A Milestone in Reproductive Heath- RU 486

Lately, I have been hearing alot of talk about reproductive health. Seems to always come from men who appear to be interested in protecting "life", or the destiny of a pregnancy. However, I find it very interesting that people who really want to protect the life of a cluster of cells always want to deny women the access to safe and effective technology. In turn, many women are forced to pursue unsafe options in choosing what they want to do. Again, being pro-choice supports the platform of choice; supporting a woman who decides to continue or terminate her pregnancy. Pro-lifers interpret this as being pro-abortion; it is not. Just because they are anti-abortion or anti- choice does not mean that pro-choice is the complete opposition to their position. A woman's individual needs decides her choice.

Nevertheless, due to the persistent work of many women, it is time to celebrate RU 486. A safe and effective drug that allows a woman the right to choose to terminate her pregnancy in the privacy of her own home. Administered in a pregnancy under 9 weeks, no more need for going to a clinic where people scream at you. No more need for anesthetic, no more need for invasive techniques. Like all drugs, it carries certain risks; however, so does childbirth. A true milestone in women's rights and reproductive health. http://www.ru486facts.org/

This Is Just So Sad

More reports of sexual abuse in the Catholic Church, this time from Belgium. This is just awful.... And, again, the Vatican had no comment. When are people gonna stop supporting this church? When are people gonna start demanding accountability from this institution? These people should be in jail.... And because they preach, they are above the law. Sick.

http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/top/all/7194844.html

The Most Selfish Man in America- Rev Terry Jones- Part 2

So, he has decided to not go ahead and burn the Quran. I totally disagree with this guy, but at least he got people talking, which is always constructive. Now, the holy rollers are going to feel vindicated. This is going to open up a whole other can of worms. Here is his official statement;

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-11255490

Quote of the Day

Here is a comment on Rev Jones. Comes to us from Col. David Lapan, who is a Pentagon spokesperson. I think that this encapsulates how I feel about this whole issue. Ideally, I hope that this controversy makes people think more critically about how religion is harmful to the world. It is, in my opinion, counterproductive to the actualization of the human race, and this is a great example. This statement brings the issue to the core- innocent people will suffer.

“No one is questioning the right to do these things. We are questioning whether that's advisable considering the consequences that could occur,”

The Most Selfish Man in America- Rev Terry Jones

I have been watching this one pretty carefully. To honor the anniversary of September 11, this genius has decided to burn the Quran in protest..... Part of the media bias and backlash over the WTC Mosque is starting, and pious, entitled, people like this are starting to crawl towards the surface. Despite the government and other religious leaders asking him not to do this, he is remaining steadfast in his determination. This has got to be, one of the most selfish acts that I have ever seen done in the name of Christianity in my life; he is basically making innocent American soldiers moving targets in the Middle East. I am all for civil disobedience, but this is just so thoughtless towards the soldiers over there. Principles over life- Principles always wins with the XTians- Screw all the rest.
http://www.google.com/hostednews/ap/article/ALeqM5hKWWJdTrfALpbYfWB6fM58p6u-pwD9I3NLQO1

Be Proud America... One in Four of Your Teenagers has an STD

So, Ginx has been talking a bit about this stuff. And, I found this article today. It is official.... The American Academy of Pediatrics is revealing that abstinence education and media depictions of sexuality have created a situation where 1 in 4 American teenagers have a sexually transmitted disease. Nice, yet another disgrace added to the litany of abuse given to the population from George W Bush. The AAP wants informed sexual education programs to be given to the kids.... Will never happen. Of course, most Christians will easily omit the abstinence section of this study, and completely blame the media for these findings. Nevertheless, normal people forsee that abstinence breeds deviance, and I personally thought that all along. My own father encouraged me to be sexually responsible and open; he opened the door for me to access birth control free of judgment and restraint with his full support. That brilliant piece of reverse psychology kept me a virgin till I left his home around the age of 19 or 20. Had he made me take a pledge to remain a virgin till marriage, I would have been a dirty, dirty girl with many stories to tell. Thoughts?
http://cnsnews.com/news/article/72167

A Very Interesting Photo Essay on Ground Zero

Here is a really interesting photo essay on Ground Zero. There has been much debate on this whole Mosque thing there.... I think that the discussion is difficult, and I have been having trouble formulating a solid opinion. Nevertheless, I know two things. When I went to Ground Zero, I was shocked and troubled by the Christian presence there. And, secondly, I feel that noone would be crying about it if the property was being used to erect a MegaChurch.... I digress, and this is the "beauty" of capitalism. This essay is a poignant summary of what should be discussed, and I really enjoyed it. Take a look for yourself. As always, all comments are welcome.

http://daryllang.com/blog/4421

Getting the Queers Outta the Hood

So, I stumbled on this one on Facebook today. This video shows a group of people banding together to remove a group of Bible Thumpers praying in front of a same sex couple in a quiet neighbourhood. Makes me proud that they will not stand for this bigotry and hatred anymore. I love that ordinary citizens are removing them, not the authorities. Here it is:

http://www.torontolife.com/daily/informer/the-new-normal/2010/08/24/watch-leslieville-residents-chase-anti-gay-bible-thumpers-from-their-street/

Proposition 8- A Nice Hateful Summary of How Religious Institutions Feel About It.

Yesterday, I was so happy to hear that Proposition 8 had been overturned. I never really understood why the gay community stood for it in the first place. Lobbyists and organizers should have suggested to them that they all move away from the state in protest. Then, watch the government retract when they began to see who was really paying for the state. Civil disobedience would have captured everyone's attention.

Nevertheless, I digress.

I initially wanted to post an article highlighting the homosexual perspective on this issue; the joy at being given a very basic legal and civil right in the "land of the free"; The United States of America, where even slaves were allowed to marry. Then, this article came up, completely illuminating the dark undertow of hate that religions feel entitled to share with the rest of us. This is a nice little summary of public statements made by various groups when it had been overturned. The hypocrisy is shameful, and a really great example of how "backwards" this type of brain works.

Check it out.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2010/08/proposition_8_ruling_in_california_religion_roundup.html

Christian Horizons- Part 2

Last year, I posted about a woman who was taking her employer to The Supreme Court for her dismissal. She had been working at Christian Horizons, and had signed an employment contract with a morality clause indicating that she would not engage in immoral behaviour while working for them. This including gay affairs, drinking, and adultery. (The Nerve). Anyway, she came out of the closet, and they fired her. Well, the courts have started weighing in, and here are the results. They are bipolar at best. The court has maintained that the agency is within their rights to dictate the choices of their employess, however, they wrong in dismissing her. Might I add, they are also receiving public money. Huh? Here is the link, check it out.

Not Sure Where I Sit On This One

Found this article on ABC News... So, it is talking about how atheists are trying to subvert the lunacy of religious baptisms by performing debaptisms with a blow dryer. While I can appreciate the humor behind it, and I most certainly support legally restricting baptisms until children become adults, I am not sure how I feel about this one. It is sitting with me funny and I am not sure why. I am sure that talking about with you folks will help clarify this. Here is the article;

http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/atheists-conduct-de-baptisms/story?id=11109379

Quote of The Day

So, I got this message from one of my oldest friends. We have been friends since we were kids, and she is a mother of 3. I love her. She is also an atheist, and has been actively raising her beautiful children with no religious teaching. She sent me this. This is a conversation that she overheard between her four year old daughter and the kid from next door who was playing with her. It goes as follows:

"Miranda to Stacey, girl next door: "I'm the bestest girl in the whole wide world."
Stacey: "No, God is."
Miranda: "But God doesn't exist."

Love that kid.

Howdy

I missed all of you. I am sorry that I have not been around. I am attempting to finish school right now so that I can start my book project. Not easy. Anyways, I have this to say. Taking a break has given me space. And, I have recently had to use my debating tactics on Facebook. You guys have helped me alot. So, I will start posting again very shortly. Love you bitches.

Apparently, "God" Is Not The Only Being Capable of Creating DNA

So, scientists have managed to create DNA that has been generated by artificial means. Of course, the Vatican does not like this, but at the end of the day, they really do not count. Of course, this advancement will outrage all religious people. But, in due time, they will also fully use all of the medical and environmental advances that this type of technology will provide us. Because, at the end of the day, instead of just praying, they all see the doctor too when they are sick. While I am not negating that this type of technology does have a dark side to the power it can unleash, I feel that this will impact us in a positive manner. Here is an article from the Globe and Mail about it;

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/scientists-create-first-artificial-cell/article1576053/

Christianity goes Telemarketing!!!!!

Today's posting is a little personal, something that I rarely do. However, I got a phone call two days ago that got me thinking. The Jehovah Witnesses left me a message detailing what fate lies for me in the afterlife if I do not accept JayCee as my savior. Now, I know that most mainstream Xtians deny the absurdity of this sect by implementing their favorite argument (IE- "Well, that version of Xtianity is wrong....), but here is the catch. You are all under the same umbrella. It is not our fault that you all decided to fragment the belief to suit your needs. All rhetorical rants aside, I get to the point.

At first, I was really bothered by them invading my personal space and calling my home phone number. But, that mellowed. Now, I hope that they call back. All conjecture aside, they got me thinking about the appropriate way to respond to such discussions.

When I go to work, I often use the technique of mirroring with people. What this means, is I reframe behavior and attitudes in a manner that allows a person to objectively (and safely) see how irrational they are. So, I have decided to do the same with these folks. When someone starts talking to me about JayCee in an evangelical tone, I have come up with the following response. Cause, really, one crazy wholeheartedly deserves another;

"I am sorry. You see, I sold my soul to the Devil when I was ten for ice cream. My position in the afterlife has been firmly secured at the side of the Dark Lord. Thanks anyways."

I would encourage you all to do the same. I cannot wait to test it out.

Another Branch on the Family Tree of Humans Has Been Found.

Scientists have found another human ancestor in Siberia. It is pretty amazing how rapidly we are discovering more and more information about our past. Here it is;

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/new-strain-of-humankind-identified/article1510841/

Uh Huh.... Us Canadians Have a Little More to be Proud of.

So, a research team at the University of Toronto have developed an "Enigma Machine" that decodes genetic "messages". They will now be able to understand the language of our genes; especially in human tissue formation. Exciting, here is the link:

http://www.healthzone.ca/health/yourhealth/article/804883--u-of-t-team-decodes-secret-messages-of-our-genes

How Close to being a Neanderthal? Actually, about 1 to 4 %.

So, researchers have discovered Neanderthal DNA within human DNA. They are estimating that people of non-African ancestry carries 1 to 4% of caveman DNA. Apparently, a group of homo sapiens left Africa and interbred with Neanderthals in the Middle East, where they moved to Europe and Asia. Interesting Stuff; Here it is;

http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/technology/science/humans-carry-neanderthal-dna-researchers-find/article1559142/

Quote of the Day

"Let us in the name of the Holy Trinity go on sending all the slaves that can be sold."

— Howard Zinn

See... Sometimes Saying "The Bible Said" Really is no Defence

Here is a great article from The National Post. Both Britain and Canada have strict laws making it hard for religious bigotry to flourish in the public sphere. Here is a great article about a pastor claiming that "The Bible Said" that it is okay to say that homosexuality is a sin, and his subsequent arrest in Britain. Had this incident occured in Canada, he would have been charged with a hate crime (which is what it is), because our Civil Liberties Association has fought very hard to make religious discrimination punishable by law. I really hope that Americans get tired of it too, and start becoming more proactive about the sanctity of the space that they collectively share.

http://network.nationalpost.com/np/blogs/holy-post/default.aspx

Quote of the Day

Wow.... I cannot believe that I just read this. Here is a quote that I just read from a Christian blogger. I am going to start a new series of these random statements that I find. Say what you will. Here is the full link so that you can properly contextualize what she said. But, below is the full quote:

http://abundantliving-tracy.blogspot.com/

A small incident that occurred recently, underscores what seems all wrong to me about Hell. I watched a 2010 rendition of the Diary of Anne Frank on TV. As is typical, I wept in the ending where it showed the Franks and their attic mates being found and taken by the Nazis. Following that scene, this rendition went on to print out how each of them died, accounting how Anne died in a concentration camp. Later when I was talking with my husband John the thought came to both he and myself that it was possible that both Anne and Hitler ended up in Hell. Boy does that seem totally unreasonable! Hitler in hell seems just, but one of his victims- my heart says that's not fair!

Now This is Some Interesting Stuff

Dr. Georg Northroff, has some controversial findings. He is the research director of the Mind, Brain Imaging and Neuroethics faculty of the University of Ottawa's Institute of Mental Health Research. Here are his credentials;

http://www.imhr.ca/research/northofflab/index-e.cfm

Anyways, this will probably be the last that anyone hears of him because he is publicly going to denounce the reality of faith from a neurological perspective. In fact, he tends to cautiously allude that the more faithful of our population tend to be highly mentally unstable. Which, in my world, explains alot. Here is the link, it is some interesting stuff. I like where this could go. Many interesting doors could open if neurological research continues to actively pursue this line of thinking.

http://www.vancouversun.com/life/Brain+unable+understand+existence+expert/2682486/story.html

Big News- The Vatican forgave the Beatles

I guess in all of the recent publicity about the sex scandal and corruption in their church, this one must have went by the media. So, the Vatican forgave the Beatles for the Jesus comment. Check it out, its pretty funny. The hypocrisy is steep.

On March 4, 1966, this quote of John's was printed in an interview by reporter (and friend of John's) Maureen Cleave in the London Evening Standard:

"Christianity will go. It will vanish and shrink. I needn't argue with that; I'm right and I will be proved right. We're more popular than Jesus now; I don't know which will go first - rock 'n' roll or Christianity. Jesus was all right but his disciples were thick and ordinary. It's them twisting it that ruins it for me."

We all know what followed after. So, now they have released this;

http://network.nationalpost.com/NP/blogs/holy-post/archive/2010/04/12/vatican-forgives-the-beatles-for-bigger-than-jesus-comment.aspx

I think that Madonna will have to wait awhile before her apology comes.

Barbie Gets Some Jesus in her Plastic Life

My friend just sent me this on Facebook. Priceless. Check it out. They have made a Barbie Doll for all the Christian little girls out there. To see it is to believe it.

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2010/04/reverend_barbie_the_plastic_episcopal_priest.html?hpid=talkbox1

Got A Great Joke For All of You.

Happy Easter!!!! Maybe, someday, this holiday will no longer exist. I hope so.

So, here is my great joke.

You ask the person "What's this" and stretch your arms out as wide as they will go.

They say "I don't know".

You say "A shitty way to spend Easter." End of joke.

Not Even Free Gas Can Get Folks to Church

No kidding. A church in Peterborough offered people free gas in an attempt to get people to come to their church. Six people came, despite the offer extending to the first 100. I am thinking that this is a good thing. Even in a recession, you cannot lure folks in with free gas. Love it. I am thinking that they really need to sweeten the offer. Check it out.

http://ca.news.yahoo.com/s/capress/100328/national/oddity_church_free_gas

Things Are Heating Up in Quebec

A coworker of mine told me about this. Quebec public daycares are banning all religion within their centres. Love it. Quite frankly, I am shocked that it is even on the table because they are feeding from the public taxpaying trough and it should not be there in the first place. Here it is;

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/montreal/story/2010/03/10/mont-daycare-religion.html?ref=rss

A New One To Add To My Personal Lexicon

Love this, and I feel that this reflects the religious mind very well. It is called Puffery. This is

"statements based on grandiose and exaggerated statements and opinions, not on fact."

Love it.

Further Abuse for the Victims of the Catholic Church

A friend of mine just sent me this article on Facebook. It is shocking, and speaks for itself. In fact, I find it downright infuriating. Here it is;

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/world/europe/article7048747.ece

I Just Learned About Tiktaalik

This handsome gentlemen was found in the bowels of the Canadian Artic. His fossil confirmed what Darwin thought- that ocean animals adapted to find their way to the land. Here is a link if anyone is interested in taking a look at him;

http://tiktaalik.uchicago.edu/

Timeline With The Judas Cradle

To do this series, I am going to present key findings in the history of the Inquisition followed by a torture device that they used against accused heretics.

To backtrack, before the atrocities began in Europe, this was a key happening in the history of the Inquisition. It begins with declaring all non Christian behaviour illegal.

Theodosius becomes the eastern emperor in AD 379 and rapidly settles the religious splits within the empire by declaring pagan worship and Christian heresies (such asArianism) to be illegal. A law of 380 orders all citizens to subscribe to the Catholic doctrines agreed under the chairmanship of Constantine the Great at the Council ofNicaeain 325.

Read more:http://www.historyworld.net/wrldhis/PlainTextHistories.asp?gtrack=pthc&ParagraphID=dfi#ixzz0hEMdF3ep

And, here is one of the instruments that the love of Jesus created- The Judas Cradle.

Judas Cradle (Torture)

The Judas Cradle, a terrible medieval torture where the victim would be placed on top of a pyramid-like seat. The victim's feet were tied to each other in a way that moving one leg would force the other to move as well - increasing pain.

The triangular-shaped end of the judas cradle was inserted in the victim's anus or vagina. This torture could last, depending on some factors discussed below, anywhere from a few hours to complete days.

Death Factors

The time it took someone to die varied enormously from individual to individual. Torturers would sometimes add weight to the victim's legs as to increase pain and hurry the victim's death. Other torturers would place oil on the device which increased pain considerably.

This device was rarely, if at all, washed. If the victim did not die quickly enough, or their painful execution was interrupted, they would invariantly die from an infection.

The victim was sometimes rocked or made fall repeatedly onto the "pyramid". This was done so torturers could acquire vital information from the victim. If he or she refused to talk, the torturer would either add more weight to the victim or make him or her fall repeatedly on the device.

Other information

The Judas cradle was called the culla di Giuda in Italian, the Judaswiege in German and The Wake in French.

The victim was usually naked when subject to the Judas Craddle. This was to increase humiliation.

To prolonge the victim's life and cause more pain, torturers would sometimes rise the victim with ropes for the night and continue the torture during the morning.

A common variant of the Judas Cradle was the Impalement Torture - equally painful.

http://www.medievality.com/judas-craddle.html

Quote Of The Day

I have been thinking alot about a medieval history course I took when I was 19. It was one of the most shocking experiences of my youth, and it really propelled me towards my atheism. I have decided to revisit this, and I am going to post a series about the Inquisition. There are so many Christians out there who no knowledge of the depths of the Christian evil that proliferated during this time. Time to go back, and I will use this quote to begin the journey. More to follow.

"The Christian resolve to find the world evil and ugly, has made the world evil and ugly."
- Friedrich Nietzsche

Quote Of The Day

This week, I have really had to work to remind myself of the wisdom behind this quote..... I agree with it on one level, but on the other, I do not. I can definitely see how religion can be used to steer politics, just not in a civil liberty type of sense. Brought to us by Napoleon Bonaparte, here it is;

"Religion is excellent stuff for keeping common people quiet”

Question For All of You

I have a question because I am having a hard time wrapping my head around this concept- abstinence. Why would the Bush administration pump so much cash into what is clearly a bad idea? What is it a smokescreen for? Why would people encourage their kids to do this? I know that it is probably obvious, but I really do not get why people would so willingly "impair" the natural growth of their kids sexuality? Any feedback is appreciated.

Cry Me A River

Love this

You can teach your child your own values at home. Public schools teach everyone about respecting diversity and valuing everyone.

Canadian Christianity is reporting, through a "leaked document" that the parents of children in Hamilton are not allowed to be omitted from a multicultural teaching that involves sensitivity to minorities. Most importantly, this includes teaching understanding toward the gay population. So, now these "poor Christian children" are going to be forced to hear that the hate of their freakshow homophobic parents is not acceptable to the larger society.

In addition, they stress that if you want to teach hate and anger to your kids, that is your right to do so in the privacy of your own home. However, you cannot not while you are feeding from the publicly funded trough that we all contribute too. I know that I certainly do not give my taxes away to create a curriculum that supports denying anyone their basic civil liberties and rights. And, if these parents are so mad, why do they not pool their money and start their own private school that can specialize in crafting all forms of prejudice and bigotry. Noone would have anything to say if they paid for it themselves. But, that would make too much sense. Nope, of course, they expect everyone else to pay and support their backwards ideology.

Another reason why being a Canadian is the best thing there is. Here it is;

http://www.christianity.ca/frame.asp?http://www.lifesitenews.com/ldn/2010/feb/10021508.html

Clearly, This Abstinence Thing Is Not Working

Here it is, barely a month old. What I had assumed was a bad idea, clearly is. While these crazy parents encourage their kids to save themselves for marriage, teenage pregnancy rates grow. And, this is blamed on the Abstinence propaganda of the Bush administration. So sad.

http://www.guttmacher.org/media/nr/2010/01/26/index.html

Abstinence

From what I understand, Christians are metaphorically speaking, putting chastity belts on their kids by guiding them into taking abstinence pledges until they are married. Why the hell would ANYONE IN THEIR RIGHT MIND want to marry a virgin? What if you are not compatible with the one person that you have chosen to copulate with? Wow, smells like a pretty sick joke to me.

Anyways, The American Academy of Pediatrics released this study confirming that this is pretty ineffective; It is good for a read. Thoughts, anyone?

http://epirev.oxfordjournals.org/cgi/content/full/29/1/29

Reason #1- Christianity is Nothing More Than Recycled Mythology

Christianity borrowed its central myths and ceremonies from other ancient religions.

Again, this comes from Chaz Bufe. "The ancient world was rife with tales of virgin births, miracle-working saviors, tripartite gods, gods taking human form, gods arising from the dead, heavens and hells, and days of judgment. In addition to the myths, many of the ceremonies of ancient religions also match those of that syncretic latecomer, Christianity. To cite but one example (there are many others), consider Mithraism, a Persian religion predating Christianity by centuries. Mithra, the savior of the Mithraic religion and a god who took human form, was born of a virgin; he belonged to the holy trinity and was a link between heaven and Earth; and he ascended into heaven after his death. His followers believed in heaven and hell, looked forward to a day of judgment, and referred to Mithra as "the Light of the World." They also practiced baptism (for purification purposes) and ritual cannibalism—the eating of bread and the drinking of wine to symbolize the eating and drinking of the god’s body and blood. Given all this, Mithra’s birthday should come as no surprise: December 25th; this event was, of course, celebrated by Mithra’s followers at midnight.

Mithraism is but the most striking example of the appearance of these myths and ceremonies prior to the advent of Christianity. They appear—in more scattered form—in many other pre-Christian religions."

"The Pagan Christ" by Tom Harpur really eloquently draws the similarities between Christianity and Egyptian religion. But, if anyone needs anymore convincing, just pick up an art history textbook and follow the images. It really does not take a leap of "faith" to draw this conclusion.

Quote of The Day

Here is a great little quote that I happened to find the other day. This was written to John Adams. It goes as follows;

"The day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the Supreme Being as his father, in the womb of a virgin, will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerva in the brain of Jupiter."

Thomas Jefferson

A Great LIttle Video

One of my friends just sent me this video on Facebook. It is a really simple little history of the relationship between science and religion. If you have five minutes to spare, a nice little refresher.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q4RyUa3OubY

Richard Dawkins takes on Pat Robertson in the New York Times

Here is an interesting article that I found online. It is Richard Dawkins "spin" on how Pat Robertson made his beliefs known about Haiti. What is even more interesting, to me, is the comments made by people beneath this article. Fascinating stuff, it is called "Hear the Rumble of Christian Hypocrisy". Here it is;

http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/comment/columnists/guest_contributors/article7007065.ece

Reason #2- The Explanations of the World in the Bible Were Given to Us By Slave Holding Goat Herders

I borrowed this passage, and I think that it explains it the best;

For over a millennium Christianity arrested the development of science and scientific thinking. In Christendom, from the time of Augustine until the Renaissance, systematic investigation of the natural world was restricted to theological investigation—the interpretation of biblical passages, the gleaning of clues from the lives of the saints, etc.; there was no direct observation and interpretation of natural processes, because that was considered a useless pursuit, as all knowledge resided in scripture. The results of this are well known: scientific knowledge advanced hardly an inch in the over 1000 years from the rise of orthodox Christianity in the fourth century to the 1500s, and the populace was mired in the deepest squalor and ignorance, living in dire fear of the supernatural—believing in paranormal explanations for the most ordinary natural events. This ignorance had tragic results: it made the populace more than ready to accept witchcraft as an explanation for everything from illness to thunderstorms, and hundreds of thousands of women paid for that ignorance with their lives. One of the commonest charges against witches was that they had raised hailstorms or other weather disturbances to cause misfortune to their neighbors. In an era when supernatural explanations were readily accepted, such charges held weight—and countless innocent people died horrible deaths as a result. Another result was that the fearful populace remained very dependent upon Christianity and its clerical wise men for protection against the supernatural evils which they believed surrounded and constantly menaced them. For men and women of the Middle Ages, the walls veritably crawled with demons and witches; and their only protection from those evils was the church.

When scientific investigation into the natural world resumed in the Renaissance—after a 1000-year-plus hiatus—organized Christianity did everything it could to stamp it out. The cases of Copernicus and Galileo are particularly relevant here, because when the Catholic Church banned the Copernican theory (that the Earth revolves around the sun) and banned Galileo from teaching it, it did not consider the evidence for that theory: it was enough that it contradicted scripture. Given that the Copernican theory directly contradicted the Word of God, the Catholic hierarchy reasoned that itmust be false. Protestants shared this view. John Calvin rhetorically asked, “Who will venture to place the authority of Copernicus above that of the Holy Spirit?”

More lately, the Catholic Church and the more liberal Protestant congregations have realized that fighting against science is a losing battle, and they’ve taken to claiming that there is no contradiction between science and religion. This is disingenuous at best. As long as Christian sects continue to claim as fact—without offering a shred of evidence beyond the anecdotal—that physically impossible events occurred (or are still occurring), the conflict between science and religion will remain. That many churchmen and many scientists seem content to let this conflict lie doesn’t mean that it doesn’t exist.

Today, however, the conflict between religion and science is largely being played out in the area of public school biology education, with Christian fundamentalists demanding that their creation myth be taught in place of (or along with) the theory of evolution in the public schools. Their tactics rely heavily on public misunderstanding of science. They nitpick the fossil record for its gaps (hardly surprising given that we inhabit a geologically and meteorologically very active planet), while offering absurd interpretations of their own which we’re supposed to accept at face value—such as that dinosaur fossils were placed in the earth by Satan to confuse humankind, or that Noah took baby dinosaurs on the ark.

They also attempt to take advantage of public ignorance of the nature of scientific theories. In popular use, “theory” is employed as a synonym for “hypothesis,” “conjecture,” or even “wild guess,” that is, it signifies an idea with no special merit or backing. The use of the term in science is quite different. There, “theory” refers to a well-developed, logically consistent explanation of a phenomenon, and an explanation that is consistent with observed facts. This is very different than a wild guess. But fundamentalists deliberately confuse the two uses of the term in an attempt to make their religious myth appear as valid as a well-supported scientific theory.

They also attempt to confuse the issue by claiming that those nonspecialists who accept the theory of evolution have no more reason to do so than they have in accepting their religious creation myth, or even that those who accept evolution do so on “faith.” Again, this is more than a bit dishonest.

Thanks to scientific investigation, human knowledge has advanced to the point where no one can know more than a tiny fraction of the whole. Even the most knowledgeable scientists often know little beyond their specialty areas. But because of the structure of science, they (and everyone else) can feel reasonably secure in accepting the theories developed by scientists in other disciplines as the best possible current explanations of the areas of nature those disciplines cover. They (and we) can feel secure doing this because of the structure of science, and more particularly, because of the scientific method. That method basically consists of gathering as much information about a phenomenon (both in nature and in the laboratory) as possible, then developing explanations for it (hypotheses), and then testing the hypotheses to see how well they explain the observed facts, and whether or not any of those observed facts are inconsistent with the hypotheses. Those hypotheses that are inconsistent with observed facts are discarded or modified, while those that are consistent are retained, and those that survive repeated testing are often labeled “theories,” as in “the theory of relativity” and “the theory of evolution.”

This is the reason that nonspecialists are justified in accepting scientific theories outside their disciplines as the best current explanations of observed phenomena: those who developed the theories were following standard scientific practice and reasoning—and if they deviate from that, other scientists will quickly call them to task.

No matter how much fundamentalists might protest to the contrary, there is a world of difference between “faith” in scientific theories (produced using the scientific method, and subject to near-continual testing and scrutiny) and faith in the entirely unsupported myths recorded 3000 years ago by slave-holding goat herders.

Nearly 500 years ago Martin Luther, in his Table Talk, stated: “Reason is the greatest enemy that faith has.” The opposite is also true.

Chaz Bufe

Quote of the Day

Today, I decided to post a quote in respect of Howard Zinn, who recently passed away. For what it is worth, I consider his book "A People's History of the United States" one of the most salient pieces of literature in the last century. In my most idealistic fantasy, that book would be a mandatory textbook in public schools. And, Fast Food Nation would be too, but that is a whole other blog.

Anyways, years ago, when I was reading his book and finally understanding what he was saying about the importance of conceptualizing history from many viewpoints, I loved this quote. Looking back, I see that it was one of the defining moments in accepting that I was an atheist. Here it is;

"And in such a world of conflict, a world of victims and executioners, it is the job of thinking people, as Albert Camus suggested, not to be on the side of the executioners."

A girl can dream can't she? Anyways, thank you Mr. Zinn.

Reason #3- The Bible is Highly Inaccurate.

The Bible is not a reliable guide to Christ’s teachings. Mark, the oldest of the Gospels, was written at least 30 years after Christ’s death, and the newest of them might have been written more than 200 years after his death. These texts have been amended, translated, and re-translated so often that it’s extremely difficult to gauge the accuracy of current editions—even aside from the matter of the accuracy of texts written decades or centuries after the death of their subject. This is such a problem that the Jesus Seminar, a colloquium of over 200 Protestant Gospel scholars mostly employed at religious colleges and seminaries, undertook in 1985 a multi-year investigation into the historicity of the statements and deeds attributed to Jesus in the New Testament. They concluded that only 18% of the statements and 16% of the deeds attributed to Jesus had a high likelihood of being historically accurate. So, in a very real sense fundamentalists—who claim to believe in the literal truth of the Bible—are not followers of Jesus Christ; rather, they are followers of those who, decades or centuries later, put words in his mouth.

If first hand eyewitness testimony is not credible within a court, why are people using a book that was written thirty years after the fact? You would think that if people, at the time, are deviating from Judaism because they believe that he was the Messiah that they would write everything down, neurotically, as it happened. Not so, which will tie into Reason #1 later on.

It Is Time to Discuss Lilith

The best way to talk about Lilith is to quote an essay from Stephanie Erricson. Here, she provides a little insight into who she was:

"Omission

The cruelest lies are often told in silence. —R.L.Stevenson

Omission involves telling most of the truth minus one or two key facts whose absence changes the story completely. You break a pair of glasses that are guaranteed under normal use and get a new pair, without mentioning that the first pair broke during a rowdy game of basketball. Who hasn't tried something like that? But what about omission of information that could make a difference in how a person lives his or her life? For instance, one day I found out that rabbinical legends tell ofanother is woman in the Garden of Eden before Eve. I was stunned. The omission of the Sumerian goddess Lilith from Genesis—as well as her demonization by ancient misogynists as an embodiment of female evil—felt like spiritual robbery. I felt like I'd just found out my mother was really mystepmother. To take seriously the tradition that Adam was created out of the same mud as his equal counterpart, Lilith, redefines all of Judeo-Christian history. Some renegade Catholic feminists introduced me to a view of Lilith that had been suppressed during the many centuries when this strong goddess was seen only as a spirit of evil. Lilith was a proud goddess who defied Adam's need to control her, attempted negotiations, and when this failed, said adios and left the Garden of Eden. This omission of Lilith from the Bible was a patriarchal strategy to keep women weak. Omitting the strong-woman archetype of Lilith fromWestern religions and starting the story with Eve the Rib has helped keep Christian and Jewish women believing they were the lesser sex for thousands of years."

Is is true? Did Adam have a first wife who was omitted from the Bible during the Canonization process? I am sure that there are people out there who already know this. If you don't, search for yourself. Here is a start;

http://www.asphodel-long.com/html/lilith.html

Reason #4- Christians Come To My Door To Preach

No Jew or Muslim has ever knocked on my door to tell me what is best for me. Enough said.

Reason #5- God Makes You Very Cruel

While the torture and murder of heretics and "witches" is now largely a thing of the past, Christians can still be remarkably cruel. One current example is provided by the Westboro Baptist Church of Topeka, Kansas. Its members picket the funerals of victims of AIDS and gay bashings, brandishing signs reading, "God Hates Fags," "AIDS Cures Fags," and "Thank God for AIDS." The pastor of this church reportedly once sent a "condolence" card to the bereaved mother of an AIDS victim, reading "Another Dead Fag."They are also known to picket the funeral of soldiers. Christians are also at the forefront of those advocating vicious, life-destroying penalties for those who commit victimless "crimes," as well as being at the forefront of those who support the death penalty and those who want to make prison conditions even more barbaric than they are now.

But this should not be surprising coming from Christians, members of a religion that teaches that eternal torture is not only justified, but that the "saved" will enjoy seeing the torture of others. As St. Thomas Aquinas put it:

In order that the happiness of the saints may be more delightful and that they may give to God more copious thanks for it, they are permitted perfectly to behold the sufferings of the damned . . . The saints will rejoice in the punishment of the damned.

Stupid JD Quote of the Day

Here is another gem found from this doofus;

The Founding Fathers here in the US adhered to the "constrained" theory and put checks and balances in place in our system of government to help prevent tyranny.

Wow, sounds good. How did George W Bush slip through those "checks and balances" then? Let me guess, he does not think that he was a tyrant.

Stupid JD Quote of the Day

Because a certain "Christian" blogger (JD) likes to call me out and places my arguments out of context, I have decided to use certain quotes of his to my advantage. Here is his thoughts on poor people voting. Spoken with true compassion and humility indicative of any true Christian. If you find it hard to believe, then here is the link so that you can look it up yourself. I will give him more than he gives anyone, and you can actually read the entire thread and place his ignorance into proper context;

http://feeno-ifibecameanatheist.blogspot.com/2010/01/outlaw-witch-burnings-not-matches-or.html

Where do we draw the line? Heck, let everyone vote. Unless you receive public assistance then throw your voter registration card out the window because all you're going to do is vote yourself a "raise" each and every time.

Reason #6- God Teaches us to Accept Tangible Evil, but Makes us Afraid of Fairytale Evil

Christianity is masterful at making us accept the status quo and all of the social evils that accompany it. It diverts attention from real problems by focusing attention on sexual issues, and when confronted with social evils such as poverty glibly dismisses them with platitudes such as, "The poor ye have always with you." When confronted with the problems of militarism and war, most Christians shrug and say, "That’s human nature. It’s always been that way, and it always will." One suspects that 200 years ago their forebears would have said exactly the same thing about slavery.

This regressive, conservative tendency of Christianity has been present from its very start. The Bible is quite explicit in its instructions to accept the status quo: "Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God; and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation." (Romans 13:1–2)

Is it no wonder then that many people fear the Devil, yet they continue to shop at Walmart? Or, they fear the Rapture, but are complacent about globalization? Nope, makes perfect sense to me.

Reason #7- Because God Hates The Gays

Christianity is homophobic. Christianity from its beginnings has been markedly homophobic. The biblical basis for this homophobia lies in the story of Sodom in Genesis, and in Leviticus. Leviticus 18:22 reads: "Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination," and Leviticus 20:13 reads: "If a man lie with mankind as he lieth with a woman, both of them have committed an abomination: they shall surely be put to death; their blood shall be upon them." And, again, notwithstanding the historical context of homophobia in The Bible.

While the Greeks were openly homosexual, the Romans were not. While the world of the ancient Greeks seems to have tolerated homosexuality (as seen in the poems of Sappho and the dialogues of Plato), that of the Romans was more cautious. Romans in the period of the Roman Republic and early empire tended to perceive the Greek acceptance of male homosexuality as less than male and, thus, literally unvirtuous (Vir being the Latin word for man). Indeed, a Roman term for effeminacy was “Graeculus”—“a little Greek!” In 312, this father of the emperors Constantius II and Constans had reached out to Christianity as the basis for his authority. Throughout the next 25 years of his reign, Constantine supported Christianity and gave financial help to the Church and legal sanction to some of the bishops’ powers. As his sons came of age in an increasingly Christian society, they and many of their advisors would have grown up with Biblical strictures. Thus, the pronouncements of the Book of Leviticus (18. 22, 20. 13) against male homosexuality as an abomination punishable by death in God’s eyes would logically have influenced writers of imperial law. Such strictures were reinforced in the New Testament (Romans 1. 24-27). So, it would appear that the growing influence of the Bible in an increasingly Christian Roman empire led emperors to condemn homosexual unions.

Fast forward 2000 years, and homosexuals have to fight for their basic legal and civil rights in what we call a "civilized" era. Bullshit.

Here is an interesting article. It is about how the Quebec government is supporting writing laws to actively combat homophobia (which would legally make it much simpler to press hate law charges against any religious institution who uses their platform to preach hate), and how these idiots, 2000 years later, are still keeping these backward beliefs. Sad, and this is one of the biggest reasons why I am atheist.

http://www.wnd.com/index.php?fa=PAGE.view&pageId=122113

Quote of the Day

Here is a real gem from Pat Robertson.... This guy, along with Mike Seaver and Ray Comfort really need to head down to the local sperm bank and donate away. The world just needs more of this choice DNA to spread around.

Mr. Robertson is really feeling the need to empower people. And, instead of using positivity, he decides to make his followers feel helpless and victimized. And, he exploits one of the worst tragedies of the twentieth century to do so. Because Christianity is losing its grip on the mainstream, because people are tired of the "moral majority", he likens modern day Christians to this;

"Just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It's no different. It is the same thing. It is happening all over again. It is the Democratic Congress, the liberal-based media and the homosexuals who want to destroy the Christians. Wholesale abuse and discrimination and the worst bigotry directed toward any group in America today. More terrible than anything suffered by any minority in history." –Pat Robertson