Pharyngula

Posted by: Hank Fox | September 6, 2009 9:35 AM

Definitely cute in cats. In people? Gah.

Posted by: Don Rowe | September 6, 2009 9:38 AM

I find it interesting that atheist cat has completed discounted ceiling cat and floor cat when there has been photographic evidence of both.

Posted by: Silič O'Nopolitanopoulos, Färschdbischuf Beesknees aus Ulm und Klein Elguth, Elector Pharynguline. | September 6, 2009 9:42 AM

Atheist cat reminds me of someone. Not James Randi, I think, but that's the only name that springs to mind for now.

Posted by: Carlie | September 6, 2009 9:52 AM

Photographic evidence? Pah. Pareidolia caused by patterns in ceiling tile and by furnace lights.

Posted by: 'Tis Himself | September 6, 2009 9:55 AM

OT: Some website called "api.postrank.com" keeps hanging up, so Pharyngula takes over a minute to load. SB needs to get shit like that fixed before they thinking about bells and whistles.

Oh, and TypePad still won't sign me in.

Posted by: Jafafa Hots | September 6, 2009 10:13 AM

Yay atheist kitty is a gray kitty... I love gray kitties!

Posted by: Rickety Cricket | September 6, 2009 10:28 AM

Another poll MUST be Pharyngulated here in Baltimore. It's practically 50/50.

http://weblogs.baltimoresun.com/news/education/blog/2009/09/poll_should_president_obama_ad.html

Posted by: Jim Linville | September 6, 2009 10:55 AM

I b'leeveded in ur god but I eeted him

Posted by: Jade | September 6, 2009 11:06 AM

prayer kitten sayz...shhh! jezuz make more phish outa nuttin!

Posted by: xebecs | September 6, 2009 11:13 AM

Dats ok, PZ, Ceiling Cat is bleeve in yu.

/trol cat

Posted by: MAJeff, OM | September 6, 2009 11:16 AM

WHERE'S MY BUKKIT!?!?

Posted by: RHM | September 6, 2009 11:32 AM

Awwww. I'd love this as a fridge magnet. Would look nice next to the one I have that says: KITTEN THINKS OF NOTHING BUT MURDER ALL DAY.

Ticker, I used to wonder about my furball's assumptions of omnipotence toward me, but now I think they've decided I'm simply inept. I obviously don't listen to them (hey! it's still raining!) and I keep throwing away perfectly good food (hey! I left you the best parts! WTF!)
I'm pretty sure my cats are atheist.

Posted by: Rieux | September 6, 2009 11:49 AM

Is it significant that the caption (presumably the thoughts of Atheist Cat) is not in half-literate LOLCats-speak?

I.e., atheist cats understand how to communicate clearly?

Posted by: NixNoctua | September 6, 2009 12:04 PM

Blockquote doesn't seem to work, either.

Posted by: cmflyer | September 6, 2009 12:20 PM

Thanks Rieux, I just posted the pic and your question on my Facebook page. May just piss-off some of the fundy friends.

Posted by: Sastra | September 6, 2009 12:32 PM

Ah, this gray kitten is not a new atheist kitten. Only the good, old-fashioned atheist kittens consider the prayers of the faithful to be ultimately futile, but "cute" -- a term variously translated as 'expressing the sum of human values in terms of the sacred,' 'embodying the ideals of humanity through metaphoric narrative,' and 'fostering moral and personal development, strengthening community bonds, and assisting members in discovering the experience of awe, wonder, and transcendence through the application of myth and ritual.' You know -- "cute."

New-Atheist-Kitten just finds your prayer ultimately futile and stoopid.

Posted by: Janine, OMnivore | September 6, 2009 12:42 PM

Here's hoping that atheist kitten is ready to ponce upon praying kitten, when their eyes are closed is the best time to attack.

Posted by: Sardine | September 6, 2009 1:03 PM

Off topic but I had to laugh when I noticed Eric Hovind has a video on his blog begging for money to pay his father's restitution so the feds don't sieze his properties on the 15th.

Posted by: Janine, OMnivore | September 6, 2009 1:05 PM

Atheist kitten is pissed.

Maybe because praying kitten said to atheist kitten; "I will pray for you."

Neither Gods Nor Masters

Posted by: AJS | September 6, 2009 1:24 PM

Heh. I had a cat once who, when he was a kitten, used to cross his paws exactly as though he was praying.

I thought he was probably praying that someone would invent kitty-sized Durex before his Operation came due!

Posted by: Rick R | September 6, 2009 1:34 PM

He's annoyed. On the way to anger, then ultimately, rage.

I can feel it radiating out of the picture in waves.

That praying kitty should bolt if he knows what's good for him. I have a cat. I know the signs.

Posted by: eddie | September 6, 2009 1:39 PM

Janine OM @34 - ponce?

Aah! U ment pounce. You meant pounce, right?

PS - I've finally been persuaded to join facebook, so no need to facebookify sciblogs, OK?

Posted by: Gyeong Hwa Pak | September 6, 2009 1:48 PM

It's hard to keep from laughing when I read Pharyngula in the morning. You actually think and write more, far more, about God and prayer, than the average Christian. Very good. Keep up the good work.

You've clearly haven't met the Christian folks where I'm from. Their friggin whole day revolves around this stuff.

Posted by: Strangel | September 6, 2009 2:06 PM

Hey, Tom... Ya' think maybe it's because, unlike the majority of Christians, he has a firm grasp on spelling and grammar and has more than two people who will actually read it?

I'm pretty sure thinking is too hard for most of your buddies anyway. Look what happens when you try to do it... you sound like an idiot and then have to disable comments on your blog to make yourself sound smart.

Posted by: Silič O'Nopolitanopoulos, Färschdbischuf Beesknees aus Ulm und Klein Elguth, Elector Pharynguline. | September 6, 2009 2:12 PM

Rieux, you do realise, of course, that among cats atheist kitty is illiterate. Cultural relativity FTW!

Jerry, PeeZed, there's really only one way to duke this out. Get to it. You could take donations for charity - again. I seem to recall that PeeZed has some experience with whipped cream.

-----
Yay for BBC3: "And his name shall be callëd: Wonderful! Councellor! ..."

Posted by: Neil B ♪ | September 6, 2009 2:32 PM

Well, I wouldn't expect that whatever was responsible for the universe/s existing and/or being the way they are, to necessarily respond to praise or requests. However: suppose modal realism is valid. Then, innumerable possible worlds exist in which it at least appears that "someone" is responding to such requests. After all, the outcome is at least describable. All unruly, disordered, etc. worlds must exist too (because it isn't just about "laws" which are generalizations of behavior, but all the behavior itself.) Infinite sets make this and associated Bayesian expectations a tricky subject, but we have no clear reason to have found ourselves in the description without such behavior, than one that does - right? ;-O

Posted by: tuckerch | September 6, 2009 4:56 PM

FYI, the excellent BBC five part series, The Incredible Human Journey, is available on DVD from Amazon UK.

Region 2, alas, and PAL to boot.

Nothing the free VLC media player can't handle, however.

Or, for the BitTorrent savvy, this link might be of some interest.

However you get it, it's well worth watching, particularly for the subtle fingers in the eyes of YEC and those who hold that whole Garden of Eden business as revealed Truth.

The White Power types will not enjoy knowing that ALL OUR ANCESTORS came from Africa.

We now return to our regularly scheduled LOLCAT festival.

kthxbai!

Posted by: agenoria | September 6, 2009 5:22 PM

I AM GODDESS 5000 years of human devotion

... at least 5000 years?

Posted by: mikecbraun | September 6, 2009 6:16 PM

The whole LOLcat thing seems like a tribute to Ali G. Maybe Sasha Baron Cohen is really behind it?

Posted by: Fil | September 6, 2009 7:06 PM

Religious cat says, "I made you a cracker, but I eted it."

Posted by: Stygian Lamprey | September 6, 2009 7:19 PM

o hai

non-overlapping-magisteria-kitteh doesnt bleev in teh ceilingcat but bleevs in bleef in teh ceilingcat

kthxbai

Posted by: PoxyHowzes | September 6, 2009 7:46 PM

@Tom:

I pray every morning: "Lord, may you smite those who lie about you."

Doesn't seem to be having any more effect than when I was a believer and prayed each morning "Lord, may you smite those who lie about you."

Smiting just doesn't seem to be what it was under Thor.

Posted by: M31 | September 6, 2009 7:54 PM

Just as a public service message, it seems that the SciFi channel is replaying "MegaShark vs. Giant Octopus" tonight at 9 eastern. Get your shot glasses filled and ready!

Posted by: 'Tis Himself, Quel Dommage | September 6, 2009 8:12 PM

Smiting just doesn't seem to be what it was under Thor.

Yahweh used to be pretty good in the smiting department, but nowadays it's all he can do to show his face on a piece of toast or in birdcrap on a car.

Posted by: DLC | September 6, 2009 9:32 PM

@Tom : yes, we make fun of your non-existent deities.
It's what we do. Because, when viewed with a critical eye, deities make even less sense than ceiling cat.

Atheist kitteh iz havn epic lulz at beliefin kitteh.

Posted by: kateweb | September 6, 2009 10:43 PM

dude atheist cat rocks

Posted by: SpriteSuzi | September 7, 2009 3:55 AM

Chief,
Maybe I'm being too literal, but I don't get the "W" reference. It is not a W, it is an M, a classic very common marking on all colors of tabby cat...and I completely agree with the others who have commented that atheist kitty is about to smack praying kitty!

Posted by: Richard Eis | September 7, 2009 8:27 AM

-Maybe I'm being too literal, but I don't get the "W" reference-

An M refers I think to the blessing of Mohammad on his cat which is said to be passed down through the generations. Or Chief just meant "W for Wanker" or some such.

Ah the athiest spectrum. Don't you just love it.

Posted by: Richard Eis | September 7, 2009 9:25 AM

As long as the attack on command...i'm good.

Posted by: Richard Eis | September 7, 2009 9:49 AM

-"W" on the forehead...as in George "W"...as in over-pious and very visible and upfront with his prayers-

ooooookay....too obscure even for me. I'll take religious use of cats for 20 points please.

Posted by: Chief | September 7, 2009 11:05 AM

Wow, an "M" could never look like a "W"
And I thought that fundies got defensive when things got looked at from a different angle.
Sorry -- but from the front (you know, the perspective from which this photo was taken...) it looks like a W to me. That made me think of the god-soaked administration of Dubya, and how others look down on that.
No, Dan, it doesn't detract...it adds layers. Sorry if I'm not familiar with all of the obscure references to cat markings. I'm a cat person, but not that kind of cat person. Deepest apologies for sharing an additional element of humor that I saw. It was funny to me, and that's all that matters - if you don't, just shake your head and walk away.

Posted by: Irene Delse | September 7, 2009 11:52 AM

Oh, noes! Somebody is trying to declare 09.09.09 a "No Gratuitous Cat Posting" on the Internetz! Do not want!

http://www.urlesque.com/nocats

Posted by: Steve Caldwell | September 7, 2009 1:01 PM

In case one is wondering what the praying cat is petitioning god for, the French nun Carmen Bernos De Gasztold answered this with her collection of poems ("Prayers of the Ark"):

Lord,
I am the cat.
It is not exactly that I have something to ask of You!
No--
I ask nothing of anyone--
but,
if You have by some chance in some celestial barn,
a little white mouse,
or a saucer of milk,
I know someone who would relish them.
Wouldn't you like someday
to put a curse on the whole race of dogs?
If so I should say,
Amen.

Rumer Godden translated these poems into English with with
DeGasztold's assistance. The poem certainly captures the attitudes and desires of many cats that I've met.

Ivor Davies who set the English translation to music:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UwclGAOxqHE

Posted by: Paul Lundgren | September 7, 2009 2:25 PM

So, if my cat is black on top and white underneath, how does that work into the whole ceiling/basement cat theme?

Posted by: jk | September 7, 2009 2:53 PM

the cat is praying to end all the madness science has inflicted on the world over the last 70 years. all this started with the creation of the atomic bomb. a nasty weapon, created by our scientists. to also stop their manipulation of nature. mostly the embroyonic stem cell research. stop trying to be mans savouir, its futile. leave it to Jesus, its what he was born for.

Posted by: 'Tis Himself, Quel Dommage | September 7, 2009 3:40 PM

The cat herding commercial.

Posted by: Invigilator | September 7, 2009 4:10 PM

jk -- Does that apply to medicine and transport and refrigeration and central heating and flush toilets and all the other products of science and technology?

Posted by: Shran | September 7, 2009 5:26 PM

Any true cats here willing to respond ?
cheap&easy make cheesy. Thats exactly what I think about talking in the name of another species.
Wake up scientists...