Author Archives: UncleJoe

UncleJoe

About UncleJoe

I'm a middle aged male who has attended a seminary as well as receiving a degree in philosophy from a secular university neither of which would particularly impress you if I said which. I have pondered and puzzled questions of faith and the lack thereof for many years. I don't not claim to be holy, or an expert on everything, simply observant and interested. I'll make bold statements about what I see as the way things are, and you don't have to take my word for it. Call me on it. I am here for the discussion.

On Cowardice, Terrorism, and America

Here at the Theological Heretics Institute for the Nurture of Knowledge, Enlightenment, Reconciliation and Salvation, we recognize that one of the greatest evils we face in this world is groupthink, also known as mob mentality, or in some contexts, tribalism. … Continue reading

Posted in Belief Systems, Political Discourse | Leave a comment

On Sophistry and Demagoguery

One of the real threats to our democracy is that when people become hostile to responsible governance, they will only elect irresponsible governance. This is a useful tool for anyone who wishes to act under the cover of irresponsible governance. … Continue reading

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On Labels and Magic Words

I have a close relative who decades ago converted to Jehovah’s Witnesses. We had many discussions about religion, and being a convert, he was quite enthusiastic about all of the things he was learning to believe. In one of the … Continue reading

Posted in Belief Systems, Society | Leave a comment

It’s Officially Not Funny Anymore

As a student of logic I have often been amused by bad logic. Most people have a sense of logic and can understand basic logic when they are posed with simple logic problems, but as logical problems get more complex … Continue reading

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On Right and Wrong

If you ask a pathological liar a question, what do you really know about the answer? It depends. Do you know this person is a pathological liar? Let’s say you do. Now what do you know about the answer? The … Continue reading

Posted in Belief Systems, Morality | Leave a comment

On Decency

Decent, polite, normal, responsible, deserving, moral and fair are all words that carry a lot of baggage that makes them less than helpful in some discussions.  At the risk of oversimplification, I would like to divide that baggage into two … Continue reading

Posted in Do Unto Others, Society | Leave a comment

Misleading Headline Forces Americans to Eat Children

People read headlines and think they are reading the News.  That may have worked in the 20th Century, but that was before we learned about click bait. Today, even sites that used to offer actual news have taken to making … Continue reading

Posted in Misc Thoughts | Leave a comment

A Proposal for Affordable College for All

I first floated this idea to friends and strangers a few years ago, and I actually heard echoes of the same idea from a talking head on Fox news about a year and a half ago, but no fire has … Continue reading

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On Affirming the Consequent

Most people are capable of using logic. Most people, however, don’t know why or how the logic works, because they just use the language which evolved to include logical constructs. We have no problem understanding simple things like the statement … Continue reading

Posted in Misc Thoughts | 4 Comments

You Might Suck

I have been promising my flock for a while to post this sermon. I hope it does not offend you, but if it does, at least you will know why. You might suck. I know I do, but I try … Continue reading

Posted in Do Unto Others | Leave a comment