Florida Freethinkers » skepticism

What Science Says about Morality

Andrew Bernardin — Mon, 18 Oct 2010 13:10:15 +0000

Many people believe that science is strictly the domain of mute facts. What is. And it consequently has nothing to say about values and morality. About what should be. Many religious folks, or simply thinkers friendly to religion, will claim that values and morality are a special category addressed best or exclusively by religion.

I disagree for two main reasons.

First, if you read the ancient, sacred texts, and know something of the history of religion, you will find that the values expressed by a religion reflect the needs and concerns of those preaching and promoting the religion at the time. The Bible, for example, is filled with verses that can only be seen as abhorrent by today’s honest thinker. Stoning adulterers, killing children in warfare, keeping slaves, etc., etc. Why are these barbaric practices in the Bible? Because the books of the Bible were written in a different time. A less civilized time. Literally.

Consider the case of slavery. Why is it not outright condemned in the texts upon which many religions are based upon, religions whose practitioners recognize it as an abhorrent practice today? Because times have changed. And no, religion didn’t get it wrong initially, and then got it right, thus deserving the credit as the engine of values and morality. Instead, times changed. And by that I mean a shorthand for the many factors that influence human thought and behavior: sociological, psychological, educational, economic, political, etc. When those things changed, religion changed with it. And then often given the credit for getting things right.

Yet religions frequently resist the progress to “getting things right.” They will act as a conservative force, putting a brake on societal change. Consider the Catholic Church’s stance on contraceptives. Religion, in this case, is stupidly clinging to values out of place in today’s world.

The second reason why I disagree that religion is the special realm of values and morality is that this claim rests on two bogus premises. One, that preachers and practitioners can magically know something (what is right) without a potentially measurable (within the ream of science) input of information. How does religion know what is right? It just does. Or because a god said so. Kindof.

Bullocks. If you take a closer look at religion you will find fully natural elements responsible for the values it promotes: social, psychological, economic, political, etc. What’s more, science can best help us expose and understand those elements.

Bogus premise number two is that science is the domain of static facts, thus it is mute about morals. As the saying goes, you can’t get from an is to an ought. But science is not just about facts. Doing science entails formulating hypotheses, testing hypotheses, developing theories, discussing and evaluating theories, etc. In essence, science is about working towards a more accurate understanding of the universe. Yes, this understanding is firmly tethered to facts, but there is more to it than mute facts.

In the least, scientists are capable of testing the hypotheses (or call them propositions, if you like) that lie hidden beneath moral codes and values. For instance, consider this ought: Though shalt not commit adultery.

To say that the commandment merely reflects the will of a god is naive to the extreme. Rather, it reflects the universal human concern over sexual fidelity and its consequences on child rearing. So why shouldn’t a person commit adultery? Because of the harm it could cause individuals and their social groups. That’s the hypothesis hidden behind the “ought.” And it can be analyzed and tested. By science. What happens when there is adultery? Are there any measurable psychological, social, etc., consequences? What about when there is no adultery, what can we measure then and confidently know?

By the content of my above statements, it is no mystery that I received a copy of Sam Harris’ latest book, The Moral Landscape, with happy anticipation. The subtitle boldly reads, “How Science Can Determine Human values.” Wow. Not just evaluate and test, but determine. Can it really? I have thoughts about that.

Now that I have completed a full read of the book I can say I have many good things to say about it. And yes, I have a few criticisms as well. But overall, the book is a welcome addition to any library. Harris is again at the vanguard, boldly elbowing into new territory. And I applaud him for it.

Stay tuned for upcoming posts on his book and the subject of morality.

[This article simultaneously posted at my home blog, 360 Degree Skeptic.]

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The Skeptrack Experience at DragonCon – Part 2

Lori Blough — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 22:03:15 +0000

With all of the fun and fascination at Skeptrack 2009, a couple of controversies emerged in the conversations there. The first, discussed openly in a few panels, was the role of religion in the skeptic/atheist/freethought movement. This is still a sore spot for some, particularly given the wide range of individuals who fall under the freethought umbrella. The second controversy, the dearth of women and other minorities in freethought, was more subtle and didn’t get its own discussion panel. It was left to casual hallway conversations but has become a hot discussion topic in the freethinker blogosphere in the past weeks.

Should skeptics talk about religion and faith? Why should atheists care about ghost hunting and aliens? Why is this even a problem? The problem lies in the wide-ranging spectrum of freethought. While there is a large overlap of skeptical thought and non-belief in religion, there are differences at both ends. On the one hand, religion is a personal issue for many skeptics, of no interest until it begins to infringe on science, medical care, or education. On the other hand there are atheists who are skeptical but don’t care to tackle ghosts and psychics. Personal woo seems harmless and is only of interest when it achieves cult status.

That leads us to the kinds of tensions that arise at large events like Skeptrack and James Randi’s The Amazing Meetings. These gatherings cover both topics. Skeptrack had panels on everything from “The Truth About Ghost Hunting” to “The Future of Atheism.” Ultimately, we have to remember that we are truly a “big tent” movement. Some of us are going to have to accept that the discussion of UFOs and lake monsters is just another way to promote critical thinking; some of us are going to have to accept that religion is a topic that can and should be debunked like any other. I am hopeful that the freethought movement can handle this challenge. We skeptics are intelligent, passionate people with the ability to realize that we can share our strength at the places where we converge. Everything else is just details.

As far as the demographic issues, the freethought movement is still largely older, white, and male. Women are making large inroads but may still feel like outsiders. Few minorities show up at skeptic groups and events, and college outreach is still in the early stages. Fortunately, I don’t think freethinkers are overtly sexist, racist, or homophobic, except for a few unfortunate exceptions. The biases that still linger are an issue to be sure, but those which a group of rational people could overcome if they wanted.

I don’t want to get into the gender issue too much as it’s been far better covered by others, particularly at Skepchick.org and in an excellent two-part post this week from Greta Christina’s atheist blog.

I would mention, however, that I think Derek and Swoopy, the hosts of the Skepticality podcast and directors of Skeptrack, did a wonderful job this year of bringing balance to the female equation. Women were well represented at the panels and were not only included but also leaders in discussions of science, the future of the movement, education, and critical thinking. The Skepchick panel was a big hit with the attendees and is a strong force for attracting young, female critical thinkers.

Getting together at events like Skeptrack at DragonCon is wonderful and fun and one of the best ways to grow and evolve the freethought movement. Despite a 30+ year history of advancing critical thinking, the current freethought movement is still young enough and really just coming into its own. I believe that we still have the time, the resources, and the open minds to handle these challenges and controversies and create a more cohesive, inclusive, and stronger group going forward. Stick around. Things are just starting to get interesting!

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The Skeptrack Experience at DragonCon – Part 1

Lori Blough — Thu, 17 Sep 2009 02:14:59 +0000

Every Labor Day weekend 40,000 or so geeks descend on Atlanta to revel in at least four days of Nerdvana at DragonCon (www.dragoncon.org). It’s the largest fan-based popular culture convention in the U.S. There is a fan track dedicated to almost any science fiction, fantasy, horror, game, comic, art, or geek subculture that you can think of. Since 2008, there’s even been a fan track for skeptics: Skeptrack (www.skeptrack.org).

Skeptrack emerged in 2008 as an offshoot of the original Science track. From time to time the Science track would host panels dedicated to skepticism and critical thinking. These panels were always popular and often packed to capacity. Eventually the DragonCon powers-that-be wondered if an entire track dedicated to skepticism would be worthwhile. They called on Science and Podcasting track veterans Derek Colanduno and Robynn “Swoopy” McCarthy to direct the fledgling Skeptrack – and it was a huge success! Nearly every panel was overflowing, and guests had to be turned away. Derek tells a story about one panel that even he couldn’t get back into so he had to hit the floor and crawl his way through the crowd to get to the microphone and introduce the panelists. The inaugural year of Skeptrack proved that it was definitely here to stay. In 2009 the track was given a bigger room, pulled in even bigger guests, and presented several live skeptic podcasts.

The Skeptrack Experience

Panelists this year included Dr. Phil Plait and Jeff Wagg from the James Randi Educational Foundation; Daniel Loxton of Junior Skeptic Magazine; DJ Groethe, Joe Nickell, and Ben Radford with The Center for Inquiry (CFI) and the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry (CSI); David Silverman of American Atheists and the No God Blog; prominent scientists such as Dr. Eugenie Scott of the National Center for Science Education (NCSE) and Dr. Seth Shostak of the SETI Institute; and also several skeptical science fiction authors, bloggers, and podcasters. Oh, then a guy from a Discovery Channel TV show called Mythbusters – the indefatigable Adam Savage. Links to most of the panelists or their organizations can be found at the Skeptrack.org website. Derek and Swoopy also maintain a Facebook page for Skeptrack here.

Like DragonCon itself, the experience at Skeptrack is a bit like homecoming. I spend most of my life surrounded by people who aren’t skeptical of anything, who are not rational or critical thinkers, who often talk about their “church home” and expect me to share their faith. It’s a relief to return to Skeptrack and find a place where I feel like I belong. It’s a bit like a family reunion, except with family that you actually like!

The Skeptrack Panels

A complete list of panels may still be available at the Skeptrack website. Panels began at 1 pm on Friday, September 4th and the skeptic party didn’t stop until the wrap-up panel at 4 pm on Monday, September 7th. Quite a few of the discussions focused on the role of atheism in skepticism and how skeptical believers and non-believers can try to work together. Other discussions were about the current state of the skeptic movement and its future. Daniel Loxton did his wonderful presentation on “What Do We Do Next?”. Several skeptical podcasts presented live shows from the Skeptrack room, including American Freethought, The Skeptic Zone, The Geologic Podcast, Skeptoid, and one of my personal favorites, The Skeptic’s Guide to the Universe.

Surprise last minute guest Adam Savage was present at two very popular panels. The first was mostly about Mythbusters and drew a massive crowd in one of the ballrooms. The other was called “Stealth Science” about getting across a critical thinking or scientific message in entertainment form. Speaking of education through entertainment, there were a couple of panels for skeptical parents and kids — “The Skeptics Guide to Parenting” and the “Mystery Investigators Children’s Show” hosted by the friendly skeptics from the Australian show Mystery Investigators.

Did you miss all the fun?

If you weren’t able to attend Skeptrack 2009, don’t worry! Derek and Swoopy are already making plans for next year, and all of the panelists vowed to come back. Though James Randi was absent this year due to illness, he promised to be back next year via a short video to the audience to express his regret at having to miss the 2009 show. Skeptrack is a great opportunity for those of us who can’t make it out to Las Vegas or London for one of Randi’s JREF Amazing Meetings. If you have a skeptical frame of mind, check Skeptrack out!

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The Skeptrack Experience at DragonCon – Part 2

The Baloney Detection Kit – Michael Shermer

Lori Blough — Thu, 25 Jun 2009 14:09:27 +0000

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Being “Saved” By The Baptists

Lori Blough — Sat, 20 Jun 2009 15:39:13 +0000

Early in my Junior year of high school, my mom decided to move back “home” to West Virginia. Well, it was still home for her, at least, but after a decade in Florida it was no longer home for me; I felt terribly out of place. I was a strange and lonely kid who read too much and thought too much, and was stuck in the most awkward time of my life. So, when an older cousin asked me to join her church youth group, I did, hoping to find a place to fit in.

I guess I did fit in, for a while. I developed a crush on one of the boys at church and everyone was just so nice. The other kids had all been saved and baptized and the whole congregation seemed so excited about it when a newly saved soul headed up the aisle to pledge their heart to Jeebus. I wanted everyone to like me, so I decided to do it too. That was a very pleasant time for a shy gal in need of approval. Everyone hugged me, smiled at me, told me what a wonderful child I was. A dream come true for one sorely lacking in self esteem!

A few weeks later I had my baptismal ceremony and it was actually quite an uplifting experience. I had that mystical ‘god’ feeling that you read about; I honestly thought I felt surrounded by god’s presence! (As it turns out, a short time later I found I got that same feeling at large rock concerts where the crowd is intensely emotional and focused on the performer.) Everyone continued to heap attention upon me for about the next week, until the next big thing came along – Revival!

If you’ve never been to a Baptist revival, it is truly something to behold. Guest preachers come from far away, having prepared their best, loudest, most intense fire-and-brimstone sermons. It can go on for several weeks, with different speeches throughout the week. (If you have a morbid curiosity and a high BS tolerance, you should try one sometime, if only for reference.) Our regular pastor was not an intense man, normally. He much preferred the “god is love” kind of sermon, and I suppose, so did his flock. When I attended, the morning service was fairly normal, and I suspected nothing. The evening service though, was horrifying… it was entirely too much for a sixteen year old, and I thought I would be sick before the night was over.

Revival was everything you’ve ever seen on TV, and perhaps more. Lakes of fire, eternal suffering and pain, demons, and so on. I hated every second of it. I had been to church before, and I knew that bad people went to hell, but this…this was way beyond some mild-mannered concept of detention or maybe jail. The fear and hate I felt in the room was so diametrically different from the happy glow I had felt in that very same room just one week before that I couldn’t begin to understand it. How could this be the same god? How could a loving god hold you in his hand and protect you in one moment and then decide to torture you forever in the next moment? And for what? As far as I could tell, nearly everything was sinful, and you had to live in fear all of the time in order to keep right with this monster.

That was the last time I ever went to that church or willingly went to any church. Fortunately my mom didn’t seem to mind. She was mostly a Christmas and Easter kind of Christian anyway. A few months later we wound up back in Florida – which turned out to be more “home” for both of us than mom had realized – so I didn’t have to deal very long with the guilt my cousin or my former friends tried to heap upon me.

It took me a long time to figure out what I was going to do with all of those contradictions about the Baptist god. I continued to read too much and think too much, of course. In time I realized that there was so much more that I couldn’t reconcile, and that it just didn’t seem realistic to believe that Christians had the answers. It took me even longer to figure out that nobody else had the answers either. Today I still can’t be positive of what the answer is, but I finally feel that I have a pretty good idea what it is not.

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My Amazing Meeting with James Randi

Fender — Mon, 01 Jun 2009 11:55:14 +0000

“Hello” was the response on the other end of my newly initiated phone call.

I knew this voice instantly, from the hundreds of times I’ve heard it on television, podcasts, and YouTube videos. I was shocked that it could be he who answered the phone and believed I might be wrong. “Yes, um, we are vacationing in the area and wanted to visit the Foundation. Is tomorrow ok?”

The strong but comfortably aged voice, with a hint of Canadian accent replied “Yes, tomorrow will be fine.”

I then was convinced I was right and ventured, “This sounds like Mr. Randi.”

“Probably because it is” he said.

“I am just surprised you’re there” was my feeble reply.

“Well I had to be somewhere.”

I felt him smiling at me.

My impression is that this is Randi in a nutshell. Like that phone call from a complete stranger, he is at once self assured, reassuring, strong, wizened, comforting, bold, and honest. So multi-faceted but then so simple in his approach to everything, which is direct honesty. This is a characteristic of magicians and why they seem to be so confoundedly different from the rest of us. I would never conceive of being honest while trying to deceive people. This of course is the defining difference between say a magician and a psychic, the archetypical examples being James “The Amazing” Randi and Yuri Gellar. Magicians say, “I am about to trick you.” Psychics don’t tell you.

We arrived at the small Mediterranean style building, which looked to be converted from a house into a business office. Sean, a James Randi Educational Foundation (JREF) employee met us at the door and welcomed us in. He led us into the Isaac Asimov Library, showed us some of the interesting artifacts, about 2,000 books (including strange and stupid tomes of the Church of Scientology), and shared personal stories about his time at the JREF. He then excused himself to “tell Mr. Randi he had guests.” I figured Randi would come in quickly, exchange pleasantries and be off on some of the many projects he seems to always be leading. I was wrong, we were generously graced with an audience for the next 3 ½ hours by the “Amazing One” himself.

We were guided and educated through the wonderful world of skepticism, including an explanation and expose of an original Scientology E-meter. The device looked like a cigar box with important looking controls and a needle that supposedly measures resistance. Inputs on the side of the box allowed connected wires which instead of plugging into the handles were simply knotted and slipped through holes cut into the tops of the handles, originally empty, painted tomato cans. We were regaled with tales of Randi’s past victories over Geller, Kreskin and Popoff. We were a captivated audience as we learned about the origins of the JREF, its original benefactor, and James Randi’s second career, as well as anecdotes about his famous friends. With open elation he told us of his tour with Alice Cooper, his admiration for Martin Gardner, and his friendship with and mutual respect of Johnny Carson. We were informed of projects like TAM7 (The Amazing Meeting) and the new TAM UK in the works with the likes of Penn & Teller, Richard Saunders, Ben Goldacre, Phil Plait and the Skeptics’ Guide to the Universe crew among other notables.

We finished this extraordinary visit with the performance of a “minor miracle” – an incredible magic trick Randi said would amaze us, and we still are. I came away from my afternoon at the JREF with a renewed sense of wonderment, a higher level of admiration, and the feeling that the skeptical movement is being steered by very wise and still capable hands. Randi’s humor, intellect and generosity are unparalleled.

I encourage you to make the trip to Ft. Lauderdale to visit the JREF for yourself. Randi invites all to attend the open skeptics meeting held there the last Wednesday of every month. Immediately after reading this post, leave a comment, check out and support the JREF, and get to TAM as soon as you can.

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Foundations of Freethought

Pamela Dodd — Wed, 29 Apr 2009 20:36:24 +0000

America’s secular heritage begins with the founding of the country in the late 1700′s. While 200 years may seem like a long time ago, it’s a blink compared to the history of secularism that has threaded through most civilizations over the past 3,000 years.

Freethought is by no means an American invention. It appeared in various guises as far back as ancient Middle East, Greece, India, and China. Gautama Buddha in India in the 6th century BCE spoke of the respect for uncertainty and doubt, warning his followers not to accept anything based merely on tradition or authority.

Thucydides, Anaxagoras, and Theodorus of Cyrene were famous ancient Greek secularists. There is also speculation that Digenes and Socrates were nonbelievers. Secularist Romans included Cicero, Horace, Lucretius, Seneca, and the skeptical philosopher Sextus Empiricus. It’s interesting to note that Romans called everyone who weren’t their religion “atheists,” including Jews and the early Christians.

Persian (Iranian) Omar Khayyam (1048-1123 AD), a first-generation Muslim and well-known mathematician, philosopher, astronomer, and poet, was not devout and expressed his doubts publicly about divine intervention.

During the Renaissance Leonardo da Vinci was one of the biggest opponents of acceptance of the authority of the Church. It’s generally agreed that the modern period of Freethought began with the death in 1600 of Italian theologian and writer Giordano Bruno, who traveled throughout Europe writing and lecturing on secular topics. He was finally arrested by the Inquisition and spent seven years in prison in Rome before being burned at the stake for his atheist beliefs.

Atheism and skepticism emerged during the Middle Ages in Europe as universities began to grow independent from the control of the Catholic Church. Chaucer, Peter Abelard, Roger Bacon, and William of Occam helped reawaken the belief in reason and an interest in science, although none were atheists.

In the late 17th and early 18th centuries, Freethought became popular in England, France, Germany, and other European countries. During that time, America was well on its way to being settled by Europeans fleeing religious persecution or looking for a better life and African slaves, indentured servants, and prisoners sent to this new land against their will.

By the late 1700′s, the 13 English colonies were ready to split from British tyranny and strike out as a new country founded on human reason and secular humanist, not religious, principles. The founding fathers made their intentions clear on the importance of keeping church and state separate.

In the mid 1800′s, a large number of well-educated, German freethinkers and anti-clericalists emigrated to the US, Canada, and Australia following the 1848 European revolutions for democratic reform and human rights. Known as Forty-Eighters, these people, many of whom were Jewish, hoped to be able to follow their beliefs without governmental or church interference. Many settled in immigrant communities in St. Louis, Indianapolis, Wisconsin, and the Texas hill country.

Freethought had it’s heyday in American society after the Civil War, from about 1875 to 1914, The most notable freethinker of the time was Robert Green Ingersoll, who gave well-attended, popular speeches around the country. A number of Freethought periodicals were also published.

But as the country experienced growing pains, schisms between the secular and religious opened up. Many looked for connections to God to be more visible in society. They wanted a tidy world of moral absolutes and a comfortable sense that a thread of religious belief bound everyone together with the same sense of virtue. And so secularist influence receded as atheists and freethinkers were censored by regulations and laws meant to silence them.

In the 20th century, skirmishes continued on may fronts between those who wanted to place the Christian God front and center in the workings of everyday public life and those who understood the continuing relevance of freedom in the US Constitution and Bill of Rights. That divide continues.

For a richly detailed, clearly written accounting of freethought in America, read Susan Jacoby’s Freethinkers: A History of American Secularism.

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Education is Not Just for Kids

Fender — Mon, 27 Apr 2009 18:07:40 +0000

I’ve belonged to Orlando Atheists & Freethinkers group for a little while now. Previously, I was on like-minded Internet sites for several years. One of the many things I find interesting is the acknowledged need for freethought educational resources for our children. But I see very little conversations or requests for adult continuing education on the same subjects. The religious communities hammer home the idea that their membership should grow in knowledge of dogma. It should make equal sense that the “Reality Based Community” should grow in scientific literacy.

Other people’s kids accept strange concepts about life, afterlife, origins of life, and the world around them. How easy then should it be to educate our own kids about science and the real world, since we freethinkers have facts on our side. This can only happen if we ourselves are armed with superior knowledge on these vital subjects. More than facts, we should also be able to give children the ability to use critical thinking and evidence-based reasoning. To do this we must be more than a little familiar with these concepts.

This desirable idea of constant self-education in reason is not just for the sake of the kiddies, but also for our own sake. I was a victim of a multitude of false dogmas, concepts and ideas for many years. I still am not immune to charlatans and scams. Vigilance and self education is the best defense against all the varying attacks on our rights, rationalism, and wallets. We may be immune to the purveyors of god(s), an immunity for most of us probably attained through reason, but how are we doing against spiritualists, alternative healers, advertisers, and political apologists?

Certain concepts like logical fallacies are still hard for me to keep in mind when presented with new or different arguments. These really come in handy around political campaign season. Trying to tell the difference between folklore/urban myths and actual sound practices is hard to do without a minimum of critical thinking skills. If a person doesn’t understand the scientific method, proper testing or statistics, as well as the peer review process, it makes deciding between science and pseudo-science incredibly difficult.

We people of reason should see the advantages of the our worldview over those of the fantasy-based beliefs. Simply knowing us will perhaps expose others to reason; when we engage with the uninitiated, it would be best to know what we are talking about. If we do, this can only benefit our neighborhood, communities, country, and eventually and hopefully the world at large. I like to suppose that we are at the beginning of a renaissance of rationalism, but it isn’t the first time. In the later part of the 1800’s both reason and spirituality boomed; the likes of Mark Twain and Robert Ingersoll on the freethought side and those of the ilk of Mary White (founder of Seventh Day Adventism) and Joseph Smith (founder of Mormonism) on the religious side. Eventually freethinkers lost and very well might lose again if we don’t learn all we can and expose others to this knowledge, even if it is just our own kids.

Recommended Resources:

James Randi Educational Foundation
Pharyngula – PZ Myers Science Blog
The Skeptics Guide Science Podcasts and Blogs
CSI – The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry

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