Sunday, August 28, 2011

Not Yo' Mamma's Sunday School #005

The Ten Commandments.....hmmm, which should we choose from?  There are three sets after all:

There is the set in Exodus 20....
1st
20:3 Thou shalt have no other gods before me.
2nd
20:4 Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of any thing that is in heaven above, or that is in the earth beneath, or that is in the water under the earth.
20:5 Thou shalt not bow down thyself to them, nor serve them: for I the LORD thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation of them that hate me;
20:6 And shewing mercy unto thousands of them that love me, and keep my commandments.
3rd
20:7 Thou shalt not take the name of the LORD thy God in vain; for the LORD will not hold him guiltless that taketh his name in vain.
4th
20:8 Remember the sabbath day, to keep it holy.
20:9 Six days shalt thou labour, and do all thy work:
20:10 But the seventh day is the sabbath of the LORD thy God: in it thou shalt not do any work, thou, nor thy son, nor thy daughter, thy manservant, nor thy maidservant, nor thy cattle, nor thy stranger that is within thy gates:
20:11 For in six days the LORD made heaven and earth, the sea, and all that in them is, and rested the seventh day: wherefore the LORD blessed the sabbath day, and hallowed it.
5th
20:12 Honour thy father and thy mother: that thy days may be long upon the land which the LORD thy God giveth thee.
6th
20:13 Thou shalt not kill.
7th
20:14 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8th
20:15 Thou shalt not steal.
9th
20:16 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbour.
10th
20:17 Thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's house, thou shalt not covet thy neighbour's wife, nor his manservant, nor his maidservant, nor his ox, nor his ass, nor any thing that is thy neighbour's.

Then there is the set in Exodus 34 (which is very different).... 34:1 And the LORD said unto Moses, Hew thee two tables of stone like unto the first: and I will write upon these tables the words that were in the first tables, which thou brakest.

What Would It Take...

A question that pops up regularly is, 'what would it take to convince a non-believer to believe in god?' 

Well, considering that there are over 1000 gods and more than 4000 religions based upon those gods, the questioner would have to narrow down the field a bit.  In the case of Poseidon, I might be convinced if a 300 foot, bearded man were to walk out of the ocean and could, with his massive trident, create hurricanes and whirlpools on demand.

In the case of Yahweh, who is supposed to be ever-present, all-powerful and the embodiment of goodness, I suppose I'd have to go with the complete and utter eradication of cancers and aids by, let's say, tomorrow (or I could be generous and say next week, even).  That would be pretty convincing to me.  (Btw, this condition is not mine; I hijacked it from PZ, Dawkins or some other author whose name escapes me right now).

I don't think I ask for too much.

Saturday, August 27, 2011

Flopping in the Wind

During live coverage of Hurricane Irene, some silly boys decided it would be a good idea to run behind the weather anchor, in blowing rain, in their under-roos.  One young man has now had his flopping junk preserved for posterity.  I'm not going to imbed the video because my site isn't rated for adult content, but I'll provide the YouTube link for your viewing pleasure.  *hint: keep an eye on the guy in the red shorts.

Tuesday, August 23, 2011

The Joys of Higher Education

Well, I'm thinking that this semester is going to be much more labor intensive than the last.   I've been officially introduced to all of my classes and I have a feeling I'll be buried, up to my eyeballs, in reading assignments, in addition to all of the research papers and essays that are going to be required of me.  (Man, I hate writing) 

Anyway, I am still hugely excited, but I fear that I might have to neglect you, my friends.  If that turns out to be the case, I apologize in advance.  Though, I will try to say hi every now and then, just so you know that I'm still kickin'.

Okay, then, I'm off to spend the next several hours reading until my eyes dry out.   Weeeeeeeee!!!

Friday, August 19, 2011

Perry Interview Clip

I've been a little under the weather the last couple of days, so I apologize for not posting more, but I did happen to find the clip I was looking for the other day.

This guy wants to run our country, yet he can't figure out that abstinence-only education = higher teen pregnancy and abortion rates.  Yeeaaahhhhh.....he's what we need, all right...

if we want to become a third world nation!!!

Wednesday, August 17, 2011

The Girls Go Their Own Way

If you've ever watched The Atheist Experience then you already know who these gals are.  Beth Presswood, Tracie Harris and Jen Peeples have decided to forge their own path and have created a new podcast called "Godless Bitches".

The topics covered in the first episode include "feminism, sexual education and reproductive rights."  From what I understand, this show will also be available on iTunes soon. 

Tuesday, August 16, 2011

November Fun


Skepticon is coming!  I have never been to a skeptical/freethought conference, ever.  I've decided to make Skepticon 2011 my first and have just made my hotel reservations, so it's official; can't back out now.  lol  I'm so excited!!!

Skepticon is going to be held in Springfield, MO (November 19 & 20) at the Gillioz Theatre.  If you'd like to attend, please check out their site.... additionally, a special rate has been negotiated for this event at the University Plaza Hotel (act quickly as I'm sure they will book up fast). 

Anyway, if you are going, I look forward to meeting you!

AronRa @ OK Freethought Convention

I really like listening to AronRa speak and debate, but I didn't realize that we had so much in common.  His presentation was very enjoyable.   =)

Monday, August 15, 2011

Poison: An Atheist Hip Hop

I found this today and thought I should share.  Tombstone Da Deadman (aka Rational Warrior) created this atheist hip hop ditty and, personally, I think it rocks!!!



For more hip hops, an updated audio version of "Poison", and info on Tombstone, click here.

Sunday, August 14, 2011

Question Dodger

Scary Spyce (aka Michelle Bachmann) was confronted on "Meet the Press" about her views on homosexuality, but like any other politician, she is very good at dodging questions.  I almost hope that she wins the Republican nomination, because this crazy chick would ensure a second term for President Obama.  =)


Not Yo' Mamma's Sunday School #003

Well, here we are again, continuing the story of Abraham...   when we left off, we had learned that Abraham's first son (Ishmael) was born of his mistress, Hagar.

Genesis 17:1-14
13 years later, when Abraham is 99 years old, God tells him that it's time to make a deal.  "Your kids and grand-kids, etc shall be kings, and everyone will worship me, but you must cut the tips of your penises off, and cut the tips of the penises off your slaves; those who have whole penises will not benefit from this deal."  (Of course, because girls don't have penises to mutilate, we don't benefit, either)

Genesis 17:15-22
God then told Abraham that he and Sarah would have a child.  Of course, considering his decrepitude, Abraham laughed when he heard this.  God then assures him that this will happen, and that when it does, they will name this child Isaac.  God then tells him not to worry about Ishmael; he would beget 12 princes and God would make him a great nation. 

God told Abraham to expect his child about this time next year, then left Abraham to fulfill his part of their grisly bargain.  (I wonder what purpose God could possibly have in mind for all of these pieces of foreskin... will he fry them up like pigskins, or dry them out like jerky for a snack later?)

Saturday, August 13, 2011

Vaccines

Most of us know that vaccines are good for us; they help our immune systems recognize the bad stuff (measles, mumps, polio, influenza, chicken pox, etc.) and if we are exposed in the future, then we have a defense mechanism in place.  But, how many of us know how this process actually works?  I didn't.

With the 'anti-vaccination' folks out there today, it might be a good idea to know a little more about this subject in order to fight back against this newest strain of ignorance. 

During the recent Oklahoma Freethought Convention, Abbie Smith, a graduate student at Oklahoma University, talked about this topic.  If you think it will be boring and isn't worth an hour of your time, think again.  This gal is charming and entertaining.  Abbie makes immunology fun!

Friday, August 12, 2011

10 Days 'Til School

Well, I've been distracted by the three flat screens set up in my living room.  I've had my niece and nephew over and everyone is participating in a Call of Duty party.  It's been keeping me from reading as much of my textbooks as I'd like, but I've made progress (earplugs were a wonderful invention). 

This is only my second semester of college so I'm still in the 'introductory course' phase.  Intro to Philosophy, General Biology, General Psych, Early Western Civ and English Comp II are the courses I'm taking this go-round.  I've made it through the first chapter each of Phil, Biol and Psyc, so far.  I realize that most people in my position would be dreading the beginning of the school year, but I absolutely cannot wait!

I've always been one to seek knowledge whenever, and wherever, I can, and I'm thankful that I continued to educate myself on a wide variety of subjects during my 15 year absence from school, because I already know most of what I've read so far. 

Two of the courses I'm taking this semester are Honors courses, and while I felt a little nervous about taking that path, I feel much more confident now that I've reviewed what I will be learning over the next 16 weeks.  Well, back to the books. Hehehehe

Yes, I'm a nerd!  And I like it!     =)

Offended By The Submission Question?

Michelle Bachmann has commented publicly about her submissiveness to her husband and was questioned about this very topic by journalist, Byron York.  While I think this question is extremely valid, Ronald S. Martin, a CNN contributor, has taken offense.
As someone who didn't find the sexism in the Newsweek cover photo flap, I believe there is no doubt that the reason York only questioned Bachmann on submission had everything to do with her gender.
York's question was: "In 2006, when you were running for Congress, you described a moment in your life when your husband said you should study for a degree in tax law. You said you hated the idea. And then you explained, "But the Lord said, 'Be submissive. Wives, you are to be submissive to your husbands.' "
"As president, would you be submissive to your husband?"
 Yes, Ronny, it is a question of gender!  This question would not be posed to a male evangelical candidate.  Why?  Because the bible doesn't instruct husbands to be submissive to their wives.  Nucklehead!!!  He goes on to say,
When we look at many of the vital issues facing this country -- a rough economy, massive unemployment, wars in Iraq and Afghanistan, a continuing battle against terrorism, a fierce climate change debate, and a battle to get the nation's debt under control -- who in their right mind would waste time during a nationally-televised debate asking the only female GOP candidate about whether she would submit to her husband in the White House?
 Hmmm.....could it possibly be because, if she became President, we would all wonder who was really running the country?  I would wonder whether or not Marcus (her 'pray-away-the-gay' hubby) is President in all but name.  He continues,
I don't think for a second that a woman questioner would ask such a question in a presidential debate.
Wrong! Wrong! Wrong!  If I were a journalist, right now, with the opportunity to interview this nutbag candidate, not only would I ask her the 'submission' question, but I would also question her about her belief in 'the end times'.  As a potential President, with the possibility of having control of nuclear launch codes, I would ask her about whether or not her belief in the 'rapture' would affect her decisions.  Would she create an apocalypse, or another world war, in order to bring about the rapture?

Byron York's question was right to ask the question and I applaud him for it!

Here is the actual footage...

Thursday, August 11, 2011

A Funny To Tide You Over

Conflicting Desires

Oh, what a dilemma.  The last couple of days have been relatively slow; not a lot of news stories I felt compelled to write about.  Now, there are several stories coming in on my news feeds that I want to write about, but I am conflicted.

You see, my college classes begin in about two weeks and I was able to pick up my textbooks today.  I want to lock myself in my office and read through them all!!!  My husband says that I'm the only person he knows that gets this excited about textbooks.   =)

Well, the nerd in me wins.  I'm going to delve into my books and when I get a massive headache from knowledge overload, I might take a break and provide my opinions about the stories I've seen.  If you don't hear from me for a few days, don't worry; be assured that I am okay and buried neck deep in books.

Yeah for school!!!!

Wednesday, August 10, 2011

Yeah For Sex Ed

Beginning this fall, the NYC school district will begin educating its 6th and 7th grade students about sex, including instruction on proper condom use.  Hurray for reason!!! 

My son and I were actually having a discussion about this earlier today.  I happened to ask him if he’d had sex-ed yet, but as of the end of his freshman year, he hadn’t (not surprising in the part of the country that we live in).  Of course, my husband and I have already had this conversation with our son many times and have provided easy access to condoms (should he ever feel the need to protect himself).   

As parents, who were once young people ourselves, we understand the surge of hormones that kids have to deal with and we understand that kids are going to have sex (whether we want them to or not).  I feel it’s important to educate our children about the STD’s that threaten, the potential for teen pregnancy and its challenges, and most importantly, how to protect themselves. 
The worst thing you could do is to make sex a dirty, unmentionable word in your house.  Making sex a comfortable topic, encouraging questions, and allowing your child to make their own (well informed) decisions leads to nothing but good things.
Of course, the religious groups are already pitching a fit over this initiative, but most of us have heard what ‘abstinence only’ education will get you (higher rates of teen pregnancy, increase of STD infection rates, increase in abortion rates, etc).  Unfortunately, the ‘righteous’ are in denial about the disastrous consequences of inadequate sex-ed. 
Get a load of Rick Perry being interviewed about this very issue:


There was a much better, and longer, clip floating around (somewhere on the internet) of the interview cited by the Young Turks.  I couldn't find it, but if someone knows where I could find it, would you please let me know?  It is an interview by Evan Smith, from the Texan Tribune, of Rick Perry.  Thnx.

IHOP Demons

Mike Bickle is the preacher from the International House of Prayer (IHOP) and was a part of the "Response" in Texas last week.  He says he sees real live demons....   lol     

This guy is insane!!!

Tuesday, August 9, 2011

So Pissed Off!!!

I follow the Huffington Post's Religious section regularly.  Today, I posted a comment in the article "Why I am not an atheist" by Bishop Pierre Whalon.   My comment was in response to the main comment made by TopP100:
I'm an atheist for reason #1. I have yet to see a theist present even so much as a small shred of concrete evidence for the existence of a god. The argument that asking to see scientific evidence for the existence of god is "unreason­able" to me seems to be more of an intellectual­al cop out than an actual argument.           
Towards which, a user called BlakKat made another comment, along the lines of :
"...believing in other gods like Odin, Thor and Vishnu are equally silly..." (although, I cannot be certain of BlakKat's post, verbatim - because it was deleted)

My response to BlakKat, was a continuation.  I added:
...invisible pink unicorns, flying spaghetti monsters and teapots (in orbit around the Sun, between Mars and Earth)...  ***the original post contained a typo and the correction still exists***

It seems that my comment was too controversial and was subsequently deleted.  When I posted another reply, to ask the censors for an explanation (I've done this three times), they just deleted my comments and refused to email a reply. 

I used to have a very high opinion of the Huff Post for allowing a varied range of opinions, but this censorship is juvenile and unwarranted.  As I mentioned, in another (request for response) comment - the views that I expressed were not hateful in any way and were censored without valid reasons.  The fact that they refuse to respond to my requests for an explanation, exposes the cowardice of the moderators (who, btw, hide behind their wall of power).

Do what you will with this information.  Cheers!!

Faithful Friends

Recently, FFRF posted pictures, on their facebook page, that were taken during the "Response" protest.  One of the posted comments was from a young lady, who also happened to be a Wiccan.  She chimed in with a supportive comment and was immediately responded to by :Seven Hansen who said
just because you appreciate the separation doesn't mean that your not following/practicing giving faith to old superstitious rot that should be put on the shelf in the age of knowledge, a freedom from religion means that all these nonsense practices should be put to rest...please don't put a spell on me LOL
I was totally pissed off that this guy would attack someone who feels as strongly, about the separation of church and state, as we do.  As a former Wiccan myself, I too was as strongly supportive of our First Amendment rights then, as I am now.  Those who practice 'non-mainstream' belief systems are just as vulnerable as non-believers to discrimination by the christian majority.  

I think that it is important to support and be open, and friendly, to those who (while still faithful in some way) support causes that benefit us all.  Most non-believers, that I've ever met, have (at one time) been faithful in some form or another.  We must remember that we were once brainwashed and gullible; creating dissent amongst those with open-minds only hurts our cause.

Yes, there are times when a sharp tongue can come in handy; when religion is shoved down our throat, when it impedes upon our civil rights, in defense of the defenseless.  But, consider carefully how your words might very well push a person away, who might otherwise be very receptive to a more enlightened world view.

Justice Is Served

Warren Jeffs, has been sentenced to life plus 20 years.  While this is a victory for those two poor little girls who were horribly abused, the scary part is that there are still 10,000 followers of this nutty sect.  I hope that we do not see another leader take over and do these kinds of things to other vulnerable girls. 

Sick bastard.  It's people like this that make me wish that hell was a real place, because this guy ranks near the top of my f'd-up-o-meter.

This Woman Gives Me Nightmares

As a woman, I have to say that it would be nice to, one day, see a woman serve our country as POTUS, but NOT THIS WOMAN!  Newsweek is being blasted by the media for the pose of Michelle Bachmann that they placed on the cover.  Personally, I think that the cover photo is a good representation of how scary this woman is.  If this woman becomes President, I'm immigrating to Canada!!!!!
In this first video, Scary Spyce praises David Barton as a "gift to our nation"...



And this is a video of David Barton essentially telling people that, if christians ran America, the government would no longer help the poor. Yeah, what a gift!


Now, I don't dream; haven't since I was a child, but this woman gives me some very disturbing nightmares. 

Some Begin To See The Light

According to a story by NPR, there are those in the evangelical community who no longer believe in the validity of the 'Adam & Eve' story of Genesis. 
Dennis Venema, a biologist at Trinity Western University, replies: "That would be against all the genomic evidence that we've assembled over the last 20 years, so not likely at all."
The idea of an evangelical biologist seems oxymoronic to me, but that's beside the point. 
To many evangelicals, this is heresy.
"From my viewpoint, a historical Adam and Eve is absolutely central to the truth claims of the Christian faith," says Fazale Rana, vice president of Reasons To Believe, an evangelical think tank that questions evolution. Rana, who has a Ph.D. in biochemistry from Ohio University, readily admits that small details of Scripture could be wrong.
"But if the parts of Scripture that you are claiming to be false, in effect, are responsible for creating the fundamental doctrines of the Christian faith, then you've got a problem," Rana says.
Again, this fundie has a Ph.D. in biochemistry?  From an accredited university?  What did they do, lie their way through college?
Of course, the fundies really do have a big problem if they open their eyes and face the scientific facts.  By denying the idea that human beings arose from just two individuals, they will essentially have to throw out the core tenets of their belief.  Why?  Because if there was no Adam & Eve, then there was no original sin; if there was no original sin, then the idea that god made himself mortal in order to knowingly participate in his own assisted suicide for the sake of absolving us of our 'original sin' becomes moot.  There would be no need for christ, his execution, or his resurrection.  It would all be completely meaningless.
 By golly, they've almost got it!!!

Small steps, right?  We've got to celebrate all of the small steps.  They will eventually get you somewhere.

It's Too Early For This S%#t!

I get up this morning, open the laptop, check facebook, and what do I see?  This bs!

Everybody, let's do this (and NBC - this one's for you!) ....We should flood Facebook with this...."I pledge allegiance to the flag of the United States of America and to the republic for which it stands: one nation under G O D, indivisible, with Liberty and Justice for all". RE-POST IF YOU THINK GOD, OUR COUNTRY, OUR FLAG, AND OUR MILITARY DESERVE RESPECT!!!!...... Let's just see how many AMERICANS will re-post
Now, under different circumstances I might blast the person who mindlessly re-posted this crap (that I assume is linked to the now ancient story of NBC leaving "under god, indivisible" out of the pledge recitation that aired during some silly golf tournament), but this 're-poster' is a family member.

I love and respect this person; I don't want to start a family feud that would lead to members of my family 'defriending' me on facebook (my mother already did), so I'll let it pass on that forum.  But I have to vent a little.

I know that most people don't realize that when Francis Bellamy originally wrote the pledge in 1892 it actually read, "I pledge allegiance to my flag and the republic for which it stands: one nation indivisible with liberty and justice for all."  Between that time and 1954, it was re-worked a few times and eventually came to include "the United States of America", but it wasn't until 1954 that "under god" was added (and I feel it should be removed).

Another thing that sticks in my craw is the idea that I should 'respect' god, or our government, and that, if I don't, I'm not American.  In reference to the 'god' part, I cannot respect that which does not exist; and as for the 'government' part, it is my duty, as an American citizen, to question the government, not to respect it.  The government is 'by the people and for the people', not the other way around.  The government should respect US!  The military, being an arm of the government, doesn't deserve my respect either; although, I do respect the individual service members who have made so many sacrifices for my country.

People who come up with this nonsense and then post it on the social networking sites are really a&#holes, but the ones who mindlessly re-post this crap need a good smack to the back of the head.

Monday, August 8, 2011

The Thinking Atheist

If you haven't heard of Seth (The Thinking Atheist), you're missing out.  His podcasts are awesome and his video productions aren't too shabby either. Here is one of his classics:



I think that one of the reasons I like him so much is that he is located next door to me; somewhere in the state of Oklahoma.

Don't We Live In A Free Country?

Say I wanted to walk through a neighboring town, with my friends, take a couple of pictures, and enjoy a nice lunch at a local cafe....what would be wrong with that?  Apparently, a lot; that is, if you walk through the ultra-orthodox Jewish community of Kiryas Joel, in the state of New York. 

According to a small group of friends, who decided to visit this village,
we saw a new-looking sign advising visitors to cover themselves and "maintain gender separation." We did the best we could given that we had walked five miles in 88 degree heat--the one female in our group had brought a long-sleeved shirt just in case, and she put it on before passing the sign.
Once inside the village limits, they began to take a few pictures and were soon stopped by a man, dressed in traditional orthodox garb, who jumped out of a black SUV.  This person, who doesn't seem to have presented the visitors with authoritative credentials, asked for the IDs of all members of the group.  They refused and began walking away from this man, who turned out to be Moses Witriol (a public safety director for the village); Moses then grabbed one of the group by the arm and refused to let go (a clear case of assault). 
See news coverage of the incident:


Read the full story of the group here

It seems to me that we live in a free country.  If I want to visit any town in this great nation of ours, I should have the right to do that.  This kind of seperatism in this country is abhorrent and should not be tolerated.  Just because they want to keep an isolated community does not mean that they can if any of the funds used for the city streets, sidewalks, etc are paid for with taxpayer money. 

This poor group was stopped because they appeared to be "suspicious".  Of what?  Taking in the sights and snapping a few pictures?  Should these communities be allowed to enact a 'police state' where our own rights to walk down a public road are violated?  NO! 

What the hell is this country coming to?

Sunday, August 7, 2011

Palm Smacks Forehead

I know that creationist bullpocky is trying to weasel its way into our school systems in the US, but I was unaware that this was a hot topic of debate in the UK.  Listening to the creationist arguments in this television program made my palm involuntarily meet my forehead.  I mean, what the bloody hell?





Now I've got a headache.  Time for a shot of vodka and sleep.  =)

This Guy Is So Nerdy, He's Cute!

Skyzthelimi7 is a cute little Irish nerd, who I first saw on YouTube during the World Atheist Convention in Dublin.  He presents us with a new video featuring Richard Dawkins being subjected to a plethora of nonsense.  It hurts me to think of poor Richard sitting through this entire panel interview; the topic of which was whether or not the bible is relevant "today".  Skyzthelimi7 has chopped it up quite a bit, but I still think it was worth watching.   He's so easily exasperated.   =)

What An Evening

Tonight, the Discovery Channel aired the premier of "Curiosity" starring Stephen Hawking.  Considering the title of the episode (Did God Create The Universe?) and Hawking's stance on that question, I expected to be pleased, impressed, entertained, etc.  Disappointment ensued.  The only thing that made watching the episode entertaining was my participation in The Evolving Scientist's "Live Blog". 

Not only was "Curiosity" extremely boring (it seemed to be dumbed down so much, that it might as well have been geared towards preteens), but it essentially skirted the question (although Hawking did answer the question with No).  The panel discussion, afterwards, was worse.  The theologian on the panel brought up the notion of NOMA (for those of you who don't know this term, it stands for Non-Overlapping Magisteria, which basically says that god is out of the realm of science; put another way, science is for the how, not the why) and he invited Hawking to have conversations with theologians (somehow, I think Hawking has better things to do with his time, such as, unifying physics).

I hypothesized, during the Live Blog, that the Templeton Foundation might have some secret involvement in the creation of this episode, but it was probably presented, in the way that it was, out of fear.  Fear of pissing off the majority of Americans who are highly religious and sorely under-educated.  It really is a shame.

Not Yo' Mamma's Sunday School #002

Welcome back...
When we left off last week, Abraham and Lot decided to go their separate ways.  Lot then settled on the plains outside of Sodom and
Genesis 13:14-18
Abraham settled upon the plains of Mamre (every time I see the name of that area, I'm reminded of mammary glands - silly, I know).
Genesis 14:1-16
Some time after, the local tribes began warring with one another and Lot was taken prisoner during the ruckus.  An unnamed person, who was also taken prisoner, escaped; he/she ran to Abraham to tell him what had happened.  Well, that got Abraham fired up, so he armed his 318 slaves (yes, 318) and went in pursuit.  (He probably had more slaves, but he only took those that had been born in his house; he probably didn't trust the ones he had captured) He smote his enemies, rescued his nephew, and reaped his rewards through plunder.
Genesis 15:1-8
This next chapter begins with Abraham whining about being childless, but God tells him not to worry; he'll have an heir one day.  God is very vague, though, and doesn't tell Abraham when or how this heir will come about.

"The Response" Protest

Joe Zamecki filmed his day, during the protests, outside of Reliant Stadium, including a guest appearance from AronRa

Saturday, August 6, 2011

Oldie But Goodie

Although this video was created as a slam on atheism, it's become a cult classic in our circle.  I know this isn't new or exciting, but I ran across this on youtube and it made me laugh again.  I thought it might generate a smile:

Thunderf00t's Response To "The Response"

You know...I almost laughed out loud when, after they prayed for rain in Texas, the little tropical depression barely skirted the southern border a couple of weeks ago.  But I didn't; I remembered those poor people who are suffering there, my mother included.   I worry for those Texas citizens who are being poorly governed, whose children are denied a proper education (in both science and sex), and whose leader won't lift a hand to really fix the problems in his state (lifting his hands in prayer does not count).

After today's mega prayer rally, I'm sure that the freethinking community will have plenty of replies to this idiocy.  I saw that Thunderf00t uploaded a new video, so  I thought I'd share:


 

The Contradictory Nature of Michelle Bachmann

Friday, August 5, 2011

Argh Mateys!

Break out the rum my friends. The Captain's ship has been found.
In the 17th century, Captain Henry Morgan sailed as a privateer on behalf of England, defending the Crown's interests and pioneering expeditions to the New World. In 1671, in an effort to capture Panama City and loosen the stronghold of Spain in the Caribbean, Morgan set out to take the Castillo de San Lorenzo, a Spanish fort on the cliff overlooking the entrance to the Chagres River, the only water passageway between the Caribbean and the capital city.
Although his men ultimately prevailed, Morgan lost five ships to the rough seas and shallow reef surrounding the fort.

Archeologists have located one of these ships with some cargo and crates intact (they haven't opened them yet).  The makers of the rum, named after this legendary pirate, are "clearly hoping there's liquor in there."  

I just bet they are.    =)     Read more here.

"The Blasphemers Prayer"

Ran across this on Youtube and thought I'd share. Enjoy.

Good Question

Michael Graziano, in a Huffington Post article today, "Is Spirituality a Byproduct of Evolution?" The article is vague and carefully worded (I think he doesn't want to piss off the faithful) and he misrepresents (accidentally?) the pharyngeal arches in human embryos as "gill slits", but overall, I think that it is an important question to ask (and to get the public talking about).

Spirituality (and its evil child, religion) probably did not evolve specifically for survivability or reproduction; they are probably a misfiring of other neurological processes that are. From what I understand, Michael Shermer's new book, The Believing Brain, delves into this question. I haven't read it yet (no money and it hasn't made its way into my local library) but I am looking forward to it.

If you have any thoughts on the subject, please feel free to pass it along in the comments section or by email.

Not Second-Class Citizens

There are a few states in the US where same-sex marriage (civil unions) are legally recognized; congratulations New York for being the latest and hopefully not the last.  But, across the country, there are those who are continually refused the basic rights that we (straight) married folk possess; rights, such as, coverage under the health care plan of one's partner or the ability to see one's partner during an emergency room visit.

While some great victories have been achieved, the fight for marriage equality in this country is far from over.  I came across an article, that I hope you will check out, called "23 Portraits Of Gay Couples That Can’t Get Married"  It includes the photo of a couple that live in Fayetteville, Arkansas; only a forty minute drive from where I live.

These folks deserve the same rights that the rest of us enjoy.

Thursday, August 4, 2011

Fellow Governors Distancing Themselves From Perry

Gov. Rick Perry invited all of his fellow governors to attend his prayer/fasting rally and most ignored him.  But, Gov. Brownback from Kansas said he planned to attend and Gov. Jindal of Louisiana said he might be able to make it.

A new article claims that these two governors are no longer attending and that Perry, himself, might be taking a step back from this event.  It has been very clear that Perry's hopes for a presidential nod might be severely damaged by his involvement with this event; it seems to me that fellow politicians are realizing the danger that it would pose to their own careers and are quickly running as far away from this event as possible.  Smart move on their part.

Read more at the Secular Coalition of America

Another Nail In The Coffin


According to a new poll, the church is facing the facts that women are leaving the church at a much higher rate then their male counterparts.  According to the Christian Post:
“Women used to put men to shame in terms of their orthodoxy of belief and the breadth and consistency of their religious behavior. No more; the religious gender gap has substantially closed,” said George Barna in his report.
 I wonder why that is?  Could it possibly be because women are tired of being told that they must submit to their husbands in order to be good christian wives?  Perhaps it is because religious dogma perpetuates the idea that women are 'less than' men.  Whatever the reason, I'm not overly surprised.

Update: Warren Jeffs

After only three hours of deliberation, Warren Jeffs has been found guilty on both counts of aggravated sexual assault.  MSNBC reports that he could face up to 119 years in prison, but we must wait for the sentencing phase (jurors are taking a break before that phase begins). 

I sincerely hope that his pervert gets the maximum sentence, although I doubt he'll survive long in prison.  From what I understand, even convicts are disgusted by crimes against children and have been known to mete out their own version of jailhouse justice in the form of a shank.

Very Serious

I've just seen the most horrific thing and I am just now able to see through the tears to pass this along to you now.  If you have access to Netflix, I suggest that everyone watch "The Stoning of Soraya M."  I've spent the last hour literally bawling over this movie. 

Let me begin by saying that I, from the age of two until I was fourteen, suffered molestation, rape and beatings, but now, I feel so petty that I bewailed my childhood when much more unspeakable crimes are being committed in places like Iran.

Hit the jump...

Wednesday, August 3, 2011

On The Topic Of Militant Atheism

mil·i·tant

[mil-i-tuhnt] 
adjective
1. vigorously active and aggressive, especially in support of a cause: militant reformers.
2. engaged in warfare; fighting.
 
Do I consider myself to be a militant atheist?  After a lot of consideration, I’d have to say yes.  I am aggressive and active, but I am not an extremist and being an atheist does not define the whole of my existence.  I am passionate and vocal about a wide variety of things; one of which just happens to be non-belief.

Away from the blogosphere, I rarely even broach the topic of belief or non-belief.  I don’t go around asking people where they stand, I don’t accost church-goers in the parking lot after Sunday services, I don’t deface personal property that depicts religion, etc.  I truly feel that everyone is entitled to their own opinion.   But…

What The F&%K!!!!!!!!!!

The Atheist Experience podcast (see sidebar for link ---> ) is usually very entertaining due to the (sometimes) insane callers, but this one takes the f&%king cake.  I am so pissed, I am literally seeing red. 

This caller seems to "know" that 99% of all rape allegations are fake and that it is physically impossible to rape a woman.  I mean, wtf?!?  You really have to see it to believe it.  This man is so completely clueless!!! 



I don't know what else to say.  I am so mad that I can't type straight.
ARGHHHHHHH!

Update: Stephanie Van Dyk, writing for the Friendly Atheist, has a thing or two to say on the subject, as well.  Only, she is much calmer than I am at this moment and, therefore, more eloquent.

Rat Poison With A Twist

Lophiomy imhausi
The African crested rat (Lophiomys imhausi) has the ability to sicken, or even kill, predators who attempt to make a meal of it.  How could a rat kill a predator?  The answer: with elephant poison.
Yep, that's right.

It seems that "researchers suspected that the rodents were harboring poison" and a new study reveals that the rat has, in fact, enlisted the help of the "arrow poison tree" (Acokanthera schimperi) to protect itself.  This tree produces a poison that was once used by hunters, who coated their arrow points with it, to take down big game, such as elephants.

This resourceful little rodent is immune to the poison's effects and, after gnawing on the bark for awhile, use their poison-laden saliva to coat their pelt.  Such smart little critters.  Read more at Science Magazine.

Tuesday, August 2, 2011

Spray On Burkas

Well, you had to think that this would happen.  Once the radical muslim community in the UK attempts to create "sharia controlled zones", the authorities inevitably step in to tell them what's what.
Image Source

Two young vandals were offended by adverts that used models with exposed flesh; they thought it their duty to cover these "scantily-clad" vixens with spray paint, but were caught in the act by authorities.  One of them had already been fined previously for placing anti-gay stickers up. 

I can totally see more severe clashes occuring in the future.  Read more at The Freethinker.

Child Abuse A Problem In Jewish Communities Too

Child abuse, hidden behind the veil of tight-knit religious communities, is nothing new.  Lately, we’ve heard plenty about the Catholic priests and people like Warren Jeffs; but it seems that the Jewish community is not immune.

Following the recent death and dismemberment of the young orthodox Jew in Borough Park, one brave soul has stepped forward to tell the world that it wasn’t an isolated incident.  Judy Brown, who writes under the pseudonym Eishes Chayil, published “Hush”, a book geared toward young adult readers, which outlines her childhood experiences, as a witness of child sexual abuse, in an orthodox Jewish community. 
She chose to write under the pseudonym to protect herself and her family, but after the recent and horrific events, she felt she had to come out into the open and raise awareness of the problems going on in her community.
Her article, published yesterday at the Huffington Post is entitled Orthodox Jewish ChildAbuse: Shattering a Traumatic Silence”.  Well worth the read.
I applaud her courage and will be picking up her book, “Hush” at the next available opportunity.

They Are Trying To Take Your Balls!

Hanging of 'Truck Nuts' Grows into a Free Speech Debate
A South Carolina woman was pulled over by Bonneau, SC "police chief Franco Fuda" because she had a pair of "truck nuts" hanging from the hitch of her pickup.  It seems the chief asked her to remove them, but "when she refused, he wrote her a $445 ticket saying that she violated South Carolina’s obscene bumper sticker law."

Well, she's fighting back and the issue will now be brought before a jury. 

Geez, what's next? Cod-pockets for bulls, horses and bulldogs?  If they are offended by plastic testicles they must be really offended by naturally occuring ones.
Image Source

Sharia Controlled Zones In UK. WTF?!?

Islamic extremists in the UK are implementing, what they call, sharia controlled zones.  I first heard about it from Pat Condell (a video response from Pat is below); now, these radicals have held a press conference to outline what they plan to do, which is force their beliefs upon those who live within these zones, even if you are not a follower of Islam.  In one instance, they claimed that if they saw a person drinking a beer, they would make that person throw the beer down and "take" them to an Islamic center to be educated about the error of their ways.

Prohibited under sharia, if they get their way:
Porn - That's right boys and girls; no more bedroom fun for us!
Gambling - Weekend trips to the casino, or poker nights, go right out the window.  Not cool!
Booze - Um, NO!!!!!!!!!!!  That's medicine, don't you know.
Makeup - Oh, the horror! 
Exposed flesh - That's right! No more shorts, tank tops and peeks of cleavage.  It'll be burkas all the way.
Promiscuity - Yes, I'm married and monogamous, so I don't have to worry about this one, but if I were single, I absolutely reserve the right to enjoy any man, or woman, that I wanted (and who wanted me back), when I wanted.

Yep, no dressing up, fixing our hair, putting on makeup, or a slinky dress; no more going out for a nice evening of gambling, drinking and picking up some stranger at the bar so we can take them up to our room to watch a little porn.  Who the heck do these men think they are?

Please watch the video below:

Monday, August 1, 2011

Salvation Boulevard

A new movie described by FFRF as "a mystery [book]-turned-into-new-movie starring Pierce Brosman and Greg Kinnear, a study of faith vs. atheism wrapped inside a comic thriller."



Be sure to check out FFRF's interview with the book's author, Larry Beinhart, on Freethought Radio.

Giving Up The Church

It seems that the church is still very worried that young people are giving up the ghost, so to speak. Jon Nielson of The Gospel Coalition says:

“What do we do about our kids?” The group of parents sat together in my office, wiping their eyes. I’m a high school pastor, but for once, they weren’t talking about 16-year-olds drinking and partying. Each had a story to tell about a “good Christian” child, raised in their home and in our church, who had walked away from the faith during the college years.
Yes!  College is the first glimpse into reality for some of these poor indoctrinated folks.  Nielson goes on to say,  "the daunting statistics about chucchgoing [sic] youth keep rolling in. Panic ensues. What are we doing wrong in our churches? In our youth ministries?"  Answer: You are lying to them through your pearly christian teeth! 

Churches are dying among many communities.  In my town, it is pretty rare to see folks younger than 40 in the church parking lots on Sunday (unless it's kids taken there by grandparents).  I wouldn't be surprised to see more and more churches being put up for sale in upcoming years.  With massive amounts of information available to anyone with internet access, the strong-arm of the church weakens every day.  Knowledge is power!

Government Keeping An Eye On Right-Wing Extremists

Julio Severo - Last Days Watchman

Julio Severo, described by WorldNetDaily (another christian "news" site) as a "prominent pro-family activist in Brazil, [who] was forced into exile because of the  (hate crimes) laws in his land", is a homophobic, christian blogger now living an "undisclosed location."  His self-imposed exile was in response to complaints filed with the Brazilian government by AGBLT.

Anyway, he's apparently being watched by the US government.  Why?  Because he is a christian extremist.  It seems that this is upsetting the online christian community and they worry that this one blogger isn't the only one being watched. 

Thanks to Bush's anti-terror laws, it's a probability that we're all being watched.  Get over it!  Personally, I'm very frightened by these extremists and am glad somebody is keeping an eye on them.  As long as they break no laws, they have nothing to worry about.

Great Article In USA Today

We, as freethinkers, skeptics, atheists, etc. are fully aware that we don't need a magic security camera in the sky to by good, moral people, but others have not caught on to this little snippet of knowledge.  That's why I applauded when I saw this article in the opinion section of USAToday, written by Jerry A. Coyne.  It is so important to spread the word of reason through mainstream media. 
Mr. Coyne begins his article with a personal experience:
One cold Chicago day last February, I watched a Federal Express delivery man carry an armful of boxes to his truck. In the middle of the icy street, he slipped, scattering the boxes and exposing himself to traffic. Without thinking, I ran into the street, stopped cars, hoisted the man up and helped him recover his load. Pondering this afterward, I realized that my tiny act of altruism had been completely instinctive; there was no time for calculation.
and he goes on to give examples of how we cannot possibly derive morality from "holy books":
Was God being moral when, after some children made fun of the prophet Elisha's bald head, he made bears rip 42 of them to pieces (2 Kings 2:23-24)? Even in the New Testament, Jesus preaches principles of questionable morality, barring heaven to the wealthy (Matthew 19:24), approving the beating of slaves (Luke 12:47-48), and damning sinners to the torments of hell (Mark 9:47-48). Similar sentiments appear in the Quran
Now, few of us see genocide or stoning as moral, so Christians and Jews pass over those parts of the Bible with judicious silence. But that's just the point. There is something else — some other source of morality — that supersedes biblical commands. When religious people pick and choose their morality from Scripture, they clearly do so based on extrareligious notions of what's moral.
I certainly hope that more articles like this one will continue to make their way into the main media outlets and will encourage believers to seriously contemplate the validity of their deeply held beliefs.

Music Lovers, Check This Out!

Cliff at The Evolving Scientist has decided to elucidate us with a three-part series entitled "Science and Celebrity".  The first part is all about musical celebrities and their ties to science.

While I enjoy every kind of music, from classical to head-bangin' metal, rarely can I tell you the name of the band, much less the names of the artists themselves.  Well, Cliff has done his research and I thought the piece was illuminating.

To tell you the truth, I wasn't really surprised to see so many musicians with interests in physics, mathematics, chemistry, biology, etc.  The kinds of people interested in these fields tend to be able to see patterns that others cannot.  That's a huge advantage for musicians, as well.

Once upon a time, whist in high school, I took a music theory class where we were required to compose our own piece of music.  It turned out to be an easier assignment than I anticipated.  I took a very logical approach to composition and treated it like a math problem.   Easy A.  Also, being a band geek probably helped.  =)

Anyway, check out Cliff's article.  I hope you enjoy it as much as I did.  Rock on!