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Lousy way to start the week...talking down our embattled President. Weren't the rightwing nuts doing a good enough job for ya so ya gotta help 'em out??
A God Who Hates:
http://books.google.com/books?id=NNKXiso0jB8C&dq=A+God+Who+Hates:+The+Co...
DRichards,
Humans appear to define things in polarities; hate/love, black/white, left/right, ad infinitum. My question, then, and not limited to Islam, isn't any creator deity capable of love also, by definition, capable of hate?
Break the CIA in Two
By Ray McGovern
December 22, 2009
http://consortiumnews.com/2009/122209a.html
I just started reading "A God Who Hates" by Wafa Sultan. (It's a pretty quick read at 244 pages.) It is a window into the world of Islam, as viewed by a Muslim woman. A real eye opener as to what Arab Muslims living in the US and other "western" counties really think & say to their fellow muslims about the US and the west.
A recommended read.
A God Who Hates: The Courageous Woman Who Inflamed the Muslim World Speaks Out Against the Evils of Islam
By Wafa Sultan
Jim DeMint should be challenged by the union members of the fire, police and all other first responders to emergencies.
Hi bobbler!
I think atheists need to be more effective. If they tear down your sign, put up another one. If they aren't inspired by your display, come up with a better one.
Winning isn't easy. If it was, you'd have already one.
Remember last year when here in Washington State, there was an atheist holiday display that went beyond promoting atheism to insulting religion? It was ineffective.
In contrast, "Festivus for the Rest of Us" is effective because it's funny, non-insulting, and makes a point.
hmmmm....I wonder why old Max Baucus is smiling this Christmas Eve?
RE Thom's discussion with guest, the Ayn Randism proponent:
Thom was correct about the AynRandism being RELIGIOUSLY DOGMATIC and its believers being PROSYLETIZERS!
Thom, you gave up too soon though, when your guest said religions require "FAITH". That's not necessarily true.
Some religions/spiritual practices consider their teachings and techniques SCIENCE! Yoga, Christian Science, Science of Mind to name three of which I'm aware. Buddhism and Taoism also seem to be pretty sure that there is a cause and effect relationship between their practices and sought-after results.
So there are two things I'm pointing out here:
1. A religion can be based on long studied and observed techniques that result in a perceived scientific methodology,
or
2. A religion can be based on pure faith -- believing in mythical stuff and priestly philosophy and dogma.
Either way, Thom's guest can't claim AynRandism isn't a religion. The first could apply since the guest claimed Ayn Rand's philosophy is like a dependable science; and the second could apply when one considers that only AynRandians and neocons seem to "believe" there is a cause and "positive" effect resulting from Free Market practices!
If contemplating this puts your braincell synapses in knots, it could be because, instinctively you realize that we accept on FAITH alot of the purported validity and usefulness of Science! Think nuclear weaponry and nuclear power! Or use of chemotherapy for every cancer patient! Or genetically engineered animals and food!
Anyway, good segment. Thanks, Thom!
Happy Merry Snappy Cheery Holidays to you and your crew!
Does anyone read the previous day blog?
It is not an option for me to listen live, so my posts are always 6 hours behind..
So, the question is; should I bother to respond to anything (below is one of my previous posts):
> I liked the Thomas Moore lawyer. He wasn’t a jerk, and he gave us something
> to think about.
> Perhaps the solution to religious displays on public property
> is to have more of them. Let the deists, agnostics and atheists get off
> their duffs and put up displays too. Here in Washington state there’s a
> minor controversy about after-school clubs on public property that
> propagandize for Christianity. The non-Christers should organize their own
> clubs, and let them fight it out by providing better service kids.
The fundies that fight so hard to put their religious symbols on public property are the same ones who want to make america into a theocracy.. So, its not religious freedom on the public square they are after; rather they want to control it.. Rather than expecting atheists to retaliate with our own displays, I say they should put these displays in front of churches (take a look at how many churches have these religious Christmass displays on their own property.. very few).. I believe the act of putting these displays on public property is symbolic to the fundies, that they are the power behind our government..
Every time I can recall when we (atheists) did as you suggested, our displays were resented, and stolen on more than one occasion (even after some court decided that all displays would be allowed).. Its a pain, and I believe counter productive (because it always generates animosity toward atheists)..
bobbler
Freethought Society
Thom was talking about the Supreme Court case now going on that will enshrine corporate control of the government by giving corporations full citizenship and right to spend as much as they want on campaigns
Does anyone know the best place to respond to this so it will make a difference to the court?
@Quark: I am reminded of the page or so in Douglas Adams’ book “The Restaurant at the End of the Universe” where Ford Prefect supposes that humans talk in an effort to keep their brain from working . . .
Happy holiday y'all
Thom, please put links to the Senators you want us to write to in regards to your health care bill theory, in you daily newsletter.
Will be happy to write them (even if I doubt they'll act, couldn't hurt).
Richard,
LOL. What do you suppose is sending electrical signals to Alex's nervous system?
http://mason.gmu.edu/~llmiller/Syllabi/OCS42/Headless_Horseman.jpg
I'm confused. If those who deny global warming and that increasing CO2 levels don't matter are wrong, it could mean the end of humanity on earth. If those who believe that global warming and get CO2 levels decreased are wrong, we end up with clean air. It's a no brainer!
@THOM: Stop trying to re-inflate the "HOPE" bubble . . .
I guess Obama isn't really worried about keeping the insurance companies honest.
Thom,
Maybe it would be worthwhile to have deprogrammers as guests to help us "talk" with right-wing cult members. Maybe they could help us use language that would help "wake up" such people. Remember est?
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Erhard_Seminars_Training
@Quark: I disagree with your premise . . . For Alex Epstein to be brainwashed, it would require the existence of a brain . . . There is no empirical evidence of that.
Thom,
i.e., Alex is brainwashed and not able to argue in good faith...
Thom,
After listening to you trying to talk with Alex Epstein, it seems clear to me that Alex has too much invested in his cultish beliefs. Whatever evidence you give for liberal political intervention which actually HELPED the economy at a period of time, Alex dismisses those things as being merely incidental. It seems that he will not accept that anything you have to say might be correct.
@THOM: The middle class does NOT matter to folk who worship the destruction of society as their primary tenet. Argue the best of times for any group makes no difference to the worshipers of the sole self . . . Alex Epstein is a douche, also.
The age of the Robber Barons was one of the greatest periods in human history?
OK Polyanna, lets just espouse anarchy too, who needs rules and regulations anyway.
Freak'n idgit.
OBJECTIVISM IS A FAITH-BASED RELIGION WHICH IDOLIZES THE AUTO-EROTICISM OF SOCIETY BY INDIVIUALS . . .