JREF Swift Blog

So, you wanna be a skeptic?

If you read Swift, chances are you're skeptical about something. Maybe you think all psychics are frauds, or Jenny McCarthy is a massive health threat, or homeopathy is killing people who should be taking real medicine, or the 911 Truthers are full of it. I'm sure there's some form of bad thinking out there that sticks in your craw. And maybe, like me and many, many other folks, you've had enough.

Knowing that stuff, reading about it, is a whole lot different than getting off your keister and doing something about it. If you've got the itch, the need, the desire, the passion to get up and do something about all the nonsense facing the world, what can you do? What's the next step?

I'm glad you asked. Daniel Loxton, a long-time skeptical activist, gathered together a dozen other go-getters to create a guide for people who want to fight the good fight. Called "What Do I Do Next?" (PDF), it's chock full of advice to get you off your sofa and into the action. It has tons of great information for you, with details on how you can accomplish your goals. There's also an online Quick Reference Guide, a shorter version if you're impatient like me. The bulleted list has just the facts with quickie advice. There's also a Skeptical Activism page on Skeptics.com, and a forum where you can interact with other like-minded folks.

Let me ask you a question: who are your skeptical heroes? Randi? Genie Scott? Michael Shermer? Penn&Teller? Barbara Forrest?

Do you think these folks have always been giants in their field? No. They started off just like you and me. Intelligent, curious, reality-based people who, one day, had had enough. So they did something about it. That's what Robert Lancaster did. That's what Tim Farley did. That's what Rebecca Watson did.

They did something, and they're making a difference. So can you. Get involved.