Presuppositionalism

Two articles caught my eye this week, and combined together they produce a kind of twisted irony that makes me wonder if the critical facilities of the writers ever engage on their own prejudices. The writers of the two articles have no reason to have ever heard of each other, but their ideas clash is my brain with entertaining resonances.

The first is a letter to the editor of the Grand Forks Herald in North Dakota. The writer, Mark Broden, following an article on a "secular summer camp," asserts that "eight-year-old boys and girls cannot make the decision to be atheists themselves" and therefore "their parents are forcing their ideas on their children."

The second is an article by Jonathan Rosenblum in the Jerusalem Post, discussing the recent Pledge of Allegiance case in the United States. One of the critical points in that case was that the father, an atheist, felt personally injured by the pledge because, as he put it, "the government tells her there is a God, and the father tells her there is not." Rosenblum asserts that "one of the purposes of education is to make children unlike their parents."

In both cases, the authors are asserting a kind of presuppositionalism; this is the religious belief that all people know the truth (as described according to the presuppositionalist's belief system) and that any other belief system one espouses is, in fact, a lie or a deception. The parents at the distinctly non-religious summer camp aren't just transmitting their values to their children; they're indoctrinating their children into their rebellion against the Christian being both the parents and their children really know down in their hearts is lord of all and yadda yadda.

In the second case, the author makes the case that the child in this needs exposure to the truth (in his case, Judaism) because it is the duty of the school system to "make the child unlike his parents."

Everyone got this? In one case, it is the duty of the system to affect a child in one direction, in the other, it is the duty of the system to *not* affect the child in the other.

There are days when I wish people understood that their religion is not merely a convenient nexus around which to hang one's prejudices.

Smut! (SFW)

Click for some porn.

When you're done, admit it.

[Anime] Maria-sama ga Miteru, Episode 7

( Stills )

Man, Yoshino went all anime on the newpaper girl this episode, and the artwork for that sequence was straight out of Sailor Moon for at least twelve frames.

Okay, quick review. Our heroine, Yumi, is the "little sister" of (and desperately infatuated with) Sachiko, a junior, who in turn is the "little sister" of Rosa Chenesis, a member of the student council. In this episode, Valentines day is approaching and the school newspaper is sponsoring a contest with cards hidden around the school. The big prizes are dates with the junior members of the student council. Yoshino, who's a little sister to one of those girls, is completely opposed. All of the first-year girls are now tearing up the school, looking for those cards.

This is a "lighter" episode, after last week's, which was heavy duty stuff. Episode six also had the infamous "height of fanservice" moment... which was not only not very fanservicy, but I would never have anticipated it in a million years. Nice twisty ending.

We can be afraid... or we can vote Republican

George W. Bush comes across as authoritarian. In times of crisis, this is a good thing. After all, in times of crisis we don't have time to consider all the options, we want solutions and we want them readily available, and most importantly we don't want to be distracted by options that might weaken our resolve.

Feelings of fear and insecurity bolster existing administrations, especially if they repeat the mantra that they have everything under control.

So it is with great suspicion that I learn today, three years after the September 11th attacks, that the Department of Homeland Security is going to run it's first annual National Be Afraid, Be Very Afraid Preparedness Month. An entire month of hiding under desks and quaking in our boots, reading to sing "Duck and Cover!" at a moments notice. Where's Bert the Turtle when you need him?

I'm sorry, but I can't help but think that this is nothing but a Rovian ploy to pump up the emotions that serve the Republican electorate. It's hard to say bad things about an idea like "National Preparedness Month", but the timing is such that it makes me cynical as Hell.

Via The Church of Critical Thinking.

I probably shouldn't do this, but...

I know two people who can use this information, anonymously: someone just dumped a ton of Naruto doujinshi onto Usenet's alt.binaries.pictures.erotica.anime.