Look closer. Think harder. Choose the sound argument over the clever one.

Look closer. Think harder.

Choose the sound argument over the clever one.

Keep perspective.

If it doesn't stand to scrutiny, maybe it isn't true.

Don't be paranoid, just wary.

Life requires every bit of smarts, courage and patience you can muster.

Chances are you hear a false, misleading or distorted claim every single day.

Consciously reject hedonism.

There's no substitute for personal responsibility.

So how would you test that theory?

"... with a firm reliance on the protection of divine Providence, we mutually pledge to each other our Lives, our Fortunes and our sacred Honor."

Civilization good. Barbarity bad.

Civilization is fragile. Handle with care.

With a name this pretentious, it's gotta be good!

Knowledge is power.

"Our life is a story. A rather long and complicated story ... And over the course of that story your heart has learned many things. Some of what you learned is true; much of it is not."   -John Eldredge

The truth matters.

It's the false beliefs that do the most damage.

In the 20th century, six times as many people were murdered by their own governments in peacetime than died in combat.

Scrutinize the press as closely as the military or government.

"I do not think that all who choose wrong roads perish; but their rescue consists in being put back on the right road. A sum can be put right: but only by going back till you find the error and working it afresh from that point, never by simply going on."   -C. S. Lewis

"I don't think that's true."  -Bob the Tomato

I like the music, but the lyrics are, um, disappointing.

Buy your Gullibility Offsets here!

If you like the Internet, thank the military.

Start snitchin.

Seeking a tactful, tenacious commitment to the truth.

Question the statement and the presumption.

"... to search for truth is to be open to the possibility that some discovered truth will lay claim to one's allegiance." - Harold J. Berman

You think more clearly when you quit caring about getting invited to parties.

Misguided compassion is less compassionate.

A false claim asserted confidently and believed sincerely is still false.

Advertisers aren't evil. They just don't have your best interests in mind.

Myths and frauds shouldn't be the basis for your opinions.

Wednesday, May 04, 2011

Selective Introspection Alert

I came across this post and couldn't stay silent. Red Letter Christians: Whose Death Does God Cheer?

While I agree with much of what the author says, the side-bar juxtaposition speaks volumes.

I haven't heard a single Christian speak words like he relays, though I'm sure some do.

I believe it's wrong for a Christian to indulge hatred, even toward Osama bin Laden.

But one who "despises a vile person" seems to please God. I won't claim to know exactly what that means.

I believe there is such a thing as justice: it's completely different than hatred, and is even fundamental to God's character. Rejecting its existence or mis-labeling it as hatred distorts His image.

I believe justice was done.

Update: There's also the notion that he's been stopped from committing more evil--the same as any apprehended criminal. Should one feel happy about that? I say yes, and go so far as to say that's a very unselfish happiness, since (I think) I personally am pretty unlikely to be his next victim.

By The Scrutinator @ 11:24 PM  ::  0 comments   ::  back-links

Obama Gets Osama

Hat's off to President Obama.
By The Scrutinator @ 6:13 AM  ::  0 comments   ::  back-links

Saturday, April 16, 2011

Quote-of-the-Day

To the point:
1. “You don’t burn the Koran, because if you do, Muslims might go on a killing spree.”
2 “You do burn the Bible, because if you don’t, Muslims might go on a killing spree.”
By The Scrutinator @ 5:57 PM  ::  0 comments   ::  back-links

Friday, February 04, 2011

Wikipedia's Patriarchal Hegemony

So it turns out that over 85% of Wikipedia contributors are male.

Patriarchal hegemony? Brutal oppression of women?

Of course not. But great fodder for those claims by those so inclined to make them.

For me, it's a good example of working backwards from a statistic.

By The Scrutinator @ 3:40 PM  ::  0 comments   ::  back-links

Monday, July 12, 2010

How Facts Backfire

A very interesting read, from the Boston Globe: How facts backfire:
“The general idea is that it’s absolutely threatening to admit you’re wrong,” says political scientist Brendan Nyhan, the lead researcher on the Michigan study. The phenomenon — known as “backfire” — is “a natural defense mechanism to avoid that cognitive dissonance.”

Human nature, sadly, is still human nature, whether you call it positive internal efficacy or whatever.

Update: Tom gives it some attention it deserves.

By The Scrutinator @ 1:50 PM  ::  0 comments   ::  back-links

Wednesday, May 26, 2010

Peter Hitchens

A very interesting read: How I found God and peace with my atheist brother: PETER HITCHENS traces his journey back to Christianity.

Read it all. No excerpt does it justice.

By The Scrutinator @ 10:58 PM  ::  0 comments   ::  back-links

Wednesday, April 07, 2010

An incoherent ad

Playing on the what-the-fat-cats-don't-want-you-to-know meme to the point of incoherency.
By The Scrutinator @ 6:58 AM  ::  0 comments   ::  back-links

Tuesday, February 09, 2010

Guided by the liberal theory

Quote of the day, from Tom:

The notion that [health care reform] can all be resolved in half a day is guided by the liberal theory that they have great ideas which have been poorly communicated to a confused public.  Think about that - Dems have the most awesomest orator in the White House since forever, they can rely on the near-universal support of every prominent academic of every prominent university, they can rely on cheerleading from NBC, ABC, CBS, CNN, and MSNBC as well as the NY Times, the LA Times, the Washington Post, but they can't get their message out on health care reform after talking abut it for a year.  Why not?  Because Glenn Beck has a television show, Rush Limbaugh has a radio show, and Sarah Palin has a Facebook page. Oh, yeah, and because the rest of us are stupid.

Well put.

By The Scrutinator @ 6:50 AM  ::  0 comments   ::  back-links

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