Sapere Aude!

Conservatizing the Bible

This conservatizing the Bible thing has got to be a joke, right?  If it's not then it's really, really sad.  I grew up holding the view that the King James Version of the Bible was a divinely inspired translation of the original Hebrew and Greek texts.  I don't those that view anymore.  In fact, I'm more inclined these days to think that something like the conservative Bible project has been instrumental in shaping what we know call the Bible in the sense that people's political, historical, cultural contexts influences how the Bible was put together.  But, if I did still hold that view of the Bible, the Conservative Bible Project would still bother me.

Psychologists Reject Gay ‘Therapy’ - NYTimes.com

The American Psychology Association has finally announced they don't think you can pray away the gay.

The American Psychological Association declared Wednesday that mental health professionals should not tell gay clients they can become straight through therapy or other treatments.

In a resolution adopted by the association’s governing council, and in an accompanying report, the association issued its most comprehensive repudiation of so-called reparative therapy, a concept espoused by a small but persistent group of therapists, often allied with religious conservatives, who maintain that gay men and lesbians can change. No solid evidence exists that such change is likely, says the resolution, adopted by a 125-to-4 vote. The association said some research suggested that efforts to produce change could be harmful, inducing depression and suicidal tendencies. Instead of seeking such change, the association urged therapists to consider multiple options, which could include celibacy and switching churches, for helping clients live spiritually rewarding lives in instances where their sexual orientation and religious faith conflict.

Of course, I already knew this because I watch South Park.


Empirical research often does not jive with religious beliefs about sexuality. Shocking.

Non-Theoretical Factors and Religious Belief

From Ronald Nash's Worldviews in Conflict:

"But often their theoretical judgments seem inordinately affected by nontheoretical factors.  This is the cases, for example, when racial prejudice causes people to hold certain untrue beliefs about those who are objects of the prejudice.  Sometimes these nontheoretical factors are unique to the particular person, rooted in his or her personal history.  Some writers have suggested that another type of nontheoretical influence affects our thinking.  According to them, human thoughts and actios have religious roots in the sense that they are related to the human heart, the center of our attitude toward religion.  Human beings are never neutral with regard to God. [. . .]  While this line of thinking raises questions that cannot be expored further in this book, it does seem that some who appear to reject Christianity on rational or theoretical grounds are, in fact, acting under the influence of nonrarational factors; that is, more ultimately commitments of their hearts.  People should encouraged to dig below the surface and uncover the basic philosophical and religious presuppostions that often appear to control their thinking" (24-25).

I certainly think that non-rational factors influence our beliefs.  But, obviously, this cuts both ways even though Nash's emphasis is on those that reject religion.  Maybe those that appear to accept religion on the basis of good reasoning and evidence are actually being influenced by their own non-theoretical dispositions and attitudes.  What's important to point out here is that Nash's aim is to draw the reader's attention to aspects of the skeptic's person rather than to focus on addressing the merits of the arguments they give in support of their religious skepticism.  'If people reject religion, regardless of what reasons they give for doubting, the real explanation for their rejection is their sinful nature.'  This is how many conservative Christians think about religious skeptics.  'So don't be fooled or tempted by them into thinking too critically about your religion because they're just out to lead you astray.' It's an obviously fallacious, but common, move that is also rooted in the teachings of Paul. 

The wrath of God is being revealed from heaven against all the godlessness and wickedness of men who suppress the truth by their wickedness, since what may be known about God is plain to them, because God has made it plain to them. For since the creation of the world God's invisible qualities—his eternal power and divine nature—have been clearly seen, being understood from what has been made, so that men are without excuse.

Before they are ever mature or informed enough to make their own decisions about the merits of religious belief, people that grow up in conservative Christian circles learn that there are no good reasons to reject religious beliefs because the Bible says so.  They learn that the only explanation for why people religion religin is because they are wicked and sinful no matter how fancy their arguments might appear.  Their upbringing, etc. cultivates a non-theoretical disposition towards religion in their bodies and psychology that also influences their affective relationships with those that do not share their beliefs.  Believers often view non-believers as evil and it is rooted in their theology and bad reasoning.

Pat Buchanan is "Just Fine" with a Christian Monarchy in the US

I'm inclined to agree with Buchanan and Walsh about Obama, but check out the gem Buchanan drops on them about his preferred form of political organization.

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He was a presidential candidate, you know. I mean seriously, WTF?! I think Pat has more in common with the Mullahs than he would admit. Does he not see the irony of advocating theocracy the same week we have people shouting "God is great!" as the protest a theocracy?! Or the contradiction of advocating it while condemning it at the same time? Probably not, the difference is he thinks the Iranians are just following the wrong god. Why does Pat Buchanan hate America?

Philosophy Prof Thinks Tiller Worse than Dahmer

Check out this post in which a conservative philosophy professor offers his "thoughts" on the Tiller murder.  Nice, huh?  What a douche.

The Less They Know The Less They Know It

I never ceased to be amazed by how people over-estimate their abilities to offer good arguments for their views on significant issues.  Check out this exchange from a thread on Facebook:

#1: "People who live in California are automatically exempt from providing any attempt at a well-thought, educated answer to such a query."

#2: Do you have a well-thought, educated answer to this query?

#1: Why are those who are opposed to gay marriage labeled as hateful, intolerant bigots, no matter how respectfully the opposition is presented? Why is the gay rights movement so aggressively pushing for gay marriage when most people, religious or not, are supportive of—or at least far less opposed to—gay couples having all the same legal rights as married couples with some form of civil union? The answer, according to the Bible, (Romans 1:18-32) is that everyone inherently knows homosexuality is immoral and unnatural, and the only way to suppress this inherent knowledge is by normalizing it and attacking any opposition. The lie is then promoted and the truth suppressed and attacked. The vehemence and anger expressed by many in the gay rights movement to any who oppose them is an indication that they know their position is indefensible. Trying to overcome a weak position by raising your voice is the oldest trick the book.

Everyone knows homosexuality is inherently immoral because the Bible says they do?  This person is an idiot, plain and simple.  If the best you can do to defend your view is play "the Bible says so" card, then you do not have a well-reasoned argument by any stretch of the imagination.  They cannot even manage to put up an argument from unnaturalness here, they just assert a Bible verse as if that's sufficient to show that the claim is true.  Do you think this person would accept "it's in the Qu'ran" as a rationally persuasive argument for wearing head-scarfs?  People like this need to get a clue.  The reason "those who are opposed to gay marriage labeled as hateful, intolerant bigots, no matter how respectfully the position is presented" is because their arguments are so bad and illogical.  When your belief is based on nonesense instead of a reasoned argument it raises the question of whether your opposition is principled and respectful or if it's really just based on your stupidity and/or bigotry.

Misinformation in an Anti-Abortion Manual? No Way!

Broadsheet has a post with a link to an anti-abortion manual filled with all sorts of dubious information.  I think I might use it this summer if I cover the abortion debate.  It will be a nice resource for thinking about misinformation and the difference between the public discourse on abortion and the philosophical discourse on the debate.  But, is anybody surprised that the anti-choice activists propagate misinformation?  These are the same folks that typically rely on psychological manipulation when sharing God's word with people too.

George Tiller Killed: Abortion Doctor Shot At Church

An abortion doctor has been shot at his own church.

Liberty Univ. Rejects Democrat Student Club on Moral Grounds

Liberty university is a great place for intellectual diversity. 

Liberty University president Jerry Falwell Jr. made his first public comments today about the university’s suspension of the campus Democratic party club.

“That club still has the right to exist,“ Falwell said, although it cannot use the university’s name in its activities.

“They still can meet on campus,“ in certain rooms, he said. “There is absolutely no animosity at all toward any of these kids.

“They are good, Christian kids who sit with me at ball games. I just hope they find a pro-life family organization to affiliate with so they can be endorsed by Liberty again.“

More politicians, including Gov. Timothy M. Kaine, have joined gubernatorial candidate Terry McAuliffe in commenting about Liberty University’s revocation of the campus Democratic Party club.

This is not a college, it's an four year church camp.

Does the Right to Religious Nonesense Trump the Right to Pursue Happiness?

I guess we'll see.  I'm not inclined to think that the legal recognition of same sex marriage infringes on anybody's right to exercise their religion.  But, I am inclined to think that the state should not be in the business of regulating marriage in the first place and that if they are going to do it that it should be done fairly.