28 MAR 2012 by ideonexus
Parenting Means Having Explanations at "A Moment's Notice"
There are many outstanding resources for adults wishing to consider the arguments in support of and in opposition to religious belief itself. And that’s important work: Intellectual and ethical maturity can be measured in part by a person’s willingness to engage in constant reflection on what he or she holds to be true and good. Parents in particular must be able to articulate the foundations of their own values and beliefs at a moment’s notice—and what better describes the appearance...So it's important for parents to have a strong philosophical ground and have spent time reflecting on issues.
18 MAY 2011 by ideonexus
We Must Apply the Scientific Method to Ourselves
If it is to be applied consistently, science imposes, in exchange for its manifold gifts, a certain onerous burden: we are enjoined, no matter how uncomfortable it might be, to consider ourselves and our cultural institutions scientifically and not to accept uncritically whatever we're told; to surmount as best we can our hopes, conceits and unexamined beliefs; to view ourselves as we really are. Can we conscientiously and courageously follow planetary motion or bacterial genetics wherever th...Skepticism must extend to ourselves, our culture, and our institutions.