The Skeptics Society Adopts View

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

http://www.skeptic.com/

With regard to statements, hypotheses, theories, and ideologies examined by the Skeptics Society the organization adopts the view of the 17th -century Dutch philosopher Baruch Spinoza:

"I have made a ceaseless effort not to ridicule, not to bewail, not to scorn human actions, but to understand them."

Have a look around this site. The articles may help maintain perspective.


People are being attacked and insulted. We have to ask ourselves, skeptics and non-skeptics what the purpose for coming to this forum is.


I thank Doubt for the observations in this thread and his honorable suggestions:

http://www.randi.org/vbulletin/showthread.php?s=&threadid=16903


And yes I am a whiny bedwetter.

[arcticpenguin]

I'm not sure I understand your point (if you have one). If we didn't want to ridicule, bewail, or scorn, we would spend our time at skeptic.com instead of here.

[Checkmite]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
I'm not sure I understand your point (if you have one). If we didn't want to ridicule, bewail, or scorn, we would spend our time at skeptic.com instead of here.

Ah, so that's the purpose of the JREF. I thought it had something to do with encouraging critical thinking and the method of science - silly me.

[Martin]

The two aren't incompatible.

[FutileJester]

Originally posted by Martinm
The two aren't incompatible.

True enough, and we'll always have both. Personally I like to focus on the E in JREF. A teacher who insults his students is not educating, and a student who insults his teachers is not learning.

I also think we are all at our best when we try to be both student and teacher.

[Yahzi]

Ah, so that's the purpose of the JREF. I thought it had something to do with encouraging critical thinking and the method of science - silly me.
It does. We encourage critical thinking through scorning and bewailing.

If necessity is the mother of invention, then being ridiculed ought to be at least a daughter of education.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

Originally posted by arcticpenguin
I'm not sure I understand your point (if you have one). If we didn't want to ridicule, bewail, or scorn, we would spend our time at skeptic.com instead of here.

My intention was to communicate that it may be productive and constructive to employ a similar philosophy as SKeptic.com and try to follow the guidelines they use.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

Bumping,

because I still think it could be productive and construtive to apply Spinoza's dictum to inquiry. even at JREF.


Since Janurary 1 2005, over 60 threads contain riddicule and scorn.

[Beady]

Originally posted by PygmyPlaidGiraffe
I still think it could be productive and construtive to apply Spinoza's dictum to inquiry. even at JREF.

I would have thought that should be especially at JREF.

[CFLarsen]

PygmyPlaidGiraffe,

Will you also speak out when you hear believers scorn?

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

CFLarsen, read the origional post and Doubt's honourable suggestions, linked to in the op. Your concern is addressed.

Originally posted by PygmyPlaidGiraffe
http://www.skeptic.com/



People are being attacked and insulted. We have to ask ourselves, skeptics and non-skeptics what the purpose for coming to this forum is.







And to those of you wondering, yes I am still a whiny bedwetter.:D

[CFLarsen]

Originally posted by PygmyPlaidGiraffe
CFLarsen, read the origional post and Doubt's honourable suggestions, linked to in the op. Your concern is addressed.

So I trust you will speak out when a believer scorns.

[T'ai Chi]

Originally posted by CFLarsen
So I trust you will speak out when a believer scorns.

I'm sure the lying, cheating, fly excrements will.

"only evidence counts"

Mm hmm.

[PygmyPlaidGiraffe]

Originally posted by CFLarsen
So I trust you will speak out when a believer scorns.


I think you may be misinterpreting, (is this intentional CFLarsen?) what Doubt and I had or have concerns about and what Spinoza's dictum is, and how it can be applied to inquiry.

I am not a moderator, and I will not follow and scrutinise all your posts, nor all the posts of any individuals that particpate on JREF.

Self monitoring would be the ideal course to take, if people want to. There is nothing I can do to compel people to behave in any way. Each individual can choose (in terms of Spinoza's Dictum and Doubt's suggestions ) to take it or leave it, as they please. Doubt made observations about how people behaved to other people's statements, hypotheses, theories, ideologies etc. and made honourable suggestions. IF you want to interpret my posts and intentions in this thread some other way, go ahead. I am not responsible for your interpretations.

I will monitor my own behaviour, and accept the challenge of applying Doubt's suggestions and Spinoza's dictum to my posts. Sometimes I may comment on my observations about other people's behaviours, and sometimes I won't. If my intentions are not good enough for you, resolve that in your own way.