Guerilla Skepticism on Wikipedia

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Arouet

Yes, I suppose its possible that there are no trolls in knitting forums!



If you say so.

I've found the trolls more on the crochet forums.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Craig Weiler

No, that's a skeptic thing. We're interested in learning, not dissing people. Unlike skeptics we really don't care if other people think differently. We certainly won't come over to someone else's site and try to take it over.

Well, if the religious didn't try to impose their faith into laws, schools, politics, ... then maybe skeptics wouldn't care what they thought. Funny thing - the religious groups that don't try to impose their faith, don't really have issues with skeptics.
It is not like religious people have any place they gather to organize against something they don't like or anything (not suggesting that is all they do).

[Kamarling]

Originally Posted by Scott

Well, if the religious didn't try to impose their faith into laws, schools, politics, ... then maybe skeptics wouldn't care what they thought. Funny thing - the religious groups that don't try to impose their faith, don't really have issues with skeptics.
It is not like religious people have any place they gather to organize against something they don't like or anything (not suggesting that is all they do).

Wasn't the point being made that the approach of skeptics is in some ways similar to that of religious fundamentalists? Seems you are turning it around to a skeptic (read: atheist, materialist) vs religious conflict again. And doesn't that show that skeptics like to lump together religious believers and paranormal proponents as a common enemy, no matter how often many of us say that we are not religious (that goes for me, certainly, in that I don't follow any religious organisation)?

[happyknownothing]

Originally Posted by Scott

Well, if the religious didn't try to impose their faith into laws, schools, politics, ... then maybe skeptics wouldn't care what they thought. Funny thing - the religious groups that don't try to impose their faith, don't really have issues with skeptics.
It is not like religious people have any place they gather to organize against something they don't like or anything (not suggesting that is all they do).

Staw man alert!

The skeptics seem to spend most of their time attacking people who engage in what they refer to as 'woo woo' or new age spiritual practices. These are mostly people who do not belong to any organized religion - they will often dislike organized religion. Your argument that skeptics are only defending themselves against those trying to impose their faith is basically bollocks - excuse my French.

[Craig Weiler]

Originally Posted by Scott

Well, if the religious didn't try to impose their faith into laws, schools, politics, ... then maybe skeptics wouldn't care what they thought. Funny thing - the religious groups that don't try to impose their faith, don't really have issues with skeptics.
It is not like religious people have any place they gather to organize against something they don't like or anything (not suggesting that is all they do).

What's religion got to do with it? That's a whole different crowd.

[Sandy B]

Originally Posted by Scott

Well, if the religious didn't try to impose their faith into laws, schools, politics, ... then maybe skeptics wouldn't care what they thought. Funny thing - the religious groups that don't try to impose their faith, don't really have issues with skeptics.
It is not like religious people have any place they gather to organize against something they don't like or anything (not suggesting that is all they do).

Most proponents are not particularly religious. For example, studies of NDErs have shown again and again that NDErs tend to be less interested in organized religion, while more interested in spiritual practises, after their experience.

I think many skeptics confuse the words "spiritual" and "religious".

I don't like fundamentalist Christians harassing gay members of society any more than I like zombie atheist marches being organized to harass people who are psychic.

[Scott]

Originally Posted by Sandy B

Organized trolling and censorship of opposing views is something that the skeptical movement does that seems to set them apart.

I've seen individual trolls in various forums, but nothing like the organised skeptical movement. I can't imagine proponents storming over to the JREF forum in an organised trolling party.

The closest thing I've seen is extreme religious groups. That's why Alex's comparison of Skeptics to Religious Fundamentalists seems appropriate.

These were the two posts that prompted me to bring up religion on this topic. I never said nor implied that proponents were religious. I agree, they are two different topics. As are skeptic and atheist. All atheist says is "I don't believe in a god". I think it is several of you that are suggesting things that are not being said. Just because you like to lump the categories you don't agree with together into this 'other' group, that does not mean others do.

[Kamarling]

Originally Posted by Scott

These were the two posts that prompted me to bring up religion on this topic. I never said nor implied that proponents were religious. I agree, they are two different topics. As are skeptic and atheist. All atheist says is "I don't believe in a god". I think it is several of you that are suggesting things that are not being said. Just because you like to lump the categories you don't agree with together into this 'other' group, that does not mean others do.

Now you are being silly. How many skeptics do you know who are not atheist? While is is certainly not true to say that acceptance of certain phenomena as evidence in favour of, say, a "spiritual" reality is merely a cover for a religious agenda, it is true to say that most skeptics use skepticism to promote their atheistic beliefs. I'll repeat: I am not religious. I actually agree with a lot of what Dawkins has to say about organised religion. I would rather sit in a science lecture than a church ceremony.

[Kamarling]

Originally Posted by Devlin Adventis O'Katie

What a second. Wasn't there an article on the skeptiko podcast dealing with christian skepticism of the paranormal?

I think that religious objections to the paranormal have a different motivation than that which drives the usual JREF type skeptics.

Perhaps those who are members of JREF would like to run a poll of their skeptics and ask how many would not consider themselves atheist as well? On second thoughts, they would suspect a set-up and start playing with degrees of agnosticism.

[happyknownothing]

Originally Posted by Devlin Adventis O'Katie

What a second. Wasn't there an article on the skeptiko podcast dealing with christian skepticism of the paranormal?

I'm always noticing similarities between these modern skeptics and Christian fundamentalists too.