1. On this Day: Galileo Sentenced for Believing Sun Is Center of Universe

Comment #198214 by jshuey on June 23, 2008 at 11:39 am

The incredible fact about the entire saga is that two hundred years earlier representatives of Admiral Zheng He had met with then Pope Eugenius IV and presented him with a massive collection of Chinese technical and scientific information, including the fact that the earth (and several other planets)orbited the sun in an eliptical path.

The Vatican had independent information in its library that Copernicus and Galileo were right, and chose to protect the faith rather than expand man's knowledge. And, unfortunately, nothing much has changed since then.

2. Award-winning comedian George Carlin dies

Comment #198208 by jshuey on June 23, 2008 at 11:25 am

One thing I have noticed that bewilders me as I read the obits, Mr. Carlin is almost universally referred to as a "counter-culture" humorist.

Nothing could be further from the truth...Carlin was consistently on the leading edge of American culture, and that was what made him so great.

I miss him already. Shit.

3. Reality wins in Texas!

Comment #191016 by jshuey on June 10, 2008 at 5:46 am

RE: Comment #189786 by epeeist, et al

I'm in TX, and have had two pro-evolution letters published in the Dallas Morning News over the past 15 to 18 months.

Plus, just for giggles and the public forum enabling me to rattle some cages, I am also a Libertarian candidate for the State Board of Education.

Oh, and I have a Darwin fish on my car, and twice "someone" actually smashed into it in a parking lot trying to knock it off. I really don't worry about the jesus-kooks though because, being a TX Libertarian, I also have a carry permit and use it.

4. The detail in the Devil

Comment #176093 by jshuey on May 6, 2008 at 2:23 pm

Sigh...

Time to dust off my copy of "The Demon-Haunted World".

Wonder how long it will be before the good Dr. is leading a mob searching for a witch to burn?

5. Does science make belief in God obsolete?

Comment #170194 by jshuey on April 27, 2008 at 1:23 pm

Interestingly, those among the essayists who support the idea of a god of one sort or another demonstrate rather convincingly how much of a human construct god is.

If there really were a god, its proper definition, role, and the like would mitigate a consistency of belief. That said, it seems to follow that the lack of such consistency argues mightily for no god.

6. Resentment Over Darwin Evolves Into a Documentary

Comment #165422 by jshuey on April 21, 2008 at 1:03 pm

We should be surprised neither at the appeal nor the success of Expelled, just as we should not be shocked that half of all Americans do no accept evolution.

After all, 50% of the population is of below average intelligence.

7. Protests no concern for outspoken atheist

Comment #155714 by jshuey on April 5, 2008 at 10:14 am

I'm just glad there's some "nutters" on your side of the pond for y'all to rag on for awhile.

I was beginning to get the impression that only the denizens of your lost colony were crazy as bats.

8. Vote on freedom of expression marks the end of Universal Human Rights

Comment #153174 by jshuey on April 1, 2008 at 7:02 am

The UN outlived its usefullness decades ago. What is needed is a new, expanded Western Community, made up of democratic nations willing and able to speak for and defend the rights of their peoples rather than abandon them at the first appearance of a mob.

As a Libertarian, I have long held out against my party's call to withdraw from the UN and to kick the UN out of the US. Now, I can see no alternative.

9. The science of religion: Where angels no longer fear to tread

Comment #148507 by jshuey on March 23, 2008 at 8:18 am

I guess I'm not much of a scientific thinker, but can someone explain how PET scans showing activity in several areas of the brain during meditation or other religious exercises rules out the possibility that proper stimulation of the temporal lobe, whether from epilipsy or an artificial jolt of electricity, is a likely cause of religious (or other) visions or vision-like experiences.

10. It looks like Man crucified

Comment #148495 by jshuey on March 23, 2008 at 8:02 am

The fact that in 2008 Hume still admits to being a Marxist in spite of that philosophy's utter failure and total rejection says an awful lot about his ability to judge anything rationally.

Sounds like a maladjusted atheist who had a few drinks before writing this...

No...sounds more like an aging halfwit who has been locked up in an old folks' home for the last couple of decades.

11. Ban anti-Catholic books in schools, says bishop

Comment #143546 by jshuey on March 14, 2008 at 7:41 am

I would ask the good bishop a few questions:

1. Which, in your mind, is worse...a) Denying the holocaust? or b) Denying that condoms can help protect against AIDS and thus save lives?

2. Now that the HRCC is on the side of banning books, when might we expect you to begin advocating burning them?

12. Beauty ad banned after Christian outcry

Comment #142874 by jshuey on March 13, 2008 at 6:59 am

23 touchy christians?

And you Brits make all kinds of snide remarks about the influence of religion in the U.S.?

Ha! We're more tastless than you are!

13. Seven new deadly sins: are you guilty?

Comment #141539 by jshuey on March 10, 2008 at 3:17 pm

Geoff: "Lust & Sloth have always been my favourites."

Me too...but It's kinda tough to do them together.
At least if you're doing them right.

14. Lords Approve Abolition Of Blasphemy

Comment #139819 by jshuey on March 6, 2008 at 2:25 pm

"Maybe America is less backward and Europe a tad less enlightened than some claim?"

The news is even better than that: In this week's Republican Primary a pro-evolution Republican beat a Creation Science nutter even though he outspent her 12 to 1! IN TEXAS!

15. Ayaan Hirsi Ali to get EU protection

Comment #136688 by jshuey on March 1, 2008 at 3:04 pm

"Yes, but in some state, citizenship and adult age is all you need to buy a gun."

No. In every state you MUST pass an FBI background check.

16. Ayaan Hirsi Ali to get EU protection

Comment #136585 by jshuey on March 1, 2008 at 1:16 pm

notsobad:

Nowhere in the US can anybody buy a gun over the internet, per se. You can order a gun on the internet in a handful of instances, but it must still be delivered through a local dealer who is charged with doing the same background check as if you had walked into his shop to buy a gun.

As for Muslim violence in the U.S., we are not so tolerant of that stuff here. Europe has established a reputation for bending over backword to avoid confrontation no matter what the provocation. And weakness begets more attacks, not fewer.

Much as might be said about native Americans, Europeans are suffering from an unenlightened immigration policy.

17. US Treaty with Tripoli

Comment #135812 by jshuey on February 29, 2008 at 9:26 am

CJ22:

You clearly are not aware of history, or else you haven't thought things through.

The "founders" included merchants, craftsmen, small farmers, clergymen, newspaper publishers, etc. Those who fit your description were a distinct minority.

As for the 2nd Amendment in particular, its roots are in English common law much prior to the revolution. Most of the founders who spoke or wrote outside of the First Congress which passed the Bill of Rights indicated that the 2nd Amendment was to ensure that the people whould always have a defense against their government...not from each other!

Of course by picking and choosing which provisions you like you are playing into the hands of those who would unravel the 1st, 4th or 5th Amendments, for instance.

Finally, you are overlooking the intent of the founders and the genius with which they applied it. Their goal was to circumvent those temporary passions which sometimes seize hold of a people by providing for checks and balances to slow abrupt change. The separation or powers, electoral college, election of Senators by state legislatures, and amendment process are some of the tools they used.

And oh, that amendment process. Rather then tear up the Constitution that protects your ass against the dominionists and their like, if there is a part or parts that you believe are outdated those evil old men provided a slow but certain method to fix them.

Methinks you may be your own worst enemy.

18. My Argument With God

Comment #131831 by jshuey on February 23, 2008 at 12:04 pm

"This religious website debunks that 0.2% claim in more detail:
http://www.adherents.com/misc/adh_prison.html

It's very easy to lie with statistics. Always examine carefully and consider the source."

In almost any poll, there will be a significant %-age (most of the time in the 5% - 10% range)) who answer "Don't know", and a far larger %-age who refuse to answer at all. To read anything contraindicative into this would be wrong.

And...if parole, etc were on these folk's minds, one would think 99.9% would answer "christian" if they thought for one moment it would serve their purpose.

I suspect the numbers reported by the Bureau of Prisons, and later confirmed with eerily similar results by Barra (A CHRISTIAN polling organization, are largely accurate within a reasonable statistical margin for error.

19. The argument from oranges

Comment #128243 by jshuey on February 16, 2008 at 3:35 pm

"How do people like this manage to pass the bar?"

EASY. Passing the bar doesn't require thinking...only memorization.

20. Charles Simonyi Professorship in the Public Understanding of Science

Comment #125408 by jshuey on February 11, 2008 at 10:23 am

I could certainly second the name of Neil de Grasse Tyson, his ability to reach a general audience is unparalled.

Might I also mention Prof. Neil Shubin, of Titalik fame. Anyone who has read "Your Inner Fish" walks away with the feeling that it is among the most informative and approachable books on the subject ever written.

As for Mr. Bryson, though probably not academically qualified, I have long recommended "A Brief History..." be made the science texbook for 9th grade science here in the US. It is far better (and more interesting) than any now in use.

21. Darwin Day (Feb 12th) E-Cards

Comment #114475 by jshuey on January 22, 2008 at 9:20 am

"Kent Hovind. Michael Behe. Ken Ham*.

I think they'd all appreciate the sentiment."

Especially Kent...It must get lonely sitting in that jail cell.

22. What Religion's Blind Stranglehold on America Is Doing to Our Democracy

Comment #113700 by jshuey on January 20, 2008 at 11:01 am

Vinelectric...

It is possible to have democratic institutions and processes without actually being a "democracy" in that word's purest sense. Ben Franklin once wrote that "A democracy is two wolves and a sheep voting on what to have for dinner. A republic is a well-armed sheep disputing the vote."

SMART...

Good point...well put.

23. What Religion's Blind Stranglehold on America Is Doing to Our Democracy

Comment #113428 by jshuey on January 19, 2008 at 2:57 pm

Dr. Chernus may be an outstanding professor of "Religious Studies", but he lacks a basic understanding of the American political system.

The United States is not a democracy. Never was. The Founders deplored democracy and went out of their way to build up walls against it.

We are a Republic...a nation governed under the auspices of a Constitution that protects the rights of minorities from whatever the passion of the majority may be at the moment.

From the Bill of Rights to the Electoral College to the requirement for "super majorities" to amend the Constitution or over-ride a Presidential veto to the veto itself, all these things were designed to prevent mob rule.

And a good thing too. In a nation that is more than 70% christian, I'd hate to think how much deeper we might have sunk into theocracy than we actually have.

So while the candidates all bow and scrape to America's irrational majority, when it comes to actually governing it's another story.

24. New Findings Confirm Darwin's Theory: Evolution Not Random

Comment #113416 by jshuey on January 19, 2008 at 2:32 pm

I'd love to hear RD chime in on this one...

Perhaps there's something we're missing.

25. Fish out of water: Your Inner Fish

Comment #111086 by jshuey on January 13, 2008 at 2:01 pm

Marvelous...I have to have the book!

In the meantime, I'm sending a .pdf of the article to a few theists I know.

26. Why people believe weird things about money

Comment #111083 by jshuey on January 13, 2008 at 1:43 pm

Two things about Shermer:

1. He writes exactly the way he speaks; (Most of us do) See http://www.ted.com/index.php/talks/view/id/22, and

2. He writes and speaks with a goal of reaching a general audience. Overall, he does an admirable job of it, IMO.

27. A War On Science

Comment #106952 by jshuey on January 3, 2008 at 6:28 pm

One thing not mentioned in the film...and often overlooked, is that Judge Jones who rendered the decision in Kitzmiller is an evangelical who regularly attends church and a conservative republican appointed by Bush.

It seems that an open mind and sense of integrity can be found from time to time among the faithful, and that is good news.

28. Moderates Storm The Religious Battlefield

Comment #106949 by jshuey on January 3, 2008 at 6:21 pm

RE: # of non-believers:

The proportion of the [American] population that can be classified as Christian has declined from 86% in 1990 to 77% in 2001." ARIS Study. 4

" 'We the people' of the United States now form the most profusely religious nation on earth." Diana Eck. 1

George Barna of The Barna Group:

'There does not seem to be revival taking place in America. Whether that is measured by church attendance, born again status, or theological purity, the statistics simply do not reflect a surge of any noticeable proportions." George Barna. 2

"...evangelicals remain just 7% of the adult population. That number has not changed since the Barna Group began measuring the size of the evangelical public in 1994....less than one out of five born again adults (18%) meet the evangelical criteria." (N = 1003; margin of error = ±3.2%). 13

"...the number of Protestants soon will slip below 50 percent of the nation's population." National Opinion Research Center's General Social Survey, 2004.

The shift away from Christianity and other organized religions:

The United States appears to be going through an unprecedented change in religious practices. Large numbers of American adults are disaffiliating themselves from Christianity and from other organized religions. Since World War II, this process had been observed in other countries, like the U.K., other European countries, Australia, Canada, and New Zealand. But, until recently, affiliation with Christianity had been at a high level -- about 87% -- and stable in the U.S. Polling data from the 2001 ARIS study, described below, indicate that:
81% of American adults identify themselves with a specific religion:

76.5% (159 million) of Americans identify themselves as Christian. This is a major slide from 86.2% in 1990. Identification with Christianity has suffered a loss of 9.7 percentage points in 11 years -- about 0.9 percentage points per year. This decline is identical to that observed in Canada between 1981 and 2001. If this trend has continued, then at the present time (2007-MAY), only 71% of American adults consider themselves Christians.

The percentage will dip below 70% in 2008

By about the year 2042, non-Christians will outnumber the Christians in the U.S.


52% of Americans identified themselves as Protestant.

24.5% are Roman Catholic.

1.3% are Jewish.

0.5% are Muslim, followers of Islam.

The fastest growing religion (in terms of percentage) is Wicca -- a Neopagan religion that is sometimes referred to as Witchcraft. Numbers of adherents went from 8,000 in 1990 to 134,000 in 2001. Their numbers of adherents are doubling about every 30 months. 4,5


14.1% do not follow any organized religion. This is an unusually rapid increase -- almost a doubling -- from only 8% in 1990. There are more Americans who say they are not affiliated with any organized religion than there are Episcopalians, Methodists, and Lutherans taken together. 6

The unaffiliated vary from a low of 3% in North Dakota to 25% in Washington State. "The six states with the highest percentage of people saying they have no religion are all Western states, with the exception of Vermont at 22%." 6

1. Diana Eck, "A New Religious America: How a 'Christian Country' Has Become the World's Most Religiously Diverse Nation," HarperSanFrancisco, (2001). "Eck, professor of comparative religion at Harvard University, delivers a stunning tour de force that may forever change the way Americans claim to be 'one nation, under God.' Drawing on her work with the Pluralism Project, an ongoing study of religious diversity in the United States, Eck focuses here on the explosion of Muslim, Hindu and Buddhist communities in America, particularly since 1965." Excerpt from Publishers Weekly book review. Read reviews or order this book safely from Amazon.com online book store
2. "Annual study reveals America is spiritually stagnant," Barna Research Group, Ltd., at: http://www.barna.org/
3. "About Islam and American Muslims," Council on American-Islamic Relations, at: http://www.cair-net.org/asp/aboutislam.asp
4. "American Religious Identification Survey," by The Graduate Center of the City University of New York, at: http://www.gc.cuny.edu/faculty/research_studies/aris.pdf **
5. "Survey indicates more Americans 'without faith', " American Atheists, 2002-NOV-22, at: http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/atheist4.htm
6. Cathy Grossman, "Charting the unchurched in America," USA Today, 2002-MAR-7, at: http://www.usatoday.com/life/dcovthu.htm

29. The Pagan Christ

Comment #103045 by jshuey on December 24, 2007 at 8:49 am

I am what has been described above as a "strong atheist". The existence of an historical Jesus is no threat to that worldview at all.

An understanding of the ancient world and the differing frames of reference that different people in different places brought to their own particular interpretations of history makes it rather easy to see that a Jewish eshatological preacher's life and teachings would have inevitably been seen and explained in widely different ways at different times and under different circumstances.

Perhaps the best overall explanation of all this can be found in Paula Fredriksen's "From Jesus to Christ". An historical Jesus need not have thought of himself as god or savior for succeeding generations to have eventually made that leap.

30. Holy Nonsense

Comment #95376 by jshuey on December 8, 2007 at 7:39 am

Once again I read the unfounded criticism that Hitchens is "pro-Bush". The truth is that C.H. supports Bush on one policy - the "War on Terror", largely based on his experience in Islamic countries. On other occassions, however, Hitchens has (rightly) criticized Bush, almost to the point of ridicule.

In the end, it must stop being about people and begin being about policies. I am often chagrined that, in spite of the obvious intellect on exhibit here, the opposite is far too common.

31. CNN Debate on Koran in Toilet

Comment #60541 by jshuey on August 2, 2007 at 7:19 am

Part of the problem with this particular case, and others as well, is the politically correct but illiberal concept of "hate crimes".

Murder, assault, et al are all crimes and punishable as such. Attempting to read motive into a crime is nonsense: Did I punch the little Jewish guy because he was Jewish, or did he say something to set me off? Either way, charge me with assault...but to charge me with a hate crime assumes you know something you cannot possibly know. (Not to mention the inanity of making the commission of a single act two separate crimes.)

32. The Flea Circus Invites a Newcomer!

Comment #60536 by jshuey on August 2, 2007 at 6:50 am

Shaker2007 on August 1, 2007 at 9:56 am wrote:

"Won't somebody think of the poor trees?"

Not to worry...I doubt that all the printings of all these books combined cost the forest much more than a sapling and a half.

33. The Republican War on Science Rages On

Comment #55989 by jshuey on July 13, 2007 at 5:30 am

Living in Texas as I do, I've come to believe it (GOP) stands for "God's Only Party".

34. The US map of faith

Comment #55631 by jshuey on July 11, 2007 at 6:56 pm

Actually, if you compare maps several Bush state have moderate at best religious belief - FL, NV, ID, WY, CO for example.

As for the Peoples Republic of Oregon, they have a high personal income tax, refuse to recognize the 2nd Amendment, and do not even allow individuals to pump their own gas. Physical beauty galore, personal rights few.

35. I believe that there is no God.

Comment #52831 by jshuey on June 28, 2007 at 6:43 am

"His association with the Cato institute, and the various talking points he's parroted over the years, though, have almost completely destroyed my respect for him."

Two comments on this statement:

1. CATO is not "conservative" nor "right wing". It is libertarian...something very different; and

2. I never cease to be amazed that folks who are clear-thinking enough to no longer require a god in order to get through life, then turn around and place equal reliance on big government for many of the same things they once prayed to god for. Government and religion both have many similar features, not the least being that they both demand deep access to your pockets as well as significant control over how you live your life.

To my mind, libertarianism (classical liberalism ala Locke, Jefferson, etc) is little more than atheism toward government.

36. A battler beyond belief: Review of 'God is Not Great'

Comment #50278 by jshuey on June 16, 2007 at 10:30 am

There is a more convincing atheist answer, absent here. Only the most naive 19th-century forms of atheism are discredited by Stalin: the ones that claimed that ending religion would end evil. A more mature atheism acknowledges that faith – belief without evidence – is one form of bad thinking among many. Just as eradicating smallpox did not cure cancer, discrediting faith would not cure communism, fascism and other delusions. It would still be worth doing, because faith on its own claims many victims.

37. Religion - our maelstrom of ignorance

Comment #49604 by jshuey on June 12, 2007 at 2:28 pm

"Poetic creationism is vague. No details given regarding when, how, etc. Atheists look stupid when they knee-jerk react to poetic creationism as if it were Biblical creationism."

Horse feathers.

Just as ID has been described as "...creationism in a cheap tuxedo", "Poetic" creationism is the original pig in lipstick. Both attack the very essence of science and reason, and one seeming a bit more sophisticated than the other neither negates the potential damage nor excuses the base ignorance.

38. Christian sports workers degree ridiculed

Comment #45100 by jshuey on May 26, 2007 at 11:38 am

Other than the religious connection, I fail to grasp what the fuss is all about. Academia has always been rife with not-quite legitimate, and almost rigorous, subjects; Women's Studies, Black Studies, Theology, and Sociology come to mind immediately.

39. A Split Emerges as Conservatives Discuss Darwin

Comment #38180 by jshuey on May 7, 2007 at 7:20 am

In the U.S., a majority of scientists tend to vote Democratic, but are apolitical in that they are not political active other than to vote. Some of this sentiment undoubtedly stems from the influence of the "Christian Right" on Republican politics, but I would guess at least as much arises because Democrats favor more spending on everything, including grants to scientists.

Dr. Dawkins being "slightly left of center" in the U.K. would mark him a flaming Markist in the U.S.

40. Republican candidates range from ignorant to dishonest

Comment #37468 by jshuey on May 4, 2007 at 2:19 pm

This is way off topic, and I apologize, but since it was brought up...

"1) Ron Paul does not support this immoral illegal occupation.
2) Ron Paul does not support the patriot act
3) Ron Paul does not support torture or the abolishment of habeus corpus
4) Ron Paul also does not support Bush's signing statements (they throw out checks and balances...one of the most vital functions of our government)
5) and he does not support bypassing FISA."

Unfortunately, Rep. Paul, whom I like personally and whose integrity I admire, also favors putting the nation back on the gold standard, a sure recipe for hyper-deflation.

41. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37351 by jshuey on May 4, 2007 at 6:49 am

Of course I meant SHORT History...

I just washed my hands and can't do a thing with them!

42. Your favorite book in the last 25 years?

Comment #37348 by jshuey on May 4, 2007 at 6:48 am

I'd have to go with Bryson's "Shot History...".

Not only is it a thoroughly enjoyable read, but if used as a textbook in a secondary school general science course it would eliminate society's almost total ignorance of science and the scientific method in a single generation.

43. Pundit Christopher Hitchens picks a fight in book, 'God is Not Great'

Comment #35918 by jshuey on April 29, 2007 at 10:15 am

"But what is the point of writing such a book? Surely, it will change no minds."

What an intellectually plebian thing to say.

While it may not convert those at the fundamentalist fringe, even in the U.S. that is a relatively small number. (For instance, only about 25% of American Christians go to church regularly.)

As in all great conflicts, this war is being waged for that vast majority in the middle: the Holiday believers, the social church-goers, those believers who recognize that much of what they believe is problematic, but who haven't been "tipped" yet.

The (recently) constant attack on irrationality will "convert" a reasonable number. In fact, even before the recent spate of books non-belief had been gaining ground in the U.S.

Every new book does have an impact -- why else the rush of true-believers to attack each and every one?

44. Fighting Words: A wartime lexicon

Comment #35143 by jshuey on April 26, 2007 at 10:34 am

Embryonic stem cell research is not only legal, it is being carried on in most areas of the U.S. (And i am not speaking of only "the Shrubs'" 60 +/- "approved" lines.)

What is not being done, except in a few states, is that the research is not being funded by public monies, but rather through private investment and grants.

This state of affairs bothers me not in the least. Indeed, I would ask those who support public funding of this (or any such) research to point me to that clause in the Constitution of the U.S. which authorizes Congress to spend public funds on any such undertaking.

But back to Hitchen's -- He was once a leftist but now he's matured into a reasoning individual. Jolly good, what?

45. Study: Religion is Good for Kids

Comment #35135 by jshuey on April 26, 2007 at 10:14 am

I wonder how Mr. Bartowski squares his results with the fact that other studies indicate that, at least in the US, Christians have higher rates of divorce and births out of wedlock, as well as make up a disproportionate of the prison population, then non-believers?

The two obvious flaws in this study are the sampling method and the jump to causality from a weak statistical relatonship.

46. Here Comes the Fourth Musketeer.

Comment #33858 by jshuey on April 22, 2007 at 8:42 am

I happen to be a 100% secular-humanist, but I agree with Hitchens that we need to be willing to defend ourselves from the threat of violent Islamo-Fascism. If you read enough of Hitchens, you will find him to be quite intellectually consistent, whether he is excoriating Mother Theresa or endorsing the struggle against extremist Islam.

Go back and rewatch Prof. Dawkin's confrontation with the Islamic convert in old Jerusalem (In the Root of all Evil). That is the face of evil, and it is an evil that means to force both its will and its world view upon you, upon us. Platitudes of pacifism may feel all warm and fuzzy, but they will only hasten the day when our wives and daughters will be wearing burkhas, and the public stoning of "infidels" will be a daily occurrance.

47. The Age of Darwin

Comment #32242 by jshuey on April 16, 2007 at 10:51 am

Mr. Brooks has always been a thoughtful conservative, well within the American mainstream.

In order to consider him "pretty far right", one would have to be looking from "pretty far left".

48. For God's Sake

Comment #31575 by jshuey on April 13, 2007 at 10:39 am

"I was invited to apply anyway. I thought about it too. I could do some damage to the school, and probably get a good scholarship too."

Unfortunately William, you'd end up with a degree that only qualified you to work in a Republican government.

49. Pope says science too narrow to explain creation

Comment #31398 by jshuey on April 12, 2007 at 10:20 am

"You're ignorance is astounding. While I doubt most would admit to it, almost every German of his generation will have that on his CV.

What it does do is highlight just how dangerous hero worship can be, and just how easily people can be manipulated by their peers."

No...What it does highlight is that he had the same potent mix of gullibility and fanaticism as a child that he does as an adult.