Atheism
gregladen | April 6, 2008When you get a chance (but not right now, only when you have absolutely nothing whatsoever else to do) have a look at Matt Nisbet's latest thinly veiled attack on PZ myers*.
It is the usual crap. Atheists are not allowed to express annoyance, disgust, or anger, or to vilify, sillify, or nullify the religious, no mater how whacked-out those religious individuals are. If PZ reads this, he'll probably ignore it, but it is entirely up to him to respond (or not), if he does indeed view it as a veiled attack.
I just wanted to point out one thing about Matt's post.
The following comprises sections…
hrynyshyn | March 27, 2008I generally don't bother to draw attention to intra-ScienceBlog warfare, but all hell is breaking loose as our little corner of blogosphere tries to come to grips with the wisdom of telling it like it is. I think it goes to the heart of what may be the fundamental question plaguing American progressives: How does one go about changing the mind of someone who has rejected reason?
It all began when PZ "Pharyngula" Myers was expelled from a screening of the anti-evolution documentary Expelled! PZ responded to his expulsion with his usual witty rejoinders, noting the irony that his companion for…
gregladen | March 24, 2008Myers? Myers? .... Myers? ..... Myers? (He's not here, Ben ... Your producer threw him out.)You know about the incredibly ironic dust up, whereby Expelled! producers kicked PZ myers out of line at a pre-release showing, but failed to notice that Richard Dawkins was standing right next to him. The evidence suggests that this major bit of bad publicity for Expelled! may have led to the movie being pulled from some pre-release showings. It it too early to be sure of this, and there may be several factors other than the utter embarrassment of this incident at play here. For instance, it is…
sb admin | March 21, 2008You don't have to be stupid to join a cult (although it helps), but once you're in...
You see, PZ went to see Expelled. With some friends. No one of note really, just THE WORLD'S MOST FAMOUS ATHEIST!!!111!
And which one got tossed at the door? Take that, Dawkins! We grow good atheists right here in the Midwest!
But really, it's not just the funniest thing to happen in Minnesota since lutefisk. It shows how cults make you dumb. They discourage independent thought. Followers get their marching orders and, well, march without question. God forbid (irony intended) that you should exercise…
gregladen | March 11, 2008I remember, when I was getting to know Amanda, carefully exploring certain key issues such as this. It actually didn't take long to find out that we had almost identical political views, and perspectives on science, rational thinking, religion, and so on. (I say "almost" only because there is room for variation, but I can't think of any actual differences in perspective ... only differences in level of attention to various issues).
Anyway, here is a piece by Aaron Rowe in The Wired on the topic:
While searching for a soulmate on several online dating sites, I caught myself disregarding…
gregladen | February 26, 2008Rick Perry, Eagle Scout, has written a book about the boy scouts, defending their homophobic and anti humanist activism.
An Eagle Scout and the father of an Eagle Scout, Perry stresses the importance of Scout values such as being "courteous and kind." (He is fond of phrases like "gosh" and "jiminy cricket.") He has received the Silver Antelope Award for outstanding service to the Scouts.
Asked in a recent interview if being gay was a choice (I presume the interview pegged Perry for gay, otherwise why ask him this question), he replied:
I'm not a social scientist. I can't answer the…
clock | February 21, 2008Seminar on Secular Parenting Coming to Raleigh, March 15
Presented by Dale McGowan
Editor/co-author, Parenting Beyond Belief: On Raising Ethical, Caring Kids Without Religion
* How does moral development really work?
* My mother-in-law wants our kids baptized. How can I respond without causing a rift?
* How can I ease my son's fears about death without pretending there's an afterlife?
* How can kids learn about religion without being indoctrinated into religion?
Over nine million parents in the U.S. are raising children without religion. The Parenting Beyond Belief seminar, a…
gregladen | February 16, 2008Two fun things to do on Sunday:
1) Listen to Atheist Talk at 9: AM on KTNF, with Minnesota Atheists.
Then, when you are done with that, stop over at Har Mar Mall in Roseville Minnesota for the Twin Cities Creation Science Association Home school Science Fair. Details here.
I'm not sure if I can make it, so if you go and get a photograph or two (and don't have your own blog), send them on to me and I'll put them up. I'm sure people would love to see them.
Here's the photos from last year. Sort of.
gregladen | February 13, 2008As Raleane (Rae) Kupferschmidt lay motionless in her hospital bed, family and friends said their final goodbyes and the funeral home was called.
But just as the grieving began in her Lake Elmo home, Kupferschmidt woke up from her coma.
"There's no medical explanation for what happened to my mother,'' said Kupferschmidt's daughter, Lisa Sturm, who is a surgical technician at Regions Hospital. "It's a miracle."
I'm sure Mrs Kupferschmidt's daughter is totally correct. She has ruled out any naturalistic, medical explanation based on her years of experience in related research fields and…
gregladen | January 28, 2008The Twin Cities Creation Science Association Home School Science Fair, held each year in February, in Har Mar Mall, Roseville, Minnesota, will occur this year on Saturday & Sunday, February 16 and 17, 2008.
The Application Deadline is January 31st, 2008 ($5.00 entry fee)
You can register after January 31st at the door for only three bucks more!
Here are the entry guidelines:
This fair is open to all Home School students in the greater Twin Cities area.
Each student may enter only one project.
There will be only individual projects, and team projects will not be allowed.
Each exhibit…
gregladen | January 27, 2008"Counterknowledge," I would have thought, includes things like how a particular customer likes her eggs, or if another customer gets antsy if he does not get his refill right way. You know, like in a diner. Counter knowledge. But it turns out that Counterknowledge is stuff like creationism, creation science, Scientology, alternative medicine, and so on.
The Telegraph has a review of a book by Damian Thompson with the title "Counterknowledge."
A synopsis from the publisher:
We are being swamped by dangerous nonsense. From 9/11 conspiracy theories to Holocaust denial, creationism to…
gregladen | January 20, 2008What is Atheism? How many Atheists are there? What does the public think about Atheists? How are Christians viewed by non Christians? Also featuring a special interview with Jennifer Tuder of "Sex Across the Curriculum."
AM 950 Air America Minnesota
Sunday 9:00 AM
[Hat Tip PZ Myers]
grrlscientist | January 14, 2008tags: atheism, religion, science, evolution, humor
A reader sent me this list of atheist-positive anecdotes that have been seen either on a bumper sticker or a t-shirt. Of course, they are accurate as well as hilarious. Which ones are your favorites?
Top Fifty Atheist T-Shirt and Bumper Sticker Aphorisms
Abstinence Makes the Church Grow Fondlers
Honk If Your Religious Beliefs Make You An Asshole
Intelligent Design Makes My Monkey Cry
Too Stupid to Understand Science? Try Religion.
*There's A REASON Why Atheists Don't Fly Planes Into Buildings
"Worship Me or I Will Torture You…
gregladen | December 28, 2007... Or so intoned the Janesville, Wisconsin student during show and tell just before he started ripping his Bible to shreds.
The school responded to this as a "safety matter."
One child felt particularly "endangered" by this show of bravado, and her father has pulled his kids out of the school and has apparently forced school administrators to treat this as a safety issue, and punish the student. The school is silent on the nature of the punishment, but insists that while the student is constitutionally protected in his decision to rip pages out of his own bible, he was being punished…
gregladen | December 21, 2007
Roland S. Martin is a CNN commentator who is coming late to the War on Christmas.
The name Roland Martin reminds me of Rowan and Martin. I'm pretty sure that is why Rowan S. Martin uses the "S." .. so people don't think of Rowan and Martin when they hear his name.
Rowan and Martin were funny in their day. Roland S. Martin is not funny. Yet it is hard to not laugh at the guy.
In a recent commentary, Martin whines ...
Because of all the politically correct idiots, we are being encouraged to stop saying "Merry Christmas" for the more palatable "Happy Holidays." What the heck are "…