When people become over-invested in their beliefs, they can develop intellectual photophobia: an active resistence to any evidence that might shed uncomfortable light
While still a product of it's time, Reginald Scot's "A Discoverie of Witchcraft" in 1584 offered common-sense challenges to the moral panic around witchcraft
Discussing abortion rights on the terms of the religious right is a damaging mistake - the right to an abortion isn't just about ‘morally acceptable’ reasons like assault or medical emergencies
The Dangerous Dogs Act was brought in to protect people from dangerous dog breeds, based on aesthetics rather than genetics - and it does more harm than good
When it comes to cultural literacy - the shared pool of references that enrich our communication - we have to ask: which cultural touchpoints do we declare essential?
Religious observance in school does more harm than good - we'd serve our children far better if we taught them about religion, without the indoctrination