Post 4 WK 6
In the “Beyond Belief Discussion
FINAL EXAM IS NOW ONLINE
FINAL EXAMINATION: Winter 2008, CRITICAL THINKING, Professor David
C. Lane, Ph.D.
FEBRUARY 15TH IS THE DUE DATE
Instructions
1. Be sure to place your entire FINAL on your website and when you
are finished send a link of your test to your teacher directly at neuralsurfer@yahoo.com (don't send
it to any other email address, except that)
2. Make sure that it is YOUR OWN work and that if you use other
authors please be sure to quote and/or cite the material appropriately. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated and you will receive an "F" automatically for the examination.
3. The test is due NO LATER than February 15th at midnite.
3a. Each answer should be at least three paragraphs long, if
possible.
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4. My name is Crystal Casillas
5. My user name is crystal.
6. My email address is iluvmy3@verizon.net.
7. My we address is myviewofthings08.blogspot.com and it is called PHILOSOPHY 8.
8. Yes I have completed all the reading, I even made up past readings.
9. Yes I have watched all the films that were required and enjoyed them I found them to be interesting.
10. My midterm grade was a C and I know that had to do with a number of things. First I didn’t complete all the post, I was short 2. Second I didn’t answer all the question; I think I missed two question. Finally I turned it in late. http://myviewofthings08.blogspot.com/2008/02/midterm.html
11. PHILOSOPHY 8
POST 3 WK 6
In “Frequently Asked Question” there was another question that I found interesting and it was called animal behavior. It was a question regarding sexual tendencies that someone tried to relate to human sexual tendencies to the tendencies of bonobo apes. It was stated that sexual activity is healthy but in todays society sexual tendencies, homosexuality, child abuse, incest have no positive effect on a person sexual confidence. This question ,may have started out wrong but in that essay there was some interesting information. It is true that our society is some shy when it comes to sexuality. It is also true that sexual behavior can have a negative effect on a persons sexual confidence.
At first thought it was funny how human sexual tendencies were being related to an ape. As I read further I noticed that they were right about how a persons sexual confidence could be affected from a negative experience. There are so many reports now of children being molested and women being raped. These are experience that they would never forget. How does a person heal from something like that, especially a child. I don’t know if the increase in television reports has to do with people never coming forward before or if it was just something no one spoke about. There are a lot of sick people out there in the world and there is no telling which ones they are. Even though sexual tendencies may be similar to those of a wild animal it doesn’t mean that people have to behave like them.
POST 4 WK 6
In the “Beyond Belief Discussion” a man by the name of Richard Stone went up to quickly discuss religion and medicine. He began by discussing how there are so many people out there talking about how medicine will benefit from religion. He talked about how there are so many book that talk about angel healer, fairy healers and much more. He talk about a doctor, didn’t catch his name, that talked about how he prayed with all his patients. What he didn’t say was when he prayed with his patients. Richard found out that the doctor prayed with the patients right before a surgery. The doctor would be standing next to them while they were all gowned and tools were pulled. The doctor didn’t choose to pray with them in a quiet and soothing environment that would otherwise been better. Richard also talked about the increase ion interest in religion and medicine was a rise in irrationalism. He found that this rising irrationalism caused more harm then good.
I guess he could be right about the religion causing more harm then good. I think this would only come into consideration if the out come of whatever procedure would be wrong. Richard gave a great example of a young girl and her family and another girl with her family. They were in the same room for the same test results. When the first girl get her results they came back negative which was good. After hearing this the father says we are good people and we deserve this. What is the other girl supposed to think if she gets back results that are bad, positive. Having religion may otherwise prove to have a positive effect. Religion brings hope and positive mind set. Have a patient in good spirits will lift that of all the people around them. Who know exactly what religion really does for medicine, but who are we to say that it is truly harmful? Religion is something that is done mostly by choice, for every individual it different. I repeat a saying that I have heard somewhere that I use a lot, to each is own.
POST 1 WK 6
In “Frequently Asked Questions” there was of course several questions asked. The questions were all in regards to life, genes, evolution, and the brain. One question that I really liked was about genes and it relativity to homosexuality. They say that homosexuality is found on the X chromosome. They also even stated there were several theories on homosexuality. One of the example theory they gave was on how bottle fed individuals may show more homosexual tendencies then breast fed individuals. There was also a theory that I remember hearing on television and that was hoe homosexuality may be due to a chemical imbalance in the brain.
It almost impossible to determine what exactly is responsible for homosexuality. It is interesting because homosexuality is approached in a way that makes it seem like a disease. What if homosexuality is just a preference? When it was mentioned that homosexuality was genetic? How far will this study be willing to go? I could understand people wanting to know why their children are behaving in a certain manner, and wondering if it is just a phase. But what about the people who want to have testing done on their genes before conceiving what then? Homosexuality is a life style that is hard to accept for some people. Homosexuality will never be fully understood, and for the question it is difficult to even assume there will ever be a concrete answer.
POST 2 WK 6
Online there is a web site that is called “Fallacy Files” and it is a collection of fallacies. At first I wasn’t sure what fallacies were and I found out they are bad arguments, and/or mistaken reasoning that someone has named and described. I went through some of the fallacies and there was one about emotional appeal that I found interesting and there was another one. The other fallacy was called the fallacy of personal attack and it’s real title is "Argument against the man". Apparently this is a fallacy that is more widely known. Fallacies are what someone has found interesting and has tried to explain in a way that is inaccurate and is sometimes just a bad idea.
I found it really interesting that someone has taken the time to research these and put them all together on this web site. Some of the fallacies I found really interesting and others I have to say were a little difficult for me to follow. This web site just goes to show that not all ideas are good ones.
DISCUSSION WK 6
Films 6-10
In the short film called “Truth Lies: Mendel, Code, and Evolution” there was mention of Darwin and how there was room for other possibilities. It mentions how people believe in nonsense because it is easier. It talks about evolution and how it is people are so willing to believe in heaven and GOD. There was a quote that stated “nonsense evolved as and adaptive function to a large brain because believing in nonsense makes more sense”.
Yes it is easier to believe in God because not only is it a simple explanation but the idea alone gives hope. There was another quote that I got from the film and it stated people “cannot live without purpose, even if purpose is an adaptive fiction”. In other word this is what was taught when there was no research done, when there was no real facts, but now that there is nothing has changed. Religions still teach god and deny evolution. It is interesting because I am not sure that any if older generations who lived there life with such dedication to their religion could adapt to the change in ideas even though there is so much scientific support. On the other hand there is the younger generation who may be more willing to accept that science has proven evolution and not intelligent design. It doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist; it just means that there is no scientific or proven support.
In the film “Fundamentalism is a Mental Disease” there was once again the discussion of religion and science. Evolution vs. intelligent design. In this film it states that fundamentalism is taught to those who cannot think. At some point in time fundamentalist put out two texts against Darwin’s idea and they were ridiculed because they did not have correct facts and science. Darwin’s ideas have been appraised so much and still are to this day. Basically the film is about who people with small mind can easily believe in intelligent design and those that are more intellectual wont be so willing to dismiss facts. I really don’t know what to say with out repeating myself. It is incredible that so many people are willing to just deny the facts that evolution has occurred. I am not sure why they don’t just accept the truth and move on. Yes I know that sounds harsh, my grandmother would be pissed if she would read this, but she won’t. I know a little about evolution and there is no way that I am going to deny my belief in God.
In the short film called “Java Philosophy” there was a lot of quotes from different people. In the beginning there was a quote that ended with “do it or don’t do it- you will regret both”. Basically he is stating that life is a catch 22. I like the saying damned if you do and damned if you don’t, no matter what you do it will always be wrong. I could really relate to this meaning that leaves us questioning our actions. As for the other quotes they also had some relevance to the reality of life but the one I had first seen stood out the most.
The short film “Innervision and Running Trains” was about how Baba Faqir Chang became Master of Surat Shabd Yoga. It was a short documentary that talked about having vision of holy men during a war. Baba Faqir Chang said that he got a vision of his guru when his unit was about to face certain death. He reported to his superior officer what his guru had said. The officer followed the guru’s directions and the unit lived. When Baba Faqir Chang had returned home he was praised and worshiped. When he asked why, they said that he had appeared to them and gave them directions that saved their lives.
In this short film called “Flame On!” it discussed homosexuality and how in the past it was shameful. Many people were in denial because homosexuals were believed to be damned. At the end of the film there was a list of people who were homosexuals. I have to admit there were some names that I was surprised to see on the list. Homosexuality has come a long way from being a damned life style. Now they are more open about their sexual preference and in some states can even marry. Even though homosexuality is more openly expressed, those that are living this life style still have a ways to go.
Elaboration, Question, Rebuttal WK 6
In one of the required reading called “Intelligent Design” it helped me to understand that (ID) intelligent design is about a religious view on the how man and world came to be. Intelligent design is against the idea of evolution. I have already heard about ID being instituted into some school’s lesson plan but it was interesting to hear how a Federal Judge ruled that it was a violation and it was, as far as I know, removed. ID is so supported that they have there own scientist. It is interesting because these scientists don’t research information to prove ID right but to prove evolution wrong.
I could understand how many people want to support there belief and they are willing to fight for it, but how could they dismiss something that has so much scientific proof. Science is not only about find something to be right or wrong, but about finding supporting evidence. This doesn’t necessarily mean that ID is absolutely wrong; it just means that evolution is more factual. I believe in facts and what I can see, but it doesn’t mean that there isn’t something greater out there. I feel in my gut that there is something more to life then just what the eye can see. We have had so many discoveries and they continue to happen; who knows what will be discovered next?
Reaction WK 6
There was a conference with Dr. James Watson that was filmed. Dr. Watson was in his 20’s when he discovered that there was a double strand of DNA. This man has done so much in his life time it is incredible. He has been a Director, Chancellor, and President at Cold Springs Harbor which was the first school to study genetics. He discovered that the hydrogen in DNA was in the wrong place and in this process found the structure that was missing. I hope I got that right. Dr. Watson was able to make a completed 3D structure of DNA. Dr. Watson went on to discuss genetics which turned into Nature vs. Nurture, needless to say he supports nature as the major contributor to thing such as autism.
This man is amazing his discovery has done so much. I think when he said there has to be something besides genes, but we’ll have to start with genes because that is all that is available, he wasn’t giving himself enough credit for his accomplishment. With his discovery we are better able to study cancer, autism, and other possible genetic diseases. I agree with him saying that nature plays a major role in determining growth, and overall health but also think that nurture can play just as big of a role. There is so much to take into consideration when deciding whether to get pregnant. There is age, health, genetics, even the environment, it is a safe environment, and can the parents provide the care that is needed? How is someone to determine which is more important, nurture or nature? No one can ever really say one thing is more important. There is always going to be new studies, and advances in science that will change the importance from nature to nurture and back again. As Mr. Lane has said in his class there is no wrong or right answer. Though Dr. Watson made a great discovery some day someone will make it better
Post 4 WK 5
In the “Beyond Belief Session 9” Sam Harrison made a statement that really stood to me. He stated that “people rise to the defense of God without really defending the Bible”. I really agree with this stamen or at least what it means to me. I think that people believe in God and in doing so they do not necessarily have to believe in the Bible to do so. The Bible is more of an aid, that gives information and demonstration. God on the other hand is the belief. God is the greater being, the creator.
God is more than just a name for the greater being. God encompasses all that is good, both physically and mentally. God also stands for hope. It is for many a belief that has become a way of life. Believing in God has help to make people more understanding and their moral judgments better. Maybe not all people are so lucky but there are many who benefit from this belief. What is going to happen if something takes away a world of hope?
Post 3 WK5
In the beginning of the “Beyond Belief Session 9” there was a short documentary film showed. In this film a man went to a church called the New Life Church to ask the Pastor some questions and try to understand why people followed what the Pastor said so willingly. First he attended the Churches mass and witnessed the praise these people demonstrated first hand. Afterward he met with the Pastor and had a heated debate on whether the people are following the Pastor because they are told to through the Bible or because they truly believe. It got really heated when the Pastor touched on evolution which he honestly fumbled with, and then he was quickly put in his place. It was a film that made me uncomfortable to watch yet I couldn’t look away. It was once again the argue of which is right, more true the science vs. religion debate.
As I have made my way through the readings and films I found that a lot of the research and intrigue is about religion and weather science should be applied. Or could science and religion coincide? It is a difficult question, and I am sure that the answer is even harder to give. I am not sure if there will ever be any definite or correct answer. I could only assume that the question or the answer will depend on the person. It is like something I had read earlier which stated something in the lines of the answer depends on the person and what they already believe or what they are looking for. Science and religion are two things that I am not sure I want to see come together. I am almost afraid of the results that may present it self if the two were to happen together.
Post 2 WK 5
Scott (I don’t know his last name) on “Beyond Belief Session 8” was the one who was debating Sam on the religion and suicide bombings. Scott began with discussing scape- goating and made it clear that Palestine Muslims were among the ones with the lowest “exclusivity for scape- goating”. The religion that was among the higher one was Catholics. He continued in by discussing how the suicide bombers are usually among the best, brightest, and had no mental illness. They used there best to gain trust from the less fortunate villages. He basically said that it is not the religion that is to be blamed for what is happening.
I’m sure that it is not a hundred percent that religion fault for what is going on in that country. I believe that it has to do with the combination of everything that is going on in that country and elsewhere. Some of these people live under the worst conditions. These people have also been separated from each other. That have been taken advantage of and so many other things. It is sad that these people have lived decades like this, they grew up living and learning in a violent and disadvantage environment. Though these people are intelligent it is not to say they did not learn a bad way of life. They could have learned and wanted to continue the only life they may have known and that is violence.
POST 1 WK 5
In watching “Beyond Belief Session 8” I found that it started off really interesting. It began with Sam Harris who talked about how religion enables people who do not live under deplorable conditions or are mentally challenged to do the extreme. He used Palestine who does suicide bombings as an example. He also stated that there is “a proximal cause of a person’s certain behavior is what a person believes”. Basically he was saying is religion has more to do with persons reactions then people realize.
To some extent I felt as though he was blaming the Palestine religion for the suicide bombings. He talked about how people of other religions don’t go this far, but he was soon corrected. I do believe that religion does play a large role in a person’s behavior. But it is the dedication which a person is willing to put in a religion that will determine his will to do the extreme. A person may be willing to die for his belief yes, but will that same person be willing to kill for his belief? Who really knows? Its fascinating because no matter how right Sam sounds there will always be some else that will sound or make a better point.
DISC WK 5
Philosophy in Less Then Five Minutes: Films 1-5
“The Myth of Eternal Recurrence” was about how life would be if we would have to live and experience everything over and over again. It was interesting because it should a life from conception and all that a person would experience. He then asked the question “would you want this?” I would have to say no, I wouldn’t want to live the same way, experiences, life over and over again. Who would learn, or grow from something like that. It would be exciting at first but then it would get very boring and routine. No one can learn anything new from routine.
“The Zahir” started out with a quote that stated “Zahir stands for beings or things which have the terrible power to be unforgettable, and whose image eventually drives people mad”. In the movies it starts with a man saying that a coin that he got as change was Zahir. But from what I could understand Zahir is anything that invade a persons mind and cause them to get a little obsessed. Towards the end the man says that maybe if he were to continue to think of this coin it would eventually disappear form his mind. With Zahir it is believed that repeating it name would cause the object to lose all meaning. If that is the case then his obsession would soon fade.
“Little Things That Jiggle” was definitely something different. It was about how things are to able to be because of science. There were quotes that went rather quickly but were interesting to read. One stated that “gravity is geometry realized and astrology is Genesis rewritten”. Basically this film states that everything has its explanation and that is possible through the aid of science. It was a little hard to understand at first but I realized that everything has a scientific foundation that allows us to better understand things.
“A Glorious Piece of Meat” was about the brain and how it controls everything. There were questions raised about who really controls our actions. Do we “I” control or is it the brain that is in control? Through this film I was reminded that it is not just “I” that is in controls of my functions but my brain that does majority of the work. It was interesting because sometimes, no most of the time we forget about how much wok the brain actually does. The brain as the film points out is not just a piece of meat it is a glorious one.
“Survival of the sufficient, Darwin Redone” was about how it is not the fittest who survives but the sufficient. The first part of the film talks about how we are all edited, we are otherwise modified versions of our elders. This film states that we are constantly being edited and that we are “volumes, but there is never a final addition”. I believe he is so right through the experiences of our selves and loved one most of us learn not to repeat. With exposure to diseases we build up resistance. It is a never ending process that is for the better of all.
ELAB WK 5
Wow, I read as much as I could of “The Netzsche Channel”. I found what I could understand to be quit interesting. One phrase that really stuck out to me, it was in the beginning of my readings, and it was “everything is to be doubted”. I read further on and in different sections and I kept reading about truth, and curiosity. I had a difficult time completing these readings, but I tried my best. I liked that I got a sense that what I was reading was written in an angry or fed up tone. I got the impression that this man was tiered of searching and seeing other searching for a truth that may not be found.
He was right when he wrote “questionable questions”. Who really knows what questions are right to ask or even if the answers we get back are truly correct? It seems as if there is no end to possible answers, to any questions that may be asked. No matter what questions are asked there can be several different point’s of view, so there can be several different answers. It is interesting that the first thing that stuck in my mind was “everything is to be doubted”. This tells me that I should question everything, and I shouldn’t believe everything that I hear. This is not something that I didn’t know already.
Reaction WK5
Reaction Piece WK5
There was a documentary film done on John Polkinghorne. John Polkinghorne was originally a Thoretical Physicist who then became an ordained Priest. So now he is called Reverend John Polkinghorne. He is involved in the search for “evidence of divinity in the natural world”; what some people call Natural Theology. John believes that there is something more to the Universe; that the balance in the Universe is not an accident.
John does make an interesting point, but where exactly is his evidence. As he is speaking it was easy for me to say oh yeah that makes sense, but once the film was done I couldn’t really remember any of the points he made. He talks about how the world and stars have this balance to them that can’t be dismissed as coincidence. He says that there is this “Devine mind, creators mind, wonderful creator of the world”. In my life there is a greater being that exists, so to hear what he is saying is a bit unfair. I am trying to enter these films and documents with an open unbiased mind but it is a little difficult to hold back. What Reverend John says make sense. Something’s (the world for instance) are tested and proven scientifically to be self sustained and have existed for a long time. But when you look at all the thing the world has and is able to maintain, despite the outside universe. Who is to say that there is not some greater being that is making sure that these things don’t just stop this self sustained pattern? And then you think of the world and notice that things have a domino effect, but when did this domino effect start exactly and who is in charge of maintaining it? I now notice that there will never be one exact answer. Thing are being discovered and proven everyday. So it is better to take in what is said, and do with it as I wish.
post 1-4 wk 4
Post 4 WK 4
In the Beyond Belief Conference, Susan Newman raised questions about morality. She began her lecture with stories about Abraham from the Bible and how he “bargained” with God before he destroyed the city. However, she made a point that this man was willing to bargain with God to save some innocent people, but when asked to sacrifice his son he did not hesitate. Then bargaining with God Susan said that the Bible writes it in a way that demonstrates Abraham speaking in fear. She goes on to discuss the different interpretations there can be in reading the Bible. She says that there is the fundamentalist and then there are the rationalists. She continues her lecture with questions. One was is everything absolute and she quoted a mans name who I did not get but his answer was a surprise for those who asked. These people were waiting for a solid answer and instead they got something along the lines of truth is the matter of the world and how it is.
Before coming top a closing Susan stated the question can there be a science of morality and her answer was no. She goes on to state the distinctions about morality and science. I think that she is right about there cannot be a science of morality. Morality is not something that can be proved. Morality is more then just an action it is almost a belief. Morality is like the action that is based off of ones belief. I know from my own experience that my morality stems from my being raised in a religious environment. Religion weather it is real for others or not does help with those morality issues. As for science it is all about something that can be proven and supported by facts. But if we used science instead of morality or combined the two our inner conscious, our ability to use our sensitivity in our decisions would be impaired.
Post 3 WK 4
Wow, I read a paper that was written about David Lane and how he began to investigate religions. It began with a school paper and continued despite the opposing persistence of Ekankar. Ekankar is a “religious” group Mr. Lane has proved to be a fake. He proved that a Minister named Paul Twitchell of this group plagiarized a large amount of his teachings from the text of Radhasoami. He also lied about where he came from and where he had been. Besides learning about Mr. Lanes dedication in investigating cults and religions; I have learned that he is more important then I had initially though. The man that was doing the interview even said that Mr. Lane had changed his life. This man was only one in the thousands that followed the Ekankar. Because of Mr. Lanes research, this man was able to walk away from this religion that may not have been in his best interest. Sometimes believing in something, especially when you are already looking for it, can make it even more difficult to see the truth. Just like love, belief can put “blinders” on people. And for many they don’t even know that they are there. Mr. Lane even though I have only read of this man so far I am sure that there are thousands more you have helped. I am sure you have helped these people to pull the blinders of, and I commend you for this. As you have mentioned in the initial class session that there were a lot of threatening calls and letters; it is not an easy task.
Post 2 wk 4
David Lane reviewed “Edgar Cayce and the skeptic” book that was written by Paul Johnson. Paul Johnson’s book was on Cayce’s psychic demonstrations. He wrote about how they were flawed and to some extent how they could have more meaning then what they portrayed. In other words Mr. Johnson may have believed that Mr. Cayce may not have had any physical psychic abilities but maybe he had some cognitive ones. Mr. Lane went through Mr. Johnsons reading and found that there was no clear evidence that neither promotes nor denies Mr. Cayce’s psychic abilities. Mr. Lane also state’s that Mr. Johnson is a rarity because he not only stated thing in a critical matter but also stated thing that demonstrated he had a “spiritual empathy”.
Though there was nothing really about Mr. Cayce I could write about, but I found that the search for truth alone was enough to get my mind rolling. It’s incredible, the amount of research that it must take to go through Mr. Johnson’s book in an effort to separate fact from fiction. I commend you Mr. Lane because I know that this is not the book or person that you have reviewed. It must have not been easy. As you mentioned in the paper you have to be careful in entering a project like this and try not to be so “cynical or dogmatic”. How is it possible to find a balance being open-minded and skeptical? How does a person know when to ask why? Something I believe can be obviously questionable but what about the rest? You also mentioned that you could sense that Mr. Cayce was not what he seemed. I could relate because yes there is the obvious, but there are other things that don’t seem right. Those are the things that you can tell that need to be questioned. I guess what I am trying to say is that analyzing things such as this can be more difficult then anyone probably realizes.
Post 1 wk 4
There were a couple of films done on Sai Baba who was some type of religious man. He was caught during a couple of his ceremonies presenting necklaces to a child and a woman. There is nothing to interesting about that except that he pretended to be getting these necklaces from a high being. In the film it was clearly seen that the necklaces were taken from the opposite hand before presenting it to each person. No one in the audience even noticed what that he was tricking them. Each person in the audience was too fascinated with the man to even care to notice.
It is interesting that no one noticed that he had pulled the necklace from his other hand before presenting it. I think this could be because no one had ever doubted this man. They believed in him, what he said and even his necklace miracles. After each little film there was a short paragraph that described what was being seen. At one point it was written that even though this man wasn’t being truthful he wasn’t presenting any harm. This man was misleading. He had people believing everything that he was saying and doping. What if the necklace thing wasn’t the only thing that he was lying about? Would the people still believe in him if they new he was only pretending to get the necklace from a higher being when he gave those necklaces away? Belief is a strong word and if the truth came out about the necklace I’m sure there would be some people that would believe no matter what.
Elaboration WK4
“An Introduction to Critical Thinking” is something to help students and teachers with critical thinking. It is written by Steven D. Schafersman, and he raises some good points. He mentions that most college students don’t have the skill of critical thinking. He says that this is because there is so much information to be taught in a certain time period that instructors don’t have time to teach critical thinking. This will change in time because as mentioned by Schafersman the importance of critical thinking has been noticed and are going to be instituted in the learning curriculum,.
The issues of students not knowing how to think critically, is true. Some students as Schafersman mentioned could have been taught through science, but not every student may be able to grasp the concept. Being able to think critically is a skill and as mentioned has to be learned. I do believe that critical thinking can also be taught through experience. Some people experiences may make them more skeptical and analytical about what they see and learn. Though these people may be a rarity, it is possible.
Reaction Piece WK 4
Question, Elaboration, Rebuttal Wk4
Reaction Piece3 WK 4
This reaction piece is done on a lecture that was recorded. The lecture was done by Mark Juergensmeyer and it was called “Terror in the Mind of God”. Obviously this lecture was on religion but he raised the issue that religion has taken a “violent turn”. At first I wasn’t really sure where this lecture was going but then he started to talk about his trip to Iraq. He talks about this man he went to see who was preaching to a group of people. I can’t remember the name of this man but Mark said that this man spoke with such conviction. He told the people that they had lost their faith and that they were not helping in the war. He spoke of a war between religions. He told the people basically that if they had faith they would have to take up arms. Mark went on to talk about how he got the chance to meet some of the men who decided to take up arms. Mark said that these men were around 19 years of age. When Mark asked them why? The young men did not know what to say.
These young men were not just willing to die for what they believe in but they were also willing to kill for it. I am honestly speechless, fighting for what you believe in can be an honorable thing, but in a nonviolent way. Religion is important to so many people, and most have their own interpretation of it. But having different styles or beliefs doesn’t call for war. Maybe I just don’t understand. Actually I don’t understand. How can someone be willing to say I will kill for what I believe in? I will kill innocent women and children for what I will believe in. dying for a belief may not be the best way to prove you have faith, but suicide bombs, shooting, killing other people is the absolute worst. In their religion is their nothing about committing murder? I hope that, well they probably do condone murder since they do it so often. I can’t stress how much I feel for all those who have to suffer because of a religion. How does someone fix a country with a religion that encourages murder?
DISCUSSION WK 4
Discussion WK 4
I watched several short films regarding Thakar Singh and the downfall of gurudom. The short films covered the treatment of children and how he believed that they should be blind folded until they were five years of age. Not only were they blindfolded but they were never to be spoken to and had to sit through meditation for at least 6 hour a day. Thakar was also accused of physical and sexual abuse of women, though the women never filed charges against him some did come forward. It’s funny because even though he denies the charges, in a letter to his disciples he apologizes for the Devil invading the lower part of his body and possibly allowing for temptation to overcome.
It was sad to see how far people will go for their belief. It was even sadder to see how badly people wanted and were willing to believe. Children were badly mistreated; they were neglected in such a horrible way. This man had over a hundred thousand people believing in him. Some guy that was interviewed on television even went as far as to call him God. He was able to get people to believe that what he was teaching was real. What is worse is that people allowed him to get to that God level. Is it a weak mind that allows for such a thing to happen? How could people think that blind folding children are the best means for teaching them a religion? With all the controversy that followed Thakar Singh how was he able to get so many followers, how was he able to get away with the treatment of children and women? Watching this film was hard. The hardest part was watching the children. These short little films were disturbing and pissed me off. I am glad to here that it is called the falling of gurudom, but I realize that this is not the only religion or cult out there that is disgusting. I don’t know if what he was teaching was good or not, but the treatment was enough for me to make up my mind about how I feel about him and his gurudom.
Post 3/4 Wk 3
Post 4 WK 3
I read “Faquir Chand Meets The Tibetan Book Of The Dead” it a chapter from a book written by David Lane. It was basically about Faquir experiences through his search for a higher being and understanding. When he realized his search would not be fulfilled he turned his search into a quest for enlightenment. In this chapter I read that the belief of seeing lights and having a feeling of inner peace while dying has a lot to do of what we believe. That what actually happens is our mind is producing an illusion.
I though this chapter I read from this book was interesting. I am really enjoying this class the assigned reading can be challenging but it is truly intriguing. I do believe that there is something after death what it is I do not know. The mind most likely does produce an illusion of what the person holds most dear; it sounds logical. I don’t know about meditating, can it really put someone at a state if mind that is close to death? Can this state of mind truly put someone more at ease for their own death? I enjoyed this reading assignment it makes me wonder about the possibilities of meditation.
Post 3, WK 3
I read an essay called “Why I Am Not A Christian” by Bertrand Russell. He wrote about how he believes that the word Christianity which is a religion is a word that is used very loosely. He also wrote that Christianity is more of a term used to describe people who attempted to live a good life and if that was the case anyone who was not a Christian was not living a good life. Further into the essay he gave examples of arguments that the church set up to prove the existence of God even though they had said his existence can be proved by unaided reason.
This was an essay that I found very interesting but I felt almost bad reading it. I think that this essay had great questions and proved some really good points. One point that I found interesting is when he wrote that “religion is based primarily on fear, partly the terror of unknown”. In a sense I feel he is right. Most people probably do believe in God because they fear that there will be no point to their lives. That life here on Earth is pointless. Believing gives a sense of hope. We live our life believing and attending religious function because it gives guidelines and hope that there is something more to life. A hope that there is something after life. If this hop is taken away then what is the purpose of life?
Post 2, WK3
David Lane wrote a second part to the “Pretext” paper. He talked about consciousness and how to reduce it down to its pretext. I thought this paper was interesting. He went on to talk about how consciousness can be transcending. It is interesting to see that this pretext conceot can be applied to basically anything. but as David had mentioned in the paper we will often come across question what is the pretext, context, and text? Its true that no matter what is being looked at it is as if it’s a cycle. One context is another’s pretext.
Post 1, WK 3
There was a short film called “Nicholas of Cusa”. It was of a boat sailing in the sky towards the sun and then away from the sun. It is the type of film that is open to interpretation. I wasn’t sure what to look for when watching this short film but I found it fun and lifting. I have no idea what the lyrics to the music went but the melody seemed to really fit the mood is the film. I wonder how much the lyrics to the song would effect my interpretation of the film. I felt that this film could have been about anything. For me it was about life journey. You could go in any direction but no matter what there will be one huge life changing moment that will help cement the direction you are going.
DISCUSSION/REACTION/ELABORATIPON WK3
Reaction WK 3
There was a documentary done on Freeman Dyson and his idea on a mathematical universe. This film for me was a little difficult to follow. They began by discussing things that I really didn’t understand. It was almost as if they were speaking in a foreign language. Freeman disused religion and how he is a follower without him actually believing in it. He goes to church because he enjoys the environment. He says that religion is more of a way of living then an actual belief. He also say’s that God goes beyond the scale of mind.
I really enjoyed listening to there discussion on religion I raises good questions and allows me to see thing from another point of view. I think he is right by saying that religion is a way of life. Some people live there religion. I mean they eat drink sleep and breath there belief. They live their life in solitude because they believe that God will … I don’t know reward there dedication. Other people believe, and try to live there life in a way that is appropriate to there belief. For most religion raises a sense of wrong from right. Religion also gives hope that with good behavior will come good things. Religion and living for me go hand and hand. Religion has a huge affect on behavior and the way a person lives there life. We don’t really understand why but most people believe in a high being, as Freeman says God goes beyond the scale of mind.
Discussion WK3
I watched a film called “The Secret of Faqir”. It was about religion and the saint and Gods that are involved. He talked about religion from his own point of view and experiences. He really didn’t touch anything that was new. While he was talking he had some slide and on these slides were religious figures. As he was going through the pictures they all had the word no typed across them. It didn’t feel right watching these religious figures with writing on them. The film states that the only helper is you. They are right because we are the ones who keep religions going. We are the ones who believe and pass are beliefs onto our children.
Elaboration or Rebuttal WK3
David Lane wrote a paper called “Pretext/ Text/ Context”. It is about how things can be broken down. He talks about how science tries to break things down more simply or fundamentally. He gave a number of examples of how things qualify as pretext, text, and context. He gave one really good example that was really easy for me to understand and that was one of the body. He said that the brain was the pretext, and the body can be the text and so on. He also mentioned that no matter what is being broken down it is always going to be the context of something else.
I thought this paper was really interesting. I never really looked at things in that way. I have learned to be able to break thing down into simpler forms but not by pretext, context, and text. In the paper used different term in place of pretext, context, and text. What I got from this is that no matter how small you try to break something down it is always going to be apart of something bigger. You can try to give these parts different names but no matter what they are they are just a small part of something larger.
Post 1-4 WK 2
Post 4 WK 2
A documentary was done on John Maynard Smith and his ideas on evolution. In this documentary he talked about his religious upbringing as a child and the first time he read Darwin. He stated the he felt a sense of relief. And that religion didn’t give him the freedom that he needed. He went on to say that he is now a agnostic but still attends church. He does this because it is like a community that offers help and security. I’m thinking that this goes back to science and religion. Do the two go hand and hand now? I never really thought of applying science to religion but I have had some questions of proof. Is what is out there real and how can they tell if it is or not? Now I have a better understanding of the possible answers to those questions. John soon goes on to talk about how design and natural selection are similar. Animals and insects adapt to their environment to survive. There body structures are designed to survive a certain type of environment. Though I did enjoy this documentary it was at times difficult for me to follow. John Maynard Smith is a very interesting individual and he made an interesting comment about dependent selection. He talked about how one sex would be more valuable and what would happen if one sex was more popular then the other. I found this documentary very interesting and for me evolution is still something I’m trying to get a grasp on.
Post 3 WK 2
A journal article called “The Himalayan Connection” written by David Lane was about what and how people believe. I have to admit it was a little hard for me to follow. Some words I just did not understand. There was a sentence in the article that really stood out to me and it said “the natures of ones attention is related directly to the perceptions one experiences”. My interpretation of this is that everyone is different and lives different lives; thus, giving them different experiences. These experiences influences a persons beliefs, there behavior and overall out look in life. Each of these experiences are different and for some they may think that there is something mystical about it. For others that might experience something similar they may just brush the experience off and go on with there day. It makes me think that no matter the experience if the person thinks that there is some more to it; mystical, bad luck, or religious. If they want to see something they will find it. At times I have to admit, I will say oh that was just bad luck or what goes around comes around. But I truly believe that because I am a quiet, patient, and very tolerable person I can take a lot of crap. These traits of mine allow for bad experiences from other people, and to justify these experiences I use terms as Karma and luck. My experiences influence how deep I will look into an experience, and what I take from it.
Post 2 WK 2
“A Field Guide to Critical Thinking” written by James Lett is about the importance of critical thinking. James Lett is a college professor that concluded most of his freshman and sophmore students didn’t know how to evaluate evidence for answers. To help his students he came up with the acronym FiLCHeRS. FiLCHeRS is falsifiability, logic comprehensiveness, honesty, replicability, and sufficiency. This acronym is to help students better determine what is true by having evidence for FiLCHeRS.
After reading this paper I found that it is helpful to have something to act as a guideline in determining what is true. Honestly, this paper is basically about needing to have facts and verifiable information to now weather the claim is true. It is important to be able to back up any statement with evidence no matter what it is. I always tell my younger cousin when she’s having problems. If you keep calm and state the facts and have information to back it up you won’t be dismissed. The adults will take you more seriously because they would have realized that you have though things through. And of course she just nods her head.
Post 1 Wk 2
Paul Kurtz wrote a Paper called “Should Skeptical Inquiry Be Applied to Religion?”. He states that skepticism is essential in all areas of scientific research, and to what extent should it be applied to religion. I really enjoyed reading this paper. It raised some interesting questions, and concerns. He states, to some degree, that there are issues in trying to research religion. People are more resistant to researching religion then psychics, palm readers and things of that nature. Applying skepticism to religion is in other words questioning if religion is real.
Wow, what can I say about questioning religion. This is such a sensitive issue. Yes, I believe skepticism is important. It is essential to science in that it raises questions that we have to try to answer by testing possible answers. However how do you apply skepticism to religion? What do you question? There are so many people in this world that believe some type of higher being. Believing in God is more then just something that is done. Believing in God is a way of life. It effects the way people behave, how they treat others. It can even determine what days they are going to demonstrate there belief. Believing in a high being even gives people hope, and faith that people are good, and that good things are out there in the world for those who are good. Questioning religion is a scary thing because as I said before religion is a belief. There may not be any physical evidence that religion or a higher being really exists. If a higher being were to be proven real then things would be great for most, but what will happen if it were proven false? What would happen to all those who believe? Skepticism and religion is a scary combination and for me I’m not sure if I’m ready to seriously put those two together
Reaction WK2
Intelligent Design
Ken Miller held a discussion on the collapse of intelligent design. He stated that there have been some issues in teaching intelligent design and evolution in some schools. Some schools banned books that mentioned evolution, and other schools put warning labels on books. There was a big fuss on weather or not to teach students about evolution. The schools made it a point to put more emphasis on intelligent design then evolution. They mentioned that evolution is not fact, but they never mentioned anything about intelligent design. Intelligent design leans more towards God and religion. It was stated in the film that intelligent design requires the presence of everything for one thing to function. Ken Miller gave an example, which I cannot remember, but it proves this theory wrong. In the discussion Ken Miller mentioned that students were being presented this information in a manner that would have them choose between evolution and God.
I really enjoyed watching Ken Miller discuss this topic. I think it is important for everyone to be exposed to both evolution and intelligent design. However, it is important not to put more emphasis on one thing then the other. They are both equally important, because they raise some interesting questions. They make the person think more deeply about how we got here then if they were only learning about Intelligent Design. It opens there mind up to the many possibilities that are out there in the world. If outside the school they choose to focus more on one thing then that is there decision. But at school it is important to hear both sides. This topic raises some interesting questions about my own children’s education and how it will affect them. Yes, I do have my religion, and intelligent design is geared more towards that, but I also like the theory about evolution. Evolution is fascinating. I think both evolution and intelligent design are important to have in our schools. They will allow for our students/ children to think more outside the box and ask some interesting questions.
Discussion WK 2
ELEVEN
This is a short film about a young man named Josh Willliams. Josh had dreamt of becoming a news reporter. His first report was on problems caused by a man who lost his father on September 11th. This man’s name was Simya Jones. Simya created a group called Group 11 after losing his father. Simya and his group’s goal was to rid the world of terrorists, and their first target was Muslims. A young man named Malik Sharie who was a biology student was the first they had attacked. Josh was supposed to do a follow up with Muslims about the attempted murder on Malik. Simya didn’t mean for the other man to survive and made sure it didn’t happen again. The movie ended with Josh getting his dream, he died at the hands of Simya and their group. Josh Williams left the movie as an A list reporter, and on the front page. He also noted that he was not pissed.
This short film was very good. I felt that it was so realistic and touched on some serious issues. After September 11, and finding out who the culprits were there was a lot of commotion about Muslims. And till this day there still are some remnants of hostility towards Muslims. It is unfortunate that judgment was passed on an entire culture based on the actions of such a small fraction of the whole. This incident affected not only the United States but the world. A similar terrorist attack happened in London. Emotions of everyone, those that were and were not effected, ran high. How can a person properly react to such a horrendous crime? Though there was a lot of help offered to those that were affected, was it enough? Some people did retaliate, what were they thinking? How do you help someone with such a loss? How do you protect an entire culture from possible harm? Tons of questions are running through my mind. It was said at one point that September 11 could have been avoided. What it was, would it have stopped them from trying again? Probably not. Now, 7 yrs later things are still trying to settle down, but I don’t think people will ever be totally healed from the terrorist’s attacks of 2001 and 2005.
Elaboration, WK2
The physics behind four amazing Demonstrations David G. Wiley wrote a paper called “the Physics Behind Four Amazing Demonstrations. In this paper he starts out by telling about his experience in a physics class that bored him. He later discusses a move that changed his physics experience thanks to a new instructor. This instructor demonstrated physics rather then just speaking about it. Today David Wiley does the same thing in his classes. He uses some demonstrations that are both new and familiar. David show how these demonstrations can fool a person into believing that they are witnessing magic but it is only an illusion. What I got from this article is that some things though they seem real simple they are actually pretty complex. Some magic tricks that are sometimes seen on TV actually take time and thought to prepare and demonstrate. David Wiley opened my eyes to realize that there are a lot more things that can be and are scientific. The Magic tricks that I am often fascinated with are really a scientific procedure that takes time and knowledge. I wonder if walking on glass and lying on a bed of nails was discovered by a magician or a scientist? I also wonder who was the more daring of the two to actually go through trail and error for these mind boggling demonstrations? I used to wonder about these types of things before. I would think how they are done, what do they do. Know I can look further into it knowing that it has some type of scientific background.
Post 3/6 , WK 1
The Pleasures of Finding Things Out
Richard Feynman did a short documentary film called “The Pleasures of Finding Things Out”. The film starred him and was about how his father had a big influence on his learning habit. His father taught him how to notice the details of thing and not just their names. By having his father so interested in teaching him how to learn Richard Feynman became great at learning. Having that kind of influence in anyone life can have a great impact. It helps a person build confidence and security. But if you really think about it though, is it possible to have such a good influence and still be bad? Well not necessarily bad in behavior but not stable in the mind. I think that can and has happened somewhere, even though I can’t think of a name off the top of my head. Teaching someone to learn is one thing, how this person decides to use the knowledge they have gained is entirely on them. Lucky for us the great intelligence that Richard Feynman has acquired over time has not been put to bad use.
Conference on Beyond Belief
Wow, this film I have got to say was very hard for me to follow. What I could watch was interesting, but it was so slow. I would find myself wanting to fast forward but the computer I was using did not allow it. This conference was done in a discussion type style. They were discussing science, religion, reason and survival. They started the first segment of the conference by talking about religion and science. The thing that caught my attention was the mention of there being tension between science and religion. I believe this is true. Taking science to religion can have a serious effect on religions and churches. Imagine what would happen if religion was proved false. What would happen to the churches, the people who believe? What if religion is proved to be true? Would there be panic among those who did not believe? Honestly, I’m not sure I even feel comfortable discussing this. It’s such a sensitive subject; I don’t know what to say. Religion is much more then a belief for myself and my family. It is apart of my culture, it is a way of living for many of my family. Religion, I know is believed and practiced differently, but the one thing that probably remains the same is its importance. I really do understand why there is tension between science and religion and it is not suppressing.
Post 4/5 , wk 1
Karma
A short film called “Karma, What Goes Around Comes Around….. Bitch” by Tamara Fiolas was interesting. The film starts with a young man walking to his car. As he is making his way he gets images from everyone he bumps into doing good or bad things. He also gets images of them having the opposite happen to them. For example, one man beats and steals from another man. Later, he steals a bag from a man and as he’s running away he gats hit by a car.
I think that almost everybody knows something about Karma, and if not they may know the saying “what goes around comes around”. Most people may find it easy to believe in Karma. It’s probably so easy to believe because it is often used to justify things we do or things that happen to us. For most Karma occurs when something bad happens to us, or when someone is going to do something good. For me it’s difficult to believe because it is not something that I can prove or see. Karma isn’t something that can be proven scientifically. In the film it is said that Karma is “a distinctive aura, atmosphere feeling”. Karma is interesting. It is a belief that is convenient. However, even though we cannot see it, karma can be a good thing. Karma can almost act like a conscious by keeping people doing good rather then bad.
Cargo Cult Science
Cargo Cult science was written by Richard Feynman and it is about what is science, and the integrity of it. Mr. Feynman tell about what Cargo science is. He says that there were a bunch of people during a war that witnessed a cargo drop and wanted the same things to happen to them now. So, they made a runway, a makeshift watch tower and headphone set. After the people did all this they waited for the planes to come, but nothing happened. These people were missing something important but they didn’t know what. Cargo Cult Science came from this, it is when everything for an investigation is done but a key element is missing. Mr. Feynman continues on to discuss how science started and how little integrity it had. People would want, or expect certain result and would make them happen. People would doctor information, or continue experiments until they got the results they wanted to report. Science is important it helps to find out what things work, how and why. Mr. Feynman writes in his paper that it important to document all finding, good and bad.
I think that Mr. Feynman is right about reporting both the positive and negative findings of any experiment. A negative result of a medication testing experiment would save a life. It’s interesting to think about because these types of thing are now being reported. A good example is commercials that are on TV for different types of medications. The make there fascinating commercial about a drug and then right before it ends a fast speaking narrator reads off a list of possible complications. Now, most products that are purchased from a store have some type of warning label. But, as Mr. Feynman stated negative or bad result were not always reported. Despite warning labels of possible side effects people still take the medications and smoke cigarettes. No matter what information is out there about an experiment, good or bad, it is always important to know.
post 1/2, wk 1
What is Cold Reading
A document called “What is Cold Reading?” by Austin Cline is about psychic readings. The writer Austin Cline states that there are two types of readings. The first type is cold reading and it is when the psychic convinces the client that they are actually getting read. Cold reading is also done with the reader not knowing any information and is able to trick the client by asking questions.
The second type of reading is hot reading and that is when the reader knows some information. Mr. Cline basically states in this article that psychics are not real and what they do is not scientific.
I believe that Mr. Cline is right about psychics not being real. Psychics are around and continue to fool people because we allow them to. We know that there is no scientific way to prove what psychics do are real. However people continue to go and see them. I believe people continue to pay for being tricked is because they need someone to give them some type of glimmer of hope. They need something to help them believe that there is more to life then just the nine to five. They need to no that possibly after we die we will go to a better place where we can all be happy and healthy forever. Psychic may no be real but to a certain extent they are needed to help so to speak. Psychics can give hope or crush it depending on what is said and by doing this they can influence a persons behavior. After seeing a psychic a person can be tricked into feeling hopeful and happy or scared and upset.
Viruses of the Mind
“Viruses of the Mind” written by Richard Dawkins is about how the mind, DNA, and computers are similar. He says that they are similar in the sense that they are open to suggestion and are capable of being poisoned by a virus. An example he gave for the mind is a little girl and how she is so gullible. This little girl will believe in anything including a talking train. For DNA his example was how it is always replicating in a very mechanical manner, but is still able to contract viruses. For computers they process information in the same mechanical fashion, and it to can unknowingly download a virus. These viruses that are allowed in can be both beneficial and harmful. For DNA and computers they can be used to vaccinate against further infections of the same virus. The mind it’s not that easy to keep from being poisoned, for the most part viruses are probably more harmful then helpful.
I think that the mind is the same as DNA, and computers. They all process important information and sometimes viruses. However, for me I believe the one that is most difficult to protect is the brain. How do we know what information is poisonous? Mr. Dawkins used religion as an example. To be more specific he used a Reverend that was on TV convincing people to donate money. These people believed they were helping God by sending him this money. This is not to say that all religious people on TV are bad, but it does bring up a good question. Can we really believe in them? Our minds are tricky. For me believing is seeing, but I believe in God. Does that mean that my mind could be poisoned? I believe that every one decides on there own what is poisonous information and what is not. That’s where that saying comes in “to each is own” in other word everyone is different in their beliefs, and lifestyle. Our minds may process like a computer and DNA but what we accept as a virus changes with our beliefs, and standards.
Karma film
A short film called “Karma, what Goes Around Comes Around …Bitch” by Tamara Fiolas was interesting. The film starts with a young man walking to his car. As he is making his way he gets images of everyone he bumps into doing good or bad things. He also gets images of them having the opposite (good or bad) thing happen to them. For example, one man beats and steals from another man. Later, he steals a bag from a man and as he is running he gets hit by a car. Tamara demonstrates in her film that for every action there is a reaction.
For most people Karma is something that is easy to believe. I think it’s so easy to believe because we can use it to justify things we do or things that happen to us. For most karma occurs when something bad happens, or when someone is going to do something good. For me it’s difficult to believe because Karma isn’t something that can we see; it not something that can be proven scientifically. In the film Karma is said to be “a distinctive aura, atmosphere, of feeling”. Karma is interesting. It is a belief that is convenient. However, even though we cannot see Karma it is a good thing. Karma can act like a conscious in keeping us doing good rather then bad.
In the article “Critical Thinking in the Online World” by Debra Jones the importance of having librarians teach critical thinking to those searching for information is stated. Librarians are already responsible for helping find information in the library but they can only help up to a point with online information. Online information is growing along with the importance of determining true information. Mrs. Jones states that critical thinking is the stock trade of the librarian. She goes on later to state how to teach critical thinking, and that it is a learnable skill with the help of others.
Critical thinking is an important skill to have. It is important in every aspect of life. For example it can improve a person point of view to include that of others, and not theirs alone. Critical thinking may not be that easy to learn though, it requires the help of others such as teachers and peers. Being a librarian makes it easy to be this teacher because they already have the skills of examining information with an open mind, and being able to focus on the specifics of the big picture. Critical thinking is key for anyone who wants to live life with an open mind.
POSTED BY CRYSTAL CASILLAS AT 11:30 PM 0 COMMENTS
LABELS: ELABORATION OF CRITICAL THINKING
A documentary called “The Pleasure of Finding Things Out” was done on Richard Feynman. He discussed how he was able to learn. He said that his father taught him how to take thing he read and put them into reality. But Mr. Feynman was able to take the learning skills that his father taught him to another level. Richard Feynman has received many award including a Nobel Prize in Physics, he has taught at many influential schools and held positions in different science associations. In the film Mr. Feynman was very pleased that his father was so involved in his learning experience and how he has been so successful because of that.
Teachers are very important to every person’s life, no matter who they are. A father or mother has the most responsibility in teaching their children. They are not around to tech a child just how to be healthy physically. They also have to teach a child how to learn. It is sad that most parents don’t have the time to teach these learning skills to their children anymore. Mr. Feynman was a very lucky Man to have a father that took interest in his learning experience.
12.
Religious zealots are prone to terrorism for many reasons. According to the lecture that was held by Mark Juergensmsyer they were prone because it is a way for them to shed more light on their religious war. They use terrorism because they believed it is what their God wants, and their actions will be praised. This war in their mind is God’s war and they believe that he would triumph. By doing a terrorist act it is a way of demonstrating their dedication to their faith.
According to Mark a way we could mitigate is through religion. It is the one thing that started the war and possibly it is the one thing that can end it. He talks about how it could help reorganize the sense of community. By bringing back this sense of community it can give the “world of tomorrow” .
Religious war happen every where but the most extreme that I have heard is that of the Islamic state. Mark reminisces about how he would drive through the street seeing bombs going off and having to lie to his wife. He even talked about how he spoke to people that showed such dedication for their country and religion. I would think it to be a terrifying experience. The Islamic state is in chaos and the terrorist attack brought their suffering and suicidal dedication into the limelight.
13.
In using both my critical thinking guide and the print out about Edgar Cayce, I would have to say that there is no substantial evidence to support the psychic claim. In the reading there was nothing to say that he had a paranormal ability. In fact without support he was no more then a man tricking people. Even though he was lying to people his intention were not bad. Edgar Cacey might have come to believe that he had real abilities, but they were truly no such thing. It wasn’t that difficult using the critical thinking guide but I have to admit that if I tried to hard that skeptical thinking might have tricked me.
According to the paper Edgar Cayce was a very well liked man. This man had affected thousands of people’s lives, so he was looked at like a spiritual person. In the reading it was mentioned that Johnson had found some fictitious elements. Because Edgars work was a little fictitious his abilities would have to be questioned. In the paper, though there was no testing that could be done Edgars abilities were never really denied. But there is the point of the fictitious elements.
According to the Critical Thinking Guide you have to basically question everything. You have to approach thing with an open mind but still be skeptical. In reading about Edgar Cayce I would almost have to remind myself not to place an opinion until I have fully finished reading. I have to admit I already don’t believe in psychics and going into this reading for the second time with and open mind was difficult. Even though Edgar Cayce had no ill intention if he had I am not sure it would have made a difference. Edgar Cayce has many followers and even if things had turned out differently about his abilities I don’t think that would have stopped people from praising him. He gave people what they wanted and that was a sense of purpose and hope.
14.
In this class I have read about many religions and how they can be dishonest and harmful to those that follow. It is not difficult to see why Mr. Lane is so critical about religions. They give people a false sense of hope by lying and harming without any evidential support at all. I have to be honest with all that I have learned through the reading, and what I have been taught in the early years of my life I am almost afraid to have a change in though. It is difficult to admit that there is no real evidence to support my belief. Because there are so many religions that are being falsely taught out there I think that someone needs to say that’s enough, and I am glad that Mr. Lane has taken on the job. Someone has to help open the minds of those that are otherwise being brainwashed by lies.
Imagine if no one would ever stop to question anything. Without question there is no advances, and the truth never comes out. Mr. Lane isn’t afraid to ask the question that are often dismissed. He researches religions and exposes the truth despite all the threats. Mr. Lane should be very proud of himself because these are question that are not just dismissed, but are purposely skipped because of fear. But Mr. Lane not everybody is afraid of the truth, it just take a moment to adjust.
Mr. Lane has the patience, ability, and resources to research these religions. However, I think that people being lied to and harmed is not the only reason why he does what he does. The fact that there are so many people out there in the world that are willing to believe so easily has to irk him just a little. Not everyone can be super intelligent, but there has to be some kind of common sense. Even I get a little frustrated. I am sure Mr. Lane is helping because even some people lack common sense.
15.
Sai Baba’s calim for paranormal powers is a joke. This man is nothing more then a liar that knows how to do the same trick my 7 yr old could do. It was funny to see how obvious the slight of hand move was. But if I were in the audience and I believed in him as much as those people did I wouldn’t be looking at his hands. However, I am not them and for any thing that has to do with pulling something out from nothing I am always watching the hands.
This film just goes to show you can’t believe in everything that is out there. I have to admit Sai Baba is good. In the film everyone in the audience is mesmerized by him and his trick. I just goes to show you can’t believe in everything that you see.
16.
Thakar Singh had the disturbing notion that if he blindfolded children and have them sit in silence for 6 hours at a time they would get in touch with their spiritual selves. It is sad because the parents had to allow for this to be happening to their children. These people believed in this man and in the process probably handicapped their children. These children were said to have no childhood and that the blindfolding often began in infancy. Children were not even touched or talked to. Besides all that there was allegations that there was physical and sexual abuse. There was no mention of abuse against the children but even if they were hurt who would they tell, no one talked to them.
I would have to say that these people lacked critical thinking skills because they allowed for harm to come to them and the children. No one asked questions, they believed ion him so much they confused religion with the right to abuse. These people wanted to believe so badly that they subjected themselves and possibly their children to harm. These people were blinded with their belief.
Critical thinking is about asking questions and being aware of what is going on. These people needed to think cleasrly and they could not because they were on like high. They were feeling everything that was happening to them. In watching the film they talk and look almost like they were in a dream state. They obviously weren’t thinking logically. Because of their state of mind there judgment was handicapped.
17.
In a sentence John Polkinghorne says that the universe/ world is too perfect and that there has to be a greater being. There has to be a greater purpose. Even though he is a scientist he still believes in God. I love it. He talks about mathematics and science and because of the complexity of the universe there has to be a greater pupose. He talks about things happening in the universe and how things are balanced so perfectly. This gives him reason to believe in a grater being.
He calls this greater being the creator or devine mind. It is understandable that there are way to many thing out there in the universe to be explained just by science and mathematics. But how do you explain the number of thing that are made so perfectly? He mentions that religion effects his whole life and science only his mind.
18.
It was clear that Nietzsche questioned the questionable. He questioned many things like the bible, the people that followed. He was not one to back down and asked any question he pleased about religion. If it was not something logical he questioned it.
He believed that religion was contradictory so that is where most of his questions were focused. In his writings about religion he breaks down their fallacies. He also talks about who religion influences people actions. Nietzsche did not agree with religions and how people believed on them. At one point in his paper he called it a “perversion of logic”.
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19.
James Watson was the one who discovered a vital part of DNA and was able to form a 3D modle of DNA’s structure. He believes ingenetics and that they hold the secrets to human behavior. He also talks about nature vs nurture. How humans develop from both their genetic makeup and environment. Because of his interest and understanding of genes he is working to see if they could find a reason for mental disorders.
It was said that people resisted believing because they want to believe in individuality. They want to believe that we determine who we are not our genes. What they don’t understand is that we all may share the same structure we don’t share identical genes. Our genes vary with our parents and their parent.
20.
Intelligent design is considered “junk” science because there is no evidential support. People who support intelligent design deny natural selection because in this reasoning there is no divine creator. Often those who make claims for intelligent design do so by researching against natural selection. They feel that science goes against their religious views and otherwise jeopardizes their beliefs.
There was a man in the reading that took Darwin’s theory and made a mess. He made claims that Darwin ruled out three things. He said that Darwin wrote, God doesn’t exist, natural selection only happened by chance, what happened by chance could not have came from GOD.
In natural selection science is used to explain the world and why it is the way it is. Natural selection uses science that has evidence to support their findings. As for intelligent design there is no evidence that is either supporting or denying. So you can say there is still a possibility.
21.
“The Zahir” started out with a quote that stated “Zahir stands for beings or things which have the terrible power to be unforgettable, and whose image eventually drives people mad”. In the movies it starts with a man saying that a coin that he got as change was Zahir. But from what I could understand Zahir is anything that invade a persons mind and cause them to get a little obsessed. Towards the end the man says that maybe if he were to continue to think of this coin it would eventually disappear form his mind. With Zahir it is believed that repeating it name would cause the object to lose all meaning. If that is the case then his obsession would soon fade.
I would have to assume that the underlying theme of the movie is obsession. It was about how a man got a hold of something that he could not stop thinking about. It was something that he had heard of before and believed in. so in a way the obsession was of a weak mind.
22.
The film “Little Things That Jiggle” was definitely something different. It was about how things are to able to be because of science. There were quotes that went rather quickly but were interesting to read. One stated that “gravity is geometry realized and astrology is Genesis rewritten”. Basically this film states that everything has its explanation and that is possible through the aid of science. It was a little hard to understand at first but I realized that everything has a scientific foundation that allows us to better understand things.
The only thing that I can really think of right know is that every thing can be explained through science. Yes, I know that something’s are still under debate on sciences ability to explain things. This film was really fun to witch and I enjoyed all the quotes.
23.
In the film “Fundamentalism is a Mental Disease” there was once again the discussion of religion and science. Evolution vs. intelligent design. In this film it states that fundamentalism is taught to those who cannot think. At some point in time fundamentalist put out two texts against Darwin’s idea and they were ridiculed because they did not have correct facts and science. Darwin’s ideas have been appraised so much and still are to this day. Basically the film is about who people with small mind can easily believe in intelligent design and those that are more intellectual wont be so willing to dismiss facts. I really don’t know what to say with out repeating myself. It is incredible that so many people are willing to just deny the facts that evolution has occurred. I am not sure why they don’t just accept the truth and move on. Yes I know that sounds harsh, my grandmother would be pissed if she would read this, but she won’t. I know a little about evolution and there is no way that I am going to deny my belief in God.
Basically fundamentalism is mental disease because only those with weak mind can get infected. Or those with weak minds believe things that have no support or real facts. Fundamentalism is religious belief that tell people what o think. Fundamentalism does not allow room for questions of for a person to think on their own. Fundamentalism a mental disease is just people with weak minds that are told what to think rather then thinking on their own.
24.
So the first fallacy I choose is two wrong make a right. A good example of this one would be when I was much younger and my brother was always getting away with everything. One day he had gotten a hold a t- shirt of mine that I really liked. Well he ended up wearing it out somewhere and ruining it. I was so mad, my mom didn’t do anything. So I took it upon myself to go and get one of his good jeans and ruin them. I didn’t wear, I just ruined them. Well even though I was never confronted, what I did didn’t make thing right. The next fallacy is Begging the question and this about raising a question because of something that is stated. That last time I talked to my sister she had said that she didn’t like school and she was done. I turned around and asked her what are you going to do in 3 or 4 years when you are tired of working part time minimum wage jobs? The next fallacy is Red Harring and it is about when a subject is redirected by someone changing it. A good example of this is my Nanaor grandma is getting older and her health is getting worse. I only know this because everyone else tells me. Well every time I talk to her I ask her how she is doing and she says fine. The moment I ask her about something specific she cuts me off and asks about the kids. The next fallacy is Post Hoc and it is about suggesting that something happened because of something that occurred. When my aunt first got pregnant she didn’t tell anyone in fact she avoided everyone. She a little older in her years to be having a baby and she didn’t what to get any slack from anyone. Every one though she had stopped talking to them because they didn’t show up for a get together, but it was really because she was self-conscious about her pregnancy. The next fallacy is the Band Wagon Fallacy and it is about how something is supposed to be true because everyone believes it to be. When I was younger my grandmother used to keep me at her house a lot. And I remember she used to tell me and all the other girl cousins that washing dishes in warm water was good for our nails. Well we were all around ten years old so when ever we were at her house we would be fighting to wash dishes. The next fallacy is Argument from authority and it is when you use the words of a professional as a foundation for your own argument. I often use this with my children and the latest one is from the dentist. Sometimes at night they give me a hard tome about brushing their teeth. When this happens I turn and look at them and say the dentist says if you don’t brush your teeth at night the bacteria will eat your teeth and you’ll get cavities. The last fallacy is Ad Hominem and this one is about attacking the person instead of the argument or point. My boyfriend used to have a problem with doing this. Sometimes he need to get out, and with a 7 year old and a 3 year old I understand. Before he used to just try to stick it out and he would get so frustrated that he would blow up on me and say thing he shouldn’t have. When the real problem is he just needed a little quite time, and in a two bedroom apartment there is not really any quite places.
25.
The war in terrorism, is it really such a thing? There are so many different opinions as to why we really have soldiers over there. These men and women go over there to fight because they believe in our country but other then that I’m pretty sure they don’t really know why they are fighting.
Beside a war on terrorism I hear that our men and women are over there because of resources such as oil. Then I hear that they are over there searching for weapons of mass destruction. I have also heard that they are over there just to help keep the peace so that they may build their government. I really don’t know what to believe except that there are thousands of innocent people dying in the process.
No matter what I think that all soldier should go home. There are so many people losing there lives for what? There is no clear answer as to why we are still over there. I am against a war that is not honest. I am against a war that will not end.
26.
There was so much information that was discussed in the Beyond Belief sessions. I tried to watch as much as I could but they were so long. So what I would do is I would press play and watch some, but with two small kids it wasn’t that easy. I would have to leave it playing while I did other things. I found that most of the people that I could understand and follow were persuasive on the fact that religion and science are two separate entities. Also that religion despite the number of follower is not something that has supporting facts. There are two speakers that a have a lot of notes on with two different stories and they are Richard Stone and Susan Newman.
Richard Stone went up to quickly discuss religion and medicine. Medicine would be the scientific aspect of things. He began by discussing how there are so many people out there talking about how medicine will benefit from religion. He talked about how there are so many books that talk about angel healers, fairy healers and much more. He talk about a doctor, didn’t catch his name, that talked about how he prayed with all his patients. What he didn’t say was when he prayed with his patients. Richard found out that the doctor prayed with the patients right before a surgery. The doctor would be standing next to them while they were all gowned and tools were pulled. The doctor didn’t choose to pray with them in a quiet and soothing environment that would otherwise been better. Richard also talked about the increase interest in religion and medicine was a rise in irrationalism. He found that this rising irrationalism caused more harm then good.
I guess he could be right about the religion causing more harm then good. I think this would only come into consideration if the out come of whatever procedure would be wrong. Richard gave a great example of a young girl and her family and another girl with her family. They were in the same room for the same test results. When the first girl got her results they came back negative which was good. After hearing this the father says, we are good people and we deserve this. What is the other girl supposed to think if she gets back results that are bad, positive. When it come to thing that are in a more scientific environment it may be best to leave the religious beliefs checked at the door. In this example religion is brought into science and has demonstrated to have a negative impact.
Susan Newman raised questions about morality. She began her lecture with stories about Abraham from the Bible and how he “bargained” with God before he destroyed the city. However, she made a point that this man was willing to bargain with God to save some innocent people, but when asked to sacrifice his son he did not hesitate. Then bargaining with God Susan said that the Bible writes it in a way that demonstrates Abraham speaking in fear. She goes on to discuss the different interpretations there can be in reading the Bible. She says that there is the fundamentalist and then there are the rationalists. She continues her lecture with questions. One was “is everything absolute” and she quoted a mans name who I did not get but his answer was a surprise for those who asked. These people were waiting for a solid answer and instead they got something along the lines of “truth is the matter of the world and how it is”.
Before coming top a closing Susan stated the question can there be a science of morality? and her answer was no. She goes on to state the distinctions about morality and science. I think that she is right about there cannot be a science of morality. Morality is not something that can be proved. Morality is more then just an action it is almost a belief. Morality is like the action that is based off of ones belief. I know from my own experience that my morality stems from my being raised in a religious environment. Religion weather it is real for others or not does help with those morality issues. As for science it is all about something that can be proven and supported by facts. But if we used science instead of morality or combined the two our inner conscious, our ability to use our sensitivity in our decisions would be almost nonexistent.
Majority of what I watched and listened to was how religions is more of a belief. That religion is not something that can be proved. Even though religion has so many supporters it does not make the information true. Science is something that is true because it has facts, research and evidential support. Through the whole film I found out that people that believe are willing to do so till their death. I heard the religion is something that believed because it gives people what they want a sense of belonging and purpose. I also learned that science has be trying to apply its resources to religion but they are not welcomed. In fact religion has intelligent design that denies everything science has to offer even evolution.
27.
I have learned many things this session through all my assignments. I have read and watched some interesting films. I have watched and listened to some interesting conferences. I have also browsed some interesting web sites for this class. I found all the assignments to be a mind opening experience.
I have learned to go into things with an open mind, to not rush to judgment, and not to be afraid to question things. There were so many questionable thing that I read. Many of the things were on religion and how science applies. I also learned that no matter what question you ask or the answer you get back the answer is really up to you. Like Mr. Lane said that first day there is no right or wrong answer.
One example would be Faqir Chang, he really stood out to me because I couldn’t believe the thing he would do for the sake of his religion. How can people willingly believe someone that hurts them. Then there were discussions about science and how facts are stated. But with religion the only support they have is in a bible that was written so long ago and no factual support could be found. I really can’t give specific place where I got this information but I know I either read it or saw it somewhere in my assignment.
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