January 2008
High School Atheist Wants a Scholarship →
Michelle Dubert-Bellrichard, a high school student from Wisconsin, has an opinion piece in the Telegraph Herald newspaper (Iowa).
She’s an atheist and she wants a scholarship.
Students who are active in their church are greatly looked upon when it comes to applying for money. For some scholarships, the only people eligible must be members of a church and participate in its activities. Now, I...
Friendly Atheist Contest #13: The New Atheists’... →
Last week, I ran this contest:
Complete the next line(s) of the poem:
‘Twas the night before Christmas, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse;
I was just expecting a couple lines, but some of you wrote entire poems! And they were awesome. I’m only included some lines of the winning poems below, but the link provided sends you to the entire thing.
Here...
December 2007
It’s not about the Bible per se… →
but two sisters are refusing to return to school after an incident at their school. The incident in question concerns a classmate who decided to rip pages out of a Bible.
As many Parker High School students get ready for Christmas break, junior Elle Jacobson is at home and will not be returning like her friends.
“I have never felt threatened like that in a classroom before,” said Jacobson.
The...
Freedom and Detachment →
Can one be truly happy without being truly free? Freedom is a cornerstone of happiness. What is freedom in the sense of which I speak today? Freedom is quite simply the ability to detach ourselves from all possessions, relationships and outcomes. In other words, we only know true freedom when we have the ability to […]
Happy Birthday to… →
Greta Christina!
She writes this for herself:
Happy birthday to me
I don’t live in a tree
But I look like a primate
Because I am one.
And got this response from a commenter:
Happy birthday to you
I went to the zoo
I saw a fat monkey
but I didn’t think it was you because I don’t use creationist logic.
If you haven’t read her piece on atheists and anger yet, you should do it! It’s...
I Am Honored… or Thoroughly Disturbed →
Still trying to figure out which…
(Thanks to Linda for the card! She has one more featuring this blog’s writers here.)
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism
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Bogus Christmas card sent to SC Republicans →
Election 2008 is looking to be quite entertaining with Republican voters in South Carolina receiving a bogus Christmas card from a yet unknown group of people. Alleging to be from Mitt Romney and paid for by the Mormon temple in Boston, Massachusetts, the card quotes from the Book of Mormon.
One such passage is the one dealing with Mary’s alleged impregnation with Jesus which states:
“And it...
Racism, IQ and Ruben Bolling →
On Who is a Christian →
Anyone who has struggled through leaving Christianity cannot help but be aware that those still in the faith often have trouble categorizing us. Regarding their belief system as overwhelmingly desirable and, moreover, obviously true, they seem compelled to try to explain this anomaly that we represent, apostasy. And we all know the answers: generally, either we weren’t really Christians in the...
My New Year’s Resolution For You →
A lot of threads on this blog have some great dialogues going on and I wanted to thank you if you take part in those conversations. It makes blogging worthwhile. And I also really appreciate everyone staying classy with your comments.
Well… almost everyone
For the rest of you, I hope you’ll consider joining in the conversations in 2008.
Consider this your invitation to comment. If it’s your...
The God Delusion in Paperback →
Richard Dawkins‘ The God Delusion will be released in paperback in a couple weeks.
You can pre-order your copy or wait in line at midnight like everyone else will be.
(… Ok, so it’s no Harry Potter. But wouldn’t it be fun if there was a midnight line for the newest atheist book?)
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Public Prayer and Implications of Agreement →
Why do people make a big show of praying before meals in public, at restaurants? This is one thing about dining out with my family that makes me crazy. As a recovering former Evangelical I find the public prayer thing about as comfortable as when people embark on public displays of affection at the “get a room” level. Restaurant prayer is like a piece of performance art. If it was really just...
Poetry Sunday: Stopping by Woods →
There’s just enough time for one final Poetry Sunday in 2007, and this one will feature another famous American poet with skeptical leanings: Robert Frost, the New Englander and national Poet Laureate whose work has become so iconic of the American experience.
Frost’s views on God are complex. In some of his letters, he calls himself “an old dissenter”, “secular till...
Christian Site Hacked →
Crosswalk.com, one of the largest Christian websites in the world, was hacked by some atheist douchebag.
Who can’t spell.
And is from Finland.
For what it’s worth, the culprit also thinks the Blasphemy Challenge is bullshit.
Hopefully, the Crosswalk people can get it back up and running soon.
(via Suddenly Christian)
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism, Christian, Jesus
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Everybody point and laugh →
Once upon a time I used to get irritated when I found out one of the esteemed “men of God” was lying. I’m either getting old or used to it, because this post by Hemant of Friendly Atheist about Ray Comfort, best known for claiming atheists are afraid of bananas, puts a smile on my face.
Ray Comfort has decided to lie about his conversations with Dan Barker, author of the highly entertaining...
The reason for the season is not Jesus →
December wouldn’t be complete without obligatory “Jesus is the reason for the season” commentary and this year it’s delivered by Ronald S. Martin of CNN.
This whole push to remove Christ from the Christmas season has gotten so ridiculous that it’s pathetic.
Because of all the politically correct idiots, we are being encouraged to stop saying “Merry Christmas” for the more palatable “Happy...
These Atheists… They’re Everywhere! →
And some theists are not happy:
(via heathen.tv)
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism, Christian, Jesus, religion
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Fighting the War… No, the Other One →
Satanists, beware.
The Pope is coming after you.
And he looks like he means business:
I can’t believe this is a real headline: Pope’s exorcist squads will wage war on Satan.
Each bishop is to be told to have in his diocese a number of priests trained to fight demonic possession.
The initiative was revealed by 82-year-old Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican “exorcistinchief,” to the online...
The Law of Church and State: U.S. Supreme Court... →
Some background on the Congressional Research Service and Open CRS:
American taxpayers spend nearly $100 million a year to fund the Congressional Research Service, a “think tank” that provides reports to members of Congress on a variety of topics relevant to current political events. Yet, these reports are not made available to the public in a way that they can be easily obtained. A project of...
Video of My “eBay Auction” Talk →
Occasionally, I give talks about the eBay auction and my book to various groups.
I talk about the auction itself (”No, I did not sell my soul“), the aftermath (”Kirk Cameron, what happened to you?“), and the various ways atheists can get our message out to a larger audience (”Step one: Don’t be mean“).
Earlier this month, I spoke to the Humanists of West Suburban Chicagoland at a unitarian...
What do you know…I’m not a patriot →
You Are 36% American
America: You don’t love it or want to leave it. But you wouldn’t mind giving it an extreme make over. On the 4th of July, you’ll fly a freak flag instead… And give Uncle Sam a sucker punch!
How American Are You?
via Unscrewing the Inscrutable
How to Think Critically V →
Double-Blind Tests
In a post back in October, I dissected the claims of a spam e-mail that landed in my inbox to promote the “Detox Box”, an expensive piece of snake oil claimed to be able to cure any disease through the power of pseudoscience. As is usual in these matters, an offended true believer showed up in the comments to proclaim her faith in the device:
The Detox Box works...
Citizen Soldier →
I saw this video recently and thought I’d share. It’s 3 Doors Down’s Citizen Soldier that’s being used by the National Guard for recruiting purposes. Liking this song may make me a “bad” liberal, but whatever. War itself is not bad in my book. It’s a tool and it can be used for both good (American Revolution) and bad (southern secession over slavery). We should never forget that.
Sam Harris and Rabbi David Wolpe →
The American Jewish University hosted authors Sam Harris and Rabbi David Wolpe to discuss the existence of God and the role of religion and faith in society.
You can watch the full video here.
Steve Padilla, a writer for the Los Angeles Times, moderated the informal debate and wrote about the event. He excerpts a few snippets of the dialogue. Like this bit:
To this Harris observed: “The one...
The Christopher Hitchens Drink →
The Christopher Hitchens Surprise:
1 Bottle Scotch whiskey: Johnnie Walker Black Label preferred
20 Cigarettes
An empty scotch glass
1 Bottle Grecian Formula
1 Live Christian infant
Using the scotch glass, empty the entire contents of the scotch, one glass at a time, into your mouth, occasionally smoking an entire cigarette in less than a minute. Muss your hair and apply some Grecian...
People Will Believe Anything →
First watch this video:
It’s not a ghost.
You know how I know it’s not a ghost?
Because ghosts don’t exist. And there’s probably a more likely explanation.
Of course, this is CNN. They wouldn’t want to do any actual investigation now, would they? They’ll just find the most idiotic, gullible people they can find and have them make up some crazy explanation for what they just saw.
Now,...
Time Is on My Side →
Spent some time with some “old friends” today that reminded me of the distance I’ve traveled this year away from organized religion …
This couple were the “senior” (head) pastor and wife at the church we spent 10 years working at. She was one of these “super Christians” (at least in her mind). The reality of it all is she typified all the things I learned to loath about religious people. ...
Time Is on My Side →
I spent some time with some “old friends” today that reminded me of the distance I’ve traveled this year away from organized religion …
This couple were the “senior” (head) pastor and his wife at the church where we spent 10 years working. She was one of those “super Christians” (at least in her mind). However, the reality of it all is she typified all the things I have learned to loath about...
The Sadomasochism of “Hard As Nails” →
There’s only one word for what unordained Catholic minister Justin Fatica does, and that’s sadomasochism. Not in a sexual sense, of course, but in the sense of causing acute humiliation, physical sensation, or hypnotic focus to affect a quick conversion. Generally, this follows along the well-worn path of religion as based on submission to a dominant and all-pervasive God. The fundamental...
Ray Comfort Lies Again →
Now, Bananaman Ray Comfort is not just lying about the definition of an atheist; he’s lying about my friend.
First, Ray talks about a random person who claims he was once a Christian and then became an atheist:
… Hold it there for a moment. He was once a strong Christian? Let’s analyze what he is saying. A Christian is someone who knows the Lord: “And this is eternal life, that they may know...
Humanist Network News’ Year End Review →
The latest Humanist Network News rounds up the year’s biggest stories pertaining to Humanism and freethought in general.
Feel free to compare the list to HNN’s top stories of 2006.
Seems to me like there were a lot more positive stories to report this year…
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism, Humanism
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Positive Atheism at its Best →
The Tri-City Herald (Washington state) has a front-page story today about atheist Fernando Aguilar. The article is called “A belief in the here and now”:
This guy’s incredible.
Aguilar, 55, of Walla Walla, is a civil engineer and his work has taken him to some of the most dangerous places in the world. He’s been to Iraq twice and Afghanistan once since 2003, helping to build water systems,...
Seeing What You Believe →
Some things have to be believed to be seen” - Ralph Hodgson We are rather complex are we not? When it comes to belief and seeing, many of us take the stance that I won’t believe it until I see it, that is, many people want concrete proof before they will believe something. These people may […]
Nobody has to like you or your religion →
The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission has released a list of incidents that they claim are evidence of anti-Christian bigotry in America.
First, the list:
Colorado church shootings.
Federal Hate Crimes bill
Violence on San Francisco Church
Attack on Jerry Falwell
God’s Warriors and Friends of God
Bloggers for John Edwards
Golden Compass being made into movie
Now the response:
This...
Atheist Bashing? →
After seeing yesterday’s list of supposed Christian Bashing in 2007, Felicia asked an interesting question: What would the list be for atheists?
What were the highlights (or rather, lowlights) of atheist bashing in a year when atheists were actually in the spotlight more than ever before?
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism
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On the Morality Of: Cloning →
In today’s post on atheist morality, I’ll consider the permissibility of two types of human cloning, therapeutic and reproductive. Both types involve implanting a person’s genes into an egg cell and stimulating it to grow. If the resulting embryo is allowed to grow to maturity and be born as a person, that is reproductive cloning; if the embryo is used to harvest stem cells and...
Landover Baptist Church *Exposed* →
If you’re like me, whenever you read Landover Baptist Church, you wonder if it’s true or not…
I’m just kidding.
It’s made up. You know how I know it’s made up? Because they $%ing say so.
But Cross Nation wants to make sure you know there’s a difference:
This section is dedicated to detailing the many misrepresentations of Fundamentalist Christianity found at the satirical website known as...
Christian Bashing in 2007 →
The Christian Anti-Defamation Commission (Headed by Gary Cass) released a list of the seven worst offenses of “Christian bashing” in 2007.
First, the list:
1.) Colorado Church Murders — “You Christians brought this on yourselves I’m coming for EVERYONE soon and I WILL be armed to the @#%$ teeth and I WILL shoot to kill. … God, I can’t wait till I can kill you people. Feel no remorse, no sense...
I weep for the children who are victimized by... →
Earlier this month, one of the elements of the church service I attended was the confirmation of Chloe, a seven-year-old girl, as a junior member of the congregation. This is the first of two confirmations that my denomination typically holds: the first for youngsters, the second for adolescents no younger than fourteen.
The guest pastor who was conducting the ceremony noted that, prior to the...
We Vishnu… →
A day late and a dollar short, I guess, but still amusing:
(via My Confined Space)
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism, Hindu, Vishnu, Desi, Indian-American
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Don’t Deny the Holy Santa →
Eto electrical stores in Russia had a television advertisement where they stated that Father Frost (a.k.a. Santa Claus) did not exist.
But saying that he doesn’t exist is tantamount to telling children that their parents are liars.
So the ad has been banned.
The Federal anti-Monopoly Service said the ad had broken rules for advertisers not to discredit parents and teachers.
…
The ad...
Hope Extinguished →
Benazir Bhutto, 1953-2007. There are no words. The world has not known a braver woman.
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I Feel Tiny →
(via Bjorn & Jeannette’s Blog)
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism, astronomy
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The Year That Didn’t Suck →
One of the great things about the holiday season is that you get to visit with friends and family that you don’t get to see throughout the year. Over the holidays I did get a chance to visit with some friends who now live in Florida. As we sat there catching up, my one friend […]
A Reason to Listen to Air America Minnesota →
In October, the Freedom From Religion Foundation got a nationally-broadcast atheist radio show on Air America.
Starting in January, Minnesota Atheists will be doing something similar on Air America Minnesota.
The show will air Sundays from 9 to 10 a.m. on AM 950 starting Jan. 13 when Oxford professor, evolutionary biologist and world-renown atheist Richard Dawkins will be the featured guest....
France Needs Your Prayers! →
They’re suffering.
The country is being overrun by the atheists! They comprise 30% of the population! Damn minority groups!
And Muslims? There are “over 6,000,000″ of them! (Which, at best, is under 10% of the population.)
So the country needs your prayers.
Not yet, though.
Not until February 6th.
Then you must pray for 40 days straight.
And don’t you dare start praying on February 5th....
Mark Your Calendars →
With the new year starting, remember to mark the following dates on your calendars!
They represent the upcoming conferences for the major atheist/Humanist/skeptic groups in the country.
Hopefully you can attend one or more of these!
Convention
Location
Dates
American Atheists
Minneapolis, MN
3/21-3/23
Society for Humanistic Judaism
Los Angeles, CA
4/4-4/6
American Humanist...
Bush and Cheney go Undercover →
A Charlie Brown Christmas… Scientology Version →
Apparently, Tom Cruise (via his studio, United Artists) bought the rights to the Charlie Brown specials. That includes A Charlie Brown Christmas.
What will the new version look like?
(via The Daily Dish)
Technorati Tags: atheist, atheism
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Guest Blogging →
Helen Burton of “Getting Off the Diet Merry-Go-Round” asked me to be a guest blogger on her site. I wrote an article for her blog titled “The Impact of Change VS Continuing to Do What Use To Always Work For You” which Helen has posted today.
Please pay a visit to Helen’s blog. Helen provides excellent, […]