Saturday, August 30, 2008

The Epitome of Stupidity

Wow, I mean, wait a minute. Let me catch my breath. Folks, I just learned something that may shock you. Yes, when I first learned of it I could not breath for a full 12 seconds.

I just learned that atheism is the epitome of stupidity and, from no less a scholar than Ray Comfort at that. It seems that when Ray witnesses to atheists it is demeaning to him to have to do it since he has to resort to such a low intellectual level in order to reason with the twits. This is just earth shattering news. I only hope I don't misspell any words in reporting this to you, my dear readership. For the whole nine yards you may read the entire intellectually demeaning article on Ray Comfort's blog here.

Friday, August 29, 2008

Atheist Quote of the Week

In a post at Pharyngula, titled 'Matthew Cobb and Jerry Coyne write a letter,' a letter written to Nature magazine is sported with a link to the article. The last sentence of the letter is this weeks quote and is highlighted by Mr. PZ Myers himself as a distinguished sentiment and I concur.

And here she is:

"In reality, the only contribution that science can make to the ideas of religion is atheism."

So much for reconciling science with religion.

Sunday, August 24, 2008

A Little Short Story

I sat down at a table in the back of the bar. The waitress, a curvy young girl and dressed seductively, came up to the table and stopped so that I when I turned my head to speak to her I looked right into her cleavage. I really liked what she had and she knew it, too. When I finally looked up to her face she was already smiling at my look of disbelief.

"What'll you have, Honey?"

"I'd like a Sam Adams lager unless you haven't any or may recommend something."

"A Sam Adams lager it is."

She smartly turned around and I was hopelessly lost in lust as she walked away toward the bar, her ass and my eyes bouncing the whole way until she disappeared in shadow. I could still make out her white short shorts but only vaguely. After a few minutes she returned with my beer. I paid with a ten and she gave me five back after I told her to keep the change.

"I haven't seen you in here before. Is this your first time here?"

"Yeah, I usually just stay home and read or surf the Internet or whatever. I live across the street at the Marlborough Apartments. I was bored a little and thought maybe I should stop in for a while."

"I live at the Marlborough, too. Apartment 235.

"Apartment 204. I've lived there for over a year. How about you?"

"Just a couple of months. Say, I've got to get busy or Mike will have a cow. Maybe you could stay a while. Only two hours till closing. We should get together after."

Maybe you'd like something to eat. There's a Waffle House just a block away."

"I'd like that. I haven't eaten out in a long time."

I sat there for two hours. I only had one more beer, slowly sipping them. I almost couldn't finish the second one it was so warm. I didn't want to get drunk. I've never liked being drunk and tonight was my first alcohol in several months. I'm not against drinking alcohol, just being drunk. Since I was in a bar and I do enjoy a beer, I drank a couple. Slowly though. I didn't want to become drunk for two reasons. One, I hate being drunk and two I figured...I suddenly realised I don't know her name yet, and she doesn't know mine. Oh well, after she is off work we'll get to the introductions. Oh, and two, I thought maybe she had seen her fair share of drunks.

Occasionally over the two hours she would stop by for a second and wink at me or ask if I needed anything. I just shook my head no and she would whisk on by. I thought to myself maybe she doesn't drink on duty as a lot of bar waitresses learn to do, especially strip bars. This bar wasn't a strip bar but it sure had a lot of very good looking, young and seductively dressed young ladies as waitresses. I saw a few of them drink from a glass from behind the bar, but I never saw her doing it. Besides, when we did get to the Waffle House, a first date sort of, I didn't want her to be turned off by me being drunk. If she was a little tipsy it wouldn't mean so much to me as I thought me being drunk might mean to her.

I had to wait outside for the bar to close. It was a fair part of town. I wasn't afraid of being mugged so much as being arrested by the cops for hanging outside a closed bar for whatever reason they might imagine. Anyway, I wasn't arrested and she came out with the rest of the crowd of employees after just ten minutes.

I recognised her only by her figure. She had changed clothes, as did everyone before coming outside, but I could tell it was her even in the jeans and light black jacket she had over her tanktop. I offered her my arm and she took it pulling my arm close to her tightly. I could feel her shivering. And I could feel the warmth of her breast on my arm. It was a bit cold for an August morning in Atlanta, but I began to feel a rush of warmth come up my chest into my face. I wondered where the night may go, and if she would be a part of it with me unto morning.

Saturday, August 23, 2008

Hindu by the Grace of Vishnu

I was at Walmart the other day and saw an otherwise intelligent human wearing a T that said, "Country by choice...Christian by the grace of God." I immediately thought how narrow the thinking of the witticism on her T-shirt really is. Anyone not a Christian is just fucked, huh? Or, by the same grace of the same God, merely screwed but then, just a little. Maybe?

I'm sure somewhere in the world there is another otherwise intelligent human who may be wearing a similar T declaiming, "Slum Lord in Overcrowded City by choice...Hindu by the Grace of Vishnu." Only Thor knows, or Jupiter, or maybe Wotan, just to name a few.

Thursday, August 21, 2008

Atheist Quote of the Week

This week's quote will be short and sweet. It comes from the book "Atheist Manifesto: The Case Against Christianity, Judaism, and Islam" by Michel Onfray. I loaned my copy to a friend so I can't tell you what page it is on but it is in there, somewhere. Amazon.com
And without further delay, here it is:

"The last god will expire with the last man."

I believe this one sentence of just nine words sums up rather concisely the entire argument for an atheistic view of the world. It gives so easily to me, with a little thought, the very foundation of religion and the very foundation of irreligion. It seems to speak of two concepts at the same time without mentioning either one directly and exposes so elegantly the true relationship of man with his gods.

Thursday, August 14, 2008

Atheist Quote of the Week

A new feature at My Life as I Saw It will be an atheist quote gleaned from some of the books and web pages I read. Please note, due to the busy nature of my life, a week may be skipped and maybe two or more quotes will be posted in less than a weeks time.

Just one quote from among the countless available, posted here this week for your amusement, is by Victor J. Stenger and is right out of his book "GOD The Failed Hypothesis... How Science Shows That God Does Not Exist," pages 188-189. Amazon.com

"The Bible reads as an assembly of myths fashioned by ancient authors who had no concept of historical accuracy. Its description of the world reflects the scientific and historical knowledge of the age in which the manuscripts were composed. The information and insights contained in scriptures and other revelations look just as they can be expected to look if there is no God who revealed truths to humanity that were recorded in sacred texts."

I would have to agree.

Monday, August 04, 2008

Fisherman? Or Fish?

As some recent posts may indicate to those of you who read this blog, if there be few who do at all, I have taken up the cause of a world without religion and have declared myself to be atheist. Over the course of the last few months some thoughts about religion occur to me from time to time and today I will share one with you.

In at least one of the gospels Jesus calls out some disciples declaring to them he will make them "fishers of men." I think we all can remember that without specifying book, chapter, verse. What struck me with some irony is that indeed the apostles were fishers of men just like Jesus promised, for they, according to the what is written in the New Testament, caught lots of fishes. Peter caught 3000 in just one day, I think, and Paul caught a bunch more all over the Middle East throughout his career. And since then billions of fishes have been caught. And, like fish, they were devoured and the bones thrown out. Think of the Dark Ages, the inquisition, the crusades, the witch hunts and any bit of church history the Pope, as well as your pastor, would surely love for you to forget.

There are some truly great and successful fishermen in the world today. Pat Robertson, Jerry Falwell, Billy Graham, Pat Robertson and Oral Roberts just to name a few from of old. They are, or were, truly good fishers of men. They had them coming in the front door of unsubstantiated religious belief by the thousands every week, and accepted, without shame, all the wealth the new fish bestowed upon them.

Today we have a new bunch of fishermen, some you may have heard of some you may haven't. Joel Osteen, Rick Warren, Benny Hinn and John Hagee. All chief fishermen of enormous fisheries from which untold wealth and health is reaped for the fishermen and his family. But being a fisher of men is not limited to just men. There are many women, Joyce Meyers is just one, getting in on the action. Just surf through the few church channels available on cable or Directv to see a few. I caution you that you may view some bizarre fishing techniques but, as many of them are so ridiculous as to be scandalous, you may get a laugh or two.

On a smaller scale there are many new fisheries being created right before your very eyes. Just in my small area of the world I've noticed many humble beginnings in rented buildings that may have at one time been an auto parts store or the remains of a small fishery building the previous tenants left for larger headquarters, a sign of the truly good fisherman in our midst.

In many of these fisheries resides the "want to be" fisher of men in all of us. You've seen at least one example of what I mean some time in your life. That guy at the Waffle House with the "Got Jesus?" T-shirt talking mainly to the waitresses, a captive audience if there ever was one, about the need they have for Jesus in their lives. I know a guy like that and it is he who is the inspiration for this post. So, I simply ask without malice, is he a "fisher of men" or, is he just a little fish in someone else's really big net? You already know what I think.