I also would like to re-write a book, say the Mathematical Principles of Natural Philosophy by Isaac Newton, and fill it full of my personal agenda... let's say, ohhhh... polygamy. So I think every man should be able to marry multiple wives to his liking (not the other way around, that is no fun). So somehow I modify this book to back my point of view, and I find a large and well-funded organization to invest in my book. We'll say that is the Modern Day Church of Latter Post-Modern Evangelical Southern Scientologists. However, they are going through a cover organization called The Society for the Advancement of Smartness.
Ah hell, you get the point. An organization with a very hidden agenda has decided to try and lure college students away from science. This is being done for the sole purpose of debunking a very important theory (evolution, the backbone of modern biology) so as not to contradict the story about magical ribs and devil snakes. Thankfully, college students are snarky and don't like being deceived. By the way, two of Darwin's books are numbers 1 and 2 in Discover's list of the 25 most important science books of all time. I used number 3 for my little joke. Now point and laugh at this.
See Kirk Cameron schooled by a teenager here!!!
Tuesday, November 24, 2009
Thursday, November 19, 2009
Wednesday, November 11, 2009
Veterans Day
Today being Veteran's Day, let us think about the men and women who serve. Lets also think of what may have led some of them to make this commitment to their country. Some of them may be:
Sense of Duty
Patriotism
Personal Values
Strong beliefs
Glory
Valor
Some others less spoken of:
Lack of other options
Security
Family
Fear
Uncertainty
Psychotic Rage
Personally I knew quite a few who fell more in to the last few bullets more than the first ones. The redemptive point to make is that those who may not have had a morally clean and noble reason to join often found that reason during their service. I knew many good people who joined so they could legally kill another man or get to blow up stuff, only to find a sense of meaning and purpose over time. I also knew a few who found that they really only wanted to "blow up stuff"... and so on.
One thing binds all who ever have served or ever will serve, and that is they made the commitment. That alone is admirable. The trick is not to lose yourself, and not to go too far into the water. Some go deep, and some never come back.
And now for those who were cut down in their prime recently, those who were ready to go risk their lives only to lose them by the hand of a weak and troubled man. For those people we need to remember what ideological extremism does and what it means. What the soldiers who were there are most shocked by, more than anything, is that a Major... a commissioned officer of the United States Army, a man who when entering a room would be greeted by every servicemen in the room saluting... would do something so horrible, and unfair, and wrong on every front.
Regardless of what religion or beliefs or values one has, one must realize the basic value of humanity and life. One cannot allow personal disgust, rage, and resentment to be justified by ones beliefs. This is fundamentalist extremism, and this leads to devaluing human life of those who do not agree with you.
It is okay to have beliefs, just don't believe in them too much.
Thank you to all those who serve, regardless of your reason.
Sense of Duty
Patriotism
Personal Values
Strong beliefs
Glory
Valor
Some others less spoken of:
Lack of other options
Security
Family
Fear
Uncertainty
Psychotic Rage
Personally I knew quite a few who fell more in to the last few bullets more than the first ones. The redemptive point to make is that those who may not have had a morally clean and noble reason to join often found that reason during their service. I knew many good people who joined so they could legally kill another man or get to blow up stuff, only to find a sense of meaning and purpose over time. I also knew a few who found that they really only wanted to "blow up stuff"... and so on.
One thing binds all who ever have served or ever will serve, and that is they made the commitment. That alone is admirable. The trick is not to lose yourself, and not to go too far into the water. Some go deep, and some never come back.
And now for those who were cut down in their prime recently, those who were ready to go risk their lives only to lose them by the hand of a weak and troubled man. For those people we need to remember what ideological extremism does and what it means. What the soldiers who were there are most shocked by, more than anything, is that a Major... a commissioned officer of the United States Army, a man who when entering a room would be greeted by every servicemen in the room saluting... would do something so horrible, and unfair, and wrong on every front.
Regardless of what religion or beliefs or values one has, one must realize the basic value of humanity and life. One cannot allow personal disgust, rage, and resentment to be justified by ones beliefs. This is fundamentalist extremism, and this leads to devaluing human life of those who do not agree with you.
It is okay to have beliefs, just don't believe in them too much.
Thank you to all those who serve, regardless of your reason.
Sunday, May 10, 2009
Life and Death... Mom and Brother
My mom is dying. She has been through living hell for some time now, and there is really no doubt at this point that she is physically and mentally prepared for death.
So that's what all of this is really about. What is all of this conversation of religion vs. reason about if it is not about the ultimate truth of Life and Death. It is the inevitability and uncertainty we all either learn to live with or blissfully ignore. Some of us accept things for a finality, a completion and return to the earth, a peace and an eternal rest. Some of us, equal in all levels of intelligence and mental capacity, find comfort in expectations of an afterlife. A soul escaping the boundaries of the body and transcending into the ether. A magical and perfect existence to reward us for the virtues of our physical life.
Is that not what religion gives us? It is the same solution, more or less, that is offered by the mediums and psychics of the world. An unprovable and whimsical solution to life's most asked questions. I have very close and intelligent friends who believe there may be ghosts that haunt troubled or traumatized physical locations. The wronged and dead who can't leave the horrible place that left them to rot. Not to be facetious, but would you spend your afterlife tormenting and playing mild tricks for eternity in some location that you found to be obviously an unhappy and unrewarding place? Not me, I'll spend some time catching up on old movies and reading books.... ok hanging out at the gym at the woman's locker room.
Whatever the case, we find reasons for life and explanations of death. It is not easy, and we often turn to the safe superstitions of our forefathers.
My family and I had a very difficult conversation today, with my mom home for a few hours from the nursing home, on Mother's Day. We discussed her death, with my son and daughter present, my wife and mother and law, and my father and brother.
My brother is a devout born again evangelical. He found this about himself after a very hard run of making some mistakes due to influences of alcohol and drugs. He found comfort and safety in this, he found good friends and a second family in his Christian metal band and his church. I do not judge him for this, however I am quite certain that he would be offended if he knew my true beliefs.
I have longed for a day when he and I could have an intelligent discussion about the different beliefs we carry (rather his presence of one and my lack of one). That has not happened, so I choose to remain polite and courteous to his mini sermons and attempts to spread the "word". It was all the more difficult to hear this during a talk of my mother's death today. There were certain points where I felt good taste had been abandoned in an effort to convey the "power of prayer" and how spiritually strong he and his friends had become. It was almost as if I was listening to someone tell me how powerful they had become in the Force and the proof that they could influence minds and matter with their power.
The point is, I chose to respect his beliefs even as he chose to use the discussion of our mom's death. I understand why he did this, he was very choked up and even apologetic that he didn't know enough scripture that he could quote for us. He truly felt he was doing a service for us all, and my wife and I were exchanging furrowed glances. This was not easy for us to sit through, and the best I could do was tell him his friends' support was very appreciated (which is true), and that we all want the best for mom and her comfort.
My wife and I talked about this on the ride home, and she even asked why I did not explain to him that we found that situation inappropriate and awkward to hear about his beliefs. I guess the reason is that I did not want to jump in the fray, and I know that my beliefs offend him while his beliefs merely annoy me.
Today was a powerful mother's day and a good day overall. We all ultimately had a good time and there was a hilarious incident with some hot sauce (that shit was HOT... Mad Dog's Insanity Sauce I believe... do NOT play with that shit. If there is a hell, its bottled up and sold as Mad Dog's Insanity Sauce).
I love my brother, and I love my mother. My mother wants he and I to do her eulogy, I just want to go second so I can really keep it about mom and not a 2000 year old set of superstitious beliefs. Sorry, but it is very concerning.
So that's what all of this is really about. What is all of this conversation of religion vs. reason about if it is not about the ultimate truth of Life and Death. It is the inevitability and uncertainty we all either learn to live with or blissfully ignore. Some of us accept things for a finality, a completion and return to the earth, a peace and an eternal rest. Some of us, equal in all levels of intelligence and mental capacity, find comfort in expectations of an afterlife. A soul escaping the boundaries of the body and transcending into the ether. A magical and perfect existence to reward us for the virtues of our physical life.
Is that not what religion gives us? It is the same solution, more or less, that is offered by the mediums and psychics of the world. An unprovable and whimsical solution to life's most asked questions. I have very close and intelligent friends who believe there may be ghosts that haunt troubled or traumatized physical locations. The wronged and dead who can't leave the horrible place that left them to rot. Not to be facetious, but would you spend your afterlife tormenting and playing mild tricks for eternity in some location that you found to be obviously an unhappy and unrewarding place? Not me, I'll spend some time catching up on old movies and reading books.... ok hanging out at the gym at the woman's locker room.
Whatever the case, we find reasons for life and explanations of death. It is not easy, and we often turn to the safe superstitions of our forefathers.
My family and I had a very difficult conversation today, with my mom home for a few hours from the nursing home, on Mother's Day. We discussed her death, with my son and daughter present, my wife and mother and law, and my father and brother.
My brother is a devout born again evangelical. He found this about himself after a very hard run of making some mistakes due to influences of alcohol and drugs. He found comfort and safety in this, he found good friends and a second family in his Christian metal band and his church. I do not judge him for this, however I am quite certain that he would be offended if he knew my true beliefs.
I have longed for a day when he and I could have an intelligent discussion about the different beliefs we carry (rather his presence of one and my lack of one). That has not happened, so I choose to remain polite and courteous to his mini sermons and attempts to spread the "word". It was all the more difficult to hear this during a talk of my mother's death today. There were certain points where I felt good taste had been abandoned in an effort to convey the "power of prayer" and how spiritually strong he and his friends had become. It was almost as if I was listening to someone tell me how powerful they had become in the Force and the proof that they could influence minds and matter with their power.
The point is, I chose to respect his beliefs even as he chose to use the discussion of our mom's death. I understand why he did this, he was very choked up and even apologetic that he didn't know enough scripture that he could quote for us. He truly felt he was doing a service for us all, and my wife and I were exchanging furrowed glances. This was not easy for us to sit through, and the best I could do was tell him his friends' support was very appreciated (which is true), and that we all want the best for mom and her comfort.
My wife and I talked about this on the ride home, and she even asked why I did not explain to him that we found that situation inappropriate and awkward to hear about his beliefs. I guess the reason is that I did not want to jump in the fray, and I know that my beliefs offend him while his beliefs merely annoy me.
Today was a powerful mother's day and a good day overall. We all ultimately had a good time and there was a hilarious incident with some hot sauce (that shit was HOT... Mad Dog's Insanity Sauce I believe... do NOT play with that shit. If there is a hell, its bottled up and sold as Mad Dog's Insanity Sauce).
I love my brother, and I love my mother. My mother wants he and I to do her eulogy, I just want to go second so I can really keep it about mom and not a 2000 year old set of superstitious beliefs. Sorry, but it is very concerning.
Monday, February 23, 2009
Post- One Each
So now I am posting just to post. This is a partially true statement. I have been so swamped with the new job and the responsibility of running a small business that is in a transformation phase. That said, I have had time to play.
So I have been rethinking my message and think maybe this blog is limiting me in some regards. There are the good blogs out there for atheism, then there are the "nice tries". I will gladly take the "nice try" award, better than "what the fuck was that?".
I will say that with the new administration in office I do feel some sense of possibility and a positive feeling of the future. I mean Obama actually gave a shout out to "non believers", so well done. Anyway, that doesn't mean I should stand in front of the "Mission Accomplished" banner for the fight of reason vs. superstition. Not even close.
In summary, I am actually going to keep half-assing this blog and writing notes to myself on it.... as well as starting a new blog with a new scope. I will link to this in my profile at some point. There's work to be done.
So I have been rethinking my message and think maybe this blog is limiting me in some regards. There are the good blogs out there for atheism, then there are the "nice tries". I will gladly take the "nice try" award, better than "what the fuck was that?".
I will say that with the new administration in office I do feel some sense of possibility and a positive feeling of the future. I mean Obama actually gave a shout out to "non believers", so well done. Anyway, that doesn't mean I should stand in front of the "Mission Accomplished" banner for the fight of reason vs. superstition. Not even close.
In summary, I am actually going to keep half-assing this blog and writing notes to myself on it.... as well as starting a new blog with a new scope. I will link to this in my profile at some point. There's work to be done.
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