I've noticed a big trend on Youtube: When an atheist video comes out, the video is usually highly rated and has many views, but when a creationist bs video comes out, it get a very low rating and usually a lot less views, unless it is ridiculously funny as well as just ridiculous.
Here is an example of what I'm talkin bout. Pat Condell, the British comedian, has been gaining a large following. His latest video, "God Bless Atheism" was released on August 3rd and now (as of 7 am EST on Aug 5th) has received close to 20,000 views and almost 1500 ratings, mostly 5 out of 5's:
H/T God Is For Suckers
He is funny and charming and very likable overall, but 20,000 views in two days? Either Youtube has become taken over by us atheists, or there are a lot more atheists in the world and especially the USA than what the surveys have to offer.
Theory one is plausible, since it is a well known fact that many Jews and gays took off to Hollywood to both escape persecution and be with their own kind almost since the birth of Hollywood. It was a place that didn't judge a Jew or gay for being a Jew or gay, as long as the Jews changed their names and gays didn't come out in the media. So it makes sense that atheists have congregated to Youtube, though we are often judged by the theist minority there.
Theory two is also plausible. I think there a lot more people who have figured out that there is no evidence of God and that it is highly probable that God does not exist (the true definition of an atheist). There is still a stigma attached to admitting to someone doing a poll that one is an atheist. Though the stigma is starting to disappear thanks to the likes of Dawkins, Harris, and Hitchens, oh and YOUTUBE.
Check out Youtube Atheists.
August 5, 2007
July 31, 2007
THE ORIGIN OF LIFE MADE EASY
This is Abiogenesis For Dummies. In other words, even I understand it. What a great job Aussie James Hadfield aka Potholer54 did on this video. As Calpurnpiso, from the Raving Atheist Message Board mentioned in a video reply, 'this video should be seen in every church, synagogue and mosque just before they do the services.' Watch this video, it is fantastic:
OK, the one thing theists have been using lately is the "how did the universe start?, and how matter got started." This is not addressed in the above video, because it is a different "matter" altogether. Sorry for the pun...no I'm not.
Potholer54 only has done one other video, and it too is well done. Here, he explains how intelligent design is just plain ridiculous. It is called "God and DNA Made Easy":
Oh, and if you are curious about the big A on my sidebar, Pharyngula explains what it means.
OK, the one thing theists have been using lately is the "how did the universe start?, and how matter got started." This is not addressed in the above video, because it is a different "matter" altogether. Sorry for the pun...no I'm not.
Potholer54 only has done one other video, and it too is well done. Here, he explains how intelligent design is just plain ridiculous. It is called "God and DNA Made Easy":
Oh, and if you are curious about the big A on my sidebar, Pharyngula explains what it means.
July 30, 2007
Michael Vick Is Not An Atheist
Michael Vick was on the radio today. He said this: "I just want to thank all my fans and all my support and all the people that are praying for Mike Vick and are in my corner right now. It's a crisis situation for me, but I'm going to get through it and I feel, by the grace of God, that's the only way. I believe in the outcome at the end, and that's why I put my faith in the man upstairs. It pains me not be down there right now because I know so many people want to see me and I want to be there."
Believers think they can commit a horrendous crime and then plead to God for support and forgiveness (though Michael Vick is pulling an OJ right now by saying he is innocent).
I can't see too many atheists getting involved in this dog killing crap. It is definitely a theist sport. Atheists tend to value lives more than theists because we know this is it. And it is it for all the dumb animals on this planet, including Michael Vick.
Austin Cline on Michael Vick and Theology
Small Rant
I can't believe my url is blocked by DIGG. I'm guessing this had to do with my posts about that scumwad Joseph Cohen, the imbecile who converted from Judaism to Islam and now laughs at Daniel Pearl's death. I'm pretty sure he and his buddies flagged me to death.
I've written 3 emails and sent them to DIGG asking them to lift the ban and to investigate the flaggings. So far I've received no response.
Rickey Continues To Cyber Stalk Me
Rickey is the only reason I moderate comments. He has caused many of my frequent visitors to enable their blog moderation too. He is definitely mentally unstable. Right now, he comments on my posts via Netscape or Redit. He actually submits my blog posts but gives them idiotic titles if I don't submit them first. Here is his IP info:
Visitor 9-pool1.ras01.sfo01.dial.cogentco.com IP Address 206.148.32.9
Date 30 Jul, Mon, 19:20:15 Net Speed Dial-Up
Organization AGIS Browser MSIE 7
Continent North America Operating System Windows XP
Country United States Screen Resolution 800x600
State / Region California Screen Color 32 Bit (16.7M)
City Birds Landing Javascript Enabled
*******************************
Note: He uses different IPs but they all start with following: 206.148.32.
Believers think they can commit a horrendous crime and then plead to God for support and forgiveness (though Michael Vick is pulling an OJ right now by saying he is innocent).
I can't see too many atheists getting involved in this dog killing crap. It is definitely a theist sport. Atheists tend to value lives more than theists because we know this is it. And it is it for all the dumb animals on this planet, including Michael Vick.
Austin Cline on Michael Vick and Theology
Small Rant
I can't believe my url is blocked by DIGG. I'm guessing this had to do with my posts about that scumwad Joseph Cohen, the imbecile who converted from Judaism to Islam and now laughs at Daniel Pearl's death. I'm pretty sure he and his buddies flagged me to death.
I've written 3 emails and sent them to DIGG asking them to lift the ban and to investigate the flaggings. So far I've received no response.
Rickey Continues To Cyber Stalk Me
Rickey is the only reason I moderate comments. He has caused many of my frequent visitors to enable their blog moderation too. He is definitely mentally unstable. Right now, he comments on my posts via Netscape or Redit. He actually submits my blog posts but gives them idiotic titles if I don't submit them first. Here is his IP info:
Visitor 9-pool1.ras01.sfo01.dial.cogentco.com IP Address 206.148.32.9
Date 30 Jul, Mon, 19:20:15 Net Speed Dial-Up
Organization AGIS Browser MSIE 7
Continent North America Operating System Windows XP
Country United States Screen Resolution 800x600
State / Region California Screen Color 32 Bit (16.7M)
City Birds Landing Javascript Enabled
*******************************
Note: He uses different IPs but they all start with following: 206.148.32.
July 29, 2007
The Mentality Of The Palestinians Is Enough To Make Me Want To Vomit
I have a different audience than the Elder of Ziyon, so I'm sure he doesn't mind me venting on the same subject that he recently did in his post, Gazans happy three girls are dead.
Here is what happened (I'll mostly quote the article in Newsweek by Kevin Peraino, Inside Gaza Where Murder Is Easy):
A gravedigger, Yehia Abu Moghaseb, noticed that men were dumping three large bundles in black plastic bags late at night in freshly dug pits.
Three days later the gravedigger was interviewed:
The murders had been an honor killing, he explained; he says he was later told that the victims were orphans and had been working as prostitutes. A devout Muslim, Abu Moghaseb said that he has mixed feelings about the practice of honor killing and seemed to be working through his rationale while we talked. "If a woman works as a prostitute, she must be killed," he reasoned. "It will spread diseases." Still, he went on, "Our religion says not to kill," and then after another moment: "But our tradition says to kill." As we baked in the midday Gaza sun, he eventually gave up on the tortured logic. "You don't kill a girl," he told me finally, looking a little disgusted, before walking back up the hill toward his house.
WTF, how can he differentiate religion from culture in this way? It is all religion, even the traditional part. The same Koran obviously sends out mixed messages, but the end result is a culture of death, and of course, constant spinning.
A suspect was caught. He was a cousin to the sisters. Yes, he was an individual, so I won't go ragging on the Palestinian YET:
....the Executive Force had swiftly arrested a suspect in the Juha case, a cousin of the victims, and that he was currently under interrogation. Shehwan (Hamas spokesman for the Executive Force) explained that he had met with the alleged killer yesterday and claimed that the man had confessed. "He was very calm," the official told me. "He was proud of it." Still, Shehwan didn't seem particularly sympathetic to the murdered sisters. "They were prostitutes," Shehwan told me matter-of-factly. "We are good investigators. We have big files for them. We have many stories. One was taking drugs. They were caught having sexual relationships many times—more than five times." (Sharia requires four firsthand witnesses to convict a woman of prostitution; family law in Gaza is strongly influenced by Sharia, even before the Hamas takeover.)
Now for the sickening part. The reaction by the Palestinians collectively:
Quoting Palestinian attorney general, Ahmed al-Moghani, "Look, we have information from intelligence sources that they have been committing sins," the attorney general explained. He told me that he had taken a personal interest in the case, and ordered "forensic work" to be done on the bodies. "After the work was done, it was determined that they were not virgins," he continued. "We could detect that there were recent sexual relationships." He lifted his hands and cocked his head, as if to say: case closed. "Of course, this is not a pretext to kill them," he added. "Nobody is allowed to take the law into his own hands." The attorney general sounded very much like he was trying to convince himself.
This is a case of hardwired human morality, that is usually followed in the West, versus a culture that is taught hate from day one, and taught standards that are repulsive to anyone with an ounce of empathy and compassion.
A neighbour of the slain girls was no different in his reaction:
A neighbor who identified himself as Abu Ahmad said that the three had lived alone; their father had died years before of a heart attack, an older brother had been killed as an Israeli collaborator in the 1990s, and their mother had also been murdered. "They used to talk to boys in the street," the neighbor recalled. "They used to go without a headscarf. Now we're rid of them." Relatives I visited were no more helpful or sympathetic. Not a single family member was willing to talk about the girls. Mahmoud Juha, the family mukhtar—the head of the clan—explained that he would have nothing to say about the young women or their murders. When we stopped by his home, he told my translator firmly: "I advise you not to talk to anyone else."
Human beings know what is right and wrong generally. Many Palestinians may be too brainwashed though, and have voided themselves of this human trait, just like the Phelps family in the US have.
To Yehia Abu Moghaseb, that attitude is part of the problem. The crime should be publicized and the killers punished, the gravedigger told me, as we stood in the sun at the cemetery near where the bodies had been dumped. "We can't be silent," he went on, his voice rising slightly. "We can't cover it up." Then he was quiet. I thought of what he had told me earlier, with the simple, sound judgment of a man who has seen more than his share of bodies covered with earth: "You don't kill a girl." In the absence of law, at least there is someone in Gaza with a little common sense.
A couple of real good posts I want to bring to the attention of my reader here.
Oleh Michael asks Some Questions About Gaza
, where he illustrates that Gaza land has many possibilities when it comes for growth potential. The location and the fertility of the land is prime. But what can expect from a culture that in bent on revenge on honour killings?
Also of interest is a post by Beaman called Why I Strongly Support Israel. Beaman's profile on Technorati states: A 20-something Englishman. Writer, artist, poet and slob. Likes fine food, wine, chocolate and German beer. Formula One and cat fanatic. Philosophical and political.
He left out atheist, which he is as well. Oh, and he makes it clear that he is not a Jew.
He makes a point in his post that many in England are misinformed about the I/P conflict, mainly because Muslims outnumber Jews, and the Brits tend to get one side of the story....the wrong side. Many secularists, as I've stated previously have a warped understanding of victimhood. They feel that those with the less resources and less wealth, and whoare in the most dire straights must be the collective victims. Beaman points out that this line of thinking is not necessarily true all the time, and especially in the case of the Palestinians.
Here is what happened (I'll mostly quote the article in Newsweek by Kevin Peraino, Inside Gaza Where Murder Is Easy):
A gravedigger, Yehia Abu Moghaseb, noticed that men were dumping three large bundles in black plastic bags late at night in freshly dug pits.
Abu Moghaseb asked a neighbor to call the Hamas-controlled "Executive Force," a network of troops composed mostly of former militants from the group's Izzedine al-Qassam militia. When the Hamas men arrived, wearing their trademark black uniforms and cradling Kalashnikovs, Abu Moghaseb helped them uncover the graves. A doctor tore open the black body bags. Inside, the gravedigger saw three young women, two of them still in their teens. "They were beautiful," he said later. "Except for the blood." Two of the girls had been stabbed repeatedly in the chest; the third had her throat cut.
Three days later the gravedigger was interviewed:
The murders had been an honor killing, he explained; he says he was later told that the victims were orphans and had been working as prostitutes. A devout Muslim, Abu Moghaseb said that he has mixed feelings about the practice of honor killing and seemed to be working through his rationale while we talked. "If a woman works as a prostitute, she must be killed," he reasoned. "It will spread diseases." Still, he went on, "Our religion says not to kill," and then after another moment: "But our tradition says to kill." As we baked in the midday Gaza sun, he eventually gave up on the tortured logic. "You don't kill a girl," he told me finally, looking a little disgusted, before walking back up the hill toward his house.
WTF, how can he differentiate religion from culture in this way? It is all religion, even the traditional part. The same Koran obviously sends out mixed messages, but the end result is a culture of death, and of course, constant spinning.
A suspect was caught. He was a cousin to the sisters. Yes, he was an individual, so I won't go ragging on the Palestinian YET:
....the Executive Force had swiftly arrested a suspect in the Juha case, a cousin of the victims, and that he was currently under interrogation. Shehwan (Hamas spokesman for the Executive Force) explained that he had met with the alleged killer yesterday and claimed that the man had confessed. "He was very calm," the official told me. "He was proud of it." Still, Shehwan didn't seem particularly sympathetic to the murdered sisters. "They were prostitutes," Shehwan told me matter-of-factly. "We are good investigators. We have big files for them. We have many stories. One was taking drugs. They were caught having sexual relationships many times—more than five times." (Sharia requires four firsthand witnesses to convict a woman of prostitution; family law in Gaza is strongly influenced by Sharia, even before the Hamas takeover.)
Now for the sickening part. The reaction by the Palestinians collectively:
Quoting Palestinian attorney general, Ahmed al-Moghani, "Look, we have information from intelligence sources that they have been committing sins," the attorney general explained. He told me that he had taken a personal interest in the case, and ordered "forensic work" to be done on the bodies. "After the work was done, it was determined that they were not virgins," he continued. "We could detect that there were recent sexual relationships." He lifted his hands and cocked his head, as if to say: case closed. "Of course, this is not a pretext to kill them," he added. "Nobody is allowed to take the law into his own hands." The attorney general sounded very much like he was trying to convince himself.
This is a case of hardwired human morality, that is usually followed in the West, versus a culture that is taught hate from day one, and taught standards that are repulsive to anyone with an ounce of empathy and compassion.
A neighbour of the slain girls was no different in his reaction:
A neighbor who identified himself as Abu Ahmad said that the three had lived alone; their father had died years before of a heart attack, an older brother had been killed as an Israeli collaborator in the 1990s, and their mother had also been murdered. "They used to talk to boys in the street," the neighbor recalled. "They used to go without a headscarf. Now we're rid of them." Relatives I visited were no more helpful or sympathetic. Not a single family member was willing to talk about the girls. Mahmoud Juha, the family mukhtar—the head of the clan—explained that he would have nothing to say about the young women or their murders. When we stopped by his home, he told my translator firmly: "I advise you not to talk to anyone else."
Human beings know what is right and wrong generally. Many Palestinians may be too brainwashed though, and have voided themselves of this human trait, just like the Phelps family in the US have.
To Yehia Abu Moghaseb, that attitude is part of the problem. The crime should be publicized and the killers punished, the gravedigger told me, as we stood in the sun at the cemetery near where the bodies had been dumped. "We can't be silent," he went on, his voice rising slightly. "We can't cover it up." Then he was quiet. I thought of what he had told me earlier, with the simple, sound judgment of a man who has seen more than his share of bodies covered with earth: "You don't kill a girl." In the absence of law, at least there is someone in Gaza with a little common sense.
A couple of real good posts I want to bring to the attention of my reader here.
Oleh Michael asks Some Questions About Gaza
, where he illustrates that Gaza land has many possibilities when it comes for growth potential. The location and the fertility of the land is prime. But what can expect from a culture that in bent on revenge on honour killings?
Also of interest is a post by Beaman called Why I Strongly Support Israel. Beaman's profile on Technorati states: A 20-something Englishman. Writer, artist, poet and slob. Likes fine food, wine, chocolate and German beer. Formula One and cat fanatic. Philosophical and political.
He left out atheist, which he is as well. Oh, and he makes it clear that he is not a Jew.
He makes a point in his post that many in England are misinformed about the I/P conflict, mainly because Muslims outnumber Jews, and the Brits tend to get one side of the story....the wrong side. Many secularists, as I've stated previously have a warped understanding of victimhood. They feel that those with the less resources and less wealth, and whoare in the most dire straights must be the collective victims. Beaman points out that this line of thinking is not necessarily true all the time, and especially in the case of the Palestinians.
July 26, 2007
FAQ's To Atheists: Replying To The Friendly Atheist
The Friendly Atheist has asked atheists to reply to a few questions that are often asked by theists of atheists. He also asked for simple and short answers. So here goes:
* Why do you not believe in God?
There is absolutely no evidence that any God exists or has ever existed.
* Where do your morals come from?
"Morality" is about 90% genetic (it is hardwired in us) and 10% nurture (cultural values that are taught to us).
* What is the meaning of life?
The meaning of life is purely subjective and differs from one person to the next. We make life meaningful as per our priorities, and they change over time as well.
* Is atheism a religion?
Atheism simply means not believing in God. There are no rules, philosophies, or places not to worship attached with being an atheist.
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Reflect mostly.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
When separation of church and state is involved or religious bigotry becomes an issue, I think it is my duty to let people know that there is no evidence of God.
Note: This currently gives my life meaning.
I can't disprove God, but my message is stop acting like an idiot because there is no evidence God exists.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
First off, Hitler was a theist or at least a deist. No atrocities were committed on the basis that God doesn't exist. Pol Pot and Stalin had political beliefs strongly influenced by the cultures they lived in, not by atheism. With over 650 million atheists in the world today, there is bound to be a couple of bad apples.
Other than Stalin and Pol Pot, almost every other major atrocities that have been committed in recorded history, had believers behind them.
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
I think we are hardwired to accept the supernatural as an explanation for things that we can't understand or don't want to understand. It kept our ancestors from going crazy since they were without many scientific explanations.
* Why does the universe exist?
There is no purpose in nature. But there is a scientific explanation as to why it exists, we just don't have all the answers yet. We will in the near future.
* How did life originate?
Again, we don't know for sure, but it was most likely a chemical reaction in a very hostile environment that produced the first one celled life form.
* Is all religion harmful?
Not always. Only when a religious person hurts or hinders someone (and that someone could also be religious too) because of their own beliefs. By hurt, I mean physically or emotionally. Like shunning gays. Hindering someone would be trying to force someone else from learning real science, or imposing non science in science classes.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
There is usually a form of bigotry that has its root in religion that comes out of even religious moderates.
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
It might keep the odd nutball from murdering people, because religious people often say that without belief in God, nothing would hold them back from doing ugly things.
Also, many humanitarian reliefs are associated with religious organizations.
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
I'd love to ask him or her why he or she didn't put any evidence of his or her existence here.
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
No. Those who deny reality (evolution and an ancient earth) should be mocked because it is those types of beliefs that are the root of all religious bigotry.
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
In general, I would say yes. 65% of Americans who dropped out of high school believe in Young Earth Creationism versus 25% of Americans who graduated from college. The nations with the lowest IQs tend to have the highest percentage of believers as well.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
Up to around 4 years ago, I just thought he was just another dude. Now, I doubt he ever existed. I think Paul put a name to the Gnostic God that was starting to become worshiped around his time.
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
Yes. I think an enlightened world would arise from it. Less bigotry and less conflicts.
* What happens when we die?
We become worm food.
H/T God Is For Suckers
Also, for a laugh, read Oh, The Hilarious Comments People Make...
* Why do you not believe in God?
There is absolutely no evidence that any God exists or has ever existed.
* Where do your morals come from?
"Morality" is about 90% genetic (it is hardwired in us) and 10% nurture (cultural values that are taught to us).
* What is the meaning of life?
The meaning of life is purely subjective and differs from one person to the next. We make life meaningful as per our priorities, and they change over time as well.
* Is atheism a religion?
Atheism simply means not believing in God. There are no rules, philosophies, or places not to worship attached with being an atheist.
* If you don’t pray, what do you do during troubling times?
Reflect mostly.
* Should atheists be trying to convince others to stop believing in God?
When separation of church and state is involved or religious bigotry becomes an issue, I think it is my duty to let people know that there is no evidence of God.
Note: This currently gives my life meaning.
I can't disprove God, but my message is stop acting like an idiot because there is no evidence God exists.
* Weren’t some of the worst atrocities in the 20th century committed by atheists?
First off, Hitler was a theist or at least a deist. No atrocities were committed on the basis that God doesn't exist. Pol Pot and Stalin had political beliefs strongly influenced by the cultures they lived in, not by atheism. With over 650 million atheists in the world today, there is bound to be a couple of bad apples.
Other than Stalin and Pol Pot, almost every other major atrocities that have been committed in recorded history, had believers behind them.
* How could billions of people be wrong when it comes to belief in God?
I think we are hardwired to accept the supernatural as an explanation for things that we can't understand or don't want to understand. It kept our ancestors from going crazy since they were without many scientific explanations.
* Why does the universe exist?
There is no purpose in nature. But there is a scientific explanation as to why it exists, we just don't have all the answers yet. We will in the near future.
* How did life originate?
Again, we don't know for sure, but it was most likely a chemical reaction in a very hostile environment that produced the first one celled life form.
* Is all religion harmful?
Not always. Only when a religious person hurts or hinders someone (and that someone could also be religious too) because of their own beliefs. By hurt, I mean physically or emotionally. Like shunning gays. Hindering someone would be trying to force someone else from learning real science, or imposing non science in science classes.
* What’s so bad about religious moderates?
There is usually a form of bigotry that has its root in religion that comes out of even religious moderates.
* Is there anything redeeming about religion?
It might keep the odd nutball from murdering people, because religious people often say that without belief in God, nothing would hold them back from doing ugly things.
Also, many humanitarian reliefs are associated with religious organizations.
* What if you’re wrong about God (and He does exist)?
I'd love to ask him or her why he or she didn't put any evidence of his or her existence here.
* Shouldn’t all religious beliefs be respected?
No. Those who deny reality (evolution and an ancient earth) should be mocked because it is those types of beliefs that are the root of all religious bigotry.
* Are atheists smarter than theists?
In general, I would say yes. 65% of Americans who dropped out of high school believe in Young Earth Creationism versus 25% of Americans who graduated from college. The nations with the lowest IQs tend to have the highest percentage of believers as well.
* How do you deal with the historical Jesus if you don’t believe in his divinity?
Up to around 4 years ago, I just thought he was just another dude. Now, I doubt he ever existed. I think Paul put a name to the Gnostic God that was starting to become worshiped around his time.
* Would the world be better off without any religion?
Yes. I think an enlightened world would arise from it. Less bigotry and less conflicts.
* What happens when we die?
We become worm food.
H/T God Is For Suckers
Also, for a laugh, read Oh, The Hilarious Comments People Make...
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