Re: [asa] World sets ocean temperature record

There's no such thing as a "non-partisan" site, Rich, particularly where
politics are concerned. Why don't you point me at some "unbiased
journalists" while you're at it? For that matter, there's no way to have a
"non-political and non-partisan use of science for the public good",
precisely because just what the "public good" is is something bitterly
argued about on all sides. It's the human condition, God help us.

I've never bothered responding to these GW threads on the ASA, in part
because they seem to stick out like a sore thumb. I honestly don't know
where any list of rules for the ASA mailing list (if there even are any) is
posted, or even who decides what is and isn't allowed, but after seeing this
response I'm going to have to ask. What ARE the posting/topic standards for
this list? Are there any to speak of? And who decides what does and doesn't
belong if so? Because a number of times in the past I've seen posts
disallowed or discouraged on the grounds that they have nothing to do with
Christianity & Science, or are bait for a political argument. I'm not going
to say posts like these cross those same lines, but I'd like to know once
and for all what's permitted and what's not on this list, or at least who
calls the shots if there are no hard and fast rules.

On Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 8:55 PM, Rich Blinne <rich.blinne@gmail.com> wrote:

>
>
> On Fri, Aug 21, 2009 at 3:00 PM, Schwarzwald <schwarzwald@gmail.com>wrote:
>
>> I'd have to agree with Dave Wallace, and I was just in the middle of
>> writing a post along those lines.
>>
>> And the idea that there are two camps involved in the global
>> warming/climate-change debate - the people who are correct, and the people
>> motivated by politics - just doesn't wash. It is entirely possible for AGW
>> claims to be true, yet for the people "demanding action" to be largely, even
>> exclusively motivated by politics. There's such a thing as co-opting truth
>> to an illicit end.
>>
>
> As Christians and as scientists we should be standing for the truth and not
> be in the group that is motivated by politics. Even if the truth is
> co-opted for an illicit end should not be a reason to simply make stuff up.
> Everybody can have their own opinion but they cannot have their own facts.
> The sad truth is there are people who are more than willing to distort the
> truth and outright lie to serve a political agenda. Check out the
> non-partisan Politifact.com for their "pants on fire" rulings:
> http://www.politifact.com/truth-o-meter/rulings/pants-fire/
>
> This in turn has produced a hostility to the non-political and non-partisan
> use of science for the public good -- and not just in the area of climate
> change. It has come to the point where a simple proposal to use the National
> Academies -- as was intended by President Lincoln when he founded them --
> to study the relative effectiveness of medical treatments and publish it on
> the Web is considered by some a sinister plot to kill Granny.
>
> Rich Blinne
> Member ASA
>

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Received on Fri Aug 21 21:19:17 2009