PJP II: From Self-mortification to Sainthood?

What an opener to a story:

"Pope John Paul II whipped himself with a belt, even on vacation, and slept on the floor as acts of penitence and to bring him closer to Christian perfection..."

What a trooper. Sometimes on vacation I take my laptop. Does that count for anything?

So PJP II could be ordained a saint in the near future! How exciting!
Monsignor Slawomir Oder cooked up a book on why PJP II should be ordained a saint. Pope Benedict XVI waived the normal 5-year waiting period for investigations to start, so they've already got a head start. All they need to do now is attach a miracle to him and he's in.

"The Vatican must now confirm that a miracle attributed to John Paul's intercession occurred in order for him to be beatified — a step which many Vatican watchers have suggested may come as early as October."

As early as October? Hmmm... dying faith, the Vatican does their own research, they know the month that an answer might arrive, people want to believe this crap... sounds self-fulfilling to me! I bet PJP gets it. What do you think?

P.S. Love the "natural" pope-dove picture too.

Sorry Tebow, Take A Hike (we hope)

The Superbowl is just around the corner. Go Colts, Go Saints! Who Cares?!?!?! The Superbowl is awesome enough, but could you imagine it without all the best commercials of the year? I'm a guy and I can pretty much tell you what the commercials are going to be (or should be).

Beer commercials: We need to know what American Light Lager to drink for the rest of the year. We'd be clueless otherwise.

Wireless Technology and Communication: Can you hear me now?

Food: Maybe a pizza commercial or some large food chain that serves beer and has sports on.

Insurance: Everyone needs insurance, whether you prefer the gecko or the college football fans.

Soft Drink and snacks: So what if you're already behind on your New Year's Resolution to get fit. A few more cases of pop won't hurt ya.

Sanitary napkins: Hey gents, you didn't get to Earth all by yourself, show some humility.

Anti-Abortion adds: EEEEERRRRERERRRRRRTRTTETTTTTT!!!!!!!!!!!! (needle scrapes across album)

Focus on the Family, eh? Or do you mean focus on how all families in America should be, just like little Timmy Tebow's. Maybe Tebow should focus on the draft instead of controversial commercials. I hear he's not doing so hot.

Fortunately there's still people that like to keep the Superbowl from being a political platform:

"An ad that uses sports to divide rather than to unite has no place in the biggest national sports event of the year—an event designed to bring Americans together," said Jemhu Greene, president of the New York-based Women’s Media Center.

As far as I know, the ad is still on, but I'm not giving up. Please thank, the folks at Women's Media Center for taking a stand.

To learn how to stop this anti-choice add, click here.

Teen Pregnancy Up After 10-Year Decline

An oldie, but goodie... teenage prego. Of course we know what causes pregnancy, we just have different means of trying to circumnavigate the issue. So what does Reuters say about it?

"There were 71 pregnancies per 1,000 U.S. girls aged 15-19. In 2006, 7 percent of all teenage girls got pregnant..."

71 out of 1000! I guess that shouldn't surprise me since my son has a daycare at his school. And what would the experts say may attribute to the rise in pregnancy?

"It's interesting to note that this flattening out of the rate and the increase in the rate is happening at the same time that we've seen substantial increases in funding for abstinence-only programs," Finer said.

"We do know that when we saw the big decline in the '90s, that a lot of that decline was due to improved contraceptive use among teens."

You mean to tell me that instead of giving them a Sunday school lesson, you can actually lower pregnancy rates by teaching about contraception? I guess social conservatives just love babies 'cause their program sure offers a better chance of making babies. Pay for abstinence-only programs... get more babies... increase the chance that you'll pay for some baby that's not your own... what a marvelous idea!

Howard Jacobson Says Dawkins Is Missing Out

Howard Jacobson, author of some book that atheists will probably not read because they've heard the rhetoric time and time again, says that atheists lack imagination. Jacobson says:

This is why I have no time for the new aggressive form of popular atheism. It lacks imagination and, worse still, it lacks curiosity

Wow! Is that a nonsensical argument if I've ever heard one. This is to say that a significant portion of the scientific community (those non-believer types) lack imagination and curiosity. I think reasons for becoming a scientist, or atheist, was because we ask a lot of questions. When we don't get the answers that satisfy our curiosity, we disbelieve claims and do our own research.

As far as aggressiveness goes, no progress comes from indifference. Should I sit on my hands and have someone tell me the way things should be based on their sky-daddy mantra? We'll end up with people who think that the spirits that they talk to actually care and can intervene somehow in their daily lives!

Jacobson continues:

It astonishes me that he (Dawkins) should suffer so little perplexity, and to be truthful I suspect he misses out on many of the pleasures of uncertainty, wonderment and even fear.

There is enough phenomena in this reality to be fascinated with that I don't feel it's necessary to entertain Jacobson's ridicule-worthy Biblical claims. Jacobson thinks that atheists are seldom perplexed, uncertain, or fearful? This is not true by far. Many atheists are perplexed, uncertain, or fearful of what religious people are up to because they base some of their decisions on the non-demonstrable. Stay safe, atheists.

The End Is Nigh (Again)

Another end of the world prediction is on us and this time no specific date was set. Mehmet Ali Agca, a failed Pope assassin of 1981, has said in a statement issued by his lawyer that every human will die this century. After his recent release from prison Agca was

...taken to a Turkish military hospital where doctors concluded that he was unfit for compulsory military service because of a “severe anti-social personality disorder,” said his lawyer, Yilmaz Abosoglu.

Aw, poor guy. He won't get to refine his assassin skills - as if he had any to begin. The Pope was hit in the stomach, left hand and right arm. What did he shoot him with, a shotgun?

Americans Admit Prejudice Against Muslims

AP reports that most Americans know little about Muslims but are more prejudice against them than Jews, Buddhists, or Christians. Why am I not surprised? I wish this pole would have included atheists so we could see how we measure up.

Solar Power Brings Audio Bibles to Haiti

Haiti succumbs to a second earthquake, but help is near. Yes, I did say "second" earthquake, this one with a bit less force that the last. I can hear Pat Robinson warming up his soapbox.

Now let's look at the positive... solar power! Nice gesture. Among the solar items being donated are cookers, cell phones, street lights, and audio Bibles. What?!?!?!

This magical little gadget called a "Proclaimer", will bleed into the ears of the less fortunate. I hope that the organization Faith Comes By Hearing is sending something beside just solar-powered indoctrination. Just think of how full their stomachs will be after swallowing 15 minutes of pseudo-food and water.

ABC on Holy Rifle Sights

Religious favoritism in the military. Hmmm, that's probably never happened before.
Now why did Trijicon put these Christian "holy codes" on a weapon? Isn't religion supposed to be about peace? Yeah, I know. Jesus is light, etc.
I was active. They did pass out cards and those little Gideon Bibles that you could stuff in your pro-mask carrier.

This crap continues on page 2 where ABC pulls a quote from Trijicon's website.

"We believe that America is great when its people are good," says the Web site. "This goodness has been based on Biblical standards throughout our history, and we will strive to follow those morals."

Oh, I get it. We sort of need this type of thing to be good. Goodness is based on Biblical standards. What a bunch of BS. Have these people even cracked a Bible in a while? I'm getting a mental image of the general shape of this rifle sight and a Trijiconian location where the light of Jesus doesn't shine.

Aside from this, the founder of the company and the man originally responsible for the holy codes is deceased. He won't care. You can take them off now.

The Wacky FFRF

I tell you what. It sure is difficult to maintain a positive attitude. Listen to this from Tom Jackson in Tampa...

Gaylor argues, nonsensically, that people attending government functions should not be forced to pray. Standing (or, as likely, slouching) in silence while someone else delivers a prayer constitutes neither participation nor endorsement but merely respectfulness, a diminishing quality in modern life.

Standing up for your country or a dignitary is respectful. Standing up for deities is sometimes awkward, especially if the deity is not your own. And standing up for leprechauns is just silly. Standing up for silly stuff that you don't believe in is dishonest, not respectful. Religion needs to be private in a government forum. People vote for politicians, not pastors.

He continues...

It would not be caving to the nutty absolutism of the Freedom From Religion crowd to suggest that in such settings - including but not limited to government meetings, civic club luncheons, chamber of commerce do's and political party dinners - invocators should avoid being brand-specific.

Not because they have to be, but because it is the respectful thing to do.

Ok, Tom. Nice slippery-slope. There's two sides to a slope; it can also go the other way if we non-believers are silent. You know darn well that when they say "God" they mean the Christian God.

That's fine. I stand and put my hand over my heart for the pledge and then when the prayer starts, I pull out my smart phone and do something measurably constructive.

Religion Is A Must For Morality

What a horrible way to start a fresh blog. I've decided to become active and educate others on what is out there. It didn't take me long.

According to Jeff Ruzicka

No free society has survived without a public religion of morals or virtues as a capstone of its liberty. For free people to govern themselves, they cannot be a group of murderers or rapists.

Now come on Jeff. As if religion is totally pro-survival. Do you call the denial of blood transfusions for children survival? How about an exorcism in lieu of treatment for manic depression? How about religious extremism, wars, crusades, bombings, trade centers? Survival?

I don't need a sky daddy (pick one) to tell me how to survive. I have morals. They come from empathy of others. The worst answers for not doing wrong are "because I'll go to jail" and "because my god says so".

I'd like to see the human species rise above the fiction that has been written thousands of years ago that is used as a psychological weapon to threaten people into being "good". If the only reason that you are doing good is because you will be punished, is that really moral?

The Atheist Experience

What a nice show from Austin, TX! The very positive Atheist Community of Austin has been hosting their show for more than a handful of years. I believe they've just finished their 638th weekly broadcast. They welcome callers, both theist and atheist, and discuss the issues live. I've learned a host of things from watching their show. Great debates too (some fiery). Check them out on Sundays if you're not headed to church.