Atheists make better people

atheists-more-inclined-help-fellow-man-religious-people-

I think this is true, the atheists I know are generally more compassionate to their fellow human beings and are generally not told who to hate by some book or their religious leaders.  I think they tend to make judgements about people as individuals based on the merits or lack thereof of each person, not of groups based on demographic criteria.  I also think that they are more compassionate because it appeals to their sense of fairness, instead of some "obligation" or fear that they will be punished by some superpowered entity.  (I've said that before here). 

and  I'm not attacking Christians here.  I'm talking about everyone.  I've known Christians who've dedicated their lives to helping others, but I've also known "Christians" who are some of the most hateful people I"ve ever known.  I'm comparing atheists to ALL religions.  You haven't seen atheists engage in a lot of terrorism, wars, purges in an effort to make people NOT believe in their unGod.

Shins New Album "Port of Morrow"

Bands and artists evolve, but that doesn’t mean I have to like it. For a guy who pre-ordered the last two Shins albums I think it’s time I accept that James Mercer is not putting out the same music that I love from the Shins first two albums. LOVE THEM, listen to them all the way through probably still once a month. My expectations were so high for “Wincing the night away” I’m not sure they could have met them and they didn’t. I don’t know that I’ve listened to that album more than 4 or 5 times total. Some say that wasn’t a departure, but for me it was. Too much synth and not enough guitars.


I got the new album, “Port of Morrow” yesterday and I’ve listened to it once. It’s clear that the Shins are a different band, or should I say that James Mercer is a different guy than he was on “Chutes” or “Inverted World”. Not bad, necessarily, but not the band I loved. More mellow, less rocking, less guitar-driven.

I'll give it a few more listens.  I like it more than I like "Wincing" already, but now that I love only half of the Shins catalog, it might be time for me to part ways.

A government program that fails half of the time...

Why would Americans want to continually support a government program that fails half of the time?


http://vitals.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/03/21/10799069-cdc-only-half-of-first-marriages-last-20-years

That's right it's "sanctity"

Stop saying Limbaugh should be kicked off the air

The man is a vile, hateful, hypocrite, but he has every right to be on the radio.  ((side note: Comparisons to him and Bill Maher are ridiculous;  compare the clout Limbaugh has to that of Maher...it's not even close.  Limbaugh is the ideological leader of the Republican party, Maher is nothing like that.  No other citizen in America has the clout of Limbaugh within their political sphere.  So, those comparisons are dumb (See David Frum's piece).  )

But just because he's influential and the leader of the GOP, he can still say stupid shit.

That all said, this is America and Rush has every right to say stupid shit and have people pull sponsorships and point out he's a vile human being.  But no one should be demanding he be taken off the radio.  If his employers/radio stations feel he's bad for business, he'll lose his job (although I believe he'll also find an outlet for his brand of misogyny and Anything-to-beat-Obama-even-if-it's-bad-for-America rhetoric).  But when liberals whine about how he should be silenced it's just makes liberals look weak.  Argue with Rush on the merits of his stupid comments, don't "demand" he be taken off the air.  That's unAmerican.  And it totally plays into the Right Wings ridiculousness victimization rhetoric that they're so good at.

Hell, people who like Rush are going to like him no matter what, but in reality his recent hateful comments reflect poorly on the Republican Party, so let him keep talking.

Low IQ linked to prejudice...

Book learnin' is bad for business, that's why they're always deriding those "educated elites". Cuz if they get smart they're going to stop hating people that is the basis for so much of their victimization rhetoric. And how all those damn (insert demographic here) are taking away their stuff.



http://news.yahoo.com/low-iq-conservative-beliefs-linked-prejudice-180403506.html

Zany Catholics Part II

The last post came from an email discussion with my "Conservative" email buddy.  He posed the question if I was "disgusted" by other religiious prohibitions like to those of alcohol and eating pork.  It's his way of trying to prove I'm anti-Christian when he knows my feelings on organized religion in general.  I thought my retort was pretty good.

Hey Crazy...no one said "disgusted".  i said "silly".  Why do you get your panties in a twist and make shit up?

But it's funny you bring up food prohibitions because in the same page that supposedly bans boys kissing, the same book bans eating shellfish and wearing Cotton/Wool blends.  Most of man's prohibitions that are supposedly founded on "God's wishes" are equally dumb.  And please don't confuse Morality with words in a book written by a bunch of guys thousands of years ago.  You can have a since of right and wrong without relying on some dusty old book.  Killing other people is bad and not because it's in the Bible.  If you need a book to tell you that killing and stealing are bad, you probably DO need to be going to church or something at LEAST once a week.  

In Fact, I would say that atheists are generally "better" people because they act out of an innate sense of justice, an awareness of what is right and wrong not because they are simply afraid of some punishment by an unseen "God".   (Get in trouble with daddy).  If you act out of fear of punishment you're not really being "good".  You know, the whole "acting the right way when NO ONE is looking".  For people who live in fear of "God", someone is always looking.  God.  

So, 

-Justice and Morality don't come from a book written by guys who claim it's the word of God (especially when what is "moral and right" in those books is ignored most of the time.  Commandments 2,3,4,5 and 10 seem to be pretty much ignored for example)

-Religion and the various rules created by man in religions name don't have much connection to "God"

-Atheists are better people

-Prohibitions against eating pork and drinking alcohol are just as silly as celibacy for clergy

Those Zany Catholics

Now, we all know the priest celibacy thing is not in the Bible and is a relatively recent doctrine imposed by the Church to protect Church property back in the day, but I guess it shows you CAN be good at doing priest/bishop things (assuming these children are his only "Crime") and not be celibate.  Trust me, I'm not saying that he was right...he knew the rules going in and should lose his job, but it points out the silliness of the celibacy doctrine.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/45871047/ns/us_news-life/#.TwS5qTWrMww 

Who got hurt by his going forth and multiplying?  He continued to do his job well enough to be a Bishop.  Apparently, celibacy isn't required for the efficent discharge of his duties.  it's clearly not required in Protestant sects, nor in Judiasm, etc.

God Loves Tebow and Bowls are a joke

Look at this line...You can't tell me God doesn't love Tebow. He puts this crap up and still "leads" Denver to the playoffs.


Denver C/ATT YDS AVG TD INT NFL RATING

Tebow 6/22 60 2.7 0 1 20.6

Someone at work was lamenting the loss of "College bowl tradition" because games were on Jan. 2 and not the first. I laughed. When the Rose Bowl stopped being Pac10 v Big10 champ every year tradition died. I was watching the "Kraft Fight Hunger Bowl" or something to that effect and they referred to the "tradition" of that game. I literally laughed out loud to myself. Bowl games have become so ridculous like UCLA not being bowl eligible (6-7 record) and appealing to get into a bowl and losing to a team that also just fired their coach. Stupid. But today all is better, with real bowl games that we've heard of before.

Go Ducks

Clearly God Loves Tebow

After the BS of today's game God clearly loves Tebow and/or hates Marion Barber.  There is no way that a guy can continue to put zero points on the board for 50 minutes and continue to win football games without divine intervention.  

Although if I was a Christian I might find it offensive that Tebow is praying to God (full kneel, eyes closed) for a field goal.  If  your relationship with God is so strong you'd think that your God would have better things to do than assure that you win a football game.  A game.  How does that prayer go.

"Dear God, I know you're really busy controlling everything in the universe but could make sure my team wins this game and the other team of guys just like us loses.  Thanks" 

The congressional war on childhood nutrition

Seriously Republicans. How does childhood nutrition turn into a way to make political points? I guess it's a twofer for them. ConAgra gets what it wants and Michelle Obama doesn't.

You really gotta wonder if they care about ANYTHING except getting relected and screwing Obama. Didn't they all say they were going to make America better? Improving nutrition for kids seems pretty basic. But I guess if it's not a fetus, they don't give a shit about it.

The congressional war on childhood nutrition

That GOP hypocrisy that we love so much

it's not about behaving morally, ethically or hell even like a decent human being, it's about imposing your program on others in the name of family while you fail your own.  Like Newt's adultery and failed marriages.  These guys can't meet their own personal obligations or even a basic standard of morality, but they'll sure as hell impose those same standards on you BY LAW.

http://salon.com/a/sUxGbAA

Clearly the product of a racist and left wing media, right?

http://scoop.today.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2011/11/04/8632586-justin-bieber-says-theres-no-truth-to-those-baby-daddy-rumors

Why no outrage over this ?  Why are Rush and Hanitty silent  on this?  After all it's only a racist and left wing media that would cover such allegations.

Why Obama is losing my support

Today Obama's Justice Department announced it was going after California Pot dispensaries, something I'd expect from the Bush administration (the irony of his Justice Dept going after legal activities protected by States laws was one of the most ironic for the States rights/small government GOP, but I digress).  The economy is in the shitter and he's decided he's going to hassle pot smokers.  Un Freakin Belieavable.  This is added to the long list of Bush policies and practices he's continued and even expanded.  Guantanamo is still open, we're still losing troops in Iraq and Afghanistan (when do we "win" in Afghanistan...a question I asked of the Bushies 4 years ago), he's deported MORE people than Bush. So, even while he's acting more like than BUSH than Bush did, he's derided as soft on these issues.  He's supposedly soft on terror, yet he was Pres when bin Laden was killed.  Remember when those Navy Seals killed the pirates a few years ago.  he's been a bad ass, but he'll never get the support of those who want that stuff and call him soft on terror and immigration.  So, he continues to appease the right with half hearted measures to mitigate the damage from his efforts and gets not credit from them, while the center and left sees each appeasement as a betrayal of what we voted for.  Calling him a socialist is laughable, Bush was more about expanding Federal power and influence in our lives (wiretapping , drug bill, TSA anyone).  So, as Obama continues to play to the far right with half measures and justifications, he's pretty close to losing me. 
Hell, I'm not likely to vote for any of the nut jobs running for the GOP nomination, but if a Democrat with some balls were to step up, I might be swinging my support that way. 
Obama hasn't turned out to be the guy I voted for and maybe no one ever is but his reversals and justifications simply are too many to forget at this point. 

"On God's time"?

I'm sorry for their loss, but I just have to comment on this lunacy. So, here's the quote that is ridiculous and the true believers won't see anything wrong with it...

"The heart of the issue would come down to the mix between respecting the parents' rights ... to be in comfort of (their) own home, to die on God's time," said Fedor.

So, this child becomes an "international" story b/c the Canadian doctors wouldn't perform a specific medical intervention, so the parents then get a hospital to do that intervention so the kid can "die on God's time"...say wha?  


If left in "God's hands" this child would have died months ago, MEDICINE kept this child alive beyond what nature or God would have allowed or intended.  If the parents were really concerned with God's time they would have not done the extra interventions that kept him alive a few months longer.  Those extra months were thanks to Modern Science, not God.  


I've got NO problem with the parents seeking alternative medical advice or getting the specific modern scientific medical intervention they felt was necessary, but please don't suggest this death was on God's time.  Science prolonged his life beyond what would have been possible in a place without modern medicine or at a time only decades ago.  

Small Government

I guess it's the Libertarian side of me that must ask again tonight, is there anything more intrusive, onerous, invasive that a government can do than kills its citizens?

Why is it that the people who are supposedly most against government intrusion in our lives completely, 100% support that same government taking our lives?  It doesn't seem to jibe.

Thank you R.E.M.

Warning: Waxing Nostalgic to follow...My best friend Steve from High School and REM are probably most responsible for showing me there was music beyond Led Zeppelin, the Rolling Stones and the Beatles (and whatever else 95X and 94Rock played) so this news has bummed me out more than I would have expected.  I didn't always like what they were doing ("Shiny Happy People" remains one of the worst songs ever) but I still get excited to hear "Superman" or "Pretty Persuasion" on the (satellite)radio. it's sad to see them go.  Hopefully they don't turn into the Eagles and do a reunion/farewell tour every 18 months.

Pat Robertson: ok with changing the "inviolate" word of God AND the institution of Marriage if it's convenient

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44530424/ns/health-alzheimers_disease/


For a man who has claimed repeatedly to talk directly and receive direction from God, this is a pretty big revision right? Seems like a pretty sizable departure from that "sickness and health" thing. I suppose that sacred bond doesn't apply if your spouse gets too frustrating to deal with, right? What are the other exceptions to this sacred marriage bond?

I've been hearing for the past few years that this concept of lifelong commitment to marriage is unbreakable and unchanging, but does this mean that Pat's OK with changing this supposedly UNCHANGING concept of marriage? Seems to me if you can divorce your spouse if they get inconveniently sick or a burden it would open up other changes to this supposedly unchangeable institution.

Reflections on an unchanged America

10 years ago today we heard, and we continue to hear, how "America changed forever".  The spirit of cooperation and unity as Americans that we all felt on that day lasted about 3 months.  We are country divided more than I can ever remember in my lifetime.  Large and vocal segments of this country drive the debate in the country, not about policy but about whether the President is American enough to even be here.  With accusations of him being Muslim (which after 9/11 has been code for, at worst "terrorist" and at best "Un-american".  There is no "one America" today.  Nothing has changed.  Sure you take your shoes off at the airport, but day to day the vast majority of Americans lives have not changed. Unless you know someone who died on 9/11 or your a soldier, or soldiers family you're life is pretty much the same as it was on Sept 10th 2001.  The lessons of that day are lost, the unity and One America are long gone.  The GOPs front runner is a guy who a year or so ago claimed that he didn't like America enough that he entertained the idea of taking his state and leaving the country.  A road we've been down before.  Can you imagine a governor saying that 10 years ago?

America's politics is broken, a state of paralysis exists in Washington and in my state Capitals.  I think we all felt a new hope for America after 9/11.  A time that America would change for the better, where being American would take precedence over petty political bullshit.  Look at Washington today, is that what you see?  Politicians don't care about America, they care about being re-elected (at worst they care about getting that "Muslim/socialist/fascist/communist/Nazi/black guy" out of office.  Scoring politic points is WAY more important than making this country better.

So, 10 years after 9/11 I'm doubly sad.  For the lives lost and changed 10 years ago today and for the opportunity squandered by the political and business leaders and opportunists of this country.

More on Gov Perry's hypocrisy

Perry is completely against Government imposing health care on citizens, except when he's for it.


http://www.slate.com/id/2303363/

Gov Perry who hates America so much he thinks his state should leave the UNION and hates government handouts...

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/44441386/ns/weather/


Did you see Mr. Tea Party begging the Feds for money to help fight fires in his state? I guess his small government principles (and of course his burning desire to secede from the Union) only apply when politically expedient.