What constitutes a Bible-based marriage?
Mrs. Betty Bowers makes it easy.
Via: Atheist Media Blog
Everything is amazing and nobody is happy
Comedian Louis C.K. reminds us just how much modern technology we take for granted.
Links in case embedding gets cut off: here and here
God: The Computer
A very humorous take on Genesis as a 1980’s computer program.
Whoever created this, it’s hilarious. Day 6 is particularly brilliant.
Via: Daily Cup of Tech
Isaac Asimov – The Answer for Humanity (1989)
Isaac Asimov delivers a keynote speech for the Humanist Institute’s 1st Annual Meeting on January 14, 1989. The topics lay an interesting parallel with current events. It’s almost like nothing’s happened in all this time.
The Arrival Of Homo Evolutis
In this humorous and inspirational talk, Juan Enriquez discusses the present state and future advances awaiting the human species.
Via: TED
2009 Cultural Humanism Awardee: Joss Whedon!
Joss Whedon will receive the 2009 Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism.
I never really knew Joss Whedon considered himself a Humanist but always enjoyed the humanistic values, morals and lessons portrayed in his TV shows and projects. I never got into Buffy, but Firefly was particularly important to me with a near-openly atheist lead character, Malcolm Reynolds. (”You’re welcome on my boat, preacher. God ain’t.”) And we all know how I feel about Dr. Horrible.
So, congratulations Mr. Whedon. Well deserved.
Via: The Friendly Atheist
Science flies you to the moon…
Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings. – Victor Stenger
New Star Trek Looking Better
I’m actually starting to look forward to J.J. Abrams’s Star Trek reboot/revamp/remake/prequel thingy. I’ve always been a big Star Trek fan. Gene Roddenberry’s vision of the future compelled me to do my best to help that ideal society come true. Star Trek: The Next Generation was a huge influence on me in my youth. The core lessons and humanistic values spoke deeply to me during those times. One of its stars continues to entertain and influence me to this day. I guess what I loved most about Star Trek was one of its core ideas: Strive to make yourself better than you are and in doing so help make the universe a better place for everyone to exist.
And then there’s this.
Star Wars: Retold (by someone who hasn’t seen it)
Priceless… Complete with Wilhelm screams. I nearly fell out of my chair.
Goodbye Yage
Yage
March 20, 2000 – December 28, 2008
He will be missed greatly
Merry Christmas
Merry Christmas everyone! I hope you all had a wonderful holiday. And remember…
xkcd Reads My Mind… Again
There seems to be no limit to just how much xkcd reflects my own life.
Being godless in the workplace
This is more of a rant than a well-thought out post.
In just a little over one month into my new job (more on that in a bit), the issue of and concerns about my humanism/atheism has already come into conversation twice. I live and work in Tennessee. Every night I’m subjected to christian propaganda in the form of general conversation and apparel (i.e. t-shirts with such witty wording as “Not perfect, just forgiven”). I carry a book with me almost every night to have something to read during my breaks and lunch. So far I’ve steered clear of taking such blatant titles as “The God Delusion” and “The Portable Atheist” with me mostly because I feel the issue of my non-belief is not an appropriate area of discourse for the workplace so I usually take a general science book with me. But “science” itself, it seems, is enough to get the dusty cogs in their brains going.
Twice I’ve had the question put forth to me, “So, do you believe in God?” And twice I’ve answered, “No, I really don’t believe in anything supernatural.” The first person asked an interesting follow-up question, “So.. are you, ya know… happy?” … The second was more down-trodden, “Man, that kind of makes me sad to hear that. Everybody has to believe in something.”
In the two brief discussions I’ve had with these two people, I’ve tried to entertain their personal beliefs without stepping all over them. (I save the stepping for the intertubes.) I’ve even held back a few questions and laughter that would serve no good purpose. One of them kept coming back to the “debate” with questions like, “So how do you explain good and evil?” to which I replied, “What else would there be?” and “We just made all that evolution stuff up.” To which I quickly replied, “No, we just figured it out. There’s a big difference.”
Both seem to be very fond and ignorant of the Bible… “The words in red are what Jesus said.” … as well as ignorant of other religions and modes of spirituality. It’s pretty obvious they’ve never experienced a spiritual moment from anything other than the religion they were brought up in. They’ve never explored the topic of religion in an academic sense and are oblivious to other culture’s religions. I keep wondering what our country would be like if we had comparative religion studies in our high schools. I’ve explained to both of them that I’m a very spiritual person, just not a religious one… I find my spirituality in the awesome mysteries and wonder of the universe. Pictures like this evoke a spiritual response from me. Hell, just thinking about how massive our universe is evokes a spiritual response. I’m reminded of one of my favorite Carl Sagan quotes…
Many religions have attempted to make statues of their gods very large, and the idea, i supposed, is to make us feel small. But if that’s their purpose, they can keep their paltry icons. We need only look up if we wish to feel small.
Putting “Life” into perspective is a humbling and empowering experience that everyone should take part in. It allows you to see life for what it truly is. An amazingly rare and wondrous thing worth saving and worth making it better for all. Viewing the Earth from space allows you to see the made up lines we’ve created to separate ourselves from one another and to see our little insignificant planet as a single organism that must work together in harmony if it is to survive. Realizing there is no supernatural afterlife awaiting you when you die begs the venture of making all there is to make of this life. As Richard Dawkins put it…
The ‘here and now’ is not something to be endured before eternal bliss or damnation. The ‘here and now’ is all we have; An inspiration to make the most of it.
As it stands, I’m going to continue trying to avoid the ‘I’m a godless heathen among you’ conversation while on the clock.
I’ve now broken two principles because I need this job so much at the moment … damn you U.S. economy. Granted, larger paychecks are nice, but they don’t make me feel any better about myself. The whole situation is a bit loony. I’m attempting to be a nobody that stands out amongst the crowd. Does having a contradictory goal affect the outcome? Hmmmm.
Okay… my little rant is over… When I write a real post regarding my new job, some of this will make a little more sense. Right now, after a 12 hour shift… I’m pooped. Lights out.
Obama’s Weekly Address of hope
This week’s ‘weekly address’ from President-elect Obama has a message of real change. Not in government, but in how humans work together to better each other instead of focussing on our own wants and needs alone.
President-elect Obama and Secular America
One of the many reasons I voted for President-elect Obama (I love saying that). I wanted a president that understands secularism and its importance in American government.
President-elect Obama’s full ‘Call to Renewal’ speech.
