Comments | beta58: B.S. Can Stand For "Bull Shit" OR "Belief System"

beta58

B.S. Can Stand For "Bull Shit" OR "Belief System"

Jan 15, 2011 14:54

Last week, an article in the Minneapolis Star Tribute "went viral", and spread through the internets from superstitious fool to superstitious fool like Dionysian Cultists passing Rabies around the campfire. I haven't seen rage and fury spread that fast since Danny Boyle's 2002 film, 28 Days Later.

"What angered so many people," you might ask, "was ( Read more... )

Comments 10

vond January 16 2011, 00:15:34 UTC

Awesome post!

About "Raising kids on Santa stories" - I think that the Santa Claus myth is actually okay in the sense of encouraging critical thinking, because nobody expects it to go on until they die. This as opposed to religions, which is what I think you were alluding to.

Of course, while I don't think that the Santa Claus myth is harmful to critical thinking, it does mean that at some point you'll have to explain why you were lying to your kids about it.

Suffice to say that as a parent I am a little conflicted about the issue :/

thepatches January 18 2011, 15:43:33 UTC

The Atheist News podcast actually had a very interesting discussion on this very subject. One guy said he's against telling the Santa lie because it's not much different from the Jesus one. One of the guys said that what he does is tells his kid that they're going to play a game, and lots of people are playing this game where we pretend that on Christmas, if we're good, a magical man will come and bring us rewards.

That way your kid knows it's not real, but plays along and can still have fun with the Santa Claus mythos.

beta58 January 19 2011, 03:11:47 UTC

If you recognize the conflict, you can at least not be accused of ignorance.

Parents that give a shit get credit for it. Parents that blindly go along get rocks thrown at them.

thepatches January 18 2011, 15:39:17 UTC

Fucking. Brilliant.

beta58 January 19 2011, 03:13:27 UTC

Thank you! <3 <3 <3

transversecity January 19 2011, 03:45:13 UTC

Ahh, I'll never forget what Robert Anton Wilson said to me when I met him.

beta58 January 19 2011, 03:47:02 UTC

Two Questions:

1) What did he say to you?

2) I don't believe I mentioned RAW in the article... in what way was his influence evident?

transversecity January 19 2011, 03:55:40 UTC

In order:

2. Well, there have probably been other people who refer to BS as "Belief System", and speak about framing the world as you did, but RAW and "Cosmic Trigger II" came immediately to my head when I saw this.

1. He said, "Outta my way, kid, wheelchair comin' through!"

beta58 January 19 2011, 03:57:59 UTC

Good call. I had forgotten that the "BS" part was directly quoted.

darkfaeofsorrow January 31 2011, 23:20:20 UTC

Holy shit fuck. You're absolutely right.