... By Becoming an Atheist
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=11875
Thursday, July 27, 2006
Sunday, July 23, 2006
One nation… Under the legislative branch
Last week, the U.S. House of Representatives again passed legislation that would prevent federal courts from hearing cases on the constitutionality of the Pledge of Allegiance -- such as whether the words "under God" violate the separation of church and state.
(a few paragraphs down)
"Jurisdiction stripping" bills are nothing new. Pending legislation in Congress includes proposals to keep federal courts from hearing cases about prayer in schools, Ten Commandment displays and gay marriage. Cannon recently introduced a bill that would remove a federal court's ability to review state anti-pornography laws.
- Pledge of Allegiance bill pending in Congress questions origins
Because, certainly, we have no need for a system based on checks and balances. Separation of powers? Why would we ever want to support crap like that?
A Good Reason to Support Invisible Unicorns
I spent the last week as staff member at Camp Quest, a week-long summer camp aimed at the children of atheists, agnostics, and other varieties of non-believers. The experience was all varieties of nifty due to a fantastic assortment of staff, kids, and programs.
A good article about the camp is Camp: "It's Beyond Belief", the somewhat awful subtitle and inaccurate statement that we teach children that there is no god not withstanding.
A good article about the camp is Camp: "It's Beyond Belief", the somewhat awful subtitle and inaccurate statement that we teach children that there is no god not withstanding.
Wednesday, July 12, 2006
Studies find....
... the longer you live, the longer you can expect to live.
This sounds like an Onion article headline but no, it's from Harvard. It all makes more sense (or, really, just makes less obvious sense) after one reads the article.
This sounds like an Onion article headline but no, it's from Harvard. It all makes more sense (or, really, just makes less obvious sense) after one reads the article.
Democrats and Evangelicals…
… sitting in a tree, cra-a-aft-ing pol-i-cy.
It’s hard for me to take biblical arguments for public policy seriously when they seem so cherry-picked from a tall tree of highly-ignored additional (ridiculous) laws. For example, I’m not going to take religious arguments against homosexuality seriously until Christians start observing the rest of Leviticus. I’m sure they’ll have particular fun with the rules about dripping penises, attending the funerals of your in-laws, and wearing multi-fiber cloth. While, a few years ago I certainly would have appreciated a good argument against attending in-law activities, it’s not enough of a pull for me to give up my cotton-polyester-blend shirts.
I was somewhat frustrated with Obama a few weeks back when he began his “Democrats need to appeal to Evangelicals” parade of speeches and articles. Generally I’ve found that this results in silly speeches and disappointing slights, such as when Dean appeared on the 700-club a month or so back. However, after reading Obama’s USA Today article, I’m more approving. Most notably:
This is a most excellent description of the importance of the separation of church and state. So, I suppose I have trouble seeing exactly how an earlier paragraph from his article fits in…
… as it feels to me that if we make it a requirement for the basis for laws to “be subject to argument, and amenable to reason” and acknowledge they must be “accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all” then lawmaking is something does indeed require a checking of religious beliefs at the doorway of politics.
Perhaps it is a difference of opinion of the definition of “personal morality”. Personal morality is fine. I have no issue with irrational personal morality, providing people practice it personally and therefore don’t inflict it on others (this means NOT injecting it into policy debates). I have no issue with rational personal morality because it is rational, and therefore can be justified without resorting to the supernatural.
As Obama points out, there is even often an overlap between the secular and religious. The average evangelical might think it’s a bad idea to kill people because god threatens to smite him. I might find it a bad idea to kill people because… well… it’s extremely not nice. Said average evangelical might find vultures disgusting based the lord’s holy word on the subject in Deuteronomy 14.13. I might find vultures disgusting because they eat week-old road-kill. Regardless, we end up in the same place. See how easy this is?
However, since we can get there without religion, why bring it to the political table to begin with? Starting with a religious belief and then trying to find some way, any way to justify it in a secular sense seems like it might result in some pretty ridiculous, highly contrived arguments, such as that homosexual marriage will lead to legalized polygamy (or hamster marriage, depending on who you talk to).
So, I suppose the lesson is that yes, Obama, perhaps it is a good idea to court evangelicals, especially if it ends up being all pretty and friendly like it sounds in your article. So, court away! In fact, at this point, I’d encourage almost anyone to do almost anything that will help the Democrats win more seats in the 2006 elections. As a personal preference, though, I think I may keep my tongue in secular mouths.
It’s hard for me to take biblical arguments for public policy seriously when they seem so cherry-picked from a tall tree of highly-ignored additional (ridiculous) laws. For example, I’m not going to take religious arguments against homosexuality seriously until Christians start observing the rest of Leviticus. I’m sure they’ll have particular fun with the rules about dripping penises, attending the funerals of your in-laws, and wearing multi-fiber cloth. While, a few years ago I certainly would have appreciated a good argument against attending in-law activities, it’s not enough of a pull for me to give up my cotton-polyester-blend shirts.
I was somewhat frustrated with Obama a few weeks back when he began his “Democrats need to appeal to Evangelicals” parade of speeches and articles. Generally I’ve found that this results in silly speeches and disappointing slights, such as when Dean appeared on the 700-club a month or so back. However, after reading Obama’s USA Today article, I’m more approving. Most notably:
This separation is critical to our form of government because in the end, democracy demands that the religiously motivated translate their concerns into universal, rather than religion-specific, values. It requires that their proposals be subject to argument, and amenable to reason. If I am opposed to abortion for religious reasons but seek to pass a law banning the practice, I cannot simply point to the teachings of my church. I have to explain why abortion violates some principle that is accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all.
This might be difficult for those who believe in the inerrancy of the Bible, but in a pluralistic democracy, we have no choice. Politics involves compromise, the art of the possible. But religion does not allow for compromise. To base one's life on such uncompromising commitments may be sublime; to base our policymaking on them would be dangerous.
This is a most excellent description of the importance of the separation of church and state. So, I suppose I have trouble seeing exactly how an earlier paragraph from his article fits in…
Moreover, it's wrong to ask believers to leave their religion at the door before entering the public square. Abraham Lincoln, William Jennings Bryan, Martin Luther King Jr. - indeed, the majority of great reformers in American history - were not only motivated by faith, they also used religious language to argue for their cause. To say men and women should not inject their "personal morality" into policy debates is a practical absurdity; our law is by definition a codification of morality.
… as it feels to me that if we make it a requirement for the basis for laws to “be subject to argument, and amenable to reason” and acknowledge they must be “accessible to people of all faiths, including those with no faith at all” then lawmaking is something does indeed require a checking of religious beliefs at the doorway of politics.
Perhaps it is a difference of opinion of the definition of “personal morality”. Personal morality is fine. I have no issue with irrational personal morality, providing people practice it personally and therefore don’t inflict it on others (this means NOT injecting it into policy debates). I have no issue with rational personal morality because it is rational, and therefore can be justified without resorting to the supernatural.
As Obama points out, there is even often an overlap between the secular and religious. The average evangelical might think it’s a bad idea to kill people because god threatens to smite him. I might find it a bad idea to kill people because… well… it’s extremely not nice. Said average evangelical might find vultures disgusting based the lord’s holy word on the subject in Deuteronomy 14.13. I might find vultures disgusting because they eat week-old road-kill. Regardless, we end up in the same place. See how easy this is?
However, since we can get there without religion, why bring it to the political table to begin with? Starting with a religious belief and then trying to find some way, any way to justify it in a secular sense seems like it might result in some pretty ridiculous, highly contrived arguments, such as that homosexual marriage will lead to legalized polygamy (or hamster marriage, depending on who you talk to).
So, I suppose the lesson is that yes, Obama, perhaps it is a good idea to court evangelicals, especially if it ends up being all pretty and friendly like it sounds in your article. So, court away! In fact, at this point, I’d encourage almost anyone to do almost anything that will help the Democrats win more seats in the 2006 elections. As a personal preference, though, I think I may keep my tongue in secular mouths.
Friday, July 07, 2006
Back Again (kind of)
Well, I’ve been back, gone again, back again, and am about to be gone again. There is great pressure in adding a blog entry after so much absence… it feels like whatever I write must be brilliant, witty, and relevant in order to make up for the fact that I haven’t written for so long.
Earlier this week, I decided to avoid the entire pressure of a good blog entry by writing about something entirely mundane, such as getting my tires changed on Wednesday. However, my tires were not indeed changed on Wednesday due to a mix-up, so even my mundane writing prompt failed me. I also considered writing about how I pondered, on the way home from the non-tire change, the blog entry that I could write if my still-damaged-right-back tire exploded on the freeway. A near death experience would certainly be worthy of writing about. Do all people who write do this, wander around with the running dialogue of “well, if that happened, think how brilliantly I could express it in (blah, blah, blah) work of literary significance I am creating!” I certainly do, especially when I feel a writing project looming over my head.
Ah, I’m considering erasing all of this and starting over again, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll just not start again, so I’m going to be stubborn and leave it all exactly as it is.
My life in summary since I disappeared a few weeks ago:
I’ve been traveling frequently, though not out of the country as I had wished. Nonetheless, hiking, whale watching, rock climbing and visits to both a belly-dancing bar and a lesbian club were potentially almost as cool as Italy. Okay, probably not. But I’m pretending and it’s good for moral. I’m off to Las Vegas for the weekend, back for a week, off to teach a Camp Quest for a week, back for a week, visiting LA for a week… after which, I’m planning on sitting at home and absorbing life for a while, or at least doing some of the homework and work-work that will pile up while I’m gone.
The brother situation proved too much and I moved. I have alternating pangs of guilt and frustration at how that entire situation played out, but I’m quite happy where I am now not the least because I currently have lots of truly exciting food in my refrigerator. There is nothing like stores nearby carrying such amusements as cheap chevre and vegetable pot stickers to help make up for the fact that I officially live in the city rather than in my log house.
I’ve started my second to last class before I’ll be entirely done with my master’s degree. I found one subleasor for my building, who will pay me about a third of what I need someone to pay me, so I’ll only be partially financially devastated by the end of the summer. I’m not packed in the slightest and my plane for Vegas leaves in a few hours. I need to go back.
Now that I’ve broken the curse of the “returning blog entry” the next should be something of more general interest and relevance. Probably.
Earlier this week, I decided to avoid the entire pressure of a good blog entry by writing about something entirely mundane, such as getting my tires changed on Wednesday. However, my tires were not indeed changed on Wednesday due to a mix-up, so even my mundane writing prompt failed me. I also considered writing about how I pondered, on the way home from the non-tire change, the blog entry that I could write if my still-damaged-right-back tire exploded on the freeway. A near death experience would certainly be worthy of writing about. Do all people who write do this, wander around with the running dialogue of “well, if that happened, think how brilliantly I could express it in (blah, blah, blah) work of literary significance I am creating!” I certainly do, especially when I feel a writing project looming over my head.
Ah, I’m considering erasing all of this and starting over again, but I’m pretty sure that I’ll just not start again, so I’m going to be stubborn and leave it all exactly as it is.
My life in summary since I disappeared a few weeks ago:
I’ve been traveling frequently, though not out of the country as I had wished. Nonetheless, hiking, whale watching, rock climbing and visits to both a belly-dancing bar and a lesbian club were potentially almost as cool as Italy. Okay, probably not. But I’m pretending and it’s good for moral. I’m off to Las Vegas for the weekend, back for a week, off to teach a Camp Quest for a week, back for a week, visiting LA for a week… after which, I’m planning on sitting at home and absorbing life for a while, or at least doing some of the homework and work-work that will pile up while I’m gone.
The brother situation proved too much and I moved. I have alternating pangs of guilt and frustration at how that entire situation played out, but I’m quite happy where I am now not the least because I currently have lots of truly exciting food in my refrigerator. There is nothing like stores nearby carrying such amusements as cheap chevre and vegetable pot stickers to help make up for the fact that I officially live in the city rather than in my log house.
I’ve started my second to last class before I’ll be entirely done with my master’s degree. I found one subleasor for my building, who will pay me about a third of what I need someone to pay me, so I’ll only be partially financially devastated by the end of the summer. I’m not packed in the slightest and my plane for Vegas leaves in a few hours. I need to go back.
Now that I’ve broken the curse of the “returning blog entry” the next should be something of more general interest and relevance. Probably.
Wednesday, June 14, 2006
Away
I’ve been somewhat remiss in posting/responding to emails/etc. lately and shall continue to be remiss for another week and a half. Tomorrow I’ll be hopping into my car and begin meandering (as much as one can meander at a speed of 65 mph) towards the east coast. Many apologies to all those I ignore during this time!
A note to the Bush administration, evangelical Christian leaders, and others I so love to mock: please, please don’t do anything laugh provoking while I’m gone.
A note to the Bush administration, evangelical Christian leaders, and others I so love to mock: please, please don’t do anything laugh provoking while I’m gone.
Tuesday, June 06, 2006
It's in the Cards
I greatly dislike buying romantic greeting cards. I spent an hour this morning browsing through a sea of love, love, FOREVER, love, FOREVER, SOUL MATE, love, love, NEVERENDING LOVE, love, DESTINY, love, love, FATE, love, FOREVER. I became so sick of looking for the correct card for a significant other’s birthday that I deliberately bought a card that was all wrong and plan to cross out the parts I don’t like and replace them with new messages. I’ve also decided my skills are apparently needed in the card making business. So, here it goes... my first line of romantic greeting cards:
****
****
(front of card just has a picture of sexy lingerie)
(inside of card)
I'm just using you for sex.
****
****
(front of card)
I almost (heart) you more than I (heart) my job.
(inside of card)
Almost.
****
****
(If you’re reading this J, the above card was not intended to poke fun at you.)
****
****
(front of card)
I’ve been thinking about our relationship a lot lately...
(inside of card)
... and I’ve decided that you’re especially particularly nice.
****
****
(But yes, J, the above card was especially particularly intended to poke fun at you.)
****
****
(front of card)
I'll love you forever...
(inside of card)
... or at least until I run off with someone better.
****
****
****
****
(front of card just has a picture of sexy lingerie)
(inside of card)
I'm just using you for sex.
****
****
(front of card)
I almost (heart) you more than I (heart) my job.
(inside of card)
Almost.
****
****
(If you’re reading this J, the above card was not intended to poke fun at you.)
****
****
(front of card)
I’ve been thinking about our relationship a lot lately...
(inside of card)
... and I’ve decided that you’re especially particularly nice.
****
****
(But yes, J, the above card was especially particularly intended to poke fun at you.)
****
****
(front of card)
I'll love you forever...
(inside of card)
... or at least until I run off with someone better.
****
****
Monday, June 05, 2006
Hell
Yes, I've been there and yes, it was frozen over (quite logically so, as it was December in Michigan). I even quickly ran a lighter under my finger and have thus officially burned in hell. Oh, the lengths I will go to for a corny joke.
- Party in Hell (Michigan)
***
Hell might not be living in Michigan. It might be living with your 18 year old brother. I’m theorizing that this living arrangement may end up being more difficult than being married, largely because one can’t threaten to withhold sex from one’s brother.
So, it’s not really hell yet. Perhaps just a case of heck is looming. My brother moved in last weekend and the first five days of our cohabitation went swimmingly. However, this may have been due to the fact that almost immediately after dropping off his kitten, Peaches, on Sunday he went to go visit friends until Friday morning. Friday night was fairly uneventful and even included a shared spaghetti dinner and a feeling, on my part at least, of potential communal happiness. I left on Saturday to visit my boyfriend’s parents and didn’t get back until Sunday afternoon.
I returned to potential conflicts. My house reeked of pot and there were cans of beer stacked in the vegetable drawer of my refrigerator. My sink was filled with my dishes, which he and his friends had used. They had also been using my computer. I suppose this isn’t a huge deal, but in my panic about my newfound lack of privacy, it seemed like quite the problem. I was pretty upset about it all, but wanted to wait until I was calmer to decide what to address before he and I had a “conversation”. His friends (including a 17 year old, which adds a new dimension to the beer-drinking part) came back yesterday evening, so I fled to stay in Columbus overnight. I’m back tonight and things are still somewhat messy, but there are no teenage boys (including my brother, who seems to have disappeared) and my house even smells relatively normal again.
Eck. Maybe it’s just purgatory. Does someone want to donate enough money to the Catholic church to buy my way out?
- Party in Hell (Michigan)
***
Hell might not be living in Michigan. It might be living with your 18 year old brother. I’m theorizing that this living arrangement may end up being more difficult than being married, largely because one can’t threaten to withhold sex from one’s brother.
So, it’s not really hell yet. Perhaps just a case of heck is looming. My brother moved in last weekend and the first five days of our cohabitation went swimmingly. However, this may have been due to the fact that almost immediately after dropping off his kitten, Peaches, on Sunday he went to go visit friends until Friday morning. Friday night was fairly uneventful and even included a shared spaghetti dinner and a feeling, on my part at least, of potential communal happiness. I left on Saturday to visit my boyfriend’s parents and didn’t get back until Sunday afternoon.
I returned to potential conflicts. My house reeked of pot and there were cans of beer stacked in the vegetable drawer of my refrigerator. My sink was filled with my dishes, which he and his friends had used. They had also been using my computer. I suppose this isn’t a huge deal, but in my panic about my newfound lack of privacy, it seemed like quite the problem. I was pretty upset about it all, but wanted to wait until I was calmer to decide what to address before he and I had a “conversation”. His friends (including a 17 year old, which adds a new dimension to the beer-drinking part) came back yesterday evening, so I fled to stay in Columbus overnight. I’m back tonight and things are still somewhat messy, but there are no teenage boys (including my brother, who seems to have disappeared) and my house even smells relatively normal again.
Eck. Maybe it’s just purgatory. Does someone want to donate enough money to the Catholic church to buy my way out?
Thursday, June 01, 2006
Miiiiiiracles
Not a miracle:
The World Trade Center cross is not a miracle. Support beams are generally connected at right angles. It seems rather unlikely that there would NOT be two connected beams in the shape of a cross found at the site. Finding a Star of David amidst the rubble? Now that would have been more remarkable. The planes, poof, disappearing immediately before hitting the towers, with all of their inhabitants safely transported to the ground? Yes, far more indicative of a divine presence.
Even more clearly not a miracle:
Stunning events that look as though they must have some sort of profound meaning aren’t even necessarily pleasant. Children being struck by lightening and killed while praying at cross? Oh, come on now. Clearly an anti-miracle.
Just plain amusing (and often entrepreneurial!) "miracles":
A bar manager in Switzerland has announced plans to sell an oyster shell resembling the face of Jesus Christ, according to local media.
- Original Article
A decade-old toasted cheese sandwich said to bear an image of the Virgin Mary has sold on the eBay auction website for $28,000.
- Original Article
A US hospital has asked the Catholic Church for help after being swamped by thousands of people seeking to view what they believe is an image of the Virgin Mary in a third-floor window.
- Original Article
A fish with markings that resembled a Koranic text has been found by Kenyan officials after vanishing from the fisheries office where it was stored.
- Original Article
A pet shop owner has found the markings on one of his tropical fish appear to spell the word "Allah" in Arabic.
- Original Article
Forget the Virgin Mary on toast - Juan Pastrano claims to have found the face of Jesus etched into his frying pan.
- Original Article
Hundreds of Muslims are flocking to a small terraced house in West Yorkshire to see a tomato which they believe carries a divine message from Allah.
- Original Article
Personal Miracles?
I woke up this morning, which means that I didn’t suffer from a heart attack, stroke, or the wrath of an ax murderer. My car started, I didn’t drive off the side of the road, and the truck that was considering merging into me on the freeway didn’t (after a sharp honk on my horn). This was all quite dandy. However, I also didn’t win the lottery (this would have been truly a miracle, seeing as I don’t play the lottery and generally refer to it as “a tax on people who are bad at math”), stumble upon the meaning of life (I hope to trip over it one day), or even find my favorite shoes (though I wished really darn hard!). Overall, I feel I am receiving miraculously mixed signals.
Maybe...
People who look for miracles find miracles. This isn’t a proof of a divine presence. This is just an indication that people are seeing and interpreting the world the way that they want to see and interpret it.
I’m not arguing against optimism. I’d personally rather notice the little clump of violets by the side of the road than the pile of dog shit lying just a few yards away. However, I don’t deny that shit does exist, nor do I assume that the presence of the violets is indicative of a higher plan or a divine being fond of the color purple. It’s all life, unpredictable, wonderful, terrible, and messy... we can take from it, and make of it, what we will. That still doesn’t make it a miracle... though if you find something that looks like one, you might be able to make $28,000.
The World Trade Center cross is not a miracle. Support beams are generally connected at right angles. It seems rather unlikely that there would NOT be two connected beams in the shape of a cross found at the site. Finding a Star of David amidst the rubble? Now that would have been more remarkable. The planes, poof, disappearing immediately before hitting the towers, with all of their inhabitants safely transported to the ground? Yes, far more indicative of a divine presence.
Even more clearly not a miracle:
Stunning events that look as though they must have some sort of profound meaning aren’t even necessarily pleasant. Children being struck by lightening and killed while praying at cross? Oh, come on now. Clearly an anti-miracle.
Just plain amusing (and often entrepreneurial!) "miracles":
A bar manager in Switzerland has announced plans to sell an oyster shell resembling the face of Jesus Christ, according to local media.
- Original Article
A decade-old toasted cheese sandwich said to bear an image of the Virgin Mary has sold on the eBay auction website for $28,000.
- Original Article
A US hospital has asked the Catholic Church for help after being swamped by thousands of people seeking to view what they believe is an image of the Virgin Mary in a third-floor window.
- Original Article
A fish with markings that resembled a Koranic text has been found by Kenyan officials after vanishing from the fisheries office where it was stored.
- Original Article
A pet shop owner has found the markings on one of his tropical fish appear to spell the word "Allah" in Arabic.
- Original Article
Forget the Virgin Mary on toast - Juan Pastrano claims to have found the face of Jesus etched into his frying pan.
- Original Article
Hundreds of Muslims are flocking to a small terraced house in West Yorkshire to see a tomato which they believe carries a divine message from Allah.
- Original Article
Personal Miracles?
I woke up this morning, which means that I didn’t suffer from a heart attack, stroke, or the wrath of an ax murderer. My car started, I didn’t drive off the side of the road, and the truck that was considering merging into me on the freeway didn’t (after a sharp honk on my horn). This was all quite dandy. However, I also didn’t win the lottery (this would have been truly a miracle, seeing as I don’t play the lottery and generally refer to it as “a tax on people who are bad at math”), stumble upon the meaning of life (I hope to trip over it one day), or even find my favorite shoes (though I wished really darn hard!). Overall, I feel I am receiving miraculously mixed signals.
Maybe...
People who look for miracles find miracles. This isn’t a proof of a divine presence. This is just an indication that people are seeing and interpreting the world the way that they want to see and interpret it.
I’m not arguing against optimism. I’d personally rather notice the little clump of violets by the side of the road than the pile of dog shit lying just a few yards away. However, I don’t deny that shit does exist, nor do I assume that the presence of the violets is indicative of a higher plan or a divine being fond of the color purple. It’s all life, unpredictable, wonderful, terrible, and messy... we can take from it, and make of it, what we will. That still doesn’t make it a miracle... though if you find something that looks like one, you might be able to make $28,000.
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