trentmkelly/rationalwiki huggingface dataset:
Ben Best

[[File:Ben Best lecture.jpg|thumb|165px|Ben is Best.]]
{{altmed}}
'''Ben Best''' is a [[woo]]meister best-known for his promotion of [[cryonics]]. He wrote a startling [[green ink]] PDF which is actually the ''best'' available scientific justification of cryonics practice.<ref>''Abstract:'' Benjamin P. Best. [http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/18321197 Scientific Justification of Cryonics Practice]. ''Rejuvenation Research''. April 2008, 11(2): 493-503. doi:10.1089/rej.2008.0661. [http://www.cryonics.org/reports/Scientific_Justification.pdf Full text here]</ref>

He was the President and CEO of the Cryonics Institute and has contributed to RationalWiki's [[cryonics]] article. 

In addition to promoting cryonics, Ben also advocates [[nutritional supplement]]s on his website. His justifications<ref>[http://www.benbest.com/nutrceut/nutrceut.html Nutraceuticals Topic Index] (benbest.com)</ref> claim that the difference between [[medicine]] and supplements is a large amount of money spent on [[patent]]ability, rather than the scientifically proven lack of efficacy of much of what he advocates (''e.g.'' [[antioxidant]]s, [[chelation therapy]]). These activities question his understanding of how the [[scientific method]] applies to things you ''want'' to be true.

Ben is a proud and active member of [[Mensa]]. He used to be in [[Erhard Seminars Training]]. Along with many other cryonicists, in the mid-1990s, Best left Alcor Life Extension Foundation to join CryoCare Foundation that a small group of dissatisfied Alcor activists formed in late 1993.

==External links==
*[http://www.benbest.com/ Ben Best's website], with BoingBoing favicon.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|Alternative medicine}}

[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]
[[Category:Science woo]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Pseudoscience promoters, Science woo, Living people
Benefit scrounger


{{UKpolitics}}'''"Benefit scrounger"''' is a [[snarl word]] used by [[The Sun|right]]-[[Daily Mail|wing]] [[Daily Express|news]][[The Telegraph|papers]] and related talking airheads in the [[United Kingdom]]. The benefit scrounger, according to these sources, is an individual who makes a profession out of milking the [[welfare]] system for all it is worth, rather than entering gainful employment.

The term is an example of the [[straw man]] fallacy, as most welfare recipients in the U.K. are either willing or unable to work,<ref>Otherwise [http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-18329526 this wouldn't have happened, would it?]</ref> and the few people who ''do'' cheat the system cause comparatively little drain upon it.<ref>For example, despite the many headlines about fraudulent Disability Living Allowance claims, the true figure was around [http://www.guardian.co.uk/society/2012/may/14/disability-living-allowance-reform-analysis?CMP=twt_gu half a percent of all monies paid out.]</ref> In addition, the sums paid out in benefits are such that it would be virtually impossible to earn more from benefits than full-time work without engaging in colossal fraud, which there are already laws to prevent. Naturally, the [[hypocrisy|papers never put as much effort into demonising tax avoiders who cost the Treasury a lot more]]. 

[[Anecdotes]] are another favoured tactic of these sources; they will take someone from the tiny minority of welfare recipients who are fraudulent or who received more money than they should have and sensationalise the story. Thus, the [[stereotype]] has been adopted by much of both the public and the coalition and Tory cabinets as an excuse for savage cuts in benefits and increasingly draconian tests to acquire them. As some illnesses and injuries are not visible to the naked eye (especially an untrained one), some pundits will quite arrogantly claim that many are fit to work, as if they know better than medical professionals who have seen them face-to-face.


{{video|youtube|JkrX5J73Vi4}}

==See also==
*[[Welfare queen]] -- The equivalent concept in the [[United States]].
*[[Welfare policy of the United Kingdom]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|politics}}
[[Category:Political terms]]
[[Category:Neologisms]]
[[Category:Conservative deceit]]

Categories: Political terms, Neologisms, Conservative deceit
Benjamin Creme

[[File:Benjamin Creme, consciously looking at the viewer.jpg|thumb|165px|Benjamin Creme, consciously looking at the viewer.]]
{{newage}}
'''Benjamin Creme''' {{lived|1922|2016}} was a [[New Age]] lecturer, writer, and artist who claimed the [[Second Coming]] of "The Christ" happened in 1977 in the Himalayas, in the form of [[Maitreya]] this time instead of [[Jesus Christ|Jesus]], and that Maitreya is now secretly living in [[London]], [[United Kingdom|England]] and awaiting the right time to reveal himself to mankind. His beliefs were drawn from [[theosophy]] and the writings of [[Alice Bailey]], among others.  He started a group called '''Share International''' to promote his beliefs.

In 1982, he placed full-page ads in newspapers around the world claiming "THE CHRIST IS NOW HERE," which was enough impetus to scare [[Evangelicalism|evangelical]] [[Christianity|Christian]] writer [[Constance Cumbey]] into believing this "Christ" was possibly the [[Antichrist]] and writing a book to warn people.

Benjamin Creme [[Crank magnetism|also believed]] that [[crop circles]] are the work of [[Unidentified flying object|UFO]]s and are linked to the Second Coming of The Christ, and cited as "proof" that crop circles started appearing around 1975, just as Creme started publicly teaching his [[woo]] about Maitreya, and many of them appear around London, where Maitreya allegedly now lives.

In 2010, some of Creme's followers identified the Maitreya as the British-born American economist {{wpl|Raj Patel}} after Patel's appearance on ''The Colbert Report''. 

==External links==
*[http://www.share-international.org/ Official site] of Share International

{{DEFAULTSORT:Creme, Benjamin}}
[[Category:New Age]]

Categories: New Age
Benjamin Wiker

{{crenav|1}}
'''Benjamin Wiker''' {{lived|1960|}} is a [[Roman Catholic]] [[author]] and [[intelligent design]] advocate.

==Biography==

Wiker holds a Ph.D. in Theological Ethics from Vanderbilt University, and is a senior fellow at the [[Discovery Institute]].<ref>[http://www.discovery.org/p/40 Benjamin Wiker, Senior Fellow - CSC]</ref> He is best known for his book ''[[The Darwin Myth: The Life and Lies of Charles Darwin]]'' (2009).<ref>[http://www.uncommondescent.com/evolution/the-darwin-myth-by-benjamin-wiker-is-a-must-read/ The Darwin Myth by Benjamin Wiker is a Must Read]</ref> He is the co-author with Jonathan Witt of a book advocating intelligent design,  ''Meaningful World: How the Arts And Sciences Reveal the Genius of Nature'' (2006) and has written another book arguing against [[atheism]], ''Answering the New Atheism: Dismantling Dawkins' Case Against God'' (2008).

==Evolution==

Unlike most intelligent design advocates Wiker claims to accept [[common descent]]. He has written that he supports a form of [[theistic evolution]] based on the belief that [[God]] created the world to evolve and is guiding [[evolution]].<ref>[http://empirestatetribune.com/?p=6710 Presidential Scholar Dr. Benjamin Wiker Talks Secularism, Teleological Evolution]</ref> However Wiker has used straight forward [[creationist]] arguments in some of his books.

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|creationism}}
{{crebox|1}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Wiker, Benjamin}}

[[Category:Authors]]
[[Category:Christians]]
[[Category:Living people]]

Categories: Authors, Christians, Living people
Bernie

{{fork}}
*[[Bernie Ecclestone]]: arrested in 2022 for illegally carrying a firearm while boarding a private plane from Brazil to Switzerland. Big fan of Hitler.
*[[Bernie Madoff]]: arrested in 2008 for fraud. Big fan of [[capitalism]].
*[[Bernie Sanders]]: arrested in 1963 for civil disobedience. Not a big fan of capitalism without regulations.
*[[Bernie Spofforth]]: arrested in 2024 for instigating race accross in the United Kingdom. Not a big fan of reality.
Bessel van der Kolk

[[File:Bessel van der Kolk 2022.jpg|thumb|right|165px|Bessel van der Kolk]]
{{psychology}}
'''Bessel van der Kolk''' is a [[Dutch]]-[[American]] [[psychiatrist]] best known for his work on trauma and [[memory]]. His 2014 book ''{{wpl|The Body Keeps the Score}}'' is a best-seller, but has been criticized as being [[pseudoscientific]].

==''The Body Keeps the Score''==
Van der Kolk's de facto magnum opus, ''The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma'', is a book based on his psychiatric research. It focuses on how traumatic events effect the [[mind]] and the body. Van der Kolk argues that trauma is "remembered" by the body in particular ways. It features many case studies of those with [[post-traumatic stress disorder]] (PTSD) from events such as [[war]] and [[sexual assault]]. He advocates for treating trauma disorders with things such as Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing ([[EMDR]]), [[yoga]], and [[acupressure]].<ref>[https://archive.org/details/the-body-keeps-the-score-pdf/page/n15/mode/2up ''The Body Keeps the Score: Brain, Mind, and Body in the Healing of Trauma''] by Bessel van der Kolk (2014) Penguin. ISBN 9781101608302.</ref> Released in 2014, the book was and is immensely popular, becoming a longtime best-seller and translated into dozens of languages.

However, as you may have gathered from his advocacy, the book has been criticized for being pseudoscientific.<ref>[https://journals.sagepub.com/doi/10.1177/070674370505001302 Debunking Myths About Trauma and Memory]. McNally, Richard J (November 2005). ''The Canadian Journal of Psychiatry''.</ref> It has also been criticized for stigmatizing trauma survivors, downplaying the causes of trauma, and victim-blaming; it might even steer people towards feeling stuck in a never-ending fight against their own past.<ref>[https://www.motherjones.com/media/2024/12/trauma-body-keeps-the-score-van-der-kolk-psychology-therapy-ptsd/ What the Most Famous Book About Trauma Gets Wrong]. Nietfeld, Emi (2025). ''Mother Jones''.</ref>

==Allegations==
Ironically, van der Kolk was fired from the Trauma Center in Brookline, [[Massachusetts]] that he founded in 2018 for [[bullying]] and denigrating others.<ref>[https://www.boston.com/news/local-news/2018/03/07/allegations-of-employee-mistreatment-roil-renowned-brookline-trauma-center/ Allegations of employee mistreatment roil renowned Brookline trauma center].  Kowalczyk, Liz. 7 March 2018. ''The Boston Globe''.</ref>

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{DEFAULTSORT:Kolk, Bessel van der}}
{{stub|psychology}}
[[Category:Living people]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]
[[Category:Psychologists]]
[[Category:Alternative medicine]]

Categories: Living people, Pseudoscience promoters, Psychologists, Alternative medicine
Bethlehem

[[File:Bethlehem skyline, West Bank.jpg|right|thumb|200px|Not a bad view, all things considered.]]{{Christianity}}
'''Bethlehem''' is traditionally the birthplace of [[King David]] and [[Nativity|later]] [[Jesus]]. {{Bible|Matthew|2}} has Jesus born in Bethlehem, and he is greeted by [[Magi]], who followed the {{wpl|star of Bethlehem}}. In verse 6, Matthew explains that Jesus was born in Bethlehem to tie into {{Bible|Micah|5|2|4}}. {{Bible|Luke|2}} has Jesus born in Bethlehem, but he is greeted by shepherds. Here Joseph and Mary go to Bethlehem to abide by a census.

Bethlehem is also said to be the place of the {{wpl|Massacre of the Innocents}}, when [[Herod#Herod I the Great|King Herod the Great]] ordered all boys two years and younger slaughtered in an attempt to kill the baby Jesus. There is no evidence outside the Bible for this supposed massacre. 

As Jesus’ birthplace, it is revered by all [[Christianity|Christians]], who honour the birthplace of their Lord and Saviour by scrapping in its holy places<ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?res=9403E5DB113BE631A25753C1A9679C946497D6CF Monks fighting in 1905]</ref><ref>[http://query.nytimes.com/mem/archive-free/pdf?_r=1&res=9800E7D7153EE033A25752C3A9679C946697D6CF&oref=slogin Monks fighting in 1907]</ref><ref>[http://m.christianpost.com/news/priests-hold-mass-fight-at-historic-bethlehem-church-65896/ Monks fighting in 2007]</ref><ref>[https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=shFA_H8e11E Priests fight in Church of Nativity in Bethlehem, Palestinian police break up clergy with riot gear in 2011]</ref> and endangering buildings by arguing about who has the right to repair them (as opposed to actually, y'know, ''repairing '' them).

==Other Bethlehems==
[[Wikipedia]] lists ten Bethlehems in the [[United States|USA]], and one each in the [[Netherlands]], [[New Zealand]], [[South Africa]], [[Switzerland]] and [[Wales]]. Bethlehem of Galilee is in northern [[Israel]], and Bethlehem Chapel is in [[Czechia]]. Confused? Try the Bethlem Royal Hospital, a [[psychiatric]] hospital in [[United Kingdom|London]] which gave its name to the word ''Bedlam''.

The Bethlehem in [[Pennsylvania]] was founded by members of the Moravian Church, a German-speaking [[Protestantism|Protestant]] sect, who had emigrated from Moravia Bohemia, in present-day Czechia. One of this Bethlehem's tourist attractions is the "Holiday Putz Trail" at [[Christmas]]time, where people traditionally display {{wpl|Christmas village|"Christmas villages"}} (known as Christmas putzes in Bethlehem) and {{wpl|Nativity scene|Nativity scenes|.}}<ref>[https://historicbethlehem.org/holiday-putz-trail/ Holiday Putz Trail] ''Historic Bethlehem''.</ref> This can cause some snickering among people who know a bit of Yiddish or Yiddish-influenced English, for whereas in German ''putz'' only has non-obscene meanings, in Yiddish it means "[[penis]]" or a "stupid, worthless person". 

==References==
{{reflist}}

{{stub|religion}}
[[Category:Christmas]]
[[category:Palestine]]
[[category:Cities]]

Categories: Christmas, Palestine, Cities
Bible Issues

{{christianity}}
'''Bible Issues''' is an online [[Christian]] ministry that helps Christians "find [[God]]'s voice in the [[Bible]]". So they claim. It was founded by Denver Cheddie, who has a Ph.D. in mechanical [[engineering]]. The site claims to adopt a [[Rationality|rational approach]] to Biblical issues, "as opposed to the ever popular [[Emotional appeal|emotionalism]]".<ref name=about>Original version: [https://archive.is/Dk7zf About us], archived from Bible Issues, 5 January 2016. [https://www.bibleissues.org/about-us/ Current version] at Bible Issues.</ref> So it attempts to come across as an educated approach to Christianity by an academic scholar.

Although it claims to be rational, all of its teachings are based on the Protestant Bible. There are no articles on biblical criticism or biblical [[apologetics]]. In other words, the Bible is their starting point. The Bible is God's word, and everything that follows that leap of faith is perfectly rational. There is no attempt to even prove that the Bible is true, reliable, or actually God's word. 

There are no mentions of [[evolution]] or [[creationism]], so their stance on those issues is unclear.

Predictably, Bible Issues is against [[homosexuality]] and [[gay marriage]].<ref>Denver Cheddie, [http://www.bibleissues.org/homosexuality.html Is homosexuality a sin?] Bible Issues.</ref> It holds to a fundamental conservative interpretation of the homosexuality scriptures in the Bible. It claims to be indifferent to gay marriage, but it clearly expresses sentiments to the contrary. It attributes changing attitudes toward homosexuality to a "pervasive liberal culture", and it expresses fear that gay rights will eventually take precedence over [[religious freedom]]. There is even an article discussing the science behind homosexuality. Amazingly, it comes to the conclusion that homosexuals are not born that way, but choose to be so. At no point do they present any science to prove their point. Their main emphasis is in showing the shortcomings of scientific research, which does suggest a genetic component to homosexuality. According to their logic, these shortcomings invalidate the theory that gays are born that way. 

The dominant emphasis is actually on bashing Christians, especially [[charismatic]]s. It strongly condemns the excesses of fringe charismatic groups.<ref name=about /> So from that point of view, Bible Issues can be considered polemic rather than apologetic. While it does distance itself from the emotional extremes of Christianity, it falls short of presenting Christianity as intellectual.

==External links==
* [http://www.bibleissues.org Bible Issues website]

==References==
{{reflist}}
{{apolbox}}

[[Category:Christian apologists]]
[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Websites]]
[[Category:Homophobia]]
[[Category:Pseudoscience promoters]]

Categories: Christian apologists, Christianity, Websites, Homophobia, Pseudoscience promoters
Bible science

{{fork}}

There are a number of individuals out there that claim that the [[Bible]] is a scientific document.  Bible science is also known as B.S.

*[[Science Confirms the Bible]] - A run down (and tearing apart) of claims that "Science Now" agrees with the Bible, while "Science Then" was nonsense.
*[[Biblical scientific foreknowledge]] - A look at some general claims made that the Bible is scientifically accurate.
*[[Jacob and genetics]] - An interesting story where the Bible reports [[artificial selection]].
*[[Scientific errors in the bible]] - A nit-picky look at claims in the Bible.

== See also ==
*[[Christian Science]]
*[[Biblical contradictions]]
*[[101 evidences for a young age of the earth and the universe]]
Bible thumper

{{christianity}}
'''Bible thumper''' (also called Bible basher or Bible beater) is a description used with respect to particularly vocal [[Christianity|Christians]] who constantly quote the [[Bible]] when discussing non-Biblical topics (often about [[science]], but also about [[homophobia]], [[pornography|porn]], etc.). The term comes from old-timey circuit preachers who would emphatically thump a bible held aloft while making their points.

==Morality==

In the bible thumper’s opinion all moral issues are determined by what the bible says, chapter and verse, as the bible thumper quotes. 
#Those who refuse to follow the precepts of the bible thumper are [[Hell|Hell-bent]] [[sin]]ners.
#Those who disagree with how the bible thumper interprets the aforementioned book are ''[[heresy|heretical]]'' [[Hell]]-bent [[sin]]ners.

== See also ==
*[[Biblical literalism]]
*[[Bibliolatry]]
*[[Fundy loon]]
*[[Jack van Impe]]
*[[Manny Pacquiao]]

==External links==

*[https://web.archive.org/web/20110720062649/http://www.biblethumpingatheist.co.uk/ Welcome To Bible Thumping Atheist!]

==References==

{{reflist}}

[[Category:Christianity]]
[[Category:Neologisms]]

Categories: Christianity, Neologisms
Big Brain Radio Show

{{media}}{{DISPLAYTITLE:''Big Brain Radio Show''}}
{{cquote|[[Science]] is only science when it's on the leading edge... Scientists are really kinda the people that prove the points. Somebody will come up with an idea or a theory, it's not really proven yet, and then scientists will go about proving it...|||As heard on the Big Brain Radio Show, 14 November 2009<ref>From the beginning of [http://www.bigbrainradioshow.com/audio/BBRS-11_14_09.mp3 this episode.]</ref>}}
The '''''Big Brain Radio Show''''' was an embarrassing [[radio]] show hosted by [[chiropractic|chiroquacktic]] "doctors" David Stussy and Zena Xanders. It was sometimes referred to by the hosts as "The Big Bane Radio Show", an inside joke sarcastically hinting that "This show is the bane of our existence." The show aired on {{wpl|KTNF||,}} the so-called "[[Progressive]] Voice of [[Minnesota]]," from 2005 to 2011.

The show revolved around promoting as much [[woo]] and [[bullshit]] as possible, while carelessly throwing around words like "[[quantum woo|quantum]]" and "[[healing]]" in every sentence. As the show was hosted by chiropractors, it promoted some of the strangest, most unproven aspects of chiropractic, namely that it can be used to [[Panacea|heal anything]].

According to advertisements for the show, they promoted (among other things):
*The [[Law of attraction|law of manifestation]]
*The law of [[Balance fallacy|balance]]
*The [[law of appreciation]]

==External links==
*Their brains are so big they have a [http://www.bigbrainradioshow.com/ web shite] on the Internet!
*Their brains are so incredibly big they also have an [http://www.bigbrainradioshow.com/BBRShows.html audio archive] on the Internet!
*[http://americanloons.blogspot.com/2020/02/2310-david-stussy-zena-xanders.html David Stussy & Zena Xanders] at the [[Encyclopedia of American Loons]]

==References==
{{reflist}}

[[Category:Alternative medicine promoters]]
[[Category:Media]]
[[Category:Radio]]

Categories: Alternative medicine promoters, Media, Radio
Big science

{{conspiracy}}
'''"Big science"''' is 
the debut album of the greatest avant-gaurde artist, Laurie Anderson
 a pejorative [[Code word|term]] used by [[creationism|creationists]] which they apply to any specific subjects or theories within [[science]] that do not fit with their viewpoint. The term is based on previous uses such as "Big Tobacco" or "Big Petroleum", which are generic terms for large companies that run the cigarette and oil businesses, respectively. This is done in an attempt to characterise current consensus within the scientific community as  being [[Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed|oppressive]] towards the 'small science'<ref group=note>Done by local Mom and Pop laboratories, which had been part of your community, passed down from parents to children for over 150 years before being forced out when that big-box chain synchrotron moved in just outside the town limits. Sure, their proton-proton collisions are a little cheaper (mostly because their protons are imported from who-knows-where in China), but do they know your name? Or remember your children's birthdays? I didn't think so.</ref> made up of opposing creationist viewpoints.

The term is also used by other various peddlers of pseudoscience, perhaps most notably [[free energy (pseudoscience)|free energy]] types and those who believe there is a conspiracy to suppress [[cold fusion]].

The obvious difference between science and Big Industry is the benefits of a united front. Businesses stand to benefit by cooperating to push a dishonest viewpoint that flatters the industry. Scientists, by contrast, gain face by disproving each other's theories, and the more widely touted a given theory is, the greater the prestige of defeating it.<ref group=note>An astronomer can enjoy a long and meaningful career continually proving Einstein correct. But prove him wrong, and future astronomers will enjoy long and meaningful careers proving ''you'' correct.</ref>

Among the sane, "big science" refers to large, collaborative scientific projects that usually involve large, expensive items of equipment such as particle accelerators or satellites. This is contrasted with "small science" done by individual laboratories or smaller collaborations.

==See also==
* [[Big Pharma]]
* [[Evil Liberal Science Conspiracy]]

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

{{stub|science}}

[[Category:Euphemisms]]
[[Category:Big Stuff]]

Categories: Euphemisms, Big Stuff