Author Archives: Jacob Fortin

Should science programs be ‘impartial’ to religion?

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Morgan Freeman is doing a series of TV shows for the Science Channel called ‘Through the Wormhole’, which discusses advances in discovery that astrobiology, string theory, quantum mechanics, and astrophysics have been making in our understanding of the universe. And while there are some signs  Freeman himself isn’t exactly the most religious person in the world, he still had to pander to the religious crowd while promoting the show on NPR. Here’s what the first caller in to the radio program asked Freeman:

VINCE: My question, Mr. Freeman, is how impartial is the series overall to different views of science and religion?

Mr. FREEMAN: Well, you – I don’t think you can make a series like this and have it partial, because we have to entertain all thoughts, all of the theories around a certain subject. The whole idea is to bring in all of the different theories and thoughts. Particularly if you’re talking about something like creation, you know, you can’t just go in and say this is such and this is such and this is such. Actually, nobody knows. So we get – try to get a rounded perspective on it.

CONAN: The – having seen that episode, even if in a beta form, and I think the only parts I didn’t see were some, obviously the full narration, but there were some illustration system, some graphics that weren’t inserted as yet. But nevertheless, there were – those who take a literal reading of the Bible will not find that view even mentioned.

Mr. FREEMAN: Or very encouraging. No, no, no, they will not, but still, we have to accept that if you take the Bible literally, then the world is only about 6,000 years old. So we have to do that with care, of course, but ask the questions. So mostly what the series does is ask the questions. I don’t think it produces any answers.

CONAN: It does not come to a firm conclusion on the point, Vince, I can assure of that, without giving away the ending.

Mr. FREEMAN: Okay.

Wrap your head around the question again: how ‘impartial’ is this science series when dealing with science and religion. What? I would hope the show is partial to SCIENCE since science is real and religion is kooky garbage. It’s nice to hear Freeman say literalists are not going to be happy about the ideas discussed, but holy crap. If religious people are still stuck on garbage like the age of the earth, how are you supposed to remain ‘impartial’ as far as they’re concerned while voicing advanced theories on the nature of the universe as a whole?

The Taliban is scary

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Why do I hate religion? Because it’s the easiest thing in the world to convince poor, uneducated young men that killing yourself for your imaginary friend is a great idea! What other kind of fervent, uncritical ideology allows such obedient faith zombies to flourish?

The MMR Vaccine / Autism story from start to finish

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We’ve covered a lot of the MMR vaccine / autism controversy on the Good Atheist, but I don’t think it’s ever been laid out from start to finish in as concise a format as in this comic from Darryl Cunningham. From major conflicts of interest to falsifying data to the unethical treatment of children (which included colonoscopies and lumbar punctures amongst other unnecessarily shitty tests), there’s 15 pages of information that’ll piss you right off. Thank SpaceGod Andrew Wakefield and his bogus study have been discredited. If you ever want to see the effect a few bad apples can have on our society, look no further than this guy, who’s work has literally led to the resurgence of measles and is one of the major roots of the current anti-immunization movement (a movement many atheists and skeptics subscribe to, sadly enough).

Christian teachers use holy water on atheist colleague

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You’d figure schools would be the place where atheists would be the ‘safest’ … after all, these places are supposed to be bastions of knowledge and education. But lately it just hasn’t been that way. From Texas re-writing its textbooks to students harassing atheist teachers, there’s a full on movement a brewin’ to make schools a battlefield between belief and non-belief. Sometimes these battles are disturbing, sometimes they’re funny, and sometimes they’re stupid. This particular tale about a spat between Christian and atheist teachers in Florida probably leans more towards the funny / stupid side of the spectrum:

Two Florida teachers allegedly poured holy water on another teacher because she is an atheist, WPLG-TV in Miami reported. The station said Leslie Rainer and Djuna Robinson have been removed from their classrooms. The veteran and self-proclaimed Christian teachers work at Blanche Ely High School.

In April, they were reassigned after another teacher, Schandra Rodriguez, who is an atheist, said they poured holy water on her during an incident at the school on March 11.

“Miss Robinson obtained a little bottle with some perfume in it in jest, and the students will all confirm she never went close to Miss Rodriguez. Miss Rodriguez was on the other side of the classroom and that was basically it,” said Johnny L. McCray Jr., Rainer and Robinson’s attorney.

The accused teachers said it was a joke. Rodriguez, however, said they did it because she is an atheist.

Rodriguez is still teaching at the school, and some said it’s not fair.

“If we are going to ban talking to students about God, then the atheists should also be banned from telling kids there is no God,” said the Rev. Kirby Thurston.

The only thing these teachers were banned from doing was acting like atheists are unholy creatures on par with vampires and demons. It kinda sounds like a bunch of people getting butt-hurt over nothing, but I guess I’ve never had a job where co-workers promote the idea I’m evil because of my beliefs (or lack thereof), so who am I to play this down?

Remember the Sabbath, or God will be angry!

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Another great video by the Thinking Atheist. It reminds me of the scene in Religulous when Bill Maher talks to a Jewish entrepreneur who develops all kinds of ludicrous technology intended to trick God into thinking his “people” are observing the Sabbath. Hey morons, if your petty deity really wants you to avoid even striking a match on this day of rest, do you really think a digital timer turned on the day before is going to fool him? Is it possible you don’t even take your own beliefs that seriously?

Malawi gay couple faces jail sentence for engagement

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I’m still amazed any rational, intelligent person can doubt as to whether or not religion still causes all sorts of harm in this world. I think the problem is few people actually bother to find out what is going on in parts of the world where religious fundamentalism is still prominent. There are countries around the world where the toxic effects of religion are being felt by innocent men and women. The latest story of misery and dread comes from Malawi, where two men were arrested after they took part in an engagement ceremony.

For their crime of loving one another, they face about a decade of hard labor, and considering they refuse to apologize or back down, they’ll probably end up serving the full sentence. Why are they taking a stand? Because the plight of other gays is at stake, and when countries like Uganda try and pass “kill the gays” legislation, there are some with the moral fortitude to put the wellbeing of others ahead of their own:

Gay sex is still illegal in 37 countries in Africa. A recent poll by the Pew Research Centre found that 98% of people in Cameroon, Kenya and Zambia disapprove of homosexuality. But encouraged by legal advances in South Africa, a new wave of activist movements are making a stand and pushing the boundaries in Kenya, Ghana, Malawi, Zimbabwe and other countries in ways unthinkable a generation ago. Gay and lesbian lifestyles are also much more visible.

This assertiveness is apparently being met by a ferocious backlash from religious fundamentalists and politicians determined to preserve the status quo. It has been described as a proxy war between US liberals and Christian evangelicals, both of which pour in funding and support to further their cause.

As far as religious fundies are concerned, homosexuality is an abomination, and no amount of broken lives (or in some cases, deaths) will stop them from continuing to advocate their seething hatred of gays. As far as they are concerned, their invisible sky-daddy has commanded same sex attractions are morally wrong. It doesn’t matter if someone is born that way; why would they worry about something as inconvenient as reality interfering with their beliefs? It’s never been a problem before.

Kenyan man sacrifices own son for God

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Probably one of the scariest and most disturbing stories in the Bible (yeah, I know it’s hard to find one which isn’t fucked up) is of Abraham and Isaac. Commanded by God to kill his son, Abraham ties up the boy and is about to plunge his dagger in his chest when he is stopped at the last minute by Metatron (that’s a real angel name) and instead sacrifices an innocent animal in his stead. It’s some dark shit, people.

This story is generally debated as to it’s relative allegorical meaning, but I don’t think you have to look too hard to figure out what’s going on here: it’s not uncommon for jealous and ancient Gods to demand human sacrifice to appease their “anger” . In modern, civilized society this kind of act is exceedingly rare, but thanks to the delusion of religion, every so often, religious nutjobs kill their own children thinking God commanded them to do so. The latest case of religious infanticide comes all the way from Kitale, Kenya, where a father, convinced God was speaking directly to him, killed his own son as a blood sacrifice. He then sprinkled his blood around the house in some ludicrous and macabre ceremony. Your “what-the-fuck-o-meter” should be going off right about now.

He’s being held in custody and the locals have asked the “Ingrafted Fellowship Church”, which he’s been a member of for less than a month, be investigated to see if they are a cult (newsflash guys: all religions are cults, although admittedly, some are crazier than others).

Another sad tale of woe and misery brought to you by the “power” of religion! Isn’t it grand?

Pedophile Nigerian senator justifies himself through Koran

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If you’re a Muslim and you find the idea of child brides offensive, how do you respond to Senator Yerima’s claim since Mohammed married a 9 year old (Aisha), this justifies his recent “marriage” to a 13 year old girl? Muslims believe their prophet led a blameless life, and if the Koran is really supposed to be a guide for how to live one’s life, then he isn’t wrong in his assertion. This is precisely the problem lawmakers in Nigeria are having; there exists a culture of pedophilia because devoted Muslims in the country see nothing wrong with this practice. If it was good enough for Mohammed, they figure it’s good enough for them, no matter how disgusting and despicable the rest of the civilized world feels about it. It’s another example of the evil shit that happens when morons follow the edicts of a 6th century madman.

Greensboro mayor adds prayer to council meetings

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It seems as though the concept of the separation of church and state, made abundantly clear by the Establishment Clause of the constitution, is still something some Christians just can’t seem to wrap their head around. The latest bonehead is Mayor Bill Knight of the city of Greensboro, North Carolina. If that city sounds a little familiar to you, it’s because only a few weeks ago, I had the pleasure of being invited by the UNCG Atheist/Agnostic/Skeptic group to give a lecture at their school. Imagine my surprise to find them in the news trying to push back against the inclusion of prayer during city council meetings.

As is typical with this kind of story, a lot of ignorant, right wing conservatives are “angry” secularists are trying to prevent this kind of activity (just read the comments in the article I linked if you want to pull your hair out). They naively think this is some kind of attempt to prevent them from praying to their sky-daddy. In truth, all we want is for government to get out of the business of telling people when to pray. This very separation is what allows religious folks to have the freedom to pursue their superstitious rituals without fear or reprisal. The Establishment Clause is specifically designed to prevent religion and government from becoming intertwined. Why is this so fucking hard for some people to understand? If you want to pray, do it on your own damn time, and leave the business of religion to the private lives of citizens. It has no business in government, period.

Scumbag priest wants to keep his job

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In 1975, when Father Brendan Smyth was accused of molesting two young boys, Cardinal Sean Brady was present when the victims were coerced into signing oaths of silence. All told, Smyth went on to have a “prolific” career as a child rapist, abusing an estimated 100 kids. He died of a heart attack in 1997, after serving only one month in jail for his crimes. His victims were able to have the title “Reverend” removed from his gravestone, but apart from that, justice was never truly served.

Now, Cardinal Brady, the man who claims he did not have the authority to turn Smyth in to police, has refused to step down from his position even with mounting pressure from the public due to the rash of abuse scandals plaguing the Catholic Church. He seems to be under the impression he did nothing wrong, and he desperately wants to “maintain the momentum towards better child safeguarding” (cause it’s been working out great so far, buddy).

If you can’t even dismiss a guy who did nothing to stop a known child molester, how exactly is the Catholic Church on their way to help “purge” the plight of sexual predators from among their midst? It’s quite obvious no one is really taking this issue seriously. Brady should be in jail for what he did (or more specifically, what he didn’t do), but he won’t even do something as basic as stepping down as Cardinal. What makes people believe this corrupt institution will do anything to prevent these kinds of tragedies from happening in the future?

Missionaries in Haiti get off with time served

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Remember a few months ago, when people still cared about the plight of Haiti (you know, before the world lost interest and turned their attention to something else), and a group of missionaries were facing charges of child kidnapping? Well, it looks like despite breaking the law, they’ve been sentenced to time served (which amounts to roughly 3 months and 8 days), and they’ve been released.

Despite strong evidence she knew the children she took all had at least one parent, and despite repeated warnings she received concerning the legality of what she was about to do, it seems as though the fact that she was motivated by religious charity has somehow absolved her and her group of this serious crime. Personally, I think they should have spent a lot more time in jail for it, but I’m sure the country just wants to move on and put this whole thing behind them (they are also probably still busy trying to rebuilt their shattered capital).

In a predictable fashion, Laura Silsby, the “brains” of the group praised God for the ruling. Was this the same God who commanded you to go down to a foreign country and kidnap children to whisk them away to “white people land” to save them from the evils of Haiti (who according to Pat Robertson made a pact with the devil)?

You have to wonder what kind of message the Haitian government sent with this weaksauce ruling. For a country which has a serious problem with children being kidnapped and sold into sexual slavery, this doesn’t make them look very strong on the issue of child endangerment. You also have to wonder: if the people who had done this weren’t religious missionaries, would the court have been so lenient?

Blaise Pascal gets schooled

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Now just because Blaise Pascal was a brilliant man, it certainly doesn’t mean he wasn’t occasionally staggeringly ignorant. Pascal’s Wager always struck me as the shallowest, and least convincing argument for belief that mysteriously continues to persist. He completely dismisses the countless religions out there a person could also choose to believe simply because of his own preference towards Christianity. Had he been honest, he would have had to admit there was an equal chance any single other belief system could be true rather than his own (or more likely, that they are all equally wrong). I like how this video also includes all the FUTURE religions which might pop up in the future in their rebuttal. Brilliant!

Isn’t it just easier to keep track of all this nonsense when you just stop believing in the supernatural world? Sure saves me the headache of trying to wager what religion I should be pretending to believe in (and why did Pascal think that was a good idea anyways?).

Top American in Vatican implicated in abuse scandal

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So let me get this straight: the Vatican’s top American cleric was exposed in an abuse scandal, and they punished the guy who ousted him by canning him? Yeah, there is not conspiracy to conceal and protect child rapists in the Catholic Church… In other news, up is down, and wet is dry!

Homeopathy gets spanked by British Medical Association

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It looks like science is finally pushing back hard against the pseudoscience that is homeopathy. The British Medical Association has come out publicly and stated it’s nothing more than “witchcraft”, and the National Health Service should cease to fund this quackery.

Homeopathy is witchcraft. It is a disgrace that nestling between the National Hospital for Neurology and Great Ormond Street [in London] there is a National Hospital for Homeopathy which is paid for by the NHS”.

Already strapped for cash, the NHS is looking for ways to trim the fat, and there’s no bigger dead weight than the ineffectual vials of water that pass as medicine. Of course, there’s always some idiot trying to argue even if homeopathy is no different than a placebo, the mental health of patients is vastly improved by its consumption. This, homeopaths argue, somehow justifies the public paying for it, even when no measurable effect has ever been demonstrated.

Homeopathy helps thousands of people who are not helped by conventional care. We don’t want it to be a substitute for mainstream care, but when people are thinking about making cuts to funding, I think they need to consider public satisfaction, and see that homeopathy has a place in medicine

“Public satisfaction” is not the way you measure the relative success of medical treatment. It either works or it doesn’t, and if it doesn’t, it has no business calling itself “medicine” in the first place. I’m sick and tired of the argument because helpless morons feel better after consuming sugar pills, that somehow “alternative medicine” is just as effective as conventional treatments (did I mention how ridiculously expensive nonsense can be?).

If you want to call yourself “medicine”, you have to pass the rigors of the scientific method, and since homeopathy has utterly failed every single attempt to show a demonstrable effect, it should be tossed aside like so many of its quack predecessors, like phrenology, iridology, and crystal healing. Would any other of these failed treatments be considered effective if people claimed it helped them?