Wow, what a surprisingly busy week this has been. Isn’t the week between Xmas and New Years supposed to be slow and quiet, at least at work? It hasn’t turned out that way for me.

So, I’ll cop out again and introduce you all to another of my favorite people, rather than write a substantive post from scratch.

This time, it is the hilarious and so talented Tim Minchin. He is a break out comic musician from Australia, currently living in London. I hope at least a few of you are not yet familiar with his work.

A couple with performances with a critical thinking theme:
“Storm” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB_htqDCP-s
“If You Open Your Mind Too Much Your Brain Will Fall Out (Take My Wife)” – http://is.gd/5HJt2

On religion:
“Ten Foot Cock and Few Hundred Virgins” – http://is.gd/5HJsA
“The Good Book” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=696mHaD5tv0

Christmas:
“White Wine in the Sun” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=-0s68-GLGWY

And just damn brilliant:
“If You Really Loved Me” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZGzhutyOMSk
“If I Didn’t Have You” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=IeZMIgheZro
“Inflatable You” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=e6raVzrbqrM
“So Fucking Rock” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZvhG6YHt574

And my personal favorites:
“Rock n Roll Nerd” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QQ0G5Nik8iY
“Angry (feet)” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=U-OrfALplXA

Enjoy! And have a fantastic New Year!

Your guest blogger,
Scotth

Evid3nc3

Published

Scott

on December 30, 2009

This morning, I thought I’d introduce everyone to another of my favorite YouTubers.

His name is ‘Evid3nc3′ and really does some outstanding work.

First up, his piece called “Postive Atheism” - http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=89E9tGCeLIY
Hang in there through the creationist intro, it gets better…. much better. This video really captures how I feel about my atheism and why I want to share it with the world. Fabulous stuff.

The next is a playlist of videos about his deconversion from an evangelical Christian to atheist. This is a work in progress. The 10th video in this series was released last night and is what prompted me to share his work with you.
http://www.youtube.com/user/Evid3nc3#grid/user/A0C3C1D163BE880A

I cannot recommend his work highly enough, I hope you tune and watch the them all.

Everlasting life?

Published

Scott

on December 29, 2009

The other day while trading quips with an evangelical Christian, I was asked “Don’t you want everlasting life?”. Questions like this come up with startling regularity and plainly highlight the enormous gulf between my world view and theirs.

Of course I want “everlasting life”. Truly, I am all for it. I just can’t see a reason to believe that it is an option available to me. I’ve read the Bible. I am studying it now in ever increasing detail. I’ve also spent a couple decades having a look at how the universe really works. No one with a decent grounding in phsyics, geology, astronomy/cosmology, and biology could possibly read the Bible and conclude that it was in any way inspired or informed by the creator of the universe. It isn’t just Genesis that is a mess, the whole thing is a steaming pant-load from “the beginning” right through Revelation.

When any reading of the Bible that doesn’t start with the assumption that it is true, reveals it to be an obvious human fabrication, I can’t take their questions seriously. Until after I am convinced that it is likely to be true, my wants simply don’t enter the equation. I might as well be asked, “Don’t you want a $1 billion to appear in your bank account?” Yes, of course, that sounds great. Unfortunately, wishing it be so does little to make it a reality.

With the complete lack of evidence to support the idea that Everlasting Life is actually on offer from Christianity (or any other religion that I am aware of), I refuse to waste a single precious second of my (apparently) one and only life to persue it.

Critical Thinking

Published

Scott

on December 29, 2009

As I, and so many others, have shed their religion after being exposed to science & critical thinking, I try to push critical thinking rather than bashing religion 100% of the time. Bashing is fun and all, but not that constructive.

Here are 3 brilliantly done videos on the topic by QualiaSoup.

“Open Mindedness” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=T69TOuqaqXI
“Putting Faith in its place” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5wV_REEdvxo
“Critical Thinking” – http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6OLPL5p0fMg

These are just fantastic and completely worth your time. I send believers to watch them all the time to help explain why I am not impressed with their arguments.

No Churchgoing Christmas for the First Family

Published

Scott

on December 29, 2009

I am trying to think of what this says about our country (assuming you also live in the USA) that a news outfit as large as Time finds it worth writing about that the Obamas didn’t go to church for Christmas in Hawaii. I bet the nitwits at Faux News are going crazy over this. Perhaps I’ll look for myself after another couple cups of coffee and post an update.

The Senate vote on final passage of health reform almost scuttled their plans, but it looks like the First Family will still make it to Hawaii for Christmas. They’ve had a whirlwind holiday season so far, starting with the lighting of the National Christmas Tree, through hosting more than 50,000 people for 27 parties and open houses, and ending with a visit by the First Lady, Malia and Sasha, and the family’s dog Bo, to deliver cookies to the Children’s National Medical Center. The Obamas have also started their own holiday traditions in their new home, adding a Christmas wishing tree to the decorations festooning the White House.

But there’s one common Christmas practice not on the First Family’s schedule: a visit to Christmas Eve church services.

For the rest