Sunday, December 24, 2006
War on Christmas
Every year I hear about the war on Christmas from some of the televangelists. And it's all about how the real meaning of Christmas is being lost because we aren't greeted with Merry Christmas and Happy Holidays is meaningless and more. I keep wondering if they'll ever look at history. Christmas is at this time of year because of the Roman feast of Saturnalia - a pagan and lascivious festival - scripture would indicate - the shepherds are in the fields - that it would be during lambing season. And as for going shopping the Puritans would have been aghast. One of the biggest problems they had was the way Christmas was treated as something other than a solemn remembrance. They made a point - at least some of them - of going to work and treating Christmas like a regular day rather than Christmas. I don't mean to be a Scrooge, for I quite enjoy celebrating Christmas, but the war on Christmas was started by Christians a long time ago.
Ed Gardner
Opera is when a guy gets stabbed in the back and , instead of bleeding, he sings.
(Ed Gardner)
Saturday, December 23, 2006
News
Blogs will be few and far between or prolific and unthinking - or so I suspect - as an employee who's called in sick the last couple of days came in. She picked up her paycheck, turned in her shirt and quit. The day before Christmas. I suspect I won't find an applicant in the next week. And by that time my brian will be gone.
The perils of different abilities
Once upon a time an uncle of mine had a change of bosses. When that happened my uncle told the new boss that he wouldn't understand what was being said unless the bosses face was towards him. The boss didn't quite get that. He always started facing my uncle, but would turn around and do something else. Then my uncle was fired for not following orders. And the problem is that my uncle doesn't have hearing over the normal spectrum. But the bigger problem is that the boss didn't make consideration for the needs of the employee and lost an age discrimination suit.
That will probably never happen in my case. But I had a customer last night who spelled his name for me. I said something along the lines, 'Could you give me a minute and let me get back to your name' and he spelled his name again. And I asked, 'please give me a minute before you give me the spelling' and I heard the letters again. It was a perfectly good name of german origin - and one of my grandparents is a german immigrant - and because he kept spelling the name for me I couldn't get the word in my head and without the word sound I couldn't find the word on the screen. My abilities inmusic mean that I see sounds and hear letters words in musical patterns. Each letter for me is also another sort of sound/movement. And when I don't have the word in my head - spelling it leaves the letters in a jumble.
Some of the people who don't have sight with their eyes tell me of people who grab their arm and say 'let me help you across the street' That arm grab is likely to startle the other so that they fall rather than to help them and they may be pausing to figure out what they're doing next rather than waiting to cross the street.
When we help - or try to help - we need to take into account what the other is actually asking for. Sometimes it's not what we think they want. And certainly there are times when our suggestion may be better than what they ask for. But if we don't pay attention to their request we are no better than a dictator. So for all those people out there that seem to need help. Helpers, please listen, ask, offer instead of immediately jumping in. The person who has different abilities will appreciate that offer a whole lot more than when you impose your idea of what they need upon them.
That will probably never happen in my case. But I had a customer last night who spelled his name for me. I said something along the lines, 'Could you give me a minute and let me get back to your name' and he spelled his name again. And I asked, 'please give me a minute before you give me the spelling' and I heard the letters again. It was a perfectly good name of german origin - and one of my grandparents is a german immigrant - and because he kept spelling the name for me I couldn't get the word in my head and without the word sound I couldn't find the word on the screen. My abilities inmusic mean that I see sounds and hear letters words in musical patterns. Each letter for me is also another sort of sound/movement. And when I don't have the word in my head - spelling it leaves the letters in a jumble.
Some of the people who don't have sight with their eyes tell me of people who grab their arm and say 'let me help you across the street' That arm grab is likely to startle the other so that they fall rather than to help them and they may be pausing to figure out what they're doing next rather than waiting to cross the street.
When we help - or try to help - we need to take into account what the other is actually asking for. Sometimes it's not what we think they want. And certainly there are times when our suggestion may be better than what they ask for. But if we don't pay attention to their request we are no better than a dictator. So for all those people out there that seem to need help. Helpers, please listen, ask, offer instead of immediately jumping in. The person who has different abilities will appreciate that offer a whole lot more than when you impose your idea of what they need upon them.
Because it happened to me
Saying something is so because of personal experience is one of those slppery arguments that jsut doesn't work. It may be true that it happened to you, but that doesn't mean that an extrapolation to everyone else is indicated. This is especially true in instance where there are many causes and many possible outcomes.
Ex-gay watch has an article analyzing what's happening with one of those instances where a movement is using personal testimonies to 'prove' their case. Statements of conversion - that's the false argument examined at their site. But this happens on many issues.
One of the examples of this use of personal testimony to produce a false arguement ahppened with a friend of my father's Dad was helped by massage, it relaxed him. There are some clear benefits. But his masseuse believed that what she had was 'healing touch'. And that it actually cured people. Our relationship became problematic after she mentioned that she was writing a scientific paper on the subject. My brother, who was the caregiver, asked a couple of questions. Are you doing a control group? What evidence do you have? Have you considered doing a double blind study? And what the response were indicated that all the evidence she had was anecdotal on the 'this has really helped me' sort.
Anyone who's taken debate or logic or similar courses knows that there are a number of false arguements. Anecdotes or personal example can help figure out where to look for facts and evidence, but is not in itself evidence that what seems to be correlated is actualy causation. Or, as many of us were taught, correlation does not equal causation though there is rarely caussation without correlation.
Having experienced a change is not evidence that a change has happened related to what you believe caused the change. healing touch may just be the presence of something that is helpful and/or an illusion based on a need to believe that something/someone is doing what helps. But reports and testimonies of change are no more believeable in helaing touch than they are in the ex-gay movement. Proof of change requires more stringent research than just saying 'it happened, it happened.'
Ex-gay watch has an article analyzing what's happening with one of those instances where a movement is using personal testimonies to 'prove' their case. Statements of conversion - that's the false argument examined at their site. But this happens on many issues.
One of the examples of this use of personal testimony to produce a false arguement ahppened with a friend of my father's Dad was helped by massage, it relaxed him. There are some clear benefits. But his masseuse believed that what she had was 'healing touch'. And that it actually cured people. Our relationship became problematic after she mentioned that she was writing a scientific paper on the subject. My brother, who was the caregiver, asked a couple of questions. Are you doing a control group? What evidence do you have? Have you considered doing a double blind study? And what the response were indicated that all the evidence she had was anecdotal on the 'this has really helped me' sort.
Anyone who's taken debate or logic or similar courses knows that there are a number of false arguements. Anecdotes or personal example can help figure out where to look for facts and evidence, but is not in itself evidence that what seems to be correlated is actualy causation. Or, as many of us were taught, correlation does not equal causation though there is rarely caussation without correlation.
Having experienced a change is not evidence that a change has happened related to what you believe caused the change. healing touch may just be the presence of something that is helpful and/or an illusion based on a need to believe that something/someone is doing what helps. But reports and testimonies of change are no more believeable in helaing touch than they are in the ex-gay movement. Proof of change requires more stringent research than just saying 'it happened, it happened.'
Today's posts
Today, no posts. But then no brain. The snow was wonderful for business at my motel. But it wasn't so wonderful for getting my employees in to work. I started at three p.m., but that wasn't today. And while I've gone ahead and taken some naps, and while I enjoy my job, working too many hours is something else.
Thursday, December 21, 2006
Let it snow
The snow has been good and bad for me here at the motel. Good in that we sold out. Something that we haven't done any December night since I've been here. Bad in that I couldn't ask my housekeepers to shovel out the road down to us. In fact the two roads from the highway to us have not yet been plowed and have more than one truck sitting in the middle of the road. So I really can't expect anyone else to get to the motel. But good in that the guests are being helpful and letting me get by without having the rooms cleaned. So.... the weather is both good and bad.
Just like life.
Just like life.
"God lives on the lips of believers...and nowhere else. When are believers
going to realize that if we all decided to stop speaking for God, he would be
unable to speak for himself?"
Wyrdsmyth
from the site fundies say the darndest things.
And in this case display the writer displays an ignorance of scripture and lack of trust in God. God is perfectly able to speak whether or not a human makes an utterance. In my particular tradition the words - effective calling - is but one of the doctrines that speak to whether God can speak without our help. And then the scripture reference that comes to mind is that of Jesus telling the disciples that if the people were silent the very stones would cry out - in more than one gospel.
And, while there may be a bit of attack in talking about this quote, it is still important to make sure that we let God be God and acknowledge that God is able to do all things. When foolish statements are made, such as this one that says God needs us to work, we need to recall that while God asks us to work, to serve, to worship, yet God does not need us to proclaim the good news.
Tolerance and Intolerance
I've been discussing with some people the happening during the Vietnam war where some returning soldiers were greeted with disrespect. But then some articles today reminded me that the same thing happens today.
The first was a letter from Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA)suggesting that theelection of a Muslim was a bad thing - we should keep watch on the bordersor more of this will happen
The second was an attack on two men because they were holding hands. Thewere attacked as they came out of a restaurant.
For me these are both symptoms of the same thing - a lack of tolerance for those who are different. And certainly there are some gays and muslims who are very intolerant - I just didn't see stories about them this morning. And the question for me is what are we called to do. I see in scriptures a man who welcomed sinners, ate with prostitutes and tax collectors, who preached about religious leaders and rich people of the day putting burdens on the backs of the poor. And I wonder who can call themselves Christian and attack people for holding hands or write that another faith than their own is a threat to a nation in which both are citizens.
Where is the call to avoid the denunciations that lead to these acts?
Where are the calls to treat each other respectfully and civilly?
What I see too often are leaking blivots who say 'but we never meant that to happen from our words. yes we called them this and that but we never meant for that to happen, no we never meant our words to be taken that far' And this is not a new thing - read a little history and we'll see more than one instance where demagogues wanted to take it too far and further for theirown power - yet it should trouble us whenever and wherever it happens.
I wish I had a permanent solution, but I suspect as long as people are people we will have those cries of hatred and fear and those who aredifferent will be persecuted.
Sigh.
The first was a letter from Rep. Virgil Goode (R-VA)suggesting that theelection of a Muslim was a bad thing - we should keep watch on the bordersor more of this will happen
The second was an attack on two men because they were holding hands. Thewere attacked as they came out of a restaurant.
For me these are both symptoms of the same thing - a lack of tolerance for those who are different. And certainly there are some gays and muslims who are very intolerant - I just didn't see stories about them this morning. And the question for me is what are we called to do. I see in scriptures a man who welcomed sinners, ate with prostitutes and tax collectors, who preached about religious leaders and rich people of the day putting burdens on the backs of the poor. And I wonder who can call themselves Christian and attack people for holding hands or write that another faith than their own is a threat to a nation in which both are citizens.
Where is the call to avoid the denunciations that lead to these acts?
Where are the calls to treat each other respectfully and civilly?
What I see too often are leaking blivots who say 'but we never meant that to happen from our words. yes we called them this and that but we never meant for that to happen, no we never meant our words to be taken that far' And this is not a new thing - read a little history and we'll see more than one instance where demagogues wanted to take it too far and further for theirown power - yet it should trouble us whenever and wherever it happens.
I wish I had a permanent solution, but I suspect as long as people are people we will have those cries of hatred and fear and those who aredifferent will be persecuted.
Sigh.
Dolly Parton
"I don't care if people think I'm a dumb blonde. I know I'm not dumb -andI know I'm not blonde either."
Dolly Parton
Dolly Parton
Ex-gay not so ex
The evidnce seems clear to me. More than one ex-gay leader has not been an ex-gay. One of the recent instances is that of Michael Johnston of publicity campaign fame. I sorrow more for the years he's spent in denial of who he is than for the publicity surrounding his having sex with men. And the biggest problem is that he didn't reveal his HIV status. There's an excuse for being in denial about your sexual orientation, but no excuse for putting other people at risk.
Pruett and Dobson
The other scientist quoted by Dobson, Kyle Pruett accused Dobson of Cherry picking his research and goes on to say:"You cherry-picked a phrase to shore up highly (in my view) discriminatory purposes. This practice is condemned in real science, common though it may be in pseudo-science circles. There is nothing in my longitudinal research or any of my writings to support such conclusions. On page 134 of the book you cite in your piece, I wrote, 'What we do know is that there is no reason for concern about the development or psychological competence of children living with gay fathers. It is love that binds relationships, not sex.' "http://truthwinsout.org/news/?p=38See also:http://www.talk2action.org/story/2006/12/14/161224/09
from http://theforcethat.blogspot.com/2006/12/one-dobson-is-one-too-many.html
from http://theforcethat.blogspot.com/2006/12/one-dobson-is-one-too-many.html
Gilligan and Dobson
As reported by Truth Wins Out one of the scientists, Carol Gilligan said in a letter to Dobson:"there is nothing in my research that would lead you to draw the stated conclusions you did in the Time article. My work in no way suggests same-gender families are harmful to children or canÂ’t raise these children to be as healthy and well adjusted as those brought up in traditional households.I trust that this will be the last time my work is cited by Focus on the Family."http://truthwinsout.org/news/?p=37
from http://theforcethat.blogspot.com/2006/12/one-dobson-is-one-too-many.html
from http://theforcethat.blogspot.com/2006/12/one-dobson-is-one-too-many.html
Depression and taste
I didn't notice a change in taste during my bout of depression. I was in too much pain. But there seems, at least for some, a change in perception. More studies are showing a direct physical link between depression and the whole body.
Abstinence only education has problems
So abstinence only education works? A new study indicates that 9 of 10 in the USA had premarital sex. And we're still trying to do abstinence only sex? Frankly I'm one of the one in ten, but I suspect that is mostly due to being in denial about my sexual urges during my teen years. I didn't admit to myself the gender to whom I'm attracted and just didn't have any interest in the other gender. No matter that I was raised in a Christian home, I suspect if I'd been less in denial I'd be with those 9 out of 10.
The year with Intelligent Design
Stranger Fruit did a great job of summing up what's been happening with Intelligent Design. Take a look. My perspective tends to be from the viewpoint of bad religion, but the science stuff is equally problematic.
Dobson
Dobson's Focus on the Family claims that the researchers who are crying out against his use of their work are taken in (or words to that effect) by the liberals. In what world does he live? They say he is misusing and misstating their work and ask him to stop using it. Dobson respects them enough to use them as sources, but not enough to listen to them when they decry what he says? Somethings smells and it's not Gilligan, Pruett, Saewyc and more.
Truth Wins Out has many articles on this and is spearheading the contact of scientists and researchers whom Dobson has misquoted, misstated and misused their research.
Truth Wins Out has many articles on this and is spearheading the contact of scientists and researchers whom Dobson has misquoted, misstated and misused their research.
Albert Schweitzer
"At the point in life where your talent meets the needs> of the world, that is where God wants you to be."
-Albert Schweitzer
-Albert Schweitzer
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