This blog has moved to a new address. I've decided to incorporate this blog with my new one called Bitching Commentary where I will focus on many different topics/issues from an atheist/liberal perspective.
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Why Didn't God Kill Hitler?
After watching Valkyrie I thought to myself: How can any reasonable human being believe in a God who "allowed" Hitler to escape some 15 assassination attempts. Fifteen was the number cited by the movie just before the credits. But I went online and found that the number of assassination attempts goes up to some 45, dating back to the 1920s. Forty-five? It took one attempt to kill Lincoln, a decent guy. But this bastard escapes with his life (I know he killed himself; still he escaped punishment) after murdering millions. How fucked up is that? Where was God when millions were being exterminated in gas chambers? Why didn't God step in? Is it because God doesn't meddle in human affairs. So why then did "he" bother sacrificing his "son" for us? Why do people bother with prayer if God doesn't get involved. What's the use of a "powerful" God who's a lazy bum?
This is best summed up by one of my favorite quotes on the subject of God.
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This is best summed up by one of my favorite quotes on the subject of God.
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" - EpicurusLet's just pretend for a moment that God doesn't condone killing. With that we could understand why he was hesitant to off Hitler. But couldn't he have at least saved those brave men who tried to eliminate him? Or did God want those men punished for attempted murder? Either way you spin it, God comes out like a hypocrite. And there's nothing I hate more than a hypocrite. Enough said.
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Supernatural - For Atheists and Believers
I love the way Supernatural questions the existence and goodness of God, angels, demons. Nothing is black and white in Sam and Dean's universe. Although one could argue that Dean, the older brother, tends to see things in black and white. (He hated Ruby because she was a demon and it didn't matter that she wanted to help Sam and tried to keep Dean from going to hell. He also questioned the existence of God and the goodness of his angels.) Demons equal evil. I think Dean's transformation came when he met Castiel, the angel who pulled him out of hell. He didn't believe that angels really existed, and who could blame him considering that for the better part of his life he's been hunting demons and no angel ever stepped in to help. As Dean met more angels throughout the 4th season, he saw how cruel and selfish they can be. Just like the demons.
The fact that Supernatural doesn't say anything definitive about the existence of God, makes the show more interesting. It wouldn't be as nearly interesting if they came out and said that God doesn't it or that God does exist. I think it's better this way. They leave it up to the viewer to decide for themselves. The storyline they went with was that most angels have never seen God so that way no character on the show, thus far, can say that God really is up there somewhere.
Even though angels and demons are prominent in this show, they are metaphors. Sam and Dean are just two brothers trying to do some good in the world who find it increasingly difficult to judge with certainty who the good and bad guys are.
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The fact that Supernatural doesn't say anything definitive about the existence of God, makes the show more interesting. It wouldn't be as nearly interesting if they came out and said that God doesn't it or that God does exist. I think it's better this way. They leave it up to the viewer to decide for themselves. The storyline they went with was that most angels have never seen God so that way no character on the show, thus far, can say that God really is up there somewhere.
Even though angels and demons are prominent in this show, they are metaphors. Sam and Dean are just two brothers trying to do some good in the world who find it increasingly difficult to judge with certainty who the good and bad guys are.
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Questioning Religion
I was over on richarddawkins.net yesterday just browsing when I came upon a list of common debate points that atheists are likely to encounter. I thought I'd respond to all of them, but not in a single day of course. There are 34 debate points currently listed. I'll start with the first one on the list.
I find nothing wrong with questioning religion just like I find nothing wrong with questioning our governments, politicians, courts, police, etc. Since religion affects us all, whether positively or negatively, all of us, as citizens of this world, have the right to question anything that affects our lives. That is what qualifies me to question religion.
As to the second part of this question, I believe I have already answered. I am just a regular person, a citizen, that has the right to question anything that damn well pleases me. That's what freedom of expression is all about.
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What are your qualifications to question religion anyway? Just who are you?I wasn't aware any qualifications were necessary in order to have an opinion. What kind of qualifications does the average person need in order to question politicians, scientists, authority? If qualifications are necessary then I will say that I have read the Bible, the good parts and the bad. I have seen and personally felt the consequences of religious beliefs. Does that qualify me? Or do I have to be a preacher, minister, nun, reverend, priest, professor of religion in order to question religion? If I were any of these people, the chances are that I would not question it even if I did not agree with some things, at least not as vocally as atheists tend to do. Religious people rarely criticize their own religions. Yet many have no problem questioning the faiths of others.
I find nothing wrong with questioning religion just like I find nothing wrong with questioning our governments, politicians, courts, police, etc. Since religion affects us all, whether positively or negatively, all of us, as citizens of this world, have the right to question anything that affects our lives. That is what qualifies me to question religion.
As to the second part of this question, I believe I have already answered. I am just a regular person, a citizen, that has the right to question anything that damn well pleases me. That's what freedom of expression is all about.
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Religulous Is Fucking Hilarious
I know that this documentary came out a while ago but I didn't get to see it until today. Bill Maher's got balls. The things he says can be downright insulting, but he doesn't care and that's why I love him. He's brutally honest and doesn't shy away from any topic. He's the best when it comes to stumping religious leaders. I can't remember the name of that priest Bill interviewed in front of the Vatican but that priest should really consider doing stand-up. I find it reassuring when people of opposing views can actually take a joke and laugh together. Whatever your beliefs are, sticking to every single one dogmatically over and over and over again kinda makes you dull. Loosen up a little bit, allow for the possibility that you may be wrong. I'll say right here and right now that there is a chance that I am wrong and God exists. I'm not dogmatic. And if it happens to be true that God exists and that hell and heaven exist too, I'll concede. I'll believe in God's existence if it's proven. I'll even stop calling myself an atheist but I won't be religious because religion has caused too much misery. The bottom line is I don't like how religion discourages questioning and rational thought.
I wish there were more people like Bill Maher out there. Maybe there are and they're just scared to speak out. I don't blame them. Religion is fucking scary. Seriously. Have you ever heard the noises coming out of hopped up religious people; seen the way they move and shake their bodies all around? Aren't those the signs of demonic possession? Contortion and speaking in tongues? I thought I read that somewhere. Ah, well.
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I wish there were more people like Bill Maher out there. Maybe there are and they're just scared to speak out. I don't blame them. Religion is fucking scary. Seriously. Have you ever heard the noises coming out of hopped up religious people; seen the way they move and shake their bodies all around? Aren't those the signs of demonic possession? Contortion and speaking in tongues? I thought I read that somewhere. Ah, well.
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Since I didn't post anything on World Press Freedom Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to do so now. Though freedom of the press may never be a reality everywhere, courageous journalists and bloggers all over the world are not discouraged by this. Slowly and painfully, things will change and no doubt due in large part to the efforts of these people and everyone that supports them. That's why it is extremely important for the rest of us to speak up for them when their voices have been silenced and their bodies imprisoned.
Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist was arrested in Iran in February and charged with espionage. She was quickly convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. Her lawyer is appealing the sentence and a hearing has been set for May 12.
Source: AsiaNews.it
According to CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists), 125 journalists have been arrested as of December 1, 2008. The top five countries with the most journalists in jail are:
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Imprisoned Journalists & Bloggers
Since I didn't post anything on World Press Freedom Day, I'd like to take this opportunity to do so now. Though freedom of the press may never be a reality everywhere, courageous journalists and bloggers all over the world are not discouraged by this. Slowly and painfully, things will change and no doubt due in large part to the efforts of these people and everyone that supports them. That's why it is extremely important for the rest of us to speak up for them when their voices have been silenced and their bodies imprisoned.Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist was arrested in Iran in February and charged with espionage. She was quickly convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. Her lawyer is appealing the sentence and a hearing has been set for May 12.
Source: AsiaNews.it
According to CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists), 125 journalists have been arrested as of December 1, 2008. The top five countries with the most journalists in jail are:
- China - 28
- Cuba - 21
- Burma -14
- Eritrea - 13
- Uzbekistan - 6
- Burma
- Iran
- Syria
- Cuba
- Saudi Arabia
- Vietnam
- Tunisia
- China
- Turkmenistan
- Egypt
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Pope Won't Be Silenced On Condoms and Neither Will I
Most of the world knows by now the Catholic Church's stance on condoms but enough is enough. If the Catholic Church actually cared about helping those infected with AIDS it wouldn't be condemning one of the best forms of prevention even if it went against their official doctrine. Just because condoms don't work 100% of the time in preventing the spread of HIV is no reason to preach against its use to millions of African people.
But that's exactly what the Vatican is doing. The current pope, on a recent visit to Africa, basically said that condoms aren't the answer and could even make the AIDS pandemic worse.
Here is a direct quote:
Abstinence what else. Because that worked so well in America in preventing teen pregnancies. And monogamy too.
Methinks it's time for the Vatican to stop being so goddamn irresponsible and butt out of people's lives.
This world is way overdue for an Atheist/Secular/Humanist organization with billions of dollars at their disposal to combat the Catholic Church's irresponsible influence around the world.
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But that's exactly what the Vatican is doing. The current pope, on a recent visit to Africa, basically said that condoms aren't the answer and could even make the AIDS pandemic worse.
Here is a direct quote:
"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, it increases the problem."How, you may ask. Well, apparently, there are tiny holes in condoms that allow the permeation of the virus. Can you believe that? And where exactly does the solution lie according to him?
Abstinence what else. Because that worked so well in America in preventing teen pregnancies. And monogamy too.
Methinks it's time for the Vatican to stop being so goddamn irresponsible and butt out of people's lives.
This world is way overdue for an Atheist/Secular/Humanist organization with billions of dollars at their disposal to combat the Catholic Church's irresponsible influence around the world.
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No Abortions, No Exceptions. Are You Fucking Kidding Me?
This is the stance of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. And he's not fucking kidding. I only have one thing to say to people with his extremist views. VOICE YOUR OPINIONS WHEN YOU GROW A FUCKING UTERUS.
And if you have a uterus and still hold these ridiculous views, well NOBODY FUCKING CARES WHAT YOU THINK, ANYWAY.
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And if you have a uterus and still hold these ridiculous views, well NOBODY FUCKING CARES WHAT YOU THINK, ANYWAY.
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An Unsolicited Religious Letter
My sister received this letter the other day. Someone came to her house and dropped it through her mail slot because she wouldn't answer the door. They actually wrote it by hand, using all capital letters. I don't know how they knew my sisters name but they still spelled it wrong. Anyway, here's the letter (all spelling mistakes are the letter writers').
I can't tell you how much I can't stand missionaries. If you're religious, fine but don't go around shoving your religious beliefs in other people's faces. Concentrate on yourself and leave people alone. As to those stupid questions, here is my take. We die because we are born. Like every other living thing, there is a beginning and an end. You can't find happiness. You can only be happy. Do things you enjoy, surround yourself with people you love and you will be happy. And as to the purpose of life. There is no purpose. The question is stupid. The purpose of life is to live. That's it. There is no higher power and there is no other life. You should be satisfied you even got to live once.
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Dear: My Sisters Name Spelled Incorrectly
my wife and I live in your neighborhood. we have not been able to speak with you personally, but we have some important information that we want to share with you. a sample of it is contained in the enclosed tract.
it is our priveledge to share in a work that is being done by volunteers in upward of 200 lands. In all these lands, people are being invited to benefit from a program that helps people learn the bible's answers to such important questions as: why do we grow old and die? whis is the purpose of life? how can we find real happiness?
we engage in this activity because we are genuinely intrested in our neighbors. our work in not commercial it is our hope that someday soon we will be able to talk to you personally. please feel free to get in touch with us at the above address.
I can't tell you how much I can't stand missionaries. If you're religious, fine but don't go around shoving your religious beliefs in other people's faces. Concentrate on yourself and leave people alone. As to those stupid questions, here is my take. We die because we are born. Like every other living thing, there is a beginning and an end. You can't find happiness. You can only be happy. Do things you enjoy, surround yourself with people you love and you will be happy. And as to the purpose of life. There is no purpose. The question is stupid. The purpose of life is to live. That's it. There is no higher power and there is no other life. You should be satisfied you even got to live once.
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Growing Up In Polygamy - One Woman's Nightmare
I just finished reading Carolyn Jessop's book about her life in the polygamous FLDS cult. It was a harrowing read. I never imagined it could be as bad as she described it. But it was worse. Polygamy is just one aspect of this Taliban-like controlled life. Women have no rights; not to their children, not to education, and certainly not to their bodies. These fundie Mormons, in my opinion, share a lot in common with radical Muslims. A woman's status is below that of a man and they have no reproductive rights or access to any type of birth control. After reading her book, I was sickened by the hell on Earth she had to endure and for what? So that her jackass, coward of a husband could be lifted up to heaven and then choose whether or not she joined him? Fuck that nonsense. If one believes in God, only he or she or it, should decide if one is lifted up, not some mere mortal. But this isn't about heaven; it's about power and lots of it, on Earth, in the here and now that matters to these men.
Now of course, not all of the men in the cult are power hungry and abusive bastards like Merril Jessop, but most of them are so brainwashed as not being able to see the misdeeds and hypocrisy of the powerful ones like the "Prophet" and his apostles. Warren Jeffs is of course the current prophet, not to mention a sociopath, and "Uncle Rulon" was the prophet before him.
Although life in the cult got progressively more extreme as Warren Jeffs took over for his ailing father, life under Uncle Rulon was repressive as well. Carolyn Jessop writes how the elite in the community engaged in behaviours which are grounds for excommunication like drinking beer and getting plastered. Uncle Rulon was one of them. Later, she writes, "[h]e started bitching about one of his wives who was obese after having sixteen kids, which he felt was a sign of pure rebellion toward him."
Ah, rebellion. The one word that would get a wife to shut up and fall in line. Whatever the husband didn't like about his wives and any trivialities were seen as rebellions it seems. A wife had to be in "harmony" with her husband, meaning she basically needed to be his clone. She had to like what he liked, do what he asked, and even if she did all these things there was always something to accuse her of doing wrong and then telling her she wasn't in harmony, which is a pretty bad thing.
The whole sect- or rather cult- is completely ludicrous and impossible. And those mainstream Mormons who are trying to distance themselves from these fundamentalists are insisting that theirs is a religion. I don't think so. Both are sects of Christianity. And even if both were religions, it wouldn't change the fact that one charlatan, a century and a half ago, invented it and called it some divine revelation. Give me a break. All religions are man made and there is nothing holy or supernatural in any of them. Everybody who is religious is brainwashed to some degree. Why else would children be brought up religiously rather than allowing them to choose when they are older and harder to manipulate? The answer is clear.
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Now of course, not all of the men in the cult are power hungry and abusive bastards like Merril Jessop, but most of them are so brainwashed as not being able to see the misdeeds and hypocrisy of the powerful ones like the "Prophet" and his apostles. Warren Jeffs is of course the current prophet, not to mention a sociopath, and "Uncle Rulon" was the prophet before him.
Although life in the cult got progressively more extreme as Warren Jeffs took over for his ailing father, life under Uncle Rulon was repressive as well. Carolyn Jessop writes how the elite in the community engaged in behaviours which are grounds for excommunication like drinking beer and getting plastered. Uncle Rulon was one of them. Later, she writes, "[h]e started bitching about one of his wives who was obese after having sixteen kids, which he felt was a sign of pure rebellion toward him."
Ah, rebellion. The one word that would get a wife to shut up and fall in line. Whatever the husband didn't like about his wives and any trivialities were seen as rebellions it seems. A wife had to be in "harmony" with her husband, meaning she basically needed to be his clone. She had to like what he liked, do what he asked, and even if she did all these things there was always something to accuse her of doing wrong and then telling her she wasn't in harmony, which is a pretty bad thing.
The whole sect- or rather cult- is completely ludicrous and impossible. And those mainstream Mormons who are trying to distance themselves from these fundamentalists are insisting that theirs is a religion. I don't think so. Both are sects of Christianity. And even if both were religions, it wouldn't change the fact that one charlatan, a century and a half ago, invented it and called it some divine revelation. Give me a break. All religions are man made and there is nothing holy or supernatural in any of them. Everybody who is religious is brainwashed to some degree. Why else would children be brought up religiously rather than allowing them to choose when they are older and harder to manipulate? The answer is clear.
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Pro-Lifers Are Such Hypocrites
Recently, I stumbled upon an article that gives new meaning to the word "HYPOCRITE." It's called "The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" by Joyce Arthur. Eight years ago, Arthur compiled a number of anecdotes from doctors performing abortions and their staff at various abortion clinics on three continents; North America, Europe and Australia. After reading the article, the first words that came to me were HOLY SHIT.
There was this one woman who came in for an abortion at five and a half months. After the procedure she had the audacity to tell the doctor that she was still a murderer. What a lunatic. Five and a half months? Fucking idiot. What took her so long? I doubt the pregnancy was life-threatening, or she would have used that to justify HER abortion. Frankly, I have a problem with late term abortions unless it is a critical health issue for the mother. If not, then too fucking bad, it's too late now. At 22 weeks, babies can survive outside the womb, but not without problems. Aborting at this stage just because you couldn't make up your mind is wrong.
Most of these anecdotes are just as fucked up as the one above. Women who picket abortion clinics end up coming to the same clinic to get an abortion and then days later return to picketing the same clinic! Shit-for-brains hypocrites. Or like some others, they come in to get an abortion and look down on every other woman who is there to get the procedure, thinking that the other women's reasons are too trivial and only theirs aren't, thus making their abortion a moral one. Yeah, all the others at the clinic enjoy the procedure and use it as a contraceptive. Fucking dumbasses.
I hate these types of women and people in general. If you're anti-choice, pro-life, whatever you call it, that's fine. No one is forcing you to abort. What right do you have to force another woman to have a baby if she doesn't want to. Deciding to get an abortion is not an easy decision and even if it was, so what? It's legal and we don't fucking need your righteousness or your approval. And please refrain from quoting the fucking Bible. That crock of shit condones infanticide and so much other shit, so those who use it to justify the evils of abortion can just shove it up their asses. If the Bible is their moral compass, then that really doesn't say much about them, in my opinion. And one can cut out all the nasty passages and books in the Bible, it still makes no fucking difference. Because a holy book is either holy in its entirety or it is not, and the Bible clearly is not.
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There was this one woman who came in for an abortion at five and a half months. After the procedure she had the audacity to tell the doctor that she was still a murderer. What a lunatic. Five and a half months? Fucking idiot. What took her so long? I doubt the pregnancy was life-threatening, or she would have used that to justify HER abortion. Frankly, I have a problem with late term abortions unless it is a critical health issue for the mother. If not, then too fucking bad, it's too late now. At 22 weeks, babies can survive outside the womb, but not without problems. Aborting at this stage just because you couldn't make up your mind is wrong.
Most of these anecdotes are just as fucked up as the one above. Women who picket abortion clinics end up coming to the same clinic to get an abortion and then days later return to picketing the same clinic! Shit-for-brains hypocrites. Or like some others, they come in to get an abortion and look down on every other woman who is there to get the procedure, thinking that the other women's reasons are too trivial and only theirs aren't, thus making their abortion a moral one. Yeah, all the others at the clinic enjoy the procedure and use it as a contraceptive. Fucking dumbasses.
I hate these types of women and people in general. If you're anti-choice, pro-life, whatever you call it, that's fine. No one is forcing you to abort. What right do you have to force another woman to have a baby if she doesn't want to. Deciding to get an abortion is not an easy decision and even if it was, so what? It's legal and we don't fucking need your righteousness or your approval. And please refrain from quoting the fucking Bible. That crock of shit condones infanticide and so much other shit, so those who use it to justify the evils of abortion can just shove it up their asses. If the Bible is their moral compass, then that really doesn't say much about them, in my opinion. And one can cut out all the nasty passages and books in the Bible, it still makes no fucking difference. Because a holy book is either holy in its entirety or it is not, and the Bible clearly is not.
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Morgentaler Deserves Appointment to Order of Canada
In my opinion Dr. Henry Morgentaler deserves the appointment to the Order of Canada. There's a bit of a controversy regarding his appointment. Whatever your stand on abortion is, no one can deny that Dr. Morgentaler had a profound impact in this country. He helped women when no one else would. The legalization of abortion in Canada is due in large part to him and others like him who fought for a woman's right to obtain safe and legal abortions. He was named to the Order of Canada just a few days ago, on Canada's 141st birthday, which was July 1, 2008. Dr. Henry Morgentaler was recognized "for his commitment to increased health care options for women, his determined efforts to influence Canadian public policy and his leadership in humanist and civil liberties organizations." For all those anti-abortion activists, deal with it. He earned it and it's fucking wrong for anyone to try and minimize his impact in this country. If it wasn't for him, thousands upon thousands of women would have died with back alley botched abortions or suffered in silence and remained slaves to their reproductive organs. Thank you Dr. Morgentaler for having the guts to stand up and be the voice of every woman whose reproductive choices were in the hands of the government. Thank you for giving it back to us. Congratulations on your appointment to the Order of Canada. You truly deserve it.
Sources:
Morgentaler named to Order of Canada
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Sources:
Morgentaler named to Order of Canada
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Jefferson's 'Bible'
The author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, cut up the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and basically created his own bible. The parts he left out are numerous. The four gospels of the New Testament are approximately 165 pages long while Jefferson's Bible is about 46 pages. So, out of the four gospels, he cut out over 70% of text. Pretty smart. He got rid of all the supernatural text, miracles and the resurrection. He basically only kept ethical and moral codes. He may have gone too far for some people, cutting the bible as pleased him and his beliefs. But I would have gone further. I would have cut up the whole fucking thing. In case you're someone who frowns upon desecrating the good book, here's what I have to say. All moderate Christians have done this too. Probably not literally but figuratively, yes. Most Christians only consider the New Testament as the "Bible." The Old one is completely ignored, and for good reason. You either accept the whole or you don't accept it at all. One can't just do an extreme makeover on the holy book and then say, "I only believe these parts." That just proves that the Bible was written by men and lo and behold it's filled with mistakes and inconsistencies and a lot of immorality. With so many different versions used by different sects, the whole thing loses any kind of authority it ever had. The Bible is just a crock of shit. If its only redeeming quality is ethical and moral codes, then we can be done with it for good. These ethics and morals were no doubt borrowed or stolen from other authors and put into Jesus' mouth. So, then there would be no good reasons left to still mass produce this crock of shit. There are far better books on ethics and morality that have been written by great philosophers and these works kick the Bible's ass.
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Since When Does Canada Recognize the Supremacy of God?
While reading Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which came into effect in April 1982, I was dumbfounded to find this stupid sentence in the preamble:
Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.
Since when? The Constitution Act of 1867 never even mentions the word 'God' and there is nothing in the entire document that even alludes to this supremacy. So, what I want to know is who found it necessary to include such a retarded statement in the Charter where freedom of religion is guaranteed as a "fundamental freedom." Or does freedom of religion only mean freedom to practise any religion and not freedom from religion or religious belief? This statement is ludicrous and I guess it doesn't really make a fucking difference anyway but still, I want to know who came up with this and why it was included in the Charter in the first place. I guess I'll have to do some digging.
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Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.
Since when? The Constitution Act of 1867 never even mentions the word 'God' and there is nothing in the entire document that even alludes to this supremacy. So, what I want to know is who found it necessary to include such a retarded statement in the Charter where freedom of religion is guaranteed as a "fundamental freedom." Or does freedom of religion only mean freedom to practise any religion and not freedom from religion or religious belief? This statement is ludicrous and I guess it doesn't really make a fucking difference anyway but still, I want to know who came up with this and why it was included in the Charter in the first place. I guess I'll have to do some digging.
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Morality In Non-Human Animals
While I haven't done much research in "animal morality" I did observe moral behaviour among one of my favourite species, the Emperor Penguins. While watching "March of the Penguins," I was moved to tears when one of them realized that the egg he was incubating was a lost cause. He was having trouble holding the egg in place and covering it to keep away the extreme cold. The way he reacted to the loss of his offspring made me cry. I could feel his pain. The next thing he did seemed a very irrational reaction to such a loss. But then again he must have been very distraught. He tried to replace the egg he lost to the elements by stealing one of the other penguin's eggs. A horrible thing morally but when the other penguins who were nearby realized what he was trying to do, they all fought him off. They just knew that this was wrong and it looked to me that he was being reprimanded for it by the others. He backed off when confronted by the others, and yet he looked so sad to me that I felt incredibly sorry for him. Obviously incubating the egg while the female went foraging for food, which could take months, a bond is formed with the incubated egg and the loss is devastating. The Emperor Penguins only breed once a year under the harshest conditions.
These are just my interpretations but I find it incredible and very suggestive of human beings, that morality comes from a natural source. No religion, no God, nothing supernatural about it. I don't know where it comes from but I'm fairly sure it does not come from above.
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These are just my interpretations but I find it incredible and very suggestive of human beings, that morality comes from a natural source. No religion, no God, nothing supernatural about it. I don't know where it comes from but I'm fairly sure it does not come from above.
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Religious Freedoms Cross The Line
Recently, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that churches cannot be held liable for trauma arising from an exorcism, whether forced or voluntary. The reason behind this majority ruling was the idea that exorcism is a part of the church's doctrine or is one of their core beliefs and under the First Amendment, certain religious freedoms are protected.
That's fine, but when those freedoms cause harm or suffering to human beings, whether they accept the beliefs or not, those freedoms should not be protected. If every religious belief is granted the same protection just because it's a "core" belief or principle of a certain church then polygamy should be protected under the First Amendment too. As should a parents' right to decide whether their children get life-saving medical care or not. If these things were protected like the "exorcism" nonsense, then the State wouldn't have indicted Ava Worthington's parents, who died from pneumonia and a blood infection. Instead, her parents opted for faith-healing; basically praying for her to get better.
Emotional trauma is not as serious as death, but where do we draw the line when it comes to religious freedoms. Religion is not supposed to harm or kill and yet it happens every day and the courts just point to the First Amendment and turn the other cheek.
When people start dying because of their religious beliefs, then you know something is fucked up and steps should be taken to prevent this sort of thing.
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That's fine, but when those freedoms cause harm or suffering to human beings, whether they accept the beliefs or not, those freedoms should not be protected. If every religious belief is granted the same protection just because it's a "core" belief or principle of a certain church then polygamy should be protected under the First Amendment too. As should a parents' right to decide whether their children get life-saving medical care or not. If these things were protected like the "exorcism" nonsense, then the State wouldn't have indicted Ava Worthington's parents, who died from pneumonia and a blood infection. Instead, her parents opted for faith-healing; basically praying for her to get better.
Emotional trauma is not as serious as death, but where do we draw the line when it comes to religious freedoms. Religion is not supposed to harm or kill and yet it happens every day and the courts just point to the First Amendment and turn the other cheek.
When people start dying because of their religious beliefs, then you know something is fucked up and steps should be taken to prevent this sort of thing.
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Abstinence Only Programs Losing Ground
Shocking, right? Abstinence-Only sex education doesn't work? Who knew? Well, I for one never expected it to work. I'm just surprised it lasted as long as it did. Billions of wasted dollars spewing religious propaganda. Abstinence until marriage. Give me a break. That's not a solution. Even if people did wait until marriage, that doesn't immunize anyone from contracting STD's. Given the fact that half of all people who do get married, eventually divorce anyway. So, waiting until marriage is ridiculous. Besides, it is nearly impossible for people to wait that long. Young people are postponing marriages until they are older and I'm not sure what the median age of marriage is these days, but I doubt it's in the early twenties. Not many are going to wait to have sex until they get married, except for the very religious. So, since the reality is that a large number of teenagers have sex, why not try and make it as safe for them as possible by giving them all the information they need and thus let them make an informed decision. I know many teenagers don't exactly have a reputation for clear thinking but still it would be better that they know all their options than raising them to be ignorant of human sexuality.
There are many options. It's hard for me to imagine that most teenagers who own a TV have never heard of condoms or the pill or even abortion. And if there are those who do not know, then it's very critical that they do. Virginity pledges and abstinence groups or whatever is not going to significantly reduce teen pregnancies. It's been studied and the results of abstinence-only programs is that it just doesn't work.
Thankfully I went to high school in Canada and was not taught this nonsense but I knew it was going on in U.S. high schools and it just made me laugh. No abstinence-only sex ed program would have prevented me from having sex. I knew what to do if I got pregnant accidentally and I also knew the best precautions to take to minimize that happening. First of all, using condoms was paramount as well as being on the pill or using the patch. Second, I knew if I had unprotected sex that I could go to the hospital or a clinic and ask for RU486, or the "abortion pill" as it is known. And if I encountered a doctor who refused to give it to me, I wouldn't leave until I got one. I would scream bloody murder until I was given that which I have a right to be given. Lastly, if all else fails, I would get an abortion. But that's just me. Abortion is not such a politically charged issue here as it is in the U.S. No doubt, due to religious fundamental evangelicals and the Christian Right. Of the top ten states with the highest rate of teen pregnancy, 6 of them are in the "Bible Belt." The other four are Nevada (ranked number 1), Nebraska (right behind Nevada at number 2), New Mexico and California, placed 4th and 7th respectively. So much for the theory that Hollywood is a bad moral influence. Georgia was right behind California and came pretty close to a tie. In the words of Christopher Hitchens, religion poisons everything.
So, I guess it would be harder for teenagers in the U.S. to prevent pregnancies given the religiosity of politicians and lawmakers and no doubt religiously-inspired programs like the abstinence nonsense. Not to mention the high cost of abortions there too. In Canada and Europe, abortion is covered under medical plans or national health plans. Also, in Canada the rate of teen pregnancies has been steadily declining since the mid '90s.
All of these obstructions to safe sex contributes to the high rate of teen pregnancies in the United States. It's time for the U.S. government to realize that what they're doing to reduce teen pregnancies is not working and maybe look to other countries' solutions who have managed to reduce the number of teen pregnancies.
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There are many options. It's hard for me to imagine that most teenagers who own a TV have never heard of condoms or the pill or even abortion. And if there are those who do not know, then it's very critical that they do. Virginity pledges and abstinence groups or whatever is not going to significantly reduce teen pregnancies. It's been studied and the results of abstinence-only programs is that it just doesn't work.
Thankfully I went to high school in Canada and was not taught this nonsense but I knew it was going on in U.S. high schools and it just made me laugh. No abstinence-only sex ed program would have prevented me from having sex. I knew what to do if I got pregnant accidentally and I also knew the best precautions to take to minimize that happening. First of all, using condoms was paramount as well as being on the pill or using the patch. Second, I knew if I had unprotected sex that I could go to the hospital or a clinic and ask for RU486, or the "abortion pill" as it is known. And if I encountered a doctor who refused to give it to me, I wouldn't leave until I got one. I would scream bloody murder until I was given that which I have a right to be given. Lastly, if all else fails, I would get an abortion. But that's just me. Abortion is not such a politically charged issue here as it is in the U.S. No doubt, due to religious fundamental evangelicals and the Christian Right. Of the top ten states with the highest rate of teen pregnancy, 6 of them are in the "Bible Belt." The other four are Nevada (ranked number 1), Nebraska (right behind Nevada at number 2), New Mexico and California, placed 4th and 7th respectively. So much for the theory that Hollywood is a bad moral influence. Georgia was right behind California and came pretty close to a tie. In the words of Christopher Hitchens, religion poisons everything.
So, I guess it would be harder for teenagers in the U.S. to prevent pregnancies given the religiosity of politicians and lawmakers and no doubt religiously-inspired programs like the abstinence nonsense. Not to mention the high cost of abortions there too. In Canada and Europe, abortion is covered under medical plans or national health plans. Also, in Canada the rate of teen pregnancies has been steadily declining since the mid '90s.
All of these obstructions to safe sex contributes to the high rate of teen pregnancies in the United States. It's time for the U.S. government to realize that what they're doing to reduce teen pregnancies is not working and maybe look to other countries' solutions who have managed to reduce the number of teen pregnancies.
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It's A Crime To Insult Jesus
Is it a crime to insult Jesus? Apparently so, in Australia anyway. Oh and England too. Maybe it's a crime in Canada too, since it was once British and still has some weird ties to the Mother Country. Probably not since Canada actually has a Bill of Rights, unlike the people down under. Still, Canada's Bill of Rights can be easily manipulated under certain clauses. One can play the "incitement to violence" card in regards to just about any statement one finds offensive or doesn't agree with. An example would be the MacLeans article.
Anyway, since when is blasphemy illegal in secular countries? Why not charge anti-religious books and novels with "offensive behavior"? 'Cause that's what an Australian kid was charged with while wearing a shirt that defamed Jesus. Was he charged with defaming Jesus ben Sirach? Jesus ben Pandira? Jesus ben Ananias? Jesus ben Gamala? Which Jesus was it? Apparently there were a countless number of them. Does it even matter? Did the Christian Jesus even exist? I highly doubt it.
It's time to stop punishing religious dissidents and accord them the same freedom of speech that religious people enjoy.
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Anyway, since when is blasphemy illegal in secular countries? Why not charge anti-religious books and novels with "offensive behavior"? 'Cause that's what an Australian kid was charged with while wearing a shirt that defamed Jesus. Was he charged with defaming Jesus ben Sirach? Jesus ben Pandira? Jesus ben Ananias? Jesus ben Gamala? Which Jesus was it? Apparently there were a countless number of them. Does it even matter? Did the Christian Jesus even exist? I highly doubt it.
It's time to stop punishing religious dissidents and accord them the same freedom of speech that religious people enjoy.
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Atheist Blogroll
I have joined Mojoey's Atheist Blogroll. It's a place for all atheist and agnostic bloggers. As of this writing there are over 700 member blogs listed. So, if you have a blog with an atheistic or agnostic perspective, consider joining the Atheist Blogroll.
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Religious Drug Use Ok, Medicinal...Not So Much
I find it hard to believe that some religious people can get away with using illegal drugs while cancer patients who use marijuana for relief of nausea get charged and convicted. Medicinal marijuana use is illegal in the US while in Canada, it is not. The debates still rage among medical professionals and scientists as to whether marijuana is more harmful or beneficial to cancer patients, those with glaucoma, AIDS, MS, etc. Still, I think that people suffering from these diseases should be allowed to decide themselves whether to use marijuana or not. If it helps some people ease their suffering, why not let them? Marijuana, in my opinion, is no worse than alcohol. In fact, I believe that alcohol is far worse and far more damaging to our society than marijuana ever will be. And if you are one of those people who believe that marijuana is a gateway drug, then you'd be wrong and it would do you good to do some research.
It is more than a stretch to say that the legalization of marijuana would lead to legalization of cocaine or heroin; it's a bloody leap.
Among Christians in the US, opinion seems to be divided on the whole issue of marijuana legalization. Both sides can point to passages in the Bible to support their stands. But is this really the best way to decide whether to legalize marijuana? I think not. The Bible is notorious for contradictions and by using it to decide whether something should be legal or not in the 21st century is absurd. Killing disrespecting children is condoned in the Bible; it's actually the proper punishment. So, should we look to the Old Testament to decide what is allowable here and now? The New Testament, perhaps? How about neither?
The Bible is not the moral law of the United States, though many would like it to be, and as such it should have no bearing deciding the legality of anything. Religion just muddles things up.
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It is more than a stretch to say that the legalization of marijuana would lead to legalization of cocaine or heroin; it's a bloody leap.
Among Christians in the US, opinion seems to be divided on the whole issue of marijuana legalization. Both sides can point to passages in the Bible to support their stands. But is this really the best way to decide whether to legalize marijuana? I think not. The Bible is notorious for contradictions and by using it to decide whether something should be legal or not in the 21st century is absurd. Killing disrespecting children is condoned in the Bible; it's actually the proper punishment. So, should we look to the Old Testament to decide what is allowable here and now? The New Testament, perhaps? How about neither?
The Bible is not the moral law of the United States, though many would like it to be, and as such it should have no bearing deciding the legality of anything. Religion just muddles things up.
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This blog has moved to a new address. I've decided to incorporate this blog with my new one called Bitching Commentary where I will focus on many different topics/issues from an atheist/liberal perspective.
After watching Valkyrie I thought to myself: How can any reasonable human being believe in a God who "allowed" Hitler to escape some 15 assassination attempts. Fifteen was the number cited by the movie just before the credits. But I went online and found that the number of assassination attempts goes up to some 45, dating back to the 1920s. Forty-five? It took one attempt to kill Lincoln, a decent guy. But this bastard escapes with his life (I know he killed himself; still he escaped punishment) after murdering millions. How fucked up is that? Where was God when millions were being exterminated in gas chambers? Why didn't God step in? Is it because God doesn't meddle in human affairs. So why then did "he" bother sacrificing his "son" for us? Why do people bother with prayer if God doesn't get involved. What's the use of a "powerful" God who's a lazy bum?
This is best summed up by one of my favorite quotes on the subject of God.
"Is God willing to prevent evil, but not able? Then he is not omnipotent. Is he able, but not willing? Then he is malevolent. Is he both able and willing? Then whence cometh evil? Is he neither able nor willing? Then why call him God?" - EpicurusLet's just pretend for a moment that God doesn't condone killing. With that we could understand why he was hesitant to off Hitler. But couldn't he have at least saved those brave men who tried to eliminate him? Or did God want those men punished for attempted murder? Either way you spin it, God comes out like a hypocrite. And there's nothing I hate more than a hypocrite. Enough said.
I love the way Supernatural questions the existence and goodness of God, angels, demons. Nothing is black and white in Sam and Dean's universe. Although one could argue that Dean, the older brother, tends to see things in black and white. (He hated Ruby because she was a demon and it didn't matter that she wanted to help Sam and tried to keep Dean from going to hell. He also questioned the existence of God and the goodness of his angels.) Demons equal evil. I think Dean's transformation came when he met Castiel, the angel who pulled him out of hell. He didn't believe that angels really existed, and who could blame him considering that for the better part of his life he's been hunting demons and no angel ever stepped in to help. As Dean met more angels throughout the 4th season, he saw how cruel and selfish they can be. Just like the demons.
The fact that Supernatural doesn't say anything definitive about the existence of God, makes the show more interesting. It wouldn't be as nearly interesting if they came out and said that God doesn't it or that God does exist. I think it's better this way. They leave it up to the viewer to decide for themselves. The storyline they went with was that most angels have never seen God so that way no character on the show, thus far, can say that God really is up there somewhere.
Even though angels and demons are prominent in this show, they are metaphors. Sam and Dean are just two brothers trying to do some good in the world who find it increasingly difficult to judge with certainty who the good and bad guys are.
I was over on richarddawkins.net yesterday just browsing when I came upon a list of common debate points that atheists are likely to encounter. I thought I'd respond to all of them, but not in a single day of course. There are 34 debate points currently listed. I'll start with the first one on the list.
What are your qualifications to question religion anyway? Just who are you?I wasn't aware any qualifications were necessary in order to have an opinion. What kind of qualifications does the average person need in order to question politicians, scientists, authority? If qualifications are necessary then I will say that I have read the Bible, the good parts and the bad. I have seen and personally felt the consequences of religious beliefs. Does that qualify me? Or do I have to be a preacher, minister, nun, reverend, priest, professor of religion in order to question religion? If I were any of these people, the chances are that I would not question it even if I did not agree with some things, at least not as vocally as atheists tend to do. Religious people rarely criticize their own religions. Yet many have no problem questioning the faiths of others.
I find nothing wrong with questioning religion just like I find nothing wrong with questioning our governments, politicians, courts, police, etc. Since religion affects us all, whether positively or negatively, all of us, as citizens of this world, have the right to question anything that affects our lives. That is what qualifies me to question religion.
As to the second part of this question, I believe I have already answered. I am just a regular person, a citizen, that has the right to question anything that damn well pleases me. That's what freedom of expression is all about.
I know that this documentary came out a while ago but I didn't get to see it until today. Bill Maher's got balls. The things he says can be downright insulting, but he doesn't care and that's why I love him. He's brutally honest and doesn't shy away from any topic. He's the best when it comes to stumping religious leaders. I can't remember the name of that priest Bill interviewed in front of the Vatican but that priest should really consider doing stand-up. I find it reassuring when people of opposing views can actually take a joke and laugh together. Whatever your beliefs are, sticking to every single one dogmatically over and over and over again kinda makes you dull. Loosen up a little bit, allow for the possibility that you may be wrong. I'll say right here and right now that there is a chance that I am wrong and God exists. I'm not dogmatic. And if it happens to be true that God exists and that hell and heaven exist too, I'll concede. I'll believe in God's existence if it's proven. I'll even stop calling myself an atheist but I won't be religious because religion has caused too much misery. The bottom line is I don't like how religion discourages questioning and rational thought.
I wish there were more people like Bill Maher out there. Maybe there are and they're just scared to speak out. I don't blame them. Religion is fucking scary. Seriously. Have you ever heard the noises coming out of hopped up religious people; seen the way they move and shake their bodies all around? Aren't those the signs of demonic possession? Contortion and speaking in tongues? I thought I read that somewhere. Ah, well.
Roxana Saberi, an Iranian-American journalist was arrested in Iran in February and charged with espionage. She was quickly convicted and sentenced to eight years in prison. Her lawyer is appealing the sentence and a hearing has been set for May 12.
Source: AsiaNews.it
According to CPJ (Committee to Protect Journalists), 125 journalists have been arrested as of December 1, 2008. The top five countries with the most journalists in jail are:
- China - 28
- Cuba - 21
- Burma -14
- Eritrea - 13
- Uzbekistan - 6
- Burma
- Iran
- Syria
- Cuba
- Saudi Arabia
- Vietnam
- Tunisia
- China
- Turkmenistan
- Egypt
Most of the world knows by now the Catholic Church's stance on condoms but enough is enough. If the Catholic Church actually cared about helping those infected with AIDS it wouldn't be condemning one of the best forms of prevention even if it went against their official doctrine. Just because condoms don't work 100% of the time in preventing the spread of HIV is no reason to preach against its use to millions of African people.
But that's exactly what the Vatican is doing. The current pope, on a recent visit to Africa, basically said that condoms aren't the answer and could even make the AIDS pandemic worse.
Here is a direct quote:
"You can't resolve it with the distribution of condoms. On the contrary, it increases the problem."How, you may ask. Well, apparently, there are tiny holes in condoms that allow the permeation of the virus. Can you believe that? And where exactly does the solution lie according to him?
Abstinence what else. Because that worked so well in America in preventing teen pregnancies. And monogamy too.
Methinks it's time for the Vatican to stop being so goddamn irresponsible and butt out of people's lives.
This world is way overdue for an Atheist/Secular/Humanist organization with billions of dollars at their disposal to combat the Catholic Church's irresponsible influence around the world.
This is the stance of Louisiana Governor Bobby Jindal. And he's not fucking kidding. I only have one thing to say to people with his extremist views. VOICE YOUR OPINIONS WHEN YOU GROW A FUCKING UTERUS.
And if you have a uterus and still hold these ridiculous views, well NOBODY FUCKING CARES WHAT YOU THINK, ANYWAY.
My sister received this letter the other day. Someone came to her house and dropped it through her mail slot because she wouldn't answer the door. They actually wrote it by hand, using all capital letters. I don't know how they knew my sisters name but they still spelled it wrong. Anyway, here's the letter (all spelling mistakes are the letter writers').
Dear: My Sisters Name Spelled Incorrectly
my wife and I live in your neighborhood. we have not been able to speak with you personally, but we have some important information that we want to share with you. a sample of it is contained in the enclosed tract.
it is our priveledge to share in a work that is being done by volunteers in upward of 200 lands. In all these lands, people are being invited to benefit from a program that helps people learn the bible's answers to such important questions as: why do we grow old and die? whis is the purpose of life? how can we find real happiness?
we engage in this activity because we are genuinely intrested in our neighbors. our work in not commercial it is our hope that someday soon we will be able to talk to you personally. please feel free to get in touch with us at the above address.
I can't tell you how much I can't stand missionaries. If you're religious, fine but don't go around shoving your religious beliefs in other people's faces. Concentrate on yourself and leave people alone. As to those stupid questions, here is my take. We die because we are born. Like every other living thing, there is a beginning and an end. You can't find happiness. You can only be happy. Do things you enjoy, surround yourself with people you love and you will be happy. And as to the purpose of life. There is no purpose. The question is stupid. The purpose of life is to live. That's it. There is no higher power and there is no other life. You should be satisfied you even got to live once.
I just finished reading Carolyn Jessop's book about her life in the polygamous FLDS cult. It was a harrowing read. I never imagined it could be as bad as she described it. But it was worse. Polygamy is just one aspect of this Taliban-like controlled life. Women have no rights; not to their children, not to education, and certainly not to their bodies. These fundie Mormons, in my opinion, share a lot in common with radical Muslims. A woman's status is below that of a man and they have no reproductive rights or access to any type of birth control. After reading her book, I was sickened by the hell on Earth she had to endure and for what? So that her jackass, coward of a husband could be lifted up to heaven and then choose whether or not she joined him? Fuck that nonsense. If one believes in God, only he or she or it, should decide if one is lifted up, not some mere mortal. But this isn't about heaven; it's about power and lots of it, on Earth, in the here and now that matters to these men.
Now of course, not all of the men in the cult are power hungry and abusive bastards like Merril Jessop, but most of them are so brainwashed as not being able to see the misdeeds and hypocrisy of the powerful ones like the "Prophet" and his apostles. Warren Jeffs is of course the current prophet, not to mention a sociopath, and "Uncle Rulon" was the prophet before him.
Although life in the cult got progressively more extreme as Warren Jeffs took over for his ailing father, life under Uncle Rulon was repressive as well. Carolyn Jessop writes how the elite in the community engaged in behaviours which are grounds for excommunication like drinking beer and getting plastered. Uncle Rulon was one of them. Later, she writes, "[h]e started bitching about one of his wives who was obese after having sixteen kids, which he felt was a sign of pure rebellion toward him."
Ah, rebellion. The one word that would get a wife to shut up and fall in line. Whatever the husband didn't like about his wives and any trivialities were seen as rebellions it seems. A wife had to be in "harmony" with her husband, meaning she basically needed to be his clone. She had to like what he liked, do what he asked, and even if she did all these things there was always something to accuse her of doing wrong and then telling her she wasn't in harmony, which is a pretty bad thing.
The whole sect- or rather cult- is completely ludicrous and impossible. And those mainstream Mormons who are trying to distance themselves from these fundamentalists are insisting that theirs is a religion. I don't think so. Both are sects of Christianity. And even if both were religions, it wouldn't change the fact that one charlatan, a century and a half ago, invented it and called it some divine revelation. Give me a break. All religions are man made and there is nothing holy or supernatural in any of them. Everybody who is religious is brainwashed to some degree. Why else would children be brought up religiously rather than allowing them to choose when they are older and harder to manipulate? The answer is clear.
Recently, I stumbled upon an article that gives new meaning to the word "HYPOCRITE." It's called "The Only Moral Abortion is My Abortion" by Joyce Arthur. Eight years ago, Arthur compiled a number of anecdotes from doctors performing abortions and their staff at various abortion clinics on three continents; North America, Europe and Australia. After reading the article, the first words that came to me were HOLY SHIT.
There was this one woman who came in for an abortion at five and a half months. After the procedure she had the audacity to tell the doctor that she was still a murderer. What a lunatic. Five and a half months? Fucking idiot. What took her so long? I doubt the pregnancy was life-threatening, or she would have used that to justify HER abortion. Frankly, I have a problem with late term abortions unless it is a critical health issue for the mother. If not, then too fucking bad, it's too late now. At 22 weeks, babies can survive outside the womb, but not without problems. Aborting at this stage just because you couldn't make up your mind is wrong.
Most of these anecdotes are just as fucked up as the one above. Women who picket abortion clinics end up coming to the same clinic to get an abortion and then days later return to picketing the same clinic! Shit-for-brains hypocrites. Or like some others, they come in to get an abortion and look down on every other woman who is there to get the procedure, thinking that the other women's reasons are too trivial and only theirs aren't, thus making their abortion a moral one. Yeah, all the others at the clinic enjoy the procedure and use it as a contraceptive. Fucking dumbasses.
I hate these types of women and people in general. If you're anti-choice, pro-life, whatever you call it, that's fine. No one is forcing you to abort. What right do you have to force another woman to have a baby if she doesn't want to. Deciding to get an abortion is not an easy decision and even if it was, so what? It's legal and we don't fucking need your righteousness or your approval. And please refrain from quoting the fucking Bible. That crock of shit condones infanticide and so much other shit, so those who use it to justify the evils of abortion can just shove it up their asses. If the Bible is their moral compass, then that really doesn't say much about them, in my opinion. And one can cut out all the nasty passages and books in the Bible, it still makes no fucking difference. Because a holy book is either holy in its entirety or it is not, and the Bible clearly is not.
In my opinion Dr. Henry Morgentaler deserves the appointment to the Order of Canada. There's a bit of a controversy regarding his appointment. Whatever your stand on abortion is, no one can deny that Dr. Morgentaler had a profound impact in this country. He helped women when no one else would. The legalization of abortion in Canada is due in large part to him and others like him who fought for a woman's right to obtain safe and legal abortions. He was named to the Order of Canada just a few days ago, on Canada's 141st birthday, which was July 1, 2008. Dr. Henry Morgentaler was recognized "for his commitment to increased health care options for women, his determined efforts to influence Canadian public policy and his leadership in humanist and civil liberties organizations." For all those anti-abortion activists, deal with it. He earned it and it's fucking wrong for anyone to try and minimize his impact in this country. If it wasn't for him, thousands upon thousands of women would have died with back alley botched abortions or suffered in silence and remained slaves to their reproductive organs. Thank you Dr. Morgentaler for having the guts to stand up and be the voice of every woman whose reproductive choices were in the hands of the government. Thank you for giving it back to us. Congratulations on your appointment to the Order of Canada. You truly deserve it.
Sources:
Morgentaler named to Order of Canada
The author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, cut up the four gospels of Matthew, Mark, Luke and John, and basically created his own bible. The parts he left out are numerous. The four gospels of the New Testament are approximately 165 pages long while Jefferson's Bible is about 46 pages. So, out of the four gospels, he cut out over 70% of text. Pretty smart. He got rid of all the supernatural text, miracles and the resurrection. He basically only kept ethical and moral codes. He may have gone too far for some people, cutting the bible as pleased him and his beliefs. But I would have gone further. I would have cut up the whole fucking thing. In case you're someone who frowns upon desecrating the good book, here's what I have to say. All moderate Christians have done this too. Probably not literally but figuratively, yes. Most Christians only consider the New Testament as the "Bible." The Old one is completely ignored, and for good reason. You either accept the whole or you don't accept it at all. One can't just do an extreme makeover on the holy book and then say, "I only believe these parts." That just proves that the Bible was written by men and lo and behold it's filled with mistakes and inconsistencies and a lot of immorality. With so many different versions used by different sects, the whole thing loses any kind of authority it ever had. The Bible is just a crock of shit. If its only redeeming quality is ethical and moral codes, then we can be done with it for good. These ethics and morals were no doubt borrowed or stolen from other authors and put into Jesus' mouth. So, then there would be no good reasons left to still mass produce this crock of shit. There are far better books on ethics and morality that have been written by great philosophers and these works kick the Bible's ass.
While reading Canada's Charter of Rights and Freedoms, which came into effect in April 1982, I was dumbfounded to find this stupid sentence in the preamble:
Whereas Canada is founded upon principles that recognize the supremacy of God and the rule of law.
Since when? The Constitution Act of 1867 never even mentions the word 'God' and there is nothing in the entire document that even alludes to this supremacy. So, what I want to know is who found it necessary to include such a retarded statement in the Charter where freedom of religion is guaranteed as a "fundamental freedom." Or does freedom of religion only mean freedom to practise any religion and not freedom from religion or religious belief? This statement is ludicrous and I guess it doesn't really make a fucking difference anyway but still, I want to know who came up with this and why it was included in the Charter in the first place. I guess I'll have to do some digging.
While I haven't done much research in "animal morality" I did observe moral behaviour among one of my favourite species, the Emperor Penguins. While watching "March of the Penguins," I was moved to tears when one of them realized that the egg he was incubating was a lost cause. He was having trouble holding the egg in place and covering it to keep away the extreme cold. The way he reacted to the loss of his offspring made me cry. I could feel his pain. The next thing he did seemed a very irrational reaction to such a loss. But then again he must have been very distraught. He tried to replace the egg he lost to the elements by stealing one of the other penguin's eggs. A horrible thing morally but when the other penguins who were nearby realized what he was trying to do, they all fought him off. They just knew that this was wrong and it looked to me that he was being reprimanded for it by the others. He backed off when confronted by the others, and yet he looked so sad to me that I felt incredibly sorry for him. Obviously incubating the egg while the female went foraging for food, which could take months, a bond is formed with the incubated egg and the loss is devastating. The Emperor Penguins only breed once a year under the harshest conditions.
These are just my interpretations but I find it incredible and very suggestive of human beings, that morality comes from a natural source. No religion, no God, nothing supernatural about it. I don't know where it comes from but I'm fairly sure it does not come from above.
Recently, the Texas Supreme Court ruled that churches cannot be held liable for trauma arising from an exorcism, whether forced or voluntary. The reason behind this majority ruling was the idea that exorcism is a part of the church's doctrine or is one of their core beliefs and under the First Amendment, certain religious freedoms are protected.
That's fine, but when those freedoms cause harm or suffering to human beings, whether they accept the beliefs or not, those freedoms should not be protected. If every religious belief is granted the same protection just because it's a "core" belief or principle of a certain church then polygamy should be protected under the First Amendment too. As should a parents' right to decide whether their children get life-saving medical care or not. If these things were protected like the "exorcism" nonsense, then the State wouldn't have indicted Ava Worthington's parents, who died from pneumonia and a blood infection. Instead, her parents opted for faith-healing; basically praying for her to get better.
Emotional trauma is not as serious as death, but where do we draw the line when it comes to religious freedoms. Religion is not supposed to harm or kill and yet it happens every day and the courts just point to the First Amendment and turn the other cheek.
When people start dying because of their religious beliefs, then you know something is fucked up and steps should be taken to prevent this sort of thing.
Shocking, right? Abstinence-Only sex education doesn't work? Who knew? Well, I for one never expected it to work. I'm just surprised it lasted as long as it did. Billions of wasted dollars spewing religious propaganda. Abstinence until marriage. Give me a break. That's not a solution. Even if people did wait until marriage, that doesn't immunize anyone from contracting STD's. Given the fact that half of all people who do get married, eventually divorce anyway. So, waiting until marriage is ridiculous. Besides, it is nearly impossible for people to wait that long. Young people are postponing marriages until they are older and I'm not sure what the median age of marriage is these days, but I doubt it's in the early twenties. Not many are going to wait to have sex until they get married, except for the very religious. So, since the reality is that a large number of teenagers have sex, why not try and make it as safe for them as possible by giving them all the information they need and thus let them make an informed decision. I know many teenagers don't exactly have a reputation for clear thinking but still it would be better that they know all their options than raising them to be ignorant of human sexuality.
There are many options. It's hard for me to imagine that most teenagers who own a TV have never heard of condoms or the pill or even abortion. And if there are those who do not know, then it's very critical that they do. Virginity pledges and abstinence groups or whatever is not going to significantly reduce teen pregnancies. It's been studied and the results of abstinence-only programs is that it just doesn't work.
Thankfully I went to high school in Canada and was not taught this nonsense but I knew it was going on in U.S. high schools and it just made me laugh. No abstinence-only sex ed program would have prevented me from having sex. I knew what to do if I got pregnant accidentally and I also knew the best precautions to take to minimize that happening. First of all, using condoms was paramount as well as being on the pill or using the patch. Second, I knew if I had unprotected sex that I could go to the hospital or a clinic and ask for RU486, or the "abortion pill" as it is known. And if I encountered a doctor who refused to give it to me, I wouldn't leave until I got one. I would scream bloody murder until I was given that which I have a right to be given. Lastly, if all else fails, I would get an abortion. But that's just me. Abortion is not such a politically charged issue here as it is in the U.S. No doubt, due to religious fundamental evangelicals and the Christian Right. Of the top ten states with the highest rate of teen pregnancy, 6 of them are in the "Bible Belt." The other four are Nevada (ranked number 1), Nebraska (right behind Nevada at number 2), New Mexico and California, placed 4th and 7th respectively. So much for the theory that Hollywood is a bad moral influence. Georgia was right behind California and came pretty close to a tie. In the words of Christopher Hitchens, religion poisons everything.
So, I guess it would be harder for teenagers in the U.S. to prevent pregnancies given the religiosity of politicians and lawmakers and no doubt religiously-inspired programs like the abstinence nonsense. Not to mention the high cost of abortions there too. In Canada and Europe, abortion is covered under medical plans or national health plans. Also, in Canada the rate of teen pregnancies has been steadily declining since the mid '90s.
All of these obstructions to safe sex contributes to the high rate of teen pregnancies in the United States. It's time for the U.S. government to realize that what they're doing to reduce teen pregnancies is not working and maybe look to other countries' solutions who have managed to reduce the number of teen pregnancies.
Is it a crime to insult Jesus? Apparently so, in Australia anyway. Oh and England too. Maybe it's a crime in Canada too, since it was once British and still has some weird ties to the Mother Country. Probably not since Canada actually has a Bill of Rights, unlike the people down under. Still, Canada's Bill of Rights can be easily manipulated under certain clauses. One can play the "incitement to violence" card in regards to just about any statement one finds offensive or doesn't agree with. An example would be the MacLeans article.
Anyway, since when is blasphemy illegal in secular countries? Why not charge anti-religious books and novels with "offensive behavior"? 'Cause that's what an Australian kid was charged with while wearing a shirt that defamed Jesus. Was he charged with defaming Jesus ben Sirach? Jesus ben Pandira? Jesus ben Ananias? Jesus ben Gamala? Which Jesus was it? Apparently there were a countless number of them. Does it even matter? Did the Christian Jesus even exist? I highly doubt it.
It's time to stop punishing religious dissidents and accord them the same freedom of speech that religious people enjoy.
I have joined Mojoey's Atheist Blogroll. It's a place for all atheist and agnostic bloggers. As of this writing there are over 700 member blogs listed. So, if you have a blog with an atheistic or agnostic perspective, consider joining the Atheist Blogroll.
I find it hard to believe that some religious people can get away with using illegal drugs while cancer patients who use marijuana for relief of nausea get charged and convicted. Medicinal marijuana use is illegal in the US while in Canada, it is not. The debates still rage among medical professionals and scientists as to whether marijuana is more harmful or beneficial to cancer patients, those with glaucoma, AIDS, MS, etc. Still, I think that people suffering from these diseases should be allowed to decide themselves whether to use marijuana or not. If it helps some people ease their suffering, why not let them? Marijuana, in my opinion, is no worse than alcohol. In fact, I believe that alcohol is far worse and far more damaging to our society than marijuana ever will be. And if you are one of those people who believe that marijuana is a gateway drug, then you'd be wrong and it would do you good to do some research.
It is more than a stretch to say that the legalization of marijuana would lead to legalization of cocaine or heroin; it's a bloody leap.
Among Christians in the US, opinion seems to be divided on the whole issue of marijuana legalization. Both sides can point to passages in the Bible to support their stands. But is this really the best way to decide whether to legalize marijuana? I think not. The Bible is notorious for contradictions and by using it to decide whether something should be legal or not in the 21st century is absurd. Killing disrespecting children is condoned in the Bible; it's actually the proper punishment. So, should we look to the Old Testament to decide what is allowable here and now? The New Testament, perhaps? How about neither?
The Bible is not the moral law of the United States, though many would like it to be, and as such it should have no bearing deciding the legality of anything. Religion just muddles things up.