The Happy Sceptic: Frequently Asked Questions

The Happy Sceptic FAQ for True Believers

Version 0.2, Last updated April 2001

Q. What's a sceptic, then?
A. See Michael Shermer's excellent Skeptical Manifesto.

Q. Why 'The Happy Sceptic'?
A. a) Because I am a sceptic and I am usually happy b) per George Bernard Shaw:

"The fact that a believer is happier than a skeptic is no more to the point than the fact that a drunken man is happier than a sober one. The happiness of credulity is a cheap and dangerous quality."

Q. Your views and articles are clearly biased.
A. Of course they are biased - everything I have ever experienced since birth has 'biased' me. But I am aware of this and try to be more objective through the use of various logical tools and processes.

Q. You bloody sceptics are all the same: "Scientific method" this and "Occam's Razor" that, as though such things are the answer to everything.
A. I'll just quote Carl Sagan here:

"[science] is not perfect. It can be misused. It is only a tool. But it is by far the best tool we have, self-correcting, ongoing, applicable to everything".

Whatever your misconceptions of science, logic and rational thought may be, they are preferable to basing your world-view on hearsay, anecdotes and myth. As James Randi points out, "What's left is magic, and it doesn't work." On the other hand, such tools do not allow you to stick your fingers in your ears and shout "Nyah nyah! Not listening!!" when someone challenges your beliefs. So you probably won't like them.

Q. You put down ideas without giving equal coverage to counter arguments.
A. Why should I? The believer sites don't give equal coverage to rational arguments against their latest nonsense and anyway, there is far too much crap out there without me adding to it. I write what amuses me, and it also happens to be The Truth :). If you want to see what the nutters are up to, just open your daily tabloid or check out the TV (US chat shows are a good bet). Or type "space aliens rogered my dog" in a search engine.

To be continued.....

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