Quote of the Day -- Sunday Edition

"My own view on religion is that of Lucretius. I regard it as a disease born of fear and as a source of untold misery to the human race." --Bertrand Russell, philosopher, mathematician, historian

Quote of the Day -- Sunday Edition

Have a nice day, y'all.

Happy Sunday!

As ever, click on picture for easier reading.

Have a great day, y'all.

In case you want one:

FUNNY ATHEIST LOGIC ANTI-RELIGIOUS SHIRTS AND GIFTS

Quotes of the Day -- On Religion

"Religion is what keeps the poor from murdering the rich."

--Napoleon Bonaparte

"Men will never be free until the last king is strangled with the entrails of the last priest." 

--Denis Diderot

"This is my simple religion. There is no need for temples; no need for complicated philosophy. Our own brain, our own heart is our temple; the philosophy is kindness." 

--Dalai Lama

Finally, I had never seen this one but suddenly, it's another favorite:

"Christians, like slaves and soldiers, ask no questions." 

--Jerry Falwell

Go in peace.

Have a nice day.

Quote of the Day -- Sunday Edition

"Because morality is a social necessity, the moment faith in god is banished, man's gaze turns from god to man and he becomes socially conscious. Religious belief prevented the growth of a sense of realism. But atheism at once makes man realistic and alive to the needs of morality." 

--Gora

Dear Believer

An open letter to all believers across the planet. So simple, so clear, so intelligent.

So true.



So true.

Enjoy your day, y'all.

Quote of the Day -- Sunday Edition

"We humans are entering an era of enormous danger. Chaos and injustice will inevitably accompany the changing global climate, and right now we humans don't have much to unify us in facing that. Our species needs every advantage we can possibly muster, and peace between science and God, peace between reason and spirit, would certainly be advantageous. For millions of thoughtful rational people to have no way to draw on their spiritual power is a tragedy."

From the brief NPR article:

A New Way To Think About 'God'

More links, more thoughts:

'A God That Could Be Real' In The Scientific Universe

Part 2 here:

A New Way To Think About 'God'

Quote of the day

"Forget global warming, forget war, poverty, disease. What really matters is whether other people, in private, sleep with their own sex."

--Richard Dawkins

The atheist's take on a new pope

And they make good, valid points:

"Some of you are asking why we care about the papal election. The reason we care is that even though we are vehemently against the overall aims and practices of the Catholic Church, the Church does have a huge influence in the world for many, many people.

If the Church were to change its stance on condom use, for example, many people would be saved from death in AIDS-ridden regions of the world. If the Church were to change its stance on stem-cell research, much wonderful scientific research could receive more funding. If the Catholic Church were to change its stance on birth control, many abortions could be avoided. If the Church were to change its stance on abortion, access to abortion would be easier for everyone. If the Church were to change its stance that only men can become priests, this is step toward equality for women.

Not a single one of these issues is explicitly discussed in the Bible, and the Church's stance on them is completely dependent on papal interpretation. And these are just some of the issues we, as atheist activists, care about."

For anyone open to a different viewpoint than the more common and already well-known and accepted.

Christopher Hitchens quotable

“To terrify children with the image of hell, to consider women an inferior creation—is that good for the world?” - Christopher Hitchens, writer, author

Rest in peace Christopher Hitchens

Now I just hope not one person or source says or writes anything nasty about him or his passing. Particularly any "Christian."

Jason Whitlock out of his element--and league

Jason Whitlock should stick with sports.

Clearly he doesn't understand Bill Maher.

Or atheists or atheism.

Or, for that matter, religion and/or the history of religion.

In his column yesterday, he declared that Bill insults common sense, Martin Luther King, Jr. and Whitlock's mom.

Hogwash.

He also picked the easiest of targets because Bill Maher gets dismissed for two reasons: he's atheist and uses profanity, simultaneously, so people don't take him seriously, usually, especially if all they do is watch his show.

To compare Bill Maher to Glenn Beck is to compare someone who knows and understands history and cultures, to someone who is unaware of and unfamiliar with both but who still manages to be outspoken and opinionated.

Let's be clear here--Bill Maher isn't a "bigot" against religion. Bill Maher knows religion, what it is, what it's based on and what it's done in the past and what it's capable of and then comes to the conclusion that it's a crutch, at minimum, and a weapon, too frequently, at worst.

Whitlock asks "Will Maher use his enhanced platform"--tv--"to tell me (Whitlock) my mother is "delusional?"

Well, if Mr. Whitlock pressed, I'm sure he would. Is Bill going to rush up and tell her that? No. No, Jason, he's not, don't worry.

It may have been "faith" that gave your "mother the stength to work a full shift at a factory and a second job at night so that" his "brother and" he " could live in a safe neighborhood with a good school system."

Yes, or maybe she could have just felt that obligation and dedication for and to you, if she were more enlightened.

And maybe it was Mr. Whitlock's grandmother's "belief in Christ that allowed her to move emotionally and mentally beyond the racist atrocities her family endured living in the South."

Yes, or maybe she could have just been a tough, smart woman who knew what she had to do and did it.

The thing is, what too many people simply can't accept is that we're here without any magical, mystical, anthropomorphized "creator" figure and that we should treat each other well and right because it's the right thing to do, period, without that same magical, mystical judge and "great leveler."

As a nonbeliever, Mr. Maher doesn't just "focus solely on the negative aspects of organized faith," as was in the column, not at all.

He mentions those, time and again, because people have done horrific things to other human beings in the name of religion but he also points out how simply unnecessary and superstitious--and based on superstition--religion is.

Mr. Whitlock concludes by saying religion should be viewed as a tool we can use to get through life. A lot of us agree. Only we think more along the lines of a crutch than a fork, for that tool.

And faith is, actually, too frequently "the enemy of thought," in fact. It is the enemy of evaluative, critical thought. Instead of analyzing things, faith usually asks believers to memorize pre-concluded ideas and concepts and then regurgitate them to the end of our days.

Bill Maher is smart enough and honorable enough to make distinctions. He's made the distinction between analytical thought and superstitious, comfortable, comforting, tradional memorization and repetition.

The fact is, Jason Whitlock being insulted because of Bill Maher's strong opinions on religion, based on history, education and familiarity is only a problem for him, Jason, and others like him who still cling to religion.

If he, Mr. Whitlock, chooses to be insulted, that's not Mr. Maher's fault.

And that's another of Jason's mistakes.

If you choose to be insulted, Mr. Whitlock, that's your choice and problem, no one else's.

Least of all, Bill Maher's.