Steven Pinker In-Depth

"Even as a young teenager, Dr. Steven Pinker (@sapinker) prized rationality as a virtue, and considered himself an anarchist. He changed that belief, however, when evidence indicated that anarchy was not a path to human flourishing. In this special episode, a co-production with the New Enlightenment Project, previous Podcast for Inquiry guest Lloyd Hawkeye Robertson returns as a co-host. Together, Lloyd and Leslie explore with Dr. Pinker whether universities are betraying their mission, how the human brain spectacularly fails while also working wonders, the loose connections between science and technology with social and moral progress, and what humanity needs to do to continue to thrive for the next 50 to 100 years."

Steven Pinker is a world-renowned intellectual who has many detractors regarding his focus on the red herring of a "woke" academia and other Neo-Liberal/Conservative thinking (link)(link). However, click on the link below for a deep and broad picture of his views on several important topics:

Steven Pinker Discusses Rationality and Humanist Values

An Objective Look At The Effects Of Religion

There is a lot of media reporting regarding the benefits of religion. When one looks deeper into the research on the subject, one finds poor quality. The positive effects of religion are probably placebo and the benefit of social support, which is not necessarily only found in a religious group. Below is a recent analysis of studies on the subject:

Being "Godless" might be good for your health, a new study finds

Another way to look at the effects of religion is to look at the correlation between the more religious US states and countries of the world and happiness and well-being (link). The quality of life is better in the least religious and most socialistic states and countries.

A Child Teaches Children About Humanism

Elle Harris, the nine-year-old author of the humanist book Elle the Humanist, is a bright star of critical thinking and humanism for doing more than her part in educating her peers in such. If you are a humanist/atheist/free-thinking parent of a young student and are looking for resources to aid you in passing on how to think outside of the magical thinking fog around us, this should be given serious consideration. Below are two links presenting Elle:

Elle the Humanist: an Interview with a young Humanist Author

Elle the Humanist (FFRF video)

The Major Fear Of The Religious

If one listens carefully to the complaints of the religious about the direction society is taking, one finds a fear that they are losing the battle to dictate morality (link). Following are sample quotes from an article in The Guardian entitled, "Humanism and morality have cast off religion", that highlight the futility of their efforts:

"Is it so hard to see that humans have values whether they believe in the supernatural or not? That the ideas at the heart of liberal faith – love, compassion and human rights – are ones humanity has developed in the same way humanity developed ideas of God. If we created it all, and we and our ideas evolve, then why shouldn’t we choose to keep the important stuff and discard the packaging?

"There is a philosophy which has grown up within and alongside religion from the beginning and that is humanism. Come on in: you will find humanists full of wonder, full of spirituality, if by that you mean a sense of connectivity with things greater than themselves, and morally engaged with the world." ~Hester Brown

"The assertion that human rights 'arose out of Christianity' is unsustainable. Human rights were variously encoded long before Christianity and beyond Europe, for example, by Babylonian King Hammurabi 2,000 years before, and in the 6th century BCE by the Charter of Cyrus. Around the same time in China, Confucius urged respect for the intrinsic value and moral force of all people and articulated the Golden Rule. In the 4th century BCE, the Confucian Mencius declared that 'the individual is of infinite value, institutions and conventions come next, and the person of the ruler is of least significance'. Christianity added only dogma, guilt, and hellfire to Judaism’s version of the Golden Rule (Leviticus 19:34), and bound human worth to God and the church. Human beings have struggled for human rights for as long as they have existed and in all parts of the planet: perhaps we should just have more faith in ourselves?" ~Peter McKenna

AGAIN, One Does NOT Have To Be Religious To Be Good

The following classical blog post by Atheist Revolution of over 10 years ago made some important points that most theists are not aware of even today. Thus, the need to re-post it.

Secular Humanism Involves Compassion Too

 

My Dream for the USA

I have a dream that one day the voters in the USA will understand the power of the Constitution: We the People of the United States can attenuate the corrupt politicians and the powerful.

I have a dream that one day all people will be fully recognized as being created equal, as such is supported by science.

I have a dream that one day those holding the power in the nation will be making decisions based on evidence and not unsupported dogma.

I have a dream that all opinions not supported by evidence will be marginalized.

I have a dream today.

(With respect to MLK)

Reflections On The Trump Victory

The USA has just finished one of the longest and the most polarized, nasty election in my memory.  Virtually half of the country is in the state of depression and worry with the other half ecstatic and happy.  What do we do within this reality?  Do we hunker down within our ideology or do we try to get along and understand each other better?

Is there an approach to political action that can tap into the shared values of most people in our constitutionally secular democratic republic?  I propose that we come together using wisdom, reason and humanism, informed by science.

Following are links to articles in today's Charlotte Observer that I think are beneficial for all to reflect upon:

A close election and a divided America

Our hopes for a Trump presidency

Trump wins: 4 tips to help depressed progressives beat post-election blues

This article is directed toward those who voted for Donald Trump.  Please understand that those of us who accept the truth that science is the best way to know reality are deeply concerned about Trump's views on science.

“Donald Trump’s presidential election win stuns scientists”

This article will summarize my opinion of those who voted for the man.

Why it is so hard to empathize with Trump voters

What make Trump tick, in his own words, and how it is against what has worked historically in the USA:

http://www.vox.com/a/donald-trump-books

In closing, THIS is the REAL record of Obama's accomplishments during his eight years as President of the USA. Here's hoping that you, Mr. Trump, will at least come close to achieving what he did. Oh, please note: he did this with minimal Republican cooperation.

http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/obama-leaves-legacy-of-extraordinary-accomplishments-858804803834

What Is Humanism?

"The word "humanism" has a number of meanings. And because authors and speakers often don't clarify which meaning they intend, those trying to explain humanism can easily become a source of confusion. Fortunately, each meaning of the word constitutes a different type of humanism—the different types being easily separated and defined by the use of appropriate adjectives. So it is relatively easy to summarize the varieties of humanism in this way."

The many types of Humanism:  Here and Here

The above image is my attempt to crystallize the meaning of humanism.  I assert that humanism is the philosophy/lifestance most consistent with the findings of science.  Oh, if you think that humanism is a 4-letter word, check this out.

If you have heard the statement that "Humanism has borrowed from Christianity its ethics.", here is the truth:  Christianity actually borrowed ethics from those around them and earlier humans who got their ethics from evolution and socialization.  Superstition and religions have added nothing of their own to ethics. Since all religions lack supporting evidence that they are revelations from a god, they most likely are man-made in an effort to make sense of the world as it is and/or to have control of people.