51. Fox News Attacks 'Godless' Free Thought Radio

Comment #78360 by CruciFiction on October 12, 2007 at 1:51 pm

That was just sleezy the way they linked Al Franken who is religious (Jewish), to atheism. They did so no doubt because Franken is running as a Democrat for US Senate in Minnesota. And so they want their small and simple minded FOX sheeple to come away thinking he's "godless scum".

But many thanks to FOX for the free nationwide advertising of FFRF's "Freethought Radio". It can only help.

52. Sam Harris seems like a nice fellow, but very confused

Comment #77701 by CruciFiction on October 10, 2007 at 8:23 am

More from PZ on Harris:

"Cult" is the new "fundamentalist"

http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/10/cult_is_the_new_fundamentalist.php

53. Response to My Fellow 'Atheists'

Comment #77220 by CruciFiction on October 8, 2007 at 7:40 pm

SAM!!! Are you losing your mind?

54. Sam Harris seems like a nice fellow, but very confused

Comment #77219 by CruciFiction on October 8, 2007 at 7:38 pm

I wholeheartedly agree with PZ.

But more importantly, WTF is up with Harris and this shocking critical failure of his to reason realistically? Having been among his most ardent fans up to now, this really leaves me greatly disappointed.

55. 'Flying Spaghetti Monster' Religious Group Turning Heads at MSU

Comment #76304 by CruciFiction on October 5, 2007 at 12:14 pm

MORE PIRATES!!!

56. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74955 by CruciFiction on October 1, 2007 at 8:01 am

Cool video: "Atheist Alliance Convention Recap" with the RRS.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5-w3vk8UTc0

57. AAI Convention webcam

Comment #74784 by CruciFiction on September 30, 2007 at 12:24 pm

ABC's (Sunday) Good Morning America today did a piece on the AAI convention and talked to Margaret Downey and Christopher Hitchens:

http://cosmos.bcst.yahoo.com/ver/246/popup/index.php?cl=4311771

58. There Go The Dinosaurs

Comment #73788 by CruciFiction on September 26, 2007 at 7:38 am

Tripe!

Yet the world is full of credulous people.

Even though online polls are unscientific, check out the sad numbers of this current poll that reflect an incredible 35% believe the bible is LITERALLY TRUE:

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/11656508/

What's your view on the accuracy of the Bible? (372005 responses)

Every detail is literally true.
35%

Some details may be inaccurate or exaggerated, but the fundamentals are true.
33%

The Bible is fundamentally fiction, incorporating some historical facts.
27%

None of the above.
5.3%

59. Griffin's 'offensive' Emmy speech to be censored

Comment #71139 by CruciFiction on September 17, 2007 at 10:29 pm

Kathy Griffin's unedited speech was shown on Larry King:
http://youtube.com/watch?v=cbziBwi489Q

60. The Nonbelievers

Comment #71083 by CruciFiction on September 17, 2007 at 7:46 pm

Not only does Epstein basically suck, but he's a hypocrite as well as a real shithead in person. Posting an article on him here is a big waste of bytes.

61. Airline sacrifices goats to appease sky god

Comment #70899 by CruciFiction on September 17, 2007 at 7:38 am

Applying ignorant caveman mentality on 21st century bleeding edge technology. Surreal.

62. Open letter to YouTube video

Comment #70400 by CruciFiction on September 15, 2007 at 10:40 am

"Whoever would overthrow the liberty of a nation must begin by subduing the freeness of speech." - Ben Franklin

63. The Fleas Are Multiplying!

Comment #68791 by CruciFiction on September 8, 2007 at 3:19 pm

Might we now expect in the future to see the publishing of some lethal flea spray so as to directly kill off some of these irrational parasites once and for all?

64. Christopher Hitchens on BookTV

Comment #67684 by CruciFiction on September 4, 2007 at 10:52 am

doodinthemood,

Thanks for the thought, but I cannot take credit for this one. Some other YT user is doing the uploading work. I just found it.

65. The New Atheists

Comment #67561 by CruciFiction on September 3, 2007 at 7:48 pm

You're right. This was posted three months ago:

http://richarddawkins.net/article,1262,The-New-Atheists,Ronald-Aronson-The-Nation

66. The New Atheists

Comment #67535 by CruciFiction on September 3, 2007 at 6:14 pm

Is Victor Stenger ("God - The Failed Hypothesis") being overlooked here as among the "new atheists"?

67. 'Jesus loves you' email

Comment #66357 by CruciFiction on August 29, 2007 at 7:13 pm

Another hilarious video along the same lines:

"Christianity through the eyes of an atheist"
http://youtube.com/watch?v=dYyHGRM3qqU

68. CNN Request for 'I-Reports' on religion

Comment #65503 by CruciFiction on August 24, 2007 at 1:47 pm

Holy Science!!! So many superb commentaries here, it blows my mind!

So now CNN has chosen from among all the comments submitted to them by the general public, to post something like half of them coming from non-believers. Just WOW!!! And there are some from believers who aren't particularly pleased with the way religion is going either.

I've just submitted another brief comment in their "Sound Off" section of the story at:

http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/08/23/faith.reader.feedback/index.html

I'm so glad this has been a very informative and rewarding exercise. Thanks to all of you!

69. A Matter of Faith

Comment #64763 by CruciFiction on August 21, 2007 at 5:19 pm

Say what they will about O'Hair's temperament, but she was always right on point when it came to religion and the constitutional issue of separation in the US.

And I don't think I've ever heard a more concise and eloquent description of what is an atheist than the one she offered to the SCOTUS:

"YOUR PETITIONERS ARE ATHEISTS and they define their life-style as follows. An Atheist loves himself and his fellowman instead of a god. An Atheist knows that heaven is something for which we should work now — here on earth — for all men together to enjoy. An Atheist thinks that he can get no help through prayer but that he must find in himself the inner conviction and strength to meet life, to grapple with it, to subdue, and enjoy it. An Atheist thinks that only in a knowledge of himself and a knowledge of his fellowman can he find the understanding that will help to a life of fulfillment. Therefore, he seeks to know himself and his fellowman rather than to know a god. An Atheist knows that a hospital should be built instead of a church. An Atheist knows that a deed must be done instead of a prayer said. An Atheist strives for involvement in life and not escape into death. He wants disease conquered, poverty vanquished, war eliminated. He wants man to understand and love man. He wants an ethical way of life. He knows that we cannot rely on a god, nor channel action into prayer, nor hope for an end to troubles in the hereafter. He knows that we are our brother's keeper and keepers of our lives; that we are responsible persons, that the job is here and the time is now."
~ Madalyn Murray (later O'Hair), preamble to Murray v. Curlett, U.S. Supreme Court, April 27, 1961

70. God Bless Me, It's a Best-Seller!

Comment #64691 by CruciFiction on August 21, 2007 at 10:35 am

Here's video of CBS Sunday Morning (8/19/07) with Christopher Hitchens, Julia Sweeney, and Ellen Johnson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnt_7r9UqCY

71. Authors at Google: Christopher Hitchens

Comment #64690 by CruciFiction on August 21, 2007 at 10:34 am

Here's video of CBS Sunday Morning (8/19/07) with Christopher Hitchens, Julia Sweeney, and Ellen Johnson:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Lnt_7r9UqCY

72. Bill Maher Making New Documentary Movie, 'Religulous'

Comment #64584 by CruciFiction on August 20, 2007 at 8:00 pm

As far as Amanpour's upcoming documentary on CNN, I'm not expecting anything in our favor from it. She was raised Muslim and has a very serious condition of what we've come to know as "faith in faith".

Even tonight when Larry King asked her to comment on the several bestsellers that said there is no god, she only responded by stating that there were many more books on believing in god. So I'd bet during the entire six hour documentary she won't even hint that there's an alternative to the divisiveness and violence of god delusion.

73. Pentagon: Hold On, Christian Soldiers!

Comment #62109 by CruciFiction on August 8, 2007 at 7:38 am

And still more news being revealed about the Pentagon's religious activities:

"Kill Or Convert, Brought To You By the Pentagon"
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=220960

"...Operation Straight Up (OSU), [is] an evangelical entertainment troupe that actively proselytizes among active-duty members of the US military.

As an official arm of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, OSU plans to mail copies of the controversial apocalyptic video game, 'Left Behind: Eternal Forces' to soldiers serving in Iraq. OSU is also scheduled to embark on a "Military Crusade in Iraq" in the near future."

74. God in the Military - The Pentagon and its Christian Embassy

Comment #62107 by CruciFiction on August 8, 2007 at 7:36 am

And still more news being revealed about the Pentagon's religious activities:

"Kill Or Convert, Brought To You By the Pentagon"
http://www.thenation.com/blogs/notion?bid=15&pid=220960

"...Operation Straight Up (OSU), [is] an evangelical entertainment troupe that actively proselytizes among active-duty members of the US military.

As an official arm of the Defense Department's America Supports You program, OSU plans to mail copies of the controversial apocalyptic video game, 'Left Behind: Eternal Forces' to soldiers serving in Iraq. OSU is also scheduled to embark on a "Military Crusade in Iraq" in the near future."

75. God in the Military - The Pentagon and its Christian Embassy

Comment #61883 by CruciFiction on August 7, 2007 at 9:31 am

More on this breaking story:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2007/8/6/194930/0382

76. The Out Campaign

Comment #59839 by CruciFiction on July 30, 2007 at 7:38 pm

"Religious people still outnumber atheists, but not by the margin they hoped and we feared. I base this not only on conversations during my book tour and the book tours of my colleagues Daniel Dennett, Sam Harris and Christopher Hitchens, but on widespread informal surveys of the World Wide Web. Not our own site, whose contributors are obviously biased, but, for example, Amazon, and YouTube whose denizens are reassuringly young." ~ RD

Reassuringly young?? Young, yes. Maybe not so reassuring however.

As Dr. Dawkins referred to the YouTube community here, I just felt a need to call attention to a video that has been currently selected by the YouTube staff as one of the "featured videos" on their main page.

The video link is here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=OruQy-X32O0

"AngryLittleGirl (Jessica)" is obviously an extremely bright and young freethinker. In the video she states that 95% of all Americans are scientifically illiterate, and then pleads with viewers to just question all "facts" whenever confronting them. She speaks of the gullibility factor by not doing so, and adds that this also applies to religion.

Well, the video will soon be approaching nearly a half-million views. But check the comments from theists that must account for well over 90% of the total. They're grotesque and appalling. It is a veritable burning at the stake of a perceived heretic!

Remember, this is an overwhelmingly young crowd on YouTube -- tomorrow's leaders and teachers. Browsing the comments, one might easily lose all hope for the future of humankind from a fast growing inability to reason and think critically by a preponderance of its members. It certainly has shaken mine. And the responsibility for this breakdown lies squarely in the ever-expanding influence on young minds from the inculcation and indoctrination of religion.

Now, inasmuch as this applies to our issue at hand, let me just add one thing here. I simply do not know how atheists/freethinkers who truely want a better and brighter future world, if not so much for themselves, then perhaps moreso for their kids and their kids' kids, could read through these ugly and ignorant comments that effectively comprise a [cyber] religious crusade and still not feel compelled to "COME OUT". We each must make a personal contribution to try to stop this nightmarish spread of mind cancer running amok in the world today. I really do consider the present day situation as an emergency, and if ever there was an urgent need for freethinkers to make ourselves known and rise up en masse against religious dogma and superstition, IT IS NOW! I think it's absolutely imperative.

77. The Out Campaign

Comment #59783 by CruciFiction on July 30, 2007 at 4:03 pm

Theocide,

Good for you! And a special thanks for sharing with us.

78. Come Out!

Comment #59539 by CruciFiction on July 29, 2007 at 12:41 pm

"So you want a T-shirt ok. But why do so many of you want to belong to something, its pure tribal. Have the bottle to stand up for yourself, say who you are and what you don't believe in!" ~ gcdavis

So even atheists can spew forth self-contradictory assertions without giving them much logically reasoned thought beforehand.

Every individual who "has the bottle" to wear this shirt is doing exactly what you challenge us to do. That is, we are each standing up for ourselves, saying who we are and what we don't believe in. So where's the beef?

And why do we, including YOURSELF, regularly come to this site? Perhaps to belong to discussions with like minded individuals free from god belief? Oh my, how "tribal" we all are!

Well, like it or not, belonging to community (aka, 'tribalism') is still a very prominent and ingrained part of the human psyche, even for atheists, all of whom still belong to the species. You cannot run away from it, pretending you're above it all, and are never drawn into it. Thinking we can put tribalism to an end anytime during our lifetimes will prove dead wrong.

We are still so relatively juvenile in our brain's evolutionary development that it's unfortunately still a very needed tool to steer the collective race toward that [hopefully] better world we may ultimately become in that very distant future. Those whose minds are free of god beliefs and refuse to outwardly participate in this very real "contest of the tribes" don't realize it, but their non-participation has the effect of allowing the human race to steer toward a direction not of their liking -- indeed, toward a dangerous direction. It is a tragic shame that so many think they're taking some intellectual "high road" by not publicly acknowledging the tribe to which they belong in respect to religions.

What's so intellectual about standing outside the human arena with your highbrow snobbery and crossed arms, watching as the world spirals backward toward another ignorant, anti-science age of superstition, religious bigotry and violence? Well it isn't -- it's stupid! And I see such positions as nothing more than personal cowardice carrying terrible consequences for the future of humankind!

I ordered this shirt, just as I already have many other shirts that similarly tell of where I "belong". And I urge all of you to do likewise.

79. Come Out!

Comment #59482 by CruciFiction on July 29, 2007 at 7:59 am

"I still have a fondness for my old Negativland T-shirt, which says in great big letters: "Christianity is Stupid. Give Up". That goes down well in the south." ~ Jack Rawlinson

You're not kidding! See what happens when the Brits from 'Top Gear' came over to test "the South".

"Top Gear vs Rednecks":
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dZLyGqAnRLA

80. Don't eat at the Outback Steakhouse on Route 3...

Comment #59073 by CruciFiction on July 27, 2007 at 7:43 am

HA! Religious delusion certainly dies hard.

That righteous response dude is just a nutjob looking to incite trouble so as to make himself bigger than the small minded nitwit he is. It really is all just so laughable that I can't even feel upset or angry about it in the least.

Look at it for the great publicity for Dawkin's site it could prove to be. Of all the gullible sheeple he will direct here, there will undoubtedly be those who will look around deeply and find how much they enjoy feeding their terribly starved minds with some rational food for a change. These people will finally come around to reason -- and that's definitely a good thing.

81. Transcending God: An interview with Christopher Hitchens

Comment #56010 by CruciFiction on July 13, 2007 at 8:24 am

The interviewer says: "I happened to catch you on Crossfire last night with Al Sharpton."

Heh, the show was "Hardball", not Crossfire!

82. Christopher Hitchens - God Is Not Great

Comment #55040 by CruciFiction on July 9, 2007 at 8:41 pm

Jenin,

The word "Hell" (as we all understand it today) does not appear in the Old Testament. However, the Hebrew word "Sheol" in the OT is translated in some places as Hell. But this was not a place of eternal punishment and torment -- that Hell came only with the "love" of Jesus in the NT.

Sheol, in the OT was simply described as the grave, or the place where dead people (souls) go.

But please, where has Hitchens gotten facts wrong (pertaining to religion)?

83. God Hates the World

Comment #51910 by CruciFiction on June 25, 2007 at 2:29 pm

I sense this will become the feel-good tune of the summer!

84. Supreme Court nixes suit over faith-based plan

Comment #51880 by CruciFiction on June 25, 2007 at 1:09 pm

The FFRF news release today.

http://ffrf.org/news/2007/heinvFFRF.php

SCOTUS decided we have no right to even complain about these blatant unconstitutional actions by the executive branch because it's only "Psychic injury". WTF!?!?!

85. The Present Threat of the Religious Right to Our Modern Freedoms

Comment #51872 by CruciFiction on June 25, 2007 at 12:49 pm

With the shocking SCOTUS decision today (Hein v. FFRF) it appears we don't have to wait for another religious conservative justice as Tabash warned. It's partly here already with this decision.

FFRF news release:

http://ffrf.org/news/2007/heinvFFRF.php

86. Debate between Sam Harris and Chris Hedges

Comment #51308 by CruciFiction on June 22, 2007 at 8:54 am

Does Sam have to debate his opponent AND the moderator in EVERY debate in which he appears?

Yet his arguments remain stronger and clearly more accurate/logical than the other two persons' combined.

Sam is one of my heros!

87. Baptists Warned About Islam, Atheism

Comment #49571 by CruciFiction on June 12, 2007 at 12:17 pm

Proud to be "a virulent strain of atheism".

We're coming to destroy your delusion!

88. Christopher Hitchens on The Hour

Comment #49531 by CruciFiction on June 12, 2007 at 9:45 am

This really is a superb, although brief, interview.

I think the calm and relaxed setting permits Hitchens to drive home some very important points here that I've not seen him able to do in other interviews.

His view that that religion will never go away, and that when times get hard, the masses will turn again to worshipping is a somewhat discomforting one. But if he's correct on this, as he very likely may be, it should serve as a warning call for all of us to be more diligent and yes, even combative/militant, in opposing the spreading delusions of religious malignancy NOW.

89. U.S. a theocratic state, says former Canadian ambassador

Comment #46820 by CruciFiction on June 1, 2007 at 8:03 pm

Let's trust that Candians, seeing how the faith-based cancer of religion has been slowly destroying its neighbor to the south, will remain smart and aware enough to strongly resist any and all attempts of incursion by faith-heads seeking power and wealth through means of a stealthy coup d'etat from within as they have done here in the US.

I often feel regret that I had not moved to the province of my father's birth, Ontario, when I was still young enough to be granted immigration. The US is not the same country in which I was raised -- seldom recognize it anymore -- and am thoroughly saddened in my conviction that its best and proudest days are well behind us.

90. What I Think About Evolution

Comment #46547 by CruciFiction on May 31, 2007 at 3:48 pm

Well, I'm just sick to death of hearing from those faith-heads who try to always square the circle for the rest of us in respect to reason v. faith.

Brownback's piece is more irrational pathetic nonsense of word-babble that would make any theologian proud. This irrational defense of irrational religious faith reminded me of the excellent debate with Peter Atkins [in March 2007] where he asserted, more than once, that religion serves only the "why" question, which in fact is totally useless to us -- and that ALL "why" questions can better be, and should always be, rephrased as "how" questions. I strongly concur.

http://richarddawkins.net/article,777,Debate-between-Alister-McGrath-and-Peter-Atkins,AtheistDebateorg

Some of my favorite author quotes on "faith":

"Faith may be defined briefly as an illogical belief in the occurrence of the improbable.... A man full of faith is simply one who has lost (or never had) the capacity for clear and realistic thought. He is not a mere ass: he is actually ill." ~ H.L. Mencken, New York Times Magazine, 11 September 1955

"Faith is nothing more than the license religious people give themselves to keep believing when reasons fail." ~ Sam Harris

"Faith is like a piece of blank paper whereon you may write as well one miracle as another." ~ Charles Blount (1654-1693)

"Faith is the antithesis of proof." ~ NY State Supreme Court Justice Edward J. Greenfield, 1995

"Faith is believing something you know ain't true." ~ Mark Twain [Samuel Clemens] (1835-1910)

"Faith is an absolutely marvelous tool. With faith there is no question too big for even the smallest mind." ~ Rev. Donald Morgan (b. 1933)

"Faith," said St. Paul, "is the evidence of things not seen." We should elaborate this definition by adding that faith is the assertion of things for which there is not a particle of evidence and of things which are incredible." ~ E. Haldeman-Julius

"Faith is deciding to allow yourself to believe something your intellect would otherwise cause you to reject -- otherwise there's no need for faith." - Unknown

"Faith is a cop-out. It is intellectual bankruptcy. If the only way you can accept an assertion is by faith, then you are conceding that it can't be taken on its own merits." ~ Dan Barker

"Faith is believing in things when common sense tells you not to." ~ George Seaton

"Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence." ~ Richard Dawkins

91. Battle of the New Atheism

Comment #46489 by CruciFiction on May 31, 2007 at 12:58 pm

HELLO!?!

Can we get a decent portrait just like these with the "Fourth Muskateer"? One without him holding a butt.

92. Liberty U student plotted to set off explosives, police say

Comment #44033 by CruciFiction on May 23, 2007 at 7:56 am

Mark Uhl has a myspace page: http://tinyurl.com/29gcvs

Wednesday, March 21, 2007

This is BS
Current mood: pissed off
Category: Life

I've come to the conclusion that I am insane. I work at school, I work at work, I work at home, I rarely have fun, and if I do anything at all in my free time I think about things that if I do anything about them it will make them worse, which is why I only get 1-4 hours sleep, if I'm lucky. I can't wait to actually use my BS training because, now, life is a frustrating cycle of BS. Hooah!

93. Hubble Finds Ring of Dark Matter

Comment #43398 by CruciFiction on May 21, 2007 at 9:18 am

A ring of "dark matter" in space reported on the same day Fallwell dies. Interesting.

94. Hitchens on Falwell

Comment #41886 by CruciFiction on May 17, 2007 at 9:07 am

Here is audio of the full two part interview with Hitchens and Ralph Reed on Hannity & Colmes:


1:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dnklkODSX_o

2:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qpBruSdg0W4

95. Hitchens on Falwell

Comment #41847 by CruciFiction on May 17, 2007 at 7:30 am

The video linked at top begins about 30 seconds into the interview.

Catch it all here:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=jfw7hUEujUw

He hit the nail right on the head with this one!

96. Television evangelist Falwell dies at 73

Comment #41709 by CruciFiction on May 16, 2007 at 4:18 pm

Wow! Hitchens killed Falwell for a second time in one day with this interview on Anderson Cooper:

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

You go, boy!

97. The Creation Museum: Prepare to believe

Comment #41015 by CruciFiction on May 15, 2007 at 10:45 am

PROTEST RALLY PLANNED

http://www.rallyforreason.com/

98. Face-Off: Can You Prove God Exists?

Comment #40520 by CruciFiction on May 14, 2007 at 11:56 am

Cast your vote at ABC news poll: "Does God Exist?"

http://abcnews.go.com:80/Nightline/story?id=3148940

99. Facing Off on Evolution

Comment #40510 by CruciFiction on May 14, 2007 at 11:34 am

Best part is when Brian says about Kirk: "Oh, god, what a numbnut." ROFL

100. Hitchens, Sharpton and Faith

Comment #39672 by CruciFiction on May 11, 2007 at 1:43 pm

There is now a link available to video of the entire debate:

http://fora.tv/fora/showthread.php?t=1007