Category: Bruce Halen’s Beliefs

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

The justification of this belief begins with the rather large assumption that there is a divine. This “divine” is the sum total of absolutely everything that our finite minds can comprehend. Everything that is, was and ever will be is the sum total of “the” divine.

To even begin to define “the” or “divine” is well beyond my neural capacity or the intended defense of my beliefs. It is probably also unnecessary to defend my beliefs with someone else’s beliefs. Second hand beliefs do not provide a rational defense of my own beliefs.

So let’s move on to “all souls and matter.” In order to justify this claim, I found it necessary to look up a few thoughts on what is actually meant by the word “soul.” I found a five minute video from physicist Sabine Hossenfelder that captures the gist of this belief statement.

In this video, Hossenfelder makes the point that all things can be explained through particle physics. This is the foundational concept on which I base this belief. I’ll leave it at that.

New Banner ready for rally, freeway overpass and street use. Inspired by the song “Love Wins” by Mel Washington and Wyatt Durrett which I got to sing at church about a month ago. Banner design by Paul Ender.

https://newslit.org/

Before you go on, an article in the May 8 & May 22 issue of Science News ran with a cover "Awash in Deception:  How science can help us avoid being duped by misinformation."  In the lead article titled: "The Battle Against Fake News," Alexandra Witze presents five suggestions on how to debunk bad information.  They come from the News Literacy Project (see the above link).

How to Debunk:

1.  Arm yourself with media literacy skills, at sites such as the News Literacy Project (newslit.org), to better understand how to spot hoax videos and stories.

2.  Don't stigmatize people for holding inaccurate beliefs.  Show empathy and respect, or you're more likely to alienate your audience than successfully share accurate information.

3.  Translate complicated but true ideas into simple messages that are easy to grasp.  Videos, graphics and other visual aids can help.

4.  When possible, once you provide a factual alternative to the misinformation, explain the underlying fallacies (such as cherry- picking information, a common tactic of climate change deniers.

5.  Mobilize when you see misinformation being shared on social media as soon as possible. If you see something, say something.

"Misinformation is any information that is incorrect, whether due to error or fake news.  

"Disinformation is deliberately intended to deceive."

"Propaganda is disinformation with a political agenda."

Sander van der Linden
Social Psychologist
University of Cambridge

Source:  Science News/May 8, 2021 & May 22, 2021

Now the hard part begins. How do I justify what I believe. My gut tells me that I shouldn’t have to justify what I believe. It is what I believe.

But, if I leave it there and take the easy way out, then people that believe that the January 6, 2021 attack on the U.S. Capital was a peaceful tour of the grounds could use the same argument to justify what they did as simply “what they believed” to be true.

So, as my philosopher friend Glenn reminds me, it is necessary to take a rational, scientific evidenced-based look at each of the beliefs that I included in my Personal Theology a few weeks ago.

This is going to take some time, but I think it will be time well spent. I would rather continue to voice my opinions on the latest adventures in political fiction, but none of those opinions would be any better justified than the opinions that I disagree with already. Maybe any subsequent opinions that I share will have a glimmer of relevance that they didn’t have before.

I’ll start with my first belief statement stated in the title of this posting: “I believe that all people regardless of race, intelligence, religion, age or anything else that other humans may create to try and divide them, are created equally in the eyes of the divine.”

I didn’t exactly start with the easiest one. It is my desire to come up with increasingly robust supporting evidence for my beliefs. But, here’s my first draft on Belief #1.

Evidence

1. Unitarian Universalism, the religious community of my choice, has Seven Guiding Principles. I site the first of those principles to begin my defense of my first belief. Unitarian Universalist congregations affirm and promote the inherent worth and dignity of every person.
2. The second guiding principle of Unitarian Universalists is justice, equity and compassion in human relations.
3. The concept of “the divine” is widely accepted among religious believers and non-religious believers. It has many forms and many names, but theists and atheists alike acknowledge the presence of “the divine” in their own ways.