This discussion about the origins of Jesus’ teachings is interesting in the light of the incredibly disgusting comments coming from the far right. Jesus as ass kicker: Jesus’ act of self-sacrifice would ultimately have been meaningless – yes, meaningless – if he had not inflicted a mortal wound on the enemy while giving up his [...]
Via Disinfo, this video makes a startling case for the Bible’s repulsiveness, given how many times it says we should kill people who break God’s law – and God’s law happens to be normal, everyday things. Lest there be any confusion where Jesus stands – as this mainly references the Old Testament – this comes [...]
Interesting interview here with Damon Linker, author of The Religious Test: Why We Must Question the Beliefs of Our Leaders: History shows us that traditionalist religion can be compatible with various forms of non-liberal government (theocracy, absolute monarchy). The same can be said for strident atheism and totalitarianism. Conversely, when religion is liberal—when it makes [...]
Unreal: Pope Benedict XVI said on Thursday that the media’s increasing reliance on images, fuelled by the endless development of new technologies, risked confusing real life with virtual reality. “New technologies and the progress they bring can make it impossible to distinguish truth from illusion and can lead to confusion between reality and virtual reality,” [...]
Via Huffington Post: “We are at the place where the Constitution hangs in the balance,” Beck told Bill O’Reilly on November 14, 2008, just after President Obama’s election. “I feel the Constitution is hanging in the balance right now, hanging by a thread unless the good Americans wake up.” The Constitution is hanging by a [...]
A good reminder of just how off base it is that the pope blames the Holocaust on atheism: Christian theologians, Catholic and Protestant, reassured Germans that Nazism was in full accord with Christian principles. This was not a marginal effort; at the 1934 Oberammergau passion play, watching Jesus being hoisted on the cross, the audience [...]
Why the comparison – the Ground Zero mosque would be like opening up a Nazi headquarters next to a Holocaust museum – should be retired. I can’t get enough of the new hysteria – think it’s archetypal and vital. So, an interview with myself: The equation between a mosque and Nazi headquarters makes no sense. [...]
Hey atheists, this should diminish your opinion of Sam Harris. Should a 15-story mosque and Islamic cultural center be built two blocks from the site of the worst jihadist atrocity in living memory? Put this way, the question nearly answers itself. This is not to say, however, that I think we should prevent our fellow [...]
(via Dangerous Minds & RadioFreeOz.com) Apparently, the Sinclair Lewis quote is apocryphal, but it’s still effective. It has its roots in this 1948 article: Meanwhile, Dutch fascist Geert Wilder has been invited to an anti-mosque rally alongside Glenn Beck and Newt Gingrich. A man who in the past has been too far-right for Charles Krauthammer. [...]
Consider me in this camp. Heartening statistics: The Pew report found that 1 in 6 American adults were not affiliated with any particular faith. That number jumped to 25% for people ages 18 to 29. Moreover, most mainline Protestant denominations have for years experienced a net loss in members, and about 25% of cradle Catholics [...]