no sane believer thinks s/he's got God in a box

"Hey, listen to this! I got God inna box! Hear 'im rattle?"

I read about this a while back, but I thought what they tested was having a people from a whole bunch of religions pray, and that overall, they could not prove prayer had any effect.

Studies like this have been done, but most of the recent studies have been done under pressure from neocons, so they use forms of prayer that neocons believe in.

most of the recent studies have been done under pressure from neocons

Wow. I mean, that's a lot of balls, right there. What's their response been to the lack of supporting evidence?

no sane believer thinks s/he's got God in a box.

My problem is that I've met more than enough insane believers of all stripes, I can't help but think that their type is as least as common, if not moreso, than the non-craxy types.

I can't help but think that their type is as least as common, if not moreso, than the non-craxy types.

Nah, they're just louder. How can you tell if everyone in the checkout line but you is a devout and respectful believer in their faith? It's the people who try and change your lives with their religion that get noticed.

Or, I'm being more than usually gullible today.

Well, not the digging up graveyards part, that's purely hypothetical. The rest, though, yeah. I'm not a Zoroastrian or an expert on the religion, but that's what I was taught - they'd build a maze on a mesa and put the body in the center of it, carrion birds would carry the deceased's spirit to heaven. There's a bit in Jason and the Argonauts that refers to people leaving bodies in trees and how barbaric that was, that's supposed to be a precursor to the maze thing. Or so I was told.

Wow. I mean, that's a lot of balls, right there. What's their response been to the lack of supporting evidence?

Madrigal hinted at it. Conservative "research institutes" produce studies that support the efficacy of prayer. These studies are laboriously debunked by other scientists. Conservatives say "Some studies support it, some don't support it" and imply that this reflects poorly on science itself.

Nah, they're just louder.

Fair point (as was discussed earlier). Though Teh Craxy still seems as common as rocks.

One of the professors at my college was asked by the Freedom people to review the bible course in Texas. He's pretty much said it's a bunch of propagandist hooey, and I'm inclined to believe him. His course was a anthropology/history/literature course on the bible, and from what I know very enlightening and engaging.

I've had a loooong week. Wednesday we worked on the siding for the house, in the rain, under the eaves. I still feel mildewy.

Thursday was a very. odd. day. I volunteered for a workshop sponsored by Planned Parenthood. A bunch of agencies get together (like Girls Inc., shelters, and youth homes) and their kids sign up for different classes. I was a monitor for one about body image and self esteem. There were others on the dangers of drugs, safe sex, birth control, career planning, etc. all things that are pretty important particularly to at-risk kids.

(Just to veer off on a tangent for a moment, if I may, I was at happy hour the day before this event, and a close friend's husband had just related to her that a 17 year old at the store he manages came to him upset because she'd taken a pregnancy test that showed positive, and she didn't understand how that could be because she'd peed right after. Even if the whole workshop was sex education, I'm going to say that might be a good thing).

Anyway, we were expecting protesters, and there they were with their signs saying "STOP Planned Promiscuity" and "Planned Parenthood Steals Souls." There was even a guy with a guitar. It was all a bit cheesy and a bit eye-rolly, but y'know, free speech and all.

However, through some miscommunication, the entrance for the kids wasn't open and they had to come in through another side of the building. The protesters moved over there. One woman had a camera and another (or perhaps the same one) had a video camera and started taking pictures of the kids. To my mind, that's crossing a line. Not only because they're minors, but they're also minors with possible history of abuse. One of the girls who came into our class that morning was pretty shooken up. Horrible. I wonder if that woman went home thinking she did a good thing.

On a more uplifting note, Saturday was the dedication for the house we've been working on. So, yay new homeowners!

I hate just bopping in and out of here, but I've been really busy and Thursday put a real damper on my wanting to interact with other people.

I can't help but think that their type is as least as common, if not moreso, than the non-craxy types.

I tend to think this too, but I have to take into account that I am always surprised when I find out that people* are religious. Always. The inside of my head is atheonormative**, no matter what the world is actually like.

* For values of people not wearing tefillin or a habit or otherwise obvious religious indicators.

** Which I hereby claim to be a real word. Someone else use it in a sentence and email it to erinaceous!