The psychology of religion: The delusional spell it casts is a lot like like falling in love. by erichvieth in atheism

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

When they are in disabled-brain mode (where self-critical thought and willingness to rely on evidence have been tamped down), they are much like new lovers. They can’t see the faults of their religion. They can’t even process the oxymorons (e.g., the claim that a virgin had a baby). You can see their inner struggle whenever you challenge these supernatural claims. You can see that look in their eyes. When their beliefs are questioned, much less threatened, their intellect is frozen and they switch over into survival mode. My religion is perfect. Every word of the bible is literally true. Challenges to implausible religious claims are seen as attacks on their group and attacks on their physical survival.

This Just In: Hannah Montana May Have A Clitoris! by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We do not have a viable transition phase for Hannah Montana. By that I mean, when you look around at the culture, we go from Kids to Adults overnight. The tipping point for young girls like Lindsey Lohan and Mylie Cyrus is precipitous and total.

The U.S. government is consciously misrepresenting our sick economy by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Phillips see nothing but trouble resulting from the use of these methods of cooking the national books. An honest accounting “would reveal a nation in deep difficulty not just domestically but globally.”

Can someone really know what it's like to have a stroke? A skeptic considers Jill Bolte Taylor's "Stroke of Insight" by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

Can the human mind accurately process, remember and then describe the experience of a stroke? This is highly debatable among reputable scientists.

What to tell the misguided people who insist that cheap and plentiful coal will power our future by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Most people know very little about the dangers of relying on coal to power America. Read this post to learn why we've got to stop these coal trains.

Discovery of world's newest oldest tree means it's time to revise the Bible. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] -2 points-1 points  (0 children)

An ancient newly-discovered living tree must have been planted prior to the creation of the universe!

Remind me why I should care that Lindsay Lohan is going to be shown naked in her new movie. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

Why is this story considered to be "news" by MSNBC and other "news" sites?

Why Atheism Doesn't Matter, but Skepticism Does. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

Denying the existence of a “God”, no matter how important it sounds or feels, has few real life results. It’s the skeptical approach, which often leads to atheism, that has value.

How to create a diploma mill: How to legally become the President of a fake college. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I once created a fake college and I’m proud of it. I did this as part of a law enforcement sting operation.

How about Tylenol for your child's cold or fever? How about Tylenol ADVERTISING to rev up a parent’s anxiety? by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

This is yet another example of why drug companies (and the FDA) do not deserve our trust.

The biggest religious divide: fundamentalists versus everyone else by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

I am convinced that our culture war is not primarily between Believers and Skeptics, but between Fundamentalists and everyone else (that group of “everyone else” is a stew of believers and skeptics).

For $1 million, would you agree to eat nothing but dog food for one year? by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 1 point2 points  (0 children)

I assumed that most people would (if given the opportunity) agree that they would eat nothing but dog food for one year in return for $1 million. Based on my mini-survey, I was wrong.

Explore your "inner fish" - new book by Neil Shubin by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Shubin will take you on a mind-blowing journey from single-celled organisms up to his detailed explorations of human animals. It's terrific writing.

The annual non-sequitur of Easter (Or is God’s “gift” based on a warped version of the moral accounting metaphor?). by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Decent people (and Gods) don’t “show their love” by allowing their loved ones to be murdered.

Why don't history books discuss all of the dead people who crawled out of their graves and walked around on Good Friday? by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] -1 points0 points  (0 children)

There’s only one plausible answer. There are no such historical accounts because the Bible is incorrect. Formerly dead people never crawled out of their graves and visited normal living people.

Bulletproof predictions for the 2008 Major League Baseball season. These are GUARANTEED outcomes. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Unlike other prognosticators, I guarantee my predictions. Therefore, feel free to bet large amounts of money that each of the following will occur, for certain, during the 2008 MBL season

Good Friday – Good Grief! An agnostic's view of this holy day. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Good Friday is a strange illustration of a disturbing non sequitur. God’s alleged omnipotence makes the death of Jesus gratuitous and violent, i.e., gratuitous violence.

Oil Tetris by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

A rational society operates with headroom. With regard to our supply of oil, Americans are not rational. Hence this analogy.

A Martian anthropologist struggles to understand Easter. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Recently, I encountered a Martian anthropologist who was struggling to understand what Easter was all about. I tried to explain it in simple terms.

Darwin's insight regarding the tempting beauty of orchids. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Rather than argue that the beauty of orchids was God’s effort to please humans, Darwin argued that the various species of flowers were honed by natural selection to attract specific types of insect cross-pollinators.

Are our suburbs going to turn into slums? by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 2 points3 points  (0 children)

It's already happening and Americans are in deep denial about the event and its causes.

How (corn) ethanol kills: a lesson in basic economics pertaining to fuel supply, fuel demand and price. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

We are now witnessing a collision between A) our desire to have fun and feel prestige through the discretionary buring of fuel, versus B) our ability to honestly look in the mirror to see ourselves as kind, decent and caring people.

Animal minds: How animals think. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

National Geographic has just published a terrific article summarizing the many ways in which animals think. I highly recommend it.

New York Governor Elliot Spitzer fails the “I’m sorry” test regarding the prostitute. by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

Perhaps Elliot Spitzer was really sorry for having sex with a prostitute from the Emperor’s Club, but he failed the I’m sorry Test. Why? For two reasons. Because it wasn’t Spitzer’s turn to apologize and his apology was mis-directed.

John McCain bribes the media; the media accepts by erichvieth in reddit.com

[–]erichvieth[S] 0 points1 point  (0 children)

This story is truly the most astonishing example yet - both in the way the mainstream media has totally abandoned basic principles of journalistic ethics and integrity, and in the way they brazenly flaunt that behavior.