Wow, if I had a dollar for every time a politician said something insanely stupid I would have been a rich man quite some time ago. The most recent comes from our good friend Sarah Palin who, quite frankly, has given us a great number of laughs since emerging into the public spotlight. Her latest "foot in big mouth" moment comes from her speech at the NRA rally in Indianapolis over the weekend. Ready for it? She said:
"If I were in charge....they would know that waterboarding is how we baptize terrorists"
Yep. She said it. And as disturbing as this is I find it even more disturbing that I am not in the least bit shocked that something so utterly inhumane came spewing from the depths of her delusional mind. When I first heard of this I thought to myself this must be another hoax like the one floating around the internet claiming she said flight MH370 flew to heaven and got stuck. Then I saw the video. Hoax it is NOT!
Here's the link to the video:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=A7vdAlzh-jo
Once I gathered that the "waterboarding=baptism" comment was true I began looking for articles referencing this and I came across one which included a reaction from an individual that was just as disturbing. When referencing Sarah Palin's statement this individual stated that:
"Joking about baptism in the context of this aggressive action suggests that we don’t think baptism is as life-giving or important as it is."
(http://www.thewire.com/politics/2014/04/sarah-palin-is-not-the-rights-campaign-savior-anymore/361305/)
Is that truly the most logical reaction to have to a statement like that? Seriously? The heinousness of torturing another human being takes a back seat to the "importance" of baptism? The first concern is for the description of a religious ritual and not for the welfare of another human being? You have got to be kidding me!
To say that the United States of America "dodged a bullet" by not having Sarah Palin as the Vice President seems to be quite fitting in this scenario given the event she was speaking at. What I do find frightening is that a portion of the population decided that Sarah Palin was, at one point, the best fit for the job.
Religious belief breeds this kind of backwards thinking and statements like these highlights the importance of secular activism to build an indestructible wall separating church and state.
-Zombie
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Monday, April 28, 2014
Friday, April 25, 2014
Unreasonable Generalizations
I think at one point or another we are all guilty of making gross generalizations about a certain group or action that are based on nothing more than emotion. Usually this comes during our younger years when we have yet to grasp the concept of research or that old saying "Think before you speak".
Unfortunately this has not changed. Although we live in an age where a world of information that sits at our finger tips, this still happens and surprisingly from individuals we all would consider intelligent and educated. As an atheist I frequently debate individuals of various religious beliefs and one of the staples of any of my discussions is when I introduce information I know is fact or I counter a religious persons myth with science I always follow up the discussion with telling them not to take my word for it but to go and research the information themselves.
But what does this have to do with making generalizations?
Have you not heard somebody say in some form or fashion that "religious people are stupid" or "If you believe in the bible then you're stupid"? I have. Several times. That would be a gross generalization about a demographic that quite simply isn't true. Holding a religious belief is not a reflection of one's intellect. There are a multitude of factors that can go into why people hold religious belief. The reason I implore the individuals I debate to not take my word for what I say but to go out and verify it is because most people I have legitimate debates or discussions with are very intelligent. I may find the myth to be stupid or ridiculous but not the individual. I may find the person to be ignorant of certain facts but rarely do I find the person stupid or pathetic.
Now here's my issue. There are some individuals I interact with that seem to forget the above when it comes to topics other than religion. It is asked of the religious to use logic, reason, and critical thinking and apply it to their beliefs but when it comes to any other topic I see some atheists failing to apply the same logic and reason.
What about generalizations about other groups of individuals? Gamblers? Drug addicts? Is it logical to conclude that these groups of individuals are "pathetic"? I would say no. Why? Because that is a generalization that is based, not on facts, but on personal opinion or feeling, which is subjective. It is easier to say that a drug addict is "pathetic" than it is to research the factors that go into addiction and to pass on ways to help fight said addiction. What about a gambling addict? Sure it's easier to brush it off as ridiculous or to say "just stop wasting money" but there is a real difference between somebody buying a few scratch-offs and somebody spending the entirety of their paycheck at a casino without regard for how said person will provide food for their family. There are psychological factors that have to be taken into consideration when addressing these types of questions. The answer is never gross generalizations about these individuals. Those are just two examples of what could be an endless list of examples.
The point is this. Everybody has an opinion on things. Every has a right to state their opinion and in the same breath nobody is immune to correction. In order to grow and learn one has to be open to the possibility that their opinion could be wrong. I'm wrong on a lot of things and I am grateful and become more intelligent when these things are pointed out to me. We all ask the believers to apply logic when speaking about religion so we should also expect each other to do the same when the topic is something else.
-Zombie
Unfortunately this has not changed. Although we live in an age where a world of information that sits at our finger tips, this still happens and surprisingly from individuals we all would consider intelligent and educated. As an atheist I frequently debate individuals of various religious beliefs and one of the staples of any of my discussions is when I introduce information I know is fact or I counter a religious persons myth with science I always follow up the discussion with telling them not to take my word for it but to go and research the information themselves.
But what does this have to do with making generalizations?
Have you not heard somebody say in some form or fashion that "religious people are stupid" or "If you believe in the bible then you're stupid"? I have. Several times. That would be a gross generalization about a demographic that quite simply isn't true. Holding a religious belief is not a reflection of one's intellect. There are a multitude of factors that can go into why people hold religious belief. The reason I implore the individuals I debate to not take my word for what I say but to go out and verify it is because most people I have legitimate debates or discussions with are very intelligent. I may find the myth to be stupid or ridiculous but not the individual. I may find the person to be ignorant of certain facts but rarely do I find the person stupid or pathetic.
Now here's my issue. There are some individuals I interact with that seem to forget the above when it comes to topics other than religion. It is asked of the religious to use logic, reason, and critical thinking and apply it to their beliefs but when it comes to any other topic I see some atheists failing to apply the same logic and reason.
What about generalizations about other groups of individuals? Gamblers? Drug addicts? Is it logical to conclude that these groups of individuals are "pathetic"? I would say no. Why? Because that is a generalization that is based, not on facts, but on personal opinion or feeling, which is subjective. It is easier to say that a drug addict is "pathetic" than it is to research the factors that go into addiction and to pass on ways to help fight said addiction. What about a gambling addict? Sure it's easier to brush it off as ridiculous or to say "just stop wasting money" but there is a real difference between somebody buying a few scratch-offs and somebody spending the entirety of their paycheck at a casino without regard for how said person will provide food for their family. There are psychological factors that have to be taken into consideration when addressing these types of questions. The answer is never gross generalizations about these individuals. Those are just two examples of what could be an endless list of examples.
The point is this. Everybody has an opinion on things. Every has a right to state their opinion and in the same breath nobody is immune to correction. In order to grow and learn one has to be open to the possibility that their opinion could be wrong. I'm wrong on a lot of things and I am grateful and become more intelligent when these things are pointed out to me. We all ask the believers to apply logic when speaking about religion so we should also expect each other to do the same when the topic is something else.
-Zombie
Saturday, April 12, 2014
Another Feeble Attempt...
Well the religious are at it again. This time in an upcoming documentary "The Principle" which is a documentary about geocentrism (earth being the center of the universe, sun revolves around the earth, and other such garbage). In the trailer for the film it appears to have interviews with several well known scientists in what I can only describe as a feeble attempt to give this idea of geocentrism a level of respect. However this is not the case.
What appears to have happened with this film is the creators purposefully misrepresented what this film was about to these members of the scientific community or simply used clips from previous interviews and chopped them up to their satisfaction. They were even able to get Kate Mulgrew to narrate the film. Here is her response to the film via Facebook:
"I understand there has been some controversy about my participation in a documentary called THE PRINCIPLE. Let me assure everyone that I completely agree with the eminent physicist Lawrence Krauss, who was himself misrepresented in the film, and who has written a succinct rebuttal in SLATE. I am not a geocentrist, nor am I in any way a proponent of geocentrism. More importantly, I do not subscribe to anything Robert Sungenis has written regarding science and history and, had I known of his involvement, would most certainly have avoided this documentary. I was a voice for hire, and a misinformed one, at that. I apologize for any confusion that my voice on this trailer may have caused. Kate Mulgrew"
Dr. Lawrence Krauss, who also appears to have been misrepresented in the film, stated via a SLATE article that had he known what the film represented he would have refused. (For the entire article, click below)
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/04/08/lawrence_krauss_on_ending_up_in_the_geocentricism_documentary_the_principle.html
So the question boils down to why make a film that deliberately misrepresents well known members of the scientific community in order to push an idea that was debunked centuries ago? In my opinion its because religious belief and all of its dogma are on the way out and films like this are religion's last stand. We live in an age where information is at our fingertips. Access to a world of information can be found in that smartphone in your pocket. The need for religious belief has long since past and we are starting to see more and more people dismiss their religious beliefs when faced with facts and evidence. So I think this film and films like it are, in part, a cinematic representation of the last ditch effort of religious belief.
-Zombie
What appears to have happened with this film is the creators purposefully misrepresented what this film was about to these members of the scientific community or simply used clips from previous interviews and chopped them up to their satisfaction. They were even able to get Kate Mulgrew to narrate the film. Here is her response to the film via Facebook:
"I understand there has been some controversy about my participation in a documentary called THE PRINCIPLE. Let me assure everyone that I completely agree with the eminent physicist Lawrence Krauss, who was himself misrepresented in the film, and who has written a succinct rebuttal in SLATE. I am not a geocentrist, nor am I in any way a proponent of geocentrism. More importantly, I do not subscribe to anything Robert Sungenis has written regarding science and history and, had I known of his involvement, would most certainly have avoided this documentary. I was a voice for hire, and a misinformed one, at that. I apologize for any confusion that my voice on this trailer may have caused. Kate Mulgrew"
Dr. Lawrence Krauss, who also appears to have been misrepresented in the film, stated via a SLATE article that had he known what the film represented he would have refused. (For the entire article, click below)
http://www.slate.com/blogs/future_tense/2014/04/08/lawrence_krauss_on_ending_up_in_the_geocentricism_documentary_the_principle.html
So the question boils down to why make a film that deliberately misrepresents well known members of the scientific community in order to push an idea that was debunked centuries ago? In my opinion its because religious belief and all of its dogma are on the way out and films like this are religion's last stand. We live in an age where information is at our fingertips. Access to a world of information can be found in that smartphone in your pocket. The need for religious belief has long since past and we are starting to see more and more people dismiss their religious beliefs when faced with facts and evidence. So I think this film and films like it are, in part, a cinematic representation of the last ditch effort of religious belief.
-Zombie
Monday, April 7, 2014
Questions for upcoming guests
Upcoming guests on The Heathen Half Hour podcast:
@jen_august
@DIYThinking
@MamaAtheist
If you have a question you want asked to one of these awesome guests, submit them to the right or email them to fortheheathens@gmail.com
Get your questions in quick. The shows are coming up quick.
-Zombie
Saturday, April 5, 2014
What's up next
This week has been a crazy one. There is so much that happened this last week to talk about. Due to my schedule this weeks episode of The Heathen Half Hour will be released a couple days later than normal. I spent the majority of the show prep time this week developing the new website: www.zombieatheist.com Good news is in the upcoming weeks a set weekly schedule for the show will be released so there will be no more questions as to when it's on. So this week I give you the brand new website and the new episode will be out soon.
-Zombie
Wednesday, April 2, 2014
No Prayer Needed
Each and every one of us goes through times in our lives that are on the opposite end of enjoyable. Whether it be a loss of a job, an illness, trouble with bills, etc. we all experience rough times in some form or fashion. During such times, religious individuals tend to ask for prayer requests in hopes that a "miracle" will occur and magically remove them from their tough spot. Needless to say we know this does not work.
Those of us who are atheist know that in order to be in a better situation one has to work hard to get there. Sometimes hard choices have to be made but we make them knowing that somebody chanting a few words before bedtime has absolutely no effect on the outcome of our endeavors.
That being said I want to point out a situation that I observed on Twitter the other day and how it produced such a wonderful feeling within me and solidified the notion that we as a species are headed in the right direction. Specific names will not be used but the reaction to the situation is worth praise. A friend of ours on Twitter sent out a screen shot of another's TL and the contents of said TL indicated that this person may be going through some pretty rough times. Rough as in a possible serious medical issues coupled with possibly some depression. I'm not exactly sure what was happening to this person but the TL indicated that this person may need some help. Here is the feel good part:
The friend I was referring to could have easily passed over the other persons profile without a second thought but didn't. The friend realized that the other person may seriously need some help and rather than ignoring it, our friend sent it out in hopes that somebody knew the other person and could possibly get in contact with them. Before I knew it, several people joined in the attempt to make contact with the person who seemed like they needed help. And from what I could tell, somebody did indeed have some contact information for this person and attempted to reach out and help.
Now I don't know the outcome of this situation nor do I know if the situation was as serious as it seemed to be but that's beside the point. The point is that this is a wonderful example of strangers helping strangers. Actually this is better than that. For the most part we only know each other online. Many of us, other than online video hangouts, have never met. But this didn't stop one person going out of their way to help another who may have been in serious need of help. This just goes to show you that there are great people out there who are willing to go the extra mile to help another even if its just spreading the word online. I know too many people that would have simply offered a "prayer" to this person with no real intention to do so, never mind the fact it would have no effect whatsoever.
So to the people who went out of their way and took the time to help this person, I want to applaud you. Simple acts like this can inspire others to do the same thing. You never know then just a simple gesture could have a profoundly positive effect on another. My hat's off you you all.
-Zombie
Those of us who are atheist know that in order to be in a better situation one has to work hard to get there. Sometimes hard choices have to be made but we make them knowing that somebody chanting a few words before bedtime has absolutely no effect on the outcome of our endeavors.
That being said I want to point out a situation that I observed on Twitter the other day and how it produced such a wonderful feeling within me and solidified the notion that we as a species are headed in the right direction. Specific names will not be used but the reaction to the situation is worth praise. A friend of ours on Twitter sent out a screen shot of another's TL and the contents of said TL indicated that this person may be going through some pretty rough times. Rough as in a possible serious medical issues coupled with possibly some depression. I'm not exactly sure what was happening to this person but the TL indicated that this person may need some help. Here is the feel good part:
The friend I was referring to could have easily passed over the other persons profile without a second thought but didn't. The friend realized that the other person may seriously need some help and rather than ignoring it, our friend sent it out in hopes that somebody knew the other person and could possibly get in contact with them. Before I knew it, several people joined in the attempt to make contact with the person who seemed like they needed help. And from what I could tell, somebody did indeed have some contact information for this person and attempted to reach out and help.
Now I don't know the outcome of this situation nor do I know if the situation was as serious as it seemed to be but that's beside the point. The point is that this is a wonderful example of strangers helping strangers. Actually this is better than that. For the most part we only know each other online. Many of us, other than online video hangouts, have never met. But this didn't stop one person going out of their way to help another who may have been in serious need of help. This just goes to show you that there are great people out there who are willing to go the extra mile to help another even if its just spreading the word online. I know too many people that would have simply offered a "prayer" to this person with no real intention to do so, never mind the fact it would have no effect whatsoever.
So to the people who went out of their way and took the time to help this person, I want to applaud you. Simple acts like this can inspire others to do the same thing. You never know then just a simple gesture could have a profoundly positive effect on another. My hat's off you you all.
-Zombie
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