NZ Skeptics Articles

Merry Christ/Newtonmas

25th December 2023

Although we’ve reduced our newsletter output to biweekly, that doesn’t stop us from releasing an issue on Christmas day! Wherever you are, and whatever, if anything, you’re celebrating, I hope you have an awesome day.

In this newsletter, I despair at the quality of “UFO” reporting in the Herald and Al Blenney gets very briefly riled up by the fatalistic attitude of people who believe in the Law of Attraction. Although a little late for Christmas presents, Bronwyn has a solid book suggestion for those who enjoy reading about esoteric nonsense. Louise, one of our new committee members, spotted that we’d missed a major piece of Miracle Mineral Solution news. Bronwyn has continued her series on channeling, this week starting to build up a picture of Bruce Lyon of Highden Temple near Palmerston North, and his involvement in channeling. And finally I try to make a new friend, and sadly get rejected.

Mark Honeychurch

Santa Sighted over Christchurch, says NZ Herald

Mark Honeychurch - 25 December 2023

Santa Sighted over Christchurch, says NZ Herald

I'm lying, they didn't actually say that - but they might as well have done. What they did do was run with a headline of “'Doughnut-shaped disc': Is this a UFO over Christchurch?”. As far as I'm concerned, if they'd seriously suggested that Father Christmas may have flown over Christchurch in a sleigh pulled by magical reindeer it would have been no less ridiculous than what they actually did, which was suggest that aliens decided to expend huge amounts of energy, effort and time crossing light years of space in order to very visibly visit New Zealand's South Island. This kind of credulous reporting is not the kind of content that serious news outlets should be generating!

NZ lightworkers can save the world

Al Blenney - 25 December 2023

NZ lightworkers can save the world

This is the cover image of one of NZ's own lightworkers, J. Lee Frisbee. He works at “Explore Daydreaming Inc”, and describes himself as “Multidimensional Navigator - I Am Light Zen Master”.

Jim Humble and the MMS Pantomime

Louise Richardson - 25 December 2023

Jim Humble and the MMS Pantomime

It's Christmas, so in the spirit of the season, 'living man' Roger William (née Roger William Blake), of Ngatea Water Gardens, staged another of his cantankerous one-person (if he currently is a person; it's so hard to keep track) pantomimes in front of long-suffering Judge, Brett Crawley at the Hamilton District Court on the 20th of December.

Crossed Lines: Ascended Masters and the Kiwis who channel them

Bronwyn Rideout - 25 December 2023

Crossed Lines: Ascended Masters and the Kiwis who channel them

For an island nation with a population of 5.3 million, I would hazard that we have more than our fair share of pākehā with a hotline to millenia-long dead Asians. And by more I mean a non-zero number, because mediumship is a paranormal practice/belief that has failed to provide any empirical evidence for its efficacy.

My Friend Damien

Mark Honeychurch - 25 December 2023

My Friend Damien

Although most of my friends on Facebook are either skeptically-minded or at the very least have a respect for science and evidence, I do have some outliers. In the past I've sent or accepted friend requests from visiting Mormons, conspiracy theorists and others who are comfortable engaging with me. Additionally, a significant proportion of the time I spend on Facebook is spent browsing the facebook feeds of people who have a very different world view to mine.