LithaB Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 Next Friday is the official Free Thought Day holiday. I only recently became aware of this holiday, but it is already a favorite. In preparation for the celebration, I thought it would be fun to hear about your personal free-thought heroes and collect some good free-thought quotes. One of my biggest heroes is John Taylor Gatto. An award winning public school teacher in New York for 30 years, Mr Gatto had the courage and integrity to step forward and reveal the ugly truth about public education. Reading his essays set my mind free more than reading any other single author, and gave me the knowledge I needed to raise a child who could think for himself. "Whatever an education is, it should make you a unique individual, not a conformist; it should furnish you with an original spirit with which to tackle the big challenges; it should allow you to find values which will be your road map through life; it should make you spiritually rich, a person who loves whatever you are doing, wherever you are, whomever you are with; it should teach you what is important, how to live and how to die." And although I don't know much about W K Clifford, I love this quote from him: To sum up: it is wrong always, everywhere, and for anyone, to believe anything upon insufficient evidence. So who are your free-thought heroes, how have they changed your lfe, and what are your favorite quotes? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
SWIM Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 Who are my free-thought heros? You are gonna laugh at this I know... Mr Spock from the original series Star Trek. As a little boy, our black and white TV only got 3 channels. One of the few shows that I enjoyed as a child was Star Trek. I was very impressed with the "Logical Approach" to everything that the Vulcan race in the series presented. It was the slight little *push* I needed, with my active childhood imagination, to start thinking logically about the world around me. Logical thinking is kryptonite on christianity. One of the first leaps of logic I made as a child was when I asked my father: me: "Dad, what is religion?" dad: "It is the worship of god and studying his word." me: "Is religion true?" dad: "yes it is" me: "Science is the study of true things right?" dad: "yes" me: "If religion is true, why isnt it called science?" dad: (slaps me in the mouth then says) "You will NOT blasphem in this house!" Oddly, my Dad was only passively religious, I have no memories of him being a strong christian, but this little childish leap of logic caused him to respond with violence. Had he not slapped me, and put a dramatic exclamation point on the end of his non-answer, I likely would have never remembered the conversation. I think that was the first indication inside me that there was something wrong with religion. I know it is silly, but this is probably the core influence from my deep past that spurred me to start thinking outside the box. Live Long And Prosper! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Loren Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 Robert Green Ingersoll [1833 - 1899] Awesome mind and ability to articulate ethical issues! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LithaB Posted October 7, 2007 Author Share Posted October 7, 2007 Who are my free-thought heros? You are gonna laugh at this I know... Mr Spock from the original series Star Trek. As a little boy, our black and white TV only got 3 channels. One of the few shows that I enjoyed as a child was Star Trek. I was very impressed with the "Logical Approach" to everything that the Vulcan race in the series presented. Live Long And Prosper! Laughing with you, not at you. I had a big crush on Spock back then. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
☆ TexasFreethinker ☆ Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 Robert Green Ingersoll [1833 - 1899] Awesome mind and ability to articulate ethical issues! Ingersoll is at the top of my list as are Bertrand Russell and Bill Moyers. Let's not forget George W Bush or Ann Coulter either. OK, let's forget them. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Vigile Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 Henry David Thoreau: Always thinking outside the box and questioning authority. My Grandfather: "If I knew then what I know now, my brothers and I would have shot that preacher man the day he rode into town and thrown the body underneath the outhouse." Ok, you had to know him. He had a scathing sense of humor and was a skeptic for most of his 92 years. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
♦ nivek ♦ Posted October 7, 2007 Share Posted October 7, 2007 Rob't Anson Heinlein His books ruined me for church and State control of mind and body. "We'll throw rocks Manny, big rocks!" kFL Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
LithaB Posted October 7, 2007 Author Share Posted October 7, 2007 Rob't Anson Heinlein His books ruined me for church and State control of mind and body. "We'll throw rocks Manny, big rocks!" kFL I remember reading The Moon is a Harsh Mistress years ago, but maybe I'll have to stop by the local library and check out a few more of his novels. Vigile, I'm a Thoreau fan too. Favorite quote: "I would rather sit alone on a pumpkin than be crowded on a velvet cushion." Ingersol, Russell, and Moyers I'll have to look into. I recognize the names but not the philosophies. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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