An Atheists look at religion, faith and God

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Peanut Butter
2007-06-11 18:40:00
If you don’t laugh at this then there’s no hope for you. I really love it when people completely misunderstand something and then build an argument from the misunderstanding. It’s extremely funny and this is a great example of it. Oh, and this follow up response is excellent!
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EVOLUTION IS A LIE - Part Deux
2007-06-09 18:17:00
Of course evolution is not a lie, and nor is creation a science. A few days ago I posted a topic stating that I agreed with creationists that evolution was a fallacy and then I asked them to provide verifiable scientific evidence to show why creation was a valid scientific theory. Why? Because I’m fed up of debating creationists only to hear them trying to debunk evolutionary theory rather than offer their own evidence as to why their hypothesis should be accepted. It was time for creationists to prove something, not disprove something else and then treat this as evidence. I didn’t want to get into arguments about evolution. It has nothing to do with the creation argument. I simply want real evidence to prove creationism. I don’t want this false dichotomy, ‘Creation is right because there are ‘issues’ with evolution.’ I’ve said this many times on my blog, just because there might be issues with theory A, theory B is not then by defaul...
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Michael Shermer: Why people believe strange things
2007-06-08 23:55:00
I found this video on Scott’s blog. It’s a Ted Talk featuring Mich ael Shermer who does a great job mixing scepticism with humour. Very funny and very interesting. I particularly like the Katie Melua mix at the end! You can grab the video here.
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Quick Funny
2007-06-08 00:41:00
I love cartoons and this is too good not to post. I found it whilst perusing Mindcore’s excellent blog. This is probably a good time to mention three of my favorite atheist cartoon sites, By The Book Comics, Russell’s Teapot and Jesus and Mo. If anyone has any others then let me know.
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EVOLUTION IS A LIE
2007-06-07 22:55:00
Evolution is a lie. It’s not a valid scientific theory, it’s full of holes and requires faith to believe it. No rational person with any kind of scientific knowledge can accept evolution. “Why?” I hear you shout. Well, what about the moondust? Answer that one…. The evolution delusion. It’s time to take our heads out of the sand and see evolution for what it is. A delusion. I know what you’re all thinking. “How, as an atheist can you say such things? Well, it’s what I believe. We can’t test evolution, we don’t have the time. Anyway, what use is half an eye? Do you think that by chance, the eye magically came into existence? And what about the monkeys? Why are we not seeing them evolve into humans? After all, that’s where we came from. I’ve been convinced by an earlier discussion on my blog. As much as Scott attempted to prove a man (?) named ‘TruthSeeker’ wrong, with scientific fact and evidence, I...
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Christopher Hitchens gets his bottom spanked!
2007-06-06 02:45:00
How did this happen? Al Sharpton is a genuinely decent man but he’s not the sharpest tool in the box. I could have made a better debate of it than Hitchens and that’s saying something. This was basic stuff. I’ve read ‘God is not great’ and it’s a brilliant book. Hitchens just lost the plot in this one. I disagree with much of what Hitchens says on politics for example but he’s normally very assured in this kind of debate and rarely gets spanked like this. Am I being too harsh on him? Maybe I expected too much. It’s not that he ‘lost’ the debate, it’s just that he missed every opportunity to make a good case.
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The Eden project
2007-06-05 22:28:00
“Your God person puts an apple tree in the middle of a garden and says do what you like guys, oh, but don’t eat the apple. Surprise surprise, they eat it and he leaps out from behind a bush shouting `Gotcha’. It wouldn’t have made any difference if they hadn’t eaten it.” “Why not?” “Because if you’re dealing with somebody who has the sort of mentality which likes leaving hats on the pavement with bricks under them you know perfectly well they won’t give up. They’ll get you in the end.” Douglas Adams Restaurant at the end of the universe
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Channel 4 news on the creation museum + a question…
2007-06-03 22:41:00
Incidentally, I was looking at the jobs section of the website to see what kinds of people they were looking for. One of the jobs advertised is for a Speaker and Researcher of Geology. The job description states: Education, Experience and Skill Requirements Doctorate in geology preferred, or some other related scientific discipline (e.g., paleontology). I’m slightly befuddled at the thought of a University giving a degree in paleontology to a person with creationist beliefs. I’ve also noticed another key requirement for anyone looking to gain employment for the museum. This goes for security staff to housekeeping Staff. Items needed for possible employment Resume Salvation testimony Creation belief statement Confirmation of your agreement with the AiG Statement of Faith I’m not sure about this but can they do that? Furthermore, if this is a museum based on evidence and science then why would one need a salvation testimony or creation belief statement? Very strange...
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Unfair Opportunities for Salvation
2007-06-03 20:34:00
Most Christians would state that all souls either go to heaven or hell. They would also have the assertion that God is just and benevolent. These two assertions, when carried to a logical end, do not seem to be able to support the weight of the many problems brought up when they are applied to reality. I want to attempt to juxtapose them against some history and philosophy to point out some problems that I found myself arriving at: the problem of unfair opportunities for salvation. The problem with the dual assertions of a heaven/hell world and a benevolent God is the problem of equal opportunity. Christians, Muslims, and Jews all state that their religion is exclusively true. Yet, all of these religions have followers that depend on other demographics. Christians are largely found in the Western World, Islam is largely found in Africa and the Middle East, while Judaism is found in Israel and pockets of the Western World. The overwhelming majority of people follow the same religion...
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Unscientific atheist
2007-06-03 17:54:00
This has been doing the rounds on a few atheist blogs and I thought I’d take the test. I’ve never been very good at science, and it seems as if everyone else got ‘A’s but I’m still proud of my ‘B’ It’s harder than it looks. When I was younger I always dismissed science and maths “Who needs to know about quadratic equations”? As I got older I realized just how silly I was to believe such things. I took philosophy, economics, politics and history courses because they were easier for me to pass. I wish now that I’d have concentrated in science because I’d have done better at this blasted test. I think I might be the least science proficient atheist alive! Someone prove me wrong, please…
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Pat Condell - Fab youtuber from the UK
2007-06-03 16:16:00
A comedian that talks about faith, God and religion, he also has his own website: Pat Conde ll, definitely worth checking out.
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I don’t have a viable argument so I’m going to scare the sh*t o
2007-06-03 02:58:00
Sound familiar? Ingenious… “Hell’s too hot; heaven’s full of religious people. That’s supposed to be a choice?”
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A Logical Analysis of the Holy Spirit
2007-06-02 03:26:00
In many of the debates I engage Christians in I frequently hear a defense which essentially ends the debate. One of these is claiming the presence of the Holy Spirit . A generally hard-pressed opponent states that they have felt the Holy Spirit throughout their life and so changing their minds is simply impossible. This is immediately a suspect claim because anyone who comes into a debate with the idea that it is impossible to have their minds changed is not being intellectually honest. I find it somewhat cowardly to expect an opposing view to have an open mind to one’s own argument, while at the same time being unwilling to extend the courtesy themselves; but I digress. The Holy Spirit argument is one that I feel is particularly weak and is at the bedrock of much of the faith that believers hold so dear. In this writing I’ll explore various questions to which I have never received a credible answer. While I do not currently believe a satisfactory answer that does not de...
More About: Analysis , Logic

Creation Museum Pictures
2007-06-01 20:16:00
Anyone want to see some pics from the Creation Museum ? The full set is avaialble here. I’m not sure there’s much to say except for maybe POPPYCOCK!
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Louis Theroux: The Most Hated Family in America
2007-06-01 12:27:00
A couple of months ago, Louis Theroux visited the Phelps family and took the BBC cameras with him to see what all the fuss was about. I’m sure everyone’s heard about them but if not, they’re a family lead by Fred Phelps and demonstrate about everything from homosexuality to the nation of Sweden. They’re the one’s that run around with the “AIDS cures fags” banners. It’s not so much the issues they demonstrate on that make them so infamous (that’s the kind of crap we have come to expect from fundamental Christians) it’s the way they go about it. They’ll picket dead soldiers funerals claiming a link between homosexuality in America and their death. It’s crass and utterly disgusting. What interested me most about this program was the relationship between Fred Phelps and the rest of his family. It’s obvious that some of them are as nuts as he is but I found it sad to see Louis speaking with one of the daugh...
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Jesus Camp - Online
2007-06-01 02:23:00
For anyone that hasn’t yet seen Jesu s Camp , I’ve just noticed that it’s now online and available for viewing. It’s on Atheist Nation so I assume it’s legit and they’re not being naughty. You can grab the video here. If you haven’t seen it yet, then it’s a must watch. I posted a quick article on it some time ago which includes a short clip that even most theists would find despicable.
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Proof of God from experience
2007-06-01 00:47:00
Another quick and random thought…I often hear theists say “I know God exists because I have experienced him”. We can retort with a psychological argument or discuss brain chemistry etc. But something that just struck me is the gaping philosophical hole that argument leaves. If God can be proven by a ‘godlike’ experience’, can he then not also be disproved by the lack of a ‘godlike’ experience? Doesn’t such an argument leave the theist completely open and vulnerable to such a philosophical stance? Just a thought…
More About: Experience , Proof , Peri , Erie , Proof of God

Some fun from Bill Hicks
2007-06-01 00:06:00
I can’t believe I’d never heard of Bill Hicks! I was introduced to him earlier today by a friendly atheist. Such a funny guy if not a little angry at times! (Hicks, not the atheist)
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“Root of All Evil?” Uncut
2007-05-31 22:16:00
This is an interview that was cut from Dawkins’ “Root of all Evil ” documentary.
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Am I a creationist?
2007-05-30 19:26:00
I just had a random thought, it came from nowhere really but here it is. I hope it makes sense, it’s not structured and I’m just thinking aloud. I could believe in a godlike being that created the universe. I really could. In fact, to some extent, it makes sense to me. If someone was to argue that a being/force/energy created the universe and then stepped back and allowed the universe to play itself out then why not? Philosophically, it’s a reasonable argument. I suppose it’s a kind of deism. It’s important not to be completely closed minded about things. We need to accept that there are, and will be some things beyond our comprehension. A bit like the Hawkins lecture I saw the other day where he explained that the universe was created from nothing. Maybe that’s it? Maybe that’s why I’m having these thoughts? I watched the lecture a couple of times and I was lost, completely and truly flummoxed. It’s strange that because I don&...
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Saved
2007-05-30 14:33:00
Has anyone watched the film Save d? It’s a really interesting movie by Brian Dannelly (who, incidentally, directed a couple of great episodes of Weeds) following a schoolgirl that is demonized by her Christian friends after she becomes pregnant. The story is all the more fascinating because the boy that impregnated her is gay! The idea behind it is that, as a Christian, the lead character attempts to ’save’ him by having sex and turning him straight. It’s a good film with some nice messages. You can watch the trailer here. During my daily trawl through Youtube I discovered a video which reminded me of this film. The Christian character in Saved seems to me to be very much like Monica from TicTocMinistries. Monica has such a strong resemblance to the Christian schoolgirl (philosophically that is) it’s uncanny. I won’t link to the site, full off pop ups etc but you can see their work on their Youtube channel The video is called ‘For The Atheis...

World’s first creationist museum opens in Kentucky
2007-05-30 00:40:00
The Creation Museum claims dinosaurs such as Tyrannosaurus rex lived alongside ancient civilisations but were strictly vegetarian before the Fall of Man and that the Grand Canyon was created by Noah’s flood. When Mr Marsh was asked to explain the existence of fossilised remains of man’s ancestors, he replied: “There are no such things. I’m getting really bored of all this creation stuff. I’ve yet to see someone actually back up their beliefs with something other than The Bible. It’s getting tedious but we’ve got to talk about it because this kind of thing keeps happening. The creationists just keep getting that exposure. I wonder if Dawkins isn’t right in his view that no creationist should ever be debated?
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Even the celebs are at it now…
2007-05-29 23:16:00
I’ll admit it, I’m a bit of a celeb addict. I put it down to my wife’s unhealthy obsession with all that is celebrity. The day I go without the ‘E’ channel taking over the living room or tripping over a copy of Heat then then I know she’s left me. Unfortunately that’s left me hooked on the intimate details of anything Lindsay Lohan or (and now I know there’s no God) Britney Spears. Anyhow, Paris Hilton recently received a custodial sentence for something or other. DUI I think. So what does she do? She finds God. Oh yes she did! What am I going to do with my spare time now? No more Paris Hilton in skimpy clothes, what’s left to live for? Not only did Paris go down (see what I did there?) but Kirsten Dunst of Spiderman fame has been running around with Sagan’s The Varieties of Scientific Experience: A Personal View of the Search for God. She’s friends with Sasha Sagan so that explains her interest. Another good book ...
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I get so angry..
2007-05-29 18:38:00
When I hear this kind of rubbish. This was a debate featured on ABC Nightline. The idea was to have Kirk Cameron and his Chuckle Brother comrade prove, scientifically, that God exists. (If you don’t believe me about the Chuckle brother comment check the link, you have to see it to believe it. For anyone in the UK below the age of 40 you’ll probably know who they are) Debating them were Kelly and Sapient from The Rational Response Squad. I’m not a massive fan of them to be completely fair, I think they got off on the wrong foot with the Blasphemy Challenge stuff. It may have been funny at first but I didn’t think that much of it. So Ray, (the Chuckle Brother, I’m serious, take a look), went off on one, talking nonsense as you would expect. Even I could make a better case for God’s existence, he reverted to all the same old crap that you thought you’d seen disproved a million times. First there was the semantic issue, I will scientifically p...
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“I used to be an atheist”
2007-05-29 15:49:00
It’s normally trotted out when you’re debating religion, or discussing whether God exists or being told that atheists are evil because without God we’d kill everyone. Then it happens. The golden phrase “I used to be an atheist”. Now I can understand why one would want to use this. It gives some level of credence when discussing theism. It’s akin to one saying they have gay friends in an argument over gay adoption. Maybe I should do the opposite “I used to be a Christian”. However I don’t, because I feel stupid enough already without wanting to advertise the fact. I don’t think it helps me with my argument very much. I’d liken it to saying “I used to believe in Santa”. It doesn’t really help. Anyway, there’s something painfully obvious that anyone that uses this argument fails to get. “OF COURSE YOU WERE AN ATHEIST ONCE” You may as well have said, “I used to wear a nappy&rd...
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Hitchens on Falwell
2007-05-29 15:28:00
So Jerry Falwell has left us. Am I happy? You bet. He was a snide little man, spouting hate and discrimination. He and his cronies offered nothing more than religious dogma with the purpose of getting rich and seeking power. But I do feel sorry for him. I have a lot of sympathy because he died without knowing the true wonder of the planet on which he lived. He wasted his life. For that I feel sorry. He never knew just how lucky he was. “We are going to die, and that makes us the lucky ones. Most people are never going to die because they are never going to be born. The potential people who could have been here in my place but who will in fact never see the light of day outnumber the sand grains of Arabia. Certainly those unborn ghosts include greater poets than Keats, scientists greater than Newton. We know this because the set of possible people allowed by our DNA so massively exceeds the set of actual people. In the teeth of these stupefying odds it is you and I, in our ord...
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Bill O’Reilly + Richard Dawkins
2007-05-29 14:26:00
Bill “We had Richard Dawkins on and I think I beat him in a debate because I said to him ‘look, you can not explain to me how the world, the earth, got here’” What now? First, Dawkins doesn’t need anyone to protect him, but I hardly think you beat anyone, second, you’re talking to Kirk Cameron, a man that believes bananas prove God’s existence and third, it’s pretty darn difficult to argue logically that because you don’t believe in theory A that the only other option is for theory B to hold true. “I don’t accept scientific evidence therefore God did it.” It’s just crazy talk Bill. And you know it! Here’s the first interview: Oh, and if one more person brings up Stalin or Hitler to prove why atheism is detrimental to society I think I’m going to scream. It’s like talking with children.
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I’m Alive!
2007-05-29 12:31:00
Yes, I’m still here. Don’t worry, I haven’t been struck down nor have I been converted It’s been a tough couple of months with work and all kinds of other things. I’ve been out of the country a few times and really haven’t had much time to post anything. I haven’t just squandered my time though! I’ve been doing lots of reading and also thought about the direction of this blog. I have to be honest, after having a nice break I wondered whether I should stop blogging and spend my time doing something else but a conversation I had the other day made my decision for me. I need an outlet and this is probably the best way of doing it. About a week ago I went out with a friend of mine and his new girlfriend. We were having a nice dinner and the conversation turned to God and religion etc etc. I didn’t really want to start on it but the new girlfriend asked me a question so I decided to answer. Her: So I hear that you don’t belie...
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Ricky Gervais on The Bible….
2007-03-20 19:58:00
Ricky Gervais is a comic genius. Annoying? Yes. Funny? Definitely Here he is explaining how the Bible changed his opinion on evolution and led him to embrace creationism. Tags: atheism, bible, Creationism, evolution, funny, god, ricky gervais, The Bible , youtube, YouTube.comatheism, bible, Creationism, evolution, funny, god, ricky gervais, The Bible, youtube, YouTube.com
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Family Guy vs Christianity
2007-03-20 01:01:00
Following on from the cosmos and rednecks Family Guy post, here’s a compilation from The Family Guy taking on Christ ian ity . Tags: funny, god, religion, YouTube.comfunny, god, religion, YouTube.com