I don't want my kids to think the way I think. I want them to think the way THEY think. they are real people, not clones for us to live vicariously.
I think the real problem is that parents want their kids to be just like them, to achieve where they couldn't and to believe what they always wanted the rest of the world to beleive. Also, to not be unruly. I wonder..if the bible didn't tell us to honor our mothers and fathers, would we have more personality? hm...
I think that a parent's job is to give children the necessary means to grow up on their own, not mold them in their image. I think that a parents job is to teach kids about everything, not just something in a narrow point of view.
doing otherwise is just making them vulnerable in real life situations.
It doesn't mater to me what belief my children have in the future, what matters to me is that they have the right to do so, and to choose freely.
and don't even get me started on parents who disown their homosexual children...
Thursday, September 30, 2010
Tuesday, September 28, 2010
Social Medicine
To everyone out there who is afraid that social medicine is a step closer to comunism, think about this.
it is very hard to get insurance if you are considered high risk or have pre existing conditions. well....what the hell do you think we're trying to get insurance for?!
For most people, the easiest way to get health insurance is if you have a job were you are working full time and have these kinds of benefits. but..in today's economy, this is a very rare thing to attain.
This means that the people without health insurance also dont have very good jobs and sources of income.
When these people need medical help, they cannot afford it and are only going deeper into debt.
I know this because I am one of these people.
Fear is no reason to deprive people of the help they need. We need government for a reason, wither we like the direction it's heading in or not.
it is very hard to get insurance if you are considered high risk or have pre existing conditions. well....what the hell do you think we're trying to get insurance for?!
For most people, the easiest way to get health insurance is if you have a job were you are working full time and have these kinds of benefits. but..in today's economy, this is a very rare thing to attain.
This means that the people without health insurance also dont have very good jobs and sources of income.
When these people need medical help, they cannot afford it and are only going deeper into debt.
I know this because I am one of these people.
Fear is no reason to deprive people of the help they need. We need government for a reason, wither we like the direction it's heading in or not.
If it wasnt inspired by God...
If Christians believed that their bible wasn't written by god, Christians would spend there time trying to ban it instead of getting it into public schools.
think about it. The bible consists of so many things that they spend so much time trying to tell the world is wrong.
such as: incest, Adultery, Mass murder of men, women and children, manslaughter, religious intolerance, slavery, supporting unequal rights, selfishness, polygamy, thievery, cannibalism....these are all things that either happened or were threatened in the name of god.
It seems that most Christians try their hardest to ignore this, or say that the old testament isn't relative any more. they say that the lord has changed laws in the new testament, but the new testament clearly stats that Jesus came to uphold these laws, not to change them.
They might also say that these things are interpreted incorrectly. the bible has something to say about this too:
2 Peter 1:20 "no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."
so...what do you think?
remember, congress gave our school systems the right to use the bible as an example of literature.
I'm not so sure I'd be ok with that. But on the bright side, A freethinker would realize how evil it really is.
think about it. The bible consists of so many things that they spend so much time trying to tell the world is wrong.
such as: incest, Adultery, Mass murder of men, women and children, manslaughter, religious intolerance, slavery, supporting unequal rights, selfishness, polygamy, thievery, cannibalism....these are all things that either happened or were threatened in the name of god.
It seems that most Christians try their hardest to ignore this, or say that the old testament isn't relative any more. they say that the lord has changed laws in the new testament, but the new testament clearly stats that Jesus came to uphold these laws, not to change them.
They might also say that these things are interpreted incorrectly. the bible has something to say about this too:
2 Peter 1:20 "no prophecy of the scripture is of any private interpretation."
so...what do you think?
remember, congress gave our school systems the right to use the bible as an example of literature.
I'm not so sure I'd be ok with that. But on the bright side, A freethinker would realize how evil it really is.
Labels
Most of my friends know that I am interested in politics, and that I am unaffiliated and that I refuse to consider my self liberal or conservative.
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of individual liberty and equal rights.
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports minimal and gradual change in society.
These terms do not make a lick of sense to me. To be conservative in this day in age..it's pre-determined that you support a nation "under god".
To be liberal these days, it's pre-determined that you are only after the freedom of the people, if it goes against the constitution or not. that is at least what politicians and the media are making it seem to be.
now, liberals tend to agree to the separation of church and state which is clearly in the constitution but yet most conservatives are religious and are against this idea?
so..where does this leave someone who fully supports the constitution and doesnt want it to change while supporting liberty and equal rights?
A better question...why do we feel that we have to label ourselves as if on a store shelf and the American people are buying?
Liberalism is the belief in the importance of individual liberty and equal rights.
Conservatism is a political and social philosophy that promotes the maintenance of traditional institutions and supports minimal and gradual change in society.
These terms do not make a lick of sense to me. To be conservative in this day in age..it's pre-determined that you support a nation "under god".
To be liberal these days, it's pre-determined that you are only after the freedom of the people, if it goes against the constitution or not. that is at least what politicians and the media are making it seem to be.
now, liberals tend to agree to the separation of church and state which is clearly in the constitution but yet most conservatives are religious and are against this idea?
so..where does this leave someone who fully supports the constitution and doesnt want it to change while supporting liberty and equal rights?
A better question...why do we feel that we have to label ourselves as if on a store shelf and the American people are buying?
Patriotic Atheist
How many times have you heard that atheists are not patriotic?
I think that Being an atheist is about as American as it gets. Like our forefathers, we take a stand against injustice in a world were we are a minority.
Our forefathers left their home countries because of the same things that we are facing today.
We ARE the most patriotic because we believe in our bill of rights! freedom of religion does not only mean you are free to follow whatever religion you want...it supports a lack of belief as well. The people who argue this are completely ignorant. if we were followers of any religion..they would be fine with it. but because we do not have a religion at all, they judge us for it. What about religions that are completely against Christianity? going by their logic, that would be ok because hell...at least we believe in something!
I am also sick and tired of the argument that our founding fathers wanted this country to be a christian nation. That is historically inaccurate. Anyone who says this is just ignorant to the facts. Our founding fathers did have a religion..but most of them were Deists. That means that they were not christian..they just beleived in a higher being. There were those that were atheists, and there were those who were Christian. You certainly cannot however say that America was founded as a christian nation. Especially when the majority of our founders were not even Cristian!
I for one am tired of the prejudice and intolerance.
I think that Being an atheist is about as American as it gets. Like our forefathers, we take a stand against injustice in a world were we are a minority.
Our forefathers left their home countries because of the same things that we are facing today.
We ARE the most patriotic because we believe in our bill of rights! freedom of religion does not only mean you are free to follow whatever religion you want...it supports a lack of belief as well. The people who argue this are completely ignorant. if we were followers of any religion..they would be fine with it. but because we do not have a religion at all, they judge us for it. What about religions that are completely against Christianity? going by their logic, that would be ok because hell...at least we believe in something!
I am also sick and tired of the argument that our founding fathers wanted this country to be a christian nation. That is historically inaccurate. Anyone who says this is just ignorant to the facts. Our founding fathers did have a religion..but most of them were Deists. That means that they were not christian..they just beleived in a higher being. There were those that were atheists, and there were those who were Christian. You certainly cannot however say that America was founded as a christian nation. Especially when the majority of our founders were not even Cristian!
I for one am tired of the prejudice and intolerance.
Tuesday, September 21, 2010
Chruch Story
When I was a little younger and stopped going to church with my christian family, my mother spoke to the person who was in charge of the "praise group"...pretty much they play music and sing about God during the morning service. She wanted me to join them since she was sure that all I needed to be a better christian was to be involved in the church. Now, I openly told my mother that I was not a christian anymore...nor had I ever really considered myself one, but she told me that it would be good for me, and since I like playing music with other musicians I felt that it didn't really matter if it was a religious setting or not. I just wanted to play. So we talked to the person who was in charge of this and she said that the only requirement was that I need to do it for the lord. Obviously..but this didn't bother me before until I thought about it. I realized that I wouldn't be doing myself or anyone else any justice if my playing didn't come from the heart. So I decided to drop the idea.
I wonder if they would have known other wise? It would have been pretty awkward I suppose.
I wonder if they would have known other wise? It would have been pretty awkward I suppose.
Monday, September 20, 2010
Sports
I have played sports when I was younger. I've played soccer and little league base ball. I was never enthusiastic about either. I enjoy exercise, and I guess you could call skateboarding, BMX and snowboarding sports. These were the only things I really got into.
I've never liked watching sports on TV. I find it uninteresting and pointless.
I think that it is absolutely horrible that professional athletes make millions of dollars just by playing a few rounds in a game. They make more then the leaders of our country even. These same athletes usually don't contribute anything else to society. These same athletes, when faced with criminal accusations can usually easily avoid actions taken by the law.
Why do we look at them as heroes and roll models? Why do we use their tournaments and events to advertise products? ...we wouldnt if people would stop focusing on them as much.
I find it hilarious that people will actually argue over which team is better. It doesn't matter...the team who can afford the best players always wins.
There is a lot of merchindise, goods and television air time that comes from professional sports.
We have taken good clean fun and turned it into a staple of America.
A lot of children who have grown up in bad situations sometimes look forward to getting into a college based on sports scholarships. It's sad that they don't focus on anything else. If they were to hurt themselves and not be able to play anymore, they have nothing else to fall back on.
We should promote heath AND intelligence.
I've never liked watching sports on TV. I find it uninteresting and pointless.
I think that it is absolutely horrible that professional athletes make millions of dollars just by playing a few rounds in a game. They make more then the leaders of our country even. These same athletes usually don't contribute anything else to society. These same athletes, when faced with criminal accusations can usually easily avoid actions taken by the law.
Why do we look at them as heroes and roll models? Why do we use their tournaments and events to advertise products? ...we wouldnt if people would stop focusing on them as much.
I find it hilarious that people will actually argue over which team is better. It doesn't matter...the team who can afford the best players always wins.
There is a lot of merchindise, goods and television air time that comes from professional sports.
We have taken good clean fun and turned it into a staple of America.
A lot of children who have grown up in bad situations sometimes look forward to getting into a college based on sports scholarships. It's sad that they don't focus on anything else. If they were to hurt themselves and not be able to play anymore, they have nothing else to fall back on.
We should promote heath AND intelligence.
Is Life Sacred?
This goes hand in hand with my "where do we go when we die" blog.
I don't believe that human life is any more sacred then any other being's life on this planet.
Humans have come to a point where we feel that we are dominant of everything and that we are owed more out of life then any other living being.
this is based on greed and fear. It is a bi-product of cognitive ideas.
we feel that we are more sacred or worth more because of the fact that we have different thought patterns then most other living creatures.
it's only relative to the person doing the thinking.
Ps...this is one very good reason why man worships a "higher being".
I don't believe that human life is any more sacred then any other being's life on this planet.
Humans have come to a point where we feel that we are dominant of everything and that we are owed more out of life then any other living being.
this is based on greed and fear. It is a bi-product of cognitive ideas.
we feel that we are more sacred or worth more because of the fact that we have different thought patterns then most other living creatures.
it's only relative to the person doing the thinking.
Ps...this is one very good reason why man worships a "higher being".
The Pope's statement.
I'm sure we've all heard about the pope vising the UK recently. He didn't say a whole lot about hiding the truth about his followers molesting young children in the churches. Instead he actually distracted the world by his comments towards atheists. He actually said that Atheists were responsable, and should apolagize for the actions of Hitler and other monsters of the 20th century. Bill Donahue of the Catholic League agrees.
This upset me for a plethora of reasons. Above all else, that Hitler wasn't even an atheist. He was a devout Catholic. In fact, he justified his actions based on the old testament.
Anyway, there was a rally and a lot of important people gave speeches. I wish I could have made it. Instead I decided to write a letter to the president of the Catholic League. My statement was this:
"I just want to know that if atheists are expected to apologize for Hitler, Stalin and Mao...then shouldn't Catholics be willing to apologize for the crusades and witch hunts?
It's pretty pointless for people who have nothing to do with the problem to apologize, and I hope you will see this. It is pointless for Catholics to apologize for these atrocities as well because most of them are not extremists, only some of them are. So, cant you see the same for atheists?".
Short sweet and too the point. I even included my full name, address, phone number and email address hopeing for a reply.
Guess what? Nothing.
This upset me for a plethora of reasons. Above all else, that Hitler wasn't even an atheist. He was a devout Catholic. In fact, he justified his actions based on the old testament.
Anyway, there was a rally and a lot of important people gave speeches. I wish I could have made it. Instead I decided to write a letter to the president of the Catholic League. My statement was this:
"I just want to know that if atheists are expected to apologize for Hitler, Stalin and Mao...then shouldn't Catholics be willing to apologize for the crusades and witch hunts?
It's pretty pointless for people who have nothing to do with the problem to apologize, and I hope you will see this. It is pointless for Catholics to apologize for these atrocities as well because most of them are not extremists, only some of them are. So, cant you see the same for atheists?".
Short sweet and too the point. I even included my full name, address, phone number and email address hopeing for a reply.
Guess what? Nothing.
Monday, September 13, 2010
Where Do We Go When We Die?
could ask for more?
yes, we die after living our lives the best we can, and as an atheist we do not believe in any kind of afterlife. But even after death
our decaying bodies become one with the earth and influence growth.
lets call this, "Pageithesm".
It's the Pagan view of death...the soul becomes one with nature and is reborn, mixed with atheism....there is no soul, but our body is nutrient for
plants.
Works well if your an environmentally friendly person.
Above is a picture of a tattoo that I want to get. It is a symbol that represents what Pagans believe nature's cycle is like. It is called the tree of life. (not to be confused with the Tree Of Knowledge that God forbade Eve from eating from.)
Even though I am an Atheist, and not Pagan, I think this applies to either. Plus, its a nod to my Fiance's beliefs.
Sunday, September 12, 2010
Happy Holidays!
I celebrate "Christmas" three different ways....and I'm an Atheist!
I celebrate my parents version - Christ's bday.
then I celebrate my fiance's version - Yule.
then I celebrate a secular version with my friends - It's about kindness.
I'd celebrate Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, but I don't know any one who celebrates these holidays so it is irrelevant.
Everyone seems to not understand the true meaning of Christmas! it isn't Christ! the true meaning of Christmas....before Christians stole it, is the celebration of the winter solstice.
for someone who stole a holiday to be offended is a little ridiculous. its Paganism that is insulted.
if you try to argue with me about this..look it up first. Pagans celebrated this before the coming of Christ. It was clearly stolen by Christians. I'll make a list of things that were stolen at the bottom of this blog.
Why did they steal it? To make it easier to convert Pagans. Besides, history points towards Christ being born near spring...not December.
December 25th is not just one group's holiday. Stop being offended and stop claiming that your beliefs are under attack. open your mind and do a little research before you judge someone.
I will forever refer to it as "happy holidays!"
Things That Were Stolen From Pagans:
* The colors green and red - These colors were used in pagan rituals and had meanings:
Red = Love
Green = Peace, Hope, nature, fertility
* Christ being born - Pagans celebrated the coming of spring.
* Santa Clause - The Germanic Pagan god Odin.
* Gift Giving to show kindness
* The date of the celebration; December 25th is the date of the Pagan celebration of Saturnalia.
* Christmas trees - Pagans decorated trees with colorful ornaments to encourage the coming of spring. Trees are very important as a symbol of nature's cycle. Also they used evergreen trees because they were full of life, like they wanted spring to be.
This is a short list. I know there are many others.
I celebrate my parents version - Christ's bday.
then I celebrate my fiance's version - Yule.
then I celebrate a secular version with my friends - It's about kindness.
I'd celebrate Kwanzaa and Hanukkah, but I don't know any one who celebrates these holidays so it is irrelevant.
Everyone seems to not understand the true meaning of Christmas! it isn't Christ! the true meaning of Christmas....before Christians stole it, is the celebration of the winter solstice.
for someone who stole a holiday to be offended is a little ridiculous. its Paganism that is insulted.
if you try to argue with me about this..look it up first. Pagans celebrated this before the coming of Christ. It was clearly stolen by Christians. I'll make a list of things that were stolen at the bottom of this blog.
Why did they steal it? To make it easier to convert Pagans. Besides, history points towards Christ being born near spring...not December.
December 25th is not just one group's holiday. Stop being offended and stop claiming that your beliefs are under attack. open your mind and do a little research before you judge someone.
I will forever refer to it as "happy holidays!"
Things That Were Stolen From Pagans:
* The colors green and red - These colors were used in pagan rituals and had meanings:
Red = Love
Green = Peace, Hope, nature, fertility
* Christ being born - Pagans celebrated the coming of spring.
* Santa Clause - The Germanic Pagan god Odin.
* Gift Giving to show kindness
* The date of the celebration; December 25th is the date of the Pagan celebration of Saturnalia.
* Christmas trees - Pagans decorated trees with colorful ornaments to encourage the coming of spring. Trees are very important as a symbol of nature's cycle. Also they used evergreen trees because they were full of life, like they wanted spring to be.
This is a short list. I know there are many others.
Friday, September 3, 2010
God did not create the universe, says Hawking
LONDON (Reuters) – God did not create the universe and the "Big Bang" was an inevitable consequence of the laws of physics, the eminent British theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking argues in a new book.
In "The Grand Design," co-authored with U.S. physicist Leonard Mlodinow, Hawking says a new series of theories made a creator of the universe redundant, according to the Times newspaper which published extracts on Thursday.
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist," Hawking writes.
"It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."
Hawking, 68, who won global recognition with his 1988 book "A Brief History of Time," an account of the origins of the universe, is renowned for his work on black holes, cosmology and quantum gravity.
Since 1974, the scientist has worked on marrying the two cornerstones of modern physics -- Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which concerns gravity and large-scale phenomena, and quantum theory, which covers subatomic particles.
His latest comments suggest he has broken away from previous views he has expressed on religion. Previously, he wrote that the laws of physics meant it was simply not necessary to believe that God had intervened in the Big Bang.
He wrote in A Brief History ... "If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we should know the mind of God."
In his latest book, he said the 1992 discovery of a planet orbiting another star other than the Sun helped deconstruct the view of the father of physics Isaac Newton that the universe could not have arisen out of chaos but was created by God.
"That makes the coincidences of our planetary conditions -- the single Sun, the lucky combination of Earth-Sun distance and solar mass, far less remarkable, and far less compelling evidence that the Earth was carefully designed just to please us human beings," he writes.
Hawking, who is only able to speak through a computer-generated voice synthesizer, has a neuro muscular dystrophy that has progressed over the years and left him almost completely paralyzed.
He began suffering the disease in his early 20s but went on to establish himself as one of the world's leading scientific authorities, and has also made guest appearances in "Star Trek" and the cartoons "Futurama" and "The Simpsons."
Last year he announced he was stepping down as Cambridge University's Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, a position once held by Newton and one he had held since 1979.
"The Grand Design" is due to go on sale next week.
(Editing by Steve Addison)
In "The Grand Design," co-authored with U.S. physicist Leonard Mlodinow, Hawking says a new series of theories made a creator of the universe redundant, according to the Times newspaper which published extracts on Thursday.
"Because there is a law such as gravity, the universe can and will create itself from nothing. Spontaneous creation is the reason there is something rather than nothing, why the universe exists, why we exist," Hawking writes.
"It is not necessary to invoke God to light the blue touch paper and set the universe going."
Hawking, 68, who won global recognition with his 1988 book "A Brief History of Time," an account of the origins of the universe, is renowned for his work on black holes, cosmology and quantum gravity.
Since 1974, the scientist has worked on marrying the two cornerstones of modern physics -- Albert Einstein's General Theory of Relativity, which concerns gravity and large-scale phenomena, and quantum theory, which covers subatomic particles.
His latest comments suggest he has broken away from previous views he has expressed on religion. Previously, he wrote that the laws of physics meant it was simply not necessary to believe that God had intervened in the Big Bang.
He wrote in A Brief History ... "If we discover a complete theory, it would be the ultimate triumph of human reason -- for then we should know the mind of God."
In his latest book, he said the 1992 discovery of a planet orbiting another star other than the Sun helped deconstruct the view of the father of physics Isaac Newton that the universe could not have arisen out of chaos but was created by God.
"That makes the coincidences of our planetary conditions -- the single Sun, the lucky combination of Earth-Sun distance and solar mass, far less remarkable, and far less compelling evidence that the Earth was carefully designed just to please us human beings," he writes.
Hawking, who is only able to speak through a computer-generated voice synthesizer, has a neuro muscular dystrophy that has progressed over the years and left him almost completely paralyzed.
He began suffering the disease in his early 20s but went on to establish himself as one of the world's leading scientific authorities, and has also made guest appearances in "Star Trek" and the cartoons "Futurama" and "The Simpsons."
Last year he announced he was stepping down as Cambridge University's Lucasian Professor of Mathematics, a position once held by Newton and one he had held since 1979.
"The Grand Design" is due to go on sale next week.
(Editing by Steve Addison)
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