I asked a question of my most conservative friend, one who seriously believes Barack Obama is a Muslim, an al Queda sympathizer, a hater of white people. Okay, I said. From these postulates one ought to be able to form a testable hypothesis. Assuming he wins, what do we expect if you're right? We're both intelligent people, I said (wondering, if only a little, about the all-encompassing truth of the statement.) Tell me what events will derive from your beliefs, assuming they're true? What observations will we be able to make after Obama is sworn in? Over what time frame would you suppose these things will occur? And at what point, absent those predicted events, would you be willing to say the theory is disproved?
He didn't answer. But I think it's a fair set of questions, which ought to be directed to those who are similarly convinced. It is, after all, only science. And, one would hope, it ought to be objectively tested.
One of the hosts on "Skeptics' guide to the universe" made that selfsame observation this week.
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Sid, maybe if Barak wouldn't talk about "my Muslim Faith" on network news shows..oh WTF, I give up. Doesn't take a scientist to figure out what happens when a young,suave,Harvard educated, democrat with a pretty wife runs with an oafish older Senator as VP. He invades Cuba and cuts taxes!! Oh that was JFK.
ReplyDeleteFrank, as I'm certain you're smart enough to know, that comment was taken out of context. He referred to how people talk about "my Muslim faith" as if it were true, as opposed to the fact that he's a Christian. I wish we could have elections wherein religion is never mentioned at all. We'd be much better off. But this crap is just that: crap.
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