Episode 123: Shownotes
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Pope’s global warming encyclical includes denouncements of condoms and abortion: http://www.cnn.com/2015/06/18/world/pope-francis-climate-technology-encyclical/ and http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/06/18/pope-francis-true-to-form-argues-against-abortion-and-birth-control-in-new-environmental-encyclical/ also, Alan Keyes says it will usher in genocide: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/alan-keyes-pope-francis-climate-change-encyclical-will-usher-genocide
Idiots call Charleston Shooting “Anti-Christian” http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/06/18/charleston-shooting-anti-christian_n_7615578.html?utm_hp_ref=religion and http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/ew-jackson-charleston-shooting-result-anti-christian-climate-created-gays-obama and http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/06/21/on-conservative-christians-blaming-the-charleston-massacre-on-atheism-secularism-and-an-angry-god/
Woman who spotted SC shooter: “God stepped in”… but after the dude killed 9 people in a church http://www.religionnews.com/2015/06/19/god-stepped-in-says-debbie-dills-who-spotted-alleged-s-c-killer-commentary/
Mayor compares Jesus to Superman to justify religious sign: http://www.rawstory.com/2015/06/mayor-compares-christ-to-superman-as-texas-town-erupts-over-contested-jesus-welcome-sign/
Pastor: In the event of gay marriage, we should be prepared to burn to death: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/06/19/christian-pastor-if-gay-marriage-is-legalized-we-should-be-ready-to-burn-to-death/
Pastors pissed after being arrested at TN fair for “aggressive behavior” http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/06/18/christian-preachers-cry-foul-following-arrest-at-county-fair-for-aggressive-behavior/
Ohio store removes “Sweet Baby Jesus” beer after complaints: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2015/06/20/ohio-grocery-chain-removes-sweet-baby-jesus-beer-from-shelves-after-customer-complaints/
This Week in Misogyny:
Muslim gymnast shamed for wearing leotard: http://www.dailydot.com/lifestyle/malaysian-gymnast-vagina-costume/?fb=dd
The Scathing Atheist 
“unlike demonic possession mental illness can be demonstrated to actually exist”. I wish you guys would apply the same scientific rigor to the dsm 5 as you do to other brands of faith based bullshit. there is in fact no scientific test of any kind to determine any mental illness in the dsm. These diagnosis are arrived at by committee vote, committee members usually have financial ties to pharmaceutical companies. there is also very little evidence to support the idea that modern treatment actually leads to better long term outcomes. .
Citation please Marcellas12…. Please regale us with your expertise in mental health diagnostic techniques and while you’re at it, can you compare / contrast the efficacy of modern treatment techniques v. exorcism or some other shamanistic mumbo-jumbo that is claimed to work sans evidence.
It’s true that in treatment of psychological, emotional, or behavioural disorders, the mental health profession is behind the rest of modern medicine, but the brain is almost exponentially more complex than almost all of the rest of the body so let’s cut them slack.
I will side with the scientific method which – given time and the built-in tension in the system – will continue to improve the world for people afflicted with these debilitating disorders.
I know I must sound like a conspiracy theorist or vaccine nut, but I assure you I am a sincere critical thinker. Ive personally worked in mental health for 30 years (my entire adult life). A great overview of actual mental health outcomes can be found in Robert Whitaker’s Anatomy of an Epidemic. There are some good websites too, such as madinamerica.com and behaviorismandmentalhealth.com. also 1boringoldman.com. You can also find a new podcast called anosognosiac on itunes.
The conclusions I think are undeniable are that the diagnosis are entirely subjective. There are no lab tests (no blood tests or brain scans) of any kind to validate any DSM diagnosis. The idea of a chemical imbalance has been completely debunked to the extent that psychiatrists are now denying they ever embraced this idea, and blaming pharmaceutical companies for promoting it. There is also little evidence to suggest that treatment actually works, especially across time.
In short there is very little actual evidence to connect mental illness to brain diseases, and the worst outcomes tend to happen to people who have been exposed to treatment, especially medications. Psychiatry is faith based medicine plain and simple.
Direct to consumer advertising has been extremely effective in selling disease (rather then a cure).
ps: I am not a scientologist!