If Helen Keller fell over in the forest, would she make a sound? Okay, this is a dumb joke, but it was banned by an American network because it was taken to be insulting to Helen Keller, when in fact it was an epistemology joke. Rare things, those. I think this strip is only the second one I’ve encountered. Great strip, Author.
Gimme an e, gimme a p, gimme an i, gimme an s, gimme a t, gimme an e, gimme an m, gimme an o, gimme an l, gimme an o, gimme a g, gimme a y. Whaddya got? EPISTEMOLOGY.
Boomalacka, boomalacka, boomalacka, boom – GO epistemology!
AND epistemology heads the ball right past the goalkeeper and the crowd goes wild.
A patient enters an epistemologist’s consulting room and says “Give it to me straight, Doc, I can take it on the chin. Is the sentence ‘This statement is false’ true?”
Ophelia: don’t be so shrill and strident! Is that Episte M. O’Logy who played silly mid-off for Blackburn Rovers in the Davis Cup third place play-off at the Neasden Olympics?
Man: “So, who is right? Jesus or Mo?”
Jesus: “The holy word of God is manifest through me. I think, therefore, I am right.”
Mo: “You’re bonkers, you big ape! The holy word of God is manifest through me, peace be upon my name, so I think therefore I am right!”
Descartes: “Hey! Chill out, dudes! I think, therefore I am. Right?”
“How do you know that what you know is really real?”
“I don’t, but what else do I got?”
If ya take a step back and really look at it, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks or believes cuz the world was still spinning back when rocks tied to sticks were making their big break through. Even if we all were to finally agree to the same set of logic based deductions, that would probably be the same year the sun started to turn into a red giant
The linked article neatly captures much of what I find troubling about journalism. Shallow, sensationalist and specious.
“We are bored with the new atheism”. “It used to sell column inches”.
That pretty much sums up a number of journos for me, I’ afraid. They peddle sensation, not debate, however they frame it. Scientists need to be very careful how they deal with the media.
A mate who liased between the MOD and the media once told me that there are only four characters in a journos world- Hero, villain, victim or freak.
They pigeon-hole hole you into one of those and then proceed from there.
All too frequently scientists are villains (“meddling, so-called experts”; sometimes freaks (“look what the crazy boffins are up to now”); occasionally heroes (“plucky outsider stands up to scientific establishment”)
When you no longer fit one of these infantile narratives they get bored.
Fuck ’em.
So, it’s good to let epistemology behind in order to create alliances between atheists and moderate religionist. Very good indeed! Epistemology assumes that knowledge is possible. To some extent, this is as absurd as Theology (which assumes that god is possible). So, forget epistemology! If you forget epistemology, then ontology can be also let behind. Then, the question of god’s existence is made irrelevant. Without epistemology and ontology, we can go further and reach a Nihilistic stand.
Quoting from the guest scriptwriter Caspar Melville’s article: ” Terry Eagleton says: “Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology.” Put this way, Eagleton seems right.”
No. It’s difficult not to believe in birds.
(sorry, I know it’s completely irrelevant to *this* set of comments, I just had to get it out, and sensible chaps have closed the original article for commentary)
Jesus & Mo (the characters) are absurd, blinkered, and oddly very sweet. J&M (the cartoon) is brilliant: sharp, delicious, irresistible. Salman Rushdie
Jesus and Mo cartoons are wonderfully funny and true. Richard Dawkins
Jesus and Mo make the world a better place, bless their little hearts. Ophelia Benson
In a world defined by outrage and offence and liberal spinelessness, Jesus and Mo is a treasure, whose value we should never fail to recognize. Read them. Laugh. And think. Kenan Malik
The brilliant, celebrated, freaking hilarious atheist comic strip ... Greta Christina
...rays of sanity in a befuddled world. Keri Hulme
The liveliest depictions of Muhammad currently available... Malise Ruthven
J & Mo is the funniest and most consistently thought-provoking cartoon strip on the Net. In a saner world, it would run in a major newspaper. Nelson Jones, Heresy Corner
Consistently amusing, frequently thought-provoking and often heart-warming. New Humanist
Jesus & Mo is one of the most wonderful things on the internet.. JT Eberhard
Wittily captures much of the absurdity of religious apologetics. Mano Singham
I love jesusandmo.net cartoons - witty and sharp! Katha Pollitt
Often hilarious, frequently wry, these cartoons do what all the best cartoons do: they tell the truth through humour. Terry Sanderson, NSS President
...a wonderfully acid British cartoonist... Nick Cohen
I love the scrappy mockery of Jesus and Mo. Freedom of speech
includes the freedom to mock any person, any thing, any activity, and
any belief -- and J&M stands up for this unflinchingly Richard Stallman
...empowering, important and deeply progressive, not to mention hilarious... Council of Ex-Muslims
October 24, 2008
Epistemology?
Ssh!
Epistemology!
I studied a bit, therefore I knew this would happen.
If Helen Keller fell over in the forest, would she make a sound? Okay, this is a dumb joke, but it was banned by an American network because it was taken to be insulting to Helen Keller, when in fact it was an epistemology joke. Rare things, those. I think this strip is only the second one I’ve encountered. Great strip, Author.
i guess the problem is that what we think we know doesn’t always fall neatly in the overlap of truth and beleif
but rather includes some truth and some beleif – and hopefully most of those two overlap
but not really
EpistemOLOGY.
E pist em ology.
E PIST em ology.
Gimme an e, gimme a p, gimme an i, gimme an s, gimme a t, gimme an e, gimme an m, gimme an o, gimme an l, gimme an o, gimme a g, gimme a y. Whaddya got? EPISTEMOLOGY.
Boomalacka, boomalacka, boomalacka, boom – GO epistemology!
AND epistemology heads the ball right past the goalkeeper and the crowd goes wild.
Epistomology: “Don’t believe everything you think.”
A patient enters an epistemologist’s consulting room and says “Give it to me straight, Doc, I can take it on the chin. Is the sentence ‘This statement is false’ true?”
Ophelia: don’t be so shrill and strident! Is that Episte M. O’Logy who played silly mid-off for Blackburn Rovers in the Davis Cup third place play-off at the Neasden Olympics?
Man: “So, who is right? Jesus or Mo?”
Jesus: “The holy word of God is manifest through me. I think, therefore, I am right.”
Mo: “You’re bonkers, you big ape! The holy word of God is manifest through me, peace be upon my name, so I think therefore I am right!”
Descartes: “Hey! Chill out, dudes! I think, therefore I am. Right?”
For sheer entertainment, look it up in the Catholic Encyclopedia.
@Intelligent Designer:
When Descartes’ father dropped the non-swimming young Rene in the river, the boy was heard to say “I sink, therefore, I swam”.
This was the origin of an epic misquote that lasted the rest of his life.
Was that article written by an octopus?
Actually, I quite liked the linked article.
“How do you know that what you know is really real?”
“I don’t, but what else do I got?”
If ya take a step back and really look at it, it doesn’t matter what anyone thinks or believes cuz the world was still spinning back when rocks tied to sticks were making their big break through. Even if we all were to finally agree to the same set of logic based deductions, that would probably be the same year the sun started to turn into a red giant
The linked article neatly captures much of what I find troubling about journalism. Shallow, sensationalist and specious.
“We are bored with the new atheism”. “It used to sell column inches”.
That pretty much sums up a number of journos for me, I’ afraid. They peddle sensation, not debate, however they frame it. Scientists need to be very careful how they deal with the media.
A mate who liased between the MOD and the media once told me that there are only four characters in a journos world- Hero, villain, victim or freak.
They pigeon-hole hole you into one of those and then proceed from there.
All too frequently scientists are villains (“meddling, so-called experts”; sometimes freaks (“look what the crazy boffins are up to now”); occasionally heroes (“plucky outsider stands up to scientific establishment”)
When you no longer fit one of these infantile narratives they get bored.
Fuck ’em.
Which ology has ‘e pist, M?
There is an interesting Philosophy of Religion discussion about this strip over at Jerry Coyne’s place.
I’ve had this conversation with my 8 year old all the time, “How do you know what you know?”
http://www.laughinginpurgatory.com/2010/09/30-days-of-blasphemy-day-12-every-sperm.html
So, it’s good to let epistemology behind in order to create alliances between atheists and moderate religionist. Very good indeed! Epistemology assumes that knowledge is possible. To some extent, this is as absurd as Theology (which assumes that god is possible). So, forget epistemology! If you forget epistemology, then ontology can be also let behind. Then, the question of god’s existence is made irrelevant. Without epistemology and ontology, we can go further and reach a Nihilistic stand.
“sprooooing” hehe
Well I for one certainly don’t “*suggest* that those who believe in God are *basically* stupid”…
Quoting from the guest scriptwriter Caspar Melville’s article: ” Terry Eagleton says: “Imagine someone holding forth on biology whose only knowledge of the subject is the Book of British Birds and you have a rough idea of what it feels like to read Richard Dawkins on theology.” Put this way, Eagleton seems right.”
No. It’s difficult not to believe in birds.
(sorry, I know it’s completely irrelevant to *this* set of comments, I just had to get it out, and sensible chaps have closed the original article for commentary)
Atheists is so cute when they use big words.
This is my favorite Jesus and Mo.
Don’t leave it at that, Andrew, what does he tell you? 😉