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Posted by on Jan 19, 2013 in Skepticism | 5 comments

Help send Justin Vacula to Women in Secularism

Skepticism is at its best as an ongoing human endeavor when a consensus emerges from many minds engaging in a process of deliberate reasoning — starting not from a single predefined position but rather from a broad diversity of distinct and competing views. The models which best fit reality are those which eventually will prove most fit in a competition for memetic survival, as critics from all sides attempt to shoot holes in every theory. This is not exactly the same as the process of peer review, publication, and citation, but there is a strong family resemblance.

Given the above and given that “nonbelievers and skeptics are passionately debating the role of social justice, particularly in regard to gender equality and incidences of hostility toward women,” here are a few of the questions posed by the Center For Inquiry regarding currently pressing issues:

  • Which is the best path forward?
  • How can we best advance both women’s rights and secularism?
  • How do we set priorities?
  • What changes can be made to the secular movement to ensure true gender equality?

These are excellent questions, but it would seem that the CFI has seen fit to draw on only one gender to discuss “true gender equality” and only from a relatively narrow band of progressive feminist views. It seems to me that skepticism would be better served if these questions were addressed from multiple viewpoints based on more diverse lived experiences.

Since Justin Vacula has been vilified by many of the event speakers, but is in fact a polite, thoughtful, and well-spoken individual, I’m putting this out there to help promote genuine diversity of thought within skepticism: http://www.rockethub.com/projects/13633-send-justin-vacula-to-women-in-secularism-2

  • http://karlaporter.com/ Karla Porter

    It’s a shame when ‘diversity’ is scary to rationals.

  • http://twitter.com/iamcuriousblue iamcuriousblue

    Love it! I bet he wouldn’t run crying from a mere t-shirt, an important quality in somebody you’d fund to go to a public event.

  • http://twitter.com/GerhardPrinslo1 Gerhard Prinsloo

    The hysteria, sorry, testeria, over Justin Slasher Vacula is rather disturbing, yet I’m also compelled to laugh. I can’t help feeling that he’s on a fool’s errand here. I do not see the usual suspects actually wanting to come to any kind of understanding. They need Freddy Kruegers just as the christians need the devil.

    You have to wonder what things have come to when women are openly tweeting about feeling unsafe. It’s almost as if they think Justin is going to go on a killing and raping spree. How much of this fear is genuine?

    • http://www.skepticink.com/backgroundprobability/ Damion Reinhardt

      I fear that much of the fear is genuine, and I’m confident that it is genuinely misguided. One of the reasons I’m sponsoring this project is to give people like Amy and Stephanie a chance to see what Justin is really like as a person. Hopefully, this will lead to fewer and less intense campaigns of demonization in the future.

    • http://twitter.com/GerhardPrinslo1 Gerhard Prinsloo

      Only fair to give them a chance, but I do think that the bloggers are hamming it up and it’s the less secure commenters who are actually afraid. Have you ever read the ‘logic’ that Szvan uses to justify her point of view? This is someone so personally invested that up becomes down when convenient. As for Ophelia, have you seen Mykeru’s video that prompted her to speculate that he was capable of shooting Watson? I can’t see that she could have honestly reached that conclusion. She strikes me as, and pardon the sexism, your archetypal women scorned. I also tend to believe that she has tried very hard to poison the well. I don’t see that any progress can be made while Watson is in the background stirring. I believe that she will strenuously try to stymie any attempts at reconciliation. I have seen too much evidence that she is knowingly constructing a false narrative. She shows every sign of holding permanent grudges against anyone who tries to get in her way. Do you really believe that PZ Myers honestly thinks that Justin is going to CFI to create a scene? Oddly enough, although I find him odious, I think that Lousy Canuck might be the person most open to honest discussion in person.

      Besides all of the above, what about Shermer, Harris, Dawkins, Kirby etc.?They are not associated with the Slymepit or internet trolls, yet it’s also open season on them. Justin does not represent them, or even the Slymepit for that matter. The core problem will still remain, which is the feminist/SJW types belief that their social politics are the natural, ethical outcome of skeptical thought and that anyone who doesn’t think that is resisting to maintain the Patriarchy.