Prompt 1- How Pseudosciences are Harmful
The harm in believing pseudoscientific claims about the world and human history is greater than it seems. People want to talk and believe in pseudoscientific claims because it makes them think the fictional things we like to write about, can come true. This can be harmful because it takes attention and focus off of other, more important and proven, scientific works. It can also be harmful by invalidation pre existing information for example; vaccines. Vaccines have been tested, retested and been proven to work. Yet, one scientist falsified data telling the public of a nonexistent link between them and autism. There’s no telling how many children have possibly died because of this pseudoscientific claim.
These over exaggerated superstitious beliefs can cause harm to entire races and cultures, raveging them almost extinct. The countless baseless scientific studies on Africans, African Americans, the Jewish, and more have caused nothing but bloodshed and destruction among these cultures. Claims that they were inferior for any biological and genetic reason lead to those deemed ‘superior’ to colonize, enslave and ravage lands far and wide. All due to pseudoscientific claims.
Hi,
I just wanted to let you know that I’m Jewish (my name is Reid, the one with the service dog) and I wanted to let you know that the way you referred to my people as The Jewish made me uncomfortable. In the same way that you wouldn’t say The Christians and, The Muslims, you wouldn’t say The Jewish.
Grammatically correct versions are either the Jews, or just Jews. However, as a people we prefer to be called Jewish People when the person writing the article is not Jewish.
Thanks for raising this, Reid. Language is powerful, and how people refer to other groups is an important thing to consider…in general, and in the pseudoarchaeological space. Ironically, I (as a non-Jew) feel incredibly uncomfortable speaking or writing “the Jews.” Just writing that out made me feel uncomfortable. Why? white supremacists, ethno-nationalists, christian nationalists commonly use the phrase “The Jews” in a very ugly, “othering” way. The very purposeful, strategic undertone is one of sub-human. In this case, language is used as a weapon to demonize and dehumanize a specific group.
Ultimately, I do my best to call people what they want to be called. What right do I have, not being a member of that community, telling someone what they should call themselves. This also means that I hope members of that community are mindful and thoughtful about correcting me when I use language (out of pure ignorance) that isn’t appropriate (for whatever reason).