Goodbye 2022 - baby blood, BTK & Vinny, Trump cards, Anti-abortion origins

19th December 2022

Hello

This week I’ve got a few topics to cover - there’s been quite a lot happening recently! And, I’ve also got a guest article from Al Blenney about the origins of the anti-abortion movement.

We’re rapidly approaching the end of the year - with Christmas and New Year celebrations just around the corner. I think most people in Aotearoa New Zealand enjoy a bit of rest and relaxation at this time of year. Of course, most skeptics won’t be putting much stock in the religious aspects of Christmas (was there actually a baby Jesus? was he born on December 25th?, how do Christian myths line up with existing pagan myths and celebrations?), but it’s usually an opportunity to spend time with family and friends, if you’re so inclined. I’m personally heading down to Mahia Beach (with the hope of good weather) to spend Christmas with my mother, brothers and all our offspring.

If you’re a regular reader, you’ll know that Mark, Bronwyn and I have written the weekly newsletters this year, with occasional (and gratefully received) content from others in the community. We hope you’ve enjoyed the topics we’ve written about. They’re sometimes controversial, but we enjoy engaging with our readers.

This is going to be the last newsletter of the year. We’re taking a well-earned two week break, and Mark will be writing the first 2023 newsletter in the second week of January.

2023 is going to be an interesting year. This week it was announced that scientists in the US had achieved a nuclear fusion breakthrough, with the potential to completely disrupt energy generation in the future. I’m sure we’ll have some interesting items to write about next year.

Whatever you’re doing this holiday season, I wish you safe travels, good weather, happy times, good health, and above all, that you remain skeptical.

Craig Shearer

The Baby blood case

Craig Shearer - 19 December 2022

The Baby blood case

You would have to have been living under a rock for the last couple of weeks to not have heard about the case of the 4 month old baby at Starship Hospital needing heart surgery and, as part of that, donated blood products.

Billy Te Kahika and Vinny Eastwood guilty

Craig Shearer - 19 December 2022

Billy Te Kahika and Vinny Eastwood guilty

In the good news department, Billy Te Kahika and Vinny Eastwood, professional conspiracy theory grifters, who organised protests during the Covid lockdowns in August last year, have now been found guilty of intentionally failing to comply with the Covid-19 Public Health Response Act.

No accounting for taste

Craig Shearer - 19 December 2022

No accounting for taste

It's been a while since I've written about the former president of the US, Donald J Trump, but he's recently announced his candidacy for the 2024 presidential elections, likely in an attempt to shield himself from potential legal consequences of investigations into his involvement with the January 6th insurrection, and the Mar-a-Lago classified and top-secret documents case (and likely many other crimes).

The Dark Origins of the Anti-abortion Movement

Al Blenney - 19 December 2022

The Dark Origins of the Anti-abortion Movement

Until relatively recently Christian protestants had no problems with abortion. The only reference to it in the Christian Bible indicates that an abortion should be attempted if a woman becomes pregnant as a result of adultery (Numbers 5:27) There isn't much wriggle-room in this verse, so latterly fundagelical Christians would rather pretend it doesn't exist, because a bunch of money-grubbing racists decided abortion made an excellent stalking horse.