Author Archives: Jacob Fortin

How much control does the media have over us?

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One of my recent tirades against Fox News prompted me to write about the degree of control mainstream media has over society. This piece is not meant to lay all the blame of society on their shoulders; rather it is an invitation to consider the fact that perhaps we do not all make rational choices based on a careful examination of the evidence. I am the first to admit it is often easier and more expedient to allow our opinions to be shaped by others, but the consequences of such carelessness can often be haunting. The vilifying of Dr. George Tiller by Fox News and the O’Reily factor no doubt played a role in his subsequent murder, but to what degree? How much influence do they, or any other major news organization really have?

In general we have a naive understanding of the role the media plays in shaping our views and opinions. After all, aren’t human beings rational individuals who make up their own minds? Well, not really, according to Dan Gardner, in his highly entertaining and educational book, Risk: The Science and Politics of Fear. The fact is, all the best studies on human behavior indicate people typically are quite impaired when it comes to making rational choices.

Why would this surprise anyone? Although our brains are marvelous machines, they aren’t fundamentally very different from our cave dwelling ancestors. In the harsh world of our prehistoric forefathers, our intuition, or ‘gut’ as Gardner calls it, was primary in ensuring our survival. Although our rational mind, or ‘head’, can try and compensate for some of the gut’s rush judgments, the truth is it is often inadequate to the task. Our emotions often override our rational brains, much to our chagrin.

Advertising companies have long understood the role emotions play in making decisions. This type of manipulation is not limited to only commercial purposes. How many times have politicians used raw appeals to emotion to justify their ends? Usually the results are fairly benign (the Terry Shiavo debacle comes to mind), but there are definite instances when such appeals have led to the deaths of those who are vilified. Think of how millions of Christian women were murdered during the Inquisition.

Ironically, it is usually those who appeal to the most emotion that feel their actions are logical and rational. This is because our minds will often rationalize decisions that were made for entirely irrational reasons. Gardner cites numerous studies to that effect, including a hilarious one showing how something as trivial as how a question is asked will ultimately influence the results. We are that easy to fool.

The best way to describe this phenomenon is pack mentality. We cannot help, when we are part of a large group, to emulate the thoughts and actions of others. This can often overwrite even our survival instincts. One study in Britain found even when faced with something as dangerous as fire, people were likely to underestimate the danger so long as others around them seemed unaffected themselves.

This does not mean people are incapable of making rational decisions, but it does seem to indicate that the degree of control is contingent on how emotions play a factor in the decision making process. This leads me back to my original post, where I lambasted Bill O’Reily for his campaign of harassment of Dr. George Tiller. On more than 28 occasions the show featured a story about Tiller, with O’Reily making a point to dehumanize and vilify the man. He accused him of being a child killer, a monster in the likes of Hitler, and gave him the dangerous moniker of “Tiller the Baby Killer”.

It would be incredibly naïve to underestimate the consequences of such irresponsible news reporting. Fox News in general went to great lengths to paint Tiller as a villain, rather than the kind, gentle human being his friends and family described. Tiller had already been a victim of multiple assaults. He was shot in both arms in 1993 by Rachelle Shannon, a deranged Pro-Life activist living in Oregon. Despite this and the bombing of his clinic in 1986, Tiller bravely continued to offer his medical services. It’s not something most physicians would have done.

How much culpability, if any, does Fox News and The O’Reily Factor have in the death of George Tiller? That’s difficult to say, but the show and the TV station undoubtedly play a role in defining the views and opinions of a large number of Americans. As a huge media empire, their voices, their opinions and their reports have a profound impact on a significant portion of society. In their eyes, purposefully identifying and singling out individuals like George Tiller is fair game. Even if they did understand there might be negative repercussions to their stories, why should they care? Since they can deny all culpability in the matter by saying simply ‘people make their own minds’, they can wash their hands of any wrong doing.

I want to clearly state that Fox News is not alone in using emotion to manipulate the opinions of viewers. All across the political spectrum we see people utilize similar strategies. The accountability of major news networks is almost non-existent in today’s society. But Fox is in a class of their own; as mouth breathers for a highly conservative element of society, they cater to the fears and prejudices of their viewers. Gone is the balanced approach to news in favor of sensationalism and spin.

I don’t want to blame the problems of society on Fox or any other major TV network. Yes, people are still responsible for their actions, and no one at Fox News or the O’Reily factor explicitly gave instructions for the murder of George Tiller. With that said, I think it’s time we seriously started analyzing the kind of impact imbalanced and prejudicial broadcasting has on our society.

10 reasons why Superman is better than Jesus

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This article made me want to include a little list of why Superman is better than Jesus. I’ve made a comparative list so I can definitively prove the last son of Krypton is superior to the King of Kings in almost every way.

  1. Superman has saved the planet for destruction numerous times. Jesus has threatened to return and bring on the end of the earth with him, but so far is a fucking ‘no-show’.
  2. Jesus performed a few miracles, but Superman can shoot laser beams out of his eyes, he can fly, is indestructible, and can see through everything except lead. In one movie he turned back time. How awesome is that?
  3. Jesus may have died for your sins, but Superman died to protect us from an intergalactic killing machine called Doomsday.
  4. When Jesus died, he was resurrected 3 days later and then abruptly left, telling his disciples he’d be back within their lifetimes (an obvious lie). Superman died, was in stasis for a while, and emerged with long glorious 90’s hair. Unlike Jesus, however, Superman stuck around and has been busy keeping the world safe from evil.
  5. Although not a God, Superman still risks his life all the time trying to combat super villains. Jesus, on the other hand, is apparently all powerful, and yet refuses to do something as basic as healing amputees.
  6. Superman can move mountains. Jesus claims praying to him will accomplish the same feat, but no noticeable effects from prayer have ever been measured.
  7. Superman is an expert in dozens of languages, and is an accomplished journalist. Jesus never left any writings, or evidence of any of his works.
  8. Superman hooked up with the insanely hot Lois Lane, while the only women who showed any interest in Jesus were prostitutes.
  9. Jesus said “But those mine enemies, which would not that I should reign over them, bring hither, and slay them before me” (Luke 19:27). Superman, on the other hand, has a strict code of conduct that forbids him to kill anyone.
  10. If you fell out of your apartment window and cried for help, Superman would try and save you. Not only will Jesus not even bother to save you; he will send you to hell for all eternity if you don’t believe in him.

Now some people may criticize me for this article, and they might be right: what’s the point in debating which fictional character is better, anyways?

Buddhist lose “reincarnated” boy to real world

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When Osel Hita Torres was only 14 months old, his parents took him to see the Dalai Lama, who decreed the boy was the reincarnation of one of their cherished spiritual leaders. He then spent the next 18 years in almost complete isolation, never watching television, and never interacting with other children. The only movie he was allowed to watch was The Golden Child, a shitty Eddie Murphy vehicle about a magical child lama who gets kidnapped. How hilarious is that?

He has since turned his back on the order, and moved to Madrid to study film. He isn’t too happy about how the monks robbed him of his childhood either, saying he suffered a great deal at their hands. If you think monks are just a group of peaceful dudes, you may be surprised to find out Tibet was not exactly paradise under their rule. Native Tibetans were essentially a slave class ruled by a powerful priest order. I’m not saying the Chinese did anyone any favors by invading them, but let’s stop buying into the Dalai Lama’s bullshit story of how the land was a peaceful mecca before; their population was malnourished, undereducated, and enslaved. Sounds swell, doesn’t it?

Abortion doctor gunned down in church

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Anti-abortionists scare me. Sure, most of them are fairly harmless, but their zeal and conviction often invite violent individuals into their ranks. It’s inevitable that certain people, who feel their actions are justified by their God, will commit violent acts against doctors and nurses who provide this medical service. Dr. George Tiller was shot and killed today during church, and although the details of the investigation is sketchy, it’s clear the motivation behind the murder is Tiller’s work at his clinic.

This isn’t the first time he’s been targeted. Back in 1986 the clinic was bombed, although luckily no one was hurt. No one was ever arrested for the crime.

The anti-abortion group ‘Operation Rescue’ stated on their website that they:

worked for years through peaceful, legal means, and through the proper channels to see him brought to justice. We denounce vigilantism and the cowardly act that took place this morning. We pray for Mr. Tiller’s family that they will find comfort and healing that can only be found in Jesus Christ.

I don’t want to suggest that the group played a direct role in the murder since all the facts haven’t yet come to light. Consider, however, the group was previously based in California before moving to Kansas, specifically to target Tiller. Their slogan, “If you believe abortion is murder, act like it’s murder” is an invitation to violence. The organization has been working for years to dismantle, harass, and interfere with Tiller’s clinic.

What are we supposed to think when something like this happens? The organization is playing damage control and trying desperately to distance themselves from this incident, but I wouldn’t be surprised to find that the murderers were at least in some way affiliated with them. What else can you expect? These guys take abortion very seriously, and as far as they are concerned, it’s murder. We can’t be surprised when religiously motivated simpletons use violence to get their way. Anyone who thinks anti-abortion groups use only peaceful methods are living in a fantasy land.

Swedish kids accused of being murderous atheists

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Remember this video? I didn’t know what their message was, but now it looks like it’s actually a series of ads targeting atheists. Their latest one includes a banner accusing Swedish kids of murdering others for candy. Presumably, the fact they are atheists explains why they would so trivially kill another human. Of course, no one has ever killed another human due to their religion, so all conflicts must be the result of losing faith in a supreme being! Doesn’t that just make you want to suddenly begin believing a 2000 year old Jewish guy, who had the weird habit of cursing fig trees for not giving him fruit, was a God?

These kids need a hobby

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It’s interesting to see how these kids talk, how they move, and how they express themselves. You get the immediate feeling they are very good imitators and mimickers, saying things without really understanding what they mean. Marjoe is the best example of this, and if you ever want to study the effect it has on children, he’s probably the best resource there is (he made an Oscar winning documentary in the 70′s about it called simply “Marjoe”).

Vatican: abortion is worst than raping kids

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It was inevitable the Vatican would say something both offensive and wrong in regards to the debacle in Ireland over the Ryan report, which chronicled decades of sexual, physical and emotional abuse at the hands of Catholic priests and nuns. Cardinal Antonio Canizares recently said abortion is worst than child abuse. Here is his direct quote:

What happened in some schools cannot be compared with the millions of lives that have been destroyed by abortion. It (abortion) has legally destroyed 40 million human lives.

This is the typical response you can expect from an institution which systematically covered up centuries of abuse by the Catholic church. It is only in the past few decades that we have been able to demonstrate the extend of their evil, but the Catholic Church has known for a long time pedophiles make up a significant percentage of their employees. There is such a strong culture of abuse that I wouldn’t be surprised if they somehow felt it was a mere inconvenience rather than an actual problem. Father Bad-touch apparently isn’t the bad guy; the real villain in the story wears a lab coat, folks!

In any case, if they feel abortions are so wrong, they might want to read up on miscarriages. Roughly 1/4 of early pregnancies result in a spontaneous abortion. This makes God the biggest abortionist of all time. I don’t see many people in the church freaking out about all this baby killing, though. I can understand why the Catholic Church is so upset about abortions though. I mean, think about how many nubile young boys and girls aren’t being born? That’s 40 million kids they could have molested!

Creationist gets PWNED

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I love how this guy simply exposes the Discovery Institute with good research and tight editing. The fact these clowns still try and convince everyone that they are “scientific” is insulting, and intellectually dishonest.

Compelling reasons for abandoning Christianity

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I never believed in God, nor was I really taught any of the nonsense of the Bible, or any other religious text for that matter. I am ill equipped, therefore, to fully comprehend how difficult it must be to abandon beliefs that were once deeply cherished. Here’s a great article detailing 20 very good reasons to abandon Christianity if you haven’t already done so. Here are a few highlights:

It is absolutely irrational to continue to believe archaic teaching with the amount of knowledge we’ve gained through science and technology. The Bible reads like a book of primitive folklore, not divinely inspired insight into our true reason for existence.

My main reason for not believing in Christianity is a lot simpler; why would God create such a gigantic universe, then populate an insignificant blue planet on the edges of an unremarkable galaxy only to perpetually torment them with floods, destructive ‘swords of the Lord’ and constant plagues? Are we some kind of stinkin’ ant farm or something? Not an impressive explanation as to the origins of the universe, guys.

Coming out of the closet not easy for Black atheists

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I’ve read enough articles, editorials and op-ed pieces to realize, at least superficially, that being both and atheist and black is not an easy thing. African Americans have a long history of relying on the church for support. Abandoning religion often means abandoning the culture. As the secular movement gains momentum, however, more and more in the community are speaking out about this, especially in the light of so many black voters voting Proposition 8 in California.

Sikivu Hutchinson is an eloquent and passionate woman who cares about the truth. She’s written an article about how African American women who wish to abandon their beliefs are often stigmatized by others in the community. Women are seen as the protectors and purveyors of black culture, and religion is seen as an inextricable part of it.

Images of black women faithfully shuttling their children to church and socializing them into Christianity are a prominent part of mainstream black culture. If being black and being Christian are synonymous, then being black, female and religious (whatever the denomination) is practically compulsory. Black women with children who don’t fall in line, who raise their children as atheists, may find their race credentials revoked.

I have to wonder how many black men and women secretly reject religion for the sake of political convenience. It’s just another example of why ‘coming out’ as an atheist is still incredibly difficult for some, and even impossible for others. If you think it’s easy being an atheist, you obviously have never been part of a highly religious community.

No really, Islam is a religion of peace…

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The Kunduz province in northern Afghanistan is in turmoil. Although there is a German military base there, 600 soldiers have to patrol and defend an area the size of Massachusetts. The Taliban has been gaining ground rapidly, threatening to kill school girls if they try to attend class. School administrators are powerless to do anything about it, and scared parents are capitulating to the treats.

If you recall, the Taliban takes a very literal approach to the Qur’an, which discourages the education of women. The region right now is a mess, and if this trend continues, it is only a matter of time before these guys take over again.

Afghanistan is a complete mess of a country. The place has never (and I mean never) had a stable government for more than 60 years since the 11th century. Because each province is almost a miniature country in itself, small yet organized religious/paramilitary forces can impose their will on the population with little resistance.

All of this violence and conflict is entirely based on religion. Softies like Karen Armstrong might try to tell you that at their core, all religions preach peace, compassion and tolerance, but the true purpose of religion is control; Islam means submission, not compassion. In this case, the ability to control the population of Kunduz with fear, intimidation, and murder. Wow, what a religion of peace, eh?

More efforts by Catholics to keep abuses secret

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It’s not only Ireland that is battling the Catholic church and their long list of abuses against children. In Bridgeport, Connecticut, the Diocese is attempting to keep thousands of pages of court files, numerous lawsuits dating back to 2001, from being released to the public. They attempt to show they have actively been fighting to prevent further abuses, but their obvious need to protect the identities of known offenders only goes to show how protective of their members this organization is.

The whole affair feels surreal. Even the group representing some of the abused sent a letter I can only describe as insanely polite given the fact they are abusing kids:

So we ask that you put the safety of children, the healing of victims and the overall benefit of the church itself (particularly the trusting, generous parishioners) above the short term discomfort of church officials who fear having to face tough questions — in the news media, from parishioners or in open court — about how much they knew and how little they did about these horrific crimes

Discomfort? I know I keep asking this question of “why is no one in jail?”, and maybe some of you are annoyed by it, but nobody seems to be able to give me a straight answer. Imagine that instead of a Church committing these abuses, it was a day care center. Would people be sending carefully worded letters asking them politely to stop their attempts to cover up what happened? No, no, and no.

It looks like the Church won’t be able to keep a lid on it anyway, but I find it personally insulting and telling that the Catholic Church is opposed to justice. They simply have never felt child abuse is a big deal. Are we now supposed to believe that without them, society would simply fall apart? Yeah, not so much.

Joss Whedon talks about Atheism

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Cool speech. I like how he calls for people to educate themselves. Although he admits it will not necessarily lead to secularism, it will at least make everyone think for themselves. Now if only he can clean up the mess that is his latest show, Dollhouse, then I’ll be a fan again. Man, that show sucks…

Nun gets away with murder

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Let’s play a little game I like to call ‘would an atheist have the same treatment’. In this scenario, you’re driving down the road in your van and accidentally burn through a red light, smashing a small sedan. A young man, barely 16 years old is killed in the crash. In your day in court, however, no one is even allowed to mention the death of the kid, and during the trial you are allowed to wear prejudicial clothing that influences the jury (like a police uniform). Would you be allowed to get away with this if you were and atheist?

Well, this exact same scenario occurred with a nun in Geneva who ran a red light and killed a kid. The judge allowed her to wear her nun’s uniform, and the prosecution was not allowed to talk about the death of Keith Forbes for feat that it would negatively influence the jury. She wasn’t even charged in his death in the first place.

In the picture above you can see her smiling with 20 of her colleagues after her not-guilty verdict. They are undoubtedly happy the world still gives Christians special treatment. The prosecution had eye witness testimony from other drivers that the nun ran the red light, but because the defense had another nun testifying under oath (of God, her boss!), the jury was able to be swayed into believing an obvious lie.

So long as we give preferential treatments to individuals wearing black robes, we will continue to see these kinds of injustices. I mean, why are there still no priests in jail over in Ireland. You have 2,900 pages of reports of abuse! Arrest somebody, you spineless fucking cowards!

(this news article is now impossible to find online)

Scientology is in the news again

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Scientology is in the news again, and that’s not usually a good sign. As we speak, the French, who have not recognized Scientology as a religion, are threatening to dissolve the organization due to its campaign of fraud.

The case in question revolves around a woman who was recruited by the church back in 1998. In the span of a few months, her bank account had been tapped by purchasing books, vitamins, and auditing sessions costing well over €20,000. Others have also joined in the lawsuit, citing similar experiences.

Depending on the judgment of the court, Scientology could lose the right to recruit new members, and its bookstore could be shut down. This has led to protest on the part of the Church. Their lawyer, Patrick Maisonneuve, had this to say:

The discovery of a pedophile priest does not allow us to question the entire Catholic Church

Actually Patrick, you make a good point. Fraud is a serious crime, but pedophilia is far worst, and Ireland hasn’t made Christianity illegal. It’s clearly a form of favoritism, but I’m going to let you in on a little secret, Patrick: life isn’t fair, and the Catholic church should be dissolved, but won’t be. In the meantime, we ask that you take your bullshit pyramid scheme somewhere else; presumably, on one of Xenu’s distant planets.

Below is a separate news report from MSNBC. It’s a pretty innocuous piece, and I’m not impressed they never mention the huge volume of ex-members whose lives and bank accounts have been ruined by the church’. Scientology is nothing more than a money making scheme designed to look like a religion. Their spokesperson / automaton, Tom Cruise, is a self deluded, undereducated cretin who thinks mental illness can be cured with vitamins. Truly, the man, and his organization, is a fucking menace.