Atheist Marketing

   I have long considered Jesus, his travels, and teachings to be one of the biggest marketing scams the world has ever known. The product after all has incredible worth to people and is one of  those things that never go out of style. Eternal bliss. People are killing and deceiving each other as I type this all in support of  their 'product'.
 Much like Ronald McDonald helped to make McDonalds  the leader in selling hamburgers Jesus is working as the Christian version of the McDonalds clown to sell product.

The Last McSupper

   Marketing is important and it doesn't always have to be used to victimize people. McDonalds actually gives you something for your money Jesus and Christianity gives you faith or maybe you give them faith and they give you hope...or maybe you... Oh never-mind you get my point. McDonalds food may not be great for your health but it isn't asking for you to make sure everyone else eats it. McDonalds hasn't asked  customers to kill anyone who eats at Burger King or Taco Bell. They aren't demanding a statue of Ronald McDonald be erected at the entrance of the local courthouse. And there will be no Ronald McDonald 9/11 memorial as a tribute to the victims who ate at McDonalds. Considering those points the burger chain has actually done a better job of targeting a specific audience and keeping the focus on their specific product. 
    Sure you will see a questionable commercial every so often but it is quickly dealt with by the company because they have planned ahead. Any critics are usually diffused by a intelligently worded press release. This doesn't always succeed because you never know which way an issue will run when you get the public involved. Thinking ahead does no harm and sometimes proves invaluable. It can make the difference between people relating a product with a good/positive feeling or a bad/negative one. Sometimes just the person who sends the statement makes all the difference. Human nature makes us more responsive to people who are like us. We will tend to believe someone who is a peer more than someone who is not.
  It's all about marketing. Good marketing brings attention to your product in a positive light. Good marketing can also be stirring up controversy and gaining attention through the anger and outrage of the public. The second type is risky and can result in your products decline. Sometimes the controversy over bad marketing has been so bad it takes years for the brand to come back, if it manages to at all.
 Atheism is also a product. It should be an easy sell, right? I mean, it is based on reality, we all live in a real world where we make choices based on things we can see or feelings that are supported by actual experience. There are a few problems we face when marketing atheism. One is our product doesn't promise eternal bliss. In fact it promises, nothing. Nothing happens when you die, no angel trumpets, no harps, you don't get to go up to heaven where a new car full of horny virgins awaits in front of your incredible mansion where you will reside in harmony and bliss for the rest of eternity. Sorry. All atheism offers is the real world, the one you've been living in all this time except without allowing your imagination to control some of your life. If you can admit imaginary figures are not best used to make laws, or make life choice choices then you have just bought yourself a nice new set of atheism. It  comes with a free unlimited lifetime warranty. Congratulations!
 Notice I said "a few" problems. Another one of those problems is our competition....religion. Religion (see jesus above) does make incredible promises to people. If you pray and god thinks you are worthy your prayer gets answered, if not then keep trying we never know when god may change his mind and decide it is important .You want that girl at the Quick Stop to give you her number, or you want to loose 10 lbs of fat off your ankles? Do you really need god to intervene and get your kid on the honor roll cause that dummy just isn't ever going to manage it on their own? Maybe you want to see your wife and the girl at the supermarket checkout , makeout... With god you never know it's like playing the lottery for free, all you have to do is believe. By the way if we don't believe, we are going to burn in hell forever! That's what  the marketing people tell us anyway. But if you do buy into Jesus, miracles, self affirming books, and verses taken out of context, there is a grand reward when this life ends (see car full of virgins above)
  Another competitor is often overlooked, it is the people who don't really believe but religion provides them power and wealth.The people who represent this segment of the market are probably our biggest challenge yet we often do not take their actions into consideration probably because we tend to assume the people opposed to us will do so in an obvious fashion.
 This last group waits for atheists to give them an 'in' then they capitalize on it.Anything that can be used to make atheist look bad will be used just for that. It has been done through history, it will be continue to be done in this case.
  Recently a billboard was put up that read "Slaves obey your masters" there was a picture of a black slave next to the text and below there was a reference to a biblical verse and the "year of the bible" being touted by the Pennsylvania government. It was a protest to the government supporting a book that condoned slavery and the fact it violated the separation of church and state. That was the message.
 It was quickly declared racist and less than 24 hours after being put up it was removed by vandals.
 At first this angered me. I though about the stupid people who couldn't understand the message, those morons. Then I heard some of the rational behind the racism argument.
  Blacks were upset because they are sensitive to the subject of slavery, it still bothers a lot of people. The people telling blacks they shouldn't be bothered and that the truth is sometimes hurtful, were white. I think it's pretty safe to say African Americans are not going to appreciate white people telling them when they should or shouldn't be offended about racism or slavery. It also happens that the billboards were put up in a mostly black neighborhood because the rates were cheaper. So that means a billboard was put up that blacks considered racist, white people told the black people they shouldn't be offended because it wasn't about race yet the billboard ended up  there because the, black neighborhood was the cheapest place?  Is anyone else seeing the problem with this scenario? Yea blacks might be a little sensitive to the subject of slavery because they still feel the effects of it today. Poor neighborhoods, profiling, crime and various forms of racism. Despite the fact racism has been dealt a serious blow by education, common sense and compassion, it is still around.   I know that as a white male there are many injustices done to other groups I will never be able to fully understand. Slavery is one of those. But I realize that and that helps me to 'get it'... I think.
   So we have the billboard , the deed has been done. The message was never intended to be racist.Some people are pissed, what do you do next? Shouldn't you find someone to convey your thoughts on the issue?  I would look for an African American who could see, understand, and explain my point. If people could hear a person who had just as much right as anyone else to be offended explain things they would be less likely to see it as just some white guy saying he never meant to send that message.
    The bible is really repulsive in parts, the actions that were acceptable behavior in those days make people uncomfortable when they are forced to think about them. Believers can claim verses are "taken out of context" but there was a time when those verses were not taken out of context, they were the law of the land. At what point did parts of the bible suddenly become a matter of context instead of 'gods will'? Who made the decision that the parts about slavery were taken out of context?  If you tried to say people were taking parts of the bible out of context 500 years ago you would have some serious explaining to do and I doubt you would be the next pope. There has been no directive from god informing us of the context guidelines. The reason for that is because we make religion what it is. Religion and god are man-made and continue to change according to what we accept as a society. You can see how every religion has evolved as time goes by. How would a typical christian today look to a typical christian 200 years ago? Did jesus come to earth and hand over a revision to the bible? Nope. The Christians evolved because attitudes changed. This shows me that religion is probably going to evolve itself into extinction eventually , the problem is, it is going to take a very long time.

(not an actual cafe menu)

 Another force to contend with is ourselves.
   As atheists find themselves in the public eye, it is going to be harder not to appear as something we are not due to the subject matter.
People already make incorrect assumptions about us as it is. Atheists are baby-eaters, worship Satan, angry at god, lost those are just a few and they stem from what people have come up with on their own. Now that atheists are coming out there are going to be plenty of opportunities to mislabel us and accuse us of being some of the things most hated in society. We can not let this stop us. I know for a fact most atheists are tolerant, peace-loving people. We have differing points of view on many subjects, so what? Not having  religion as part of your life is going to result in that because there are no constraints on our thinking. We can think out of the box without worry our ideas may get us thrown into a lake of fire. I hear constantly about people complaining because what some atheist is doing makes them look bad. There are times when this can be true such as in cases where a leader was speaking on behalf of a group. And then the actions and ideas can only be attributed to that group. Hopefully people who find themselves on the public stage or speaking on behalf of others will realize the strength and effect of their actions.
   If you feel the actions of individuals are making you look bad then you have self esteem issues, it is that simple so please shut up about it. If a person who's favorite color is green goes on a killing spree and when caught says "I did it for the color green, it told me to kill!" Is that going to mean anyone can assume people who like green are at any moment going to start hacking people up? I don't think so, but I've been wrong before. I like blue by the way, people who like blue are cool. it's the only exception to the rule.
  To wrap it up, I think it's time we started looking at the way atheism is presented. Mainly to limit the opportunities others have to make it into a monster they created with rhetoric and propaganda. We can't avoid some sensitive issues but we should act in ways that show an awareness of people's feelings.
 There is hope for us yet, after all McDonalds removed Ronald from all their marketing (except the Ronald McDonald House)  because the public had outgrown it. Why shouldn't jesus go for the same reason?

I'm Feeling Gay About Gay Marriage In California

   

 In California tide has finally shifted. A recent poll shows that support of gay marriage has surged.  The poll showed increases in support virtually across the board. We seem to finally get it.
 After what I believe to be a trick election a few years ago on Prop 8 where no meant yes and yes meant no, Californians have regained their bearings. It's been three and a half years since voters approved Prop 8, which banned gay marriage, 52.3 percent to 47.7 percent. Looks like we won't be fooled again, at least most of us won't. Voters now favor same sex unions by 59 percent to 34 percent. Who are the 34 percent that just can't allow everyone to be treated equal? Republicans and Conservatives the constant foes of equal treatment fighting at almost every turn to keep some group from making their own choices or being treated the same  as they are. To be fair even these groups have showed a rise in acceptance of civil unions. The day when everyone will be able to say their vows and be recognized as a couple by society is on the way. No one can stop it so anyone who reads this and still insists on fighting against it- You are a dick. Yep, if the description fits, you are a dick. I was curious how the non-believers looked on this issue so I checked out the results and found that support was 80 percent and 16 percent opposed. I'm pretty sure those 16 percent were lying about their religious preference just  to try and make us atheists and agnostics look bad.  If you belong in that group I would love to talk to you and find out why. The 80 percent number was up 3 percent from 2010. And the 16 percent against was unchanged from 2010, I guess those people are set in their ways.  Still it shows non religious people are more tolerant of different lifestyles, probably because we know sexual preference is a result of nature. It's  not a choice made by someone  in order to make every other heterosexual uncomfortable or as an attempt to destroy religion to prepare the planet for Lord Satan's arrival. Intelligent people realize this, ignorant and stupid people do not.
  We should still be ashamed we allowed New York to show itself as more progressive than the great state of California.Then Washington and Maryland came along and made us look like uptight morons too. We have the city of Berkley! There shouldn't be a place on the planet that can beat us at being an example of how to behave like crazy yet tolerant people.
   Still, Prop 8 haunts us, and the state continues to waste money because some people feel the need to protect a word. Religious believers are convinced gay marriage will make heterosexual marriages less meaningful and sacred. If that is the case you have already made your marriage look weak as well as your ability to show respect towards people who are different from you.
 I often wonder-Why do gays want to get married  anyway?  Marriage is a religious ritual, we know how most religions view gays who want to be a part of that group?I know I have no interest in marriage because it is a religious ritual. Religious rituals tend to have some type of ulterior motive.
  I think civil unions should be the ONLY form of partnership recognized by the government. You want to get married? Do it in your church and have fun but don't expect anything to change as far as the government is concerned. Another example of how the separation of church and state would make life a little more easy and fair for all people and attack the religious act of marriage at the same time. The best of both worlds, Lord Satan would be pleased.

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/29/4299164/support-for-gay-marriage-takes.html#storylink=cpy

Read more here: http://www.sacbee.com/2012/02/29/4299164/support-for-gay-marriage-takes.html#storylink=cpy

 

If you would like to see the results for yourself click here

God- version a.123abc

     Atheists and believers have a habit of equating religion with god, and that is not accurate. If you are going to consider god then you need to be specific in defining the term. People often tell me I hate god. I can't hate what isn't there. What I hate is the idea of god created by religion.  When people say you can't know god they are correct. No one can know god because we have no evidence god even exists. What religion does is present an artist's rendering of god.
   It would be like me asking you to draw me a picture of the 3rd planet from the star I was pointing at in the night sky. You would know only the very basics. It is a planet,so it is probably round. What else would you know? Nothing. You wouldn't even know for sure if there is a third planet orbiting that star. So it would be impossible to go any further and know you were correct. 
  You could go into detail and claim it has one large ocean. It also has creatures that can live both on land and breath underwater. The trees grow to the height of skyscrapers. you could say the days last a month and the sun is the color green in the sky. You could claim anything you want, the most important things to remember are all the attributes you give this planet would come from what you know about living on earth and they are all made up, you couldn't even call them educated guesses.
  The bible stories are the science fiction stories of that time. These days we have Star Wars. Back then they had angels, beasts with multiple heads, turning water into wine and knocking women up with out having intercourse. The authors of the bible were The Steven Speilburgs and George Lucas' of their time.When they imagined the end of times they thought of famine, disease, hordes of locus covering the land, and earthquakes. Those were the things that were scary to them. Those were the things that they had night mares about. If you were to write about what was going to happen during the rapture would you say a horde of locus is going to swarm across America and eat us? Probably not. It would be more like the earth is going to have climate change and turn into an uninhabitable sphere of floating ice, if you were the scientific type. The younger generation might say the internet will become sentient and enslave humanity.  The bible is science fiction before science had had a chance to catch up. Now science has passed up religion and is well on its way to destroying it all together accept for the sentimental few who just can't give up the old ways. (see people who still use record players, or commodore 64 enthusiasts)
   I think Atheists have been going about it the wrong way for the most part (from what I've seen) We shouldn't be debating if a god (or gods) exist, we should be discussing it. There is no way for us to know one way or the other. If people want to believe in god they should realize they must believe in something created from no actual knowledge except that it is the he/she/it/them that created the universe. That's all, you can not give any other characteristics because they are unknown.
This is where religion comes in and this is where we need to concentrate our efforts. We need to make sure believers know we do not consider god and religion as the same thing, they are not interchangeable. They define god according to their bible,book or imagination . We don't define god the same way. I think many if not most Atheists do not consider this when speaking to or debating believers. I'm sure most know what I'm talking about though, they just dont use the argument against believers. It would give people a far different impression if Atheists were to say "You know I'm not sure, there could be a god." which any reasonable person would have to admit simply because we don't know everything. You can claim to know there is no possibility of a god no matter what. If you do believe this then please stay away from me because I can't stand stupid people who think they know everything and feel the need to show it off, they annoy the hell out of me. you can't even explain to them why you think they suck cause there is no way for the concept to break through the stupid.
 
     A believer will be more open to discussion if you find some common ground. Tell the you can not completely dismiss the possibility of some type of creator.Then you can make them own their god who in most cases is a bi-polar dick. The reason he is a dick is because mankind as a whole is a bi-polar dick too. Maybe you should refrain from calling their god bi-polar or a dick (use your judgment) but most religious people who are intelligent will admit there are aspects of their religions god they are not quite sure of. Bring up the way their god allows so many people to starve to death. Do those people deserve that terrible suffering? Why would a god as described in their bible do that? To say god's it's god's plan doesn't make any sense couldn't god have found another more humane way to kill people if he must kill them? The bible itself is a contradiction why would god allow it to be so vague? If we go after the man made version of god and cause people to question it using common sense it may work better than simply walking up and saying "I'm an Atheist, there is no god" that tends to shut down any further constructive discussion. This isn't a show of uncertainty or a weakening of position, it is a way of smarter interaction with believers. Not everyone is going to be able to pull it off and it isn't a silver bullet but it may work better than what we are doing now.
 The last piece of advice- Never get into a debate with anyone as to whether god exists or not. You can't win because, like I said it is unknowable at this point. Make sure you know what god you are debating about. Once you lock the person on the religious side into a certain man made version of god you can easily come out on top using common sense.

  I'd like to thank Frank Apisa for the inspiration and assistance in forming these thoughts without laying any of the blame for them upon him

You Atheist Dimwits....

Here's an article that I stumbled upon from catholiclane.com-

You Whiny Sniveling Little Atheists Are Pathetic!

by Mary Kochan on Dec 13, 2011 

       

Okay, so here is the story:

In Freedom From Religion Foundation, Inc. v. Brewer, (D AZ, Dec. 12, 2011), an Arizona federal district court dismissed an Establishment Clause challenge to the Arizona governor’s proclaiming a “Day of Prayer.”  The court held that plaintiffs lacked standing because they were not injured by the governor’s proclamation, saying:

Plaintiffs provide affidavits to establish they turned off the television and altered conversational habits to avoid the topic of religion or the day of prayer….  Plaintiffs, however, do not explain why their alleged injury is different than injuries in other Establishment Clause cases in which the plaintiffs did not have standing, such as the President’s day of prayer proclamation. Essentially, Plaintiffs seek a ruling obliquely holding that injury sufficient to confer standing exists under the Establishment Clause where government action is covered in the news or the subject of a social conversation. The Court declines to depart from Establishment Clause case law on this ground. Plaintiffs have not shown injury beyond “stigmatic injury” or feeling like an “outsider.”

The East Valley Tribune reports a few more details on the decision and reactions to it:

“Gov. Brewer’s proclamations proclaim a day of prayer, and one proclamation encourages all citizens to pray for God’s blessings on our state and nation,” the judge acknowledged.
“Though ‘encouraged,’ no one, including plaintiffs, is obligated to pray,” Silver wrote. “Nor are plaintiffs forced to alter their physical routine or bear a monetary expense to avoid a religious symbol.”
At best, the judge said, those challenging the governor’s actions have incurred a “stigmatic injury” or “feeling like an outsider.” None of that, said Silver, gives them the right to sue.
Attorney Marc Victor said his clients are weighing whether to seek review from the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals or file a new lawsuit in state court. He said there are similar requirements to separate church and state in the Arizona Constitution.
In a prepared statement Brewer praised the court, calling the lawsuit “a futile attempt to stifle an American right and tradition.”
“Citizens of every race, background and creed have been coming together in voluntary prayer since our nation’s founding, and will continue to do so against this organization’s best efforts,” the governor said.
Press aide Matthew Benson acknowledged that not everyone believes in prayer. But he said that does not mean his boss is doing anything unconstitutional.

Let’s get this straight.  The atheists are suing because they had to turn off the television to avoid the topic of religion or news announcements about the Day of Prayer.  They had to alter their conversation to avoid the topic of religion. This made them feel like “outsiders”.

Oh, boo hoo.

You whiny, sniveling, little, pusillanimous cowards.  You have the audacity to tell us Christians that we are “weak” and that our religion is a “crutch.”  You are supposed to be so “courageous”, venturing forth boldly into the existential mystery of being alone, facing with stoicism the nothingness that awaits you at death, priding yourself on your realism and self-reliance. You are a bunch of feeble fakers.

This picture obviously proves the United States was founded a christian nation...see the flag with the bible? duh!

Yes, you are outsiders. Go start your own damn country.  This one was started by Christians, you puerile dimwits. It is Christians who established and largely Christians who fought and died to maintain the freedoms you enjoy. And Christians are still the majority. Apparently your vaulted belief system doesn’t equip you to handle being in the minority. That’s interesting, isn’t it? After all, this was and is a societal situation valiantly handled by millions and millions of Christians who suffered — and currently suffer — real oppression, violence, torture, economic deprivation, and cruel deaths.  But you have to go through turning off the TV once in a while and so your precious puny feelings are hurt. How delicate and frail your mental architecture is!

You are a pitiful joke. Trembling over the mere mention of God. Running like babies to court because of your brittle feelings. “Oh, but judge, but judge, I saw a cross and I just can’t stand it.”  “I heard someone say ‘Merry Christmas’ and it hurt my feelings.”  “I just can’t sleep knowing there is a manger scene at the courthouse.”  “The sight of the Ten Commandments makes me wet my pants.” Now we see how inadequate and feeble you really are. Rage, therapists say, is the flip side of helplessness. And so we see your rage against religion in the public square for what it is: a product of your own insubstantial internal resources. Go look at yourself in the mirror if you can bear the pathetic, contemptible sight of yourself. Our merest martyr shows you to be a wimp – fourteen-year-old Kizito of Uganda singing hymns while being burned alive. But you, you anemic, lily-livered worms – you quail at pushing the off button on the remote! Hah!

First I'd like to address the last portion of the article. The burning of Kizito is a perfect example of why Atheists don't want to see or read anything about religion. If you think about it just a little maybe you would realize that whole scene was caused by one factor, religion. So Mary is giving an example of  the atrocities committed in the name of religion as a defense against attacks from Atheists? Seems an odd way to make your point.....unless your a Catholic I guess since Mary seems quite okay with it. 
 I'm glad we Atheists don't have a  martyr like Kizito the reason we don't is because we don't do any killing in the name of Atheism.
   Atheists aren't interested in a violent movement to eradicate Christians or anybody else. People like Mary Kochan think in those terms though, that's how she thinks things should be. Mary doesn't decry the violence that resulted in Kizitos death in the name of religion, she basks in the glory of having someone of her faith sing songs about a god who wouldn't spare his young life. Instead of saving the life of Kizito from being taken in the name of religion his god allowed him to be burned alive. I wonder if Mary Kochan can even begin to grasp the way it feels to be burned to death.
  To make a couple more points about Mary's little temper tantrum. (see: hello pot, this is kettle...you are black)She places a blanket around all Atheists. We all are whiny, sniveling, pusillanimous, cowardly, dimwitted , wimpy, anemic, lily-livered worms, and a bunch of feeble fakers. I won't judge all Catholics as childish and feeble minded because of  Mary's ability to regress back to the maturity level of a 7 year old, or maybe she never matured past that point there is no way for me to know for sure.
  What I can say for sure is Mary Kochan knows very little about the founding fathers. I almost feel sorry for her because it's always kind of sad to see an ignorant person who thinks they are smart mock others by using incorrect information.  Reading Mary's claim about the United States being founded as a Christian nation is like watching a child prove he has super-human strength by bending a wire coat hanger. The child doesn't gasp the concept yet, neither does Mary.
  Mary Kochan also manages to give us a clear look at how she thinks and what she would say to Atheists if she is ever elected to be Jesus-
     Get out of the country. Yep, that's right, you ain't Christian you ain't shit. You all can stay as long as you STFU and allow us Christians to do as we damn well please. You have a problem with us mixing religion with government? Get the hell out! We all know there is nothing in the constitution keeping Christianity out of government!  Now shut up and quit whining about your place in this country, your place is in HELL sinner! you should be thanking us Christians you are even free to let us do what we want. WE FOUGHT AND DIED FOR YOUR FREEDOM TO LET US HAVE OUR WAY, you ingrates.

    Even now we suffer REAL oppression, violence, torture, economic deprivation, and cruel deaths. Why can't you give us Christians a break? We only make up a majority of the country and everyone knows the majority  has almost no chance of being treated fairly. You Atheists dare complain about our tendency to believe in things that can in no way be tested as to their validity? HOW DARE YOU MOCK OUR RIGHT TO BUILD A COUNTRY BASED ON RELIGIOUS BELIEFS THAT ARE  SUBJECT TO INDIVIDUAL INTERPRETATION WHICH CAN DIFFER DRAMATICALLY  DEPENDING ON WHO YOU ASK....HOW ...DARE..... YOU!

  You heard Mary you bunch of sniveling worms the Christians aren't going to take it anymore. They are going to take it to the next level....dodge ball on the playground at high noon or are ya a bunch a lily-livered poo-poo heads?
 
 

Pat says "God did it"

Pray the gay away.

Make a deal with the devil and get an earthquake.

Perform abortions?.....here comes a hurricane.

Too much plastic surgery makes you look oriental.

Do you think someone is going to kill you? Well then, they should.

God is tolerant and loving, but if you stick your finger in his eye, or vote out a school board that believes in creationism...he's gonna get you.

Who is REALLY responsible for 9/11? Pagans, abortionists, feminists, gays, lesbians, the American Civil Liberties Union and the People For the American Way...yep, that's right.

Is your town having trouble with those pesky hurricanes, earthquakes, tornadoes, terrorist bombings, or meteorites? Stop having those gay parades, problems solved!

Is God to steering  hurricanes towards your company's  headquarters? Pat Robertson can pray it away.

Plan on going to Scotland? Watch out, it's been over-run by homosexuals.

Want to downsize government? Nuke the State Department Headquarters.

 And the latest bit of advice from the guru of the good-life Pat Robertson?

Got a spouse with Alzheimers? Get 'em a nurse, get a divorce, and get it on!

 Yep never-mind those annoying inconvenient wedding vows. You just agreed to those vows so you could get laid anyways right? (God is sending a hurricane after you for that by the way) Nobody really believes in anything the priest says on their wedding day.

 If your spouse gets a disease that causes you to be annoyed because they don't remember your name and they try to eat the couch, ditch them. It's okay, they are as good as dead anyways.

 Pat Robertson has been saying crazy shit for years and years and for the most part Christians have either agreed or quietly shook their heads. He has gone on receiving money and doing his little TV show , even becoming involved in politics. No christian has stood up and demanded for him to STFU. No christian has set forth with the same vigor used to convert sinners to christianity, to shut Pat Robertson's trap.

 Maybe now these christians who have sat by the sidelines and whispered "i'm not like him" whenever Pat Robertson opened his mouth to pass gas will stand the hell up and demand he shut the large hole under his nose.

  The only redeeming quality Pat Robertson has is he provides a prime example of what is wrong with most organized religions. It's okay to judge and condemn as long as your finger is pointed away from yourself. As time goes by that pointed finger will eventually point straight at you and you can either accept you are just as bad as any you have judged or you can be as bad as those you have judged, or in Pat's case, far worse.

Peter Popoff- The Profit

My newest friend Peter Popoff has sent yet another envelope. And wouldn't you know it, he wants to help me some more. I don't know why,out of all the people who really need help, Peter has latched on to me. 
  And I don't know how but Peter seems to know things about me that I was not aware of. One of which would have the effect of scaring the livin shit out of me if I was a believer. What is the one worst thing here on earth? What is it that religious people place blame on when something happens that is so terrible, so ugly, so sad and evil that god couldn't have possibly made it, done it, or supported it? That's right  SATAN! 
  I bet some of you suspected what Peter Popoff knows for a fact....SATAN is opposing me. That's right, SATAN is causing me some real demonic opposition. You naysayers can READ IT IN THE LETTER. On page one Peter lets the cat out of the bag. I almost fainted when I read it. This would explain why, when I make cookies they always burn, and why it's always so damn hot in this house! The flies I thought were getting in because I don't have a screen door? I was wrong...SATAN brought 'em.
 The mixture of relief from finally knowing the reasons all these things happen mixed with the terror of knowing that I had bought those fly strips for nothing and I dropped the letter to the floor, too weak to grasp it any longer....
   When I had recovered my strength I bent to pick up the message and saw something had come out from between the pages. It was what Peter called The Aaron's Breastplate Medallion. Luckily for me god had reminded Peter to send it. From what I understand Peter had the medallion in his office for me beforehand. The thought of Peter Popoff taking time from his busy, busy day of meeting with god and praying to pick up small gifts for me brought a little tear to my eye.
  I guess the Aaron's Medallion is pretty damn special cause Peter goes on about it for some time and includes a chart to help explain what kind of assistance I can expect from it.
  According to Peter my worries about SATAN  are for nothing. My new good friend has my back. Not only that but 12 miracles are going to happen to me in the next 4 months!
  A thought occurs to me...my life is much more dramatic and exciting than I realized. I thought my life was pretty much normal but all kinds of strange, exciting and scary stuff is going on at my house. Thank god, or whoever Peter had brought this fact to my attention I may have slept through it all.
 Peter goes on for a few pages, and to be honest, he is kinda a buzz killer talking so much and repeating himself most of the time.

Aaron's Breastplate Medallion- Couldn't be to good at protecting from the occasional sword thrust. It is made of paper..guess that's enough to stop Satan though.

Chart that explains something....I'm not sure what but god is involved so it must be important.

Finally I reach the end where another incredible fact is presented. PETER POPOFF IS ALSO A PROPHET!! Wow could I get any more lucky in finding a friend with the endless abilities Peter has? I think not.
  My high is suddenly squashed, like a teenage pot head whose mom just took away all his chips. Peter needs $28.29 or $56.58 in order to get rid of SATAN and to get god to give me my 12 miracles. Son of a bitch! I just sent my last $3.65 to Peter so he could supernaturally remove all my debts.
 If anyone has any extra cash or change keep me in mind would you? I'm going to go hit up my neighbors for a couple bucks. I know that god's will will help me get the money so that I can send it to Peter to give to god so that that jerk SATAN will go over to my ex-girlfriend's house and I can enjoy my miracles while eating unburned cookies in a cool house with no flies. I know it will happen because I have Peter Popoff backing me up and he's a profit!

Peter Popoff- God's LoanShark

Got debts? Do you owe money to someone? Can't figure out how to out from under that mortgage payment? Would you try ANYTHING to relieve yourself from those damn bills?

 Well some people will. And other people, like Peter Popoff, will do about anything to help pay their bills too. Anything in this case includes ripping off people who can afford it the least.

  As the television murmured in the background I was working at my desk editing a podcast. Suddenly a booming voice came across the room " I HAVE BEEN ANOINTED BY GOD TO RELIEVE YOUR DEBTS SSUUPPEERRNNAATTUURRAALLYYYYYY!!!" 

  I jumped and was instantly pissed off, what the hell was that racket? Looking at the TV I watched as Peter Popoff spoke (and yelled) at a lady sitting across from him. He was telling her god wanted to release people from their debts, he knew this because god had told him. I vaguely knew of Peter Popoff. I had heard about James Randi giving him a quick hard kick in the pants on the Tonight Show. Other than that I hadn't seen anything of him, until now. 

 On the screen the shot had changed to a line of people taking turns holding a microphone. If I had to guess I would say about 90% were African Americans, the other 10% made up of various other races. 95% were women. 

  They took turns walking up and telling their story of how god had eliminated the bills which had been piling up around them. Every person who stepped up to speak had an incredible story of some kind. One lady was about to lose her home but she had got a check in the mail for exactly the amount needed to keep her home just in time to avoid foreclosure. Another had finally managed to find a job but her car had broken down. Without the car she wouldn't be able to take the job...but wait.....YES! A check had come to her also. The amount was enough to pay for the car repairs. THANK GOD!!! 

  I watched and the more I watched the more sickening the whole ordeal became. Peter would come on and stare into your eyes promising the love of god would solve your money problems. It was as if he was staring at his prom date telling her whatever was needed to get his hand up her dress.

 Quite a number of people were giving testimonials. I watched closely to see if there was any indication they were not being honest, I didn't see anything obvious, but that didn't mean a whole lot.

  This back and forth between Peter Popoff and the people who had taken god's money to pay bills went on for about 45 minutes. Occasionally a booming voice would cut in and tell you how to get your own bills paid by god.

 I figured what the hell. I was curious exactly what it was that Peter Popoff was up to. I went to the website and applied for a windfall of cash from god himself , then I made a peanut butter & jelly sandwich. I ate the sandwich while I waited for my new friend Peter to use his connections and relieve me from debt. 

  About a week and a half later I got a envelope from Peter Popoff. I scanned the contents so you can see what it contained with out being put on Peter Popoff's  mailing list. Some of the pages were too long for my scanner but you should be able to get a pretty clear picture of what is going on.-

Atheist......Christian

    I have been having what a lot of you would consider a typical discussion with a christian.  Since there must be at least a few readers who have not had this type of interaction I thought maybe posting the conversation thread would be an interesting read. So, here it is. As the conversation continues, the blog will grow. When it becomes redundant, abusive, or boring, it will end. 

 The christian posts will be orange. My replies will be in blue and narrative in black.

It's been appointed for a man, once to die and then the judgement. Heb 9:27. Who of you by worrying can add a single hour to his life? Mat 6:27 and more and more if I were to go into the psalms and proverbs. It's tragic in the sense that death always seems to take most by surprise. But it never takes God by surprise, because it was appointed, it's always appointed. There are no accidents or coincidences where God is concerned. If they were Christians, they are rejoicing in Heaven. Paul tells us in the scriptures that "to live is Christ, to die is gain". This is not supposed to be your best life now...if it was, what would there be to hope for?

The first thing I'd like to know is why you can't just answer me like a human being.
Now ...did I say anything about the quality of their life? No I did not.
The second thing is in the blog, but your un-answer covered it.
The issue I have is with the WAY they died. It is amazing you don't even seem to be able to realize the horror those people went through before they fell 317 feet.And what about the people who had to sit and watch? Are you telling me that god couldn't find another way? And it doesn't bother you that the being you want to spend eternity with causes unneeded suffering?
This event is wrong on so many levels for you to just shrug your shoulders and not at least apply some type of common logic is disturbing.
If you choose to answer me back please try to follow the conversation and not muddle it up with explanations to things that were never in question. I find it both annoying and unproductive. The subject is complicated enough already.
Allow me to ask you a direct question. What if they were Atheists? Where do you think they would be now,or is that one of those things only god knows?

Reap,

You ask me a direct question, I'll provide you a direct answer. God has established his moral law for his people to obey. Since he is God, he alone is right in deciding their fate, which for some will be heaven, and for some will be hell. SO - in rejecting God's law, we reject God himself. So - my answer is that anyone who rejects God and his moral laws will be punished. But the real question is, why would anyone who rejected God, want to spend eternity with him anyway?

   Yes, that is the real question. My answer would be- I don't. I am good with my morals. My mindset makes the world more tolerant of people. I accept people for who they are, as long as what they do does not cause harm to others or themselves. My definition of harm is not provided by a text written 2000 years ago when life was NOTHING like it is today. Haven't you ever wondered why god wouldn't come to us today in a way people could not dismiss? 

  Obviously more and more people are coming to the conclusion that the god of the bible does not exist. Now would be a great time for god to provide some guidance, yet he does not. Why is that? He has done it before? And if everything is already destined to happen because god planned it out what is the point in living at all? If that is true our lives are meaningless and if everyone truley believed that then the world would be a much more 'evil' place. 

   You are a intelligent person (most of the time) It troubles me that you do not continue to learn about all aspects of the world not just the bible but science and other cultures/beliefs. To say god will only accept Christians is just stupid. Think mabout how many people lived before Christianity even existed. Wouldn't god have AT LEAST told human he existed right from the beginning? The Adam and Eve thing does not fly. That would mean humanity was born of incest.
   Your beliefs are not fair to others. Your beliefs hurt other people and effect their quality of life negatively. People have lived and died in sorrow not because "this life was not meant to be good" it is because people like you caused it to be bad all because of your egotistical attitude. You judge people. Your statement saying "if they were Christians they are in heaven" is passing judgment on everyone. You are not that good, sorry.       

  Your excitement at spending all of eternity with the god you describe reminds me of the kids in school who would hang out with the gang members because it was the safest thing. They didn't get beat up and they did whatever they wanted to the other kids. They made fun of fat kids or any others who were different, stole from lockers and anyone who wasn't part of the gang was less of a person. I never became part of that crowd. I helped the kid who just got beat up by them get up.
   If you think hurting other people while they are on this earth because they don't follow your interpretation of what you think 'god's morals' are is right and just, then that speaks to the kind of person you are. If you are comfortable with that, fine. I could never be that kind of person I don't like to see others suffer.
    Read the blog again Joshua I related my feelings best I could.
Your god will have me burn forever as punishment. Keep that in mind while you are enjoying heaven will you please?

You say you have morals. Logically describe where they came from. Logically describe who decides that they are correct, or universally more advanced than anyone else's. Then consider your use of the word 'fair'. You say my views aren't fair. Logically, what is fair? Who decides fair? Was it fair your child has a disability? Was if fair that you do not have a disability? All the things you describe are rooted in moral relatavism and humanistic argument with no absolute standard of justice or fairness. that's not a value judgement, just an observation using logic. If you can't prove that your morals are absolute, or that they have an absolute, universal standard, it cannot be said that they are moral. To be moral, by definition is to not be relative...Reap...I've not even started talking about the Bible. These are just logic errors that we all have before we become aware of who God really is...I had them, just like you do. I've said alot of the same words as you. Your thoughts?

What about gay people? What about thinking that only christians are going to heaven? Joshua do you understand that when you say things like 'only christians are going to be saved' you have indicated that christians are somehow above everyone else.Even if you don't treat non-christians any different the possibility that others who think like you will is very high. Non-christians are lesser and the lesser class historically does not fair well.
My morals come from my parents (who were not religious) and from the little voice in my head. I am pretty good at putting myself into another person's shoes so I can better understand how and why they feel a certain way.
My son's disability is not 'fair' it seems he should have had the chance to live a full life and I should have been able to better share our lives. That is how life works. I can do nothing about the circumstances. I can however do my best to make sure others treat him fairly and do not take advantage of his condition or use it to treat him with less respect than they would other people. There is a huge difference between what fair is and how we can have an effect on it.
No I can not prove my morals are right. All I can do is observe the results of treating people in a way I consider morally correct. The vast majority of the time my interactions with others are positive. If I were to play out the same scenario instead using the morals of some (not you necessarily) religious believers, the results would be different and one party would not leave the exchange happy. I have watched a thousand times as a person's religious beliefs cause discrimination against another group. I would agree to say whether anyone's morals are absolute in any way is impossible. If you pay attention then you can tell if one way causes people to be treated in a more 'fair' way than another.

      Reap, this is exactly the point. Try to listen carefully to what you just said. "I cannot prove my morals are right, true or correct. I use a subjective measure 'the voice in my head' and training 'my parents' to prove that my choices are correct. Furthermore, I feel enabled to judge others based on those perceptions when they infract my relative moral law IE: religious people discriminating against non-religious people". I'm not putting anything into that, or putting a value judgement on that. I'm just briefing back to you, using non-emotional logic, what YOU just said. SO - the point would be, why is your subjective means of moral adherence superior to an objective one? Is that possible? 

   You think in terms of right and wrong, fair and unfair...I tell you plainly, you cannot objectively determine either! I'm not saying you're wrong in all cases, I'm simply saying that by manner of reason and logic you cannot presume superiority or accuracy in your judgements because you have nothing but your 'feelings' to base them on. Frankly...I feel different...we can't both be right....can we? How would one come to the end of that dispute on a matter as important as life and death?

    Joshua, this is where YOU need to listen closely. You base your life and the way you treat others on the belief in a being that behaves in a manner which even you would describe as insane if it were a person. And yes I behave in a way that I feel is correct because I can directly observe what effect my actions have on others and the world. I think the results are positive because people are not being told what comes natural to them is wrong and/or evil and they are treated with the same consideration no matter how different from me they are.

    We come back to how your beliefs effect others. If you are happy with the results and think people react positively to the manner in which you treat them, then there you go.

Now before we go any further would you please tell me your opinion on gay people? Are they going to hell and should they be entitled to the same treatment as anyone else?

     RE: Gay people. I don't see any reason to discriminate against any person for any reason. Of course, this assumes that all characteristics of people are proven to be innate and not behavior choices. For example, I think I have every right and will vehemently discriminate against theives and robbers from entering my home and nor do I think myself less of a person for doing so. I suspect you would agree. Yet If science can PROVE that a sexual persuasion is genetic, then when will it be proven that sex with boys and little girls, or animals, or dead people is also, genetic and not a choice? 

   This of course will seem preposterous to you, since you judge those behaviors as choices, but homo and heterosexuality as not choices, and sex with little kids as definitely choices. Regarding how I "treat" people. I help anyone in need. I will give money, lend my time and offer my ear to anyone. I will love my brother as myself. And I will love my enemies and pray for them. To do anything different is to not be a Christian. You've seen many forms of false christianity. Many of your claims are against those people...and not me.. This is of course my opinion. Does that help?

I'm curious - why do you care if gay people or any other person is going to hell? I thought you didn't believe in God or hell, or absolutes?

  Ok, last question 1st.

     I do not believe in hell, my curiosity is about your opinion,not for my own doubts. You still have not answered whether you think gays will go to hell and I have asked you a couple times now.

I find your view on gays strange. Doesn't the bible say that homosexuality is a sin? Slavery is also ok if I remember correctly,right?

   As to behavior and the brain. I'm not sure most extreme behavior can be attributed to choices. Can a man who gets pleasure from killing people be considered evil? Not if his condition is a result of chemical imbalances or brain injury. As a society we must of course hold him accountable for his actions but we know that some behaviors are a result of differences from 'normal' brain functions.

    This is exactly what I am talking about why would a god seem to use us as playthings? This brings to mind another question. Why would god give us, say around 80 years (if your lucky) to learn about him, accept him, and follow his rules when there is no way anyone can know for sure what belief is correct? I mean when the rules are not fair, the playing field not level then sometimes those who have done their best will still lose.

I guess we have come to the point where this conversation is no longer useful.

I was about to ask you why you do not apply the same logic you do to your everyday life to your religious beliefs. I expect you will answer that god is above that type of consideration. To that logic I can not argue because it is impossible to reason with an unreasonable person.

I know you are very secure in your faith. Take a look around at the tremendous suffering put on people everyday. Think about the children with cancer who are going to die only after they go though horrible treatments and pain. Babies who are born only to die, the only memory they take from this world is one of suffering and sadness. Not to mention the sorrow felt at the loss by the living. If god were real and would allow that to go on it is a sick sadistic thing. I think the fact that it goes on and on day after day is because that is the way it is.

If you are a christian then you must follow the bible. If you do not follow the bible you are not christian. No where in the bible does it say "Read this and change whatever parts you like to mean the opposite"?

A query for the faithful

   Life is strange to say the least. My last blog was questioning whether god was really watching over us until we landed on the game-board space labeled 'that's it for you!'
 I listen/watch/read at least some of the news every day. Today a story came over the radio. I was involved in putting down some bathroom tile at work so I didn't hear the whole story. "Searching waterfall for missing hikers" was what I did hear, this seemed a bit odd. what were the hikers doing ? Were they hiding in a waterfall? I continued my tile job......
  A bit later the story was repeated. Listening to the news so often, where most of the news is bad, I know calluses have formed on some of my brain cells. Often horrible stories are considered, then served with a deep sigh and a shake of the head, life goes on.
   This is what I heard today
 A group of friends are at Yosemite. The heavy snowfall has made for incredible run-off and waterfalls this season. The friends gather with no worries of school or work, those burdens cast off and replaced with summer freedom. As will sometimes happen when friends gather, a feeling of immortality runs alongside them. The friends see that some other vacationers have crossed over the barriers. A man and his 2 children are laughing and taking pictures in the fast moving water.  If a father and two kids can do it why not them? While laughing and posing for pictures, a girl slips on a rock and falls in the water," Her friend, grabs her hand, then he slips and falls in too. He reaches behind him and tries to grab something. A witness describes his eyes as wide and aware the circumstances are not in his favor. The pair do not find anything to stop them. Another of the friends goes to help the pair, he too is swept in by the uncaring water. The couple are holding each other as they go over the edge of the falls. A woman runs screaming along the shore as the 3rd immortal vacationer is also pushed over the 317 foot edge.
  Yosemite is quite busy this time of year and a large group of people who also thought they had left behind the most negative things about life watch as the scene plays out.
  After the accident one man was quoted as saying "Right as they went off the edge I grabbed the girl I was with, covered her eyes and called 911.The fear of death in a man's face as he is about to die is not something I've ever seen before and I don't want to see again. Not just that family was damaged, but all of us who had to watch those people die are damaged."

  I didn't make this story up the account I have given you is from the people who saw 3 friends,  Ramina Badal, 21, a nursing student at the University of San Francisco, Ninos Yacoub, 27, of Turlock (clinging to each other as they were carried over) and Hormiz David, 22, of Modesto, after reaching for them and slipping himself, swept over the edge.

  I have seen the comments from many people. Some reacting with anger at the irresponsible behavior. Some making the mandatory 'Darwin'  comment, something I have done many times myself.
 Something about this story got past the calluses in my brain. A wave of sadness washed over me as the scene played out in my head. Most likely because I had just been considering the fact that god isn't watching over us.
  The story of 3 friends who were swept away from the rest of their lives on a warm sunny summer afternoon won't have much effect on most of the people who hear it. But should it?
   I wonder if the people who justify the 317 foot fall by calling the friends stupid have ever been just as stupid under different circumstances....I wonder if the ones who chuckle as the name Darwin burts out of their mouth really have a good grasp on what 'survival of the fittest' really means. And I also wonder how many people who believe god is watching over them consider the fact god was watching over those people too.
  I'm going to send a link to this blog along to a few of the religious people I know and ask them to share whether a story like this has any effect on their faith.
I don't mean to put them on the spot but I would like to hear the process they use when something like this comes to their attention. I would invite any readers to do the same. 

  Put yourself in the same position as those people for a moment. Imagine traveling towards certain death clutching the person you love most 2 minutes after you were making faces at a camera so you could relive the memory again and again with a fond smile on your face. Or imagine watching your friends die as you do the same cold and alone. For anyone who believes in a creator who takes an active part in our lives how can this possibly have any divine purpose? Let's not forget the 175 or so people(including children I would assume) who got to watch, what about them?
  Will it be blamed on satan? Do we have to overlook the way those people must have felt as they were washed away and keep our faith even though the cold hard truth is we all will be washed over a waterfall of some type eventually, as god watches. Is the way this makes no sense if god is defined as the believer would have us believe something we should overlook completely? Or maybe the why is none of our damn business.

  Even as I type this the story is told again in the background and I hear the talking head say "A preacher who has close ties to the victims says he is praying for a quick recovery of their bodies"
  Then I hear a deep sigh as I shake my head.




UPDATE: As the details become more clear I have learned the 3 people who died  were at the park as part of a church group......... 

god's unplanned plan

    I was listening to some religious programming on the radio today.... Some dude was telling a story about Peter being woke up by an angel and thinking it was a dream...."only it wasn't a dream" the host keeps telling the audience. The radio tells me it was a real angel and as the angel led Peter around doors opened by themselves as well as all kinds of other magical events.
  This all takes place just before Peter is due to be executed and the host starts talking about what he would be doing the night before if he were scheduled to be executed.....He would be praying.
 He would be praying for god to keep watch over him as he does all of us. Yep god watches over us  and protects us from harm because he loves us.....only that isn't exactly true is it? I can't tell you how many times I have heard a preacher or person talking about or asking for god to watch over someone or something in order to keep it safe and sound. And it seems to work.....until it doesn't.
  Add to the list another obviously mistaken perception and an example of religious blinders being worn.
  Now if we think about it god has a 'plan' right? This plan is not meant to be or simply can not be understood by us humans. The reasons for this are also unknown, to the best of my knowledge.
  So god knows when we are gonna bite it, but until then he watches over us to make sure we don't get killed or some event doesn't occur that would interfere with his plan? It's his plan, how could it be altered? And if it could be altered what force could be strong enough to alter it? I know religious believers would tell me I have answered this question already when I described god's plan as unknowable by us but COME ON!
  If you are a person who is religious allow me to share one small thing with you... I WILL NEVER UNDERSTAND HOW YOU CAN THINK THIS WAY AND STILL FUNCTION IN SOCIETY.
  I know that all believers are not complete idiots. I know it for a fact. The majority of the people I enjoy talking to or have respect for also have various degrees of belief in a god who can or does take an active role in people's day to day lives. But, as I said above, the disconnect between the logic they use in day to day life and the logic applied to religious belief is huge.
  I won't proclaim to have all the answers. I  don't, and I am well aware of that despite the fact SOME people say I am not. But I do have some of the answers. And from those answers I see nothing that would compel me to think there is a force watching over me judging my actions. A force that expects me to figure out the correct manner to live my life from a book that has been fucked with by so many men it reads as though it has some type VD that has driven it insane.
  This disease has progressed to far. The humane thing to do would be to provide a quick death using the best technology science can provide.

Atheist in the Park

  I'm reporting to you from what is supposed to be the site of the rapture, judgment day, the day jesus came to town. There isn't much happening....in fact it seems pretty much business as usual. This reporter is of the opinion that things will stay just as they are. I'm not saying everything is gumdrops and rainbows. There are still innocent children suffering from disease and abuse. The guy who volunteered at the homeless shelter, and always had a wave and a smile as he passed by had a heart attack. The drug addict who broke into your house last week, sold your shit and used the money to get  loaded, the same guy who beats his wife every Friday night....he is still walking around. Babies are being born, and a wife is being told her husband didn't make it through surgery because of complications. A group of high school kids are drinking their parents vodka and smoking a joint down at the park. A local cop has pulled over a pick-up truck because it was driving in more than one lane at a time. And you can hear the lady who lives next door moaning as her current love interest tries to stay interesting.  
  Business as usual...this is bad news for a certain group of  religious believers.
Poor Harold Camping didn't quite get the math right, not his fault really, no one could have arrived at the correct answer given the circumstances. I feel kinda bad for Harold. It's not that I wanted him to be correct about judgment day happening today but I really wish someone could or would have done something to keep him from making a fool of himself.
 I know some of you are thinking that Harold is just a con man and I will admit I had some suspicions myself. But then I thought about the hour I spent talking and listening to Mr Camping, he didn't seem like a con man.
 At the end of the interview I paused before hanging up the line and Harold could be heard saying "Well that went pretty well. They learned some things they never knew before. That's the reason they are Atheist you know" and then I hung up the line because to listen any further didn't feel right.
  Those few words don't really say all that much until you add the fact that Harold didn't know we were listening. I think he really was hoping to help us poor Atheists to see the light. And even though it wasn't quite the kind of help Harold intended to provide, I think he has done those of us who would like to see organized religion fade away a huge favor.
  From  where I sit the Atheist have come out in full force, using the claims of Family Radio as a prime example of what religion results in. Sure even a lot of religious people think that Harold is crazy because he tried to pin down May 21 as the day of judgment but is he really any more crazy than a christian who thinks no one knows the date of the rapture only that it will occur at a future date?
  Another way Harold has done some good is by causing people to stop and wonder about their own beliefs. When  someone who believes in the same basic things as you takes those beliefs and makes them appear silly it makes you feel silly too. When a christian tries to point and laugh at Harold the tip of that finger is aimed a little too close to their own face for comfort I would think.

 The catholics have mishandled the abuse by priests on a scale whos magnitude would even impress god. Scientology has turned out to be made up of con men and bullies. The muslims  keep running around yelling and blowing things up, like women and children. The christians act like lunatics and want to force their god on you whether you like it or not. People are starting to realize all these things. The Atheists? Well we get to get to sit back laughing as we watch more and more people bring their lawn chairs over to our side of the park.

A Harmless Question

I'm curious about how people feel about this. Don't worry, no one will be able to tell how you voted. No matter what beliefs, or lack of, you have... this question is directed at everyone.

Do you think some religious practices are harmless
	No. Any type of religious practice is harmful in some way
	Yes. There are some practices that are harmless (please give example in comment section)
	Not all religious practices are harmful but some are
	All religious practices are harmless
pollcode.com free polls

Atheist Prick

Since I have become more outspoken as an Atheist I have noticed something about others who also call themselves Atheists. A lot of them are pricks. With a tendency to talk down to not just believers, but anyone they come in contact with. They will bounce into a conversation or forum with the sole purpose of trying to show others how smart they are. If a study comes out showing that Atheists know more about religion than believers, you better watch the hell out, the arrogance will be overwhelming. I remember when I was a kid and we expected my dad to acknowledge some task we had completed. Such as my going to school without cutting any classes. My father would remind me of a couple things. First, if I was going to school it was for my own good. Second, it wasn't a big deal to go to school. It certainly was not something anyone should get kudos for.It was normal behavior. When I was younger this point escaped me a bit. Now that I am older the point is very clear. I certainly don't expect my family to thank me every time I pay the rent and I don't expect my boss to shake my hand, look into my eyes and thank me from the bottom of her heart for showing up for work each day I come in. Such behavior is reasonable. I know the little guy on the Lucky Charms box is not real, neither is the easter bunny. Do I expect anyone to be impressed by this? No.

Would you like someone to thank you for putting on your pants every morning? You don't get acknowledgment for doing the basics. You need to go above and beyond, to excel, to put in extra effort, then people may notice... or maybe they won't. It shouldn't make a difference, you do what is right.
As Atheists who reject organized religions based on what they expect us to accept as reality we really don't have any right to think we are better than anyone else. We shouldn't expect anyone to consider us specially gifted in some way for having issues with what religion paints as truth.
Just to make my point clear....I am not talking about whether the Atheist movement should go around holding hands with believers and gently breaking the bad news about their god and/or religion to them or run up from behind and begin screaming "YOU ARE A FUCKING MORON!" Like I have said before, everyone has their own way of going about things, more power to 'em, no one way is going to work on everyone.
I would like to see more Atheists remove the chip from their shoulder, especially when dealing with those of a like-mind.From now on when I come across those types I will be running up behind them and screaming "Everyone is ignorant in some way, and arrogant pricks are just to dumb to know it." it's just my way.....

The power of prayer

It's time for me to vent again I guess.
Japan has just been hit by a large earthquake and it is the day after that event.
Prayers are flying all around.
Prayers do not work, not to help the victims of the earthquake, not to provide some sort of divine intervention anyway. Sure, prayer may make the person praying feel like they have done some good without even having to move anything more than their hands. Prayer may give piece of mind to a dying person. It may make some feel closer to an invisible being who they feel is controlling their lives. In the real world, when people need active help, prayer is good for shit.
When someone tells me "I'll pray for you" often my reply is "thanks for nothing".
I don't know why people buy into the whole 'prayer' thing I mean how often does it work? Never. But how often does it even seem to work? Very rarely, unless you are praying that the sun comes up the next day or for some other silly thing which has been occurring for billions of years before you were even born. People pray for their bus to show up on time and then when it does they give credit to god. Like god cares about a bus schedule yet when someone prays their newborn child does not die because of a defect god shakes his head and says "Sorry, can't help you there. If you take a bus to the funeral I'll make sure it picks you up on time though"
As Hitchen's said- "Religion was our first attempt to explain the world." That theory has had ample time to be shown as invalid. It has been tested countless times by countless people and the vast majority of results have shown there is not a god listening to prayers and reaching in to effect the path of our lives. Any results that do seem to prove the prayer hypothesis to be true can also be explained by the odds of chance.
Look at the destruction in Japan. Look at the loss and suffering. Think about the number of people who were praying after the quake for the people of Japan. What happened? A tsunami hit the Japanese coast killing even more people. As a result even more began to pray. "God please have mercy on the people in Japan. Watch over you children and protect them from harm.Amen" Did that help? Nope. The nuclear reactors began to melt down, the fail-safe systems unable to handle the one-two punch dealt to them. More prayers, the number of people praying to god asking for him to help the Japanese grows even larger. "Lord, jesus, almighty creator, please oh please won't you help stop the suffering in Japan? They have been through tremendous suffering. No one deserves such strife. Show your love and help them recover. Bless you lord. Amen." Now you are thinking that must surely have gotten god's attention. Such a huge number of his flock begging, pleading. People who have worshiped just as god commands them to, bowing their heads praying with all their might. Well if god did answer their prayers it was with this- 'Volcano in southern Japan erupts' yep that's right. A fucking volcano erupts in southern Japan. Let me help with the next prayer " Yea. god? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH YOU? ARE YOU DRUNK AGAIN? LOOK, IF I PROMISE TO NOT DRUNK POST ON FACEBOOK WILL YOU PROMISE NOT TO ANSWER PRAYERS DRUNK? I WOULDN'T WISH SUCH SUFFERING ON MY WORST ENEMY LET ALONE ON MY FUCKING CHILDREN. DO US A FAVOR AND JUST PUT US UP FOR ADOPTION CAUSE THIS FAMILY UNIT IS JACKED UP. I AM SERIOUSLY CONSIDERING EMANCIPATION. AMEN AND SCREW YOU"
Of coarse it isn't god doing anything. These are natural events. They occur every day and have since the universe began.
Look at the world, the entire world. Don't just look at your world where you consider how large your house is a concern of your god. look at the suffering of innocent children, children who never even had a chance to anger god. Look at the number of people who suffer and die on this planet every day. How many have prayed for them? Does the suffering stop? Does it even lessen a bit? No, it does not.
I ask instead of prayer, take action. Do whatever you can to actively help people, no matter how small the deed every bit of help, helps.
If all you can think to do is pray then while you are talking to god be sure to thank him for nothing.