Yesterday it was my pleasure to welcome Sanal back to the Midlands, 20-odd years since I last met him here. We met Humanists and secularists in Lichfield and Newcastle before he gave his talk “Holy Men in India: Flying Fakirs to Starving Saints” to Stoke Skeptics at the Greyhound.
Today he’ll be meeting Birmingham University students before going to Moseley for an event with Birmingham Humanists.
A troll too far?
Posted on: March 16, 2011
On Monday, Andy Pickering posted tamtampamela’s now infamous “God is so good!!!” YouTube video on his Facebook page. Presciently, he started his comment with “IF this girl is being sincere (rather than some misguided skit) …” and his scepticism was rewarded when the young lady finally admitted she’s a troll. She had to “come clean” as she puts it because of the international outcry she caused. Notice that this was a public outcry; the media was largely silent – they seemed to twig that this wasn’t what it appeared to be. As I write, “tamtampamela” has only a couple of dozen hits on Google News. By contrast, you can currently find about 750 news stories online about Alexandra Wallace, whose YouTube rant “Asians in the Library” has also been busy causing offence this week.
As Meenal Kulkarni pointed out in the Facebook thread, tamtampamela’s video is an excellent example of Poe’s law in action. In 2005, Nathan Poe wrote “Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is utterly impossible to parody a Creationist in such a way that someone won’t mistake [it] for the genuine article.” How right he was! And how well tamtampamela played her role. I know a lot of people are very upset with her, but I have to say that I think she should be proud of her achievement. I don’t like trolls or trolling (even if now and again I can’t resist dipping my toe in the water and trying a little devil’s advocacy myself) but I guess it’s an art like any other, and if it’s done well and is successful, there’s something to be admired.
By the way, if you’re wondering why I’m so sure that tamtampamela is not a Christian fundamentalist, it just so happened that I was looking at her videos this morning at the very moment she closed her YouTube account and the message “This video is no longer available due to a copyright claim by LaughAloneTV” appeared where the video used to be.
A Tale of Two Histories: photos
Posted on: June 22, 2010
Easy!
Posted on: February 14, 2010
Doing the rounds again, and originally from Holy Taco dot com:
Old photos
Posted on: December 31, 2009
As I find and scan them, I’m going to post some relevant photos here.
This first one is Sanal Edamaruku, Michael Goulder, Harry Stopes-Roe and Gerry King in Birmingham sometime back in the 90’s:
Thou shalt not steal
Posted on: December 23, 2009
At one of our Conversation meetings the subject of theft came up; it’s a very interesting topic. Many people steal when they know (or believe) they can get away with it, but doesn’t that automatically make them immoral?
And now Tim Jones, a vicar in York, has come out and said it’s okay for poor people to steal from large companies. What a naive sentiment! Okay, I’d feel compassion for anyone in such dire straits that they felt compelled to shoplift some groceries, but it’s ridiculous to advocate such behaviour as a matter of course. Firstly, Jones is recommending a course of action that might cause someone to end up in prison, even less able to support their children (who might be taken into care). And secondly, when you start waffling about “victimless” crimes you’re on very shaky ground.
I was surprised to find that atheist commentator Blair Scott agrees with Jones – but surely we can find better ways to help the penniless than to dare them to walk out of a shop without paying?
Recommended viewing: Heavens Above!
This is also published on my blog, The Crunch.
This is quite a short review, although the book it concerns is complex and quite long. However, I do not wish to give too much away that can be experienced first-hand. Especially if you are a Wammer and Adrian is kind enough to lend you his copy (when I eventually return it!).
Marcus Warwick is a late-Victorian melodrama about the eponymous atheist lawyer and his fiercely-intelligent theist friend (and later wife), Hilda.
That sentence should tell you all you need to know about the outcome of the book. I hope that the following statement is not a spoiler, given when the book was written: Marcus Warwick does not remain an atheist. Shocked?
In the beginning, Marcus Warwick returns to his hometown after some years training as a lawyer. Marcus’ family is quite influential; his father ran a school in the area, preaching atheism, and now his sister is married to a local aristocrat. Marcus’ return causes quite a stir, because not only does he agree to give a series of talks to the townsfolk about his theories of justice, but his reputation as an atheist and death-penalty abolitionist precede him. At one point we see how he successfully defends a murderer in order to have the charge reduced from first- to second-degree homicide. Don’t judge him too harshly; Marcus is trying to spare the murderer the noose.
A friendship soon blossoms with the young daughter of one of his father’s friends. It soon becomes clear that Hilda, while very intelligent and gifted at philosophical discourse, is a determined theist, who has trouble with the idea that a loving God would send people to Hell. She agrees to contribute to Marcus’ philosophical periodical, which acts as a staging ground for their back-and-forth about the nature and existence of God.
Anyway, a lot goes on between their meeting and their inevitable coming together. Years, and many troubles, stand between Hilda and Marcus. When they finally are married, Marcus comes to think that he is cursed; his family suffers a number of misfortunes. It is here that superstition gets the best of Mr Warwick, because he comes to think that his family’s suffering is the result of God’s judgement upon him (I won’t tell you what for). Eventually he decides to stop resisting and recant his atheistic ways, to the delight of Hilda.
This, of course, is not surprising. What is surprising is that the conversion need not have happened. I fully expected Marcus’ epiphany to come as the result of some sort of miracle, unexplained by the author. In fact, all of the things that constitute Marcus’ ‘punishment’ could easily be explained by science, and as coincidence (what defines the Victorian era if not ill children?). Indeed, when Marcus converts and his son suddenly snaps out of his mental illness, the author makes a point of saying that the doctors believed that a recent fall and resultant blow to the head had caused the ‘miracle’. That sounds like a medical explanation to me! What sort of atheist is Marcus Warwick, to see a line of coincidences as divine intervention, and a medically explained reversal of fortunes as a sign that All Is Well? Atheist he may have been, but he was no sceptic. It seems as though up until that point, life had given him no reason to see God in the world. That’s de facto atheism, or atheism taken on faith. Not healthy.
Do read this book if you stumble upon a copy. It is a well-told story, with parts that are genuinely funny, or sad, and especially thought-provoking. And once you’ve read it, write your own review of it.
Alice M Dale – “Marcus Warwick, Atheist” – London, 1898
Trebly Impossible
Posted on: December 3, 2009
The homeopathic potion Oscillococcinum is impossible stuff.
First of all, it’s impossible to pronounce (and almost impossible to spell). In fact, it may be the unpronounceablest product on the market today. (Please let me know if you can think of another contender for the honour.) In Hungary, one of the countries where it’s popular, they give up halfway through, and call it “ostsillo”.
Secondly, as you should be aware by now, if not from Ben Goldacre or Simon Perry, then from Paul Bennett of Boot’s, homeopathy is bollocks. Homeopathy isn’t herbal medicine, it’s a sugar pill, and the only reason it works is because of the placebo effect. The product – it isn’t a medicine! – doesn’t contain any of the “active ingredient” shown on the product information. None. (Really the producers shouldn’t be allowed to call it an ingredient at all, unless we want burger makers to start putting salmonella on their list of ingredients.*)
Thirdly, homeopathy does not “work” preventatively. Symptoms of an illness are required in order to decide on a treatment. And yet Oscillococcinum is widely recommended (mostly by people who clearly should know better, e.g. the manufacturer) as a prophylactic. A Google search provides plenty of interesting reading…
There’s a fourth interesting thing to say about Oscillococcinum, but it isn’t impossible, just ridiculous. Do you know what it’s made from? Well, it’s 85% sucrose and 15% lactose monohydrate, which those of you who haven’t been paying attention will be surprised to find adds up to 100% sugar. But the active “ingredient” is Anas Barbariae hepatis et cordis extractum. (The Latin scholars among you have probably just spat their tea out over the keyboard.) That’s duck offal. What a sad waste.
Simon Perry’s talk in Birmingham on Monday 7th December about the “Quacklash” now seems even more appropriate!
(Thanks to Marti Bailey for her help with this post.)
Related articles:
Jan Willem Nienhuys’s short history of O
If a heavy wallet causes the flu, Oscillococcinum is as good a cure as any
Pharmacology Weekly report on O
Oscillococcinum Wikipedia page
*Alternatively, why not let me sell biscuits “made of gold” if I drop my wedding ring in the mixing bowl?
Buses, books and billboards
Posted on: November 25, 2009
Later today I’ll have the pleasure of meeting Ariane Sherine. First we’ll be selling and signing books at Borders in the Bull Ring, and then it’s across to Aston University for a public meeting.
It’s been a mad year for Ariane. Her previous life of comedy writer has taken a radical and somewhat unexpected turn. After having the idea of advertising atheism on buses, she quickly got financial support from the likes of Richard Dawkins, and backing from organisations like the BHA, and the Atheist Bus Campaign was born.
Next, why not an Atheists Guide to Christmas? (In aid of charity – all royalties go to the Terrence Higgins Trust.) Ariane persuaded 40-odd non-believers to give their take on most people’s favourite time of year, and the resulting tome has had excellent reviews.
Finally, for now, more posters: “Please don’t label me,” a message from children to their elders and ?betters.
I asked Ariane a few questions:
WMAM: England's a harmless enough place for an atheist. Is there really any need to start a fight? AS: This pugilistic imagery around atheism always baffles me. We're putting out peaceful ideas and making people think - that's all. WMAM: Is the campaign dead serious? Whose awareness is it aimed at raising? AS: The "Please Don't Label Me" campaign is designed to encourage people not to label children with their parents' beliefs, as kids are not old enough to understand the implications and decide whether they want to be labelled in this way. It's aimed at everyone. WMAM: What's been the best bit and the worst bit of the last year or so's campaigning? AS: The best bit has been meeting so many lovely atheists and freethinkers. The worst has been worrying about being hit by a bus.
Ariane Sherine at Aston University, Wednesday 25th November, 7.45 pm
You are invited! This meeting is open to everybody: young, old, religious, non-religious, scientist, artist… On the occasion of the first The Amazing Meeting London, organised by the James Randi Educational Foundation (see below**), let’s get together for a drink and a chat on Saturday night (3rd October) and to listen to:
Dr Jack Cohen
Dr Jack Cohen
Jack is a well-known biologist and writer, his subjects ranging from infertility to the works of Terry Pratchett. He has recently been studying the works of Stuart Kauffman, an American scientist who rejects the reductionist view of science; his latest book is “Reinventing the Sacred”, and this will be the starting point for Jack’s talk.
Howard Brown
In his twenties, Howard was world kickboxing champion. In his thirties, he was in prison, guilty of speaking to the wrong people. Nowadays he’s busy writing the truth, as he sees it, about religion. He converted to atheism several years ago, and he’ll explain the path he took, and why it’s important to him that others see the light.
Howard returns by popular request, after his entertaining and thought-provoking talk to Birmingham Humanists earlier this year.
Venue: The Old Joint Stock, Temple Row West, Birmingham city centre B2 5NY
Jack will be speaking from about 7.30, and Howard from about 9.30. Beforehand, in between, and afterwards, there’ll be a chance to socialise, view videos and link up with the London event.
You don’t have to, but you can let us know you’re coming by RSVPing on Facebook or on Meetup. See you there!
nb. This isn’t an official TAM event, nor is it affiliated with JREF or TAM. (The TAM London organisers have been supportive, though!)
**In case you haven’t clicked the links to find out more about JREF or TAM, a little info…
James Randi is a famous American magician, but for many years he’s been equally well known as a debunker of the paranormal. Together with Paul Kurtz, Martin Gardner, Isaac Asimov, Carl Sagan and others he founded CSICOP (now known as the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry) in the 1970s. Since 1996, Randi and his supporters have offered $1,000,000 to anyone who can demonstrate paranormal abilities under laboratory conditions. In the same year, he started the educational foundation (JREF) in order to promote the rational, scientific approach to investigating and understanding ourselves and the universe around us. In order to support its work, since 2003 JREF has organised annual events called “The Amaz!ng Meeting” with famous guest speakers and performers such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens and Penn & Teller, to raise funds for the foundation’s work. We won’t be raising money on Saturday, but hopefully we will be doing our little bit to raise awareness.
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Some rationalist and scientific groups in the Midlands…
Skeptics in the Pub (Birmingham)
WMAM blogspace 