Final

1. Be sure to place your entire FINAL on your website and when you
are finished send a link of your test to your teacher directly at neuralsurfer@yahoo.com (don't send it to any other email address, except that)

2. Done

3. Done

3a. Each answer should be at least three paragraphs long, if
possible.

4. Aaron Andrew Alvarez

5. aalvarez53

6. aaronandrewalvarez@gmail.com

7. Critical Thinking http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/

8. Yes

9. Yes

10. C- http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/midterm.html

11. http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/expert-lecture-week-1.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/assigned-readings-week-1.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/critical-thinking-films-week-1.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-1-expert-lecture-john-m-smith.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-2-expert-lecture-ken-miller.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-3-assigned-readings-physics-behind.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-4-assigned-readings-should-skeptical.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-5-critical-thinking-film-eleven.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-1-expert-lecture-freeman-dyson.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-2-assigned-readings-why-i-am-not.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-3-assigned-readings-exposing-cults.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-4-assigned-readings-running-trains.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-5-critical-thinking-films-nicholas-of.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/4-1-expert-lecture-professor-mark.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/4-2-assigned-readings-edgar-cayce.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/4-3-assigned-readings-fubbigakko.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/4-4-critical-thinking-film-sai-baba.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/4-5-critical-thinking-film-thakar-singh.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/5-1-expert-lecture-john-polkinghorne.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/5-2-assigned-readingstruth-lies.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/5-3-required-book-gospel-of-unbelief.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/5-4-critical-thinking-films-philosophy.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/5-5-critical-thinking-films-philosophy.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/6-1-assigned-readings-intelligent.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/6-2-assigned-readings-logical-fallacies.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/6-3-expert-lecture-james-watson.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/6-4-critical-thinking-films.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/02/6-5-critical-thinking-films-flame-on.html

12. Juergensmeyer believes that religious zealots are prone to terrorist attacks for the simple reason of politics. They are motivated by the ability to change the social landscape through a means of violence and fear. He sees that terrorism has surpassed just being about the faith and the doctrine but that it has evolved into a strategic means of controlling a mass amount of people.

In part this has been a tactic through most of history. Fear has always been a motivator in change and direction when it comes to large populations to even the smallest. Playing on faith and religion is the easiest way to achieve these ends. Jurgensmeyer believes that the only way to combat such terror is to slowly shed ourselves of faith altogether. When a religion or belief has no meaning it can no longer have any effect negatively and positively.

13. There is zero evidence to support that Edgar Cayce had any psychic abilities. The evidence that is given only supports the fact that the man was an outright fraud. The man may have made people feel good and warm inside but in truth he did nothing but destroy what integrity they had. The psychic profession in general is fraudulent and has never been credible due to one thing; true psychics do not exist outside of fiction. It’s impossible for the human brain to commit acts of the supernatural or anything out of the ordinary. His main bit was communing with the dead which by itself shows how ridiculous the whole affair is. It is impossible to talk to the dead because of the lack of their being an afterlife. Once a being dies, they die. That is it.

14. David Lane is critical of cults because he is a prominent Cult Buster that seeks out these con artists and makes them look like the fools they are. He knows how horrible cults can be towards misguided humans and will go to any lengths to expose the frauds that cults are. He’s been doing this since his college days and has a reputation for it. He despises cults and does a great job ridding the world of them.

15. The films Sai Baba confirm one thing about that man, he’s a really horrible street magician. He does the classic sleight of hand trick to show his divinity when all he’s doing is showing the cameras how stupid he is. Magic can do some strange things, just ask the followers of Jesus.

16. Thakar Singh would blindfold children because he said it was shielding their eyes from the harshness of the world, the sin and cruelty. In reality he was using this as a method to make the children more obedient so he could have his way with them. He was a child molesting scumbag.

The reason that religious folk have poor or no critical thinking skills falls on the fact that the very thing they worship and live their lives by is the antithesis of critical thinking. They hold so strong to the illogical that they refuse to think further than what their sacred written words tell them. If you can believe a deity or force controls everything, it’s easy to believe almost anything absurd.

17. John Polkinghorne believes in god and science because he is heavily indoctrinated. I understand that he thinks that belief gives him some sort of purpose but when you look at it this brilliant man of science is being held back by childhood indoctrination. He won’t let go because it’s familiar and it’s what he grew up with, always having the fear of a creator on his back. He pegs everything wonderful not on the wonder but on an outside force and it’s just sad. The man is smart, yet so very idiotic.

18. Nietzsche critiques religion by pointing out how much it has deterred progress socially and physically. He makes it clear that man cannot evolve into his next role until he lets go of religion and faith and finally takes his true place and his own master. Religion has made us week and susceptible to fear.

His main arguments against a belief in god stem from humanity itself. He sees harm and trouble that religions has plagued upon the world and is disgusted. He finds it very arrogant of any faith to claim an ultimate truth and say that which is right and wrong when in reality good and evil is an objective concept.

19. James Watson believes that genetics holds the secret for understanding human behavior because human beings are made of DNA and by that you could only conclude that it has everything to do with behavior. Our genetic code is that which makes us who were are and do what we do. If you unlock the secrets to human genetics you can understand every single thing about humanity as a whole, from disease to thought. The funny thing is that people often resist the notion of humans being composed of DNA because it takes away from their feeling of being special. When you are made of random bits of genetic material having a purpose is kind of a silly notion.

20. Intelligent design is regarded as junk science because it uses faith as its base. Every conclusion drawn from ID comes from the point of a creator who made every single thing in the universe. The other reasons stem from the fact that ID is really a ploy by fundamentalists to destroy evolution and reinstate creationism into schools. The other huge problem is that ID seems to focus more on debasing evolution that teaching its own pseudo-science. The very institution is built on lies and trickery.

21. The underlying theme of the Zahir is obsession and what it can do to you. The man who has the coin ends up going down a path of madness and insanity. The Zahir becomes a point of letting a single thing take over your entire life. This can be compared with anything and almost everything. In many ways religion and faith are much like the Zahir.

22. Little things that jiggle can reveal how the world around us works because all matter is essentially made of little things that jiggle. As for as positive matter goes, everything, even when most calm to the naked eye, still jiggles and has movement. It’s simply amazing that the universe is teaming with some form of life even if it is in fact non-living.

23. Fundamentalism is a mental disease because it is illogical and goes against what our brains are built for. It is the antithesis of thinking and can turn any sane person into a raving lunatic. To be a fundamentalist is to cast all logic aside and throw your hands into the air. Anything that can alter the mind and destroy your ability to think clearly is obviously some form of mental disease.

24. Argumentum ad...
- Baculum: by force.
- Consequentiam: by consensus.
- Hominem: personal attack.
- Ignorantiam: by ignorance.
- Invidiam: by emotional appeal.
- Logicam: by fallacy.
- Nazium: by Nazi.
- Populum: by popularity.

25. Who benefits from all of this? For ten years now the war on terror has raged between the US and the Middle East. The topic of the War on Terror has become so common place that in recent years it’s become the go to story when the news networks have nothing to report on. Our entertainment is oversaturated with the conflict that most seem to not even notice. Music, film, literature, and television remind us day in and day out that we are in a conflict that slowly twists and turns into a mess that even the most brilliant of men can’t quite make out.

What brought us to such a state that has left us in a cultural wasteland, devoid of anything laced without fear? Throughout all of this mess one question pops up again and again, is this a just war? Is this conflict that has taken the lives of many Americans and Middle Easterners done in the name of liberty? I have long Thought on this subject and many times have always said that the blame lies solely on the Americans who invaded a land that had little if nothing to do with the 9/11 attacks. I now know that this choice is not an easy one, it’s not as simple as picking a team and rooting for them.

Who is to blame? The answer is both. Both sides are responsible for a war of clashing ideologies. When it comes down to it the war is what a war always is, humans fighting humans for other humans. Who benefits…

26. The beyond belief series is a symposium of some of sciences greatest minds still alive today. These men and women come together in order to speak on the subject of science and religion in a modern world. In it there are those who are defenders of the faith and those who side with the tenants of logic. The point of this conference is for these brilliant minds to discuss whether our society needs to have religion in a time when science is now answering all the questions that religion for many years has claimed to have all the answers for. It is not a debate or a battle of wits but communion of thoughts and ideas coming together in order to be discussed. Beyond Belief in truth is a concept that has long been lost to our current day practice of argument for arguments sake. It is in the simplest terms a healthy discussion to provoke thought and maybe debate from others.

To single out one person from this event as the greatest mind is feat that churns the stomach. This choosing is not a harsh one or even a gross one but it is a very difficult one. Asking who could be considered the top mind out of many top minds is something many would gladly shy away from. Yet choices in the end must be made and to the victor goes the spoils or so it is said. The mind that stands above most and could be called the most persuasive in terms of discussion would be Neil de Grasse Tyson. Although Richard Dawkins is well spoken and level headed than most he seems far more suited for debate rather than general discussion. Dawkins is a man of logic and his ideas work far better in an environment of purely is vs. them. This is in no way a knock towards the man since he is be far one of earth’s most brilliant minds living today.

It’s just here Tyson makes a more compelling discussion and hits every single base with accurate precision. It’s no wonder the man is a reoccurring guest on the Daily Show and Colbert Report, he just oozes out charisma, something most in his field tend to lack. Charm and charisma aside the man also has the wit and intelligence that could make any other astrophysicist in his field weep like a small school girl. It is because of that charm mixed with his insane level of wit that we get a man who can discuss with the best and stand out while captivating anyone who is watching the conference. What really stands out about the man compared to his peers is that he is beyond professional and courteous. There is not a single drop of ire in Tysons veins and it’s obvious. When faced with a junction of disagreement he doesn’t scoff, laugh or roll his eyes. Instead he faces whatever comes at him with a warm counterpoint. He is for lacks of a better phrase a scientists, scientist.

Yet there is another side to the spectrum, for every winner there must be a loser. This is not about winning or losing though this is simply about ideas and how well that they can be shared and how clearly they can. The person who has the least succession with persuasion and discussion would have to be a man who is if anything the strongest in his field. He is a man who has an unrelenting ability to connect many various moments in history and show just how damaged we are because of religion. That man is Sam Harris and he is a fantastic speaker. Why does he fail when he is so passionate and so convicted to what he speaks on? It’s simple, he is so emotionally invested that he loses sight of the discussions purpose. He shares his ideas but refuses others. In doing this he closes himself off and becomes a one track shooter. Though he knows what he’s speaking on it does nothing to persuade others due to one very clear thing. His passion gets in the way of anyone who opposes his view to even listen. He is as the old saying goes preaching to the choir in a place filled with singers and sinners, figuratively speaking of course.

In the end this conference was not about who was more persuasive. In fact it was far from that. It was simply a chance for brilliant men and women to talk and for once be heard together in the same room.

27. Darwins DNA explains the evolution of consciousness by showing how we as human beings have progressed in a social way. When you connect those dots throughout all of history it is easier to see exactly how we came to the place where we are in. How this applies to the mind stems from humans basing all actions off of what happens with in the mind.

28. Nietzsche's transvaluation of values is the concept that Christianity is actually the inversion of nature and goes against what it means to be human. He asserts that Christianity is a religion that promotes the weak and lowly as opposed to the strong and prosperous. With transvaluation it is a way of casting aside that which you think makes you morally sound.

With this you can easily cast aside what you once thought made you strong but in reality made you weak, that which destroyed you from within.

29. My favorite thing I learned this semester would probably be the Neural Surfer presents videos. They were amazing and honestly so well made that I have shared them with others. The golden age animation composed with vaudeville songs and the kitschy atmosphere of the atom age just catches my eye like nothing else. Using this really made me pay attention since I’m in love with the styles being used, retro futurism in particular. So if I’d say one video it would be Little Things that Jiggle. These were cut together amazingly.

(6-5) CRITICAL THINKING FILMS: Flame On

This film was fantastic and to be honest my second favorite in the class. It took the serious subject of homophobia and blended it effectively with satire and a kitschy tone. It’s funny seeing how homophobic and sexually uncomfortable most people were back in the day when you look at the imagery of these strongmen flexing and showing off themselves. It screams out irony and just plain ol’ ignorance. The video does this all in a way that is magnificent and cheeky.

The subject of homophobia itself is something that is very important in today’s world. Back in the old days it was viewed as being wicked and sinful. It’s interesting to note that homophobia itself has existed since the dawn of recorded history. Some of our most brilliant minds were homosexuals and yet they did not suffer the harm of the wicked ways these idiots promote. Homosexuality is not a sin or an abomination. It is simply humans loving another person of the same sex.

(6-4) CRITICAL THINKING FILMS: Fundamentalism is a Mental Disease

Fundamentalism is a Mental Disease is yet another great short film clip with a retro flare examining the ridiculousness of Creationism or as often referred to as Intelligent Design. The video is straight and to the point and drives in its message like a sledgehammer into granite. Utilizing clips from various eras and mediums it really has a way of getting its message across.

The argument presented is the same as before with most of the videos and articles I have read. Intelligent Design is a whole lot of rubbish and always will be. Everything that is claimed to be scientific in anyway is always nothing more than a fallacy and an outright lie. These people who use it as a means to cripple evolution are nothing more than liars and thieves. They poison the minds of man all in the name of preserving the believe in an invisible sky man.

(6-3) EXPERT LECTURE: James Watson

James Watson is one of the two men responsible for discovering the genetic structure of DNA. The man has had an amazing career that garnered him praise and even a Nobel Prize. His discovery revolutionized the world of science and forever changed how the world is viewed. Without such a discovery thousands of humans would be dead or struggling with disease. Breakthroughs in the field of genetics would have never been found and we would be many years behind scientifically. James Watson, the partner to Francis Crick, brilliant and an icon of the science world…of yesterday.

In the lecture I gazed upon an old man who has lost touch with reality and almost all sense. The man stumbles on words, changes subjects or sometimes forgets them entirely. He is not what he once was and it is sad to see. Through most of the video he tackles the problems with Autism while trying not to sound sexist. This actually harms him in the process since he tries to fall back on jokes to make it look less so. While doing this he randomly brings up Rosalind Franklin and says unprofessional remarks towards her in a way to debase her credibility. For those who don’t know Mrs. Franklin was the a scientist who accused Watson and Crick of stealing her data and discovery of the DNA structure. While this is still up for debate, I find it odd that he keeps lambasting her. In the end the lecture served its purpose and showed us what a once brilliant mind is up to these days.

(6-2) ASSIGNED READINGS: Logical Fallacies

Fallacy Files is a web site that collects and archives numerous fallacies. The fallacies range from the logical to the most obscure of ad hominem. Everything is listed alphabetically as well as categorically for ease of the user. On top of the easily structures system there are dozens of separate links and articles that deal with the problem of common and uncommon fallacies. The database is kept up to date and made as accurate as possible.

The site is not without its faults. The design for the page is atrocious. From the fonts to the outdated use of tables the site just screams “update me!” Another huge problem is navigation and its web 1.0 set up. Everything looks as if it were created in dream weaver or worse, coded in notepad. As a graphic design student these things stick out to me and as a normal human being I can tell you one thing, people hate looking at ugly web sites.

(6-1) ASSIGNED READINGS: Intelligent Design

The article on Skeptics Dictionary covering the subject of intelligent design (ID) is as thorough as you can get. It covers all areas concerned with the ID controversy, post creationist rebranding. While the article in question tries it’s best to remain as neutral as possible, it is still very clear that the ID side of the argument is definitely on the wrong side of the fence. The reading utilizes various quotes from both sides of the aisle but all this does is prove that those in favor of ID are trying their hardest to mask that ID is actually creationism. The point of this article is not meant to persuade either side to take up a position but merely to enlighten the reader on the current conflict that is Intelligent Design.

After reading the entirety of the article is was clear that ID is nothing more than an ironic twist on wolf in sheep’s clothing. The side of the pulpit are on a mission to invade the world of science and at any cost make the doctrine of a creator viewed as the be all end all. What gets me is that these very people try and disguise this as a fuax science, declaring it as an alternative to evolution. They use clever buzz words and manipulation tactics that easily confuse the average person. ID is not a science or an offshoot of it. It is merely the work of con men, it’s a modern day snake oil bottled in a new packaging.

(5-5) CRITICAL THINKING FILMS: Survival of the Sufficient

I hear loads of people go on about survival of the fittest and how it’s all that matter in the long run of things. Although I admire the hell out of Charles Darwin his whole stance on survival has become outdated. This is a good thing though since the point of science is to not remain at a constant. You have to continue the search for knowledge or you will become a religious doctrine. Most in the science world have forgot this. Scientists have instead become bitter and arrogant where they only care of their data or the data of the big names. Alterations and addendums are not wanted and it’s sad.

The point that this video is trying to make is that we have surpassed the need to only survive on strength and cunning alone. We have become a species that relies mostly on the power of the mind. We have mastered our domain and in doing so have cast aside the need to be stronger than other animals in a way that our hunter gatherer ancestors were. The times they are a changing and it’s up to us to make this realization come full circle.

(5-4) CRITICAL THINKING FILMS: Little Things that Jiggle

I liked this little video a lot. Yeah it was simple and basically did the job of a grade school science teacher but the way it was presented was pretty fantastic. The whole kitschy 1950’s school projector film tone mixed in with the UPA styled animation was just the things that could catch any sensible person’s eye. Then again I have an obsession with post war culture and all the fantastic creative minds that were born during the atomic age. From retro-futurism to the novelty toys like x-ray specs, I adore it all. This video had such moxy!

Back to video at hand and its substance. The film is basically in introduction into the four forces that make up our universe and how they influence almost everything. It’s done in such a way that makes it interesting and unique. The small hints it gives of space travel in conjunction with bits of B sci-fi are really spectacular. I can finally say I enjoyed a short film in this class. Shazam!

(5-3) CRITICAL THINKING FILMS: The Myth of Eternal Recurrence

This whole theory or belief is rubbish, it’s mental, and it’s the ravings of a madman. After watching the video I did some research to learn more about the lunacy I had just viewed. Having a full grasp of the concept I’m reminded of the horrible Kevin Spacey film K-Pax and the amazing Sci-Fi Channel show Battlestar Galactica which constantly had the saying “everything that has happened before will happen again.” Even then it was done in a way that wasn’t as ridiculous. This states that everything happens over and over in the exact and identical way. Madness, straight up rubbish is what it is.

If this were true it would make everything pointless to an extent it would render even the pointlessness that is Nihilism pointless since it in a way gives it a non-purpose. I don’t have much left to say on something this laughable. This is almost as bad as every single religion combined and even those are pretty stupid on their own.

(5-2) ASSIGNED READINGS: Truth Lies

Every time I read Nietzsche I get into this Nihilistic mood. In this collection of writings the madman of mustache grooming touches on the subjects of self, religion, right, wrong and the usual shtick he’s known for. I don’t dislike Nietzsche I just dislike the mindset he’s placed on people. To the normal person who takes anything at face value they just see the man preaching the tenants of “the dude”. Big Lewbowski references aside, Nietzsche was doing far more than that and if anything this reading confirms that.

It would seem that Nietzsche’s main problem is not religion, or society as a whole or any of that conformist anti-conformist rhetoric we hear college students spout off about. What he’s getting at is that humans live too much in both the past and future. While knowing the past is swell and hoping for a better future is ace, it’s not worth a damn in the long run. It’s what we do now that matters and has any actual impact. What we do today will be looked back on while still affecting the future. We refuse to cast religion and ideologies aside so that we can have some sort of nostalgic connection to past and future. We delude ourselves and our humanity.

(5-1) EXPERT LECTURE: John Polkinghorne

John Polkinghorne is a former theoretical physicist and a long-time Anglican Priest. While the man is quite learned in his field he loses credibility by his unyielding stance on the world’s most famous storybook magician, Jesus. Throughout the lecture he points out fascinating things about our universe and then adds in “but you know God must have had a hand in that.” His constant disregard for actual science is off putting and a bit arrogant.

The second half of his lecture delves into religion as a whole and how it’s connected with the world. His view is that in some way his Christian God must have had a hand in everything because that’s his faith and that’s what he believes. That’s all and good, if you’re an ignorant old person. The man is supposed to be a scientist; he’s supposed to be logical. Instead what we get is some man who went far in his field and then refused to let go of the belief in a dying religion. It’s pathetic.

(4-5) CRITICAL THINKING FILM: Thakar Singh and the downfalls of gurudom

These 6 or so videos did nothing but piss me off. Thakar Singh is a piece of pedophile garbage that deserves to have his teeth kicked in. One of the worse things about cults is always the similar cases of the leader having intercourse with anything they can get their hands on. It sickens me so much that people have the ability to fall for the lies and deceit these mad men preach. Is having some sort of purpose really that necessary? Why do humans always feel the need to be more than just what they are? Why must they always feel this need to be part of something greater? Why not live just to live?

This man, this walking abortion is vile and he sickens me so damn much. Every single cult leader on the planet always has some sort of ulterior motive. I just, I just wish death on this man. If there is one thing I hate more than anything on this planet it is those who sexually abuse children and women. It just…it angers me.

(4-4) CRITICAL THINKING FILM: Sai Baba

I’m not sure how to expand on this since its cut and dry. What we have here is a man using sleight of hand to trick his followers into thinking he has some sort of divinity. He pockets some sort of trinket in one hand and then does some hand movements then leading to him displaying it in the other. It’s classic street magician stuff to be honest.

I guess what I’m to be getting from this is that it’s easy to trick people into believing anything if you can do some fancy tricks. In a way it’s similar to the miracles of Jesus in how mundane they are. Most magicians have been able to replicate his miracles with ease so if anything this is something worth noting. Magic makes people act stupid.

(4-3) ASSIGNED READINGS: Fubbi/Gakko

My hatred of cults is far greater than my dislike of religion simply because a cult has the ability to become a religion if not stopped soon enough. Cults are very fascinating for this reason; they can end up becoming the catalyst that will change many events to come. It’s very rare that this will happen but Scientology seems to have already gained some sort of footing, it would be interesting to see what will become of it in 200 years, if it’s even still here.

This article speaks on one cult in particular, Paul Twitchell’s Eckankar religious movement. The whole store concerning you and your various happening with them was quite interesting. It outright proves the lengths many of these whack jobs will go in order to preserve some semblance of power.

(4-2) ASSIGNED READINGS: Edgar Cayce

Opium makes people feel wonderful and forget about all the troubles they have. Cocaine makes you feel like a million bucks and like you’re on top of the world. Yeah drugs are horrible and can lead to really bad problem, but shouldn’t we focus on how good it’s made people feel? To not do so would be quite a disservice and really step on those who have benefitted emotionally from these drugs. This is basically the article but instead of drugs it’s using mysticism and the paranormal. It constantly defends Cayce by touting Cayce because he made people feel good. I’m sure China Town Massage parlors do the same but we still look down on them.

The main point of this article seems to be that comfort and complacency far outweigh the absurdity of conning people and giving them a false sense of hope. I understand that what this man did may have made people feel just swell like they never had before but the point still stands he did it at the cost of their dignity. Living is blissful ignorance may be okay with some but in truth it’s an affront to the human mind. We are creatures built to learn and think. This man spit in the face of people and took them for a ride. Sure they felt good but it was false, it was a sham and a dirty lie. To be ignorant is to already ready yourself for the grave.

(4-1) EXPERT LECTURE: Professor Mark Juergensmeyer

Mark Juergensmeyer in his lecture makes some obvious observations of religious terrorism. If there is one common link in religion and faith, it’s that humans will fight at any cost to preserve their belief. Like it or not religious terrorism has existed since the first man killed another over which belief was true. In this post 9/11 world we live in the definition for religious terrorism seems to be only applied to those of Middle Eastern decent. The truth is that religious terrorism exists as soon as a person believes that they are murdering another human in the name of a deity. I can’t help but think of all the soldiers who say they are doing the work of the Christian God. What’s funny is that the other side is praying and worshipping to another fictional entity in hopes of winning. No matter how you look at it some sort of terror is being implemented via faith.

While I agree with Juergensmeyer on his observation it’s his other viewpoints that baffle the mind. Even after admitting to the harmful effects and the cost of religion he tries to rectify the path of the faithful. He makes claims that religion has helped people and if utilized properly could help many more people. This is such a cop out and frankly reeks of playing nice. The whole argument of what if should not matter because it can be applied to almost anything and everything. If everyone watched 12 Angry Men they might become Spencer Tracy fans, it akin to that. Instead of making excuses for a religion it should be judged accordingly and fairly. Although some good has come from it, the simple fact is that religion has caused humanity more suffering than any other invention of man. The justification of the justifier of mutilation is foolhardy at best.

MIdterm

1. Be sure to place your entire midterm on your website and when you
are finished send a link of your test to your teacher directly at neuralsurfer@yahoo.com

2. Make sure that it is YOUR OWN work and that if you use other
authors please be sure to quote and/or cite the material appropriately. Plagiarism will not be
tolerated and you will receive an "F" automatically for the examination.

3. January 28^th 2011

4. Aaron Andrew Alvarez

5. aalvarez53

6. aaronandrewalvarez@gmail.com

7. Critical Thinking: http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/

8. Yes

9. Yes

10.
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/expert-lecture-week-1.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/assigned-readings-week-1.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/critical-thinking-films-week-1.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-1-expert-lecture-john-m-smith.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-2-expert-lecture-ken-miller.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-3-assigned-readings-physics-behind.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-4-assigned-readings-should-skeptical.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/2-5-critical-thinking-film-eleven.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-1-expert-lecture-freeman-dyson.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-2-assigned-readings-why-i-am-not.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-3-assigned-readings-exposing-cults.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-4-assigned-readings-running-trains.html
http://alvzcritical.blogspot.com/2011/01/3-5-critical-thinking-films-nicholas-of.html

11. Dawkins views religion as a mind virus because it compromises the brain by letting it believe in the illogical and false to a damaging extent. I agree with this completely due to seeing how indoctrinated and irrational the faithful can be.

12. Most would say that Cargo cults only pertain to the savage minded humans of lands that only know the most basic of human contact. After World War II many cropped up in the South Pacific going as far as worshipping US servicemen as sky gods. While this is an example of an actual cargo cult, I would go as far as saying EVERY religion and faith is in some way a cargo cult. They take logic and reason and instead turn it into something primitive and sad.

13. Feynman believes that we should view the world and objects not for their basic face beauty but for their intrinsic all-encompassing beauty. He says that the only way for proper science to be achieved is to look at something with all of its parts in mind as opposed to only what lies on the surface.

14. It’s like Unbreakable but with a very low budget and no plot. The film has nothing to do with Karma and instead deals with cause and effect if at all.

15. Darwinian evolution basically states that an organism over time will adapt to survive its environment through small genetic changes that take place over a long period of time. John Maynard introduced the possibility that mental disorders and various health problems might actually be apart of evolution as a whole. These defects are actually helping to thin out the herd in a way evoking thoughts of the fittest shall survive.

16. Dyson believes that the Universe may have been created by someone or something. He infers that something’s are far too perfect to have been mere coincidence. He also believes that we have a greater purpose in this universe. Such thoughts are foolish and arrogant for a species that has only been around for such a short time. We mean nothing in the grand scheme of things.

17. Chand discovered that it is impossible to know the truth. He believes that the founders of any faith knew as much as any person ever will.

18. Eleven is like American Beauty if M. Night directed it while in high school. It’s a shoddy film that plays on many tropes and was only working off of a post 9/11 world. The message is that bad things happen to good people and that information comes at a price.

19. Simply put without knowing the main message behind anything the whole purpose of the subject is useless. More importantly context is also needed. Without context a numerous amount of mistakes can come about.

20.
-The First Cause, Natural Law Argument, Argument of Design, Morality of a Deity, Remedy of Injustice, Character of Christ, Defects in Christ’s Teachings, The Moral Problem, Emotional Factor, Churches Retarding Progress, and fear. These are the things that Russell states render any belief in a high power pointless. I agree fully with every single point for one simple reason. When thought on all statements are actual givens. These are basic rational statements that any person of logic could agree with.

21. Dear, Johnny Doe.

You will think me a madman for writing you this letter. You will think I’ve been driven insane by a wild pack of beasts. Good god man, that’s not what’s happening at all! I’m writing to you about Critical Thinking and what some other deranged man named James Lett feels about the strange subject. You need to understand Johnny boy this whole Critical thinking mumbo jumbo has a trick to it. There are steps and guidelines and even a degree of trickery. Why should I tell you this, why should I let you in on something so basic and simple? Because man, this is for ranking that my writings depend on. Now listen. The first step is the principle of Falsifiability. For something to be true you have to be able to prove it false, don’t ask why just go along with this. Next you have to make sure what your viewing, testing or what have you is logical and backed by reason and not savagery. You then have to consider how comprehensive the supporting information is. If there are a few results and outcomes you might as well chuck it away. The most important of these things would have to be honesty. After you come to some conclusion or decision you had better hope that you arrived at it from a non-biased viewpoint. If any sort of bias exists the results are probably worth dung in the hand. After all this you’re going to have to see if every single outcome can be replicated. If it can you have yourself a result. Now that you’ve done that it’s up to you to determine if everything found out has any actual merit. So there you go Johnny boy. I hope you enjoyed this as much as I.

22. He believes that skepticism should be applied to religion because nothing is beyond being questioned. To exclude anything based on being sacred or an emotion impact would be doing a great disservice to science and logic. I agree fully. What better way to prove how asinine religion is than debasing it with scientific fact.

23. Pretext, Context and Text are important to analyzing any book simply because to understand what you have read has a need for these things. You need a general grasp of what you are about to read so as to understand what is being read. You need context to understand why what is being read is being spoken of and you need text to sum up the whole. For example, if you read a book about biology published in the 50’s you would need to know not only that it is a book on biology but that it was published in the 50’s. Once you figured this out you will now view the information differently.

24. I transformative UFO encounter is a religious experience that will change your perception of reality. This can come about from seeing or experiencing something you cannot explain. When viewed from an actual scientific perspective most of these experiences are complete bull and can easily be explained away.

25. When using online sources it is important to know where they came from, where they were published and when. Most people tend to trust anything placed online but usually this leads to huge mistakes of accountability. Any person can publish something online, so it’s important to do proper research.

26. Weinberg views religion as unneeded and a root for most of our world’s problems. I agree completely with the man. Religion has caused more wars, famine, abuse, death and stupidity than anything in the world. Nothing good has ever come from it. When I see charity and good deeds being done it its name I think only one thing. These people only do these as a means of not burning in hell. Even good deeds are covered by lies.

27. Sam Harris is an atheist because he views Atheism as a destructive force that causes problems the world over. He thinks that for humanity to prosper we must end religion and all belief of a higher power. I have no problem with any of what he has said.

28. Richard Dawkins. I choose Dawkins simply because the man is brilliant in how he goes about speaking on religion. He is not only thorough but also reasonable and above all else rational. He approaches everything in a systematic way that is very hard to argue against. Everything he says is filled with a fact or a new bit of information that can open the eyes of the indoctrinated.

29. Ken Miller is indeed correct. To suggest that anything in science can be carried by a creator is irresponsible and delusional. Science and Faith are two very different things. One is the continuing search for how the universe and all things in it work. The other comes from idiotic humans who’d rather look for a simple way to answer the great question.

30. Steven Weinberg. Though I completely support the man he has a way of making the subject very boring. In writing he’s very exciting and thought provoking but in a conference setting it’s just horrible. The man lacks charisma and charm.

(3-5) CRITICAL THINKING FILMS: Nicholas of Cusa

I honestly don’t know what to say. Seriously I have nothing cheeky or funny to say. Normally I’d poke fun and mock how absurd this was but what am I supposed to say? “oi, look it’s small kit/ship and it’s accompanied my horrible music!” That’s too easy and an insult to laughter. I guess I’ll just break it down…I guess. So we have our title cards, alright very mundane. Oh look music, maybe we have something. Oh looks a ship…or is that a kite? How long are they going to show this? Good gravy I get it! Oh words, I like words. Oh, alright it’s this kind of video. Hey look, more words, another nugget of wisdom. Wait, what? Is that it, is it over? Okay. I uh, guess I should start writing on this. Oh! I already am. Well that was amusing. Oh look I managed to be cheeky afterall.

(3-4) CRITICAL THINKING FILMS: The Secret of Faquir

Here we have a clip of the Faquir as a geezer accompanied by a long string of statements the man made. In these statements he makes clear that though he is a man of his religion, he sides more in the spectrum of the agnostic. He is of the fence sitter; a human picks no side because they fear the ability to make a true stand.

It is true that a man cannot know everything but it is up to that man to attempt that feat, to know as much as possible. Choosing a middle ground leads only to stagnation and an abandon of progress in favor of the status quo.

(3-3) ASSIGNED READINGS: Running Trains

A barren wasteland teaming with sadness and regret lies in front of me. Faqir Chand a broken man spending his days on the brink of self-discovery and self-delusion. Here lies a human being who at looked deep inside of himself and saw a black void of nothing and claimed that the smallest bit of stardust existed where nothing could survive. So close but a million miles from the exhilarating feel of freedom and self-preservation.

A crossroad of complete understanding and know how was in his grasp, just in reach where the fingertip meets the inner thumb. Chased away only by the roots of a past gone wild. He was clinging on to his teachings that he saw as most sacred, meaningful and worthy. The marvelous madman of the east made bold statements ushering in thought and bemusements of a world with no faith, Shiva, Christ, Zeus, Santa or the Easter Bunny. Everything was set aside and placed on sale burned on a pile of ask…except for his that single strand, the strand of insanity.

(3-2) ASSIGNED READINGS: Why I Am Not A Christian by Bertrand Russell

There are three readings I recommend any religious person when they tell me their faith is unshakeable; The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins, God is Not Great by Christopher Hitchens and Why I Am Not a Christian and Other Essays by Bertrand Russell. There have only been two actual times when this advice was taken, in one I got anger thrown in my face, the other…defeat. Speaking on only Russell, he’s tends to do that; make a person question what they thought they held dear. Every reaction to his writings is always priceless. It’s near impossible to argue against solid logic mixed in with the kindness of an old wise man. Russell was good at showing the faults of Christianity and in this piece it was most apparent.

In this lecture, Russell systematically picks apart his non-belief of the Christian myth in a very simple yet adequate manner. Step by step he proves why believing in such a fairy tale is bogus and quite frankly childish. What really gets me going is that he takes it a step further and even speaks on his viewpoint of Christ. He says though the man was a moral compass he technically was a jerk only interested in those who would take his word as doctrine. He states that Christ may have loved all but yet warned that not obeying his will would lead to burning forever in a lake of fire, how nice and loving. From there he continues to show the fallacy that is faith all whole being kind, something most Bible thumpers have a hard time dealing with.

(3-1) EXPERT LECTURE: Freeman Dyson

Freeman Dyson, brilliant, accomplished, world renowned and a dozen other words to describe a man who is constantly praised. His work in the various fields of the sciences have, most notably the concept of the Dyson Sphere as well as a whole slew of other theories and published papers. The man is admired and respected by an absurd amount of people. If all this is true, if this man carries so much prestige behind his name, why in the blue blazes do I sense much fear within him? What fear you ask? He fears himself, he fears ridicule.

Dyson claims that science and religion can coexist. He makes it clear that science should not be limited by its boundaries and that another perspective of the supernatural may help to explain even more, to obtain true answers. I find it odd that he does this and then insists that he is an agnostic, again and again. Why do this? Why say this repeatedly? To be honest if he called himself a Christian he’d be taken less seriously. In the world of science if you refuse to place faith and logic on separate pedestals you end up coming up and a blind fool. I am not calling Dyson and idiot by any means, I’m just pointing out how ridiculous it is to claim the middle ground in a field that exists only to find truth.

(2-5) CRITICAL THINKING FILM: Eleven

My favorite part of “Eleven” was when Kevin Spacey freaks out after the homosexual advances of his friend. Wait I’m sorry, that was American Beauty. After watching this oh so wonderful piece of student film making I thought on what I had just viewed and how many tropes it had set before me. I pondered on the horrible and repetitive use of stock music that had no actual impact on the film aside from being oh so mysterious. I looked back at the use of black and white which in no way incorporated proper lighting and was merely being used as a mean of showing how serious this film was. I sat there and I wondered what the whole point was, if there was any point at all.

A hate crime-murder is committed and some young ace reporter looking for fame is given the task of covering the sad turn of events. Irony then delivers him a blow as he is then murdered by the same men and then made famous because of it. There really isn’t much to this. Yes it shows how horrible humans are, good god if we aren’t beaten over the head with that message enough! Yes it also shows that information can come at a price. Aside from that it shows nothing else, it leaves you wanting something else instead of more. I understand what this film maker was going for; I understand how edgy and hip to the post 9/11 world he was being. At its time of release people probably bought into it out of anger and grief and out of the current trends. In hindsight it falls apart and shows a very lazy and shallow depiction of what hatred and cost actually is.

1/5 stars

(2-4) ASSIGNED READINGS: Should Skeptical Inquiry Be Applied to Religion?

Should skeptical inquiry be applied to religion? Good gravy, of course it should! Not doing so would be an injustice to the world of the logical and free thinking. The article in question is the work of another brilliant geezer (I see a trend forming) named Paul Kurtz a man of many talents and honors. In his wisdom he reveals that milking the sacred cow for all it actually represents should not ever be off limits. He puts into question the validity of not only dogma but of faith itself. The man displays a mixed bag of logic that will bring any skeptic or man of the sciences to automatic applause.

It’s funny that the faithful are okay with any and all studies as long as it does not apply to their special brand of lunacy. In truth they are only showing arrogance and reason for a good kick in the pants. Kurtz makes it clear that religion has played numerous roles in various fields of studies, from a sociological perspective to a psychological one. What many of the nut jobs fail to see is that what they hold sacred is to others just something else to be studied, tested, poked and prodded and then left somewhere, lying in the gutters.

(2-3) ASSIGNED READINGS: The Physics Behind Four Amazing Demonstrations

By all that Andy Griffith holds dear, David G. Willey is a magnificent bastard! Reading his article on four spate classroom experiments made me envious of all of his likely ungrateful students. An instructor who actually performs feats of amazement, to make science come alive for the usual gang of brain dead slobs is fantastic and a bit endearing in a shut-in sort of way. Step by step he delivers a how-to guide of acts that could probably kill you if you mess one thing up. He knows the inherent danger but he does it anyway. He’s brilliant I tell you, plum dog brilliant!

After reading I asked myself what was the point of learning how to walk on glass, attempt a staple of carnival shows, do the ol’ Johnny Tremain, and play with some scorching rocket fodder? After thinking for a few minutes it came to me like a bolt of lightning. He was showing that behind every act of wonderment, behind every miracle, behind every divine action, is actually a logical answer. The man used science to prove the insanity that is the mystical and mythical. What most would do with words, Willey does with flare.

(2-2) EXPERT LECTURE: Ken Miller

When the proceedings of what seemed to be a two hour lecture, opened with a priest delivering a prayer, I nearly punched my monitor with a craze not seen since the side show freak called the wild man of Borneo. As rage was beginning to set in I was then relieved to learn that Miller was not some crazed sky god worshipping zealot, but instead a rare example of what his ilk should aspire to be. The man accepts the absurdities of his faith but chooses to separate it from the world of science. Throughout his entire lecture he goes into logical attack mode and tears down the worlds of the back sliders who uphold the illogical tenants of “intelligent design”, two words combined that can’t make sense.

This well-spoken madman goes into detail about the history of the modern attack of learning institutions by the bible thumpers. We learn that these fiends have tried time and time again to penetrate the young malleable minds of the nation by using loopholes and dirty trickery. Placing warning stickers that would make the PMRC blush, on biology books, warning about the faults of evolution. He lets loose the truth behind the smear campaign and the farce that is intelligent design. In truth the Christian power hungry fat cats are acting as that which their ancient incest laden rape book warns against…a wolf in sheep’s clothing. Miller is on the side of logic sprinkled with a dash of madness but he knows this and it makes in a more formidable opponent of the Creationist.

(2-1) EXPERT LECTURE: John M. Smith

We start off this week with what appears to be the general theme of man’s ability to favor ancient fairy tales over logic and reason. Our first video brings us to an elderly geezer John M. Smith, whose mind is sharper than most young people of my so-called generation. His years have brought him wisdom that can only be called sage like; minus all the idiotic chants, superstitions and oddly named incenses of the East. The near death gentleman speaks of evolution and natural selection in the most welcoming of manners.

Smith speaks with wild abandon saying things that make most uncomfortable and squirm. Stating that disorders may actually be a part of that magnificent bastard we call natural selection. He goes on to directly challenge the lack of study and thought put into modern day natural selection; the man rips at the jugular of modern science with such grace. There is no doubting that for being such a frail old son of a gun he was brilliant in an out of your damn mind sort of way. In a world where the elderly blabber on about god knows what while committing acts of self-defecation, Smith was different…and needed.

(1-3) CRITICAL THINKING FILM: Karma

I finish the film and I have thoughts racing through my head. My mind begins to wander in areas of obscenities and places that would better suit zoo keepers in Bangladesh. I settle my mind into a more calming environment and review what I have just seen and my god is it asinine. The whole thing reeks of students with base knowledge of something not yet ready to film. The film itself aside from content is an absurdity but that is best left to another person for another time.

They called this bad boy Karma, when in cold hard fact it’s simply a vehicle to showcase pre-school snuff. The music used to exaggerate the mindless and hilarious violence taking place via an abyss of black and white hardcore. What is this mess? Is it for our benefit or is it more? I see no Karma, I see only a cheap student film that edges on unintentional humor. The things and events, people and places that happen within this film are not of a nature to have the preposterous title of karma attached. No, instead it is only a collection of cause and effect, probability, chance and dumb luck.

(1-2) ASSIGNED READINGS: Viruses of the Mind

When it comes to Richard Dawkins I’m use to reading him through his books and various interviews I come across. Would I call myself a fan of the man? Of course I would, the man promotes logic on a level that makes most weep and cry out in anger. So after reading “Viruses of the Mind” for a third time I can say that my understanding has gone up only slightly, how much more can you understand the understood? In my reading or re reading of the piece I have a few things to say or write as it would be in this case.

Religion, faith, belief and any other mumbo jumbo being compared to a computer virus is sheer genius. It’s a comparison that both gets the point across and hits the subject directly in the guy. I suppose as a person of no faith or obedience to mythology it’s much easier to understand and appreciate what Dawkins is speaking on. I’ll try and make it easier, which while doing a disservice to the man is far more welcoming to our “too long, did not read” society. First you take yourself an empty shell of a person worth almost nothing, a child. Next you begin filling that empty shell with all kinds of information that you would deem right and wrong. Stir it up and let it sit till adult hood and you now have a fully working human adult. But here is where the problem lies. Some of that information may have been corrupted and passed onto you. What you call morals and good faith, the logical would call lies and ignorance. You see what I’m getting at? People decide what other people become in most cases, so if you’re going to teach a child something, make sure it’s not the organic form of a computer virus.

(1-1) Expert Lecture: Feynman & Russell

As I finished watching both videos, segments, shorts or whatever you’d call the acts of media made available, I walked away with some thoughts, most which were already housed inside that glob of fatty tissue called my brain. From this I gather that is far better to know the sum of a whole than just a whole itself, but under the guidelines of a clear and present mind. What exactly is that clear mind though and how can it be obtained? That’s another question for another time. What these men want is answers and they want them in whole, not as small individual wrapped nuggets that look pretty with a pink bow. Good god these bastards want concrete evidence and won’t except anything shy of a proof that can be tested three eyed bull frog found in the jungle.

While it’s easy and safe to partake in the beauty and surface of something or anything, in the end it all ends up nowhere. Saying a flower or an apple is beautiful leaves you with not much aside from a basis for personal preference. Go deeper than just the whole and ask yourself why that apple or flower beautiful is? Go even deeper and see what the whole is made of and then find out what those parts are made of. You dig deeper and deeper to the brink of insanity and only then can you see what value or merit it actually has. We live in a world full of “is” and “isn’t”, when we should really be boarding in the realm of “how” and “why”.