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« Cole vs. Hitchens | Main | Cohen misses the point »

Needs pygmies

Category: GodlessnessKooksWeirdness
Posted on: May 4, 2006 6:47 AM, by PZ Myers

Various science-deniers at the ID websites were unhappy with me because I said belief in ID was an indicator of incompetence, and that I wouldn't vote to to support tenure and promotion for one of their guys. I think they ought to adopt Florentino Floro as a cause.

"They should not have dismissed me for what I believed," Florentino Floro, a trial judge in the capital's Malabon northern suburb, told reporters after filing his appeal.

Floro was sacked last month and fined 40,000 pesos ($780) after a three-year investigation found he was incompetent, had shown bias in a case he was trying and had criticized court procedure, a ruling showed.

The poor man! Martyred for merely believing in something!

A Philippine judge who claimed he could see into the future and admitted consulting imaginary mystic dwarfs has asked for his job back after being fired by the country's Supreme Court.

In case you were wondering, the dwarfs were named Armand, Luis and Angel.

He'd still have his job if they'd been named Jesus or Mohammed or JHWH.

(via Exploding Aardvark)

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Comments

#1

Posted by: Lya Kahlo Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 7:43 AM

"He'd still have his job if they'd been named Jesus or Mohammed or JHWH."

Zing!

#2

Posted by: LBBP Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 7:48 AM

Ahh, but the IDiots will just use this as an example to demonstrate how the courts can differentiate between silly superstition and that, er.., silly shit they believe in.

#3

Posted by: Nymphalidae Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 8:14 AM

"He'd still have his job if they'd been named Jesus or Mohammed or JHWH."

#4

Posted by: Nymphalidae Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 8:15 AM

Dammit, that last post didn't work. Anyway, I just wanted to point out how awesome that quote was.

#5

Posted by: MAJeff, OM Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 8:19 AM

He'd still have his job if they'd been named Jesus or Mohammed or JHWH.

Indeed, wasn't Governor Pawlenty's wife a judge, and wasn't there some concern with her turning to prayer as a method of deciding cases? My memory may be off (particularly since I wasn't in MN at the time), but I do seem to recall some such thing.

#6

Posted by: Tiax Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 8:23 AM

"He'd still have his job if they'd been named Jesus or Mohammed or JHWH."

Well duh. I mean, dwarves are just dwarves, what the hell do they know? Anyone who would trust in dwarves must be crazy. Now, imaginary friends who live in the clouds? They're smart guys. That's why they get to live up there.

#7

Posted by: JoeB Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 8:32 AM

Ummm...completely off topic, but I saw this post and Dr. B's:

http://bitchphd.blogspot.com/2006/05/frog-sex.html

and I initially thought of PZ Myers upon reading the title. You have totally corrupted my experience of animal sex!

#8

Posted by: JoeB Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 8:34 AM

oops

and = at

#9

Posted by: Pseudo-Buddhaodiscordo-Pastafarian Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 9:00 AM

He'd still have his job if they'd been named Jesus or Mohammed or JHWH.

Definatly a zinger.

#10

Posted by: ArtK Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 9:33 AM

What I loved is that the investigation took them three whole years!


Cloyd: Getting advice from invisible dwarves is pretty stupid. Can I scrooch him now, Gidney?
Gidney: No. Let's investigate some more and see if he's doing anything wrong.

#11

Posted by: Shygetz Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 9:40 AM

If Floro was not martyred, how is it there are PYGMIES + DWARFS??

Sorry, couldn't resist.

#12

Posted by: JoeB Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 10:45 AM

What I loved is that the investigation took them three whole years!

Well, they had to find something he actually did wrong, like show prejudice in a case, rather than saying "this guy loves mysitc dwarves!!!!" and kicking him out. Note that the firing findings don't say PYGMIES + DWARVFS????

#13

Posted by: Stanton Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 10:45 AM

I wonder if he would have been declared incompetent if he had used a Magic 8-Ball that he really thought was magic?

#14

Posted by: Virge Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 11:39 AM

We three Dwarfs of Mystic Design,
Deeply delve, quotations to mine,
Fortune telling, query quelling,
Vacuously divine...

Dwarfs of Mystic Design

#15

Posted by: Andy Groves Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 11:52 AM

It reminds me of Pennock's gentle ibe as to whether that well-known nemesis of naturalism, Philip Johnson, ever introduced supernatural testimony into any of his trial cases......

#16

Posted by: Bob O'H Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 12:38 PM

Did any of the dwarves have red beards?

Bob

P.S. An explanation, of sorts, for why this is pertinent is here, by the way.

#17

Posted by: Jafafa Hots Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 12:43 PM

Actually, his belief in these magical dwarves doesn't make him as unqualified as a religious person, IMO.

His belief is a strike against him, a sign of poor judgement at least as it regards supernatural beings of small stature... and clearly he has a mental illness. But *I* have a mental illness - and some of the people I met in psych wards had fairly good judgement... one man who was schizophrenic is a particular example.

Not ideal candidates, but then religious believers are worse, because they not only show the same poor judgement in regard to supernatural things, but for some it's "easier" to be religious, because it's so popular - so many others are religious. That shows even worse judgement - the ability to be easily swayed to illogical conclusions.

Ya gotta give this guy the edge... but maybe he should have to recuse himself if Rumplestiltskin ever comes up in front of him.

#18

Posted by: NelC Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 1:21 PM

Does anyone know whether this dwarf stuff fits in with Phillipine folk beliefs?

#19

Posted by: HP Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 1:51 PM

ArtK: Gidney and Cloyd?

Now there's something you don't see every day, Chauncey.

#20

Posted by: windy Author Profile Page | May 4, 2006 6:16 PM

Does anyone know whether this dwarf stuff fits in with Phillipine folk beliefs?

Like those dwarf legends on Flores? Hmm... could there be a Philippino subspecies with living representatives advising local judges?

#21

Posted by: Judge Florentino V. Floro, Jr. | July 16, 2006 4:19 AM

Sir,
May I say just hello, and regards. I am from the other side of the globe, Philippines. Thanks for your article on my case. I do respect your beliefs and opinions.

Sincerely,

Judge Floro

May I attach herewith for you perusal, some of my notes and writings relevant to this subject, so that I may AIR MY SIDE, with your kind permission, please:

May I add and attach herewith the recent report of Ken Underhill, Lowering the Bar ---


http://www.loweringthebar.net/2006/06/lowering_the_ba.html
and -
http://www.sunstar.com.ph/static/man/2004/03/12/news/judge.asks.sc.to.let.nazario.take.oath.and.fill.sc.vacancy.html

Re: The Philippine "HEALING / PSYCHIC JUDGE" - 70 minutes Philippine Television Documentary uploaded on www.youtube.com --- type judge floro, in the upper search and click/enter; or just click the following:

http://www.youtube.com/results?search=judge+floro&search_type=search_videos&search=Search


Judge Florentino V. Floro Jr., "Healing Judge" Part 1 of 6 - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wECTKjkkZLs&search=judge%20floro

I am Judge Florentino V. Floro, Jr. (a Regional Trial Court Judge of Br. 73, Malabon, NCJR, Metro Manila, REPUBLIC OF THE PHILIPPINES). My physical address is 123 Dahlia, Alido, Malolos, 3000 Bulacan, Philippines. My E-mail Address is: judge_florentino_v_floro@yahoo.com; my telephone number is (044) 662-82-03, digitel, Philippines.

On April 6, 2006, the Philippine Supreme Court RELIEVED (separated - it did not dismiss) me from judicial service, and paid me 3 years backwages, by reason of PSYCHOSIS, a medical incapacity - because I allegedly believed in dwarves, angel of death, inflicting sicknesses, healing, prophecy, psychic phenomena and (in writing) predicted the downfall of 13th Philippine President Joseph Estrada (on December, 1998) who was ousted by people power on January 20, 2001. [Vide: Court Decision penned by M. Justice Minita Viray-Chico Nazario, 75 pages, March 31, 2006 in: A.M. No. RTJ-99-1460 http://www.supremecourt.gov.ph/jurisprudence/2006/mar2006/A.M.%20No.%20RTJ-99-1460.htm.

This is the FIRST time in world judicial history that this happened. The American and other Constitutions provide for dismissal or removal of judges, jurists and magistrates because of graft, corruption, misconduct, or bad behavior; but resignation - only for those medically incapacitated. In the Philippines, this is the FIRST --- for since 1901, our Court never ever dismissed or removed a judge because of belief in the paranormal, religion and psi. Hence, REUTERS, AFP, AP, ASIAN REPORTER, MSNBC, MY WAY News, NEW24.com, ABC NEWS ONLINE, GULF TIMES, 7DAYS, AE, BUZZSPREE.COM, Foreign BLOGGERS, THE DAILY JUDGE, or a total of 1000++ foreign REPORTS, NEWS, BLOGS and 14 Philippine News Headlines, covered - REPORTED - the said LANDMARK DECISION (on April 7 & May 6, 2006, until today).


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