Vanity Fair reviews the Creation “Museum”

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About 3 years late, the people over at Vanity Fair decided it was time to visit this mausoleum of ignorance, a testament to the strong desire of the faithfully ignorant to have their beliefs strengthened by any means necessary. The pictures in the article, strangely enough, were taken by actor Paul Bettany, the atheist actor who portrayed Charles Darwin in the movie “Creation”. Watching it is on my to-do list, but finding a copy hasn’t exactly been easy, thanks largely to the fact it struggled mightily to find a distributor. That, of course, is it’s own story.

The article in question provides a good overview for those of us disinclined to give Ken Ham and his ilk our hard earned money. He’s not pulling any punches here; he considers the “museum” to be complete and utter cheese. To the author, this gigantic effort to marry the literal interpretation of the Bible into a messy and childish science seems utter insanity, but it may be because he has so little experience actually interacting with these people. If he did, he wouldn’t be so confused; rather he would be horrified with what Ham and Answers in Genesis are doing to young minds curious about ancient things like dinosaurs. The Museum is nothing more than a poisonous mix of ignorance and supreme arrogance; in thinking myth should be translated into reality, they may appeal to their sheep-like and uneducated base, but for the rest of the world they remain a 27 million dollar embarrassment to America.

Anyways, it’s an entertaining read, and if you have some time to kill I strongly urge you to check it out!

Trijicon to remove Bible codes from “Jesus Rifles”

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It’s nice to know the American military hasn’t completely lost their minds; they’ve  successfully pressured the morons at Trijicon into removing Biblical references on their scopes. I guess the whole “Jesus Rifles” moniker actually caught on, and there was no doubt to everyone with half a brain that this kind of practice would be putting soldier’s lives at risk for no good reason.

Now you just need to remove references of a creator from your fucking money already. Remind me why that’s kosher again?

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 113

Welcome back for another episode of The Good Atheist Bonus Show. This week Ryan and I talk about Near Death Experiences, why I’m a bad brother, and the British military’s decision to ban the use of dowsing rods bomb detectors.

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The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 113
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Steve Doocy thinks “Muslims started it”

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So let me get this straight, Doocy; you’re no longer claiming the rifles are merely a private company putting innocent Bible codes on rifle scopes, but rather arguing “Muslims started it”? Yet another reason why religious pandering nutbags at FOX News need to stop yapping on about issues they have no clear understanding of. Do they think this argument will dissuade fundamentalist sympathizers who are arguing this is a religious war? Shut your fucking mouth already, idiot!

Prayer device scares the crap out of airline passengers

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I have to admit I got a bit of laugh over this bit of news. Apparently, flight 3079 out of LaGuardia was diverted to Philadelphia after security personnel mistook a Jewish prayer device, called a Tefillin, for some kind of home made bomb. A Tefillin is a set of small leather boxes painted black which contains passages from the Torah, and the leather strap is supposed to go around various parts of your body. It’s another weird and pointless tradition that is supposed to symbolize something important, but ends up merely looking weird and pointless; it’s just crappy sheep leather and bits of fucking paper.

It probably didn’t help that the 17 year old was also praying fairly loudly; people tend to freak out when they see a weird device being strapped on someone’s body by someone praying nervously. I don’t really blame airport security or the FBI for their lack of familiarity with Jewish traditions: with all the crazy shit religionists consider sacred and divine, it’s hard to keep track of it sometimes. The one thing I love from this story is it just goes to show people really aren’t afraid of atheists like you and me. When push comes to shove, it’s the individuals with strong religious convictions that scare the shit out of us, and for good reasons; they’re usually the ones blowing shit up in the name of their imaginary friends, not us.

Adam Carolla on religion and atheism

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Here we have comedian Adam Carolla on why he’s an atheist. Listening to this guy, I’m actually somewhat reminded of my own podcast (hopefully he won’t do this too often, or else I’m out of a job!)

Who needs food and medicine when you have “The Proclaimer”?

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Haiti is still suffering  from the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, and by all reports, there still isn’t enough food, water, and medicine to go around. Luckily, an organization called “Faith Comes By Hearing” has a solution for these desperate people; they are sending them 600 audio Bibles. The Proclaimer, as it’s called, is a solar powered / crank operated device that can blast out 15 hours of the New Testament for everyone to hear.

Peoples’ houses are crumbled, their families are shattered and they are living in ruins. Haitians will need that long-term hope and comfort that comes from knowing God has not forgotten them through this tragedy,” said Wilke

If you feel sick to your stomach from the fact that this organization is effectively using this tragedy to proselytize their stupid religion, you aren’t the only one. Aid delivery is by all accounts painfully slow, so these morons are taking up people’s valuable time delivering radios to people who need blankets, food and medicine rather than “the good word”.

There will be plenty of time for them to try and convince a population devastated by continual earthquakes that an invisible deity did this for some fucking reason (“He” works in some pretty mysterious ways, don’t you know), but now is not the fucking time. Stay the hell out of the way and let organizations that are actually helping people do their jobs properly. If you still think they need your stupid radios, this quote might help you gain some perspective on the situation down there:

“We were forced to buy a saw in the market to continue amputations,” the group’s Loris de Filippi told the Reuters news agency in Cite Soleil.

Does your fucking radio play loud enough to drown out the sound of screaming?

Which one is worse?

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The ironically named “Truth Ministry” is a homophobic organization which focuses on trying to brainwash homosexuals into thinking their sexual identities are an abomination. They claim they aren’t trying to tell anyone else how to live, and only offer an “alternative” for any gays and lesbians that hope to live a gigantic lie. A few months ago they were the “victims” of a prank, with someone photoshopping one of their billboards and posting it on a number of blogs and forums. It was such a hit the ministry actually had to post about it on their site to debunk it. The whole purpose behind the prank was to make fun of their idea of “changing” people from their obvious natural state into something they are not. Their response, as is typical with these kinds of delusional bigots, does a great job at showing just how tolerant and level headed they are:

Just as the ad said–if you “don’t want to be”–if you want help, great. If you don’t want help, then our ministry is not for you. We are not here to slam those that are happy being gay. Now, many feel that we are filled with hate saying that there is hope for change. I would say that scripture says otherwise in 1 Cor. 6:11–”and that is what some of you were, but you were washed, you were sanctified, you were justified, in the name of the Lord Jesus Christ and by the Spirit of our God.” If you or others have a problem with scripture, then your or their issue is not with Truth Ministry but with God.

So far you haven’t said anything to dispel the idea you’re full of hate, guys. In fact, you’ve painted every single religious person into a corner; you’re either with Truth Ministry, or you’re against God. Don’t you just love the way crazy people can justify any kind of hatred and bigotry by simply finding an appropriate passage in the Bible?

 

(Update: The website is abandoned and now for sale, so there is some hope in the world.)

More religious scumbags think Haiti is full of evil

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It’s not enough religious wackos like Pat Robertson claim Haiti is suffering because the country made a pact with the devil; now other morons are coming out and saying similarly insensitive and terrible shit. The latest scumbag is Dr. Wesley Stafford, who had this to say:

Haiti … has been a disaster in almost every way long before this ever struck. And it is a nation, between you and me, I guess, that Satan has had absolutely free reign in that nation. And while the missionary effort and the church effort has been enormous, this is a nation that you can literally feel the evil in it. But then as the church lives out its faith, having come through this deep, deep valley, my great prayer is that there will be a great wave of healing and change in the nation of Haiti … that could only come about through an interruption like this and only happen through the glory of God.

Here’s the thing: Stafford’s organization is apparently on the up and up (receiving a high rating by an independent charity watchdog), and beyond teaching kids their idiotic beliefs, they seem to do good work. That doesn’t mean, however, he can say such hateful shit without consequence. He’s blaming Haitians for being so poor, suggesting the reason that country lost 200,000 people in a tragic natural disaster is because God is punishing them in some way.

This is what I detest about American Christians; they equate prosperity as God’s way of rewarding good people. They can’t seem to fathom that there may be far more complicated geopolitical reasons for poverty; mainly, their own country supported terrible dictatorships that only exacerbated the poverty and desperation of Haiti. Sure, his organization helps desperate people in the third world, but this could also be done without his smug hubris that these same impoverished nations are cursed by his sky deity for not “following the Lord’s words properly”. I feel embarrassed for the human race when such ignorance is so rampant.

Dr. Jeffrey Long thinks his book proves afterlife

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Dr. Jeffrey Long is a doctor who helps terminal cancer patients deal with their illness. He’s been fascinated with Near Death Experiences for a long time, and he’s recently written a book about them called Evidence of the Afterlife: The Science of Near-Death Experiences. He has interviewed thousands of people, and because of the remarkable similarity of their experiences, he’s concluded it must be proof there is an afterlife. I think it just proves he’s a fucking idiot.

Dr. Long has obviously decided to abandon his objectivity, and I find his use of the word “Science” in his title extremely misleading. When you do science, you have to explain how even your own theories might be disproved; in his case, all that is necessary is evidence that the reason we experience similar effects during death is because of the way the brain reacts when it dies.

The effects of NDEs have been recorded for a long time, and most serious scientists compare them with what we experience during lucid dreaming (this is where people are aware they are dreaming, but still have very realistic experiences). Dr. Long is either unaware of these studies, or has already concluded that the only viable explanation must be there is a supernatural world that people escape to during death. It’s a pretty weak conclusion, and it’s obviously not very scientific. Perhaps he’s never heard of Occam’s Razor; is it more logical to assume people’s brains are freaking out and releasing a potent cocktail of chemicals to calm them down, or that a spiritual world beyond our comprehension exists so our minds can live forever in some fantasy land paradise? I feel fucking stupid just proposing the latter, and so should he.

He claims he’s a better physician now that he’s written this book. I would disagree, since he now foolishly believes he has enough proof to tell his patients they don’t need to feel frightened about death since they will live forever in a magical playland created by a loving sky daddy. Maybe not everyone feels it’s very healthy to endorse obvious wishful thinking. Sounds to me like he’s actually gotten worse.

Desperate Haitians need e-meters, stat!

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I complain about Christian charity organizations all the time, but since most of the population in Haiti actually believes in the same religion (with a few added voodoo rituals), I’m not really worried about their incessant need to proselytize. What I AM concerned about, however, is John Travolta and his merry band of Scientologists making a surprise flight to the devastated country. I guess Haiti is in desperate need of e-meters or something, and the yellow shirted weirdos will be going around giving vitamins and “touch assists” to people in need.

Why don’t you stay out of everyone’s way John? The last thing they need is another religious organization trying to peddle their ridiculous beliefs; they need water, food, and most importantly, money. Instead of spending all that dough to send your thetan peddling zombies to the country, why don’t you write the Red Cross a big fat check and stay the fuck out of Dodge. Of course, I’m forgetting the possibility that perhaps his plane might crash into the Ocean on the way there…a man can dream, can’t he?

Cool summary of micro/macro-evolution

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Here’s a great summary of the differences between micro-evolution and macro-evolution, and why creationists like to confuse people by suggesting one exists and the other does not. It’s pretty obvious to anyone with half a brain that if micro-evolution is true, over a long period of time, small changes in the genome would accumulate to eventually lead to an entirely new species. It’s only hard for them to believe this because their religious convictions assure them the magical sky man created everything as it is today. How can they simultaneously accept the mechanism of evolution (by admitting “micro-evolution is real) without understanding what it ultimately means? With a lot of intellectual dishonesty, that’s how!

The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 112

Hey guys, as promised we are right on schedule for another great episode of the TGA podcast. This week Ryan and I talk about the distressing news that rifle sights in the US military have secret Bible codes on them, and we also talk about Richard Dawkin’s ‘Non Believers Giving Aid’ charity, and how some religious folks don’t seem to understand you can be good without God!

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The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 112
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American rifle sights: now with 100% more Bible code!

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ABC News recently broke a pretty big story about Trijion, a company that makes optical sights for firearms, and how they’ve been sneaking secret Bible coded references on their gun sights. One of them is II Corinthians 4:6 (abbreviated as 2COR4:6)

“For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ.”

The company has no plans to change this crazy habit of theirs, and considering they have a long term, 660 million dollar contract with the government to produce these sights, it looks like unless someone steps in to stop these idiots, countless guns used by both American and Iraqi personnel will have these codes embedded on them. Great fucking idea, right?

Here’s a video where Rachel Maddow lambastes the company, saying their decision to include these Bible verses only strengthens arguments from Muslim insurgents that America is on a “Crusade” against Islam. Considering how delicate the situation is right now, it’s about as wise as pouring gasoline on a blazing fire. The problem is Trijicon can’t help themselves; they love Jesus and his Church, and proselytizing is so important to them that they are willing to put the lives of soldiers in danger. For them, the stakes are as high as it gets: they are trying to save souls, and if that means putting the lives of soldiers at risk as a result, it’s a necessary evil. This isn’t the first controversy regarding the dangerous mix of religion in the military, and you can bet it won’t be the last.

The Pope is a liar

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The Vatican has been considering canonizing Pope Piux XII, and this has created tensions within the Jewish community. You see, back in 1933, the Vatican signed an agreement (called the Reichskonkordat) that officially recognized the Nazi party, effectively legitimizing its anti-Semitic stance. It was the only religious institution to do so, and this fact still haunts the Catholic Church. It’s seen by many as a giant betrayal, and with Benedict now claiming the Vatican “helped Jews in a discreet way“, he’s effectively trying to rewrite history without so much as a shred of proof (the help was so discreet there isn’t a shred of evidence to back it up).

It’s a pretty popular tactic nowadays to just say shit and not have to back it up. Some in the Jewish community are asking the Vatican to make public their records on Pius XII, but of course they’ll do no such thing; why should they? Here is an institution which claims to be infallible, so as far as they are concerned, Popes are always doing the right thing.  Pius’ appeasement of the Nazis, and his failure to denounce the Holocaust is a sore wound that will probably never be healed.

I’m not suggesting the Catholic Church and the Jewish community shouldn’t keep working on improving their relations, but why is this coming at the cost of the truth? Benny can try to bullshit his flock into buying the idea they were “discreetly helping the Jews”, but the rest of us who aren’t blinded by faith goggles can see through the steaming pile of bullshit he’s peddling.