The Association For Rational Thought News

Magazine Overview

Title: The Association For Rational Thought News
Issue: Vol. 1, No. 5
Date: February 1992
Publisher: The Association For Rational Thought
Focus: Practicing the art of clear thinking in all walks of life, investigating paranormal and pseudo-scientific claims, and distributing findings.

ART Organization and Membership

The Association for Rational Thought (ART) is presented as a new organization dedicated to fostering clear thinking and the scientific investigation of paranormal and pseudo-scientific claims. Readers are invited to become charter members. The newsletter announces upcoming meetings and a membership drive.

Upcoming Meetings and Events

February Meeting

A meeting is scheduled for Saturday, February 15, at 10:00 AM at the Greenwich Tavern and Restaurant. The agenda includes a business meeting, followed by a round table discussion on "What Does It Mean To Be Open-Minded?" ART members Bill Giles and Joe Gastright will lead a discussion on problems skeptics face in responding to paranormal claims, which will then open to a general discussion. The meeting also includes an Executive Committee Meeting following lunch.

January Meeting Recap

The January 18 meeting was held at the Cincinnati Museum of Natural History. President Joe Gastright led a discussion on meeting frequency and location, with a preference for no-fee venues. General meetings may include trips to nearby sites and an annual picnic. Peggy Borger reported on a telephone membership drive. A draft of the by-laws was to be published in the newsletter for member review. Potential projects discussed included developing an expert panel, tracking media coverage of paranormal incidents, and reviewing psychics' New Year's predictions, though no decisions were made.

Future Meetings

• March 21: Robert Baker, Professor Emeritus of Psychology, will discuss ghost theory and famous Kentucky ghosts.
• April 18: The First Annual Meeting will include the election of officers, adoption of by-laws, and a presentation by Oren Dent on "Similarities Between Military Deception and Stage Magic."

Membership Drive

A telephone membership drive is underway, led by Peggy Borger. Volunteers are calling subscribers to the Skeptical Inquirer and others to invite them to join ART and attend meetings. Several members are listed as volunteers for this drive.

Satanism: A Round Table Discussion and Glossary

A significant portion of the newsletter is dedicated to a round table discussion on satanism, led by ART charter member and sociologist Virginia Jergens. The discussion contrasts two primary perspectives on satanism in American society:

Fundamentalist Christian Perspective

This view posits that the world is a battleground between good and evil, with the Devil controlling a vast conspiracy of powerful individuals who infiltrate society to cause chaos and commit crimes, including ritualistic abuse. Explanations for societal problems like rising crime rates, divorce, and child abuse are attributed to the Devil's influence, with the solution being conversion to Christianity. Evidence cited includes "cult survivor" accounts and stories of ritual abuse told by children, as well as symbols and behaviors perceived as strange.

Social Scientific Perspective

Sociologists, anthropologists, and folklorists focus on the social processes behind the belief in satanism. They hypothesize that rapid social change, economic insecurity, and social disorder contribute to widespread anxiety, leading people to seek explanations. Survey research suggests that less-educated, rural individuals, particularly those in fundamentalist Christian groups, are more likely to find explanations in satanism. Hypotheses for the spread of anti-satanism include:

• Contemporary Legend Hypothesis: People make sense of their lives by telling stories.
• Rumor Panic Hypothesis: Ignorance, economic insecurity, and anxiety contribute to the rapid acceptance of satanic stories.
• Groupthink Hypothesis (Irving Janis): Isolated groups under stress prioritize solidarity over dissent, leading to poor decision-making and the adoption of flawed beliefs, as seen in the context of therapists treating MPD patients.

Social scientists have found no verifiable evidence of a satanic conspiracy but have found evidence supporting these hypotheses. The spread of belief is exacerbated by sensationalized media, fundamentalist leaders seeking donations, psychotherapists treating MPD patients, and law enforcement.

Glossary of Terms

A glossary provides definitions for terms related to satanism, including:

• Anti-satanist: Believes in a satanic conspiracy.
• Contemporary Legend: A story told as true with no corroborative evidence.
• Cult: From an anti-satanist view, a secret satanic group; from a social scientist's view, a social unit for religious rituals.
• Cult-survivor: A person claiming to have escaped a satanic cult, often associated with Multiple Personality Disorder.
• Fundamentalist Christians: Believe in a battleground between good and evil, salvation through Christ, and biblical inerrancy.
• Groupthink: A social process leading to poor decision-making due to emphasis on group solidarity.
• Legend-Tripping: Teenagers reenacting local ghost stories.
• Ritual: Stereotyped behaviors directed toward the sacred.
• Ritual abuse: Alleged abuse by satanists or daycare workers, not verified by social scientists.
• Ritual slaughter: Alleged satanic sacrifice of animals, usually found to be natural causes or roadkill.
• Rumor panic: Rapid spread of a rumor with no verifiable basis.
• Satanism: From a fundamentalist view, a pervasive conspiracy; from a social scientific view, a contemporary legend.
• Satanists: Categorized by fundamentalists into traditional, publicly organized, self-styled (murderers), and "dabblers" (those involved in heavy metal, D&D).

Rules for Skeptics

This section, provided by the Kentucky Association of Science Educators and Skeptics, offers guidelines for critical thinking:

• The burden of proof lies with the claimant.
• Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence.
• The simplest explanation is usually the best.
• Nothing is impossible for the person who doesn't have to do it.
• Never argue with a fool.
• The Eleventh Commandment: Thou shalt not committee.
• Never attribute to malice that which is adequately attributable to stupidity.
• Two of the most abundant things in the universe are hydrogen and stupidity.
• A guide to modern science: biology (green/wiggles), chemistry (stinks), mathematics (incomprehensible), economics (doesn't make sense).

Executive Committee Meetings

Regular Executive Committee Meetings are scheduled to be held after each regular monthly meeting. Officers are asked to come prepared to report on their work.

Recurring Themes and Editorial Stance

The newsletter consistently promotes critical thinking, skepticism, and a scientific approach to evaluating claims, particularly those related to the paranormal and pseudoscience. The editorial stance is clearly in favor of rational inquiry and evidence-based reasoning, as demonstrated by the "Rules for Skeptics" and the detailed analysis of the satanism phenomenon from a social scientific perspective. The organization aims to educate the public and encourage responsible investigation and dissemination of findings.