When are we justified in thinking that we “know: something?: A Case Study regarding Martha Beck and “Leaving the Saints”

I posted something this morning at http://www.exmormon.org/boards/w-agor… relative to Beck and her well-worth-reading book. A little while ago I received an email form someone whose views I respect politely taking me to task for some aspects of what I said there. Since I think that my response outlines some things that are important regarding how we…

Personal Mythologies And The DSM – IV

One of the projects I have had going for some time is that of putting together a manual for people undergoing the crisis of conservative or fundamentalist religious faith through which I went a few years ago. Hence, when I run across material that is relevant to that topic, I file it away. Last night…

A Summary Of How Denial Works

I am pulling together my notes on this topic, and am trying to synthesize them into a set of working principles that is short and simple enough for me to remember. I would be grateful to anyone who cares to read this and tell me if they can think of any areas of research that…

Mormonism’s Response To Secularization

This is a contribution I made recently to a science and religion list on which I participate. All the best, bob My continued reading here confirms that I have far more to learn than to contribute to those of you who have been at this science and religion stuff much longer than have I. Thank…

Review Of Michael Ruse’s Mysteries Of Mysteries – Is Evolution A Social Construction?

Review of Michael Ruse’s “Mysteries of Mysteries – Is Evolution a Social Construction?” bob mccue July 26, 2005 A friend asked some time ago that I write a review of Michael Ruse’s (“Michael”) book “Mysteries of Mysteries – Is Evolution a Social Construction?” (“Mystery”) and post it to a science list on which we both…

Comparative Apologetics

One of the last barriers I had to jump on my way out of Mormonism might be called the “Smart Mormon” hurdle. As one approaches it, the hurdle looks like this: There are so many really smart Mormons who believe Mormonism is “true”. The smart Mormons are much smarter and better educated than I am.…

The Joy Of Determinism – The Old Freewill V. Determinism Debate

For this interested in the long story, see the thread at http://www.aimoo.com/forum/po….. The thread was started by the observation that a prominent scientist said at a recent conference that she found that ditching free will was itself immensely “freeing”. That is, she felt that be adopting a deterministic mindset (that all of her actions were determined…