Catholic Priest vs. “silly” Stephen Hawkins on Science

A Catholic Priest, Father Robert Barron, “weighs in on renowned scientist Stephen Hawking's upcoming book release in which he offers his "scientific" view on the existence of a creator.”

You can read the article here: -

http://wordonfire.org/WoF-Blog/WoF-Blog/September-2010/Culture--Stephen-Hawking---More-Tiresome-Atheism.aspx

How time repeats itself. Millennia ago scientists were no doubt ridiculed by theologians that “philosophized” that the Earth is round. Galileo was put under house arrest for proposing that the world isn’t at the center of the universe. And Charles Darwin’s discovery of bottom up, as opposed to top down design, evolution, is still denied today.

So Stephen Hawkins quote of, “Because there is a law such as gravity, the Universe can and will create itself from nothing”, one would have though that theologians would have learned to keep their moths shut for fear of sounding ridiculous… again… and again… and…

Quoting Father Barron, “scientists tend to make lots of silly statements when they attempt to philosophize”. Implying that only those like him that are gifted with the powers of witchcraft, voodoo, and magic can tell us such things as, god injects a human “soul” into a zygote at the moment of conception, and god won’t allow two people of the same sex that love each other to get married, and the integrity of the Catholic church is more important than the sexual molestation of our children, and that condoms are bad, even if one partner is known to have AIDS.

Real brain twisters like, space and time are interconnected so high speeds and immense gravity alter the passage of time itself, (what?), the double slit experiment where electrons can behave as either waves or particles depending on if a conscious entity is observing them, (what? what?), or when two particles are ‘entangled’, they can theoretically be on opposite sides of the universe but behave as if they were together, (what? what? what?). So Father Barron’s philosophical quote of “from nothing comes nothing” sounds just as ignorant as saying, “what goes up, must come down”, in reference to the Voyager space craft.

Our brains were designed by natural selection over millions of years to serve us well as hunter gatherers. The comprehension of concepts such as cosmology and quantum physics is only a lucky byproduct of that evolved intelligence. We can’t honestly comprehend times in excess of more than a few human generations, or distances more than one could naturally travel. But theoretical physics pushes us beyond that. Our brains can’t comprehend a ‘place’ without space or time so it’s an arrogant person that can so easily deny it in the face of mounting evidence, and an ignorant person that demands everything, including gravity, needs “contingency”.

The only true answer to the question, “why is there something rather than nothing” is, “nobody knows”. Science is starting to discover that, contrary to human intuition, “nothing” is unstable. Religion is still flogging the medieval dead horse of “magic man did it”, and “magic man doesn’t need an explanation”. Science is turning to evidence, such as the $10 billion Large Hadron Collider experiment. Conversely, Father Barron is trying to make the existence of god NOT a scientific question. He relies on fuzzy “metaphysics”, vague rhetoric and the degradation of science (by calling the need for evidence before acceptance an “ism”), as his tools. But god’s ‘gap’, continues to get even smaller.

My First Mega Church

To get a flavour of my new South Carolina home of Greenville, I thought I'd sample the local hospitality and attend a Mega Church, the Redemption World Outreach Center, that's just a few miles from my new home.

For a start, it's not a church; it's a campus! In addition to the "Main Sanctuary", a sports stadium sized arena where the Voodoo takes place, the 10,500 strong congragation are privy to a gym, basketball court, and Family Fitness Center, a preschool, a bookstore, cafateria, a regular Chapel, a "City Transformation Center", (transformation to what?), and a "Power Source Building", (to transform 'older' children). Sounds scary right?


Well, the service, lead by "Apostle" (*face palm*) Ron Carpenter, was an exquisitly executed event that used social psychology to whip up the deluded into a frenzy of Jesus love. Lights, cameras, loud music, and stage performances akin to a rock concert, sporting event or politicl rally, that had the faith heads literally dancing in the asles full of the love of a guy that was executed 2000 years ago. In other words, an abortion doctor murderer breeding ground.

I have no problem with people having a good time, but to so passionatly follow this supernatural garbage at the expense of reason is at best delusional and at worst dangerous. Here's a secular video that instills the same sence of passion in us that's based on our evolutionary heratige - the need for community. "I get by with a little help from my friends" Go Joe Cocker!

Personal Info

As neither atheist nor theist is immune to the ravages of the economic crisis, I've relocated from New Orleans, Louisiana to Greenville, South Carolina.

However, have no fear. My Godless Evangelism shall continue in the Buckle of the Bible Belt just as it did in Cajun Country. Actually, from my brief few weeks, the religious 'nutters' here are more plentiful and assertive, so I'm needed even more here than there.

God moves in mysterious ways?

NFL Player Gives Up Football for Jesus

NFL third round pick, Glenn Coffee has retired after just one year of playing professional football because of his faith.

My initial thought were of sadness for him and his family that, because of a delusion, he's turned his back on a financially secure career that would have been a good foundation for his life. However, thinking about it, maybe from a purely money perspective, he's doing the right thing. He signed a four year contract for $828,000. Now that's not chump change, it's only for four years and an equally talented individual, say a Wall street wizz would be getting that for a life time. In leaving the NFL and turning to a life of spreading the virus... I mean "message" of Jebuz, Coffee will be able to milk his story for the rest of his life.

The only difference of course is that a sports star earns his money by entertaining people. A preacher earns his money by lying to people.

I Get YouTube Comments

Question: If the idea of God can be dismissed as a memetic parasite trying to survive, then any idea can be dismissed the same way--including atheism. The idea of rational thought would itself be a meme. The idea that there are such things as memes would be a meme. Rational thought breaks down entirely under such as system as we could have no way of knowing whether any thought we have has any relationship to reality at all.

Answer: No, you're conveniently ignoring the fundamental difference. EVIDENCE! Using reason, rationality, critical thinking and common sense based on empirical evidence that is testable, repeatable, and subjected to the rigorous scrutiny of peer review.

It's interesting that theists attempt to portray reason, atheism, and even science as a religion. Subconsciously they know the very word "religion" is delusional, divisive, disingenuous and dangerous. It's a fascinating 'panic' defense.

A "Viral Memetic Infection" Victim

Diane Benscoter spent five years as a "Moonie." She shares an insider's perspective on the mind of a cult member. She admits she had a "viral memetic infection".

Can some one please tell me how the Moonie cult differs from Christianity, Islam, Hinduism, or any other religion? The only true answer is numbers of members"

"When one person believes something stupid, it's called insanity. When thosands of people believe something stupid, it's called a cult. When millions of people believe something stupid, it's called a religion."

What "Cult" Size Fits You?

I came across the following slide of a presentation at the Faculty of Philosophy lecture by Robin Dunbar, Director of the Institute of Cognitive and Evolutionary Anthropology at the University of Oxford.

http://www.philosophy.ox.ac.uk/events/conferences/religion,_tolerance_and_intolerance


Using 19th century 'utopian cult data' (whatever that is), he determined the optimum group sizes for both religious and secular communities. Not surprisingly, for religious communities the number is about 150. The group size that is considered to be that throughout the majority of human evolution. But for secular communities, that number drops to about 50. It seems that a supernatural component to a group (whether it's true or not) provides increased social adhesion.

What we can deduce from that is to not worry so much when you see attendance at your secular events in onesie-twosie numbers while people are pouring into churches by the dozens. It's natural. Secular organizations should be more numerous, but smaller in size. From a membership of one, (like me), to around 50.

Feed The New Zealand Christian Virus

A church in New Zealand is distributing food for the hungry. That's great! But they've been having problems with delivery. Why?

Kerry Bensemann, the organizer said:

"while the warehouse had adequate staff, the charity's policy was that parcels could be delivered only by members of a church."

http://www.stuff.co.nz/the-press/news/christchurch/3977369/Non-Christian-volunteers-not-wanted-by-food-bank-organiser

So basically, feeding the hungry is just a cover for spreading the Christian memetic virus. The amazing thing is that infected people, like zombies, don't even realize it.

Religion vs. Dungeons & Dragons

I've been listening to the discussion whether gays should be allowed to be married in church, baptized, or even take communion, or, if a woman can be ordained into the Catholic priesthood, or, if blacks (before 1978) could be ordained into the Mormon church. Even though, of course, discriminating against anyone because of their race, gender, or sexual orientation is wrong, but I have to ask myself, "Why would anyone want to?"

It reminds me of the arbitrary rules of the fantasy role playing game of Dungeons and Dragons. That left handers can't enter the 'Kingdom of Varg', or if you're shorter than 5'6", you can't seek immortality from the 'Elves of Zargon', or if you're a double jointed Japanese ballet dancer born in the southern hemisphere and who's belly button sticks out (Ewww - I hate that!), then you can't possibly understand the 'Mysteria from the Forgotten Realms of Ravenloft'?















I think it's time to play a different game?

Godless Quotes

Is there an intelligent man or woman now in the world who believes in the Garden of Eden story? If you find any man who believes it, strike his forehead and you will hear an echo. Something is for rent.

-- Robert Green Ingersoll, "Orthodoxy" (1884)

Jesus is a Professional Wrestler & God (or himself) is his Fight Promoter

Okay, if I go way out here and accept that the Christian god exists and is the all powerful, all knowing supernatural, *groan…*, doesn’t that make the crucifixion and resurrection a huge con trick? Do you really believe that a supreme being would actually allow his son (or himself) to go through all that self imposed mutilation?

Of course not! But it's a great story of, a good guy (Jesus) that gets the crap beaten out of him by bad guy, (the Romans, the Jews, or humanity in general), then good guy comes back and eventually wins! Wouldn’t that make Jesus a kind of ‘Professional Wrestler, and god (or himself) a showman and entertainer like P.T. Barnum of “there’s a sucker born every minute” fame? So, it's all a big side show, planned from the very beginning for the entertainment of the crowd.

The gullible Christians eat it up, just like Pay Per View wrestling fans.

Zombies in Biology and Religion

The Emerald or Jewel Cockroach Wasp (Ampulex Compressa) facilitates a venomous sting at a carefully chosen spot in a roach's brain which induces zombie like behavior. The wasp, which is too small to carry the roach, then leads the victim to it’s burrow by pulling one of the roach's antennae in a manner similar to a leash. Once they reach the burrow, the wasp lays an egg on the roach and the wasp’s larva is free to consume the roach at its leisure.

Similar effects occur in human society via a chemical drug used to assist in the rape of women. An extremely strong hypnotic and powerful sedative, (Flunitrazepam) often cited as the ‘date rape drug’ commonly referred to as a "roofie". It's favored because of its high potency, strong effects, and the ability to cause amnesia of events during the aggressor’s ‘activities’.

Religious equivalents of mindless behavior are too numerous to mention. From zombie like praying, to repetition of meaningless statements like “Jesus loves me”, and “God is good”, etc., etc., all to ensure the survival of the parasite. In this case, that requires power, control and money.

However, the religious parasite doesn’t inject or drug it’s victims does it? Well, in a way it does. The simple observance of the acceptance of these actions by other gullible onlookers is laying the seeds for religious replication. Furthermore, the structure of Christianity is such that disobeying the 'venom' that is pumped into a victim’s brain implies rejection from the community, loosing one’s friends, or even the breakup of the family. In Islam, the penalty for apostasy, (departure from one’s religion) is death! From those perspectives, the cockroach doesn’t have it so bad?

I Watch Porn – I’m Sure I’m the Only One?

Any combination of my two favorite subjects is worth mentioning.

In response to a recent blog about the 15 Sexiest Scientists, http://commonsenseatheism.com/?p=10073, porn star Bree Olsen, http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bree_Olson#cite_note-12 was interviewed and, guess what? She’s an atheist! There is a god! Or should I say, there isn’t a god? Whatever.

Quote: -

"Anything to do with [dead] animals makes me sad. People dying. I hate death. I don't like talking about it. I'm atheist. I know that when you die, there's no heaven, so that really bums me out. I wish I could be Christian and say I'm going to heaven but I know I'm not. It sucks to know the truth."

Okay, so her profession doesn’t exactly adhere to the scientific method, (even though I’ve seen quite a few of her videos and, her ‘methods’ are very ‘adhering’), any contribution to atheism from air head (if she is one) to egg head is fine with me.

Religious Parasites - Inception – Leonardo DiCaprio Can’t be Wrong?

The movie Inception is excellent and I highly recommend it. There are a few references in the movie trailer, and the very first lines that Leonardo DiCaprio says in the movie mention memetic viruses and parasite. Here’s the dialog from the trailer.

“What’s the most resilient parasite? An idea. A single idea from the human mind can build cities. An idea can transform the world and rewrite all the rules.”

I’ve modified the trailer a little, but just the visuals, not the audio. Waddya think?

For those using a browser that can't see the video, here's the link: -

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=JDlvxKxQBGI

Parasitic Fear Reduction - Religion

A parasite, (Toxoplasma gondii) infects the brain of rats and mice and changes they’re behavior by making them drawn to, rather than fearful of, the scent of cats. This effect is obviously disastrous for the rat but advantageous to the parasite, which will be able to sexually reproduce if its host is eaten by a cat. The infection is highly precise, as it doesn’t affect a rat's other fears such as the fear of open spaces or of unfamiliar smelling food.

A religious equivalent, for Christianity in this case, is the story that a man executed 2,000 years ago can take away responsibility for an individual’s socially unacceptable behavior. Accepting the parasitic meme that a supernatural entity has the capability of ‘forgiveness’ provides stress relief or even elation after immoral actions.


This is primarily advantageous to the religious parasitic meme in this case Christianity, as it will replicate from that individuals brain to other people, specifically that person’s family.


On first observation, it’s also advantageous to the individual as well. However, the impact to that individual in the long run, a wasted life in the service of a delusion, is unfortunate to say the least, but the impact on that individual’s society could be devastating. The damage from the Christian meme today ranges from refusing a woman’s right to choose, discrimination against homosexuals, to the murder of abortion doctors. The damage from the Christian meme today ranges from refusing a woman’s right to choose, discrimination against homosexuals, to the murder of abortion doctors.

In the past it was justification for the Crusades, the Conquistadors, slavery, and the persecution of those advocating scientific advancement, continued today in the case of evolution, stem cell research, etc.

Similarly, this infection is highly targeted in that an individual’s sense of reason allowing them to go about their everyday lives, is unimpaired.

Godless Quotes

The most curious social convention of the great age in which we live is the one to the effect that religious opinions should be respected.
-- H L Mencken, in American Mercury (March, 1930)

Mind Control - Religious and Biological

Nature is full of examples of mind control. It’s simple to understand and be repulsed by biological parasites. Here I point out it’s similarities to the parasitic infection known as religious belief. I hope you’ll be equally disgusted.

In ants, the lancet liver fluke, (Dicrocoelium dendriticum) forces it’s victims to clime a blade of grass in order to increase the probability of its being eaten by a grazing animal, where it can enter the animal’s liver and continue it’s life cycle. An ant fungus, (Cordyceps unilateralis), similarly invades an ant’s brain to get it to climb a plant and dig it’s mandibles into the underside of a leaf at a specific location. The fungus then kills the ant, and consumes the ant’s soft tissue but structurally fortifies the ant's exoskeleton to ensue it stays securely anchored to the plant. The fungus then sprouts from the ant’s head releasing spores to re-infect new ant’s located below. And the life cycle continues.

The thorny-headed worm, (Acanthocephala), controls the mind of a blue shrimp, Gammarus lacustris. It latches onto the shrimp and changes its chemistry, possibly affecting serotonin levels. The shrimp looses interest in mating and swims dangerously close to the surface. It will bite onto and cling to plants at the water’s surface, which makes it easy prey for hungry ducks. When a ducks eats the shrimp, the thorny-headed worm has found its home. It lays its eggs inside the duck, continuing its life cycle.

A killifish parasite (Euhaplorchis Californiensis) lives in the gut of shorebirds and produces eggs that are released in the bird’s stool which are swallowed by snails and hatch into larva. Eventually, these larva leave the snail and, finding a killifish, enter it through the gills, and makes its way into the brain cavity. There, the parasite will cause the fish to come to the surface, swim in circles, jerk around and display its silvery underside in an attempt to be consumed by a bird. Once the fish is consumed, the parasite lives in the bird’s gut and the process can begin anew.

An example of repeated service to a parasite is a flatworm larva (Leucochloridium Paradoxum) that uses gastropods (snails and slugs) as an intermediate host. The worm in its larval stage, travels into the digestive system of a snail to develop into the next stage, sporocyst. The sporocyst grows into long tubes to form swollen “broodsacs” filled with tens to hundreds of larvae. These broodsacs invade the snail’s tentacle causing a brilliant transformation of the tentacles, into a swollen, pulsating, colorful display that mimics the appearance of a caterpillar or grub. Infected snails then exposed themselves to predators such as birds. This is unlike most other cases of a parasite mimicking food as only a part of the host resembles the target’s prey. The bird may only eat the snail’s antenna containing the larva, in which case the snail, still infected with the parasite, will re-generate the tentacle and the process will continue until the duped snail’s death.

All these biological parasites control the minds of their victims by injecting chemicals into their brains that alter their behavior. Religion does exactly the same but not by injecting chemicals into the brain, but by injecting ‘ideas’ into the brain which then induce the chemical changes, love, fear, guilt, or any zealous reaction that is in the interest of the religion. If a cultural leader were to tell you that the building was on fire, your wife or husband was having an affair, or your baby child was about to die, if you believed him, that would induce massive chemical changes in your brain no different to that of a deviant neurosurgeon.Of course, the host, be it an ant, a cockroach, a fish, or a human, is completely oblivious and, in the case of the human, may actually believe that their actions are in the interest of the individual and it’s community, and not just the reproductive process that the religion imposes for it’s own benefit and survival.

Celibacy – Religion’s Parasitically Induced Surrender

An ideal example of sacrifice to a religious parasite is celibacy in Catholic priests. Priests willingly commit ‘genetic’ suicide by agreeing to forgo the naturally evolved pleasures of sex as well as the innate desire to reproduce; all in the interest of the Catholic memetic parasite. (However, relatively recent investigations have discovered that sexual gratification was and still is widespread via the rape of young children.)

Catholicism is rare compared to other religious parasites as the reproduction of the individual religious vectors, (a vector is the vehicle of transmission such as a dog or rat in the transmission of rabies, a mosquito for malaria, or sexual intercourse in the case of the HIV virus), such as reverends, pastors, imams, etc. In fact these individuals are known to reproduce more than the social norm as in the case of Warren Jeffs of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, currently imprisoned for rape, sex with minors, and incest.

The evolutionary explanation for this is that the Catholic priest vector, not being ‘burdened’ by marriage can dedicate his time to transmission of the virus. Also, the vector’s sacrifice of celibacy contributes to the feeling of awe in the vectors victims and enhances the adhesion due to authority (with the aid of ‘magical powers’ such as transubstantiation).

I’ll be going into more detail and exploring the comparisons between biological and memetic viruses in future posts.

Mom Shows Lilly 'The Light'!

Praying? And in MY House!

Just to prove that atheists aren’t intolerant insensitive leathery old goats, here’s a picture of a sheltie puppy my wife bread called Lilly. And she’s praying! Then again, she’s six week old and has the brain the size of a small walnut, so inane behavior such as asking a supernatural being to alter the laws of physics for one’s own benefit can be excused.But what’s the excuse of Louisiana lawmakers? http://www.cnn.com/2010/US/06/20/gulf.oil.spill/index.html

Just in case you're concerned, I had a word with Lilly and now she's and atheist. See below.

Godless Leafleting - Opinions Requested

Occasionally, after leaving a grocery store, shopping mall, restaurant, etc., I sometimes see a leaflet underneath the windshield wiper of my car advertising a store, restaurant, local business, or whatever. I recall sometimes seeing advertisement for churches and, on one occasion, after leaving a gym I noticed a leaflet advertising a competitor’s gym.

What are the implications if I placed a leaflet similar to my sign, with my email and phone number on it under the windshield wiper of cars in church parking lots during Sunday service?

Some issues to think about are: -

• What if I wrote to the church prior to doing this and informed them of my intentions and/or asked permission?
• What if I placed these leaflets on cars in business parking lots next to churches during Sunday worship? (I notice that due to the limited parking space in the church lots, people spill over into neighboring business parking lots.)
• What if I placed these leaflets on cars in both church parking lots and neighboring non church parking lots such as shopping malls, etc.?
• What if I placed these leaflets on cars in the parking lots of religious meetings such as conference centers, festivals, stadiums, etc.,
• What if I placed these leaflets on cars in the parking lots of religious meetings/rallies such as an anti-gay marriage demonstration or an anti abortion protests?

Also, what are the legal implications of: -

• If (or should I say “when”) the people throw the leaflet on the ground, am I liable for littering? (What if I contact the church or organization and offer to clean up the litter myself?)
• Is being on a church parking lot without permission trespassing?
• Is touching someone’s car without permission against the law in any way?
• From a purely business perspective, could my atheism or simply the presence of an atheist discourage people to attend that particular church, so therefore I’d be liable in a court of law for adversely affecting the church’s cash flow?
• Would it make a difference if I gave a bunch of kids $10 each to put the leaflets on the cars for me? (Other than child labor laws, tax evasion, and the inevitable headline, “atheist exploitation and ‘abuse’ of children”.)

These questions lie on the fringe of First Amendment rights, social acceptability, and the local city laws so I can understand their subjectivity.

Doug

P.S. There’s a youtube video of an ex-priest that did something similar at http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ioIayArNWt4.

Move Along! Move Along!

I was outside The Healing Place Church, (formally know as the Trinity Christian Center), in Baton Rough this Sunday. The mega church has an estimated congregation of just under 8,000 and it's spectacular! (I have no idea how much it cost to build but I would estimate many tens of millions of dollars.) Check out the web site at http://www.healingplacechurch.org/. Its configuration is also excellent for my needs in that the only two exits are very close together. So my sign, “Hello I’m an Atheists. Do you have any questions for me?” placed just opposite the exits was viewable to everyone leaving the grounds.

I had quite a few people talk to me and, after I bombarded them with more logic, reason, rationality, critical thinking, etc., than they’ve probably ever had in their life, I was informed on several occasions that Jesus still loves me. (Ahhhh.) For the first time, I even got given a bible!

But, alas, as always, I was told to “move along” by the police yet again. There was public road works opposite the exits so, I was asked to leave “for my own safety”. I did converse with the police officer, (who incidentally was very respectful), and asked the obvious question of is my safety the real issue here or is it the message? And of course, I got the usual reply that it was nothing to do with the message.

As I’m over an hours drive away, I have a challenge to anyone in the Baton Rouge area, Christians and atheists alike. How about partaking of a science experiment and standing in the “dangerous construction zone” on Highland Road next Sunday (they also have a service Wednesdays at 7:00 p.m.) and let me know how long your there before you get moved along… “for your own safety”. I’m willing to bet quite a few Hail Marys that you’ll be standing there ‘till the second coming of Christ.

Because of the title ‘Move Along, Move Along, here’s the video of the All American Rejects. I love a song that starts out with the sarcastic lyric, “Go ahead as you waste your days with thinking”. Yes, what ever you do, don’t think!

But Only God (and Craig Venter) Can Make a Tree

Joyce Kilmer. 1886–1918

Trees

I THINK that I shall never see

A poem lovely as a tree;

A tree whose hungry mouth is prest

Against the sweet Earth's flowing breast;

A tree that looks at God all day,

And lifts her leafy arms to pray;

A tree that may in summer wear

A nest of robins in her hair;

Upon whose bosom snow has lain;

Who intimately lives with rain.

Poems are made by fools like me,

But only God (and Craig Venter) can make a tree.

Check out my new video about Craig Venter’s manufacture of the first synthetic life and the impact it should have on religious belief.

News Flash – God can now “drive out the inhabitants of the valley”, BECAUSE of their “Chariots of Iron”

Judges 1:19 And the LORD was with Judah; and he drave out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron.

While trying to “Spread the Word of Reason” this Sunday, June 6^th, outside the New Covenant Presbyterian Church of Mandeville, 4375 Highway 22, in Mandeville, Louisiana, god cast me out because I have a ‘car’.

As always, I was approached by the Louisiana police and told that my car was parked illegally. This time I was “inhibiting the flow of traffic” by “blocking the driveway”. I was actually parked in the entry road of the First American Bank parking lot… on Sunday? There wasn’t actually a “flow” or even “traffic” as I never saw anyone pass me.

I asked the police officers that maybe the reason they were there wasn’t anything at all to do with my “parking violation”, but maybe it had just a little bit to do with the message? Of course, they denied it. I asked them if they were just passing by and saw me “parked illegally” and they said no. They did tell me that someone had called in to make the complaint. (Hmm? In the interest of science, I think I’ll park my wife’s car in the exact same place and see how many minutes; hours; days; weeks; it takes for someone to make a complaint.) After coaxing them further by implying that they weren’t really being honest with me or even themselves, they put an end to the conversation by telling me that “they were not here to debate with me”. Oh well.

I’ve therefore had a revelation that maybe, after a couple of thousand years, god’s figured out how to drive out the inhabitants of the valley even though they have a chariot of iron. Therefore, next time I’m going to just sit there on an aluminum fold out chair holding my sign. Hopefully god hasn’t figured out how to drive out chairs of aluminum. Even though he knows how to drive out the First Amendment.

Every single church I’ve been ‘godless evangelizing’ outside seems to suddenly have a fascination with safe parking! I knew religion was obsessed with other issues such as, say, sexual oppression. “Problems” such as homosexuality, sex before marriage, non-missionary position, contraception as opposed to abstinence only education, circumcision, and masturbation. But this obsession with ‘parking safety’ is a new one for me.

Texans for Truthful Text Books Rally

You may be interested in some pictures I took of the Texans for Truthful Text Books Rally on the steps of the Texas Capitol in Austin. Here’s a video of the event. http://atheists.org/events/Texas_Rally

Fun was had by all, both atheists and theists alike. Also, the god’s complied as the weather was perfect. It stated raining after the event was over. There were many great speakers. (The one’s I have pictured are Kathleen Johnson, American Atheists VP and Military Director), Aime Parsons, Director of Camp Quest, and Texas School Board Candidate, and, of Course, Ed Buckner, President of American Atheists.)

Matt Dillahaunty, of the Atheist Experience was there and they recorder a TV show directly after the event. http://www.ustream.tv/recorded/6978489 Well, it wasn’t directly after the even because a lot of us (and I mean a LOT of us) stopped by a pub, the Dog and Duck and watched the show there.

My personal thoughts were that Austin is a beautiful capitol, apart from abominations like the Board of Education and this specific monument (pictured) outside the capitol building, (of wich four of the ten “commandments” are unconstitutional, and one is just stupid!) Also, the Austin atheist community has to be one of the best, if not the best, in the country. The friendliness, community, and sheer number of events that they have organized for freethinkers are comparable to any church.