Meaningful Debate…

Warning – this post contains explicit language in the quotes used !

All hail the Internet… a yottabyte of information growing daily.

There was a time when ‘information was power’ now it is perhaps the leaden weight of information overload that stifles meaningful debate.

I love the idea of free-speech….

I love the idea of sharing and learning from each other…

I love the idea of playing devils advocate in order to sift through what is known, what can be known and what could be know.

All hail the Interner …. An information superhighway …

Now clogged with the flotsam and jetsom of human babblings – from the relevant to the irrelevant; the reverent to the irreverent.

Finding relevant, valuable and timely information on many topics is becoming more and more difficult.

Accessing information from trusted, researched or thoughtful sources is becoming more and more problematic.

For all its potential the Internet, which could provide a platform for intellectual, emotionally intelligent debate on issues that impact upon the human race and the world in which we live seems to be populated with opinionated evangelists who seek not knowledge, or discussion, but the accolades of members of the cult of anti-intellectualism.

Look at the level of comments some articles on the paranormal, esoteric and alternative generate…

From the vehement support of one UFO commentator and the sceptics who dare comment on his thinking…

This guy will most likely end up in history as Thomas Jefferson as a man of great vision and mind. Now these morons laugh at him like the guy that said the world is round. These morons will be remembered by our grandchildren just as what they are TRUE MORONS with no vision.I am surprised they have not accused him of witchery and burnt him.

To responses to the suggestion that UFO’s may be misidentified and have rational explanations…

….venus, the goverment is fucking stupid. do they think we can are too stupid to tell the difference between venus and a ufo? You have 2 eyes for a reason: Depth perception, and pilots cannot fly without it. I know a fucking venus when I see one.

(I won’t make too much of a comment about the final sentence suggesting more than one Venus in the Solar System).

From the advocate who can’t be bothered to defend their position…

u non-beliver burnnnn

To the proposer of an idea….


these aliens are demons of the bible they dont land because people will know what they really are the devil wants people to believ he doesn’t exsist how can you fight an enemy if you dont know who the enemy is.when they do land the whole world will be deceived

To the atheistic scholar who disagrees…

B*tch the bible is full of sh*tty crap
F*ck off
The aliens shud come and F*ck u up motherf*cker

Surely meaningful debate is about sharing ideas and opinions in an open, honest, direct yet respectful way.

Sure we can disagree – but we can still have the integrity to listen to, think about and respond to the ideas we share.

An ongoing Facebook discussion with Pygar, mentioned in an earlier post, has been thought provoking, challenging and I hope he will agree respectful. We may be coming from different perspectives and of course as in any debate we are defending and exploring respective positions. From my point of view at least I will be willing to change opinions in the light of evidence, arguments and challenges that show the flaws, fallacies and factual inconsistencies in my arguments..

This is the spirit of debate and stands in stark contrast to the emotional defence of a personal belief and opinion.

Far too many paranormal discussions end in emotional disarray because the sceptical or devils advocate position seems to attack some personal, sacred truth. In effect many of this kind of discussion is about evangelism and conversion to an idea rather than a meaningful consideration of evidence, exploration and exploration.

Haunted Cornwall FM is one programme that does seek to discuss and debate issues related to ghosts, spirits, mediums and the paranormal and as a presenter on this show I am well aware of how real emotions can overtake the playful emotive challenges made by both the rational and mystical hosts, interviewees and on-line contributors.

In the belief that there is more room for this kind of ‘no flame’, intellectual and challenging debate in metaphysical, scientific and paranormal ideas outside of the immediate Haunted Cornwall remit I have decided to re-view and develop a project idea mentioned in the first few posts on this blog (check the archives).

The podcast idea, as it was then, has moved onto the creation of a radio show with the working title The Real Twilight Zone. It will be going out from Penwith Radio on Tuesday evenings between 8pm and 10pm GMT.

I am in the process of lining up some guests and with the help of a friend from Ghosts-UK (Tim) we should be able to get an on-line chat room, listen again and listen again podcast service set up.

Obviously I will tell you all more in due course BUT I hope that the show will become a place where meaningful debate can happen…

Alan

The Real Twilight Zone – Rational Mystic Radio