Blasphemy in Ireland Now Punishable Under Law
Holy shit.
I thought this was a joke or someone taking a recent The Onion article seriously again. Sadly, it’s not. There are far more details about the blasphemy law than I could get into right because that would involve a lot of copying and pasting. Plus it’s 2:00AM.
Blasphemy law is silly, dangerous and unjust
It really does seem dangerous and overwhelming. Punishable by a fine up to 25,000-Euros? That’s about $35,000 USD. Imagine being hit with a fine like that because someone either had completely different religious convictions and beliefs or simply does not believe in a supernatural being.
A lot of religious folk might cheer at this law, but this really could, and will, be used against them as well as the atheist of the land. It’s not a double edged sword as there will be no real “winners” as a result of this new law except those delicious coffers receiving the cash for these hefty fines.
∙ Atheists can be prosecuted for saying that God is imaginary. That causes outrage.
∙ Pagans can be prosecuted for saying they left Christianity because God is violent and bloodthirsty, promotes genocide, and permits slavery.
∙ Christians can be prosecuted for saying that Allah is a moon god, or for drawing a picture of Mohammed, or for saying that Islam is a violent religion which breeds terrorists.
∙ Jews can be prosecuted for saying Jesus isn’t the Messiah.
Ireland Makes Blasphemy Illegal – Above bullet list lifted from here.
It does a good job condensing the crafty language for everyone to understand. This is both dangerous and ridiculous for everyone. This goes beyond insulting any freedom of speech people might have. This goes against freedom of religion and many other rights we thought we had at one point or took for granted.
I, for one, will be ten times as blasphemous as usual in support for all those atheist boys and girls panicking in Ireland because they own a book that is undoubtedly illegal to possess now. If the government looked over a curious reader’s recent books checked out from the library, would they find anything worth fining? If someone checked out the popular book “The God Delusion” by Richard Dawkins, a warrant and a fine could be waiting for them at their front door.
I’m curious if this also means if a young man or woman is watching a blasphemous episode of South Park a little too loud with the windows open and offends their neighbors. Could the neighbors call the cops and have this person fined for watching a television show in which they have no creative attachment? This supposed hypothetical scenario does seem like a reality, sadly.
I will talk out loud to whatever imaginary supernatural being that only exists within our own collective imagination any reader might worship that this kind of law doesn’t spread.
I hope Jim Jeffries had no plans for touring Ireland any time soon with his I Swear to God material.
Religious Parents Allowing Their Children to Die
“A mother accused of praying instead of seeking medical help for her dying 11-year-old daughter was found guilty on Friday of reckless homicide.”
“Neumann’s daughter Madeline died from untreated diabetes on March 23, 2008, surrounded by people praying for her. When she stopped breathing, her parents’ business and Bible study partners finally called the emergency dispatcher.”
http://www.jsonline.com/news/wisconsin/45298142.html
http://au.news.yahoo.com/a/-/newshome/5588968
This news comes in the same week as the 13-year-old boy that ran away with mom after court ordered cancer care.
“A new arrest warrant was issued Thursday as the search continued for the mother who fled with her 13-year-old cancer-stricken son to avoid chemotherapy treatments.”
“Hodgkin’s lymphoma is a highly curable form of cancer when treated with chemo and radiation. But the teen and his parents rejected chemo after a single treatment, with the boy’s mother saying that putting toxic substances in the body violates the family’s religious convictions.”
Faith, the Ultimate Alibi
The mind craves to know where exactly we came from. If God was such a tolerable solution, why are there still questions from well educated and civilized folk on the origins of humanity? Many call all Atheist morons and even to go as far to say that they “flock”, when isn’t that exactly what the church going groups are labeled? Many probably have had some rather lame experiences with Atheist, I have as well, but I am certain I’ve had far more unpleasantness with the fundamentalist religious type.
To say that Atheist are moronic, idiotic flocks of misinformed non-believers, is quite a stretch seeing as Atheist vary greatly in age, race, backgrounds, and location. One great fact remains that an Atheist can still live a good life. If there are no consequence after this life, why would they care? Because they know that this life is their only life and they wish not to lose it. Would so many people willingly sacrifice themselves if they had the idea of only having this one life? Why eliminate themselves in the name of man made inventions such as country, government, freedom, and religion? The thought is baffling.
I’ve been Agnostic for most of my life, but I’ve studied and tried, but God makes no sense. There is science and it has only come so far. Theories may come and go, as do religions and holy books. Just that a certain religion and book have been around for thousands of years with so many followers does not make it true. The Egyptians worshiped Set for 3,000 years. How long will it be before your religion is labeled as a myth like so many other now ancient religions?
As for Darwin, he hinted towards agnosticism, but he also said, “The safest conclusion seems to me to be that the whole subject is beyond the scope of man’s intellect; but man can do his duty.” He also said, ““The mystery of the beginning of all things is insoluble by us; and I for one must be content to remain an agnostic.” This does not make an Atheist a fool to study Darwin. He understood that the question of God always ends in a stalemate.
A theory may never be able to make a dent to the very foundation of religion without absolute solid evidence, which does somewhat exist, but ignored and taken out of context. More on that in a moment. As for religion, they have books written by man while other books written by man contradict the other book written by man while all declaring themselves to be the absolute word of God. What will it take? Finding life on another planet?
The human mind has not evolved to the potent level to understand the cosmos, how it began, and where it may go. With an ever expanding universe with many exo-planets discovered annually, what will happen to religion in the minds of man when life is discovered outside of our own little planet? The chances of finding life on a planet outside of our own known solar system is similar to trying to find the only nickel in a Pacific Ocean of quarters. It is estimated there are between 1 billion and 30 billion planets in the universe.
We know of over 170 exo-planets orbiting 150 stars, with a few discovered to have the same distance to their stars as we are to our very own sun. Life existing on another planet has been proposed to be a billion to one. We have a while before we know for certain if we are truly alone. Science has only come so far, but at least science is trying to explain the origin of everything while religion stands back and waits for science to make a mistake. Religion is exactly like the Republicans right now. They are waiting for the Democrats to slip up so they have their chance to say, “We told you so! We knew they were wrong!”
Speaking of mistakes and probability, did God give us this seemingly infinite universe with planets reaching further than our most powerful telescopes can see filled with sights that our minds cannot begin to comprehend? A Nebula, which in due time may be easily explained, has absolutely no true explanation currently. Does that mean they were the direct work of God or are there other forces in this universe working together creating walls of expanding gas and dust after a red giant star reaches the end of its life and collapses? Do we even know how exactly a star dies? It’s too easy to come to the conclusion that God wanted this amazing event to happen light years from Earth instead of there being an absolute reason why.
Science has theories on such occurrences in the universe, but that is to the extent that our mind and body can explain such phenomenon. Science is trying, though. It’s a very long process of waiting generations, but science is always evolving. Religion tends to stagnate like an uncovered, unchlorinated pool while claiming that God is the reason for all the beauty, wonder, and bewilderment in the universe.
This is not acceptable and there must be explanations not currently available to our kind that adequately explain the fact that I am currently writing this using prehensile thumbs to assist with the typing all the while this text, website, and code not only exist only in 1s and 0s, but we are capable of navigating and comprehending what we are seeing and doing, even though the images, people, and technology on the web cannot truly be held or put in a box. The Digital Age has revolutionized the way Man thinks, performs daily activities, and how they spend leisure time. Especially by allowing the ability to write blogs on the idea of there being absolutely no supernatural power over man.
If there is no God, that is not as a horrifying thought as one may think. While we have no supreme being, fate, destiny, ultimate goal, or intelligent design; we still have each other. It may not sound like much, but the next time a friend falls ill, pray for them. Ask everyone to pray. Evaluate with a novice diagnosis of their condition after several days and then allow them to visit a doctor. The doctor may cure or treat the illness, which means the cure or treatment was the direct result of man, without the interference of God magically ridding the offending bacteria from the patient’s body.
Science is the reason we have a high percentage of successful childbirth. Science is the reason we can overcome an affliction with acceptable odds at times. Science is the reason everyone is able to read this article. Science is the reason I was able to write this article. Science is the only reason we now enjoy the Golden Age of our lives with great success. Life expectancy is forever on the rise now, while hundreds of years ago being short lived. Organs have been grown in laboratories in which were grown from the exact same DNA markup and cells from the patient. Eventually, science may overcome mortality, or at least, extend life expectancy over an age unimaginable in our time.
To the Atheist and most Agnostic intellectuals, it is impossible and improbable to truly disprove the existence of God. How can one diminish such a strong belief in the collective minds of the population of the planet? While the history of the most popular religions, even Scientology, are soaked in blood, it’s hard to think that we cannot shake the idea of a supernatural being in a supposed civilized world. We are genetically hard wired to believe in god through our very own genes, as there are areas and people in the world that have no god, do not know a god, nor does their language ever describe a god for many of their generations.
Without meaning to single out any religion in particular, it should be clear that I target all of the religions of the world that hold a strong belief system in a supreme being. There is no justification, regardless of flock stats and age. There is no way to prove that one book is mightier than another, regardless of age, history, and background. There are only people to hold as proof. We are all that we have in this world.
An Atheist St. Patrick’s Day Parade
Saint Patrick was Roman born and held captive as a slave by the Irish in Ireland in his teens for years before escaping. He returned later as a Christian missionary. The rest of his life is unknown. A mystery. There is no known evidence about the work that he did, miracles performed, or any link to any church.
It’s all a lie.
Why do people enjoy celebrating the lies of dead men who have absolutely no historical documents written about themselves until many years after their death? The lie eventually becomes the truth, the truth then becomes the legend. The legend exceeds what would otherwise become a myth and becomes fact.
Take these words into what you believe to be your soul. Think about Jesus. Sixty years passed after his alleged death before it was written that he existed. What was the life expectancy back then? Factor in the only people that really knew him were the poor, illiterate, uneducated, and enslaved. How long did they live? How well could they write? How delirious could they have become in confinement?
What else could possibly have been misinterpreted by Christianity aside from the life and times of Jesus Christ?
Oh, that’s right. The Ten Commandments. You see, they were all really meant for Jew eyes only. This isn’t racism, this is fact. This is the bible, which is full of enough genocidal, child killing, slavery endorsing, jealous God warring, racism to allow it last a very long time based solely on fear.
Different Christian denominations have different ways of combining the 17 statements made in the Bible that are declared to be, somehow, the 10 commandments. Truthfully, the commandments were originally given by the Lord to Moses as laws on how the Hebrews should conduct themselves. Only the Hebrews.
How could someone get this so incredibly wrong? What could have propagated this fabrication? Was it science? Was it stem cell research? Marijuana? Was it violence in video games? Soulless news reporters smiling while reporting on brutal child murders two feet from where it happened moments ago? No, it was man. Man created God and now that God rules the masses. We’ve created an imaginary monster.
To make another point, if I may, it goes without saying that immaculate conception is one of the somewhat smallest, but wickedest, lies. The Bible nowhere describes Mary as anything but an ordinary human female whom God chose to be the mother of the Lord Jesus Christ. But a Pope, Pope Pius IX, defined the dogma of the Immaculate Conception of the Virgin Mary.
An ordinary man whose position is no where in the bible made up a fact about the mother of Jesus Christ. Does anyone else see this as a little perplexing? A pope has defined doctrines that clearly contradict the word of God. You see, religion does not need an Atheist using logic against an entity that exists that is the absence of all truth and rational reasoning.
Religion has does a fine job on tearing itself apart.
Happy Saint Patrick’s Day.
Ubi Dubium ibi Libertas: Where There is Doubt, There is Freedom
Obama has overturned the ban on stem cell research. This is exactly what we need in charge. This is exactly what we want in charge, even though many people believe this is to be the wrong action. Sadly, these people are wrong. Religion is the root of what’s wrong in the world; stem cell research and abortions for everyone will not devalue human life. Religion has devalued enough of the lives of our ancestors and countless generations to come.
This is exactly what we need, even if we say otherwise. No more Christian fundamentalist mucking things up in our country. Their finger on the red button believing nuclear war is the second coming of Christ. The Rapture. Even though the term Rapture is no where in the Bible, along with immaculate conception and Original Sin, people perceive these terms as facts.
They see the bible as a true account of history. Ridiculous! We can’t run a country on a dated book of lies. We can’t create laws in this country based on a book of immorality, slavery, bigotry, genocide, torture, child murder, incest, rape, and racism. It’s insanity to think that we need ancient text to give us morals. Human beings naturally know right from wrong, meaning that those who pretend to be good simply because they want to get into heaven are no better than the so called sinners they persecute.
Religion, by its very nature, breeds ignorance and intolerance. It divides people that should otherwise be accepting each other. Well, in a semi-perfect world. If not by religion, division would exist by skin color, height, and in Japan currently, blood type.
In Japan, you are what your blood type is.
It’s all about geography. These same people that are heavily Christian, usually belonging to one church out of the 1,200 denominations of Christianity present in this country, would be Islam, or Islamic fundamentalist, if they were born in a different country. Not just Islam, but any religion predominant in that region. It’s childhood indoctrination. Think about it.
I merely use the Islam faith as an example because of the bigotry surrounding the religion and causing it to be synonymous with terrorism. If the average person knew that the Middle East had absolutely nothing to do with 9/11, I would hope the diseased state of minds would dissolve into peace. Just ten days after the events of 9-11, the FBI admitted that the IDs used by the perpetrators were high-quality fakes using identities stolen from Arab men.
In years to come, the rest of the country will find out about the arms dealing the Bush administration, not the first Bush as we already know about his trading with the enemy, and Cheney had with the Middle East for many years. It’s what we do. Arm a smaller country then invade them citing that they have amazing weapons. Banning abortion and stem cell research wasn’t a moral decision, it was a political stand for the bible belt support. It’s what every presidential candidate and president-elect wishes to hold dear to their campaign and office.
The blind sheep of the herds around the country only noticed what they believed in as the culmination of the Bush presidency. Ignore the fact that so many innocent Muslims have perished for absolutely no reason and ignore the fact that the Bush administration was run by sociopath war criminals.
Though, this kind of involvement seems to be normal. Be it by dumping millions of gallons of dangerous chemicals on the Southeast Asia countryside for 10 years in the Vietnam War or the Indian Removal Act of 1830 by President Jackson. Ethnic cleansing. We believe that we are what’s right in this world.
While passing a twenty dollar bill, look the other way. What would be the reaction of the Jews if Hitler was printed on legal currency? A genocide, no matter the rationale or justification, is still genocide. It happens to this very day either over resources or religion. Typically, religion is an excuse to wage war, but it usually falls on what the enemy either needs or desires. There is no new land to conquer, only what is already owned by the natives of the land or the rightful owners. That and fossil fuels.
Majority of people that know very little about World War II believe that our involvement in the war kick started our return globally as an economic powerhouse. They think that by jumping into a fray late, dropping a few bombs, and ignoring the cries of thousands of Jews being told that they will not be given asylum can cause the economy to inflate. War does not stimulate the economy, it’s a flash in the pan stimulation. It was all about war profiteering. It’s about money.
The same could be said about the war on drugs. Innocent people guilty only of an addiction are thrown into prisons while tax money is wasted on keeping them alive, clothed, and fed. These people are not given a second chance, they are not being rehabilitated. They are being tortured in an environment not suitable for their sickness. Would we throw an alcoholic in jail? Even if the person has done absolutely nothing wrong. Simply by being addicted to booze.
Why is that such a ridiculous idea when marijuana has many medical uses and hemp has hundreds of uses that could compete with most modern material, such as clothing and paper, while alcohol has absolutely none?
The war on drugs is a war on people. People’s rights are being violated and this crime against humanity needs to end.
The war on terrorism is a war on people. People’s rights are being violated and this crime against humanity needs to end.
“Natural selection builds child brains with a tendency to believe whatever their parents and tribal elders tell them. Such trusting obedience is valuable for survival: the analogue of steering by the moon for a moth. But the flip side of trusting obedience is slavish gullibility. The inevitable by-product is vulnerability to infection by mind viruses.” – Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
“Creationists eagerly seek a gap in present-day knowledge or understanding. If an apparent gap is found, it is assumed that God, by default, must fill it.” – Richard Dawkins, The God Delusion
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