Mark Hoofnagle has a MD and PhD in physiology from the University of Virginia, and is now a general surgery resident. His interest in denialism concerns the use of denialist tactics to confuse public understanding of scientific knowledge.
The Journal's James Hookway informs us that a trial court judge in Manila, Judge Floro, has an interesting set of consultants: three elves, only visible to the judge himself! Belief in this trio has caused the country's supreme court to intervene and fire the judge.
...Mr. Floro, 54 years old, has become a media celebrity. He is now wielding his new clout to campaign for the return of his job -- and exact vengeance on the Supreme Court.Helping him, he says, are his three invisible companions. "Angel" is the neutral force, he says. "Armand" is a benign influence. "Luis," whom Mr. Floro describes as the "king of kings," is an avenger.
Mr. Floro has become a regular on Philippine television. Often he is asked to make predictions with the help of his invisible friends. "They say your show will be taken off the air if you don't feature me more often," was Mr. Floro's reply to one interviewer.
The full article is worth a read for a giggle; here's just a snippet:
Mr. Floro says he never consulted the invisible elves over judicial decisions and the fact that he puts faith in them should make no difference to his career. "It shouldn't matter what I believe in, whether it's Jesus, Muhammad, or Luis, Armand and Angel," he says in an interview.
Ha!
Comments
Oh, he's progressing through the Monster Manual - it used to be dwarves. He appeared on Ben Goldacre's Bad Science discussion board last year. For example. A very strange person indeed.
Bob
Posted by: Bob O'H | September 17, 2007 2:48 PM
Well, apparently he must have skipped over "dragon" and "demon" and a few others, or he just shifted past them too fast for anyone to notice. lol
Posted by: Kagehi | September 17, 2007 5:36 PM
I wonder: how is his belief in a trio of elves (which is apparently not that strange in the context of widespread Filipino beliefs) any different than a belief in the Catholic trinity?
"Lest we be misconstrued, we do not denigrate such a belief system," Associate Justice Minita Chico-Nazario wrote in the Supreme Court's verdict. "However, such beliefs, especially since Judge Floro acted on them, are at odds with the critical and impartial thinking required of a judge under our judicial system."
So, if a Christian, or otherwise religious person were to 'act on' their belief system, would that be at odds with "the critical and impartial thinking required of a judge"?
Posted by: .nathan | September 17, 2007 6:08 PM
Well, I have to agree with him, there. "It shouldn't matter what I believe in, whether it's Jesus, Muhammad, or Luis, Armand and Angel." The only reason his belief is more ridiculous is because he's the only one who holds it.
Posted by: The Ridger | September 17, 2007 6:10 PM
I don't know if that's the only reason that his belief is ridiculous...
Posted by: .nathan | September 17, 2007 6:31 PM
While I have to agree that this is obvious media pandering I also have to agree with the man. Who cares if he believes in elves? Especially considering that he claims to never base legal decisions on their whims. O mean when a Christian judge states clearly that his imaginary god is the sole source of his judgments we don't kick him out.
Posted by: Troy Truchon | September 17, 2007 6:44 PM
I see no difference, other than social mores, between literally believing in the holy trinity or the elves' triumvirate.
The truth is, in so far as any exists, we are all moonbats of one persuasion or another.
Call it the religion of our genes.
Science and rationalism may bring us closer to understanding or some semblance of truth (although objectivist epistemology a la Ayn Rand makes me physically ill) but, in the end, we are essentially subjective beings traveling in a universe ultimately beyond our ken.
Posted by: OilMonkey | September 17, 2007 7:03 PM
These are apparently the same elves who whisper in GWB's ear about invading Iraq & all that shit. Difference is, GWB listens to the little fuckers.
Posted by: joseph duemer | September 17, 2007 8:32 PM
Nah. The ones whispering the GWB are "Dark Elves". The twisted logic and crazy backstabbing, along with rampant authoritarianism, is pretty much what you expect from the followers of the Demon Queen of Spiders they follow. ;) lol
Posted by: Kagehi | September 18, 2007 11:19 PM
Shouldn't that be: "the Demon Queen of Spiders they follow. ;) Lolth"?
Okay, I'm a geek.
Posted by: LanceR | September 18, 2007 11:58 PM
Shouldn't that be: "the Demon Queen of Spiders they follow. ;) Lolth"?
Okay, I'm a geek.
Posted by: LanceR | September 19, 2007 12:02 AM
Shouldn't that be: "the Demon Queen of Spiders they follow. ;) Lolth"?
Okay, I'm a geek.
Posted by: LanceR | September 19, 2007 12:32 AM
Sorry about the triple post. I was getting the dreaded Internal Server Error.
Posted by: LanceR | September 19, 2007 8:57 AM
In before 'You can't compare my invisible friends to his!'
Posted by: Brendan S | September 19, 2007 1:24 PM
Judge Floro's Blog:
http://angelofdeathluisarmandandangel.blogspot.com/
Judge Floro's 27 Philippine TV documentaries on YouTube:
http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=judge+floro
Judge Floro's Auto / Article User Page on Wikipedia:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Florentino_Floro
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/User:Florentino_floro
Judge Floro's 27 pages, 34, 000 views, 1, 400 replies Legendary thread on RUSH Counterparts Message Board:
http://www.rushmessageboard.com/cpmb/index.php?showtopic=2112&st=1300&start=1300
Judge Floro's email and yahoo messenger:
judge_florentino_v_floro@yahoo.com
judgefloro@yahoo.com
Judge Floro's contact numbers:
Celphone No. secretary Belen:
0927-3440957
digitel Philippines land line
(044) 662-8203
Posted by: judge florentino floro | September 26, 2007 1:22 AM