June 27, 2009

Earth Is Designed For Life?

I wonder if Edward Current actually makes creationists think. Thinking isn't something required in order to be a creationist, but since us humans have such well developed brains, sometimes creationists may not be able to help themselves:


HT Atheist Media Blog

It will be interesting in the future if when life is discovered on another "life hospitable planet" to see what creationists have to say about that.

Some questions to ponder though.

Is it scientifically possible to ever discover civilized life on another planet?

Do other civilizations on other planets believe in a higher power? Is it a part of the natural evolution process for anyone who develops the man like intelligence to buy into the supernatural early in the process (you know, like how early man was pretty much forced into believing supernatural explanations when it came to lightning for example).

And another question comes to mind: Will human evolution finally do away with the part of our brain that looks for and accepts supernatural explanations (I also include superstitious things like wearing a lucky shirt that even many of us atheists have in one way or another)?

June 19, 2009

Most Canadians Aren't This Stupid

At least I don't think we are.



The very first part of the video is true. I don't remember ever discussing the Holocaust in school. Outside of the home or TV documentaries, the Holocaust was not brought up. We did have history classes, but generally history focused only on Canadian history.

The Angry Canuck then goes on to make a complete fool of himself. I will take it on his word that he actually tried to research the Holocaust. However, he must have either been directed or attracted to Holocaust denier material and neo-Nazi websites to get all of his information.

I did send him a message to his Youtube inbox:
You researched from anti-semitic sites, the video at the end is proof of that. That person is a known Jew hater.
Unfortunately Google links to Holocaust denial sites so if you sincerely researched it, you went down the wrong path.
You could easily fall for idiocy researching 9/11 as well.

Here are some real sites:
http://www.nizkor.org/features/qar/qar39.html

http://www.nizkor.org/

Watch this video:
http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=2972691n&tag=related;photovideo

And watch this video too made at the end of the war:
http://video.google.com/videosearch?sourceid=mozclient&oe=utf-8&q=holocaust%20hitchcock&um=1&ie=UTF-8&sa=N&hl=en&tab=wv#



I haven't received a follow up from him. Hopefully has gone through some of the material I sent him. He also has been silent on the video site too, but to his credit, he isn't deleting any posts. And to the Youtube communities credit, his video is getting a ton of one star ratings, and many angry comments.

The disturbing part is (assuming this guy is sincere) how easy it is to erase the Holocaust from the history of the newer generations. Kind of a light at the end of the tunnel for anti-semitic Joooo obsessed internet circus freaks. In order to prevent Revisionism from getting an upper hand, it is important to fight Holocaust denial as much as possible.

To leave your own comment on his video click here.

June 15, 2009

For Those Who Need A Good Laugh

Just a quickie. Found this video yesterday on Youtube. Nothing to do with religion, lack of religion. Just an attempt to put you in a good mood:


Ok, so maybe this has some implications. How can you be against pot after watching that video? You don't need religion to smile. That's all for now.

June 10, 2009

What Does It Take For A Creationist To Accept Evolution?

The world is full of reality denying individuals. People who reject evolution. Who look for holes, even where there aren't any, in the theory of evolution.

What does it take to "convert" these creationists to accept evolution/reality?

Let me first state that there are two type of creationists. Creationists who accept science, but add God and supernatural acts into their reality, and then there are the pathetic creationists who deny realities that do not fit in with their religious world views. The latter of course, are the creationists I am writing about now.

To many creationists, evolution is a story made up by scientists, while the bible is a story inspired or written by God. These creationists choose the story that gives them salvation over the story that doesn't. I really think it is that simple for many.

I do think the young and brainwashed, those under 30, who have never really looked into evolution, but were taught that evolution is nonsense, are probably the easiest to educate. Of course, they need to have the actual desire to learn.

The toughest to educate are the 40 plus know-it-all creationists, who have decided not to try to really understand evolution, to the point that rational thought goes out the window. They rely on frauds like Kent Hovind and Answers In Genesis to do the thinking for them.

But I've often wondered that what if these types were individually put into a room with Dr. Ken Miller, Richard Dawkins, Sam Harris, Daniel Dennett, or Christopher Hitchens and made to watch Potholer54's Made Easy Series, able to stop and debate any point made in the videos they want. How long, if ever, would it take for the average willfully ignorant Fundy to accept reality?

The Made Easy Series For Schools:



It takes the will to investigate to find the truth, and to find out that what was assumed through religious or cultural indoctrination (like a historical Moses or Jesus) may not be true at all.

I was 40 before I was actually curious enough to investigate the historical Jesus or Moses. And I was actually startled from what I found....or what I didn't find. I think there are many believers who are in the same boat when it comes to evolution.

June 5, 2009

Troubling: Atheist Blogosphere Silent About Obama's Egypt Speech

I cringed at times listening to Barack Obama's speech yesterday. I'm sure many atheists did the same. Besides quoting/misquoting the Koran, Obama completely alienated atheists:

“Indeed, faith should bring us together. That is why we are forging service projects in America that bring together Christians, Muslims, and Jews.”

I did a blog search on Google and I found only a few atheists that seemed bothered about the speech.

Clemens' Blog is the only one I've read who tells it like it is in his post Obama's Sermon.

Lets look at other things that Obama said in the speech:

“And I believe that America holds within her the truth that regardless of race, religion, or station in life, all of us share common aspirations - to live in peace and security; to get an education and to work with dignity; to love our families, our communities, and our God. These things we share. This is the hope of all humanity.”

Who's God is our God? Obama is saying ALL Americans aspire to love our God. Thanks Obama, for throwing atheists under the bus.

But what is troubling is that the atheist internet community has either turned a blind eye or has put their collective heads in the sand on this speech.

Why is that? Is it that Obama, being so different than Bush in his Liberalism, and his perceived pacifier status when it comes to war and conflict, gets a free pass from atheists?, or is it that the atheist community perceives Muslims collectively as a bunch of 7 year old children, who need to be completely sucked up to if it means possible reformation and peace?

I do know that if George Bush made the exact same speech as Obama yesterday, the atheist blogosphere would have been posting about it in an enraged flurry, because the second possibility wouldn't be an option, and Bush would have been looked upon just as a religious zealot talking to other religious nuts.

Of course, Obama also completely portrayed Islam and history in a very distorted and unrealistic way, and gave Islam credit where none was due. But that is just politics.

If Obama made this speech domestically prior to the election, I wonder if he would have lost atheist votes. I hope so, but I just don't know.

I'm very disappointed in my atheist brothers and sisters right now for holding back criticism of Obama. I'm also accusing the atheist community of double standards here. Had he made this type of speech at a church, he would have been slaughtered by fellow bloggers.

Don't get me wrong, I still think Obama is going in the right direction (at least the direction he is going is worth a shot), but he could have included non believers, and he should be called out for not doing so.