WHAT’S NEW Robert L. Park Friday, 29 Feb 08, Washington, DC

1. FENCES: SOMETHING THERE IS THAT DOESN’T LOVE A WALL.
Technology makes us arrogant. A 28-mile pilot project for a high-
tech "virtual fence" south of Tucson, which cost $100M, is now
acknowledged to...

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The mini-Annals of Improbable Research ("mini-AIR")
Issue number 2008-03
March 2008
ISSN 1076-500X
Key words: improbable research, science humor, Ig Nobel, AIR, the
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2008-03-01 TABLE OF CONTENTS

Dan is probably right. I hadn't thought about it that way. So instead
of being a Methodist, people are generic "Christians" or "I believe in
any woowoo out there". Not necessarily an improvement. I may have been
biased by my Mom, who went from being a generic Christian over time to
agnostic/atheist.

Speaking of a lack of improvement:
http://www.expelledthemovie.com/home.php

I am beginning to consider moving in with my son and his wife in the UK.
8-(

-----Original Message-----
From: org.opn.lists.skeptix-bounces@lists.opn.org
[mailto:org.opn.lists.skeptix-bounces@lists.opn.org] On Behalf Of Rick
Moen
Sent: Tuesday, February 26, 2008 4:53 PM
To: org.opn.lists.skeptix@lists.opn.org; Skeptix
Subject: Re: Americans Change Faiths at Rising Rate

Quoting Dan Fingerman (fingerman@aya.yale.edu):

Quoting Dan Fingerman (fingerman@aya.yale.edu):

However, the questionnaire then seems to have failed to ask about
practice

Quoting Dan Fingerman (fingerman@aya.yale.edu):

However, the questionnaire then seems to have failed to ask about
practice

On Tue, February 26, 2008 6:20 am, Barbara Meissner wrote:

I'm not sure that is a reasonable conclusion. The question apparently asked
for affiliation, not practice.

With all the requisite disclaimers about anecdotes and data: I personally know
a few people who self-identify as unaffiliated but still consider themselves
religious and consider their religion an important part of their lives. They
tend to make up their theology, mysticism, traditions, rules, etc. as they go
along and change them over time. They also tend to consider themselves better
and wiser than affiliants, because affiliants get that stuff prescribed to
them.

Quoting Barbara Meissner (Barbara.Meissner@utsa.edu):

But it remains an _excellent_ name for a band.

Our guild in WoW was called Cthulhu Rising. (unfortunately dissolved
when the guild leaders moved to England).

-----Original Message-----
From: org.opn.lists.skeptix-bounces@lists.opn.org
[mailto:org.opn.lists.skeptix-bounces@lists.opn.org] On Behalf Of Jet
Foncannon
Sent: Monday, February 25, 2008 10:45 PM
To: Scientific discussion of extraordinary things
Subject: Re: Americans Change Faiths at Rising Rate

AHHHHHHH!!!! A Lovecraftian!! My very favorite expression in all
the English language is:

"An amorphous blight of nethermost confusion, blaspheming and bubbling
at the center of infinity."

Yog Sogoth, I believe.

Rick Moen wrote:

_______________________________________________

"[1] Or, occasionally, I'll merely write the simple phrase "Ph'nglui
mglw'nafh Cthulhu R'lyeh wgah'nagl fhtagn", and leave it at that."

Ahh, so you are in favor of the REALLY old time religion. As long as he
stays asleep, anyway.

Personally, I don't mind answering religious affiliation questions. I
just say "None". I used to deeply resent questions about race, except
on medical forms. They are much less common these days, but, especially
in the South, they used to show up in the strangest places (like
automobile accident reports). I used to put "Not applicable" until I
got the idea of putting "Human".

Also, I think the report is wrong. If you put "nothing in particular"
it means, at the very least, that religion is not an important part of
you life. This is an important finding, IMO. Makes me think the
rationalists may finally be making some headway.

AHHHHHHH!!!! A Lovecraftian!! My very favorite expression in all the English language is:

"An amorphous blight of nethermost confusion, blaspheming and bubbling at the center of infinity."

Yog Sogoth, I believe.

Rick Moen wrote:

_______________________________________________

I never wonder to see men wicked, but
I often wonder to see men unashamed.