20 years earlier than tobacco smokers.

Doubt in and faking of faith, and the need for secular alternatives to religious communities

A reader, postthought, expressed curiosity regarding why so many Americans are religious despite their access to education. She also opined that many of the faithful are faking their faith. Here are some of my quick thoughts on these matters:

David Colquhoun at the University of Toronto

As was advertised ad nauseum on TFP over the past few weeks, Royal Society member and noted skeptic David Colquhoun spoke at the University of Toronto last night. Colquhoun’s presentation was this year’s main event of the University of Toronto Secular Alliance, and it was a great success.

Interested in the scientific study of meditation, mindfulness and contemplative practices?

Deric Bownds has provided a link to the Mind and Life Institute, which offers a quarterly bibliography with short descriptions of research done on the effects of mindfulness-based cognitive therapy (MBCT). I post these links here as well, for those interested in the science of meditation, mindfulness, and contemplative practices, as well as other bridges forming between Buddhism and science. I have studied and practiced mindfulness meditation and Cognitive Behavioural Therapy. I and a number of other skeptical science-oriented people that I know strongly endorse meditation, CBT, and their wonderful synergistic combination.

More Scientology videos: The courses!

The Altoona Atheist has posted a recently leaked set of Scientology course videos. Thus far, I’ve only watched the first of the series. It is an orientation video that inspires immediate confidence in Scientology and makes one deeply aware of the great existential costs of not taking advantage of this opportunity right now. Here’s how viewers are introduced to their current situation:

Big Brother 2.0: Microsoft’s Orwellian innovation

Microsoft has submitted a patent application for a new Big Brotheresque software program capable of remotely monitoring a worker’s productivity, competence and physical wellbeing. This takes the monitoring of people at work to a new level, say civil liberties groups, privacy lawyers and the Information Commisioner.

Tom Cruise on Scientology: We are the way to happiness and the authorities on the mind.

Here’s how Tom Cruise describes Scientology on a Church promotional video:

When you’re a Scientologist, and you drive by an accident, you know you have to do something about it, because you know you’re the only one who can really help. We are the authorities on getting people off drugs. We are the authorities on the mind…. We are the way to happiness. We can bring peace and unite cultures. Now is the time. Being a Scientologist. People are turning to you. If you are a Scientologist, you see things the way they are, in all their glory, in all their complexity… It’s rough and tumble. It’s wild and woolly. It’s a blast. It really is. It is fun. Because damn it, there is nothing better than going out there and fighting the fight, and suddenly you see — boom! — things are better. I want to know that I’ve done everything I can do, every day… I do what I can. And I do it the way I do everything.

 (Source: Gawker)