Yardie Skeptics

It's a wrap, folks! The Yardie Skeptics are leaving the building after yet another riveting season batting for reason and skepticism over the past few months. Thank you for your support! Needless to say, we're going out guns blazing! We turn our attention to that impenetrable wall between church and state. In the case of some states, like Jamaica, this wall is more like a sieve, where the distinction between the two is blurred. Does it have to be like this? Can the state operate in a context without being influenced, derailed, or hijacked by the actions of the church? Or must we in Jamaica get used to parliament being a part time revival tent? Join us in this discussion along with featured guest Dr. Latoya Lazarus of the Sir Arthur Lewis Institute of Social and Economic Studies UWI, Cave Hill, who published an article entitled; "Religion and rights: Is there still room for Christianity at the table?" If that wasn't enough, we'll also be joined by veteran Jamaican journalist and champion Christian apologist Ian Boyne, whose recent article in the Gleaner, "Sin, Sex, and the Church" warned the church that it needs to "wake up!" But hold the press! We still have more... a general in the #TambourineArmy will be with us none other than the firebrand Stella Gibson, who has been hurling brimstone boulders at the Moravian church in Jamaica after the sex scandal dropped earlier this year. Will her advocacy finally be the catalyst to change the rape culture in Jamaica's churches, or will her fiery social media persona ultimately raze the movement before it even gets off the ground?

"I may be bad, but I'm totally good at it, Sex in the air and I like the smell of it, Stick and stones may break my bones, But chains and whips excite me!" - Rihanna, S&M Returning hot and bothered from last week's episode, Sex Ed 101, the Yardie Skeptics are heading back to into the classroom this Sunday, June 6th at 12:30pm EDT (11:30am Jamaica time) this time undertaking a comprehensive sex education for one and all. What exactly is age appropriate education and what should the content look like? Are children expected to have one "talk" with their parents, or should this be an ongoing discussion into adolescence? And what does a proficient sex IQ look like for adults? Tune into the Yardie Skeptics Radio for this timely discussion. As Jamaicans at home are still up in arms about the recent "inappropriateness" of a sex education manual used in state run children's homes, what are the standards for sex education found around the globe? You don't want to miss this episode as we go for high honours and graduate cum laude from "University Erotica!" To listen to this episode live, or access the archived version, simply click the link below. Log into the live chatroom and leave your questions or comments for the hosts. Yardie Skeptics Radio "The home of the ackee of rationality and the saltfish of skepticism" http://www.blogtalkradio.com/yardieskeptics

This show is hosted by two of Jamaica's most outspoken secular humanists - Clive Forrester, linguist and professor at York University in Toronto, and Hilaire Sobers, human rights lawyer in Washington DC. We have spent copious amounts of time debating with and challening the notion that Christian privelege should proceed unchecked in Jamaica, and have successfully managed to rally a group of other secularists to collaborate on a publication (forthcoming 2013). This radio show provides a medium in which skeptics can discuss matters of science, critical thinking, religious imposition, and the seperation of church and state all from a Jamaican perspective, but playing close attention to the interconnectedness on the global landscape. Tune in as we tackle the big questions each and every Sunday at 12:30EST (1:30PM Jamaican time) - lively banter, music and trivia, probing questions... we are Yardie Skeptics.

Real Men Don't Cry: Interrogating matters of depression, abuse and stress in men and boys: Specia guest -Dr. Tammy Haynes, Jamaican clinical psychologist/neuro-psychologist. This show is hosted by two of Jamaica's most outspoken secular humanists - Clive Forrester, linguist and professor at York University in Toronto, and Hilaire Sobers, human rights lawyer in Washington DC. We have spent copious amounts of time debating with and challening the notion that Christian privelege should proceed unchecked in Jamaica, and have successfully managed to rally a group of other secularists to collaborate on a publication (forthcoming 2013). This radio show provides a medium in which skeptics can discuss matters of science, critical thinking, religious imposition, and the seperation of church and state all from a Jamaican perspective, but playing close attention to the interconnectedness on the global landscape. Tune in as we tackle the big questions each and every Sunday at 12:30EST (1:30PM Jamaican time) - lively banter, music and trivia, probing questions... we are Yardie Skeptics.

In light of the recent firestorm set off by the dismissal of Prof. Brendan Bain, former head of Caribbean HIV/AIDS Regional Training (CHART), the Yardie Skeptics team will be turning our attention to dissecting the contending issues at play. Was Prof. Bain unfairly dismissed as a result of his honest expert opinion, or did he engage in professional misconduct and rightly deserve the outcome? Do his supporters have a case for arguing a violation of free speech, or is this nothing more than the typical Christian buffoonery? Has UWI acted in defence of academic integrity, or buckled under the pressure of the global "Gaystapo?" And, where is Prof. Bain in the maelstrom? If you're a supporter of Prof. Brendan Bain, the Yardie Skeptics team wants to hear from you! Call in this Sunday, May 25th at 12:30pm EDT (11:30am Jamaica time) and share your views live on air during the broadcast. But be prepared for some strident push-back! This is a no-holds-barred discussion, not the "we can't offend our sponsors" style of media you might be familiar with. So you don't want to miss it!