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Skepticon has proven to be a most valuable source of rational thought and interesting fodder for the Sunday disservice. In this episode, PZ Myers takes one creationist talking point and knocks it down, utterly and completely. Plus a small primer on molecular biology, all in under 50 minutes. Enjoy.
Christmas concert banned, replaced by holiday concert! – “Happy Holidays” replacing “Merry Christmas”! – Christmas Trees not allowed in school!
Stay tuned for more stories about the oppressed majority desperately clutching their peals throughout the holiday season.
People will certainly get themselves tied up in knots over the strangest bullshite. Just ask Michael Coren from the Sun as he saunters through a frothy article about the “War on Christmas” and the evil wrought by secular forces. Bonus points if you caught the implied sneer when he compares secular people with the OWS movement.
Shitty opinion pieces aside, the fact remains that Christmas as a holiday (season) is not going anywhere soon. The Christmas season is entirely too profitable for business and by this base fact alone we will not have to worry about Christmas going the way of the dodo. Jebus needs a new blu-ray player….ohhhh yaaa! *sigh*
Rapacious consumerism is the sturdy superstructure of Christmas, the foundations are all but unshakable – all that is left to do is bloviate about which thin trappings we stretch over the capitalist orgy that defines the season. Happy Holidays? – Watch out! Holiday Tree? – Satan himself.
Does it matter? Not one bit.
Where it does matter a bit is in the public school system. In theory we have a secular school system and therefore we should not privilege any one set of magical beliefs over the other. In context of the school system it does make sense to have a Holiday Tree and to have a Holiday Concert as not every child is of the delusional christian variety. We should respect the brainwashing of other crappy mythology just as much as the flaccid christian ballyhoo and not push our beliefs unnecessarily on others.
Not so much of the unveiled hate we’re used to this disservice, but more of an exploration of the hoops people will jump through to keep their chosen godhead happy. This video is about growing up in a fundamentalist christian household and the demonstrably evil toys that were not allowed stain one persons childhood. One can never be too careful as we all know that Care-bears are the direct line to Satan.
My Little Pony is apparently hell on wheels as well. Behold!
It is funny, but OED sent me Sturgeon’s Law as its word of the day it goes like this –
“Sturgeon’s Law – A humorous aphorism which maintains that most of any body of published material, knowledge, etc., or (more generally) of everything is worthless: based on a statement by Sturgeon (see quot. 1957), usually later cited as ‘90 per cent of everything is crap’”.
Of course, this law handily applies to the deranged brain turd trust that spewed out the idea that having the Lord’s Prayer in Public School was okay. Let me check my timepiece. Oh hey it’s not the middle ages anymore. Why are we polluting young minds with inane religious nonsense in the 21st century?
“The school of 380 students is now hoping for some guidance from the Sturgeon School Board.
“It’s our desire to be an inclusive school and respect the rights of every one,” said Goertzen.
The principal, Goertzen, by making the Prayer a part of the morning announcements is by definition not respecting the rights of everyone. Muslims Atheists and Hindu’s get to quietly suck it up while Christian Dogma is spewed every morning must be in his definition of inclusion.
Public schools are secular institutions.
“The board expects the school to solve the issue on its own.”
I suggest they start their brainstorming session from here – Public schools are secular institutions.
“I haven’t got any problem with it either way,” said chairman Terry Jewell. “If the community wants it that’s fine by me. If they don’t want it’s also fine.”
Your definitive lack of spine is noted Mr.Jewell. I’d hate for you to actually have to take a stand and say that religion has no place in our public schools as that might upset the fundies. Never fear though, the front lines of our educational system are being upheld with vigilance and care. Sorta kinda…
“Under provisions in the British North America Act, now part of the Canadian constitution, public schools in Alberta and Saskatchewan can offer religious education if parents so desire, said Jewell”
I guess hiding behind the BNA act is considered a strong enough defence of pubic education these days. The idea that a school board can even entertain the idea of having religion in public schools in the 21st century in Canada leaves me gobsmacked.
Teaching children the mendacious foolishness of *any* religion is a huge disservice to them. Saddling yet another generation with erroneous perceptions of how the world works is a monumental disservice to them and society.
It should not be happening – ceiling cat is displeased.
I hope to inspire a little cognitive dissonance in the faithful. :)
Long live rational skeptical thought. :)
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