What do you get when you include Fresh Prince of Bel-Air lyrics and Star Wars references in a Christian call-in show? Pure win, that’s what!
Haitian ambassador schools Pat Robertson on history
How awesome is this guy? Here he is schooling Pat Robertson on history, showing the victory of Haiti over the French led not only to the purchase of Louisiana by the United States for roughly 3 cents an acre, but also to the eventual independence of South America. Their historic and heroic victory would change the world forever. Not bad for a “pact with the devil”, eh?
Conservative panties in a twist over Avatar
It was bound to happen; a number of conservative blogs are already complaining that Avatar is anti-American leftist propaganda, glorifying the Na’vi and showing humans as the bad guys. The main character’s choice to stand by the Na’vi is seen by the right as the ultimate treachery to both God and capitalism (two things that conservatives seem unable to disassociate).
The problem with life on earth is not Capitalism, it is the wickedness of human nature. The cure for this is not found in hugging a tree. The cure is to repent of sin and accept that Jesus Christ paid the price for your forgiveness AND TRANSFORMATION. You can become a new person driven by the Spirit of God to be kind, considerate, honest and loving.
I suppose if you’re the average American conservative, you assume any movie where Americans aren’t blowing shit up “for freedom and Jesus” is obviously unpatriotic. For the right, any criticism of current foreign or domestic policy is unacceptable; America is perfect the way it is, and no one is allowed to change her. It doesn’t matter that the country is effectively broke from having to conduct two wars simultaneously. It’s also apparently inconsequential their myopic financial institution almost brought down the entire world economy with their pursuit of profit; that’s the system we have, and you better put an American flag on your car before everyone thinks you’re a pinko bastard.
How predictable is it that any movie that doesn’t suck Jesus’ holy cock is seen as instantly immoral and liberally biased by the religious right? Will there come a time when we are spared their pointless protestations at the exclusion of their deity from movies? Do they really regard the fictional Na’vi as a threat to their religious order? The religious right in America likes to conflate their religion with American domestic and foreign policy, a practice that has the rest of the world shaking their heads in disbelief. We find this practice both objectionable and deplorable. How can anyone criticize the US if the justification for their actions is shielded in religious zealotry?
Can you all relax and stop thinking everything Hollywood produces is a gigantic anti-Jesus conspiracy? Just enjoy the movie and shut the fuck up already; it’s painful to listen to you whine every time the good guys aren’t “The Marines”.
Pat Robertson is insane
I guess once you surrender your mind to the corrosive influence of religion, your grip with sanity is bound to slip eventually. How else can you explain his insane comment that Haiti signed a pact with the devil to gain their independence from the white man? Does he believe everything the little voice in his head tells him? Pat, you need to take medicine for the kind of mental illness you’re obviously suffering from.
I have to wonder if perhaps he’s not being influenced by some kind of deep seated racism. Does he consider Haiti’s independence a bad thing? Would he have preferred they remain a fiat state and the population be subject to the despotic rule of the French? Right now this small poor country is suffering, and all he can do is blame the devil. Does this moron even understand why earthquakes happen? It’s not because an invisible man in the sky gets angry every once in a while. That’s what our primitive and uneducated ancestors used to believe. Now we all know better, except of course for old dinosaurs who don’t have the common decency to die.
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 111
patWelcome back for another episode of The Good Atheist Bonus show. This week Ryan and Jeff both join me for a very special episode of The Good Atheist. We talk about Pat Robertson and his insanity, and why young people don’t vote.
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Does the Pope understand forgiveness?
Ok, here’s a not so hypothetical situation; pretend that you’re feeling a little bit crazy (possibly due to mental illness), and during Mass at the Vatican you push the Pope down. The Pope then has a meeting with you, tells you all is forgiven, and then proceeds to take you to court. Does that sound like forgiveness to you?
Well, that’s exactly what happened to Susanna Maiolo, who suffers from a mental illness (hey, she’s a Catholic, so that’s already a pretty good start down nutjob lane), and although this was explained to Senator Palpatine Pope Benedict XVI (who supposedly forgave her), it hasn’t stopped his legal department from continuing their case against her.
Perhaps Golem Ratzinger is a little confused as to what forgiveness actually means. Maybe he was just telling her that her soul is forgiven for such a heinous crime (he was totally uninjured, by the way), but that her physical body will still be brought to trial. Don’t you love Christian forgiveness? It’s so beautiful I think I’m going to cry
Try science instead, moron
I realize the ability to conceive is still very important in many cultures, but this guy is ridiculous; an Indian man cut off his tongue with a razor blade as an offering to his Hindu God, hoping this sacrifice would allow his wife to become pregnant.
Whether or not the man was aware modern science allows potentially infertile couples the opportunity to conceive through artificial insemination or fertility drugs is unknown. One thing is for sure; the only thing he’s managed to do is prove human beings do incredibly dumb things when they’re desperate, including sacrificing body parts in the vain hope their imaginary friends will grant them wishes. Try science next time dude; it’s pretty fucking awesome, and it works.
Islam is a religion of peace, right?
You can’t make this kind of news up; a Muslim man who has been organizing protests lambasting fundamentalists and accusing them of ruining the religion of Islam recently received a threat on his life. Majed Moughni, an attorney from Dearborn, Michigan, was the main organizer for a rally protesting the actions of Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, the failed “Underwear bomber“. As a result, he now appears to be the target of threats from other Muslims who don’t feel as he does.
During the phone call, the caller spoke in Arabic while quoting a verse from the holy Qur’an that suggests Muslims should not be friends with some Jews and Christians, Moughni said. The caller also used the word, kufar, or nonbeliever, during the conversation to describe Moughni, who is Muslim.
Although I’m sure plenty of Muslims are convinced theirs is a religion of peace, it’s quite obvious to the rest of us this is simply not the case. The radical element of the faith is growing, and anyone with a vendetta against “kufar” (Arabic for unbelievers) can find plenty of justification for violence in the Qur’an. This is the basic problem of all religions; they foster hatred and violence against others through their exclusionary nature. Rather than identifying themselves in the broader human family, religionists believe their convictions about the supernatural separates them from others who don’t share the same views. It’s absolute insanity, and only once we abandon these childish and foolish beliefs will we finally mature as a species.
Creationists confound with their stupidity
It amazes me at just how arrogant creationists are in light of the fact they believe quite literally in a fairy tale explanation as to the origin of species. Here they parody the “Mac vs PC” commercials in an attempt to be both funny and relevant. It’s neither.
Hey morons, if you want to try and “debate” evolution, maybe it’s time you did a little bit of research in the following fields: biology, genetics, geology, physics, cosmology, and paleontology, to name a few. You’ll find there is so much overwhelming evidence in favor of evolution that people in the know are simply confounded by the depths of your ignorance. If you’ll excuse me, I need to get off the computer before I smash my head against the wall…
The Good Atheist Podcast: EP 110
Welcome back to another episode of The Good Atheist podcast. Ryan is back, and we’ve returned to our regular podcasting duties. With the holidays firmly behind us, we’ve got lots to talk about, and this week we discuss failed suicide bombers, Stephen Baldwin, and parents who put their faith ahead of the health of their own children.
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Stephen Baldwin continues to entertain
I’ll give him this: Stephen is willing to stand up for his belief in God, even if the life of his child were at risk. His presence on Big Brother is a goldmine of insanity so far, and it’s only getting better. He recently told one of his roommates that if a gun wielding maniac threatened to kill his daughter with a machine gun, he would force her to not renounce Jesus even if it meant saving her life.
I can’t even imagine a situation where this would ever happen, and I certainly hope no one tries to test Stephen on this issue. It just reminds me how fucked up people’s priorities are. I don’t care how much you love the invisible man in the fucking sky; don’t put your faith before your own children. Baldwin naively believes he would see his daughter up in Heaven, but if he could break out of the fog of faith he’s in for a second, he’d realize “magical sky playland” is merely the invention of clever people trying to comfort scared monkeys who contemplate their own death. Life is far more cruel than we can imagine, and there’s no reward after you die. You just need to deal with that shit and make the most of your time here. I choose not to spend it on one bended knee, and it’s fucking fantastic.
Isn’t religion great?
I seriously hope this was totally scripted, otherwise it’s pretty messed up. I didn’t find it particularly funny; I was more sad and angry no one on this stupid radio show commented on the fact this girl’s parents are a bunch of xenophobic jackasses. I’ve heard from some of my Jewish friends about the way some parents pressure their kids to marry within their religion, often saying crazy shit like “if you don’t marry a Jew you’re finishing Hitler’s work” or other such nonsense. In the age of cultural and ethnic diversity, such a strong reaction could only be possible through the divisive power of religion. Thanks for proving once again why your archaic beliefs are completely incompatible with modern society; you make a better case than I ever could.
World Vision sucks
Here’s an interesting article calling on President Obama to revise the terms of funding for World Vision, the largest Christian charity in the world, for its failure to abide by the First Amendment (that pesky separation of church and state portion of your Constitution). You see, since they receive approximately 250 million dollars from federal monies, the organization would technically be required to allow non-Christians the opportunity to work for them, especially when they fail to hire qualified persons due to this idiotic religious restriction.
Their first mission is to promote Christianity, and charitable work is only their secondary mandate. I’m not saying they don’t do good work, but a significant portion of their efforts is devoted to teaching people a dead 2000 year old Jew was a God, and the care they provide can often seem like extortion (tell me you love Jesus and I’ll give you fresh water!). If their religion is the only truth, why are they so scared to allow people of other faiths to work with them? Seems pretty cowardly to me.
Imagine for a moment a non-religious organization was only hiring unbelievers, and refused any qualified persons of faith; everyone would fucking lose their minds over that shit. The most frustrating part of this is by limiting their hiring policy, it’s sometimes impossible for them to find qualified individuals to help out, and it’s the people they are trying to help who end up suffering as a result (suffering is a Christian virtue, so I’m sure no one is losing sleep over it). Don’t you just love how religion poisons everything?
Witch doctors make me sick
If you live in a poor country and have no skills whatsoever, you should consider becoming a witch doctor. Rather than contribute something to society, which takes time and effort, you’ll enjoy the benefits of making shit up and still get paid. It’s like being a priest without a weighty institution holding you down; you get to be your own boss, and you set your own rules (sweet, eh?).
Of course, if you’re predisposed towards empathy or hate the idea of misleading your fellow man for profit, this job might not be for you. It takes some brass cojones to pull some of this shit off; just look at the story of this couple, who were told by a local witch doctor that by sacrificing their 3 month old daughter, they would suddenly become very wealthy. If you’re unfortunate enough to have a conscience, you should probably consider another line of work.
If we can accept the fact we are all simply naked apes with underdeveloped brains, it’s easy to accept how fantastically stupid we are sometimes. Still, although people do some tremendously dumb things pretty damn often, it would probably not be so bad if we stopped listening to fuckfaces who are quite literally experts in nonsense.
Another death due to “Faith Healing”
Faith Healing is an oxymoron; you might as well combine other contradictory words together for fun, like “tall midget” or “logical religion”. To heal someone, you actually need to do something; anything really other than praying to your invisible friend. If I told you my kid was really sick and my imaginary buddy was her only doctor, you’d toss me in jail and take my child away from me forever. Unfortunately, because a majority of the population actually believes in the existence of this imaginary man, no one stopped Jeff and Marci Beagley when they refused to treat their 16 year old son’s urinary tract infection. He died of this extremely treatable condition.
The Beagleys are members of the “Followers of Christ Church”, and if that name sounds familiar to you, it should. Remember Ava Worthington, the 15 month old baby girl that died choking on a common cyst? Her parents were also members of this wackjob church.
Can these morons not see the writing on the wall? So far their God is 0-2. Considering the Worthingtons got off scot-free, I’m not very hopeful that these neglectful idiots will face any jail time for failing to properly care for their son. For fuck’s sake, it’s not like these kids are dying of mysterious and untreatable diseases; they’re letting their own children die from conditions that could be cured in an afternoon!
Even 2000 years ago people were trying to find cures for diseases. They knew better back than to wait for their gods to heal them. I think around the time of the Black Plague (which killed roughly 1/3 of the population), everyone realized there really isn’t anyone looking out for us, and when it comes to our health, we’re on our own. Remember stupid shit like bloodletting (the same thing that killed your beloved George Washington)? We got it wrong for a while there, but since then we’ve invented a little thing called science, and it’s been pretty fucking sweet. It’s a lot more effective than talking to yourself, and better yet, your kids won’t die if you take advantage of it.