Episode 57 – Feminism, Syed Soharwardy and Asshat Awards

Posted on April 8, 2013 by Randy

Welcome to another episode of the Legion of Reason! It’s been a few weeks, I was croaking like a chorus of frogs and I figured that no one wanted to hear that, if they want to hear me at all, and last week I was the only one available and again, I don’t think anyone would be terribly interested in listening to me talk to myself. I couldn’t do this podcast without my co-hosts.

Anyway, Kris, Twylla, Haysn and I discuss the response from Imam Syed Soharwardy to the recent Islamist terrorist attack in Algeria in which two Canadians participated (http://www NULL.sunnewsnetwork NULL.ca/sunnews/canada/archives/2013/04/20130403-182657 NULL.html). The good imam is clearly in denial about the relationship between fundamentalis Islam and religion-based terrorism. We discuss with bemusement a recent poll which asked American voters their opinions on the validity of various popular conspiracy theories (http://www NULL.publicpolicypolling NULL.com/main/2013/04/conspiracy-theory-poll-results- NULL.html). And we announce our intention to create our own version of the JREF’s Pigassus Awards (http://www NULL.randi NULL.org/site/index NULL.php/jref-news/2074-jrefs-pigasus-awards-honors-dubious-peddlers-of-woo NULL.html) – the inaugural annual “White Ass-hat Awards”. There are various categories of asshattery, religious and nonreligious in nature, and we will be taking nominations from our listeners in each category. We will announce the winners in a couple of weeks! The episode ends with a bit of inspirational music from that great British satirical television program Spitting Image.

I want to remind people that on April 30 we will be visited by the incomparable George Hrab for an evening of skepticism and music at Ten Nightclub. You can get your tickets to that at Eventbrite, (http://cfiyychrab NULL.eventbrite NULL.ca/#) and even save a couple of bucks using the promo code hidden somewhere in this episode! There are also apparently still some tickets (and even hotel space!) available for INR3 in Kamploops May 17-19 (http://imaginenoreligion NULL.ca/). So, those still on the fence had best make a move if they want to attend. Another name has been recently added to the speaker list, Peter Boghossian, instructor of philosophy at Portland State University and author of “Street Epistemology: A Manual for Creating Atheists” that will be coming out soon. That weekend is going to be a blast and you’ll regret having missed it if you aren’t there!

But first, we tackle a topic that seems to be raging through the skeptic and atheist movements – feminism. To quote a Talking Heads tune, “My God! What have I done?”

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Episode 56 – Parenting Beyond Belief with Dale McGowan

Posted on March 18, 2013 by Randy

In this episode we have a guest co-host in Dale McGowan (http://www NULL.parentingbeyondbelief NULL.com/), author of a number of books on raising children in a godless manner, including Parenting Beyond Belief (http://www NULL.parentingbeyondbelief NULL.com/) and Raising Freethinkers (http://www NULL.amazon NULL.com/Raising-Freethinkers-Practical-Parenting-Beyond/dp/0814410960/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&qid=1363581624&sr=8-1&keywords=dale+mcgowan). Our panel of Helen, Kris, Haysn and I ask about raising nonbelieving children. Afterwards, we engage in a new game called “Who Said Dat?” where I give quotes relating to the theme of the day and my cohosts have to guess who it is attributed to from amongst a number of choices. In this episode, the theme is the recently popified cardinal Jorge Bergoglio. We had fun with this one!

George Hrab, fab musician and host of the Geologic Podcast, will be in town Tuesday, April 30! You can get your tickets for this event at Eventbrite (http://www NULL.eventbrite NULL.ca/event/5780263925/efblike#). Prices for general admission are $17 and $12 for CFI members. You can also donate a ticket to a starving University of Calgary Freethinking for $8. But wait! There’s more! By entering the exclusive promo code that can only be found listening to the Legion of Reason podcast you can shave $2 off of what is already a great deal for a fantastic night of music and skepticism!

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Episode 55 – Potpourri

Posted on March 14, 2013 by Randy

Welcome to yet another episode of the Legion of Reason! In this installment, Kris, Haysn and I discuss a myriad of topics: Muslim nurses in the UK are allowed to compromise hygiene in favor of ‘modesty’ (http://www NULL.telegraph NULL.co NULL.uk/health/healthnews/7576357/Muslim-staff-escape-NHS-hygiene-rule NULL.html), Lawrence Krauss (who we interviewed in Episode 8) nearly walks out of debate with Muslims at University College London because of gender segregated seating (http://www NULL.examiner NULL.com/article/lawrence-krauss-nearly-walks-out-of-islam-debate-over-segregation), William Lame Craig’s visit to the University of Calgary (http://www NULL.faithbeyondbelief NULL.ca/events/2013_be_ready/overview NULL.html), Christopher Hitchens’ painting of Mother Teresa as less than a saint is vindicated in a new journal article examining the PR surrounding her (http://sir NULL.sagepub NULL.com/content/early/2013/01/15/0008429812469894), “dirty dozen” list of cardinals (http://www NULL.vaticancrimes NULL.us/2013/03/snaps-dirty-dozen-list-papabile-who NULL.html) with dubious involvement in the ongoing child molestation claims is released by a victims’ advocate group, an antivaccination group is presenting a ‘conference’ on the campus of Simon Fraser University (http://www NULL.ctvnews NULL.ca/health/b-c-university-criticized-for-hosting-anti-vaccine-summit-1 NULL.1193586) and the Vatican joins forces with Iran to fight a UN resolution denouncing violence against women (http://www NULL.theglobeandmail NULL.com/news/world/vatican-joins-iran-resists-un-effort-to-fight-violence-against-women/article9281726/). But first, it would have been Douglas Adams’ 61st birthday this week, and I’d like to start with the reading of a quote from him given by Richard Dawkins at his eulogy:

Imagine a puddle waking up one morning and thinking, “This is an interesting world I find myself in — an interesting hole I find myself in — fits me rather neatly, doesn’t it? In fact it fits me staggeringly well, must have been made to have me in it!” This is such a powerful idea that as the sun rises in the sky and the air heats up and as, gradually, the puddle gets smaller and smaller, it’s still frantically hanging on to the notion that everything’s going to be alright, because this world was meant to have him in it, was built to have him in it; so the moment he disappears catches him rather by surprise. I think this may be something we need to be on the watch out for. We all know that at some point in the future the Universe will come to an end and at some other point, considerably in advance from that but still not immediately pressing, the sun will explode. We feel there’s plenty of time to worry about that, but on the other hand that’s a very dangerous thing to say.

Eat that, William Lame Craig.

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Ode to Change

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Randy

T’was the night before conclave
And in a small part of Rome
The cardinals were busy
Deciding who’d call it ‘home’.

The chimney was built
on the roof with great care
In the hopes that white smoke
would soon appear there.

With the cardinals locked in
The voting began.
Black smoke upon black smoke,
Out the chimney it ran.

The crowd was despondent,
Sad and dejected,
‘Cause for none save other Catholics
Is this choice respected.

For the rest it was moot,
All choices were bad-
Twelfth century thinking,
With none sane to be had.

But Lo! There’s white smoke-
A choice has been made!
The crowd outside rejoiced,
No longer afraid!

But the new pope was diff’rent,
Admits all is wrong
And urges the faithful
To sing a new song.

“The sexes are equal!”,
The new pope decreed.
“To think not but else,
T’is folly indeed!”

“The priests that harmed children,
Their sins stand for all time,
Will face trial with the bishops
Who shielded such crime.”

“Condoms and AIDS,
We were wrong with that trope.
Safe sex just makes sense,
That last pope was a dope!”

“And who the hell cares
If gay couples be wed-
Love is what matters,
Not who’s who in the bed!”

“Finally, faith lacking evidence
Is silly for certain!
We should all be like Dorothy
And draw back that curtain!”

But this fancy must end,
As all fancies do.
Back to reality
And the harm popes accrue.

It’s sad and depressing
This is but a fictional scene,
And that in the real world
We can but hope, wish and dream.

– Randy Tyson

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Episode 54 – David Diskin and Camp Quest

Posted on March 13, 2013 by Randy

Welcome to the Legion of Reason! I apologize for my tardiness in getting this episode out. In the first segue of this episode we discuss comments made at the University of Lethbridge by Tom Flanagan, a now former University of Calgary political science professor who was also an advisor to the right-wing Alberta Wild Rose Party, conservative commentator for one of the major television networks and former advisor to the Office of the Prime Minister. We look at the political scrambling by everyone associated with him following his comment that perhaps people who view child porn should not be jailed simply on the basis of their poor taste (http://www NULL.ctvnews NULL.ca/video?clipId=875244). He said it, not me. In another story, the Supreme Court of Canada finally came out with their decision in the Bill Whatcott case in which Whatcott was charged with violating Saskatchewan human rights codes by distributing anti-gay propoganda (http://www NULL.ctvnews NULL.ca/video?clipId=874309). And in the last segment, we talk to David Diskin of Camp Quest (http://www NULL.campquest NULL.org/). We explore what it would take to start a Camp Quest here in Calgary and we hope that some of our listeners would be interested in starting one.

But first, the world has seen a new pope this day. And two episodes further down I’m sure there will be comments on Pope Francis and his “conservative” (read: bigoted) views. I wrote a poem in celebration of the event. It’s kind of Dr. Seuss meets “T’was the Night Before Christmas” meets, well, me. It represents my hopes (barring dissolution of the Roman Catholic Church) that real change can happen. And pigs will fly.

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Episode 53 – The Office of Religious Freedom. Again.

Posted on February 28, 2013 by Randy

Welcome back listeners! Later on in this episode of The Legion of Reason we have one of Kris’ interviews from last year. This time the subject is David Niose (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/David_Niose), currently the president of the Secular Coalition for America (http://secular NULL.org/) and past president of the American Humanist Association (http://www NULL.americanhumanist NULL.org/). He is also the author of Nonbeliever Nation: The Rise of Secular Americans (http://www NULL.amazon NULL.ca/Nonbeliever-Nation-Rise-Secular-Americans/dp/023033895X). We also shoot the bull as we discuss in a totally unscheduled session about how each of us arrived at where we are in terms of our atheist activism, explore the latest rumor surrounding the resignation of Pope Palpatine (http://www NULL.guardian NULL.co NULL.uk/world/2013/feb/21/pope-retired-amid-gay-bishop-blackmail-inquiry), and discuss the recent inauguration of the Office of Religious Freedom (http://www NULL.cbc NULL.ca/news/politics/story/2013/02/19/pol-ambassdor-office-religious-freedom-announced NULL.html), its first Ambassador-at-large and why we think it’s bad idea from the get-go. First off, though, we answer a great email from one of our listeners.

Links:
Andrew Bennett’s anti-secular world view (http://globalbrief NULL.ca/blog/2011/02/18/what-role-for-faith-in-21st-century-politics/)
Foreign Affairs Minister John Baird’s troubling remarks that atheist/agnostics not worth the same protections from the ORF (http://www NULL.theglobeandmail NULL.com/commentary/letters/the-conversation-feb-23-letters-and-other-talking-points-of-the-week/article8988893/)
More troubling remarks from John Baird… (http://www NULL.international NULL.gc NULL.ca/media/aff/speeches-discours/2012/05/24a NULL.aspx?view=d)
Baird’s comments in Liberty magazine (http://www NULL.libertymagazine NULL.org/index NULL.php?id=1878)

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Letter to the Office of Religious Freedom

Posted on February 25, 2013 by Randy

I admit to being very nervous about the formation of the Office of Religious Freedom. The only other such institution, which exports religious freedom from the United States, has not had a good history. It would be more accurate to call it the Office of Christian Freedom. Anyway, here is the letter (click on the image) that I mentioned writing in the next episode in response to the inauguration of the ORF by Prime Minister Stephen Harper and his choice for its Ambassador-at-large. Comments (helpful ones) are welcome! If you are Peter Pan, get lost.

ScreenHunter_21 Feb. 25 13.17

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Episode 52 – Ozzie Zehner, Author of Green Illusions

Posted on February 24, 2013 by Randy

We have a treat for you today. In this episode, Kris and I interview Ozzie Zehner, author of Green Illusions: The Dirty Secrets of Clean Energy and the Future of Environmentalism (http://www NULL.amazon NULL.com/Green-Illusions-Secrets-Environmentalism-Sustainable/dp/0803237758). Ozzie is a visiting scholar at the UC Berkeley after attending Kettering University and the University of Amsterdam. He has written pieces for Christian Science Monitor, The American Scholar, The Humanist, The Futurist and other publications, and has appeared on PBS, BBC, CNN and MSNBC. The central thesis of Green Illusions is that we do not have an energy crisis, but a consumption crisis. We spoke to Ozzie on the phone about how alternative energy sources tend to be zero-sum and about changing our habits and culture to diminish our dependence on oil.

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Episode 51 – Bad Pope, Bad Pope… Whatcha Gonna Do?

Posted on February 19, 2013 by Randy

Well, as you might guess, the one topic this week that we explore is the abdication and legacy of Pope Benedict XVI. Not a good one, I fear. From the policy of obfuscating justice for child victims of sexual assault to the continuation of harmful doctrine, we explore Ratzinger’s tenure in the Vatican and discuss why there may be another reason other than the official one for ending his papacy before death do him part. It will be very interesting to see what the next few weeks reveals on the matter.

Links:
Intervening in punishmet of predatory priests:
Ratzinger refuses to allow defrocking of Father Lawrence Murphy for 200 incidents of sex crimes (http://www NULL.nytimes NULL.com/2010/03/25/world/europe/25vatican NULL.html?pagewanted=all&_r=0)
Ratzinger accepts resignation of Father Marcial Maciel rather than allow prosecution for sex crimes (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Marcial_Maciel)
Ratzinger dismissed requests to laicize Father Stephen Kiesle after sexually abusing 11 year old (http://www NULL.nytimes NULL.com/2010/04/10/world/europe/10pope NULL.html?pagewanted=all)
Father Joseph Henn escapes house arrest in Vatican just before being extradicted to the US to face sex crime charges (http://ncronline NULL.org/blogs/all-things-catholic/priest-disappears)

Interference in sound public health policies to fight AIDS epidemic in Africa (http://news NULL.bbc NULL.co NULL.uk/2/hi/7967173 NULL.stm)

Ratzinger continued in the proud Catholic tradition of anti-gay bigotry (http://www NULL.cbsnews NULL.com/8301-202_162-57560487/pope-gay-rights-an-attack-on-traditional-family/)

Apparently, rape is not as serious a crime to the Catholic Church as abortion is (http://www NULL.time NULL.com/time/world/article/0,8599,1883598,00 NULL.html)

No change in contraception policy (http://archive NULL.lifenews NULL.com/int947 NULL.html) even though 82% of Catholics in US have no problem with it (http://www NULL.huffingtonpost NULL.com/2012/06/07/birth-control-morally-acceptable_n_1575446 NULL.html)

Defrocking of priest shows Vatican holds rape to a lower standard than not towing the line when it comes to the ordination of women (http://www NULL.huffingtonpost NULL.com/michele-somerville/light-action-sacrifice-th_b_844038 NULL.html)

Vatican Bank scandals:
Banco Ambrosiano fiasco of 1982 (http://en NULL.wikipedia NULL.org/wiki/Banco_Ambrosiano)
Money laundering allegations in 2012 (http://www NULL.spiegel NULL.de/international/europe/a-growing-vatican-bank-scandal-threatens-catholic-church-image-a-842140 NULL.html)

Pope to spend his remaining days hiding out in the Vatican to avoid prosecution (http://www NULL.examiner NULL.com/article/pope-will-remain-vatican-to-avoid-prosecution-for-child-sex-abuse)

2010 Indictment of Ratzinger for “crimes against humanity by the Center for Constitutional Rights (http://news NULL.yahoo NULL.com/abuse-victims-seek-intl-court-case-against-pope-100135627 NULL.html)
2011 Indictment of Ratzinger for “crimes against humanity” (http://www NULL.scribd NULL.com/doc/50317284/Pope-Lawsuit-2011-The-Pope-Has-Been-Indicted-In-The-International-Criminal-Court)

Scandalous popes in history (http://freetruth NULL.50webs NULL.org/C2b NULL.htm)

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Episode 50 – Avec Tracie Harris

Posted on February 10, 2013 by Randy

My wife and I were at the local Safeway today and I was perusing through the National Geographics on the magazine rack and out of the corner of my I spot one called – wait for it! – “The Law of Attraction”. You know, the whole “the secret” thing. A whole magazine dedicated to the belief that the universe gives a damn about the reader and to the proposition that if the reader would only picture good things happening to them that they will? If I think positively about a world devoid of religious belief would the universe reward me by making it so? I don’t think so.

Well, today we are in for a treat. Tracie Harris of “The Atheist Experience (http://www NULL.atheist-experience NULL.com/)” and “Godless Bitches (http://godlessbitches NULL.podbean NULL.com/)” fame is the first of what are to be many guests this year on the Legion of Reason. We had a great time chatting about her coming out as an atheist and we shared a little Canadian insanity in the form of two news items. One of those we discussed a bit last week, the letter several backbenchers sent to the RCMP requesting late term abortions be investigated as “potential murders” (http://www NULL.cbc NULL.ca/news/politics/story/2013/01/31/pol-cp-conservative-mps-rcmp-letter-abortion-homicide NULL.html). The other was the cessation of financial support from the federal government for an anti-gay faith-based organization (http://www NULL.cbc NULL.ca/news/politics/story/2013/02/10/pol-cp-anti-gay-religious-group-gets-funding-from-ottawa-to-work-in-africa NULL.html) doing relief work in anti-gay Uganda. We’re more American than we often consider.

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