There is rock bottom, then another level of crazy beneath it!

[Behind the Aegis]

I have seen a number of stupid things on this site. It is huge and has hundreds of thousands of posters, so there is always going to be stupid remarks. However, today, I think I have seen the #1 contender (until another level of crazy is drilled): those who use science and demand proof be scientifically sound before being called "a fact" are now akin to religious fundamentalists! Scientific fundamentalists! Who ever thought the day would come? :eyes:

I understand people being passionate about things, even to the point of not employing clear logic, but good grief, claiming the use of the scientific method to religious craziness is just a step too far.

[LeftishBrit]

1. This wouldn't be the first time it's happened

It comes up especially, at least in my case, when defending vaccines and other aspects of modern medicine from those who insist that all medical research is corrupted (some of it is, like most things sometimes are!), and that this therefore makes medical science invalid.

Some of us were accused by one DU-er of 'worshipping at the altar of reductionist science'!

IRL, I once had a student who worshipped Lacan and Derrida and other French philosophers - I have no idea whether he was even interpreting them correctly - and kept trying to engage his psychology lecturers in debates as to whether 'science is just another religion'. He suggested that we were only studying psychology as a scientific subject because it was 'the Zeitgeist', etc. This was in 2004, when Bush had just been re-elected, partly because of the influence of anti-science right-wingers, so I felt decidedly impatient with the view that science was the 'Zeitgeist'!

[Odin2005]

3. Derrida wrote word salad, so "interpret correctly" is meaningless.

[Jim__]

11. How much of Derrida have you read?

Can you cite an example of "word salad" from Derrida? Note, out of context, Derrida often sounds like "word salad", my experience with his writing is that, while difficult, it is worth working through to understand what he is saying.

[Behind the Aegis]

4. I find it disconcerting.

The other problem is those who really are "science fundamentalist" and by that I mean those who 'worship at the alter of junk science.' I remember a few years ago thrashing an AIDS-denier who was spouting all kinds of nonsense, including crap science. I was able to tear his arguments to bits and, though no dummy, I am not a scientific genius. His "arguments" had large gaping holes that would make Steven Hawkings marvel.

I am OK with people having beliefs, even if I find them stupid, as long as I am not forced to believe them too or pretend they are facts, knock yourself out. I see tons of bigoted posts here, but most of those are opinions and battling opinions is not always an easy task. I see revisionist history and that can be difficult to unravel, but when some thing is scientifically based, there are laws and theories which dictate procedure. Those cannot be ignored. I think the other issue is when science can't deliver a conclusive answer, there are those who think the "non-answer" is the answer. Very disturbing.

[beam me up scottie]

2. Unfortunately that's been a DU favorite for years, just visit the Dungeon or the Health Scare Forum.

Ranks right up there with "atheist fundamentalism".

The Chronically Credulous hate it when their pet beliefs are challenged. They are unbelievably ignorant of history - hating science instead of hailing it.

[Behind the Aegis]

5. It is pure craziness.

I can understand someone saying "atheist fundamentalism," but they are misusing the word to describe the fundamentalists' behaviors and applying that to the behavior of some atheists. Is there a word for a person who thinks they have all the answers (other than "know-it-all)?

I know I have some funky, even "woo" ideas, but I don't make others adhere to them and I am perfectly comfortable being challenged and knowing I am taking a "leap of faith" and not a "stroll of logic." That said, I also know science is one of the, if not the, most important tool we having in explaining the world around us.

HOW THE HELL HAVE YOU BEEN?!?!?! It's like the Devil's sauna in NOLA. It's so hot our tropical birds are squawking "is that as low as the thermostat goes, you cheap-ass!?" Last night, at midnight, it was 91 degrees with an heat index of 110! AT MIDNIGHT! I am a good Southern boy, and have lived in humid conditions all my life, but this summer is outright ridiculous. It is so humid people are walking pit-stains, with frizzy, out of control hair, and pores the size golf ball dimples! Other than that, you should come visit me! I have two new chihuahuas!

[beam me up scottie]

12. Read my sig - the same woos who hate science would be burned at the stake if not for it.

BOY do I hear you about the weather, it's in the 100's here with humidity to match, been like this for weeks and no end in sight. Give me a goddamn good ole nor'eastern blizzard with -30° temps at night, I can take it. At least people cover up most of their bodies when it's cold, I've seen WAY TOO MUCH skin lately, sweaty smelly hairy jiggling bodies everywhere, ew ew ew.

I really fucked up my back this time, am on bed rest, we don't have central air, so I'm typing this upside down from the couch while four fans blow hot air at me. The tv is on, it's always on, and yee-haw, it's GOP primary time in Tennessee! The ads are absolutely insane, seriously, there are not enough painkillers in the world... Can you tell I'm a little cranky?

Other than that, everything's just ducky :D

Congrats on your new kids, do they have long hair, too? Pics, please.

Honey, if my back was better, I'd be on my way down right now.

[Behind the Aegis]

18. I am so sorry to hear about your back.

I know that feeling all too well. It is no picnic. And no air to boot...yeah, I'd be cranky too!

This is Marigny (short-hair) just turned one on June 6th.



This is Laveau (long-haired) just turned one on May 25. They are half-sisters.



Hopefully, you remember Voodoo...



And for shits and giggles, here is Waldo. He is a rooster who took up residence in the oak tree hanging over my house. I call him Waldo because I am always trying to find where he is hiding in the tree.



Get to feeling better!

[trotsky]

7. The "Chronically Credulous"

LMAO! That is perfect! How ya been, bmus? :hug:

[beam me up scottie]

13. My life's still a roller coaster ride, how have you been?

:hug:

[trotsky]

16. Oh, apart from banging my head on the wall...

Trying to point out to those CCers that fructose is indeed a natural sugar molecule and it's NOT a Monsanto lie to say so, I'm doing just fine. :)

[beam me up scottie]

17. I saw that, you're my hero :)

It's as frustrating as repeatedly trying to explain why a cancer vaccine is a good thing.

[laconicsax]

6. Don't forget...

Let's keep in mind that there is no disagreement over the actual phenomena labelled as telepathy occurring.
From an old thread in R/T. The individual who made that assertion also explained to me that reductionism as a means of investigating the unknown was discredited years ago and that no current theory is reductionist in any way, shape, or form, at any level.

[TZ]

8. I've been told this many times

There is one particular woo-woo who particularly hates Gardasil and actually said that all the scientific papers that showed the safety and efficacy of the vaccine were "faith based" science. Oh and this same idiot claimed to be a med school instructor. I don't think so, fool!
BTW, I hate to say it, but you could probably find this said every day in the Astology and Alternate medicine forum group. THey love that kind of shit.

[Warpy]

9. Antivax crazies are how I know the futility of changing a belief

After all, we've got many, many years of data since thimerosal has been removed from childhood vaccines and the autism "epidemic" has not slowed one bit. Point that out to them and they stammer about mitochondria (and you know they have no clue what those are or what they do) and the effect of the MMR vaccine itself (which they've totally misunderstood) and you realize that they'll just keep moving those goalposts down the field until they fall off the edge of that flat world they live on.

Making it the law that kids have to be vaccinated before they can walk through the door of a public school is the best we can do for these earnest idiots.

There is nothing you can do about a belief and the crazier that belief is, the more the believer will cling to it. There is nothing you can do but shove them aside and concentrate on the people you can reach.

[TZ]

10. The funny thing is

That THEY are the overly dogmatic almost relgious fundamentalist types and yet, they accuse us of being scientific fundamentalists...Never seen such CLASSIC projection.

[beam me up scottie]

14. They love making up new words for skeptics too, ie: "septics".

It would be funny if not so infantile.

[TZ]

15. There was a real fine example of this nonsense last night

in the lounge. Someone posted the Periodic Table of Irrationality and moron posts that science should be on there because science is just "another belief system" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH....:banghead: