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Daddy's Space 'The Gutter Or The Stars'

Simple family philosophy - social science, parenting, knowledge, humanist, free-thought. UK. "In the dawn of our human experience" & "A treasure trove of independent thinking". Private Electronic Book (Word) SkyDrive On. Private Messages On.

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July 02

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Herschel yields new galaxy image

The European Space Agency (Esa) has released a stunning image of the spiral galaxy M51, otherwise known as the Whirlpool Galaxy. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8127798.stm

 

So 'pissed off' with the Nobs in the, 'Infantile Situation GB'.  

 
A book by the police officer (Andy Hayman) who once oversaw the fight against al-Qaeda has been blocked by the attorney general. We all want to read it! The Terrorist Hunters: The Definitive Inside Story of Britain's Fight Against Terror (Paperback)
 
 
 
7:37 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Knowledge
June 30

BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - The Reith Lectures, The Reith Lectures 2009, A New Politics of the Common Good

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00lb6bt

Professor Michael Sandel delivers four lectures about the prospects of a new politics of the common good. The series is presented and chaired by Sue Lawley.

Sandel makes the case for a moral and civic renewal in democratic politics. Recorded at George Washington University in Washington DC, he calls for a new politics of the common good and says that we need to think of ourselves as citizens, not just consumers.

Notes: "Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture that tries to skip it will never grow up." Thomas Nagel. Who has got the responsibility? "I was reminded of something Justice Louis Brandeis once said: that in a democracy, the most important office is the office of citizen. Barack Obama 'The Audacity Of Hope'. A new 'Mind Map' https://www.mindmeister.com/21660144

Mind Maps For Children "What Shall We Tell The Children?" http://www.mindmeister.com/13207398

What Shall We Tell The Children?

 
The War for Children's Minds
Author: Stephen Law
ISBN: 0415427681
Playground for Faith and Belief. UK. Quangoes of Religiosity. Religion in Schools REBT and Disconnection. Church Schools and Faith Schools UK. The Proper Structuralised View Of The World - for our children is missing i.e. History, Evolution, and Cosmology: only various forms of 'muddled thinking' exist in our institutions and schools (Bloom and 'other's'). Riots will be the result  http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-1174955/Recession-spark-riots-civil-disorder-minister-warns.html "People who are hungry, people who are out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made." Barack Obama. Philosophy: 100 million or more (infantile) deaths http://luckyme0.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A18BF3FCC5E126A2!2400.entry Man the Killer. "No doubt, Professor Williams's committee will advise setting up, combined - sex and philosophy shops, in all major towns. Thus, giving the public the best of both worlds. It has been leaked that Labour Members of the Committee would support such action, in lieu of buying Trident Missiles."
 
 
 
 

Confusion - Wasting Time & Befogging The Issues

(a whole section of our society has only one simple role - they are particularly 'those people who consider themselves most important and live amongst our 'intelligentsia')

Even, somewhat - 'Hoodwink'd with Faery Fancy' 'Unweaving The Rainbow' R Dawkins. "If anyone can help us get rid of this (massive and destructive) form of hideous fraud and madness - he can"! See, 'Identity and Violence' A.Sen. Video above...

Stop: 'The Drifting' - Now! Leo Straus 'religion is a fraud'. 'If religion is a fraud, then it remains debatable, to say the least, whether that fraud should be (constantly: forcibly in most schools or some institutions UK) perpetuated on the public' Stephen Law (above).

In Schools: 'The Choice Or The Muddle' & 'Refractoriness of Youth' 

A BOOK REVIEW THAT MAY BE OF SOME INTEREST TO TEACHERS

 

'THE CLOSED MIND'

 

    1) The mentality of a person, who lives inside a closed system of thought, can be summed up in a single formula, he can prove everything he believes and he believes everything he can prove. The closed system sharpens the faculties of the mind, like an over-efficient grindstone to a brittle edge; it produces a scholastic, Talmudic, hair-splitting brand of cleverness, which affords no protection against committing the crudest imbecilities. People with this mentality are found particularly often among the intelligentsia. I like to call them the "clever imbeciles" an expression, which I do not consider offensive, as I was one of them. A. Koestler 'Bricks to Babel'.

 

    2) Allan Bloom is a professor of Social Thought at the University of Chicago. He has taught at the Universities of Yale, Cornell, Toronto, Paris and Tel Aviv. He is author of 'The Closing of The American Mind' of which over one million copies have been sold.

 

    3) Bloom writes (p.198) "Nietzsche's works are a glorious exhibition of the soul of a man who might, if anybody can, be called creative.” http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Allan_Bloom  (Bloom's, followers and teachers - 'befoggers of issues', are many and most powerful, but they are so very awfully dangerous, and more often, frighteningly and terribly wrong, leading to 100 million and more terrifying deaths - 'drifters or dreamers' and very 'primitive in their science', 'you eat the heart of common enemy and therefore you will become strong', but they continue to have a very large and common appeal'.

 

    Nietzsche (1844-1900) wrote, "The object is to attain that enormous energy of greatness which can model man of the future, by means of discipline and also by means of the annihilation of millions. And which can yet avoid going to ruin at the sight of the suffering created thereby the like of which has never been seen before…vast new aristocracy, based upon the most severe self discipline in which the will of philosophical men of power and artist-tyrants will be stamped upon for thousands of years.”

 

    4) Bloom writes (p 240), "I must reiterate that Rousseau, Kant, Hegel and Nietzsche are thinkers of the highest order.”

 

    Nietzsche wrote, "It is mere illusion and pretty sentiment to expect much (even - anything at all) from mankind if it forgets how to make war. Yet no means are known which call so much into action as a great war. That rough energy born of the camp, that deep impersonality born of hatred, that conscience born of murder and cold-bloodiness, that fervour born of effort in the annihilation of the enemy, that proud indifference to loss to one's own existence, to that of one's fellows. That earthquake like souls shaking, which a people need when it is (mankind) losing its vitality.”

 

    5) Let us take a brief look at Rousseau (1712-1778) another of Bloom's, "thinkers of the very highest order”. Rousseau was a key figure in the making of what is called Romanticism, which of course has nothing to do with love. Rousseau's teaching in modern parlance was, "if it feels good, do it". In fact Rousseau was so romantic that he abandoned the five children he had by his mistress to the foundling hospital, the condition of which, in those days, is best left to the imagination! Historians consider his intellectual influence to have been mostly pernicious in its effect.

 

    6) Kant (1724-1804) and Hegel (1770-1831) make up Bloom's quartet, but why not Galileo and Darwin "They Turned the World Around" (article on this blog)? But, Kant and Hegel, left it much as they found it. Galileo and Darwin are not to Bloom's taste. Perhaps they offend his religious susceptibility, which is so strangely impervious to the advocates of genocide and licentiousness. But, belief can cause blindness.

 

    7) Much of Bloom's book is a mixture of theological dogmatism and verbose obscurity. One seldom knows quite where he stands, but when he does it is clearly on the wrong spot.

    For example on page 194 Bloom pontificates, "Reason cannot establish values, and its belief that it can is the stupidest and most pernicious illusion.” If reason cannot establish values what is the substitute? Values established by unreason will not bear examination (The sleep of reason brings forth monsters).

 

    8) The reader despairs, when on page 199, Bloom states, "the faith in God and the belief in miracles are closer to the truth than any scientific explanation…” Which god? There are and have been so many. Which miracles, the virgin births or reincarnation as an insect, and what truth, genesis or evolution? Discretely he does not say!

 

    9) Bloom's book contains so many curiosities that many pages would be needed to list them. But, the one I found most amazing is on page 229, "The sanctity of human nature. That must not be mastered.” The sanctity of human nature is displayed for all to see on every gory page of our history and tomorrow's newspapers. Those who try to master it are usually murdered for their efforts.

 

    10) Despite all the questions in his book, Bloom's attack on the self-degrading worship of the primitive, uncouth and the problems of illiteracy. These are hideous stains on western democracies, and in my opinion, these attacks are fully justified. But, there is money in muck, much money, and the communication revolution spreads muck widely, thickly, quickly, and profitably. We may all drown in it, but leaky life rafts like Bloom's, will not save the young or us.

 

    11) Bloom, denigrates Science (which he does confuse with technology) and is ambivalent towards the Enlightenment. Has it not occurred to him, that no Enlightenment means no science, and consequently, no medicine or any surgery for millions that is worth a damn? No Enlightenment means a secret universe, a closed mind and an early death.

 

    12) I note that Bloom's book received laudatory reviews, in reputable newspapers and periodicals. Perhaps the educators need educating. A dose of, Karl Popper, Jacob Bronowski and Carl Sagan, might (seriously) help them.

 

    13) Bronowski summarised his scientific humanism in his monumental television series, 'The Ascent of Man'. Speaking in Auschwitz he said, "When people believe that they have absolute knowledge with no test in reality, this is how they behave. This is what men do, when they aspire to the knowledge of the gods. Science is a very human form of knowledge. We are always at the brink of the known; we always feel forward for what is to be hoped. Every judgement in science stands on the edge of error and is personal. Science is a tribute to what we can know although we are fallible…We have to curve ourselves of the itch for absolute knowledge and power. We have to close the distance between push-button order and the human act. We have to touch people.”

 

The theology of Bloom or the philosophy of Bronowski? The educators must choose. They don't mix.

 

It is a parents duty to know or we are at the mercy of every crackpot idea and political nonsense: duty is a very dirty word today!

 

11:14 AM | Permalink | Blog it | Knowledge
June 08

Humanists award Richard Dawkins for promoting reason and science across the world

Richard Dawkins, evolutionary biologist and internationally renowned atheist, sceptic and humanist has received an award for his ‘work in promoting reason and science worldwide’ during an international gathering of humanist organisations from all over the world. The award was given by the BHA and the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) following a conference during the day on ‘Darwin, Humanism and Science’, at which Professor Dawkins was a key speaker.

Hanne Stinson, BHA chief executive, said, ‘Richard Dawkins’ commitment to increasing public understanding of science is unfaltering and he has spent much of his distinguished career so far promoting a rational and humanist approach to the world, with his much celebrated book ‘The God Delusion’ perhaps one of the most well-known and, to some, controversial publications in recent years.’

Read the full story on our website.

The arts of the Watchmaker: 'natural selection impresses us with the appearance of design, but it is an illusion of design and planning'. 'The Blind Watchmaker' Richard Dawkins. "The universe we observe has precisely the properties we should expect if there is, at bottom, no design, no purpose, no evil and no good, nothing but blind, pitiless indifference...DNA neither cares nor knows. DNA just is. And we dance to its music." Richard Dawkins 'River Out Of Eden'.

Becoming human is a process and not some event. Being human is only very little more than a farce, until we have answered and for ourselves, the three most important questions - "Where am I"? "What am I"? "Why am I"?  (Note: otherwise, with our thoughts and behaviour -  'we will be, mostly, at the mercy, or at all of, the nonsensical 'wishes and whims' of other people', possibly, even in some extreme cases - totally are controlled by them - ideology, state, church, and so on.... Ref, life of trivia, and that we may miss out, shamefully: on something of very great importance - certainly, 'a very great impertinence in the face of the Divine' - nature or creation)

'Evolution has been a matter of days well-lived, chameleon strength, energy, zappy sex, sunshine stored up, inventiveness, competitiveness, and the whole fun of busy brain cells.' Edward Hoagland 1932 - http://vault.sportsillustrated.cnn.com/vault/article/magazine/MAG1091054/index.htm

"Children, I'll argue, have a human right not to have their minds crippled by exposure to other people's bad ideas—no matter who these other people are. Parents, correspondingly, have no god-given licence to enculturate their children in whatever ways they personally choose: no right to limit the horizons of their children's knowledge, to bring them up in an atmosphere of dogma and superstition, or to insist they follow the straight and narrow paths of their own faith.

In short, children have a right not to have their minds addled by nonsense. And we as a society have a duty to protect them from it. So we should no more allow parents to teach their children to believe, for example, in the literal truth of the Bible, or that the planets rule their lives, than we should allow parents to knock their children's teeth out or lock them in a dungeon." 'What Shall We Tell The Children' 'Amnesty Lecture' Oxford - Nicholas Humphrey. http://www.mindmeister.com/13207398

A global education programme designed to foster understanding between religions has been launched by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8091098.stm @ The Tony Blair Faith Foundationhttp://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/

A big fuss! (leave them kids alone)

Noah's Ark Zoo Farm http://www.noahsarkzoofarm.co.uk/pages/visiting/visiting.php

 And, 'Sink The Ark' @ http://www.ark.isambard.com/ 
 
Experimental, Maguib Mahfouz 'The Stream of Consciousness'. 'The Structuralis(z)ed View of The World. Mind Maps 'What Shall We Tell The Children?', a 'Structural World View' helping with Autistic Children. http://www.mindmeister.com/13207398
4:33 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Knowledge
June 01

BBC - BBC Two Programmes - The Incredible Human Journey, Asia. Channel4 'The Secrets of Stonehenge' Time Team Specials. Human survival in 'default mode'!

 

BBC - BBC Two Programmes - The Incredible Human Journey, Asia                                                                    http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00klf6j

There are seven billion humans on earth, spread across the whole planet. Scientific evidence suggests that most of us can trace our origins to one tiny group of people (200) who left Africa around 70,000 years ago. In this five-part series, Dr Alice Roberts follows the archaeological and genetic footprints of our ancient ancestors to find out how their journeys transformed our species into the humans we are today, and how Homo sapiens came to dominate the planet. In this programme, the journey continues into Asia, the world's greatest land mass, in a quest to discover how early hunter-gatherers managed to survive in one of the most inhospitable places on earth - the Arctic region of Northern Siberia. Alice meets the nomadic Evenki people, whose lives are dictated by reindeer, both wild and domesticated, and discovers that the survival techniques of this very ancient people have been passed down through generations. Alice also explores what may have occurred during human migration to produce Chinese physical characteristics, and considers a controversial claim about Chinese evolution: that the Chinese do not share the same African ancestry as other peoples.

(DNA evidence suggests it was sexual attraction, over a very long period of time - people mate with those who have more distinctive physical characteristics i.e., those with slightly flatter faces and narrower eyes, which they find much more attractive than those of their ancestors who had previously come from Africa or of the narrower West European type).

Alice looks at our ancestors' seemingly impossible journey to Australia. Miraculously preserved footprints and very old human fossils buried in the outback suggest a mystery: that humans reached Australia almost before anywhere else. How could they have travelled so far from Africa, crossing the open sea on the way, and do it thousands of years before they made it to Europe? (In search or want, maybe, of a 'Holy Sun Grail'; the quest for 'sun' knowledge; like moths to a candle and so go east and find the rising sun - lush hunting grasslands - away from the dark forests, dank waters and salty seas, and the relatively barren beaches of Indonesia? 'The Secrets of Stonehenge' revealed - rising Sun Soltices http://www.channel4.com/programmes/time-team-specials/episode-guide/series-1/episode-2 The results surpass their wildest dreams and this pivotal excavation finally enables the team to reveal not only when Stonehenge was built and how it was built but, perhaps most importantly, why it was built. Fun in the 'Theories of Archaeology')

The Prehistoric Mind. How did Prehistoric Man Think? The Primitive Mind - http://luckyme0.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A18BF3FCC5E126A2!1520.entry  

"T h e   M i n d   B l o w i n g   C o n n e c t i o n" !
 
      Whatever the case, it can no longer be doubted that earliest man stands closer to present-day man from the evolutionary and biological aspects animals known today (including the 'highest apes'), and that the quality of early man's mental accomplishments separates him from other animals and binds him fundamentally to present day humans. 
      For that reason it is generally sound at least as a guiding principle in empirical research - to view prehistoric man as essentially human, to understand him in terms of human nature, and to proceed from the assumption of the psychic unity of mankind, without thereby excluding further evolution and development.

 

Evolution, Fish to Man. Man's Debt to the Past. http://luckyme0.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A18BF3FCC5E126A2!960.entry 'The vast majority (>99%) of all species that have ever lived on the Earth have become extinct, with only a privileged minority leaving fossils to attest to their former existence.' 'The Tree of Life' OU. Ref, 'our or Man's debt to the past' and 'attesting too': consciousness and the reflection of/in a past history; only man happens, by pure chance, and capable of this extraordinary ability with the human brain having it's quite amazing quantity of reflective - 'Mirror Neurons': from - 'The Emerging Mind' Vilayanur Ramachandran. (Neuron = Nerve cell. It is specialised for the transmission of information and characterised by long fibrous projections called axons, and shorter, branch-like projections called dendrites. Synesthesia = A condition in which a person quite literally tastes a shape or sees a colour in a sound or number. This is not just a way of describing experiences as a poet might use metaphors. Synesthetes actually experience the sensations. Ref, empathy, religiosity, tribal instinct, shamanism: the domination of Homo sapien over Neanderthal (isolated in pockets and numbers fall leading to extinction) so on... "We are all synesthetes - to some degree" http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8070210.stm A binding to the 'group mind', or 'sowing the seeds of our own extinction', by conforming to the group mind, and "a lack of reason - brings forth monsters"?

("It is generally sound at least as a guiding principle in empirical research - to view prehistoric man as essentially human, to understand him in terms of human nature, and to proceed from the assumption of the psychic unity of mankind, without thereby excluding further evolution and development." Above, 'scholar note'.)

http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ks641 Alice Roberts reconstructs the head of the 'first European' to come face to face with one of our ancestors; she discovers how art became crucial for survival in the face of Neanderthal competition; and what happened to change the skin colour of these European pioneers. (Was it our: Homo sapien empathy - communication - gullibility, sacred rites - religions - Homo sapien's group mind that spelt the extinction, by isolation, of the groups/tribes of Neanderthals? It, now, looks like it!) Ref, life beyond 'The Long Childhood' Bronowski - "new ideas" we were capable of it then on a small scale, and we are capable of it now on a small scale - this gave us the edge. In the programme - Dr Alice Roberts feels that, "She would not of liked to of mated with a Neanderthal" - they are now proved to be a totally separate species, DNA Testing (they must of been seriously unattractive or if some mating did happen: no pregnancies resulted) http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/revealed-the-face--of-the-first-european-1678537.html

It is a parents duty to know or we are at the mercy of every crackpot idea and political nonsense: duty is a very dirty word today! If we don't want to live by isolationist-sectarianising, comforting, expensive - on our time and our money and with infantile fairy tales ('The Infantile Situation' GB). We must teach this ethos to our older children, so that they will not make the same crass, inherent and stupid, repetitive mistakes. 'As soon as man reaches the highest degree of development (in Tolstoy's case it was just 32 years of age), he sees that all is bunkum and deceit; and that the truth, which he values above all, is terrible, that when you look at it well and clearly you awake with horror!' No solid base (for children) and therefore no freedom, producing no ideas, but duty is a dirty word today. Ref, 'Power of the Guardians' Prof Amartya Sen 'Never has so much power been in the hands of so few in the UK'; BBC Today Programme. (Quangoes of Religiosity UK) And, 'Identity and Violence: The Violence of Illusion' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym12o1i2Mak 'The Proper (as in scientific) Structuralis(z)ed View of The World' E.Fromm or 'The Structural World-view' R.Dawkins. DVD 'The Long Childhood' J.Bronowski. 'Clever Imbeciles of The Closed System' A.Koestler. BBC Today Programme. (Quangoes of Religiosity UK) 'The Proper (as in scientific) Structuralis(z)ed View of The World' E.Fromm or 'The Structural World-view' R.Dawkins. 'Clever Imbeciles of The Closed System' A.Koestler. Also, http://www.aqr.org.uk/inbrief/document.shtml?doc=simon.roberts.01-03-2005.anthropology And, 'What Shall We Tell The Children' http://www.mindmeister.com/13207398 Social science - Matrix:  mind map. Simple proper (scientific - without superstition) matrices for parents and parenting. And, http://www.actionbioscience.org/education/lerner.html 

And, an - appalling, clever, imbecilic, and well within the (unavoidable) 'infantile situation GB'. Example: duty, as the: 'very dirty word today'. 'I don't regard this as an insult, as I was one; a clever imbecile, in a Talmudic brand of hair-splitting cleverness within the closed system of thought' A.Koestler 'Bricks To Babel'. http://www.catholicculture.org/culture/library/view.cfm?id=7811&CFID=6536448&CFTOKEN=69760764 And - Infantilism of the Labour Government, and the House Of Lords, without the reforms as promised. Labour has for the British people that it could have acted in this
infantile fashion, ... GB, we have MEPS of little distinction promoted to
government, ...
<http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/simonheffer/5614822/Labour-seems-bent-on-insulting-the-voters-until-the-very-end.html>

"The fossil, nicknamed Ida, is claimed to be a "missing link" between today's higher primates - monkeys, apes and humans - and more distant relatives." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/8057465.stm?lsm And, http://www.bbc.co.uk/programmes/b00ksh5y

http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2009/may/19/ida-fossil-missing-link

Human survival is in 'default mode'!

>99% of all species have become extinct.

Recognizing this and doing so in time!

Prehistoric teenage female and male. Immaturity of youth: see, Farb p30-31. Prehistoric man ‘was never a teenager’. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/1694591.stm

Today’s high school and college students are sexually and socially mature, while technologically still juveniles. If denied the economic and social benefits to which maturity entitles them, simply because they have not yet acquired all of the technological skills needed in the modern world: young people may become restless and very antisocial in their behaviour (menstruation females 1900-14 - 14-15 years - Now, 198O’s 12.6 years - what next! An evolutionary trend?)

Also: children, prehistoric boy or girl, were totally absorbed in the activities of their parents (hypnotically so? Ref, ease of human indoctrination and wishing to believe - almost anything, esp - when young) Therefore society could not advance - parent to child, child becomes parent, and in exactly the same exacting mould: seen in some tribal cultures today - the ‘closed system’ of no cultural, and no social advance or of little or any scientific advances! Dr J.Bronowski. ‘A broad menu’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7630042.stm Jacob Bronowski ‘The Ascent Of Man’ ‘The Long Childhood’ http://www.bbcshop.com/History/Ascent-Of-Man-DVD/invt/bbcdvd1608 Sexual segregation in some tribes (natural state with an experimental homosexuality in puberty that is recognised as normal, even encouraged - a 'practise mode' for a full adult role, obviously 'perverted' by adult involvement, but required by some tribes) Re-segregation, after the 'myriad of types of initiation rites' - homosexuality after an initiation rite is given up for the young male or female to play the full part, in the adults or tribal forms of the tribal societies, accepted forms and social structures in heterosexuality. Some of the (sponsored) perverted, or the horrendous, inherent and ongoing - in our societies, massively large educational perversions. Ref, the Judeo-Christian present dispensation and its twisted -misinterpreted, tribal; authoritarianism in our schools http://luckyme0.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A18BF3FCC5E126A2!3109.entry "Even if homosexuality were, as a matter of fact, 'unnatural' (which it probably isn't), that would not, by itself, justify us in morally condemning it." 'The War For Children's Mind's' Stephen Law.

10:42 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Knowledge
May 17

European Elections - Vote: Justine McGuinness (and) The Lib Dems.

 

Vote for change: get us all (some way) out of the horrors - currently - in our primitive and 'The Infantile Situation' GB - UK. See, Google or the blog entries below - 'The Origin And Function Of Culture' Geza Roheim (and) 'Important Civilizations' Bertrand Russell.

Don't make it far worse with a very silly and self-centered protest vote or no vote at all.

Map: England council elections 2009 - Vote: Lib Dem

Use this map to follow BBC coverage of the run up to June's English council elections.

 
'Whenever you kill a human being you are killing a source of thought too. A human being is a collection of ideas, and these ideas take moral precedence over a society. Ideas are patterns of value.' Robert T. Pirsig. And, 'When people are fanatically dedicated to political or religious faiths or any other kind of dogmas or goals, it's always because these dogmas or goals are in doubt.'

 

We all want (liberal) "revolutionary democracy". 'It can offer nothing to compare with the royal  processions, the military parades, the music pregnant with associations, the flags, the innumerable emblems, by means of which patriotic sentiment can be worked up and the real presence of the motherland made manifest to every beholder. Huxley. Note: (because of this - within the present very unpredictable and 'infantile situation' GB). The principal job of any government, including the present weak and ineffective one; shown up by it's results and in the increase in popularity of the minor parties - with the particular extreme one - such as the BNP: the majority of its citizens' is to prevent it falling into the wrong hands'! BNP leader Nick Griffin has been pelted with eggs and forced to abandon a press conference outside Parliament. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/8091605.stm Pull your fingers out, whomsoever is in government! “People who are hungry, people who are out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made.” Barack Obama. Philosophy: 100 million or more (infantile) deaths http://luckyme0.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A18BF3FCC5E126A2!2400.entry Man the Killer. Educational failure of the UK - The Nation blinded by Educational Religiosity - a nation without philosophy is well within the 'infantile situation GB'. Religion and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/scotland/8121131.stm Five people have been arrested and another eight taken into custody during an Armed Forces Day event in Glasgow. One person was injured in George Street where sectarian songs and chants were sung, as a service was conducted in nearby George Square. Killing is fun - Until man consciously, regards himself as one species, strife and war will continue. Notes of Dad's, 'They seek in peace the joys, their generation (or whoever has 'missed out') missed in war' CND.

"Philosophy is the childhood of the intellect, and a culture that tries to skip it will never grow up." Thomas Nagel .

Who has got the responsibility? "I was reminded of something Justice Louis Brandeis once said: that in a democracy, the most important office is the office of citizen. Barack Obama 'The Audacity Of Hope'. 

 
 
Religion and Morality
 
      First, faith made otherwise decent people commit acts of unspeakable horror, showing how ordinary and everyday feelings of human kindness, and revulsion at cruelty, can be, and have been, overruled by religious belief (and dogma, secular enthusiasms, or any other, religio/political enthusiasms) 
      Secondly, it exposes as utterly hollow the claim that religion sets an absolute and unchanging foundation for morality. 
Some maintain that their Man God had something new to say. Consider therefore this extract from the writings of China-man Mo Ti who lived in the Fourth Century B.C. 
    "The mutual attacks of state on state, the mutual usurpation's of family on family, the mutual robberies of man on man, the want of kindness on the part of the sovereign and of loyalty on the part of the minister, the want of tenderness and filial duty between father and son, these, and such as these, are the things injurious to the empire. All has arisen from want of mutual love. If but that one virtue could be made universal; the Prince loving one another would have no battlefield; the Chiefs of Families would attempt no usurpation's; men would commit no robberies; rulers and ministers would be gracious and loyal; fathers and sons would be kind and filial; brothers would be harmonious and easily reconciled. Men in general loving one another; the strong would not make pray of the weak; the many would not plunder the few, the rich would not insult the poor; the noble would not be insolent to the mean, and the deceitful would not impose on the simple." I find this message more inspiring than the unproved promises of immortality and hell fire. The two largest religions, appear to me, to be: carrot and stick religions. Perhaps all are, I am not a donkey, some of the time: so I don't respond. Ref, Doctor murdered http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/world/americas/8076253.stm 'Identity and Violence: The Violence of Illusion' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym12o1i2Mak
 
 
libdemsRT @willhowells *puts on nose peg* Polly Toynbee says vote Lib Dem in the Euro elections: http://tinyurl.com/nfotvz *takes nose peg off*
10:50 AM | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics
May 14

Great Britain (GB) Locked Within 'The Infantile Situation'. 'The Neurophysical Hypothesis' & 'The Psychological Hypothesis' Human. Vote - LibDem & Europe. Climate Change.

 

Great Britain (GB). Locked Within - 'The Infantile Situation'.

 

 
 > The Infantile Situation UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8041232.stm Ref, Geza Roheim. The welcomed end to the propaganda and inherent silly ridiculousness's of PC-ness's and Britishness, by our MP's with some more appalling examples (The 'leaders' in GB). Ref, 'The Neurophysical Hypothesis' And 'The Psychological Hypothesis' b) The protracted helplessness of the new born and the consequent uncritical submissiveness to authority. d) The discovery of and the mind splitting fear of death. The unpalatable truth (we hide it,. See, Google - the 'infantile situation' is hardly mentioned or mentionable) of the infantile situation, and our inability to cope with, or even, consciously recognize the libidinal (those unseen - mothering ties - in the 'libidinal ties' 'The Origin And Function Of Culture' of Geza Roheim's). The ties that have formed all our social systems and culture - mostly, the more ancient (GB) or tribal through long ages of maturation are 'inherently closed systems', and the - apparently, less-liberated or 'liberal' ones that give only a little way forward, if any way forward: to the fruition of new ideas (new ideas that can come only from freedom). Ref, 'The Long Childhood' Bronowski and 'The Clever Imbeciles' of Koestler's. The birth of "The strategic survival personality" (the - 'strategic person' - a state that is static; all time consuming and very stressful).
 

"MPs' expenses: how Gordon Brown and his Cabinet exploit expenses system - Gordon Brown and his most senior ministers have been forced to defend their use of parliamentary expenses after the Daily Telegraph revealed details of their claims."

 
 

What is the working class dream?

While some people dedicate their lives to escaping their working class backgrounds others have no interest in climbing a class ladder, says Laurie Taylor in his weekly column. Ref, 'Toff Down Pit' Kit Frazer.

 
(A cleric living and working among miners and who has worked at the coalface, stated on the 'BBC World Service' in an interview on the 26th of January 1984, "That the group solidarity was their ethic. They had little regard for the concept of individuality. That was why anyone who offended against the group solidarity was outlawed and despised and could legitimately be ill-treated." The most interesting part of Frazer's experiences, concerns the almost unbridgeable gap between his background and education and that of the miners. He came to admire the quick fluent banter (evangelicalism), but was often frustrated that the miner's conversation was observational (shallow), rather than analytical (deeper). So many conversations are, with sometimes, great annoyance and shallowness - day, today, trivia, so on... Sunday Times 1985. Article regarding - Kit Frazer's book,'Toff Down Pit'.  The Roman Stoic philosopher Seneca (2BC - 65AD) wrote, "Religion is recognised by the common people as true, by the wise as false, and by the rulers as useful," and said, "The time to live is now", something believed by all modern day humanists.)
 
Cashing in on the media spike: Parliament's moral authority has slumped to its "lowest ebb in living memory", former Archbishop of Canterbury Lord Carey has said. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8042214.stm
 
MAIL ON SUNDAY COMMENT: Dissolve this rotten Parliament before it corrupts public life altogether http://www.dailymail.co.uk/debate/article-1179911/MAIL-ON-SUNDAY-COMMENT-Dissolve-rotten-Parliament-corrupts-public-life-altogether.html
 
 

Time for the law to tackle discrimination against non-religious people:-

The British Humanist Association (BHA) has briefed all MPs and Peers ahead of the Second Reading debate on the new Equality Bill, which will take place in the House of Commons today. The BHA has already been working closely with Parliamentarians ahead of the Bill’s publication, and has now published, in a briefing, its key recommendations which aim to promote equality between all people, whatever their non-religious or religious beliefs. Naomi Phillips, BHA Public Affairs Officer, said, ‘There are some exciting opportunities within this Bill for us to try to affect some real changes to the law on matters relating to specifically to humanists and other non-religious people. Especially important for us will be to prevent discrimination by religious organisations that are working under contract with public authorities to provide public services.’ Read more on our website

Why? Europe, and full integration: could be the much better bet for the UK, as we need to reduce the 'infantile situation' - in those powers of our monarchy, church (involvement in schools) and the 'state'; reducing them, right down to its very lowest minimum involvement, with the UK's current and appalling 'infantile situation' and all the great inequalities (class, religiosity, wealth, so on...) http://shamedagain.blogspot.com/ Vote: LibDem: for a way out of 'The Infantile Situation'!

Scary - "The Catlin Arctic Survey, a gruelling 10-week expedition to measure the thickness of sea-ice, has ended." http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8047862.stm The Age Of Stupid http://www.ageofstupid.net/ Britains Age Of Stupid-mess's and Silliness's - British Education Policy (UK). Global Crisis by 2030 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7951838.stm

11:10 AM | Permalink | Blog it | Socio Biology Religion
May 07

Evolution. Fish to Man. Man's Debt To The Past. Hobbit's.

Scientists have found more evidence that the Indonesian "Hobbit" skeletons belong to a new species of human - and not modern pygmies.
 
Evolution. Fish to Man. Man's Debt To The Past. 
 

What Shall We Tell The Children?

 
The War for Children's Minds
Author: Stephen Law
ISBN: 0415427681
 

Science Times
New Respect for the Nap, a Pause That Refreshes
By JANE E. BRODY

You must sleep sometime between lunch and dinner, and no halfway measures. Take off your clothes and get into bed. That's what I always do. Don't think you will be doing less work because you sleep during the day. That's a foolish notion held by people who have no imaginations. You will be able to accomplish more. You get two days in one -- well, at least one and a half."

--Winston Churchill
Playground for Faith and Belief. UK. Quangoes of Religiosity. Religion in Schools REBT and Disconnection. Church Schools and Faith Schools UK.
4:50 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Knowledge

BBC NEWS | Scotland | RBS deputy gets £500,000 pension

BBC NEWS | Scotland | RBS deputy gets £500,000 pension

RBS lost £24.1bn in 2008 - the largest loss in UK corporate history.  The boss and his deputy; 'welcomed' in England - not like Michael Savage, however much we would not like him or not listen to him in the UK. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8033060.stm "Home Secretary Jacqui Smith said coming to the UK (patronising us all with a zero discernment ability - the general public can only discern for themselves, as far as that of a Terry Wogan) should be a privilege." I think that the greatest privilege of any UK Citizen will be to put our current Home Secretary firmly out of any Office. The published list is puerile, divisive, and well within - the 'Infantile Situation GB' ('Dustbin Stasi') British National Defence as petty propaganda (Iraq Weapons - and the missing from the list: Iran's President amongst the many other 'dread-fulls' from around the world) British-ness as silliness, so on...Saying he will not only take Jacqui Smith to court for libel but ask his 10 million listeners to boycott vacations in the UK and UK made products. Thanks Jacqui - just what we need in Britain... Doctor Mick says: May 6, 2009 at 7:38 pm. “This is not some Terry Wogan type character….”, Jaqui Smith. “I will not have some little twit in the British government defame my name!” Who pays for all this (crap) including the List, the repercussions and so on...?     

New Labour on its last and very old and tired legs. Any government can take criticism, but very seldom: constant and complete utter  ridicule!

12:02 AM | Permalink | Blog it | News and politics
May 05

Henry VIII and the birth of capitalism | Adrian Pabst | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk

Henry VIII and the birth of capitalism | Adrian Pabst | Comment is free | guardian.co.uk 

Or - http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/may/01/religion-henry-vii-monasteries

"Quangoes of Religiosity" Church of England and its privileged position or its 'abandonment' (esp, from: education).#

Jenni will be finding out about the physical and mental changes which take place as children mature into adults - and hearing how these developments create some of the stereotypical teenage behaviour. Including drama: Restless. BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - Woman's Hour, 15/04/2009 Ref, DVD 'The Long Childhood' Bronowski - obviously, science has come a long way, but Bronowski has the art and the emotion, to show the way, or to bring some light; on those particularly perilous years. http://www.bbcshop.com/History/Ascent-Of-Man-DVD/invt/bbcdvd1608

Compulsory Sex Education - Reaction from the young and old (parents) religious fundamentalists who are fighting it on religious grounds - Biblical or Koranic http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8020480.stm showing "tribal stereotypical  behaviour" (savage science, or, that of - anthropological anomy) in their (children and parental) objections, causing stress and some division in our society through the maintaining of sexual ignorance: the withholding of 'knowledge' to children, young people, and the vulnerable, for unforgivable and sometimes wicked - 'tribal honour' behavior, superioress and superstitious - ambition/gain. http://www.channel4.com/learning/microsites/L/lifestuff/content/up_close/letstalksex/index.html 'Sex Education is a Children's Right' http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/belief/2009/apr/28/sex-education-faith-schools The real 'hosts' of wickedness and ignorance - If we know that sex and relationships education of an objective sort improves young people's health and well-being (and we do) and if we accept that it is the right of the child to receive information of all sorts (which it is) and if we go on to conclude that the responsibility of society is therefore to ensure that all our children receive this entitlement, then why allow state-funded religious schools to do something different? Why in particular, as has been announced today, should the religious character of a school (which may or may not be shared by the school's pupils or their parents) be allowed to skew the sex and relationships education that children receive?

A wonderful replacement for RE, and most of the time that is wasted with PSHE and RE http://www.independent.co.uk/news/education/education-news/pupils-need-greek-myths-to-stop-english-lessons-from-turning-into-media-studies-542292.html I would include Philosophy and: more of the Classics - Herodotus and Thucydides, so on...

Boarding 'could transform the lives of some children'  http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8032961.stm

4:42 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Socio Biology Religion
May 03

Engels, the Red who rode to hounds - Telegraph

 

Engels, the Red who rode to hounds - Telegraph        http://www.telegraph.co.uk/earth/countryside/5263835/Engels-the-Red-who-rode-to-hounds.html

Freedom of Ideas - good or bad in 'their time'. Darwin (200 Anni) and Marx - and the many 'others'.

(outside the 'closed system' or "tribal stereotypical behaviour" in our young and vulnerable or the old)

"At other times, he suggested hunting offered essential philosophical insights. In an essay about man’s capacity to manipulate nature in contrast to the animal world’s having to operate within its constraints, Engels wrote: “One can daily observe how unerringly the fox makes use of its excellent knowledge of the locality in order to elude its pursuers, and how well it knows and turns to account all favourable features of the ground that cause the scent to be lost.” Yet another solid socialist reason for riding to hounds. A class war built on banning blood sports would, to Engels’s mind, constitute a very parochial form of communism. By contrast, his communism was about cascading the riches of life to all."

10:53 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Hobbies
May 01

BBC NEWS | Science & Environment | Obama vows investment in science. Equality Bill

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/8020930.stm

A 'great day': http://www.equalities.gov.uk/ Equality Bill. UK Parliament. BUT,. "New Bill fails to promote real equality for non-religious people. The British Humanist Association (BHA) has today welcomed the Government’s Equality Bill but has also described it as a ‘missed opportunity’ for improving equality for non-religious people in the UK, with many of its provisions retaining privileges for religions and its failure to abolish endemic discrimination against non-religious people in our education system." http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/273

MSN 'Quote Of The Day'

8:32 AM | Permalink | Blog it | Knowledge

(Dorset) RE, 'Search'. The latest from: 'The Agreed Syllabus' (PC Series), SALED, SACRE, NASACRE, QCA, Ofsted (and, the myriad of) Quangoes of Religiosity. UK. Accord Coalition.

 

 

 
RE, 'Search'.
 
{Over - when you consider other subjects and areas that 'superstition' (superstition and "who knows what": exactly is spirituality, but we tend to base our modern education and school ethos's on it, and for many, it is now, a good excuse for - very silly - within 'the infantile situation', and subjected, by some, to exclusion or isolation, by the way of the 'two edged sword of ridicule'. Ref, Joseph Rowntree) may have progressed into (ideological/indoctrination/child domination, and a: frightening, threatening, form of the 'control mechanism') the many other 'areas' and Subjects at School - 5% of our Children's time used up, by (some) force and (possible) intimidation (generally a disgraceful example to our children of bigotry, hatred, sectarianism and selection, so on...), from an unelected source and (in some cases of vulnerability) over 100% of Parents time is used up in trying to unravel the damage and ignorance that has, and - thereby been caused. It is a parents duty to know, or we are at the mercy of every crackpot idea and political nonsense (local - RE 'Search' and SALED + SACRE). No solid base (for children) and therefore no freedom; producing no ideas; but duty is a dirty word today. Ref, 'Power of the Guardians' Prof Amartya Sen "Never has so much power been in the hands of so few in the UK" BBC Today Programme. And, 'Identity and Violence: The Violence of Illusion' http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ym12o1i2Mak School Admissions UK  http://www.dorsetforyou.com/media/pdf/o/l/Junior_-_Middle_School_Transfer_-_Sep_09.pdf  "The shallowness of any wonderful pluralism of our UK society in its appallingly bad classification of its people - religion, being the very much overestimated type, of an historically appalling and bad form of classification - having no, or very little meaning at all, to anybody (except, it seems in various educational departments and government) within our present majority, living in our knowledge based culture". Ref, "67% Don't want Church Schools or Faith Schools". And, 83% think that, "Religion does more harm than good". And, all cultures and people vary enormously in their personal degree of religiosity, which makes religion an even worse form of classification - putting it on a pedestal and perpetuating it through the generations, especially in some of the young and gullible (less - advantaged) a vicious cycle of ignorance. Let's banish God from the classroom http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/article547341.ece "Let’s stop pretending that every school can teach every child anything meaningful about religion. Let’s scrap RE lessons." http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/life_and_style/education/article5304304.ece A bit more of History, Evolution, and Cosmology - might not be, such an unbelievable waste of our children's and most parent's time: in the unscrambling of utter nonsense. Ref, Replace RE with the 'greater knowledge' (in some sort of 'life class') that is contained within Atheism: study of atheist thought or thinking -  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atheism less boring, more multicultural - an 'open thought system': as, vs: the "clever imbeciles of the closed system" A.Koestler and "The Infantile Situation" G.Roheim, leading to more ideas for the future in the UK's 'knowledge based culture'! Ref, USA / UK (relationship) Constitution(s).
 
"Not good for the digestion (getting at the truth), but if we are going to sup with the Devil the soup should be tasty and hot enough" House of Lords, UK Parliament.
 
Dan Dennett brings laughter and “memes” to BHA’s second Darwin 200 event http://www.humanism.org.uk/news/view/246
 
 
 
History and Background - International Humanists (BHS) http://www.iheu.org/node/3235
 
"It is the admiration of ourselves" Charles Darwin - "Oh dear, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8008926.stm bail us out (the Banks and the Bankers', are much more important than you - powerless, and quite beastly children, and with your irresponsible, lazy, and immature greedy parents. The honest parliamentarians and bankers - must ruin all our lives for at least the next 15-20 years) A.Darling".
A table of young people's well-being in 29 European states - the EU plus Norway and Iceland - has ranked Britain 24th. Ref, 'The Infantile Situation' and the, 'Clever Imbeciles' and the, 'Closed System' UK.
Recession 'tops children's fears' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8004214.stm 'Fears of children in the UK'.
 
Living in 'Great Vulgaria Britain' (GVB) and 'In The Age Of Stupid'  photo - Pensioners' (Veterans) Disgusted - demo!
The French Revolution: Mark Steel 'Vive La Revolution' part 3 
Great Britain's (long) Age of Mediocrity - 'MyTravel' (fear - mediocrity + after: Empire). Vulgaria http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Vulgaria Ref, today's exception, 'Biggles of Birmingham' Pablo Mason http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/7953069.stm  
The Age Of Stupid http://www.ageofstupid.net/ Britains Age Of Stupid-mess's and Silliness's. British Education Policy, UK. Global Crisis by 2030 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7951838.stm
 
"How could I look my (children) grandchildren in the eye and say I did nothing"? asks Sir David Attenborough. Experts predicting temperature rises throughout the century, entire ecosystems could be lost, and floods threaten. Attenborough speculates on these consequences of global warming and what we can do to avert them. Unsurprisingly, the onus is on all of us in the West to reduce our energy use."
 
If one of the tipping points of climate change has been reached, such as, the full scale melting of the ice caps I calculate that within 40 years many countries due to sea levels rising will be very different, civilisation as we know it now could only have 80 years to go: London will be well underwater by that time. Then combine the drying up and resulting death of the rain forests, which could mean the end of all life on Earth within a 150 years. The largest and most powerful polluter is America, which has a fascination with preposterous superstition (more than in the UK), this, then is, a recipe for the neglecting of any current reality for promoting any fast change in public attitudes. Ref, "man's dominion over the Earth", 'this world, as some or a temporary abode', man's self-admiration (of itself), and so on...
 

Spring Report 2009: A report by our Chair on Accord’s progress since its launch 

Accord was born on 1st September 2008 

Personally I had been concerned about faith schools for several years, but I always felt I was a lone voice - certainly within the religious world. While I was able to raise the issue every now and then, there was no structure through which to link up with others or to urge a change of policy. 

It was that sense of frustration that led to Accord, which aims to unite all those with issues about faith schools - be it their very existence or the way they operate. 

Accord can claim to be doubly unique: 

First, it goes beyond the stale arguments by those ideologically predisposed for or against faith schools. Instead, it is much more nuanced. It asks: what is the best interest of the children and society at large? It believes the answer is schools that are inclusive, tolerant and transparent. 

Second, it is a broad coalition of both those who are religious and secular: Jews, Muslims, Christians, Hindus, humanists, atheists; all of whom desire an educational system that is based on social cohesion - and not just as a slogan but in reality. 

The actual birth of Accord was traumatic. Before the day was out, representatives of the religious groups which have faith schools had jointly  produced a three-page press release which not only condemned us, but which deliberately tried to stereotype us as yet another secular conspiracy frothing at the mouth and trying to destroy all that was good in education. 

There was also an avalanche of criticism in various religious papers, which served to give us a lot of prominence but which was also painful for Christians, Jews, Muslims and Hindus who value their faith without wanting faith schools. 

Still, we did not turn the other cheek but have been forthright since then in putting our view forward, through radio and television interviews, as well as articles in various papers and on websites. And as well as criticism we received strong support from sources as diverse as the Economist and the Church of England Newspaper editorial.  

We also kept in the headlines a fortnight later when Accord’s views were widely sought by the media on the opening of the first Hindu school in Britain.       

Our response was simple: by dividing Hindu children from those of other faiths, there was now an enormous responsibility upon the school to work very hard to overcome the social barriers this could cause.  

This in turn begs specific questions that apply to all faith schools, and which form the four key concerns of Accord (which will be particularly relevant to the forthcoming Equalities Bill): 

  1. Admissions: should state funded schools operate admissions policies that take account of pupil’s religious belief, and which discriminate against those who come from what is deemed “the wrong faith” or no faith at all? This is the litmus test as to whether those schools are serving the local community or serving themselves. 
  2. Employment: should state funded schools operate recruitment and employment policies that discriminate on grounds of religion. I can at least understand the argument that an RE teacher should be of a particular faith, but what about the Maths teacher, French assistant, kitchen staff or caretaker? 
  3. Syllabus : as there is no National Curriculum for RE (why not ?) and as faith schools can opt out of the locally agreed SACRE syllabus (how come ?), how can we ensure they follow an objective, fair and balanced syllabus for education about religious and non-religious beliefs? 
  4. Accountability: is it wise to have a system of inspection whereby special arrangements are made for faith schools that other schools do not have, which permits exemptions from the normal OFSTED regulation. Why should this be the case and why are faith schools not monitored like every other school?        

Once the initial glare of publicity was over, the hard work began of campaigning for these reforms, targeting those most able to deliver. So Accord has met with government via the Department for Children, Schools & Families; with the Liberal Shadow Minister for Education and the Conservative Shadow Minister too, as well as other MPs and members of the Lords.

We have tried to expand the coalition with like-minded groups, both those in the educational world (from teachers union to educational think-tanks) and those from the religious communities (such as Christian clergy, the Chair of the Muslim Forum and the Hindu Academy). 

We have also sought advice of, and made connections with, bodies that work in other spheres but who sometimes cross-over into the area of faith schools - such as the Runnymede Trust. 

It is hard work, but we have found that there are many who profoundly agree with our position and are glad that such a forum exists. 

There is definitely a new mood in the air: the rapid expansion of faith schools in the last two decades (without nearly enough public attention) is now being challenged by people who are uncomfortable at what has happened; people who feel that it is important that children from different backgrounds do not grow up as strangers, or even hostile to each other, but as fellow citizens.

What is more, independent evidence has recently emerged that admissions procedures are being abused and some state-funded faith schools are acting unethically: either by covertly charging parents or by selection procedures that discriminate against children from less academic backgrounds. 

Moreover, the case for examining faith schools has recently received a boost from a report issued by a report entitled ‘Right to Divide’, published by the highly-respected Runnymede Trust.  It endorses faith schools, but suggests ways of improving them, many of which answer the key questions of Accord listed above. 

There have also been two major pieces of research by academics at the London School of Economics and the Institute of Education showing that religious admissions cause social segregation and don’t improve results over all. 

And most recently we have seen the fruits of our hard work with the announcement of a new Lib Dem policy on faith schools. At the party’s Spring Conference in Harrogate on 7th March they announced that they will oppose the creation of new faith schools that discriminate in admissions and would require existing faith schools to prove that they are inclusive or loose state funding. 

The policy also commits them to fighting for RE lessons that teach “about beliefs, not what to believe”, for the ability of children to withdraw themselves from collective worship on grounds of conscience and for the right of teaching and support staff to be appointed and promoted without regard to their personal beliefs. 

It is another step towards our ultimate goal of changing legislation. Relying on the goodwill of governors or the common-sense of head-teachers is not enough. It is only by initiating legislation about admissions, employment and accountability that the goal of inclusive schools will be achieved. 

So, to sum up the position so far: Accord is just over six months old, but we feel that we have started to make our mark....and we have created a vehicle that not only gives voice to concerns about faith schools but is in a position to press for change. 

With the Equality Bill due to be published next week we know that the next few weeks and months will be busy. We will be in touch very soon to let you know how you can help, so please keep a look out for future emails 

Wish best wishes, 

Rabbi Dr Jonathan Romain MBE 

Chair, Accord http://www.accordcoalition.org.uk/

Teachers report 'racist bullying'. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8014880.stm Children's minister Delyth Morgan said racism in schools was "completely unacceptable". "Children are not born racist and we must work hard to ensure they are educated to be tolerant of difference, and stop bigoted views from outside schools spilling over into the playground," she said. Ref, when? 'In The Playground For Faith And Belief'. UK.

Ministers and 'troublesome priests' http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8017388.stm

Smacking, Beating and Drugging: Children. Private Schools - Public Schools. Sexual Abuse. Church Schools, Faith Schools, Childcare Institutions. UK.

 

BAFTA Award - Documentary - Chosen http://www.chosen.org.uk/ 'Selected Groomed Abused'

 
The Unloved
 
"Two inquiries into the alleged abuse of children by Catholic orders in the Republic of Ireland are to publish their findings."
 
Promises: Private and Public Schools of the UK - The number one choice of schools: have they really changed, we like to think so, but they still rely on the 'clever imbeciles of the closed system'. The leader of the Roman Catholic Church in England and Wales, the Most Reverend Vincent Nichols, said those who perpetrated violence and abuse should be held to account, "no matter how long ago it happened". Ref, governments will not act to abolish them (above): in the 'infantile and closed situation' of GB.
 

'The Making Of Them' Nick Duffell (Starvation with Kaolin and Morphine) http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jRNVLgfJHKkC&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&dq=Preparatory+School.+Kaolin+and+Morphine.&source=bl&ots=tVpRMR9mQj&sig=mqIWTBRqnfzXcvj7xq_sHXLv_KY&hl=en&ei=zffaSZeIM4GUjAf52YG-CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1 Hundreds of girls heavily sedated in UK care homes during the 1970s and 1980s may be at risk of having children with birth defects, the BBC has found. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7985912.stm

Boarding 'could transform the lives of some children'  http://newsvote.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8032961.stm

There is also however, a more personal answer. 'Science tells us what we can know, but what we can know is little, and if we forget how much we cannot know, we become insensitive to many things of very great importance. Theology, on the other hand, induces a dogmatic belief that we have knowledge, where in fact we have ignorance and by doing so generates a kind of impertinent insolence towards the universe. Uncertainty, in the presence of vivid hopes and fears is painful but must be endured if we wish to live without the support of comforting fairy tales ('The Infantile Situation GB' - 'Identity and Violence' Amartya Sen). To teach how to live without certainty and yet without being paralysed by hesitation, is perhaps, the chief thing that philosophy in our age can still do for those who study it.' Ref, BR - Daddy. Ring a Scholar - A telephone and Internet helpline offering advice about the true teaching of Islam is being launched in the UK today http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8078344.stm And, 'Hi-Tech Theology' http://www.elhatef.com

TAKE ACTION! 

Consultation on New Guidance for Religious Education in England 

What is the issue?

On 30 April, the Department for Children, Schools and Families (DCSF) issued new draft guidance on the teaching of Religious Education (RE) in English schools for public consultation (ending on 24 July). The guidance is intended to replace that issued in 1994 (Circular 1/94) which was widely believed, even at the time, to represent very poor advice on RE. The BHA was represented on the steering group that helped to produce the new draft, but it fails to address our two principal concerns in RE: 

  • that RE should be the study of both religious and non-religious beliefs;
  • that humanists should have the same right to be full members of the local committees writing and overseeing RE syllabuses as religious people have.  

We are now very concerned that the guidance will, at best, offer no improvements in these two areas and, at worst, undermine the positive developments that have occurred, in defiance of the previous guidance, in the years since 1994 (and especially since the Human Rights Act 1998). 

What do we want?

We want the government to use the Human Rights Act to read references to ‘religion’ in the present law on RE as references to ‘religion or belief’. This would mean that non-religious philosophies such as Humanism would be included. In particular, we want the references to the content of RE as being about ‘principal religions’ to be read as ‘principal religions or beliefs’ and the eligibility for full membership of Standing Advisory Councils for RE (SACREs – the local committees that oversee RE) and Agreed Syllabus Conferences (ASCs – the local committees that set the RE syllabus) as a representatives of ‘religions’ to be read as ‘religions or beliefs’, giving humanists the right to be full members alongside the religious representatives. 

The phrase ‘religion or belief’ is taken from the language of the Human Rights Act and it includes non-religious beliefs such as Humanism. The phrase ‘religion or belief’ is already used in the government’s national framework for RE (2004) and in the RE section of the secondary curriculum (2007) as well as in the proposed new primary curriculum (2009). In those places, it is made clear that it includes Humanism. It is very important that this should be the case in the new guidance, and that it should be made clear that this is the interpretation that should be given to the law on RE in light of the Human Rights Act*.  

What can you do?

You can respond to the consultation, urging that the guidance should make it clear that RE should be the study of religious and non-religious beliefs and that humanists should be eligible for full membership of SACREs and ASCs. You can do this by downloading the questionnaire at http://www.qca.org.uk/qca_22295.aspx and completing it or you can complete it online by going to http://tinyurl.com/onrhct and registering your email address. You will then be emailed the link to the consultation. 

When completing the consultation you can make use of the BHA’s response to the consultation which is at www.humanism.org.uk/reguidance  

You can email your MP, using the BHA’s easy online facility at http://tinyurl.com/oerynv  and urge him or her to make your views known to the government and support changing the guidance. 

If you are a teacher, you could explore the possibility of your school making a response to the consultation and urging the changes we are looking for. 

If you are a teacher of RE, or otherwise involved in RE as a professional, you can mention this in your own response to the consultation, and you can also contact the National Association of Teachers of RE http://www.natre.org.uk/  or Association of RE Inspectors Advisers and Consultants (AREIAC) http://www.areiac.org.uk/ and urge them to support the changes we are seeking. 

If you are a member of a political party, you can write to the education spokesperson of your party to urge them to support the changes we are seeking. For Labour, this is Sarah McCarthy Fry on mccarthyfrys@parliament.uk , for Conservatives this is Michael Gove MP on govem@parliament.uk , for Liberal Democrats this is David Laws on lawsd@parliament.uk 

If you are a member of a SACRE, whether as a humanist or not, you can urge your SACRE or local authority to make a response to the consultation supporting the changes we are seeking. 

PLEASE DO ALL THE ABOVE insofar as you are in a position to do so.  This is the most important issue we have had to deal with for many years and we need the maximum effort from everyone if we are to win our rights. 

Please copy any submissions you make or correspondence you enter into on this subject to Paul Pettinger at the BHA ( paul@humanism.org.uk or by post to British Humanist Association, 1 Gower Street, London WC1E 6HD). 

* The Human Rights Act at section 6 forbids discrimination on grounds of religion or belief by public authorities and in section 3 requires existing legislation to be “read and given effect in a way which is compatible with the Convention rights”. 

If you know anyone else who may be interested in taking this action, please feel free to forward this email to them! 

Not already a BHA member? Join now and support our vital work!

A global education programme designed to foster understanding between religions has been launched by the Tony Blair Faith Foundation http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/8091098.stm @ The Tony Blair Faith Foundationhttp://tonyblairfaithfoundation.org/

Amnesty International

"Children, I'll argue, have a human right not to have their minds crippled by exposure to other people's bad ideas—no matter who these other people are. Parents, correspondingly, have no god-given licence to enculturate their children in whatever ways they personally choose: no right to limit the horizons of their children's knowledge, to bring them up in an atmosphere of dogma and superstition, or to insist they follow the straight and narrow paths of their own faith.

In short, children have a right not to have their minds addled by nonsense. And we as a society have a duty to protect them from it. So we should no more allow parents to teach their children to believe, for example, in the literal truth of the Bible, or that the planets rule their lives, than we should allow parents to knock their children's teeth out or lock them in a dungeon." 'What Shall We Tell The Children' 'Amnesty Lecture' Oxford - Nicholas Humphrey. http://www.mindmeister.com/13207398

Also: children, prehistoric boy or girl, were totally absorbed in the activities of their parents (hypnotically so? Ref, ease of human indoctrination and wishing to believe - almost anything, esp - when young) Therefore society could not advance - parent to child, child becomes parent, and in exactly the same exacting mould: seen in some tribal cultures today - the ‘closed system’ of no cultural, and no social advance or of little or any scientific advances! Dr J.Bronowski. ‘A broad menu’ http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/sci/tech/7630042.stm Jacob Bronowski ‘The Ascent Of Man’ ‘The Long Childhood’ http://www.bbcshop.com/History/Ascent-Of-Man-DVD/invt/bbcdvd1608 Sexual segregation in some tribes (natural state of homosexuality of puberty recognised as normal, even encouraged - a practise for the adult role - 'perverted' by any adult involvement) Re-segregation after the 'myriad of types of initiation rites' - homosexuality after an initiation rite is given up, for the young male or female, to play the full part in the adults or tribal forms, of the societies accepted forms and its structures of heterosexuality. "Even if homosexuality were, as a matter of fact, 'unnatural' (which it probably isn't), that would not, by itself, justify us in morally condemning it." 'The War For Children's Mind's' Stephen Law.

Reform RE - Petition Number 10 Downing Street http://petitions.number10.gov.uk/reformRE/#detail

8:29 AM | Permalink | Blog it | Socio Biology Religion
April 18

BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - Woman's Hour, 15/04/2009

Knowledge is Power 'The Boy Scientist' 1926 edition - 'without knowledge no man can be free' - 'without knowledge you are subservient to the whims and wishes of other people'. The most powerful (off the top of my head) social theories: 'Lamarckadian Thought' Jean-Baptiste Lamarck (viruses) 'Stream of Consciousness' Naguib Mahfouz - 'The Proper Structuralised View of the World' Erich Fromm (and) 'The Infantile Situation' Geza Roheim (and) 'Important Civilizations' and 'orientation is impossible without a map' Bertrand Russell. On Cultural Transference: 'The Domestic Influence'. Peter J Wilson 'The Domestication Of The Human Species'. "Privacy is inextricably bound with giving and receiving attention". 'The Making of the Human Mind' by Colin Renfrew and the 5 sequential stages of human development, "a very persuasive one". The first three stages are 'uni-lineal' (where the idea of memes or memetics of Prof R.Dawkins is found to be a bit loose in its terminology) as in the evolution to Homo sapiens from Homo erectus. Based on 'Origins of the Modern Mind' Merlin Donald 1991 and refined by Colin Renfrew and later - accepted by Donald. Of course, 'The Long Childhood' J.Bronowski and his definition of the (inherent) 'closed system of thought' or 'the clever imbeciles' of A.Koestler.

 

*Parents duty to know - History, Evolution and Cosmology. Without (HEC) we are prisoners of the times (in 'the closed system of thought' of Koestler's 'Clever Imbeciles') and are at the mercy of every crackpot idea and political nonsense. No solid base and therefore no freedom, producing no ideas. But, duty is a dirty word today! The uneducated are not conscious of History. The rise of the West and why? The connection between - freedom and capitalism; the psychological fallacy; natural selection and selection of groups in history; or the 'freedom of ideas'. No 'freedom of ideas', such as in religious or secular; dogma or ideology. See, 'Ascent of Man' of Bronowski's, at the end of his DVD 'The Long Childhood' and the DVD's of Carl Sagan's 'Cosmos' series and film 'Contact' - Carl Sagan's worldview, as demonstrated in Contact, is critiqued from a ... Ellie's data instruments recorded a full 18 hours--not a few seconds--of static. http://www.leaderu.com/orgs/probe/docs/contact.html The must have book, 'The Demon-Haunted World' C.Sagan. The 'closed system of thought' and the 'clever imbeciles' of A.Koestler and his 'Jerusalem Sadness' - 'Bricks To Babel'.  

"Jenni Murray presents a special Programme on Raising Teenagers."

Listening to the news bulletins would lead you to believe that our teenagers are out of control. The picture is terrifying - a generation involved in violent crime, drug abuse, binge drinking and having underage and unprotected sex. But how true a picture is this? What is it really like to be a teenager at this time, and what challenges do we face, as parents and carers to the new generation?

Jenni will be finding out about the physical and mental changes which take place as children mature into adults - and hearing how these developments create some of the stereotypical teenage behaviour. Ref, DVD 'The Long Childhood' Bronowski - obviously, science has come a long way, but Bronowski has the art and the emotion, to show the way, or to bring some light, on those particularly perilous years. http://www.bbcshop.com/History/Ascent-Of-Man-DVD/invt/bbcdvd1608

She discusses how to manage problematic parenting situations. And, in the light of all the headlines about gun and knife crime, she asks what can be done to help disaffected young people in society?

Including drama: Restless. BBC - BBC Radio 4 Programmes - Woman's Hour, 15/04/2009

Some Notes, from Notes:

13) Immaturity of Youth (see, Farb p30-31)
Today's high school and college students are sexually and socially mature, while technologically still juveniles. Denied the economic and social benefits to which maturity entitles them, simply because they have not yet acquired all of the technologies skills needed in the modern world; young people may become restless and antisocial in their behaviour. (menstruation females 1900-14 - 14-15 years - now? 1980's 12.6 years. An evolutionary trend?

16) Advice to young.
Do not engage in any causes or political movements (*exception - Climate Change - War - Ignorance - Poverty http://libcom.org/history/march-2003-schoolkids-against-iraqi-war). Timescale is too short. Just - learn, teach, and explore, and add a little knowledge to the world - remain free in every sense and very mobile.
 
17) Respect for authority is always wrong and violence is sometimes right. Karl Popper.
 
18) It will require a supreme and concerted effort of the best scientific brains, to pull man out of his mess and to diagnose and to recognise his complaint.
 
20) Becoming Human is a process which still continues. Always bear in mind the short time scale of civilization.
 
21) The dream worlds of "Capitalism and Socialism" - see, Koestler's essay,  as outdated, as the "Wars of The Roses".
 
22) It is science and philosophy which rule the world, and it has always been so, but there is a long time lag. Construct a chart showing this.
 
23) Conditions for survival of the human race.
 
1) Nature is objective - not projective.
 
2) Man is part of nature and a single 'super species' (freak of the universe).
 
3) History is a race between education and catastrophe.
 
4) Only use of the best scientific brains, can succeed in making world of humans work.
 
24) We have the facts of human behaviour in our history books. All we require is a best-able theory to explain those facts.
 
25) What is the psychological reason for most men's indifference to nature; whereas physics and biology are difficult - sociology and government should be easily agreed functions and not worth much serious attention (The Infantile Situation): like drains or water services. Stacks of jobs to do, if you want a job, or more education, just needs: a focus of basic attention and finance by (lazy - inept) National or Local Authorities: a good reason for our young to rebel and to claim their world from their massively overtly greedy peers (example, bankers, 'overpaid officials', and some advisors). http://www.bbc.co.uk/blogs/thereporters/markeaston/2009/04/map_of_the_week_young_victims.html
 
28) "High technology has made the world a global village. This village will only prosper if people realize that fact and grow from it". Sir Peter Parker, New Scientist Magazine.
 
29) Democracy = the role of the ignorant masses. Whole mental attitude, is geared to supplying them with their trivial wants, satisfying their desires and disconnect urges.
 
30) Like an animal, it cannot think about itself.
 
32) Freedom must be taught, because conformism, not freedom is natural. Most education is directed to producing conditioned and behaving animals. Forster, page 123 - look it up.
 
                     
53) Becoming human is a process - not an event. 'Ape or Angel' - Mans place in nature?
                                 
54) This is the age of the anti-hero, where all heroes are exposed as cowards, liars or maniacs. An age in which individuals are told that anything unpleasant which happens to them is the fault of somebody else. What are these amoral, spiritually empty, lumps of humanity; supposed to study? Some sugary pap, which goes under the 'generic' name of "relationships". Having grasped that they are helpless tools of their appetites and social conditioning, men, and women, are expected to seek out their fellows waifs and establish some bond with them. I pity any institution forced to tell such people to leave undone that which they would rather do. See, Brian Walden, Sunday Times - 21st Feb 1988.
                                 
55) The uneducated are not conscious of History. The rise of the West and why? The connection between - freedom and capitalism, the psychological fallacy, natural selection and selection of groups in history, or the freedom of ideas. Read again 'The Triumph of The West' and put in plain succinct language. Will the trend continue? Yes, because of, freedom of ideas?
 

Despite dreadful setbacks: vis:- ignorant youth moulded by a rapacious media. The damp squib of Socialism and Communism, the deep ignorance of the young and not so young, elitism is correct (prove this by historical example). "The masses must be whipped towards a future that only the leaders can see. Every beast is driven to the pasture with blows". The thin crust of civilization is maintained by the very few. Capacity for contempt - Lawrence, re - youth? How do ideas come by: not having to think of the next thing and a freedom from necessity (example, Greece), except: for the exceptionally experienced and intelligent who can separate themselves from 'The sleep of everyday living' and everyone's 'awful personal disasters'. This, personally and for everyone  is a difficult problem and may revolve around the correct use of time. The busy may have their brains so stimulated that a switch to 'deeper things' comes very much easier.

Mind Maps For Children "What Shall We Tell The Children?" http://www.mindmeister.com/13207398  Social science - Matrix:  mind map. Simple proper (scientific - without superstition) matrices for parents and parenting.

"We keep children safe to let them run wild" http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/personal-view/3563581/We-keep-children-safe-to-let-them-run-wild.html

5:27 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Notes
April 13

Great Britain (GB). Locked Within - The Infantile Situation.

 

http://luckyme0.spaces.live.com/blog/cns!A18BF3FCC5E126A2!3019.entry

 
 
 
UK, Parliament; (childish, esp, Local Government) Party Politics; Traditions; Monarchy; Church of England; House of Lords; Unelected Peers - Spiritual; Lawmakers, so on... : 'falls' - well within, the 'Infantile Situation' of propaganda / doctrine / dogma of 'Britishness' or 'British-ness' http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/customs/traditions.cfm
 
Growing world population will cause a "perfect storm" of food, energy and water shortages by 2030, the UK government chief scientist has warned. Prof John Beddington Global Crisis by 2030 http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7951838.stm And, www.NewScientist.com 'Meltdown'. "Forget polar bears, the rapid warming in the Arctic could be a catastrophe for us all." Fred Pearce, reports. 28th March 2008.
 

http://www.ageofstupid.net/ 'Making us all feel guilty; when really this problem (the major part of it) lies at the feet of the directors of Shell, BP, and the lack of government regulations, so on...' Ref, BBC Newsnight Review of 'The Age of Stupid'.

Hoping for change to: the political/constitutional; politician's; directors (CEO's) within the major industries - the major cause of global warming:- a 'paradigm shift' of attitude within Great Britain's 'locked and shocked' seizure (the credit crunch, banking crisis, social, moral and very stupid political corruptness) and the social infantile situation ('the infantile situation' GB). Without this paradigm shift, perhaps nothing will happen, until it is far too late for the survival of many of our children into 2030 and beyond! 

http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7996394.stm  Speaking on behalf of Eastside Climate Action, Bob Andrews said, "We don't know anything about the arrests last night. It wasn't us and we don't know who has been arrested. But if people were planning to shut [the plant] down like we tried to do two years ago then that is great news. We would fully support people taking safe and responsible action to stop carbon emissions. Ratcliffe is the third biggest single source of CO2 in the country; it has got to be closed down if we are serious about climate change." Ref, "Thinking about doing something" and you get arrested? What is going on? Or, is it another example of our worst fears coming to some fruition - the appalling spectre of 'The Thought Police' in the UK? Ref, The Dustbin Stasi. And - 'I am too frightened to go to a Demonstration'. Brave - 'New World Order Emerging' - Unelected Dictator Brown  http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ai0hXYVc9XA "People who are hungry, people who are out of a job are the stuff of which dictatorships are made" Barack Obama 'The Audacity of Hope'. Ref, Great Britain's - little Dictators: MP Gordon Brown. Released - The Power  StationProtesters http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/nottinghamshire/7997598.stm and http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/samleith/3563901/Government-plan-to-ban-criminal-memoirs-is-moronic.html and http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/8130520.stm

Telegraph.co.uk - London,England,UK
... a devalued GB pound, 2.5 million unemployed and 2 million on other ...
I am sure the twin infantile parasites Andy G and David Welch will try to
justify ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/comment/columnists/simonheffer/5653287/Into-the-red-red-red-we-sink-with-Brown.html

This once a day Google Alert is brought to you by Google...

6:31 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Socio Biology Religion

The Infantile Situation

Smacking, Beating and Drugging: Children. Private Schools - Public Schools. Sexual Abuse. Church Schools, Faith Schools, Childcare Institutions. UK.

BAFTA Award - Documentary - Chosen http://www.chosen.org.uk/ 'Selected Groomed Abused'

 

'The Making Of Them' Nick Duffell (Starvation with Kaolin and Morphine) http://books.google.co.uk/books?id=jRNVLgfJHKkC&pg=PA154&lpg=PA154&dq=Preparatory+School.+Kaolin+and+Morphine.&source=bl&ots=tVpRMR9mQj&sig=mqIWTBRqnfzXcvj7xq_sHXLv_KY&hl=en&ei=zffaSZeIM4GUjAf52YG-CA&sa=X&oi=book_result&ct=result&resnum=1 Very difficult to remember (only the blank and comforting - moments). Hundreds of girls heavily sedated in UK care homes during the 1970s and 1980s may be at risk of having children with birth defects, the BBC has found. http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7985912.stm What else went on? In the name of a, convenient - something or other: 'the mind boggles'!

At present (locked within the circle or circus), we all have to 'put up with' - 'an infantile situation'.
The Infantile Situation
'Becoming human is a process and not some event'
(martyrdom and unseen libidinal ties)
 
   "In every primitive (anthropological anomie/anomy - anomic, bricoleurs or Bricolage - pre-logical) tribe we find the medicine man in the centre of society and it is easy to show that the medicine man (sometimes: a leader, politician, doctor, evangelist, priest... celebrity or royal, i.e., one who knows what is best for all others) is either a neurotic or a psychotic or at least that his art is based on the same mechanisms as a neurosis or a psychosis. Human groups are actuated by their group ideals, and these are always based on the infantile situation. The infancy situation is modified or inverted by the process of maturation, again modified by the necessary adjustment to reality, yet it is there and supplies those unseen libidinal ties without which no human groups could exist. The medicine men are the leaders in this infantile game and the lightning conductors of common anxiety. They fight the demons so that others can hunt the pray and in general fight reality." ('fight reality', as reality (science) could be most unpalatable, to most or some people: depending on their culture and education i.e., knowledge of reality, not - 'myth or theology', superstition...so on...) Geza Roheim 'The Origin and Function of Culture'. Ref, modern - Christian (Sainthood and Martyrs) and Islamic or Muslim - 'rewards' of/in/being (a) martyr, or the martyrising of something or someone) 'martyrdom and unseen libidinal ties': others in folk tales, Dawkins's 'Hoodwink'd with Faery Fancy', so on... At that time the disciples came to Jesus and asked, “Who is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven?” He called a little child and had him stand among them. And he said: “I tell you the truth, unless you change and become like little children, you will never enter the kingdom of heaven. Therefore, whoever humbles himself like this child is the greatest in the kingdom of heaven. And whoever welcomes a little child like this in my name welcomes me. Matthew 18:1-5. Ref, 'The protracted helplessness of the new born and the consequent uncritical submissiveness to authority'.
 
 
Chilling - now, trust your GP, Psychiatrist, Mental Health Messiah, Police, Government, Social Care Institution, Child Care Institution, and of course, the very famous 'Dustbin Stasi' interpreters of Anti-Terror Legislation; with a human, veterinary, custom made - psychotropic immobiliser injection! Ref, BBC Radio4 Today an interview with someone who had had one, and she explained exactly what this felt like! http://news.bbc.co.uk/today/hi/today/newsid_7982000/7982021.stm
 
 
Notes: Keeping us all safe and doing their jobs? Or, just fighting the (imaginary) demons, at some immense cost?  http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/england/hampshire/7987398.stm And, http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk/7990719.stm "Political Spin" - 'Put forth a 'closed system of logic and an authoritarian structure that permits no feedback' and refuses to be modified except by leadership approval or executive order. The group has a top-down, pyramid structure.  The leaders must have verbal ways of never losing'. Ref, Stanley Milgram http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Milgram_experiment - Torture - Rendition - Social/Culture (Stress) - Kettle-ing. Video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=PhLAxKWj75s&feature=related 'Playground for Faith and Belief' in the UK - Children (behaviour and religio/political pawns) Politics, UK http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/uk_politics/7991409.stm The Unloved
 
UK Parliament; Party Politics; Traditions; Monarchy; Church of England; House of Lords; Lawmaking; so on... : falls - well within, the 'Infantile Situation' http://www.parliament.uk/about/how/role/customs/traditions.cfm

4:53 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Socio Biology Religion
April 10

Talking about BBC NEWS | Education | Teachers to vote on Sats boycott

Union leaders say the tests are damaging to pupils and demean staff.

 
 
"Just think about what a real education for these children would involve. It would start by giving a child an understanding of himself, his world, his culture, his community. That's the starting point of any educational process. That's what makes a child hungry to learn - the promise of being part of something, of mastering his environment." Barack Obama. Ref, 'Primitive Britain'.
 
"Teaching is a vocation and not a profession. The child was not invented for educational systems, but educational systems invented for the child. If you would encourage the pupil to increased growth by your knowledge, you must both love it and know it well, and your pupils will love both the knowledge and yourself, and you will benefit them. But if you yourself do not love it, then, no matter by what means you force them to learn, your knowledge will have no educative influence at all". Tolstoy - 'Education and Culture'.
 
Also, "As soon as man reaches the highest degree of development (in Tolstoy's case it was just 32 years of age), he sees that all is bunkum and deceit; and that the truth, which he values above all, is terrible: that when you look at it well and clearly you awake with horror!" "Eventually, my rejection of authority spilled into self-indulgence and self-destructiveness, and by the time I enrolled in College, I'd begun to see how any challenge to convention harbored within it the possibility of its own excesses and its own orthodoxy". Barack Obama 'The Audacity of Hope'.
 
Who takes what - what for? Who is more trustworthy, your teachers, or your government (Quangoes)? http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/2994018.stm Ref, Quangoes of Religiosity UK. QCA - over education and over religiosity.
 
The Infantile Situation (again, see below: can one, ever: get away from (it) - this, locked within the 'infantile situation') - legal dispute over Sats tests http://news.bbc.co.uk/1/hi/education/7993264.stm
6:29 PM | Permalink | Blog it | Socio Biology Religion
 

Profile

Lizzy and Charles. Christopher and Amelia.

Location
Dorchester. Dorset. England.
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First family, second marriage, bringing up my ten year old twins, a boy and a girl.
I am a third generation Humanist, who has some old information and notes-collected over many years. Someone may find articles interesting or helpful. They could bring someone back to a little 'reality' after being 'shocked', and even 'brainwashed' by a malicious group or institution (REBT Therapy). People should know better than to do this to our young and vulnerable! Go to easily accessible, non-superstitious knowledge - that is not charlatanism! The blog has given me an incentive to order my thoughts, learn, and read up again, after a few non-thinking years of (silly) imagination and passion. Why not get your own key to a 'door' and customise it to suit you on your own? Don't believe or be led by someone else's, inherited, stupid and totally preposterous reality. Only some interest in the 'big questions' (above) keeps life above the 'level of a farce' and little else! KEEP THINKING! Some - 'articles' may need correcting.
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Some Books
Important Books - mostly of current interests.
The Double Helix: A Personal Account of the Discovery of the Structure of DNA
The Making of Them: The British Attitude to Children and the Boarding School System
Bad Science
The War for Children's Minds
Blood and Sand
Maybe Yes, Maybe No: A Guide for Young Skeptics
Gangster Capitalism: The United States and the Global Rise of Organized Crime
The Audacity of Hope: Thoughts on Reclaiming the American Dream
Dreams From My Father: A Story of Race and Inheritance
On Chesil Beach
Unweaving the Rainbow: Science, Delusion and the Appetite for Wonder (Penguin Press Science)
Globalization and Egalitarian Redistribution
50 People Who Buggered Up Britain
The Doors of Perception: And Heaven and Hell
The Story of Childhood: Growing Up in Modern Britain
The Children of Hurin
And Another Thing: The World According to Clarkson: v. 2
STORIES, ESSAYS, AND POEMS (EVERYMAN\'S LIBRARY NO. 935)
The Second Plane: September 11, 2001-2007
The Domestication of the Human Species
Prehistory: The Making Of The Human Mind: The Making of the Human Mind
Quantum Theory Cannot Hurt You
by 
Northern Lights
Next
Snakes with Wings and Gold-digging Ants (Great Journeys)
The God Delusion
Wellington
by 
by 
A Brief History Of Time
A Man On The Moon
A Separate Reality
by 
Before The Beginning
Being Human
Captain Scott
Civilisation: A Personal View
Contact
Cosmos
Desert Queen
Dragonfly
Genome
A History of the English-Speaking Peoples, Volume 1: The Birth of Britain
History Of The Peloponnesian War
How Art Made The World
Jonathan Livingston Seagull
King Arthur And His Knights
Life
Of Molecules and Men (Life Science (Great Minds))
Life on Earth: A Natural History
Magic Universe
Nineteen Eighty-Four
Prisoner's Dilemma
River Out Of Eden: A Darwinian View of Life (Science Masters)
Seasons of Life: Prose and Poetry for Secular Ceremonies and Private Reflection
Meeting Life: Writings and Talks on Finding Your Path Without Retreating from Society
The Ancestor's Tale
The Ascent of Man
The Blank Slate
The Da Vinci Code
by 
The Demon Haunted World
The Diving-Bell and the Butterfly (Stranger Than...)
Doors of Perception and Heaven and Hell
by 
The Double Helix
The Emerging Mind
The Fabric of the Cosmos
The Great War For Civilisation The Conquest Of The Middle East
The Hero With A Thousand Faces
The Histories
The History Of Western Philosophy
The Kindness of Strangers
The Lord of The Rings (Based on the 50th Anniversary Single volume edition 2004)
Making of Mankind
The Odyssey
by 
The Origin
The Perfumed Garden (Wordsworth Classic Erotica)
The Politics of Ecstasy
The Prophet
The Road To Serfdom
The Republic of Plato
by 
The Sixth Extinction
The Skeptical Environmentalist
The War Of The World
Thinking In Education
This Thing of Darkness
Through a Universe Darkly: A Cosmic Tale of Ancient Ethers, Dark Matter and the Fate of the Universe
To Have or to be?