I like using the word "assmonkey." I want this blog to be the number one match when it comes to anyone searching the term on Google.
An assmonkey is someone who refuses to try to understand a concept or idea without fully understanding it, and takes actions based on their misunderstand or wilful ignorance of the facts. Action can include preaching and writing, as well as suicide bombings or demonstrations. An assmonkey can also be someone who supports assmonkeys. Yes, one can be an assmonkey by association.
One can be an assmonkey when it comes to a lot of things.
Religious assmonkey: those who oppose gay marriage because of religious reasons or someone who uses their book of God to override scientific fact (there are many more examples of religious assmonkeys).
Arab/Muslim assmonkey: an Arab/Muslim who supports suicide bombings for any reason; Arab/Muslims who refuse to understand and point the finger at who really is responsible and in many cases invent conspiracy theories and/or readily believe them.
Anti-semitic assmonkey: do a search of Mark Glenn assmonkey to see what I mean.
Liberal assmonkeys: much like the Arab/Muslim assmonkey, the Liberal assmonkey has a very hard time figuring out who the real victim is (or underdog), because they have an overwhelming tendency to believe, that automatically, the victim or underdog is the person or group that cries victimhood the most, and in most cases has less material goods than those they are whining about. They also have a tendency to allow these "victims" to be as blameless as humanly possible. Liberal assmonkeys believe rapes, suicide bombings, and even murder MUST have been MOSTLY caused by THE MAN, SOCIETY, or, THE GOVERNMENT.
I'm pretty much a Liberal when it comes to most causes and issues, but I'm not a Liberal Assmonkey. I look at all situations on a individual basis and as objectively as I can. If I don't have enough information, I really don't like to comment on it or make assumption. I ask a lot of questions, and I do a lot of Google searches when I'm in doubt.
I think anyone who questions Israel's right of existence is either extremely biased or just doesn't have enough information.
Without repeating myself too much, I have already written a post about my secular justification for Israel. I will now reiterate the main points and add a few new ones:
1. Jews in Europe in the late 1800's were facing growing anti-semitism. It was mostly ethnic in nature and not religious, but at a time when most Jews were also religious to a much larger degree than today, religion did play a bigger part in it than it did at the time of Nazi Germany. So Jews began to lobby for their own space where they could be treated as equals. The Palestine region was the birthplace of Judaism and it was also relatively empty. There were only 500,000 inhabitants on the same land that has 9 million inhabitants today.
2. The Palestine region was not sovereign territory. This is a biggie. Check out a world map. Look at the boundaries. Pick any. Find me one sovereign nation that was created where MIGHT DIDN'T MAKE RIGHT. "Might" can include negotiations and lobbying with the previous controllers of the non sovereign land, and of course, war. The formula for every sovereign (independent) state in the world is: MIGHT MAKES RIGHT UNTIL SOVEREIGN. Why do Liberal Assmonkeys expect Israel to be the only nation on this planet to have been formed where every one of the natives were happy?
3. Migration: Demographics change everywhere. Except, for some reason, they are not supposed to change in the Middle East, unless the change means getting rid of non Arabs/Muslims. Everywhere else:
Land is either owned and/or governed. That is it. That is how land works. Land is just dirt, plain and simple. Only 20% of the land controlled by Britain in 1947 was owned by Arabs, and only 3.3% by those who actually lived there. There is no such thing as Palestinian land, Muslim land, Arab land, Jewish land, Atheist land, Caucasian land, Christian land, etc. Jews migrating to the Palestine region were doing so mostly legally. And by 1947, an area that had a Jewish majority population was designated as the state that would have Jewish governance and in the future it would allow Jews who felt discriminated against anywhere on the planet a place of refuge.
BIG FRICKEN DEAL. Well, it was to the intolerant Arabs, and still is.
I'll ask the Liberal assmonkeys; why is it OK for Dearborn to become a Muslim majority city, but it was such a crime to humanity that certain areas of the Palestine region (which again was not sovereign) became mostly populated by Jews?
Read this before you answer.
4. Right of Return: First the obvious; most Palestinians alive today were not born within the sovereign portion of Israel. Here is my analogy:
If my grandfather had a mansion worth 1 million dollars in 1948, and he got upset because an Arab family moved in next door. His family members told him to go take a vacation for a week or two.
He decided to go to Vegas where he lost everything including his house.
And lets say my grandfather had to go rent somewhere else for the rest of his life.
Now the mansion is worth 50 million. Can I lay claim to the mansion?
Palestinian Arabs are the only people on this planet who claim to be genetic refugees.
One more fact for my Liberal Assmonkey friends. A very high percentage of Palestinian Arabs who left during the 1948 War of Independence were given the opportunity to come back, but refused because the Arab Mufti told them not to return. Read actual news clips here and here.
It was the neighboring Arab nations that began the 1948 war.
They didn't give a rats ass when it came to the indigenous Arabs. And they had no right to start a war in the Palestine region. It was not their business.
They were simply intolerant that a small chunk of land that had a Jewish majority in 1947 was to be partitioned off as a JEWISH GOVERNED state.
5. The West Bank and Gaza are up for grabs. Jordan gave up any rights they may have had to the West Bank in 1987. The lands in Gaza and the West Bank are NOT sovereign right now. They are still in the MIGHT WILL MAKE RIGHT category as far as land on this planet goes (Gaza, through lobbying and negotiation is now a Jew free zone). But Jewish settlers have every right to the land as Arabs do. At least to the land that is unowned. Why are Jews considered settlers there, but Arabs are not? In fact, Arabs are settlers in the West Bank too. Read this excellent analogy on the situation.
6. Claims of Apartheid: Israel does not have any obligation to give equal status to non citizens living on non sovereign lands. In Puerto Rico, the citizens there pay some taxes to the USA, but only those deemed Americans can vote in the US election.
The same was true in Hawaii until Hawaii became a state in 1959. Lets not forget that those living in Hawaii were not trying to blow up Americans, so the US treated them better than Israel treats the Palestinian assmonkeys.
7. Victimhood. The Palestinians may be victims, but they aren't victims of Israel.
They are victims Arab intolerance and the surrounding Arab countries. They are victims of their own leaders. Blaming Israel is ridiculous. IF THE PALESTINIANS/ARABS DROPPED THEIR WEAPONS THERE WOULD BE PEACE IN THE MIDDLE EAST.
Israel has been defending itself since it became a legal sovereign nation, yet Liberal assmonkeys buy into the lie that Israel is the aggressor. If you still believe this, go seek help.
Bonus: GAZACAM
Watch the Hamas brain trust in action:
Read the Sudanese Thinker's Thoughts on Zionism. Good stuff. He still doesn't get everything, but he is close.
January 7, 2007
January 5, 2007
Buzzing Around The Internet
A Canuckian professional writer and friend of mine just started his own blog: Keeping Up With The Blogses. Check it out. He seems to have an opinion about everything. I enjoy reading blogs from professional writers. For example, I frequently visit Rondi's blog: Begin Each Day As If It Were On Purpose. She is Canuckian too, and gets the war on terror, just like my friend does.
I went back to check out Advice From God. I admit it, that blogger is funnier than me.
And it takes a real man and a great man to admit this.
Laugh out loud humor is difficult when restricted to the written word. Speaking of laugh out loud humor, Professor Kurgman Phd., Phd., Phd. ranks right at the top. And his illegitimate daughter's site is very funny too: Kathy Blog. She doesn't post that much because she is in the middle of earning her Phd.'s.
Celebrity blogs are in these days. I especially like the one where you can leave comments and assume that the celebrity actually reads it. Mark Cuban, computer billionaire has a blog. Seems he doesn't like the Donald too much, and he took Rosie's side recently in their View war.
I am taking Rosie's side too. She is a comedian, and she didn't say anything that was untrue. Donald really cost himself large by calling her "ugly" and a "fat pig."
Way to alienate half of America, Donald. Expect the Apprentice ratings to plummet.
Good to see Julia Sweeney making rounds on TV talk shows. She is an ex-Catholic who let go of God. She is promoting her CD, Letting Go Of God. And she does have a blog, but I find the people there a bit pretentious.
Thanks to The Judge at Raving Atheists, I found a great site that has lots of old TV shows avaliable for free. Here is the site.
One of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes: To Serve Man
Jack's Shack found a site that has links to the 50 greatest cartoons ever made.
I have always loved this one:
And the Palestinians are still assmonkeys. Somethings never change. If you don't believe me, just read Elder Of Ziyon's blog anytime.
I'm picking the Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl.
Finally, some more proof of evolution:
I know that Kathy from Relapsed Catholic will dismiss it because it was probably done by someone who went to university.
I went back to check out Advice From God. I admit it, that blogger is funnier than me.
And it takes a real man and a great man to admit this.
Laugh out loud humor is difficult when restricted to the written word. Speaking of laugh out loud humor, Professor Kurgman Phd., Phd., Phd. ranks right at the top. And his illegitimate daughter's site is very funny too: Kathy Blog. She doesn't post that much because she is in the middle of earning her Phd.'s.
Celebrity blogs are in these days. I especially like the one where you can leave comments and assume that the celebrity actually reads it. Mark Cuban, computer billionaire has a blog. Seems he doesn't like the Donald too much, and he took Rosie's side recently in their View war.
I am taking Rosie's side too. She is a comedian, and she didn't say anything that was untrue. Donald really cost himself large by calling her "ugly" and a "fat pig."
Way to alienate half of America, Donald. Expect the Apprentice ratings to plummet.
Good to see Julia Sweeney making rounds on TV talk shows. She is an ex-Catholic who let go of God. She is promoting her CD, Letting Go Of God. And she does have a blog, but I find the people there a bit pretentious.
Thanks to The Judge at Raving Atheists, I found a great site that has lots of old TV shows avaliable for free. Here is the site.
One of my favorite Twilight Zone episodes: To Serve Man
Jack's Shack found a site that has links to the 50 greatest cartoons ever made.
I have always loved this one:
And the Palestinians are still assmonkeys. Somethings never change. If you don't believe me, just read Elder Of Ziyon's blog anytime.
I'm picking the Baltimore Ravens to win the Super Bowl.
Finally, some more proof of evolution:
I know that Kathy from Relapsed Catholic will dismiss it because it was probably done by someone who went to university.
January 2, 2007
THE INTERNET WILL BE THE DEATH OF YOUNG EARTH CREATIONISM
Religious Fundamentalists (those who believe the earth is young and evolution is crap) beware. The internet is your enemy. You may not have realized this before, or maybe you still haven't, but facts are not your friend either.
Do yourself a favor Fundies, and throw your computer away. Get your kids away from the computer too, or they may turn into Godless infidels. And guess who is most responsible for turning religious fence sitters into devout Agnostics? Who is responsible for those who went from not asking questions, to those who are all of a sudden curious about Fundamental beliefs they used to believe were gospel? It isn't Richard Dawkins and it isn't Sam Harris either. Fence sitters don't usually get to their wonderful material.
No, it is the Fundies who have the audacity to confront Atheists, scientists, Agnostics, etc. who are to blame.
Fundies have to understand that your religious spew and groundless faith only works when you have an audience of faithful listeners. When they go out of their realm, they are like a chicken walking into the mouth of a hungry crocodile. They don't have a chance.
The big problem is they want to debate things like evolution and the age of the earth with no facts behind you. Their answers may be impressive to fellow Fundies when there are nothing but Fundies around, but they get squashed by a bug when you deal with anyone who doesn't deny reality.
They are tiresome with the same old arguments. "Evolution is only a theory." As soon as I see this, I realize that the person stating it, has no real idea about evolution or science, and doesn't want to understand it either.
So why do Atheists like me bother with confrontational Fundies? The answer is simple: I do it for the lurkers.
I realize I will most likely not change the uneducated opinion of a Fundy by supporting my arguments with up to date links from real science sites (they don't bother clicking the links usually). I am going to change the opinion of the odd lurker, though.
When a Fundy says there is no proof for evolution, and I respond with 10 links, I know that in many cases, I will make a difference with some lurkers. Facts are facts. Fundies arguing that the earth is young for example, might as well state the earth is made of chocolate. They inevitably make themselves look like baseless fools.
It is apparent, they have nothing but faith. Yet they want to pretend that they have science behind them. They constantly move the goal posts during "debates" too by avoiding questions, and changing their assertions. I remember one "debate" recently where the Fundy went from stating that God is easily provable, to God is easily provable on a spiritual level (WTF?), when I asked for the easy proof.
Youtube is also making a difference too. There is a phenomenal amount of creative people out there who, in an intelligent manner, mock the ridiculous claims made by Fundamentalists.
Todays children have too many facts in front of them. And even if they had no intention of asking questions, they are seeing the real replies to the silly denials and ludicrous assertions that Fundies are spewing.
I can see Fundamental Christians looking for a way to ban a tremendous amount of the internet from their households....Saudi Arabia does this.
I find that Fundies don't like it when I state the following in a "debate":
1. There is no contemporary historical evidence Jesus ever existed. (Josephus was not contemporary) Can I have your best piece of evidence?
2. There is no historical evidence the Exodus happened. Forget the Hyksos, I'm talking about what the OT states.
3. Find me one scientific study that refutes or contradicts evolution. If evolution were false, there would be many, but you can't find one piece for me.
4. There is no evidence that there was a worldwide Great Flood. Local floods, yes, but not a worldwide one. Oh yeah, the idea of the Ark story is embarrassing to believe.
5. If the earth was young, why can't a Fundy scientist come up with a way to prove it?
The best a Fundy can do is try to poke holes in evolution theory. And that is when it gets good, because that is when the links come out and the lurkers get a free education:)
And when overwhelmed by evidence the young earth creationist will finally concede that any contradiction between science and the literal word of the bible can easily be explained. From a recent discussion on a Fundy blog:
“Kerwin, if you believe in a trickster God, I can’t argue with you. “ The Atheist Jew
If this below passage describes a trickster God then I do believe in a trickster God.
Deuteronomy 13(NIV)
“1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
Comment by Kerwin — thep31e12beFri, 29 Dec 2006 03:07:15
Yep, the word of God clearly states that he throws curve balls, like dinosaur bones and an earth that appears, to every reputable geologist on this planet, to be 4.5 billion years old, just to test ones faith in HIM.
If you believe scientists, you don't love God as much as you should.
So basically all the evidence in the world means nothing to a devout Fundy.
Fundies will believe that woman came from Adam's rib (with zero evidence such a thing could happen outside the bible), but can't buy into evolution (with the mounds and mounds of evidence that evolution happens).
Fundies so far have avoided major debates with large audiences. I think the big Fundy guns realize they have nothing. I'd love to see Ann Coulter in an honest debate about evolution with Richard Dawkins.
Unfortunately, it will never happen. Dawkins would make her look like a monkey.
Oh, I found another very funny site, especially if you want first hand Advice From God.
Do yourself a favor Fundies, and throw your computer away. Get your kids away from the computer too, or they may turn into Godless infidels. And guess who is most responsible for turning religious fence sitters into devout Agnostics? Who is responsible for those who went from not asking questions, to those who are all of a sudden curious about Fundamental beliefs they used to believe were gospel? It isn't Richard Dawkins and it isn't Sam Harris either. Fence sitters don't usually get to their wonderful material.
No, it is the Fundies who have the audacity to confront Atheists, scientists, Agnostics, etc. who are to blame.
Fundies have to understand that your religious spew and groundless faith only works when you have an audience of faithful listeners. When they go out of their realm, they are like a chicken walking into the mouth of a hungry crocodile. They don't have a chance.
The big problem is they want to debate things like evolution and the age of the earth with no facts behind you. Their answers may be impressive to fellow Fundies when there are nothing but Fundies around, but they get squashed by a bug when you deal with anyone who doesn't deny reality.
They are tiresome with the same old arguments. "Evolution is only a theory." As soon as I see this, I realize that the person stating it, has no real idea about evolution or science, and doesn't want to understand it either.
So why do Atheists like me bother with confrontational Fundies? The answer is simple: I do it for the lurkers.
I realize I will most likely not change the uneducated opinion of a Fundy by supporting my arguments with up to date links from real science sites (they don't bother clicking the links usually). I am going to change the opinion of the odd lurker, though.
When a Fundy says there is no proof for evolution, and I respond with 10 links, I know that in many cases, I will make a difference with some lurkers. Facts are facts. Fundies arguing that the earth is young for example, might as well state the earth is made of chocolate. They inevitably make themselves look like baseless fools.
It is apparent, they have nothing but faith. Yet they want to pretend that they have science behind them. They constantly move the goal posts during "debates" too by avoiding questions, and changing their assertions. I remember one "debate" recently where the Fundy went from stating that God is easily provable, to God is easily provable on a spiritual level (WTF?), when I asked for the easy proof.
Youtube is also making a difference too. There is a phenomenal amount of creative people out there who, in an intelligent manner, mock the ridiculous claims made by Fundamentalists.
Todays children have too many facts in front of them. And even if they had no intention of asking questions, they are seeing the real replies to the silly denials and ludicrous assertions that Fundies are spewing.
I can see Fundamental Christians looking for a way to ban a tremendous amount of the internet from their households....Saudi Arabia does this.
I find that Fundies don't like it when I state the following in a "debate":
1. There is no contemporary historical evidence Jesus ever existed. (Josephus was not contemporary) Can I have your best piece of evidence?
2. There is no historical evidence the Exodus happened. Forget the Hyksos, I'm talking about what the OT states.
3. Find me one scientific study that refutes or contradicts evolution. If evolution were false, there would be many, but you can't find one piece for me.
4. There is no evidence that there was a worldwide Great Flood. Local floods, yes, but not a worldwide one. Oh yeah, the idea of the Ark story is embarrassing to believe.
5. If the earth was young, why can't a Fundy scientist come up with a way to prove it?
The best a Fundy can do is try to poke holes in evolution theory. And that is when it gets good, because that is when the links come out and the lurkers get a free education:)
And when overwhelmed by evidence the young earth creationist will finally concede that any contradiction between science and the literal word of the bible can easily be explained. From a recent discussion on a Fundy blog:
“Kerwin, if you believe in a trickster God, I can’t argue with you. “ The Atheist Jew
If this below passage describes a trickster God then I do believe in a trickster God.
Deuteronomy 13(NIV)
“1 If a prophet, or one who foretells by dreams, appears among you and announces to you a miraculous sign or wonder, 2 and if the sign or wonder of which he has spoken takes place, and he says, “Let us follow other gods” (gods you have not known) “and let us worship them,” 3 you must not listen to the words of that prophet or dreamer. The LORD your God is testing you to find out whether you love him with all your heart and with all your soul. 4 It is the LORD your God you must follow, and him you must revere. Keep his commands and obey him; serve him and hold fast to him.”
Comment by Kerwin — thep31e12beFri, 29 Dec 2006 03:07:15
Yep, the word of God clearly states that he throws curve balls, like dinosaur bones and an earth that appears, to every reputable geologist on this planet, to be 4.5 billion years old, just to test ones faith in HIM.
If you believe scientists, you don't love God as much as you should.
So basically all the evidence in the world means nothing to a devout Fundy.
Fundies will believe that woman came from Adam's rib (with zero evidence such a thing could happen outside the bible), but can't buy into evolution (with the mounds and mounds of evidence that evolution happens).
Fundies so far have avoided major debates with large audiences. I think the big Fundy guns realize they have nothing. I'd love to see Ann Coulter in an honest debate about evolution with Richard Dawkins.
Unfortunately, it will never happen. Dawkins would make her look like a monkey.
Oh, I found another very funny site, especially if you want first hand Advice From God.
December 31, 2006
Americans Are Great Except Too Many Deny Reality
I really like Americans, I always have. I love NFL football, the TV shows, the music (well up to around the mid 80's), their patriotism, and a lot more. But for the life of me, I don't understand how such a well educated country can be so out to lunch when it comes to accepting evolution and an ancient earth.
The USA ranks 33 out of 34 Western countries when it comes to acceptance of evolution.
Turkey (the only majority Muslim country in the survey), ranked 34th. Canada was not included in the survey. Iceland was ranked first followed by Denmark, Sweden, France, Japan and the UK, as far as acceptance of evolution is concerned. I have to think Canada ranks around where the UK ranks.
Now for some good news. Well sort of. This shouldn't have been an issue in the first place:
December 20, 2006
Cobb County, Georgia gets unstuck
Cobb County, the affluent suburb of Atlanta that made news by plastering "warning stickers" on textbooks telling students that evolution is "a theory, not a fact" has abandoned its legal battle to keep the stickers. It's a small victory for common sense and rational thinking.
In a settlement announced Tuesday in federal court, the Cobb County Board of Education agreed never to use any similar "stickers, labels, stamps, inscriptions or other warnings," or to undermine the teaching of evolution in science classes.
MORE here and some MORE here.
It is mind numbing that this sticker was even placed in science texts:
The Cobb county debate was a highlight of Penn and Teller's Creationism is Nonsense show. At the time it was filmed, the creationists had won the right to put those retarded sticker on the science books. This is fun to watch again. It shows how little creationists know about science and how much they'll evade or chastize science that doesn't agree with the written "word of God"(the biggest scam perpetuated on mankind):
"Prayer has no place in the public schools, just like facts have no place in organized religion." - Superintendent Chalmers
Now for some absolute MIND NUMBING NEWS (H/T Louie from Everything Is Pointless):
How Old is the Grand Canyon? Park Service Won't Say
Orders to Cater to Creationists Makes National Park Agnostic on Geology
By: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Published: Dec 28, 2006 at 08:34
Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood rather than by geologic forces, more than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on sale at the park, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
"In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Service is under orders to suspend its belief in geology," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is �no comment.'"
MORE and some MORE about the background here.
This has to be embarrassing for the majority of Americans. At least I hope so.
What is next? Will NASA not be allowed to publicly state how old the universe is? Will they have to state light years in ranges between 6,000 and hundreds of millions(for example), every time they refer to a measurement?
Here is some satire on the Grand Canyon story.
And watch how Dr. Dino (Ken Hovind) deals with the issue in front of the mindless sheep in his audience:
Finally, real science, for those interested in the "debate" about the age of the Grand Canyon.
The USA ranks 33 out of 34 Western countries when it comes to acceptance of evolution.
Turkey (the only majority Muslim country in the survey), ranked 34th. Canada was not included in the survey. Iceland was ranked first followed by Denmark, Sweden, France, Japan and the UK, as far as acceptance of evolution is concerned. I have to think Canada ranks around where the UK ranks.
Now for some good news. Well sort of. This shouldn't have been an issue in the first place:
December 20, 2006
Cobb County, Georgia gets unstuck
Cobb County, the affluent suburb of Atlanta that made news by plastering "warning stickers" on textbooks telling students that evolution is "a theory, not a fact" has abandoned its legal battle to keep the stickers. It's a small victory for common sense and rational thinking.
In a settlement announced Tuesday in federal court, the Cobb County Board of Education agreed never to use any similar "stickers, labels, stamps, inscriptions or other warnings," or to undermine the teaching of evolution in science classes.
MORE here and some MORE here.
It is mind numbing that this sticker was even placed in science texts:
The Cobb county debate was a highlight of Penn and Teller's Creationism is Nonsense show. At the time it was filmed, the creationists had won the right to put those retarded sticker on the science books. This is fun to watch again. It shows how little creationists know about science and how much they'll evade or chastize science that doesn't agree with the written "word of God"(the biggest scam perpetuated on mankind):
"Prayer has no place in the public schools, just like facts have no place in organized religion." - Superintendent Chalmers
Now for some absolute MIND NUMBING NEWS (H/T Louie from Everything Is Pointless):
How Old is the Grand Canyon? Park Service Won't Say
Orders to Cater to Creationists Makes National Park Agnostic on Geology
By: Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER)
Published: Dec 28, 2006 at 08:34
Grand Canyon National Park is not permitted to give an official estimate of the geologic age of its principal feature, due to pressure from Bush administration appointees. Despite promising a prompt review of its approval for a book claiming the Grand Canyon was created by Noah's flood rather than by geologic forces, more than three years later no review has ever been done and the book remains on sale at the park, according to documents released today by Public Employees for Environmental Responsibility (PEER).
"In order to avoid offending religious fundamentalists, our National Park Service is under orders to suspend its belief in geology," stated PEER Executive Director Jeff Ruch. "It is disconcerting that the official position of a national park as to the geologic age of the Grand Canyon is �no comment.'"
MORE and some MORE about the background here.
This has to be embarrassing for the majority of Americans. At least I hope so.
What is next? Will NASA not be allowed to publicly state how old the universe is? Will they have to state light years in ranges between 6,000 and hundreds of millions(for example), every time they refer to a measurement?
Here is some satire on the Grand Canyon story.
And watch how Dr. Dino (Ken Hovind) deals with the issue in front of the mindless sheep in his audience:
Finally, real science, for those interested in the "debate" about the age of the Grand Canyon.
December 28, 2006
Back To Morality
A couple of posts ago I did a piece on morality that got pretty good response.
I gave readers a rating system and a series of 11 questions that pretty much popped into my head over a 20 minute period. I'm not trying to pretend I'm a philosopher or an expert on morality.
Two things. It was not an empirical study; it was a casual quiz. I was not collecting data, merely openly comparing results. Secondly, the purpose of the quiz was to prove that everyone has a different concept of what the DEFINITION of morality is. I wanted to illustrate that the DEFINITION of morality is SUBJECTIVE, not that morality is subjective....this is a different idea. My point is that unless we can make the DEFINITION of morality OBJECTIVE we cannot even attempt to answer whether morality in itself is objective or subjective.
I hope that isn't confusing.
Speaking about confusing, I think I sort of confused a few people like The Ethicist Atheist (he is really the Atheist Ethicist, but he calls me the Jewish Atheist, so this is my revenge). He wrote a blog entry ripping me to shreds I think, and I think he was implying I'm stupid or something like that, but I can't really tell because I can tell by his writing that he is smarter than me, and by the fact that I find a lot of what he writes hard to comprehend and follow. I believe he was confused about what I was trying to prove (once more, that the definition of morality is subjective). He wrote a further piece that gives me the impression that he finally got what I was trying to say. I did leave a few comments on his blog. And even though I was tempted, I didn't whip out the thesaurus to sound smarter.
I started a thread about the definition of morality being subjective over at Raving Atheists. Feel free to read it. It does get off topic and bizarre at one point.
If you are still here, now for the fun part. I would like to see your definition of morality. Try to make it as broad or concise as you feel you need to make it, and post it in my comments.
To help everyone along, I'll give you my refined definition:
The parameters in my definition are that any act that anyone on this planet deems to be a moral or immoral act is one that I have to address as either moral or immoral to at least some degree.
That being said, to me, a moral act is an act that is not immoral. And an immoral act is an act as an act that causes the individual committing the act any degree of guilt and/or an act that was done maliciously or selfishly or unlawfully that causes any degree of hurt or grief onto another living being.
Oh and the guilt can't be caused by failure of motor skills (a dropped ball in a football game) or the guilt caused by failing to do a job properly when the intent was to be successful and not to screw up.
Now, your idea of of what morality might be what you think God or Jesus or Allah thinks you should do in any given situation, or it could be simply not breaking the laws of the state, or it might be a combination. It could also have to do with what is evolutionary beneficial.
Besides giving an exact definition of morality, you can also mention where you think morality comes from. To me, I think it is mostly innate and evolutionary in origin, and partially based on societal laws (that are really offshoots of what is innate).
Oh and the point of this. Unless someone defines morality, they have no business making statements like "Atheists have no morals," or "Atheists have no real basis or guidelines for morality."
I gave readers a rating system and a series of 11 questions that pretty much popped into my head over a 20 minute period. I'm not trying to pretend I'm a philosopher or an expert on morality.
Two things. It was not an empirical study; it was a casual quiz. I was not collecting data, merely openly comparing results. Secondly, the purpose of the quiz was to prove that everyone has a different concept of what the DEFINITION of morality is. I wanted to illustrate that the DEFINITION of morality is SUBJECTIVE, not that morality is subjective....this is a different idea. My point is that unless we can make the DEFINITION of morality OBJECTIVE we cannot even attempt to answer whether morality in itself is objective or subjective.
I hope that isn't confusing.
Speaking about confusing, I think I sort of confused a few people like The Ethicist Atheist (he is really the Atheist Ethicist, but he calls me the Jewish Atheist, so this is my revenge). He wrote a blog entry ripping me to shreds I think, and I think he was implying I'm stupid or something like that, but I can't really tell because I can tell by his writing that he is smarter than me, and by the fact that I find a lot of what he writes hard to comprehend and follow. I believe he was confused about what I was trying to prove (once more, that the definition of morality is subjective). He wrote a further piece that gives me the impression that he finally got what I was trying to say. I did leave a few comments on his blog. And even though I was tempted, I didn't whip out the thesaurus to sound smarter.
I started a thread about the definition of morality being subjective over at Raving Atheists. Feel free to read it. It does get off topic and bizarre at one point.
If you are still here, now for the fun part. I would like to see your definition of morality. Try to make it as broad or concise as you feel you need to make it, and post it in my comments.
To help everyone along, I'll give you my refined definition:
The parameters in my definition are that any act that anyone on this planet deems to be a moral or immoral act is one that I have to address as either moral or immoral to at least some degree.
That being said, to me, a moral act is an act that is not immoral. And an immoral act is an act as an act that causes the individual committing the act any degree of guilt and/or an act that was done maliciously or selfishly or unlawfully that causes any degree of hurt or grief onto another living being.
Oh and the guilt can't be caused by failure of motor skills (a dropped ball in a football game) or the guilt caused by failing to do a job properly when the intent was to be successful and not to screw up.
Now, your idea of of what morality might be what you think God or Jesus or Allah thinks you should do in any given situation, or it could be simply not breaking the laws of the state, or it might be a combination. It could also have to do with what is evolutionary beneficial.
Besides giving an exact definition of morality, you can also mention where you think morality comes from. To me, I think it is mostly innate and evolutionary in origin, and partially based on societal laws (that are really offshoots of what is innate).
Oh and the point of this. Unless someone defines morality, they have no business making statements like "Atheists have no morals," or "Atheists have no real basis or guidelines for morality."
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)