It looks like atheist activist, Rob Sherman is in the news again. You may remember him for his lawsuit to stop the "moment of silence" sham in public schools. Or you may remember him for being the target of one of the more egregious examples of anti-atheist bigotry we've seen in awhile. Now he is reported to be back in court to stop the state of Illinois from giving money to rebuild a historic church. Go Rob!
According to Chicago Public Radio's City Room, Sherman filed papers in court to prevent the state of Illinois from giving $1 million to Pilgrim Baptist Church to help them rebuild following a fire.
As far as I'm concerned, there is nothing wrong with anyone wanting to rebuild their church. However, the money simply cannot come from the state. Remember a little thing called separation of church and state?
So here we go again with atheists having to pressure the government to obey the law. I am glad for Sherman and his dedication to preserving the separation of church and state for all Americans.
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Saturday, July 19, 2008
Atheist Rob Sherman in the News Again
Friday, July 18, 2008
McCain's Adultery: Where is the Media?
It has been widely reported around the blogosphere and other independent media outlets that America's mainstream media has been giving Sen. John McCain a free pass for some time. There are all sorts of theories about why this is the case, some more sinister than others, but there is widespread agreement that the trend continues today. I mentioned one example here already concerning blatantly racist statements McCain made in 2000. Now the Los Angeles Times has provided another, and this time it is one that may actually be upsetting to McCain's evangelical supporters. It involves adultery but gets even worse.
Here is how the story was summarized by The Carpetbagger Report:We learned that McCain turned his back on his wife after she was seriously injured in a car accident, committed adultery, and left the mother of his children when he found a younger, wealthier woman.
As The Carpetbagger Report correctly points out, this is usually the sort of story the mainstream media loves. Anybody remember Bill Clinton? So why has there been virtual media silence on it? Probably for the same reason McCain's racist comments in the 2000 GOP primary are not getting any attention even in an election year where the media seems determined to make race a central issue. McCain has been given a free pass from the mainstream media.
Worse, we also learned that McCain didn’t tell the truth about this in his own memoir. McCain insisted that he was separated from his first wife before he began dating his second wife. That’s not true. McCain also insisted he’d been divorced for months before remarrying. That wasn’t true, either. (In fact, the LAT reported, “McCain obtained an Arizona marriage license on March 6, 1980, while still legally married to his first wife.”)
At the risk of sounding overly conspiratorial, I wonder if we are simply seeing the consequence of corporate ownership of the mainstream media. I'm not suggesting that is the only - or even the main - reason for the bubble around McCain, but I think it could be one factor.
I join The Carpetbagger Report in asking the media decision-makers to consider the following:If investigative reporters at the LA Times had discovered that Barack Obama had been divorced, cheated on his first wife, left her after she was injured in a car accident, pursued a younger woman while still married, and then lied about the circumstances of his marriages in his memoir, does anyone seriously believe that news outlets would blow off the story completely?
This is a question we should continue to ask, and this is yet another issue about which the American people should be informed. Don't we deserve to have all the facts?
Or is it more likely we would never hear the end of this? Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
Thursday, July 17, 2008
Evolution Has Been Disproven
Matt over at [GBG] Atheist News deserves props for making me laugh out loud with this one. I won't even blame him for the coffee I had to wipe off my keyboard because it was so worth it! It seems that a Christian who came across his blog decided to e-mail him one of the best refutations of evolutionary theory one could hope to find. This is going to set the science world on fire, so make sure you pay Matt a visit and express your appreciation for his willingness to share the gem I have reproduced below.
Here is the e-mail Matt received, unedited and titled "Proof evolution is wrong:"i saw on your blog that you like to talk about the religion of evolution and trick people by using big words and pretending that science actually proves evolution. I dont know any science or anything and even i know evolution isnt real. for one it isnt in the bible the bible said god made everything in 6 days, not millions of years. second, when we go to the zoo we cant talk to monkies, if we used to be monkies why cant we talk to them? three, how could a monkey become a person over billions of years when they dont live that long? AND why are there still monkies if they turned into people? five, even darwin said he was wrong. on his death bed he converted to christianity and said evolution was a hoax. If there is any science that makes it look like evolution is real then it has to be either a hoax by EVILutionists or put there by god to find out who believes in him.
Priceless! I just keep reading it over and over again. If it was intended as a joke, it is a good one. If it was not intended as a joke, it is a better one. I think I might have to print and frame it. It would be perfect for some blank wall space right above my monitor.
I hope that after reading my questions you will see that evolution cant be true and people dont come from monkies. i will pray to god asking him to make you think like me. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
Wednesday, July 16, 2008
Guest Post: Bible as Human Creation
Below is a fantastic (and very long) guest post from reader and atheist, Bill Carson. Bill lives in Colorado Springs, CO, approximately 100 yards from a certain James Dobson. Talk about a threat to property values! In the post that follows and which he agreed to let me share with you, Bill exposes some of the craziest parts of the Christian bible and asks believers to confront them. He raises some pretty persuasive questions. Frankly, I am baffled as to how Christians can get their heads that far underneath the sand.
It is hard for me to agree with the idea that an all-powerful god would allow so many errors, contradictions and horrible teachings to be in the Bible. It seems obvious that the Bible was written by men long ago with no influence from a god. At least not a god I would be interested in worshiping. Below, I would like to explain why I have come to this conclusion.
There are many more outrageous laws and teachings in the Bible. Many Christians will say that since the above laws are in the Old Testament, Christians can ignore them because Jesus came to change those old laws. But, the Bible tells a different story. The writers of the Bible claim that the two verses below are direct quotes from Jesus.Luke 16:17 “But it is easier for heaven and earth to pass away than for one stroke of a letter of the Law to fail.”
Here is more of God’s word (according to the writers of the Bible).
Matthew 5:17-19 “Do not think that I came to abolish the Law or the Prophets. I did not come to abolish, but to fulfill. For truly I say unto you, until heaven and earth pass away, not the smallest letter or stroke shall pass away from the Law until all is accomplished. Whoever then annuls one of the least of these commandments and so teaches others, shall be called least in the kingdom of heaven. But, whoever keeps and teaches them, he shall be called great in the kingdom of heaven.”
Do any of these verses make it sound like parts of God’s word should not be followed anymore?
Why have so many Christians told me the Old Testament teachings are not relevant when there are so many verses that clearly state that this is not true? The same people who will tell me that the O.T. verses I quote are no longer valid will quote other O.T. verses and claim they are God’s words which should be followed. Many Christians will quote verses that say different things than the verses I quote. Which makes an important point, the bible is full of contradictions! You can find plenty of verses that say you should kill people and plenty of verses that say to be nice to people.
Some of the teachings of the New Testament are not that much of an improvement.
For example:
Another major problem with the Bible is this. Most of the stories are not from eye witnesses. They were written by people sometimes hundreds of years later who were trying to promote the religion they were writing about. Also, many of the stories in the Bible are very similar to stories that were written about other religions that had been created by men earlier. The Mormons, Muslims, Christians and Jews appear to have a lot in common. The men involved at the beginning of each religion claim that an angel or god himself told them what to write in their book (Book of Mormon, Koran, Old Testament). But, all 3 books have a lot of words that appear to have come from human sources, not from the mouth of a god or angel.
Many people have suffered or been killed because of those who follow the teachings of the Bible. A human being is probably less likely to want to hurt another person unless there is a book they think comes from the word of God that tells them to kill people that have different religions or work schedules that require work on Sunday, etc. Please do not make the argument that only radicals have done bad things in the name of religion. In many cases, they are just doing what the Bible tells them to do. How is that “radical” to just love the Lord and do what the word of God says?
The writers of the Bible were probably writing words which they hoped would help them to accomplish many different things. Below are some examples:
When the writers of the Bible include verses like that, it makes me wonder if they were ever concerned that it was going to be too obvious that they were just making up verses that would be to their benefit. Look at the logic.
Isn’t that very convenient for God’s people? (the people responsible for writing the Bible)
The Bible teachings about women are so anti-women that it seems obvious that men, not a loving god had to come up with them. Look at the examples below.
Isn’t it amazing that a group of primitive men could write stuff like this and have it catch on and last for thousands of years?
There are even examples in the Bible where there are references to the 4 corners of the earth and going up high to see all ends of the earth. It appears that the writers of the Bible thought the earth was flat. Why didn’t an all-knowing god inspire only verses that clearly state that the earth is round?
Many people have told me that even if it is not true, Christianity is still a good thing. Of course women, slaves, non-Christians, gays, Sunday workers and adulterers may have a different opinion. Well, if is ok to believe in something that is probably completely made-up why don’t we make up a new religion where there is not so much bad stuff written in the book the followers base their beliefs from. Maybe the many problems with the Bible are a reason why Scientology was created and is popular with a lot of people. Of course, another question is why do so many people feel the need to believe in fairy tales and a space daddy in the sky? Why can’t we just live our life with the rational idea that we just do not know how we got here and what happens after we die?
Here is the most common point in favor of Christianity. Something had to have created all this. That may be true. Maybe something did create this world. But, how do you know hardly anything after that premise? Maybe this world was created by a few gods working together. Maybe the god or gods that created this are not interested in being worshiped. Worshiping is kind of a strange concept. If you had the power to create an earth with human beings, would you require that they all had to worship you? Maybe whatever created the earth is not paying much attention to us anymore. So, even if it is true that something created all this, we know virtually nothing about how this something wants us to live our lives. The Bible is certainly not a consistent, moral, practical guide to live by. And, I hope that most of this letter shows how obvious it is that a god did not inspire the Bible anyway. Also, it is difficult to respect this something if it has the power to stop really bad things from happening and does not bother to do it. Also, why don’t the creators or creator make it easy for a rational thinking person to know they are around? Is it maybe because they are not involved here on this earth or maybe do not exist at all?
Another common argument is “what if you are wrong?” I have trouble understanding that argument. If you want to believe in a religion just in case it might actually be true, how do you decide which one to believe in? Should I believe in the Greek gods just in case they might be true? Also, I do not see how I can pretend to believe in a religion if deep down I really do not think it is true.
What are the chances that the religion someone chooses to follow is actually truthful? Out of the thousands of religions that have been started throughout history only one could be completely true, and probably they are all wrong. No one really knows what created all this and what happens after we die. It is amazing how many religions are flourishing when there is so little evidence that any of them are telling the truth.
My experience has been that the more I read the Bible the more obvious it is to me that it was written by a small group of men trying to get a religion started that would benefit them. When you read the Bible carefully, does it really appear to be inspired by an all-knowing, all-powerful and loving god? There are just way too many errors, contradictions and horrible teachings for the Bible not to be the work of human beings. It makes sense to me that a group of men are likely to come up with a law where a raped virgin has to marry the man who raped her. If more people would read the Bible carefully, I think there would be a lot more atheists and agnostics in this world.
Bill Carson Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
Tuesday, July 15, 2008
Impeachment Back on the Table?
The last couple of weeks have seen one disaster after another for the McCain campaign. The faltering economy and climbing oil prices highlights the absurdity of his insistence that the Bush tax cuts should be made permanent and that the American people should continue to give tax breaks to big oil. Just as he was reaching out in an effort to reassure voters, his top economic advisor, Phil Gramm, called America "a nation of whiners." Unemployment is up, the stock market is down, and projections of more Americans losing their homes have been released. Whiners indeed. So how can it be then that some polls suggest McCain is actually catching up to Obama?
In spite of reports that McCain's campaign is in serious trouble, some polls tell a different story. The gap between McCain's support and that of Obama appears to be shrinking. How can this be?
To this observer, the most likely explanation is that Obama is losing support as he moves toward the right. His vote on FISA is costing him, and although he was never a true progressive, some in the progressive base who decided to support him are beginning to wonder if they made a mistake.
Dissatisfaction among the Democratic base is not limited to Obama. Public approval of this Congress has dropped to only 9%. It is clear to me that Pelosi made a huge mistake by taking impeachment off the table and then refusing to change her position as additional evidence of Bush's crimes has accumulated. Now there are rumblings that she may finally be coming around. Could this be the shot of adrenaline needed to re-energize the Democratic base?
Imagine what could happen if impeachment was suddenly on the table, as it should have been all along, and Obama got behind it. This could be huge for his candidacy and would go a long way toward dispelling the doubts of many progressives. It seems that the Democratic Party would have little to lose and everything to gain by giving the American people what they want - impeachment. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
Atheist Nexus is Not a Scam
As one of the atheist bloggers selected to render judgment on Atheist Nexus and the questions raised over whether it might be a Christian sham, I am ready to do so. I believe that Atheist Nexus is safe and encourage my readers to join and promote the site. Of course, no social networking site is truly 100% safe. Members should still be mindful of the personal information they disclose there. However, I do not believe that Atheist Nexus, regardless of its origins, is now a Christian sham. To understand how I reached this decision, read on.
Shortly after the investigation of Atheist Nexus was launched by the temporary administrator, Brother Richard, a surprising turn of events rendered it mostly moot. The individual who created Atheist Nexus and about whom many questions were raised, Kym, stepped down and turned the entire operation over to Brother Richard from Life Without Faith. This is no longer a temporary situation pending the results of our investigation, but a permanent one. Therefore, the actual investigation is of minimal importance in determining whether to utilize Atheist Nexus. Still, because of the interest surrounding this subject, I'll highlight the following:
In my opinion, Atheist Nexus was never designed as a Christian scam. Some mistakes were made, however, I do not attribute malevolence to Kym. I am content to view this matter as put to rest and encourage others to do the same. I would be happy to answer additional questions to the best of my ability, but I am satisfied that Atheist Nexus is something we can all support. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
Monday, July 14, 2008
Dueling Bible Theme Parks in Tennessee
What is funnier than the idea of a bible theme park? How about two of them competing against each other to attract Christian families with more disposable income than sense? That would do it. According to UPI, this appears to be the situation developing in Nashville, TN, as The Holy Land Experience is planning to expand their presence in the area while Bible Park USA is trying to buy land nearby. As Ed Brayton of Dispatches From the Culture Wars wittily notes, this probably won't end well.
According to the UPI article,"This is not a good time to be opening theme parks," said Dennis Spiegel, president of International Theme Park Services Inc., an industry consulting firm. "And history has shown us that Bible theme parks just haven't done well."
Bible theme parks have not done well? I just don't understand this one bit. I mean, what child doesn't grow up thinking of the Christian bible as a fun time for all?
And then there is the issue of the residents not particularly wanting a massive theme park in their neighborhood. I can't say I blame them. I wouldn't welcome something like this even if it was a real (i.e., fun) amusement park. Think of the noise, the traffic, and the litter. But a park that would attract hordes of Christians? No thanks! I can just imagine them getting all "holied up" and then running through the residential neighborhoods looking for converts. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution
