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The Skeptic Contents Vol 25, No 1 Autumn 2005 ISSN 0726-9897 Regulars

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The Skeptic Contents Vol 25, No 1 Autumn 2005 ISSN 0726-9897 Regulars the Skeptic Contents Vol 25, No 1 Autumn 2005 ISSN 0726-9897 Regulars Editor ♦ 3 – Editorial — Who to Blame?— Barry Williams Barry Williams ♦ 4 – Around the Traps — Bunyip ♦ 63 – Letters Contributing Editors ♦ 66 - Notices Tim Mendham Steve Roberts Technology Consultant Features Richard Saunders ♦ 6 - Facing Disasters — Rob Hardy Chief Investigator ♦ 8 - Communication Failure — Peter Bowditch Ian Bryce ♦ 10 - Much Ado ... — Sir Jim R Wallaby ♦ 11 - Nutrition Myth: Artificial Sweeteners — Glenn Cardwell All correspondence to: ♦ 14 - The Psychic Skeptic Pt 2 — Karen Stollznow Australian Skeptics Inc ♦ 19 - Pestiferous Laws — Colin Keay PO Box 268 ♦ Roseville NSW 2069 21 - Sensing Nothing — Christopher Short Australia ♦ 23 - Psychics Dealt Out — Anon (ABN 90 613 095 379 ) ♦ 28 - One Strange Brotherhood — Brian Baxter ♦ 32 - The Skeptical Potter — Daniel Stewart Contact Details ♦ 36 - Escaping the Gravitational Pull of the Gospels — David Lewis Tel: (02) 9417 2071 ♦ Fax: (02) 9417 7930 40 - Resting on Shaky Ground — Sue-Ann Post new e-mail: [email protected] ♦ 43 - The Good Word: Language Lapses — Mark Newbrook ♦ 46 - Review: An Amazing Journey — Rob Hardy Web Pages ♦ 48 - Review: Where Do We Go From Here? — Martin Hadley Australian Skeptics ♦ 49 - Review: Memoirs of a Country Doctor — Ros Fekitoa www.skeptics.com.au ♦ No Answers in Genesis 50 - Literature v Literalism — Peter Bowditch http://home.austarnet.com.au/stear/default.htm ♦ 51 - Feedback: Self Help Books — John Malouf ♦ 52 - Feedback: Sex Drugs & Rock ‘n Roll — Loretta Marron the Skeptic is a journal of fact and opinion, ♦ 54 - Forum: When the Cheering Had to Stop published four times per year by Australian ♦ 58 - Forum: Society, Medicine & Alternative Medicine Skeptics Inc. Views and opinions expressed ♦ 62 - Branch News: Vic Skeptics Matters in articles and letters in the Skeptic are those of the authors, and are not necessarily those of Australian Skeptics Inc. Articles may Cover art by Charles Rose of Cogency be reprinted with permission and with due acknowledgement to the Skeptic. Skeptics around Australia Editorial consultants: New South Wales Queensland Western Australia Dr Stephen Basser (medicine) Australian Skeptics Inc Australian Skeptics (Qld) WA Skeptics Dr Richard Gordon (medicine) PO Box 268 PO Box 6454 22 Esperance Street Roseville NSW 2069 Fairfield Gardens QLD 4103 East Victoria Park WA 6101 Dr William Grey (philosophy) Tel: (02) 9417 2071 Tel: (07) 3255 0499 Tel: (08) 9448 8458 Prof Colin Groves (anthropology) Fax: (02) 9417 7930 [email protected] [email protected] Mr Martin Hadley (law) [email protected] Qskeptics eGroup (To subscribe send blank message to: Tasmania Dr Colin Keay (astronomy) Hunter Skeptics [email protected]) Australian Skeptics in Tasmania Dr Mark Newbrook (linguistics) PO Box 166 PO Box 582 Dr Andrew Parle (physics) Waratah NSW 2298 Gold Coast Skeptics North Hobart TAS 7000. Prof Ian Plimer (geology) Tel: (02) 4957 8666. PO Box 8348 Tel: (03) 6234 1458 Fax: (02) 4952 6442 GCMC Bundall QLD 4217 [email protected] Dr Trevor Case (psychology) Tel: (07) 5593 1882 Dr Alex Ritchie (palaeontology) Victoria Fax: (07) 5593 2776 Northern Territory Dr Steve Roberts (chemistry) Australian Skeptics (Vic) Inc [email protected] Darwin Skeptics Mr Roland Seidel (mathematics) GPO Box 5166AA PO Box 809 Melbourne VIC 3001 South Australia Sanderson NT 0812 Branch correspondents: Tel: 1 800 666 996 Skeptics SA Tel: (08) 8932 2194 ACT: Mr Peter Barrett Fax: 03 9531 6705 PO Box 377 Fax: (08) 8932 7553 Gold Coast: Mr John Stear [email protected] Rundle Mall SA 5000 [email protected] Tel: (08) 8272 5881 Hunter: Mr Michael Creech ACT Fax: (08) 8272 5881 Borderline Skeptics Qld: Mr Bob Bruce Canberra Skeptics [email protected] PO Box 17 SA: Mr Allan Lang PO Box 555 Mitta Mitta VIC 3701 Tas: Mr Fred Thornett Civic Square ACT 2608 Tel: (02) 6072 3632 (02) 6231 5406 or 6296 4555 [email protected] Vic: Mr Ken Greatorex [email protected] WA: Dr Geoff Dean Editorial Who to Blame? Few people could have remained un- This proposed human predisposi- it). But by far the most common re- affected by the tragic events that be- tion to believe, and to invent things in sponse was couched in terms of “Gods’s gan in the Indian Ocean off Sumatra which to believe, has, like most human ways are not our ways and we cannot on the morning of December 26 last institutions, resulted in both sublime know the mind of God”, which might year. The tsunami, caused by the shift- benefits and grave faults. There can have sounded more sincere had it not ing of tectonic plates under the sea, be little doubt that religious devotion issued from the mouths of those whose cut short a quarter of a million lives, has inspired wonderful art, music, ar- lives and livelihoods were precisely ranking it as one of the most lethal chitecture and literature, without dedicated to promulgating and inter- natural disasters in the entire history which the world would be a decidedly preting the mind, actions and words of our planet. poorer place. Nor can there be much of God. That this tragedy touched the doubt that religions can provide com- In passing, several of the more vo- hearts of many in Australia is attested fort to their adherents or can inspire cal clerics chose to chide those of us, by the unprecedented generosity of great acts of kindness and sacrifice. skeptics, atheists, et al, who do not individuals, government and organi- But religion (and similar dogmatic subscribe to their notion of deities, im- sations of all sorts in donating to re- beliefs) also has a dark side, with sec- plying that we could find no comfort lief efforts, and by the dedication of tarian-inspired conflict, war and geno- in our scientific view of the world in those who went to the aid of distressed cide remaining as constants through- the face of catastrophe. It might sur- victims. This generosity shows the out human history. prise them to learn that what rational better part of human nature, however Thus we have seen statements from people derive from science is not com- certain religious issues have emerged clerics of various faiths seeking to jus- fort, but understanding. Part of that that are not so benign. tify how such violent natural acts as understanding is that we live on a dy- Evidence from neurophysiological the tsunami fitted with their concept namic planet where natural forces research indicates that our genetic of their particular deity. The tsunami reign supreme; that these insensate make-up makes homo sapiens recep- was immaculately ecumenical in its forces are neither benign nor malign, tive to abstract beliefs that have no effects, killing tens of thousands of they just are — a natural disaster is rational foundation. This ‘faith’ usu- Muslims, Buddhists, Hindus, Chris- just that — natural. Sometimes no one ally manifests itself as ‘religion’, but tians, Jews, Sikhs, adherents of many is to blame — not even God. It is not includes various totalitarian political other faiths, sects, new age spiritual- the rationalist who is discomfited by philosophies that emerged during the ity, as well as, no doubt, many skep- such an occurrence, it is those who 20th Century which, while they osten- tics, atheists, agnostics, humanists strive, painfully, to justify the incom- sibly eschewed supernatural causes, and rationalists, who were unlucky patibility of a benevolent deity with an nevertheless embraced many of the enough to be in its path. It did this horrific event. trappings and certainly the dogma- without regard to their religious, po- On a personal level, if not comfort, tism of religion in their application. litical or other affiliations, age, sex, I did derive some satisfaction when the Observation tends to support this con- state of health, or whether they were service in which I spent 15 of my clusion; throughout history religions good or bad people. younger years, the RAAF, was first on have emerged from all cultures at all That this caused grave intellectual the ground, carrying aid to Sumatra times and most of them have died out discomfort to the clerics was evident within 48 hours of the disaster, where or evolved with the passing of the cul- in the tortured logic they sought to use it continues to provide assistance to- tures or of time. Simple logic dictates in their rationalisations. To the obvi- day. If any comfort comes, it comes that the beliefs of all religions cannot ous skeptical question “How could any from seeing people selflessly doing possibly all be right; on the other hypothetical omniscient, omnipresent good when other people are in need. hand, it is an impeccably rational and benevolent deity allow such in- In this case such people are many, and proposition that all of them could be discriminate killing?” the answers they come from right across the reli- wrong. There is no evidence to suggest ranged from “punishment for straying gious and non-religious spectrum. that Faith Brand X has a better ex- from the true path” (including new- planation of the inexplicable than does born babies, presumably) to “the Grace Faith Brand Y; there is far more per- of God is shown in the generosity of suasive evidence that all religions, as the response from people” (surely any constructs of the human mind, are deity worth his salt could have found prone to fallibility. a less tragic method of demonstrating Barry Williams the Skeptic, Autumn 2005 - Page 3 News and Views Around the Traps Psychics in the dark power in the auditorium suddenly fluttering in literary dovecotes around went off. The blackout effectively the world, but it was not one that ended the show and after 15 minutes would normally have disturbed the Richard Saunders, whose dedication of waiting in the dark it was time to even tenor of the quotidian round in in visiting psychic fairs goes well be- go.
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