I hadn't intended to go to the viewing, knowing he's not in that body anymore. I was ushered into that room to greet the family, and there was my last grandpa, in his casket. He was wearing just the shirt I would have remembered him in, western style with pearled snaps and a bolo tie, as I would have imagined. Ninety years old and he still had a beautiful head of thick, silver hair. He looked good. He'd put some weight back on. Seven cancers tried and failed. He was a tough old bird. He…

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vEKuGcmW70I

God's Song



Cain slew Abel Seth knew not why

For if the children of Israel were to multiply

Why must any of the children die?

So he asked the Lord

And the Lord said:



Man means nothing he means less to me

Than the lowliest cactus flower

Or the humblest Yucca tree

He chases round this desert

'Cause he thinks that's where…

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Fire and Ice

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"Daffodils" (1804)

I WANDER'D lonely as a cloud

That floats on high o'er vales and hills,

When all at once I saw a crowd,

A host, of golden daffodils;

Beside the lake, beneath the trees,

Fluttering and dancing in the breeze.

Continuous as the stars that shine

And twinkle on the Milky Way,

They stretch'd in never-ending line

Along the margin of a…

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http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NkwJ-g0iJ6w <I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW by Johnny Nash

I heard this song on a recent, sunny day, and it hit me in a way it never had before. I realized that it describes the great relief I feel, having put religion behind me. It's practically an atheist anthem, except for that little reference to prayer. So I changed a few words...

I CAN SEE CLEARLY NOW (my…

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Locker number 3 belongs to a woman who reads her bible on

breaks and lunchtime. Tonight she posted Easter greetings on her

locker. The card said "God's blessings at Easter" and the for god so

loved the world that he gave his blahblah verse.

Well!

I thought about it for a couple of hours. Should I let it go? Naw. I'm in locker

2, it's right there, in my face and it's offensive. I could create a

little collage of newspaper articles to post on my locker;… Continue

This nice kid at work, who knows I'm an atheist, came up to me the other night, a little freaked out.

"Rudy is f-ing nuts!", he tells me.

Rudy had been talking to Kid about The End Times; how it's happening

right now (just look at the news!) and the anti-christ, who will come

from England, is roaming the world right now. The End is near. Rudy

says he's preparing with prayer and penance. Penance! Like his job

isn't punishment enough! I wonder what else he does for… Continue

Ain't it the truth?!



“A religious person is a dangerous person. He may not become a thief or a murderer, but he is liable to become a nuisance. He carries with him many foolish and harmful superstitions, and he is possessed with the

notion that it is his duty to give these superstitions to others. That

is what makes trouble. Nothing is so worthless as superstition. . . .”

— Marilla M. Ricker, "Science Against Creeds," I Am Not Afraid Are…

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I heard it again today, that atheism is just another religion. What are they thinking? How does non-belief constitute a religion? I'd love for one of Them to explain that to me. How do you respond to that?

Have you seen this? A young woman posted a video about her abortion. What do you think?

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=59Ud3g2ymOM&feature=player_embedded

"I want no heaven for which I must give my reason; no happiness in exchange for my liberty, and no immortality that demands the surrender of my individuality".



I can't add anything profound here. It's just that I listened to Ingersoll's lecture, INDIVIDUALITY tonight (on Librivox) and found myself scribbling like mad, trying to write down the many points that I wanted to remember. Finally decided I might as well look him up online. Cut and paste is much more legible.



If… Continue

I'm an atheist. Why do I have all these bibles? I need room on my bookshelf for THE GOD DELUSION.

My great-grandmother's bible is in Norwegian; I can't even read it. It's a small, worn hardback version with her signature on the first blank page; 'Mrs. Ed Hendrickson'. She was already with child when she came to the United States to marry him in the late 1800's. I imagine her great relief, signing that book, "Mrs.Ed Hendrickson" I keep this bible because it holds her signature and a… Continue

On the back of USPS form 3971, a request for leave, there's a list of

different types of leave. You may request annual leave, sick leave,

military, court, or ACT OF GOD. So, just for fun, I looked in the

Employee Labor Relations Manual (ELM) for ACT OF GOD. Here's part of

it...



" 519.213 Determining the Cause of Absence

Postmasters and other appropriate postal officials determine whether

absences from duty allegedly due to “acts of God” were, in fact, due… Continue

My daughter dreamed she saw an elephant on 33rd street, a few blocks from my house. She wondered, why an elephant? We joked about what it might symbolize; weight gain? an elephant never forgets? She said, "maybe it's The Elephant In The Room".

She might be right. The elephant in the room is Religion. It looms between us and threatens our relationship. It's not something we can chat about.

She has never wanted to talk about religion. She didn't care about it, never thought about it and… Continue

Dig this excellent poetry!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=UB_htqDCP-s