PZ accuses Shermer of rape.

[Trinity]

I just googled PZ Myers (I'm ignorant) and, as I've just woken up and my eyes aren't focussed yet, I read " American scientist and asshole professor". Hm...

Sorry to hear of your experience LP, something like that happened to me too..

Whatever comes of this claim in th OP, Sherman will surely be treated with suspicion, even if he is not guilty of the alleged act. Shit sticks.

[PsychoSerenity]

Oh god LP, that's horrid. I'm so sorry.

I'm glad you've been able to let it go though. You are a brave and strong person.

Trinity, you too.

[Trinity]

Oh god LP, that's horrid. I'm so sorry.

I'm glad you've been able to let it go though. You are a brave and strong person.

Trinity, you too.

Thanks lovely man ♥ i have considered taking up martial arts....

[Rum]

The OP. I sometimes wonder if some blogger types forget they inhabit the real world. If this was printed in a newspaper - so and so said such and such and so and so confirmed it - all second hand - all innuendo and in effect rumour with not a shred of direct evidence then you would be sued into bankruptcy.

I have no idea of the truth of the allegation but he must have had a total brain fart to come out with it this way.

[Svartalf]

I love the way all the fuckwits on the comments section are branding anyone who dissents as "calling the woman a liar". She's neither a liar nor not-a-liar until it some sort of guilt or innocence has been confirmed. But try telling those fuckwits that

It would make more sense to call PZ a liar. At least we know he exists.

But how do we know he's the liars rather than the witless relays of bullshit somebody else cooked up?

I don't know Mr Shermer, so it might even be true for all I know.

[Tyrannical]

Libel / defamation are very hard to prove in the US. It generally has to be malicious, false, and a known lie. Meaning if PM believed the victim, he is merely exercising his right to free speech. If the woman made it all up, she could be sued for libel but PM couldn't unless he knew it to be false.

[lordpasternack]

Oh god LP, that's horrid. I'm so sorry.

It was a one-off incident (though there had been signs of his selfish pushiness on previous occasions). I internalised it like I would internalise any other one-off incident where someone had exploited me or totally disregarded me for their own base selfishness. Like if I had been conned by someone, or had something important and valuable stolen from me.

The irony of it all (for the guy) is that he would likely have got lots more sex out of me if he weren't so inclined to be coercive. I have had several sexual partners, and I'm not ashamed, and I'm happy to have sex with whomever consenting adult I choose. We could have had some great times together, if he weren't such an arse.

What he did was like taking a foodie to a restaurant, and violently force-feeding them items off the menu before they had a chance to look at them. He took something that could have been enjoyable for us both, and which I would have happily participated in - and turned it into something obnoxious, selfish, exploitative and abusive. Stupid bastard.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

It's over…

[lordpasternack]

More to the point of this thread: I have in the past received incendiary accusations against respected figures in the Skeptic community. I may find them credible at face-value, but blabbering it all publicly when there isn't a shred of substantive evidence available, regarding what actually happened, is madness. 

It is still to my great shame that I swallowed the criminal accusations made against Josh Timonen back in 2010, without due scrupulousness and care. That was some seriously intentionally malicious shit - though to RE Cornwell's credit, she did manage to give the case a superficial feel of substantiveness and authority. It was several months into the lawsuit before it transpired that there was zero evidence on her side, and substantive evidence on Josh's side. 

Stuff like this matters. Sometimes situations are more weird and complex than you'd initially guessed. Sometimes the evidence reveals a picture that's simple, stark and unmistakably clear. But ultimately, there needs to be at least a couple of shreds of substantive evidence on which to base your hypothesis, before you say anything publicly.

[Sean Hayden]

It feels too much like a witch hunt to me and I'm sorry for the women that confided in PZ.

Did no one catch that he said

"BOOM"

after quoting the allegation?

I felt like I was supposed to squeal like a kid and rush the stage, I feel sick having read that. For whatever reason my history lessons did not prepare me for the realization that witch hunts have superstars. But of course they would!

I'm never going to a skeptics convention, ever. I may not have anyway but I will not now ever, nor do I feel very good about supporting much of the community right now.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Painting the entire movement with the same brush? Really?

[Sean Hayden]

No, of course not. I'm sure there's another part of the community safe under a rock somewhere.

edit: community rather than movement

[Gawdzilla Sama]

No, of course not. I'm sure there's another part of the movement safe under a rock somewhere.

So tell me, Matt Dillahunty, family man and amazing speaker. He's "just as bad" as PZ or Shermy?

Fuck.

[Sean Hayden]

Okay, you got me - I am allowed to get pissed off.

[Gawdzilla Sama]

Okay, you got me - I am allowed to get pissed off.

Me too.

As you noticed.