Not All Atheists Are Alike

Recently there was a study that found that there were six types of atheists. Apparently, a disbelief in the supernatural is not a monolithic belief system, held  in equal measure by all atheists. Actually, anecdotally, I think we would all say that was somewhat true, though it’s nice to have it confirmed. I often find myself in disagreement with other atheists about matters I would expect to agree on, based on the fact that I know how I arrived at my atheism, and assume that their path to disbelief was at least similar. But, lo, it turns out that doesn’t really work out in real life.

I was reminded of this by a discussion I had recently on Facebook. As I said, I sort of expect other atheists to think like me, so I’m a tad bit surprised when they don’t.

Akin To Ignorance

Cartoon credit – http://www.mattbors.com

We all have heard the recent news about Rep. Todd Akin over the past two days. In an interview, he opined about pregnancies caused by rape:

“It seems to me, from what I understand from doctors, that’s really rare. If it’s a legitimate rape, the female body has ways to try to shut that whole thing down. But let’s assume that maybe that didn’t work or something: I think there should be some punishment, but the punishment ought to be of the rapist, and not attacking the child.”

Life

One of the major lines of demarcation and a constant source of disagreement between theists and atheists is that of Life. Primarily human life, but in general, all life. How did living things get their beginnings, how did we come about as a result of creation? It’s one of the great mysteries of…ummm…life. How life began.

And of course, most theists believe that life began when their particular god created them. Christians believe the story in the Bible about Adam and Eve, either literally or figuratively. In either case, it’s a supernatural being that consciously and affirmatively decided to create that which we call life. Other religions have their own creation myths, but they all share a beginning story that attempts to explain how we got here.

Top Ten Creationist Arguments

Sometimes I just don’t feel like writing, especially when I see that someone else has done a much better job at it, in a more succinct way, with fun graphics and sound.

Happy New Year!

Welcome back, it’s a brand new year, but as usual when it comes to religion, everything old becomes new again. Religion is a meme, and as such without any conscious thought or intention, it continues to work feverishly to maintain its existence.

What An Incompetent!

click for cartoon

Rick Perry prays for rain to help drought inflicted Texas, way, way back in April, and the drought is worse than it was in April. Damn, is this not the stupidest, the silliest thing you’ve ever seen a Governor do? From the official State of Texas issued Proclamation:

NOW, THEREFORE, I, RICK PERRY, Governor of Texas, under the authority vested in me by the Constitution and Statutes of the State of Texas, do hereby proclaim the three-day period from Friday, April 22, 2011, to Sunday, April 24, 2011, as Days of Prayer for Rain in the State of Texas. I urge Texans of all faiths and traditions to offer prayers on those days for the healing of our land, the rebuilding of our communities and the restoration of our normal way of life.

It’s now so bad, fires have destroyed whole neighborhoods in Austin, the State capital. Let’s hope he doesn’t issue a proclamation declaring a day of prayer to rid the state of locusts.

God seems to be really fucking up in the oversight department. First we have that earthquake on the east coast which, according to Michelle Bachmann, was to let us know that god disapproves of our current fiscal policy. Then Hurricane Irene forces the cancellation of the Jimmy Buffet concert in Bristow, VA. This is serious shit! Since I had tickets, I can only presume god was pissed off at me for that time I…well, that’s between me and him.

Now, a drought so bad, despite pleas to god for just enough rain to make it go away, it’s clear he has a different agenda than Rick Perry. I hear those people in Austin, the Texas version of San Francisco, can be a little light in the loafers,  if you know what I mean <wink, wink, nudge, nudge> so maybe god’s actually trying to destroy the city.

Obviously, if he was going to fix the drought, his aim is clearly off. We’ve had so much rain here in Pennsylvania, this is shaping up to be the second wettest season in weather-keeping history, yet Texas needs the water. What the fuck is god thinking? That because Texas is south of us the water will run downhill?

Or maybe, just maybe, god’s laughing at Rick Perry for being such a twit in the science department, coming out in favor of Intelligent Design as science and all. He’s saying “if you think prayers make rain, let me show you how nature actually works.”

Perhaps everyone in Texas should stop praying for rain. Because either god is  incompetent, or Rick Perry is.

And we all know god doesn’t exist.

If You Believe These Things…

… You May Be Considered Far Right.

Not to mention a hypocrite.

Credit - http://thismodernworld.com/

‎1. Jesus loves you, and shares your hatred of homosexuals and Barack Obama

The Possibility Of An Honest Expelled.

Over at Panda’s Thumb they are soliciting donations to be used to purchase at auction the film Expelled: No Intelligence Allowed, along with all the supporting documents, footage that didn’t make it into the film, and the other usual residue of film making.

Why Do We Care?

That’s a question we atheists get from theists. Often. Almost constantly, when we point out a fallacy in their religious thinking, or try to substantiate why we support the 1st Amendment’s proscription against governmental religious displays, or when we simply say we don’t believe in gods. They want to know why we care that they believe in supernatural spirits, or miracles, or Biblical authority, or other unsubstantiated beliefs. What harm do their beliefs cause, and why are we so damn strident about our opposition to them?

Just Ruminating

I haven’t written any posts in awhile, partly because I have been having a long debate with someone on another blog post, in the comments, about the conflict between Religion and Science, which has gravitated, as usual, to the existence of god. This is as it should be. It is where atheist/theist debates should properly end up. One can talk about the merits of religion, or the efficacy of religious belief, or the overwhelming preponderance of theists in the world, but ultimately none of it means anything in the debate until you’ve resolved the TRUTH of religion – i.e. does god exist. If he does, then there should be significant consensus, if not universal and unanimous acceptance, of that one truth. It should be obvious. The fact that there isn’t even something close to human consensus gives the lie to the proposition.