Under the Cloak of Ignorance

Ignorance is a bliss! I was reminded of this phrase this week in a couple of occasions by two different individuals, when a “socially perceived sensitive” topic was on the table.


Before I enter into the real point of this writing I must show the next two paragraph as a preamble:

So many individuals, as I perceive it, take me as a person trying to force my views on certain topics, without even allow me to show them that that is not the case. Yes, I do have strong positions about some of those “sensitive” topics, yet my positions are always subject to revision and questioning by anybody. And, I accept that if I get proved that my position is flawed or false, that I must comply to change or discard that position. I have done that and continue doing that. I have no fear to be proven wrong and acknowledge my ignorance, but for some people this is a very hard thing to do and/or accept.


The company I work for, is an excellent institution, encouraging and fostering open dialogue and communication. We get trained in how to give and receive feedback, to be open to criticism and to evaluate our wrongful actions to correct our behaviour and make those new behaviours second nature. Although mainly focus on safety and productivity, these skills are easily transferable to others if not all aspects of life. To be open to hear others on how they perceive the things we do, reassess our behaviours and correct them if so the evidence dictates is fundamental.

Back to the main discussion:

In a conversation during my lunch time, I was prompted by a co-worker on why me “being such a healthy conscious person – I perceived he was making also allusion to my vegan lifestyle – would microwave lunch in a plastic container”, I proceeded to ask him, why should I be concerned? He said, it is bad for me. And, I responded, “that doesn’t tell me anything”. Then, he argued that there are many chemicals that leaches to the food from the container that produce (don’t recall if he said “may produce”) cancer and other chronic illnesses. My initial response to that argument may have been perceived as defensive, yet I only wanted to let him know that my own health was not the main driver of my lifestyle, and that I do have a choice on what I take or don’t take, yet other sentient beings don’t. But, then I accepted my ignorance and was going to look it up, and the best info I have found so far is from the Cancer Society of Canada and the Harvard Medical School, both with very similar recommendations. I haven’t decided yet my move forward on this topic, but shouldn’t take too much longer.

This conversation then turn to veganism, and as many other conversations I have had, the typical questions, pseudo-scientific arguments, ending in the avoidance or that awkward feeling of “why did I open that can of worm, now he won’t stop”, fortunately I am getting more and more accustom with these reactions. The point here was that at the end he claimed “ignorance is a bliss” to which I responded too clearly “bull shit”. Why did I responded with that? Because, he just question my practice of using plastic containers in the microwave oven, he attempted to educate me in the topic and now that the ball is in my court he answer with the answer that I least expected to hear five minutes into the conversation he started. It makes me think, “was he just testing my character to find a flaw in my way of reasoning?” Or, the one I think is more likely, as I would give him the benefit of the doubt, “that he may want to remain ignorant in this particular topic as would be too uncomfortable to talk about”. In my eyes, I don’t see the difference, he may have a good point about the plastic container and I may have a good point as well with regards to animal treatment. The honest and respectful thing to do is to hear what the other have to say and make your own honest and unbiased evaluation of our own belief and then change the behaviour if that is what the re-examination dictates you to do.

On the other hand, during the last couple of months, I have been working to get people to attend to the screening of Speciesism: The Movie next Saturday May 3^rd 2014 at 2pm at the Red Deer Public Library (downtown). You may wonder, what was the point to advertise the screening of the documentary here? This event although open to the public, the main intention is to get friends, co-workers, and family interested in coming, watch and be open to re-examine their views and/or behaviour. As I said in third paragraph, people feel that I am trying to force my views on everybody and that’s how somebody I really care about, after asking her if she would come to the screening responded “you are not going to make go vegan!” (or something in those same lines). And, it made me think, “well, we have had conversations on ‘sensitive’ topics, but I don’t remember when I coerced her into believing what I say or else”. I have used words and my own behaviour to show her what I mean and I just wanted her to come and watch the documentary. I does not mean that I wouldn’t love for everyone to become vegan, that is not a secret, and if you didn’t know, well now you know. Yet, I am just asking people to allow themselves to re-examine their views, as Peter Boghossian said “Certainty is the enemy of the truth: examination and re-examination are allies of truth”. I accept not to be certain in my view and hence I allowed everybody to challenge them, no matter what it is, I will listen and change if their reasoning is compelling enough and the evidence leaves me no other choice.

To conclude this, I hope someday all of our defenses come down and honestly accept challenges, constructive criticism, and feedback as we do with other critical aspects of life (e.g. safety) and other more superficial ones. And not only accept, but to re-examine our views with honesty and without prejudices and change our views and our behaviour if such examination so dictates.

This may not be a great piece of literature and hope I improve as I practice writing more a more every Friday. Send me your comments!

Pedro Gonzalez

Halloween at City of Red Deer Event

Today, I went to take my daughter to the Medieval Fair in the Collicutt Centre advertized by the City of Red Deer. I can't deny it, it was fun, bouncy castles, miniature car shows, laser tag, among many other attractions and of course some of the regular Collicutt activities (wall climbing, badminton, etc). One thing that I was not aware of and made me get suspicious was some of the sponsors, the Christian Radio Station Shine FM and Cross Road Church (CRC).

My suspicions started when volunteers from the CRC gave us a wrist band right at the main entrance of the Centre. The wristband was given with the intention that the kids could claim a goody bag and the end of the night when it was time to go home through the same main entrance. This was practically impossible to avoid entering to the Centre with your kid and some very well intended people offering a trick or treat goody bags, good strategy I must say. I thought it was very thoughtful to let the kids have fun in the fair without the extra bag to carry around and the fact that food is not allowed in the Field House.

When we decided to go home, we went to exit and of course my daughter claimed the goody bag and in fact what I suspected was true, "religious proselytism" in a City of Red Deer event, very subtle I admit but yet taking advantage of the fact that their target people, families and specially children were going to be there.

Well the goody bag have to noticeable stickers, as shown in the figures, giving away information on their children programs and one of the stickers was a very “cool” looking sticker with an airplane and the words Adventure Kids, Word of Life Church “where kids get into the Bible and Bible gets into the kids!”.

Also, a CD was in bag with 2 of the 12 “Adventure in Odyssey”, “... 12 exciting stories that reveal just what God can do in our lives...”, I listen to the first one and have to admit that it is pretty good up until after the story ends when the narrator voice direct the kids to check a particular passage of the bible that touches the theme. You may say there is no harm in that, but the story itself makes good moral points without the need of a handpicked teaching from the bible. I hope that the kids and parents that pay attention to this, actually read the bible, not just the nice and morally valid passages but also the not so moral and even the completely monstrous ones, to understand that our morality does not come from the bible. Anyway, this topic is best discussed by others.

Now, I would not mind advertisement directed to adults, but not to kids. I can only hope that the parents see the shameful opportunistic approach of the CRC and Shine FM. If I was invited by the CRC and Shine FM to an exclusive event of theirs, I for sure will take all of their propaganda as I chose to go to their event in their venue. But, this, again opportunistic approach, was an ambush to many citizen that went to a “City of Red Deer Event” that should have no religious proselytism of any kind, especially on a day that many vulnerable kids were going to be there. It is statistically unfortunate that some people will fall on the CRC low strategies and fill the mind of their children with the illusion of a sense of absolute morality and in many cases moving the kids away from the beauty of reality.

With this, I implore the City of Red Deer to think about this issue and assess if letting religious proselytism in City Events is in the best interest of the inhabitants. In my personal opinion as a concern citizen I don’t see how this abuse from the Cross Road Church can be allowed on a City Event in a City Venue.