Catholic archbishop says he would rather go to prison than report child abuse

Staggering that in 2017 these sort of nonsensical beliefs still exist. 

Denis Hart, Archbishop of Melbourne, insisted confession was “a spiritual encounter with God through the priest” and was “of a higher order” than criminal law.

Hart isn’t the only one who puts his beliefs ahead of the rights and we’ll being of children. 

His stance was backed by other high-profile clerics, including his Brisbane counterpart Mark Coleridge and priest and lawyer Frank Brennan, who he said he would “conscientiously refuse to comply with the law” if it was changed.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/australasia/archbishop-denis-hart-child-abuse-confession-roman-catholic-report-melbourne-a7895856.html

This Is How Your Fear and Outrage Are Being Sold for Profit

Capitalising on our tendency to notice the bad before the good. 

https://medium.com/the-mission/the-enemy-in-our-feeds-e86511488de

How Skeptics Can Break the Cycle of False Beliefs – Scientific American

…we must openly endorse the rights of gays and atheists to be treated equally under the law and why “coming out” helps to break the spiral of silence. Knowledge and communication, 

https://www.scientificamerican.com/article/how-skeptics-break-the-cycle-of-false-beliefs/

The neuroscience of inequality: does poverty show up in children’s brains?

Low-income children performed moderately to significantly worse than their middle-class peers

https://www.theguardian.com/inequality/2017/jul/13/neuroscience-inequality-does-poverty-show-up-in-childrens-brains

Why mythbusting fails: A guide to influencing education with science

We know now that when you attack someone’s core belief they will double down. You will not change a climate change denier by attacking or debunking their beliefs. What to do? 

teachers do not prioritize getting students to reject their existing beliefs, but instead seek to foster new scientific knowledge in their students. They replace scientific misconceptions, rather than debunk them.

A bedrock principle of cognitive science is that we learn new ideas by reference to what we already know. 

It is better to replace ideas than to debunk them.

https://deansforimpact.org/why-mythbusting-fails-a-guide-to-influencing-education-with-science/

Australian Cardinal and Aide to Pope Is Charged With Sexual Assault

Now we understand why Pell didn’t want to come back. Now we understand why Pell was so defensive of his actions in protecting pedophiles.

https://mobile.nytimes.com/2017/06/28/world/australia/cardinal-george-pell-charged-sexual-abuse.html?smprod=nytcore-iphone&smid=nytcore-iphone-share&referer=https://t.co/omW5oyeGOK

What do doctors say to ‘alternative therapists’ when a patient dies? Nothing. We never talk | Ranjana Srivastava

Every oncologist tells a tale of financial and psychological ruin, experienced by the family after the patient dies.
https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2015/mar/03/what-do-doctors-say-to-alternative-therapists-when-a-patient-dies-nothing-we-never-talk?CMP=share_btn_tw

Australia’s Shame

Aboriginal deaths in custody remain unacceptably high 30 years after Royal Commission. Aboriginal imprisonment rate remains way above the national rate. 

Australian hip hop artist Briggs, fronting A.B.Originals, released this clip today venting his frustration. 

Hopefully the song and clip will create much noise. 

http://reporttothemist.com/

Anzac Day: Indigenous soldiers thought ‘when we got back we’d be treated differently’.

Australia’s continued lack of acknowledgment of indigenous soldiers. 

http://mobile.abc.net.au/news/2017-04-25/anzac-day-indigenous-soldiers-shunned-by-society/8468364

Telling children ‘hard work gets you to the top’ is simply a lie

The pervasive narrative of “if you work hard you will get on” is a complete myth. It’s not true and we need stop saying it. This is because “working hard, and doing the right thing” barely gets you to the starting line. 

No person wants to attribute their success to luck or inheritance preferring to claim “hard work” instead! Would you be where you are today had you been raised in a poor family in a war torn developing nation? 

https://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2017/apr/14/children-hard-work-social-mobility-estate-background?CMP=share_btn_fb