|
|
|
|
marfknox
SFN Die Hard
USA
3739 Posts |
 Posted - 06/30/2008 : 17:34:26
|
I'm drafting a statement for people to sign on as a "voice of reason" for a local coalition of freethought/humanist/skeptic orgs. I put the below together, which I think gets across all the intellectual ideas that need to get across, but the language is stuffy IMO unappealing. I need passionate language to go with these oh so important ideas about freethinking! So I thought I'd ask you guys because on occasion, people here (I'm thinking of Kil and Dude in particular) have "preached" the virtues of skepticism with linguistic virtuoso that truly moved me.
As a voice of reason, I affirm :
Freethinking Conclusions about reality should be based on scientific inquiry and the princples of logic.
Rational Morality Ethics should be based on human needs and rational conclusions about reality.
Rejection of Logically Fallacies Appeals to authority, tradition, mysticism, religious experience, popular opinion, emotional satisfaction , conventional wisdom, or any other fallicious arguments are a poor basis for establishing truth.
Equality of Ideas Religion doesn't get a special pass. Religious claims about reality should be held to the same level of scrutiny and subject to the same type of criticism as any other claims.
I am proud of my reality-based worldview and will peacefully promote it for the betterment of society.
|
"Too much certainty and clarity could lead to cruel intolerance" -Karen Armstrong
Check out my art store: http://www.marfknox.etsy.com
|
|
|
Valiant Dancer
Forum Goalie
USA
4826 Posts |
Posted - 06/30/2008 : 18:50:29 [Permalink]
|
Originally posted by marfknox
I'm drafting a statement for people to sign on as a "voice of reason" for a local coalition of freethought/humanist/skeptic orgs. I put the below together, which I think gets across all the intellectual ideas that need to get across, but the language is stuffy IMO unappealing. I need passionate language to go with these oh so important ideas about freethinking! So I thought I'd ask you guys because on occasion, people here (I'm thinking of Kil and Dude in particular) have "preached" the virtues of skepticism with linguistic virtuoso that truly moved me.
As a voice of reason, I affirm :
Freethinking Conclusions about reality should be based on scientific inquiry and the princples of logic.
Rational Morality Ethics should be based on human needs and rational conclusions about reality.
Rejection of Logically Fallacies Appeals to authority, tradition, mysticism, religious experience, popular opinion, emotional satisfaction , conventional wisdom, or any other fallicious arguments are a poor basis for establishing truth.
Equality of Ideas Religion doesn't get a special pass. Religious claims about reality should be held to the same level of scrutiny and subject to the same type of criticism as any other claims.
I am proud of my reality-based worldview and will peacefully promote it for the betterment of society.
|
Situational Ethics - I note that life is not black and white but instead various shades of grey. There are exceedingly few universal bad acts and morality evolves with a society.
|
Cthulhu/Asmodeus when you're tired of voting for the lesser of two evils
Brother Cutlass of Reasoned Discussion |
 |
|
|
Dude
SFN Die Hard
USA
6891 Posts |
Posted - 07/01/2008 : 21:22:57 [Permalink]
|
Marf said:
Freethinking Conclusions about reality should be based on scientific inquiry and the princples of logic.
Rational Morality Ethics should be based on human needs and rational conclusions about reality.
Rejection of Logically Fallacies Appeals to authority, tradition, mysticism, religious experience, popular opinion, emotional satisfaction , conventional wisdom, or any other fallicious arguments are a poor basis for establishing truth.
Equality of Ideas Religion doesn't get a special pass. Religious claims about reality should be held to the same level of scrutiny and subject to the same type of criticism as any other claims.
|
Sounds good to me.
| (I'm thinking of Kil and Dude in particular) |
And here I thought you hated me! 
|
Ignorance is preferable to error; and he is less remote from the truth who believes nothing, than he who believes what is wrong.
-- Thomas Jefferson
"god :: the last refuge of a man with no answers and no argument." - G. Carlin
Hope, n.
The handmaiden of desperation; the opiate of despair; the illegible signpost on the road to perdition. ~~ da filth |
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
Feeling inspired? Need better words.
