Good news from America!

[Xamonas Chegwé]

XC, IMHO the very use of technology by the wooists is helping finish them off. That is my point, in fine. People who sit in front of computers and rove the world are not only exposed to different ideas than they'd get from the pulpit, they also have to try and reconcile the woo with the fact that they have computerized coffee-pots and microchips in their corn chips.

What if they believe that those computers and microchips came from technology recovered in 'Area 51' or Roswell? Or that having the wrong coloured coffee pot will affect their Feng Shui? The interwebz is promoting as much bollocks as it is debunking. It is full of facts but even more full of bullshit.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Technology is irrelevant to belief.

Technology is corrosive to belief.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

XC, IMHO the very use of technology by the wooists is helping finish them off. That is my point, in fine. People who sit in front of computers and rove the world are not only exposed to different ideas than they'd get from the pulpit, they also have to try and reconcile the woo with the fact that they have computerized coffee-pots and microchips in their corn chips.

What if they believe that those computers and microchips came from technology recovered in 'Area 51' or Roswell? Or that having the wrong coloured coffee pot will affect their Feng Shui? The interwebz is promoting as much bollocks as it is debunking. It is full of facts but even more full of bullshit.

What if they have a sign above their computer, "God created Bill Gates in His image"? Not every wooist is going to go over to rationality because of technology, but more and more will be as the two positions become more and more incompatible. Survivalists living in huts in the mountains have cut themselves off from technology as well as civilization. They're forward progress is zero, or ever retrograde. Technology is the wind that will wear down the mountain. If you disagree, either from firmly held beliefs or just because your contrarian, that's fine.

[Xamonas Chegwé]

XC, IMHO the very use of technology by the wooists is helping finish them off. That is my point, in fine. People who sit in front of computers and rove the world are not only exposed to different ideas than they'd get from the pulpit, they also have to try and reconcile the woo with the fact that they have computerized coffee-pots and microchips in their corn chips.

What if they believe that those computers and microchips came from technology recovered in 'Area 51' or Roswell? Or that having the wrong coloured coffee pot will affect their Feng Shui? The interwebz is promoting as much bollocks as it is debunking. It is full of facts but even more full of bullshit.

What if they have a sign above their computer, "God created Bill Gates in His image"? Not every wooist is going to go over to rationality because of technology, but more and more will be as the two positions become more and more incompatible. Survivalists living in huts in the mountains have cut themselves off from technology as well as civilization. They're forward progress is zero, or ever retrograde. Technology is the wind that will wear down the mountain. If you disagree, either from firmly held beliefs or just because your contrarian, that's fine.

I'm not disagreeing exactly, just pointing out that technology's effects are nowhere near as clear-cut and one-way as you imply.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

XC, IMHO the very use of technology by the wooists is helping finish them off. That is my point, in fine. People who sit in front of computers and rove the world are not only exposed to different ideas than they'd get from the pulpit, they also have to try and reconcile the woo with the fact that they have computerized coffee-pots and microchips in their corn chips.

What if they believe that those computers and microchips came from technology recovered in 'Area 51' or Roswell? Or that having the wrong coloured coffee pot will affect their Feng Shui? The interwebz is promoting as much bollocks as it is debunking. It is full of facts but even more full of bullshit.

What if they have a sign above their computer, "God created Bill Gates in His image"? Not every wooist is going to go over to rationality because of technology, but more and more will be as the two positions become more and more incompatible. Survivalists living in huts in the mountains have cut themselves off from technology as well as civilization. They're forward progress is zero, or ever retrograde. Technology is the wind that will wear down the mountain. If you disagree, either from firmly held beliefs or just because your contrarian, that's fine.

I'm not disagreeing exactly, just pointing out that technology's effects are nowhere near as clear-cut and one-way as you imply.

Reply the first: I don't think I implied a clear-cut effect. I haven't tested it on a Standard Issue Person yet. My supply of SIPs is currently sparse and I don't want to waste one on this particular meme.

Reply the second:

[charlou]

It is full of facts but even more full of bullshit.

Well, I don't think we know what the ratio is, but my guess would be more facts than bull ... Either way, it's speculation.

Even with a high level of woo out there on the interwebz, Gawd's nicely worded observation, which I'll paraphrase here, still holds true: people who spend time on the internet are exposed to a broad range of ideas ... and I'll add that many of these ideas will be in conflict with their own ideas and with other ideas. People become aware that there are many ideas, many perspectives, and they constantly cherry pick what suits them and discard what doesn't, and any dogmatism becomes diluted in a continuous fount of new information.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It is full of facts but even more full of bullshit.

Well, I don't think we know what the ratio is, but my guess would be more facts than bull ... Either way, it's speculation.

Even with a high level of woo out there on the interwebz, Gawd's nicely worded observation, which I'll paraphrase here, still holds true: people who spend time on the internet are exposed to a broad range of ideas ... and I'll add that many of these ideas will be in conflict with their own ideas and with other ideas. People become aware that there are many ideas, many perspectives, and they constantly cherry pick what suits them and discard what doesn't, and any dogmatism becomes diluted in a continuous fount of new information.

When people are forced to defend woo instead of simply accepting it blindly the erosion begins.

[maiforpeace]

These articles are making the rounds - they must mean something?

The End of Christian America

The percentage of self-identified Christians has fallen 10 points in the past two decades. How that statistic explains who we are now—and what, as a nation, we are about to become.
By Jon Meacham | NEWSWEEK
Published Apr 4, 2009
From the magazine issue dated Apr 13, 2009

http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583

[Kristie]

The End of Christian America

I love the sound of that....

[anna09]

http://www.newsweek.com/id/192583?GT1=43002

[Chinaski]

Yes! I never thought I'd actually possibly live through the fall of Christianity, it seemed much to imbibed in the mentality.

[FBM]

The title was a bit of a hyperbole, but the article cheered me up, anyway. Thanks, anna09!! (I wanted to but I see you're underage... )

[Ace]

The fall of christianity. That's a cause for a celebration!

I was expecting it to fall somewhat later on though :hum: .

[Chinaski]

Merged the last few posts from the "End Of Christian America" thread.

[Trolldor]

Yes! I never thought I'd actually possibly live through the fall of Christianity, it seemed much to imbibed in the mentality.

The future hasn't happened, nor is it foretold.
Population statistics tell us about the now, but twenty years down the track? That becomes complete speculation.