PART ONE: SCIENCE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR
Where we ended in our introduction:
“Thus, you have now been given my introductory tour on ‘Science’ vs. Thinking – where we allow others to do our thinking for us on ‘scientific’ grounds. There are three planned articles to follow: ‘Science’ and Human Behavior, ‘Science’ and God and then ‘Science’ and Nature.
But here is the short, short, short form wrap up for all of it in advance. Never let anyone else do your thinking for you – ESPECIALLY if they claim to be talking ‘scientifically’!”
SO WHY START WITH YOUR ARTICLE ON SCIENCE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR?
Because this is show case number one for the ‘science’ crowd’s blatant hypocrisy. Where you either 1) simply ignore the ‘scientific’ to do whatever you want to do anyway or 2) Do a Warp-to-Fit job to make something ‘scientific’ – in an attempt to justify what you want to do.
EXAMPLE I. JUST IGNORING SCIENCE (WHEN IT IS INCONVENIENT) – “HASN’T SCIENCE ENDED THE ABORTION DEBATE”?
This statement was accurate in the 1980’s when President Ronald Reagan first said it. And it has just gotten more and more accurate as time has gone by. By the 1980s, direct measurement of fetal brain wave activity was common science. But even as early as 1942, it was known that there were two brain waves at work with (according to the law and medical science) there, therefore, being two people.
This happened (in 1942) when a medical doctor accidentally picked up an EEG reading from the lower abdomen of a pregnant woman – and then compared it against post pregnancy infants. The two phenomena were then read, by the doctor, on a monitoring screen and were determined to be the same phenomena at work. That is, what was happening in the womb of the one woman was the same thing that was happening to another infant – after it had just left the womb of another woman.
Further, medical monitoring has also gone on to determine that the brain wave readings of the infants are different than the brain wave readings of the hosting mother. So, according to both law and current medical science, two different brain waves equals two different people equals two different lives. So … the ‘science’ crowd is against abortion? Not!
And how do you blame this on, say, a Religious Right? An EEG meter is not an instrument of the Religious Right – but of science. So, what is the problem? It is the same problem as always: human nature. People will always believe whatever they want to believe and do whatever they want to do. The rest is window dressing.
Why do some people try to justify things by quoting something from out of the Bible – while others take a snootier approach of talking ‘science’? For the same reasons: People have often misused the Bible to justify things or to try to take a short cut at making a case. But so do the ‘science’ types – it is just a slightly snootier version of the same behavior.
EXAMPLE II. WARP-TO-FIT: DO WE REALLY HAVE BIOLOGICAL DICTATIONS – LIKE A WIND-UP ROBOT?
Did you know that you are biologically dictated – like a wind-up robot – to have to do homosexual behavior? Or did you know that science also proves that biology is meaningless – and affects nothing about your behavior? Or does it just depend on which ‘science’ you are talking about? There is a back story here with several parts.
1. A WANTED OUTCOME
The correct stance has always been – and is still just as correct today – that gayness is something that you do not something that you are. Therefore, it does not qualify for civil rights enforcement. All that happened is that the pressure lobbies for gay liberation decided to make ‘science’ change the nature of the game – and then went about seeking their ‘scientific’ proof afterwards.
And the ‘scientific’ proof was to support a political agenda: if, the reasoning goes, my personal behavior is uncontrollable then you must regard it as just something I am. Like, say, my race or gender. Then you do, too, have to give me civil rights enforcement for my personal behavior.
2. A MINOR PROBLEM: ARE YOU REALLY SURE YOU EVEN WANT THIS TO BE TRUE?
Never mind that this destroys:
1) the entire purpose of the law as it has always existed. The law has always existed to protect us against someone else’s personal, private behavior – if it is a potential problem for ourselves. The entire purpose of the law is to limit the boundaries for private, personal behavior so that my private, personal behavior does not infringe upon you. The law has never been used – nor should be used – to take something out of my private, personal behavior and somehow make it sacrosanct – and a matter for a required acceptance by all other people. For this then violates their rights.
2) the rule of law. The argument is that “I do not have free will for my behavior”. But why do we punish people when they do crimes? It is because they chose to do it – and that this is either a deserved punishment and/or a deterrent so that others will not do likewise. But how is this still relevant if we are just biologically dictated robots that cannot control our behavior?
3) Theism. Why do we still believe in God – despite the world being a place where people do crimes? It is presumed that God needed to give us our free wills and, thus, we are responsible for the world being a place where criminals exist in it. But if we have no free wills, then God is, indeed, the responsible party and, thus, as one once put it “If God exists then he must be the very Devil”.
So: so much for theism along with the entire purpose and the rule of the law. But ask the modern liberal “Do you really think it is wise to advocate something that nullifies the rule of law, theism and the basis of democracy – just to have a talking point for gay liberation for the next 15 minutes?” To which they will answer “Of course it is! What else matters?” But I disagree – with both their underlying point (about the lack of free will) as well as their incredibly glib attitudes about ideas having consequences.
But this is where (and how and why) their quest began for ‘science’ to prove something (that they had already decided to prove). And to have this ‘science’ done in service to a political agenda. And what they, ultimately, came up with re-proves every point that I have made about letting others think for you – and especially if they are ‘scientific’.
3. THAT FINAL MINOR PROBLEM: THE MERE FACT THAT YOU DO (OR DO NOT) WANT SOMETHING TO BE TRUE – STILL DOES NOT MAKE IT SO!
No, Junior, the world does not revolve around you!
FOR EXAMPLE, WHAT ABOUT THE MATH SCIENCES?
When does the same 25% equal 100% while, simultaneously, also equaling 0%? It is when ‘science’ is invoked in search of an already decided upon ‘answer’. The search for the ‘gay gene’ has never turned it up but an, admittedly, biased researcher tried to come up with an alternative. He took the phenomenon of twins separated at birth – and then compared their behaviors.
It was not a bad idea for research – it was just his bad conclusions. For his research rebutted his premise. He found that in only 25% of the cases did both twins practice homosexuality. That is, that our natural make-up controls about 25% of what we are. The point being that no one has ever contested this. It has always been an accepted fact that all behavior is a combination of nature, nurture and choice.
From the Bible:
“In sin did my mother conceive me” – nature
“Raise up your child in the way they should go and when they are old, they will not depart from it” – nurture
“Your own sins have brought this upon you” – choice and accountability
The Ancient Greeks, for another example, divided people up into four basic temperaments. But they did not advocate that children should raise themselves – since their temperaments dictated their lives anyways. Nor did they advocate that the law should treat people differently according to their different types of natural temperaments. Nature, nurture and choice have always been assumed parts of human nature. And, with it, accountability.
But we digress. Going back now to our non-Greek, non-Bible believing ‘scholar’ and his studies. Next, his study confirmed that nurture was also just as much a part of the picture as nature. When identical twins were raised in the same household then the rate became 50% of them being alike. That is, that 25% of our make-up is from natural inclinations (not the same as biological dictations like a wind up robot), that 25% of it came from how we are raised (nurture) and that the majority of it was still pure choice. But the spin was that 25% equals 100%.
The media reported his ‘proof’ that people are biologically dictated like wind-up robots to do homosexual behavior. But 25% still only equals 25%; it does not equal 100%. And if I am biologically dictated (like a wind-up robot) to do certain types of behavior – then don’t I have to act that way 100% of the time – rather than only 25%? Even in the crude and indirect effort led by this first researcher, the numbers refuted the premise – they did not support it. But next: how do you make this same 25% also equal 0% at the same time – and why would you do it?
It relates to another politically correct practice: gay adoptions. A ‘study’ showed that gay adoptions do not create gay children – except that they do. What it showed is that, left strictly to nature, there will be 1 to 2 percent of the population that practices homosexual behavior. But children raised in a homosexual household will practice it around 25% of the time. (By the way: isn’t this the same 25% that the other study showed – about nurture and its part of the influences?)
But now 25% equals 0%. The study ‘showed’ that there is no influence from gay parenting and becoming gay as an adult. Therefore, it is now ‘proven’ that gay parenting is simply fine – except that it is not. Someone is still between 1 and 2 dozen times more likely to practice homosexuality – if they are raised in it – than if they were just left to nature instead. Thus, it still has a 25% influence and not a 0% one.
And we could go on with the contradictions that are caused by other politically correct causes. How about my being a woman trapped in a man’s body? But if I am dictated to by my biology – then how can I also be at a 180-degree contradiction to it at the same time? That is, that my biology is totally the one thing (male) – but that somewhere in that innermost me of all me’s I am the opposite (a female)?
So, which one is it: am I dictated to by my biology – or is my biology totally irrelevant instead? Both can’t be true at one and the same time EXCEPT when you are dealing in politically correct ‘sciences’.
SPEAKING OF WHICH, THOUGH, THERE IS MORE ACTUAL SCIENCE …
But now we finally get down to the latest (real) science on the matter. Now (of course) it has nothing to do with politics but a researcher (interviewed by Lester Holt) did a groveling session first before dispersing his knowledge. He pleadingly stated how ‘sensitive’ they were going to be in releasing the latest research. And that – of course not – it would not be released in any way that would help a non-believer in gay liberation. But they did, eventually, get down to the actual results itself. (Which proved that you should be a non-believer in gay liberation.)
First, a quick splash screen was put up with five points to it. The most important one, of course, being the fifth and last one listed. It stated, essentially, that homosexuality was “just like all other traits”. Meaning that, to whatever level we are responsible for our own behavior, that they (people practicing homosexuality) are equally as responsible for their behavior also. And that, to whatever extent you might want to give them a responsibility exemption, then you would have to give this same exemption to everyone else also.
Other flash screen points were that all human behavior is complicated and can not be reduced to any type of a one-shot panacea. (Wow!! I guess I, as an average person, was not aware of that? Were you? Is that why they now charge people nearly a quarter of a million dollars to get a higher education – because you learn so many things that you could never know otherwise?) And then one last point before moving on:
The flash points then stated that sexual behavior is even more complicated than the other kinds!!! Holy Whatnot – when I heard that I fell out of my chair so hard is was as though I never even twitched a muscle – or even took any notice. To their credit, they did still flash screen these ‘profound’ and ‘new’ discoveries long enough for you to speed read your way through them – before pulling them back down again. And did, eventually, even get to the main point.
Eventually, Lester Holt said – and with as quick an in and out as could be done – “Born that way. True or False?” Thus, he did, ultimately, get down to the main course of the subject matter (even if in a very truncated manner). And said the researcher “False” – before mad dashing it back out of the subject matter. And then talking about anything else he could think of. So, he did – ultimately – give The Answer (that gutted the whole Gay Liberation premise) before making a mad dash to the nearest exit immediately afterwards.
And, I guess, we should be thankful for the newspaper coverage – even if just because there was some. Up until recently, on a topic this sensitive, news people would still let people from both sides in on the conversation. But not today. The newspaper quoted only a non-response from only the pro-Gay Liberation side. And what other type of a response could they make?
It was a multi-year study, backed by multi-millions of dollars, and from pro-Gay Liberation sources of funding. What is more, it did attempt to directly tackle the ‘gay’ gene question. Using the latest technology, it did go through the entire DNA structure of a human being looking for the ‘gay’ gene. And still advanced the issue none whatsoever.
After all the millions of dollars spent, and from a totally pro-Gay perspective, the facts remain identical to where they have always been. Namely, that there are some genetic aspects to ALL our behavior, that nurture is also an aspect of ALL our behavior and that choice is also an aspect of ALL our behavior. And that homosexuality, in this regard, is like quote “every other trait”. Thus, we were only allowed to hear a totally boiler plate response from the Gay Liberation lobby – and no response permitted from anyone else.
For, after all, mustn’t ‘scientific’ studies (like what the researcher initially said) be handled with ‘sensitivity’ – to ensure that ‘non-enlightened’ viewpoints are not in any way aided or abetted? So, what am I complaining about? I guess I should just be happy that they at least did get down to the main points of the matter – and still show how it is an empty debate. At least ‘scientifically’ that is.
EXAMPLE III. WHERE QUESTIONS OF SCIENCE AND HUMAN BEHAVIOR SHOULD BE CONCENTRATING – THE SELF DESTRUCTION OF OUR INNER CITIES
This is, actually, the main point of this article that I have most wanted to get to. While I find it a continual annoyance to see science prostituted for political correctness, it is worse when it is simply not considered important at all – and on the type of things that are the most important. For, ironically, the people who have about the closest claim to being ‘dictated’ into certain behaviors are the type of people that we tend to hate the most intensely.
My favorite person that I tend to love-to-hate is the man who is now the posture boy for the new ‘bail reform’ movement. He was just released for (for reals) the 104th time. And the first thing that he did was to observe and elderly woman go past him – upon which he cold cocked her to the deck for absolutely no reason!
It was a thrill crime just because he can do it. Now before going on, let me give some reassurances: he is (obviously) morally responsible for what he did. And he is as despicable a person as his criminal behavior suggests he is. Yet, there is still an important lesson we need to learn here: where do people like this come from?
The answer (and one that can be observed by the physical and social sciences) is that he is created by us – and the dysfunctional things we allow to continue in our society. Did you know that if you grow up in a state of prolonged stress (the fight or flight syndrome) for long enough that it physically re-wires your brain? And that this is even observable in laboratory conditions? That you, essentially, become hard wired to be dysfunctional?
Did you know that most of the people – who are like the poster boy for ‘bail reform’ – have a three strikes and out record for all three of the behavior factors – nature, nurture and choice? If the Bail Reform Poster Boy did not start out with a natural inclination to act on impulse (and most criminals, in fact, do start out that way) then an entire upbringing (of living under a fight-or-flight environment) was certainly not helpful.
Now what about the Bail Reform Poster Boy and nurture, you may ask? I will bet the bank that he does not come from an intact, properly disciplinarian two – parent family. And that he does not, say, know the Lord as his personal Savior.
Choices? Yes, he has, ultimately, become the way he is from his own choices. But how much encouragement did he get to make the right choices vs. the wrong ones? For example: how do you think aiding and abetting him to make a ha-ha joke out of the criminal justice system helped – at encouraging him to make good choices rather than bad ones?
And this is all relatively typical of all those scary people that we love to hate: the almost gratuitously violent types, those people with an almost unlimited ability to rationalize their behavior and to be oblivious of others. All of them are, very often, people we have created to be that way by our tolerance of dysfunctional conditions. And the type of dysfunctional values that are rapidly taking over our society.
All these people have a much stronger claim to “I was forced into it” than people like Mayor Pete and his in-your-face homosexual behavior. Or, another prime example of the entitled types claiming to be unable to help themselves: do you remember a Rielle Hunter? She was the paramour of a Senator John Edwards – who was horsing around with him while his wife was kicking the bucket from cancer.
True, they did not actually do a live copulation with each other – while laying on top of his dying spouse in her hospital bed simultaneously. But they did everything short of that. And yet what is her own statement on this matter: “I bear absolutely no responsibility for what we did”.
And why? Because it “just happened” and they therefore could not possibly help themselves. Really? Compared to who and what?
How many of us really have it as bad as these others that we tend to hate the most? How many of us grow up with a strong natural inclination (category #1) to do bad things (that is then – literally – reinforced through the rewiring of our brain cells). Next, are given no positive nurturing (for category #2). And then are not just encouraged – but are often aggressively encouraged – to make all the bad choices rather than the good ones (thereby damaging us in category #3 as well).
For those of us who can’t lay claim to these types of things – which still constitutes most of us (for now): if we are ‘pressured’ to do, say, an abortion is this pressure really as bad as what some people are subjected to? And as their own type of a ‘new normal’ of dysfunctionality that often makes up their whole lives? Are most of us really a bunch of victim types who cannot help ourselves – and especially as compared to a lot of people who have it much worse?
And does anyone really believe that pampered, entitled types like Rielle Hunter and Mayor Pete are some type of victims? That really cannot be held accountable for themselves – when we still hold these other types of people accountable for themselves? What elitist garbage!
The esteemed criminologist, a James Q. Wilson, even points out why criminals often become criminals in the first place. It is because of their complete inability to think things through logically rather than to act on impulse. But even when you have the combination of all three factors (bad natural inclinations, no proper nurturing in growing up and an impaired ability to make rational choices) we still cannot absolve people of their responsibility. Or the first thing we would have to do is to clear out of all the prisons – so when do we get started doing that??
But, ultimately, we are back at the central point of this entire galley of articles. Better to use your own common-sense thinking processes than listen to the ‘science’ crowd. And nothing better demonstrates this than a study of science and human behavior. If they really gave the rodents whatnot about science they would be pro-life, pro-family, would reject ‘biological dictations like a wind-up robot’ to justify their behavior and would place science (and real science) more deeply into much more important issues (like the free fall zones in our inner cities and the destructive behavior that often comes with it.)
Rather, that is, than all of our pampered, politically correct BS about abortions, sexual ‘preferences’ (hate the term), “Help me because I am feeling Gender Dysphoric today’ and etc. We would be much more concerned about the type of dysfunctional behavior and conditions that our values systems (or lack thereof) are causing and on I could go. But do not hold your breath waiting for them to do any of this – it is not going to happen!
Thank you for reading the first article of our Science Trilogy. The next is an article that should not even need to be written – Science and God. In America, the land of religious liberty, why should you even need to write about belief in God as being intellectually reasonable? You shouldn’t; but, unfortunately, there are now many people at work trying to make America a totally different country than it has always been. And religion is rapidly becoming more and more of a fault line in today’s society. I wish it were not so, but it is.