Sunday in Outer Blogness: It’s All in Your Head Edition!

It seems that Outer Blogness this week has spent quite a lot of time contemplating religious people to figure out what makes them tick! USU Shaft analyzes the latest stats on both happiness and depresssion in bipolar disorder, thy name is Utah. Bull has been reading Krakauer (like many of you!) so check out his discussion of personalities of the deeply religious! Andrew also has some more discussion of the success of strict churches. I think my favorite, though, was from Digital Plates:

What are some typical characteristics of people who fall for the Mormon scam? Desiree

Born into a Mormon family or befriended by Mormons.

If you’re trying to imply that there’s something more to it, I think you’re mistaken. If you feel confident that you personally would not have fallen for it under the same circumstances,

(I’d quote the whole thing, but just go read it.)

Then we have the believers and the non-believers trying to figure each other out in that eternal wrestling match of debate and apologetics! Chistoper Bigelow (who published this interesting book, among others), has posted the entire transcript of his debate with an unbeliver. He asks for better rebuttals or input from unbelievers — and I’m sure you guys have plenty of good ideas you could add! Greta Christina argues that believers who spend time debating unbelievers may well be tottering on the edge of unbelief. Madame Curie discusses how symbols and identity transcend questions of belief. Everyone’s favorite Mormon (Kirby) explains that non-belief shouldn’t be a deal-breaker when it comes to family ties (hat tip Swearing Elders). And the “Society for the Prevention of Anti-Mormonism” gives a dissenting opinion on that question, plus a bunch of other fascinating opinions to provide some challenge and sport for all of you armchair fundie-analysts!

Then we had a bit of a sub-theme on gender. Todd has an interesting theory of the complexity of gender differences. Runtu has some ruminations on the women-as-cows theme in Mormonism. (For some related older older discussion from MSP, don’t forget Fascinating Womanhood, Johnny Lingo, and the fact that my g-g-g-g aunt was one of the wives of that guy who famously compared his wives to cows.) The Exponent turns the tables for a “Fascinating Manhood” fireside. (Oh, and don’t forget to Sign and Support the BYU Womens Research Institute).

Also, Twilight resurfaces. BCC sums up the whole debate over the book. Also, (via Eugene Woodbury) a columnist has written two articles comparing Twilight to Angel Falling Softly. (If you need a refresher on Angel Falling Softly see here, and look here and here for our earlier discussions of Twilight.)

The gay marriage debate had some funnies this week, just ask Chris Buttars! And Texas — in an effort to ban gay marriage and anything like unto it — got a little overzealous with its last constitutional amendment and accidentally banned all marriage. Oops. See here and here.

Now, I’d like to apologize for bing AWOL from the Internet almost all week. We went on a trip to Montreal, and had a lovely time! And, interestingly, it seems nobody posted anything here at MSP in my absence. Well, as usual, it never rains but it pours on Main Street Plaza! Let’s close the week with some beautiful math and science images!