Coel Hellier

Scientist, atheist, advocate of secularism, blogger.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

I've written for @Quillette about the source of human rights as expounded by Thomas Jefferson in his Declaration of Independence. https://t.co/hMRtKszjMq

[Quillette @Quillette]

To understand the intent of the US Declaration of Independence, recall that its primary author was a deist rather than a Christian.

@coelhellier 's latest for Quillette.

https://t.co/2e6GwCURKS

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@wil_da_beast630 No-one even attempts to justify it, they just yell “racist!” at anyone who doubts the wisdom of it.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@luisbaram This shows how perceptive Darwin was, since he got that pretty much right! Later fossil finds confirm that that is indeed how whales evolved.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@bradaisa @luisbaram Not quite, evolution is indeed a theory (where in science “theory” means “explanation”) — a theory that has been so overwhelmingly confirmed by evidence that it is now accepted as fact. But it hasn’t stopped being a “theory”/“explanation”.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@luisbaram You’re absolutely right, and that’s because vast piles of confirmatory evidence have accumulated since Darwin’s day.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@Docstockk It’s the near-automatic assumption that the natives (and those opposed to mass immigration) are the ones in the wrong, and that the migrants are blameless, that people are reacting to.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@G_S_Bhogal Not only has he not made anyone poorer, he’s made many others wealthier — not only those with shares in his companies, but (for example) people who benefit from using products such as Starlink. Nobody gets mega-wealthy except by transactions that benefit both parties.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@DavidDeutschOxf @grok Misgendering? 🥹

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@wil_da_beast630 The reason is to “not be racist” coupled with white guilt about living standards being higher in Europe than in the Third World, reinforced by the blank-slate doctrine that immigrants will quickly become model citizens.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@GSpellchecker @iamaerell @AvgHonkey @grr_west Note that the autopsy-examiner’s use of “homicide” (as discussed by Coleman Hughes and his quotes of the testimony) only means the incident involved the police, not that they were at fault.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@GSpellchecker @iamaerell @AvgHonkey @grr_west But if so then (1) that’s very different from “mainstream” account, (2) does not in itself imply that the police did much wrong. They are allowed to arrest and subdue people resisting arrest, which is all the above says.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@GSpellchecker @iamaerell @AvgHonkey @grr_west Stephen, please read the above-linked piece by Coleman Hughes regarding the testimony by the examiner who conducted the autopsy and what “homicide” means in this context. Coleman Hughes is not a crank, it’s a serious piece worth reading

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@Nevermo02163593 @candle84640 @michaelshermer @grok Note that that is a statement that they *do* have that significance to other collections of particles, not a statement that they “should” have that significance. 2/2

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@Nevermo02163593 @candle84640 @michaelshermer @grok Yes, I understand *perfectly* what you are saying and asking. The answer is that, as a result of evolution, some collections of particles (e.g. a child) have significance to other collections of particles (e.g. a parent). 1/2

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@AvgHonkey @GSpellchecker @grr_west Well, I think he is curious and a good-faith actor. But it takes time to come to the realisation that a mainstream account of something might be mistaken.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@GSpellchecker @AvgHonkey @grr_west Hi Stephen, have a read of this for why the case is at least arguable (Coleman Hughes is not a crank). I think this is not paywalled.

[Coleman Hughes @coldxman]

More thoughts on the unfair trial of Derek Chauvin and the death of George Floyd––including a detailed response to @radleybalko's 30k-word critique of my earlier writing.

@TheFP

https://t.co/Z2BiCJ76S4

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@Nevermo02163593 @candle84640 @michaelshermer @grok I did not deny objectivity when it comes of *facts*. Evolution does lead to truth about how the world *is* (thinking a lion is dangerous is preferred over thinking it cuddly and harmless). I did deny objectivity in *values*, those are indeed subjective.

[Coel Hellier @coelhellier]

@GSpellchecker @grr_west Stephen, have you ever looked into this? The argument that the fatal heart attack was brought on more by a fentanyl overdose and not so much by the effect of Chauvin's knee is actually quite strong. (See posts by Coleman Hughes for example.)