Freethinker's corner

Boo!

 

A lot of people seem to be into censorship. What a mixed bag to open. When you advocate censorship you have to be careful in who you decide can carry out such an activity. Who do you choose? What criteria shall determine what is allowed and what is not? Do you allow only the majority to speak? Is our republic only about guaranteeing the rights of the majority? Who decides what is “fit” to print?  When you start down the road of censorship are you sure you, yourself, won’t eventually be censored?

Some matters of decency have to be followed in allowing what is allowed to find it’s way into print. Respect for other’s opinions and person must be maintained as well. Pornography has no place in the mainstream of media. Defamation of character should not be permitted either as it opens the media carrying it to litigation, not just the individual doing the defaming.

Issues should be open to debate, allowing dissension of views as well. Even if the individual doing the dissenting has no stated reasons for disagreement, no foundation for their opinion, still it must stand. Of course, unsupported viewpoints do not carry the weight of those with the backing of proof, evidence, knowledge, and will be dismissed. However, speaking one’s mind is a part of the concept of free speech, of which we are guaranteed, by the Constitution.

For more on Censorship, it’s forms, etc. please check the following sites:

http://www.aclu.org/freespeech/censorship/26611res20060830.html

http://www.serendipity.li/cda.html

Why Noah’s Ark never saw the light of day:

1. adapted from earlier Babylonian myths.

The Noah’s Ark story and the more ancient Galgamesh stories have many points in common. Of course the true believer claims their version is older, which has been proven false by scientific examination of the materials. It is obvious the Noah Story was adapted by the Hebrews from the earlier Babylonian stories.

http://www.religioustolerance.org/noah_com.htm

2. No evidence of world wide flood.

There is no geological evidence of a world wide flood. Sedimentary levels by the hundreds, laid down over many millions of years are evident, and could not have been deposited in a single flood event.

http://www.skepdic.com/noahsark.html

3. Animal dispersal problem.

There is no way the animals could have been distributed in the manner that they are if all animals were aboard and ark that landed on the top of a mountain.

http://tinyfrog.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/fact-or-fiction-could-noahs-ark-really-have-happened/

4.Provisions for animals aboard the ark?

The sheer impossibility of providing sustenance for the animals is insurmountable. The time, space, and feeding requirements of various animals would be beyond the scope of the tiny crew and the room aboard the vessel.

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-noahs-ark.html#flood

5.Ancestral lineages can be traced further back. Civilizations can also.

Our DNA does not reveal only 5000 years of existence but many 10’s of thousands. Our DNA alone is enough to dispel the myth that all human life is only 5000 years old.

http://www.biblicalnonsense.com/chapter6.html

6. Noah’s flood a local river event.

Many civilizations over history have recorded catastrophic floods in their legends. However, the problem with these accounts is that none of them occur at the same point in time. All were evidently local events, or were entirely based on myth so as to relate some moral or story.

http://www.discoveryarticles.com/articles/273958/1/The-Tale-of-the-Mythology-of-Noahs-Flood-Story-Across-Different-Cultures/Page1.html

7. Time and resources wasted in Ark search.

The immense loss of time and resources in pursuit of the non-existent things such as ghosts and things mentioned in myth, such as Unicorns and  the Ark is astounding. How much more could have been done for the welfare of humanity if these great mounds of resources had not been spent in the pursuit of the mythical figures and artifacts of lore. Absolutely no credible evidence has been found for the existence of Noah’s Ark. It seems that almost yearly some expedition to Mt Ararat, or some satellite scan claims to have found “signs” of some ship. Even scraps of wood have been presented as evidence, only later to be proven of insufficient age, or not related to such a craft at all. Give it up. Spend the money on something more relevant, like feeding or housing or clothing someone.

Resources:

http://www.abarnett.demon.co.uk/atheism/noahs_ark.html#FLOOD

http://www.skepdic.com/noahsark.html

http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/faq-noahs-ark.html#flood

http://tinyfrog.wordpress.com/2009/02/02/fact-or-fiction-could-noahs-ark-really-have-happened/

http://www.flood-myth.com/index.html

http://www.biblicalnonsense.com/chapter6.html

 

There is a lot in the local news about judge Deweese’s posting of the Ten Commandments. Many of the religious scratch their heads wondering why they are being removed.

1 I am the Lord thy God who have brought thee out of the house of bondage.
2 Thou shalt have no other gods besides me.
3 Thou shalt not take the name of the Lord thy God in vain.
4 Remember the Sabbath Day to keep it holy.
5 Honor thy Father and Mother.
6 Thou shalt not murder.
7 Thou shalt not commit adultery.
8 Thou shalt not steal.
9 Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor.
10 Thou shalt not covet.

Actually it is easy to see when you look at the Commandments why they are such a controversial topic. Only 5 thru 10 offer anything of a moral sense, the other 4 are only of use in religious belief itself.

Those that apply to the population in general have been in existence long before any religion came along and were incorporated, not created, by the religious.

5.Honor thy Father and Mother. Everyone wants to do their parents proud. All children want to live up to those things expected of them and to be praised for it.

6.Thou shalt not murder. This is common sense, as murder would become a vicious cycle of murder and revenge, as it has in the Middle East.

7. Thou shalt not commit adultery. Loyalty to one’s mate insures that the family line continues, and that the children are well taken care of.

8.Thou shalt not steal. Common sense, if you steal you can be expected to be stolen from. Theft of personal property creates a great disturbance in social harmony.

9. Thou shalt not bear false witness against thy neighbor. What value is justice if it can be twisted by lies, and deceit.

10.Thou Shalt not covet. Whereas everyone has innocently wished to have what others might have, carrying out such wishes by taking their property is stealing. This commandment is redundant. No religious believer can say truthfully that they have never admired and desired what some other person was able to save up for and purchase. This one is unenforceable as it would require a form of thought control.

In the end only five seem applicable and usable. The tenth only being enforceable by a thought reading god.

Good solid reasons exist for adopting a set of morals and enforcing them. I think mankind is doing well with the laws which over time have been passed to govern the people. Most are fair and reasonable. Posting all the laws that have been passed to govern all aspects of society would be ridiculous. How much space do the walls in a courtroom have?

Christians should step back a moment and look at the diversity which exists in this nation. There are citizens of many different religions and of no religion who have their rights guaranteed by the laws of this land. To blatantly display a poster asserting that all should obey one religion’s “commandments” is wrong.

There was one comment recently that expresses well what Deweese should do. If his neighbors and existing ordinances permit he should erect his sign with the Ten Commandments on his front lawn. Let him declare his own allegiance to them without asserting that all must obey them.

The religious are fond of creating stories to make a point, they call them parables. The following is a parable created by yours truly.

A moderately sized airliner prepares for take off. Aboard are a pilot, a co-pilot and 40 evangelists on their way to a remote point to preach the word of their god to the ignorant.

As the plane rolls down the tarmac, the pilot eases up the throttle. The plane roars down the runway and lifts gently into the air. Just as they reach a couple hundred feet a flock of geese suddenly appears in front of the still climbing machine. It’s too late, several of the large birds are sucked into the turbines and the engines flame out. Panic sets in as the pilot and co-pilot frantically attempt to restart the engines. A large hill looms ahead leaving no time for the pilots to do anything except exclaim “Awww shh….” The plane with extreme violence thunders into the hill destroying the plane.

Moments pass… then, from the wreckage, one of the evangelists, pushing aside some debris, rises from the mangled mess, with nary a scratch. All others have met their fates.

What a miracle, some claim, that this man walked away from such a horrendous crash. Yet there is the problem about the 39 other evangelists. Why did god save one sole man from destruction, yet allow 39 other, equally religious and upright men die?

And what about the pilots? Oh well, they were Catholics.

Some might say that god called these poor evangelists home. It could then be asked “What does heaven need with 39 evangelists? Who will they be preaching to there? What purpose will they serve? Aren’t they more needed on Earth?”

Another might say that god simply didn’t like the messages the others were spreading, perhaps contrary to his teachings. Then why take them to heaven? Or were they taken there?

At this point, faced with difficult questions, there is always the standby excuse: “Man cannot know the reasoning of the lord.” But… is not man made in god’s image, did not man sin by consuming the fruit of the tree of knowledge? With this knowledge isn’t it easy to see that the killing of the 39 was an evil act?

“Oh but, there is free will. They didn’t have to get on that plane.” Free will, how can free will exist if god knows all things? Things of old, things now, and things to come. In the face of so many contradictions there is the old standby again.

“Man cannot know the mind of god.”

Isn’t that part of the problem? One cannot know the mind of god. Further, there is no way to know god. Many claim that god’s words are in the bible, but it has been proven the product of ancient peoples, trying to create an understanding about their world, trying to assuage their own fears of being unable to control their environment. Every religion is a product of humans, all were for the same purpose.

Even if the bible were the imparted words of a god, they are so vague, and can be interpreted in so many ways, that their usefulness is simply up to the user, for whatever purposes they desire. So many books have been deleted from the bible as well. What human can determine which are to be included? What if a crucial book has been deleted? What if those books included were not the intended words of god?

Am I sowing doubt? I am sowing nothing. The crop is already in the field. The questions are relevant to anyone using the power of reason. To many the delusion of religion is readily apparent. A thinking man must go through impossible hoops to convince himself of religion’s validity. Reason usually leads to atheism unless adequate mental blocks are erected against logic and reason. In those intelligent men of reason that believe, reality has to be suspended in the matters of faith.

Another fantastic book all should read. “Your Inner Fish” by Neil Shubin.

http://www.amazon.com/Your-Inner-Fish-Journey-3-5-Billion-Year/dp/0307277453/ref=sr_1_1?ie=UTF8&s=books&qid=1253110873&sr=1-1

Neil Shubin first takes you out into the field to discover fossils of ancient creatures. He notes some of the most recent finds as well as new interpretations of some older finds that had been collecting dust on the shelves. He shows how these fossils even from the time before vertebrates indicate patterns which we, as humans, share in our own bodies. Even the lowly worm shows how it is connected to humanity by it’s structures, it’s various organs, and how they are constructed. He travels through the long road of evolution to today’s vast store of genetic information which reinforces the notion that every form of animal life on this planet is intimately connected.

Granted, this is a book for those who accept Evolution’s reality. For those seeking further reinforcement it is a must read.

The Tower of Babel

¹ Now the whole world had one language and a common speech. ² As men moved eastward,  they found a plain in Shinar  and settled there.

³ They said to each other, "Come, let’s make bricks and bake them thoroughly." They used brick instead of stone, and tar for mortar. ⁴ Then they said, "Come, let us build ourselves a city, with a tower that reaches to the heavens, so that we may make a name for ourselves and not be scattered over the face of the whole earth."

⁵ But the LORD came down to see the city and the tower that the men were building. ⁶ The LORD said, "If as one people speaking the same language they have begun to do this, then nothing they plan to do will be impossible for them. ⁷ Come, let us go down and confuse their language so they will not understand each other."

⁸ So the LORD scattered them from there over all the earth, and they stopped building the city. ⁹ That is why it was called Babel  —because there the LORD confused the language of the whole world. From there the LORD scattered them over the face of the whole earth.

Although total myth let’s consider this supposed act of the god of the bible. If this were an actual occurrence of what possible good could it be?

Supposing that the actual building of the tower was a technological achievement? If god were real this would be something over which his envy might get the better of him. The achievements of man were becoming too great for his ego, and seeing this was a result of a unified effort of man sought to separate mankind into groups less able to achieve great works.

This is the hallmark of the bible. Divide and conquer. Divide people one from another so that each disparate group has less ability to defend itself or achieve great works.

If this were an actual event and today’s many countries and peoples the result, of what value could this possibly be to the human race at large? This event would be a divisive event which would have been a roadblock to human development. This would have been the of the highest order of disservice to mankind. This would also mean that this god was not all-powerful for it shows that god feared the advancement, the higher development of mankind. Why would an omnipotent god fear lowly man?  This action would not be the act of a loving god that cared about his creation. More than that, it would be more like an act of a master to a slave. A god that would rather humble man, suppress his development, than see him proceed to his fullest potential.

Luke 18:14

"I tell you that this man, rather than the other, went home justified before God. For everyone who exalts himself will be humbled, and he who humbles himself will be exalted."

So that is the goal, to humble man, to suppress his talents. But for what purpose. How could the successful attainment of achievement possibly threaten an omnipotent god? How can the exaltation of mankind possibly threaten such a being? How could the happiness of mankind interfere with a mighty gods plans?

Religion is not meant to exalt man. It is not for the purpose of making man happy. If a man becomes happy, and revels in ever-increasing accomplishments, then what need would he have for religion. In the end it is not the concept of a god which suppresses man, it is religion. Without people who are without hope or wallowing in misery, religion has no feeding ground. The lonely, the desperate, the downtrodden are like sustenance to religion.

In conclusion it could be said that the bible is religion. In it’s pages the story of a god has been twisted, warped, and made to serve some other purpose than belief. In the pages of the bible man is not encouraged, but denigrated. He is told to be humble, to not exalt in accomplishments and instead to submit, lay himself low, and do nothing that might upset the jealous god as described therein.

If a man must believe in a god, then that man should be wary. That man should be wary of religion. If a man must believe in a god, make it one that supports him, encourages him, to achievement, to better himself, and one that wants peace, kindness, and never violence. None of man’s major religions offer this god. This god does not suppress a people so governments do not promote this god. This god exalts humanity, individuals and as a whole, how can you enslave a people if they all excelled? A god that promotes a humble man is not fit to be a god.