Giveback.org is website where any member  has the ability to raise money and direct the funds from their account to any charity in good standing with the United States Internal Revenue Service. Self described Secular Humanist Chris McCoy won the 50K tier in the recent 100 Days of Giving charity contest. Chris was inspired by the community at reddit.com and used them as a driving force to win the contest. Reddit.com, a user-based news aggregation website, has raised money for various disaster relief, and the atheist community specifically has raised money for Doctors Without Borders and for repairing vandalized churches.

It is wonderful to see communities come together, even when it’s over the internet, for a good cause. You can read more about Chris McCoy, the 100 Days of Giving contest, and where the money will be donated here.

by Jessika Griffin

Yesterday at my place of work, business was very slow. I was working at the deli line, and as a customer’s sandwich was in the toaster oven my coworker struck up conversation with him. First you should know that my coworker is studying philosophy, and has a lot to say about everything. Eventually (meaning after the longest 5 minutes of my life) the conversation got to where the customer said he had just watched “Zeitgeist: The Movie” and had “learned” so much. If you haven’t seen Zeitgeist the movie, you can learn more about it on the Wikipedia page. You can watch it for free around the internet if you really really want to, but I promise you that it’s garbage (don’t take my word for it, of course!).

I’ve heard many times from people that Zeitgeist had “opened their eyes” and so on. What’s interesting is that even though this movie provides absolutely no sources, and is provably wrong on just about everything, it gained attention from what I will call “false skeptics”. The movie makes the viewer feel like they’re being skeptical, when really they’re just believing everything it is claiming because the claims in the movie differ from common theories and ideas on the subject matter. I believe this is a problem. Skepticism does not simply mean questioning what is popular opinion, but you must also question alternative theories and claims.

Who else loves definitions as much as I do?! Here is the Merriam Webster definition for “skepticism”:

1. An attitude of doubt or a disposition to incredulity either in general or toward a particular object
2. a) the doctrine that true knowledge or knowledge in a particular area is uncertain
   b) the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics
3. doubt concerning basic religious principles (as immortality, providence, and revelation)

The one I like best, and that I feel represents the skeptic community best is “the method of suspended judgment, systematic doubt, or criticism characteristic of skeptics”. Specifically for “suspending judgment”.

Let’s not forget the words of Bertrand Russell: “If it’s true then you should believe it and if it’s false than you shouldn’t. And if you can’t find out whether it’s true or false then you should suspend judgment.”

It is always important to question the validity of claims, and of the people making the claims. So remember to be skeptical of everything, not just the things with which you disagree.

Jessika is a third-year student at IU studying health administration and legal studies; she is also the outreach director for the Secular Alliance. She was raised Catholic but has almost always lacked belief in a god.

Thursday, Jul 7 at 7pm in Lindley 102, we will watch “For the Bible Tells Me So”, a Sundance documentary that examines what the bible has to say about homosexuality and how the instructions of scripture compare to the practices and behaviors of conservative Christians and church leaders.

Leave a comment if you need directions, but here is Lindley Hall on Google Maps: http://bit.ly/jh6s4F