trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance

{{religion}}
'''Ontario Consultants on Religious Tolerance''' (at '''religioustolerance.org''') is a generally unbiased resource of information about religion and related topics. The site provides analyses of subjects such as [[atheism]], [[Islam]] and [[Satanism]]. The site is a hybrid between [[liberal]] and [[centrism|centrist]] policies. Most of the content on the site is written by Bruce A. Robinson.<ref>http://www.religioustolerance.org/credentials.htm</ref> Robinson is a retired [[engineer]], and is an [[agnostic]] and a [[Unitarian Universalist]].<ref>[http://www.religioustolerance.org/credentials.htm Who are our web site's authors, & what are their credentials?]</ref>

Its purpose is to provide "accurate religious information"<ref name="quote">http://www.religioustolerance.org/purpose.htm</ref> and "information on dozens of "hot" religious topics",<ref name="quote"></ref> to reveal "religious fraud, hatred and misinformation",<ref name="quote"></ref> and to "promote religious [[tolerance]]".<ref name="quote"></ref> This perhaps makes the site the very antithesis of [[Conservapedia]].

Its coverage of [[Scientology]]<ref>http://www.religioustolerance.org/scientol.htm</ref> runs the Church of Scientology line largely unaltered, and is recommended in turn by Scientology.<ref>''e.g.'', http://www.bonafidescientology.org/religious.htm</ref> This is not as bad as it was in the late 1990s,<ref>http://www.xenu-directory.net/opinions/hill-20070109-ocrt.html</ref> but should still be approached with caution.

The site has received hate mail and death threats.<ref>http://www.religioustolerance.org/comments.htm</ref>

As of 2023 the website appears to be offline.

==External links==
*[http://www.religioustolerance.org OCRT Website] (Dead link as of 2023.)

==References==
{{reflist|2}}

[[Category:Websites]]

Categories: Websites
Operation Black Vote

[[File:OBV's logo.jpg|thumb|250px|right|thumb|In case you haven't guessed, this is their logo.]]
'''Operation Black Vote''' is a [[United Kingdom|British]] organisation dedicated to encouraging black people and members of other ethnic minority communities to engage with politics.

==Background==
The organisation was formed in 1996 as a result of a collaboration between two smaller groups, Charter88 and the 1990 Trust.<ref>http://www.obv.org.uk/about-us</ref> It aims to counter institutionalised [[racism]] and ensure that the voices of racial minority groups are heard within the political establishment.<ref>http://www.obv.org.uk/about-us/mission</ref>

==Criticism==
In 2010, blogger Edmund Standing criticised the organisation in a post entitled "Operation Black Vote and the curse of racial collectivism". In it, he compared OBV to the [[BNP]], arguing that both groups prioritise race to an unnecessary degree and encourage their supporters to indulge in a victim mentality. He concluded that the best way to counter racism is to treat people as individuals, rather than as ethnic communities, and that groups such as OBV are only making matters worse by treating skin colour as more important than individual political views.<ref>http://edmundstanding.wordpress.com/2010/05/01/operation-black-vote-and-the-curse-of-racial-collectivism/</ref>

[[File:englishvote.gif|500px|Yeah, we'll keep an eye out for those dragon flags.|thumb|upright|right]]

==Operation English Vote==
A derivative (and rather more right-wing) group purporting to represent white English people, Operation English Vote, set up shop on Facebook in May 2012. Predictably, much of its material is devoted to ranting about [[Marxist]]s.<ref>https://www.facebook.com/pages/Operation-English-Vote-Member-of-the-New-Patriot-Alliance/394185540634034?fref=ts</ref>

[[Hope not Hate]] claims that OEV's Twitter account is run by former [[EDL]] member [[Bill Baker]].<ref>http://www.hopenothate.org.uk/blog/article/2094/bills-bad-olympics</ref>

==External link==
* [http://www.obv.org.uk/ Official website]

==References==
{{reflist}}
[[Category:British politics]]
[[Category:Political action groups]]

Categories: British politics, Political action groups
Ophelia Benson

[[File:Ophelia_Benson_at_CFI_WIS-May_18_2012.JPG|thumb|165px|Ophelia Benson at the Women in Secularism conference, reeking of the fecal odor of transphobia.]]{{skepnav}}'''Ophelia Benson''' is a [[TERF|trans-exclusionary radical feminist]] ([[TERF]]),<ref name=twit>
[https://imgur.com/a/pwEh1 Some of her comments on Facebook and Twitter.] She compares [[transgender]] people to Rachel Dolezal's ''transracialism'', dances around saying trans women are women and thanks [[Cathy Brennan]] for her support.</ref> a self-proclaimed "[[skeptic]]" (but she probably isn't), and the editor of ''Butterflies and Wheels'', a blog about [[pseudoscience]].

==The good==

Ms. Benson was a self-professed "[[skeptic]]" despite denying important feminist principles. She coauthored several [[books]] criticizing and satirizing anti-[[rationalism]], [[misogyny]],<ref group=note>Notably not [[transmisogyny]]. [[Transphobia|Wonder why that is...]]</ref> and pseudoscience. All of these are in partnership with {{wpl|Jeremy Stangroom}}, a [[UK|British]] [[sociologist]] and the cofounder of ''Butterflies and Wheels''.<ref>http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/books/why-truth-matters/</ref> She's also a notable female [[atheist]], which is nice, given the inequality in the atheist community.{{fact}}  What's much less nice is that she's just another cis [[atheist]], given that same, you know, inequality in the atheist community.  That she has had no role whatsoever in creating and perpetuating, of course.

==The bad==

She left ''[[Freethought Blogs]]'' because she was rightfully<ref name=twit/> called a transphobe for "[[Bullshit|having her own ideas about gender]]".<ref>https://freethoughtblogs.com/butterfliesandwheels/</ref> These ideas put her at odds with many other writers at ''Freethought Blogs.'' FTB supports [[social justice]]; Benson does not: witness, Benson thanked [[Cathy Brennan]] for her [[Twitter]] post defending Benson and denouncing so-called "[[SJW]]s."{{Citation needed}}

==The ugly==

Ms. Benson wrote:<ref>http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2019/all-women/ /</ref>
 
{{quotebox|Trans women are the women who really matter. Cis women are too privileged to matter, plus frankly they’re kind of bitches, don’t you think?}}

And:<ref>http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2021/if-your-claim-to-feminism/</ref>
 
{{quotebox|If your claim to feminism includes telling feminist women not to focus on women but instead to focus on men who claim to be women, your feminism is moronic and you should feel like a damn fool. ... The determined transfer of feminism from women to men who call themselves women is enraging.}}

She also wrote: <ref>http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org/2021/planned-disappearance-of-women// /</ref>

{{quotebox| Planned Parenthood can go fuck itself }}

==External links==
*[http://www.butterfliesandwheels.org ''Butterflies and Wheels'']

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

==References==
{{reflist|2|80%}}

{{stub|skepticism}}
{{DEFAULTSORT:Benson, Ophelia}}
[[category:Living people]]
[[Category:Atheists]]
[[Category:TERFs]]
__NOTOC__

Categories: Living people, Atheists, TERFs
Orac

{{fork}}
*[[Orgone accumulator]] — A device invented by [[Wilhelm Reich]] to trap and focus [[orgone energy]]
*[[Respectful Insolence]] — A blog by a doctor and medical researcher, whose [[Pseudonym|nom de blog]] is Orac, on [[medical woo]] and many other [[pseudoscience]] topics. Also one of the contributors to [[ScienceBlogs]].
*Oxygen Radical Absorbance Capacity, which is what [[antioxidant]]s have
*A fictional computer from the [[science fiction]] television series Blake's 7, an article on which (or whom, as it is theoretically [[Alan Turing|Turing]]-test compliant) can be found [http://blakes7.wikia.com/wiki/Orac_(Computer) here].
Orb

{{Paranormal}}[[Image:Thanatos'_ghost.JPG|thumb|left|170px|A UFO exploring Independence Hall?!]]
[[File:Orbs collage.jpg|thumb|left|170px|Archetypal orbs. From left to right and beginning from above: a) dust, b) rain, c) drop of water and d) leaks.]]
Sometimes you get dust on your camera lens, or catch a snowflake, [[rain|raindrop]], or bit of dust as the [[light]] hits it, creating a big out-of-focus blob in the middle of your picture.  [[Ufology|Ufologist]]s and other fanciers of the paranormal call these '''orbs''' and consider them evidence of... something.  A [[ghost]]ly presence, perhaps. 

Like other camera phenomena, orbs invariably seem to come from certain [[paranormal]]ists' tendency to miss minor details and [[willful ignorance|avoid]] [[critical thinking|critical analysis]].  Other, more sensible, paranormalists equip themselves with stereoscopic digital cameras to find the orb's true distance from the camera — which of course turns out to be rather shorter than the [[woo]]-pushers would like.<ref>Steve Parsons.  "[https://web.archive.org/web/20100501144122/http://www.parascience.org.uk/articles/orbkill.htm Orbs!... At last some definitive evidence that they are not paranormal]."  Para.Science.  2010.</ref>

Protip:  Wanna make your own orbs? Go out with a camera during a light drizzle and take pictures, but forget to turn off your flash. Show to the credulous.  [[Scam|Profit]].  Works better if the flash is close to the lens so you would be better off using a compact camera rather than a DSLR with an externally mounted flash.

{{wpl|The Orb}}, on the other hand, is a critically acclaimed electronic band.
{{Clearleft}}

==See also==

*[[Electronic voice phenomenon]]
*[[Pareidolia]]
*[[Rods]]
*[[Noel Edmonds]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|paranormal}}

[[Category:Paranormal]]
[[Category:Technology]]
[[Category:Woo]]

Categories: Paranormal, Technology, Woo
Organized complexity

{{crenav}}
[[File:SunFlower1.jpg|thumb|220px|left|The florets of a sunflower (''Helianthus annuus'') show an organised and seemingly complex pattern, but this actually follows a simple mathematical model known as as "{{wpl|Fermat's Spiral}}".]]
'''Organized complexity''' is, simply put, things that look designed. (They don't have to be designed.) This is a subjective term without any clear definitions or measures (since things look different to different people, and people have different ideas of extents of definitions) and therefore scientifically useless. Do things necessarily have to appear organized to look designed?

How can things just up and organize themselves?

At the molecular/cellular level, interactions are governed by {{wpl|Brownian motion}} (a phenomenon unfamiliar at the macro level) and may better be thought of as {{wpl|complex adaptive systems}} rather than Newtonian balls.

It is also the case, as Steven Johnson notes in his book, ''Emergence'',<ref>''Emergence: The Connected Lives of Ants, Brains, Cities, and Software'' by Steven Johnson.{{Isbn|0684868768}}.</ref> that many apparently [[random]], [[Chaos|chaotic]], and infinitely complex collectives do organize themselves into meaningful patterns &mdash; "organized complexity". Phenomena cited are ant colonies, cities, and "learning" software that creates at least a mime of intelligence. 

The basic force at work is that of guiding principles, laws, instructions &mdash; that are repeated &mdash; and these repeated instructions, such as one might find in [[DNA]], for instance, manifest themselves in patterns, and then patterns into form. So from ideas, laws, or principles, the form of life materializes. And this comes not from an authorized signal-giver, but rather "from below", integral to the "swarm" itself.

==See also==
* [[Intelligent design]]
* [[Irreducible complexity]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|creationism}}
{{crebox}}

[[Category:Creationism]]
[[Category:EvoWiki ports]]
[[Category:Evolution]]

Categories: Creationism, EvoWiki ports, Evolution
Orthodox

{{fork}}
*The quality of being conforming, established, or [[tradition]]al; especially a term regarding [[religion]], but also used more generally.
*[[Eastern Orthodox Church]]
*[[Orthodox Judaism]]
*''[[Orthodoxy (book)|Orthodoxy]]'', a 1908 book by [[G. K. Chesterton]].

In religion, the opposite of orthodox is '''heterodox''', a.k.a. [[heretical]]. More generally, the term '''unorthodox''' is used for the unconventional.

[[category:Religious terms]]

Categories: Religious terms
Orthomolecular medicine

{{altmed}}
'''Orthomolecular medicine''' is a form of [[vitamin]] [[woo]] based on [[nutritional supplement]]s. The name was picked by [[Linus Pauling]], in his [[Vitamin C]] [[Nobel disease|quack period]], to mean "the right molecules." He hypothesized that "substances that are normally present in the human body" are therefore good, so high doses will treat disease. This has been shown to be false; many vitamins in high doses, especially fat-soluble ones that can accumulate in the body, will cause you quite some harm.

Despite this, desperate [[cancer]] patients get lured in by this one a lot, feeling that actual medicine has failed them and [[Big Pharma]] cares more about money than their well-being.<ref>Velicer CM, Ulrich CM (2008). "Vitamin and mineral supplement use among US adults after cancer diagnosis: a systematic review". ''J Clin Oncol'' 26 (4): 665–73. doi:10.1200/JCO.2007.13.5905. PMID 18235127.</ref>

Other diseases attract this, too: [[Matthias Rath]] pushed this [[bullshit]] to [[AIDS]] patients in [[South Africa]], killing several. He tried to sue [[Ben Goldacre]] to stop him from writing about it. This, of course, failed. 

Some even claim that vitamins cure [[psychiatric]] problems. The American Psychiatric Association is not impressed:
{{cquote|This Task Force considers the massive publicity which they promulgate via radio, the lay press and popular books, using catch phrases which are really misnomers like "[[megavitamin therapy]]" and "orthomolecular treatment," to be deplorable.|||<ref>Lipton M, et al. (1973). ''Task force report on megavitamin and orthomolecular therapy in psychiatry.'' Washington DC: American Psychiatric Association.</ref>}}

Despite all this evidence that orthomolecular medicine is more harm than help, proponents of orthomolecular medicine allege a Big Pharma [[conspiracy]] to suppress their important insights, and have done so since Pauling.

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Alternative medicine]]
[[Category:Cancer woo]]

Categories: Alternative medicine, Cancer woo
Otto Rahn

[[File:Otto Rahn.jpg|thumb|165 px]]
{{sources needed}}{{nazism}}{{confused|German chemist (and non-Nazi) {{wpl|Otto Hahn}}}}
'''Otto Rahn''' {{lived|1904|1939}} was a [[German]] [[Nazi]] student of folklore and [[pseudoarchaeology|pseudoarchaeologist]]. His early work involved studies of French sites once inhabited by the [[heresy|heretical]] [[Christian]] sect known as the Cathars, especially the caves and catacombs they used for secrecy. He eventually became convinced of the historicity of the [[King Arthur|Arthurian legend]] contained in Wolfram von Eschenbach's 13th century epic ''Parzival'' (''Percival''), leading him to become obsessed with finding the [[Holy Grail]]. He wrote a book, ''Kreuzzug gegen den Gral'' (Crusade Towards the Grail), detailing his beliefs about the Grail.

In 1933, [[Heinrich Himmler]] took interest in Rahn's claims regarding the Grail, and recruited him into the SS. Tensions grew between Himmler and Rahn as Rahn continually came up empty handed. In 1937, he wrote a second book, ''Lucifer's Court''. The publishers slipped some [[Antisemitism|anti-Semitic]] material into it to promote German [[nationalism]]. 

He was always uneasy with Nazi policies, but felt  "A man has to eat. What was I supposed to do? Turn Himmler down?". Rahn was openly [[homosexual]], and this is likely the reason he was eventually sentenced to three months of guard duty at Dachau's concentration camp in 1937. Rahn finally attempted to quit the SS in 1938, and was supposedly offered a choice between suicide and execution by his former masters.

He was found dead on a hilltop in Tyrol, Austria, in 1939; the official cause of death given was suicide, though the accuracy of the report is unknown.

Much rumor and [[pseudohistory]] surrounds Rahn and his work and some believe he actually survived and was imprisoned at Dachau until the end of the war, though no substantial evidence has been found for this. He is claimed by some to have inspired {{wpl|Raiders of the Lost Ark|''Raiders of the Lost Ark''|,}} although this has received no confirmation from the film makers.

==External links==
*[http://otto-rahn.com Project dedicated to Otto Rahn ]
*[http://www.archive.org/details/CrusadeAgainstTheGrail ''Crusade Against the Grail'' at Internet Archive]
*[http://www.humanitas-international.org/holocaust/rahntran.htm Newspaper coverage of a speech by Otto Rahn (SS)], (Westfalia Landeszeitung, January 9, 1938)
*[http://www.telegraph.co.uk/culture/film/starsandstories/3673575/The-original-Indiana-Jones-Otto-Rahn-and-the-temple-of-doom.html Otto Rahn and the Temple of Doom], ''The Telegraph''
*[http://otto-rahn.com/review-otto-rahn-s-study-grail-lore-john-j-reilly Review by John J. Reilly]

{{DEFAULTSORT:Rahn, Otto}}
[[Category:Fascists]]
[[Category:Antisemites]]
[[Category:European history]]
[[Category:Holocaust perpetrators]]
[[Category:LGBTQ people]]
[[Category:Nazis]]
[[Category:Racists]]
[[Category:Pseudoarchaeology]]
[[Category:Pseudohistory promoters]]

Categories: Fascists, Antisemites, European history, Holocaust perpetrators, LGBTQ people, Nazis, Racists, Pseudoarchaeology, Pseudohistory promoters
Out-of-place fossils

{{crenav}}
According to creationists, '''out-of-place fossils''' are [[fossil]]s which are somewhere that they shouldn't be, which disproves either (a) [[radiometric dating]] or (b) [[evolution]]ary and [[Fossil record|fossil history]]. Out-of-place fossils are basically [[out-of-place artifact]]s, but for [[creationism]].

Arthur Chadwick, a creationist, sums up the problems with this approach pretty well:<ref name=Chad1>Arthur V. Chadwick, "Precambrian Pollen in the Grand Canyon &mdash; A Reexamination," Origins, 8:1, 1981</ref>

{{quotebox|[T]he conclusion that these findings support [creationism<ref group=note>In the reference, Chadwick is referring specifically to Roraima pollen. The general point holds true, however.</ref>] is a non sequitur until all cause for concern regarding modern contamination has been eliminated.}}

==Examples==
*The [[Grand Canyon#Pollen|Hakatai Shale pollen]]
*The [[Roraima pollen paradox]]
*The [[Paluxy River tracks]]
*The {{wpl|Cardiff Giant}} - one of the most famous of these supposed "out-of-place" fossils. An atheist who was fed up with the church created this 10 foot stone man to fool the masses and fool them it did.

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

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{crebox}}
{{stub|creationism}}
[[Category:Out-of-place fossils| ]]

Categories: Out-of-place fossils
Outcome bias

{{psychology}}

'''Outcome bias''' is a [[List of cognitive biases|cognitive bias]] which refers to the tendency to judge a decision by its eventual outcome instead of judging it based on the quality of the decision at the time it was made. 

For example, in one scenario, a real estate agent fails to disclose to the customers the high probability of the basement of the house flooding. This risk exists at the time of his decision not to tell his customers, regardless of whether there actually is a flooding later or not.<ref group=note>It is also possible that the real estate agent [[Hanlon's razor|''didn't know'']] about the flood risk, rather than intentionally neglecting to inform the customers.</ref> Therefore, this decision should be viewed negatively in both cases. However, in reality, the agent will in most cases be viewed much more negatively if the basement is actually flooded. While this is emotionally understandable, purely logically it should not make a difference. This example also portrays how outcome bias is much more likely in case of negative events.<ref>Francesca Gino, Don A. Moore, Max H. Bazerman. (2009) [http://www.hbs.edu/faculty/Publication%20Files/08-080.pdf No harm, no foul: The outcome bias in ethical judgments.] Harvard Business School NOM Working Paper No. 08-080</ref>

Outcome bias might be mistaken for [[hindsight bias]]. The difference is that hindsight bias describes a situation where the "correct" choice at the time of the decision seems obvious later on (with the benefit of hindsight), while it really was not at the time. 

Hindsight bias is a psychological phenomenon that allows people to convince themselves after an event that they accurately predicted it before it happened. This can lead people to conclude that they can accurately predict other events. 

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

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|psychology}}

{{Cognitive biases}}
Outside resources

{{fork}}

This page links to outside information that we tend to think of as useful or important -- web links, blogs, book references, that sort of thing.

*Website links
**[[RationalWiki:Websites|Good websites we like.]]
**[[RationalWiki:Webshites|Webshites: sites we prefer to mock, sites that are exactly the opposite of useful.]]
*Reading material
**[[RationalWiki:Bookshelf|The RationalWiki Bookshelf: classics of skepticism that everyone should take the time to read.]]
**[[RationalWiki:Ebook citations|Ebooks: Where to find lots of useful free stuff for references and such.]]
{{Rational and irrational media}}