Why Dont You Blog?

A University professor has made a successful bid for media coverage of a standard lecture by insulting Google. Google is “white bread for the mind”, according to Tara Brabazon, Professor of Media Studies at the University of Brighton, arguing that teachers should equip students with skills to process Internet information.

(She teaches Media Studies. Isn’t that supposed to be HER job?)

She believes that easy access to information has dulled students’ sense of curiosity and is stifling debate. She claims that many undergraduates arrive at university unable to discriminate between anecdotal and unsubstantiated material posted on the internet. ……
We can no longer assume that students arrive at university, knowing what to read and knowing what standards are required of the material that they do read.”

“knowing what to read?” Well what should you read? What your teachers have told you?

Whole chunks of all education operate through teachers implicitly saying “Learn these facts. Because I say so.” Few teachers reward a challenging response from their students. “Challenging” has even become a euphemism for “irritating, dangerous, pain in the arse” in teacher- and social worker-speak.

The Internet opens up access to new potential information sources. Lots of teachers don’t like this precisely because their models of how to evaluate information are derived from accepting what they read in textbooks.

It’s not Google that panics University teachers. Anyone who can get any relevant information out of Google nowadays is probably already the best in their classes. It’s really Wikipedia. that annoys Universities Oh yes, here it is, in the Prof’s speech.

“Students live in an age of information, but what they lack is correct information. They turn to Wikipedia unquestioningly for information. Why wouldn’t they – it’s there,” she said.

Yes, indeed why wouldn’t they? It’s more factually correct than standard encyclopedias. It’s totally accessible. That’s what disturbs some teachers. (Including, I assume the Prof, unless she really is serious about teaching critical thinking….. In which case, Go Prof! Go Prof! etc)

Many are training their students for an imaginary academic career, as it would have been thirty years ago. They feel that students are workshy unless they put in the physical effort to search in libraries, pay large sums for course books and compete with other students for access to obscure library journals. Are these activities assumed to be “educational” by their very nature, just because the lecturers had to do them when they were students? Now, we have instant access to material from all over the world. Finding it quickly, judging its value and how it relates to other bits of information are the skills we need now.

Shouldn’t teachers reward students more for showing “thinking and questioning” skills than for proving they’ve read the text books and memorised a set of “facts”?

Accepted and memorised knowledge is crucial in some topics at some levels. (You can’t come up with alternate versions of the laws of thermodynamics or invent your own French word for ‘pen’) It is completely misguided in other subjects.

Inability to evaluate information isn’t just a problem for University students or for Internet sources. We are all pretty bad at it.

School students need to be specifically encouraged to dispute the sources and content of information, including the books they have been told to read. Training people to accept authority without questioning it encourages people to accept the words of ministers, priests, imams, kool-aid distributors, politicians, press, television, Fox news, gossip magazines, Answers in Genesis, Holy Books x,y & z, psychic detectives, fake nutritionists, fake childcare experts, wifi-cure salespeople and a bazillion other sources of bullcrap.

Christians can’t help themselves. They really can’t. In a world where science is progressing day in and day out, they are stuck with the other bronze age religions, languishing in a pit that their invisible friend will never left them out of. It is easy to see why, then, that Christians are happy to tolerate all other forms of religion (no matter how at odds with their own one-true-god they may be) but save the real damnation for Atheists.

Writing in the Times yesterday, the Rev Dr Peter Mullen (”Chaplain to the Stock Exchange” ffs) opened up with an attack on atheism that is so old and worn it is shocking anyone still tries it. It is shocking to people who are capable of learning, so it is actually less shocking that the theists demonstrate the complete inability to develop their thoughts…

Reading the article, I honestly think Dr Mullen lives in some bizarro world where he is scared the evil Atheists will climb into his bedroom and torture him for being a man of God (*). He begins his scare piece with drivel:

Far worse than the threat from international terrorism is the aggressive process of secularisation that has gripped our country, and most of Europe, and which is becoming ever more frenzied.

Erm, no. Appeal to fear noted and from there it just becomes nonsense and lies. Remember, lies make baby Jesus cry… This is actually the most sense you get from the madman so I can only assume the Times gave him space to rouse the rabble into responding. Well done The Times.

For example, I guess not many people are aware that it is against the law for state schools to teach the Christian faith as true. Teachers are allowed only to teach about religions. This is atheism by decree, for the only perspective from which one can teach about all religions is the secular perspective.

Wow. It really does make your eyes water as you try to follow this logic. But, Dr Mullen has made his point. I am offended that State Schools can not teach the truth of Odin, Thor, the Bifrost Bridge and Ragnarok. How dare they not teach the traditional religion of this nation…

“Atheism by decree” – what nonsense. I am amazed that clerics and theologians feel their belief is so fragile that unless children are completely, and continually, brainwashed they will stray to the Evil Atheism. Just goes to show that deep down they are all aware their crap is just crap and given time to think even children will realise this.

From this bad start, Dr Mullen goes on to talk about homosexuality and abortion with equal measures of idiocy and nonsense. There is nothing new, just the shameful regurgitation of old nonsense, vitriol, hatred and scare-mongering. The latter is something which appears to be a theme in Dr Mullen’s whole article. Basically he is trying to frighten people into the church. What a kind and nice deity these Christians worship.

Last point, as well as being the Stock Exchange’s chaplain, Dr Mullen is also the Rector of the Parish Church of St Michaels, Cornhill. If you thought his writing seems to be odd for a UK Anglican and felt more American Baptist, a clue may be in the Church’s webpage: (emphasis mine)

We are traditional Church of England – real Anglicans. We use the Authorised (King James) version of the Bible (1611) and the Book of Common Prayer (1662).

Hmm. Makes you wonder…

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(*) Interesting: given that Jesus sacrificed himself for others, isn’t it strange how many Christians are happy to sacrifice others for themselves…

Quite regularly, well-meaning friends of mine will “pass on” an email that claims to be trying to get people “British again” or some similar bit of nonsense. Normally these are along the lines of a heroic soldier, suffering for God and country and I am sure most people have had exposure to them in some shape or form. This is doubly ironic because, 9.9999 times out of 10, these emails are actually written by and for Americans (clue is often in the spelling or claims the country was founded on Christian principles) and they are invariably tipped towards a religious argument. These supposed friends of mine are more than slightly aware of my position on both the Americanisation of the UK and religious beliefs. Still they send the emails…

Anyway, today I got one which bucked the trend slightly. It weirdly manages to hide the merest kernels of truth in a whole package of myths, but then I suppose that is the goal. I assume that who ever went to the trouble to make up these bits of nonsense are trying to stir jingoistic pride in something which never existed.

The most recent of these is weird because it isn’t about the UK or the US as such. This time Australia is the source of cultural wisdom. Titled “Britain Needs A Leader Like This!,” the email goes on to explain why “Prime Minister John Howard – Australia” is a great national leader. As you can imagine, it is crying out for a point by point dissection…

Muslims who want to live under Islamic Sharia law were told on Wednesday to get out of Australia , as the government targeted radicals in a bid to head off potential terror attacks.

Separately, Howard angered some Australian Muslims on Wednesday by saying he supported spy agencies monitoring the nation’s mosques. Quote: ‘IMMIGRANTS, NOT AUSTRALIANS, MUST ADAPT. Take It Or Leave It. I am tired of this nation worrying about whether we are offending some individual or their culture.. Since the terrorist attacks on Bali , we have experienced a surge in patriotism by the majority of Australians.’

Ok, while not a real quote it hints at a line taken by John Howard. Oddly this pretty much dates the message to February 2006, so we get the first hint that this is just nonsense that has been running round the internet like a ghost in the machine.

‘This culture has been developed over two centuries of struggles, trials and victories by millions of men and women who have sought freedom

Wowser. This is good. Again, I can find no evidence it was actually stated by John Howard, so I now suspect this is the opening line from the emails actual author.

It is nice how this glosses over how the Australians “sought” freedom – I am sure the aboriginal tribes will have a different concept of “victories” and certainly a different idea of what freedom means.

‘We speak mainly ENGLISH, not Spanish, Lebanese, Arabic, Chinese, Japanese, Russian, or any other language. Therefore, if you wish to become part of our society . Learn the language!’

Again, this seems to be more an American worry than an Australian one. I never realised Spanish and Lebanese were significant languages down under. Even if it is genuine Australian it has two big flaws that are often overlooked by bigots.

First off, “mainly” is an important qualifier. Yes, English may be the language spoken more than any one other language but how does that reflect on the sum totals of other languages? Why, in such a vitriolic hate filled speech would you put a weasel word like “mainly” in? Secondly, but more importantly, what to the actual natives of the island of Australia think about this? What about their language and culture? Oh yeah, they don’t count because this Australia is one nation under God…

‘Most Australians believe in God. This is not some Christian, right wing, political push, but a fact, because Christian men and women, on Christian principles, founded this nation, and this is clearly documented. It is certainly appropriate to display it on the walls of our schools. If God offends you, then I suggest you consider another part of the world as your new home, because God is part of our culture.’

Even more crap with a side order of bad history. Australia was not founded on Christian principles. The founding of Australia is clearly documented. The real history of Australia admits no “founders” to speak of and is a fascinating bit of reading. It really is. Spoiling it with this revisionist nonsense is a shame and a lie. And we all know that not only is lying for Jesus a sin, but lies make baby Jesus cry. So Hermes only knows why the obvious Christian who wrote this nonsense felt the need to lie so much.

‘We will accept your beliefs, and will not question why. All we ask is that you accept ours, and live in harmony and peaceful enjoyment with us.’

Hmm. “We will accept your beliefs” as long as they are the same as ours is what the email is basically saying.

‘This is OUR COUNTRY, OUR LAND, and OUR LIFESTYLE, and we will allow you every opportunity to enjoy all this. But once you are done complaining, whining, and griping about Our Flag, Our Pledge, Our Christian beliefs, or Our Way of Life, I highly encourage you take advantage of one other great Australian freedom,
“THE RIGHT TO LEAVE”.’

Well, this is looking very un-Australian. “Our Flag” and “Our Pledge” scream out American to me, but I might be wrong. Now, if only we could get the aboriginal natives to apply this with precedence as being the real inhabitants of the country. If we assume for one second that this really is a true Australian view point, it becomes interesting how nations which came to be by systematically exterminating the local inhabitants are the most vocal when it comes to claiming rightful ownership of their land. Is it because they are scared others will do unto them as they did to others?

‘If you aren’t happy here then LEAVE. We didn’t force you to come here. You asked to be here. So accept the country YOU accepted.’

More irony about prison colonies…

Maybe if we circulate this amongst ourselves, British citizens will find the backbone to start speaking and voicing the same truths.

Here we go. Does a collection of badly written lies and myths give people backbone? When the original author speaks of “British Citizens” does s/he just mean the white ones? What about the vast diversity of cultures who have CITIZENSHIP in the UK? Don’t they count any more?

If you agree please SEND THIS ON

I don’t so I didn’t send it on. If who ever emailed this to me is reading this – “you are an idiot – learn to spot nonsense.” If you are reading this and you have forwarded this message (or any of the similar bits of crap) on, then you are also an idiot – please stop.

P.S I think this also goes for us when going to other countries as well!

I wonder if this PS was part of the original.

The Pope is setting up crack exorcism squads to deal with the growing problem of demonic possession, ac Ruth Gledhill. He wants every parish to have its own exorcism expert. Maybe they can combine the job with the other newly-created role of person who prays to rid the church of paedophiles otherwise the Catholic Church’s parish wages bill may go through the roof.

Some priests have long been quite keen to take the Pope’s advice and follow Bill Murray’s example, according to the Independent in 2000.

We’ve never been busier, says official church exorcist

The Inquisition was just a warm-up then?

Apparently, the Chief Exorcist blamed New Age crackpottery for the rise in demonic possession caes. I assume the exorcism rites are based on traditional “Set a thief to catch a thief” principle, so I will forbear from mentioning the equally traditional pots and kettles.

Let’s hope that the Christian churches draw back before following the example of Matthew Arnold, self appointed Witchfinder General. A recent Discovery channel TV programme (well I saw it recently) discussed some of the marvels of witch-finding that he achieved. He got very wealthy, very quickly, as a result of being so good at detecting people in league withe devil.

Torture was illegal, so Hopkins and his colleagues used other methods to encourage their suspects to confess. They were made to sit on a stool for 24 hours or more with no sleep, while ‘watchers’ observed in case their ‘imps’ appeared. With serious sleep deprivation is it any wonder that women confessed to consorting with the devil? Ducking was another favourite way of testing a witch. If she drowned she was innocent, if she lived she was guilty and then hanged.

Hmm, some modern governments are really quite attentive students of history then.