So, what’s the problem with pseudoscience?

That one precisely. Since it’s “pseudo”, it’s not real science, it doesn’t work as it claims to work, but despite that, is presented as such. Homeopathy and other “alternative medicine”, astrology, mediums, spiritism, etc go in that bag, in case it’s not clear. Even though this blog is focused on religious attitudes that are harmful while portrayed as all good, pseudoscience works in a very similar way and because of that, deserve the same criticism.

Alternative medicine is one of the most revered pseudosciences, whether because it’s millenary, it’s natural and not chemical, it’s not part of big pharma, it doesn’t cause addiction, etc. All of those excuses to keep holding outdated customs even though science has already given us a better alternative and show the fraud behind it.

Killing Fields: Africa's Rhinos Under Threat

Nestled in the golden bush grass of an open savanna, a black rhinoceros lies on her side. Her head is haloed by a dried pool of blood. The animal's horns have been sawed off at the stump. Her eyes have been gouged out. "That's a new thing," notes Rusty Hustler, the manager of South Africa's North West Parks and Tourism Board, whose job includes tracking the escalating number of endangered rhinos poached for their body parts. "The Vietnamese have started keeping the eyes for medicine.

This is another of the problems brought by traditional medicine, but that’s just the tip of the iceberg. Any doctor can tell that rhino’s eyes, or ant body parts are no medicine for anything. Yet, practitioners who make quite a lot of money with this business, thanks to their followers credulity will never leave them out of their “traditional medicine”. And when someone asks “What is the problem with that?” the problem is that the negative consequences are usually greater than the benefits.

Some months ago I wrote about traditions and how little respect I had for them, at least just for being traditions, since they pretend to be risen over reason based on scientific knowledge available nowadays. The idea that something is an “alternative” just because it’s foreign and ancient, and can be compared to actual scientific medicine is ludicrous. A tradition can be nice and cute, but when people’s lives are at stake then it’s not anymore and they deserve to be criticized.

Maybe on of the arguments most used by pseudoscience advocates is that “Science is not perfect” or “Science is not the only tool to get knowledge”. Science is actually the best tool to do so, and any other method is usually biased, or based on ancient ideas that can’t be proven and nowadays have been refuted. The scientific method might not be perfect, whether because the technological limitations it has (even though we have advanced a lot in the last 100 years) or because economical interests. However, its modus operandi has a built-in mechanism to improve itself and evolve as time makes it possible.



Another problem is multiculturalism and its efforts to treat everything that comes from outside with a mystical aura that deserves to be revered, respected and protected, no matter how archaic and nonsensical they are. A fraud is a fraud no matter how old it is or where it comes from. Just because “traditional medicine” comes from far far away and haven’t changed in 1000 years they are more reliable than actual medicine. If liberals attacked those “cultures” just like they attack Christianity (which is a good thing) when they try to portray their quackery as untouchable, another world be possible.

More information about pseudoscience can be found with James Randi, Michael Shermer and The Skeptics' Society

Miss USA 2011 is an intelligent person

I'm not a fan of beauty pageants, mostly because they seem boring, fake and most of their answers sound shallow. Yet I couldn't help but notice that the new Miss USA, Alyssa Campanella, is not just a "huge geek" but also has no problems accepting that evolution is a fact.

Good news! The new Miss USA contest winner has beauty AND brains!



Asked if evolution should be taught in public schools, Miss Campanella replied, "I was taught evolution in high school. I do believe in it. I'm a huge science geek...I like to believe in the big bang theory and, you know, the evolution of humans throughout time."

After the initial celebration, a couple of friends pointed a couple of things that lowered my happiness levels. This shouldn't be much of a celebration, but of shame and indignation, because only 1 of the 51 contestants gave an actually scientifically accurate answer.

What about the other 50? Many of them have no idea what evolution is, or how evolution works. To them, being "beautiful" seems enough. No wonder that many tend to think of girls who participate in beauty pageants as shallow and dumb.

Yet, there is hope. I don't consider myself as a 100% optimist, but if at least one contestant is brave enough to say something that might be deemed controversial or offending by the largely ignorant public avid of beauty contests, then a better future might be possible. A future beauty goes hand in hand with intelligence. That's something I can believe in, since it depends on us.

Around 50% of Americans are creationists. This means, they believe that God created humans and everything that exists as it is right now, which is utter ignorance, not to say pure stupidity and a shame to a country that is (or at least, used to be) first in many aspects. But the numbers among the girls in the contest are worse, since only two of them said something scientifically coherent. I know they are not scientists, but a question like this is similar to "is the Earth flat?"

This is one of the effects religion has on people who has a deep and twisted sense of "freedom"; they think they are entitled to their own "truth", as if facts depended on whether someone wants to accept them or not.

Finally, 98.5% of US scientists accept evolution as a fact. That's certainly a more reliable group than the pastors who insist the Earth is no older than 7000 years and the people who believe them. I have to admit it's hard not to look down on those people.

Finally, because Alyssa Campanella is the new Miss USA, some pictures of her:






You know what? I do think she's pretty, but not "remarkably" pretty. Actually, I think last year's Miss USA, Rima Fakih, was more beautiful. But that's just like, my opinion.

The rapture that wasn’t (and never will be). Bible prediction FAIL

Supposedly, the rapture was scheduled to happen yesterday, so that all of those “true believers” who got God’s message would be lifted and taken to heaven, leaving the unbelievers on Earth to suffer the period of “tribulation” just before the end of times.

The rapture, properly depicted in a comic book

As expected, such story that sounds like taken from a bad children’s fiction about revenge, didn’t happen and the only thing we had was just another proof that revelation is just as useful to predict future events, as making up a story while high.

It’s interesting how much attention this event got from the media. I think these kind of prediction are so ludicrous people will have to look at them, just like one gets drawn to the “man bites dog” kind of news. It’s astonishing to see people believing such nonsense, and moreover, astonishing to see people spending their entire savings

Or goes to the streets just to embarrass himself

But these cases of fanaticism (especially when it is religious fanaticism) are not just anecdotal. And this is one of the reasons many of us think it’s important to criticize religion: because it wants to dominate over reason and consider blind belief a virtue




We also have those who actually killed themselves, those who wasted all their money, and those who put their family at risk. Meanwhile, Harold Camping, the pastor who initiated this madness has gone missing (could it be he was the only one raptured) while his followers just wonder what to do now. I’m not sure if to consider them victims of a scam, or think that they are just receiving what they signed up for. Maybe they truly deserve the suffering of having nothing, but that doesn’t mean the scammer can go free.

As I said before, this could be scoffed as something anecdotal except for the tragedy it causes. But also because those who believe their God has revealed the day He is going to do something are considered a curious and even funny phenomenon, worth only to be on the back page in a newspaper.

However, there are many who actually believe in the rapture, that one day Christian will be taken to heaven while the rest are left to suffer. And just because they don’t give an exact date (“soon”, they say) that doesn’t make them less insane than those who claim to know a date.

And if we are actually talking about some insane ideas, we have to include that ask to be taken just on faith, no matter how nonsensical they can be, like the virginal birth, walking on the water, the resurrection and the idea that God actually had a son and He walked among us. If we consider those who think they’ll be taken to heaven as deluded, we will have to include among them those who believe in all what I just mentioned.

We have to admit that the later don’t cause as many problems as the firsts, and it’s easier to live with and among them. Or maybe, we just got used to them. But let’s not fool ourselves: just because one is crazier than the other, insanity is insanity. And if we need to invoke faith to believe it, it’s because those claims can’t stand the scrutiny of reason.

Motherhood is overrated

Some parents deserve respect, most of them don’t – George Carlin

I might have chosen the worst day to write this. But that doesn’t make it less true. The fact that a person has had a child is no way a factor to earn respect. Let’s see how that person raises a child, and then we will be able to talk about respect.

Want an example?

Parent upset over atheist group at Larkin High

At least one parent was upset today when a group of students set up shop in the Larkin High School cafeteria to talk about atheism.

But one parent said the school went too far.

“They were here to talk about atheism,” said Shavon Stanback of Elgin. “That’s totally unacceptable to me.”

She continued: “I’m a Christian woman. I believe in God. I believe in heaven and hell.”

This woman thinks she is doing the right thing. She says she believes in God, which to me, doesn’t make much sense, but well, it’s her choice. The problem comes when because of that belief, she thinks that whoever doesn’t share her same delusions should be barred from saying so. If the school authorities, or worse, government authorities had the same attitude, we would have a pretty theocracy going on. But she is not a government or school authority. She is a mother, who has the task to raise a child, and I’m pretty sure she is pouring her same delusions and bigotry on that child.

That is a mother who certainly doesn’t deserve respect.

That’s just one case from last week. If I dig deeper, I can find lots of cases of parents who let their kids die because they preferred to pray instead of taking them to a doctor.

This is not just about religion, but about the idea that parents (in today’s case, mothers) deserve respect for just having opened their legs, delivered a child 9 months later and prevented the kid to starve to death

I swear there is a worse video, but I couldn’t find it.

Anyway, with all this, I’m not saying that you shouldn’t show any love for your mother today. On the contrary, if she is not a bigoted religious nutjob, or someone who has no idea of the Earth’s shape, or a sadistic beauty-obsessed bitch, go ahead and tell her “I love you mom”. And if she is anything like that, well, suck it up and do it anyway. No one else should do that.

Breaking: Osama is Dead. Also, he wasn't a Muslim

Yesterday night we all got the news that Obama was going to say something important, and it didn’t took long until it was revealed that the big news were Osama’s death. Obama’s was going to give his speech at 10:30 and I had to listen to it. It went pretty well at least at first:

I just hope this is actually true

On September 11, 2001, in our time of grief, the American people came together. We offered our neighbors a hand, and we offered the wounded our blood. We reaffirmed our ties to each other, and our love of community and country. On that day, no matter where we came from, what God we prayed to, or what race or ethnicity we were, we were united as one American family.

Uh… ok, yeah, it doesn’t really matter, if you acknowledge some pray to the Flying Spaghetti Monster. Go on.

As we do, we must also reaffirm that the United States is not --- and never will be --- at war with Islam. I've made clear, just as President Bush did shortly after 9/11, that our war is not against Islam.

Yeah, that makes sense; there are Muslims who respect others’ rights and liberties and Muslim fanatics that just understand whatever they want to understand. Those are the ones you were fighting, right?

Bin Laden was not a Muslim leader; he was a mass murderer of Muslims. Indeed, al Qaeda has slaughtered scores of Muslims in many countries, including our own. So his demise should be welcomed by all who believe in peace and human dignity.

What?

What the fuck?

Are you kidding me?

Bin Laden was an extremist Muslim who believed in Shariah law, and Al Qaeda was an extremist Sunni Muslim organization, and the fact that they killed Muslims doesn’t exempt them of being Muslims, just like the people who murder abortion doctors in their own church are just as Christians as anyone who believes in Christ. It’s their twisted way to believe, but until those deities come down and explain what they really want, they all could be correct.

Obama obviously was playing the political correct card here. Deny a fact so that everyone is happy. Well, if he had said Osama was a Muslim (which he was) there would have been more probabilities to have a plane delivered at his home. And in the same way, stating that Osama is not a Muslim makes it less probable to have crazy Muslims rioting all over the world. Because he knows, as well as most of us, that there would have been some of that. Yeah, keep the political correctness.

Let us remember that we can do these things not just because of wealth or power, but because of who we are: one nation, under God, indivisible, with liberty and justice for all. Thank you. May God bless you. And may God bless the United States of America.

And that was the icing to the cake. I think Obama was trying to appeal to everyone, his democrats who will be cheering Obama’s name, and republicans, who will love to see America’s big enemy dead and their beloved God and pledge of allegiance recognized and connected to that event. No one left to point out that Obama just kissed some major Muslim ass.

Moreover, consider that, while we were told that Osama was not a Muslim, it surfaced that he had been buried at see, “according to Islamic teachings”. So, is he or isn’t he a Muslim?

Finally, since there is no body to be shown to the public, especially considering how much many would have liked to see that, I hope there is some pretty strong evidence that this announcement was true. Otherwise, the backslash for Obama would be terrible, even though he might deserve it. So until there is more evidence that Bin Laden is actually dead, I’ll remain "agnostic" about the issue.

And just so you know, this picture is fake

On how the burning of a book became worse than the slaughter of people for retarded reasons

Remember the case of the crazy pastor (I know this is kind of redundant, but this guy is worse than the usual) who wanted to burn a Koran and even Obama came out to ask him to do so?

Well, he finally did it:

Koran burnt in Florida church

The burning was carried out by pastor Wayne Sapp under the supervision of Terry Jones, who last September drew sweeping condemnation over his plan to ignite a pile of Korans on the anniversary of September 11, 2001 attacks.

Sunday's event was presented as a trial of the book in which the Koran was found "guilty" and "executed."

The jury deliberated for about eight minutes. The book, which had been soaking for an hour in kerosene, was put in a metal tray in the center of the church, and Sapp started the fire with a barbecue lighter.

A very dick thing to do, especially considering that Muslim extremists are violent enough to go on a murderous spree as they did when the Muhammad cartoons were published. If can have faith in something, it’s in the fanaticism that religions inspire

Ten dead in Afghan Quran burning protests

At least 10 people have been killed and 83 wounded in the southern Afghan city of Kandahar, officials said on Saturday, on a second day of violent protests over the burning of a Quran by a radical fundamentalist Christian in the United States.

A suicide attack also hit a NATO military base in the capital Kabul, the day after protesters over-ran a U.N. mission in the northern city of Mazar-i-Sharif and killed seven foreign staff, in the deadliest attack on the U.N. in Afghanistan.

This isn’t anything less than outrageous. Yet, there are many, especially politically correct liberals with a “multicultural” mindset who abhor the actions of pastors Sapps and Jones, but say nothing about, and even try to justify their actions by blaming it on the pastors.

Is it disrespectful and bigoted? Yes, but it is also within one’s rights to burn his property on the land he owns. At least in the United States. No one says that this is an action that deserves praise, but certainly deserves the freedoms that our constitution guarantees.

The killing of innocent people, who had nothing to do with the actions of a religious zealot? Despicable and hateful, and certainly proper of a religion that wants to be considered as a religion of peace, but is ready to kill in order to prove it. This is something few people want to admit, and will try to whitewash how mindlessly violent faith can be. Want an example?

Obama calls killings in Afghanistan outrageous

"No religion tolerates the slaughter and beheading of innocent people, and there is no justification for such a dishonorable and deplorable act," Obama said.

Obama wants to be nice, and keep the peace among everyone (or at least, keep the fire away from him), but this is certainly not true. Religion tolerates the slaughter and beheading of innocents. The only difference is that some take that literally and others don’t. But we will never know which one is right.

Muslims need to realize that the beliefs they hold so dear also inspire hatred and violence. Just like Christianity, but in a greater way. No one should have to hold their criticism just because they have a gun pointed at their head, and if the gun fires, have people saying "it's your fault for provoking them".

As much as I despise pastor Jones' actions, I think he has a right to carry on with them, if we are to care about freedom of speech. A friend of mine suggested to me that I might be falling into a slippery slope fallacy by considering that prohibiting such speech would prohibit also other actions that might be considered disrespectful to Muslims or any other groups. But consider that this action is being done away from a Muslim community and whatever is burned is private property. If we are going to start prohibiting people to state their discontent with a group's action and philosophy by a symbolic act that harms no one, then the same could be applicable to any cartoon, any speech or any book.

Sam Harris explains this very clearly:

The point is that only the Muslim community is combustible in this way. The controversy over Fitna, like all such controversies, renders one fact about our world especially salient: Muslims appear to be far more concerned about perceived slights to their religion than about the atrocities committed daily in its name. Our accommodation of this psychopathic skewing of priorities has, more and more, taken the form of craven and blinkered acquiescence.

There is an uncanny irony here that many have noticed. The position of the Muslim community in the face of all provocations seems to be: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn’t, we will kill you. Of course, the truth is often more nuanced, but this is about as nuanced as it ever gets: Islam is a religion of peace, and if you say that it isn’t, we peaceful Muslims cannot be held responsible for what our less peaceful brothers and sisters do. When they burn your embassies or kidnap and slaughter your journalists, know that we will hold you primarily responsible and will spend the bulk of our energies criticizing you for “racism” and “Islamophobia.”

The sad story of the Poe’s Law girl and the gullible atheists

Atheists like to feel proud about our reliance on facts and reality instead of faith and feelings. While this is mostly true, considering that atheists and liberals have higher IQ and know more about religion that believers, to be an atheist is not an exemption of gullibility and fanaticism. Not that I’m happy to say so.

It was one day after the Japan Earthquake. During that day the internet’s attention caught a video of a girl thanking God for striking Japan after she prayed and fasted for one day. Youtube user Tamtampamela had many videos in which she praised God and badmouthed atheists.

Congratulations dear: You just made a fool of a group
of people who take pride in the skepticism, but were quick to fall
for their own prejudices. For that, I salute you, Queen of Trolls.

The video is this one:



This video was shared among my atheist Facebook contacts (and I’m sure many more) accompanied by rants about how disgusting Christians are, that religion is a drug that makes you crazy and stuff like that.

But there was something weird in the video. Something it was hard to pinpoint. After checking her channel I saw that her description mostly matched that of a Christian zealot. But there was something missing. Most Christian youtubers have lots of bible citations in her information boxes. She didn’t. Instead, she had mostly quotations from famous people that badmouthed atheists.

Next I checked her subscriptions. Among them there were two well-known satirists, Edward Current and 1god1jesus. Those two facts made me almost sure that the girl was a satirist and many atheists were falling in what is known as the Poe’s Law:

Without a winking smiley or other blatant display of humor, it is impossible to create a parody of Fundamentalism that SOMEONE won't mistake for the real thing.

So much for skepticism and rationalism. Many of my contacts lost their patience and ranted about her, with many of her friends commenting and ranting as well. Few of us would point that she was a Poe. But they wouldn’t listen.

I think that in cases like this, atheists won’t stop to check for the evidence and just follow their instinct, or should I say, belief, that Christians are just that hateful. I don’t think that is the rule, but certainly there are many that agree with what that girl said and can sustain it as any other Christian would say can sustain the idea that God actually love us.

Something similar tends to happen with Ratzinger and the belief that he was a Nazi. Most atheists (and actually, most rational people) tend to dislike Ratzinger. And because of that and the fact that her served in the Hitler Youth, they are very quick to say that he was a nazi. They won’t check for the evidence that points to the contrary, preferring to believe what they want.

Tamtampamela saw that her video got her a pretty unwanted attention when she started to receive pizzas at her home (which means that the internet had her home address and other information) so she made a video stating that she was just a troll.




Moments after this video was published, her account was closed.

This changed the criticism from being directed to a hateful Christian, to being directed to a girl that trivialized a tragedy. While she used this sad event lightly, she also made a point: that a christian, or any believer, can use God to justify the most hateful of remarks (which already happened). If there is any anger to be drawn from this, it should be directed to those who really believe what they are saying as being God’s message.

Finally, my fellow atheists and other non-believers, don’t be so quick to get angry. Stop your horses, check out the evidence, check out again, and when giving your opinion, do so in a measured way. That just better PR.

It was about time, the pastor who said Japan’s Earthquake was a punishment from God

As it’s usual when a disaster happens and the most despicable religious authorities want to get some attention, there had to be someone who said that Japan’s earthquake and tsunami were God’s punishment for being “an idol-worshiping nation”

"Just so you know, if you don't worship me, I'll kill more than 10,000 people.
But remember, I love you"

As you should know, Japan suffered the worst earthquake in its history. Then came a terrible tsunami that destroyed entire cities. Now, it faces a potential nuclear disaster.

It’s really a bad time to be in Japan. I have some friends there and can’t even imagine how bad their lives might be.

Well, just like with Haiti and New Zealand, there had to be a pastor who, inspired by Holy Spirit, said that this tragedy was caused by the people walking away from God:

Pastor under fire for remarks on quake

A well-known pastor here has caused a stir by describing Japan’s latest earthquake as a warning from God to an “idol-worshiping nation.”

The controversial remarks by Rev. Cho Yong-gi, emeritus pastor of the Yeouido Full Gospel Church, have immediately resulted in strong criticism from civic groups and Internet users who are calling for the pastor to resign and offer an apology to the earthquake victims.

I think I have said this before, but it’s good to remember: This pastor talks with authority of a person who represents God and spreads His message to his followers. Many Christians might get angry and say that this pastor is not preaching the actual word of God, but they have no proof of that. Those who agree with Cho can also say that the ones criticizing him are not real Christians and that they’re not interpreting God’s message in the right way.

This is why to be part of a religion depends so much in an interpretation. We are never, ever, going to be sure of what God wants us to do, or what He or She is thinking. We can’t even prove his existence. If we talk about a God who loves us, it just takes a quick glimpse to all the suffering and pain in Japan, or the misery and hunger in other parts of the world to notice that such God either doesn’t care, or enjoys our suffering. Or just, doesn’t exist.

If you want to do something more than just praying (which isn't very helpful), you can donate to the Red Cross. It's a pretty reliable institution and certainly will send useful material instead of Bibles.

Also, if you feel like donating to a secular humanist, you can do so to Ayelet H. Fogel, who happens to be a friend of a friend. I just sent her $30.00.

On how many ways might religion endanger life?

So far we have:
- Murders for blasphemy
- Murders for homosexuality
- Murder for religious differences
- Attacks on women’s reproductive choices

Now, most of these ways religion affects our lives directly. And I’m not counting the ways it makes our lives harder, at least for those who like to live in a fair and free society. Religion seems to demand all of these from its followers, and while some might want to deny so, arguing that “those actions go against the coran/bible/whatever”, their word is as truthful as that of the most ardent fanatics.

Let’s also consider the way religious parents indoctrinate their kids into following the same nonsense they believe. We have already seen the Jesus Camp video, and fortunately society is in some ways realizing how harmful it can be to grow up in a religious home. Of course, believers are not very happy:

Christian foster couple lose 'homosexuality views' case



Eunice and Owen Johns, 62 and 65, from Derby, said the city council did not want them to look after children because of their traditional views.

The pair, who are Pentecostal Christians, say they were "doomed not to be approved".

The High Court ruled that laws protecting people from sexual discrimination should take precedence.

It’s funny to see a black couple complaining that the court won’t let them discriminate against another minority. I think I can sue then if I ever want to adopt a kid and tell him “Niggers are bad, don’t get near them”. See? By now many of you are already outraged that I used such a hateful word. For this, I think, society is moving forward. The less kids grow up in strongly religious families, less bigots society will harbor in the future.

As the icing of the cake, let’s consider how some religious groups will shun medical treatment because of their faith. Yeah, a totally (and literally) insane attitude. But, being a little bit cynical, we can think, “that’s ok, they’ll die faster”. But that’s not entirely true. Those kind of cases certainly can harm us:

Measles Scare Hits 3 U.S. Airports

Thousands of passengers may be at risk after a woman who tested positive for measles traveled through airports in Washington, D.C., Denver and Albuquerque last Tuesday.

The C.D.C. says the woman who tested positive was not immunized because of her religion.

I don’t think anyone can force this woman to get vaccinated. But the least think we can do is prohibit her and those without the proper immunization for religious reasons from flying. If there is such a concern about terrorist boarding planes, this is surely something to take into account.

Religion commands us to shut down our reason and simply live by what others, who rely only on authority, tell us. To believe, we have to close our eyes and walk simply by trusting an invisible hand that isn't there, until we reach a cliff and fall off. And yet, many will think that this was done so that we can learn something. Moreover, many times, a believer will drag others who just don't want to be dragged. That's the importance of of speaking against religion.

Ned Flanders' daughter

Remember the Simpson's episode in which Homer finds out there is no God and when Flanders is shown proof of it, he dismisses it and prefers keep with his beliefs?

This episode:



Well, I think I found Flanders' daughter:



Via Failbook

Believers' capacity to deny reality never ceases to amaze me. It's not even as if we didn't know about these facts, but that they don't like the facts just because they belittle their petty God. Well, as Einstein said, "Only two things are infinite, the universe and human stupidity, and I'm not sure about the former"

Muslim family values: Beat up your famous sister/daughter for dating a non-muslim

I know there is family violence everywhere, no matter place or economic status. But in this case you will notice that main reason has been the zealotry the Muslim faith inspires

Harry Potter actress's brother admits attacking her

The brother of a Harry Potter films actress who assaulted her because her boyfriend was not Muslim has been warned he could be jailed.

Ashraf Azad, 28, was due to face trial at Manchester Crown Court for attacking his sister Afshan Azad, 22, who played Padma Patil in the hit films.

The court was told Miss Azad was assaulted and branded a "prostitute" after meeting a young Hindu man, a relationship which brought anger from her father and brother.

There might be some anger when a child starts dating someone of different faith or economic status, yes, everywhere. But to beat up the "disobedient" child? That takes that anger to a whole new level, to the animal level to be exact.

Moreover, this violence is inspired in the so-called "religion of peace". Moderate Muslims will tell you that "violence is condemned in the Koran", therefore, these are not real Muslims. Well, the same accusations can be made by those who use violence, even the taliban, that the "moderates" are not real muslims. So get your story right, forget about political correctness and look at Islam for what it is, a violent non-sensical zealotry-inspiring religion.

Celebrating "Kitzmas" or the rebirth of hope against ignorance and creationism

Yes, Kitzmas. Its been 5 years from the Kitzmiller v. Dover case. According to the National Council for Science Education webpage:

As the first case to test a school district policy requiring the teaching of "intelligent design," the trial attracted national and international attention. Both plaintiffs and defendants in the case presented expert testimony over six weeks from September 26 through November 4, 2005). On December 20, 2005, Judge John E. Jones issued a sharply-worded ruling in which he held that "intelligent design" was, as the plaintiffs argued, a form of creationism.

The story starts when a couple of not very enlightened people made it to the Dover Board of Education (in Pennsylvania). William ("Bill") Buckingham and Alan Bonsell started to object the current biology book, which featured evolution.. These guys got to include this in the biology curriculum:

Students will be made aware of the gaps/problems in Darwin's theory and of other theories of evolution including, but not limited to, intelligent design. Note: Origins of life is not taught.

To the uneducated mind this might sound nice and even fair. But for the informed person, this is like equating astrology with astronomy. You put a retarded idea (creationism) at the same place with evolution, as if these were equal.

Also, teachers were required to read a statement containing this:

Because Darwin's Theory is a theory, it is still being tested as new evidence is discovered. The Theory is not a fact. Gaps in the Theory exist for which there is no evidence. A theory is defined as a well-tested explanation that unifies a broad range of observations.

Also, they recommended a book with a cute title, "Of Pandas and People", which was just propaganda for creationism. They had to be pandas because, well, the book wasn't directed to people who actually seek knowledge, but those who like to feel good regardless how reality works

And really, who doesn't love a panda? Forget about
wolves in sheep clothes. Use pandas

While intelligent design was not being taught, it was being presented as an alternative to evolution. The people who penned this had no idea of the definition of theory in a scientific context as the one used to describe the theory of evolution. If you're trying to prove evolution in the same way you can prove that you prove a math theorem, you won't be able to do so. Just like with most things around the world. As said by The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language:

A set of statements or principles devised to explain a group of facts or phenomena, especially one that has been repeatedly tested or is widely accepted and can be used to make predictions about natural phenomena.

So, it's very different from the idea creationists have of it, which is of a hunch or a hypothesis.

Anyway, this didn't sit well with some teachers and parents, who filed a lawsuit against the ruling. After a trial that started on September 26 where evidence from both sides (actually only one side presented creditable evidence), on December 20, 2005 the judge reached a decision, which included:

• A significant aspect of the IDM [intelligent design movement] is that despite Defendants' protestations to the contrary, it describes ID as a religious argument. In that vein, the writings of leading ID proponents reveal that the designer postulated by their argument is the God of Christianity. (page 26)

• The evidence at trial demonstrates that ID is nothing less than the progeny of creationism. (page 31)

• The overwhelming evidence at trial established that ID is a religious view, a mere re-labeling of creationism, and not a scientific theory. (page 43)

And as you know, religion has no place in a science classroom.

It has been 5 years from that decision, yet there are still many who refuse to let go their erroneous views. By now, 4 in 10 Americans believe that God created men as it is described in the Bible. Sad, very sad.

Sometimes I still wonder what makes people choose ignorance instead of knowledge. It seems to me that this ignorance makes them feel so happy, so loved, so less vulnerable that they are willing to shut some common sense down, and follow whatever they feel makes them happy. This is the kind of people who prefer to live in a fantasy world and will get angry at those who point out it is such.

The world works the way it works, whether we like it or not. The evidence points out to evolution as a fact, whether we like it or not. And there is no evidence for a god, whether we like it or not. To think otherwise is to lose contact with reality and, to a certain point, lose some respect one would have if one's opinions were based on logic and facts instead of mere fantasy.

Finally, I shall leave you with ZOMGitsCriss' video about evolution. She's as nice to watch as it is to listen to her

Facebook and USB ports: Satan's tools

If there is something that characterizes protestant christianity is that it has a lot of freedom when its pastors address his followers. It's not like in the Catholic Church, in which the priest has to go along with the decisions made in The Vatican.

Among protestants, where the Bible is the word of God, this can be interpreted in thousands of way so that they adjust to the pastor's ideals. Moreover, the pastor has the freedom to say more without having to report to anyone.

That's why that, even though we see outrageous ideas in the Catholic Church, it's the protestant churches that give us the most nonsensical ones. For example:

USB - Satan's Data Connection

El Evangelical Christians in Brazil have banned the use of USB connections after claiming the technology is the mark of Satan worshippers.

Measures were taken so that all the USB connections of his followers were exchanged for common connections and even the Bluetooth (sic), which according to Saldanha Welder is permitted, for "Blue was the color of the eyes of our savior Jesus Christ".

El símbolo del demonio

So, now you know that, according welder, the flash drive you use to move files from one computer to another, give music files to your friend, or hide your porn or chat logs, carries the symbol of Satan and those of us who use it, are Devil worshippers.

It's also worth mentioning that Welder alleges that the Blue tooth is holier because it has Jesus' eyes color. I don't know what's more shocking, if the idea of someone that knows Jesus' eye color, or the relationship this might have with Blue tooths. But, this is a pastor, what can we expect?

Which one do you think lived in Galilee 2000 years ago?

Now, this could be something anecdotic and funny. But there is another dimension to this kind of news. This pastor, like most of those who say carry the word of God, talk with such certainty that it is God talking through them. These people really believe what they say. If it were up to them, all of us would believe that too, since their words would take us to salvation through Christ. It doesn't matter if is pure nonsense, pulled from the paranoia that the Devil is everywhere. It's still the word of God.

But there is more. This week it seemed like technology had a fight with God.

Pastor to his church: Thou shal not Facebook

Facebook and adultery seem to go hand in hand, according to the Rev. Cedric Miller of Neptune, N.J.

So, on Sunday, Miller is going to ask his congregation at Living Word Christian Fellowship to delete their Facebook accounts, the Associated Press reported.

Miller told the AP that, over the last six months, 20 couples at his church have run into marital problems after a spouse reconnected with a former love interest on Facebook..

A "poke" can lead you to adultery. Facebook Cat knows it.

If we followed this reasoning, we would have to prohibit every occasion to be adulterers, whether it is at work or other places to relate to the opposite sex. Facebook it's just a tool for people to socialize we can't keep up with what's going on with others. Much has been written about Facebook but it is undeniable that it has influenced on our lives and to shut that part of our society is to pretend continue in the middle ages.

Something religious people might be very pleased to do.

I guess this pastor focuses on Facebook because he himself had an opportunity to be unfaithful thanks to the social network. But the problem just belongs to this pastor, not to the rest. If someone wants to have an affair, he or she will, regardless if it is online or offline.

But, wait, the Friendly Atheist reports that this pastor's affair was not just a threesome, but a fourthsome.

Anyway, these two cases show how nonsensical can pastors be when they say they preach the word of God and guiding people to Him. These two are to be seen as big frauds. And, considering the evidence, most pastors will fall into that category.

When God loses an election II: Nevada & Delaware

We already talked about Brazil and its liberal candidate winning despite Ratzinger’s opposition. Today we have something similar: US congress elections.


In this race there were two candidates that were playing the “God” card. Sharron Angle in Nevada and Christine O’Donnell in Delaware, both of them babbling bigotry and nonsense inspired in their belief in loving celestial father. Fortunately, both of them lost the election.

In Nevada, Sharron Angle, the Tea Party-endorsed Republican candidate lost to Harry Reid. This is very interesting, considering that Angle, when asked why she entered the race, she said that "the reason is a calling."

"When God calls you he also equips you and He doesn't just say, 'Well today you're going to run against Harry Reid,'" the tea party favorite said.

It seems that God doesn’t have the power to support the candidates He endorses. That, or Ms. Angle is just deluded and is hearing voices in her head, which apparently, happens to many of those who say God talks to them.

But there is more. Angle also stated that if a woman was raped, it’s because God wanted it and she shouldn’t have an abortion. Furthermore, she stated that a pregnancy after a rape is similar to having lemons and therefore, the opportunity to make lemonade.

She also supports the right of religious leaders making political endorsements and, of course, opposes gay marriage.

Lovely woman, isn’t her? The typical arrogant fundamentalist who thinks he or she can understand the will of a supernatural being whose existence they can’t prove, and use that “understanding” to further a conservative agenda. Now, after losing, she shuns the media, aparently protecting her ego from being reminded that, well, she lost.


So that was Ms. Angle losing in Nevada. But there was also O’Donnell losing in Delaware. While I didn’t pay much attention to O’Donnell it’s not that I didn’t have material for doing so. First of all, let’s go back in time and remember her views on… well, “self-pleasure”



First of all, you know that when “Savior” and ‘Truth are together in a sentence or phrase, we are approaching a huge pile of manure. This is no exception. “God says…”, “The Bible says…”, “God’s appropriate context”, “pure hearts, not adulterous hearts”, and “lust is committing adultery”. Seriously, not even my grandma, I think. But well, if she wants to have a traumatized sexual life, it’s her problem.

Now, her stupidity was confirmed when she failed to understand evolution:


O’Donnell: ‘Why Aren’t Monkeys Still Evolving Into Humans?’

O’DONNELL: You know what, evolution is a myth. And even Darwin himself –

MAHER: Evolution is a myth?!? Have you ever looked at a monkey!

O’DONNELL: Well then, why they — why aren’t monkeys still evolving into humans?

A real idiot, isn't her? But well, the US constitution gives its people the freedom to be idiots. But when she tries to run for office and represent a group of people with views like these…

Christine O'Donnell: Homosexuality an 'Identity Disorder'

Delaware GOP Senate Candidate Struggles to Portray Mainstream Image on Sexual Values

"People are created in God's image. Homosexuality is an identity adopted through societal factors. It's an identity disorder," she told Wilmington News Journal reporter Victor Greto.

... then we know we are talking about a bigoted person who uses her nonsensical beliefs to support her bigotry. Especially when…

Homosexuality has been considered a normal variation of human sexuality for nearly four decades. The American Psychiatric Association and American Psychological Association both declassified homosexuality as a mental disorder in the early 1970s.

But I think, her biggest "jackass" has been her relationship with witchcraft and how hard she tried to deny it. She even made an ad addressing the issue, which was needed because her voter base were certainly aren't tolerant people who don't care about the candidates beliefs.

These are the people who run with a self-proclaimed endorsement from God. Arrogant, callous, deluded, bigoted, manipulative, ignorant, and proud of such ignorance. While this election has been big for conservatives in general, I am please to see these fundamentalists bite the dust. Hopefully one day we won’t even will have to hear about them.

The End of Tradition

Tradition is the idiot’s personality - Maurice Ravel

Today and the next days there will be three especial days to celebrate in different parts of the world. We have Halloween in the US and other parts of the world, The Day of the Dead in Mexico and the Criolla Music Day in Peru.

While these celebrations are not in the same day, they usually come together and, because of their different origin, they cause some controversy.

Halloween (October 31st) started with the Celtic festival called Samhaim with very clear pagan roots. People believed that the door between the real world and the underworld opened and all kind of spirits came to walk among us, so people used masks and costumes to scare them away. Nowadays this is a secular holiday that is mostly about costumes, candy and having a good time. Of course, there are still some fundamentalists that, as if they hadn’t came out from the middle ages, think that this is a satanic celebration.

The Day of the Dead (November 2nd) is Mexican celebration in which families usually get together to remember and pray to their loved ones who have died, through altars and food offerings. This celebration can be traced about 3000 years ago, when the natives used to honor the skulls as a symbols life and death. When the Spaniards arrived, they tried to eliminate this celebration, which they deemed as pagan. They couldn’t, so they made it coincide along with the Day of All Saints.

Finally, the Criolla Song Day (October 31st) is celebrated in Peru since 1944, when it was declared that day to honor and remember the musicians who created the “criollo” musical genre, which are mainly waltzes and black music from the Peruvian coast. Obviously, this produces a strong feeling of identification for the people from this region. This day is celebrated by partying and singing until very late at night, which doesn’t seem to be a problem, since it’s done in the name of one’s country and music.

These three traditions are very important in the places in which they are celebrated. They are festivities that, for many, have been going on since they can remember. This helps the tradition get ingrained in one’s mind and makes it very hard to be erased, since the person can hardly imagine life without such ritual. Just like religion.

Traditions are something we celebrate without thinking much about it. We just think about how important they were for those who were before us, and therefore, must be important for us. Traditions are respected because, otherwise, we show disrespect, not to the tradition itself, but to those who celebrate it, love it an value it. Traditions are a chain and ball around our necks, which prevents us from lifting our heads and wonder “Does it make sense what we are doing”. Just like religion.

A good example are bullfights.


I think it’s pretty obvious how disgusting they can be. However, it’s still going on in many parts of the world, since it’s a tradition and must be respected.





Just like religious ideas in which a dogma is imposed and leaves no room for asking questions or refuting them, traditions prohibit doubt by telling us “It’s been always like this, why change it?” Usually a tradition was installed because it served a practical reason, but that doesn’t mean that it will be useful forever. And when it’s not like that anymore, tradition doesn’t allow an easy change, even if it is a necessary and useful change.

I certainly don’t want to criticize anyone who prefers to celebrate certain ritual during these days. However, to pretend that someone who doesn’t celebrates certain ritual is someone who losses his identity or is worth less than his or her connationals is certainly idiotic. We can enjoy them as much as we want, but to make them central in our identity is, as Ravel said, for idiots.

Happy... Creation Day?

Today, of all days, is supposed to be the day in which the universe began to exist. This is, according to the ridiculous idea that God created the Earth in six days just according to the Bible.

It would have been epic

Well, this is not exactly in the Bible, since it has no reliable dates (or reliable anything) in it. The one who came with the wonderful idea that the Earth was created on this very day was James Ussher, Anglican Archbishop of Armagh during the XVII century. Usher, in his religiously medieval mind thought “well, since the Bible is the word of God, and therefore, it’s perfect we can add the ages of the generations in there and come up with an accurate date of the creation of the universe.” He did so, counting from present to past and concluded that the universe was created on October 23, 4004 BC.

Most logical minds will read this and think that Ussher was a crazy creationist, but let us remember that he lived in the 17th century, when science and dating methods were not very advanced, and America had been discovered less than 100 years ago. So, we can’t really compare Usher to today’s creationists and criticize him for that.

On the other hand we have today’s creationists who, even after the huge amount of evidence that the Earth is around 4.5 billion years old, still believe and defend a dating method so ridiculous and simplistic.

Creationists will pretty much tell you that a day like today the universe was created. “Let there be light”, because without light, God wouldn’t be able to see what the hell he was doing.

Then (if I remember my bible well) came the sky, to separate the sky (duh) from the water. Oh yeah, everything was covered in water. This might mean that the first thing God created was water, along with light, which leads us to believe that God didn’t know where he was swimming. It might have been a sewer.

Then came the separation between land and water, and putting all sorts of plants in the land. I wonder what was God thinking when he created pot. Or mushrooms. If God created them, it must have been for a reason, right?


Then came the Sun and the Moon, and so far this has to be the biggest flaw in the reasoning. Where would light come from if it isn’t from the Sun or Sun-like stars? No, seriously, this has the logic of a child’s tale.

Then came the animals. Forget about the genetic resemblance among species, it was God who created them all. Forget about fossils of prehistorical animals, it was God. Forget about radiometric dating, it was God. Forget about reason and evidence, you only need God.



And finally came human beings, those who would put that pot in good use. Here, also forget the genetic similarity between primates and humans.

And finally, in the seventh’ day God rested. It doesn’t matter that He will screw his creation with a flood, which He already knew since he is “all-knowing”.

Ussher might have made this “reasoning” and we can understand that in the 17th century it was possible. But nowadays? How is it possible to think that all these nonsense actually happened?

On the other hand, scientists will study rocks and come with an approximate date. No sure and exact answer because that we cannot know. It requires a huge ego and arrogance to think we can know the day of our creation with such exactitude. And it requires even more arrogance to think we were created from the “breath” of a divine being, the same who created everything we know, and that it loves us.

It makes much more sense to accept that we evolved from lesser beings, after looking at the evidence. It might be cold, it might be less romantic, but it is true. You can either trust scientists or you can still believe myths that have the logic of a child’s tale.

No miracles for Ecuadorians

After the case of the rescued 33 miners many praises and thanks to God have been chanted along the most religious, especially those who can’t understand how a well developed human-made plan, along with technology could have been successful and end up calling it a miracle. A Colombian newspaper even gets to this:

From "El Espectador"
Question: "The Chilean miners's rescue, to you, is more
- Miracle
-Science

This blog talked about other cases in which miners died without any miracle done in order to spare them from a horrible death.

So, to finish the miners’ issue, here is another piece of news regarding miners who suffered God’s negligence and died, with no prayer that could change that,

Three of four miners in Ecuador found dead

The corpses of other two miners were found on Saturday at 150 meters below the surface, in a gold mine at the Ecuadorian south-east. This makes three dead people and a fourth one that is still missing.

Please don’t tell me that for those miners no one prayed. Don’t tell me that there was not even one who put his faith in God and asked to live. And even if no one had done that, it shouldn’t be necessary if there actually is a “loving father” who knows what is in our hearts.

The only logical conclusion is that prayer is useless. There is no proof that this works better than a placebo that gives energy and hope to whoever believes in it. But when it comes to change something in the real world (not the person’s psique), it fails. The only thing that will decide one’s success is the strength of those who are willing to fight for whatever they want, with our without prayer, and usually helped by technology (like with the Chilean miners)

In other words, if we want something to be successful, our only option is to believe in ourselves, and make use of the best technology we can get. To trust in God is pretty much believe in dumb luck or bet to lose.

Threesome Thursdays: Three cases of dead miners

With the miners’ rescue I had almost forgotten about today’s Threesome Thursday. So, let’s talk about disasters in which miners died despite all the prayers and hopes their loved ones had in God.

Pasta de Conchos, México

On February 19, 2006 a coal mine in Pasta de Conchos, Coahuila in Mexico suffered an explosion and 73 miners got trapped inside the mine. 65 died.

I have the impression that Mexicans are more devout than Chileans (after all, the Virgin Mary never appeared in Chile). Imagine all the prayers, petitions, promises made to God, Jesus and all the saints Mexicans believe in.

And then, death.

There was no miracle for the Mexicans, their bodies still there. If God saved the Chilean miners, why not the Mexicans?

Comfort, West Virginia

Time stopped five days ago for the families of 29 coal miners killed in the devastating explosion at Upper Big Branch mine.

Seven bodies were pulled from Upper Big Branch immediately after Monday's blast, but dangerous gases forced rescue crews out and it took days for them to get back in. They hoped four miners they had not accounted for might somehow have made it to a refuge chamber stocked with food, water and oxygen, but word came early Saturday that all had been found dead.

For these miners there was no miracle either. There was no God who listened to them or the prayers in their honor, to look after them and keep them as a living father should. On the contrary, a horrible dead was reserved for them, either in an explosion, or trapped in the deadly gases.

Shanxi, China

At least 38 miners have been killed in three separate accidents in China's notoriously dangerous coal mines, according to state-run media.

Twenty eight people died after an electrical cable caught fire inside the Xiaonangou mine in Shaanxi province, the Xinhua news agency reports.

According to official figures, 2,631 coal miners died in 1,616 mine accidents in China in 2009, down 18% from the previous year.

For them, there was no divine salvation either. Maybe the loving father only helps those in countries that believe in Him, but still, He left the Mexican and American miners to die. So, what kind of “loving father” are we talking about?

Today many thank God for saving those 33 miners. However, no one complains about all the others dead in different parts of the world ¿Could it be that, no matter the prayers, God only responds to his own whines and desires?

Or maybe, he doesn’t care about this world.

Or maybe, He just doesn’t exist.

Because, if there were a God, what kind of loving God is this one? And what kind of idiots thank him for a few rescued, but forget about the death of many?

And finally, I haven’t forgotten that God might have saved 33 Chileans, but killed at least 500 during the last earthquake.

666, The Number of the Beast, and Dragon Ball

Woe to you, oh earth and sea For the Devil sends the beast with wrath Because he knows the time is short Let him who hath understanding Reckon the number of the beast For it is a human number Its number is six hundred and sixty six

Yesterday, the blog’s Facebook page reached 666 fans. I asked the members what to do to celebrate such event and many said that nothing should be done, that number is nothing especial. They are right.

However, even though that number is just another one, it does mean something. Something that thanks, to the religious way of thinking, we all recognize. And this is not the only thing that can be perceived as evil or satanic. There are many more things that can be seen as “of the devil”, thanks to superstition and religion. If there is something that represents good (God) then there must be something that represents evil, and we have to look for that.

This is what happens with the 666. It appears in the Bible, which is supposed to be the “Word of God”, identified as the “Number of the Beast”. And that’s it. Everything that has to do with that number automatically becomes “of the Devil”. That’s the limited rationale of those who have the Bible as only guide for their lives, that everything has to have a purpose and that a number is not just a number.

This has been going on for centuries, but had a revival when “The Omen” came out in 1976.



Besides the number 666, the name “Damian” and the Rottweiler have been associated with the devil. That’s the power superstition has on the weak religious mind.

Few years later, in 1982, Iron Maiden released “The Number of the Beast.” The group had already drawn attention because of their music, their lyrics and their LPs. Given the nature of the group, it wasn’t surprising that they made a song about the “Number of the Beast”. Which was kind of surprising is that many saw them as satanic, just for a song.




Those around 40 might remember how dangerous and “taboo” was to listen to Iron Maiden. At least in my country there were many stories about outraged mothers who destroyed posters, cassettes and any paraphernalia related to Iron Maiden belonging to the teenage son.

That is how ignorance and religion play together. The song is about a nightmare one of the members had. Yet, it was only needed that it featured something described as “evil” in the Bible to be taken as evil and with a strong campaign against it.

I wasn’t born yet when “The Number of the Beast” came out, and I would be interested in it many years later. But I had to see first hand something very similar.

During the 90s there was a Dragon Ball fever in Latin America. Kids from my generation grew up along with Goku, seeing his quests, battles, friends and enemies. Goku was a good guy who fought against eveil and to be better and stronger. A real hero.

But its success also attracted the attention of several churches who, forgetting about their “Thou shalt not lie” commandment. A flyer circulated, accusing Dragon Ball of meaning “The coming of the beast”, saying that “Kakaroto” means “evil possession”, Saiyajin of meaning “Possessed by the Devil”, Kayo Ken of being some kind of evil energy. Pure bullshit, as you can see, but it was enough for many parents and teachers to declare war on the anime series. They did so without knowing exactly what was behind that on just taking as true a pamphlet claiming to be against the devil.

That is how religion works, it feeds on ignorance and fills it with false information that usually leads to suffering and hatred. The religious mind makes the persona a mindless zombie that will follow anything that has the “God” seal on it. The saddest thing is that it doesn’t limit to awesome bands and cartoons, but actually harms people.