Freethinker's corner

I will not go quietly into the night!

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  • Reparations

    As many people know I am an atheist. Nevertheless I advocate the work of the religious charities which takes place everyday. Too bad many charities of this nature also use this medium for proselytizing.

    Much of religious history, especially Christian history is filled with wars, division, and murder. All justified in God’s name. From the Crusades to the dark ages to witch burning, Christianity has much to atone for. Even much of the turmoil today is as a result of differing beliefs. The Middle East is a hotbed of agony for those trying to eke out a subsistence living. The United States suffers today due to intolerance and bigotry of varying belief systems. It can be said that some of our conflicts with other countries originated because of leaders who espoused these hostile belief systems.

    I consider today’s charities a small payment on the huge debt of atonement that religion should pay to the human race. Indeed, such religions should be made to forgo tax exemption to lessen the burden which is borne by every employed working person. Each dollar of exemption is made up for with increased taxes on the individual. If religion would pay their fair share while continuing the work of the various charities this would go a long way in the form of reparations to a society which is weary of the continuing holocaust which can fairly be laid at the feet of the religious.

  • The Non-Existence of Heaven and/or Hell

    Humanity… endowed with a mind unlike any other animal. A brain so powerful that it produces the conscious mind, aware of itself, and it’s place in the world. A sense of self so perfectly produced that the concept of that self ending is inconceivable. Such an immortal mind contained in a mortal body must transcend that body and carry on after the death of the body. To have a place for that mind to go humans have invented a heaven and a hell. Heaven for those that obeyed the social mores, hell for those who rejected them. A god in control of heaven, and an anti-god in charge of hell.

    In lieu of tickets to either place the price of entry will be to accept or reject a set of bizarre and ridiculous beliefs.

    Non-participation is an automatic rejection and you are bound for hell.

    This pretty much describes many religions. The willing participants that accept the beliefs without thought condemn those who think and reject, and feel it is their duty to force those who do reject the beliefs to change their minds.

    Those who reject these unfounded and ridiculous beliefs wonder how otherwise intelligent people can be so gullible. They wonder how can these people who know full well that human con-men exist can so blithely accept the myths.

    Those that believe, think they are heaven bound despite the bar being set so high. Those that do not believe, know that there is no heaven, no hell, and quite certainly no God of any kind.

    Those that believe are backed up with writings from a collection of books written by nomads and goat herders over 2000 years ago.

    Those that do not accept the myths are backed by science and reason.

  • Shield Your Eyes, Look Away!

    Shield your eyes, my child, look away! That’s the truth over there, you dare not look! It might ruin the fantasy you are living, and the happiness you enjoy.

    But father, should we live a dream? Shouldn’t we a least look at the real world?

    No, my child, the real world is full of sadness and danger, even if you so much as peek, your ideal world may vanish!

    If what we believe, father, is so right, can’t we look and withstand the facts, and still believe?

    The starkness of reality will vaporize our dream. I fear all of our ideals will disappear along with the haze!

    You have always treated me so well, father, I will obey your desires. I will hold fast to the fantasy and never look beyond.

    You are wise my child at such a young age, now lets go and talk to Mr. Bunny, today! I hear he has a few eggs and some candy for good little fellows like you.

    Yes, daddy, and then let’s go and drink the hanging man’s blood and eat his flesh!

     

     

  • Oh So Very Special!

    Mankind, darling creature of the Cosmos. Favored by God almighty. The center of all things. The Sun itself circles Earth, the home of this magnificent blessed creature. Just for the pleasure of mankind, this loving God created a vast Universe, whose purpose is only to please the sight of his beloved most special creature.

    What outrageous arrogance! This is what the writers of the bible believed. That out of the entire vast Universe only one small planet in an arm of the Milky Way was of any importance. That one species out of the millions of species was of any consequence.

    The ignorance of the writers of the Bible is forgivable. They had no means to know any different from the machinations of their imaginations. Unable to see the vastness of the Universe they concluded that the stars were merely lights in the heavens to highlight the night sky. Being the only creature among the worlds vast array that could think to such a high degree they concluded that they were so very special. The ignorance of the writers and those that accepted those beliefs at the time was forgivable. The ignorance displayed by those that still cling to most of these beliefs today, is not forgivable.

    With the advent of science most of the myths have been proven inaccurate to say the least. We know the Earth circles the sun, we know there are other planets elsewhere, we know that there are even other galaxies, some which dwarf our own. Through genetic advances we have discovered our link to all the other creatures sharing space on this crowded world. The evidence that is contradictory to Biblical scriptures is overwhelming. We are part of a line of creatures which through evolutions work has advanced to the dominant life form. This fact is indisputable. The ignorant nevertheless continue to dispute the reality in an effort to continue to live in a world imagined by the writers of a text thousands of years old.

    Today’s believers are faced with ever mounting evidence that points to the fact that we evolved rather than having been created.

    Human body imperfections:

    http://www.geocities.com/hammihanirani/articles/humanbody.html

    http://www.divinecaroline.com/22178/67814-seven-evolutionary-leftovers-human-body

     

    Why would there be leftovers? If we were specially created why the atrophied evidence of earlier manifestations that imply evolution ?

    Why the imperfect designs? A man’s prostate is badly designed with tubing that can be constricted as the prostate expands with age. Why do we have our vocal cords placed in such a way that humans can so easily choke? Why do we use a waste elimination tube also as a means of procreation? Why is there an appendix, which becomes so easily clogged with material, and then infected? A host of vestigial organs exist whose presence can only be made sense of in the light of evolution. Yes, imperfect, slow advancement over millions of years through evolution.

    In the past I have stated that mankind is “The Greatest Show on Earth.” A close second has to be the Christian who through complex acrobatics, twists and turns, is still able to keep a serious demeanor while declaring their belief.

  • Mohican, An Idyllic Setting

    Sunday August 9th found a small group of nonbelievers enjoying life. What a wonderful setting for an afternoon of sumptuous food and wading in the nearby river. It was a hot afternoon but was made enjoyable by a hearty summer breeze.

    The company was pleasant ant the discussions interesting. In the company of like-minded individuals everyone felt comfortable and welcome.

    Drenn and Carol at mohican

    In this picture is me and my wife. She came with some trepidation but soon found herself enjoying the ambience and company.

    pic 1

    My friend Reason4life and RationalOlive. Names withheld to protect the innocent.

    pic 2

    Reason4lifes daughter and her boyfriend. Names withheld again.

    Some shots of the area showing the magnificent beauty of the area:

    mohican river (2)

    In this shot the river running next to the area where we had our cook-out. The water was clear and many people could not resist wading in the fairly fast moving water. This picture was taken from the covered bridge.

    River bank at mohican

    This is the river bank near where we sat.

    mohican covered bridge (3)

    The notable covered bridge at this point in Mohican. That’s my wife about to cross the bridge.

    All in all one of the best days I have had of late. I sincerely hope to repeat this adventure again, real soon.

  • Nothing Fails Like Prayer

    Dale Neuman believed, he really believed. Rather than seek help for his ailing diabetic daughter he kept her home and prayed for her recovery.

    She died last march from her undiagnosed diabetic condition. This disease was a fully treatable condition.

    A U.S. jury has found Dale Neuman guilty of killing his daughter. He faces up to 25 years in prison.

  • Imperfection

    Imperfection is the continuing state of all living things. This includes the human mind, despite it’s apparent reign as most advanced on Earth.

    An imagined image of perfection is impossible to create for the mind is too flawed and soon taints that perfection with it’s own preferences or it’s own defective vision of what perfection should be.

    This helps explain the imperfections in the religions of the world. Each is an image created in the mind of imperfect individuals who have no capacity to imagine perfection except one which is flavored by it’s own desires and needs.

    The pursuit of perfection, or at least it’s understanding, is better left to science and reason which, if properly carried out, are impartial to desires or needs.

  • Facebook and MySpace Account Deactivation

    I have decided to end my facebook account because it was stupid. I have also cancelled my MySpace account because it was useless.

     

  • Adventures into the Sublime

     

    Night sky 1

     

    As anyone who has looked at the night sky in all it’s magnificence, I cannot view it without awe at it’s immensity. Thanks to mankind’s technological savvy we have knowledge that this magnificence is much greater than we can see. Not only is our planet not alone, it circles with several other planets about Sol, our life-giving solar mass. Not only is our solar system not alone, it exists along with many other planetary systems that have been discovered only very recently. Not only is our unimaginably huge Galaxy, the Milky Way, not alone, it is kept company by what seems an endless number of Galaxies some of which dwarf our very own. Of course there is much our inadequate eyes cannot see, but knowing that immensity, that magnificence exists, makes the night sky that much more awe-inspiring.

    As Lawrence Rifkin wrote recently in Free Inquiry, a magazine published by The Council for Secular Humanism, I view this nightly display in naturalistic terms. He posited that this view of the awe-inspiring heavens and other awe-inspiring things be labeled “sublime naturalism”. He gave the definition as “the experience or expression of a profound emotional response toward naturalism or it’s manifestations.”

    To even imagine that all the stars and galaxies were made just for mankind, or that we are special in any other way in a supernatural sense, is not necessary for the purposes of feeling exhilaration and awe at the sight of the Universe’s display.  One can however understand why man, in his feelings of helplessness and smallness, might want to invent a better placement of his importance in the scheme of things. By creating a supernatural entity man felt more secure and in control, and so very very special.  Not only could a man feel more in control, he could assuage the fears of his children, comfort them when things seemed out of control. This was fine when primitive man, lacking knowledge, was prone to such beliefs. Now however it is time to let go, grow up, so to speak. Mankind must stand on its’ own, realize his’/her vulnerabilities, responsibilities. Let go of the past and embrace the sublime natural world and universe, for that is all we have.

     

    night sky 2

  • The Cleveland Zoo

    Pictures from our recent trip to the Cleveland Metro Zoo. July 18, 2009.

    lion posing 090718 (5)

    The lion is just as regal as you would expect.

    The dinosaurs were back in town after a year’s absence.

    Cleveland zoo dinos 090718 (7)

    While at the zoo we upgraded our membership to the sustaining level and made a contribution to the elephant habitat construction that will be completed in 2011.

    The following is a picture of the Fossa.

     

    fossa

    No, it’s not dead. Just sleeping. Even though the fossa resembles a cat it is more closely related to the mongoose. It is the major predator of the lemur on the Island of Madagascar.

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