Witchcraft and the like.

AHR

I'd buy a book on witchcraft, just to read what was in it.

MadassAlex

Plus one to that.

Witchcraft is interesting, real or not.

Radd

@Forzare

Where does Christianity break the laws of Thermodynamics?

glennmagusharvey

Today, while buying a dubbed animé DVD set, the person in front of
me--who, through hearing her talk with the cashier, was an otaku--was
buying imported Japanese DVDs.

I cannot fathom for the
life of me, why anyone would ever want to get into foreign-language imports, or anything similar. It's utterly retarded, stupid,
completely insane, and a waste of time.

This is
not my sub-hating side speaking. This is my rationalist side. Because subs/Region 2/whatever the fuck should not exist. There are no boundaries to stories. You cannot change yourself from a stupid idiot who
doesn't know foreign languages into a fluent speaker. You cannot spread your appreciation to other people in the slightest. Not to mention that most of these "subs" break the immersive effect of watching a TV show. Any effects you see are wishful thinking effects
your dumbass mind created because you can't take the two seconds to
rationally think and realize that it's all snake-oil. And that you're an
idiot.

If these "subs" were actually good, then why is
there no scientific review of it? And I mean respected, peer-reviewed
research. Not stuff you and your friends did to prove that "subs" are good. Sorry, it doesn't. We have principles of psychology, sure. But that's
it.

I, of course, did not say this to this
woman, because I didn't want to get into an argument and ruin the mood
of the other shoppers. I instead focused on the frickin' huge Rei Ayanami figurine nearby.

Rei

I instead focused on the frickin' huge Rei Ayanami figurine nearby.

Was it This one if I may ask?

glennmagusharvey

Tooootally.

Forzare

^^^ I lol'd heartily.

@Radd: I wasn't making the point that Christianity sucks.  I was making the point that he was being hypocritical, because just about everything he said could be said by a non-believer about Christianity.

Radd

OK, but even still he had a point there. The "spells" break the laws of physics. Miracles don't.

AHR

"A miracle is an event attributed to divine intervention. Sometimes an event is also attributed (in part) to a miracle worker, saint, or religious leader. A miracle is sometimes thought of as a perceptible interruption of the laws of nature."

Gelzo

Let me just say that prayer is equally stupid.

Yeah, okay, let's get on our knees and beg the omnipotent, omniscient, omnibenevolent being for X thing to change. I'm sure that will influence its infinitely wise and benevolent decision-making process.

Radd

Laws of Physics =/= Laws of Nature

Vorpy

^ It's like crossing your fingers. Doesn't hurt anyone.

It's like getting angry at the people who pop up on the VH1's dumbest criminals videos.

Gelzo

Doesn't hurt anyone =/= Is helpful and important to do

Vorpy

Not helpful or important to do + doesn't involve you in any way = bad?

Gelzo

= establishes a bad precedent = kinda bad, though not really worth whining about as much as the more blatantly harmful stuff

Vorpy

I am praying for you Gelzo. Wh4t now?

Forzare

^ oh snap

Gelzo

Yeah, doesn't affect me, but it's still silly.

AHR

Gelzo: You have forgotten the psychological benefits that can come from prayer and what else have you.

IanExMachina

Taken from NewScientist:

Prayers found ineffective in speeding recovery

Praying for someone might give you hope, but it won't help them recover from heart surgery. It may even harm them. That's the surprising result from a multi-year clinical trial on the therapeutic effects of prayer.

Herbert Benson and Jeffery Dusek of the Mind/Body Medical Institute at Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center in Chestnut Hill, Massachusetts, and their colleagues followed the fates of 1802 patients undergoing coronary bypass operations. Several Christian prayer groups prayed for one set of patients, while another did not receive any prayers. Although all these patients knew they were in the trial, neither they nor their doctors knew which of the groups they were in.

The prayers made no detectable difference. In the first month after surgery, 52 per cent of prayed-for patients and 51 per cent of non-prayed-for patients suffered one or more complications, the researchers found (American Heart Journal, vol 151, p 934).

A third group of patients received the same prayers as the first group, but were told they were being prayed for. Of these, 59 per cent suffered complications - significantly more than the patients left unsure of whether they were receiving prayers.

The researchers have no explanation for this result, but Mitchell Krukoff at Duke University School of Medicine in Durham, North Carolina, suggests that the burden of knowing they were being prayed for may have put added stress on these patients after their surgery.

AHR

Like I said, psychological.

IanExMachina

Oh I'm not disagreeing about there only being psychological affects of prayer, I just thought it might be somewhat interesting and relevant.

Chagen

Maybe I am interally biased towards Christianity, but I don't think Prayer does much anyway. It's almost kind of selfish in my opinion.

glennmagusharvey

Today, while buying Sarah Palin's newest book, the person in front of me--who, through hearing her talk with the cashier, was a union worker--was buying books on liberalism.

I cannot fathom for the life of me, why anyone would ever want to get into liberalism or progressivism, or anything similar. It's utterly retarded, stupid, completely insane, and a waste of time.

This is not my American side speaking. This is my rationalist side. Because liberalism/progressivism/whatever the fuck doesn't not work. There are not socioeconomic ideals around. You cannot change yourself from a delusional idiot who believes this crap into a successful policymaker. You cannot influence other people in the slightest. Not to mention that most of these "policies" violate the Constitution. Any effects you see are placebo effects your liberal mind created because you can't take the two seconds to rationally think and realize that it's all snake-oil. And that you're an idiot.

If this liberalism worked, then why do rich people not agree with it? And I mean respected, successful rich people. Not stuff you and your friends did to prove that liberalism works. Sorry, it doesn't. We have the laws of economics, sure. But that's it.

I, of course, did not say this to this woman, because I didn't want to get into an argument and ruin the mood of the other shoppers. I instead focused on the frickin' huge stack of Rush Limbaugh Show casettes.

Gelzo

The presence of psychological benefits of believing something false doesn't excuse it in my opinion, and I think there's usually a secular replacement for these things.

For example, I think they might be able to get similar results to being told people are praying for you as being told about all the people who love you and hope you recover well. On a personal level, I think meditation is supposed to do some of the same demonstrable things prayer does.

AHR

Ian: Well, it certainly was, heheh

Chagen

"The presence of psychological benefits of believing something false doesn't excuse it in my opinion, and I think there's usually a secular replacement for these things."

False, in your opinion. But if you want to continue your dreams of cultural genocide, go ahead.

This is why I really wanna stop callin myself a rationalist. They're just too boring

Forzare

But if you want to continue your dreams of cultural genocide, go ahead.

cultural genocide

Radd

I disagree with Gelzo, but "cultural genocide" isn't what he's saying we do.

Gelzo

I don't mind being boring if it means having a more accurate understanding of the world.