Genies don’t cause epilepsy

I wrote about this a few weeks ago.  Genies don’t cause epilepsy.  But I wanted to write about this again because I think it is that important.  Genies don’t cause epilepsy.

We skeptics and naturalists are often asked, why does it matter if we believe stuff that turns out not to be true. What’s the Harm?  Well, first – check out WhatstheHarm to see real life examples of the harm caused by believing things that aren’t true.

Next, consider this. You cannot solve your problem if you don’t know what causes it. If you attach yourself to beliefs that aren’t true, you are preventing yourself from effectively solving your problems.  I don’t know about you, but I would rather solve my problems than cling to beliefs, however comforting, that turn out not to be true.

This is why understanding that genies don’t cause epilepsy is so important. In the west, this is something we understand and know, for the most part. But it was only about 75 years ago where epilepsy was treated by exorcism. And even people who reject supernaturalism still fall prey to the practice of not properly identifying the root cause of their problems. Consider how many people think vaccines cause autism despite NO evidence for that belief and you can understand why this is still an important point to make.

The next time you are struggling to solve a problem, remind yourself that genies don’t cause epilepsy. Use that as a reminder that yourself how important it is to truly understand what is causing your problem so that you don’t waste your time and energy solving a problem you don’t have while doing nothing to solve the problem you do.

Dogma Free

The staff of the AHA

I was recently re-reading Humanism and its Aspirations by the American Humanist Association. The American Humanist Association makes it very clear: this statement isn’t about what we must believe as Humanists, it’s a statement about what we do believe.

This is incredibly important because Humanism has no dogma. We are dogma free. What that means is that you don’t have to believe the same things that Humanists do. However, if you do, you are probably a Humanist.

So, what is it that we Humanists do believe? Well, here is the list according to Humanism and its Aspirations. I encourage you to read the entire document for full details.

• Science is the best method for determining knowledge 
• Humans are an integral part of nature
• Our values are grounded in human welfare
• Life's fulfillment emerges from individual participation in the service of humane ideals
• Humans are social by nature and find meaning in relationships, and
• Working to benefit society maximizes individual happiness

If you believe these things to, you may be a Humanist.

Freedom of Belief has Consequences

Look – everyone has the right to believe whatever they want even if it is complete nonsense. We don’t, however, have a right to be shielded from the consequences of our beliefs. What we believe matters. If your beliefs are not reality based, you are going to have problems with reality.

I bring this up because there are a lot of people who, because of their religious beliefs, do not have a good relationship with reality. It is not surprising that these families try to insulate themselves from the real world and surround themselves only with other people who agree with them. This self-imposed insulation only makes matters worse because it re-enforces their rejection of reality.

If you want to teach your kids all sorts of misinformation about science such as evolution, go right ahead. But there are consequences to that decision. Mostly that unless they reject all the non-science you erroneously taught them your child will not be able to get a career in science if they continue to reject reality. It doesn’t matter how often you cry foul, the rules of science are not going to be rewritten to accommodate the reality challenged.