A few posts back I talked about the New Atheism vs. Atheism 3.0. I came across this video recently, and the gentleman who produced it has done an outstanding job of explaining aggressive atheism. Extremely well versed and to the point, the man simply says it better than I could ever hope to. Kudos to Pat Condell. Watch, listen and learn.
Unfortuntely, WordPress doesn’t support embedding this video here, but please take time to click the link for it.
Today, a large number of Americans give thanks to their skydaddy for their “blessings”. That’s fine. But, wouldn’t it be better to thank friends and family for their contributions to your life? How about thanking them instead of a myth? How about thanking yourself for your commitment to leading an ethical life? How about thanking yourself for your honesty, integrity, and honor? How about thanking those who’ve lent you a hand at the office, or the grocery store, or opened the door for you at a restaurant? Just a thought…
And, for your holiday enjoyment… Be thankful she’s not in office!
Don’t forget to butter your Jesus!
Happy Turkey Day! …and try not to be hateful.
Alrighty then! Looking for something to spice up your attractive quotient? Tired of all the “secular scents”? Tired of being crucified by all the hot chicks at the bar, having to endure the pain and agony of rejection? Want to really get nailed tonight? Are you ready to put the holy spirit to work, making you irresistable to the opposite sex? Well, there IS a solution… and yes, this is apparently real. Jesus to the rescue!
Jesus loves you, this I know…cause his stinky tells me so!
Get your fill of turkey on Thursday, because this weekend belongs to the Brutal One!
David 2, the host of “Brutally Honest”, will be INVADING Norman, Oklahoma, and the American Heathen® institute for advanced Free Thought Studies, otherwise known as the home of ShockNet Radio.
David will be doing three shows LIVE from the ShockNet Studio. Obviously he will be co-hosting “American Heathen®” with RJ Evans on Friday, which normally IS live but for the first time he will be working in the same room with RJ.
On Saturday, David will be doing a LIVE broadcast of “Brutally Honest on ShockNet“, which will be a first for ShockNet and something that hasn’t been done in seven years.
And then on Monday, David will be making a guest appearance on the “Rock & Roll Diner” show with CA Wood and RJ Evans as they play the best in rock music “leftovers” as you get rid of your own turkey leftovers.
Yes, Virginia, there IS a “Brutal One” and he will be invading Oklahoma this weekend! The question is… is Oklahoma ready for him?
You have to give the GAP a big round of applause! In the perfect slap across the face to the supposed “War on Christmas” crowd… you know… the CNP’s voting base… the O’Reilly, Beck, Limbaugh, Hannity loonies? Well, let’s just say that the word is these folks aren’t happy about this commercial!
Two thumbs up (and if I had a third or fourth thumb, they’d be pointing up too) to the GAP! I normally don’t like commercials, but this one is FUN! Happy Holidays!
(Editorial Comment from the American Heathen® radio show – Air Date 11/20/09)
What is “being smug”? I’ve been called “smug”, but I’m not quite sure what that means. Could it be that I’m being accused of something, and the accusation is accurate? According to the dictionary, the word “smug” means to be contentedly confident of one’s ability, superiority, or correctness. I guess that means the accusations are correct. But, just who are the accusers, and why have they made the accusation to me and thousands of others? Is it bad to be “smug”? Is it a crime to be “smug”? If so, why is it a crime to be “smug”? What is the punishment for being “smug”? Are there degrees of being “smug”? Is “smug” good or bad? Is “smug” a compliment or an insult?
What exactly am I “smug” about? Well, according to the accusers, I’m smug about things like, evolution and religion, separation of church and state. I’m smug about science. I’m smug about the non-existence of a skydaddy. Hmmm… I guess I stand guilty, proud to be accused, tried and convicted of being “smug”.
It seems to me that being “smug” is a very good thing. I mean, at the very core, “smugness” requires certainty, and certainty requires knowledge, and knowledge requires study, and study requires understanding, and understanding requires observation, and observation requires eyes, ears, noses, hands, feet… Oh yeah! And, a brain! The brain requires input, and a way to sort out all the input data. Sorting the data requires logic and reason! Hey, whada ya know! I must be “smug”! Wow! What a revelation! “Smug” isn’t so bad after all!
But, on the other hand, there are people, a lot of them, who try to appear “smug” without a solid foundation, without reason or logic. I wouldn’t call them truly “smug”. More like, self-righteous, self-absorbed, delusional, misled, incapable, deaf, dumb, blind, ignorant, fools. While they may appear “smug”, they lack the reason and logic, the data sorting capabilities for true “smugness”.
Skydaddy worshipers are always trying to find ways to subjugate people outside of their dogma. They insist that all people dumb themselves down a notch or two. Subservience to fallacy is their play. Knowledge is bad if it threatens to reveal truth. Reason and logic are damned when they get in the way of faith. But, when the faithful don’t get their way, they break out the only ammunition they have in their toolbox. In the bottom of their dirty, greasy box of deception, right next to their Bible – a tome of useless dribble and bile – and their Norman Rockwell fantasy poster, their only weapon sits quietly waiting to be unleashed. The faithful take it out, plug it into their mouth and let it rip! The weapon? Insults. Yes, insults. But, one of these “insults” is misused, mis-characterized, used illogically, as it’s definition is not derogatory. It’s complimentary. That so-called insult is the word “smug”.
Indeed, I am “smug”. When religious wackos take pot shots at me, when their Biblical babble falls way short of doing anything other than annoying me, they start hurling insults like rice at a wedding. My “smugness” becomes their target, and their insultatious mantra. “You’re so smug! Like you know it all!” Well, of course I don’t know it all, but, I do know that religious dogma is full of shit! If they’d do some reading, engage the mass of bio-material between their ears and apply logic and reason to sort it all out… Sure! They can be smug like me too. They too would see the massive errors in their dogma and how stupid and asinine it really is!
Being “smug” is a really great thing my friends! It holds the key to opening the doors of life and it’s greatest mysteries, mysteries that are not revealed through ignorance, but through rigorous study, healthy skepticism, and the application of science, logic and reason. Being “smug” indicates a willingness to be open-minded, a willingness to challenge one’s self, to never be satisfied until all things have been carefully considered, sorted and analyzed. It’s certainty in logic and reason and the rigors of scientific method. It says, “I’m confident in my ability to separate bullshit from fact, truth from fiction, reason from irrationality, science from myth. Being “smug” means never having to apologize for being “smug”. Why apologize for confidence and certainty based in science, logic and reason? Fuck that! You’ve earned the title! Be “smug”!
Does “smug” mean I’m better than someone else? No. Not really. It does mean that I choose to know more. I choose to open my mind. I choose to challenge and engage my mind. I choose to carefully sift through the input data that graces my senses. And… I’m also ready to put everything back through the rigors of science, reason and logic over and over and over again.
Yes. I’m “smug”. I like being “smug”. You can call me “smug” anytime you like! I consider it a compliment, and I’ll gladly thank you. Now if you’ll excuse me, I must continue being “smug”.
File this under “Why Christian Nationalists hate science”.
(Editorial Comment from the American Heathen® radio show – Air Date 11/13/09)
The tragic event in Fort Hood, Texas has revealed the bigotry and self-righteous indignation that the Christian Nationalist Party (read Republican Party) has for any religion other than their own. It is crystal clear, to me, that we have reached a dangerous new plateau in religious and political discourse in this country, one that could literally blowup in our faces, and tip the scales toward the purging of American Liberty.
When all is said and done, it is religion, no matter the flavor, that bares the responsibility for thrusting this nation, and the world, backward in time. Myth has now replaced fact, fiction has replaced truth, and supposition has replaced evidence. No longer can we rely on science, reason and logic to prevail in matters most important to the advancement of humanity. Indeed, they have been readily discarded, and the dogs of war are snarling, foaming at the mouth, pulling against the leash of their religious masters, ready to crush their adversary in the jaws of hypocrisy. The time has come to brace for an all out, religiously driven, bigotry ridden conflict. One that will end with dire consequences.
It has been suggested by people within the ranks of the CNP that the U.S. Military must be “purged” of Muslims. It has been said that “devout” (note the word DEVOUT) Muslims cannot be trusted, that they pose a threat to the safety and security of our nation. Those on the religious right claim that the Muslim religion is violent, willing to sacrifice themselves for their religion, and their God. Bryan Fischer, of the right-wing American Family Association stated a day after the Fort Hood tragedy:
“It is time, I suggest, to stop the practice of allowing Muslims to serve in the U.S. military. The reason is simple: the more devout a Muslim is, the more of a threat he is to national security. Devout Muslims, who accept the teachings of the Prophet as divinely inspired, believe it is their duty to kill infidels.”
Fischer goes on to say:
… As soon as Muslims give us a foolproof way to identify their jihad-is from their moderates, we’ll go back to allowing them to serve.”
Fischer called this idea “Islamo-realism”. Realism? Maybe in the parallel fantasy world of christo-jihadists, but not in a society where Liberty is supposed to be the primary focus. What Fischer and the CNP fail to address is the hypocrisy of this disdainful and reprehensible idea of “purging”. Some of their “devout” interpretations of bible bile sanctions violence against anyone who doesn’t believe the way they do. The bible calls for it. And before the believers in my audience start chanting apologetics, I will remind you that I know the bible bile better than you. I can easily produce verse after verse after verse to rebuke your claims of a loving skydaddy. So don’t even get me started.
Anyway… Fischer and his ilk support in some manner, and or fashion, the murdering of abortion doctors, the banning of gays from the military, from marriage and civil rights. They give silent AND noisy lip service to insurrection, succession, and they use the bible as their ultimate authority. They also have a stranglehold on our military, forcing soldiers to endure their “devout” proselytizing of their version of a skydaddy, under a variety of threats and discrimination. Fischer says he wants someone to give him a “foolproof way” to identify “jihad-is from the moderates”. Really? Well then, let’s do that, and apply this idea to Christianity as well! What’s good for Islam is good for Christianity, and Judaism, and every other religion! Let’s come up with a fool-proof way to identify religious zealots who threaten the security of our nation, our Constitution, and our Liberty! The fact is, a foolproof way to identify religious extremism in this country already exists. Extremism is visible, it’s in the open, and it’s reflected in a religion’s desire to tell human beings how to live, and to be to governed by myth. The physical detector is the U.S. Constitution and the Separation of Church and State.
Take a good look in the mirror Mr. Fischer. Take a hard look in the mirror CNP. Take a close look in the mirror religious America. Religious terrorism isn’t exclusive to one version of a skyaddy myth. Christianity is at the forefront in this country. It runs rampant, unchecked, and in the open. From the halls of Congress to the halls of Justice. From the Electorate to the Legislative branch. From C Street to Wall Street. It’s right in front of our noses. From the issues of Abortion and Planned Parenthood, to Gay Marriage and “Don’t ask. Don’t tell”, from Prayer in Schools and Intelligent Design to the Ten Commandments, the extremes of religion take advantage of every opportunity to terrorize anyone who doesn’t believe the way they do. It’s obvious. And it’s religion’s purging of American Liberty.
Reality in religion runs parallel to what’s truly real. In the religious world view, an all-powerful, all-knowing, all-seeing, all-hearing, supernatural entity, has given a few the power to dictate the whole of humanity in its name. This entity has supposedly placed conflicting tomes in the hands of power mad zealots and ignorant masses, and is watching the conflict on his terrestrial plasma flat-screen, with a bowl of popcorn, a beer, and a cigar close at hand. It’s the best in skydaddy entertainment! It’s the feature presentation! Skydaddy Productions, in association with Son of God Films is proud to present “Blood-fest Earth”! You see, this isn’t reality. But, what religious zealots refuse to do is ask themselves why they need to do the dirty work for a skydaddy in the first place? Believe me, they won’t ask. They’re living in a fantasy, a sickly delusion, and unfortunately it’s not a game. In true reality, a world which religious zealots do not live, America is the land of the free, and home of the brave. In the fantasy world of religion, America is the land of dominion, and home of self-righteousness. And they want anyone who doesn’t believe the way they do purged from this land.
Who should really be purged from our military and our government? Liberty or Religion? Religion, period. Make no mistake my friends. The wars we fight today are not about political ideologies. They are religious wars. And they are fought, not only in Iraq and Afghanistan, but around the world and right here at home. They are fought between religious ideologies masquerading as political issues. And you are soldiers, reliable for your ignorance, and expendable in your complacency.
Whether in the military, civil service, or a citizen… If you allow Liberty to be purged, you too, can and will be purged.
(Editorial Comment from the American Heathen® radio show – Air Date 11/06/09)
Atheism 3.0. They call it a kinder, gentler Atheism, devoid of malice, anger, and confrontation, but prominent and open. It’s a form of Atheism that embraces religion as a positive contributor to the human condition and the world. On the other side of the godless fence stands the New Atheism. It is bold, confrontational, relentless, and calls religion out, holding it responsible for its hypocrisy, self-righteousness and bigotry. Some are calling these two different views a schism, a fracture in the foundation of non-belief. I call it bullshit.
I ascribe to the New Atheism ideal. I refuse to allow religion a free pass. For centuries, religion has run roughshod over political and social justice. It has denigrated the human spirit and ripped reason and logic from their rightful place in human endeavor. Religion terrorizes, conquers and destroys in the name of mythology. It does so with malice and contempt. It knows no bounds in its totalitarian crusade to rid human beings of independent thought and action.
Yes, there are two ideals here. But, they aren’t the only ones. It has been said many times before, Atheists are like cats. Trying to get us together on any issue is like trying to herd cats. We’re far too independent and skeptical to follow a single train of thought. Indeed, it is the very nature of non-belief that pushes us away from a single, static thought process, and that keeps us just outside of arms reach of one another both politically and socially. There are plenty of ideas, as many as there are Atheists, Humanists, Agnostics. While we may share a few points of interest with one another, by no means do we share much more than that. There is one ideal that is shared by all though. And that is independent thought.
The so-called “fracture” within Atheism is an aberration. It’s an attempt to define and categorize the already basic human behavior of fight or flight. As I see it, the Atheist either chooses to stand and fight against repression, aggression, discrimination, and the lies and misinformation of religion, OR the Atheist chooses to capitulate, endear themselves and surrender to religion under the utopian notion of perfect peace and harmony. It really is that simple. Stand and fight, or Stockholm Syndrome.
The New Atheism is not really new. The war against religious tyranny has been raging for quite some time. It wasn’t until some prominent men and women opened their mouths in the public square that the war came into full public view. Madalyn Murray O’Hair, Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris, Penn & Teller, Bill Maher, and a whole host of others, stepped out and spoke openly about non-belief. Others have since followed, and the truth about non-belief has become front page news. This New Atheism is not new. It’s simply louder, prouder, and more open than its earlier renditions. No longer contained in the dark corners of the individual’s mind, it has escaped from the cell of religious bigotry and fear. This so-called “New Atheism” is calling religion out to account for its claims. It’s standing toe to toe, face to face, against religion’s fables and demanding evidence. It’s exposing long-standing religious bigotry and showing itself as more ethical and humane than any religious ideology.
Standing tall is not a bad thing. Standing proud and demanding evidence is the right thing. Exposing the fraud of religion is a good thing. These ideals are not new to Atheism. They are a time-tested antibiotic to the bacterium that is religion. But religion, unlike real bacteria, doesn’t evolve. It cannot stand against the assault of science, reason and logic. It merely changes shape, but never function. It does not adapt.
New Atheism? No. But, it is time for a re-issuance. It’s time for the Evolution of a Godless Revolution. And, I’m here to tell you… Religion cannot hide.
Atheism 3.0 is a fad, a brief, unrealistic utopian dream. It is the raising of the white flag by a few, fearful of reprisal, destined to serve, to be enslaved by religion’s dominionist crusade. It is ignorance for ignorance sake. Turn the other cheek, only to be whipped more severely than before under the lash of religion’s crop. It’s appeasement from fear. It will not last. Confrontation is truly the only way to purge religion’s designs for conquest of humanity. Confrontation and demand for proofs of divine existence must dominate our discourse with religion. The time for diplomatic gestures has passed. Blasphemy, heresy, mockery, disdain, fact over fiction, evidence over faith, these are the weapons that will enlighten the weak in faith, and force others to question their faith. These are the tools that will free the human mind to embrace the intrinsic human entitlement of liberty for all.
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