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Credit: https://www.thedailybeast.com/how-fox-news-and-the-right-wing-media-machine-made-my-dad-crazy

Right wing media brainwashes people, but there’s hope.

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Right-wing media has influenced people into voting for Republicans through the use of repetitive false-messaging and selective framing. Research has shown that media outlets like Fox News have a significant impact on their viewers’ political beliefs. For example, a study by Princeton University found that consistent Fox News viewers were more likely to adopt conservative viewpoints and vote Republican compared to those who consumed a broader range of media sources. A study from Harvard University found that media framing around healthcare significantly influenced public opinion, with right-wing media often framing the Affordable Care Act negatively, which shaped conservative voters’ opposition to it despite broad support for its components. A separate study found that if a Fox News viewer converts to CNN for a month, it “caused substantial learning and moderated participants’ attitudes in covered domains.”

I don’t wish people Merry Christmas, but have a nice day.

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I’ve now gone multiple years without directing the words “Merry Christmas” at someone in the traditional sense of wishing a “Merry Christmas.” The societal pressure to conform is disconcerting. It’s often overlooked how taxing it is to live in a world dominated by the literal belief in an imaginary entity. I hope anyone that reads my views with a sour thought can have empathy for my position and conceptualize how uncomfortable it is to constantly navigate a society of adults with literal adherence to obvious myths. I will never fully experience a world governed purely by facts, but I endeavor to get as close to that ideal as possible, living authentically according to my understanding of reality.

Happy Solstice to all, and to all a good night.

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Across the globe, from Stonehenge to Newgrange, ancient monuments align with the solstice sun, showcasing humanity’s long-standing reverence for our life-giving star. As the Northern Hemisphere experiences the shortest day, and the Southern Hemisphere its longest, we’re reminded of the Sun’s central role in our lives, transcending cultural and religious divides. From the ancient Goseck Circle’s alignment to the serpent-like shadow at Tulum’s Mayan Temple, these events highlight the sun’s influence throughout history, well before the advent of major religions. Join me in celebrating the Solstice, a time for reflection, renewal, and recognizing our place in the universe. Let’s appreciate the sun, our universal binder, and the reason for our existence on this incredible planet.

Babies are atheists! Arguing otherwise likely harms atheists.

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The concept that babies are born atheists is not just a statement of defiance against theistic norms but a factual representation of what atheism fundamentally is: a lack of belief in gods, or simply existing without god belief. This idea gains its strength from the etymology of ‘atheism’ itself. The term originates from ‘atheos,’ a Greek word meaning ‘godless’ or ‘without gods.’ Breaking down the word, ‘a’ signifies ‘without,’ and ‘theism’ stands for ‘theistic belief.’ Therefore, an atheist, by definition, is someone without theistic belief. This isn’t a complex philosophical stance but a basic, factual condition.

Eternal life?

How we’ll exist past our deaths (an ‘afterlife’ of sorts).

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We know that the matter and energy comprising you will continue to exist beyond your death, certainly for millions of years past the date that your life ends. You are made of material that has existed throughout the entire course of life on Earth, and in fact, was previously part of other life forms. Their matter and energy exist in you right now, and in the future, yours will exist in others.

Tarot Cards are Nonsense

In the case of people who read their own cards, they’re using pieces of paper that have been placed on a table at random in order to manufacture nonsense about their lives. While the person may create positive scenarios in their childish game of fantasy, they may also see cards that indicate poor outcomes and cause themselves stress. When faced with anything in life, a rational critical thinker understands that the best outcome is derived from an assessment of the facts. Those aren’t going to be contained in randomized pieces of paper from an old school scam. They are best derived when you outline the facts on your own. Here’s a trick, get a sharpie, and draw a vertical line on a tarot card, on the left side write the pros of any issue that you’re working through, and on the right side write the cons. Then assess them, analyze them, think about them deeply, consider sleeping on the idea. This is how you turn a tarot card from nonsense into something that can actually bring meaning to your life based on real information.