L’Etat, C’Est Moi! --god

Prompted by city officials, General Outdoor sign company has removed the Freedom From Religion Foundation's “Imagine No Religion” billboard in Rancho Cucamonga.

According to Redevelopment Director Linda Daniels, City Hall had received 90 calls of complaint since Wednesday.

"We contacted the sign company and asked if there was a way to get it removed," Daniels said.

I wasn’t at all surprised by Ms. Daniel’s open admission of guilt; such a brazen “fuck you” to the first amendment typifies the smug ignorance of god-botherers everywhere.

What did surprise me, though, was that a measly 90 complaints, in a city with a population of just under 170,000, were enough to prompt such swift government action. That’s good to know, because I just might start calling City Hall every time I’m forced to look at one of these ridiculous, mind-numbing ads


while stuck in rush-hour traffic.

Bonus quotation:

In September, the city asked a different sign company to take down an advertisement on Foothill Boulevard advertising a vagina rejuvenation procedure.

OMG! Vagina! What will we tell the children?!?!?!

Tags: religion, atheism, rancho cucamonga, linda daniels, first amendment, vaginaplasty, vaginaphobia

The Dream

Tags: greydon square, atheism, youtube

The Perfect Ending to a Perfect Day

Just got home from a long but rewarding day at work, and now I’m listening to Richard Dawkins on NPR’s Fresh Air (89.3 KPCC here in LA). Give it a listen if you can; the topic is…oh, you know what the topic is!

I’ll catch up on my comments while I listen…

Tags: atheism, richard dawkins, npr

Some Thoughts on Calvinism

I received a comment* a few days ago that prompted me to think about Calvinism/predestination. I Googled the man himself and learned some remarkable things, such as

[w]hen we attribute foreknowledge to God, we mean that all things have ever been, and perpetually remain, before His eyes, so that to His knowledge nothing in future or past, but all things are present; and present in such a manner, that He does not merely conceive of them from ideas formed in His mind, as things remembered by us appear present to our minds, but really beholds and sees them as if actually placed before Him. And this foreknowledge extends to the whole world, and to all the creatures.

So an omniscient god can see, this very minute, everything that has happened, is happening, and will happen. It seems to me an easy leap to think that everything is predestined, then, not just salvation/damnation. Everything that has happened, is happening, or will happen is meant to happen, all part of what Calvin termed god’s “gratuitous” plan. And in that case, if I may borrow the words of my commenter, “there is nothing I can do about” anything.

And people say atheists have a pessimistic worldview?


*And I was nice in my reply—I didn't say anything about his spelling.

Tags: religion, calvinism, atheism

Hmm…What Rhymes with Blastula?

Tomorrow is PZ Myers’s 50^th birthday. Richard Dawkins has penned a birthday poem, and Pharyngula readers are posting their own poems/greetings in a comments thread. Here’s my effort:

I think that I shall never see another quite like dear PZ.

The man who blogs for you and me will soon turn half a century!

The man who makes the fundies cry when he explains ID’s a lie

by showing them the alterations in nature’s most bizarre creations.

A family man with wife and kids, who intimately studies squids

’cause he prefers cephalopods to any silly man-made gods!

Be honest: It’s a masterpiece, right?

Tags: pharyngula, pz myers, poetry, misc

Long Time No Blog! (Super-Duper Asterisk Edition)

If anyone out there is wondering about my absence, olioboy was in town. Mr. olio and I really enjoyed seeing our darling boy again, and we hated to see him go. I didn’t really keep up with current events during his visit—is Anna Nicole still dead?

Anyhoo, I’ve just poured my self a BIG Ketel One and tonic (mmm!) and visited the Christian Newswire,* where I found a review** of The Stockholm Syndrome Eternal Christianity, a new book I can’t wait to read:*** Here’s the crux:

Jim Cronfel believes "conversion comes from the awareness of eternal conscious torment," that "[Christianity] is about fleeing hell and sin."

So Mr. Cronfel and I agree that religious belief stems from fear. I imagine that he would disagree with me, though, when I say that fear of “eternal torment” after death (and therefore any religious belief based on that fear) is irrational or that I think ingratiating oneself with one’s potential torturer in order to avoid torture is a dynamic too perverse to contemplate, much less willingly embrace. I mean, I can understand it, I guess, but it’s still sick.

*Christian Newswire’s “Featured News Outlets” include Drudge Report and NewsMax.

**This book reviewer must’ve been “homeskooled”: Her punctuation skills suck.

***After it appears in my local library, that is—I’d never give this nimrod a dime.

Tags: religion, eternal christianity, atheism

Well, I'll Be a Monkey's Uncle!

It's Darwin's birthday!

I tried to find a suitably festive "birthday Darwin" picture via Google, but I was unsuccessful. So I decided to make one, even though my Photoshop skills aren't so hot.* Oh, well: it's the thought that counts, right?
Celebrate responsibly, everyone!


*Seriously: It took me forever to cut out that silly little hat.

Tags: darwin

Atheist Manifesto

Tonight I started reading Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam by Michel Onfray. I think I'm going to enjoy it:

No hatred for the man on his knees, but a fierce resolve never to collude with those who urge him to adopt this humiliating posture and keep him there. Who would not sympathize with the victims of fraud? And who would not approve of battling the perpetrators?

I had a really long, tiring day at work today, and yet I have a feeling I’m going to be up half the night, reading…

Tags: atheism, atheist mainfesto, michel onfray, monotheism, christianity, judaism, islam

A Better Good Book

Here’s an open challenge to any religious people lurking out there: Put away your holy book for 3 months and read Aesop’s fables instead. I contend that you’ll find the fables to be just as useful as, if not superior to, your present text.

Aesop’s fables are morally instructive: They illustrate the foolishness of negative behaviors such as greed and false pride, while promoting honesty and a sense of fair play.

Aesop’s fables are family friendly: They do not contain genocide, infanticide, or rape.

Aesop’s fables are civilized: They do not promote animal sacrifice or slavery.

Aesop’s fables are inclusive: They are not racist, misogynistic, or homophobic.

Aesop’s fables are practical: They do not list any silly rules about what we must wear or eat.

Aesop’s fables are easy to understand: They often conclude with a clearly stated moral, so people are unlikely to argue over different interpretations.

I could go on, but I think you get the idea. So what do you say? Are you willing to take the Aesop challenge?

Tags: religion, aesop, atheism

No Atheists in Foxholes?

Apparently not:

"Privates lie beside officers. Soldiers beside Marines. Muslim troops beside Christians and those of other faiths."

I guess the Washington Post has never heard of the MAAF.

And check out this bullshit rhetorical question, taken from an otherwise straightforward article about atheists in the military:

"Would a soldier really die without faith?"

Sigh.

Tags: atheism, military

The Problem is Apples, Not Oranges!

I'm no rhetorician, so I don't quite know what to make of this:

"The problem is atheists, not scientists," said Barr. "There are far more scientists who are religious than scientists who consider themselves opponents of religion.”

Religious belief among scientists has been on the decline since 1914, right? Right. So is it just me, or is this quotation somewhat…ambiguous? Has any survey ever attempted to track whether or not non-religious scientists identify as “opponents of religion”? And, for that matter, have religious scientists ever been asked if they oppose any religion that differs from their own?

Technorati tags: religion, science, atheism

Who Says Atheists Aren’t Joiners?

I’ve just been added to the Atheist Blogroll—thanks, Mojoey! All interested infidels can join here. I’ve also re-upped with the new and improved Atheism Online. As of yesterday there were only 17 or so atheist blogs listed, and there used to be around 200, so go forth, ye godless, and register!


Believe It or Not, He’s The Reason for the Season

Here are the facts, as written and as attested to by countless followers the world over: God was born of a virgin on December 25th, and his birth was attended by no one save lowly shepherds.

He lived a simple and celibate life on earth, but to those who believe, he “giveth increase, he giveth abundance, he giveth cattle, he giveth progeny and life.” Further, he “protects the soul of the just against the demons that seek to drag it down to Hell.”

And yet, despite these concrete, historical proofs, and despite the fact that multitudes have worshipped him for centuries, today some poor souls have never even heard his name—and many who have deny his truth as mere legend!

That must make god very sad. Why won’t people accept him? It’s odd, especially since the incentive to do so is great: Through him, we will be “born again” and “enjoy forever a blessed immortality.”

Just think about that for a minute: Immortality. According to ancient, sacred wisdom, that means that after we die, we’ll live forever !

That’s just an incredible offer, isn’t it?

So let’s all take a moment, during the hustle and bustle of the holidays, to reflect on the miraculous birth and instructive life of Mithra, the real reason for the season.

Merry Mithramas, everyone!


Technorati tags: religion, mithra, atheism, cotg

Home Again

Well, I’m safely home in LA and almost completely unpacked. I’m already back at work—where I’m really busy this week, so my posts may be on again, off again for a few days. Many thanks to the fleshpresser, who did such a fabulous job while I was on the road.

I haven’t seen any news to speak of since I left VA. What’s going on? Has anything in particular really cheered you up or pissed you off?

Here’s something that pissed me off recently: I had to speak to an IT person while setting up my new Internet account on Tuesday. Everything was fine until the very end, when the guy said, out of the blue, “Thank you and God bless.” It really got under my skin, especially since he rang off before I could respond with “I’ve been touched by His noodly appendage,” “The earth is flat,” “Santa saves,” or some similar nonsense. Why do people feel compelled to say that kind of silly shit to complete strangers? The older I get, the less tolerant of said silly shit I become.

Does “God bless” bother you? And if not, would “Allahu Akbar” or “Hail Satan”?

Here’s something that cheered me up, though: I’m back in LA, baby!

Would You Vote for an Atheist?

An olio poll-io




Please feel free to elaborate in the comments thread.

(This poll was prompted by an article posted at The Smirking Chimp.)

A-Ha! No One Expects the Science Class Inquisition!

Stories like this are on the rise, and they make me so sad.

It’s sad that these kids are trained to challenge science but not religion.

There’s an intelligent design, all right—but the designers are human, and the design is to maintain an ignorant, unquestioning, and docile population. What freaks me out is that it works almost as well today as it did in the Dark Ages.

Can I reason with people trained to believe I’m a minion of the devil, sent to “trick” them into apostasy?

Can I reason with people trained to believe that rejecting superstition will consign them to eternal hellfire?

Can I reason with people trained to believe that morality is synonymous with Christianity?

No, no, and no.

Well, it’s a gorgeous Friday, so I’m going to open my windows, crank up the stereo, and enjoy a few beers outside in the sun. I’m starting my weekend with a toast to all of you hardworking science teachers out there: Illegitimis nil carborundum!

Feel the Love

A new study confirms what most atheists already know—that our fellow citizens rate us “below Muslims, recent immigrants, homosexuals and other groups as ‘sharing their vision of American society.’ Americans are also least willing to let their children marry atheists.”

[. . .]

Don’t worry, though: In our defense, the newspaper cites. . .a college freshman!

“First-year biology student Joe Reutiman calls the results a ‘sad state of affairs.’

“‘(Atheists) have the right to believe whatever they want, even if that belief is nothing,’ Reutiman said. ‘They shouldn’t have to fit in with the clean-cut American life like a Norman Rockwell painting.’”

While I realize Joe’s statement is well-intentioned, it only serves to reinforce harmful stereotypes, which in turn lead to study results like those cited above.

First of all, just because atheists don’t believe in a supernatural father figure who resides in a place called heaven and concerns himself with all things terrestrial doesn’t mean we don’t believe in anything. Personally, I believe in lots of things—I believe that honest scientific inquiry is a means to a more enlightened, productive, and peaceful world, for instance. I also believe that I have the power to create beauty, meaning, and purpose in my own life—I don’t need to rely on a mystical leader or on frankly barbaric, misogynistic, and often-contradictory myth to make sense of things.

And I’m pretty clean-cut, too: I’ve been happily married since 1980, my husband and I have raised a good-natured, open-minded, and very witty son (who, by the way, is engaged to—GASP!—a Christian!), I work hard, I pay taxes, and I floss every night before bed.

So—all you atheists, humanists, freethinkers, and agnostics out there, closeted or otherwise—what do you believe in?

(hat tip to bitch lab)