I’m new. Im glad to see that there is somewhere to converse with others who like to think critically.
My pet hate is alternative medicine (especially if a real doctor is plugging it) and people preying on the sick and desperate with false claims of any sort, not just magic potions; and antivaxxers.
I’m atheist, no great turning point for me as I don’t come from a religious family, vaguely Christian I suppose, and one day I just stopped pretending I thought there was a God. So far I’ve not been struck by lightning, but I do avoid golf courses during thunder storms.
I had a nice long convo with a friend recently who grew up “Christian Scientist” (pray the illness away). I was heartened to learn he now rejects their claims and only vaguely believes in some sort of non-specific supernatural stuff existing… sometimes progress is made, but we have a long way to go.
Hi Boogiemonster, I had a relative who was a Christian Scientest, she died of some minor infection or other. I sometimes get a bit of flack for not being a particularly outspoken athiest, but as I didn’t have to have a huge turning point in my life it isn’t really an issue for me. We didn’t go to church as children or sunday school or anything like that, we just ticked the box that said Christian if we had to tick such a box on a form and we give presents and chocolate eggs and that is as far as it extends.
No, I googled to try and find if there was any organised skeptical group in the country and found the forum that way. Been wanting to find for a while. I sometimes feel like a lone voice, every e-mail warning me that two minute noodles are made ofplastic, every time I’m told margarine is one molecule away from plastic (so? evil vegetable fat - pssst, don’t tell, coconut oil is vegetable fat too); every time there is shock horror that shampoo and tile cleaner both contain a foaming agent - I weep because saying something means I get attacked about being so “closed minded” (because I won’t believe bullshit). I have found some friends along the way on Twitter and friends of friends via Facebook comments, but all the sceptical people I’ve met live overseas, I started to wonder if this was a product of our education system.
I share your aversion for CAM. And when it comes to nutrition, everybody believe they are experts. I regularly have disputes with friends promoting false rumours. The one kicks up a huge emotional fuss, insinuating that I do her an injustice by debunking her cancer quackery. (“Now you’ve spoiled my day, you’re horrible you!”) Apparently having carte blanche to spread lies and enjoying your day is more important than treating cancer.
I thought I saw him on the beach at Surfers’ Corner the other day, so I waved and shouted, “JACQUES! JACQUES!” but he ignored me. There must be a lot of surfers called Jacques, though, because they all came stampeding out of the sea…