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

God debate, who really won? The audience.

     I watched/listened to a debate last night. It was Blair Scott, Communications Director for American Atheists up against Kyle Butt of Apologetics Press. The debate proposition was "God Does Not Exist" with Blair Scott arguing for the proposition and Kyle Butt arguing against it.
       I've heard Blair Scott speak a few times but I'd never heard of Mr Butt.
  The debate starts and Mr Butt steps up to the podium. One of the first things he mentions is that he has been trolling a certain "social site" and he came upon a comment on Blair's page. Someone had made a joke about Mr Butt on Blair's wall it seemed. Mr Butt was visibly not happy about being the butt of the joke and his comment about it was presented as if it had come from Blair or somehow been encouraged by him. Blair didn't make the comment, it was put on his facebook wall by a contact. We all know how that goes, none of us ever knows what the hell people on our friends list are going to say. If you post a perfectly innocent status next thing you know someone is telling stories about their bowel moments or some other random thing. Besides if you have the last Butt what do you think is going to happen? Do you expect people who don't know you, are never going to meet you, and probably think you are never going to read any posted comment, to pass up the painfully easy opportunity to joke about your name? Yea okay...
    After watching the displeasure flash across Mr Butt's face I thought for a moment He is using a facebook comment to put down the person he is debating about god? It seemed a bit childish to me and as he continued to speak it became clear I was right.
    Mr. Butt told his audience that Blair was sure to lose because you can not prove a negative. I almost expected him to reach out and point at Blair, cackle loudly and scream "We got you my pretty!" in a voice very much like the wicked witch. He didn't but he did ramble on for several minutes presenting arguments which have all been found to be incorrect or had still been considered 'debatable' This would have been business as usual but there was a hint of personal attack in Mr Butt's animus towards Blair. It continued through the entire debate, flaring up a couple of times.
   Mr Butt told a joke his opening came to an end. Blair Scott then started his opening. I was curious how he would address the fact that he could not win a debate where he had to prove the absolute non-existence of god.
    Then something very interesting happened. Blair admitted to losing the debate as it had been presented. He would not be trying to prove god didn't exist, he would be presenting some of the conclusions Atheists had come to and some of the counter arguments to Mr Butt's absolute claims. These would all be presented so that they could be considered by the audience. The audience would have to come to it's own conclusions. There was not going to be an Atheist standing on stage insisting everything he said was factual beyond a doubt.
   This approach was perfect for a couple reasons.
 1) If Blair had started by telling the crowd he was going to change their minds about god you would have been able to hear the minds snapping shut. He had only asked them to listen.
 2) No matter what was said from that point on, no matter how many times Mr Butt took petty shots and behaved like an egotistical prick who had all the answers. Blair was standing in front of a crowd giving them things to think about which would probably never been presented to them otherwise. Things that would help them make informed choices about their beliefs.
    I'm not going to go into the issues tossed back and forth between Blair and Mr Butt except one. Mr Butt said at one point the there were absolutes when it came to what was right and wrong. Besides showing that Mr Butt is unable to even consider another person point of view,it also showed how ignorant he is to the diversity of the world.
    Some people are going to say that Blair did not do well during this debate. While I can understand how they could come to that conclusion I found his presentation to be accurate and done with class, not by taking cheap shots at Mr Butt. Blair could have also admitted defeat and proceeded to describe exactly what kind of god the other side had shown to exist by using the bible. It would have been easy to paint the picture of a needy hypocritical being who seemed very bored and not very intelligent. That would have resulted in most of the crowd dismissing Blair as hateful or angry, the poor Atheist who just needed to find the love of jesus.
     Mr Butt gave me the impression of someone who talks to to everyone but his reflection in a condescending tone. I don't think he even one time admitted that he could be wrong. There is a saying that goes something like this "The wisest man is the one who realizes how little he knows" If Mr Butt possesses any humility at all he must be hiding it where the sun doesn't shine.

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.

A question for jesus

When the ladies from the church first came to my door (very nice older ladies and very tolerant of yours truly it should be noted)I was tempted to do the old fast attack on them. Throwing questions at them faster than they could possibly answer then shouting "Can you answer even ONE of my questions!?" This would be followed by my door closing and a loud "JESUS CHRIST!"
They had come to my door just after I had finished my shower so I opened the door wearing jeans and no shirt, bald head and tattoos shiny and clean. I could tell that they had given at least a moments thought to running away. I laughed and asked how I could help them
The two ladies then went into autopilot opening their black books and asking me if I had accepted jesus. Unable to pull the fast attack on two elderly ladies holding olive branches I informed them I had not. They assured me it was something I needed to do. I disagreed and told them if they could answer some questions to my satisfaction then I would be happy to have jesus over for dinner every Wednesday evening and I would even invite him over for beers on weekends.
The ladies and I had a enjoyable conversation, I did do most of the talking.

If(big if) there is a god then why didn't he/she/it didn't design your life so that you have to take things 'on faith' daily? The world around you is interactive, allowing you to touch it, see it, feel it, test it, and experiment with it... you don't have to take any part of it 'on faith' except the part you are not part of because you are dead.
My son has cerebral palsy. He will never feed himself, use language, (except his own)he will never walk, he is unable to tell anyone if he has a pain or need of something. He is a wonderful kid and happy in his world. he has also gone through tremendous discomfort and needless suffering. Surgeries, pneumonia, seizures, are just a few things on the list. Some of the stories I could tell you would break your heart. What possible need could there be to cause this little boy to suffer?
When religious people get all weepy after hearing about my son and say "you just need to have faith" or "if you pray, jesus will help heal your son" I want to hit them in the face with a brick. Jesus isn't going to heal my son, he is who he is and that is the way it is. To be mad at god for his disability would be like being mad at jack frost for a cold spell.
I wonder why religious people can't use the same logic they use in everyday life when they consider an entity who is sitting in a magic kingdom looking over us and watching as children like my son struggle through life. What about the other children who suffer only to pass away? What about that child's family who live the rest of their lives with a pain no parent should ever know? Is this god testing them? Testing them for what exactly? If god feels the need to do some sort of SAT on people before they get into heaven or go to hell then why isn't everyone tested? Does he/she/it use a lottery system? That doesn't seem very fair, you would think a god that could create the universe could figure out a fair way of giving a test. What about the countless stories of loved ones lost, not quick and painlessly but after days, weeks, months, or years of suffering? Couldn't god find some way of cutting to the chase? Is she/he/it trying to make sure the story fills enough pages to satisfy the publisher?
Why can't the people who consider themselves the children of a loving god apply the same rational to that gods example as they would to anything else? Because god created everything then it's okay to treat people like shit? So if you give birth to a child it's okay to torment them? I think most people would say it's not.God clearly lacks any ability to provide clear guidance and as a role model it/he/she fails miserably. My dad was an alcoholic for a lot of my childhood (recovered now thank you very much) and he was 100x the role model god provides.
Those who follow organized religion use a 2000 year old book as their guide. usually the parts of the guide that actually apply are picked according to how comfortable they make the user.
If you were looking for a doctor would you pick one who learned his trade from a 2000 year old lesson book written in a language he wasn't fluent in, translated by random people with no medical knowledge, and he followed the book's instructions according to how easily they made it for him to live his life?
And what about it being okay to drink beer but if you smoke some weed you are a sinner? Where is the logic in that?? Wasn't pot created by god? Who came up with beer? Beer doesn't grow out of the earth or rain from the sky, doesn't man make beer?
With that the ladies had run out of time. They thanked me for the conversation and assured me they would relay some of my questions to whoever the head honcho was at their place and get back to me ASAP. I smiled , thanked them for stopping by, and informed them I would await their return. As I closed the door I thought to myself "Not a single answer..... JESUS CHRIST!"

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.

Shockofgod- Propaganda

pro·pa·gan·da
noun \ˌprä-pə-ˈgan-də, ˌprō-\
: ideas, facts, or allegations spread deliberately to further one's cause or to damage an opposing cause; also : a public action having such an effect


I have continued listening/watching as shockofgod, using his rhetoric spewing head, tells the world "Atheists suck".
One video that I watched today was interesting to me and provided more insight into why shockofgod feels compelled to spread made up evidence, skewed logic, and propaganda around the land.
The video is filmed from some kind of helmet-camera shockofgod wears while riding his motorcycle. I don't know why he chooses to make videos of himself riding around on a motorcycle, maybe he thinks simple/boring things impress other people the same way as they do him.
The narration is also done as he rides the motorcycle. As you watch shockofgod ride around the extremely exciting streets of his city (yawn) he tells the story of how he became an Atheist.
The story begins with shockofgod being a young child Atheist. After years of being a non-believer(through high school) one day he picked up the bible and started reading. From what I can tell, the bible so confounded shockofgod that he went to some christians to find out more about this jesus christ guy.
Let me pause here to make what I consider a valid point.....
Shockofgod claims he was once an Atheist, which may be technically accurate. If the story he tells is true, then he was not a very informed one. He had never even read the bible. How could he be a true Atheist if he never even knew anything about what it was he didn't believe in? Isn't that a bit like saying 'I hate the taste of chicken' when you have never tasted it? Sure you can hate the taste of chicken if you choose to but you are forming an opinion based on ignorance. He even says "no one had ever talked to me about jesus christ" This is yet another indication shockofgod has never been very good at thinking things through before embracing them.
Anyway.... shockofgod starts reading the bible and hangin' around christians. He also "starts researching jesus christ".
He finds a story that talks about thousands of eye-witnesses who saw jesus resurrected. As soon as he starts talking about these eyewitnesses being evidence to him of jesus being a real historical figure a few images pop into my mind. You have heard of the Loch Ness monster, right? Yea that was proven to be a hoax, a lot of people claimed to have seen a monster out on the lake though. What about Big Foot? Tons of people have claimed to have seen Big Foot....the sad part is....It does not matter how many people claim to have seen these things, that does not mean they exist. There is something else that must be considered also. IF jesus, the son of god, really did walk the earth in the past as shockofgod believes, it does not provide proof that god is real. How many times have we read about people who believe they are 'chosen' by some type of higher power? How many preachers have claimed to speak directly to god, chosen by the almighty to relay god's will to the puny humans of earth? Who is to say jesus was not just delusional and hearing voices?
True to his form, shockofgod begins his parrot-like repetition of the phrase 'proof and evidence'.
He talks about the 'beyond a doubt proof' he has found by reading the bible. A 2000 year old story. Yep, a 2000 year old story that says god sent jesus to earth by performing what equates to a perverted magic trick. Shockofgod reads about how jesus loves him and that does it, he is hooked on jesus. He is no longer an Atheist.
He believes jesus is the son of god, the bible is god's word, and it is his duty to spread god's word.
In case you didn't notice, this pretty much nails (pun...sorry...) shockofgod down as far as trying to figure out what caused a short in his reason circuit.
He needed love. Shockofgod talks about something missing from his life while he was an 'Atheist' (note: His being Atheist was not because he made an informed decision, it was a result of either very little education, a learning disability, or plain stupidity.)
It is very possible poor ol' shock didn't get enough hugs as a child. The first person who ever really loved him was jesus. This may be the reason why shock makes up such crazy shit to support his christian (or missionary) position. It is also why he has picked a question he already knows the answer to as his 'challenge' to Atheists. He did so to protect his own beliefs. Shockofgod is trying to convince people that Atheist( by admitting there is no proof or evidence that proves Atheism is accurate and correct) are somehow showing the logic they follow is negatively flawed. From an Atheist perspective the correct answer to shockofgod's question would be "There is no absolute proof or evidence that proves Atheism is accurate and correct" This answer does not prove that Atheism is wrong, it proves it is honest and realistic.
Shockofgod uses his question and the answer as religious propaganda. This use serves him in two ways.
1) Makes it easier (if that is possible) to fool the types of people who follow shockofgod into thinking christian beliefs are superior to any others.
2) It allows shockofgod to continue to blindly follow jesus/christianity without question, after all if his beliefs were wrong then how could shockofgod win the challenge against any and every Atheist?
At this point let me pause and take a minute to be happy I was not born so damn screwed up in the head as shockofgod.....
Ok, one more observation- Shockofgod god asks another question during this video. "Are you willing to compare the proof and evidence that jesus christ is the son of god against the proof and evidence that Atheism is accurate and correct?"
I laughed a little when I heard him ask. I am willing to compare the two against each other. If you were to believe that jesus is the son of god (This would also mean accepting the bible as the word of god and all that) then you would also have accept god as the type of being he is portrayed as in the bible. In case you didn't know it, in the bible, god is a dick. Do not take my word for it, research it for yourself.
Atheism does not claim to possess all the answers to the questions we have about the universe we live in. It does not explain the mysteries of the world by saying "it was magic" , "just because", or "it's a secret plan" It admits it's own ignorance. That acknowledgment of ignorance is what indicates intelligence. Of course I could be wrong.....
Here is a link to the shockofgod video in case you feel like wasting some of the precious time you have left to live.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Wxt2urRSRG0

Next up- Shockofgod does radio...kinda

Shockofgod- An explanation of idiocy

I'm listening to an idiot who goes by the name Shockofgod, don't worry, the label I have given to his name is earned. Shockofgod is on a crusade. He is rolling up on Atheists and asking them to provide proof or evidence that Atheism is accurate/correct. Shockofgod is a complete fool.

One of the tactics he uses is over-talking when having a conversation. He not only over-talks others, he is also rude in other ways.His lack of manners is also displayed in the form of idiotic mocking.
As I try to figure out why he resorts to this child-like behavior I begin to see a kind of evil-below average IQ mentality in Shockofgod. I do however get the impression he knows the 'lack of accuracy/proof' approach used is very weak. Shockofgod must present a facade of his superior religious intellect shutting down any Atheist position to the types of simple-minded people who follow him in order to fool them. The only way to do this is to never allow the other side of the debate to make any points at all. If somehow the opposing side gets a point through in-between breaths then Shockofgod will make some type of childish joke about that point and immediately go back to repeatedly demanding proof/evidence.
Shockofgod is a classic example of an individual who is so stupid they can not even begin to grasp the depths of the moronic abyss in which they reside.
After listening to several of Shockofgod's videos, (which are always oozing with a form of conceit that causes me to imagine how it would feel to punch him in the face several times) I get several pieces of the puzzle put together.
Shockofgod has a desperate need to be popular/known. This is why he 'calls out' Atheists who are better known and more respected than himself. If he was really doing work to further his cause because he believed in it then he would go head to head with any/every one who questioned his claims of providing absolute proof that god is real and that Atheists can not provide any proof whatsoever.
What Shockofgod does is block anyone who may be able to counteract the poison he spreads or who is not known well enough to help him feed his need to have people know who he is.
I am going to keep watching this idiot's videos. (even though I can feel myself growing 'dumbed-down' as the words come to my ears and my eyes are exposed to the images) I will keep building my 'profile' of this talking intellectual equivalent of a tree stump.
What I know so far about Shockofgod is as follows...
-Has typical need to be popular which is often seen in socially stunted people. An example of this would be a person who, when among a group of friends, is constantly making comments which demonstrate the person's inability to understand how others perceive them. Such behavior will consist of constantly annoying people by claiming they are more intelligent, and telling jokes that no one finds funny, then laughing at them. This type will also try to put themselves in a leadership role even though anyone with even basic common sense will ignore the attempt, because they consider the person inept.
--Makes up facts. Shockofgod has demonstrated he is very comfortable pulling information,stats,quotes out of thin air and presenting them as absolutely true beyond a doubt. This is most likely because he is not bright enough to figure out how to acquire any real information and apply it so that it will validate his position. It could also be a result of him being just plain lazy.
--Tries to give the impression of having an extreme amount of self-confidence. It is easy to see this is an act if you observe his behavior. People who truly possess self confidence do not go out of their way to tell you how self assured they are, they do not need to. In almost all cases where an individual constantly squawks about how superior they are to another it is because they feel they are mentally impotent (may also be a result of being physically impotent)
So as you can see, a very clear picture of Shockofgod is coming together after watching just a few of his videos. It should not be long before we begin to understand fully why a man like Shockofgod continues to act as a religious troll despite the fact anyone who actually applies reason to the world around them perceives him as a complete and utter dimwit.
More insight into Shockofgod will follow.
See what I am talking about for yourself, resist the urge to spit on your computer screen.
http://www.youtube.com/user/shockofgod

For the hate of god

A lot of people have been asking me why I hate god. I don't hate god. If I were to hate god then I would also have to say I hate the little green men who live in my underwear drawer. I don't hate those little green men because I don't believe they are there. I do hate what organized religion has done to many of the people who live on this planet with me. I do not hate all aspects of religion, that would be stupid.
Religion, does, and has done some good things.
It serves as a way for a lot of people to socialize, a way for them to help others, and religion has stopped some people from doing things that would harm others.
Sure you can say that religion has also given people an excuse to harm others. I can't prove that religion has caused people to do more good than harm, no one can, because we are not able to read people's minds and know for sure.
Religion has also done some bad things.
The fairy tales told in many religious books keep people from considering reality, in my opinion. If you believe a magic man is going to come and save humanity some day then you tend to be lazy in trying to help humanity while you are around. It is much easier to sit around with your arms behind your head saying 'jesus will be here soon and it will all be okay' than to try and progress using science and your thought process.
Now, let's go back to my first line- Do I hate god?
If god is the god as described in any of the religions I know of so far, no, I don't hate him. He will not be someone I will worship or obey. I will however pity him...
Maybe I can get him to go live in my underwear drawer.

Proof of god??

I hear this a lot of times from religious people..."you cant prove god does not exist, so he does"
This is usually followed by a folding of arms and a smug look. Once and a while someone will say the above phrase and give me a wink as to say "Now I got ya!"
I would like to answer this like I have a thousand times before.
If you want to believe in a god, any god because no one can prove it/he/she does not exist then you must, in fairness believe in anything anyone could imagine.
This means you must believe in any imaginary figures you see in movies or cartoons. You must believe in the delusions of people you would call crazy. You must also believe in the monster your kid thinks lives in the closet and wants to eat them whenever the lights go off. You must have faith in aliens from other planets. You must believe in a magnetic pendant that cures cancer while it is around your neck. You must believe in water having memory of medicines that are diluted so strongly, your mind can not even grasp the number of zeros involved. You must believe in ghost, demon possession, and people being given directions by god to kill their children.
If the logic you follow is 'everything is possible if you believe' that would make you good a a writer for Disney movies. That same logic would also make you and idiot when it comes to real life.....