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July 2009 Blog Posts (229)

The Consequences of Human Life Extension

From the time the human species became aware of their mortality they have begrudged the short time granted them between birth and the long dirt nap. To escape that eventuality a great deal of irrational thinking has been invested to create alternative narratives more comforting than that which reality offers.

Resurrection, reincarnation, magic elixirs, fountains whose waters grant immortality or sorcerer’s incantations - all delusions of the desperate to avoid facing the reality of… Continue

Added by Jim DePaulo on July 28, 2009 at 4:38pm — 10 Comments

Is TV/Film getting worse? My random Entertainment rant!

I'm sitting on my couch home, and I really have nothing to watch! I used to follow all of the HBO shows: Sopranos, Sex in the City, Deadwood, Carnivale, Six Feet Under, all fantastic shows! Now I can't even watch a second of the new ones: True Blood (the acting is sooo bad), Hung (really WTF?), never was a fan of Entourage (aka Sex in the City, but with guys). I feel HBO is lowering their standards. Just put a few sex scenes, blah blah blah, everyone will watch. I remembered when HBO put stuff… Continue

Added by Jennifer W on July 28, 2009 at 4:00pm — 11 Comments

My Mother's Words

My mom and I are both working through the effects of being raised by her cult-leading mom/my grandma. She recently wrote this about her own childhood, and I related it to my deconversion.

One striking aspect of how our mother raised us was how actively she defined and described the world to us. Some of the time she would teach us things, perhaps when we were in the car on the way to… Continue

Added by Angie Jackson on July 28, 2009 at 1:53pm — 10 Comments

Parallel Worlds and the Multiverse

As a strong atheist I must confess a weakness for cosmic speculation on such things as the nature, {or existance}, of Time-which I see as a construct which must extent infinitely in the past and the future. There has always been matter and energy and they will exist forever. In addition, I fancy the unprovable,(at present), concepts of parallel and/or multiple universes. If any of you would like to blog about these topics, I would love to here from you.

Added by Edward Beardsley on July 28, 2009 at 1:31pm — 2 Comments

A break in the N.J. Vodou death

AN: I've been following this story pretty closely, but I'm happy to announce there's finally a suspect in the senseless killing. You'll never GUESS who it is! reposted from Good Reason News:

Although he looks like a confused teenage goth who likes to play with his sisters dolls, Hector Salva is South Jersey's… Continue

Added by Billy Deaton on July 28, 2009 at 11:23am — No Comments

health insurance companies don't care who you voted for

Just a couple of weeks ago, my Dad went to pick up his eye drops for glaucoma, and instead of the $4. he expected, he was told the tiny bottle would cost $72. Almost 20 years ago he retired from Caterpillar Tractor Co, and thought he had health coverage for life. Nope. He's reached his lifetime max, so now all he has is Medicare, which will cover 80% of allowable cost. So, 20+ % of the next hospitalization bill will undoubtedly cost thousands of dollars.

The irony here is that for the past… Continue

Added by Juliet Defarge on July 27, 2009 at 4:11pm — 4 Comments

A|N - worthy experiment.

It will be interesting to watch A|N grow with time. Right now it seems like a pretty small community, and I feel a little self-conscious posting stuff, since unlike MySpace, or Facebook, anything you say or post seems to shoot straight to the top of the main-page for all to see and yak about. Not sure I like it personally, but it will probably help the community to grow. Once it reaches a sufficient size, some degree of anonymity will be restored as one's musings will be quickly buried in the… Continue

Added by Aggiememenon on July 27, 2009 at 1:06am — 2 Comments

Spammers and potential spammers will be ignored

Not that it will do any good to say so, but all "friend" requests from Spammers and potential Spammers will be promptly ignored/rejected. Get-rich-quick schemes, links, whatever...If I spot that on your profile, I'm ignoring your friend request outright. Don't have time to mess with that stuff.

Some folks have been more subtle than others, but either way I don't appreciate it.

--JJR aka "Aggiememenon"

Added by Aggiememenon on July 26, 2009 at 8:33pm — 3 Comments

Come check out my god-free blog posts

Hi... well.. I've been an atheist for over 30 years, and I've been thinking about this stuff for a while.

I've been writing about this stuff on the web for a few years.

If you're curious, feel free to stop by my blog and check out my atheist-themed blog posts here.

Added by Paul Tourville on July 26, 2009 at 6:16pm — 9 Comments

Response to a DOGmatic article

AN: I've responded to a piece in a Wisconsin area newspaper, please let me know what you think. By the way, you can also read this at Good Reason News where you can also fine an adorable puppy dressed as the pope.

Thanks,

-b.

I'm taking a page from Angie's book today and responding… Continue

Added by Billy Deaton on July 26, 2009 at 6:02pm — No Comments

Plantains, Pub-Paloza and Pinks: Hanging with Brother Richard

I just woke up from my night out with “Brother” Richard Haynes, Director of Atheists Nexus. It could have been wilder, but alas I had to drive home 2 hours from L.A. so I needed to stop myself at two beers in order to be sober enough to make the trek. But I could tell from the wild look in his eyes, that if I was willing to follow him to the depths of drunkenness, he would have been a willing partner. Already I was nursing a hang over from the night before; I put away four tall margaritas in… Continue

Added by Brian Parra on July 26, 2009 at 5:00pm — 11 Comments

YASNS WTF OK fine

Yet another Social Networking Site - Whiskey Tango Foxtrot! "You really should join!"

OK fine.

So anyway, I went ahead and joined AtheistNexus. I have too many theistic friends and family on Facebook; I was having to go back to MySpace to really speak my mind, but mostly as a lone voice crying in the wilderness. I've been slightly more assertive on Facebook of late, but it is never far from my mind that one of my longtime High School friends is an Episcopal priest, while two… Continue

Added by Aggiememenon on July 26, 2009 at 4:23pm — 1 Comment

Ignorance and Stupidity in the U.S.A.

This is my first blog post on Nexus and with a title such as I have titled this blog, possibly my last but I hope not. A little about myself before we get into the meat of this subject...

I was born and raised in a small town in southeastern Ohio. I was a failure in the public education system and dropped out in the eighth grade. I worked in a variety of jobs mostly in the corrugated box industry. I have lived in Columbus Oh, Jacksonville Fl, Greenbay Wi, Fargo ND and now I am back… Continue

Added by Ron Edwards on July 26, 2009 at 3:15pm — 3 Comments

Rationality vs. Emotion

Can a person be rational perpetually? If so, what are the hurdles that must be overcome? Does the practice reduce one's humanity?

On a personal note, I strive to be completely rational at all times. I have yet to come across a situation in which logic and reason do not serve me at least as well as, and more often better than an emotional response.

That doesn't mean one can't enjoy a good bit of music, or a vapid summer blockbuster. An emotional reaction isn't irrational -… Continue

Added by sean hogge on July 26, 2009 at 12:41pm — No Comments

Sunday School

I've added a new weekly feature to Angie the Anti-Theist full of recommended reading from blogs I follow or stumble on.

To nominate a post, send me the permalink and one line description. Thanks and happy reading!

Added by Angie Jackson on July 26, 2009 at 11:47am — No Comments

Within a Guideline

Seeing everything. Noticing everyone. I am the "evil" one. I am scary. I don't believe this but this is what is whispered. I try to care what others think of me but then I realize that they have no control over me. I am free, with limitations. Boiling inside is anger. My face shows otherwise. Prepare for a smack of knowledge the next time we meet. Looks can be deceiving but your face matches your soul. Ugly.

Added by Jeremy on July 26, 2009 at 10:57am — No Comments

With Friends Like This...

Well, there seems to be a new one every week, a Christian who claims atheism is a kind of faith. So let's parse this nonsense and explain again the chasm of distinction between belief and non-belief. (You'd think it would be so obvious they aren't the same thing, but you'd be surprised.)

Irish Times Op-Ed writer Breda O'Brien claims

Atheists often appeal to science to underwrite their disbelief, but the decision not to believe in God lies ultimately in the arena of gut… Continue

Added by Angie Jackson on July 25, 2009 at 11:14pm — 5 Comments

"believing in god isn't what makes theists bad" - a rebuttal

I agree that believing in God is not what made the NJ rabbis launder money, or makes a Catholic priest rape an alter boy. But it is what makes a Jehovah's Witness deny a life-saving blood transfusion for their kids. It is what makes some uneducated people decide to homeschool their kids, and doom them to a life of minimum wage ignorance. It is what makes people treat their fellow man intolerantly, and demand that followers of other faiths (or no faith) or people who are gay or of a minority… Continue

Added by Angie Jackson on July 25, 2009 at 6:43pm — 8 Comments

To Hell with Hell

Something has been bothering me for quite some time now. I think almost as long as I can remember. The unwarranted fear of this nonexistent place called hell is truly an unfortunate thing. An underlying, subterranean social cancer, one might say. It used to keep me up nights as a child and well into adulthood; tossing and turning the precious night hours away; imagining myself and everyone I ever cared about screaming in perpetual agony for all eternity in a pit of never-ending hellfire. I… Continue

Added by The Ray on July 25, 2009 at 6:00pm — No Comments

How the future will see us?

Hypothetical.

There is a massive catastrophe that wipes out much of the human race. 10,000 years in the future humans are abundant again in the world and have achieved the level of technology we have today. One major difference. There is no religion just science and reason.

By some odd chance archeologists will find the 7 Harry Potter books in every dig of every residence. And only the 7 harry potter books. All other books were destroyed.

What will they think of… Continue

Added by Matthew F. on July 25, 2009 at 4:15pm — 3 Comments