Category Archives: Blog

Stephen C. Meyer is a moron

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Man, am I sick of creationists making shit up. Unlike real scientists, who have to back up everything they say, ID fanboys like Stephen C. Meyer (head of the ironically named Discovery Institute, an organization dedicated to the ignorance of mankind) can arbitrarily claim something that has no basis in fact. Take his latest article in “CNN Opinion”, a kind of amateur journalism site for anyone desperate enough to give something to the failing news network for free (provided you do all the work, of course). Here’s a bunch of quotes that show what little care he has for intellectual integrity:

Contrary to Darwinian orthodoxy, the fossil record actually challenges the idea that all organisms have evolved from a single common ancestor. [bare assertion fallacy]

DNA functions like a software program. We know that software comes from programmers. [false analogy fallacy]

Despite the consensus view that Darwin showed that “design could arise without a designer” there is now compelling scientific evidence of actual intelligent design in even the simplest living cells. [bare assertion fallacy]

Increasingly, there are reasons to doubt the Darwinian idea that living things merely “appear” to be designed. [bare assertion fallacy]

I’ll cover just these, since the rest is essentially the same bullshit drivel you’ve come to expect from these morons. Nothing about what Meyer said is true, except for perhaps there is increased “doubt” about evolution, although Meyer fails to mention the doubters are not scientists, but rather terribly ignorant and scientifically illiterate people. The problem here is Meyer is not being questioned on any of his assertions. He just boldly states them, and has no real worries about proving their validity (despite the fact they are all fallacies). In his mind, there is a God, and he made everything with his love magic.

A high school biology student could bury this guy’s argument, which essentially boil down to “science is really hard and it can’t explain everything, so I’m going to fill in every gap in our knowledge with magic man done it“. Why don’t you let the adults do their science Meyer, and you can go play with your friends in traffic.

God wants you to be rich

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I think I may have found the most obnoxious book in the whole world: Paul Zane Pilzer’s God Wants You to be Rich. Pilzer is convinced there is no such thing as scarcity, and everyone, given enough gumption and hard work, can achieve great financial success.

Pilzer exposes the key error–the belief in scarcity–that leads to a misunderstanding of the process of creating wealth.  Countering this zero-sum view of economics, Pilzer shows how a society’s wealth is determined not by the supply of physical resources, which are supposedly limited, but by human ingenuity, which constantly redefines what counts as a resource in the first place.

Say what? Never mind the fact that if the rest of the world lived like we did, we would need the resources of three Earths to sustain ourselves; the answer lies in human ingenuity! Don’t worry about the future, or about wasteful consumerism; human cleverness will save the day! Did I mention how much I hate lying douchebags who claim there’s no such thing as scarcity?

The book was written in the 90′s, and if you are old enough to remember this decade, you’ll recall “network marketing” (another word for a pyramid scheme) was the latest money making trend. A bunch of very naive people (myself included) fell for the allure of easy money. What we ended up with was an empty bank account and a stupefied look on our faces. When you think about it, it’s sounds much like going to church.

Happy Friday the 13th

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Today is Friday the 13th, and considering the fact there are still lots of people out there who seem to think a number can be unlucky, I thought it would be fun to try and discover the story behind this superstition (you know, to seem all smart and shit). While there are lots of theories as to its origins, the truth is no one knows exactly why it persists. I suppose it may not even really matter; so long as people are told that they have something to fear, typically they will respond in kind. Statistically, fear of this day actually causes people to act more cautiously, and car accidents have been reported in many countries as actually being lower than most other Fridays of the year.

2009 was a bit unique, as it has three Friday the 13th’s (that’s the most you can have in a given year). The next year when this occurs is 2012. You know how disdainful I am of the crackpot theory that the earth is supposed to end on Dec 21, 2012, and I have to wonder if any of these idiots will try to make a correlation between all those “Black Fridays” and the stupid belief that an invisible planet will collide with Earth. Here’s hoping I didn’t give them another talking point!

I say spend the time walking under ladders, breaking mirrors, and stepping on every crack in the sidewalk.

Washington charity threatens services over gay rights

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Remember the Stephen Fry and Christopher Hitchens debate about whether or not the Catholic Church is a force for good? In one part of the video, a well meaning woman stood up and commented on the fact that she was a Catholic and didn’t really have any issue with Fry’s homosexuality. Stephen responded by saying that the position of the Catholic Church regarding homosexuality is clear, and even though individual Catholics might differ in their opinion, it didn’t change the fact they support a bigoted institution.

In Washington, a Catholic Charity has threatened to cut its services if it’s forced to comply with new same sex laws making it illegal to discriminate against gays. The opposition from the church comes from the fact they won’t be able to actively promote their bigotry and hatred for homosexuals. Their arguments are, as usual, very unconvincing.

“Let’s say an individual caterer is a staunch Christian and someone wants him to do a cake with two grooms on top,” said council member Yvette M. Alexander (D-Ward 6), the sponsor of the amendment. “Why can’t they say, based on their religious beliefs, ‘I can’t do something like that’?

Pretend instead of having two grooms on the cake, it’s an interracial marriage, and the baker refused to bake a wedding cake because mixed marriages are against his “religious convictions”. We wouldn’t stand for that shit for a second. True, I dislike the idea of anyone being forced to do the right thing, but we cannot allow people to be treated like second class citizens, and we have to do our best to stamp out bigotry in the same way we’ve tried so hard to stamp racism (it’s a long process, obviously).

“The issue here is they are using public funds, and to allow people to discriminate with public money is unacceptable,” Rosenstein said.

The city is taking a pretty hard stance on the issue, and won’t allow itself to be bullied by the Archbishop, who wants to dangle their charitable services as a free license to practice open bigotry. I say fuck ‘em. Sure, it’s harsh and it sucks for the people who were benefiting from their services, but human beings are a charitable bunch, and I’m positive that other organizations will be more than happy to pick where the church left off. We cannot ignore the evils of an institution simply because it hides behind a façade of charity, especially when this same institution tries to use its position to blackmail secular governments.

Journalist Blames School Shooting on Darwinism

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How many killers have proudly flaunted the fact that their crimes were the result of their religious convictions? It’s honestly too numerous to count, but every time such a tragedy occurs, you don’t see anyone blaming Martin Luther, Joseph Smith, or other religious leaders. That doesn’t stop ignorant writers like Dennis Sewell, who have a clear interest in attacking evolution, from blaming everything they can on Charles Darwin:

In America, where Darwin’s writings on morality and race have come under particularly intense critical scrutiny because of the enduring creationist debate, he has been accused of fostering moral nihilism and scientific racism, and even of promoting an ethic that found its ultimate expression in the Holocaust. Most startling of all, a connection has now been drawn between Darwin’s theories and a rash of school shootings.

Actually, the only one making this connection is the author of the piece, who seems convinced, like all creationist morons, that Darwin was somehow responsible for the Holocaust, racism, and just about every terrible atrocity you can think of. You would think humans had never committed mass genocide before Darwin’s Theory of Evolution by Natural Selection.

The religious right is very good at building straw men and then tearing them down mercilessly. Darwin is one of their favorite scapegoats, and it’s not too difficult to imagine why; they fear science, and most of all the implications of natural selection. We are still the only species on this planet that refuses to accept its place in the tree of life (admittedly, we are also the only ones capable of doing so). We are apes, and no amount of kicking and screaming will change that fact. Deal with it.

The basics of evolution are much more accessible and are taught in every high school, so it should not be surprising that Darwin seems to be emerging as the inspiration for the more dim-witted schoolboy sociopath.

It seems as though the author is trying to make the conclusion teaching evolution is bad, because a few disturbed people have twisted the theory to fit their own psychopathic beliefs. Well, if we have to get rid of “dangerous” ideas, why are we allowing texts like the Bible, which condones, slavery, genocide, rape, infanticide, and the murder of adulterers and homosexuals, to exist?

This entire article tries to paint Darwin as a crusty racist who wanted the extermination of other humans. In actual fact, had this fucking scumbag bothered to read The Origin of Species, he would have remarked that Darwin himself did not advocate Natural Selection for human beings. He saw the laws of nature as entirely savage and inhuman, and he was a staunch abolitionist. Of course, there’s no reason to believe the author cares about the truth, let alone journalistic integrity, although it’s nothing compared to his flawed understanding of history:

…Truths that the founders of the United States had held to be self-evident — that all men are created equal and had certain inalienable rights — were being denied by the promoters of Darwinian science. By the end of the first World War, it was not only blacks who were deemed genetically inferior by many of America’s top geneticists and biologists, but Italian, Greek and Jewish immigrants too.

Has this fucking guy ever read a history book? Was he not aware the Founding Fathers had black slaves? Does he really think the inequity of race relations is entirely the product of Darwinian theory? It’s quite obvious these prejudices existed long before we knew all life shared a common ancestor. Natural Selection means we are all related, and anyone who twists this idea is not a true scientist, but rather, like the author, someone interested in furthering their own agenda.

This shitty writer leaves us with this closing thought:

The more sinister implications of the world-view that has come to be called “Darwinism” — and the interpretation the teenage nihilists put on it — are as much part of the Darwin story as the theory of evolution

So, he’s assuming a few teenagers who kill indiscriminately is as much a story about one of the most fundamental scientific theories in mankind’s history? Is he fucking serious? Look buddy, there will always be disturbed people who hijack an idea or ideology without properly understanding it. You’re proof that there is still a lot of learning that needs to be done from the general population concerning not only Natural Selection, but also the man behind the idea, Darwin. No, he did not “invent” the Holocaust, eugenics (that was actually his cousin, Francis Galton), slavery or racism. Stop trying to paint this brilliant (and like all humans, flawed) human being as some kind of monster. Why don’t you address the relative truth of his arguments rather than making outlandish accusations that aren’t based on any facts. For anyone interested in punishing themselves, check out this author’s latest book, which is like this article, except 320 pages long. Enjoy your torture!

Are you cooler than this kid?

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Will Phillips is officially the coolest kid in the world. A few weeks ago, he refused to take the Pledge of Allegiance at his school so long as gays are treated as second class citizens. At first he got in big trouble (prompting the principle to take disciplinary action), but since no one can be forced to recite it (yet), Will isn’t in any trouble, although school officials have refused to apologize to him (man, how embarrassing is it when an 11 year old is the most mature person in the room?).

Poor Will has been at the butt end of anti-gay slurs, but he appears undeterred in his quest for justice. Man, when I was a kid all I cared about was candy and video games; I wish I had bothered to take a bit more of an active interest in the world. You know, so long as there are good people like Will around, there’s definitely lots of hope for the future.

So what did you fucking accomplish today?

Alternative Medicine Persists despite Evidence

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Our love affair with alternative “medicines” still demonstrates that as a species, we still have a lot of growing up to do. The persistence of reiki, acupuncture, crystals, homeopathy, and just about every other bullshit “medicine” is due mainly to the mysterious placebo effect, which seems to suggest our bodies respond positively to treatments, even when they do nothing at all.

I think we can easily dissect this phenomenon if we accept human beings are social animals who require just as much comforting as real medicine. A person who visits a homeopath is often given a great deal of time and attention, much more than they would going to the doctors. This simple act alone has a profound effect on the health of the “patient”, and it’s what makes fighting this flim-flam so difficult.

I think it’s sad the gap between medicine and well being is being filled with nonsense. I would be lying if I claimed it didn’t at least help some people heal faster, but I also can’t forget about all the people who have died because they chose alternative medicines rather than the real thing. I’ve often been asked “is it ok to believe in a lie if it’s comforting, or is it always better to tell the truth?”. On an individual level it’s hard to argue that the truth is better, but that’s only if you discount the external effect of one’s belief. Think about all the people who have died because they refused to listen to the truth about their diseases (Andy Kaufman, why did you fall for such a simple scam as psychic surgery?). Do you really believe that ignorance is a virtue, people?

Rapture Pets!

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Remember a few months back when I was toying around with the idea of “Rap-Sure”, a kind of insurance for loved ones “in case” the special few get raptured? Well, looks like someone already beat me to the punch. Bart Centre (is that even a name?) is the co-owner of Eternal Earthbound Pets, and he promises to look after your animals after the Rapture for the budget price of $110.

Bart’s insurance policy lasts about 10 years, so if there’s no Rapture in that time, your policy expires. Sounds like an awesome way to make a bunch of money from silly Christians who think Jesus is coming back “any day now”. It’s been 2000 years and the guy is a fucking no show. When will his followers finally accept that it’s all just fairy tale bullshit? Well, at least some people are cashing in on the scam…

NOTE: check out some of the hilarious comments in the article.

Funny thing is, if/when he’s wrong, do you really think he’s going to take care of the pets. Uh, no. Just another con man looking to make money. And the fact he’s atheist is typical.

Yeah, he really has to worry about taking care of all those pets, cuz Jesus will be here any minute. Have none of these people seen “Waiting of Godot“?

Witch doctors tell population to slaughter albinos

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Ever knock on wood, or refuse to walk under a ladder? How many of you would never rent an apartment on the 13th floor, or own a black cat? Most of us think superstitions are fairly harmless, but only because we don’t take them too seriously. In countries like Tanzania and Burundi, however, crazy superstition (when will the world learn, Stevie Wonder?) is on the loose.

It seems as though witch doctors have been encouraging the local population to find and slaughter albinos, whose organs they believe have magical properties. That’s right, dozens of people have already been killed in this nightmare, and these sick witch doctors are profiteering from their slaughter.

So next time some douchebag tries to tell you superstitions are harmless, send them over to this website. Does anyone else feel entirely distressed at how stupid and backwards we all are?

More child abuse from Catholic priests

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I don’t know about you, but I’m scared to death of religious cops. I get the feeling these devotees will put their faith before their duty. Take the case of Father Bernard Cloutier: back in 1983, he was being charged with the sexual assault of 5 boys. During the police investigation, his superior, Bishop Dionne, barged in and privately met with each boy while the police meekly waited for these “interviews” to be over. They seemed completely oblivious to the fact something fishy was going on when the charges were suddenly dropped, and the lead detective didn’t think any of this was unusual (he actually claims “it’s just the way things happen sometimes.”).

A little while later, Father Cloutier was quietly moved to another parish, and it wasn’t until 2007 that his victims again decided to seek justice for their abuse. A judge recently found Bishop Dionne had thwarted the investigation back in 1983, but considering this corrupt and evil old man is now 90 years old, it’s unlikely he’ll be facing much prison time.

I find it incredible no one is commenting on the fact this is not at all an isolated incident. How many times have these familiar events taken place? Hundreds of times, at the very least. How many lives ruined, how many families destroyed by these sick predators and the institution that endlessly protects them from justice? To you Catholics out there, can I ask you honestly how many raped kids it takes before you tell these religious scumbags to go fuck themselves? Is a few thousand not enough?

Another victory for science

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Remember the story of Daniel Hauser? His parents refused to give him chemotherapy because of their New Age beliefs, and the courts had to step in and force them to finish giving him his treatments. At first, they tried running away from the law, but they were caught shortly after (it’s harder than you think to go on the lamb!).

I’m happy to report that Daniel now appears to be cancer free. It’s a miracle! Well, actually it’s entirely because of modern medical science, but I digress. Thanks to the judgement of far more rational people than his dumbass parents, Daniel has a new lease on life. Now, whether or not he chooses to believe in the same bullshit they do when he’s 18 is his choice, but at least he’ll live long enough to be able to make that decision himself.

Utah Morality police

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Check out this hilarious note a girl from Utah found on her car. She’s since had it framed, and her husband (the guy she was being inappropriate with) still get a chuckle out of it. It’s just more proof that the “moral majority” can’t keep their fucking noses out of other people’s business.

“Hi, you don’t know me but I’ve noticed that you go into #306 apt. late @ night & I sometimes see you coming out in the morning & it’s obvious that you sleep over there b/c your car is parked @ King Henry all night. I know that it’s really none of my business but my roommates & I think that it’s inappropriate to be staying @ a boy’s house all night. I feel like I should talk to James about this problem, perhaps King Henry, but I think that you could, & should, fix this problem on your own w/out my intervention.
Thanks for your time – Have a great day :)”

Here’s the thing: just because you’re politely telling someone that you disapprove of their lifestyle, it doesn’t mean that gives you the right to tell others how to live. How many times have I been “politely” informed that I was going to burn in hell for all eternity for not believing that an illiterate Jew was a God. Too many times to count, really.

Teacher refuses fingerprinting, quotes Book of Revelation

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I think fingerprinting people is kind of paranoid and ridiculous, but I never thought anyone would be against it on religious grounds. Guess I’m an idiot. Pam McLaurin is an evangelical Christian who takes her Book of Revelation pretty fucking seriously. She thinks by having her fingerprints in a database, she’ll be cursed and marked for eternal damnation. She filed a lawsuit against Texas Education Agency (who will fire her if she doesn’t comply with their policy), citing religious discrimination. Check out one of the passages she put in the brief:

He causes all, both small and great, rich and poor, free and slave, to receive a mark on their right hand and on their foreheads, and that no one may buy or sell except one who has the mark or the name of the beast, or the number of his name.… Then a third angel followed them saying with a loud voice — if anyone worships the beast and his image and receives his mark on his forehead or on his hand he himself shall also drink of the wine of the wrath of God.… He shall be tormented with fire and brimstone in the presence of the holy angels and in the presence of the Lamb.

It’s some pretty scary shit when you think about it. Has no one really considered the possibility St. John was totally batshit crazy when he wrote it? Actually, Thomas Jefferson sure thought so, as did Martin Luther. I have to shake my head in disbelief that some people can take the insane rantings of a lunatic seriously (and when I say some, I mean millions of people). Fuck, I need to go grab a drink (or twelve).

Man beats two “cross dressers” on Halloween, blames God

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Can you think of any reason why one human being should attack another? Perhaps if your own safety is threatened, or if you need to protect your loved ones. I find there are very few valid reasons for one person to hurt another, but I must be in the minority. Take this douche, Robert Bellamy Jr, who along with accomplices assaulted and robbed  two men dressed in woman’s clothing, telling police that “God made me hate gays”.

Bellamy and his troop stalked the victims around town, harassing them verbally and physically, all the while yelling anti-gay slurs. The assailants spotted the victims again a short time later, and decided to escalate to physical violence, stealing their wallets in the process for a total haul of 7$ (here’s a tip: to avoid long jail sentences, it’s usually a good idea not to rob the people you beat up).

Police have said the sexual orientation of the victims was irrelevant and stated Bellamy was going to be charged with a hate crime. You see, the attack actually happened on Halloween, so there’s no reason to believe the victims were in fact gay. Maybe they were going to the Rocky Horror Picture Show or something. Who knows?

I have to wonder how Jr’s perception of homosexuality might be changed a little bit when he gets sent to the slammer and his sweet virgin ass starts being traded around for a pack of cigarettes. Good luck in prison, fuckface.

Senators wants prayer payment plan in Health Care Bill

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Remember how I wrote about all those kids who died because their ignorant parents preferred to pray for them to get better rather than call a real doctor? Well, it appears a couple senators are trying to include a provision to the healthcare bill that would require insurers to cover Christian Science prayer as a legitimate medical expense.

The Church of Christ, Scientist has its headquarters in Massachusetts, and it received support from Sen. John Kerry (remember that boring ass Democrat?), and the late Ted Kennedy. So if you think this is party politics, recognize the fact that so long as an annoying religious group has enough money, just about any fucking senator is up for sale.

During the day, Davis may see multiple patients and pray for them at different moments. He charges them $20 to $40 for the day, saying, “I think that it would be considered modest by any standard.”

It sounds like a pretty sweet racket, honestly. These Christian Scientists charge between 20-40 dollars a day for praying per person, and they probably go through a lot of patients suckers a day. I mean, how much prayer can one man do per day? If they can insert themselves into the healthcare bill, who knows how much cash they would be raking in. I feel like a dick asking for the same amount per year for recording a bunch of podcasts. That’s a lot of work compared to a guy that puts his hands together and begs God to stop the cancer that is rotting you from the inside (the same cancer He put there with his divine Will).

If these fucking assholes get their way, who knows how many other of these con artists will try and receive funding for their make-believe therapies. Are we going to have crystal practitioners complain they aren’t allowed to charge people to put differently colored rocks on people’s heads? What about Iridologists who think they can diagnose disease by looking into your eyes?

Any of you Americans hopeful that health care reform is going to happen, you have to accept the hard reality that your politicians are entirely in the pocket of big business and big religion. The fact that Christian Scientists, who actively discourage their members from seeking medical attention for serious illness, are being inserted like this despite their insanity proves that no one is really interested in the health of Americans. Is it too early to say you’re all fucked?