The following is a true story:
One day my husband was enjoying some quality time with his friend and his wife. These friends was a Christian Fundamentalists and my husband is a non-believer. This never hindered their friendship, as it should be, but they would sometimes find themselves in polite debate about religion. On this particular evening, over dinner, the discussion turned to religion and fossils to be exact.
My husband asked his friend "But what about dinosaur bones?".
His friend's answer was that "God put them there."
My husband then asked "So God buried the dinosaur bones for humans to later dig up?"
His friend simply stated "Yes".
Hubby then asked "But why would God do that? Dinosaur bones are nothing but a source of contention for your beliefs, the belief that you say God commands of you. Why would he put something on this earth that makes his believers question his existence? Or was it so we wouldn't get bored?"
His friend said "To test our faith."
Hubby "Why would God need to test our faith if he is real we would already know it and assume his existence is actual, why do we need to be tested. Sounds childish to me."
Anyway, the conversation fizzled out at that point as his friend decided he didn't want to answer any more questions about his belief. Fair enough, I guess...but this is a common sentiment of Christians when it comes to fossils that clearly date the earth older than 6,000 years old as it is according to the Book of Genesis. They also like to claim that the geologic column does not disprove God and prove evolution, but instead it PROVES God does in fact exist. It is complete lunacy, but here is their reasoning.
The Geologic Column
The geologic column is the layers of sediment that have continued to grow since the beginning of the Earth. Fossils are found in these layers and each layer represents a different time in the history of Earth. The lowest layer, therefore the oldest layer, shows single celled organisms and the highest most new layer shows fossils of Homo sapiens as we are the youngest up to this point of Earth's life forms. The geologic column is sorted by time and in each layer there are different life forms found, some continue on throughout the layers, evolving as time goes by and some are extinct, like the dinosaurs. For more information on dating of the earth and the geologic column, please visit the Geologic Time Scale.
Noah's Flood
Ok so now that is out of the way, let's discuss "The Great Flood". Supposedly God made it rain for forty days and forty nights, we all know the story right? Noah was commanded to build and ark and save animals. The only humans saved were his own family, how convenient. What he forgot was plant life and at the time of the writing of Noah's journey, people did not realized that plants were actually a form of life so it is understandable why they were left out of the equation. That plant life survived this "flood" must be a "miracle" right? Also, Noah's flood was stolen from the much older story of Gilgamesh, but the bible stealing stories and holidays is a whole other post for another time.
Here it is important to note that creationists believe that all life form was created at the same time and if this were the case then we should see all fossils in the same layer of the geologic column, but instead we see a "sorted" column. We should especially see a large quantity of fossils from the "Flood" as everything was wiped out during this 40 day period, expect for what Noah was able to save, right? Well this is not the case but the creationists have a couple ways to answer this, none of which make any common sense, but here they are.
The Answers
During the great deluge, the least sophisticated organisms sank to the bottom of first and the more sophisticated the organism, the longer it lasted during this flood. So all those single celled organisms that could not swim or run died first. Fish drown before reptiles and reptiles before mammals because mammals could run faster up a mountain than a reptile. Humans were the last to die because they were smart enough to climb to the top of the mountains and wait. Ummm, OK. I especially love how fish drown before anything else more sophisticated, even though they are designed to live in water. See in the geologic column, fish come before reptiles as reptiles are created after many many years of evolution from fish.
Since this explanation is quickly discarded as pure nonsense, even by many Christians, they came up with another explanation that seemed much more "plausible". They then claimed that each organism and those closely related float, yes float, at different rates. So those who did not float as well died first and so on and so forth.
Do they even say these things out loud to hear how ridiculous it all sounds? You know the saying "the simplest answer is the correct one", well this actually stemmed from a Occum's razor which states “Of several acceptable explanations for a phenomenon, the simplest is preferable.”
Open minds lead to peace...let's all give it a try shall we?
Thursday, June 18, 2009
Thursday, June 11, 2009
The Sentence Heard 'Round The World
UGH! This post will explain my mood when writing the original Bloodline post.
So one day I was happily typing along in another forum, discussing Atheism with a few Christian Fundamentalists. Everything was kosher and everyone was being respectful until someone had the arrogance to say "I believe that deep down you believe in God, but you are just lost.". Apparently this is the sentence repeatedly muttered 'round the world to all non-believers at one time in their life. This was a first for me and it was not until later that I found this to be an overall view of many, many Christians.
Needless to say I promptly replied "Don't be so arrogant as to assume that you know what I believe deep down." I said some other things, but at that point I was fuming. They then replied "I was only being HONEST (my emphasis) and expressing my OPINION (again, mine) and if you take offense to that then that is your problem."
So I replied "Well I believe all Christians are pedophiles deep down. That's just my honest opinion." (Now let me point out right now that I DO NOT actually think that, I am much more RATIONAL than that, but I was making a point).
Well you can imagine the response I had to that post. I mean this person was so offended that I said that and how ridiculous and I am the devil, and on and on, you can imagine.
Then I simply replied "Now you know how offensive it is to me to say that you believe that I believe in God. I was just as offended as you are right now."
So let me ask you, atheists and theists alike, do you not see how that can be offensive to someone with my beliefs or shall I say lack of religious beliefs? Anyway, so that was why I was so upset the other day. Sheesh, the nerve of some folks!
As I stated earlier, apparently this is nothing new in the Christian sentiments and many believe that atheists have this latent belief in God. In fact they love to say that many atheists, on their death beds, cry out for God and ask for forgiveness before they die. This claim is just absurd. First of all that would require the atheist to believe in an after life, and by definition they do not.
In fact, I would place money that believers have a harder time dieing because they are too worried about whether they are going to heaven or hell. Dieing is a scary thing and I am afraid to leave the people I love, but I am not afraid of what comes after because I know.
Nothing.
And that is why I live every day in the present.
So one day I was happily typing along in another forum, discussing Atheism with a few Christian Fundamentalists. Everything was kosher and everyone was being respectful until someone had the arrogance to say "I believe that deep down you believe in God, but you are just lost.". Apparently this is the sentence repeatedly muttered 'round the world to all non-believers at one time in their life. This was a first for me and it was not until later that I found this to be an overall view of many, many Christians.
Needless to say I promptly replied "Don't be so arrogant as to assume that you know what I believe deep down." I said some other things, but at that point I was fuming. They then replied "I was only being HONEST (my emphasis) and expressing my OPINION (again, mine) and if you take offense to that then that is your problem."
So I replied "Well I believe all Christians are pedophiles deep down. That's just my honest opinion." (Now let me point out right now that I DO NOT actually think that, I am much more RATIONAL than that, but I was making a point).
Well you can imagine the response I had to that post. I mean this person was so offended that I said that and how ridiculous and I am the devil, and on and on, you can imagine.
Then I simply replied "Now you know how offensive it is to me to say that you believe that I believe in God. I was just as offended as you are right now."
So let me ask you, atheists and theists alike, do you not see how that can be offensive to someone with my beliefs or shall I say lack of religious beliefs? Anyway, so that was why I was so upset the other day. Sheesh, the nerve of some folks!
As I stated earlier, apparently this is nothing new in the Christian sentiments and many believe that atheists have this latent belief in God. In fact they love to say that many atheists, on their death beds, cry out for God and ask for forgiveness before they die. This claim is just absurd. First of all that would require the atheist to believe in an after life, and by definition they do not.
In fact, I would place money that believers have a harder time dieing because they are too worried about whether they are going to heaven or hell. Dieing is a scary thing and I am afraid to leave the people I love, but I am not afraid of what comes after because I know.
Nothing.
And that is why I live every day in the present.
Monday, June 8, 2009
Releasing the Atheist Anger
Let's get one things straight. I believe in your right to choose any lifestyle and belief you choose. I just wish the same respect was given to me. Of course I can get angry, but I am angry at the ignorance of religion and for people following blindly and then having the nerve to tell me I am wrong and try to "save" me.
Faith is a beautiful thing, faith in yourself and in the human race as a whole. This is the only way to believe and for things to change we all need to recognize that we are responsible for our actions and the only person to ask forgiveness from is yourself and the person you have wronged. Praying might make you feel better, but maybe that is just the power of positive thinking. The actual changing of the chemicals in your brain, not a hand reaching down to you and soothing you from some where in outer space. Science is the answer to everything, but don't take my word for it.
Do your research, do not follow blindly down that dark path, you are not sheep so stop acting like it! I know this article is more of a rant and I promise to publish more thought provoking material in the future, but sometimes there are things that just need to be said.
Faith is a beautiful thing, faith in yourself and in the human race as a whole. This is the only way to believe and for things to change we all need to recognize that we are responsible for our actions and the only person to ask forgiveness from is yourself and the person you have wronged. Praying might make you feel better, but maybe that is just the power of positive thinking. The actual changing of the chemicals in your brain, not a hand reaching down to you and soothing you from some where in outer space. Science is the answer to everything, but don't take my word for it.
Do your research, do not follow blindly down that dark path, you are not sheep so stop acting like it! I know this article is more of a rant and I promise to publish more thought provoking material in the future, but sometimes there are things that just need to be said.
UPDATE: Bloodline Post
Thank you to Mr. Ben Hammott for commenting on my previous blog regarding his website (www.benhammott.com) and the name of his book is called "The Lost Tomb of the Knights Templar". Forgive me for not adding that in the previous post, I was so mad I could have spit when I wrote that which is probably not the best time to be doing so. More on why I was mad later, that is another post in itself and a good one at that!
I have finished with Ben's book and all I can say is WOW. Just so everyone knows, I am in no way affiliated with the Bloodline movie or Mr. Hammott and I get nothing (but my own satisfaction) by posting about these topics.
In my previous post I did not give the documentary or Ben their dues and I apologize for that. In all honesty, when I watched Bloodline-The Movie (which I am still confused as to why they call it "The Movie" because that lends to the idea that it is fiction) I was both intrigued and skeptical. Healthy skepticism is well, healthy. There are bits of it that are overly dramatic, in my opinion, and bits that are just down right cheesy. Although I have to ask myself, is the cheese unavoidable? When you are dealing with such eccentric characters who are trying to be all cloak and dagger, it is hard not to be cheesy. So I watched with a grain of salt.
In the end I was fascinated. As the movie was playing and after Ben Hammott was introduced, I was on-line searching for this "Tomb Man" and he was very easy to find. I started exploring his website and after a couple days I bought the book. I just couldn't help myself, I needed to know more. Like most people, I was totally in love with Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" (although I thought "Angels and Demons" was even better!) so I already had a healthy appetite for the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery.
The book arrived and it is a hefty one. At 680 pages, it was no light reading, but I could not put it down. Besides I love to read, it's what I do best, probably why I own a bookstore. There is so much information, and much of it Ben has not been able to publish, but there was not one moment where I was bored or annoyed by information overload. The writing is both informative and funny. I giggled and snarfed out loud throughout the entire book. I like Mr. Hammott's attitude, he is such a smart ass. I also love the fact at how upfront and honest the book is. He continually reminds you of the things he is not convinced of, regardless if he hopes it is true or not, he does not tell you this is what you should believe. He makes it clear that you should come to your own conclusions. I just hope that my own conclusion turns out to be true!
I stumbled across Bloodline as I was searching the documentaries on Netflix, one of my favorite past times. Before that I had never heard of it which is a shame, so I am doing my little part to get the word out. Again, I highly recommend it and I recommend viewing it with an open mind with a dash of skepticism. Then buy Mr. Hammotts book and cross your fingers he discovers the truth!
I have finished with Ben's book and all I can say is WOW. Just so everyone knows, I am in no way affiliated with the Bloodline movie or Mr. Hammott and I get nothing (but my own satisfaction) by posting about these topics.
In my previous post I did not give the documentary or Ben their dues and I apologize for that. In all honesty, when I watched Bloodline-The Movie (which I am still confused as to why they call it "The Movie" because that lends to the idea that it is fiction) I was both intrigued and skeptical. Healthy skepticism is well, healthy. There are bits of it that are overly dramatic, in my opinion, and bits that are just down right cheesy. Although I have to ask myself, is the cheese unavoidable? When you are dealing with such eccentric characters who are trying to be all cloak and dagger, it is hard not to be cheesy. So I watched with a grain of salt.
In the end I was fascinated. As the movie was playing and after Ben Hammott was introduced, I was on-line searching for this "Tomb Man" and he was very easy to find. I started exploring his website and after a couple days I bought the book. I just couldn't help myself, I needed to know more. Like most people, I was totally in love with Dan Brown's "The Da Vinci Code" (although I thought "Angels and Demons" was even better!) so I already had a healthy appetite for the Rennes-le-Chateau mystery.
The book arrived and it is a hefty one. At 680 pages, it was no light reading, but I could not put it down. Besides I love to read, it's what I do best, probably why I own a bookstore. There is so much information, and much of it Ben has not been able to publish, but there was not one moment where I was bored or annoyed by information overload. The writing is both informative and funny. I giggled and snarfed out loud throughout the entire book. I like Mr. Hammott's attitude, he is such a smart ass. I also love the fact at how upfront and honest the book is. He continually reminds you of the things he is not convinced of, regardless if he hopes it is true or not, he does not tell you this is what you should believe. He makes it clear that you should come to your own conclusions. I just hope that my own conclusion turns out to be true!
I stumbled across Bloodline as I was searching the documentaries on Netflix, one of my favorite past times. Before that I had never heard of it which is a shame, so I am doing my little part to get the word out. Again, I highly recommend it and I recommend viewing it with an open mind with a dash of skepticism. Then buy Mr. Hammotts book and cross your fingers he discovers the truth!
Bloodline-The Movie
Bloodline is a must see for all Atheists and Agnostics alike. If you want a boost and have been feeling down from all the Christian pressure that surrounds us everyday, then you must watch this film. This will give you some hope that one day and at least in your lifetime, the Christians will be knocked down a level or two. I just want to see them scramble for a bit. I am not naive enough to think that if it is proven that Jesus was not divine that that will be the end to Christianity, but boy will it be a serious dent. How could they recover? What could they possibly say to give themselves credit when what their entire religion is based on is proven to be false?
I mean, proving Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene would not be enough to stop them, they could easily accept that and work around it. In fact, in many religious circles it is already accepted. Jesus was flesh and blood and a Jew and what self respecting Jewish mother would let her son reach 33 years of age and not be married? So, it is already widely accepted, just not publicized that a lot of people already accept he was married. No big deal right, he was a man of the flesh. BUT, and here is the rub, he was also divine according to their faith.
Apparently Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. What a crock of bull, but whatever, that is what they believe. Sheeps! Anyway, what if it were proven that he did not ascend to heaven and in fact lived past the crucifixion to die several days later. What if the two Mary's of the bible secreted his body out of the tomb before the next day, because he was alive, and took care of him until he did pass. What if he was mummified as was the tradition then and then his body hidden for centuries? For millenniums? Then what would they say?
Oh I am sure then they would say "but the bible isn't supposed to be taken literal". Really? After all the bullshit you have forced down so many millions of throats through the ages you now want to say that the bible isn't to be taken literal? You mean to say that there was no Adam and Eve or the garden or the apple or the snake??? Seriously? Oh so you mean that Jesus's soul ascended, no wait, the whole point of your religion is that his body ascended because he was just that special. Oh yea and he was born to a virgin. Come on, stop jerking my chain...
Seriously.
Anyway, I know they would try and work around it, good luck with that. All I am saying is that it would be an awesome push for our side and maybe we can win over those that are "on the proverbial fence" so to speak. Of course if this discovery were made I can also see that being the Judgment Day that Christians live their life in fear of. Imagine the collapse this would bring about, as if our world isn't in enough trouble as it is. Although, so many people have died in the name of Christianity that having one less murder machine around can only end up being beneficial to the world. Of course it might take some sacrifices on the way out and would probably require quite a bit on our side, but I am willing to stick it out for the good of the human race. Maybe some other murder machines will follow in its wake, wouldn't that be awesome!
I so digressed from the original content of this post. Bloodline, see it, research it and the buy the book (which is by one of the men in the movie Ben Hammott). Look him up, that is where the real information comes from. So exciting! Also, there is a bit of controversy regarding this film and its director, but that is to be expected considering the topic. Just look past it a little until you find Ben Hammott. It will be worth it.
I mean, proving Jesus was married to Mary Magdalene would not be enough to stop them, they could easily accept that and work around it. In fact, in many religious circles it is already accepted. Jesus was flesh and blood and a Jew and what self respecting Jewish mother would let her son reach 33 years of age and not be married? So, it is already widely accepted, just not publicized that a lot of people already accept he was married. No big deal right, he was a man of the flesh. BUT, and here is the rub, he was also divine according to their faith.
Apparently Jesus rose from the dead and ascended to heaven. What a crock of bull, but whatever, that is what they believe. Sheeps! Anyway, what if it were proven that he did not ascend to heaven and in fact lived past the crucifixion to die several days later. What if the two Mary's of the bible secreted his body out of the tomb before the next day, because he was alive, and took care of him until he did pass. What if he was mummified as was the tradition then and then his body hidden for centuries? For millenniums? Then what would they say?
Oh I am sure then they would say "but the bible isn't supposed to be taken literal". Really? After all the bullshit you have forced down so many millions of throats through the ages you now want to say that the bible isn't to be taken literal? You mean to say that there was no Adam and Eve or the garden or the apple or the snake??? Seriously? Oh so you mean that Jesus's soul ascended, no wait, the whole point of your religion is that his body ascended because he was just that special. Oh yea and he was born to a virgin. Come on, stop jerking my chain...
Seriously.
Anyway, I know they would try and work around it, good luck with that. All I am saying is that it would be an awesome push for our side and maybe we can win over those that are "on the proverbial fence" so to speak. Of course if this discovery were made I can also see that being the Judgment Day that Christians live their life in fear of. Imagine the collapse this would bring about, as if our world isn't in enough trouble as it is. Although, so many people have died in the name of Christianity that having one less murder machine around can only end up being beneficial to the world. Of course it might take some sacrifices on the way out and would probably require quite a bit on our side, but I am willing to stick it out for the good of the human race. Maybe some other murder machines will follow in its wake, wouldn't that be awesome!
I so digressed from the original content of this post. Bloodline, see it, research it and the buy the book (which is by one of the men in the movie Ben Hammott). Look him up, that is where the real information comes from. So exciting! Also, there is a bit of controversy regarding this film and its director, but that is to be expected considering the topic. Just look past it a little until you find Ben Hammott. It will be worth it.
Creating Atheists One Christian At A Time
This blog is dedicated to educating the rational (I know you are out there somewhere) and pissing off the rest. This is not intentional, instead a by product of one's own stupidity. Do not blame me if you are incensed by what I say, blame Jesus. Actually, don't blame Jesus, how could he have known you were all such sheep!
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