Sac Town, Fun Town

I think, no I know I'm older than a lot of these cars.

I'am what is called California-Centric, specifically Nor-Cal. Sorry to say this, but if you don't live in Nor Cal, well...I'm sorry. Sacramento has it's critics (usually grumpy peeps that cannot see the awesomeness that is right in front of them), but I'm not one of them. I moved here in 88' for what I thought was going to be a couple of months, save money, then move to L.A. to become an awesome bass player. Guess what, I never moved, and I never really learned how to play bass.

Don't call them roach coaches.

There are two goodies this weekend. The first one is the Annual Snowball Rally 2011 and the sh*t is going down right now at the #atheistcafe (really known as Espresso Metro). The Snowball Rally is a traveling roadshow of awesome, smaller, hella old cars. They travel from somewhere, stop at Metro and eventually end up in Lake Tahoe. Really, the cars are so cool. I'm partial to the old Alfa's. They are small and cute (c'est moi). There are also old Porsche's, original Cooper's, Mercedes and hella other suffs. So awesome.

The second one is what I believe is the First Annual Sacramento Mobile Food Festival.  That is happening a little later and pretty much all day. There is some kind of weirdo law that prohibits Mobile Food Trucks from doing their thing in Sacramento and this event is geared to debunk the myths of what used to be called roach coaches, and maybe, maybe help change the law. While other cities are currently having a foodie renaissance of mobile food, Sac Town, unfortunately, is missing out. I hope to try some Yum Yum Taco's, those tiny burgers that I've been hearing about...oh yea, and listen to music in the Sacramento sun, check out the ladies (hello, I'm Kriss) and, yo know, drink my precious beer.

It's been a while since I've said this, but...Atheist get out there. Let's prove them wrong, let's show 'them' that we are good peeps also. We are good without God and by getting out there, we can debunk that silly myth that atheists are loners. Besides that, dontcha wanna have some fun. I know I do.

See you out there you wonderful atheists you. Awesomeness.

@burnttorange of the legendary Espresso Metro.

* It's not warm enuff to not wear a shirt out. Sorry.

The Hijacking of Spiritual Sex

It is well established that long ago religion has hijacked morality. For example, one cannot be good, or moral/ethical, without God. It is also hard for me to believe that peeps, mostly lay believers, actually believe this. Among the many words that have also been hijacked is feminism, atheist, environmentalist, etc...Now...now we can add 'spiritual' to the list, well, at least according to Greta Christina (and fo sho I agree).

The Sex Positive Community (or Sex Positive Movement) is a group, Gawd bless their souls, that have been working for decades to lift the prejudices, the limits and the WTF's that organized male dominated religion has thrust upon society-whether one is a believer or not. The SPC are advocates for "non taboo sex".

"Sex positivity is "an attitude towards human sexuality that regards all consensual sexual activities as fundamentally healthy and pleasurable, and encourages sexual pleasure and experimentation. The sex-positive movement is a social and philosophical movement that advocates these attitudes. The sex-positive movement advocates sex education and safer sex as part of its campaign."^[1] The movement makes no moral distinctions among types of sexual activities, regarding these choices as matters of personal preference (Wiki)."

It is a lot like freedom of speech in that it is for everyone and everyone has freedom of speech, or it is for no one and no one has it. Either we all have sexual freedom or no one has sexual freedom. The thingy about the SPC is that it is steeped in New Age-y stuffs and while their attempt to cast away all the "hang up's" of traditional religion is quite noble, they have replaced domineering Christian beliefs of sex with domineering New Age beliefs about sex. Goddess worship, Wicca, chi/ki/qi etc...have hijacked spiritual sexual transcendence the same way that traditional beliefs have hijacked morality. And dagnabit, we want it back.

So, can the super awesome materialist, those who do not believe in the supernatural, have transcending, meaningful, and 'spiritual' sex with their loved one(s); you bet your bottom dollar Annie. Peeps have the choice, and I have written about the choice before, to believe/feel that were are only molecules, atoms and that our every experience, all experiences, are a result of the evolved human brain and that is suckville, or we are only molecules, atoms and brain and that in and of itself is awesome sauce. Who said that just because everything we as humans experience is a result of the chemical processes of the brain is a bad thing. Who said that one must subscribe to metaphysical beliefs to be spiritual (hint: it's religion).

"To me this is not a downer. This is magnificent...The idea that earth, water, and sunlight" has created  humans and the human experience is awesome. With these ingredients we have the capacity for "ecstasy for ourselves and one another." A little stardust, abiogenises, evolution thu natural selection and voila, humanity; and with that the ability to take what was once a purely an evolutionary and functional endeavor (sex) and make it more than that.

Sex was once entirely for the propagation of one's DNA, the survival of our species, but not in 2011. We once had an animal need for palatable food and transformed it into "chocolate souffle." Language was once a very simple form of communication, but it evolved and developed into a magnificent form of expression. Early humans made simple tools that aided their survival, but as time passed our brains got bigger and our tools got better and what was once a simple tool turned into the Apollo moon landing. Humans have again and again taken evolutionary traits and transformed them into much more than function.

The human sexual experience has gone thru the same transformation. At one time it was purely functional (reproduction) but it has grown to be something creative, something that can provide humanity with pleasure and a way to connect with ones lover and to connect with the universe. Millions of years of evolution has hardwired sex into our brains. Sex is at the forefront of the human experience, and now, part of that experience is to (potentially) please yourself and others, create and share joy, and connect with everything and anything that has ever, ever, been; and if you so choose, it can be a spiritual experience (no God or chi required).

We can choose how we view sex. It can be part of God's plan, but with that comes all the manmade restrictions and rules (usually to the detriment of women). We can subscribe to New Age-y metaphysical beliefs and choose to believe and frame it with ancient thought and ancient mysticism as many in the Sex Positive Community want us to believe. We can also choose to believe that even with the materialist worldview that we can still have a "spiritual" sexual experience, an experience that is transcendent, loving, tender and full of joy...an experience grounded in the physical reality of the here and now on Earth.

The later...that is what I choose. Awesome sauce.

* I really encourage ya to watch/listen to Greta's vid from Skepticon. She is much more eloquent than I.

Transcendence V. Spiritual

Is this spiritual or transcendence, or spiritual transcendence.

I'm still trying to process the super awesome talk that Greta gave the other nite at our, likewise, super awesome and yet humble college, Sac City. This is a gonna be a quick hitter cause I have to go to my awesome job (that is three awesomes in one opening paragraph-that's a record) soon and it is hard to concentrate right now because one of 'them' is sitting across from me and talking, rather loudly, about him (and she seems really brainwash-y, totally doesn't make any sense, anywayssss...).

One of the many points that Greta brought up was the hijacking of the word 'spiritual.' Y'all know how if feel about hijacked words, like environmentalist and feminist; 'spiritual' is a new one to me. Basically what she said was that even tho the word 'spiritual' is not necessarily religious, when peeps talk about spirituality it is steeped in religious meaning. The word that she prefers is 'transcendence'.

There are two kinds, one is religious and the other is for everyone else. She said that instead of describing an experience as 'spiritual', because of the hijacking and subsequent religious meaning, then let's use the word 'transcendence'.

St*t, I have to go to work. I'll write more on this later 2nite, which will be easy because I have hardly said anything. But all is not lost. I have just been informed that a similar talk is available, not that actual one from the other night, brought to you from the awesome peeps at Skepticon.org. Enjoy.



* Religious Transcendence

* Transcendence for everyone else

* Spirituality

The Chocolate Is Drowning Us

"And then we all die, because the chocolate is drowning us and we can't swim because we're holding hands (AoG)." It's such a great quote, it doesn't even need context. That is awesome.

I think it is so cool when 'lil old Sacramento scores some rock star action. Well, rock star in the Atheist Blogosphere. Last year the Sac City Freethinker's (in ass. with The Secular Student Alliance, or is it the other way around) brought in PZ for a talk and last night they brought in Greta "Frackin" Christina . What a great speaker (much better than PZ [jk]) and the topic, Atheism and Sexuality, was a new one to me-never thunk of that. "G" presented a lot of information, and really it was all new to me, about stuffs that I have never considered...sozzzz, I'm a gonna half-ta research sexual ethics, the sex positive community, how the word 'spiritual' has been hijacked, sexual morality both atheistic and religious, etc...Until then, the question...

Of course there are liberal versions of (all) religions, so is that cool?

I asked her about the not stupid-head, not extremist, splinter cells of (all) religions, the liberal ones and if we should align with them against bad religion because we agree on social issues. Afterall, if agree on all the important stuffs, like, the GLBT community, feminism, climate/environment, a not literal interpretation of the bible, Planned Parenthood, church/state separation, you name it, then shouldn't we combine forces and unite against our common foe(s) of biblical literalism and extremist religion; divided we fall, but together we will kick some arse. Should we get rid of all religion or team up with the less extreme versions.

She said no.

Of the many 'points' she pointed out one really stuck out...the harm. Sure on social issues the New Atheist and liberal religion agree on many points, but the harm that is causes outweighs the positive. Liberal religion is an enabler to the extremist factions of religious belief. One of the pieces of The Armor of God, the many layers of protection that religion has built for itself, is the taboo of criticism. One cannot even speak up against, criticize or question religion and if you do then you are a blasphemer. Clergy abuse, at first, was hush hush, 'we' will take care of it, and don't rock the boat because it is wrong to do that. You are a woman, women were created second and from Adam's rib, therefore you are a second class citizen; don't question that, it is in the bible and you can't question the bible or the church anyways. These are factors in harm.

Everything else is open to criticism.

The nature of science is to question. The peer review process is very "prove-y" or get out. Imagine if one could not question discoveries of any kind, we would still have alchemy instead of chemistry and ass-trology instead of astronomy. The taboo has limited growth in religion and stymied what could have been "self correction". Instead of evolving and growing like other stuffs, philosophy, economies, the planet, my hair, etc...religion remains steeped in ancient ways and ancient thinking, in other words, stagnant.  If everyone was satisfied with he answer of God (why is the sky blue, why did this or that happen, etc...) then we would still believe in supernatural explanations for thingies that we now know: what causes the tides to roll in and out*, is the Erff's the center of the universe, germ theory, etc...

When belief in the supernatural, or what "G" calls "invisible beings, inaudible voices, intangible entities, undetectable forces", propagates and shifts humanity's focus on the afterlife and not life, the harm is a life not lived. Where is the encouragement to be an environmentalist and stop destroying the planet with human consumption, when we are trying to "make the cut" and gain entrance into heaven (and don't forget, the world is a gonna end on May 21st**). What is more important, the reality based here on the Erffs or unsubstantiated belief in a place called heaven/hell.

When I asked the question, "G" did not hesitate to say that she was in the camp of "get rid of religion." The sort of packed house (it could have been fuller, pretty good crowd tho) applauded when she said that. I guess the majority of the audience felt the same way. Do all the New Atheists feel like that? I don't know, but I would be interested in seeing some nerdy stats/data on the subject. As for me, I have mixed feeling on it (perhaps more on that later...perhaps). Christopher "Our Hero" Hitchens and Richard "Papa Bear" Dawkins are in the "get rid of religion" camp. More and more I'm seeing the accommodating atheists, the "don't be a dick" crowd. The perception of the New Atheist is that we are all "militant atheists***", and that we are angry automatically and all of the time. But I actually think that the aggressive atheist is in the minority...for now.

"It gives credibility to the idea that believing in things there's no reason to believe is valid, and actually virtuous. It gives credibility to the idea that invisible worlds are real, more real and important than the visible one. It gives credibility to the idea that our seriously biased personal intuition is more trustworthy than logic or verifiable evidence. It gives credibility to the idea that religious beliefs, alone among all other ideas, should be beyond criticism; that the very act of questioning religion is inherently intolerant. (It also, I've found, has a distinct tendency to get hostile and decidedly un-moderate towards non-believers when questioned even a little.) (AoG)

* Dawkins/O'Riley

** Sac Fan is gonna have an End of Times Party.

*** The term "militant atheist" is so stupid-head. Generally it is in reference to the Four Horsemen and implies the anger theists are always talking about. The truth is that those dudes just wrote books, but the books violated the taboo (don't criticize religion) and that is why theists are angry at the New Atheists. If anyone is "militant" it is the suicide bombers and the revolutionaries with God on their side. Oh yea, don't forget the United States of Christianity/Army and their spiritual fitness tests, no atheist in foxholes, Jesus scopes, Generals saying that these are indeed Crusades, Bush Jr. admitting that he prayed on the decision to go to war in the first place, and this great quote from the Prince3 of Peace himself...

“Do not think that I came to bring peace on Earth; I did not come to bring peace, but a sword. For I came to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, and a daughter-in-law against her mother-in-law; and a man’s enemies will be the members of his household. He who loves father or mother more than Me is not worthy of Me; and he who loves son or daughter more than Me is not worthy of Me. And he who does not take his cross and follow Me is not worthy of Me. He who has found his life will lose it, and he who has lost his life for My sake will find it.” (Mathew10:34-39 NASB)

**** I thought I would be nice and I bought and brought her a chocolate chip cookie from my work, the #atheistcafe. I'll check her blog later to see if she "reviewed" @burnttorange's world famous (the world of Freeport Blvd) chocolate chip cookies. Awesomeness

The Church of England, Politics and Secular England

For the second time in my lifetime, I get to experience the wedding of a lifetime. In the 80's it was Chuck and Diane and in 2011, it is Kate "Dammmm, girl" Middleton and Prince "I played the royalty card" William. Rowan will be presiding over the wedding ceremonies, but I'm sure that he has other thingies on his mind.

"The queen became “Supreme Governor” and “Defender of the Faith” of the Church of England when she ascended the throne in 1952—a title established in 1562 after King Henry VIII broke with Rome in 1534 (RNS)." To get into the exclusive royal club one needs the correct bloodline and the correct religion. The monarchy appoints the bishops and the bishops confirm the would be monarchs into their club. It is self sustaining and circularly clever. If you are unfortunate enuff to be born a commoner and do not beieve in the correct God, then no royality for you. Although PM David Cameron is suggesting a change in that.

David is suggesting that non Catholics get in on the action with the repealing of the 1701 Law of Settlement. 

"By law, the monarch must be an Anglican and confirmed member of the Church of England. Middleton was confirmed in the Church of England on March 10 at a private ceremony held at a London palace (RNS)."

Rowan is not into that, but dude has other thngies on his mind. His church has been split in half (at least half) because of the controversy surrounding the ordaining of female bishops. You see, Rowan comes from the "women cannot teach a man" philosophy, while the rest of the modern world is cool with that. This archaic and stubborn sexism has dwindled the numbers of the Anglican church and split that church into two camps: one that is cool with female and GLBT clergy and the other that is not. That combined with David, a politician but a commoner, trying to evolve England's ways, makes for a lot on Rowans plate. At least he still has the monarchy on his side, right.

"For his part, William has expressed little concern about or commitment to either the Church of England or Christianity. Those close to the couple say they are, like their peers, quietly indifferent about religion (RNS)."

Hey, maybe dude is not that bad after all (except that sucking on his silver spoon while not royal peeps are fighting for opportunity, a frackin' chance). P-Will and Kate reflect the younger generations lack of devotion to the church of the parents and grandparents. Secular England is growing while religious England is getting smaller and smaller. With that the connections between politics, the church and the monarchy are becoming smaller and smaller. The younger generation is on the side of gay and female clergy and the older generation clings to old ways. The secular tide is rising and Rowan and his boys (and it is still a boys club) need to evolve or disappear.

* RNS

* Could Will have been able to hook up with Kate if he were not royalty.

Meet Me At The Lecture, I Showered

Don't forget, today is the day that all the cool kids in the Sacramento area will be going to see and hear Greta speak. 6pm tonight at the totally easy to find Student Center, five bucks for nonstudents like me, free otherwise. G's talk is titled Atheism and Sexuality which is cool because I have both of those.

The atheist daddy and comedian, Keith Lowel Jensen, will be opening for "G", but I'm not sure if he will be giving a seminar of changing diapers or doing comedy-it's all good with me.

That little group, I think they are called, the super awesome Secular Student Alliance (ever here of 'em) and Sac City Freethinkers is putting on the show, so show some of that good atheist, freethinking hearting and come out tonight. If I'm not shy, I'm a gonna ask "G" a question about GLBT peeps and the religion(S) that they practice. With liberal religion, the secular crowd is very similar and very all related-y: gay marriage, feminism, atheist in foxholes, gays in the military, female clergy etc...So how do GLBT religious peeps reconcile their practice (and I want to hear more than "I/we don't have to reconcile, or justify, our faith with you , you stinky hippie atheist.). Or something like that.

Hope to see y'all there. Last year for that guy, PZ, it was a packed house and I expect the same tonight. Awesomeness.

* "G's" blog

* SCFT

* "G's" takedown of Pascals Wager

Hunky Jesus 2011 Contest, San Francisco

First of all hat tip to "C.V.". If you do not go to Hot For Jesus Former Fundie, then you do not know where to go to see all the coolest pictures of hunky Jesus'-really. Secondly Dolores Park in San Francisco is a great park in a great city. Warning: Do not drink anything when viewing this.

I'm not sure what this it.

The Lamb of God is actually a lamb. Who woulda thunk.

Team Bro Jesus. i need to go drinking with these guys, err, I mean Jesus'.

I thought i had a hairy chest, but then again, I'm not the son of God.

Shout out to Hitler Jesus

Check out black muscular rabbit head Jesus.

To be accurate, and you know everything on the interbutz is accurate, some of these photo's are from the 2009 contest. Google Hunky Jesus Contest 2011 if ya want to see more. So awesome, thanks "C.V.".

For more vids. go here.

A tweet from "C.V." aka @teanoranges on that awesome twitter to lil 'ol me. "@thesexyatheist Um, I fully endorse this contest & I'm open to sponsors who would support a 2012 pilgrimage - if JC doesn't return by then." That is a great idea. we all should go next year, that would be so fun to attend. Ya know, go to the City, have some fun, check out hella Jesus', maybe have a couple of drinks...and then see what happens (wink wink). So awesome...wait, I already said that. Awesomeness.

Jesus on Trial

How in Sweet Jesus' name, I guess that would be Jesus, did I miss this. Jesus on Nazareth was put on trial in....Richmond, Virgina."The trial was the brainchild of Mark Osler, a former U.S. Attorney in Detroit who teaches at the University of St. Thomas Law School in Minneapolis and is friends with a member of the Richmond church (CNN)." Virgina has the second most executions of all the states. guess who is first*. It is not so much about JC, as it is about religious folk and the death penalty. can they really practice what they preach-turn the other cheek, forgive.


Gallup Poll (2004) say that 80% Republicans v. 36% Democrats are in favor of the death penalty. 74% of conservatives v. 42% Liberals in favor of and 71% Protestants and 66% Catholics were in favor of v. 57% who identified with no religion (that's us guys). To be fair the survey also concluded that 74% of men v. 62% of women were in favor of killing peeps for crimes and 71% that said they do not attend church weekly were in favor of v 65% were not in favor, but did attend weekly church. So what does it all mean...you can get any statistic to prove your side of the story.

Back to the Jesus trial...

“We will now call the case of the Commonwealth of Virginia versus Jesus of Nazareth,” Broaddus bellowed from the pulpit. “I will remind you this man has already been found guilty of the criminal charge of blasphemy."

"Jesus' public defender, Jeanne Bishop, said that "Jesus was indigent." In the mock trial they purposely had a young black man sit in the place of Jesus."

“Jesus was indigent,” Bishop said. “And so I think [Osler] wanted a public defender to underscore the point that this is a man with no money, no resources, no position in society."

“Most of the people that I represent fit that description.”

“He also wanted to have a young African-American man play Jesus, and that’s what we have tonight. Most of clients look exactly like this young man who will be sitting beside me,” she said (CNN)."

No, I said take it all off.

What the mock trial was to determine was if JC would do 'it' again and what punishment he should get. Guess what, the jury said that Jesus would indeed go all blasphemy again, but they didn't sentence him to death. They just gave him life in prison. Go figure.

This is not so much about Jesus as it is about society, the society that is predominantly religious. What would Jesus do, no what would society do, what is society doing. Would we even recognize Jesus if he came back, or would we call him the average nut job and through him in jail. We know what would happen if he landed in Virgina.

* CNN article

* Gallup Poll

* There are several books about JC coming back and he doesn't recognize the world and the Christianity that is being practiced. One, the one I always keep pimping is called The Tumultuous Times of Jesus in the 21st Century (Dam Luke, couldn't ya have made a shorter title) and the new one from fakey fake author James Fey The Last Testament of the Bible (I think that is what it's called but I'm not gonna look it up. I was reading his other book, A Million Pieces when it came out that the facts are...fakey fake. F*ck that guy). for all we know, he did come back and didn't like what he saw and is growing weed in Nor Cal, living in a hippie bus with no motor and has naked hippie kids from two/three hot hippie ladies, and...and I think I saw him at a three day concert last year at, like, 3 in the morning. It's true.

Apples and Oranges

I'm sure Rees is a very nice guy, but he's comparing apples and oranges.

Martin Rees recently won the Templeton Foundation Prize for scientists that bow down to religion and that believe religion and science can play nice (I'm sure he is a very nice person and all, but many scientist-they claim-would not have accepted the prize). Rees wants a "peaceful coexistence" between the two groups, and he is not the only one.

Francis Collins of the Genome Project and codiscoverer of DNA's double helix, believes that science and religion can play nice. The organizations NCSE and BCSE, according to this open letter from Jerry Coyne, not only also believe that religion and science are compatible, but they are "bashing" on scientist who are atheists for speaking up. WTF. Read Coyne's Open Letter.

The two disciplines deal with totally different things. Science is about the physical material world that surrounds us. Our quest for understanding is achieved through what is measurable and testable; and if the tests cannot be replicated, then it's not scientific knowledge. Faith requires no replicated tests from independent sources. In fact religious knowledge is stagnant and never changing. The claims of religion can be tested as much as Russel's Teapot or folklore and mythology, which is to say, it cannot be tested. The knowledge must be accepted on faith and faith alone.

It's OK to be a "d*ck".

The fear of these people and organizations is that the aggressiveness of the New Atheist will scare or turn away people, students, from the beauty of science and the truth that it offers (not). I believe that the truth of science can stand on it's own, we don't have to coddle people and spoon feed the facts to fence sitters.  Science welcomes criticism, and yet religious faith does not**.

Faith has brought us the Crusades and witch burning and slavery. Ask Galileo if faith and science can "coexist". Recently, I do believe it was Tennessee, passed a bill that will allow the teaching of Creationism in the science classroom. Are there any atheist teaching our 'philosophy' in churches, no. It was Bush Jr's Faith Based Initiates and decades of no,or lack of, separation of church and state that prompted the Four Horsemen to simultaneously (unplanned) appear on the scene in 2004. If there were no wacko's killing abortion doctors, or the spreading of evangelicals in Africa (which coincides with the spread of AIDS, rape and exorcisms) or the blatant Christian privilege in politics...would the New Atheist have even mobilized. I think not.

* Francis Collins attempt to reconcile faith and science, Biologos.

* Collins in Christianity Today.

* The Super Awesome...New Atheist.

** Until very recently it was taboo to criticize religion. The New Atheist changed that. The nature of science is to be scrutinized. Try and prove science wrong, that is what it is all about. Religion is the opposite, and that is what is wrong with it.

* I was just reminded of that great saying...Don't pray in my science classroom and I won't think in your church. Awesome.

Update: I get these guys confused, not them, me.  Francis Collins is the Human Genome Project dude and he also was head of the National Institute of Health (NIH), right. James Watson and Francis Crick discovered the DNA thingy. But it is Collins that is a Born Again Christian....right. I think so, now. Thanks 'idahogie'...if that is your real name. Awesomeness.

The Letter From Hitch

From his Vanity Fair article, "The Limits of Self Improvement."

Recently, dude cancelled his appearance at American Atheist due to that cancer thingy. Get well soon, bro.

Dear fellow-unbelievers,

Nothing would have kept me from joining you except the loss of my voice (at least my speaking voice) which in turn is due to a long argument I am currently having with the specter of death. Nobody ever wins this argument, though there are some solid points to be made while the discussion goes on. I have found, as the enemy becomes more familiar, that all the special pleading for salvation, redemption and supernatural deliverance appears even more hollow and artificial to me than it did before. I hope to help defend and pass on the lessons of this for many years to come, but for now I have found my trust better placed in two things: the skill and principle of advanced medical science, and the comradeship of innumerable friends and family, all of them immune to the false consolations of religion. It is these forces among others which will speed the day when humanity emancipates itself from the mind-forged manacles of servility and superstitition. It is our innate solidarity, and not some despotism of the sky, which is the source of our morality and our sense of decency.
That essential sense of decency is outraged every day. Our theocratic enemy is in plain view. Protean in form, it extends from the overt menace of nuclear-armed mullahs to the insidious campaigns to have stultifying pseudo-science taught in American schools. But in the past few years, there have been heartening signs of a genuine and spontaneous resistance to this sinister nonsense: a resistance which repudiates the right of bullies and tyrants to make the absurd claim that they have god on their side. To have had a small part in this resistance has been the greatest honor of my lifetime: the pattern and original of all dictatorship is the surrender of reason to absolutism and the abandonment of critical, objective inquiry. The cheap name for this lethal delusion is religion, and we must learn new ways of combating it in the public sphere, just as we have learned to free ourselves of it in private.

Our weapons are the ironic mind against the literal: the open mind against the credulous; the courageous pursuit of truth against the fearful and abject forces who would set limits to investigation (and who stupidly claim that we already have all the truth we need). Perhaps above all, we affirm life over the cults of death and human sacrifice and are afraid, not of inevitable death, but rather of a human life that is cramped and distorted by the pathetic need to offer mindless adulation, or the dismal belief that the laws of nature respond to wailings and incantations.

As the heirs of a secular revolution, American atheists have a special responsibility to defend and uphold the Constitution that patrols the boundary between Church and State. This, too, is an honor and a privilege. Believe me when I say that I am present with you, even if not corporeally (and only metaphorically in spirit…) Resolve to build up Mr Jefferson’s wall of separation. And don’t keep the faith.

Sincerely
Christopher Hitchens

Really, I heart Hitch so much. Who has gone through the South and challenged clergy to debates...in their houses; not me, I don't have the game for that. Which makes me wonder...When Hitch is gone, who will take his place, who can take his place. I'm smart, but I'm not an intellectual, much less a public one. The three remaining horesmen are formidable in their own ways, but there is only one Hitch. (Le sigh).

Bro, get stronger and come back soon. We....I need you.

Kriss

Pictures From Good Friday, Philippines

Hows does this go..."Hey, baby, my beautiful redheaded wife, the person I love so much, let's go on vacation." "Kriss, my super hunky and kind BF, where would you like to go." "Mmmm, i really heart the Philippines." "I know you do honey. You heart your pepole so much." "Well, can we go to Pampanga province?" I say meekly. "Sure baby, anything you want. It's beautiful and tropical there right." "Yeeeesssss." "And we will have a good time and be able to meet locals, right." "Yesssssss." "Well, what's up then. Let's go." "Mmmmm, they will be crucifying people for Good Friday to show thanks to their God for reasons that skeptics like us may be, well, skeptical about." "I'm going to my mothers."

Is that Darth Maul in front doing security control.

Please no flash photography and please, please, turn off all cell phones, Thank you.

I thought that there was supposed to be two thieves. Is this a new new NIV translation.

Much props for this woman for breaking into a male dominated field...the crucify yourself to give thanks for a God that the Spanish brought here when they enslaved everyone field.

Everyone knows that Jesus wore a red sarong. Judas picked it out for him.

It was proposed to use the modern nail guns but the preservation society  poo poo'd the idea.

No comment.

The not so famous or popular 'Jesus eye view.'

Local kids, "I think I want to be Muslim (2nd most popular religion in P.I..)."

The lucky Reuters reporter that got to cover this event. Also "Concerns for Infection" and "My People Are Hella Weird". If you have children, then i hope that you gather many Spring Spheres this weekend.

Happ Eoster Weekend Round Up

22 'lucky' Filipinos got 'nailed' on Good Friday.

Believe it or not I slept in till 12:30 (I usally wake up at 5:30am everyday, without an alarm clock). Here is a round up of what I have read thus far (thanks Google reader).


Manila Times article about my beautiful peeps giving thanks to the Spanish God on good Friday. If you think it's a little extreme, don't worry-they sterilize the nails.

Rationally speaking on the flesh eating miracle story from NPR. Anecdotal stories do not hold up in court, and if you are on Team Skeptic, nor do they hold up in the court of skeptical public opinion. Francis Crick has an amazing story about the moment of his conversion and devout Filipino homies have anecdotal evidence as to why they nail themselves to crosses on G-Friday.

Left Hemispheres is becoming one of my go to spots. I believe (and I could be wrong) @uzh77 is responsible for this goddless heathenism...and we should all thank him for that. Thanks "U". "Our Hero" Hiych v. that Indian guy (whole debate, over an hour).

The volume is a little low on this, but @weesue hooks us up with Hitchslap on faith based morality.

My new Pinay (Filipino woman) homie k.syrah busts out with Atheism:I Was Born A Roman Catholic. Who says that there are no female atheist, much less minority female atheist. So awesome.

It doesn't matter that an egg is not spherical shaped. If religion had too make sense evertime, then there would be no religion.

Over at Atheist Revolution there are two idiots of the week, I guess it has been a fruitful week for idiots. The first one was That Hair, and the second one is Bill"I always have my panties in a bunch" Donohue. This time Bill is mad (when is he not) because of the War on Easter. In case ya haven't heard, they are called Spring spheres now. Sounds catchy.

Another from Left Hemispheres and this time it is the much talked about debate between Sam "I don't have a good nickname for him yet" Harris v. W.L. "The atheist slayer" Craig. Be informed, know what you know and why, otherwise we would be 'believers'. Check it out.

Take this poll, does religion unite or divide. As of the time I took it, it was 86% for divide. there is an article attached to it also. Interesting stuff, yo.

Christopher "Our Hero" Hitchens writes a letter to American Atheist.

Finally, howz about that laughing thingy. don't forget to laugh. Andy at Laughing in Purgatory doesn't. It's a post about that old lady named Eoster.

Not too bad if I say so for myself. Perhaps I should sleep in more often. goddless homies have a great weekend and I hope that the sun is shining in your neck of the woods. If you have to go to an Easter function, don't forget to tell everyone that it is now called Spring Spheres.

Heart,

Kriss

Mating Season and Spring Fever

The delicious morsels are sauteing in secret baby sauce.

 Dear Baby,
I really do want one of these little dookie machines (Le sigh). I look up to my homies that are 'doing it' and even though we all struggle, I see the worth of it in your eyes. I heart your smell and how you smile (everything is funny to a baby). It makes me happy just thinking about you and the possibility of a future 'us.' Be patient little and young Kriss/Kristina, I'm coming. We will watch all the samurai movies I used to watch with my dad and I'll teach you all my martial arts skills. If it turns out that you don't want those things, stuff me and my dad did...then I will still love you, maybe even more.

Heart, Dad.

I can't concentrate on this book, I need my baby.

Dude, you are freekin' me out.

Kriss, errrr, I mean daddy.

"Kriss, errr, I mean dad. Teach me Sanshou, ya know, because I'm fat." "I will son/daughter. I'll teach you all the styles. just come soon. I've been waiting for you."

"See, this is circular like your reasoning." "Can I touch it." "Bro, what do you use on your hair, it's so soft."

When we grow up we want to be in #teambro and work at the #atheist cafe w/Kriss

But first I need a girlfriend. Are there any smart, scientific minded, skeptics, over 30, with red hair that write feminist books and has won the Pulitzer for journalism, who would be into an athletic studd musician with black silky rope like hair that travels down to my muscular waist and shines in the moonlight, or showers you when I'm on top and falls upon your white freckled body like the sun that kisses you with warmth. Anyone?

Dancing For Rains Sake

God is crying because the New Atheist hurt his feelings.

Rain Dancing the new fitness craze for upper middle class cougars. Rain not included in first session.

"With Texas in the throes of a terrible drought and wildfires raging across the state, Gov. Rick Perry designated April 22 to April 24 (the Easter weekend) as official days of prayer for rain (The Texas Tribune). I was wondering what peeps on twitter were talking about yesterday. There were a lot of rain dance tweets and WTF Gov "Rain Dance " tweets. Now I know.

Currently Texas is in the throes of drought and that hella huge fire is not welcomed either. It is my sincere hope that all Texans and fire peeps are safe with their loved ones. I imagine that all the practical measures that need to be taken have been taken, which leads us, or leaves us, with praying for rain. Here in the Atheist Blogosphere we have collective fears like the very religious Teabaggers will defy all odds and win some power in the next election, that the Huff Po will continue to promote the woo,** and what we do have of a secular public square will diminish and be replaced by a required and sanctioned government god belief.

What is god punishing Texas for, anyways. New Orleans got it because of the gays, Japan got it because of their Satan inspired Buddhism-that is too fool us. What ever it is, Texas made God hella angry, even though they are one of the most devout states in the country. I don't have the exact numbers (so I will Kriss the numbers) but there are hella churches in Texas to people. They are the America that pseudohistorians teach historical facts to like the framers did intent for this to be a Christian nation where it is OK to read the bible in school, or that the constitution is based on the bible and the the government and religion should not be separate (all those things are wrong and harmful).

Last year at a 3 day fest there was dancing from 11am to 6am, guess what, it rained (and these girls didn't want to go to my tent to talk about atheism. They said, "No proselytizing, bro."

I was thinking that the Native American Rain Dance was really just a way to kill time. It is going to rain, eventually and if you dance long enuff, the you will get a hit. Of course you will not count all the days danced and it didn't rain, that can be explained by you didn't have enuff faith, or belief to make it happen, or the Gods must be punishing us or testing us, so we have to be more devout. When in reality the seasons dictate the weather. Probably, and this is off the top of my head, that when all the stuffs that you harvested last summer is dwindling and you need to plant soon anyways, then you start the dance.

It seems that the Gov. of Texas wants us to do the same thingy. The fire crews are out there heroically battling the fire and risking their lives, here in reality, while the leader of the state is comfortably sitting at his large home asking the people that elected him to wish for something that is very needed and is also uncontrollable.

* Article Texas Tribune

* It is still in the experimental phases, but in Abu Dhabi they are making and using (sometimes it even works) rain machines. I'm not sure how it works, I haven't read an indepth article yet, but I think that is so great. On one hand we have people, so called leaders, that are asking perfectly good folks with an evolved human brain to dance for rain or pray for rain. the silly thing about that is that if you do it everyday, whether you are devout or sincere-that doesn't matter one iota because one day it will happen, it will rain. I wonder what the % of peeps that would take part in an experiment like that, or even read about it, or even talk about it at a party, would believe that their actions caused the rain. I bet it would be a 'shake your head and wonder' amount of people (meaning a lot).

Secondly, it is science that it working on the problem. In Abu Dhabi, and I believe in other middle east dessert-y places. They have the need for a constant water supply, are they dancing/praying, or are they working on the problem here on earth for the reality of right now.

Reminds me of a joke that I saw on twitter yesterday. If the GLBT lifestyle, specifically the biblical sin booty sex, incites Gods anger so much (but not clergy abuse, women getting raped in the military and Michael Bachmann's creepy eyes), then why not drop off a bunch of wonderful gays and lesbians, oh what the hell and some bisexuals, into drought ravaged areas and solve water shortages. Two answers: 1) God/prayer/humans understanding of God/god works in mysterious ways, doesn't work like that (even though we have been indoctrinated to believe that is how it works, and 2) God as the solution to the ills of the world, doesn't work, period.

* Just though of this, if it does rain, the it will be proof of prayers answered...or skeptic proof that believers can't gather, analyze or understand basic statistics, or meteorology.

** We all go to the Huff Po like that lover we cannot quit. We talk behind her back about our needs not being met, but when no one is looking, we go to her and she is soft and welcoming....OK just made up that last part.

The Hearting is Back. It Might Be Too Much, But That Is What It Is

I like festival season a lot...a lot.

 It is that time of the year in Sac-Town where every day, weather wise is prefect. Right now it is only, like, low 70's. Me personally, I wouldn't mind if it got up to the low to mid 80's-that way I can get my brownness on (alfterall, you cannot be in the soft and gentle brown lovers club if you are not brown.). Yesterday was the first day that I addressed You in quite some time. It is not that I haven't been thinking about You, because I have. It has been a tough winter for me (depression, but I feel better now), but now I'm ready. I ready to bring back my Friday series "It's Friday and I'm in Love...." and the more difficult to write, but more pinnacle-y of my attempts to write something that is kind and gentle, something loving where I open up and
 

My flat dead cat, Cleo, who I still love and think about all the time.

Me drinking, then reading in that order.

My ex-dog. Miss him.

and I show and share, the hearting.

Yesterday She came in full spring time glory.
Her hair has grown to shoulder length over the winter and when it softly cascades upon the slenderness that is Her shoulders, perhaps tickling them when she turns Her head to look at me with those green eyes, everything stops and I'am at the mercy of Her glance. If She looks at me, like the original Sun God Horus, there is a warmth in her smile and greedily I lose all and everything that I should have been doing and thinking-just on more moment, please don't leave. I'm selfish, I know...but can you blame me.

"Hey, I'm moving out of the neighborhood." "Awh man, " and with hesitation in my voice and rather meekly,"...and out of town." I must have looked like a fool. "No silly, just to the other side of downtown with some friends." " Awh, I'm sorry. I know that you like to live by yourself, being that you are all independent and all." "Yea that's true," she tilted Her head the way swimmers do when they have water in their ear, or the way two people do when they are both nervous and are about to kiss. After a pause that lasted to long (it was probably, like, one second), I asked, "We'll I guess there is going to be a party, ya know a small intimate party, not a wild out of control one." "Yea, that is what we were talking about. nothing big and out of control. It's kind of laborious." "Yea small intimate parties are better for conversation." "Well, I give you a call when it is happening." Me, in my full awesomeness, hair down, slightly ball hugging tight pants and my tight shirt that doesn't hide anything, "OK."

I totally need one of these. A big pot and a half white, half Filipino baby.

I hate to see you leave, but it is a pleasure to see you go.

Spring time is for lovers. But where is mine. I'm still waiting baby, and I'm still looking. I think about You all the time and I haven't, nor will I ever, give up. Be patient lovely, when We do get together, it will be as if it were like that all along...

If You were here right now, I'd would be holding the softness of your hand in mine, slowly bringing it to meet my lips to kiss. And when I do, it will be so soft we will both wonder......