|
|
|
|
Dr. Mabuse
Septic Fiend
Sweden
9688 Posts |
 Posted - 01/06/2023 : 13:06:28
|
Yesterday I lost a dear friend.
He told me he expected to pass away in his sleep early yesterday afternoon. (Chew on that for a while...) With the help of MAID (Canadian Medical Assistance in Dying).
Dglas Raeat aka. Greg Teed was an ardent sceptic, philosopher, and roleplaying gamer.
An atheist, and an anti-theist.
From the health issues he had, the train he was on were really only leding him on one track, which lead through pain and agony toward his final destination. I admire his resolve and the option he had to step off the train while he could still do so with dignity.
We met on the Skepticality Podcast discussion forum, and soon after on Skeptic Friends Network some 12 years ago, and started gaming together on MMORPGs like "Guild Wars" and "Elite: Dangerous" 6 or 7 years ago. We also had time to try out Minecraft, No Man's Sky, and Empyrion together.
During this time we came to know each other pretty well, having spent several hours a day on average the last 5 years chatting while playing.
Greg was a champion of skepticism. While many prominent skeptics like Michael Shermer, James Randi, Daniel Loxton, Hal Bidlack, and others, promote what has become known as "Scientific Skepticism", Greg criticized them for not going all the way.
Intentionally leaving stones unturned.
Just because a claim isn't scientifically provable or disprovable, we shouldn't give it a pass but examine it skeptically anyway. Examples of this are claims of metaphysics, magic, and religion.
Especially James Randi's decision to give religion a pass in his organization JREF, that act of accommodation, was something that irked Greg a lot.
He saw it as a betrayal of the idea that skepticism should be applied universally, not just being used only as a cornerstone of science..
While Greg probably wasn't as scientific-minded as I am, he recognized the most important property of scientific knowledge: It's provisionalism. It's openness to change in face of new and possibly conflicting evidence.
This is what sets science apart from any-and-all religions. It's the only paradigm of knowledge that constantly produces new knowledge, and corrects previous errors.
Religion, on the other hand, relies on dogma. This, and witnessing first hand how religious leaders used any available situation no matter how inappropriate to promote their religion, made Greg an anti-theist.
There were times when I thought that his railings against dogmatism bordered on obsessive, but I also recognized the danger he saw within the skeptic movement(s) where proponents had started to apply dogmatic views on how skepticism should be practiced. This included places like Freethought Blogs, where a group formed which preached that atheism wasn't just plain "I do not believe in any deity" but must per definition also include social justice values.
Greg was always very clear about distinction between theism/atheism and humanistic values, but cared deeply for both.
His absence is felt deeply in my heart, and I will not soon forget the wisdom he imparted to me.
|
Dr. Mabuse - "When the going gets tough, the tough get Duct-tape..."
Dr. Mabuse whisper.mp3
"Equivocation is not just a job, for a creationist it's a way of life..." Dr. Mabuse
Support American Troops in Iraq:
Send them unarmed civilians for target practice..
Collateralmurder. |
Edited by - Dr. Mabuse on 01/06/2023 13:09:38
|
|
|
Kil
Evil Skeptic
USA
13477 Posts |
Posted - 01/06/2023 : 13:12:16 [Permalink]
|
I've been missing Dglas for a while now for his passion and genuinely brilliant posts and shares, and given that we shared with each other the difficulties of dealing with a chronic condition we both have, I'm more than a little saddened at his passing. He was a person of deep convictions, which sometimes created some tension between us, but he never lost my respect. Darn.
:-( |
Uncertainty may make you uncomfortable. Certainty makes you ridiculous.
Why not question something for a change?
Genetic Literacy Project |
 |
|
|
The Rat
SFN Regular
Canada
1370 Posts |
Posted - 01/08/2023 : 23:42:03 [Permalink]
|
| Someone very close to me is considering MAID. Their multiple health problems are not physically painful, just irksome and very restrictive, but enough that their mind has become worn out. While I firmly believe that a person's life is their own, I want to stop them. |
Bailey's second law; There is no relationship between the three virtues of intelligence, education, and wisdom.
You fiend! Never have I encountered such corrupt and foul-minded perversity! Have you ever considered a career in the Church? - The Bishop of Bath and Wells, Blackadder II
Baculum's page: http://www.bebo.com/Profile.jsp?MemberId=3947338590 |
|
|
|
ThorGoLucky
Snuggle Wolf
USA
1487 Posts |
Posted - 01/19/2023 : 15:09:33 [Permalink]
|
Condolences, Dr. Mabuse.
|
|
|
|
 |
|
|
|
The loss of a dear friend
