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Jan. 21st, 2010 10:58 pm![[personal profile]](https://www.dreamwidth.org/img/silk/identity/user.png){kind=small}
dreamer_easyI have the rampaging thoughts tonight. Parking some of them here, just to get them out of my system.
1. Bullying is not a useful way of opposing racism, sexism, and other bigotry. In particular, social aggression between girls and women - malicious gossip, ridicule, exclusion - is profoundly anti-woman, a byproduct of patriarchy. It should not be confused with, nor is it justified by, honest anger, frustration, assertiveness, disagreement: things which girls and women are taught to suppress, but which are the real tools for dismantling oppression. Bullying will slow and confuse our efforts until online progressives reject it.
2. Why am I not an atheist? I'm a naturalist and a rationalist, so why am I up to my elbows in gods? Is this something to do with how the human brain makes sense of the world through narrative?
3. Dear Mr Dawkins et al, regardless of how much praying I and others may do during takeoff, the Bernoulli Effect is not magic. Please make a note of this.
4. The Ten Commandment Boogie helpfully reminds us that the Bible is "full of incredible tools". Surely you cannot be down-with-the-kids while simultaneously pastiching "Kokomo".
1. Bullying is not a useful way of opposing racism, sexism, and other bigotry. In particular, social aggression between girls and women - malicious gossip, ridicule, exclusion - is profoundly anti-woman, a byproduct of patriarchy. It should not be confused with, nor is it justified by, honest anger, frustration, assertiveness, disagreement: things which girls and women are taught to suppress, but which are the real tools for dismantling oppression. Bullying will slow and confuse our efforts until online progressives reject it.
2. Why am I not an atheist? I'm a naturalist and a rationalist, so why am I up to my elbows in gods? Is this something to do with how the human brain makes sense of the world through narrative?
3. Dear Mr Dawkins et al, regardless of how much praying I and others may do during takeoff, the Bernoulli Effect is not magic. Please make a note of this.
4. The Ten Commandment Boogie helpfully reminds us that the Bible is "full of incredible tools". Surely you cannot be down-with-the-kids while simultaneously pastiching "Kokomo".
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Date: 2010-01-21 03:29 pm (UTC)Oh, and Balaam. He was a tool too. That poor donkey.
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Date: 2010-01-21 03:33 pm (UTC)Oh, and this, yes. When I try to criticize it I'm told that anger should not be suppressed and that people who are angry shouldn't soften their blows. I agree with that, but I think bullying tactics are something separate from genuine anger and start to get more into the territory of vengeance or malice -- anger is for making someone realize that what they did was wrong, but bullying is for hurting them as much as you possibly can in order to punish them for it.
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Date: 2010-01-21 10:20 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 06:00 pm (UTC)and women - malicious gossip, ridicule, exclusion - is profoundly anti-woman, a byproduct of patriarchy
-Remember that not all us guys are like that though...
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Date: 2010-01-21 09:46 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 10:09 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 07:28 pm (UTC)I've always believed this, even though I am an atheist.
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Date: 2010-01-21 09:48 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-21 10:27 pm (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-22 12:59 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-01-22 01:03 am (UTC)Which raises the question, are the non-neurotypical (in that particular way) more or less (or equally) inclined than the norm to see God/god/gods/godesses/goddy-things-of-other-or-indeterminate-gender at work in the world...?
Anyone found any research on that? [STARTS GOOGLING]
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Date: 2010-01-23 09:25 am (UTC)no subject
Date: 2010-03-25 06:10 am (UTC)