wingedbeast

A tactic that resurfaces every so often is the argument by which the apologist or evangelist claims that an atheist isn't an atheist, but actually an agnostic. This seems to happen more in popular theist claims of arguments they did make than in actual arguments, these days. The argument usually employs a dot and a much larger circle, representing total possible knowledge and total knowledge known by humankind on Earth respectively. The point of the argument is that one cannot claim to falsify a nonfalsifiable concept, like God, without knowing everything, therefore one cannot be an atheist.

This fails for multiple reasons, all surrounding how labels work, as a concept.

The first thing you should understand about labels is that they aren't magic.
( Read more... )

I've already made a Case for remaking 50 Shades of Grey, which started life as Twilight Fan Fiction. As this indicates, Twilight does share the major problem of 50 Shades. Much of the story is something that can be appreciated as a fantasy that should remain fantasy. But, Twilight has its own problems that make it so that it can't all be solved with a presentation that acknowledges that it's not just a step away from reality, but a step away from desired reality.

Twilight, for those not already made familiar by a wealth of commentary, is the story of late teen Bella Swan and her falling in love with a vampire.

The story begins with her moving to a dreary town to live with her father, who is also the local Sherriff. She goes to the dreary High School, where she is nigh-immediately the most popular girl, but finds no joy in either that or any of the people. It's not that she's malicious in her distaste for her classmates, but more that she holds everybody in the same low esteam with which she holds herself.

Some readers and critics, particularly in the comments of Ana Mardoll's deconstructions of the series*, have put forth that Bella Swan could be taken to present as suffering clinical depression.

The only classmates who don't go out of their way to befriend Bella are the Cullens, of which Edward captures her attention. He's initially hostile, but concerned for her well-being, and otherwise a bundle of mixed messages. This prompts her to ask about the Cullens, learn about a convenient fictional myth from the real-but-inaccurately-portrayed local Native American community, and pour over some internet research, all leading up to the much-shown and much-mocked scene. He tells her to say it and she says "vampire".
( Read more... )

Chances are, whether willingly or not, you've been a participant in this game. In fact, a large part of the game is in getting people to play the game. Trickery, physical force, manipulation of authority figures, all are allowed to get people into the game. But, once in, the first rule is important.

Rule #1: The Target cannot win.

Have you ever asked "what have I ever done to you?" and got the response "you were born"? That's this rule in play. It's rule number one of the game. The rewards for victory in the game are feelings of strength and power and social acceptance and political power.

But, that's a rudimentary version. Children will sometimes play it. There's a new wrinkle that has to come in and, here, things get complex.

Rule #2: Never admit to Rule #1.

If you stick to Rule #2 just perfectly, you'll live by Rule #1, but never even acknowledge it within the depths of your own mind. You can speak it as clearly as possible but never actually believe that you've spoken it. So, at the same time you identify the losers of the game, you provide encouragement for them to win even as you ensure that they cannot.
( Read more... )

Ladyhawke is the 1980's Middle Ages fantasy movie about a cursed couple. Both in love, the woman is a hawk during the day and the man is a wolf at night. When an animal, either can only think as an animal. They can feel for each other and even recognize each other, but cannot communicate. For nostalgia, I consider this a classic. On re-watch, I can consider it a tad confused with its tone, but I still say it's an entertaining movie to watch.

A character calling himself Mouse, played by Matthew Broderick, is both comic relief and our viewpoint character for the story. He's a thief of so slight a build that he was able to escape an otherwise inescapable prison by crawling through the drains. He's a capable thief, which keeps us aware of why he would be wanted in his position, and the comedy comes from him being in over his head and surviving through wit and luck.

The movie takes a passing look at the fact that, having been unable to communicate but always so close, there's a strain and can be a desire to find intimacy with someone else. But, that doesn't last more than about one scene, long enough for Mouse to find the way to be clear that nothing really happened.

Therein lies the wasted potential.
( Read more... )

This is another tip that goes to your motivations for your attempts at evangelism and apologetics. Are you trying to convince people of the truth of your faith? Are you trying to win the conversation? You can't do both.

In a recent face-to-face conversation, I listened to a case made... and made and made at high speed. No breath was taken and no space was left for response. Finally I just straight up asked the person to let me respond and I got an explicit rejection. This person didn't want a conversation. They said "everybody has an opinion and you can keep yours to yourself." To the idea that that applies as readily to themselves, there was the response "I've already given you my opinion."
( Read more... )

The Disclaimers:

1. This story is going to cover years. I'll try to be quick about it.

2. This story will be significantly self-pitying. It's unavoidable to tell the story. I apologize in advance. That which I suffered is very mild in the grand scheme of things. I was a mildly unlucky amidst what was otherwise a sea of privilege. This is not like other sufferings either in kind or degree. The most that can be done with this is that it can be mined for value. That is the intent, let's see how well I do.

When I was in Junior High School, in the early 1990's, on the bus, I bit a girl. When I was later asked why, I gave the proximate cause. She had picked up my math homework and refused to return it, only repeating "I just want to look at it." She didn't even go to my same school, but she wanted to look at my math homework and didn't see anything wrong with taking that look over my repeated objections.

My own school's Principal, having me by the wrist, was to ask me what I was supposed to do. I gave the answer she wanted, but it wasn't the right answer. The answer she wanted was that I was to go to the nearest authority and trust them to side with me when it was the obviously right thing to do. I gave her that answer, but it was wrong.
( Read more... )

Rebuilding society from near-scratch is going to be a tough job. More accurately, it's going to be a combination of many tough, dirty jobs that someone has to do. What's more, at least at first, they'll have to be done low-tech, for the most part.

While you're working on getting plumbing up and running, someone will have to dig a latrine, build an outhouse, and drive a dunny-wagon to get that stuff out of town and, hopefully, to fertilizer for a farm. And, that's just for example.

So, your challenge will be to get jobs done, particularly traditionally low-status jobs. In the formation of law, Lawyers will come in because the value and the status of that job is obvious. Doctors, both legitimately educated and otherwise, will come forward due to how readily our society will reward that profession. Getting people with the training will be the tough part, constructing society so that they are rewarded and motivated will be the easy part.

The low-status, but essential jobs will be the difficult part. Part of the reason for the difficulty will be that you don't have the current, pre-apocalypse method of motivating people to do those jobs, payment with money.
( Read more... )

Establishing Shot Exterior: The Multiverse Multi-port. The camera-side of the port is an airport with a grassy lawn by a parking lot. To the left is a lush coach port and a mid evil village. To the right is a stagecoach mail pickup amidst a desert. Opposite the camera, you can see a sea port with a ship at port sporting a black flag.

The Camera moves over and shifts just by one degree and the stagecoach disappears, replaced by a futuristic, undersea, submarine airlock. The sea port disappears to be replaced by a star-filled space-port.

Close up shots sequence through multiple signs in multiple languages, each seeming to say the same thing. The camera rests on a sign in English.

Sign reads: Warning! Attempts to comprehend the architecture and geography of the Multiverse Multi-port are connected to nose-bleeds, migraines, and exploding heads. Do not attempt! Multiverse Multi-port will not be held responsible.

The camera pans to the side to show a wide open, two story fashion shop, the sign above reading "The All Purpose Fashion Experience".
( Read more... )

Time Changer is a movie by the Christiano Brothers, about how we've declined in morality over the years. In the movie, a man visits the present (the 2000s at the time of the movie's making) from 1890. The purpose of the visit being that the inventor of the time machine wants our main character to see how bad things can get if people aren't Christian enough.

In an America that has moved past Segregation and has legalized interracial marriage and has given all races legal equality (at least on paper, no we're not done, but for the purposes of this movie let's remember where were as well), in an America that has given women the vote and the right to work outside the home and even high political office, the main character is aghast. People blaspheme on movies, present non-married couples kissing on television for the world to see, shops sell women clothing that does not protect men from lustful thoughts! And, among the greatest of horrors, he's not allowed to use a public school science class as an opportunity to remind children that the bible trumps evidence.

Fred Clark calls this the Narrative of Decline, the presumption that things are getting worse and telling the story of history in that light. I call it lopsided priorities. And, that view of the moral superiority of the past isn't the only place I find them.
( Read more... )

Scene 1

Setting: The Imperial Office on Coruscant. The room is dark and stark, as is the throne, a black, metalic metalic chair on a raised platform. Emperor Palpatine wears only long robes.

Palpatine: I've never kept my religion a secret. In fact, my apprentice brings it up at meetings. Do you see me stopping him? Nobody can discuss power without him talking about how much more powerful is The Force.

Palpatine: I don't push this in law, because I know that Theocracy isn't the way to go. But, I really do think the Dark Side has a lot to offer the people of the Empire. People need to feel their emotions, to process them and to use them to become stronger and freer, individually and as a unified people.

Camera pans to see a woman holding what could be a pen up: Feel their emotions, like hatred?

Palpatine: That's just one emotion, and unfairly maligned I might add. Hate is an essential emotion to a complex emotional landscape that needs to be explored and contextualized.

A light blinks on the right arm-rest of the throne.

Palpatine: Oh, we're out of time. I've got this appointment with some scientists who say they've made some important discoveries. I hope you have enough for your article.

Woman: Yes, thank you, Emperor.

Palpatine: I look forward to reading it.

The door opens. A man and a woman walk in.

The woman nods to them as she passes, the door closing behind her.

Palpatine: Nice to meet you two. I hear you've discovered some kind of new fuel?
( Read more... )