Radical Atheist

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beliefnet

At Beliefnet you can take a quiz that supposedly will reveal your true religious beliefs.

Here are my results:

    1.     Secular Humanism  (100%)
    2.     Unitarian Universalism (91%)
    3.     Nontheist (81%)
    4.     Liberal Quakers (71%)
    5.     Theravada Buddhism (66%)
    6.     Neo-Pagan (57%)
    7.     Mainline to Liberal Christian Protestants (55%)
    8.     Taoism (44%)
    9.     New Age (39%)
    10.     Reform Judaism (36%)
    11.     Orthodox Quaker (30%)
    12.     Mahayana Buddhism (29%)
    13.     Sikhism (24%)
    14.     Scientology (23%)
    15.     New Thought (21%)
    16.     Baha’i Faith (18%)
    17.     Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (18%)
    18.     Jainism (16%)
    19.     Seventh Day Adventist (16%)
    20.     Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (15%)
    21.     Mainline to Conservative Christian/Protestant (13%)
    22.     Hinduism (12%)
    23.     Eastern Orthodox (9%)
    24.     Islam (9%)
    25.     Orthodox Judaism (9%)
    26.     Roman Catholic (9%)
    27.     Jehovah’s Witness (6%)

I suspect what kept my results from being 100% humanist/non-theist and gave a 55% similarity to liberal Protestantism is that I took a position on abortion and homosexuality, even though my opinions on were not formed by atheism.

I do confess that 23% similarity to Scietology has me wondering. What could I have possibly answered that lead the test algorithm to say that? I’d be surprised to learn I had any beliefs in common with those fruitcakes.

If I had the power to produce exactly what I want for next Christmas, I would have all the kings and emperors resign and allow the people to govern themselves.

I would have all the nobility crop their titles and give their lands back to the people.ingersoll

I would have the Pope throw away his tiara, take off his sacred vestments, and admit that he is not acting for God, is not infallible, and is just an ordinary Italian.

I would have all the cardinals, archbishops, bishops, priests and clergymen admit that they know nothing about theology, nothing about hell or heaven, nothing about the destiny of the human race, nothing about devils or ghosts, gods or angels. I would have them tell all their “flocks” to think for themselves, to be manly men and womanly women, and to do all in their power to increase the sum of human happiness.

I would have all the professors in colleges, all the teachers in schools of every kind, including those in Sunday schools, agree that they would teach only what they know and not palm off guesses as demonstrated truths.

I would like to see all the politicians changed to statesmen:

  • Men who long to make their country great and free
  • Men who care more for public good than private gain
  • Men who long to be of use

I would like to see all the editors of papers and magazines agree to print the truth and nothing but the truth, to avoid all slander and misrepresentation, and to let the private affairs of the people alone.

I would like to see drunkenness and prohibition both abolished.

I would like to see corporal punishment done away with in every home, in every school, in every asylum, reformatory, and prison. Cruelty hardens and degrades, kindness reforms and ennobles.

I would like to see millionaires unite and form a trust for the public good.

I would like to see a fair division of profits between capital and labor, so that the toiler could save enough to mingle a little June with the December of his life.

I would like to see an international court established in which to settle disputes between nations, so that armies could be disbanded and the great navies allowed to rust and rot in perfect peace.

I would like to see the whole world free — free from injustice, and free from superstition.

This will do for next Christmas. The following Christmas, I may want more.

From: Robert Ingersoll’s “What I Want For Christmas” (1897)  via: Unreasonable Faith

My gift to all of you this holiday season; reason, common sense and freedom of thought. May they abide with you through the season and as long as you live.

Is this a situation in which the person should quit if they cannot abide with the rules of the employer, or an unreasonable expectation of employess by an employer?

Two ex-employees of Diskeeper have sued the firm over allegations they were obliged to take part in Scientology training courses as a mandatory condition of employment.

Alexander Godelman, former chief information officer of Diskeeper, and Marc Le Shay, former Diskeeper Automation Planning Officer, filed a joint suit of unfair dismissal at Los Angeles Superior last month alleging that the disc utilities firm made it compulsory to attend Scientology-based courses. They charge that their refusal to participate in the courses led to their dismissal.

The claimants allege that Diskeeper violated Californian employment law and engaged in religious discrimination.

Diskeeper founder and chief exec Craig Jensen is a committed Scientologist who allegedly told Godelman, who is Jewish, that his attendance at Scientology-based courses was non-negotiable while talking up the supposed benefits of the course. Le Shay refused to attend the course, and Godelman’s support of this stance ultimately led the the dismissal of the duo, the lawsuit alleges.  (Source-The Register)

With apologies to Art Linkletter and thanks to allgirlarmy.org where I saw the link to this site; a few of the crazier beliefs Christians have been kind enough to post for our amusement.

There are a lot of things I have concluded to be wrong, without studying them in-depth. Evolution is one of them. The fact that I don’t know that much about it does not bother me in the least. AV1611VET, Christian Forums [2006-Sep-12]

You got it backwards. Creationism is based upon science, reason and tons of evidence. Evolution is based on the blind acceptance of superstitions and fairy tales. CRASH, Theology Online [2006-Jul-18]

I often debate with evolutionists because I believe that they are narrow mindedly and dogmatically accepting evolution without questioning it. I don’t really care how God did what He did. I know He did it. TexasSky, Christian Forums [2006-Aug-24] evan

[on the sunject of a Bible printing company] Yes, that is a great company. I bought one of their large print version (old eyes… what can I say?). The only thing I don’t like about them is they sell foreign language versions of the KJB. I don’t think that’s right. We know the only true translation is the 1600’s version in English. It’s too risky for anybody to translate that into other languages. Mistakes can creep in… and that can lead to heresy. True Christians should only read English. leyenda , KJB only [2007-Aug-06]

I honestly don’t care about your rights. If it were up to me, all Atheists would be burnt at the stake and or cast into a river with weights tied to their ankles and or placed before the firing squad, etc etc etc. Apologist, IIDB [2006-Jul-05]

[Am I in discussion with a human who has a functioning brain?] What does a functioning brain have to do with the Bible? LittleLambofJesus, Christian Forums [2006-Oct-16]

Seriously, does anybody ever cry at an Atheist’s funeral?

I mean, since Atheists have no value whatsoever as human beings (they’re not even human, but only inhuman animals), since Atheists are nothing but miserable Liars, Cowards and Murderers, after all, why would anybody in their right mind weep over the dead rotting corpse, or bone chips and ashes (that get mixed together with those of others from the crematory) of a worthless dead Atheist?

And what epitaph do you engrave on an Atheist’s grave marker? “Here lies the only good Atheist, which is a dead Atheist”. What else is there say? Nothing at all. No last words, no last rites, no flowers, no anything.

Every time an Atheist dies, the world is better off as a result of that dead Atheist being dead, & its damned God-forsaken soul burning in the fiery pits of Hades. :)

Which begs another related question, do Atheists cry at funerals? If so, why? Since Atheists hate God, and they hate Family, and they hate Country, who are they crying for? It is true: The only good Atheist is a dead Atheist. Daniel Joseph Min, alt.atheism [2007-Jan-07]

[One Christian speaking to another] You are banned. You are not a Christian for Christians don’t accuse brothers and sisters in Christ of being non-Christian. Troy, Bibliocality [2006-Feb-07]

What is called ‘Science’ today and ’scientists’ consist of the same old gang of witch doctors, sorcerers, tellers of tales, the ‘Priest-Entertainers’ for the common people. ‘Science’ consists of a weird, way-out occult concoction of jibberish theory-theology… nothing good has ever come from ’science’ —- In fact, technology is not in any way related to the web of idiotic scientific theory. ALL inventors have been anti-science. The Wright brothers said: “Science theory held us up for years. When we threw out all science, started from experiment and experience, then we invented the airplane.” By the way, airplanes all fly level on this Plane earth!

The Fact the Earth is Flat is not my opinion, it is a Proved Fact! While all we need to know is that the Bible says the Earth is flat (Is.40:22, Ez.7:2, Dn.2:35; 4:10-11,20, Mt.4:8)… but for a second can you imagine what these so-called ’scientists would have us believe —- If the earth really was round, that would mean there arre people who are HANGING DOWN, HEAD DOWNWARDS while we are standing head up? But since the theory allows to travel to those parts of the earth where the people are said to hand head downward, and still to fancy ourselves to be heads upwards, and our friends whom we have left behind us to be heads downwards! LOL! What foolishness! TheWHOLE THING IS A MYTH – A DREAM – A DELUSION – and a snare, and, instead of there being any evidence at all in this direction to substantiate this popular theory, it is plain proof that the Earth is Not A Globe!

Also, be sure to know the Sun and Moon are about 3,000 miles away are both 32 miles across. The Planets are ‘tiny.’ Sun and Moon do Move, earth does NOT move, whirl, spin or gyrate (1 Sam.2:8, 1 Chr.16:30; Job 9:6, 38:4-6; Ps.96:10, 104:5, Is.13:10, Mic.6:2). Australians do NOT hang by their feet under the world… this is a FACT, not a theory! Also a Fact the Spinning, Whirling, Gyrating Ball World Planet, Globe Idea is Entirely 100% now and at all times in the Past, a RELIGIOUS DOCTRINE… a Blind Dogmatic Article of Faith in the Religion for the Blind unreasoning beast of prey. No earthly reason for a Sane, Upright Member of the Elite True Christians to subscribe to it. Also a Fact, today the Elite of Earth ALL live on the Flat World. Only the illogical, unreasoning “herd”… prefers the way-out occult weird theology of the old Greek superstitution earth a spinning ball! Both Copernecious and Newton, the inventors of the “modern” superstitions (400 year OLD modern) have said: “It is not possible for a Sane reasonable person to ever really believe these Theories.” Thus sayeth Newton-Copernecious. What sayeth THOU? KettleWhistle, Israel Forum [2007-Mar-02]

Just like what Nazi Germany did to the Jews, so liberal America is now doing to the evangelical Christians. It’s no different. It is the same thing. It is happening all over again. It is the Democratic Congress, the liberal-based media and the homosexuals who want to destroy the Christians. Wholesale abuse and discrimination and the worst bigotry directed toward any group in America today. More terrible than anything suffered by any minority in history. Pat Robertson, Quotes From the Religious Right [2007-Nov-09]

The only solution we have to stop gays from recruiting other people is to cut off the source. They need to be taken to specialized containment centers where they will be forced to become straight and accept Jesus as thier savior and to repent from their disgusting, wicket, hatful, devilish ways. Those that refuse to go can either be forced, or banished from society in other specialized communities where they have no connetion to the outside world at all. Most would die of AIDS anyway. Anyone who refused any of the answers to make them better would have to be killed or banished. Meg, Myspace [2007-Aug-24]

Me and like-minded Christian students are trying to organize a mock stoning of openly gay students at our campus. We will be using crumpled up gray/brown construction paper to represent rocks, and will recite bible verses in opposition to their sinful nature. We will throw a volley or two of these “rocks” at every Gay person we happen to encounter that day. Rebelscum954, CARM [2007-Sep-12]

A woman for president is a bad idea. Hillary for president is even worse. Do you think America never had a woman for president by coincidence?

[You can transfer that logic to black people, seeing as there's been no black presidents - Anyway it's incredibly insensitive, stupid and unbased.]

As stupid as you think it sounds I totally agree. Blacks should not ever be in positions of power. They should be suppressed back in to slavery. bricks00usa, Christian Forums [2007-Aug-21]

Apes are just creatures twisted by Satan to mock Jesus by giving EVILolition credibility. Further more they are naturally lust crazed for human women. Since they are not natural creatures they should be exterminated forthwith as the tools of evil they are. BJ Tabor, Blogs4Brownback [2007-Aug-01]

To say the Bible was written by men and may contain inaccuracies completely contradicts the word of the Bible. Ia Orana, MSN Miss Manners [2008-Jan-01]

If the Bible is wrong when it tells us it is infallible, then it contradicts itself. If it contradicts itself, then it is unreliable. If it is unreliable, then our faith is totally shattered and Christianity is a lie. You need to seriously reconsider your logic. uscchica09, BibleForums.org [2006-Sep-03]

No one knows what’s happening until the flood comes (according to Matthew). And the flood is here – it refers to the apocalypse. There is a huge amount of supporting evidence on the site. For example, there is evidence for the wh0re of Babylon due to a 666 mile long penis in Mexico. alasdair, Christianity Board [2006-Dec-02]

From years of studying environmentalists I have come to the conclusion that they are both religion based and mentally ill. This makes for a dangerous combination. [...]

The mental illness of environmentalism manifests itself is three forms; Paranoid, Delusional and Criminal insanities. [...]

Since religious environmentalism is a mental disease it must be treated like one. Those afflicted by the malady must be gathered into central locations and be treated by counseling, drug therapy, shock treatments or whatever is necessary to restore their sanity and return them to being productive members of society. The state presently administers such treatments to other mentally ill citizen, even against their will, and therefore there is hope for environmentalists.

Legal methods – Once the sick mind of an environmentalist forces him to cross the line to the realm outside the law they are to be dealt with as any other criminal is. These criminal environmentalists are, in fact, terrorists. They seek to achieve their goals by terrorizing the general population by criminal actions. Like any criminal they have no regard for the rights or lives of their victims. Judges, no matter how liberal, owe it to the general public to protect them from criminal environmentalists by sentencing them as they would any rapist or murderer. They can show no leniency or preference in dealing with them. If their minds can be salvaged through mental treatments they can return to society. If not, then the general public is safer with them incarcerated. The population of a nation is not to be held hostage by the mind of a crazy person.

Mentally ill environmentalists working in the news media are to be treated as any other environmentalist. Counseling, drugs, incarceration, whichever turns them back into normal people.

Environmentalists can be saved from themselves. If we have the courage to act! Dr Samuel C Gipp, Essays and Ideas by Dr Samuel C Gipp, Th.d [2006-Dec-01]

What do the other human persons here think ?

No doubt someone will object, saying something obviously ridiculous like, but atheists are persons.

But clearly this is mistaken because anybody without a well developed belief in God is obviously not a full human person.

What could be more obvious than that ?

How many full human persons do you know without a well developed belief in God. Obviously none, because if they were full human person they would have a well developed belief in God.

Now some people might object to killing atheists for there (and obviously it is there and not thier as they are not whos but whats ) organs but think of all the full human persons that would benifit from the organs and the medical research that could be done on these non-persons.

How could anybody object, they are not human persons and if you think we should not kill them then that is just because of out dated ideas and because they must really just want people to suffer. For shame on you !

So what do people think ?

Should we kill these atheist human non-persons for the benifit of fully human persons ? Jason, TheologyWeb [2007-Mar-07]

These are just some of the ones I thought were funny, bizarre and ironic. If you click over and read those I didn’t include, you’ll see some that aren’t so funny. Some indicate serious mental deficiencies, anti-social attitudes justified by faith. It’s sobering to think that these people might be standing next to you at a bus stop, they may be bagging your groceries or piloting your next flight.

That isn’t quite so funny.

James Pinkerton, a contributing writer to the Fox News blog The Fox Forum, has decided to try a new tactic in discrediting Obama. Instead of barely believable innuendo, he’s stooping to bat-shit insane fantasy.

In an article entitled “The Devil Is In the Details: Another Obama Connection You Ought to Know About” he shares his delusions with whoever reads this crap and takes it seriously:

Could Lucifer play a role in this presidential election? It may sound crazy, but one of the candidates in this race has publicly praised, even emulated, a writer-activist who himself paid tribute to Lucifer.  That’s right, Lucifer, also known as the Devil, Satan, Beelzebub—you get the idea.

Do you think that admiring a Lucifer-admirer would make a difference to some voters?

If you’ve never heard of this true fact—and most Americans obviously haven’t—well, that might help to explain why John McCain is behind in the polls.

OK, you might be asking, where is this Lucifer stuff coming from? It comes from a man named Saul Alinsky, who devoted his life to left-wing agitation in Chicago.  He also wrote two seminal books, “Reveille for Radicals” and “Rules for Radicals,” still regarded as key how-to manuals for left-wing activists.

But Alinsky was more than just a leftist; he was a genuine out-there crazy, someone who loved to shock and stun, just for the helluvit. And so in the first edition of “Rules for Radicals,” published in 1971, he offered this astounding dedication: “Lest we forget at least an over the shoulder acknowledgement of the very first radical, from all our legends, mythology, and history … the first radical known to man who rebelled against the establishment and did it so effectively that he at least won his own kingdom—Lucifer.”

This dedication is no secret.  David Freddoso wrote about it in his book, The Case Against Barack Obama: The Unlikely Rise and Unexamined Agenda of the Media’s Favorite Candidate;  and the inimitable Ann Coulter noted it, too, just last month.

I won’t subject you to the full article, I’m sure you value your mental health. If you’re interested and fully inoculated against rampant stupidity , follow the links for the full “story”. He got one thing right. Ann Coulter is indeed inimitable. No one else would willingly sacrifice their credibility and expose their ignorance by trying to imitate her.

I’m not even sure why anyone at Fox is still defending McCain’s candidacy. After all, Fox News Executive Vice President John Moody already posted that if the Ashley Todd story was a hoax, McCain’s candidacy was over. The fat lady has sung.

It couldn’t have happened to a more deserving website. The Grand Ayatollah of Iraqi Shiites, Sayyid Ali Husaini al-Sistani, had his video replaced by one from Bill Maher’s show. Maher is exposing the weird advice Sistani hands out on the site. Now, if someone would only do something similar to the Vatican’s site and Scientology’s main page.

A Missouri woman says she has found Jesus in a bag of Cheetos. When Kelly Ramey opened a snack-sized bag of Cheetos, she felt something unusual and checked it out.

Most of her family and friends believe it looks like a mini orange sculpture of Jesus on the cross. Ramey and her husband call it “Cheesus.” Others see something completely different.

A local minister does not see anything theologically special about the Cheeto, but thinks some good could come from it.

Ramey doesn’t plan to sell the Cheeto because it’s bringing a lot of joy into her home. She will keep it in a safe deposit box or put it on display so more people can enjoy it.  (Source)

These sightings are a perfect example of the role wishful thinking plays in religious belief.  People see what they want to see.  Reality viewed through the faith-filter.

This has to be the most bone-headed, ignorant, stupid and potentially disastrous idea I’ve encountered in a while, religious or not. The fact that this was a religious organization makes it even more bizarre. WTF were they thinking? It can only be that they weren’t.

The religious don’t need atheists to point out the stupidity of their beliefs. They do pretty well on their own.

Church Cancels Teen Gun Giveaway

An Oklahoma church canceled a controversial gun giveaway for teenagers at a weekend youth conference.

Windsor Hills Baptist had planned to give away a semiautomatic assault rifle until one of the event’s organizers was unable to attend.

The church’s youth pastor, Bob Ross, said it’s a way of trying to encourage young people to attend the event. The church expected hundreds of teenagers from as far away as Canada.

“I don’t want people thinking ‘My goodness, we’re putting a weapon in the hand of somebody that doesn’t respect it who are then going to go out and kill,’” said Ross. “That’s not at all what we’re trying to do.”

Ross said the conference isn’t all about guns, but rather about teens finding faith.

“You make a lot of new friends down here,” said Vikki Goncharenko, who attended the conference. “You get to meet new people. There’s a bunch of things that are going on. It’s just, you have a wonderful time.”

Friday evening, Ross said the gun giveaway had been canceled. Pastor emeritus Jim Vineyard, who ran the event, injured his foot and wouldn’t be able to attend. The gun giveaway was also removed from the church Web site.

Ross said the church would give the gun away next year instead. He said the church spent $800 buying the gun for the promotion.

Injured his foot and had to cancel the giveaway? A message from god, perhaps? Jim, I think god’s trying to tell you that you’re a moron.

As I listened to NPR this afternoon I caught the end of a story about a speech given by Obama today. I didn’t hear who the audience was or what the topic was. All I heard was him saying, “…they’re usually working to help people of all faiths or of no faith at all.”

Wow, I thought. Almost brave of him to allude to non-believers, atheists and humanists. He nearly put us on equal footing with the theists. Don’t piss off the religious, Barack. Rationalists are far more forgiving and understanding. Unfortunately we’re also in the minority and represent too few votes to make a huge impact on the candidates or the party and their platform. So we’re safer to ignore than the faithful.

Non-believers are concerned with the issues that will affect all of humanity or that attempt to enslave the public forum to the rules and regulations (prejudices, phobias and myths) of a particular sect of theism.

You can trust a non-believer to give you straight information regarding issues of finance, foreign relations and military policy. Issues that require reasoning, logic and good old common sense best be left to those who determine their own agendas, rather than those who wish to inflict the agenda of their personal imaginary friend on the entire country.

In short, go ahead and pander to the religious to get their votes. But once you’re elected and if you are seriously concerned for not just the people of the country you now lead but for humanity everywhere, you would be well advised to seek council from those who do not put their allegiance to this country below their allegiance to a “higher power”.

So I got home a little while ago and thought I should blog about this and give the man a little credit.

First, though, I wanted to check out the whole story for some background.

Enlarge Image/Details

July 1 (Bloomberg) — Democratic presidential candidate Barack Obama said he would spend at least $500 million a year to promote community aid programs run by faith-based groups.

The proposal would expand an initiative put in place by President George W. Bush to aid religious organizations performing social service work, which Obama said “never fully completed its mission or fulfilled its promise.”

Obama, a former community organizer in Chicago, would create a new White House office for the President’s Council for Faith- Based and Neighborhood Partnerships. Among other things, the council would help train faith-based groups on how to apply for federal grants and set up a program to provide summer educational opportunities for 1 million low-income children.

“While these groups are often made up of folks who’ve come together around a common faith, they’re usually working to help people of all faiths or of no faith at all,” Obama said today in Zanesville, Ohio. “Change comes not from the top down, but from the bottom up, and few are closer to the people than our churches, synagogues, temples, and mosques.” (Source: Bloomberg)

Damnit, Barack. Here I had all these positive thoughts about what I perceived as a small nod to the “community” of non-believers and I find out that your significant comment wasn’t exciting or brave. No one is grateful to the man who smuggles Cuban cigars by packing them in piles of manure.

Supporting faith-based programs with our tax dollars is a violation of the Constitution you want to swear to uphold. And if the requirements are written such that our money can’t be used in any way to pay for purely religious activities (no “busing people to mass in order to earn a dinner” type homeless shelters, for example), then why should faith even be a criteria? Why not use everyone’s money to support worthwhile social outreaches regardless of their motivation? Rev. Phelps is a faith-based organization. Can he apply for federal money to pay off his well-earned bankruptcy?

Barack, you’ve pissed me off. If I voted you’d be in danger of losing mine. As Carlin explains, since I don’t vote, I have every right to complain when our government, its representatives or its policies head toward the abyss of stupidity, illegality and/or theocracy.

I take back all the nice things I wrote above the quote.

I love the word loco. While it suggests something isn’t quite right in a person’s head, it stops short of presuming actual insanity. Loco is even more meaningful when linked with its most common modifier, plumb. “Boy, you’re plumb loco” conveys my amazement that anyone would think, do or say something so dangerous/insipid/moronic. And we know that “motive” refers to motivation, the reason for something. So a loco motive would be religion, for example; a crazy way to reason about reality.

Could anything exert a more powerful influence on humanity than religion? Is there closer to a common human language than the notion of gods?

Yes, several things. Food is one item that transcends divisions, as is music and dance.

I don’t know that I fully understand the difference between Humanism and humanism. In general I’m a lower-case kind of guy, so I’ll confess that I consider myself a humanist. I am fascinated by my fellow humans, I think we’re a very interesting species. I feel a strong kinship with other humans. Religion offends me because all the various expressions of belief in gods include an element of divisiveness. It encourages a feeling of separation from other humans. Unlike religion, you don’t have to be taught how to dance or sing. They are instinctive behaviors.

Combine music, dance and people, especially children, and you have a compelling reason to be optimistic about the future of our species. Many things I see every day tempt me to become a complete pessimist. Then I see something like the following video and I realize I’m still the foolish romantic, still a humanist. Watch and enjoy.

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