Not So Radical Racism

I was perusing the Skepchick blog for new articles when I came across this. They talk about an article written by Tim Wise that discusses the racism of liberals. It's a pretty good piece, but it's not really news to me. I've always found that people who spend an such inordinate amount of time trying to convince others that they aren't racist, are really trying to convince themselves. The topic racism though, is one that tends to put me into rant mode(what doesn't, really?). You know what that means? That's right, it's time for a harangue! So, hold onto your asses, assholders!

Racism is a symptom of a far larger problem in our society. That is to say, it's part of the biased treatment of people based on some trait they have, but didn't choose. We don't have a say in so many of things that make up who we are. Skin color, hair color, eye color, gender, sexual preference, who your parents are, and where you are born, are all things that are completely out of your control. Simply put, it's wrong to treat a person badly because of these things. You can't control who your parents were anymore than a tree can choose to be a giraffe.

If one looks at racism from this vista, it's clear to see that it's part of the same overarching issue. One can't simply challenge racism by itself, because this leaves all of the other issues unresolved. The struggle of any person to prevail against a given bias is the same, despite the bias being challenged. We have to learn to regard people with equal respect and dignity, in spite of our differences. This is the only way that our species will progress.

Racism from Apathy

Tim Wise makes a good point in his article about trying to include other groups of people in political activism and other organizations. Many activism groups end up being predominately white simply due to a sort of apathy. Here's what he says specifically:

In short, while progressive formations should almost instinctively recoil from overwhelming whiteness — since it likely signals serious failings in coalition-building, strategy and tactics, as well as utter obliviousness to the way in which we’re going about our business and base-building — liberal-left colorblindness trades this critical introspection for a bland and dispassionate nonchalance. “Oh well,” some will say, “We put up signs and sent out e-mails, and we can’t control who comes to the meetings/rallies/protests and who doesn’t.” End of story, end of problem.

It's really sad, but it is completely true. When I was involved with the Ron Paul campaign back in 2008, I saw very much the same thing. It's not that Ron Paul's message was one that appealed to only white people, but rather nobody seemed willing to do the kind of leg work needed. In order to include people equally, you need to spread your message equally and create an environment where all people feel comfortable. This sometimes means you have to go out and talk to people. Sadly, not everyone has access to the internet or a computer.

A Privileged Position

I think that it's important that if we want to change society, we have recognize the privilege that being white holds. If you're white and living in the developed world, then you are better off than most of the people living on the planet. This is a cold fact of reality. It is folly to ignore this little bit of information. If someone does ignore this, they run the risk of walking through life with rose tinted glasses obstructing their view. But, conversely someone shouldn't live their life lamenting it and feeling guilty for being white. Feeling guilty for being white is completely pointless(as is feeling guilt for any accident of your birth).

Before we can hope to fix our social issues, we must first recognize that they exist. You can't treat a problem that you refuse to acknowledge. Sometimes this requires us to take a very sober look in the mirror. As the article points out, even the places that we think of as bastions of Liberal ideas, are still plagued by the problems of racism. It's not something that most would probably like to admit. Which makes the whole issue just that much harder to resolve.

Even though the developed world has made some great strides toward eliminating such social injustices, there is a great deal left to be done. But that's just the developed nations of the world. There is far more yet to do in developing nations, where old hatreds still burn hot and people are divided by many lines. Be they religious, ethnic, sexual, or national.

Labels and Tribalism

One thing that irked me while I was reading the article was the use of the term "liberal-left". I can honestly say that I'm not a big fan of labels. They can sometimes be useful in expressing a notion. For instance, I'm an atheist. It's a really neat, shorthand way of saying that I have no belief in deities of any sort. Other labels are often far more complex and subjective. The whole Liberal/Democrat and Conservative/Republican thing is a good example. It becomes an easy way to polarize people without ever actually dealing with the substance of their ideology.

Republican\Conservative has come to be synonymous with theism, racism, pro-life, pro-war, and George W. Bush. Democrat\Liberal has become synonymous with pro-choice, antiracism, anti-war, and Barack Obama. They become a simple way to immediately judge someone without even listening to their worldview. It's guilt by association. When you say that you're a Liberal, people make all sorts of assumptions about you. Even worse, when many people take on a label like Liberal, they immediately assume that it makes them immune to certain things. For instance, if you're a Liberal, you just simply couldn't be a racist. As if it's a free pass, an exemption from having to question your own world view.

This is incredibly problematic when it comes to actually fixing problems. If you assume that your group is infallible, then there is simply no way to approach the issue. Again it comes back to conundrum of dealing with a problem that no one will even speak about. Something that is somewhat pointed out in the article.

But suggest that racism and discrimination are also significant problems in more “progressive spaces,” even among self-proclaimed liberals and leftists themselves — and that it might be unearthed in our political movements — and prepare to be met with icy stares, or worse, a self-righteous vitriol that seeks to separate “real racism” (the right-wing kind) from not-so-real racism (the kind we on the left sometimes foster). And know that before long, someone will admonish you to focus on the “real enemy,” rather than fighting amongst ourselves. “What we need is unity,” these voices say, “and all that talk about racism on the left just divides us further.”

The labels in themselves aren't really bad things. They are, after all, just words and words are pretty powerless without people. The real dilemma arises when we willingly accept a label in place of the person's world view and make assumptions about them without further evidence. This is association fallacy in its worst form. Pointing this out though, as Tim suggests in the article, often creates a great deal of vexation.

But I voted for Obama!

I have heard very few things in my life as contrived as the lines "some of my best friends are black!" or "I voted for Obama!"; both of which imply that one couldn't possibly be racist. If you feel that you must constantly convince the world that you aren't racist, maybe you should ask yourself who it is that you're really trying to convince. Furthermore, the whole action of voting for someone simply because of the color of their skin, regardless of the color, is itself a racist action. The liberal voting for Obama simply because he is black is little different than the conservative voting for McCain simply because he is white.

It would be something that would deeply worry me if I voted for a black man, just so I could say it to not feel like a racist. I think it would be a sign that I was in denial about my own beliefs. I can't imagine that carrying such a profound cognitive dissonance would be good for one's mental health.

Ohh my Non-Existent Deity, why are you still talking?!

I often wonder that myself. Thankfully, I don't let such questions stop me from rambling on. Succinctness if for suckers anyway. Verbosity is far more exciting(all the cool kids are doing it)! But, in all seriousness, I could probably write a book on the topic(or any topic really). It's something that I'm intensely passionate about and something that I think needs to be discussed.

In all the vastness of space and time, we're alone on this little rock. We're just one human family, riding out existence on a little bit of blue amongst the black backdrop of night. If we are to survive we need to work with each other. Our very future rides on the promise that we can erase the lines that divide us.

Control Groups

LSD is funny. Viagra is funny AND awkward.

Lesbian Couple's Home Destroyed

A lesbian couple in Tennessee had their home burned to the ground. As if that weren't bad enough, someone saw fit to leave a little note, in the form of the word "queers" spray-painted on their garage. There are no words for how furious this makes me. A person's private sexual preferences doesn't give someone the right to destroy their home and ruin their lives. This is a horribly sickening thing to see.

The couple, Carol and Laura Stutte, were in Nashville celebrating the fifth anniversary of moving into their Vonore home on the night that it burned down. Luckily, Carol's daughter from a previous marriage had decided to join them in Nashville instead of staying home that night. It's likely that if she hadn't, she would have met the same fate as the house.

Carol and Laura, who have been together for over sixteen years(more than half the time that I've been alive), have been harassed and even threatened on and off for the past five years. One neighbor in particular is the source of the majority of the threats. The latest of the threats were issued just several weeks prior. They had tried ignoring the threats, but eventually decided it would be best to tell the police.

The police haven't yet released much on the case. Detective Travis Jones said "It is an arson and we are continuing the investigation". Authorities are still conducting interviews. Hopefully there will be more news on the case soon and the person responsible will be brought to justice.

I wish I could express in words how sad and angry this makes me. I really do. But there just aren't words for it. An act like this is one pure malice. What if they'd been home that night? It wouldn't just have been their home they lost, but their lives. They would have lost their lives, for what? For their sexual preferences? For enjoying a stable relationship instead of some façade?

It's time that we, as a society, put an end to this kind of bullying and hate. There has been enough needless death and violence in our history. If we don't put an end to it, it will most certainly put an end to us. These people are, after all, human beings like the rest of us. Just because they prefer a relationship with their own gender, doesn't make them less than human. It most certainly doesn't make them evil. They dream, hope, love, and suffer like the everyone else.

Cow Catchers Creeping up on the Conning Towers

Oh dear, I'm bored. I better go and have a bath, I suppose.

Vatican Rag

All of this news about Catholics has put me in the mood for a little music. So, without further ado, here's a little Tom Lehrer!

Papal Partner Proclaims: UK is Third World

I do so love it when those crazy Catholics open their mouths and firmly place their foot in it. Cardinal Walter Kasper did exactly that after he made a comment about how arriving at Heathrow Airport was something akin to landing in a Third World country. Apparently the Cardinal's remark was a reference the UK's multicultural society. Hmm, multicultural society, huh? Sounds a bit like you're saying that you don't like places with people that have different shades of skin color, if you ask me(ohh noes, brown people!!).

Naturally, the Catholic church was quick to distance themselves from the Cardinal after he put foot to mouth. A spokesman spouted the standard PR line: "His comments do not represent the views of the Vatican, nor those of Bishops in this country. They are the personal views of one individual". Which, most likely means that while they share his beliefs, they aren't stupid enough to make such a Public Relations blunder by saying it aloud.

As if the first comment wasn't bad enough, the Cardinal went on to criticize British Airways by saying that if you wear a cross on the airline "you are discriminated against". Right, you're part of one of the most powerful organizations in the world. An organization that is so powerful that it can molest children all over the world with impunity. But yet, somehow, you're being discriminated against? Hold on, I've got this really tiny violin to play for your troubles.

It is true that British Airways had previously prohibited the wearing of symbols of faith, but has since changed their dress code to allow it. They did this back in 2007 at that. But even if they hadn't, this only covers EMPLOYEES of British Airways. This, of course, doesn't stop him from throwing out the Christian Victim card(they really never get tired of being the victim).

The Cardinal went on to babble something about the UK's strong Christian tradition in between periods of foot to mouth interaction. Christian Tradition? What, like burning people at the stake, holy wars between Protestants and Catholics that claim thousands of lives, and the torture and murder of heretics? Yep, those were some good times alright. Nothing quite like the good old days.

Now after all of this, the Cardinal has canceled his trip with the Pope on account of being ill. Some would question whether or not the good Cardinal is actually ill or just dodging the bad press from his commments. I for one, do not. He obviously got sick after eating some food prepared by heathens! You know how those dirty heathens are always out to get good god fearing folk, like the good Cardinal. It could also be that some of those "aggressive atheists" used their atheist magic to cast a curse on him! Those crafty atheists are always using their scientific witchcraft against god's followers.

Immaculate Ice Cream and Pregnant Nuns

A saucy new ad in the UK has all of the Catholics with their panties in a bunch. Who knew that pregnant nuns were a hot button for them? Or maybe they just don't like women eating ice cream. Either way, there's quite some uproar over this little amusing picture. The ad was pulled because the Advertising Standards Authority thought it wasn't fair to mock the beliefs of the Roman Catholics. But Antonio Federici, the blasphemer who would dare show a woman eating ice cream(god reserved that for men, like all the good things), plans to post more ads that are a "a continuation of the theme". Can you imagine the gall of it all?! Posting ads that don't hurt anyone and that are being paid for by the company! How dare they do such a thing! It's just outrageous that they don't spend every last dime kowtowing to religious sensibilities.

The UK based company wanted to "comment on and question, using satire and gentle humour, the relevance and hypocrisy of religion and the attitudes of the church to social issues". Boy, in America those would be fightin' words! But Antonio is undeterred by the banning, which isn't his first at that. The company plans to put up more ads with a similar theme, along and around the Pope's route around Westminster Cathedral.

Personally, I look forward to more ads by Antonio Federici and all the bunched Catholic underpants that it will result in. But if I were him, I would be seriously glad that the church can't burn people at the stake anymore. Because you know they'd break out the kindling if they could get away with it.

Jesus the Irreverent Cro-Magnon

I have a big weakness for well written science fiction. It seems that sci-fi movies these days are all flash and no substance. The latest installment of Star Trek is a good example of that. I don't even know where to begin with that movie. It's more like badly written fan fiction rather than an actual Trek movie. Sure, there were lots of explosions, anachronisms, continuity errors, and the like, but at least there was some hot Uhura sexin', right? You don't need a story as long as you have a giant monster, explosions, and some sex! Stories are for losers anyway. I mean who wants their movies filled with deep questions like the nature of self or what constitutes life, when you can explode something? If you're wondering what that high pitch whining noise is, well that's the sounds of my neurons bursting at the speed of light(I may have crossed the streams).

It's often a surprise to me when I see a movie that's actually good(science fiction or not) these days. After the atrocity that was Battlefield Earth, I had lost almost all hope for the future of humanity(and cinema). So it was a mammoth surprise to me when I saw a little movie called The Man From Earth. It's a film that is stunning in its simplicity(there's not even ONE explosion in the whole thing). It manages to be completely compelling with only a single location and a small cast of characters. I found it to be not only refreshing, but totally engrossing. Even though I've seen the movie a dozen times or more, I always find myself enthralled by it and unable to tear myself away.

This movie is the last work of Jerome Bixby, who wrote some of the best stories, including some of the Original Series of Star Trek and Twilight Zone. Appropriately enough, three of the cast members of the movie are veterans of Star Trek(John Billingsley, Tony Todd, and Richard Riehle). Those of you that don't like spoilers, you may want to stop reading here. For those of you that don't care(like myself), feel free to read on.

The story opens with John Oldman, a man who claims to have lived through 140 centuries of human history. He is caught be his friends and co-workers before he can leave and start a new life. They seem intent on discovering his reasons for leaving them and his career so suddenly. As they continue to question, he begins to reveal a few bits of information. He first talks of it like a science fiction story, but gradually he starts to show that he is talking about himself. The reaction to the idea of him being an immortal "caveman" is rather divided. Some go with it while others think he is completely out of his mind.

Eventually, through the course of their discussions with John, they ask the almost obvious question: "Were you in the Bible?" Until this point everything was fairly sane, but once the you mention the Bible, things start to go a little awry. John tries to avoid the question, but ultimately he is forced answer it. He talks of how he learned from the Buddha and eventually returned west. When he starts talking about the Roman empire and wanting to teach what he learned from the Buddha, they quickly surmise who he was in Biblical history. That's right, he was Jesus. The biologist among them(John Billingsley) is completely entertained by the idea. But the devout Christian(Ellen Crawford) is utterly distraught by the very notion(naturally).

I have to say that it seems quite natural for a 14,000 year old man to be an atheist. He would have seen the birth of almost all of the modern religions. Not to mention the fact that he doesn't have one of the biggest motivators that most have for believing; the fear of death. It really weakens the whole idea of an afterlife when time can't even wrinkle your skin, let alone kill you. The fear of death is a universal thing and it is probably the single greatest hold that religion has on people. If it were to vanish, I can imagine that religion would quickly die and disappear.

In the end John decides to tell them all it was just a story, a joke. This causes a great deal of anger and frustration, but eventually it all calms down. As people are leaving John starts talking with Sandy outside(Annika Peterson) about the whole thing. She doesn't believe that he would contrive such a story and abuse the good will of others. After a few others leave, she asks him what other pun names he has used over the years. As he answers her with the name John Thomas Partee, the last remaining guest, Dr. Gruber(Richard Riehle) is shocked by hearing the name of his father. John instantly realizes that his colleague, Will Gruber, is actually his adult son. John talks to Will and shows intimate knowledge of his childhood. It is sadly, entirely too much for Will and he suffers a heart attack and dies. It becomes clear that John has never seen one of his children die.

After the the police come and take the body of Will away, John prepares to leave and move on yet again. John starts to drive away, seemingly leaving everything behind again, but he stops. The movie ends with Sandy joining John in his truck, apparently deciding to start a new life with him.

The movie deals with many ideas as it progresses. From concept of immortality and god, to that of loss and death. It's fairly easy to imagine living for 14,000 years, but reality hits hard when you start to realize all that you would lose in that time. Long life brings with it the cost of losing those dearest to you. John had not only gotten over the idea of god, but also the idea of true love. It's a sobering thought to picture the vast stretches of time from that perspective. This movie challenges the mind to think and imagine, rather than simply tell us what we should think with the same old regurgitated drivel. If you like a movie that offers up a wide palette of concepts and forces you to imagine, then this is something you might enjoy.

Sifting the Sands of Distant Worlds

The idea of exploring other worlds sends chills down my spine. Every time I turn my eyes skyward and see those distant points of light, twinkling down at me, I can't help but feel the compulsion to reach for them. It's an almost overwhelming drive, a sort of primal urge to reach untouched shores. I know that we must one day voyage amongst the stars or else face our own eventual extinction. That knowledge further drives that feeling, that itch to explore new vistas.

The Symphony of Science's new video(shown below) is about the prospect of a manned mission to Mars. I'm a pretty big fan of their other videos and this one is no different. It makes me smile to think of leaving Earth to explore our distant solar neighbor. I would volunteer in a heartbeat to be part of such a venture. It would be a journey fraught with danger and all sorts of perils, but it would be the journey of a lifetime. Certainly something worth the risks involved.

"Whatever the reason you're on Mars, I'm glad you're there, and I wish I was with you." - Carl Sagan

Don't Worry, Mike Can Help Us!

Scariest. Cosplay. EVER. Damn, do I ever love MST3K. Nobody can cross-dress quite a horrifyingly and hilariously as Mike Nelson.

Metal Pr0n Solid 2

Sure, it's an old video, but still hilarious none the less. I was reminded of this gem whilst doing a little surfing on the ol' internets. I found another video game themed music video and couldn't help but think of some Metal Pr0n.

Book Burning Bonfire: Qur'an Edition

As the eleventh of September nears again, some Christians have found a new way to celebrate. That's right kiddies, book burnings are back in fashion! Oft times I wonder what Christendom would do without something to burn. Heretics, crosses, and the books of infidels, pretty much anything that will hold a flame. Now, I've read the Bible a few times and all, but I don't recall the part about pyromania. Well, that is, unless you count hell. But that's more brimstone and less bonfire.

Pastor Terry Jones is steadfast in his resolve to have the biggest bonfire money can buy, despite condemnation from around the world. After some prayer, and probably some of those sanctified saltines they love so much, the Pastor said: "We must send a clear message to the radical element of Islam". The message is quite clear in fact; burning things is a great way to gain attention.

This little Florida congregation has gained quite a it of attention from this whole escapade. So much so that even the Vatican has shown concern over their plan. That's right, the Vatican. Let that sink in for a moment. The very same Vatican that has no problem with buggering little children, lying about the efficacy of condom usage, and selling Indulgences. Call me crazy if you like, but if the Vatican thinks your plan is a bad idea, maybe you should reevaluate it a tiny bit.

Now this isn't to say that mister Jones here is without his reasons for igniting more than a few Allah loving pages of holy script. He has his reasons. Ten of them actually. I'll save all of you lovely people a little time, and cut to the most hilariously ironic of them.

Two
The Koran does not have an eternal origin. It is not recorded in heaven. The Almighty God, Creator of the World, is NOT it's source. It is not holy. It's writings are human in origin, a concoction of old and new teachings. This has been stated and restated for centuries by scholars since Islam's beginnings, both Moslem and non-Moslem.

. . .

Six
Islamic Law is totalitarian in nature. There is no separation of church and state. It is irrational. It is supposedly immutable and cannot be changed. It must be accepted without criticism. It has many similarities to Nazism, Communism and Fascism. It is not compatible with Western Civilization.

Seven
Islam is not compatible with democracy and human rights. The notion of a moral individual capable of making decisions and taking responsibility for them does not exist in Islam. The attitude towards women in Islam as inferior possessions of men has led to countless cases of mistreatment and abuse for which Moslem men receive little or no punishment, and in many cases are encouraged to commit such acts, and are even praised for them. This is a direct fruit of the teachings of the Koran.

So, the holy teachings of Islam aren't recorded in heaven, but the holy teachings of Christendom are? The Qur'an(or Koran if you like) isn't the eternal word of god, but the King James Bible is? You'll have to forgive my incredulity here, but it seems to me that both books are the products of people. Very twisted and disturbed people, but people all the same. But, that whole thing aside, what proof is there that one should favor Jesus over Muhammad in the whole area of fantastic fairy tales? When you get right down to it, they're both just a rehashing of the same old myths.

Islam has many similarities with fascism, huh? Funny, I was just thinking that about Christianity. Number six here is just further proof for my hypothesis that Christians don't actually read their bibles. They just seem to fill a decorative role on the pews. So we're to believe that Islam is evil because it is totalitarian and doesn't have a separation between church and state? That's amusing, especially considering that Christians have a very hard time not pushing their beliefs into government. Be it the campaign against gay marriage or putting up the Ten Commandments in courthouses.

Historically speaking, Christianity, in the form of the Catholic Church, ruled much of Europe for centuries. They had total power over life and death. If they didn't like you, you can bet you'd have a date with a bonfire. There was no separation of church and state here. None. It was pure and unbridled Theocracy. They waged countless wars against unbelievers, infidels, heretics, and anyone that got in their way. The very notion of implementing a separation of church and state largely came from a little rebellious colony on the outskirts of the late 18th century British Empire. A colony that had the gall to utterly exclude god from its Constitution completely.

Number seven, much like six, is full of an undeserved sense of moral superiority. Talking down about the abuses of Muslim men against women, as if Christianity had never oppressed or abused women in its history. As far as women as possessions go, well let's see what the holy word of the King James Bible has to say about that, shall we?

Genesis 3:16 Unto the woman he said, I will greatly multiply thy sorrow and thy conception; in sorrow thou shalt bring forth children; and thy desire shall be to thy husband, and he shall rule over thee.

Boy, that sure sounds like women are possessions in Christendom too. Strange, maybe it's just an isolated verse and Christians really are better than Muslims. Let's look a bit more, shall we?

Exodus 21:7 And if a man sell his daughter to be a maidservant, she shall not go out as the menservants do.

Exodus 21:8 If she please not her master, who hath betrothed her to himself, then shall he let her be redeemed: to sell her unto a strange nation he shall have no power, seeing he hath dealt deceitfully with her.

I could continue, but I think the point is quite clear by now. Christianity is no better than any of the other Abrahamic faiths. None of them are religions of peace and most certainly, none of them hold any moral ground over the other. At their core is nothing more than teachings of irrational, fervent hatred for anyone that doesn't adhere to your particular creation myth.

The Pastor's plans for a bonfire show the kind of demonizing that goes with most religions. It's the type of irrational, bigoted action that is carried out in the grips of religious hysteria. Certainly, the Pastor is entitled to his freedom to speak as he sees fit, but that doesn't mean that sentiment of his actions is a good one. Especially considering the history that Islam and Christianity have. After all, the line between burning the books of infidels, and burning actual infidels is a thin one.

Ugandan Scatological Stereotypes

When you spend enough time on the internet, as I have, you aren't really surprised by all that much. This is especially true when it comes to racist and homophobic commentary. Sure, we've all heard misinformation, such as how homosexuality is immoral and how all homosexuals are walking disease factories. But, did you know that homosexual men are ice cream machines? Well, they are according to Martin Ssempa(a man, who has thoroughly ruined chocolate ice cream, forever). The video posted above, which was sent to me by a dear friend, is utterly shocking. The thing that is so shocking about it isn't the sexual act itself, but rather Martin's total obsession with it. The man really likes his chocolate ice cream, methinks.

Now, Martin's fecal fascination aside, the man is on an all out crusade to destroy homosexuality in Uganda. He is endorsing legislation that would increase the penalties for homosexuality(it's already a criminal act in most of sub-Saharan Africa) and it would also make homosexuality a crime worthy of death. That's right, death. The proposed bill even contains a contingency for Ugandans that engage in homosexual acts outside of the borders of the country. This provision also includes penalties for individual citizens, companies, or media organizations that support LGBT rights. It's a rather totalitarian piece of legislation to say the least. So, it's not surprising that American Christians had a part to play in it.

As if this weren't bad enough, Martin has a little obsession with burning condoms. On a continent where the battle against AIDS is being waged full scale, the man burns condoms. This prophylactic that has been proven, time and time again, to protect against the spread of sexually transmitted disease. They are indispensable for safe sex in any situation, but especially when it comes to HIV. Yet, he burns them and would rather teach people abstinence and to be faithful. Certainly, there's no doubt that abstaining from sex prevents sexually transmitted diseases, but to deny human nature so completely is totally ludicrous. People are going to have sex, plain and simple, but when you leave out condoms, it's guaranteed not to be safe sex.

After all, we know how well abstinence only sex educations programs work(that is, not at all). When you not only deny condoms, but burn them, in a country in desperate need of effective prophylactics, you're committing murder. It's no different than the Pope's lies about the efficacy of condom usage. When it comes right down to it, at the end of the day, you're responsible for those lives that your actions destroyed.

Homosexuals aren't immoral and most certainly not monsters. They're human beings, with feelings, hopes, dreams, and passions, the same as any of us. There is no homosexual agenda any more than there was a black agenda during the Civil Rights Movement in the United States. They simply want the same respect and rights that any of us want. Color, creed, sexual orientation, or the size of your bank account shouldn't be factors in what rights you have. Most of all, you absolutely shouldn't be punished for something that is a product of your biology and out of your control.

We don't choose our parents, country, sexual orientation, color, or so many of the things that we are. What we do choose though, is how we treat one another in this spectacularly short life of ours. We can choose to rise above petty differences. We can choose to face life with courage and conviction, rather than cowardice and hate. These are the choices that we have and we should be judged, instead, as Martin Luther King Jr. once said, by the content of our character.

Another Failed Forecast of the Faithful

It seems that Jesus is always set to return to Earth, on yet another terrestrial vacation, but his plans never seem to come to fruition. Maybe the big J is just a bit of a procrastinator when it comes to starting off the end times. It could also be that, maybe, he doesn't want to be associated with that atrocious and asinine Left Behind series. It might more likely be, very possibly, that Jesus doesn't exist at all and never did. Whatever the reasons, there's no end to failed foretellings of the faithful. But this doesn't seem to bother believers one bit. The date is always at hand, but constantly out of reach(much like the credibility of Intelligent Design).

The failure of past prophecies doesn't seem to deter those potential prophets from setting their own date for the end of days. One of the latest dates for doomsday is May 21, 2011(not to be confused with the pagan doomsday of December 21, 2012), set by those scripturally sage souls at Wecanknow.com. They claim that Noah knew, so they too can know. This claim is a tad bit strange to me, considering that the evidence for the Biblical story of the flood is completely nonexistent. But, how could these sage scholars of the sacred, possibly be wrong, after all, they have the Bible on their side!

Christianity has been preparing for the end of the world, since the very founding of the religion. History is rife with examples of supposed dates for the end of time. As each date passes, Christendom's enthusiasm for Armageddon continues unabated(the utterly horrifying spectacle that it is). Their scholars resume their all consuming work, trying to predict Jesus' next earthly shindig(I so hope they have pizza rolls, those things are delicious). As the torch passes from one believer to the next, the centuries roll by, like the fleeting thoughts of a once sane mind. Meanwhile, the rest of humanity goes on trying to figure out this whole, building a better future and not killing each other jazz. Mostly.

I sometimes find myself wondering, what I would do if Jesus came back(but mostly I'm just thinking of Samantha Carter in assless chaps, hot cha!). I suppose my first thought would be to think of Samantha Carter, after all, fictional characters are popping into existence; it's worth a shot. Then, after that, I'd probably try to make the J-man disappear in a puff of logic à la The Hitchhikers Guide to the Galaxy. This would probably be followed by a hasty emigration to Sweden before Pat Robertson could call for my assassination(he does that, you know). There would be much rejoicing and pizza rolls, delicious, delicious pizza rolls.

When this latest date for doomsday comes and passes, I will probably be doing what I usually do; dreaming of my favorite fictional Gate hopping astrophysicist(ohh Sam, how I love you, let me count the ways...). Well, that, or continuing my efforts to build the world's largest Elvis statue out of pop cans(hey, someone's gotta show Touchdown Jesus who's boss).

Lavish Your Local Leprechauns

I discovered this little gem whilst browsing Geekologie(a wonderful little place for geeky goodness). At first, I thought, this can't possibly be real. It has to be satire, right? Nobody could possibly be this devoid of mental faculties! Ohh, wouldn't that be nice, but sadly no satire here. After a quick look at their website, I found their about page. Here's a bit of what it had to say.

"Christopher Valentine and Christian von Lähr are professionally trained psychic mediums. Bringing their own additional special skills onboard they have been able to establish direct communication with the Nature People."

I sincerely worry for the sanity of people that are this far into La-la land. This guy seems to know more about the personal habits of non-existent beings, than most people know about their own family! I don't know about anyone else, but frankly, that's more than a little disturbing. It's nothing really new I suppose, but disturbing none the less.

As we leave the first decade of the 21st century, there seems to be an unsettling rise in magical mentality. Crystal power, pyramid hats, angels, nature spirits, and psychics all seem to be more popular than ever. Every day there appears to be more new-age nonsense. Be it books like The Secret and The Power, which tell you that you can get whatever you want by simply pretending that you already have it(also, be nice to your water!), or the prattling of lighthearted loonies.

This kind of thing is the converse to religious fundamentalism. Fundamentalism generally adheres to some core concepts with a feverish and dogmatic zeal. Whereas the new age appears, on the surface to be much more benign. It has no qualms over picking and borrowing from other religions or even making up completely new nonsense. The overall effect is diluted delusional absurdity. If the angels don't heal your cancer, you can always try crystal power, or maybe call on another invisible friend, who may, eventually help you. But whatever you do, don't go to a hospital! Because science doesn't believe in our nature spirit friends, crystal power, pyramid healing, psychic energy, lay lines, or anything else that's supernatural! They're too closed minded to believe in all of those unsubstantiated claims. I mean it's not like science ever did anything for anyone...

Although it may seem benign, this new age nonsense is just as dangerous as any of the claims made by established religions. Praying to your deity is no different than calling to your nature spirit friends. The end result is the same, nothing happens. How many people forego routine medical treatment because of this kind of hogwash? Taking a session with the Archangel Gabriel or some Tarot cards in lieu of seeking medical attention or taking action in their lives.

There was a great man who once said something that I will always remember. Carl Sagan once said, "For me, it is far better to grasp the Universe as it really is than to persist in delusion, however satisfying and reassuring". Whether it is religion or some other supernatural mumbo jumbo, it's still a delusion. In our modern world, we are better served by grasping the universe as it truly is, than holding onto superstition and magical thinking. After all, the fate of our whole species is squarely in our hands.

Conservapedia: A Cache of Comedic Genius

Conservapedia, for those of you who don't know, is a wiki dedicated to eliminating the liberal bias from reality. After finding that Wikipedia had a vendetta against Christianity, Andrew Schlafly and some students founded Conservapedia. Here, they could have a place to spout nonsense at one another, free from those nasty things called facts. Truly, it is a place that is totally free of any inkling of reality. I find that after any extended time reading articles there, I have the overwhelming urge to click my heels together and chant “There's no place like home”. Well, except, you know I wouldn't be going back to Kansas. I shudder at such a thought.

The articles, despite their apparent vapidness and being utterly out of touch with reality, are overwhelmingly hilarious. Sure you can go to places like Wikipedia if you want things like facts, figures, and a rational worldview. But, if you want offensive nonsense, that would only appeal to a partially lobotomized chimp, then Conservapedia is the place for you! After all, where else are you going to find serious commentary on AIDS, that refers to it as a “gay disease” and “gay cancer”? That is just to the tip of the proverbial iceberg as far as inane rantings go. Their pages on Feminism, AIDS(a so called gay disease), Biblical Scientific Foreknowledge, and Liberal Denial are enough to make anyone with an IQ over that of your average ham sandwich, burst into furious fits of laughter.

It's hard for me to imagine anyone taking this kind of tripe seriously. Though, I am at a disadvantage, seeing as I haven't suffered any crippling head injuries or been wont to eat lead paint chips(delicious leaded candy, that neurotoxic family friendly treat). I do fear for anyone that does take absurdity like this as truth. If one were to give a wiki such as this, even one iota of credulity, I do believe they would be raving mad within a week.

Making fun of the intellectually impotent aside, this kind of thing is incredibly serious. Mankind has made some tremendous strides in past centuries. With the rise of reason and science, we have seen untold progress. Anton van Leeuwenhoek's microscope gave our first glimpses of the basic units of life. Galileo's telescope would give us the moons of Jupiter. Newton's theory of gravitation would eventually give us the moon landing, satellites, and exploration of the planets. These discoveries were more than just simple bits of knowledge gathered for scientists to play with. Our entire modern world is built on these things. Without the theory of Gravitation, we wouldn't have satellites in orbit(i.e. No GPS). Without the microscope, we probably wouldn't have germ theory, and we would still be at the mercy of pathogenic microbes(before there was Germ theory, disease was believed to be caused by demonic possessions).

There is very little in our modern world that isn't built off of the advances of some scientific endeavor. The CPU for your average computer wouldn't even exist without the understanding quantum mechanics(the transistors at the heart of modern electronics require quantum theory to function). Global positioning systems wouldn't function without the Theory of Relativity. So much of what we consider the modern world hinges on the work of so many dedicated researchers and scientists. Brave men and women who have pursued the course of truth, even when it flew in the face of their personal convictions. Be it Einstein's belief that the universe was static, which was totally decimated with Hubble's observations that the universe was, in fact, expanding. Or be it Darwin's own grappling with faith as he realized that a creator wasn't needed for life to diversify.

Yet as ignorance of science and technology grows, charlatans would bring forth their own addled brained rantings and label it as “truth”. They peddle this nonsense on any forum that will give them even the slightest bit of attention. They claim that their ravings deserve the same time and recognition, as the work of hundreds and thousands of scientists over the centuries. But they cry foul when asked that they be held to the standards of science and reason. They decry and defame anyone who would speak ill of their flawed and deformed deductions. But they fervently and rabidly attack anything that doesn't adhere to their personal bias of reality.

I wish I could say that places like Conservapedia are few in number or that they were some way at the fringes of society. But the fact of the matter is that as the common understanding of science wanes, places like this flourish. Ignorance is a breeding ground for so much of what erodes our society. But ignorance is a strange thing, as Thomas Paine once wrote, “Ignorance is of a peculiar nature; once dispelled, it is impossible to re-establish it. It is not originally a thing of itself, but is only the absence of knowledge; and though man may be kept ignorant, he cannot be made ignorant”.

When the charlatans bring forth their gimmicks and so called “absolute truths” they perpetuate a willful ignorance. In the vacuum created by this ignorance they are free to demonize and dehumanize anyone they so choose. Anyone that doesn't fit into the scope of their limited world view becomes a target for their unrelenting anger. One can catch a glimpse of the worst of this sort of thinking by simply looking at the Westboro Baptist Church. Here's a good example from Conservapedia, too.

“What's the name for a self-centered, uncharitable person who censors classroom prayer? An atheist. That's why atheists do not build hospitals, and they don't win sports championships like the World Cup either.”

That's a little excerpt from the current main page of Conservapedia. Self-centered and Uncharitable? Really? This is exactly what I mean by dehumanizing and demonizing. Atheists come from all walks of life and have contributed quite a bit to society. Yet, in a few sentences they feel quite comfortable lumping all atheists together and labeling them as worthless. But they don't just have it out for atheists! Let's see a few entries from the Liberal Denial page, shall we?

11. Liberals deny that a woman significantly reduces her risk of breast cancer by having children rather than abortions

12. Liberals deny that about half of promiscuous people carry sexually transmitted diseases (STDs), and those STDs cause infertility

13. Liberals deny that the strident promoters of evolution generally have weaker credentials than advocates of intelligent design

. . .

15. Liberals deny that Homosexuality shortens lifespan for a wide variety of reasons

. . .

More generally, liberals also deny:

3. That people like young mass murderers who take atheistic beliefs to their logical conclusions are not "crazy" or "insane", but are true believers.

4. That young mass murderers fit the profile of public school-trained atheism

. . .

8. That state run health care has lead to Islamic terrorism in Britain, and would do so in the US.

While these comments are laughable(they're quite hilarious actually), they go to show the sort of dehumanizing that I mentioned. Once you can reduce someone to a simple label and generalize them, you can start the process of turning them into a monster. By linking atheists to mass murders, they can then start calling them even more horrible things. Then, when someone actually starts persecuting people for not believing in a deity, they don't feel the slightest bit of remorse. After all, they're monsters, and not human, right? The same goes with homosexuals, pro-choice women, or anyone that challenges their narrow-minded beliefs. It's something that we've seen far too much of throughout our history as a species. If we give these people even one iota of credibility, they will do everything they can to demonize their opponents and strip them of their human rights.

I for one will not remain silent to such belligerent brainlessness. My alliterative allusions to their intellectual ineptitude and impotence shall continue!

Hilariously Hypocritical Monument Humbled

The forces of nature are often something you wouldn't want to trifle with, but occasionally they produce some pretty amusing things. I am, of course, referring to Touchdown Jesus. Apparently the Almighty couldn't be bothered to avert a simple lightning strike and save the hideously oversized monstrosity. That or maybe Thor was in a mood for some smiting(he has that hammer after all). Whether it be the ineptitude of the almighty or Thor's righteous hammer(or if you're one of those thinking types, just simple random lightning), the results are the same. Absolutely hysterical!

It never ceases to amaze me just how much the religious are willing to waste on such nonsense. Especially considering what the bible says about idol worship. But this particular monument takes the cake as far as gaudy lawn ornaments go. Lawn gnomes are much classier if you ask me and they certainly cost a fair deal less. I mean really, couldn't you find a better use for $250,000? Maybe, let's say, building a house for the less fortunate, providing medical treatment for the sick, sending aid to a country in the midst of disaster, or giving food to the starving. But no, tacky religiously inspired lawn decorations are more important. Now it's going to cost $700,000 to repair it? Really? I guess you need deep pockets if you really love the lord.

The even more mind boggling aspect of all of this is what Jesus had to say about wealth. Something about a camel having a better chance of going through the eye of a needle than a rich man getting into heaven, I believe(Matthew 19:24). Yet they have no problem spending nearly a million dollars on a piece of tacky lawn art. I'd cite the bible passages on hypocrisy(Matthew 7:3-5), but I'm absolutely certain that the bible is the one thing that isn't read in church(or at least most of it is ignored unless it supports their homophobic, racist world view. Leviticus anyone?).

Now with all of that said, I have to run out and buy several thousand tubes of superglue. Those pop cans aren't going to assemble themselves. I've got a hunch that Elvis is going to make a come back in my front yard and bigger than life(in your face Jesus, there's only one King!).