The fighting atheist.

I happened upon videos by the Fighting Atheist on youtube. I was impressed by his videos and admired how he speaks out about Atheism. Here is one of his video called What would God do?

Fund raising for Atheism.

The British Humanist Association is having a fund raising campaign to place ads on the outside of London city buses. They were trying to raise £5,500 for 4 weeks of adverts. So far, as of this posting, they have raised a whopping £ 48,030.00! I like the idea and am considering contacting a local Humanist organization to do a something similar. If you would be interested in participating, contact me and let me know.

The god that failed.

Why do we care?

This is why!

The hate mongers called "True Christians".

I recently came across this website. I've never seen such hate towards atheists in my life. I don't really have much to say. Just click the link and you'll see why I'm speechless.

The answer to that age old joke.

Why did the chicken cross the road?

Because it was time to preform the Kaparot.

Kapparos or Kaparot (Hebrew: כפרות‎, "atonements") is a traditional Jewish religious ritual that takes place on the eve of Yom Kippur. Classically, it is performed by grasping a live chicken by the shoulder blades and moving around one's head three times, symbolically transferring one's sins to the chicken. The chicken is then slaughtered and donated to the poor, preferably eaten at the pre-Yom Kippur feast.^[1] Preferably, a man should use a rooster, and a woman should use a hen for the ritual. This wiki article can be found here.

This ritual makes me laugh and disturbs me at the same time. I was reading the Toronto Sun when I came across a picture of a Jewish mother performing Kaparot on her son. In the picture, she had a firm grasp of the child's arm as he struggled to get free. In the other hand, she had a white rooster that she was waving above her son's head. The look on the child's face was a similar expression that a little girl would make if you were to hold a handful of earth worms over her head. The reason it makes me laugh is... well... imagine watching someone waving a chicken or rooster over their head. Enough said.

The propaganda of religion.

Why is it that religion is so widespread? What evidence is there of a God? Why do people believe? These are a few of the questions you might have asked yourself. Here I will discuss part of the answer to the first question, Why is religion so widespread?

To begin, I offer you a definition. The word is Propaganda. Wikipedia defines propaganda as;

... is a concerted set of messages aimed at influencing the opinions or behaviors of large numbers of people. As opposed to impartially providing information, propaganda in its most basic sense presents information in order to influence its audience. Propaganda often presents facts selectively (thus lying by omission) to encourage a particular synthesis, or gives loaded messages in order to produce an emotional rather than rational response to the information presented. The desired result is a change of the cognitive narrative of the subject in the target audience to further a political agenda.

The full article can be found here.

Here is a quote from Clamour Magazine;

"Propaganda is not the same as advertising or art. Art today is preoccupied with abstract ideas; advertising tries to get you to buy something. Propaganda, on the other hand, is interested in making you believe something. It is the stronger societal force; once you start believing in an idea or ideology you will buy anything – metaphorical or literal – it tries to sell you. Once the public was scared into believing Iraq was trying to acquire weapons of mass destruction, they didn’t seem to mind that they were being fed lies over and over. Untruths and misleading statements were quickly accepted as reinforcement and justification for a particular point of view, even when proven false.
Propaganda is that strong."

To back up my statements, I will offer you an example of religious propaganda, then I will point out the falsities and misguiding statements of it.

The following is taken from here. I encourage you to read the page for yourself to see other examples.

Scientific Accuracy

Another striking evidence of divine inspiration is found in the fact that many of the principles of modern science were recorded as facts of nature in the Bible long before scientist confirmed them experimentally. A sampling of these would include:

• Roundness of the earth (Isaiah 40:22)
  
• Almost infinite extent of the sidereal universe (Isaiah 55:9)
  
• Law of conservation of mass and energy (II Peter 3:7)
  
• Hydrologic cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7)
  
• Vast number of stars (Jeremiah 33:22)
  
• Law of increasing entropy (Psalm 102:25-27)
  
• Paramount importance of blood in life processes (Leviticus 17:11)
  
• Atmospheric circulation (Ecclesiastes 1:6)
  
• Gravitational field (Job 26:7)
  
• and many others.

These are not stated in the technical jargon of modern science, of course, but in terms of the basic world of man's everyday experience; nevertheless, they are completely in accord with the most modern scientific facts.

It is significant also that no real mistake has ever been demonstrated in the Bible -- in science, in history, or in any other subject. Many have been claimed, of course, but conservative Bible scholars have always been able to work out reasonable solutions to all such problems.

How this article is propaganda.

1. Roundness of the earth (Isaiah 40:22)
"22 It is he that sitteth upon the circle of the earth, and the inhabitants thereof are as grasshoppers; that stretcheth out the heavens as a curtain, and spreadeth them out as a tent to dwell in:"

As we all know from decades of science and observation, the earth is a sphere, like a ball. Not a circle, like a frisbee. According to this, the believed the earth was flat.

2. Almost infinite extent of the sidereal universe (Isaiah 55:9)
"9 For as the heavens are higher than the earth, so are my ways higher than your ways, and my thoughts than your thoughts."

If you define"heavens" as the sky above us, then this verse cannot be attributed as proof of the bible. It is a common view due to observation. If you look up, it does seem endless.

3. Law of conservation of mass and energy (II Peter 3:7) I include verses 5 and 6 for context.
"5 For this they willingly are ignorant of, that by the word of God the heavens were of old, and the earth standing out of the water and in the water:

6 Whereby the world that then was, being overflowed with water, perished:

7 But the heavens and the earth, which are now, by the same word are kept in store, reserved unto fire against the day of judgment and perdition of ungodly men."

The fact that the heavens and earth seem to be kept in check, is due to "the word" of a unproven deity is laughable, and in no way scientific.

4. Hydrologic cycle (Ecclesiastes 1:7)
"7 All the rivers run into the sea; yet the sea is not full; unto the place from whence the rivers come, thither they return again."

You could make it a stretch to believe this means the hydrological cycle if you infer that the rivers come from the rainclouds. It could be interpreted as if the rivers would flow backwards to the source. This is ambiguous.

5. Vast number of stars (Jeremiah 33:22)
"22 As the host of heaven cannot be numbered, neither the sand of the sea measured: so will I multiply the seed of David my servant, and the Levites that minister unto me."

Again, this cannot be attributed as proof of the bible because it is another common observation that most people have viewed. Look up at night. Can you count all the planets, moons and stars.

6. Law of increasing entropy (Psalm 102:25-27)
"25 Of old hast thou laid the foundation of the earth: and the heavens are the work of thy hands."

Entropy is defined as "A measurement of the randomness in a system." If it was created be a devine being, that indicates order, not randomness. This doesn't even apply.
7. Paramount importance of blood in life processes (Leviticus 17:11)
"11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

Another one of those obvious observations. If you bleed out all of your blood, you die. Therefore, you can assume that you blood helps you life. How can this author believe that the obvious is proof of science in the bible.

8. Atmospheric circulation (Ecclesiastes 1:6)
"11 For the life of the flesh is in the blood: and I have given it to you upon the altar to make an atonement for your souls: for it is the blood that maketh an atonement for the soul."

This is not Atmospheric circulation. It is an observation of a local winds such as a dust devil, not a global system of air movement.

9. Gravitational field (Job 26:7)
"7 He stretcheth out the north over the empty place, and hangeth the earth upon nothing."

How can this be evidence of gravity. The earth is held in place by a complex system of centrifugal forces trying to send the earth out words, at the same time the sun's gravity prevents this from happening. If you hang your coat on nothing, does it not fall to the ground? Something cannot be "hung" on "nothing."

As you can see, this is pure propaganda. There is much more of this type of misinformation out there. But I will discuss those later.

You don't need to be religious.....

Here is a video I had created when I was thinking about some of the tragedies caused by natural disasters in China, Burma, and New Orleans.

Is your day not going well? Lost your keys? Did you spill your coffee on your white shirt? Scratched you new car? Be thankful and remember, it could be worse!

If there was a god, would these things happen to his "children"? I know that I would keep my children safe, especially if I was all powerful.

When is terrorism not terrosim?

When the victims were Muslim, and the perpetrators were conservative white Americans.

A chemical irritant was sprayed through a window into a mosque with aproximately 300 muslims inside were celebrating the last 10 days of Ramadan with dinner and a prayer session, but the prayer session was interrupted so those suffering from tearing, coughing and shortness of breath could receive treatment. Wost of all, there were children inside!

American terrorists

Dying to pray.

Common sense states that an activity that has caused deaths in the past, without any gain, is something that we should avoid. Try telling that to Hindus in India.

This morning, the were 144 people killed in the western state of Rajasthan. This tragic loss of life occurred when approximately 25,ooo worshipers were climbing to the 15th century Chamunda Devi temple in Jodhpur's hill-top Mehrangarh Fort at the start of Navaratri, a major Hindu festival. Some people lost their footing, causing panic and a stampede.

Stampede in India kills 144

Motivational thought of the day.

Just a thought.

Does religion believe in the representation of cannibalism?

Mark 14:22 - And as they did eat, Jesus took bread, and blessed, and brake it, and gave to them, and said, Take, eat: this is my body.

Britannica Concise Encyclopedia: cannibalism

The usually ritualistic eating of human flesh by humans. The term derives from the Spanish name (Caríbales or Caníbales) for the Carib people, first encountered by Christopher Columbus. Reliable firsthand accounts of the practice are comparatively rare, causing some to question whether full-blown cannibalism has ever existed. Most agree that the consumption of particular portions or organs was a ritual means by which certain qualities of the person eaten might be obtained or by which powers of witchcraft and sorcery might be exercised. In some cases, a small portion of the dead person was ritually eaten by relatives. Headhunters (see headhunting) sometimes consumed bits of the bodies or heads of deceased enemies. The Aztecs apparently practiced cannibalism on a large scale as part of the ritual of human sacrifice.

What do you think??????????????????

Imagine!

It is a wonderfull thought, isn't it.

This is a billboard in Harrisburg, PA, posted by the Freedom from Religion Foundation. See the article here.

Friends

I just found out that a really good friend from high school is agnostic. Which made me think about how much do we really know about our friends? I know that I got so wrapped in my own life that I lost contact with a lot of friends. Not that I hated them or anything like that.

I guess I would say that I was in limbo since I rejected religion and became atheist. I had no direction, no purpose. Now I feel that I must share the freedom of being godless. It has made me rethink how religion has affected our world, and the great harm that has become of it. I bet you didn't know that Hitler was Catholic and blamed the Jews for killing Jesus(which was a common stance in the past)!

And now to get back on topic, cherish your friends, get to know them. Don't be afraid to ask one more question about them. True friends will stay true friends no matter what you ask them(with some exceptions). No indecent proposals!

CBC Doumentary on.... ATHEISM!

I just found these links from the Clarington Durham Region Humanists website.

The Atheists Spreading the Word

Part 1
Part 2
Part 3

Check it out!

Parent night at a Catholic school.

It was parent night night at my son's catholic school. No, I am not catholic, my wife is. When you are a father of a child who is not biologically yours, you don't have much say in schools.

I made an effort to look at the books in the library and in the classroom, specifically, books on science. There was one book that stated that ancient animals lived thousands to millions of years ago. They were accurate for the animals the chose. For the most part, everything was the same as a public school, except for effigies of the virgin Mary, crosses and other religious paraphernalia.

The most interesting and eye opening part of the night was a short presentation in the gym. The principal led the parents in a prayer. I was expecting it being a Catholic school, but it sounded like a cultist chant. It was disturbing.

So, for any of you who have a choice in your child's schooling, CHOOSE PUBLIC!!!!!!! If I had my choice, it would be public. It will be tough, if not highly improbable, to show my wife why it is better to have our son be able to have a childhood free from the "brain washing" I experienced.

Atheistic Forum

The purpose of Atheistic Forum is to communicate an atheistic perspective in scientific, philosophical, social and other contexts where AF finds it to be of relevance. AF wants to be a mouthpiece and a forum for atheists that encourages networking, facilitates debate, and be a source of knowledge and reason. Click here to visit their site.

Religious Childhood.

I've created a poll to find out what type of backgrounds my readers are from.

Dirty words

I was just thinking about how some words feel so wrong to hear. It is all thanks to Sunday school as a child and sitting through many boring sermons in my early teens. Such words as "godless heathen", "Atheist", and "secular". Those of you who have been through the "brain washing" of religion as I have, can probably relate.

These words are not bad words in of themselves, just to pious people. I call my self an Atheist, I know that I am a godless heathen and I lead a secular lifestyle. I am still trying to get these thoughts out of my head placed there by years of mind numbing, relentless, indoctrinating teachings. But it is getting easier. I hope all of you who feel the same do not get discouraged. The journey to the full acceptance of the truth of everything is worth it. In the famous words of Richard Dawkins, it just a "Gos Delusion"

TOP TEN SIGNS YOU'RE A CHRISTIAN

10- You vigorously deny the existence of thousands of gods claimed by other religions, but feel outraged when someone denies the existence of your god.

9- You feel insulted and "dehumanized" when scientists say that people evolved from lesser life forms, but you have no problem with the Biblical claim that we were created from dirt

8- You laugh at polytheists, but you have no problem believing in a Trinity god

7- Your face turns purple when you hear of the "atrocities" attributed to Allah, but you don't even flinch when hearing about how God/Jehovah slaughtered all the babies of Egypt in "Exodus" and ordered the elimination of entire ethnic groups in "Joshua" -- including women, children, and trees!

6- You laugh at Hindu beliefs that deify humans, and Greek claims about gods sleeping with women, but you have no problem believing that the Holy Spirit impregnated Mary, who then gave birth to a man-god who got killed, came back to life and then ascended into the sky.

5- You are willing to spend your life looking for little loop-holes in the scientifically established age of the Earth (4.55 billion years), but you find nothing wrong with believing dates recorded by pre-historic tribesmen sitting in their tents and guessing that the Earth is a couple of generations old.

4- You believe that the entire population of this planet with the exception of those who share your beliefs -- though excluding those in all rival sects -- will spend Eternity in an infinite Hell of Suffering. And yet you consider your religion the most "tolerant" and "loving".

3- While modern science, history, geology, biology, and physics have failed to convince you otherwise, some idiot rolling around on the floor speaking in "tongues" may be all the evidence you need to prove Christianity.

2- You define 0.01% as a "high success rate" when it comes to answered prayers. You consider that to be evidence that prayer works. And you think that the remaining 99.99% FAILURE was simply the will of God.

1- You actually know a lot less than many Atheists and Agnostics do about the Bible, Christianity, and church history -- but still call yourself a Christian

Evolution of an athiest.

It all has to begin somewhere. It is theorized that life on earth started in vast oceans rich with inorganic compounds and a hot and toxic atmosphere. My beginnings in the blogosphere are similar, even if only metaphorically speaking. The net is a vast "soup" of digital signals and information rich with bits, bytes; ones and zeros. The atmosphere of this digital world is full of misinformation, pseudo science, and writings toxic to our gullible minds.

This being my first blog, I decided to theme it around to two very important topics; Skepticism and Atheism. My skepticism started at an early age when I started to question the religious beliefs of my Christian parents. When we are all young, we are all impressionable and will believe anything we are taught by our parents and elders. Perfect examples of this are Santa Clause and the Easter bunny. We are taught that a man travels around the world in a sleigh pulled by flying reindeer to deliver presents to all the "good" children of the world, and all of this is accomplished on one single night! And we believe it. Why you may ask? It's because they are authority figures and to us, they know everything. And the same goes for or belief that a rabbit delivers chocolate eggs and other confectionary goodies... while carrying a basket! So when I was taught about the Baptist religion and their god, I believed. I didn't know better at the time. But as the saying goes, "with comes wisdom".

I started to question such things as "the great flood". If Noah brought a male and a female of every species on the ark, where are all the dinosaurs? If the aquatic dinosaurs swam, and would not be affected by higher flood waters, where are they now? If god created the heavens and the earth, then who created god? If it is a sin to kill, why is it ok to stone sinners to death? Whenever I questioned these further, I was told the bible was infallible. If man is not perfect and bound to make mistakes, and the bible is written by numerous men, isn't there chance that parts of the bible are wrong? Or "I don't fell well".

My family and friends at church were not "fundies" or hardcore "bible beaters". They provided me with love, kindness and all the tenderness and caring a child could need. I wasn't spoiled either. I also had rules that a child of non-religious parents would have, as well as the discipline too. Even though I was taught that a highly improbable god and highly improbable miracles were real, I would not trade my upbringing for anything.

Being an atheist with my religious upbringing, I disagree with the viewpoint of some of the hardcore, religion bashing atheists. Yes religion is nonsense, I won't argue that. I draw the line when it comes to the disrespect that some Christians, Muslims, Catholics, Jews, etc., who are not "fundies" that try to force their beliefs on others no matter the cost. The believers that are not fundamentalists are, for the most part, kind, caring and compassionate members of the human race. It is a shame that they are taught falsehoods and fallacies as well as that there is always an answer to every question; the bible and their god. It is ok to say "I don't know" and look for the most plausible answer.

Enough of my ramblings for now. It's not perfect. It could be debated whether or not it was even worth typing. That is for you, my readers, to decide. Just as all life on earth has done for billions of years, I'm sure, (at least I hope), that my posts evolve into a better form then the very first post