Financial news is hot right now, what with the stock market plummeting, or 'correcting itself' as the more bold would proclaim. You may have heard that Freddie Mac has decided they will not purchase certain subprime mortgages. They have a proper position paper, the normal "we're doing this to look after…
"Payday" lending has been big in the news lately. Payday lending is where you go to a licensed loan shark to borrow money at interest rates in the hundreds (450% is not unusual), generally give the shark a post dated check, and 2 weeks later, end up having to renew…
Such good irony.
I can’t help but shake my head at the many Christians who are temporarily putting on their Skeptic Hats to deal with a bold claim by a Discovery Channel documentary. That documentary is claiming that a tomb discovered in Israel in 1980 held the bones of Jesus. If true, the documentary’s claim would conflict with the alleged resurrection of Jesus.
[Note: there is controversy about the resurrection, based upon the original writings from the Gospel according to Mark]
Ebonmuse, an atheist, has pointed out many reasons to doubt the claims of the television documentary that the tomb discovered in 1980 was the tomb of Jesus. He concludes:
I believe the most likely scenario is that this is a genuine tomb from biblical times, containing several ordinary people with names common from the time, which has been hyped beyond what the evidence supports by overzealous filmmakers trying to create a sensation. It is not a magic bullet to destroy Christianity . . .
Based upon the points raised in his article, I agree Ebonmuse. For those same reasons, I agree with the many Christians who are now attacking the Discovery Channel documentary. There are, indeed, many good reasons to doubt these claims. It’s fun to engage in skeptical inquiry, marching side-by-side with devout Christian believers for a change!
No sooner are they finished criticizing the claim about the tomb of Jesus, though, you can hear many of these same believers asserting, as undeniable facts, all of those ancient …
One of Diane Rehm’s recent shows featured Marietta McCarty, who advocates teaching philosophy to children to develop critical thinking skills and to deepen their sense of empathy for others. Here’s the interview. McCarty, who has taught at both the elementary school and community college level, has written a book titled Little Big Minds.
According to her website, McCarty is:
Assistant Professor of Philosophy at Piedmont Virginia Community College in Charlottesville, Virginia. She has brought philosophy to children in rural, suburban, and city schools in the central Virginia area for over fifteen years, as well as schools around the U.S. “Her Philosophy in the Third Grade” program is nationally acclaimed and she lectures and gives demonstrations around the country on this one-of-a-kind program. While focusing on third graders, she philosophizes in kindergarten through eighth grade classrooms.
McCarty starts with the premise that children are natural philosophers. They are “the best philosophers.” Children have a natural curiosity and an innate sense of wonder. Even young children are capable of studying philosophy.
Philosophy, according to McCarty, is the art of clear thinking. Philosophers are people who “hold many ideas in their mind at once.” Philosophers “empty their minds of clutter and confusion.” She stresses that children need to exercise their minds just like they need to exercise their bodies. Philosophy can help children “gain clarity about ideas.” Underlying McCarty’s strategy is her belief that ideas have consequences. “What we think motivates all of our actions and all of our decisions. If we don’t …
Check out the Simple Living Network, a non-profit website (absolutely no commercials) that provides lots of information on how to pare down your material excesses. The site is run entirely by volunteers, who sincerely try to practice what they preach. Here's the basic approach, as indicated on the home page:…