Secular Erudition
By Alton James
Secular EruditionNov 18, 2022
I Understand Domestic Terrorism
Stop! I’m not condoning violence; but one can understand why these things happen when we base our society on fabricated identities based on how people look. We allow a culture that ostracizes and bullies people—and it leaves them in the margins. Until we eliminate social constructions and the marginalization of people, we will continue to see these horrible actions. Let’s do better! #terrorism #education #peace Like, comment, subscribe, and join the conversation! You can also connect on IG and Facebook @secularerudition and on Twitter @socialerudite
Astronauts Purged Prejudice
Astronauts experience something so life altering that their lives are never the same. It's known as, "The Overview Effect." They see the futility in human fighting because all life in the universe is connected and relies on one another. We aren't the boxes we create. We're all one in the universe. Dive in and discover what this means for your life! #nasa #astronaut #unity Be sure to engage on IG and Facebook @secularerudition and on Twitter @secularerudite!
Stop Calling Athletes Kids
Professional athletes are adults; so why are we calling them kids? Let's think critically about how and why this remains socially acceptable. Ultimately, in stoping doing this, we get back to the goal of this channel—to bring humanity together. #espn #research #fans Be sure to connect with us on IG and Facebook @secularerudition and on Twitter @secularerudite.
How Einstein Fossilizes Faith
E=MC2 is arguably the most substantial human discovery. Einstein illustrates, along with the Julius Robert Mayer's discovery of the Law of Conservation of Energy, we know that all matter/energy has always existed. So, everything is immortal. Our consciousness may not survive death, but our bodies will live on in the universe. That is the tangible reincarnation and everlasting life that science illustrates that religions cannot match. Be sure like, subscribe, comment, and connect with us on social. IG & Facebook is @secularerudition and Twitter is @SecularErudite.
Tribalism Must Die
Society's socially constructed groups (tribes) end up discriminating and prejudging one another. That's tribalism. But, could tribalism exist if we didn't have tribes? I argue, first, that "Tribes are fictitious and constructed." Second, "Tribes are the parent of tribalism." And third, "Tribalism can't exist without tribes." That leads us to my argument that "Tribes must be eliminated." You can plug in any group into this diagram and it still holds true—race, gender, religion, etc. #tribalism #sociology #psychology
You're Not a Man Nor a Woman (Gender-Wise)
Pump the brakes! We're talking about gender here, folks. Gender is a social construction. Aspects of gender are influenced by biological differences between men and women though. Gender is just another aspect of the constructions we create that stratify humanity. Let's steer the conversation to the biological, which is sex—male, female, & intersex. #gender #sex #research You can connect on social via @secularerudition on Instagram, Facebook, and Twitter. The range of content can be found at www.altonjamesmedia.com.
The Next Pandemic (And What We Can Do)
We can't avoid another pandemic; the microscopic world will do what it does. However, we can safeguard society by eliminating the barriers of bureaucracy that prevent quick mobilization of resources. Listen to the breakdown of 3 recommendations for higher education to improve pandemic response. #covid19 #pandemic #research Be sure to like, subscribe, share, comment, and watch until the end! We love for others to join the conversation and engage with the range of videos we're launching! :-) Connect on IG @secularerudition; Twitter @secularerudite; Facebook facebook.com/secularerudition, and Alton James Media @ altonjamesmedia.com/secularerudition. Throw away your box, and embrace your infinity!
Everyone Is a Person of Color
Yes—you heard this correctly! Everyone has color; if they didn't, you wouldn't be able to see them. So, when we call people a "person of color," what we're really doing is making European features the global standard. Essentially, we're otherizing the rest of humanity. So, our society makes a person of color anyone who doesn't look European. Humanity must be better than that; we'e better than that! #race #phenotype #colorism
My Dermatologist Destroyed Everything
The differences in skin color is nothing but phototype. Thinking about it in this scientific way helps us move away from having colorism tendencies. It's very basic and scientific. The Fitzpatrick Scale allows us to do that! Melanin concentration determines the darkness of one's features, one's ability to tan, and susceptibility to UV rays. That's it! We're not a race. #dermatology #melanin #scholarship
White Supremacy is a Lie
Don't let the title fool you! It's paramount to understand the etymology of the words white and black and when they began being used as a way to categorize humans. Similarly, it's equally as paramount to understand the uses and meanings of these words. The creation and continued utilization of these social construct identifiers only further stratify humanity. I argue, “To reclaim our humanity, we must renounce our identity.” So, “Throw away your box and embrace your infinity.” Let’s unpack what that means for this episode…
Race is Fake; It's Phenotype
Both the sciences and social sciences tell us that race is fabricated. So, "Why do we still go around calling people white and black?" The physical differences in people is a result of people's genetic history interacting with their environment—also known as phenotype. So, we must stop using the operative language of race. No one is black nor white. We're all just humans, and our humanity does not need a qualifier. I argue, “To reclaim our humanity, we must renounce our identity.” So, “Throw away your box and embrace your infinity.” Let’s unpack what that means for this episode…