Owner: The Jesus Myth URL:http://www.thejesusmyth.com Join Date: Sun, 29 Jul 2007 14:42:18 -0500 Rating:0 Site Description: Blog style discussion site centered on atheism vs theism. Add your 2 cents and join the fray! Site statistics:Click here
Please Don’t Abort Your Sperm! 2007-11-12 04:00:03
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=x45EOzMJA5o
Related PostsScientologyScientology makes some grandiose claims: "Scientology is the study and handling of the spirit in rel...
Read more:Please
, Sperm
Should Homosexuals be Allowed to Adopt? 2007-11-11 15:34:40
Let me come straight off the bat and say that I resent what is inherently implicit in this question. As if it were a valid ethical discussion in the first place. Why are we even debating this? Is there a single valid argument as to why they should not be allowed to enjoy these same rights as everyone else? This question invariably impinges just as grindingly upon my psyche’s Humbug-detector as any question would, were it to question the extent heterosexuals, socialists, ethnic immigrants etc. should be allowed the same. Throughout all the pompous babble of those who would blush with indignation by the mere thought of two people, who by happenstance were born the same sex and enjoy the company of each other – carnal and otherwise – being allowed to raise a child in a loving and nurturing environment, I have yet to sort out any cogent justification for their “righteous” fury. I assure you that I have attempted such a feat on many occasions but apparently it is beyond my humble
Where Have All The Miracles Gone? 2007-11-10 17:49:10 One of my personal favorite quotes is from someone that you may not have heard of, Dr. Delos Mc Kown.
Though often reported, miracles, so-called, are suspect because human beings lack the criteria for discriminating between any divinely engineered event and any rare (even unprecedented), unexplained (at the moment), but perfectly natural phenomenon. So, until distinguishing criteria are apprehended and explicated, nothing that has happened can legitimately be called a miracle.
I often find myself wondering where all of these spectacular miracles have gone? It seems as though what used to be an almost everyday occurrence has fallen by the wayside. “But there are miracles all around us everyday!” (Yes, I can hear you shouting.) What miracles? Those that can be simply explained through natural law? No, not those. I mean MIRACLES. You know, calling down fire from heaven, healing the blind, raising the dead (without the use of a defibrillator, of course) and things of that natu
The Jesus Myth Challenge 2007-11-18 15:42:05 This site was started with a purpose; bring together theists and non-theists in a format of open dialog and debate. Along the way, some have been befriended and some have been offended. Are you one of the ones that hate this site or find it to be offensive? Okay, the site is yours to do with what you wish…provided that you can step up to the challenge.
Seriously. I am willing to hand over the registration of this site to the individual that can rise to the challenge that will be set forth in just a moment. This is not a stunt, this is for real. Not only will you receive the rights to the domain but all the databases are included as well! The WP template, every post, every comment and the rights to the domain name…all yours.
The Challenge
Provide absolute proof for the Creationism theory as laid out within the pages of the Bible. This would include proof that the Earth, Sun, Moon and stars are less than 12,000 years old. (I could’ve said 7,000, but I want to give y Read more:Jesus
Atheism is a Dangerous Religion! 2007-11-18 00:47:41 (Please, for the love of your god, if you do not understand what satire is, don’t comment!)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DSzttF8EXrE
Related PostsReligion
and Atheism
…...can in fact co-exist, if I say so myself. My recent visit to Germany proved that it is actually p...Atheists Have No MoralsI can follow some religious fundamentalists that claim that atheists have no morals. But only with s...How Dare You!!!I’ve been an atheist my whole life. Even though I was raised that atheism is “akin to Satanism...Is atheism a religion?Apathism Is The New Atheism
Behold, the Power of Prayer! 2007-11-23 22:49:14 I am just lovin’ Eddie Current’s material!
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OQUR2tvuQhI
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Prayer. Your direct connection to God (unless you are Catholic, at which point you would go through ...The Prayer DietWell, as I was wandering the aisles of my local library, not looking for anything in particular, som...Where faith and logic collide…I know where they collide...in the hospital, the ICU, the nursing home, the prayer service, funeral ...The Birth of Jesus - Matthew vs LukeAn Atheist’s Experience in a Children’s Hospice
Read more:Behold
NEW THEORY SUGGESTS PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO RELIGION FOR 16 REASONS 2007-11-20 12:42:50 People are not drawn to religion just because of a fear of death or any other single reason, according to a new comprehensive, psychological theory of religion.
There are actually 16 basic human psychological needs that motivate people to seek meaning through religion, said Steven Reiss, author of the new theory and professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State University.From Ohio State University:NEW THEORY SUGGESTS PEOPLE ARE ATTRACTED TO RELIGION FOR 16 REASONS
People are not drawn to religion just because of a fear of death or any other single reason, according to a new comprehensive, psychological theory of religion.
There are actually 16 basic human psychological needs that motivate people to seek meaning through religion, said Steven Reiss, author of the new theory and professor of psychology and psychiatry at Ohio State University.
These basic human needs which include honor, idealism, curiosity and acceptance can explain why certain people are attracted to religion
Why I don’t give to the Salvation Army this year… 2007-11-19 10:55:24 It’s that time of year again. Bell ringers in front of every store. You can’t get past them without the little bell deafening you and feeling a little guilty when you don’t give anything. Most people will fish around for a little change in their pockets to donate it to charity. Me too. “God bless you.” is what I usually hear when I make a donation. I don’t pay much attention to this anymore. So why won’t I donate this year?
Well, I’ve learned a few things. For one, the Salvation
Army discriminates against Homosexuals (rescinding same sex partner benefits after quotes from people like AFA president Donald E. Wildom:
“We are absolutely shocked that an evangelical Christian organization would grant health benefits to same-sex partners,” Wildmon said. “Homosexual relationships are not legitimate in God’s eyes, and treating them as if they are by extending the benefits traditionally reserved for married couples is troubling.”
The t
A White Christian lashes out 2007-11-26 21:34:51 This is en excerpt from a blog:
The white Afrikaner Christian
: a complete and utter train wreck, fully on the road, nay HighWay, to Hell!
Rapport (A South African Sunday paper) has decided to kneel at the feet of the idol of WHITE AFRIKANER CHRISTENDOM. The very same sacks of filthy white shit who supported APARTHEID. We must bow the knee to these racist scum!?
Fuck white Afrikaner Christians! White
Afrikaner Christians suck the shit out of a dead man’s colon!
They clearly don’t know me and my absolute antipathy for white Afrikaans Christians.
I am a white English Christian. A confirmed Anglican. I attend Church regularly.
I am not so insecure in my beliefs, my faith, and my religion that I feel the need to squelch all those whose opinions differ from mine. I don’t require the people I do business with to align their religious and political views with mine. Clearly these cocksuckers do.
I would feel sorry for the poor little insecure white Afrikaans (fuckers) Christians, who fe Read more:lashes
Apathy: The Cancer That’s Killing Us 2007-11-29 20:41:00 Taking a brief departure from questioning religion for a moment, I wanted to take a moment to spew some hate. No, really. I may just hate you. Do you care? Maybe not. Maybe you’re apathetic, and that is why I hate you.
Now I realize that “hate” is quite a strong word. In a society that is constantly trying to be politically correct, non-offensive and totally conforming to the whims of everyone, I realize that this may not be a welcome post. Guess what? I don’t care.
Most of this is geared toward my fellow Americans. Well, at least we call ourselves Americans. If Franklin, Madison or Washington could see what America has become today, I doubt that they would be pleased.
Apathy
. It is killing us, both figuratively and literally. Don’t believe me? With all of the crap going on in the world today, it was you that made Dancing With the Stars the highest rated program recently. That drivel? Are you serious? You people have nothing better to do that sit on your o Read more:Cancer
, Killing
TJM IS CURRENTLY FOR SALE 2007-11-25 12:28:23 I have come to a decision with regards to our moniker here at TJM. I have come to this decision through various talks with others involved with this site and though some people that are simply third party voices on the subject.
We have really tried to create a place where theists and atheists can discuss and debate their viewpoints. Some of that goal has been accomplished. Due to our name, though, some have not gotten as involved as they would like to have been. This is completely understandable.
I have purchased the domain name www.reasonvsfaith.com. This will eventually be the new name of the site. All the databases, user names and passwords and such will be transfered over, the transition will be complete once the TJM name has been sold. I believe that the new name is more suited to what we are trying to accomplish.
Thanks!
Related Posts“Buried” in SuperstitionSuperstition is defined as the following:
1 a: a belief or practice resulting from ignorance, fear ...
Charlie Brown Christmas 2007-12-05 22:24:04 This is a very simple post. Go to Newsday.com and look under the title of “Bah humbug to puny Christmas
tree”. I am sure that I don’t even have to comment on this one, really. I have always heard that it isn’t the size that matters.
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, Brown
, Charlie Brown
Islam Idiocy (Moronic Mohammedans) 2007-12-04 01:46:57 Now that we’ve hit Jehovah’s Witnesses over the headHere, Here and Here, it’s time for someone else to get their turn in the “My religion says I should prefer death to proper medical care” barrel.
Muslim woman are not allowed to be viewed by men outside the family, not even by physicians.
Pregnant Belgium Muslim woman needs an emergency cesarean delivery, only anesthesiologist available is a man, and the woman’s husband bars his entry into the operating room.
At this point, a rational person would have the husband arrested, but our doctor doesn’t do this. Instead, (After TWO HOURS) an Imam is consulted - the anesthesiologist is permitted to apply an epidural injection, but only if the woman is completely covered except for a small patch of skin. During the surgery (conducted by a female OB/GYN) our anesthesiologist is relaying instructions and observations through a nurse: he is forced to stand in the hallway while his patient is in surgery. Read more:Islam
, Idiocy
Why I like Buddhism 2007-12-03 18:50:50
Do not believe in anything simply because you have heard it. Do not believe in anything simply because it is spoken and rumored by many. Do not believe in anything because it is found written in your religious books. Do not believe in anything merely on the authority of your teachers and elders. Do not believe in traditions because they have been handed down for many generations. But after observations and analysis, when you find anything that agrees with reason and is conducive to the good and benefit of one and all, then accept it and live up to it. - Siddhartha Gautama, (The Buddha)
This is the Buddhism
I admire. Not the other type that requires reverence of “holy” objects and a strict regimen of worship.
Related PostsRA Rips on Buddhism (Or not…)Buddhism. That bastard-child of a religion. (And I say that with a smirk on my face and a grin in ...CaffeineOle Wolf presented an analogy:
"let’s say I like strawberries, yet I know broccoli is healthier ...Why do
Jehovah’s Witness refuses surgery for years - face-eating tumor 2007-12-03 16:21:56
Fighting the curse of the face-eating
tumour
A Jehovah’s Witness
who for decades refused all surgery on his horrific facial disfigurement has been given hope by a British doctor and new medical technology.
Unwilling to accept a blood transfusion, Jose Mestre has allowed the bloody tumour that first appeared on his lip in adolescence to obliterate almost all of his face.
Now 15 inches long and weighing 12 pounds, it has blinded him in one eye and made eating a daily ordeal. As it begins to block his airways, doctors fear his life could be in danger.
But now one of Britain’s leading facial surgeons has proposed treating Jose, 51, by employing ultrasound waves to coagulate the blood before the operation.
This should allow his growths to be removed without risk of heavy bleeding – satisfying his religious prohibition on blood transfusions that has so far hampered his search for treatment.
Jose was examined by two doctors in Britain - Loshan Kangesu, consultant plastic surgeo
“God” of the Boy Scouts 2007-12-02 16:59:00 It’s been done to death, I know… Still, let’s put the blame where it belongs.
The entire time I was in Scouts, God wasn’t a big issue. I’ve later learned that the official policy of the Boy Scouts is not to define God.
That’s right, the Scouts REFUSE to define God; they accept whatever definition the individual chooses.
They refuse to do this in order to say that they are not a religious organization that falls on the wrong side of the Church/State wall. And really, they are not. The closest the scouts come to being a religious organization is a requirement that the participant be reverent toward some concept that he considers to be God. While this SOUNDS like it is religious, the reality is that it is just a poorly worded parallel to the Freedom of Religion clauses of the First Amendment.
All the fuss about the Boy Scouts denying membership to Atheists is true - To the Boy Scouts, an Atheist is one who refuses to define God. In reality, though,
The REAL Mohammed Teddy Bear In Stores Soon! 2007-12-01 16:20:17 Muslims in Sudan are practically rioting in the streets and calling for the execution of the British teacher, Gillian Gibbons. We hear at TJM know exactly why this is. You see, when you think of Islam and its’ founder Mohammed
, you naturally think of peace, love, acceptance and tolerance. It is a disgrace that one would allow a class to name a teddy bear after such an important figure. At least…a normal teddy bear!
INTRODUCING THE NEW MUSLIM EXTREMIST APPROVED MOHAMMED!
Mohammed comes with a real live GRENADE and terrorist FACE MASK!
Squeeze his fluffy tummy to hear loving statements like, “Kill the infidel!”
(Koran not included. TJM assumes no responsibility for the use of the included grenade.)
Related PostsA Broken PromiseSo, the Israelites are wandering through the wilderness eating mana. I am sure that after a while, t...Under the BusIn response to some of the comments left on "Would the Real Christians Please Stand Up," I have deci...Would the Real Chri
8th Grader kills himself for God 2007-11-30 13:18:54 A 14-year-old boy, Dennis Lindberg, killed himself under the instructions of a sadistic cult. This action was blessed by Skagit County (Washington) Superior Court Judge, John Meyer, who prohibited the State of Washington from interfering in the youth’s suicide pact.
Unfortunately, no criminal action will be brought against either the “Cult” or Judge Meyer, because the “Cult” is the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the method of suicide the youth chose was to refuse treatment that would have given him a 70% chance of survival.
TJM author Luci recently wrote about another senseless death associated with Jehovah’s Witness prohibition on accepting blood transfusions.
Basically, JWs are prohibited from consuming the blood of an animal. “Church” leaders decided that hospital patients can be fed intravenously, a blood transfusion is food.
What?
TJM reader Jerry Jones (his link) commented:
Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to acknowledge that when h Read more:Grader
Atheism in Principal's Office. 2007-12-14 00:30:06
This is just one of my many “OUT-ing” in my college;
So, its November 2007 & my first semester in college. I had eyes on me for over a week after this incident. What is he playing at? Is he out of his mind? How can he talk to teachers like that? Ruben Babu, the atheist–someone who doesn’t believe in God. An anticleric. A disrespecter of religion. A mocker of Christianity, became popular by a matter of minutes.
An Atheist, being stared at like something vile. Someone like, oh, Diderot (”Man will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest“). Or Voltaire (”The truths of religion are never so well understood as by those who have lost the power of reasoning“). Or Bertrand Russell (”The Christian religion, as organized in its churches, has been and still is the principal enemy of moral progress in the world“)….
Unfortunately, I’m no Bertrand Russell…. For one thing, Read more:Atheism
, Principal
The Demonization Of Matthew (or Religion is the Problem, not the Answer) 2007-12-13 11:31:44 Matthew
Murray’s world was haunted by demons.
Somehow, a child of a prominent doctor, someone who was home schooled in a comfortable Denver suburb, evolved from would-be Christian missionary to a killer trying to rain Columbine down on the Christian world.
A family spokesman said Murray grew up in a loving home. But other interviews and what appear to be Murray’s own online ramblings portray a disturbed individual who resented his sheltered upbringing, had problems with his mother, heard voices in his head, felt rejected and abused — and yet appeared to be searching for a place to belong.
He sought refuge in everything from an online forum for recovering Pentecostals to an occult group.
End of quote and beginning of my rant.
I feel so much pity for this young man. It was no loving home he grew up in; if it was his parents would have known about his problems. Voices in his head? Did they think it was Jesus talking to him? Wasn’t it a warning? Or is it a given that t Read more:Religion
, Problem
Was Texas intelligently designed? 2007-12-12 13:59:14 In Texas
, just promoting a speaker that is critical of Intelligent Design can cost a person her job.
Chris Comer was director of science curriculum for Texas Education Agency (TEA). It was her job, among many other things, to promote and encourage the science education of tens of thousands of Texas students. In fulfilling her duties as director of science curriculum, she forwarded an email that announced an upcoming lecture by Barbara Forrest, a professor of philosophy and outspoken opponent of the Intelligent Design movement. For this support of a critic of Intelligent Design and evolution proponent, she was forced to resign.
This bears repeating for emphasis: the woman in charge of Texas’s science curriculum got shitcanned for announcing a lecture by someone critical of Intelligent Design.
Now, University of Texas professor Daniel Bolnick has collected the signatures of more than a hundred of the finest minds in biological science that Texas has to offer - every last one a PhD Read more:designed
Congress to Declare "Christmas is Good" 2007-12-11 23:25:09 Can someone please tell me what happened to, “Congress
shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion?”
Here’s the text of H.Res. 847, because you may have not seen just how important your government wants you to feel X-mas is (while your at it, how many falsehoods and logical fallacies can you count?):
“Recognizing the importance of Christmas
and the Christian faith.
Whereas Christmas, a holiday of great significance to Americans and many other cultures and nationalities, is celebrated annually by Christians throughout the United States and the world;
Whereas there are approximately 225,000,000 Christians in the United States, making Christianity the religion of over three-fourths of the American population;
Whereas there are approximately 2,000,000,000 Christians throughout the world, making Christianity the largest religion in the world and the religion of about one-third of the world population;
Whereas Christians identify themselves as those who
The absurdity of religion - Part 2. 2007-12-11 12:08:11 Part 2 of my summary of:
An introduction by Christopher Hitchens to the book: The Portable Atheist.
The Human Species has been in existence for at least 150,200,000 years. It’s a mere instance in evolutionary time.
In order to subscribe to monotheistic religion, one must believe that humans were born, struggled, waged wars, loved, worked and died during all this time; often dying in childbirth for want of basic nurture, died young of diseases, and with a life expectancy of perhaps 30 years at the most.
Add to these the turf wars between discrepant groups and tribes, alarming outbreaks of disease which had no germ theory to explain it, let alone palliate them, plus associated natural disasters and human tragedies.
And yet, for all these millennia heaven watched with with indifference and then; only in the last 6,000 years at the very least; decided it was time to intervene as well as to redeem. Heaven would only intervene and redeem in the remote area of the Middle East, thus en
The absurdity of religion - Part 1. 2007-12-10 19:32:22 A short, condensed summary of the first part of:
An introduction by Christopher Hitchens to the book: The Portable Atheist.
The pre-history of our species is hag-ridden with episodes of nightmarish episodes of ignorance and calamity, for which religion used to identify, not just the wrong explanation but the wrong culprit. Human sacrifices were made preeminently in times of epidemics, useless prayers were uttered, bogus “miracles” attested to , and scapegoats, like Jews or heretics or witches - hunted down and burned. The few men of science and reason and medicine had all they could do to keep their libraries and labs intact, or their very lives safe from harm. Of course, when the evil had “passed over”, there were equally idiotic ceremonies of hysterical thanksgiving, propitiating whatever local deities may be.
One is usually told, as an unbeliever that it is old fashioned to rail against the primitive stupidities and cruelties of religion because after all, in
Carnival of the Godless 2007-12-09 00:02:42 TJM is proud to be able to bring all you godless heathen the 80th edition of the Carnival
of the Godless
. I hope that this post finds you still fat and happy with the spoils of Thanksgiving. For those of you that will be traveling this holiday season, travel safely and enjoy the season responsibly. Now, on to the submissions! Let’s get these posts spread around; Stumble, Digg or Reddit this post so we can help those that have contributed their posts to this issue get even more exposure. They will thank you and you will secure one golden token redeemable for a spot in hell.
Isla Skye shares a story of de-conversion and defection from The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in De-bunking God. God is loving, kind and merciful, right? Well, think of this post as a character assassination, carried out with a 50 caliber PSG1.
The Australian Atheist takes on the abortion issue from a different point of view; the fetus’. In his post, “Are Aborted Fetuses Lucky?&rdqu
What Would Jesus Buy? (W.W.J.B.) 2007-12-08 00:45:04 Everybody is out buying this and that for their kids, aunts, uncles, parents and other loved ones in preparation for the big event, Christmas.
Christmas in America has become a time of greed, and the ever inevitable arrogant assumption that all should celebrate by buying gifts. If you tell someone that you do not participate in gift exchanging at Christmas, they attempt to label you as cheapskate or an interplanetary alien.
Christmas has become big business and many a corporation's future depends on the bottom line on December 24th when they close their doors.
I find it interesting that many folks defend their buying sprees by using terms like "goodwill" and "Christmas spirit". Many of the gifts bought are electronic or other trendy items that most stores cannot keep in stock due to the high demand. People actually "campout" outside electronics stores in hopes of buying a Nintendo Wii while the unfortunate, homeless are forced to live in public parks and streets. Many Read more:Jesus
Creationist Fired, Sues 2007-12-07 23:49:04 Nathaniel Abraham takes a job at the Woods Hole Oceanographic Institution. He then writes a letter to his boss, basically saying “I think evolutionary theory is wrong” and offers to work in the non-evolutionary areas of this evolutionary biology lab. Instead, his boss fires him.
Apparently, they already had a janitor.
Anyway, he is suing for $500,000, claiming he was a victim of religious persecution.
Let me get this straight: You’re hired to do a job. You tell your boss that you can’t do the job. What, exactly, do you think is going to happen?
I’m scouring the classifieds for church jobs…
Read More
Related Posts52 year old scientific paper retracted after creationist misrepresentationA scientific paper published in 1955 has been retracted by its author, Dr. Homer Jacobson, when he d...Certified ChristianSo, I had a pretty good chuckle tonight as I fired up the computer to see what was new on the site. ...Carnival of the GodlessTJM is proud to be Read more:Fired
Charity Requests/Suggestions 2007-12-06 23:49:25 TJM is “passing the plate” for the Fallen Patriots fund, a charitable organization that supports the families of deceased veterans. There’s still a couple weeks left in our fund drive, so if the families of our fighting men and women deserve a few of your hard earned dollars (and you want to make it known that Atheists aren’t the cold, heartless bastards we’re portrayed as) please click the widget and send in some cash. We’ll be collecting until the 15th.
Who would YOU like to support? What under-appreciated group deserves a break?
The Red Cross comes to my mind immediately: Find a disaster, big or small, and the betting man says the Red Cross is the first major support organization on scene.
I also support the ACLU, EFF, IAFF, and FOP.
But, I’m asking YOU! Big or small, national or local, let us know!
Related PostsThe Jesus Myth and VideoTJM will be launching the video portion of our site VERY shortly. This is a request to all of you th...At Read more:Charity
, Requests
Will religion ultimately destroy humanity? 2007-12-22 14:06:10 As far as I am concerned fundamental Christianity and Islam are probably two of the greatest evils humanity will have to face in the future.
Conservative Christianity and Islam try their best and more often succeed to prohibit and get in the way of scientific and medical research. They’re constantly attacking or trying to convert, people who don’t share their beliefs. Their philosophies skew the way people perceive reality; it holds them, and us, back from reaching full potential.
Christianity teaches you that you are not worthy of living as soon as you’re born. Since birth you’re labeled a sinner, and the only way you can be forgiven for this sin (for which you had no part in even), is by accepting Jesus as your Lord and savior. If you don’t accept Jesus, you’ll burn forever in Hell.
The messenger of Allah said the following: “Islam is to testify that there is no god but Allah and Muhammad is the messenger of Allah, to perform the prayers, Read more:destroy
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