... out from under theistic fallacies of imagination:
A-Deism describes a rational view based on all the evidence that points to the nonexistence of supernatural entities.
Monthly Archive for September, 2009Page 3 of 5
On a little more light-hearted note today - I was gazing last night before I went to sleep, as I so often do, at the few stars whose light is able to penetrate the dense orange fug of London's night, wondering how many of them might have planets like our own orbiting them... how many of them provide light and life for alien worlds. Thinking how many planets, in all the vastness of space, and all the immensity of time past, present and future, might hold intelligent life, might hold civilizations of thoughtful beings like ourselves. Lost in my frequent nocturnal imaginings, it suddenly occured to me that our own planet, with just one dominant species, has managed to spawn at least seven major religions, and countless minor ones. What if there are, or have been, or will be, millions of planets with intelligent aliens, all with thousands of religions of their own... imagine a Universe where religion is endemic - imagine interplanetary holy wars!
On this happy note, I let the curtain drop and tried to get some sleep.
Amazingly, I didn't have any nightmares.
On this happy note, I let the curtain drop and tried to get some sleep.
Amazingly, I didn't have any nightmares.
attaccabottoni (Italian): a sad person who buttonholes people and tells long, pointless stories of misfortune (literally, "a person who attacks your buttons").
[Thanks to Richard's Grammar and Composition Blog]
Even though this is my 100th post, it is nothing special. It is more for me, really. I like the fact that I am free to write about anything I want to write about on this blog, and the fact that you bear with me even during my dry spells (periods of time in which I find it difficult to post anything any of you smart people will find interesting). The word above has no specific value really. No relevance to anything here. Except for me. I've realized that (while not much on this blog), I'm an "attaccabottoni". I tell people about my problems, without addressing them. I put too much focus on my own stresses in life, and don't always realize other people have their own problems. Today I put an end to that. That is the "for me" part of this blog post.
With that said, I also decided that I'd like to share with you a few posts from a couple of fellow bloggers that have caught my interest in the past few days, and I hope they have the same effect with you as well. I hope it is a sufficient 100th post.
The Red Ferret has recently posted about an article on the matter of belief in god being natural... and even if it is true, it doesn't constitute the belief being true. Also, he delves into the Gideon's bible for some pretty neat biblical truths (like what to do when our hard drive crashes).
Sparrowhawk draws attention to something that I thought deserved more attention in the first place (or, I should say, good attention). Obama's education and stay in school speech. Is Sparrowhawk trying to promote indoctrinating our students? Not at all. He also points to another president that has done something like this as well. Take a look. While I thought that some may find the speech Obama gave to students cheesy, I thought it was inspirational to some degree. Do well in school. That's the only doctrine I tasted while reading the transcript of it online.
The Secular Thinker has posted on the definition of some terms people throw around in argument (which I think is good, part of the argument is knowing what's being said). He also touches upon the first cause argument. And the (often mind stressing) TAG.
The New Atheist had a post 3 days ago about September 11. The ending paragraph deserves attention:
September 11th ought to be a day when we reflect on role religion plays in our societies, not come together to praise the same God who abandoned us all eight years ago. The events of this day are irrevocably intertwined with religion. It is a fact that 9/11, and a multitude of other historical atrocities, wouldn’t have happened in a world of atheists. And no, Hitler wasn’t an atheist. So save it.
The rest of the post is good, too. Also, sometimes people don't take kindly to civil discourse and rational discussion. No matter what political party they associate themselves with, they may look a bit like this.
To 100 posts. Enjoy yesterday's Non-Sequitur.
attaccabottoni (Italian): a sad person who buttonholes people and tells long, pointless stories of misfortune (literally, "a person who attacks your buttons").
[Thanks to Richard's Grammar and Composition Blog]
Even though this is my 100th post, it is nothing special. It is more for me, really. I like the fact that I am free to write about anything I want to write about on this blog, and the fact that you bear with me even during my dry spells (periods of time in which I find it difficult to post anything any of you smart people will find interesting). The word above has no specific value really. No relevance to anything here. Except for me. I've realized that (while not much on this blog), I'm an "attaccabottoni". I tell people about my problems, without addressing them. I put too much focus on my own stresses in life, and don't always realize other people have their own problems. Today I put an end to that. That is the "for me" part of this blog post.
With that said, I also decided that I'd like to share with you a few posts from a couple of fellow bloggers that have caught my interest in the past few days, and I hope they have the same effect with you as well. I hope it is a sufficient 100th post.
The Red Ferret has recently posted about an article on the matter of belief in god being natural... and even if it is true, it doesn't constitute the belief being true. Also, he delves into the Gideon's bible for some pretty neat biblical truths (like what to do when our hard drive crashes).
Sparrowhawk draws attention to something that I thought deserved more attention in the first place (or, I should say, good attention). Obama's education and stay in school speech. Is Sparrowhawk trying to promote indoctrinating our students? Not at all. He also points to another president that has done something like this as well. Take a look. While I thought that some may find the speech Obama gave to students cheesy, I thought it was inspirational to some degree. Do well in school. That's the only doctrine I tasted while reading the transcript of it online.
The Secular Thinker has posted on the definition of some terms people throw around in argument (which I think is good, part of the argument is knowing what's being said). He also touches upon the first cause argument. And the (often mind stressing) TAG.
The New Atheist had a post 3 days ago about September 11. The ending paragraph deserves attention:
September 11th ought to be a day when we reflect on role religion plays in our societies, not come together to praise the same God who abandoned us all eight years ago. The events of this day are irrevocably intertwined with religion. It is a fact that 9/11, and a multitude of other historical atrocities, wouldn’t have happened in a world of atheists. And no, Hitler wasn’t an atheist. So save it.
The rest of the post is good, too. Also, sometimes people don't take kindly to civil discourse and rational discussion. No matter what political party they associate themselves with, they may look a bit like this.
To 100 posts. Enjoy yesterday's Non-Sequitur.
On Friday a demonstration planned by a group called Stop the Islamisation Of Europe (SIEO) in Harrow, north-west London, was called off at the last minute, at the request of the police, in order to prevent a breach of the peace. The group wanted to protest against plans to build a new, larger mosque next to an older building that is no longer big enough to serve the needs of the local Muslim population.
In the event around twenty or so of the demonstrators turned up, and were met by more than a thousand counter-protesters organised by United Against Fascism (UAF). The counter-demonstration was well organised and supported, and several well known figures including the local MP (one Tony McNulty) and the London Assembly member for Brent and Harrow gave talks at an earlier rally. There were a few minor clashes between police and members of the UAF when the small contingent of SIEO chaps turned up and were chased away by Muslim youths, many of whom were inexplicably wearing balaclavas or scarves to cover their faces and wielding sticks, bottles or stones in that time-honoured tradition of peaceful counter-demonstration.
There has been almost universal condemnation for the SIEO, and the Culture Secretary, John Denham, compared their aims and methods to those of the Blackshirts' anti-Jewish marches in the 30's and National Front rallies in the 70's. Condemnation of armed and masked young men has so far not been forthcoming.
I have a lot of sympathy with the UAF and support much of their stated position, though I emphatically do not share their leftist political ideals. In this instance I have no sympathy at all with the SIEO's demonstration - I see no reason why the Muslims of Harrow should not have a mosque large enough for their needs (apart, of course, from my idealistic desire to see all places of worship rendered obsolete). The BBC's report showed footage of the inside of the current mosque - a poky little building with a low, corrugated iron ceiling. Were the SIOE marching against 'Islamism' or 'Islamic extremism' however I would be right behind them.
The problem I have is that I feel stuck in the middle and unable to express an opinion that I feel I have arrived at through common-sense, reason, and a genuine concern for the future of my country, without being labelled either a fascist or a leftist.
It is a real, genuine problem that so many Muslims in our cities live in isolated communities and want nothing to do with non-Muslims. It is a real problem that in many mosques up and down the land, Imams imported from Arab countries or Pakistan rail about the primacy of Islam and tell their flock - many of whom are young men, unsure about their positions in society and undecided about the direction their lives should take - that Western values will corrupt their faith and that they should reject them. It is a real problem that some sections of these communities hate their own country so much that they would gladly kill our citizens in the name of their faith. It is a real problem that so many young girls are sent for brief 'holidays' to visit their 'uncles' in north Africa or Pakistan, only to return without their external genitalia. It is a real problem that so many young men and women are sent to their parents countries to get married (not to mention the number of women who are married against their will) rather than marry here. It is a real problem that so many people who come to live in this country despise the values that it stands for - that our grandparents fought and died for - and want the country to change to suit them. And I could go on... Now tell me honestly - because I am perfectly prepared to review my position if I am mistaken - does saying any of this make me a fascist? An Islamophobe? A racist?
It is a real problem that minor far-right parties like the British Nationalist Party (BNP) are gaining ground in some areas of the country, by exploiting and misdirecting the fears of sections of the indigenous population, but this is only possible because politicians in all major parties feel unable, or are unwilling, to speak out against the growth and increasing insularity of Muslim communities, for fear of incurring the wrath of a minority who are not only willing to use violence, but who are positively itching for the chance.
I despise the BNP and all that they stand for, but does this make me a lefty?
So this post is for all those people who, like me, feel trapped between a rock and a hard place. Who would naively like to see people of all faiths and backgrounds just coming together and getting along with one another. Who would like to see second and third generation immigrants genuinely feeling that Britain is their home, without expecting it to change for them. I know I'm dreaming, and I know I'm being hopelessly naive, but hey, a man can dream, can't he?
Check the following links for background info:
BBC's online article
SIOE homepage
UAF homepage
Just to clarify, I do not and would not buy either the Daily Mail or the Daily Express. In fact, I would rather walk around in soiled underwear than use either of these publications to wipe my arse if I'd run out of toilet paper. Just thought I'd clear that up.
In the event around twenty or so of the demonstrators turned up, and were met by more than a thousand counter-protesters organised by United Against Fascism (UAF). The counter-demonstration was well organised and supported, and several well known figures including the local MP (one Tony McNulty) and the London Assembly member for Brent and Harrow gave talks at an earlier rally. There were a few minor clashes between police and members of the UAF when the small contingent of SIEO chaps turned up and were chased away by Muslim youths, many of whom were inexplicably wearing balaclavas or scarves to cover their faces and wielding sticks, bottles or stones in that time-honoured tradition of peaceful counter-demonstration.
There has been almost universal condemnation for the SIEO, and the Culture Secretary, John Denham, compared their aims and methods to those of the Blackshirts' anti-Jewish marches in the 30's and National Front rallies in the 70's. Condemnation of armed and masked young men has so far not been forthcoming.
I have a lot of sympathy with the UAF and support much of their stated position, though I emphatically do not share their leftist political ideals. In this instance I have no sympathy at all with the SIEO's demonstration - I see no reason why the Muslims of Harrow should not have a mosque large enough for their needs (apart, of course, from my idealistic desire to see all places of worship rendered obsolete). The BBC's report showed footage of the inside of the current mosque - a poky little building with a low, corrugated iron ceiling. Were the SIOE marching against 'Islamism' or 'Islamic extremism' however I would be right behind them.
The problem I have is that I feel stuck in the middle and unable to express an opinion that I feel I have arrived at through common-sense, reason, and a genuine concern for the future of my country, without being labelled either a fascist or a leftist.
It is a real, genuine problem that so many Muslims in our cities live in isolated communities and want nothing to do with non-Muslims. It is a real problem that in many mosques up and down the land, Imams imported from Arab countries or Pakistan rail about the primacy of Islam and tell their flock - many of whom are young men, unsure about their positions in society and undecided about the direction their lives should take - that Western values will corrupt their faith and that they should reject them. It is a real problem that some sections of these communities hate their own country so much that they would gladly kill our citizens in the name of their faith. It is a real problem that so many young girls are sent for brief 'holidays' to visit their 'uncles' in north Africa or Pakistan, only to return without their external genitalia. It is a real problem that so many young men and women are sent to their parents countries to get married (not to mention the number of women who are married against their will) rather than marry here. It is a real problem that so many people who come to live in this country despise the values that it stands for - that our grandparents fought and died for - and want the country to change to suit them. And I could go on... Now tell me honestly - because I am perfectly prepared to review my position if I am mistaken - does saying any of this make me a fascist? An Islamophobe? A racist?
It is a real problem that minor far-right parties like the British Nationalist Party (BNP) are gaining ground in some areas of the country, by exploiting and misdirecting the fears of sections of the indigenous population, but this is only possible because politicians in all major parties feel unable, or are unwilling, to speak out against the growth and increasing insularity of Muslim communities, for fear of incurring the wrath of a minority who are not only willing to use violence, but who are positively itching for the chance.
I despise the BNP and all that they stand for, but does this make me a lefty?
So this post is for all those people who, like me, feel trapped between a rock and a hard place. Who would naively like to see people of all faiths and backgrounds just coming together and getting along with one another. Who would like to see second and third generation immigrants genuinely feeling that Britain is their home, without expecting it to change for them. I know I'm dreaming, and I know I'm being hopelessly naive, but hey, a man can dream, can't he?
Check the following links for background info:
BBC's online article
SIOE homepage
UAF homepage
Just to clarify, I do not and would not buy either the Daily Mail or the Daily Express. In fact, I would rather walk around in soiled underwear than use either of these publications to wipe my arse if I'd run out of toilet paper. Just thought I'd clear that up.
(video below transcript)
Patrician Atheist here with Statements of Fact VIII.
There is no historical evidence to corroborate the story of the torture and execution of Jesus Christ.
Albany is the capital of New York.
Tokyo is the capital of Japan.
The Torah forbids Jews from eating pork.
The Bible forbids Christians from eating pork.
The Qu’ran forbids Muslims from eating pork.
Pigs and hares are non-kosher.
Cows are considered sacred to Hindus.
The Pope is not a Protestant.
John McCain is not a young man.
In March 2008, the parents of 11-year-old Madeline Kara Neumann of Wisconsin allowed her to die from diabetic ketoacidosis because rather than taking Kara to the doctor for her easily treatable diabetes, they opted instead to faith heal her.
Devil’s Haircut is a song from the 1996 album Odelay by Beck.
Sheep Go to Heaven is a song from the 1998 album Prolonging the Magic by Cake.
Hypnotize is a song from the 2003 album Elephant by The White Stripes.
The fourteenth episode of The Simpsons’ fourth season is titled “Brother from the Same Planet.”
“All About the Mormons?” is an episode of South Park which originally aired in November 2003.
Homosexuality predates all of the religions that condemn it.
In the 2000 Presidential Election, Vice President Al Gore won the popular vote but lost the Electoral College vote, and subsequently the White House, to Texas Governor George W. Bush.
During the 2000 Presidential Election, Florida Secretary of State Katherine Harris was George W. Bush’s Florida campaign co-chair.
The plural of ‘chad’ is ‘chad.’
The Breakers is a mansion located in Newport, Rhode Island that was constructed as the summer home of Cornelius Vanderbilt II.
In October 2008, the Christian Science Monitor, a publication founded in 1908 by Mary Baker Eddy, announced that it would no longer be printing a daily edition and would be transitioning to printing only one newspaper for a weekend edition in order to concentrate mainly on its online publishing.
The Discovery Institute is a conservative think tank that advocates Intelligent Design.
Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, known simply as Americans United (AU) today, is an organization that advocates secularism and was founded in 1947.
"E Pluribus Unum" is Latin for “Out of Many, One” and is found on the Great Seal of the United States.
The United States spends more money per capita on health care than any other industrialized country that employs a universal healthcare system.
The Jesus of the Bible was not too keen on rich people and in Mathew 19:24 says “And again I say to you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God.”
The Pope lives in a palace and is rich in material wealth.
Pope John Paul II died on April 2, 2005 at the age of 84.
Saddam Hussein, the former dictator of Iraq, was executed on December 30, 2006.
Shortly after the September 11, 2001 attacks on the United States, President George W. Bush referred to the conflict with Muslim terrorists as a “crusade.”
YMCA is an acronym for Young Men’s Christian Association, which is an organization that was founded in 1844 in London, England.
Chimpanzees are the closest genetic cousins of humans.
The greatest enemy of faith is reason.
Patrician Atheist,
See Ya Around.
This is the sort of thing I do in history when we’re talking about people like Aquinas:
Given…
- I can conceive in my mind of the tastiest batch of cookie dough.
- Existence is tastier than non-existence.
Therefore, the Tastiest Batch of Cookie Dough must exist.
I think I’ve said that on Twitter in one form or another before, but I was just going over my notes and noticed it… along with some rant about Star Trek. I think that means I need to pay more attention in class?
This playlist includes 11 of 12 parts of a BBC program examining the authorship of the Bible. An academic theologian examines some of the evidence. The revelations are marred only by the fact that apologists are given the opportunity to rationalize the evidence away. Balanced reporting would have permitted atheists to point out the glaring errors in their denials and excuses.
Ah well, at least the program discusses the fact that the Bible is a flawed human invention! Archaeology falsifies the historicity of the OT. Biblical scholars agree that authorship is not as it is presented (except some Pauline letters and James). The program does briefly mention that the Gospels contradict one another.
Much about biblical errors was omitted — accidental and deliberate transcription inaccuracies, widespread contradictions, and additions to the Bible that were made as late as the early 17th century. That is without even mentioning the alternate versions of Christianity that were practically erased from history by the victorious version of biblical fiction.
However, the program only runs less than 2 hours, and a complete exposé of all the problems would probably take weeks.
Ah well, at least the program discusses the fact that the Bible is a flawed human invention! Archaeology falsifies the historicity of the OT. Biblical scholars agree that authorship is not as it is presented (except some Pauline letters and James). The program does briefly mention that the Gospels contradict one another.
Much about biblical errors was omitted — accidental and deliberate transcription inaccuracies, widespread contradictions, and additions to the Bible that were made as late as the early 17th century. That is without even mentioning the alternate versions of Christianity that were practically erased from history by the victorious version of biblical fiction.
However, the program only runs less than 2 hours, and a complete exposé of all the problems would probably take weeks.
A-Deism describes a rational view based on all the evidence that points to the nonexistence of supernatural entities.
Deconversion - deconverts
More deconversion playlists:
The Great Escapes
Videos about deconversion:
Dissonant Discomfort : a very good video that examines, within the framework of theoretical psychology, the emotional stages of deconversion.
More deconversion playlists:
The Great Escapes
Videos about deconversion:
Dissonant Discomfort : a very good video that examines, within the framework of theoretical psychology, the emotional stages of deconversion.
A-Deism describes a rational view based on all the evidence that points to the nonexistence of supernatural entities.
this job/contract-hunting scene drives me nuts. this little voice that has hung around me for 40-odd years tells me i should have been more patient where i was at and taken the woefully lose-lose situation i was in as some sort of challenge to improve myself or some shit.
amazingly, i do manage to refrain from bashing myself in the head.
my best lead right now involves waiting to replace the guy who’s currently fucking up that position right and left. he apparently needs one more major screw-up, then the two people over there i’ve spoken to will push me in front of their senior vp of professional services. i’m not normally one to root for someone else’s failure—not even in sports!—but it’s a dog-eat-dog world, and from where i’m sitting, there just ain’t enough dogs.
that’s a quote from somewhere, i forget where. meh.
i hate being in this kind of hold pattern, but sometimes it’s useful. there’s only so much job/contract-hunting a person can do during the day, and despite some other responsibilities last evening, i managed to watch the president’s address and all the surrounding bullshit. Kind of interesting on several levels. you never know if people are opposed to some things just because the man is black, or because he doesn’t share their specific political ideology, or whatever. it was nutty last night, and even a bit nuttier today. what i don’t understand is how anyone can be opposed to a system that provides more opportunities for all citizens.
which of course led me to wondering about the patterns of thought to which such individuals must be enslaved. what saddens me is how they, like our last president, fight so hard to limit themselves—their own well-being. it’s easy to call them witless dupes, but that’s also a bit disingenuous in this context, because they’re not merely witless dupes to the health care industry. they’re really witless dupes to a political and social ideology that defines everything from their family heritage to the marketplace in which we all compete.
which is, of course, exactly the problem.
i try to be understanding. i tell myself and others that these types of things aren’t their fault, because, after all, they don’t really know any better. they’re simply reacting to the world from the basis of their collective myopia and intellectual repression. but that’s rather disingenuous, too. such observations do nothing to solve the problem, and in fact, simply lend to an environment which facilitates the problem. they don’t make the world any better for my children or myself, and tolerance of their world view simply perpetuates an environment in which our own world view is repeatedly compromised.
i have a deep-seated, honest desire to want to help these people, despite the fact that i know how fruitless and impossible such a task truly is. there are certain minds so full of muck that digging it all out would destroy the person. and there are a lot of those minds around. but, just as pointless as trying to “help” them, is the idea of arguing with them. there’s simply not enough critical thinking going on in those muck-filled little boxes of ultra-conservatism for me or anyone to be successful in helping them change their minds about anything. as disappointing as that is, and even as depressing as it makes me, at least i can be glad they i, and mine, don’t suffer from that particular form of mental slavery.
but that’s a rather hollow victory.
so, where does that leave us? if it’s truly worthless to try to change their minds or reason with them, what do we do? well, in the case of healthcare reform, we have to inflict our worldview on them until it becomes the new status quo. Let’s not forget that in ten years, if the health care system needs some more changes, these same small minds will be the ones STILL opposed to change, but on the premise that the way it will be in ten years is “the way that it is”. their attention span is so short, collectively and individually, that within just a few short years of these changes, they’ll have forgotten how it was, anyway. so, what we need to do today is to encourage our senators and representatives to get this health care reform passed, with a public option. it falls on us to change the focus of what these unfocused minds perceive.
and the sooner, the better.
after all, not all the people living here are liberals, and living where they do, as they do, they need health care, too. they might be too mentally enslaved to truly understand their own dilemma, but they’re not going to fix it on their own by continuing to spout republican rhetoric. they need our help, so let’s make it happen. after all, the benefits apply to all of us.
“Science is not only less reliable than faith, but faith is used in science."
Did I miss the science Crusades, the science Thirty Years War, or the science Spanish Inquisition?
How reliable is your faith, exactly? Are you a Christian? If so, what kind of Christian are you?
If you’re a Catholic, you may believe that your god directly revealed himself to a line of men who frequently embodied corruption, nepotism, and hypocrisy.
If you’re a Protestant, you’re already admitting that your faith is not 100% reliable, because why would there need to be a Reformation if faith is generally reliable?
If you’re Orthodox, how do you explain the abundance of Protestants and Catholics if faith is so reliable?
If you’re any kind of Christian, then how do you explain the plentiful and confusing abundance of contradicting interpretations of the same exact sacred texts?
If you're a Muslim, which tradition do you adhere to? How do you explain the existence and persistence of other sects? Why is your faith so fragile? Your holy book is even written in the same universal language, and you still have many of the same problems as the Christians.
You think faith is reliable? The wise walk by sight, not by faith.
Did I miss the science Crusades, the science Thirty Years War, or the science Spanish Inquisition?
How reliable is your faith, exactly? Are you a Christian? If so, what kind of Christian are you?
If you’re a Catholic, you may believe that your god directly revealed himself to a line of men who frequently embodied corruption, nepotism, and hypocrisy.
If you’re a Protestant, you’re already admitting that your faith is not 100% reliable, because why would there need to be a Reformation if faith is generally reliable?
If you’re Orthodox, how do you explain the abundance of Protestants and Catholics if faith is so reliable?
If you’re any kind of Christian, then how do you explain the plentiful and confusing abundance of contradicting interpretations of the same exact sacred texts?
If you're a Muslim, which tradition do you adhere to? How do you explain the existence and persistence of other sects? Why is your faith so fragile? Your holy book is even written in the same universal language, and you still have many of the same problems as the Christians.
You think faith is reliable? The wise walk by sight, not by faith.
Best Quote: Hubbard: [after slapping Col. Stella Holmes] This is just so we understand each other.
Super Short Summary: Alien "Cyclops" convinces space explorer to move it to Columbia to grow deadly alien space eggs, develop a distribution network and cover import-export business in order to sneak deadly alien eggs into New York City's sewers.
Why You Should Never Watch This Movie: While the 80's may have had it's moments, this movie will make you wish you never lived through it. Despite the lead female character's rank as a colonel, she runs around like a helpless woman while the lead male, Lutinent Tony Aris, acts like an arrogant, cocky male throughout. While that may be distracting, you'll be more distracted by the poor blood-splattering special effects and poor costumes of the investigation teams who are assigned to examine a biological agent which has killed a crew. The team climbs on board wearing painter's masks and open face suits which don't seal at the hands, wearing fabric mittens and exposed bottoms (you can see the actor's jeans!). I know it was the 80's, but that's just stupid.
If the Cyclops doesn't get you, the eye liner will.
B-Rating: BBB
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