Clipmarks | JohnWaterman's Atheism/religion collection

Renounce your pomp!

Sat, 28 Nov 2009 12:03:33 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

I think I like this woman. Nell McCafferty rips into representatives of the Catholic church, asking, "What's holy about the Vatican?" and insisting that they ought to set aside the titles of "Father" and "Grace" and so forth, because they've betrayed them. I love the Irish when they get that fire in their eye!

[Video]

Best god In Show - NOFX

Thu, 15 Oct 2009 21:54:33 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: Great song

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

I think I like this band, NOFX.

Tags: atheism, religion, music

The perils of transubstantiation

Sat, 10 Oct 2009 18:18:15 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

Destroying the argument that Einstien was a believer

Thu, 08 Oct 2009 07:05:05 GMT

clipped by: Oortcloud
clipper's remarks: I think this puts THAT failed argument to rest.

Clip Source: www.lettersofnote.com

In January of 1954, just a year before his death, Albert Einstein wrote the following letter to philosopher Erik Gutkind after reading his book, 'Choose Life: The Biblical Call to Revolt'. Apparently Einstein had only read the book due to repeated recommendation by their mutual friend Luitzen Egbertus Jan Brouwer. The letter was bought at auction in May 2008, for £170,000. Unsurprisingly, one of the unsuccessful bidders was Richard Dawkins.

The word God is for me nothing more than the expression and product of human weakness, the Bible a collection of honorable, but still purely primitive, legends which are nevertheless pretty childish. No interpretation no matter how subtle can (for me) change this. ... For me the Jewish religion like all other religions is an incarnation of the most childish superstition.

Putting the 'Fundament' back into 'Fundamentalism'

Wed, 30 Sep 2009 23:24:51 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: International Blasphemy Day

Clip Source: blog.newhumanist.org.uk

Today, September 30th, is International Blasphemy Day, organised by the Center for Inquiry as part of their Campaign for Free Expression:

"Blasphemy Day International is a campaign seeking to establish September 30th as a day to promote free speech and to stand up in a show of solidarity for the freedom to challenge, criticize, and satirize religion without fear of murder, litigation, or reprisal. The event was created as a reaction against those who would seek to take away the right to satirize and criticize a particular set of beliefs that have been given a privileged status over other beliefs."

Jesus the racist

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 21:50:46 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: The Good Samaritan - That Mitchell and Webb Look

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Fear the Atheist

Tue, 22 Sep 2009 19:00:03 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

The results of yet another poll are out, showing that the godless are rising and promise to rise for years to come. In 1990, we made up 8% of the population; now in 2009, we're 15%. They're extrapolating forward and estimating that we will make up 25% of the country in 20 years.

I suppose it's good news, but I am disappointed in my fellow Americans. I will not be content until the number is 100%. (OK, 95%. It's not fair to demand rationality from people who are brain damaged or locked up in asylums.)

The really bizarre news here is the way people are squirming to put a twist to the data to reassure the believers

that 15% that isn't "godless atheist unbelievers": they are "Nones". Don't panic, they say, only 10% of them call themselves "atheists"! They're mostly agnostics and skeptics of organized religion! You don't have to stockpile food and ammo, bar the doors and windows, and prepare for the anarchy and evil that would follow if all those people were atheists

How to be a good Creationist - In 5 easy steps

Thu, 17 Sep 2009 20:10:38 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

[Video]

Tags: religion, atheism, god, creationism, evolution

God works in mysterious ways

Fri, 11 Sep 2009 21:24:18 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

A very devout Catholic was trapped on an elevator for a while, and after it was working again, rushed to church to thank God. Then, something unfortunate happened:

He seems to have embraced a stone pillar on which the stone altar was perched and it fell on him, killing him instantly. We have found his fingerprints on the pillar. We are now investigating the case further.

Now, you see, if he'd rushed off to thank the elevator repairman, that wouldn't have happened. Given his bad luck, the repairman might have been a demented homicidal maniac who would have clubbed him to death with a spanner, but no altar would have fallen on him. Therefore, religion is bad for your health.

Our Natural Place in the World

Wed, 09 Sep 2009 16:56:00 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: This is just the beginning of a 3 part essay that, for me, embodied the form of spirituality I regularly experience in my life. It's always a revelation when you see something coming from another mind that has so many points of commonality with your own thinking. Part 3 held the most significance for me.

Clip Source: www.examiner.com

Becoming atheist with regret (part 1)

A friend told me last week that he recently, and suddenly, became an atheist - and wished he wasn't...

I had seen him move from conservative Christian, to a Christian with a more liberal belief about scripture, to something even more general over the past few years. He said he was thinking a few days ago and realized he didn't even really believe the last bit, and let it go.

What intrigued me most was his expression that he wished he wasn't an atheist. He said he'd like to believe, but just didn't really see any supporting logic that would make such a thing reasonable to believe. I asked him, what exactly he'd like to believe. Turns out it wasn't so much about God, as it is the belief in immortality. God would be this guy hanging around on the side there, but the main point is that you'd be living forever, and that you'd get to see others who have died.

Admittedly, I think that would be pretty neat too.

Recent Hindu festivals and rituals

Tue, 08 Sep 2009 17:57:18 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: Well worth visiting the site for hi-res images and more info. on each.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

Many Hindus throughout India recently celebrated Ganesha Chaturthi, a 10-day festival celebrating the birth of Ganesh, their supreme god of wisdom, prosperity and good fortune. Hinduism, the predominant religion in India, is rich with traditional festivals and rituals, celebrated in many ways and locations around the world. Collected here are a few photographs from recent Hindu festivals and of Hindu devotees worshipping and practicing ritual ceremonies in India, England, Nepal and Indonesia. (36 photos total)

devotees carry a statue of the elephant-headed Hindu god Ganesh on a bullock cart during the Ganesh Chaturthi festival in Mumbai, India, Sunday, Aug. 23

Hindu holy men chant mantras and pray in the Varuna Yajna ritual to appease the rain God at the Sankara Mattham in Mumbai on August 26, 2009. Ten priests stood neck deep in water for over 4 hours to perform a special prayers for the arrival of rains

A Hindu pilgrim feeds a sacred cow

in Watford, north of London, on August 16, 2009

Ramadan 2009

Wed, 26 Aug 2009 19:17:33 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman
clipper's remarks: From The Big Picture, so go to the site.

Clip Source: www.boston.com

a time for followers to abstain from eating, drinking, smoking and sexual activity during the day, breaking their fast each sunset, with traditional meals and sweets. During this time, Muslims are also encouraged to read the entire Quran, to give freely to those in need, and strengthen their ties to God through prayer

Officers of Malaysia's Islamic authority use a telescope to perform "rukyah", the sighting of the new moon of Ramadan

A Musaharati, dawn awakener, lights up a lantern before touring the streets with his drums to wake observant Muslims for their overnight 'sahur', last meal, before the day's fast in Sidon's Old City in south Lebanon just before dawn

A Muslim woman prays at the Istiqlal mosque on the first day of the holy fasting month of Ramadan in Jakarta on August 22, 2009

Atheist Arrogance

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 10:49:52 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.scottklarr.com

Whitewashing and Cherry Picking Religion

Sun, 23 Aug 2009 08:32:47 GMT

clipped by: JohnWaterman

Clip Source: www.huffingtonpost.com

I was born into the group the Children of God

now, the Family International -- a Christian cult

I obsessively follow any press that the group gets

CNN's Anderson Cooper 360 report detailing

the group's well-known child sex practices, Anderson said, "Well, that has nothing to do with Jesus!"

This is how the public has always reacted to the COG. It's upsetting and so it's dismissed outright as not actually Christian

how we deal with things we don't like in religion. We reject all unpleasant elements as being frauds

Calling for the death of a teacher because she agreed to name a teddy bear Muhammad? That isn't actually Muslim. The widespread molestation of boys by priests? That isn't actually Catholicism

if the COG has "nothing to do with Jesus," then what does

The Crusades? The Inquisition?

The witch hunts?

Manifest destiny?

Fred Phelps?

presidency of George W. Bush?

When you say you are a Christian, you become everything that is or was Christianity. Good, bad or indifferent -- it's ALL Christianity

Ten Minutes of Quotes

Thu, 06 Aug 2009 17:05:33 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: A nice selection of quotes about religion.

Clip Source: www.examiner.com

[Video]