Congratulations, Marty!

I knew it was only a matter of time until it happened. I just wish it didn't happen against the Pens.

But you earned it, Marty. Congratulations on shutout #104!

No climate change you say?

Then can one of you climate change deniers tell me why there's a city-sized iceberg floating in the Indian Ocean? And why did it lose 10 square miles of mass in less than a week?

Hmmmm...

Congress wants to fix the BCS? Shock.

Our country is at war. The economy is in the crapper. Health care reform isn't happening. And somewhere in Washington, a Texan thinks that the BCS should take precedence over the lives of average Americans.

Rep. Joe Barton (R-Texas...another shock) believes that the BCS ranking system isn't fair because Texas Christian University somehow isn't on par with Alabama or Florida. Keep in mind that this is the same climate-change denier who said, "Wind is God's way of balancing heat. Wind is the way you shift heat from areas where it's hotter to areas where it's cooler. That's what wind is."

Somebody get me some ibuprofen!

Of all the things to worry about, this clown thinks it's more important for Congress to get involved in college football than helping Americans out. Surely, you have something infinitely more important to do Congressman? I suggest you get to it.

Some Christians just aren't happy after all.

Well surprise, surprise, surprise!

The Pew Research Center released the results of a survey last week that confirms that Americans are learning what the rest of us who left Christianity have known for years - Jesus just doesn't make you happy.

While the majority of Christians still primarily believe in Jesus, a growing number of them are blending Christianity with more esoteric forms of belief such as those found in the Far East and New Age. Personally, I prefer my own form of religion, for lack of a better term.

When I do good, I feel good, and it makes me want to do more. When I do bad, I feel bad, and it makes me want to be a better person.

It's as simple as that.

Inebriation - Bible style!

This morning I read an article in the CDT from a reader expressing vehement hatred for alcohol. The author made no distinction between the casual drinker and drunken college students who spend their Saturday nights in the local bars, then chasing every blonde, brunette, and redhead up and down College Avenue.

Graham Spanier recently solidified his tone against binge drinking and alcohol abuse, which he dubbed "dangerous drinking", by Penn State's student population. The author took exception to Spanier's position, and I agreed with the author's stance that throwing more money at the problem isn't going to rid State College of alcohol related problems. That is, until the author invoked religion.

Not surprisingly, the author is a Christian who possesses a very weak knowledge of the Bible and its origins which are deeply rooted in gnosticism and paganism. The author carefully chose two passages from the Bible which he/she used to bolster his/her argument that alcohol itself is pure concentrated evil, and that anyone who enjoys even the occasional drink is subject to hellfire. The favored passage used is Proverbs 23:31-32:

"Look not thou upon the wine when it is red, when it giveth his colour in the cup, when it moveth itself aright. At the last it biteth like a serpent, and stingeth like an adder."

Of course, the author made a huge blunder by omitting the New Testament narrative of the Wedding at Cana (John 2:1-11), where Jesus' first miracle was turning water into wine. Needless to say, Christians maintain that this passage simply illustrates Jesus turning water into unfermented grape juice. Honestly, if you were at a wedding and had a choice between wine and grape juice, which would you choose? Yep, I'd choose the wine, too. As the Psalms say, "wine maketh glad the heart of man".

But the Wedding at Cana is only one example of celebratory and ceremonial inebriation that can be found in the Bible. It is filled with example after example of inebriation, the first possible example of which could (emphasis added) be found in the Garden of Eden narrative, where God forbids Adam from eating from the Tree of Knowledge of Good and Evil:

"And the LORD God commanded the man, saying, Of every tree of the garden thou mayest freely eat: But of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, thou shalt not eat of it: for in the day that thou eatest thereof thou shalt surely die."

Genesis 2:16-17

And we all know the rest of the story. God creates Eve for Adam, Eve tempts Adam with the fruit from said tree, Adam gives in, God calls out Adam for giving into his curiosity (i.e., being a human being)...errrr...sinning, Adam blames God for giving him Eve in the first place, God curses Adam and Eve, and Adam and Eve go on to live happy, healthy, productive lives.

Wait. I thought God said they were to die on the day they ate of the tree of knowledge of good and evil? And not only did they not die, Adam went on to live 930 years. That's odd. Nearly 7 billion people later, and we're still here. That sounds more like the rise of mankind, not its fall. Besides, there's something unnerving about a god who doesn't want you to know the difference between good and evil, but punishes you for doing something wrong.

Perhaps the most telling evidence of inebriation in the Bible can be found in Exodus 16:12-24, which tells of Moses leading the Israelites through a wilderness. God appears to Moses and speaks to him from a cloud, telling Moses that he will give him and the Israelites bread, or manna, to eat. But even a casual glance over this passage reveals that the Israelites were more than likely consuming psychoactive fungus, not bread. As a matter of fact, the term manna is a Hebrew word that doesn't mean bread at all, but literally translates to "What is it?" Surely, the Israelites knew what bread was?

Most Christians believe that just because the Bible says that the manna is bread, then that means it's bread - period. But let's take a closer look at this passage starting in verse 14.

"And when the dew that lay was gone up, behold, upon the face of the wilderness there lay a small round thing, as small as the hoar frost on the ground. And when the children of Israel saw it, they said one to another, It is manna: for they wist not what it was. And Moses said unto them, This is the bread which the LORD hath given you to eat. This is the thing which the LORD hath commanded, Gather of it every man according to his eating, an omer for every man, according to the number of your persons; take ye every man for them which are in his tents.

And the children of Israel did so, and gathered, some more, some less. And when they did mete it with an omer, he that gathered much had nothing over, and he that gathered little had no lack; they gathered every man according to his eating. And Moses said, Let no man leave of it till the morning.

Notwithstanding they hearkened not unto Moses; but some of them left of it until the morning, and it bred worms, and stank: and Moses was wroth with them. And they gathered it every morning, every man according to his eating: and when the sun waxed hot, it melted. And it came to pass, that on the sixth day they gathered twice as much bread, two omers for one man: and all the rulers of the congregation came and told Moses.

And he said unto them, This is that which the LORD hath said, To morrow is the rest of the holy sabbath unto the LORD: bake that which ye will bake to day, and seethe that ye will seethe; and that which remaineth over lay up for you to be kept until the morning. And they laid it up till the morning, as Moses bade: and it did not stink, neither was there any worm therein."

Genesis 16:14-24

Consider the characteristics being described of said manna. It appears in the presence of moisture, something which mushrooms need in order to grow. Also, after enough time passes mushrooms will begin to rot and give off an odor, and will subsequently "melt" in the heat of the sun. But spray a mist of water on bread and leave it out overnight, and it will turn into a soggy mess. However, it will produce nowhere near an offensive odor as a rotting mushroom, nor will it melt away in the heat of the sun. On the contrary, if you put bread outside under the heat of the sun, you get a crouton.

The word "manna" is used 17 times in the Bible, and the term "hidden manna" can be found once in Revelation 2:17. Strong's Concordance refers to manna as the food of the angels, those who the Bible refer to as the elohim. Elohim is the Hebrew word for God, however, its meaning changes when the word is presented in all lower case. It is interesting to note that multiple cultures around the world also refer to some hallucinogenic mushrooms as the "food of the gods".

Author Dan Merkur, Ph.D., is one of the first researchers since the late John Allegro to approach the topic of hallucinogenic fungus use in the Bible from a scholarly perspective, even though Merkur is at times at odds with Allegro. Merkur's research has taken a critical look at the manna found in the Bible, and offers evidence that manna could have been a hallucinogenic fungus called ergot. There are about 50 different species of ergot, some of which infest grains like barley and rye, and were often baked into loaves of bread. However, some other forms of ergot are small, round, granular fungi, about the size of a "hoar frost".

In short, if I ate psychoactive mushrooms by the handful, I'd be seeing the glory of God, too. And even if there was such a person named Moses that led the Israelites from Egypt, he was simply an ancient version of Timothy Leary, and nothing more.

more to come...

Brian Kilmeade is a douchebag

How bad does the racism at Fox and Friends have to be when even Gretchen Carlson seems dumbfounded?



Kilmeade apologized soon after for this hugfest for bigots, but the damage had already been done.

Can someone please explain how FNC is at the top of the Nielsen ratings all the time with such jackassery? Seriously.

Muslim goes on a shooting spree at Ft. Hood

All too often, we are afraid to speak out against the evil actions that are committed by Muslims, especially when they commit those actions in the name of their god. In many places, particularly Europe and the Middle East, if you speak out against Islam at all, you're either thrown in jail or murdered. But Pat Condell is rather fearless and is pretty vocal in his views toward fundamentalist religion, specifically Islam. Here's one of his most recent clips.



Last Thursday in Ft. Hood, TX, Nidal Malik Hasan, a man with a very questionable military record, revealed not only his contempt toward the US military, but against infidels as well. Of course, the glaring irony is that this man was a psychiatrist serving in the US military, who gave into his own personal darkness and decided to kill 13 people and injure 30 others.

There are so many red flags that are associated with this man that it's truly frightening that he slipped through the system because of the sensitive nature of his religion. Once again, common sense and reason have taken a backseat in favor of dogma. The FBI opened an investigation on Hasan in 2005 because of suspicions that he was warming up to terrorist networks, but he was found innocent. But now that this and every other dirty secret about Hasan continue to surface, we're beginning to realize just how afraid we are of this heinous religion that deserves nothing more than to be laughed at. Sadly, we often need to take the threat of militant Islam even more seriously than the laughing stock known as creationism.

Jerry Goldsmith: A musical genius

I love science fiction. I get lost in it. Heck, I even started a short story in college that I never finished.

There are two movies that absolutely stand above all others in the sci-fi genre. The first and foremost is 2001: A Space Odyssey, co-written by the late, great Stanley Kubrick and Arther C. Clarke. 2001 is the perfect marriage of science and fiction. Though the dialogue in the movie was barely more than 18 minutes, it's musical score helped propel the movie and hold sci-fi aficionados utterly spellbound. Kubrick originally wanted Pink Floyd to do the entire soundtrack, but as we all know, that never happened. Which, is too bad. It would have been interesting to listen to. If you want to get an idea of what it would have been like, take a look at this clip. It is the last part of 2001 entitled, "Jupiter and Beyond the Infinite" coupled with my personal all-time favorite Floyd song, Echoes *sigh*. It's more than apparent that the music hinged on the progression of the final part of 2001.

The second movie that stands above the rest of the sci-fi competitors is Ridley Scott's 1979 classic Alien. At the time, Scott had no intention of being anywhere near sci-fi, but he took the director's chair anyway. Needless to say, the movie probably wouldn't have been such an immense hit with such a huge cult following if it weren't for the nightmarish, sexually repressed, yet strangely beautiful mind of Hans Rudolf Giger. Giger has always had his finger on the pulse of the dark and obscene, and knows just how to make you squirm. His designs for the creatures and the derelict spacecraft in the movie continue to inspire thousands of artists and sci-fi buffs everywhere.

But aside from the visual aspects of the movie, its perfect use of lighting, narrow passageways, and the unknown to induce fear, there is the musical score that could come only from the mind of Jerry Goldsmith. Goldsmith passed away on July 21, 2004, but not before leaving behind an enormous legacy. His music can be heard in over 100 movies and television shows, and he is the recipient of 18 Academy Award nominations, 7 emmy nominations, and 9 Golden Globe nominations, one of which was the score for Alien, which did not win. The judges must have been bought and paid for.

Goldsmith's score for the movie is everything that music for a sci-fi/horror film should be. Beautiful, dark, brooding, mysterious, pensive, edgy, unnerving, and at times, just downright creepy. It fits Alien so perfectly that it is virtually inseparable from the visual content of the movie. It makes you feel the vast emptiness, grandeur, and loneliness of space, the suspense and fear of being trapped in a narrow tunnel with nowhere to run, and the fear of one who is ultimately doomed from an unseen presence. Even the orchestra sounds alien at times.

An FYI, Scott is currently drawing up plans for a prequel to Alien. Hopefully, this will make up for the last two pathetic excuses for what Fincher, Jeunet, and the ever inept Joss Whedon tried to pass off as sequels, not to mention the Predator crossovers. Mr. Scott, if you're reading this, please, please, please, please, please, please, PLEASE contact me!

So here for your listening pleasure is the score from Alien (in 9 parts), followed Howard Hanson's Symphony Number 2, "Romantic" which played throughout the ending credits. Turn down the lights, put on your head phones, close your eyes, and listen. Because they just don't make 'em like these anymore.

Part 1. Part 2. Part 3. Part 4. Part 5. Part 6. Part 7. Part 8. Part 9. Romantic.

Pennsylvania gets an "A" in science!

Being from a small town trapped between Pittsburgh and the dogmatic Allegheny Plateau, I never thought Pennsylvania was so hot at science. Sure, we got some pretty great schools, such as Penn State, Pitt, Bucknell, Penn, and Carnegie Mellon, but what about the high schools? My high school was far from the ideal setting in which to learn about the sciences. But much to my surprise, Pennsylvania fairs better than most states in the Union. According to a recent study released by the NCSE, Pennsylvania does pretty well in the science department.

Back in January I posted a review of the most and least academic states in the Union and their inverse relationships with religion. Vermont is the least religious in the nation, while Mississippi is the most. In nearly every aspect of everyday living, Vermont came out on top. Not only is the quality of education and IQ higher there, but the overall quality of life is better. Meanwhile, Mississippi predictably lags behind. I also drew comparisons between the Northeast and the Bible Belt. Any ideas which region came out on top?

As predicted, the Northeast leads the Southeast in terms of science education. Not surprisingly, Texas has taken a sharp nose-dive thanks to anti-science goons like Don McLeroy. Meanwhile, the West dominates the trend toward quality scientific education.

But back here at home, things are okay. Maybe things aren't as bad in Pennsylvania as I once thought.

Ray loses. Again. (and again, and again, and again...)

In a couple of weeks, Ray and Kirk, along with their cohorts from ICR and AiG, are going to ascend on UC Berkeley en masse, where they plan to distribute their hacked up version of On the Origin of Species. They will attempt to convince students of all scientific disciplines that evolution is bad, that they know more about science than scientists do, and that they're all headed to a rather toasty eternity unless they turn to Jesus to forgive them of their sins, which includes accepting evolution.

In case you missed it, Ray has been muttering about his "debate" with executive director of NCSE, Eugenie Scott in US News and World Report. As usual, Ray's argument is the same old garbage that has been quickly disposed of - there are no transitional fossils, that evolution is atheistic, and species really means "kinds". Of course, Scott responded and handed Ray's rear end to him on a silver platter in the process. In his defense, Ray did post Scott's response at his blog. I have five points I'd like to make here:

1. It wasn't a debate, Ray. It was a beatdown, and you were on the receiving end.
2. Say it with me, Ray, and repeat over and over, "There are many examples of transitional fossils."
3. Evolution is neither theistic, nor is it atheistic. Evolution is a science, and like all science, it deals with empirical, observable, predictable evidence in a natural universe. That's all. End of story. Period.
4. Species is not the same as "kind".
5. You're not a scientist, Ray. Stop trying to fool everyone into believing that you are.

Scott stated that Ray apparently ripped out entire chapters from the book in his edition of Origin, and once again misrepresented science.

What? A Christian being dishonest? GASP!

I'm almost giddy with anticipation to hear about the aftermath of Ray and Kirk's visit to Berkeley. If you're a student or professor at Berkeley, please do us all a favor and record this debacle with your camcorder so we can all enjoy. Thanks!

One more reason to hate the Flyers

Last night the Pens squeaked by the Panthers. I spent half the game cursing at Tomas Vokoun through my television. Then I watched David Booth loose his stick then proceeded to pick up the puck with his hand and throw it down the ice. He went to the box for that, but the Pens failed to score. I laughed myself sick in disbelief.

Fast forward to tonight when thug Mike Richards lays a shoulder right on Booth's chin, who subsequently went face down onto the ice motionless.

Reason #4,235,089 to hate the Philadelphia Flyers - Mike Richards. Even Jesus hates the Flyers.

Christians torturing and murdering children in Africa.

Why are Christians torturing and murdering children in Nigeria? Because they're witches, of course! Do these Christians need actual proof that these kids are witches? Of course not!

Fundies in Africa are taking Exodus 22:18 to heart. It states, "Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live."

I had a bit of a tussle recently with an individual named Isaiah over at Ray's blog. Isaiah, who goes by the handle, God Sent, tried to convince me that the Bible is the end-all, be-all guide to morality. But whenever I posed him with a couple of simple questions to reveal his hypocrisy, he ran away.

If you're reading this, Isaiah, I want you to explain to me again how Judeo-Christianity is the foundation of morality after a bunch of brainwashed, fundamentalist murderers used the Bible as justification for their crimes. Against children, no less.

Even if you're not Isaiah, and you're a Christian, can you explain this to me?

Please?

Creationism at State High?

The likelihood of creationism being taught in our public schools in State College is a long shot. Most people here with any amount of gray matter between their ears know better. However, a few eyebrows were raised over the past couple days when a local Republican expressed his belief that creationism should be taught in public school.

*cringe*

The Republican in question is Brian Kaleita, one of five candidates up for election to the State College Area School District Board of Education. Of course, he's the only one who believes creationism is scientific. I don't know much about Brian Kaleita, so I did a little bit of homework on him.

On one hand, he expressed strong opposition to the Catholic Church's protection of priests' accused of sexual abuse, and publicly confronted an Altoona bishop, demanding the names of those who are being protected. For this, I stand firmly behind Kaleita. On the other hand, he's against equal rights for those who are not inclined to his sexual persuasion. And his belief that creationism should have equal footing with evolutionary biology put me firmly at odds with Kaleita, in spite of our shared perspective on sexual abuse by members of the clergy.

So, Mr. Kaleita, if you're reading this, let me give you three reasons why creationism should not be taught in public school.

1. Science deals with the physical, natural universe, that we can empirically observe and test. Creationism, however, by its very nature is supernatural, and not scientific. Therefore, the two ideas are mutually exclusive.

2. Which creation epic would you like to see in public science classes? Chinese, Sumerian, Germanic, Celtic, Polynesian, or Judeo-Christian? I presume that you would like to see the latter in school, but let me reassure you, Mr. Kaleita, biblical creationism has been thoroughly destroyed. Being a former creationist, I can tell you without reservation that creationism just does not stand up to scientific scrutiny. And even if you did get Judeo-Christian creationism in public school, what about the dozens of other ethnic and religious beliefs surrounding their versions of creation? Are you willing to give equal time to Egyptian creation epics? Probably not.

3. Creationism doesn't require you to know anything - about anything! It doesn't require you to understand chemistry, biology, genetics, physics, astronomy, geography, or even mathematics. Ask any creationist what plasma is, or a closed system, or an allele, or genetic drift, or explain speciation, and chances are they'll look at you like you have a third leg growing out of your forehead. But that's the comforting simplicity of creationism. It just requires belief. Whenever a creationist is asked, "Can you explain how goats mating in front of a series of poplar rods produces goats with stripes, speckles and spots?" they ignore you and run to the safety of their dogmatic belief in creation.

I could go on and on about why creationism does not deserve, nor should it be given, equal time with science. I think these three reasons are more than enough to destroy any ridiculous argument about trying to get creationism into public school. Especially in a place like State College. But you're welcome to try, Mr. Kaleita.

Note: This is my 100th post! Where, oh where, does the time go?

The brainwashed mind of Ray Comfort.

Last week Ray went on one of his rants about how the Jews are Gawd's chosen people, all other races are gutter trash, blah blah blah. Apparently, Ray believes that since the Jews are still around while other nations like the Moabites, Jebusites, and Perizzites have gone the way of the dodo, somehow this means that Gawd loves them more than any other race and has protected them all this time.

Ray, if you're reading this, I would like to introduce you to an ancient nation known as the Egyptians. Some of the earliest known artifacts have been dated to around 3,150 BCE, and regardless of your pre-conceived, Bible-induced stupor about the Egyptians, they were among one of the most advanced civilizations in the ancient world. They were around long before the Israelites, and guess what, Ray? They're still here! I love how you conveniently left that little part out of your recent musings, by the way.

But what I really don't understand is that Ray believes Gawd led the Hebrews out of the hands of all those mean, horrible little nations and let the Hebrews rape their virgins, steal their land, and murder their infants, only to hand their descendants over to the Nazis 3,000 years later.

Can you explain that to me, Ray? Oh wait! Let me guess - gassing 6 million Jews was God's will. Right, Ray?

Your dinner invitation dangles by the slenderest of threads, Mr. Comfort.

Too little, too late (again).

400 years after Galileo was threatened with death and placed under house arrest by the Church for having dared suggest that the earth revolves around the sun, the Vatican decided to have an exhibit celebrating his work.

In 1992, Pope John Paul II pardoned Galileo for confirming the theory held by Copernicus that the earth is not at the center of the Universe. Nice.

Anyway, I never wanted to go the Vatican until now. Anyone got an extra ticket to Italy?

Note to creationists: science once again confirmed a theory, proving that science is self-correcting. It supports theories that work, and weeds out those that don't.

A message for those who prefer dogma over medical attention

This is for Ray, Kent, Pat Robertson, the brainwashed zombies who killed Kara Neumann, and those of you who believe that healing faith is more important than medical science.

This is David Rice, a.k.a., Desertphile. David suddenly and mysteriously became ill, spiking a fever of 106 F. His friends believed that he was on his death bed. Thankfully, though, through a discipline that is foreign to all of you called medical science, the doctors who are helping to bring David back to health finally brought his temperature under control and gave him a good prognosis.

No faith healers were present during David's ordeal. Visit David's website, then visit his Youtube channel. Perhaps you'll learn something.

Just a reminder

One of the most brilliant performances by any actor of our time was by Peter Finch in his portrayal of TV anchor Howard Beale in the movie Network. I hate to use the word "prophetic", but these clips from the movie are just that - prophetic. This movie applies more to our time than any other throughout history.

Just a little reminder in this age of Paris Hilton and Lady Gaga clones - you are more powerful and infinitely smarter than anything Fox News, CNN, or any advertising agency can throw at you. Stop believing everything they tell you and be true to yourself, and no one else but your family.



------------------------

Thoughts on the word "tolerance"

I had a very brief exchange this morning with a Christian about the decision by the founders of Conservapedia to come out with their own version of the Bible. Apparently, all modern translations of the Bible are too liberal and feminine for these clowns, so they feel it's absolutely imperative to have their own version. Oh, and Hell. Apparently, nobody takes the "logic" and "very real existence" of Hell seriously these days. What a joke. If they do come out with their version of Gawd, I can't wait to get my hands on it so I can eviscerate it as well.

Anyway, the topic of tolerance came up from said Christian. The gist of his argument was, "for someone whose political group places so much emphasis on tolerance, you sure don't practice what you preach." No pun intended.

So let's consider this word for a moment in light of what the Bible says about a variety of topics, starting with parenting.

"And he that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death." Exodus 21:15

So, one of these days, if Brendan ever hits me out of childhood frustration and anger, the Bible says I have to put him to death.

I won't go too far into every facet and every verse of the Bible here. But Christians don't have much authority to wield when they discuss intolerance by atheists, agnostics, and other freethinkers toward Christianity. Genocide, infanticide, rape, murder, lying, slavery, and abortion are all condoned in the Bible. Are these things that we should tolerate?

I am intolerant of shameless ideologues who think the world should bow to their interpretation of God or die. I am intolerant of those who stomp on science and never make an attempt to understand it, but accept the luxuries it offers that make life better. I am intolerant of those who steal and lie to others to become wealthy. I am intolerant of misogynists who control and brainwash their wives and daughters, robbing them of a life, liberty, and education. I am intolerant of those who use religion in order to justify evil. I am intolerant of those who ignore science in favor of dogma.

Yes, I am intolerant. And you should be, too.

Kirk Cameron and Ray are at it again!

If you pay any attention to the creation vs. evolution debate, you know that Ray and his clone Kirk Cameron are releasing Charles Darwin's "Origin of Species" in its entirety, just days before its 150th anniversary, with one catch. Ray is going to put his own foreword in the beginning of the book. All 50 pages of it.

There's so much wrong with this I don't even know where to begin. I've gotten to the point where I believe that Ray is totally void of any kind of critical thinking skills. I've lost count of the number of questions that I've asked him at his blog, all of which went unanswered. I know that Ray's a very busy person, what with all the books to sell and money to steal from otherwise good, honest people. But he can't convince me that he's so busy that he can't take five minutes to answer even one of my questions.

Ray and Kirk plan to go to the University of California at Berkley to distribute their book to students, as well as students in the top 100 universities in the country. I want a ringside seat if he comes to Penn State. Now that would be entertainment!

Meanwhile, the goons over at the WND is tripping over their tongues in defense of this ruse from Kirk and Ray. Cameron states, "An entire generation is being brainwashed by atheistic evolution without even hearing the alternative; and it's radically changing the culture of our nation." Irony of ironies! Once again, Cameron doesn't, nor has he ever, stated the fact that there are many Christians including geneticist Francis Collins, biologist Ken Miller, and paleontologist Robert Bakker, who accept evolutionary biology as fact.

Besides, Kirk, everyone in the United States who is capable of learning has heard about the creation narrative(s) in the Bible. A poll conducted in 2004 by ABC News revealed that 60% of those surveyed believe that Noah's flood was a historic event, and about 61% believe in Biblical creation. Ergo, we've all heard your alternative, Kirk. It's bullshit, and people are starting to realize it.

The introduction is also supposed to mention Isaac Newton and Francis Bacon as examples of scientists who believe in God. But typical of Ray, what he doesn't mention is these men were occultists and alchemists. The article also mentions Copernicus. A word to the buffoon who wrote this article, it's spelled Nicolaus Copernicus, not Nikolas Capernicus.

Kirk and Ray also want to discuss the intricacies of DNA. I don't know if they knew it or not, but DNA was discovered by James Watson and Francis Crick. Watson is an atheist, while Crick, who died in 2004, was an agnostic "with a strong inclination towards atheism". But, again, this is something that you'll never hear come from the mouths of Ray and Kirk.

I'm still scratching my head over what Ray thinks will happen when this fiasco takes place. Ray, if you're reading this, seriously - what the hell? People, particularly students, are starting to realize that Biblical creationism is demonstrably false, hence the reason so many are starting to think for themselves. Do you think these same students are just going to drop what they're doing, confess that you're right and every scientist who accepts evolution is wrong? Do you really think you're going to make a difference?

Again, Kirk and Ray, take my advice. Instead of blathering on and on and on and on and on about how scientists who've dedicated their lives to the scientific method push a lie in order to save their jobs (which is itself a lie), get an education. Go to an accredited university like Penn State, the University of Chicago, M.I.T., Arizona State, or USC, and study any of these sciences:

Physics
Chemistry
Biology
Genetics
Geography
Paleontology
Astronomy
Geology
Seismology

After you've attained a Bachelor of Science in any of these disciplines, then you can make a reasonable argument against evolutionary biology. But just repeating that creationism is a scientific alternative to evolution doesn't make is so. Again, creationism can retreat to the safety of a creator when all else fails and the evidence is stacked against it. And since science deals with what we can empirically observe in a natural world, a supernatural creator is not a scientific hypothesis.

One year from now when your book has been all but forgotten, I'd like for you to reflect on how monumental of a failure this debacle has been for the both of you, and everyone at AiG.

YouTuber ZOMGitsCriss summarized it best. Hit play.

Kentucky census worker found hanged.

Last week I was offered a job with the census bureau as an assistant manager in State College. It's the first time I found true, meaningful work in well over a year, so you better believe I'm thrilled! But that thrill was somewhat diminished about ten minutes ago.

Part-time census worker, Bill Sparkman, was found dead hanging from a tree in Kentucky with the word "Fed" scribed on his body. There are conflicting reports whether the word was found on his belt or on his chest, as well as this truly has something to do with anti-gub'ment, right-wing conspiracy nutjobs.



If this does indeed have something to do with anti-government fear, mark my words - when all this alarmist rhetoric about the census dies down in 2011, those same right-wing nutjobs who can't find their collective asses with both hands and a road map are going to hail fear-mongers like Glenn Beck and Alex Jones as heroes.

This is getting scary.



Yeah, that's it, Glenn - unarmed people that are desperate for work and have no arms of any kind are going to walk up to your home and try to take your guns and owner's permit away. You're a loon.

Black Forest Star Party 2009

In 2007, I had the good fortune of attending Stellafane, an amateur telescope making convention held every year in Springfield, VT. It was my first time to Stellafane, and certainly not my last. I was absolutely awestruck by the darkness of the sky there. It was so dark that the strobe lights of every plane that flew overhead practically blinded you. As I was standing there staring into space, I heard someone near me say, "This is dark, but the darkest skies I ever saw was at Potter County." I didn't realize it at the time, but he was talking about Potter County, PA, home of Cherry Springs State Park.

Whoever he was, that guy back at Stellafane 2 years ago was correct. Let me tell you...wow!

The skies at this year's BFSP were absolutely the darkest skies I had ever seen. It was generally a good time had by all, with the few exceptions. Disrespectful and inconsiderate smokers couldn't stop smoking even under the vendor tents. My feverish hatred for smoking was only magnified under the tents as I couldn't even breathe long enough to check out the wares. The worst part of the weekend is that the guest from Hands-On Optics was the victim of theft after someone walked away with a TeleVue Nagler 26mm eyepiece. There are all types of people that are into amateur astronomy, but it really disgusts me that even this pure hobby isn't immune from crime. I'd like to think that there is a mutual respect for fellow skywatchers. I'd like to think.

Anyway, the overall experience was positive, and I hope Luke had a great time since it was his very first time to BFSP. Much was learned this year, and I have no doubt that even more will be learned next year.

To the upper left is one of my 10 second exposures of the northern sky. For some reason, I couldn't get my mount to track. Very annoying. The bad news is, the stars started to trail. The good news is, there is some color showing up, even after 10 seconds.

Clear skies!

Glenn Beck can't spell!

Glenn Beck. This stooge is a gold mine for people who believe in rational thought.

Keep in mind, this is the same man that makes people believe that the gub'ment is comin' to take yer guns away, Obama is a racist, the Democrats are going to kill the elderly through the public option, and rallied about a million brainwashed, petrified sheep together in DC last week.

Sad. Hilarious, but sad.

Religion and social health

A youtuber that goes by the handle, Desertphile, has posted a video that displays the inverse relationship between religion and the health of any given society. Desertphile does great work, but has little time for bullshit.



Back in January, I told you about the inverse relationship between the most and least religious states in the country - Mississippi and Vermont, respectively. In almost every facet of life, people in Mississippi fall far behind the people in Vermont with respect to quality of life. Crime is higher, the quality of education is lower, IQ is lower, and health is consistently ranked as the worst in the country. The same traits can be said of the Southeast versus the Northeast.

On the word "Nazi"

Nazi. The word is thrown around at anyone and everyone who has a different point of view than anyone and everyone else. I really hate to get ugly, I really do, but it's about time someone stood up and said something about the usage of this word.

I'm not a liberal. I'm not a conservative. Nor am I a Republican or a Democrat. I don't hate races, but I despise certain ideologies. When I was a Republican, it made me furious when I would see a picture of President Bush with a Hitler mustache. And even though that I'm not a Republican anymore, it still makes me angry.

Now we have a black man as president. He has a much different point of view than Glenn Beck, Bill O'Reilly, Rush Limbaugh, Billy Cunningham, or any other right-winger on the radio or tube today. He might not be perfect, but at least we have a president that finally believes in science than dogma. Regardless of what he has so far done, the right-wing lunatic fringe attacks President Obama and his administration as Nazis, just for the sake of the health of unfortunate Americans who can't afford health care. And I'm sick of it.

I'm sick of Democrats calling Republicans Nazis, and I'm sick of Republicans calling Democrats Nazis. Whether you're a Republican, Democrat, progressive, capitalist, marxist, communist, conservative, or liberal, I urge you to take a look at the following images, then think about your fellow American. Let them sink in, then ask yourself if it's appropriate to call someone a Nazi just because they disagree with you.

Warning: these are graphic.












So, the next time you see Obama, Pelosi, or Bush on TV, think of these images, then remind yourself that no American has ever sent 6 million Jews to their deaths.

More FNC bias

The Fox News goon squad was out in full force this week after Glenn Beck's 9/12 demonstrations held in DC. In an interview on Fox and Friends with hosts Steve Doocy and Gretchen Carlson, Beck stated that 1.7 million protesters showed up. The stupidity of these people has been elevated to dizzying heights. If you want a good sample of the kinds of people that were at the rally, hit the play button.



Anyway, there's been a small spark of controversy that arose after comments made by Beck during an interview on Fox and Friends, in which he stated there were 1.7 million protesters at the demonstration. He stated that a university, which somehow mysteriously eluded his memory, confirmed these numbers. Along with hosts Steve Doocy and Gretchen Carlson, Beck verbally groped each other in a feel good celebration of complete lunacy.

But what caught my attention during the interview wasn't whether or not Beck had a brain fart. It was Doocy who stole the show when he asked, "Since when is it okay in this country, you only can agree with the president, and you can't dissent?" Beck responded, "Since January 20th? I mean I've never seen anything like this."

Now Doocy and Beck are concerned about the First Amendment? They supported the lie of WMDs in Iraq by the Bush administration that lead to the deaths of over 4,000 soldiers and over 100,000 dead Iraqis, and added $900 billion to the national debt, all the while trashing people who dissented from the war. Not to mention the fact that they compare Obama to Hitler, coloring the president as a Nazi and a racist. Sad. So sad.

Nice try, guys. I suggest you go grab a coloring book and some crayons and have fun.

Here's your crow, Mr. Wilson.

By now everyone who pays any attention at all to politics has heard about the uproar regarding the commentary that Rep. Joe Wilson (R-SC...shock) made during the speech that President Obama was giving last week over health care reform. "You lie!" he yelled at the president, in response to the president's claim that his health care reform did not cover illegal immigrants. He apologized the very next day. But as is typical of Repubs these days, Wilson's attack has no credibility.

Meanwhile, Limbaugh is upset with Wilson because of his apology, and also believes that the president is lying. Hit the play button:



Limbaugh again opens his mouth when he should do Americans a huge favor and nail it shut. But I have to thank Rush because he just keeps on making his own party look ridiculously inept. Here's why.

In 2003, the Medicare Prescription Drug, Improvement and Modernization Act of 2003 was introduced on the House floor. The bill authorized federally funded health care for illegal immigrants. It was unanimously passed by both the House and the Senate, and President Bush signed it into law on December 8, 2003. The interesting part is, Joe Wilson voted for it.

So, open up wide, Rush and Mr. Wilson. Your crow is ready.

One more right-wing religious nutjob.

First it was Wiley Drake. Then it was Gordon Klingenschmitt. Now it's this guy. Meet Steven L. Anderson. He's the pastor and founder of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Tempe, AZ. He's also a first-rate ass clown.

Anderson is just one more in a growing trend of hate-filled zombies of the far religious right that wishes death upon anyone who doesn't subscribe to their point of view. He also says that homosexuals should get the death penalty. As typical of the far right, his target of choice is President Obama.

Last month Anderson told his congregation that he wishes the president would get "brain cancer so he can die like Ted Kennedy," then go to hell. Big words coming from a man who hides behind God while fomenting his brand of hatred.

In an interview with KSAZ Fox News 10 in Phoenix, AZ, he said "I will not take the law into my own hands. I will not take up any arms. It's a spiritual battle. It's a spiritual warfare."

He may not take up any arms, but members of his congregation sure will. His parishioners show up at his church frequently with sidearms on their hips. Take this guy for example. His name is Chris Broughton. Yep, he's the same guy that brought a loaded AR-15 to a convention center in Phoenix where the president was holding a town hall meeting last month. In a recent interview on the Alex Jones Show, Broughton said of Anderson's church, "It's the best church in the world."

These people are scary, folks. They perform a very delicate balancing act between the Constitution and terrorism. They're not afraid of death. They're not afraid of jail. They have only one agenda - stop President Obama and anyone who disagrees with them, and Jesus will reward them in heaven. That's what makes them so dangerous. They're one brain lapse away from a killing spree sparked by insanity brought on by their own version of Christianity.

Anderson is allowed to say that he hates Barack Obama. He can say every wicked thing in the world that he wants to about the man. But when he mentions that he prays for Barack Obama to die in one of his sermons, and the very next day one of his brainwashed minions shows up within firing range of the president with an AR-15, something needs to be done.

Stripping his church of 503c status is just the start, if indeed his church enjoys such status. This psychopath needs to be investigated and haunted by the Feds 24-7. I'm no fan of George Bush by any stretch of the imagination, but I have never wished death upon him.

I'm tired of neo-conservative, religious zealots like Anderson wielding the Bible as justification for their own fiery brand of hatred. Dirtbags like Anderson, Drake, and Klingenschmitt love to cherry pick verses from the Bible to support their very specific point of view. But you'll never hear them mention verses like 1 Timothy 2:1-2, Matthew 5:44, or Ephesians 6:12, that says our fight isn't against the flesh of men, but spiritual powers. Nor will you hear them mention any of the verses that say God alone puts men in positions of authority.

Watch Anderson spew his hatred below. Hit play.

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Happy Birthday, Neil!

On this day in 1952, the greatest progressive rock drummer of our time was born. Born Cornelius Ellwood Peart, Neil Peart has become one of the most influential musicians of our time. In 1974, he became the drummer and chief lyricist for Rush, and helped propel the band to a class all their own.

Last month he and his wife, Carrie, celebrated the birth of their daughter, Olivia Louise.

At any rate, congratulations, Neil! Here's best wishes for a happy birthday, and many more to come!

Ah, Reagan!

For all you so-called "conservatives" out there, I just came across this little tidbit from the...ermm...*ahem*...Great Orator himself.

Speaking on behalf of members of the mujahideen, who later became Al Qaeda, on the White House lawn in 1985, he said:

"These gentleman are the moral equivalents of America's founding fathers."

Um, hey Sean? Since you love Reagan so much, who left us $2 trillion in debt by the way, would you like to explain why he was praising the very people who would later become our enemies and murder 3,000 innocent people? Hmm?

Rush?

Quinn?

Rose?

Glenn?

Bill?

Anyone?

The cure for hiccups

Got the hiccups? I just found the perfect fix!

Wegman O's chocolate sandwich creme cookies and milk. Just a few and a small glass of milk. That's it.

Update: Dale Neumann

In May I told you about the death of Kara Neumann. She was murdered by her parents because they felt that praying to Jesus provided more hope to save their daughter than medical treatment for diabetes. The day she died, Kara became so weak that she collapsed to the floor and went into a coma. Even as Kara was dying her parents prayed and asked their friends and family to pray for her instead of calling 911.

Thanks, Jesus.

Kara's mother, Leilani, was convicted in May of second degree homicide. On August 1st her husband was also charged with the same crime. Both face up to 25 years in prison.

But here's the kicker. Dale's attorney, Jay Kronenwetter said, "Dale Neumann was doing what he thought would work for his daughter. He was administering faith healing. He thought it was working."

This little girl was dying for a month. She grew weaker and weaker every day, until she finally collapsed and went into a coma. And even then, Dale and Leilani thought praying would heal their daughter and save her from certain death. At which point did these murderers realize that Kara's "faith healing" wasn't working?

As far as I'm concerned everyone who prayed for Kara knowing she was being denied medical treatment instead of calling child protective services should be put on trial as well. How people like Kronenwetter can sleep soundly is a mystery.

Have fun in jail, Neumann's.

In related news, Daniel Hauser is continuing chemotherapy for his non-Hodgkins lymphoma by court order.

A few thoughts on the Ark

Noah's Ark, that is.

If you frequent Ray's channel, you'll know that I ask a lot of questions. I'm also asked a lot of questions, and I can't remember a time that I didn't try to provide an answer. I could be wrong, but I don't think I am.

Every now and then the b.s. gets so high that I have to speak up. Almost every question I ask of the fundies and non-fundies alike are met with resounding silence or seething anger. I understand that you have safe haven at Ray's blog, but here you have no such luxury. You do, however, have the ability to speak freely at my blog, something that is little more than a courtesy at Ray's blog. Here, the First Amendment reigns supreme.

Anyway, this is for those of you who continue to rail against those of us who do not subscribe to your point of view and inform us that we're all hellbound worthless pieces of trash. Are you listening, Terry?

So here are a few questions that I have for the young earthers, those of you who believe the universe is ~6,000 years old, at Ray's blog. The first question is in 2 parts:

1. If you are a young earth creationist, you no doubt believe that dinosaurs walked side-by-side with man. If you're an absolute lunatic, you believe that Satan buried dinosaur fossils to confuse mankind in an attempt to lead us from God. Either way, the Bible says clearly that God lead two of each kind of animal onto the Ark. The Bible also says that the Ark was about 45' tall, 75' wide, and 450' long. It had 3 decks, one door, and an 18" window for ventilation.

First, tell me how an 18" window is going to provide adequate ventilation from all the methane, ammonia, and carbon monoxide coming out of every orifice of every animal on the ark.

Secondly, tell me how you can fit an adult brachiosaur, diplodicus, or spinosaur through the door of the Ark, especially when the height between decks would have been no more than about 13 feet. Keep in mind, an adult brachiosaur stood well over 20' at the shoulder and about 45' tall.

2. In 1961 Henry Morris said that there were 37,000 animals on the Ark. But in 1987, he bumped that number up to 50,000 in a pathetic attempt to account for the vast diversity of species. Whatever the number he wants to use, let's just assume for the sake of the argument that there were a lot of animals on the Ark.

Genesis 6 says that God decided to kill all living things on earth. All living things means plant life, too. If that's true, when the Ark landed on Mount Ararat there would have been nothing for any herbivore to eat. The predators, however, had plenty of those yummy herbivores to munch on. Since Mount Ararat was essentially an island, the herbivores had nowhere to run and were easy pickings for the predators as they stepped off the Ark. The site would have been an absolute blood bath.

How did the herbivores escape certain death at the top of Mount Ararat?

3. Pandas. They're cute, cuddly, and very endangered. Bamboo makes up over 95% of their diet. Unfortunately, bamboo has very little nutritional value, so the panda has to eat huge amounts of it in order to survive, up to 84 lbs. per day. To make things harder for the panda, although bamboo grows in a variety of climates, it does not grow in deserts.

How did 2 pandas survive the trip from mainland China and into Mesopotamia with no bamboo to sustain them? Even if they got to the Ark, they had to have at least 30 pounds of bamboo a day for about 365 days. 30*365 = 10,950. Would you care to explain how these animals carted over 5 tons of bamboo through the Gobi desert and over the rugged, mountainous terrain of Central Asia?

4. Penguins. Polar bears. Walruses. Arctic foxes. Arctic seals. These are animals that are supremely adapted to survive in bitter cold environments. They're not found in deserts for a reason - they'd die there. Quickly.

Please tell me how these animals survived swims up to 6,000 miles, walked through a desert with no fish to eat, and boarded the Ark in one piece.

I can practically hear your keyboards melting as you furiously scramble to ICR for answers. While I accept your best answer, copying and pasting arguments from creationist wackos like Duane Gish and Kent Hovind will not be accepted.

Justice!

Poor Kent Hovind.

Sitting in jail for fraud and stealing from the government and ripping off his employees. Not only does he have about 7 years left on his sentence, but a federal judge has given the green light for the Feds to seize his creationist ermm...ahem, "theme park" for restitution. $430,400 and change. Ouch!

I seem to remember Ray saying something a few weeks ago about money being well spent on scientific research. I agree. I say the Feds should give that money to the National Science Foundation for research into evolutionary biology. That would be money well spent.

Whaddya think, Ray?

Jefferson the Creationist

I realize that this is a little bit late, but as I was listening to Episode #209 of the Skeptics Guide to the Universe, I heard that the DiscoTute has confirmed that Jefferson would be a creationist if he were alive today. At least that's what Stephen Meyers would have us believe.

Keep in mind that Jefferson died before the Origin of Species was published, not to mention the discoveries of Hubble's Law or Cosmic Background Radiation. To his credit, at least Meyers confirmed this in his article.

Meyers touches on DNA for just a moment, referring to Crick and Watson's discovery of DNA structure. Of course, what Meyers doesn't tell you is that Crick was an agnostic "leaning toward atheism," while Watson, 81, is an atheist. Crick has gone so far as to say "Christianity may be OK between consenting adults in private but should not be taught to young children." Neither does Meyers tell you that Jefferson was a deist, not a Christian.

Like most creationists, Meyers is trying to push not just creationism onto the public, but a very specific kind of creationism. And that's something that should give all of us pause.

In somewhat related and equally late news, the Texas State Board of Education thinks its high school history text books need revised. Apparently, Thurgood Marshall isn't a hero worthy of recognition, but Billy Graham is.

Says right-wing, fundamentalist lunatic, Don McLeroy, "America is a special place and we need to be sure we communicate that to our children. The foundational principles of our country are very biblical.... That needs to come out in the textbooks."

As if Rome had nothing to do with the foundation of Western civilization. Why this man is still employed by anyone is beyond me.

Genetics is the cause of autism, Ms. McCarthy. Sorry.

Personally, I think Jenny McCarthy is pretty funny, and I'm sure she'd be a great conversationalist. But when it comes to science, she just doesn't have the facts on her side.

After years of debate and fear-mongering over vaccinations as the cause of autism and Aspergers Syndrome, scientists are zeroing in on the their true cause - genetics. Click here for the full story.

God is pro-life...supposedly.

I was driving through Bloomsburg last evening when I was passed by a car with the bumper sticker you see to the left. I laughed.

If you're a Christian, you need to understand that it's possible to not believe in Jesus and be pro-life, no matter what the far-right fundies tell you. It is also possible to be a Christian and be pro-choice. However, the biggest pro-choice advocate in the world is Jesus himself. I know that's hard for you to believe, but it's true, and I'm going to prove it to you.

Read the following verses. Think about them, be honest, and ask yourself if the god you serve is truly pro-life.

"Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves."

Numbers 31:17-18

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"And the LORD said unto me, Behold, I have begun to give Sihon and his land before thee: begin to possess, that thou mayest inherit his land. Then Sihon came out against us, he and all his people, to fight at Jahaz. And the LORD our God delivered him before us; and we smote him, and his sons, and all his people. And we took all his cities at that time, and utterly destroyed the men, and the women, and the little ones, of every city, we left none to remain:"

Deuteronomy 2:31-34

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"And thou shalt eat the fruit of thine own body, the flesh of thy sons and of thy daughters, which the LORD thy God hath given thee, in the siege, and in the straitness, wherewith thine enemies shall distress thee:"

Deuteronomy 28:53

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"Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass."

1 Samuel 15:3

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"And he went up from thence unto Bethel: and as he was going up by the way, there came forth little children out of the city, and mocked him, and said unto him, Go up, thou bald head; go up, thou bald head. And he turned back, and looked on them, and cursed them in the name of the LORD. And there came forth two she bears out of the wood, and tare forty and two children of them."

2 Kings 2:23-25

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"And Hazael said, Why weepeth my lord? And he answered, Because I know the evil that thou wilt do unto the children of Israel: their strong holds wilt thou set on fire, and their young men wilt thou slay with the sword, and wilt dash their children, and rip up their women with child."

2 Kings 8:12

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"Then Menahem smote Tiphsah, and all that were therein, and the coasts thereof from Tirzah: because they opened not to him, therefore he smote it; and all the women therein that were with child he ripped up."

2 Kings 15:16

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"O daughter of Babylon, who art to be destroyed; happy shall he be, that rewardeth thee as thou hast served us. Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stone."

Psalms 137:9

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"Their children also shall be dashed to pieces before their eyes; their houses shall be spoiled, and their wives ravished."

Isaiah 13:16

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"Their bows also shall dash the young men to pieces; and they shall have no pity on the fruit of the womb; their eyes shall not spare children."

Isaiah 13:18

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"Behold, O LORD, and consider to whom thou hast done this. Shall the women eat their fruit, and children of a span long? shall the priest and the prophet be slain in the sanctuary of the Lord?"

Lamentations 2:20

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"Slay utterly old and young, both maids, and little children, and women: but come not near any man upon whom is the mark; and begin at my sanctuary. Then they began at the ancient men which were before the house."

Ezekiel 9:6

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"Give them, O LORD: what wilt thou give? give them a miscarrying womb and dry breasts."

Hosea 9:14

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Samaria shall become desolate; for she hath rebelled against her God: they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with child shall be ripped up.

Hosea 13:16

I know many of you will try to justify the actions of your god by stating something to the gist of, "Well, it's God, so he can do whatever he wants"..."These people were picking on God's people, so they had it coming"..."Burn in hell, you God-hating, anti-American, leftist scum!"..."You're taking the Bible out of context." But how you can take smashing a baby's head against a boulder over and over and over out of context is beyond me. Hate is hate, evil is evil, and killing an innocent child, regardless of religion or political affiliation is the greatest evil of all.

But ask yourself, if Jesus told you to go forth into someone else's land and kill their children, would you do it? If you say yes, you're in dire need of psychological help.

No flyover for you!

I love the First Amendment. But I don't love when it's stretched out of context.

During the July 7th edition of Fox and Friends, anchor Gretchen Carlson and guest Patrick Mahoney took exception to the Pentagon's denial of a flyover request at the "God and Country Festival" at Nampa, Idaho. They're in a tizzy because this is the first time in 42 years that a flyover request has been denied, and apparently it's all Obama's fault.

Carlson read part of the Pentagon's response on air:

"Air Force and DoD policy prohibit support for events which appear to endorse, selectively benefit, or favor any special interest group, religious or ideological movement."

Carlson continued, "But Reverend Patrick Mahoney of the Christian Defense Coalition says the rally was not designed to promote any one religious faith, but rather to celebrate the troops."

A quick visit to the event's website proves otherwise:

The God and Country Festival in Nampa, Idaho is organized by a volunteer-driven organization called the God and Country Association, Inc. The organization is made up of Christians who are committed to strengthening the fabric of the Treasure Valley community through the Good News of Jesus Christ. We are also interested in helping believers around the nation get an independent God and Country event started. We believe that Christians in America should have a natural affection for their country because it was founded on the godly ideal that liberty is derived, n ot as a gift of governments and politicians, but as a gift of our Creator.

So much for that theory, Mr. Mahoney.

Carlson then asks, Maloney, "So, when I first read this story, I found it hard to believe. Because for 42 years at this rally in Idaho the Pentagon has authorized a flyover. Suddenly, this year, a new president in office, and a new policy. What do you make of it?"

There is no new policy, Ms. Carlson. It's just an old policy that is simply, finally, being enforced.

Mahoney responded, "Well, we're stunned actually. And it's a reminder that the Constitution promises freedom of religion, not freedom from religion."

The Constitution protects everyone, reverend. It is there to provide Americans with the freedom to worship however they choose - even if they choose not to. It protects, theists and non-theists alike. It protects Christians, Jews, Wiccans, Muslims, Buddhists, atheists, agnostics, deists, and even Satanists. If you don't like this, perhaps you should leave the country.

By the way, Mahoney is the same clown that paid a visit to Obama's office in July 2008 when he was still a senator. Mahoney showed up with this sign.

Nice.

So, I have a question for Carlson, Mahoney, and other fundamentalists like them - how would you like for tax payer money to be spent on the Thunderbirds having a flyover at an Islamic rally, or even a Satanic rally? It makes all of you very nervous, doesn't it?

Here is the rest of the response letter from the Pentagon that Carlson didn't want you to read:

Thank you for your request for Air Force aviation support during God and Country Festival on 01 Jul 2009 in Nampa, ID.

We have carefully reviewed this particular event. As you may recall from the request form's instructions, the Department of Defense (DoD) authorizes the Air Force to participate in flyovers for those recognition events held in direct support of the five patriotic holidays (Armed Forces Day, Memorial Day, Independence Day, POW-MIA Day and Veterans Day) and for aviation-related events, such as airshows and airport dedications. Sporting events that fall on one of the five patriotic holidays mentioned above are not considered to be events held in direct support of a holiday commemoration and will require a waiver.

Your Air Force aviation support request doesn't fall into either approved category, as such, we are unable to approve it. Air Force and DoD policy prohibit support for events which appear to endorse, selectively benefit, or favor any special interest group, religious or ideological movement.

With an increasingly high operations tempo and limited resources to meet our training and operational commitments, we are required to take a hard look at all of our requests and carefully follow our policies and guidelines. In denying your request, we are not questioning the worthiness of the event, but rather enforcing DoD and Air Force policy to preserve the operational and training requirements of our aviation units and to practice the prudent stewardship of taxpayer-financed resources.

We hope that you can appreciate and understand our position. We believe that your event will, nevertheless, be a success. Any further questions can be referred to me at 703-695-9664.

Tech. Sgt. Roy Utley

Aviation Support
703-695-9664 Phone
703-693-9601 Fax
www.airshows.pa.hq.af.mil

Hit the play button.