Quote of The Day, Lawrence Krauss

Well, I guess one of our hero's has lost, again, to William "The Atheist Slayer" Lane Craig. Surprising and not surprising at the same time. Over at PZ's blog, the real one-not the April Fools one-he does a good write up and Krauss himself gives us his thoughts; that is where I got this.

"Is it more likely that all known physical laws were suspended so God could demonstrate divinity--and moreover demonstrate this in a hackneyed way that recreated previous resurrection myths, down to the number of days before being raised from the dead, of several previous, and now long-gone religious cults--or is it more likely that those who were preaching to convert fabricated a resurrection myth in order to convince those to whom they were preaching of Christ's divinity?"

That pretty much says it all. Do you believe that or not. It's really kinda simple.

Debating is a game, a good game, a fun game, but it is a game.  Debating has it's purpose and I totally enjoy checking them out, but facts, reason, cutting with oscam's razor, evidence or lack of, etc...trumps over superstition. So we don't know everything about everything and do not (yet) have the ability to explain everything and anything-so what. That does not mean one can or should insert their particular belief into the gaps.

...still, I wouldn't mind seeing Team A win a couple a few of these.

* The debate on youtube. I haven't seen it yet.

Sarkozy, Secularism and Islamophobia

As of lates, I've been getting up hella early and watching Al Jazeera (with their fine ass ladies, err, reporters) with my morning coffee. I was soooo pumped up when the story of France and the destruction of secularization came on; but it wasn't what I thought it was a gonna be.

(I guess) there is going to be this epic debate about what the French peeps hold really sacred in their society...a secular public square. It's built into their constitution and dagnabit, you can't take it from the French people without a fight. Well, it's only a ploy. All the reports that I have seen and read indicate that it is just President Sarkozy doing that crazy politics thang, and that a secular France is not at all in danger.

Next year is the election year in France and dude (Sarkozy) is getting pressure from the right, specifically far far, very far right leader Marie "Blond doesn't look good on you" Le Pen. Last December she came out with the epic blast that they are spilling onto the streets, with their over crowded mosques on Fridays and "occupy public space". She very foolishly said that when that happens, it is similar to "Nazi occupation." Really. WTF.

From way over here, in sunny Sacramento, Ca, it seems that Le Pen party (The National Front) is going for the teabagger, Islamophobia, immigration, us v. them route. It's quite elitist Christian-y if you ask me and the similarities are so striking, a Nor-Cal stoner can see it sooo clearly. France has the biggest Muslim population in the union (5 million), but get this, they also have a totally huge Jewish population. Even though there have been no conflicts between the two groups, or combo of, that doesn't mean the real French (read white and not Muslim) can't spread fear of losing cultural identity, their courts are being taken over by Sharia Law (even though they are not) and that the government is footing the bill for all this health care that illegal immigrants, errr, Muslims, are using during hard economic times. Wait, hello...ok, cool, that was Sarah Palin and the Tea Party, they want their campaign slogans back. See what I mean.

So the upcoming debate is a sham. A secular France is not in danger, even the average dude or French hottie on the street (btw, Hellloooo, my name is Kriss) can admit to that. What is really happening is Sarkozy, a president-who from afar-looks to be doing a good job, is getting ready to kick some right wing arse next year. Our very own president, The One (and I still believe in you, bro, err, President Bro), has announced his intentions to run again in 2012. What is similar in the two countries is Islamophobia that is being feed by the bad economy and the immigration debate and the fear mongers.

Believe it or not, my fantasy girlfriend, Ann Coulter is wrong. Not all Muslims are terrorist. I don't care what my skinny cutie pie says. It would be like saying that all Christians are weirdo's like Qu'ran burner Pastor Terry Jones, or that all Christians belong to homegrown Christian militias like Repent Amarillo-it doesn't work like that. Apparently what does work, at least in elections, is fear.

We are running out of money, our culture is in danger of being lost (to them), they are infiltrating every sector of society-so beware. Me, you can quote me on this..."beware, B-schmare." Don't believe the hype. That is, the hype in France and the hype here in the states.

It will be interesting to check back next week and see the results of the debate (I do believe that it is next week). France is a great example of a secular public square and active peeps that participate in the democratic process. I'll dare say, if we here in the states were not so blind sided by fear...we might be able to learn from our French friends.

* Believe it or not, I'm linking to The Christian Science Monitor.

* I see nothing at all wrong with being well informed and checking out hotties at the same time. Thanks so much Al Jazeera, really.

Art and Freedom

Humanitarian and Artist Ai Weiwei is missing in China. He was trying to board a plane on Sunday and has not been heard from since. He has been a critic of the Chines government for years, while at the same time gaining a huge international reputation as both artist and activist.

Known around the world as part of the team that designed the Beijing Olympics "Birds Nest", but then later poo poo'd it, saying "it is part of a "pretend smile" of bad taste," Al Weiwei was visited several times this past week.  His wife, several assistants were questioned and then released by authorities, but not before several of his notebooks and computers had been confiscated.

In other countries of the world there are several revolutions going on right now. The people are rising and they are fighting for some thing they believe in and deserve (and yes, some of them are getting f*cked up right now). Simultaneously in Libya, China, The Ivory Coast, etc...the government is suppressing the people and silencing their voice, or at least trying to.

Art helps people converse and contemplate. To study a piece is to learn history and philosophy. It can be a commentary of the human condition and it can inspire wonder for what we don't even know. Art is an expression, a type of voice, and it can inspire hope. It is what separates us from the animals. Art is what makes us human.

China has detained a voice. Free Ai Weiwei

* Guardian UK

* The power of artist. Al Jazeera piece.

Looksie Who's Comin' To Town

Recently, I have been informed that Sac City Freethinker's, through that group Secular Student Alliance (ever hear of 'em, ya should have), is bringing none other than Greta Christina to our humble local college. If you don't check out "G's" blog...you are a loser. She is an epic writer (check out her article in AlterNet about that wager thingy) and a much needed female voice in the male dominated arena's of everything atheist and skeptic. Last year, Sac City Freethinkers brought in PZ on his epic If It's (a certain day), Then It Must Be ( a certain place ) Tour to a packed house. I expect the same for Greta.

We on Team Atheist and Team Skeptic are the under dogs in the battle for a secular public square, GLBT rights, feminism and everything atheist/skeptic. What we do have is reason, critical thinking skills, science and each other. Where we are small in numbers, in comparison to the rest of the country and the world, we have those pesky facts that atheists and skeptics keep bringing up (I also believe, we are on the correct side of history) and, one more time but with feeling, we have each other.

It is together that we can do this. The New Atheists can learn from the efforts of the GLBT community and feminism. They have made great progress through the decades (with more progress still to make) and, I believe, an unorganized bunch-like The New Atheist-can deff. learn very important lessons in organization and community and activism. We can have common opponent in biblical literalism, and together, working as a team, we can make great strides in world peace and equal rights.

If you live in super sunny Sac-Town, or in a neighboring city, come on down to our humble college on April 26th and check out Greta. Remember...divided we fall, but together...we're gonna kick some arse. See ya there.

"I Do Not Come In Peace,..." That Jesus Guy

OK, it's official...I'm not voting for Mike Huckabee (I'll pause while you laugh....OK, finished (?).).  At the recent Rediscover God Conference GOP presidential hopefuls like Mike rub elbows with prominent Christian pastors to reaffirm their unchanging and correct message "One nation under (our) God." When it was time for Mike to speak he opened with some funnies, like this gem...

"I almost wish that all Americans would be forced at gunpoint to listen to every David Barton message..." That is a joke, right(?). Regardless, the crowd laughed. So who is this David Barton and why does Mike want to shove him down our throats. Because he is all christian-y and a pseudo historian that propagates historical accuracies like, the founding fathers did intend for America to be a Christian nation, that U.S. of A is a Christian nation, the very ideas of the framers were a direct result of Christianity and that the bible is supposed to be taught in public schools (actually I don't recall if Barton said that or Chuck Norris).

A Catholic FB friend, when I post my really awesome and devastating critiques of religion (and humble and grammatically mistake free), always says "Why do you care." My friend, and she is my friend, somehow thinks that I'm attacking religion, when what I'am really doing is responding to religion. Why do we do this and why is the battle for secular society important. Because of the Mike's, the Bartons and others like, Michele Bachmann.

Among other issues that should be passe the Xtian and republican right are still fighting the Scopes Monkey Trial and Roe v Wade. With gov. resources becoming scarce in many needed areas (social services), it is such a waste of tax payer money to fight the same battles, over and over, like gays in the military or feminism. The war on reason is in the science classroom with the creationists trying to promote their version of the origin of life (Genesis) and it is also in the history classroom.

What I fear is a whole generation of mostly homeschooled kids (Bartons history books are THE books to get if yer a homschooled Christian) learning an incorrect history and not having the critical thinking skills or desire to question what they have learned. Mike is a presidential candidate and so is Bachmann. Bobby Jindal, Gov. Louisiana, believes that creationism should be taught in schools while real science is taught at inadequate levels already. The Texas school board is endorsing history books that sound like history revisionists David Barton and Glenn Beck. When the Texas School Board decides to endorse and buy a certain book, the rest of the country follows (and ya know, I don't know why that is. anyone, anyone...). The peeps mentioned are very influential and it is very easy to accept and not question people of authority. That combined with rogue homeschoolers and cuts in education spending, makes for a very dangerous future, not just for the children, but for the world.

How will this future HS generation treat the GLBT community or how will they feel about abortion or American history. This is why it is so important to have a secular public square, a place where everyone is equal and no one group is favored over others. A needed public square where on groups ideology is promoted over others and in the place of the truth. The war on history and science classrooms will probably last forever just as the fights for civil rights, feminism and the GLBT community. They are determined and single minded. They will have their way, it is their mission and I don't know if hearts and minds can be changed on this one. Our only hope is reason, but will it prevail?

"34.Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. 35.For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. 36And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."

History is written by the winners. We need to win this one. Their motivation...what's yours.

* Chris Rodda in Huff Po

* The vid in Religion Dispatches

* Rediscover God in America, who's motto is the very yucky Bring God Back To The Center Of American Life. OM(nonexistent)G.

* Matt 10

* Liars For Jesus. Rodda's book where she destroys Bartons history. If ur a history buff you'll like it. It was really document-y for me, but it is still really good. She takes claims from his books and shows how he distorts the truth.

That Super Crazy Florida Pastor

No wonder the world hates us...The super crazy Florida Pastor, Terry Jones, went Terry Jones and, as he says, burned the Moo-slum holy book (it's called the Qu'ran, yo). It took a while to reach Islamic countries, but when it did...they went Islam, the not Religion of Peace. There are many diff. reports, but 7-9 people have died in Afghanistan, and...well, they're pissed.

Where do I begin with this maniac, gun carrying, pastor of a very small church...I guess I just said it. Wait...and crazy. There.

* Check out the maniac's website. (Hello Anonymous, will y'all take care of this site the way you did will Shirley Phelps. Thanks).

Why Sh*t Happens

Well, it depends on who you ask. Some peeps say "hella yea" and some say "rubbish." Of course Gawd doesn't cause natural disasters, 1) because God doesn't exist and 2) living on the-as the lol cats say-erffs causes natural disasters. Still, that doesn't stop the unenlightened believers, as opposed to the enlightened believers (and yes, I do believe in the later-just not enuff of them tho), from spewing epic biblical hate and anti-scientific reasoning when natural disasters do happen.

I'm borrowing this from CNN Belief Blog. Check it out and be awesome.

Recently Japanese dude said all the happenings in Japan right now is because of "divine retribution for national egoism (CNN BB)." The U. S. of Evangelical, American translation is...Gawd did it.  Well, if that is so, then God needs a personal assistant, because he's not managing his time very well. But first, let's take a looksie...

In 2009 Pat "I Can't Believe You Said That, But I'm Not Surprised" Roberston said that the Haiti erff-quake was because, God the almighty, hated on Haitian peeps because they have a "pact with the devil." Pat knows, because he talks directly to God. Not.

“I believe that New Orleans had a level of sin that was offensive to God, and they are – were recipients of the judgment of God for that," says John Hagee. "J" is a Christian Zionist, which is fast becoming my favorite xtians. So that is why Katrina went all Katrina-y and f*cked up hella sh*t....and lives, yo.

I thought that  Sept. 11 was a retaliation to decades of American foreign policy (and that is totally debatable), but Pat doesn't. “I really believe that the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists, and the gays and the lesbians who are actively trying to make that an alternative lifestyle, the ACLU, People For the American Way, all of them who have tried to secularize America, I point the finger in their face and say, 'You helped this happen,'." The epic thingy about this blast is that he fit the ACLU in there. Wow.

This one is new to me. Abe "People Believe I Freed The Slaves, But I Really Did It For Political Reasons" Lincoln really believes that the Civil War (because it didn't end at a certain time) was in Gods hands.  “I am almost ready to say this is probably true - that God wills this contest, and wills that it shall not end yet," he wrote. “He could give the final victory to either side any day - Yet the contest proceeds.” Maybe it didn't end because hella peeps were still fighting. Just saying...

The Holocaust. I'm agonna leave this one alone. There are some things I will not joke about. "Nuff said."

And lastly, which is really firstly...da da daaaaa, The Great Flood. Yes, the great flood (that never happened) is the O.G. of God "f-ing" sh*t up. I'm down for saying there may have been a pretty epic big local flood, but a world wide flood. C'mon now. If that were true then...all the sea life and river life would have died when the two waters mixed, there would be mineral deposits in places where there shouldn't be, where did all the water come from and go after etc...

So, thanks CNN Belief Blog...Anyways...yea, chicken butt. Back to Gawd needs a personal assistant. If dude was truly so powerful why didn't he create us without flaws. Just saying. Why is "G" d*ckening around in New Orleans (the music?) when hella children all over the world are dying of starvation. God, the all powerful and all knowing one, told Muslim dudes to train in piloting just so they could fly it into buildings in New York because...of the ACLU. Really! I'm totally laughing. Dude needs to prioritize.

Howz about some cutting with Oscam's razor. Science, ya know that thingy skeptics keeps bringing up, knows that there are weather patterns. While we/they cannot totally accurately predict when violent weather will happen exactly, they do know pretty much how the patterns are all, mmm, patern-y. While Katrina was totally unfortunate, N.O. is in a flood plain, surrounded by levies and in hurricane country. The happenings in Japan, first were caused because they are on a huge fault line. Everything happened afterwards because of that. The erffs is a geographically violent place. there has always been messed up weather, whether it be hurricanes or earthquakes, and there will always be. Volcanoes do not errupt because God is mad that people are having sex a certain way, that sh*t happens because the centre of erffs is a molten core that can "pop out" in certain places where there is too much pressure. Finally, life here on earth will end some day, not because of ancient prophecy prophesied from illiterates, but because the erffs is next to the finite sun.

If there was an all powerful God or Gawd, then why would this sh*t happen (don't say we cannot understand the mind of God-that is childish). Howz about giving science credit. If established churches don't want to give credit to the peer review process and the knowledge obtained from that, then why not put religious beliefs to that kind of scrutiny...because it will not pass. And...and, if there was an all powerful God, we know that he is watching India v. Pakistan in Cricket.

* Awesomeness. I'd like to thank all the peeps that have had concern for me and my epic bad depression/anxiety. I feel much much better today and I feel positive. I couldn't  do this