trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Discrimination

{{SJ}}{{cquote|For as long as the power of [[America]]'s diversity is diminished by acts of discrimination and violence against people just because they are [[African American|black]], [[Hispanic]], [[Asian]], [[Jewish]], [[Muslim]] or [[gay]], we still must overcome.|||{{wpl|Ron Kind}}<ref>[https://www.govinfo.gov/content/pkg/CREC-2005-03-08/html/CREC-2005-03-08-pt1-PgH1005-3.htm Congressional Record Volume 151, Number 26 (Tuesday, March 8, 2005)]</ref>}}
'''Discrimination''' is the treatment of similarly situated individuals differently, for either an arbitrary or non-arbitrary reason.

==Good discrimination==
Many people believe discrimination is good, when done for relevant and non-arbitrary reasons. For example, employing someone with better hand-eye co-ordination to operate machinery or accepting more mathematically able students into maths-based university courses. The mentality of "the best 
man
 
man or woman
 
person
 
thing self defining as a human
 sentient-being-of-any-and/or-every-persuasion for the job" is considered acceptable because the criteria for discrimination is relevant and justifiable.

==Bad discrimination==
However, discrimination has become a loaded term, as its primary use is as a negative and generally refers to ''unjustified'' discrimination.

[[Racism|Race]], [[Sexism|gender]], [[Religion|religious]]/[[Philosophy|philosophical]] views, and [[homosexuality|sexual orientation]] are often discriminated ''against''. People are often rejected from job placements or other perks due to what Sir Joseph Porter KCB<ref>Look it up you uncultured philistines!</ref> would refer to as "an accident of birth". In the case of [[affirmative action]] or "positive discrimination", these traits are discriminated ''for'' in the hope of balancing out old, often ancient [[Prejudice|prejudices]] and previous discrimination.

==See also==
*[[Bigotry]]
*[[Homophobia]]
*[[Bona Fide Occupational Qualifications|Legal employment discrimination]]
*[[Linguistic discrimination]]
*[[I'm not prejudiced, but...]]
*[[Racism]]
*[[Sexism]]
*[[Stereotype]]
*[[Tolerance]]
*[[Transphobia]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Law]]
[[Category:Culture]]
[[Category:Discrimination| ]]
[[Category:Political terms]]
[[Category:Social justice]]

Categories: Law, Culture, Discrimination, Political terms, Social justice
Disease

{{biology}}
A '''disease''' is a condition in which the [[life]] of an organism does not proceed easily; ''Encyclopedia Britannica'' defines it as "a harmful deviation from the normal structural or functional state of an organism".<ref>[http://www.britannica.com/EBchecked/topic/165521/disease Encyclopedia Britannica: disease]</ref> [[Evidence-based_medicine|Modern  medicine]] recognizes many, but not all, diseases as infections by [[bacteria]], other microbes, or [[virus|viruses]]. A more [[Holistic medicine| holistic]] approach blames disease on stress, since germs are ''everywhere'' (like radiation and toxins). This has some factual basis, though, as stress can weaken the immune system.<ref>[http://www.apa.org/research/action/immune.aspx American Psychological Association: Stress Weakens the Immune System] - "Our bodies are well equipped to handle stress in small doses, but when that stress becomes long-term or chronic, it can have serious effects on your body. [...] chronic stress can result in impaired communication between the immune system and the HPA axis."</ref> 

The study of disease is called pathology.<ref>[https://www.mcgill.ca/pathology/about/definition What is Pathology?], McGill Department of Pathology.</ref>

==Germ theory and "dis-ease"==
{{main|Germ theory}}
Germ theory is the scientific theory that many diseases are caused by germs, a catchall term for pathogenic microscopic bacteria, viruses, and parasites.  Many forms of [[alternative medicine]] presuppose a different cause of illness, and don't bother to verify whether those suppositions hold true.  

One common trope from [[chiropractic]] and other alternative medicine proponents who happen to, ahem, [[Germ_theory_denialism|"have disagreements" with germ theory]] is to stylize the word disease as '''dis-ease''' (with a hyphen),<ref>Embry, Irucka. [https://www.researchgate.net/publication/354131199_Germs_Can_Not_Do_Not_Cause_Dis-ease_The_germ_theory_of_disease_causation_is_a_Fraud Germs Can Not & Do Not Cause Dis–ease: The “germ theory of disease causation” is a Fraud]," ''ResearchGate''.</ref> and hearken back to the original definition of disease ("A lack of ease; uneasiness; trouble; vexation; disquiet").

==Pathogens==
*[[Virus]]
*[[Bacteria]]
*[[Fungus]]
*[[Parasite]]
*[[Prion]]

==See also==
*[[Epidemic]]
*[[Pandemic]]
*[[Goats]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|medicine}}
{{stub|disease}}
[[Category:Disease| ]]
[[Category:Medicine]]

Categories: Disease, Medicine
Docetism

{{sources needed}}{{christianity}}

'''Docetism''' is broadly defined as any [[Christology| Christological]] teaching that claims that [[Jesus]]'s body was either absent or illusory - the term derives from the Greek word ''dokein'' – "to seem".

Two varieties have become widely known:
* In one version, Christ was so divine he could not have been human, since [[YHWH |God]] lacked a material body, and therefore could not physically suffer. Jesus only appeared to be a flesh-and-blood man; his body was a phantasm. This stance, taken by [[Marcionism]], seems to predate even Marcion's time (c. 85 – c. 160), being criticized in {{Bible|1 John|4|2|3}}.
* Other groups accused of docetism held that Jesus was a man in the flesh, but Christ was a separate entity, who entered Jesus's body in the form of a dove at his baptism, empowered him to perform miracles, and abandoned him on his [[crucifixion |death on the cross]].

The term "docetic" should be used with caution, since its use is rather nebulous. {{wpl|Robert M. Price}} insists that terms like "docetism", "encratism", and "adoptionism", as well as "[[Gnosticism]]", have suffered a fate similar to "Xerox, Jello, and Kleenex" - the words have become employed "far beyond what historically descriptive usage would allow".<ref>
Yes, the "scare quotes" also appear in Price's [http://www.robertmprice.mindvendor.com/reviews/freke_gandy_lostgoddess.htm  review of Timothy Freke & Peter Gandy], ''Jesus and the Lost Goddess: The Secret Teaching of the Original Christians'' (2002).
</ref>

==In Islam==
[[Islam]]ic theology also treats the incarnation of Jesus (or Isa), or at least his crucifixion, as docetic, as the [[Qur'an]] teaches (in sura {{Qur'an|1=4|2=157|3=158|4=yes}}) that he was assumed into [[heaven]] to return again, rather than having been successfully crucified.


==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|Christianity|Christianity}}
Doctor's Data

{{altmed}}
'''Doctor's Data Inc''' (DDI) are a "fully licensed and clinical laboratory" based in St. Charles, [[Illinois]].<ref>[http://www.doctorsdata.com/contact_us.asp Their contact info]</ref> 

Their main page describes their operation as one that "…provides specialty ''[sic]'' testing to healthcare practitioners around the world. A specialist and pioneer in essential and toxic elemental testing of multiple [[human]] tissues, the laboratory offers a wide array of functional testing. DDI’s tests are utilized in the assessment, detection, prevention, and treatment of heavy metal burden, nutritional deficiencies, gastrointestinal function, hepatic detoxification, metabolic abnormalities, and diseases of environmental origin."<ref>[http://www.doctorsdata.com/home.asp First paragraph on the home page]</ref>

DDI sued the watchdog website [[Quackwatch]] in 2010 as a result of the latter's linking them and other organisations to the dubious practice of [[chelation therapy]].<ref>[http://www.quackwatch.com/14Legal/dd_suit.html Quackwatch's details about the suit]</ref>

==External Links==
*[https://www.doctorsdata.com/ Doctor's Data Inc Webpage]
The articles DDI is objecting to:
*[http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/urine_toxic.html How the Urine Toxic Metals Test Is Used to Defraud Patients]
*[http://www.casewatch.org/civil/stemp/petition.shtml CARE Clinics, Doctor's Data, Sued for Fraud]
*[http://www.autism-watch.org/reports/casd/overview.shtml Be Wary of CARE Clinics and the Center for Autistic Spectrum Disorders (CASD)]
*[http://www.ncahf.org/digest09/09-14.html Slate article blasts the urine toxic metals test]
*[http://www.ncahf.org/digest09/09-29.html Shady clinic and lab under legal assault]
*[http://www.ncahf.org/digest10/10-09.html "Autism specialists" sued]
*[http://www.quackwatch.org/01QuackeryRelatedTopics/Tests/nonstandard.html Laboratories Doing Nonstandard Laboratory Tests]

==References==
{{Reflist}}

[[category:Alternative medicine promoters]]

Categories: Alternative medicine promoters
Doctors Health Press

{{altmed}}
'''Doctors Health Press''' is a website promoting [[alternative medicine]] and [[Big Pharma]] [[conspiracy theories]].<ref name=tdwytka>[http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/ads/ar/index.php?sb=DHSITE The Doctor's Health Journal of Alternative Remedies & Cures]. The first words on that page are "THE SECRET PAIN BREAKTHROUGH THAT THEY DON’T WANT YOU TO KNOW ABOUT".</ref> Its many articles are usually about "a new study" showing some "[[Naturalistic fallacy|natural]]" treatment to be effective, or about some [[Chemophobia|artificial chemical]] being harmful. (For example, see the article [http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/cancer-articles/this-extract-shown-to-kill-cancer-cells ''"This extract shown to Kill Cancer Cells"'']. Note its vagueness and complete lack of references.) They claim their newsletter has 200,000 subscribers.<ref>[http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/about About], Doctors Health Press.</ref>

They also sell health books<ref>[http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/health-books Health Books].</ref> and subscriptions to various paper newsletters of theirs.<ref>[http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/health-newsletters Health newsletters]</ref><ref name=tdwytka/><ref>[http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/ads/cd/index.php?sb=DHSITE Are your prescriptions making you sick? Avoid the Harmful Side Effects of Today’s Commonly Prescribed Drugs].</ref>

==Claims==
Some of the claims they make include:
*Big Pharma, the medical establishment, and [[the powers that be]] are trying to stop you from finding about the miracle that is [[homeopathy]]<ref>[http://www.doctorshealthpress.com/ads/HH/index.php?sb=DHFOOT Special Report That Busts Open One Of The Biggest Cover Ups In U.S. Medicine].</ref> &mdash; it's a good thing Doctors Health Press is here to speak out against the conspiracy! Of course, the conspirators aren't doing a particularly good job at hiding homeopathy, since it's frequently in the news, people talk about it all the time, and practicing homeopathists can be found pretty much everywhere (unfortunately), none of which is attributable to the actions of Doctors Health Press.
*You, too, can live to be 122 [[Anecdotes|like Jeanne Calment]] by taking [[resveratrol]], a natural compound found in red grape skin!<ref>[http://landing.healthresources.net/products/advanced-resv-plus/HER_LP01_NS_NOF_CR.asp?SC=HER1IU2A "Identical Sister" nutrient REVS UP the Power of Resveratrol!]</ref> But wait, that's not all: Doctors Health Press has an ''even better'' compound called pterostilbene, which they will graciously sell bottles of to you with loads of free gifts.

==External links==
*[http://www.doctorshealthpress.com Doctors Health Press]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Websites]]
[[Category:Alternative medicine promoters]]

Categories: Websites, Alternative medicine promoters
Dona Beatriz

[[File:Kimpa Vita Mvita.jpg|thumb|165px|1710 Depiction of Kimpa Vita]]
{{Christianity}}
'''Dona Beatriz''' a.k.a. '''Dona Beatriz Kimpa Vita''' {{lived|1684|1706}} was a Kongolese aristocrat who became the prophetess for a syncretic Kongolese/[[Roman Catholic]] peasant mass-movement ''circa'' 1704.<ref>''The Making of New World Slavery: From the Baroque to the Modern, 1482-1800''. {{isbn| 9781844676316}}, Robin Smith, 2010 (p. 205)</ref><ref>[http://www.metmuseum.org/toah/hd/pwmn_4/hd_pwmn_4.htm Dona Beatriz: Kongo Prophet] Heilbrunn Timeline of Art History</ref> The movement, Antonianism,<ref>{{wpa | Antonianism}} </ref> sought the revitalization of the Kingdom of Kongo<ref>{{wpa | Kingdom of Kongo}} </ref> with a vision of the African Holy Family in which [[Jesus]] was born in Mbanza Kongo<ref>{{wpa | M'banza-Kongo}} </ref> and baptized in the province of Nsundi.<ref>{{wpa | Nsundi}} </ref>  According to this account, [[Mary (Mother of Jesus)|Mary]]'s mother was a [[slave]] of the Kongo aristocrat Nzimba Mpangi.  And why not?  This is no more heterodox than [[Mormonism]].{{cn}}

The political turmoil that provided the seedbed for this mass movement resulted from an invasion by the [[Portugal|Portuguese]] (1670) to regain control of their former client state, the Kingdom of Kongo.{{cn}}

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

{{DEFAULTSORT:Beatriz, Dona}}
[[Category:Prophets]]
[[Category:Africa]]
{{stub|history}}

Categories: Prophets, Africa
Doris Stokes

'''Doris May Fisher Stokes''' (1920-1987) was a [[psychic]] and medium who claimed to be able to "speak" to the dead. Her technique involved the use of [[cold reading]]s, with a series of "refresher" questions to the person being interviewed, to the use of eavesdropping (her husband was accused of interviewing audiences before they appeared on her public shows), and planting accomplices in the audience.<ref>Fanshawe, Simon (2005-09-17) "I know what you're thinking There is, says the US 'mind reader' Marc Salem, no such thing as reading minds. But being able to read people's signs and signals, he tells Simon Fanshawe, can be elevated to an art form where science meets our enduring need for mystery" ''Financial Times'' p. 1</ref><ref>Lewis Smith, Victor "He's just Telly Pathetic" ''Evening Standard'', p. 35</ref>

In a number of her books published during her lifetime, Stokes also claimed she solved a number of unsolved murders - all of which was proven to be untrue.<ref>Plummer, Mark (1981){{wayback|http://www.skeptics.com.au/journal/vol1no1.pdf "Doris Stokes Wrong - Police"}}</ref>

==References==
{{Reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Stokes, Doris}}
{{stub|pseudoscience}}
[[Category:Entertainers]]

Categories: Entertainers
Double aspect theory

{{sources needed}}{{philosophy}}
In the [[philosophy of mind]], '''double aspect theory''' is a monistic (though [[Dualism#Property_dualism|property dualistic]]) theory strongly associated with [[Baruch Spinoza]] that holds that the mind and the body are the same thing known in two different ways - those ways being the subjective (as 1st person knowledge) and the objective (as 3rd person or [[empirical]] knowledge), respectively. This entails that full empirical knowledge is insufficient for understanding [[consciousness]], and follows from his metaphysical parallelism, whereby everything ("God or Nature") manifests as two distinct attributes: thought (change in consciousness) and extension (change in space-time).

==See also==
*[[Hard problem of consciousness]]
*[[Dualism]]
{{stub|philosophy}}
[[Category:Philosophy]]

Categories: Philosophy
Doubtful News

{{skepnav|1}}
'''Doubtful News''' (sometimes '''Doubtful Newsblog''') was a [[skeptic]]al news aggregator focusing on [[cryptozoology]] and the [[paranormal]] "because people really believe this stuff." Run by {{wpl|Sharon A. Hill}} and Torkel Ødegård,<ref name=about>[https://web.archive.org/web/20120202005602/http://doubtfulnews.com/about-doubtful-news/ About Doubtful News]. Archived from ''Doubtful News'', 2 February 2012.</ref> the blog was also formerly syndicated on Skeptic.com. It launched on August 25, 2011.<ref>[https://archive.is/IetoX The launch of Doubtful news blog]. Archived from ''Doubtful News'', 25 August 2011.</ref>

The site was started to fill a gap in the market for a "one-stop source of breaking news of interest to critical thinkers that was not primarily straight science offerings or opinions."<ref name=about/> It was useful in that it reports on more than just the major stories of the time — with the potential to report on lesser stories before they become big — and kept with a story after it faded from view, allowing followup information to be more easily found.

==See also==
*[[Skeptoid]]
*[[Skeptics Guide to the Universe]]

==External links==
*[https://sharonahill.com/ Sharon A. Hill — Strange Claims Adjuster]
<!--*[http://doubtfulnews.com/ The site]
*[http://doubtfulnews.wordpress.com/ Its humble beginnings as a wordpress blog]
*[https://twitter.com/doubtfulnews Twitter]
-->
==References==
{{reflist|1|80%}}

[[Category:Blogs]]
[[Category:Cryptozoology]]

Categories: Blogs, Cryptozoology
Douglas Axe

[[File:Douglas Axe.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Axe.]]{{crenav|1}}
'''Douglas Axe''' is the director of the [[Discovery Institute]]-run [[Biologic Institute]].<ref>http://www.biologicinstitute.org/people/</ref> co-author of [[Science and Human Origins]] Axe is also a signatory to the Discovery Institute petition [[A Scientific Dissent from Darwinism]].

Axe’s work has been [[Dunning-Kruger_effect|hailed by the Discovery Institute]] as [[Shoehorning|evidence supporting their views]]. Interestingly, even Axe himself has admitted that this is not the case.<ref>Panda’s Thumb, [http://pandasthumb.org/archives/2007/01/92-second-st-fa.html Axe (2004) and the evolution of enzyme function]</ref> 

==Credentials==
Axe is a [[Molecular biology|molecular biologist]], and is, as such, one of [[List_of_scientists_alive_today_who_accept_the_biblical_account_of_creation|the relatively few people affiliated with the intelligent design movement with credentials the least bit relevant to the issue at hand]] — not counting the numerous supporters who rely entirely on [[Diploma_mill|fake or trumped-up credentials]], as opposed to "merely" [[Appeal_to_authority|out-of-context credentials]].

Drawing on his knowledge of biology, Axe has authored a few relatively mundane papers, at least some of which have been published in low-tier, although [[peer-review|genuine]], journals.

Although none of these papers contain – or even attempts to mount – any refutation of [[evolution]], much less evidence for intelligent design. He has published extensively in the Biologic Institute’s [[pseudojournal|house journal]] [[BIO-Complexity]], but that obviously does not count towards anything meaningful.

==Fallacies and ignorance==
Axe is on the record arguing that [http://evolutionwiki.org/wiki/Problems_with_evolution_are_evidence_for_creation problems with evolution are evidence for intelligent design],<ref>Sandwalk, [http://sandwalk.blogspot.com/2012/01/false-dichotomy.html False Dichotomy], post from January 18, 2012.</ref> insofar as if the [[Science doesn't know everything|theory of evolution cannot explain some data]] it means that there can somehow be no [[Methodological naturalism|naturalistic]] explanation at all. In other words, Axe seems to think that [[False_dilemma|if evolution were false, then Intelligent Design would have to be correct]] — which is, of course, false insofar as Intelligent Design is not a scientific theory to begin with, and is thus not even in the running.

His actual expertise in the fields relevant to assessing evolutionary explanations has also been questioned.<ref>Pharyngula, [http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2012/03/31/who-needs-an-iq-test-when-youve-got-coalescence/ Who Needs an IQ-Test When You’ve Got Coalescence].</ref>

==See also==
*[[Biologic Institute]]
*[[BIO-Complexity]]
*[[Discovery Institute]]
*[[Wedge Document]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{crebox|1}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Axe, Douglas}}

[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Discovery Institute]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Authors, Discovery Institute, Living people
Doxastic voluntarism

{{sources needed}}{{philosophy}}
'''Doxastic voluntarism''' is the philosophical position that one has voluntary control over one's beliefs. That is, one can change one's beliefs by will and thought alone, implying that we can freely choose to believe or disbelieve anything at will. Note that this isn't about the ability to change a belief — as changing attitudes, maturity or new [[evidence]] can lead to a change of mind — but that such an action can be done wilfully at any arbitrary point. Doxastic voluntarism implies that one could change which [[god]] one believed in just by walking into a different church, or become a [[Muslim]] simply because one tripped on a piece of [[bacon]].

==Indirect and direct doxastic voluntarism==
An important distinction that should be made when discussing doxastic voluntarism is between direct and indirect kinds.

'''Indirect doxastic voluntarism''' holds that we have indirect control over some of our beliefs. This means that we can take some intermediary actions to change our beliefs. An example of this would be one's ability to change one's belief that the lights are on by turning them off. Here, switching the lights off was the intermediary step.

'''Direct doxastic voluntarism''' makes the more contentious claim, that we have ''direct'' control over at least some of our beliefs and (ostensibly) no intermediary steps needed to change beliefs. For example a juror may choose whether to believe a witness' testimony is truthful or not.

==Pascal's wager==
{{main|Pascal's wager}}
A form of doxastic voluntarism is presumed by Pascal's Wager, which states that it is preferable to believe in God because of the potential outcomes. The wager presumes that God rewards belief just for the sake of belief, but it also requires one to have free rein to control whether one accepts the [[Christian]] God or not. In practice, many people don't find this to be the case. For example, an [[atheist]] can no more willingly and arbitrarily start believing in God than than they could believe that grass is a funny shade of orange. Similarly, committed believers cannot force themselves to disbelieve something. Because of the lack of perfect [[free will]] in this situation, Pascal's attempt to coax people into belief through his wager falls at the first hurdle — someone could, at best, only "fake" his or her belief in God and not truly feel it.

==See also==
*[[Christian Science]]
*[[Doublethink]]

{{stub|philosophy}}

[[Category:Philosophy]]

Categories: Philosophy
Due diligence

{{lognav}}
'''Due diligence''' is a business and legal term used to describe the process of researching an investment or other business opportunity through independent sources in order to avoid making bad investments, bad business decisions, or even falling victim to [[fraud]]. Although a [[term of art]] in the business world, due diligence is a good idea for just about anyone in any field where acceptance of the unfamiliar is required. Establishments that rely on an individual's [[faith]] or trust, from [[politics]] to [[religion]] to [[pseudoscience]], generally don't encourage due diligence from their "[[blind faith|faithful]]", as it can lead to rather uncomfortable questions. Due diligence tends to lead to a more detailed understanding of the weaknesses and strengths of any position.

Generally speaking, due diligence involves researching the risks you may be exposed to, learning enough about the investment area to understand and research the risks and, if necessary, hiring professionals to help analyse the situation. Classic examples would be hiring a professional inspector to check a house you are considering buying, hiring a lawyer to check a contract you are considering signing, or recommending that an independent mechanic you trust checks a (used) car you are interested in.

Due diligence is often more honoured in breach than in observance, leading to much wringing of hands, gnashing of teeth, and raiding of pension funds.

The Latin phrase "caveat emptor", which means "let the buyer beware", is often used in purchasing decisions. 

==See also==
*[[Bullshit]]
*[[Do your own research]] — due diligence, [[Conspiracy theory|conspiracy style]]
*[[Logical fallacy]]

{{logfal}}

[[Category:Business]]
[[Category:Evaluating arguments]]
[[Category:Informal fallacies]]
[[Category:Law]]
{{stub|Fallacies}}

Categories: Business, Evaluating arguments, Informal fallacies, Law