Owner: Lord J-Bar For Democracy, Not Theocracy URL:http://lordjbar.blogspot.com Join Date: Sat, 10 Feb 2007 13:25:43 -0600 Rating:0 Site Description: Advocates the separation of politics from religion and science to preserve free thought for all. Why? I love freedom, that's why. Site statistics:Click here
Carnival of the Godless 59 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Carnival of the Godless
59 is now up at Aardvarchaeology. Check it out and wallow in some good god-free fun! Read more:Carnival
Don't Fear the Reaper 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today, I'm going to address one of the more pathetic arguments against atheism. I've heard a number of people start with the question: "Aren't you afraid of what happens when you die?" Then they follow it up with an argument to try and show how atheists have a fatalistic worldview, thereby making the theistic view on death superior.My answer is always no. Why? Let's start with two undeniable truths. 1) Everyone who ever lives dies. 2) Nobody really knows what happens to our consciousness after we die. How does this alleviate fear of death? Well, it's really not meant to alleviate fear but rather to encourage people not to fixate on death.The objection I usually get at this point is that a religious belief in an afterlife gives people comfort, especially when loved ones die. However, I question how a fairy tale about a life after death really brings comfort. Sure, it might help a person not worry so much, but it can also cause two major problems.Deep down, many theists ar
Religion Does Not Make Someone a Better Person 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The claim I always have to shake my head at is the idea that religion will make someone a better human being since it provides something a person would not otherwise have. However, is there any real validity to this claim? Let's look at a little evidence and use a little logic, shall we? Without a doubt, nearly all religious people are good, moral people. It's silly to claim otherwise. However, I'd argue that most people are naturally good to start with. Can we really attribute religion to that person being good? All people have a natural sense of empathy. It's what makes us feel bad when a person is harmed or what makes us feel guilty when we do something that harms another. It seems more like religion is the way humans try to codify that sense of empathy. Plus, the existence of empathy is easy to see even before the development of the Ten Commandments. In the older Code of Hammurabi, one can find the same general rules that basically direct people not to harm one Read more:Religion
Quote of the Week 1970-01-01 00:59:59 "It is only in order to shield your ignorance that you put the Lord at every turn"- From Galileo Galilei's Dialogue, 1632. Read more:Quote
New Rediculous Claim Against Evolution: Darwinism Causes Terrorism 1970-01-01 00:59:59 It seems someone really wants France to reject the theory of evolution. French schools and universities have recived tens of thousands of copies of a textbook advocating an Islamic view of creation. From Yahoo News:Entitled "The Atlas of Creation," the 770-page book by Turkish author Harun Yahya quotes several passages from the Koran and asserts that "human beings did not evolve (from another species) but were indeed created."Clearly, the Koran is an unquestionable source of scientific evidence.The most ludicrous part of the whole thing is Yahya's claim that Darwinism
is the cause of terrorism:The book features a photograph of the September 11, 2001 attacks on the World Trade Center with the caption: "Those who perpetuate terror in the world are in fact Darwinists. Darwinism is the only philosophy that values and incites conflict."All I can say is wow. Is Yahya retarded? Does he really think the 9/11 perpetrators had glowing images of Darwin in their minds as they flew into the Wo Read more:Evolution
, Terrorism
Discrimination Against Atheists in the Army 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Check out this YouTube video where Wayne Adkins, an officer in the Ohio Army National Guard, recounts his attempts to file an EO (Equal Opportunity) complaint after a general officer made bigoted remarks against atheists. In his story, Adkins explains how the complaint went all the way to the Department of the Army Inspector General and was then subsequently ignored. It's extremely disappointing and a severe injustice to see the Army treating one of its own this way. Read more:Discrimination
, Atheists
History's on Our Side, but We Must Be Careful 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Vjack at Atheist Revolution has a great article warning atheists about playing into the hands of the Religious Right by appearing too extreme. Here's a short excerpt:...there is a very real risk that atheism will be equated with another form of extremism in the minds of many Americans. Our more confrontational tactics must be balanced with an emphasis on education, critical thinking, and more subtle criticism. I am not suggesting that we abandon the assault on religion launched by our colleagues but that we supplement it with other approaches. If the American people come to perceive us as simply another form of extremism (and there are indications that this is already happening), our credibility becomes no greater than that of the Christian extremists we oppose. I certainly agree with Vjack on the need for atheism to not look like just another version of a religious zealotry. Whenever we atheists take an opportunity debate our case in front of others, the best way to win in the audi Read more:History
, Careful
The reDiscovery Institute 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I just came across this nice little bit of parody (thanks to Nullifidian's feed at Planet Atheism): The reDiscovery Institute
. It does an excellent job poking fun at the real-life Discovery Institute and highlights the absurdities of a religious organization masquerading as a scientific one. It also performs the critical task of teaching the controversies. You know, controveries like the theory of gravity, the periodic table, the solar system, literature, etc.If you think the Discovery Institute is as silly as I do, then you'll love the reDiscovery Institute.
Refuting Divine Command Theory 1970-01-01 00:59:59 One of the favorite theories clung to by the moral absolutists and the religious right is the theory of Divine
Command. Essentially this theory states that moral goodness is determined solely by the will of God. God, Bad, Right, Wrong, singularly depend on Gods will.I will state theory again in unequivocal terms…God determines the morals of the world.Refuting this theory is accomplished solely through the use of logic. The great Athenian philosopher Socrates presented this logic impeccably in his Euthyphro Dilemma:1) To begin our logical destruction of Divine Command Theory
let us first assume that it is true… God dictates the morals of the world.So, if Divine Command Theory is true then one of two possible scenarios occur with regard to actions deemed "morally good" a. Morally good acts are willed by God because they are morally good.Orb. Morally good acts are morally good because they are willed by God.See the distinction? Is it good because God says it is
Scientists Reveal Bush Administration's Pressure Against Global Warming 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Now that the Democrats have control of Congress, we're finally starting to see the full extent of the Bush Administration
's abuse of science. MSNBC has a good article on the subject. Here's a short excerpt:The Democratic-controlled Congress on Tuesday stepped up its pressure on President Bush's global warming strategy, hearing allegations of new political pressure on government scientists to downplay the threat of global warming.Lawmakers received survey results of federal scientists that showed 46 percent felt pressure to eliminate the words "climate change," "global warming" or similar terms from communications about their work.The scientists also reported 435 instances of political interference in their work over the past five years.We all knew it was happening, but now that the political climate in Washington has changed (no pun intended...okay, maybe it was), we're finally starting to see something done about it. We've already seen the President acknowledge clima Read more:Reveal
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The Use of Fear by Answers in Genesis 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Ken Ham, president of the Creationist organization Answers in Genesis
, recently posted an essay on his website warning Christians of the "new atheists" It's nothing more than the same old tactic of trying to scare people in supporting him, but I wanted to discuss it briefly. Ham starts by saying:We've warned you about them before on our website—but now they're on a much more aggressive march all across America. No longer are they just staying in their classrooms or writing books and articles in the comfort of their offices. They are "the new atheists," and they are aggressively going after your children, your liberties, and your faith!Right. So we're supposed to stay out of sight and out of mind while Christians get to say whatever they want in the public arena. Ken Ham smells like a freedom hater to me. As for atheists trying to go after Christians' children, liberties, and faith…well, if educating children how to think for themselves is what all that means,
The Bible vs. Science 1970-01-01 00:59:59 USA Today (via Yahoo) has an excellent opinion piece by Tom Krattenmaker titled "The Bible vs. Science
." Here's a small taste of what Krattenmaker has to offer:How many Americans are ready to accept the proposition that science has made a colossal error interpreting the fossil and geological record and - more radical still - that the validity of Christianity depends on proving it? If anything, a stance like this repels those wavering between faith and disbelief and gives skeptics one more reason to reject religion.I have to say I agree completely. In the long run, it seems the idea that Bible must be completely true or Christianity will fail seems like a losing battle for fundamentalist Christians (which isn't so bad). If anything, their ploys point out the most unsupportable claims of the Bible, severely undermining their position that the Bible is 100% accurate. Even someone with a rudimentary knowledge of the scientific method will see how shoddy or nonexistant Creationist res
More on Bush Administation's Supression of Science 1970-01-01 00:59:59 The Boston Globe's online newpaper has an article concerning recent statements from US Representative Peter Welch, D-Vermont:U.S. Rep. Peter Welch says it was a "stunning personal experience" to hear federal scientists say they had been stymied from talking about climate change."There was a story about a scientist who got authorized to speak at a conference. He was prohibited from using the phrase 'global warming.' He was allowed to say 'global,' and he could say 'warming,' but he couldn't put them next to each other. It became a charade," Welch said.I'm surprised it took Rep. Welch this long to figure it out. Regardless, the entire charade by the White House is sickening. What's worse is how the article ends:The White House maintains it was trying to bring balance to reports on global warming.What is there to balance? The vast majority of the scientific community agrees with the evidence. Once again, the problem comes down to ignorance of science. This quote from Paul E Read more:Science
James Dobson is Still a Dirty Liar 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Last month, I wrote a short post discussing JamesDobson
's distortion of the research of Dr. Carol Gilligan. Well, another PhD, Dr. Kyle Pruitt, has also come forward with the same complaints. In the video below, he talks about how Dobson has lied about Pruitt's findings in an attempt to further his theological goals. Check it out:Just another example of evangelicals being selective with science. They use it when it helps then and ignore it when it refutes their claims. Read more:James Dobson
DaveScot: When Good Science Goes Bad. Yeah, Right 1970-01-01 00:59:59 DaveScot of the ID blog Uncommon Descent recently had a post titled "Glodal Warming is not Due to Human Contribution of Carbon Dioxide." I suspect this comes on the heels of the UN Global Warming Panel's report that humans are at fault for the phenomenon. What is DaveScot's source? Why, an article from notorious global warming denier Timothy Ball, who calls himself Canada's first PhD climatologist. However, there's a few small problems with Ball's credentials, courtesy of desmogblog.com:Ball and the oil industryBall is listed as a "consultant" of a Calgary-based global warming skeptic organization called the "Friends of Science
" (FOS). In a January 28, 2007 article in the Toronto Star, the President of the FOS admitted that about one-third of the funding for the FOS is provided by the oil industry. In an August, '06 Globe and Mail feature, the FOS was exposed as being funded in part by the oil and gas sector and hiding the fact that they were. According to the Globe and Mail Read more:Right
Can't Forget Our Celebrity Infatuation 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Is it not enough that a person died? CNN has taken it upon themselves to give hour after hour of coverage on the death of Anna Nichole Smith. Death is always a tragedy, but does it really need this kind of exposure and wild specualtion? Let her go in peace and let's not make a huge deal out of this. This American infatuation with celebrities disgusts me. People need to worry more about their own lives rather than the lives of someone who they will never meet.Since the death of Anna Nichole Smith is of such Earth-shattering importance, CNN has decided to suspend coverage of all other news. Needless to say, we'll have to wait until tomorrow to see Paula Zahn make amends. Read more:Celebrity
, Infatuation
At Least CNN Can Take a Hint 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Unlike Karen Hunter and Debbie Schlussel, who continue to dig themselves into a hole, it seems like Paula Zahn might regret the final outcome of her anti-atheist show last week (and by regret, I mean see an excellent opportunity to increase her ratings). Tonight at 8 PM eastern time, Zahn will have Richard Dawkins on her show to discuss the same issues.Okay, I admit it. I'll add to her ratings, but just because I want to see Richard Dawkins. I love hearing what that man has to say.At any rate, I suppose we can count this as a victory of sorts.Update: Hmmm...it seems as though Dawkins will not be on the show very long. Pharyngula has more. Besides, what's the point of having a British atheist when the topic is on intolerance within America. I like Dawkins, but this doesn't really address the issue. We'll just have to see how the show pans out. Read more:CNN
Haggard Signs Banishment Agreement 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In a further attempt to cover up all the details of Haggard
's homosexual activities, Haggard has signed an agreement with the New Life Church stating he can no longer live in Colorado Springs. From 9News in Denver:9Wants to Know has learned the New Life Church in Colorado Springs has reached an agreement on the conditions of Pastor Ted Haggard's relationship with the church.The agreement calls for Haggard, the former head of the National Association of Evangelicals and senior pastor at the New Life Church, to not rejoin the ministry at New Life, for him and his family to relocate from Colorado Springs and requires Haggard to refrain from speaking publicly about the scandal.The agreement also includes a financial settlement, but as part of the deal, the church and Haggard cannot disclose how much was included.Despite the fact that such an agreement would fail miserably in court since the Constitution says that Haggard can live wherever he damn well pleases and say whatever he wants, Read more:Agreement
My Thoughts on the CNN Debacle and the Responses from Hunter and Schlussel 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I'm finally going to jump on the bandwagon and say something about the CNN
piece from Paula Zahn where Karen Hunter
and Debbie Schlussel basically told atheists to sit down and shut up since our rights don't matter anyway (you can see it here). At least Steve Smith (of ESPN) had the courage to come to our defense. I clearly wouldn't agree with him on matters of religion, but at least he knows how our Constitution is supposed to work and what rights we Americans have. Like every other atheist who has commented on this issue, I was disappointed Zahn did not have an atheist on the panel when thee topic of discussion was discrimination against atheists. However, the format of the show doesn't really lend itself to a balanced discussion on every issue since it has the same guests throughout the entire episode, so I guess I can understand. Besides, Zahn seemed rather surprised to see that nobody wanted to defend atheists. I can understand that much, I guess. But then a number
Evangelicals Get One Gay Freebie 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I missed this on my last post dealing with this subject, but it turns out the Inquisition--I mean the four ministers reviewing Ted Haggard's "immoral conduct" feel that Haggard is "completely heterosexual" because he only had homosexual relations with one man. From CNN:Haggard also said his sexual contact with men was limited to the former male prostitute who came forward with sexual allegations, the Rev. Tim Ralph of Larkspur told The Denver Post for a story in Tuesday's edition."He is completely heterosexual," Ralph said. "That is something he discovered. It was the acting-out situations where things took place. It wasn't a constant thing." Ralph said the board spoke with people close to Haggard while investigating his claim that his only extramarital sexual contact happened with Mike Jones. The board found no evidence to the contrary.So, this sends a great message for homosexual evangelicals still in the closet: it's okay to have gay sex as long as it's only with one person. Read more:Evangelicals
Templeton Foundation Distances Itself from ID 1970-01-01 00:59:59 In what I can only optimistically interpret as a sign of the tide continuing to turn against ID, the Templeton Foundation
, an organization dedicated to reconciling the differences between science and religion, has publically distanced itself from the ID movement. Pamela Thompson, the Templeton Foundation's Vice President of Communications, sent the following letter the the LA Times: "Testing the role of trust and values in financial decisions" (Jan. 21) incorrectly describes the John Templeton Foundation as having been an early supporter of the political movement known as "intelligent design."We do not believe that the science underpinning the intelligent-design movement is sound, we do not support research or programs that deny large areas of well-documented scientific knowledge, and the foundation is a nonpolitical entity and does not engage in or support political movements.The foundation has provided tens of millions of dollars in support of research academics who are critic Read more:Distances
, Itself
The Creationists' Biggest Mistake 1970-01-01 00:59:59 I wrote a post on this subject a couple of days ago, but the blog Hell's Handmaiden brought a poignant article from Answers in Genesis to my attention, and it inspired me to expand on some of my ideas. The article's author, Answers in Genesis president Ken Ham, laments the fact that most colleges will not accept credits from Christian home schooling or Christian schools: Let's face it. Secular humanists have, by and large, won the culture war in America's public schools. But not just satisfied with victories there, they are now aiming at Christian schools and homeschools. Yes, Christian institutions are becoming more and more marginalized in the US. And, I think you will be shocked at the latest developments. Then he goes on to show his winner takes all mentality: So, the major argument presented against homeschooling in the US and Britain is that most of the parents teach their children the biblical account of creation. The secularists recognize that if the account Read more:Creationists
, Mistake
Finally, Someone Can Show Me Why God Killed All Those Children 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Someone calling himself or herself Bet left and interesting link (and nothing else) in one of my comments sections. I can only assume from the content of the linked article that Bet wanted to turn me away from my wicked ways in an attempt to save my soul from eternal damnation. While I appreciate the concern, I wanted to take the time to address the article. Written by Ray comfort, the article comes from ChristianAnswers.net and is a three pronged attack against atheism. In the first part, Comfort tries to show how a loving god can exist when we have terrible natural disasters like the tsunami on Dec 26, 2004 that killed a quarter of a million people. Comfort poses a worthwhile point: Tell that to those who were burying tens of thousands of human corpses after the tsunami hit. Tell that to the fathers who hold the dead bodies of their beloved children in their arms, or to the relatives of those who died of horrific diseases. It doesn't take much intelligence to realize that Read more:Finally
, Killed
, Children
He's Cured! 1970-01-01 00:59:59 After an intensive three weeks of treatment, Ted Haggard has been officially cured of his gayness. The Denver Post reported the following:The Rev. Ted Haggard emerged from three weeks of intensive counseling convinced he is "completely heterosexual" and told an oversight board that his sexual contact with men was limited to his accuser.Wow, that's enough to convince me that homosexuality is a choice. Despite the copious scientific evidence proving otherwise, I can't argue with this. But, come to think of it, I'm sure I would agree to just about anything after three weeks of intensive guilt tripping from a group of overbearing fundamentalists. It's really sad that Haggard can't admit who he actually is. He has to keep living a lie.Then in a move suggesting that the New Life Church leadership doesn't believe their own bullshit, the Denver Post had this to say:In the message, Haggard revealed that he and his wife, Gayle, intend to leave Colorado Springs and pursue master's deg
New Human Evolution Exhibit at American Museum of Natural History 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today the AmericanMuseum
of NaturalHistory
will open a new permanent exhibit on human evolution. The cool part is that it will be the first exhibit of its type to combine fossil and genetic evidence to provide a much more comprehensive view of human origins. Read more about it here.Of course, Creationists won't buy it. They probably won't even go. The Christian Post has its own article about the new exhibit, and it asserts:The findings presented should not shake up the creation museum organizers, however. Much like evolutionists, the creationists study the same fossil and DNA evidence that the AMNH will present. They argue that, if studied subjectively, the evidence will only back up scriptural authority.Ha! I guess by research, they mean read the Bible really hard and make stuff up. Notorious creationist Ken Ham of Answers in Genesis shouldn't even be allowed to call himself a scientist when he makes statements like this:The Bible, where it touches on science or any subject Read more:Evolution
, Exhibit
My Beliefs 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Vjack at Athiest Revolution just came up with a great idea, and I'm extremely jealous I did not think of it earlier. On his post "What Do You Believe?" Vjack correctly points out that, unlike religion, atheism has no distinct set of beliefs apart from our views on the nonexistence of gods:As we consider this question, one critical disclaimer must be offered at the outset. Because atheism has no doctrine, set of core values, or even shared vision of the world, no honest atheist will have much to say about how his/her fellow atheists think. Since atheism implies nothing besides a lack of theistic belief, one must expect tremendous diversity among atheists. I have met atheists who believe in ghosts and others who do not. All they necessarily share is that they do not believe in gods. This may be difficult for some Christians to grasp because they do have at least some shared doctrine.Those of us who think it is important to provide believers with an alternative worldview are going to n
Kent Hovind Gets Ten Years for Tax Evasion 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Hardcore Young-Earth Creationist Kent Hovind and his wife were sentenced to ten years in jail for failing to pay almost one million dollars in taxes to the IRS. Get this: his defense was "he and his employees are workers of God and therefore exempt from paying taxes." I'm still laughing over that one.Hovind does have hope, though. Shelley the Republican has instructed her readers to "Let us pray to Jesus that Kent and Jo will be allowed to continue their important ministry and continue teaching young scientists about the many flaws in Darwin's theory of evolution." I'm sure God will pull some strings and bail Hovind out, right?Once again notice the mention of Darwin's name. They really hate the guy.Read the full story here. Read more:Years
Vladimir Putin Makes a Good Point 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Russian President VladimirPutin
might be a freedom-hater who longs for the return of the Soviet Union, but he made an excellent point in a speech earlier today. From CNN:Russian President Vladimir Putin
on Saturday blamed U.S. policy for inciting other countries to seek nuclear weapons to defend themselves from an "almost uncontained use of military force.""Unilateral, illegitimate actions have not solved a single problem, they have become a hotbed of further conflicts," Putin said at the Munich Conference on Security Policy, an annual forum attracting senior officials from around the world.The Bush administration said it was "surprised and disappointed" by Putin's remarks.Sen. John McCain, R-Arizona, who was also attending the conference, described Putin's remarks as "the most aggressive speech from a Russian leader since the end of the Cold War."I'm sorry Senator McCain, but the truth hurts. Even though he's critical of US policy, Putin's comments are entirely valid, especial
In Celebration of Evolution Sunday 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Today is EvolutionSunday
and some 600 churches will be discussing evolution in a positive way to try and reconcile science and religion. While I don't really feel science actually can be reconciled with religion, it's better than what most other churches are saying.Anyway, to help further this event, I would like to provide this link to Talk Origins about the 29+ evidences that macroevolution exists. You'll always hear creationists accept microevolution (small physical changes, like a bird population gaining longer beaks) but completely deny macroevolution (the change from one species to a different one). Hopefully, this resource can aid you in your struggles.
Evolution of New Species Does Occur and Here's How to Picture it and Support it with Evidence 1970-01-01 00:59:59 Since today is Charles Darwin's 198th birthday, I decided to take some time to pass on an excellent visualization of speciation that my high school biology teacher utilized.Before I begin, let me define speciation. Also called macroevolution, it is the evolutionary process by which new biological species arise. For creationists, this is one of their largest points of contention. They argue that no species of animal has ever been observed giving birth to a different species. While certainly true, this is not how the theory of evolution says new species will arise. If an animal's offspring were a different species, that would probably serve better as proof for Creationism more than evolution. As a rule, an animal will always be the same species as their parents. Then how does evolution say new species will arise? Well, come along and I'll relate the excellent example my biology teacher told me.Let's say you have a species of frog that lives in Florida. It's particularly suc Read more:Support
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