The Evolved Republican

I have talked before how words change, evolve and eventually get bastardized. Environmentalist, feminist and atheist are words that at one time had a more simple meaning, but now they have grown to imply negative yucky-ness (feminist equates to man hater, really). The word republican has also changed, especially since the emerging of the teabaggers, err, tea party.

Old school republicans are out, they are the republicans of our fathers and their fathers and quite frankly, they are not republican enuff. Where at one time to be associated with the republican party only meant small government and conservative spending, taxation, pro business. Now, the republican party is the party of the answer "no", super religious, like, literal bible religious and because of that, also anti science.

50% of Tea Partier's do not believe in global warming and 51% do not believe in evolution. With that said 100% are uber religious. The current top three GOP candidates are promoting an anti science and pro infallible scripture platform and, "you betcha", they have the mission to use the government to usher in that kingdom of God that they always talk about. As far as I know, only former Utah Gov. John Huntsman has gone on the record and sided with science on evolution and the climate.

I sort of feel sorry for a true, old school conservative republicans the same way I feel bad for good, normal Christians that are not evangelical weirdos. In the past I've made fun of the republican party because they are still debating the scopes monkey trail and Roe v. Wade. Now I'm gonna add to that evolution, climate change and infallible scripture.

Like I said yesterday, if ya don't want us making fun of your silly beliefs, then stop having silly beliefs.

* CNN Belief Blog

That Totally Heavy Rock Thingy

OK, let's see if I can connect two dots (not feeling 'it' at this moment-hope it gets better. le sigh). @weesue on her super good hub site for atheist and religious news, Ex Fundamentalist, asked that really good brain teasing question, If Matt 19:26 is true, then can God create a rock so heavy that even he cannot lift it (I'll wait while you think. da da da da dooommmm). Don't waste your time, I'll just tell you.

What Matt19:26 basically says is that stupid mere humans are all stupid and limited-n-stuffs, but my dad, God, he can do anything...anything.

So if there is an all powerful and all knowing God, a God that can do anything, then can dude create a rock so heavy that even an all powerful God dude cannot lift it, right(?).

Here's the short of it: If dude is all powerful, then of course he can create a totally heavy rock, but can he create a rock so heavy that even he can't lift it, because if that is the case, then dude, God, is not all powerful. Either way you look at it, God is not all powerful. He either can create this rock, or not. He can either lift that rock or not. Either way, God is not all powerful.

There are many Christian philosopher explanations that can explain away an answer, but you have to fudge the info and get further and further away from the basic meaning of the question. Really, it either is or it is not. That is all. I'm not going to go into those explain away nonanswers, but I will say that I like one of the atheist answers: There is no God to do any creating, so no dude can't create anything much less a heavy ass rock. So there.

OK, here's where I go all dot connect-y. The super awesome crusader for secular society, none other than the Rev. Barry Lynn of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, recently said "Three presidential candidates claim that God has chosen them to win...At least two are wrong, and I'm guessing three are (RNS)." I know Perry and Bachmann were "called by God" to run, I forget who the third one is, any who, only one person can win.

So can God create a rock so totally heavy that even s/he cannot lift it? Can an all powerful and knowing and all mighty God ordain the next president of the United States...simultaneously three times over. Seems like the definition of impossible (and the answer is no).

This past weekend I wrote about the contradictions that come from conservative Christians (pro life, pro death penalty) and today it is about contradictions in the bible. The bible says that God is all powerful (omniscient), Mark 19:26 says that god can do anything, so WTF. Can he or not. It seems to this atheist the only thing that the bible, God, Jesus and his followers can do is make impossible statements that defy common sense and the understanding of the world around us.

As far as God calling on three different people to run and win the presidential race, I'll go with the atheist answer on this one. No God didn't call three peeps to run. There is no God, therefore there is no God to do the callin'

Awesome sauce, thanks Sue,

Kriss

* Wiki on the rock question.

* Maybe next time we'll tackle...Can god count to infinity. That one is a doosie.