Test of Faith. 1 Samuel
God
A. keeps his promises
B. breaks his promises
The “spirit of God” made Samuel
A. kind and peaceful
B. furious and threatening
God told his people to
A. love their neighbors
B. kill men, women, children and babies
1Samuel 2:30-36, 11:6-7, 15:1-3, 27:8
Thursday, April 30, 2009
Monday, April 27, 2009
thought of the day.285
“We all have but one life to live. In this finite time we have but a moment to understand who we are and where we come from. Unable to prove that we live beyond mental and physical death any more than the ant we crush with our index finger, our life is immeasurably precious. One day we will all face our own deaths and, before the silence of the stars, we have only a short time to examine our place within the cosmos.
Understanding our existence truthfully and honestly is the quest of many atheists and agnostics. There is nothing more beautiful than the pursuit of truth and to glimpse – for but a second – the strange creature that we are. To do this, we cannot accept answers simply because our parents told them to us as children.
To really seek the answers, we must ask uncomfortable questions and confront the issues that some people might prefer to keep in the closet. As an atheist, I refuse to sit complacently and accept stories that smack of superstition. If all cultures believe in contradictory ideas of reality, we need a method to understand what the truth really is.
In the present day, this means the use of empirical evidence that can be demonstrated and repeated – the opposite of hearsay and faith. Faith is believing in something despite the evidence, for with evidence, faith is superfluous. Conversely, modern science and rationality have provided a way for us to examine our claims. So powerful is this method that the language of science has become universal, nearly every society on earth having adopted its practice. Yet religions have remained separated by geography because they cannot convincingly prove their own claims.
Many people say atheists are no different than religious thinkers because atheists “believe” in empirical facts – a kind of faith. This claim is nonsense. Everyone alive, as far as I know, accepts the fact that they live in a physical and empirical world. Every time we open our eyes we confirm a physical reality.
Further, atheism is not a religion; it is not a religious proposition so much as the lack of one. Atheists do not have to prove God does not exist anymore than atheists must prove that leprechauns do not exist. We must take reality for what is, leaving out our assumptions and desires as much as possible. We build our understanding from experience and measure it with our reason.
I have never experienced the supernatural and never has it been scientifically demonstrated. The factual existence of gods and leprechauns must be supported by evidence and proof from those who claim them to be real.
Additionally, never have I confirmed that a supernatural being is watching over me. Indeed, if I told you Zeus was watching over you, you would not believe me. In this way, we are all atheists of Zeus. The same reason modern day religious thinkers do not believe in Zeus is the same reason atheists do not believe in the modern day God. Atheists just extend their critical analysis one god further.
Finally, the reason atheists and agnostics sometimes passionately engage in debate is because we believe religious thought is distorting reality. To truly create the most inclusive and harmonious society, it is imperative we understand the truth of who we are. From this knowledge we can create the proper regulations and controls to cultivate a more humane and inclusive morality.
Atheists and agnostics wish to probe into the uncomfortable assumptions of all times and of all cultures. It is not that we wish to upset people. We wish to find the truth.”
~Nickolas Conrad, THE DAILY EVERGREEN, 04/27/2009
Understanding our existence truthfully and honestly is the quest of many atheists and agnostics. There is nothing more beautiful than the pursuit of truth and to glimpse – for but a second – the strange creature that we are. To do this, we cannot accept answers simply because our parents told them to us as children.
To really seek the answers, we must ask uncomfortable questions and confront the issues that some people might prefer to keep in the closet. As an atheist, I refuse to sit complacently and accept stories that smack of superstition. If all cultures believe in contradictory ideas of reality, we need a method to understand what the truth really is.
In the present day, this means the use of empirical evidence that can be demonstrated and repeated – the opposite of hearsay and faith. Faith is believing in something despite the evidence, for with evidence, faith is superfluous. Conversely, modern science and rationality have provided a way for us to examine our claims. So powerful is this method that the language of science has become universal, nearly every society on earth having adopted its practice. Yet religions have remained separated by geography because they cannot convincingly prove their own claims.
Many people say atheists are no different than religious thinkers because atheists “believe” in empirical facts – a kind of faith. This claim is nonsense. Everyone alive, as far as I know, accepts the fact that they live in a physical and empirical world. Every time we open our eyes we confirm a physical reality.
Further, atheism is not a religion; it is not a religious proposition so much as the lack of one. Atheists do not have to prove God does not exist anymore than atheists must prove that leprechauns do not exist. We must take reality for what is, leaving out our assumptions and desires as much as possible. We build our understanding from experience and measure it with our reason.
I have never experienced the supernatural and never has it been scientifically demonstrated. The factual existence of gods and leprechauns must be supported by evidence and proof from those who claim them to be real.
Additionally, never have I confirmed that a supernatural being is watching over me. Indeed, if I told you Zeus was watching over you, you would not believe me. In this way, we are all atheists of Zeus. The same reason modern day religious thinkers do not believe in Zeus is the same reason atheists do not believe in the modern day God. Atheists just extend their critical analysis one god further.
Finally, the reason atheists and agnostics sometimes passionately engage in debate is because we believe religious thought is distorting reality. To truly create the most inclusive and harmonious society, it is imperative we understand the truth of who we are. From this knowledge we can create the proper regulations and controls to cultivate a more humane and inclusive morality.
Atheists and agnostics wish to probe into the uncomfortable assumptions of all times and of all cultures. It is not that we wish to upset people. We wish to find the truth.”
~Nickolas Conrad, THE DAILY EVERGREEN, 04/27/2009
Saturday, April 25, 2009
thought of the day.284
“I’ve read I flew up the hills and mountains of France. But you don’t fly up a hill. You struggle slowly and painfully up a hill, and maybe, if you work very hard, you get to the top ahead of everybody else.”
~ Lance Armstrong
Off to ride a 100k up and down the monstrous hills of Muenster, Texas today with Team Cruise and Booze. Happy day!
~ Lance Armstrong
Off to ride a 100k up and down the monstrous hills of Muenster, Texas today with Team Cruise and Booze. Happy day!
Friday, April 24, 2009
thought of the day.283
“Opportunity is missed by most people because it comes dressed in overalls and looks like work.”
~ Thomas Edison
~ Thomas Edison
Thursday, April 23, 2009
thought of the day.282
The Christian is in the unenviable position of believing she possesses The Truth—“God made everything...Jesus loves me...I am Heaven bound...Hallelujah!” but this mindset is life-narrowing rather than expanding as any information that challenges these beliefs causes discomfort and is met with resistance, if not hostility.
It seems the preferable position is that of the atheist who seeks a better understanding of reality. With no cherished beliefs to protect, she is always willing to abandon currently held propositions in favor of ones better supported by evidence.
It seems the preferable position is that of the atheist who seeks a better understanding of reality. With no cherished beliefs to protect, she is always willing to abandon currently held propositions in favor of ones better supported by evidence.
Wednesday, April 22, 2009
thought of the day.281
“Death is not an event in life; we do not live to experience death. If we take eternity to mean not infinite temporal duration but timelessness, then eternal life belongs to those who live in the present.”
~Ludwig Wittgenstein
~Ludwig Wittgenstein
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
thought of the day.280
Test of Faith: 1 Kings
On his death bed, David called for
A. forgiveness and mercy
B. revenge and murder
Solomon became king after
A. working tirelessly for the people
B. murdering several powerful men
God promised Jeroboam he would
A. never punish sons for the father’s sins
B. kill all his male descendants
1 Kings 2:1-9, 2:13-46, 14:9-11
On his death bed, David called for
A. forgiveness and mercy
B. revenge and murder
Solomon became king after
A. working tirelessly for the people
B. murdering several powerful men
God promised Jeroboam he would
A. never punish sons for the father’s sins
B. kill all his male descendants
1 Kings 2:1-9, 2:13-46, 14:9-11
Monday, April 20, 2009
thought of the day.279
“It seems to me what is called for is an exquisite balance between two conflicting needs: the most skeptical scrutiny of all hypotheses that are served up to us and at the same time a great openness to new ideas . . . If you are only skeptical, then no new ideas make it through to you . . . On the other hand, if you are open to the point of gullibility and have not an ounce of skeptical sense in you, then you cannot distinguish the useful ideas from the worthless ones.”
~ Carl Sagan
~ Carl Sagan
Sunday, April 19, 2009
thought of the day.278
The Good Life
Just finished reading an excellent book by William B. Irvine called “A Guide to the Good Life: the ancient art of stoic joy”.
He begins by asking “What do you want out of life?” He says “I am asking not for the goals you form as you go about your daily activities but for your grand goal in living. In other words, of the things in life you might pursue, which is the thing you believe to be the most valuable?”
He explains that without taking the time to formulate such a grand goal there is a danger one will mislive—find themselves at the end of their life not having pursued what was most important to them.
My goal: To become ever more aware, compassionate, and joyful.
I now have a very simple guide to keep in the back of my mind at all times. Hopefully, these things will be an ever increasing part of my life.
Just finished reading an excellent book by William B. Irvine called “A Guide to the Good Life: the ancient art of stoic joy”.
He begins by asking “What do you want out of life?” He says “I am asking not for the goals you form as you go about your daily activities but for your grand goal in living. In other words, of the things in life you might pursue, which is the thing you believe to be the most valuable?”
He explains that without taking the time to formulate such a grand goal there is a danger one will mislive—find themselves at the end of their life not having pursued what was most important to them.
My goal: To become ever more aware, compassionate, and joyful.
I now have a very simple guide to keep in the back of my mind at all times. Hopefully, these things will be an ever increasing part of my life.
Saturday, April 18, 2009
thought of the day.277
Just watched the 2006 Academy Award nominated documentary, “Deliver Us from Evil,” about the Catholic Church’s 1,600 year old sexual abuse cover-up.
I want to throw up. Made me never want to set foot in a Catholic church again. I will, I’m sure, but will do so with a new understanding of the inherent wickedness of the Church hierarchy.
I want to throw up. Made me never want to set foot in a Catholic church again. I will, I’m sure, but will do so with a new understanding of the inherent wickedness of the Church hierarchy.
Friday, April 17, 2009
thought of the day.276
Desiring heaven requires relinquishing power to hope and fear, clergy, creed, bible, church... Having no need of heaven is power—power to think fearlessly, power to live one’s life as one deems right.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
thought of the day.274
Pierce from Dallas, asks, “What is the difference...between “prayer” and the acquisition of strength/energy through meditation or deep and total spiritual immersion? When a friend...tells me that they will “pray for me” ...I always accept their offering as an act of good karma, regardless of whether I believe in the source from which they are drawing. ...
“Or...in your opinion, are such notions that the generation of positive energy (ergo positive results), through thought or meditation or prayer...simply fool’s gold?...I recently spoke with...a friend who is two years beyond breast cancer -- and she insisted that “the Lord Jesus Christ Our Savior” was solely responsible for her recovery.
“I suggested that her inherent strength and fortitude and mental acuity, combined with her doctors’ expertise were the reason for her recovery. Needless to say, my suggestion was blasphemous in her mind.
“Jesus was the sole reason for her success. I was told that “until you experience the grace of God in your life, you cannot know what it means.” I must confess, I was rendered a little bit envious by her confidence in this god that no one can see, and it made me wonder if I somehow got on the wrong bus somewhere along the way. Even though, during the conversation, I felt as though I was listening to an 8 year-old tell me about how cool Santa Claus is, I couldn’t help but wonder if she knew something I didn’t know.”
Dear Pierce, We first need to note that there are two distinct types of prayer—intercessory (prayer for others) and personal. The most recent study* of intercessory prayer showed prayer to be of absolutely no benefit for the prayed for, and in fact, those prayed for experienced slightly more complications than the other groups (believed caused by the stress of feeling their condition was dire enough to warrant prayer).
Personal prayer—whether to “Jesus,” “Allah,“ “St. Patrick,” or “Zeus,” has clearly helped many cope with life’s difficulties, though evidence would suggest any benefits are simply a placebo effect since praying to any god, or a jug of milk for that matter, can produce the same results. But belief in a God who answers prayers also has a dark side as it may lead people to forego medical treatment (their own or their children’s) resulting in needless suffering and death. And when prayer fails, believers may feel rejected—wondering if they’re not worthy, are being punished, didn’t pray properly or didn’t have enough faith.
* $2.4 million study was funded by the John Templeton Foundation
“Or...in your opinion, are such notions that the generation of positive energy (ergo positive results), through thought or meditation or prayer...simply fool’s gold?...I recently spoke with...a friend who is two years beyond breast cancer -- and she insisted that “the Lord Jesus Christ Our Savior” was solely responsible for her recovery.
“I suggested that her inherent strength and fortitude and mental acuity, combined with her doctors’ expertise were the reason for her recovery. Needless to say, my suggestion was blasphemous in her mind.
“Jesus was the sole reason for her success. I was told that “until you experience the grace of God in your life, you cannot know what it means.” I must confess, I was rendered a little bit envious by her confidence in this god that no one can see, and it made me wonder if I somehow got on the wrong bus somewhere along the way. Even though, during the conversation, I felt as though I was listening to an 8 year-old tell me about how cool Santa Claus is, I couldn’t help but wonder if she knew something I didn’t know.”
Dear Pierce, We first need to note that there are two distinct types of prayer—intercessory (prayer for others) and personal. The most recent study* of intercessory prayer showed prayer to be of absolutely no benefit for the prayed for, and in fact, those prayed for experienced slightly more complications than the other groups (believed caused by the stress of feeling their condition was dire enough to warrant prayer).
Personal prayer—whether to “Jesus,” “Allah,“ “St. Patrick,” or “Zeus,” has clearly helped many cope with life’s difficulties, though evidence would suggest any benefits are simply a placebo effect since praying to any god, or a jug of milk for that matter, can produce the same results. But belief in a God who answers prayers also has a dark side as it may lead people to forego medical treatment (their own or their children’s) resulting in needless suffering and death. And when prayer fails, believers may feel rejected—wondering if they’re not worthy, are being punished, didn’t pray properly or didn’t have enough faith.
* $2.4 million study was funded by the John Templeton Foundation
Tuesday, April 14, 2009
thought of the day.273
Test of Faith: Micah
God commands his people to
A. forgive and love others
B. punish and crush others
God
A. guards his people from enemies
B. abandons his people to enemies
God brings
A. enlightenment and mercy
B. ruin, destruction and hunger
Micah 4:15, 5:3, 6:13-16
God commands his people to
A. forgive and love others
B. punish and crush others
God
A. guards his people from enemies
B. abandons his people to enemies
God brings
A. enlightenment and mercy
B. ruin, destruction and hunger
Micah 4:15, 5:3, 6:13-16
Monday, April 13, 2009
thought of the day.272
Bonus thought of the day!!
My good blogging friend, myrtle, suggested tackling "The kalam cosmological syllogism" which is stated:
a. Everything that has a beginning has a cause
b. The universe has a beginning
c. Therefore the universe has a cause
a. It seems terribly arrogant to think we of such feeble abilities to comprehend reality can know a great degree about something as incomprehensibly large and complex as the universe. The best we can say in response to the assertion made is "as far as we know" everything that has a beginning has a cause.
b. The evidence points to the fact that the current universe we inhabit had a beginning roughly 13 billion years ago. However, it is possible that we find ourselves in the middle of one particular expansion of the universe in what has been an ongoing expansion and contraction process making the universe an unknown age. It is also possible that there are multiple universes. But "as far as we know" the universe we find ourselves in did have a beginning.
c. Knowing what we do, it is fair to say, "As far as we know" the universe did have a cause. Apparently, scientists can peer back in time to within hundredths of a second after what is called the 'singularity' became the 'Big Bang' and our current universe began to take shape. But we do not have the technology to go back further, (and it seems there is no time or space to observe before the Big Bang and thus likely impossible to do so.)
In conclusion, it seems reasonable and responsible to say 'we do not know' what caused the universe and that we likely cannot know. It seems unreasonable and irresponsible to invent something (God) to fill in this gap in our knowledge. I would add that suggesting “God” did it only complicates the matter for now we have an even bigger mystery of what is and what caused “God”.
It seems there are people who are content to live with unanswered questions such as “how did the universe come about” and tend to believe there are natural explanations for everything and there are those not so comfortable with such unanswered questions who tend to believe in supernatural explanations. For me, supernatural explanations are not really explanations at all. They are constructions that reduce uncertainty but have no relation to reality.
My good blogging friend, myrtle, suggested tackling "The kalam cosmological syllogism" which is stated:
a. Everything that has a beginning has a cause
b. The universe has a beginning
c. Therefore the universe has a cause
a. It seems terribly arrogant to think we of such feeble abilities to comprehend reality can know a great degree about something as incomprehensibly large and complex as the universe. The best we can say in response to the assertion made is "as far as we know" everything that has a beginning has a cause.
b. The evidence points to the fact that the current universe we inhabit had a beginning roughly 13 billion years ago. However, it is possible that we find ourselves in the middle of one particular expansion of the universe in what has been an ongoing expansion and contraction process making the universe an unknown age. It is also possible that there are multiple universes. But "as far as we know" the universe we find ourselves in did have a beginning.
c. Knowing what we do, it is fair to say, "As far as we know" the universe did have a cause. Apparently, scientists can peer back in time to within hundredths of a second after what is called the 'singularity' became the 'Big Bang' and our current universe began to take shape. But we do not have the technology to go back further, (and it seems there is no time or space to observe before the Big Bang and thus likely impossible to do so.)
In conclusion, it seems reasonable and responsible to say 'we do not know' what caused the universe and that we likely cannot know. It seems unreasonable and irresponsible to invent something (God) to fill in this gap in our knowledge. I would add that suggesting “God” did it only complicates the matter for now we have an even bigger mystery of what is and what caused “God”.
It seems there are people who are content to live with unanswered questions such as “how did the universe come about” and tend to believe there are natural explanations for everything and there are those not so comfortable with such unanswered questions who tend to believe in supernatural explanations. For me, supernatural explanations are not really explanations at all. They are constructions that reduce uncertainty but have no relation to reality.
thought of the day.271
Hitchens/Craig Debate
Last Sunday I watched Christopher Hitchens and William Lane Craig via a live simulcast debate the idea “Does God Exist?” My overall impression was that Craig was well organized and Hitchens was less so. It also seemed Hitchens could have used a comb and maybe a bath.
But rather than discussing the points argued, I would like to note how the debate was slanted before anyone took the microphone.
To phrase the debate as “Does God Exist?” is misleading. An admittedly less catchy, but far more fair and accurate phrasing would be: “Is it Likely Any Gods Exist?” Wording it in such a way reminds us that one cannot prove the existence or non-existence of a “God” or “Gods” but can only place such a notion on a scale of probability. It also reminds us of the fact that there has never been one agreed upon “God” but countless competing gods. And if we believe that any gods are merely the product of human imagination (which we all do) then it is possible (if not likely) that all gods are.
Last Sunday I watched Christopher Hitchens and William Lane Craig via a live simulcast debate the idea “Does God Exist?” My overall impression was that Craig was well organized and Hitchens was less so. It also seemed Hitchens could have used a comb and maybe a bath.
But rather than discussing the points argued, I would like to note how the debate was slanted before anyone took the microphone.
To phrase the debate as “Does God Exist?” is misleading. An admittedly less catchy, but far more fair and accurate phrasing would be: “Is it Likely Any Gods Exist?” Wording it in such a way reminds us that one cannot prove the existence or non-existence of a “God” or “Gods” but can only place such a notion on a scale of probability. It also reminds us of the fact that there has never been one agreed upon “God” but countless competing gods. And if we believe that any gods are merely the product of human imagination (which we all do) then it is possible (if not likely) that all gods are.
Sunday, April 12, 2009
thought of the day.270
Happy Eastre!
Before Jesus came hopping down the bunny trail, Easter was a festival devoted to honoring a Teutonic goddess named Eastre. And from her festival came the traditions of the Easter Bunny (symbol of fertility), colored Easter eggs and baby chicks (symbols of new life).
The pattern of nature dying in winter and coming back to life in spring has been the basis for countless religions. The return of Persephone from the underworld to the light of day symbolized the resurrection of life in the spring after the desolation of winter to the ancient Greeks. The Phrygians believed that their omnipotent deity went to sleep at the time of the winter solstice, and they performed ceremonies with music and dancing at the spring equinox to awaken him.
Though Easter is considered a Christian holiday, we see from its pagan origins that it needn’t be. Whether or not Jesus or any of the thousands of gods and goddesses of history literally rose from the dead or not, the miracle of Spring— of rebirth and resurrected life—is ample cause for celebration!
Before Jesus came hopping down the bunny trail, Easter was a festival devoted to honoring a Teutonic goddess named Eastre. And from her festival came the traditions of the Easter Bunny (symbol of fertility), colored Easter eggs and baby chicks (symbols of new life).
The pattern of nature dying in winter and coming back to life in spring has been the basis for countless religions. The return of Persephone from the underworld to the light of day symbolized the resurrection of life in the spring after the desolation of winter to the ancient Greeks. The Phrygians believed that their omnipotent deity went to sleep at the time of the winter solstice, and they performed ceremonies with music and dancing at the spring equinox to awaken him.
Though Easter is considered a Christian holiday, we see from its pagan origins that it needn’t be. Whether or not Jesus or any of the thousands of gods and goddesses of history literally rose from the dead or not, the miracle of Spring— of rebirth and resurrected life—is ample cause for celebration!
Saturday, April 11, 2009
thought of the day.269
Bible Fun Fact: Foreskins before Foreplay
What kind of man pulls down the pants of dead men to genitally mutilate the corpses? A Bible-Hero kind of man, of course! David, considered a “man after God’s own heart”, paid for the first of his many wives with foreskins carved from hundreds of murdered men.
1 S 18:20-28
What kind of man pulls down the pants of dead men to genitally mutilate the corpses? A Bible-Hero kind of man, of course! David, considered a “man after God’s own heart”, paid for the first of his many wives with foreskins carved from hundreds of murdered men.
1 S 18:20-28
Friday, April 10, 2009
thought of the day.268
Happy Good Friday to all my Christian friends.
“God is a metaphor for that which trancends all levels of intellectual thought. It’s as simple as that.”
~ Joseph Campbell
“God is a metaphor for that which trancends all levels of intellectual thought. It’s as simple as that.”
~ Joseph Campbell
Thursday, April 9, 2009
thought of the day.267
A Few Reasons to Go Vegetarian
U.S. Animal Agriculture is responsible for:
LAND USE: 1 billion acres of land. That's 43% of all U.S. land, and 83% of agricultural land.
CROPS: 560 billion pounds of grain a year fed to U.S. livestock, enough to feed 840 million people.
SOIL EROSION: 2 trillion pounds a year.
ENERGY: The equivalent of burning 26 billion gallons of gas a year.
GREENHOUSE GAS: Emissions equivalent to 1 trillion pounds of CO2 a year.
EXCREMENT: 9 billion pounds a year, or as much in 3 days as produced by the U.S. human population in a year.
WATER USE: 35 trillion gallons a year, more than half of all US water use, enough for every American to take 26 showers a day.
WATER POLLUTION: 570,000 miles of U.S. streams and rivers and 6 million acres of U.S. lakes and reservoirs are polluted due to animal agriculture, comprising 15% of all streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
U.S. Animal Agriculture is responsible for:
LAND USE: 1 billion acres of land. That's 43% of all U.S. land, and 83% of agricultural land.
CROPS: 560 billion pounds of grain a year fed to U.S. livestock, enough to feed 840 million people.
SOIL EROSION: 2 trillion pounds a year.
ENERGY: The equivalent of burning 26 billion gallons of gas a year.
GREENHOUSE GAS: Emissions equivalent to 1 trillion pounds of CO2 a year.
EXCREMENT: 9 billion pounds a year, or as much in 3 days as produced by the U.S. human population in a year.
WATER USE: 35 trillion gallons a year, more than half of all US water use, enough for every American to take 26 showers a day.
WATER POLLUTION: 570,000 miles of U.S. streams and rivers and 6 million acres of U.S. lakes and reservoirs are polluted due to animal agriculture, comprising 15% of all streams, rivers, lakes, and reservoirs.
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
thought of the day.266
The ugliness of Christianity is no more evident then when a believer beholds a beautiful newborn child and sees her as a sinner—a fallen creature worthy of eternal torture— and believes her only hope of escaping being gathered up with the other “goats” and hurled into a lake of fire is being baptised and growing to believe certain things. From birth to death, nothing poisons life like Christianity’s threat of hell.
thought of the day.265
“The only position that leaves me with no cognitive dissonance is atheism. It is not a creed. Death is certain, replacing both the siren-song of Paradise and the dread of Hell. Life on this earth, with all its mystery and beauty and pain, is then to be lived far more intensely: we stumble and get up, we are sad, confident, insecure, feel lonliness and joy and love. There is nothing more; but I want nothing more.”
~ Ayaan Hirsi Ali
~ Ayaan Hirsi Ali
Sunday, April 5, 2009
thought of the day.264
In his usual eloquent style, Robert Ingersoll said, “There is something tenderly appropriate in the serene death of the old. . . . When the duties of life have all been nobly done; when the sun touches the horizon; when the purple twilight falls upon the past, the present, and the future; when memory, with dim eyes, can scarcely spell the blurred and faded records of the vanished days—then, surrounded by kindred and by friends, death comes like a strain of music. The day has been long, the road weary, and the traveler gladly stops at the welcome inn.”
But there is nothing tenderly appropriate about the death of the young.
We’ll be attending a memorial service today for a 16 year old who collapsed and died suddenly during football practice. He was the family’s only son.
But there is nothing tenderly appropriate about the death of the young.
We’ll be attending a memorial service today for a 16 year old who collapsed and died suddenly during football practice. He was the family’s only son.
thought of the day.263
Test of Faith. Genesis
God said wives were to be
A. equal to husbands
B. subject to husbands
Lot offered up his daughters to be
A. baptised
B. gang-raped
God used his power to
A. heal the sick children in Sodom and Gomorah
B. burn the children in Sodom and Gomorah
Gn 3:16, 19:6-8, 19:24
God said wives were to be
A. equal to husbands
B. subject to husbands
Lot offered up his daughters to be
A. baptised
B. gang-raped
God used his power to
A. heal the sick children in Sodom and Gomorah
B. burn the children in Sodom and Gomorah
Gn 3:16, 19:6-8, 19:24
Saturday, April 4, 2009
thought of the day.262
“To profess to be doing God’s will is a form of megalomania.”
~ Joseph Prescott
~ Joseph Prescott
Friday, April 3, 2009
thought of the day.261
I love riding my bike. It makes me feel like a kid; burns enough calories that I can eat (and drink!) whatever I want without getting too obese; clears my little mind of cobwebs and connects me to nature and friends. And once the small fortune is spent on all the equipment and clothes, it costs nothing to go for a ride. I love my bike.
Thursday, April 2, 2009
thought of the day.260
“Imagine a world in which generations of human beings come to believe that certain films were made by God or that specific software was coded by him. Imagine a future in which millions of our descendants murder each other over rival interpretations of Star Wars or Windows 98. Could anything — anything—be more ridiculous? And yet, this would be no more ridiculous than the world we are living in.”
~ Sam Harris
~ Sam Harris
Wednesday, April 1, 2009
Thought of the day.259
Happy April Fools Day!
In its April 1985 edition, Sports Illustrated published an article by George Plimpton that described an incredible rookie baseball player who was training at the Mets camp in St. Petersburg, Florida. The player was named Sidd Finch (Sidd being short for Siddhartha, the Indian mystic in Hermann Hesse’s book of the same name). He could reportedly pitch a baseball at 168 mph with pinpoint accuracy. The fastest previous recorded speed for a pitch was 103 mph.
museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoaxipedia/Sidd_Finch/
The Taco Liberty Bell - In 1996, the Taco Bell Corporation announced that it had bought the Liberty Bell from the federal government and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Naturally, hundreds of outraged citizens called up the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell is housed to express their anger. Things only calmed down when Taco Bell revealed a few hours later that it was just a practical joke.
For April Fools Day - 2007, Google.Com did two hilarious pranks which were featured on their homepage. One was the TiSP (BETA)™, a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity via users' plumbing systems (i.e. their toilets). Users who sign up online for the TiSP system will receive a full home self-installation kit, which includes a spindle of fiber-optic cable, a TiSP wireless router, installation CD and setup guide. Home installation is a simple matter of GFlushing™ the fiber-optic cable down to the nearest TiSP Access Node, then plugging the other end into the network port of your Google-provided TiSP wireless router. Within sixty minutes, the Access Node's crack team of Plumbing Hardware Dispatchers (PHDs) should have your internet connection up and running.
aprilfoolsjokes.info/
In its April 1985 edition, Sports Illustrated published an article by George Plimpton that described an incredible rookie baseball player who was training at the Mets camp in St. Petersburg, Florida. The player was named Sidd Finch (Sidd being short for Siddhartha, the Indian mystic in Hermann Hesse’s book of the same name). He could reportedly pitch a baseball at 168 mph with pinpoint accuracy. The fastest previous recorded speed for a pitch was 103 mph.
museumofhoaxes.com/hoax/Hoaxipedia/Sidd_Finch/
The Taco Liberty Bell - In 1996, the Taco Bell Corporation announced that it had bought the Liberty Bell from the federal government and was renaming it the Taco Liberty Bell. Naturally, hundreds of outraged citizens called up the National Historic Park in Philadelphia where the bell is housed to express their anger. Things only calmed down when Taco Bell revealed a few hours later that it was just a practical joke.
For April Fools Day - 2007, Google.Com did two hilarious pranks which were featured on their homepage. One was the TiSP (BETA)™, a free in-home wireless broadband service that delivers online connectivity via users' plumbing systems (i.e. their toilets). Users who sign up online for the TiSP system will receive a full home self-installation kit, which includes a spindle of fiber-optic cable, a TiSP wireless router, installation CD and setup guide. Home installation is a simple matter of GFlushing™ the fiber-optic cable down to the nearest TiSP Access Node, then plugging the other end into the network port of your Google-provided TiSP wireless router. Within sixty minutes, the Access Node's crack team of Plumbing Hardware Dispatchers (PHDs) should have your internet connection up and running.
aprilfoolsjokes.info/
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
