What is Skepticism and Its Values?

Skepticism has to overcome not just our natural inclinations and the difficulties we face in analyzing our own thinking errors, but also, groups that resist the very concept of evidence-based rationality.

Powerful USA Christian religious-right groups in the 1980s consistently attempted, and often succeeded, in preventing schools from teaching critical thinking or skepticism. They used legal methods, or if that failed, harassed teachers and used 'parent concern' groups to object to the content.

Link: What is Skepticism and Its Values? on humantruth.info/skepticism.html

Religious Dates in August

Starting with Lammas / Lughnasdh, the Wiccan harvest festival and reflection on the mysteries of nature, the month of August has a smattering of fasts and feasts, including Zoroastrian Fravardigan, the Chinese Qixi Jie / Ch'I Hou Chieh (Herd Boy and Weaving Maid Festival), the Jewish remembrance day of Tisha B'Av, the sentimental Buddhist Hachigatsu O-Bon to honor ancestral spirits, the Baha'i Feast of Asmá' (Names), Zarathustra's Birthday and Jainism's Paryushan Parva (8 days of purification, fasting and seeking forgiveness for mistakes). Wicca. A harvest festival and reflection on the mysteries of nature. https://www.humanreligions.info/august.html

The Old Testament Book of Micah

The Old_Testament book of Micah, from the 8th century BCE, called for a popular revolt against the rich and powerful in Jerusalem and Samaria, who were abusing the poor. The original text, over a few hundred years, had various editors add comments, including the final 2 chapters. Christians took some of the concepts and used them as prophecies of Jesus. 2nd edition of this page: I've rewrote the introduction, expanded ch#1 to include paragraphs on historical authorship, and added two chapters: #2 on the call for violent revolution, and #3, about the leader from Bethlehem. Link: www.humanreligions.info/micah.html.