tip to Jeff

If this weren’t so very very sad…

World class douchebag Bill Donohue say Priest rape ain’t so bad.  Why you ask as a rational human.  Because most of them are over the age of 12???   WTF. 

“Most of the victims are post-pubescent, therefore its homosexuality, not pedophilia…” – Bill Donohue

Was that really sinead o’connor?  yikes.

New Book by Philip Pullman:  The Good Man Jesus and the Scoundrel Christ.

It is a twist on the classic Jesus story.  Mary has twins!  One is Jesus and he is strong and filled with passion.  The other is Christ and he stays in the shadows and help Jesus get out of trouble.

Here is a short sample…

On the few occasions when Christ came close to Jesus, he did his best to avoid contact with him, but from time to time someone would ask him who he was, what he was doing, whether he was one of Jesus’s followers, and so on. He managed to deal with questions of this kind quite easily by adopting a manner of mild courtesy and friendliness, and by making himself inconspicuous. In truth, he attracted little attention and kept to himself, but like any other man he sometimes longed for company.

Once, in a town Jesus had not visited before and where his followers were little known, Christ got into conversation with a woman. She was one of the prostitutes Jesus made welcome, but she had not gone in to dinner with the rest of them. When she saw Christ on his own, she said “Would you like to come to my house?”

Knowing what sort of woman she was, and realising that no one would see them, he agreed.

You can read a longer sample here…

Because of the book title some are offended – as Pullman intended.  Here is a short video of his position on the issue.

I don’t always agree with Sam Harris but I always love what he has to say.  He is one of the few people that always makes me think.  He is so smooth and looks at things from a different angle.  Here is his recent TED talk.  Enjoy and then tell us what you like most.

5 parts on Scientology.  WOW  check this out on Anderson Cooper 360!

Here is a small taste.

The students at the University of Illinois are having an event on the Quad this Friday.  They will hand out condoms and information on the catholic church.  Read the press release below.

CHAMPAIGN – For many Christians, the Friday preceding Easter Sunday is one of the holiest days of the year. 

This is precisely why the student organization Atheists, Agnostics, and Freethinkers (AAF) has chosen this day to raise awareness about the Roman Catholic Church. The group plans to set up a booth on the Quad on Good Friday and disseminate information about the Church’s policies, especially those related to contraception and HIV/AIDS. Accordingly, the group will also be distributing free condoms.

“People often regard religion, and specifically Christianity as a force for good in the world,” said Mathew Rayman, an officer from AAF. “Just over a year ago, the Pope told Africans that condoms actually help to propagate AIDS rather than prevent it. Statements like these are irresponsible and illustrate the disconnect of the Vatican hierarchy from reality.” Two thirds of the estimated 33 million people with HIV/AIDS live in Africa.

The Catholic Church has always been fundamentally opposed to contraception, and Pope Paul VI reinforced this in the 1968 doctrinal letter Humanae Vitae (Latin, “Human Life”). According to the American Red Cross, consistent and correct condom use greatly reduces the risk of contracting HIV. AAF hopes to raise public awareness of these issues and promote productive discussion.   

AAF is a student organization at the University of Illinois dedicated to providing a supportive social network for nonbelievers, protecting the basic freedoms that all people should be afforded and promoting rational skepticism in society.

For information about AAF, visit http://www.facebook.com/group.php?gid=2252245006

tip to the skeptical teacher.

The Project Reason video contest is now over…..

The winners are #3 – Just A Book

#2 Imagine

and at #1 (my favorite) – The Values We All Stand For

From the Chicago Tribune.

One of the largest refugee resettlement organization in the USA has implemented a new policy.  You must be a TRUE christian to work for them.

This is why we must not have an office for faith based initiateves.  Christian groups CANNOT resist the temptation to force you to believe – its what they do! 

“We felt we needed to put a formal policy in place that reflects a 65-year history of hiring according to our faith,”

But Candace Embling, director of the Chicago branch for five years, was escorted out of the office by superiors in January after expressing concerns.

If you disagree – you’re fired.  Religion is not tolerant it crushes freethougt.  Speak out and be put down! 

I loved the reaction from some of the christians…

…it’s ridiculously wrong and un-Christian…

It is wrong – but it is not un-christian.

One must wonder how this affects the people they claim to help.

Parent responds to a request for his child to learn about easter and the love of jesus.

While preaching is not allowed in Australian public schools, it is apparently fine to replace school counsellors with ‘Christian Volunteers’ such as Darryl. A few years ago, the government realised that they could hand over school counselling roles to a willing Christian church without having to pay for the privilege. Now almost half of Australian public schools have a Christian volunteer as a full time member of the school community with parents having no direct control of how much their children are exposed to. Although usually an advocate of people being entitled to their opinions, sexual preferences and beliefs, I seem to have developed some form of mental glitch that makes me want to punch Daryl’s fat head.

There is a series of e-mail.  You need to go read the whole chain.  Here is a sample of the quality work.  This is good stuff.

From:David Thorne
Date: Thursday 11 March 2010 5.09pm
To: Darryl Robinson
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Permission Slip

Dear Darryl, I understand the importance the resurrection story holds in your particular religion. If I too knew some guy that had been killed and placed inside a cave with a rock in front of it and I visited the cave to find the rock moved and his body gone, the only logical assumption would be that he had risen from the dead and is the son of God. Once, my friend Simon was rushed to hospital to have his appendix removed and I visited him the next day to find his bed empty. I immediately sacrificed a goat and burnt a witch in his name but it turned out that he had not had appendicitis, just needed a good poo, and was at home playing Playstation. Someone probably should have asked “So the rock has been moved and he’s gone… has anyone checked his house?” I realise Playstation was not around in those days but they probably had the equivalent. A muddy stick or something. I would have said “Can someone please check if Jesus is at home playing with his muddy stick, if not, then and only then should we all assume, logically, that he has risen from the dead and is the son of God.” If we accept though, that Jesus was the son of an Infinite Being capable of anything, he probably did have a Playstation. Probably a Playstation 7. I know I have to get my offspring all the latest gadgets. God would probably have said to him, “I was going to wait another two thousand years to give you this but seeing as you have been good… just don’t tell your mother about Grand Theft Auto.” Also, is it true that Jesus can be stabbed during a sword fight and be ok due to the fact that he can only die if he gets his head chopped off? Regards, David.
From: Darryl Robinson
Date: Friday 12 March 2010 10.13am
To:David Thorne
Subject: Re: Re: Re: Re: Re: Permission Slip

Nowhere in the Bible does Jesus have a sword fight. Learning the teachings of the Bible is not just about religion. It teaches a set of ethics that are sadly not taught by parents nowadays. Darryl Robinson, School Chaplain