religion
pharyngula | September 14, 2009Frank Page is a former head of the Southern Baptist Convention (i.e., nuts) and is also now a member of the Advisory Council on Faith-Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. In an interview, he talks about what's going on in that council, and there is actually some good news.
My hope was that there would have been more time for focusing on formulating actual policy recommendations for the president. They keep saying that that's something we'll have more time for in the future. But most of our time so far has been briefings from administration officials about various government programs that are…
pharyngula | September 14, 2009Michael Dowd, the peculiar author of Thank God for Evolution, has a strange podcast up that promotes the New Atheists because they are the new prophets — we're telling it like it is, and religious folks need more of that. He also urges people to read Pharyngula, or, if they want something a little gentler, to read Richard Dawkins' site…ah, flattery.
Anyway, the gist of his argument is that "The religion that the New Atheists are attacking is otherworldly, superstitious religion when it's interpreted as objectively real. And that's not where the power of our religious language lies…", which is…
gregladen | September 13, 2009... Or so I'm told.
Chris Holmlund says of "Creation" in an email:
"The film was chosen to open the Toronto Film Festival and has its British premiere on Sunday. It has been sold in almost every territory around the world, from Australia to Scandinavia. However, US distributors have resolutely passed on a film which will prove hugely divisive in a country where, according to a Gallup poll conducted in February, only 39 % of Americans believe in the theory of evolution."
Here's a trailer:
pharyngula | September 13, 2009Jen went to a Christian anti-porn crusade, and all she got for her trouble was a lot of lies. It's amazing how, on these issues like birth control, abortion, homosexuality, and pornography which stir up so much concern among Christians, they always resort to invented statistics and bogus sloganeering to make their case. Shouldn't it make someone on their side of the argument wake up and wonder what's going on when they can't even tell the truth in their PR?
gregladen | September 13, 2009Dave Mabus sent me this along with a threatening e-mail with a subject line I've used as the title of this post.
The email was cc'ed to me, but meant of PZ Myers, and it says:
Hey PZ Myers, you little fool...
Just wanted to let you know this has been posted on every forum of the internet. Some good came out of you after all. They will remember your ugly blaspheming head forever!
Good riddance....
If you comment on this post, I recommend you do not include a link-back because Dave will mine it for your email address and from now on you will get an obnoxious emails like this too. The emails…
grrlscientist | September 13, 2009tags: religion, violence, genocide, fundamentalism, MtlRedAtheist, streaming video
This is the third in a series of videos that address some of the violent, absurd and atrocious Bible stories being taught to children in Sunday School around the world today. This video discusses the Sunday School Bible story of Noah's Ark and the Great Flood is an extremely popular children's story worldwide. It talks about how God became so fed up of his Creation that he decided to kill it all. It sort of makes you wonder why he would have created it in the first place since he is supposed to be omniscient. […
grrlscientist | September 12, 2009tags: religion, Bible, humor, satire, Alan Bennett, streaming video
Here's an amusing Sunday morning video that should especially appeal to my English readers (I know, it's Sunday afternoon in the UK). But "the sardine tin of life" was especially amusing in a Forrest Gump-like way ..
gregladen | September 12, 2009Go to a large family gathering. (Or a similar gathering. Borrow someone else's large family if you don't have one.) When somebody decides you are all going to pray together with bowed heads, start to bow your head so everybody else sees you doing it, but after everyone's heads are supposed to be bowed, unbow your head.
Have a look around.
You will find yourself looking at a few other people who are also looking around. Those are the other atheists.
Introduce yourself after the prayer, and then you can make arrangements for an orgy or a baby-roast or something.
pharyngula | September 12, 2009The video below is of a devout Mormon (I'm so sorry for him) speaking out against the church policies of discrimination that led to all that money being sunk into Proposition 8 in California. It's good to be reassured that there are Mormons who aren't full of homophobia and hate. Unfortunately, the bishop there isn't quite so open-minded: he tells the fellow to stop, he cuts his microphone, and he has him escorted out.
(via C.L. Hanson)
pharyngula | September 12, 2009I was having a conversation with a colleague last night, and one of the things we were talking about is the way modern religion has rushed to emulate the trappings of science, where every explanation must have an epistemological foundation in real world observations. A paradigmatic example is Ken Ham's bizarre Creation "Museum", which on the one hand repeatedly rejects the power of human reason, while on the other constantly throws up pseudo-scientific displays that mimic those of real museums, trying to illustrate the apocalyptic fever dreams of a world-destroying flood with mechanistic…
grrlscientist | September 11, 2009
Eight years ago today, I watched 7 WTC (7 World Trade Center) collapse at 17:20 after its structural integrity had been compromised by fires and by the collapse of the nearby north tower due to a terrorist attack by a group of religious wingnuts. These attacks killed 2,603 people in New York City in the towers and on the ground.
grrlscientist | September 11, 2009
[larger view]
Eight years ago today, I watched WTC 1 (the north tower) collapse at 10:28, after it burned for approximately 102 minutes in a fire caused by the impact of United Airlines Flight 11. These attacks killed 2,603 people in New York City in the towers and on the ground.
grrlscientist | September 11, 2009
Eight years ago today, I watched numerous television news reports depicting a smoking hole in the ground, created by a fourth flight, United Airlines Flight 93 that crashed into a corn field near Shanksville, Pennsylvania at 10:03. The passengers on board engaged in a fight with the hijackers, who then rolled the plane into the ground, killing all 40 passengers and crew. It was likely that the ultimate target of this plane was the United States Capitol.
grrlscientist | September 11, 2009
[larger view]
Eight years ago today, I watched WTC 2 (The south tower) collapse at 09:59, after burning for 56 minutes in a fire caused by the impact of United Airlines Flight 175. These attacks killed 2,603 people in New York City in the towers and on the ground.
grrlscientist | September 11, 2009
Eight years ago today, a group of religion wingnuts flew American Airlines Flight 77 into the Pentagon at 09:37, killing 125 people, only 55 of which were military personnel.
oracknows | September 11, 2009Once again we come to another September 11. It's hard to believe that it's been eight years since that horrible day. On this day, traditionally, I do two things. First, I post the following video.
This video was shot by Bob and Bri, who in 2001 lived in a high rise a mere 500 yards from the North Tower. On this eighth anniversary of the September 11 attacks, I think it's important to post this again. It is the most prolonged and continuous video of the attack that I have seen, and, as such, It is difficult to watch.
That's why it's so important to watch.
Second, I either repost or post a…
gregladen | September 8, 2009There is a story written in ancient Chinese documents that goes something like this:
The Emperor has become enraged at a peasant who committed a misdemeanor. The Emperor has unjustifiably beheaded the peasant.
The Emperor has asked the court historian (me) to remove the previous reference to his inappropriate rage. I have refused.
(slight change in calligraphic style)
The Emperor, who previously unjustly removed the head of a man for a minor crime, has unjustly removed the head of the previous historian. I am the new historian.
The Emperor on seeing my previous entry has asked me to remove…
gregladen | September 8, 2009A three year old study has resurfaced on the blogosphere with this recent mention on the daily atheist. The study (cited below) is here, and the older commentary is here.
Since this is still utterly relevant, I thought I'd make it the subject of a post. I don't think there is anything in it that is not absolutely current.
I guess, I have to be honest with my 14 year old daughter. No, Julia, you are never going to be president. Or even mayor. Because as far as I can tell you are an atheist. If you took up some religion and made it look like you were sincere, then maybe. Otherwise,…
razib | September 7, 2009I stumbled onto some peculiar survey data of American Roman Catholic priests:
A somewhat larger percentage of participants (57 percent) believe that the sacraments of the Church are necessary for salvation, and relatively few (17 percent) agree that "all great religions are equally good and true."
Yes, 17% of respondents is a minority. But for me the key is that these are not men who are exhibiting some level of ecumenicalism, accepting that salvation might take place outside of the sacraments of the church. They believe that all other religions are as good and true as their own religion. A…
razib | September 7, 2009Religious Attendance Relates to Generosity Worldwide:
Gallup data reveal that adherents of all the major world religions who attended religious services (attenders) in the past week have higher rates of generosity than do their coreligionists who did not attend services (non-attenders). Even for individuals who do not affiliate with any religious tradition, those who said they attended religious services in the past week exhibited more generous behaviors.
These findings are based on Gallup surveys conducted from 2005-2009 in 145 countries, which asked individuals about whether they in the…