An Atheists look at religion, faith and God

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Why Atheism?
2007-07-09 23:57:00
I’ve been asked this question a few times, not only on this blog but also in one of my favorite blogging communities, 9rules. I wanted to quickly to clarify my position. First, what is atheism? I won’t delve into lots of dictionary definitions because ultimately they say very much the same thing. Simply put, atheism ...
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Pastor Deacon Fred - Godless March on Washington.
2007-07-09 22:32:00
This is awesome. It’s not what you expect comedy, funny, god, humor, religion
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Christians abuse young girl
2007-07-09 22:26:00
I thought Dawkins was never going to turn up! Could you imagine living in a place like this? I guess unfortunately, some of you don’t have to. This video shows a young girl, with atheist beliefs telling her story of how she was bullied by both pupils and teachers in her school. One can sometimes forget ...
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Atheist takes on the Mormons
2007-07-09 02:16:00
John Safran, a filmmaker from Australia has had enough. He’s just a little angry at Mormon s knocking at his door at all hours trying to convert him, so he decides to get his own back. He travels to Salt Lake City Utah and tries to convert Mormons to atheism. Strangely, the locals were not ...
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Buy a Bible signed by Jesus Christ!
2007-07-09 02:03:00
Today, for only $1,000,000.00 YOU have the opportunity to purchase a Bible signed by JC himself! Click! Exclusive to eBay. This rare Bible ( discovered by a shepherd in the NW of Lake Gennesaret ) has been carbon dated by the Institute Of History, Ohio, USA and is said to originate from around 60AD. Further tests have ...
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Carl Sagan Cosmos - Online in Hi-Def!
2007-07-08 03:52:00
Okay, This is cool. Stop whatever you’re doing, make a cup of tea, let the cat out, and wave your normal Sunday activities goodbye. Carl Sagan’s Comos is online for your viewing pleasure! If I’d have known this I wouldn’t have spent $100 buying the DVD! (alright, yes I would but you get the point) I ...
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Christopher Hitchens - Point of Inquiry
2007-07-07 15:08:00
Christopher Hitchens is this week’s guest on Point of Inquiry. He discuss ‘God is Not Great’ with D.J. Grothe. He explains his aims behind writing the book and how it fits in with the current wave of atheist bestsellers. I do like his point that if you want to see something that’s marvelous and awe inspiring, ...
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Keith Allen Will Burn In Hell - Video Available
2007-06-27 00:09:00
Following on from my post on Keith Allen ’s docu on the Phelps, for those that missed the programme, the video in now available to view on Google.
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In Defense of Witchcraft
2007-06-26 23:58:00
Sam made a terrific point about witchcraft in his debate with Chris Hedges. He asked the audience to imagine what it’s like to be him and likened it to those who took issue with burning witches. I thought it was a great conclusion and one I’d not heard from him before. He now expands on this in the Huffington Post. “The danger is that the aggression and hostility to [magic] in all its forms… deters engagement with the really interesting questions that have emerged recently in the science/[necromancy] debate. The durability and near universality of [witchcraft] is one of the most enduring conundrums of evolutionary thinking… Does [spell-casting] still have an important role in human wellbeing? … If [sorcery] declines, what gaps does it leave in the functioning of individuals and social groups?” Hah!
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Christian Porn
2007-06-26 23:37:00
Since posting a blog about the XXXChurch, I seem to be getting a lot of visits from people searching for ‘Christian Porn’. Who on earth would be searching for such a thing and moreover, what the heck is Christian porn? If it does exist then it’s bound to be total rubbish. I understand Christians need just as much relief as the rest of us but I’m not sure my blog is going to help with that very much. So for any Christian wanting to get his/her rocks off, please follow this link to Loving Wife Spanking in a Christian Marriage. What is Christian Domestic Discipline? “A domestic discipline marriage is one in which one partner in the marriage is given authority over the other and has the means to back the authority, usually by spanking. A Christian Domestic Discipline marriage is one that is set up according to Biblical standards; that is, the husband is the authority in the household. The wife is submissive to her husband as is fit in the Lord and her hus...

Why I am not a Christian
2007-06-26 22:55:00
One of my favorite books is “Why I am not a Christian ” by Bertrand Russel. In fact it was part of my reading material at University and the book that first made me think deeply about atheism and God. It tackles most of the arguments for the existence of God that I was first exposed to by the religious as a young adult such as the argument from design and the first cause argument. It’s a great read and well worth taking a look at. The first chapter of “Why I Am Not a Christian: And Other Essays on Religion and Related Subjects” (which I’d reccommend buying) is available online. It was originally a lecture given by Russell on March 6, 1927 to the National Secular Society, South London Branch, at Battersea Town Hall. One section that really resonates with me is that of fear and religion: “Religion is based, I think, primarily and mainly upon fear. It is partly the terror of the unknown and partly, as I have said, the wish to feel that you have...

Tagged by Atheist Revolution
2007-06-26 14:15:00
I was tagged by atheistrevolution in a blog meme. Here’s the score: - We have to post these rules before we give you the facts. - Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves. - People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules. - At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names. - Don’t forget to leave them a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog. So here are my random facts. 1. I live in Wimbledon and think about moving every-time the tennis circus comes to town 2. I’m a massive U2 fan and have been on every tour since 1989. 3. I have a very famous name and use it to get tables at the best restaurants! 4. A girlfriend once knocked out my front tooth 5. I’m so stretchy I can make my feet touch my ears 6. Earlier today I ran through the kitchen to get to the phone, slipped and now have a broken toe 7. I am in-numerate, tha...
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Tom Cruise is BANNED!
2007-06-25 22:11:00
‘Germany has barred the makers of a movie about a plot to kill Adolf Hitler from filming at German military sites because its star Tom Cruise is a Scientologist, the Defense Ministry said on Monday.’ Good stuff! Germany has really taken the scientologists to task recently. First the German Government decided not to recognize scientology as a religion, then there were protests at the opening of a new Scientology Centre in Berlin and now they ban Tom Cruise from filming on military sites. A religion based on spaceships really can’t be described as anything other than a cult. Congratulations to Germany for taking a strong stance!
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Raped - Want the morning after pill? Sorry, can’t do it…
2007-06-22 23:02:00
Speechless. Lori Boyer couldn’t stop trembling as she sat on the examining table, hugging her hospital gown around her. Her mind was reeling. She’d been raped hours earlier by a man she knew — a man who had assured Boyer, 35, that he only wanted to hang out at his place and talk. Instead, he had thrown her onto his bed and assaulted her. “I’m done with you,” he’d tonelessly told her afterward. Boyer had grabbed her clothes and dashed for her car in the freezing predawn darkness. Yet she’d had the clarity to drive straight to the nearest emergency room — Good Samaritan Hospital in Lebanon, Pennsylvania — to ask for a rape kit and talk to a sexual assault counselor. Bruised and in pain, she grimaced through the pelvic exam. Now, as Boyer watched Martin Gish, M.D., jot some final notes into her chart, she thought of something the rape counselor had mentioned earlier. “I’ll need the morning-after pill,” she told him. Dr....
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Charities
2007-06-22 13:57:00
I really despise that fact that we have charities in this country. I’m not talking about charities like The Donkey Sanctuary, I’m speaking of those that deal with fundamental issues such as child abuse and homelessness. I’ve been meaning to write a quick blog about charity and I thought I’d put something down very quickly as I read an article on the Mark7.com blog about children eating out of a garbage can. I don’t actually agree with his final point of “I think we should find food, health care and homes for our children before we move on to the moon” because I see the advancement of technology as vital and of course one of those ways is space exploration. But I agree with the sentiment. For some reason we seem to accept that chairty has a place in our society. We shouldn’t. If any of us were in power, would we tolerate charities such as the NSPCC or would we see it as a failure on our part to solve basic social issues? It’s gro...
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(Sir) Salman Rushdie reads The Satanic Verses
2007-06-22 02:44:00
With all this controversy about Rushdie’s knighthood I thought it would be interesting to post a little about what’s getting people’s backs up. Why people believe he deserves to die. Rather than posting some text, I’ve found the man himself reading a section from ‘The Satanic Verses ’. LINK I think it’s rather funny. I’ve not read it myself but if the rest is as good it might be worth finding a copy. Has anyone else read it? Worth spending a few $$$ on it?
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Blair finally puts faith before politics
2007-06-22 01:53:00
His spiritual awakening goes back at least 30 years, to his time as an undergraduate at Oxford, but due to political considerations Tony Blair ’s conversion to Catholicism has been a long time coming. Interesting stuff. I think most of those living in Britain know that Blair was a very religious person, even if he kept it somewhat hidden. Now he’s leaving office it looks like he’s going through the proper conversion process. What is interesting is, on the face of it, how little Catholicism has had an influence on the Blair years. Only recently he went against the Catholic Church on gay rights legislation. Iraq is another example. (Although the infamous interview he gave when he mentioned his faith as something that helped him in his decision might be an argument against that). I do think Blair ought to be applauded for keeping religion out of policy making. He has slipped a few times burt in general it doesn’t seem to have been that great an influence on his p...
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Keith Allen Will Burn In Hell
2007-06-21 23:41:00
I’m just watching Keith Allen Will Burn In Hell on C4 and already it’s providing some good funny moments. The idea behind the program is that he’ll be visiting the Phelps a bit like Louis did a few months ago. Knowing Keith Allen it may be a little more explosive! Anyway, he started off with a vid that I’ve never seen before and thought was funny. Lo and behold, it’s on youtube! Here it is: LINK Hopefully the whole program turns up on youtube or Google, I’ll keep a lookout and post it for those that can’t get C4.

The Phelps II
2007-06-21 00:16:00
Following on from my previous post on Louis Theroux and the Phelps Family, I found a couple of interesting videos on youtube. First, A funny clip where Michael Moore confronts Fred Phelps with his ’sodom mobile’, it’s funny stuff LINK The second clip is from the O’Reilly factor, where O’Reilly and a radio show host discuss the Phelps. The Phelps were planning to hijack the funeral of the young Amish children that were murdered but were convinced not to in return for some radio publicity. O’Reilly is a practicing Christian and what interested me was two things. First, he blames the ACLU for ‘backing’ (his words) the Phelps in their campaign to terrorize the bereaved Amish mothers and secondly, he doesn’t seem to see any link between what they’re doing and the scripture that they say, compels them to act in this way. He calls them witch hunters and Nazis. The ACLU has, in fact, been a strong proponent of all free spe...

Parental Advisory - Explicit Content
2007-06-21 00:05:00
I was reading an article on the BBC about a game called Manhunt 2. British censors have banned the game for its: “unrelenting focus on stalking and brutal slaying” Apparently the censors have deemed it morally irresponsible. It got me thinking. I wonder how the Bible would be treated by censors? The Bible is a pretty scary book. It contains gratuitus violence, rape, war, incest, it’s not the kind of thing that you’d really want a child to read. Should it be available to everyone or should it only be sold to those over the age of 16? Maybe it’s time the Bible got a proper rating?!
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Religion, Politics and the End of the World
2007-06-19 01:53:00
The full Sam Harris and Chris Hedges ‘Truthdig‘ debate is now online. As always Sam was being Sam, he was magnificent. He’s as witty as ever but really brings his points home. It’s a great debate. The video and audio files are available on the site here.
More About: Politics , Religion , World , The World , End Of The World

Penn & Teller Creationism Bullshit
2007-06-15 00:58:00
I posted Penn & Teller’s Bible Bullshit a while ago and now it’s time for their take on creationism….. Penn & Teller Creationism Bullshit

Positive Atheism
2007-06-15 00:19:00
Atheism is Posi tive ! Many people in the world seem to view atheists as being something cold, too dispassionate, and latently morose. This perception has always furrowed my brow. As an atheist I can get caught up in the debates and heated discussions regarding how faith is wrong and its power wide. Here, though, I want to show some positive aspects of atheism. True, atheism promises no afterlife. There is no eventual justice, fairness, resting spot, or meeting of old dead friends and relatives. We do offer, however, the truth. The truth is something worth finding, something worth going after. If all we are looking for is comfort, then various drugs can supply that. That is all they offer however: baseless comfort. I’ve always found a certain satisfaction from looking life squarely in the eye and living to my fullest extent. With atheism and the one life that people in this world are given, they can do with it whatever they want! You can do whatever it is that fulfills YOU! If ...
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Vatican urges end to Amnesty aid
2007-06-14 02:10:00
The Vatican has urged all Catholics to stop donating money to Amnesty International. Why you might ask, would the Catholic Church do such a thing? Have amnesty been embezzling charitable donations? Have they been found guilty of wide scale child abuse? No, don’t be silly. Amnesty have simply stated that they are in “support of abortion for women when their health is in danger or human rights are violated, especially in cases of rape or incest.” Well bugger me senseless vicar. Because of a single policy change you want to undermine all the other works that Amnesty undertake to alleviate the misery that millions of people suffer each year? No discussion I suppose? No compromise to be found? You make me sick with your hypocrisy and superiority complex. Ms Gilmore, Amnesty’s Deputy Secatary General says: “We are saying broadly that to criminalise women’s management of their sexual reproductive right is the wrong answer. “The Catholic Church,...
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#1 Christian porn site- XXXchurch.com
2007-06-13 22:14:00
Huh? Porn Show Bibles? Confused….. But amused.
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Teaching assistant quits in protest at Harry Potter
2007-06-13 11:55:00
“A Pentecostal teaching assistant who quit her job at a foundation primary school after she was disciplined for refusing to hear a child read a Harry Potter book is seeking compensation for religious discrimination. She claimed that the book glorified witchcraft.” “Ms Allen refused to listen to her (the child) reading it because God had stated in the Bible that witchcraft was “an abomination”, she told the Guardian yesterday. “The girl went home and told her mum. I also had told the teacher that I objected to hearing that book read because of my faith,” Ms Allen said.” Isn’t teaching about what’s best for the child and not what’s best for the teacher? What right does a teacher have to supersede the wishes of the parent in what they wish for their child to believe? If your faith is such that you believe Harry Potter to be the work of the devil then you have no place in education. A teacher’s beliefs are secondar...
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Pale Blue Dot
2007-06-12 23:19:00
I was just reminded in another discussion about Pale Blue Dot It’s one of the most influential books I have ever read. No one since has done a better job than Sagan of making us look at our existence in the context of the vastness of the universe. I found this video some time ago, it is a quote from his audio book mixed with music and images including the famous view of earth as a pale blue dot. It’s truly moving and I don’t know why I haven’t posted it before! if you haven’t seen it then spend a couple of minutes and have a look, if you’ve seen it before, watch it again. I don’t think anyone cold ever get tired of Carl Sagan. What a shame he’s gone, I think the world could use someone with his insight. LINK Here is another version where Sagan explains how the picture came to be to a montage of some great films. LINK Science is a way of thinking much more than it is a body of knowledge.

STOP PRESS - Catholic Morality
2007-06-12 16:27:00
*WARNING* Strong Stuff.. “Is it more of a sin for a priest to rape a child wearing a condom than without one? LINK He really doesn’t pull any punches in this video, and I thought I was mean sometimes! Crikey. This is really hardcore atheism!!!
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We of little faith - Susan Blackmore
2007-06-12 12:11:00
Religious belief is inconsistent with reason and corrosive to the human mind - and I don’t want to live in a world where it is respected. Continuing with Guardian theme, Susan Blackmore argues that religious faith is in fact, inconstant with reason and that faith should not be seen as virtuous or something that we ought to respect. She writes “Faith is corrosive to the human mind. If someone genuinely believes that it is right to believe things without reason or evidence then they are open to every kind of dogma, whim, coercion, or dangerous infectious idea that’s around. If someone is convinced that it is acceptable to base their beliefs on what is written in an ancient book, or what some teacher tells them they must believe, then they will have no true freedom of thought; they will be trapped by their faith into inconsistency and untruths because they are unable to throw out false ideas when evidence against them comes along.” This is certainly something I ...
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Richard Dawkins interviewed on science extra
2007-06-12 11:25:00
The Guardian has posted a podcast featuring Dawkins on God and religion. You can listen to the interview here.
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