Archive for the 'News' Category
This just astounds me. It really does. One of the people in the running to be vice president of the United States of America believes that the earth is only 6,000 years old and dinosaurs and man co-existed. I’m sorry, but this is the person who is only “one 70 year old man’s heartbeat” from getting her hands on the nuclear codes and the reigns of the worlds most important, and already faltering, economy. I can’t quite put into words how scary this is.
Thankfully this is being covered by some prominent news outlets like the Huffington Post, but really this needs to get out into the mainstream media. People need to know. Unfortunately, this won’t happen because of the fear within the mainstream media outlets of alienating some viewers. In the words of Matt Damon (yes, that Matt Damon):
“Do the actuary tables and there’s a one out of three chance, if not more, that McCain doesn’t survive his first term and it’ll be President Palin… It’s like a really bad Disney movie. The hockey mom, you know, ‘oh, I’m just a hockey mom’… and she’s facing down President Putin… It’s totally absurd… it’s a really terrifying possibility… I need to know if she really think that dinosaurs were here 4,000 years ago. I want to know that, I really do. Because she’s gonna have the nuclear codes.” From HP. Video here.
The source of this story is a teacher who spoke to Palin just after she was elected Mayor of Wasilla in 1998. The really worrying part of the discussion Palin had with Philip Munger, the teacher in question, was this:
“…she had seen pictures of human footprints inside the tracks…”
This was in response to Munger pushing her in the clear empirical evidence available, specifically prehistoric fossils and tracks that can be dated back far further than 6,000 years.
The question we need to ask is this. Is Palin dellusional, an idiot or both? And that really shouldn’t be a question you’re asking about anyone in politics, let alone someone vying for one of the most powerful positions in the world.
Tags: Creationism, politics
This is a truly remarkable story, and really puts into context the absolute fire-breathing idiots, the misinformed imbeciles that we have to put up with. Quote from the BBC:
The most senior judge in Saudi Arabia has said it is permissible to kill the owners of satellite TV channels which broadcast immoral programmes.
Yes, you read that right. The MOST SENIOR JUDGE in Saudi Arabia has given permission, endorsement if you will, for the killing of broadcasters for broadcasting what he deems to be immoral programmes. Let’s break this down.
Firstly, people will now attempt to kill the station owners, and no doubt their employees, because of this statement made by an absolute bigoted idiot. People may very well die. Secondly, what on earth is immoral? Who judges? Him? The prospective murderers? Their holy book? Let’s be honest, every holy book is unspecific when it comes to morality, there are grey areas. Language is ambiguous. So even of you do believe in a holy book, can you really truly understand it’s intentions? Quite frankly, if I was a Muslim and I saw this statement being made, I’d really start to reconsider the company I keep. Do I really want to be part of a movement where one of it’s more senior and influential members believes that murder is a less serious crime than broadcasting provocative television shows? Does that make sense to ANYONE?
This is what we’re up against. Biggotry, fear and idiocy.
Tags: Islam, Law
photo credit: Max Choong
I know that there are many readers of this blog who are “of faith”. Some, I respect for their willingness to enter into open discussion about their religion, and I accept that for some people, religion is a necessary part of their lives. There are other people, however, who can’t see past blind faith. And these people really need educating. So let’s take a look at the most recent example, a group of people, based in Washington D.C believe that fuel prices have fallen because they hold regular prayer sessions at gas stations.
So let’s teach these people a basic rule of the universe. Causation does not equal correlation. It’s quite simple, and best illustrated by the Simpsons. The crux is that if I do a rain dance, rain falling does not prove that my rain dance has worked. It’s a classic mistake made for those looking for proof of religion. If they pray for something to happen, and then it does, religious people will assume causation. That their prayers caused the change to happen. The problem with this is that, if you believe your prayers have been answered and there is causation there, you also have to accept that every time you pray and it isn’t answered, it’s one mark in the column that’s headed “There is no God”. And there’s no way I’ll accept any response to this that says “God moves in mysterious ways”, contains the words “grand plan/scheme” or makes any reference to free will. Because if there was a God, these would surely be the most inane, selfish, prayers to answer.
There’s something about Mormons. Of all the world’s religions, it just seems the most unwholesome, for lack of a better world. We’ve all known something wasn’t quite right for a while, and now comes the proof. The leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, Warren S Jeffs, has been shown in photographs kissing his 12 year old bride. The full story, including the circumstances that lead to the the court case currently underway against the FCJCLDS can be found at the Salt Lake Tribune (wow, I never thought I’d be linking there!).
If you do go to the site be warned. There’s a picture of Jeffs with his “bride” and while her face is blurred out, it’s still disturbing.
Tags: Mormonism, News
One of the most powerful aspects of religion, well organized religion, is the sense of community. Religion seems to be the exception that proves the rule of the wisdom of crowds. If you are surrounded by people who all believe something, it’s very easy to just go along with it. It’s like peer pressure in school. People like to be in crowds, its an aspect of our evolution. Strength in numbers.
Of course, we know from organised religion that going with the flow is not always wise. It sometimes has disastorous effects. For example, where people are staring into the sun after being told an image of The Virgin Mary had appeared there. Like with most organised religious groups, where there is also a distinct lack of common sense, the outcome isn’t good. Around 50 people lost their sight in the incident. Some would surely argue that if they had opened their eyes to the madness around them, this could have been avoided.
So please, don’t just blindly follow, question everything.
Tags: Miracles, Stupidity
In the past few days, two very interesting stories have broken in the main stream press. Firstly, we have the article in the New York Times reporting in a study called “U.S Religious Landscape Survey” by The Pew Forum. This study seems to suggest a steady decline in religion, with one of the most notable statistics revealing that people are less likely to be affiliated to a religion as they become adults. This backs up my own view, that many children are religious, and stay religious, purely because it’s what they were taught by their parents. A sensible law would surely be to completely remove all religious teachings from schools (and make it illegal for parents to project their own beliefs onto their children) until such an age that children can make their own informed decision.
Another promising trend is the huge loss being experienced by Catholiscism. Hopefully this indicates that people are becomming less accepting of hard-line practices, such as those of the Catholic Church. You’ll note that the article seems to suggest that the massive increase in those descrining themselves as without affiliation may simpy be down to the fact they are not currently active in a Church, and not that they have lost their belief alltogether. I’d question this analysis based on the fact that there is a Nondenominational option available, which people who fall into that category would surely have picked.
While the non-affiliated now make up the fourth largest “religious group” in the U.S, the story appears to be different across the pond. A recent U.N study claims that Britian is no longer 70% Christian, something everyone has known for a long time. In fact, things appear to have swung in the complete opposite direction, with two thirds of Brits now not claiming to be religious at all. This is certainly in line with my experiences of Modern Britain, where the religious are often viewed with a certain curiosity. Tony Blair’s recent statements support this.
The really interesting part of the report comes with the suggestion that the Church of England should be disbanded.
The role and privileges of the established Church are challenged because they do not reflect “the religious demography of the country and the rising proportion of other Christian denominations.”
It’s a very interesting idea. If the U.N report, taken from a recent census, can be proven as fact, there is absolutely no reason for the Church of England to enjoy any privileges whatsoever. They effectively become just another charity.
Tags: , News
There’s a story in Time (from 1970) about a couple who have had to give an a child they adopted because they “Do not believe in a supreme being”. The judge who made the decision did so on the basis that the child should be allowed to worship freely.
Now, correct me if I’m wrong, but being an Atheist does not mean you will actively prevent people from worshiping what ever God, or Supreme Being, they chose to believe in. However, if this child was sent to a Christian couple, they would be prevented from worshiping any God other than the Christian God. After all, a Christian Couple are not going to willingly let a child they have adopted break one of the commandments.
Quite frankly, this is one of the most idiotic decisions I’ve ever seen. One one level, the judge would rather the child be without a stable home than living with a couple of atheists. On a whole other level the Judge seems to have some fundamental misunderstandings of the tolerances of each community. Those who are religious are completely, and unashamedly, intolerant of all other religions. Atheists are not bound by such obvious self serving rules.
I think the question judges should be asking is, “Should a religious couple be allowed to have children?”. This seems a far more valid question in my eyes. While an atheist couple will present facts and evidence to their children, a religious couple will use age old brain washing techniques to perpetuate the ignorance.
Are we still confronted with such ludicrous situations?
Tags: Family, Law
So help, er, yourself?
This is, well, unbelievable. A Judge in India has summoned two Hindu Gods to appear in court in order to settle a property dispute. Unsurprisingly, the BBC reports, two previous attempts to contact the deities have been unsuccessful. Apparently the address the letters were sent to was “incomplete”. Two things immediately strike me about this. Firstly, this is just a property dispute, a fairly minor one at that (1.4 acres). If you were going to summon two Gods to court, you’d expect it to be over something more significant. How about a case on the separation of Church and State? Anyone? The second thing that strikes me is that this is a Judge. Someone who is supposed to be intelligent enough to preside over matters of law. How on earth can you respect someone who expects two fictional characters to appear in court to defend themselves?
This newest summons to the deities has been made in the local paper, using the text:
“You failed to appear in court despite notices sent by a peon and later through registered post. You are herby directed to appear before the court personally”
Because that will work.
Tags: Hindu, News
I love a good debate about religion. If you come across a practioner of a religion who is willing to listen to you, and argue their views, it can be a very liberating experience. Of course, I’ve never entered into a debate with such a person that hasn’t ended with the line “Well that’s why they call it faith…“. I’m sure the same has happened to you. You debate, argue, discuss to the point where the only logical conclusion is there’s no God, only for them to throw that in your face.
Anyway, for both parties the experience can still be a positive one. There are, however, some religions, and some believers of those religions that are so far entrenched in their own beliefs that debating them isn’t an option. These are the people who are currently protesting in Sudan over a British Teacher who allowed her class to name a Toy Bear Muhammad.
The teacher involved, Gillian Gibbons, has already been imprisoned for 15 days and now the protesters want her shot. I’ll repeat that. They want her shot for allowing a class of children to name a toy bear Muhammad. The 15 day sentence already seems absurd to any logical person, especially Christian Americans who have seen Jesus plastered all over some of the tackiest merchandise known to man. I’ve written before how the restrictions placed on describing, painting Muhammad is a form of self-preservation, but this is taking it a step further. It’s taking it into absolutely, barking mad, swinging from the ceiling absurdity.
Not only is the punishment already passed down for this “crime” ridiculous, but there is open debate amongst Muslims as to whether this is even wrong. There’s a nice write-up here. This seems to demonstrate, probably better than any other recent event, that the only place religion will take us is into the dark ages.
Tags: Islam, Law
