trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Skepticism about science

{{sciencenav}}
{{Sources needed}}
'''Skepticism about science''' is an interesting angle one encounters when discussing matters of [[science]] with, usually, 
pompous gits
 people of [[faith]] who are bright, but find that some science utterly contradicts their deeply held [[belief]]s.

Rather than apply the concepts and [[knowledge]] of well-known science to their firmly-held faith, they pursue science that is poorly presented, or not well-worked out yet, in the arrogant belief that their "[[Pseudoskepticism|skepticism]]" shows that they are intelligent, questioning people. The extra psychological turn of the screw for them is that by showing that some backwater or less well-lit areas of science are weak, they feel they cast a vague, general aspersion on the fields of science (usually much better worked out) that conflict with their [[religion]] or [[politics]].

==Intelligent design==
{{main|Intelligent design}}
One example of this is the ID attack of "[[irreducible complexity]]" on less-well understood biological mechanisms, in order to try to cast all of evolutionary theory into doubt. Their first big "[[woo]]" was the [[Flagellum#Bacterial|bacterial flagellum]], which ''[[argument from ignorance|could not possibly]]'' have evolved in part, due to its "[[irreducible complexity]]". Since the [[Dover trial]], they are no longer thumping this tub loudly (and the principal exponent, one Dr. [[Michael Behe]], has moved on to [[Behe:The Edge of Evolution, Interview|criticizing malaria]] for not evolving to cope with human solutions to it). Biologists have not only worked out theoretical paths to the flagellum where every tiny change is beneficial (à la [[Darwin]]'s [[eye]]), but have found examples of each of these stages in nature.

==Conclusion==
So, yes, [[skepticism]] ''in'' science is a good thing. It leads to new discoveries and explanations. Skepticism among the faithful, however, is rare, and [[Apostasy|still often]] [[Blasphemy|leads to]] [[Blasphemy#Blasphemy in modern law|premature death]] [[Heresy|in others]].

==See also==
*[[Cognitive dissonance]]

[[Category:Science]]
[[Category:Skepticism]]
[[Category:Woo]]

Categories: Science, Skepticism, Woo
Skeptics Canada

{{skepnav}}
'''Skeptics Canada''' is an [[Canada|Canadian]] organization devoted to promoting public awareness of philosophical [[skepticism]], [[science]], and [[pseudoscience]].

==History==
The organisation was founded in [[1984]] by the late Henry Gordon. In the years since its founding it has worked to educate the public about issues which require a skeptical approach, and has held a number of exhibitions to promote reason and debunk pseudoscientific concepts. One of the founding members, Michael DeRobertis, has conducted pre-tests for the [[James Randi]] Educational Foundation’s [[Million-dollar challenge | Million Dollar Challenge]], and was instrumental in preventing York University from allowing the Canadian Memorial Chiropractic College to become part of that institution.

Skeptics Canada is also a participant in the world-wide ‘[[Skeptics in the Pub]]’ nights. This is a regular event held once a month at which participants may informally discuss their interests in a casual environment. Guest speakers and various entertainments are also a part of these evenings. Although based in Toronto the membership is composed of people from across Canada.

==External links==
*[http://skepticscanada.org Skeptics Canada Website, eh?]
{{stub|skepticism}}
[[Category:Skeptical organizations]]
[[Category:Canada]]

Categories: Skeptical organizations, Canada
Skull and Bones

[[File:Bones logo.jpg|right|thumb|165px|Aaaargh, me hearties!]]{{conspiracynav}}
'''Skull and Bones''' is a club at Yale University, occasionally accused by conspiracy theorists<ref group=note>Mostly from [http://www.jesus-is-savior.com/False%20Religions/Wicca%20&%20Witchcraft/skull_and_bones_exposed.htm people] who (erroneously) [http://web.archive.org/web/20121219055955/http://www.trosch.org/bks/msnc/masonry-exposed.html accuse] S&B's like Bush Jr. of being Freemasons (which is ridiculous, since the group is too lame for the Masons to be interested in). Basically, crazy people think [[Jonanism|all secret societies are the same]].</ref> of having links with the [[Freemasons]]. It is a popular subject for [[conspiracy theory|conspiracy theories]] which allege it is some sort of [[secret society]] for hand-picking and grooming future world leaders while initiating them into service to the [[New World Order]] through [[Satanism|Satanic]] or [[occult]] rituals, but (and this can be said of any Ivy League organization) only the first half is true. Or something.

Since [[John Kerry]] and [[George H. W. Bush]] were both members, it is clear that Skull & Bones controls both sides of the American [[Politics|political]] debate and manipulates a mirage of debate between the [[Political spectrum|left and right]] to keep the masses distracted while they secretly rule the world. Or something. Alternatively, the successful political advancement of so many former members of this small society just goes to show how incestuous and elitist the American political system really is.

Members are sworn to silence about the proceedings, which apparently include dining with [[Adolf Hitler|Hitler]]'s old silverware — an effective means of convincing them to keep mum about it.

It has been claimed that Skull and Bones has the remains of [[Native American]] firebrand Geronimo, and some of his descendants have sued the society.<ref>[http://rt.com/usa/skull-and-bones-sued-over-indian-chief-s-remains/ Skull and Bones sued over Indian chief’s remains]</ref>

According to their statements, Skull and Bones is dry, meaning no [[alcohol]] allowed.<ref>[http://web.archive.org/web/20130126222909/http://www.skullandcrossbones.org/articles/skullandbones.htm A rare look inside the Skull & Bones Society]</ref> Since this organization is basically a [[college fraternity]] there is only one [[bullshit|rational response]].

==Notes==
{{reflist|group=note}}

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|conspiracy theories}}

[[Category:Conspiracy theories]]
[[Category:Educational institutions]]

Categories: Conspiracy theories, Educational institutions
Slacktivist

{{internet}}{{hatnote|For the concept, see our article on [[Slacktivism]].}}
'''Slacktivist''' is the pen-name for [[liberal]] [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]]<ref>"If you're reading this you may be, like me, an evangelical Christian..." [http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2011/01/04/tf-im-gonna-take-you-by-surprise-and-make-you-realize/] (Note that you need to turn JavaScript off to view the original comments)</ref> [[Christian]] blogger Fred Clark, probably best known for his exhaustive deconstruction of the ''[[Left Behind]]'' series of novels.

In ''[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2007/06/22/exhuming-mccarthy/ Exhuming McCarthy]'', he criticizes [[Conservapedia]], mentions RationalWiki, and makes the following point:

{{cquote|The cooperative, democratic, open-source ethos of Google and Wiki is antithetical to the supposedly conservative values espoused by the C-pedia's contributors. The original is based on the idea that all of us, together, know more than any of us individually does. The "alternative" is based on the idea that some ideas are forbidden and must be censored. The model for the Conservapedia's form of collaboration isn't so much Wikipedia as it is one of those totalitarian youth clubs in which children are commissioned to report subversive comments by parents or teachers.}}

==External links==
*[http://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/ Slacktivist], the blog's current incarnation at [[Patheos]]
*[http://slacktivist.typepad.com/slacktivist/ The Slacktiverse,] once Fred's blog site, then a fansite, now an archive.
*[http://slacktiverse.blogspot.com The Slacktiverse (2),] the place where the fansite moved after they couldn't mainain the original blog anymore. Now a redirect.
*[http://slacktiverse.wordpress.com/ The Slacktiverse (3),] where the fansite ended up after that.
*[https://www.patheos.com/blogs/slacktivist/2015/11/05/left-behind-index-the-whole-thing/ ''Left Behind Index (the whole thing)'']

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|internet}}

[[Category:Left-wing activists]]
[[Category:Bloggers]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Left-wing activists, Bloggers, Living people
Slothful induction

{{logicnav}}
'''Slothful induction''' or "appeal to [[coincidence]]" is a [[logical fallacy]] in which an [[Inductive reasoning|inductive argument]] is denied its proper conclusion in spite of strong [[evidence]]; this is either in favor of an alternative conclusion with ''no'' evidence or a vague non-specific conclusion that is impossible to rule out by stating nothing concrete (such as stating it was merely a "coincidence"). Often, slothful induction becomes a game of [[moving the goalposts]]. 

The fallacy is an [[ad hoc]] fallacy and an [[informal fallacy]].

==Alternate names==
*appeal to [[coincidence]]
*gravity game

==Form==
*Strong evidence suggests X results in Y.
*In spite of this, someone insists Y was caused by something else.

Implicitly, this "something else" either has weak or no evidence in support of it, or it's a kind of vague unfalsifiable notion such that Y happens simply coincidentally, and has no real relation to many occurrences of X. All the while, no testable alternative to Y is offered. 

==Examples==
A drunkard has had seven car accidents in the last seven months. Each time, the drunkard had immediately prior visited a bar. Each time, the drunkard tested positive for [[alcohol]] above legal limits. Each time, bystanders report that the drunkard's car had been acting erratically. It is strongly evident that the drunkard's alcohol causes their accidents. Yet the drunkard insists that it is just a coincidence and was simply distracted for reasons that are not his fault.

An example of slothful induction is when [[creationists]] often ask for "[[proof]]" of [[evolution]], and act triumphant when none is forthcoming that meet their criteria, and yet they will still cling to their preferred hypothesis of [[creationism]] despite no such "proof" being present; hell, without even provisional evidence for its occurrence. This is a rather egregious double-standard in what constitutes adequate evidential support. 

[[William Dembski]]'s [[Explanatory Filter]] is a good example of this fallacy.

==External links==
*[http://onegoodmove.org/fallacy/sloth.htm Slothful Induction], Stephen Downes

{{logfal}}

[[Category:Ad hoc]]
[[Category:Informal fallacies]]

Categories: Ad hoc, Informal fallacies
Slut

{{sex}}{{gender}}{{sources needed}}
{{cquote|'''Kelly Bundy''': Do you know what I would do for a house in Jamaica?<br/>''' Bud Bundy''':The same thing you would do for dinner and a movie?|||''{{wpl|Married...with Children}}''}}

'''Slut''', in modern vernacular, is a slur used to describe a sexually promiscuous individual, usually a woman.<ref>https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/slut</ref> The practice of using the word "slut" to insult a person is called "[[slut-shaming]]". In common with pretty much all other words in the English language, its meaning has changed over time. The earliest use of "slut" or "sluttish" (from the [[Middle Ages]]) was in the works of Chaucer, to describe a poorly kept man.<ref>[http://www.nydailynews.com/blogs/pageviews/chaucer-limbaugh-history-slut-blog-entry-1.1637891 History of the word slut]</ref>  This quickly shifted from untidy men to untidy women, and since untidy women were generally lower class and thus assumed to be promiscuous, eventually the word shifted meaning to its present form.

Originally, the term was exclusively pejorative, and is still generally used that way which is inherently [[sexist]]; if a man were to resort to the same activities that would have women branded sluts, it would be unlikely that the same negative connotations would apply (like with the word "stud")<ref>Arguably, the word “[[Pornography]]” or “Pornographic”behaves the same way, especially in the West</ref>. However, more recently it has seen increasing use as a positive term, which has incidentally resulted in its being applied to men as well (''cf.'' "man-slut", or sometimes just the gender-neutral "slut" to encompass [[gender|genderqueer, genderfluid, or agender]] persons). There have also been explicit attempts to reappropriate the term as a positive one, as with the [[SlutWalk]] movement.

Synonyms of "slut" include:
* [[Manosphere glossary#Whore|'Whore']] (or 'ho' if you be pimpin')
* [[Manosphere glossary#Easy|'Easy']]
* [[Manosphere glossary#Loose|'Loose']]
* [[Manosphere glossary#Damaged goods|'Damaged goods']]
* [[Manosphere glossary#Roastie|'Roastie']]
* [[Manosphere glossary#Stacy|'Stacy']] (used by incels to denote an attractive, promiscuous woman)
* [[Manosphere glossary#Thot|'Thot']] (That Ho Over There)

== See also ==
*[[Sexism]]
*[[Fun]]
*[[Woman]]

==External links==
*{{wpa|The Ethical Slut}} — a book describing the [[polyamory|polyamorous]] movement
==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|sexuality}}

[[Category:Purity culture]]
[[Category:Rape culture]]
[[Category:Sexism]]
[[Category:Sexuality]]

Categories: Purity culture, Rape culture, Sexism, Sexuality
SlutWalk

{{gender}}A '''SlutWalk''' is a [[feminist]] gathering intended to raise awareness of [[rape]], [[rape apologetics]], and other forms of violence against women, generally distinguished from other such gatherings by the fact that a number of participants will be dressed like "[[slut]]s".

It is essentially [[Feminism#The third wave: clashes of values (1980s–present)|third-wave feminism]]'s version of a Take Back the Night march, an alteration of style that has made some people rather upset.<ref>http://www.crikey.com.au/2011/05/17/rundle-the-phones-are-manned-vote-now-on-sl-twalk/</ref>

==Origin==

The SlutWalk concept originated in [[Ontario|Toronto]] in April 2011, when a Toronto police officer stated to a crowd at York University that to avoid being made victims of sexual violence, "women should avoid dressing like [[slut]]s." This statement is based on a horrible old myth that many people have gone to great pains to debunk, and is highly erroneous: first because most rapes occur between acquaintances rather than strangers, second because what "dressing like a slut" actually ''means'' can vary widely (see: [[Sharia]] countries), third because some people are narrow-minded assholes that [[Psychological projection|think ''every'' woman is a slut whose purpose is to receive sex]], fourth because rapists are not concerned so much with women's clothes or bodies as they are with dominating and degrading them, and finally because women shouldn't ''have'' to dress in certain ways to avoid being assaulted, any more than people should avoid driving expensive-looking cars to avoid carjackings. 

In response to this incident, activists began holding demonstrations to protest the sentiments expressed by the officer, carrying signs that were mostly variations on the theme, "Nobody asks to get raped." Furthermore, and more noticeably, they decided to put the word "slut" in the center of their rhetoric by seeking to [[Reappropriation|redefine the term]] as "someone who is in control of their own sexuality."<ref>http://www.torontoobserver.ca/2011/03/30/slutwalk-set-to-strut-past-queens-park-to-police-hq-on-april-3/</ref> This resulted in many people coming out in slut outfits, despite tut-tutting from such second-wavers as the British/Israeli/American anti-[[pornography]] feminist [[Gail Dines]], who was concerned that these women were giving in to patriarchal ideology as well as providing fodder for rape apologists, and Maiy Azize, who claimed that these women were "defining their sexuality on male terms."<ref>http://www.smh.com.au/nsw/slutwalk-turns-apathy-into-action-on-sex-attacks-20110612-1fzaf.html?from=smh_sb</ref> Other groups decided to copy this approach, and thus the SlutWalk movement was born.<ref>http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13320785</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Sexism]]
[[Category:Feminism]]
[[Category:Purity culture]]
[[Category:Rape culture]]

Categories: Sexism, Feminism, Purity culture, Rape culture
Snake

{{fork}}
*A kind of [[reptile]] in the order squamata
*[[Original sin]], some trouble a snake started
*[[Serpent seed doctrine]], even more trouble kicked up by the snake
*[[Sea serpent]], these snakes really are trouble
*[[Snake handling]], better learn to deal with those snakes
*[[Snake Carnivory Origin|Snake Carnivory{{sic}} Origin]] — an awful (offal?) article published by [[Creation Ministries International]]

==See also==
*[[Snake oil]] — another disambiguation page
Snake oil

{{fork}}
[[File:Clark Stanley's Snake Oil Liniment.png|thumb|right|250px|The real deal]]
*Genuine [[snake]] lipid in liquid ([[oil]]) form used in traditional [[Herbal supplement|herbal]] treatments, such as [[Chinese medicine]]
*[[Nutritional_supplement|Nutritional supplements]]
*[[Patent medicine]]s, some of which were once marketed as "snake oil"
*[[Woo]] of any kind
*Somebody who has consumed too much snake oil for their own good is known as a [[Kool-Aid drinker]].
*[[Essential oil]]
*{{wpl|Snake_oil_(cryptography)|Snake oil cryptography}}
Sniffex

[[File:Sniffex_set.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Batteries not included]]{{pseudoscience}}
The '''Sniffex''' (later '''SniffexPlus''' and '''HEDD1''') is, according to its manufacturer, a bomb-detection device invented by a [[Bulgaria]]n engineer. (Perhaps "engineer" should be put in scare quotes.) It looks suspiciously like a glorified [[dowsing]] rod. It also doesn't work as a bomb detector, though it may be somewhat effective in enriching the people who sell it to unsuspecting clients. It was tested by the US Navy (the Naval Explosive Ordnance Disposal Technology Division) in 2005 who found out that "The SNIFFEX handheld explosives detector does not work."<ref>[http://s3.amazonaws.com/propublica/assets/docs/NavyReport.pdf PDF of the Navy report]</ref> 

[[James Randi]] noticed the Sniffex website in August 2005 and invited the CEO of Sniffex, Inc. to submit it to the [[million-dollar challenge]].<ref name='swift-2005'>''[http://web.archive.org/web/20120202131812/http://www.randi.org/jr/081205another.html Another Silly Dowsing Rod]'', the Swift newsletter, August 12, 2005</ref>

==See also==
*[[ADE-651]]

==External links==
*[http://www.sniffex-eu.com/ The Sniffex European website]
*[http://sniffextest.blogspot.com/ Sniffex explosive detector test & review, Anaheim, California, 26-27 April 2006] (has videos)
*[http://sniffexquestions.blogspot.com/ Questions About Sniffex, ADE651, GT200, H3 Tec, HEDD1, AL-6D and Other Explosive Detectors], a ''single''-issue blog
*[http://news.bbc.co.uk/2/hi/programmes/newsnight/9377875.stm UK government promoted useless 'bomb detectors'], ''[[BBC]] Newsnight'' (contains video; mentions also [[ADE651]]), 27 January 2011

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{stub|Pseudoscience}}

[[category:military]]

Categories: military
Society

A '''society''' is a specific infrastructure for a collection of people that provides identity, social connections, rules, governmental structures, educational structures, etc. for the members of the group.  A society can (and generally does) contain many [[culture]]s, ethnic groups, [[religion]]s, economic classes, etc. Depending on the context of use, "society" can be a very small organization like the [[John Birch Society]], a vast otherwise unrelated group of people "the internet society", a specific locality, "the society of Denver", "society within the [[United States]]"; or even a very broad spectrum like "Western Society".

The "end" or "collapse" of society is a common theme of numerous fringe and [[Conspiracy theory|conspiratorial]] ideologies, and articles like "20 signs that SOCIETY is BREAKING DOWN!"<ref name=infowars>[https://www.infowars.com/20-signs-that-society-is-beaking-down-and-that-america-has-been-overrun-by-psychos/+&cd=1&hl=en&ct=clnk&gl=us 20 SIGNS THAT SOCIETY IS BEAKING DOWN AND THAT AMERICA HAS BEEN OVERRUN BY PSYCHOS], [[infowars]], 2012</ref><ref>[https://www.naturalnews.com/2017-06-26-5-ways-to-survive-when-society-descends-into-chaos.html 5 Ways to survive when society descends into chaos] [[NaturalNews]], 2017</ref><ref>[https://books.google.com/books?id=RY5bAAAAMAAJ& The Magna Carta Society, 1931]</ref> have been produced in similar form for hundreds of years.

==See also==
*[[Government]]
*[[Culture]]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:Culture]]
{{stub|culture}}

Categories: Culture
Society for Humanistic Judaism

{{judaism}}
The '''Society for Humanistic Judaism''' (SHJ) is an organization which was formed in 1969 by formerly-[[Reform Jewish]] [[rabbi]] Sherwin Wine (1928-2007), who had experienced a drift away from [[theism|theistic]] views during his university years but subsequently became a rabbi for a number of congregations and a chaplain for the U.S. Army, only to then make the fateful decision in 1963 to eliminate any reference to "[[God]]" in future services for his congregation in Farmington Hills, Michigan. The resulting concoction, a tradition which focuses on [[Jewish]] history, culture, and ethical values without any supernatural references, was deemed by Wine as "Humanistic Judaism".

The society also has an "academic and intellectual" arm called the '''International Institute for Secular Humanistic Judaism'''. 

==External links==
* [http://www.shj.org/ Society for Humanistic Judaism]
* [http://www.iishj.org/ IISHJ]

[[Category:Organizations]]
[[Category:Judaism]]

Categories: Organizations, Judaism
Society of St. Pius X

{{Sources needed}}
[[File:Marcel Lefebvre 1981.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Marcel Lefebvre in 1981]]
{{christianity}}
'''The Society of St. Pius X''' (SSPX, also FSSPX) is a prominent [[traditionalist catholicism|traditionalist Catholic]] society which is "canonically valid but illicit," which seems to mean that [[schism|it's "kind of" a part]] of the [[Catholic Church]].

Basically, it is a 1950s [[Catholic]]ism frozen in time. This includes [[Latin]] mass, opposition to [[evolution]], fear of [[Hell]] and the [[Devil]], no endorsement of [[Enlightenment]] values (and the [[French Revolution]]) and the occasionally uttered belief that we live in [[End Times]]. [[Quackery]] like [[homeopathy]], [[relic]]s and [[witchcraft]] are also widely believed by society members. Most members are old, though the church is slowly growing. This may be due to higher fertility rates, schools which prevent children from joining a peer group outside of the faith, and having [[missionaries]] in places like [[Africa]]. Some ideas are strangely nostalgic, like a children's magazine called the Eucharistic Children's Crusade or the belief that car accidents could be best prevented by [[prayer]].

The [[Southern Poverty Law Center]] considers SSPX to be a "font of [[Antisemitism|anti-Semitic]] [[propaganda]]".<ref name="SPLC">[https://www.splcenter.org/fighting-hate/intelligence-report/2015/radical-powerhouse The Society of St. Pius X, which has chapels and schools across the world, remains a font of anti-Semitic propaganda.]</ref> On the positive side, members generally follow the law, ignore politics, and pay [[taxes]].{{fact}}

The founder of SSPX, Archbishop Marcel Lefebvre, supported the [[Vichy France|Vichy regime]], the pro-[[Nazi]] government of [[France]] during [[World War II]]. Even in later years, SSPX hid war criminal {{wpl|Paul Touvier}} in one of their monasteries.<ref name="SPLC" /> So there's that.

In 1988, Lefebvre "illicitly" ordained four new bishops, including the [[Holocaust denier]] {{wpl|Richard Williamson||,}} which led to their [[excommunication]] under [[John Paul II]]. This excommunication was reversed by [[Benedict XVI]].<ref name="SPLC" /> Williamson was later ousted from the society after an interview in 2009 in which he denied the Holocaust and founded his own true church. There are now about half a dozen sects that have sprung from the SSPX.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|Christianity}}

[[Category:Antisemitism]]
[[Category:Catholicism]]
[[Category:Holocaust denial]]

Categories: Antisemitism, Catholicism, Holocaust denial