To members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, the Kingdom of Heaven and the Kingdom of God are two different things. The Kingdom of Heaven is where God lives. The Kingdom of God is God’s kingdom on Earth. In other words, the Kingdom of God is the Church. We Latter-day Saints have … Read more
If we do not have the capacity to distinguish what’s true from what’s false, then by definition the marketplace of ideas doesn’t work. And by definition our democracy doesn’t work. We are entering into an epistemological crisis.” Barack Obama Information is only as good as the quality of your sources. Social media in particular is … Read more
The word “perspective” means the way that one looks at something. It is your viewpoint, your picture of the world. The suffix “-cide” means “to kill.” “Perspecticide” means to kill or destroy someone’s sense of self and their grasp on the truth about the world. The citizens of United States of America today are the … Read more
Since at least the 1890’s, the phrase “Lies, damned lies, and statistics” has been used to diminish the persuasive value of numbers in an argument. A person who uses that phrase is trying to weaken the persuasive case of an opponent by implying that “statistics” can be found to support any point of view. On … Read more
Whenever I point out the evil being done by a Republican, or by the Republican Party, the standard defense I hear is usually some variation on, “But both sides do it!” This argument is a logical fallacy called “red herring.” It is a diversionary tactic designed to change the subject. Of course one can find … Read more
And he became Satan, yea, even the devil, the father of all lies, to deceive and to blind men, and to lead them captive at his will, even as many as would not hearken unto my voice. Moses 4:4 Deception (Noun) : the act of causing someone to accept as true or valid what is … Read more
The tribally inclined audience … is contemptuous of outside fact-checking, no matter how assiduous, but endlessly gullible toward information shared on the inside. Consequently, it is an easy target. David Roberts When people voluntarily choose to severely limit their sources of information they are choosing to willfully blind themselves. Because people are easily drawn to … Read more
Right-wing media and their allies in the Republican party have consciously and deliberately created the current extreme polarization in our society by completely rejecting the core institutions and norms of American democracy. They have managed to convince millions that our traditional institutions tell only lies and that reality resides only in the rhetorical universe they … Read more