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No one is trying to force reincarnation, astrology, yoga, or voodoo into public-school science classrooms, though. Astrologers weren't behind Proposition 8, an

No one is trying to force reincarnation, astrology, yoga, or voodoo into public-school science classrooms, though. Astrologers weren't behind Proposition 8, and New Agers have been responsible for relatively few outrages-of-the-week as well. When these things happen, these groups too will come under attack by the reality-based community.

anamax 17y ago
> the reality-based community. Ah yees, the folks who think that fire can't melt steel.... While evolution and age of earth are important, they aren't directly relevant much of the time. If you're going to argue that competence outside of biology and geology depends on whether one believes in evolution and earth age, you get to explain why believing in ghosts and other such things doesn't have a similar effect. And yes, ghosters and the like do push things on the public schools.
- CamperBob 17y ago
  Hint: it's not about evolution, or cosmology. It's about respect for the scientific process. Cultures that have respect for the scientific process thrive. Cultures that don't, don't. It's that simple. (The US is actually a rather startling exception, if you look at a graph of popular religiosity versus any number of metrics of a healthy, successful society.) Ah yees, the folks who think that fire can't melt steel.... WTF...? And yes, ghosters and the like do push things on the public schools. Gonna call "citation needed" on that. About the closest thing I can come up with is the occasional group of morons demanding that schools shut down their WiFi networks due to allergies to the radiation, or what-have-you. Same stupidity as religion, different manifestation. It all comes down to lack of respect for processes that actually improve our lives, in favor of ones that contribute nothing but BS.
  - anamax 17y ago
    > Hint: it's not about evolution, or cosmology. It's about respect for the scientific process. I agree completely. What part of ghosts, yoga as spiritual, etc do you see as respecting the scientific process? > (The US is actually a rather startling exception, if you look at a graph of popular religiosity versus any number of metrics of a healthy, successful society.) You're assuming that religiousity taints all. It didn't have that effect on Knuth (who is extremely religious). That's why I pointed out that not believing in evolution or "old earth" isn't necessarily a handicap. You can argue that it is, but then you get to explain Knuth and deal with ghosters and the like. (Surely you're not going to argue that creation and new earth are the only misbeliefs that matter.) >> Ah yes, the folks who think that fire can't melt steel.... > WTF...? A significant fraction of "the reality based community" consists of "truthers". One of their core beliefs is that 9/11 didn't happen the way it looked like it happened is because the planes "just" spread fire through the world trade center. However, they insist that something else took the buildings down because "fire doesn't melt steel". (They apparently don't know that different things burn at different temperatures and melt isn't necessary.) > Gonna call "citation needed" on that. You don't think that ghosters participate in the body politic?

anamax 17y ago

> the reality-based community. Ah yees, the folks who think that fire can't melt steel.... While evolution and age of earth are important, they aren't directly relevant much of the time. If you're going to argue that competence outside of biology and geology depends on whether one believes in evolution and earth age, you get to explain why believing in ghosts and other such things doesn't have a similar effect. And yes, ghosters and the like do push things on the public schools.

CamperBob 17y ago
Hint: it's not about evolution, or cosmology. It's about respect for the scientific process. Cultures that have respect for the scientific process thrive. Cultures that don't, don't. It's that simple. (The US is actually a rather startling exception, if you look at a graph of popular religiosity versus any number of metrics of a healthy, successful society.) Ah yees, the folks who think that fire can't melt steel.... WTF...? And yes, ghosters and the like do push things on the public schools. Gonna call "citation needed" on that. About the closest thing I can come up with is the occasional group of morons demanding that schools shut down their WiFi networks due to allergies to the radiation, or what-have-you. Same stupidity as religion, different manifestation. It all comes down to lack of respect for processes that actually improve our lives, in favor of ones that contribute nothing but BS.
- anamax 17y ago
  > Hint: it's not about evolution, or cosmology. It's about respect for the scientific process. I agree completely. What part of ghosts, yoga as spiritual, etc do you see as respecting the scientific process? > (The US is actually a rather startling exception, if you look at a graph of popular religiosity versus any number of metrics of a healthy, successful society.) You're assuming that religiousity taints all. It didn't have that effect on Knuth (who is extremely religious). That's why I pointed out that not believing in evolution or "old earth" isn't necessarily a handicap. You can argue that it is, but then you get to explain Knuth and deal with ghosters and the like. (Surely you're not going to argue that creation and new earth are the only misbeliefs that matter.) >> Ah yes, the folks who think that fire can't melt steel.... > WTF...? A significant fraction of "the reality based community" consists of "truthers". One of their core beliefs is that 9/11 didn't happen the way it looked like it happened is because the planes "just" spread fire through the world trade center. However, they insist that something else took the buildings down because "fire doesn't melt steel". (They apparently don't know that different things burn at different temperatures and melt isn't necessary.) > Gonna call "citation needed" on that. You don't think that ghosters participate in the body politic?