Ariel Castro gets off scot-free

Ariel Castro is dead. Cue all the happy theists who are certain he hasn't escaped punishment. I've already seen posts that are celebrating the idea that he will have to answer to god.

This is just another example of the comfort factor at work. Instead of realizing that life is extremely unfair sometimes, some people need to make excuses so that their sense of justice is not disturbed. Without a god, Ariel Castro just got off for his crimes. With a god, all he did was get an early start on his eternity of punishment.

And don't even get me started on the idea that I, as an atheist, am just as deserving of eternal punishment as Castro. Think about that. A guy that held three women as sex slaves for a decade will get the same punishment as a guy who just doesn't see evidence for a god.


As an aside, I think he was killed. Reports say he wasn't on suicide watch, but they were checking on him every 30 minutes. While he was in isolation. In a prison. Anyone else think he got the "Oz" treatment?

20 Specious Arguments From the Far Right

So I was googling why conservatism doesn’t work(slightly longer story than I have time for here), and the second link from the top was to a nice little conservative website called Right Wing News. The link lead to an article by a charming young man named John Hawkins titled "Answering 20 Frequently Asked Questions About Conservatism" and I could tell I was going to be in for a treat. I was not disappointed. Check it out, it gives some insight into how some conservatives think.

Then I go to the front page and see something even better. An article titled "20 Reasons To Dislike The Democrat Party". I could tell this one was a gem, just by the title. Sure, calling it the Democrat Party instead of the Democratic Party is a petty tactic, and almost completely harmless, but it tends to speak to the agenda of the person using the term. Nothing left but to get into it. No better place to start than at the beginning.

The first reason on the list is a list itself, comprised of democrats(no, it’s not the same thing as calling it the Democrat Party) who’ve had scandals of some sort. Honestly, when I saw this list the first thought through my mind was “Bitch, please!”. I know, weird right?

I made my own list.

Larry Craig, Charlie Crist, Paul Babeu, Troy King, Robert Arango, Christopher Lee, Carl Kruger, Dan gurley, Bob Allen, Glenn Murphy Jr., Roy Ashburn, Edward Schrock, Phil Hinkle, Richard Curtis, Robert Bauman, Mark Foley, George Rekers, Newt Gingrich, Mark Sanford and David Vitter.

And that’s just a partial list of Republicans who’ve been caught in affairs, proffered prostitutes and other strangers for sex. They are all hypocrites who preach “family values” when they really mean “family values for you guys”. While there are a few democrats like James McGreevey, Barney Frank, Gerry Studs, and  Anthony Weiner, none of them were doing something that goes against one of their core principles. They didn’t campaign and vote against allowing everyone to do something they themselves were doing. It doesn’t exonerate them, but it’s not even on the same level.

His second reason is that 54 million babies have been killed due to the “Democrats’ beloved Roe v Wade”. This is just flat wrong. Most abortions occur during the stage when the thing inside the woman is not a baby. The ones that happen later on are health related. Women are not going through most of a pregnancy and then aborting because they change their minds. Women are not using abortion as a way to have as much consequence free sex as possible. Talk like this is what drives people like Scott Roeder to kill abortion doctors, to stop baby killers. It’s dangerous and highly irresponsible.

Reason three is that the worst three presidents are Obama, Carter, and Lyndon Johnson. C’mon, seriously? This is just partisan hackery.

Reason four(democrats booed god at the 2012 national convention) is just a straight up lie. And I have video to prove it.

The video clearly shows that the boos and anger are directed at the way the procedure was mishandled. They were mad because they thought the vote was much closer to 50/50 and not two thirds. At no point does anyone boo when god is or Jerusalem is mentioned.

Number five, I have to admit, is completely true. The Democratic Party's slogan was:

Dang, he got me. 

Wait, you mean that's not the full story? Color me surprised. 

What Hawkins left out is that the history of the two parties is slightly complicated. There was what is called The First Party System, the Democratic-Republican Party, which stood in opposition of the Federalist Party. After the presidential election in 1824, the two parties split. There is a difference between a Jeffersonian Republican and the Republicans of the Republican Party that was founded in 1854. You might be inclined to think that since the modern Republican Party was founded in 1854 and the ticket is from 1965, that Horatio Seymour was a liberal racist democrat. That is, until you realize that he ran against former Union war general Ulysses Grant. Which means the parties were still in the early stages of the big switch, and Seymour was a Democrat by name, but espoused the values that we see in Republicans today.

Number six is easy, The Governator is the reason California went bankrupt. He mismanaged the state from day 1, when he rolled back the Vehicle License Fee, taking 6.5 billion(annually) out of the loop.

Seven's easy too. In a nutshell, it says that when everything eventually goes really bad and we have no order, remember to blame the Democrats for bankrupting America. Republicans seem to think we can cut our way to prosperity. That doesn't work. The two wars Bush never put on the books are constantly being called Obama's doing since he was the honest one about it. 

Number eight(Democrats caused what is known as the Trail of Tears) is similar to number five. In 1938, Andrew Jackson, and later on Martin Van Buren mistreated(causing thousands of deaths in the process) many natives. This was back before the parties switched, making this the kind of thing modern day Republicans would do, not modern Democrats. 

I won't go any further debunking the claims, because most of the rest of them are false because the parties were switched. Also because he says things like, "Al Gore tried to steal a presidential election he lost in 2000".Oh, and he quotes Ann Coulter. Nuff said.

Family Matters...

I am a man without a country.

I watch as my relatives(I call them relatives because I damn sure can't call them family) talk with one another over social media. I watch as they give each other emotional support when necessary. I watch as they share jokes and stories both new and old. I watch, from a distance.


I don't have to wonder why things are the way they are. I understand that this is the price I have to pay for not staying silent. For daring to question something they were too scared or complacent to question. How dare I think for myself? It's amazing to see someone get mad at you because you asked a question they can't answer, or won't answer because they know the answer will force them to see something logically when they want the comfort that often comes with willful ignorance.


From my grandmother(who up until she found out I was an atheist was the sweetest woman in the world) who called me stupid and said I was doing a bad job raising my kids to my many cousins and aunts and uncles who questioned my parenting, morals, and sanity because I don't believe in something they can't prove to be true, I feel like I've been pushed out.

Sure, it hurts to be shunned for something you can't control, but what can be done about it? Contrary to popular belief, I'm not behaving like a petulant child, arms crossed, saying to god "Fine, you want to act like that? Well I don't believe you exist!"

I could probably go on for a few more pages, but I'll leave it at this: I've endured a lot of emotional trauma because some people value comfort over reality, and that's just sad.

Whoever spares the rod hates their children...

He that smiteth his father, or his mother, shall be surely put to death. -- Exodus 21:15

He that curseth his father, or his mother, shall surely be put to death. -- Exodus 21:17

I can't help but wonder exactly what part of the Bible 7 year old Roderick "R.J." Arrington failed to read that caused his stepfather, Markiece Palmer, to beat him so severely that he slipped into unconsciousness and died the next day. It probably wasn't one of the two verses above because most people like to pick and choose the "feel good" parts of the Bible and ignore the rest.

There's not much I can say about this story without getting upset, so I'll keep it short. These are rules set out by god for you to follow. They come right after the 10 commandments, so the old those were different rules for a different time argument won't fly.

...and I'd also like to thank the Academy...

People keep telling me I should thank God for all he has done for me. So I started thinking. In addition to the Monday Madness feature I'm going to add the Thankful Thursdays to my blog.

We'll start off simple. I'd like to thank God for designing me so that I eat and breathe through the same tube, because it only causes 3,200 deaths annually. I'd also like to thank him for designing snakes with separate breathing and eating tubes, because it wouldn't really feel like it was God's work if he didn't show us that he could make us that way, but chose to work in more mysterious ways.

Invisibly yours,
The Unicorn

A Message to My Facebook Family and Friends(and well, I guess the rest of you people can read it too)

I was thinking about my recent barrage of Facebook posts, and how it might be perceived by my friends and family. I've already had one family member unfriend me, and while I can't claim with any certainty that I know how everyone else feels, I spend a great deal of time speaking with theists of all stripes and the responses are all very similar.

That being said, I don't want people to think I hate Christians, am angry at God, or have had a bad experience with religion somehow. None of what I say concerning religion or gods is based on emotion. I'm just looking at things from a rational and skeptical point of view.

Contrary to popular opinion, it is not rude or invasive to inquire about someone's view on religion. Of course, as with any other possibly controversial topic, there are times and places where it would be inappropriate to discuss religion but the subject itself isn't off limits.

If at times I seem agitated or angry about something, it's likely because it saddens me to see people I care about short-change themselves by giving the credit for things they accomplished to someone other than themselves. That and the way theists are allowed to pick and choose when it comes to events in their lives. From the athlete that spends countless hours training and learning to play a game only to thank God for letting him win the championship to the person who sees Tucson shooting victim Gabrielle Giffords' situation as a miracle when six innocent people, including a 9 year old girl are killed.

So I'm challenging that. I'm challenging the idea that your god, whoever it may be, is not to be questioned. I'm challenging anyone who says that their god is great. I'm challenging the idea that an omnipotient, omniscient, omnipresent being can even exist. I'm doing this because I want to hold as many true beliefs and as few false beliefs as possible.

This post will serve as my standard "go to" response when someone asks me why I do what I do. If I've sent you here to read this, consider it a starting point because this by no means encompasses the entirety of my belief structure.

New Feature! Monday Madness!

You know what's really confusing? John 3:16. For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life.

It seems to me this central tenet of Christianity has some serious flaws. If Jesus was God's only son, it was because he only chose to have one. I think the only reason it's worded that way is because it pushes the sacrifice angle. If it was God sacrificing one of an infinite number of children, which an omnipotent being should be able to create, I don't think it would have the same effect.

Who was God sacrificing Jesus to anyway? Does God make any other sacrifices, ever? One might say that God was doing that for us but it doesn't add up. We broke HIS rules. He's at the top of the food chain, so to speak. So why couldn't he just forgive it? Just start over? He had already done it fairly early on in the history of humanity. Which brings me to another question...

Why wasn't the sacrifice enough? If Jesus was the sacrifice to pay for our sins, then why do we have to do something else just to get the benefit of that sacrifice? It's like someone giving you a birthday gift but telling you that you can't open it until you say "thank you". Gifts are not supposed to be conditional.

Of course, none of these issues can be addressed without evidence of Jesus' existence. That's a big hill to climb...


IPU

Kidnapped Woman Finds Real Mother 23 Years Later; Jesus Takes All The Credit

Innocent Victim / Selfish Shebeast

A few facts about this case:

In August of 1987 a woman brought her sick(with a high fever) 3 week old daughter to the hospital where she was subsequently kidnapped by Ann Pettway.

23 years later, feeling like something in her life was wrong, she contacted the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children and was reunited with her family.


At 2:17 in the video a crying woman is shouting "Hallelujah, hallelujah, hallelujah, praise his holy name!", and surely many of you agree that God brought that family back together.

I don't understand why God gets the credit for the good things that happen to people but never gets blamed for the bad things. Or, we get the "God works in mysterious ways" answer, but you already know how I feel about that.



Her aunt said "She(Pettway) destroyed my family", and her father said "...it's hard for her to cope...", her parents missed watching their child grow up, she missed growing up with her siblings, she was physically abused by Pettway- I could go on, but I think the point is made.





Feeling especially invisibly pink today,

The Invisible Pink Unicorn

More Christian Vagueness

God works in mysterious ways.

That's usually the response given when something is undeniably negative and a Christian is questioned as to how said negative logically fits in with an all-loving God.

In reality it's a non-answer. It's not like they're claiming they know this to be a fact; they just believe that God is all-loving because it's in The Bible. Moving with that set of logic, a Christian has little choice but to conclude that their God(who in their mind is all-loving and all-knowing) must have some bigger plan that is incomprehensible by humans. They believe this because the part about God being all-knowing and all-loving is factual to them.

Such is the case with the senseless killing of Northern Irish newlywed Michaela McAreavey, who was killed while on her honeymoon on the small Island of Maritius last Monday, January 10th.
According to reports from reputable news sources in the UK(The Guardian, The Telegraph, The Irish Times) Michaela was having tea with her new husband, John, when she decided to go back up to their hotel room to get some biscuits to go with the tea. Her room was(allegedly) being robbed by hotel employees and she walked in on them. She was strangled and left in a bathtub.

At her funeral, Bishop McAreavey(uncle to Michaela's husband John) explained how the newlyweds were truly devoted to each other. "Their lives revolved around one another; each talked endlessly about the other." He also explained how that devotion to her husband was second only to her devotion to God. "She loved the Mass and was faithful to it. She was a young woman who prayed and whose prayer was important to her."

Now here is a woman who is undeniably a devout Christian. What possible purpose could God have for allowing this couple to marry, only to tear them apart while they were still on their honeymoon? And to do it in such a horrible way! What mysterious way could God have been taking when he decided to scar a man emotionally for the rest of his life by allowing the senseless death of his new wife?

Just for the sake of argument, let's say someone can come up with a halfway legitmate reason why this horrible event could, in theory, be considered an overall good move by God. Are we to assume that this is the best way God's plan could be played out? An omniscient, omnipotent, omnibenevolent God wouldn't let a situation like this happen to his subjects. Even if I believed in this God, I could never worship him.

Weekend at Bradley's

Except the zombie in question is Jewish

Last weekend I headed down to Peoria, IL for the event being put on by the BU Skeptics. It was a whole weekend's worth of activities but I was only able to attend on Saturday. If you want a full run-down of what happened, Russell Glasser and Matt Dillahunty(who were a big part of the weekend, and hosts of the evermore popular show The Atheist Experience) have summed the whole thing up nicely.

I think fun was had by all, and it was definitely an experience to remember. I don't know where or when the video will be released, but I know there was a guy there with a camera and I believe he was affiliated with the college or the group. If I hear something I will post an update.

Since Matt and Russell did a great job with their recountings of the weekend, I will just post some pictures from the meeting for all to see. Enjoy!

Mclovin and company talking to Matt afterwards

Do We Need the Word "Atheist"?

Theists often ask me why I care so much about something I don't believe in. When I first started openly questioning religion, I couldn't answer that question. I knew why, but I just couldn't put it into words yet. The reason is because the claims and actions of theists can be harmful to people, on a psychological and physical level. I don't refute the claims of Bigfoot sightings because while I don't believe in them, I also don't believe that other people believing in Bigfoot will have a negative effect on society in general, or even that person specifically. A belief in god can have profound effects on one's actions and thoughts, cognitive dissonance notwithstanding.

All of that is well and good, but why does this community of people need to have their own label? The only reason there is a need to call attention to the fact that we haven't been convinced there is a god is because there are people out there trying to convince others there is a god. I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't wake up one day and decide to boycott God Inc.. I don't hate god, the same way I don't hate Bigfoot.

When I really think about it, I can understand why some theists might think atheism is this group that dissenters join when they are mad at god, or if they don't want to be responsible for their actions, allowing them to “live it up” with a clear conscience. Sometimes I hear some atheists speak as if they are speaking for atheists everywhere, and while it bothers me slightly because speaking on behalf of a group indicates that everyone in the group thinks the same way, and possibly because there is a doctrine that says they have to, I can't be too mad because usually atheists only speak in those kinds of terms for wholly accepted truths. The only example I can think of is when atheists tell theists that the only thing that all atheists have in common is that we don't believe in god.

The label of atheist is a necessity in my mind, and will continue to be until we reach a point where religions like Christianity are taken as seriously as religions like Scientology, and I don't see that day arriving anytime soon.

My Problems with God

I've never read any of the holy books in their entirety. I've read bits and pieces of some, the Christian Bible more than any other, but not very much of any of them. I've had people tell me that if I've never read insert your favorite holy book here, that I can't possibly begin to comment on it's truth value. I'll set aside the idea that all of these supposed holy books have one thing in common: none of them have evidence to back up the miracles and deity to human communication that all of them claim to have happened. I'll do that because I can, for the sake of argument, assume that a god does exist and still have many monkey wrenches to throw in the gears that are their arguments.

There isn't a need to list them because even if none of those can convince you(and I know they won't) I can take a step back and say that even if any of those gods do exist, I wouldn't worship them. I would curse that god every day, telling him he is a coward like none other. I would dare him to show his face. Any theist who has ever heard me say that always replies the same way; when you stand in front of god, you WILL bow before him. I have always thought that could mean that I would either be so scared or awestruck that I would have to bow in his awesome presence or that he would force me to bow with his godly power. Maybe it's the tone of smug glee that comes standard with the aforementioned statement, but I really feel theists believe their god isn't above forcing someone to bow before him. That is a scary thought.

The Lord is my shepherd(if shepherd = pimp)

About a month ago, I had to drive up to Wisconsin and spend a few hours inside a church. While I was there I saw two kinds of hymnal books; one that looked like every other hymnal I had seen in any other church I had ever gone to while the other was quite unique. Curious, I grabbed one from a pew and opened it up.








While seeing such self deprecating language is neither new nor particularly shocking, the cover of this book puts everything in a different perspective.

That's right folks, statements such as "I am not good enough for [Jesus] to come to me." are being spoken by children before they're to participate in communion.

I invite theists of all stripes to help me understand how a child that is being given information like that from trusted individuals at such an early age allows for the child to have a fair and objective shot at making unbiased decisions on spirituality or lack thereof.

Just a thought: The overwhelming majority of people that ever accepted the premise that supernatural beings could exist were children.

The Unicorn has spoken.

It's not about how many times you fall down...

In an effort to stave off obesity I joined a flag football team this fall. I played exactly two games before I tore the ACL in my left knee. I had surgery to replace the damaged ligament, then spent the next seven weeks in a Vicodin haze. I tried to record a video for YouTube, but zombie isn't a good look for me.

I kicked the Vicodin, did some physical therapy, and now I'm well enough to start posting on a regular basis again. I'll be going back to school for the spring semester, but I don't expect that to make too much of an impact on what I do here.

Tomorrow I'll be back with more Rational Thoughts for Atheists, and I hope you'll join me.

Hypocrisy So Potent, It'll Make You See Czars

With video clips this damning, and a title that awesome, I think I'll let the gentlemen speak for themselves.

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Avoiding Jailtime on a Wing and a Prayer

Two Florida educators escaped unscathed from the hot water they were in late this week when they were found to not have violated a federal court order which barred them from praying at school events. Pace High School Principal Frank Lay and Athletic Director Robert Freeman avoided possible fines and jail time when U.S. Supreme Court Judge Casey Rodgers decided the two hadn't “willfully”(read:intentionally) violated the consent decree they signed just nine days prior to the school event. I don't believe for a second they weren't aware of what they were doing, but the judge has ruled, and they are under even more scrutiny now. So I really don't care too much about it. I'll post a few links to other stories that lay out the issue greater detail.

Upon hearing about the pair's ordeal, several members of the Congressional Prayer Caucus Foundation wrote a letter supporting them. 58 other members of our government read and signed a letter that stated "The tradition of offering prayer in America has become so interwoven into our nation's spiritual heritage that to charge someone criminally for engaging in such a practice would astonish the men who founded this country on religious liberty."

I think those congressmen that signed that letter should think about the idea that there are many traditions this country was founded on that would not be acceptable today. Civil rights and Suffrage are two that come to mind right away.

By the way, just in case anyone forgot, not only is what they did unconstitutional, there was a consent decree signed just nine days earlier that prohibited this very kind of action.

Do we need the word “atheist”?

Theists often ask me why I care so much about something I don't believe in. When I first started openly questioning supernatural beings, I couldn't answer that question. I knew why, but I just couldn't put it into words yet. The reason is because the claims and actions of theists can be harmful to people, on a psychological and physical level. I don't refute the claims of Bigfoot sightings because while I don't believe in them, I also don't believe that other people believing in Bigfoot will have a negative effect on society in general, or even that person specifically. A belief in god can have profound effects on one's actions and thoughts, cognitive dissonance notwithstanding.

All of that is well and good, but why does this community of people need to have their own label? Well, the only reason there is a need to call attention to the fact that we haven't been convinced there is a god is because there are people out there trying to convince others there is a god. I can't speak for anyone else, but I didn't wake up one day and decide to boycott God Inc.. I don't hate god, the same way I don't hate Bigfoot because I don't believe in either one.

When I really think about it, I can understand why some theists might think atheism is this group that dissenters join when they are mad at god, or if they don't want to be responsible for their actions, allowing them to “live it up” with a clear conscience. Sometimes I hear some atheists speak as if they are speaking for atheists everywhere, and while it bothers me slightly because speaking on behalf of a group indicates that everyone in the group thinks the same way, and possibly because there is a doctrine that says they have to, I can't be too mad because usually atheists only speak in those kinds of terms for wholly accepted truths.

So yes, the word atheist is a necessity. In 100 years, I would hope it won't be. I'd love to just do like the London bus ads say, and get on with enjoying my life, but as long as there are people in the world that want to poison minds and are willing to destroy science in an effort to force others to see the world the way they do, there will be people in the world like me that will be there to enforce honesty and integrity. If we can't get that, then we will point you out as the liars you are. And we'll do it on a global stage. Welcome to the Information Age.

How do you teach them about integrity?

I was watching a video that Jezuzfreek777 posted on his YouTube account. He was taking his daughter to a park, and while she was playing, he was preaching. I watched the video, and it got me to thinking about integrity.

One of the main things I learned in the Army was to have integrity. To do the right thing all the time, not just when you know someone is watching. Now I know no one can have a perfect record of integrity, but in my opinion that's what people should strive for. Being as honest as possible to the highest degree that you can.

Anyhow, I was wondering how a religious person could teach a child both about God and integrity, seeing how a believer is never without at least one being watching them.

Steve Harvey's Barometer Must Be Broken...

Longtime comedian turned relationship "guru" Steve Harvey has been touring to promote his new book, titled Act Like a Lady, Think Like a Man, but he's also been offering his opinion on atheists and their morality in the media during the recent months.

His first comment(video below, link here) came on a March 24th appearance on the Tyra Banks Show, where he stated, "You sittin' up here talkin' to a dude and he tells you he's an atheist, you need to pack it up and go home!" while doling out relationship advice to a receptive crowd. There was some backlash in the atheist community, but Steve Harvey isn't a household name outside of the black community, so it wasn't such a big deal.

However, during his appearance on CNN's Larry King Live(hosted by Joy Behar on this particular evening) he decided to go into greater detail about atheists. Let us all bask in Steve's wisdom:

Charming. I find it interesting that Harvey chooses the word idiot to describe atheists. When you say things like "this spun out of a gastrous(?) ball, and then all of a sudden we were evolved from monkeys, why we still got monkeys?..." and "...if you don't believe in God then where is your moral barometer?" you have very little room to insult the intelligence of others.

And in the very small chance that this actually gets to Mr. Harvey's eyes, stop calling it a moral barometer. The term I think you're looking for is moral compass. A barometer measures atmospheric pressure and is therefore an ill fitting comparison for morals. A compass works as a much better example because it can point you in the right direction.

Invisibly yours,

The Invisble Pink Unicorn

SpongeGod Squarepants?

Let me start with the following disclaimer: This is NOT an attack on the small yellow sponge "who lives in a pineapple under the sea!".  I have some issues with him but I'll save that for another day. So I'm one of the lucky ones that gets a decent amount of time to spend with my kids while basically holding a full time job. SpongeBob is fairly funny despite the ambiguity about his age, the fact that he lives alone, and that he also has a full time job. Today my daughter and I were watching an episode on Nickelodeon(also known as Nick) and during a commercial break I was quite disturbed to see an ad for the Prayer Cross, an allegedly crystal laced, sterling silver cross that contains the Lord's Prayer, which becomes visible when held up to the light.

There isn't a logical reason that comes to mind when trying to figure out why a company would attempt to market its religious message to children. Especially when they are watching a show that raises as many questions as SpongeBob does. And the damage is twofold; they have children in the commercial wearing the item as well as a shot that shows an adult sized pendant with a child sized pendant. A sad day indeed for children's programming. I have contacted both Nick(called after hours) and IdeaVillage and am eagerly awaiting both responses.