Low Standards

I recently found an Atheist Experience video on YouTube that pitted Matt D. against a very intelligent, young, Christian apologist on the subject of "who authored the Book of Matthew?"
Matt argued that it is quite known among Christian theologians that a debate exists regarding this same topic, and based on the evidence that is available the authorship of Matthew is unknown. In fact, crack open any NIV bible and see for yourself. I was able to find this same position in my New American Bible (Catholic Press) in the explanatory text that precedes each book: "The ancient tradition that the author was the disciple and apostle of Jesus named Matthew is untenable...The unknown author, whom we shall continue to call Matthew for the sake of convenience..." This is as clear and concise as one could hope for. We don't know who wrote it.
The Christian kid argued that even though much of The Gospel according to Matthew was taken from The Gospel according to Mark; Marks experiences were backed by the experiences of Peter (Mark being described as Peters "interpreter"). Peter (who was very close to Jesus) was a solid and reliable witness to the events of Christs life, so therefore The Gospel according to Matthew; or the "textual evidence" as it is referred to by the Christian kid in the video; is sufficient to believe that Matthew is the author of "Matthew" and that the accounts within "Matthew" really happened. In other words: "I heard from a guy, who knows a guy" is enough proof to be certain about the authorship of a centuries old fairytale and enough proof to believe that someone walked on water AND that that same someone later became a zombie.
As you can imagine, this ridiculous line of reasoning was not received very well by Matt and the exchange between Matt and the Christian kid was very entertaining.

I'm often amazed at the lengths religious people will go to to justify their beliefs. The fact that many theists ascribe their EXISTENCE to the god/gods described in their holy books (an idea that is so inane that it is insulting to the whole of human knowledge) attests to how strongly and deeply held such beliefs are, so its really not that hard to understand why they will go to such lengths. Lets look at the "textual evidence" idea for example. Yes, information that is taken from text can be very useful and can prove to be accurate and true as well. Someone wanting to know about biological evolution can draw information from hundreds of books; books containing information that was compiled through decades of research utilizing the scientific method; information that has survived the intense scrutiny of scientific peer review. And, that person wanting to know about evolution can be comfortable believing that what they have discovered is true. The standards of evidence are high enough that no faith or suspension of reality is required to believe. The standards of evidence quickly spiral down the shitter, though, when it comes to matters of theistic faith. Theists will readily accept the "textual evidence" of a Bronze-Age fairytale as justification for believing in talking snakes, zombies, men walking on water, and the existence of a maniacal/genocidal/misogynistic/homo-phobic/malevolent god.
Reality is a wonderful thing to be a part of. I wish more people were open to it.

I Refuse

For those of you that know my daughter you will know what I mean when I say that she amazes me on a daily basis. She has such a passion for life that is not seen in kids her age. I find that I have to remind myself that she's only two and a half. And holy shit is she cute! It is still strange to think that I helped create something so beautiful. But, as those of you who have children know, that sweet little angel that is my daughter can be a HOLY TERROR! People joke about babies not coming with instruction manuals, and though one of the benefits of having a kid is learning "the hard way" to be a parent (personal growth through new and challenging experiences) A FREAKING MANUAL WOULD BE MUCH APPRECIATED SOMETIMES!! Nicole can get me so flustered. Its as if she has a daily checklist that includes: destroying her room, forcing me to touch poop, rupturing my eardrums, and ignoring every word that comes out of my mouth (this list is not all inclusive mind you). Parenting can be tough, and knowing how to react to your child in certain situations can be very tough. Especially when the situation calls for some kind of discipline.
Now when I was a kid, a good-ol spanking was all that was needed for behavior correction. And many times not even that was required (my father was very intimidating to me as a child). Physical punishment was ok. It was normal. It was normal for everyone I knew and it was normal for my parents when they were kids. I didn't grow up scarred from it, and I feel that my parents were justified in doing what they felt was right (remember: babies don't come with instruction manuals). Doing what you feel is right and learning from your decisions is all that us primates can do to make any sense of this world. And what you're taught and exposed to while growing up is what most of your choices in life will be based upon. It is natural to raise your children the way your parents raised you.
But, I refuse.
When I look at my daughter I see everything that is good about life. I see beauty and happiness and wonder. I see innocence and love and I see my reason for living. I see a tiny, 30pound little girl who depends on me for her very existence. I see a defenseless child who has nothing but love for me in her little baby heart.
How could I (as a rational, adult, human being that is ten times the size of my daughter) ever be so out of my mind to consider doing something as horrific as HITTING MY DAUGHTER?! I would have to be insane to be tempted by such a disgusting act of pure evil.
Having a child of my own has shown me that there is absolutely no justification for physically assaulting a child. I will not support this behavior as appropriate parenting, and it will never be a part of my daughters life. I will not "spank" my children.
I refuse.

Shut It

Just a quick word about police officers. If you're ever pulled over, or arrested, or stopped for questioning: KEEP YOUR MOUTH SHUT. By all means, be cooperative, but only to the extent required of you by the law. When you are read the "Miranda Rights" the right to remain silent has nothing to do with the 1966 Supreme Court case nor does it have anything to do with the police. Your right to not incriminate yourself is a GUARANTEED Constitutional right under the 5th Amendment.
You will never improve your position by speaking to the police. They are there to write that ticket or put the bad guy in jail by any means necessary. THEY ARE EVEN ALLOWED TO LIE TO YOU!! NO...SERIOUSLY!! Exercise your right to remain silent.
Again, be cooperative with police, but only to the extent required by law. Know your rights.

Been Awhile

Yes its been awhile since my last post. It seems as though I can never find the time to visit things like this consistently. Anyway, I think I'd like to rant a little about the recent events in Houston. It worries me that at this point in human history; with all of our advanced technology and our ever expanding knowledge of life and the universe, that an idea like "The Response" could even be conjured in a thinking brain. First of all: why prayer? When has prayer had any demonstrable effect or benefit ever?! And no folks...anecdotes, placebo effects and plain strange coincidence don't suffice for proof of prayers efficacy. In fact, these "evidences" of prayer working actually provide proof for its ineffectiveness. Personal accounts (anecdotes) have proven dreadfully unreliable especially in court cases and in sexual abuse claims. The mind is not a video-camera. Memories become lost or altered, and what people "experience" no longer resembles what really happened. And the fact that people LIE is not much of a comfort when asked to trust someones claims of supernatural prayer "experiences." Also, our minds are easily deceived. Just ask anyone who's had the pleasure of attending a Las Vegas magic show. Human beings aren't comfortable with the unknown. We must seek patterns, and we demand explanations for things that we don't understand; even if that means inventing explanations without evidence. And as for the "placebo effect", there exists actual empirical evidence showing how prayer is no more effective than doing nothing (see the April 2006 edition of American Heart Journal ).
So, given all of this (the monstrous and consistent failure of prayer to "deliver the goods") why would the organizers of this event choose PRAYER to address the problems that their PRAYERS have failed to solve?!?! Well, to put it succinctly: they're afraid. They're afraid to actually DO something about the problems with their state (and this country). They're afraid to abandon their Bronze-Age beliefs and start using logic and reason to fix what is wrong. We cant slip back into that dark time of antiquity. I fear that this is where my country is headed.
As the events of August 6, 2011 unfold, and as the new wave of zealots vie for control of our country in 2012, please remember how far we have come. Remember how we have long dismissed the gods of Olympus. Remember how we have dismissed the prejudices of ignorant men, and embraced the ideals of great ones. Remember how important it is for us to fight for our freedom to think. And remember that if we are to continue in our quest for understanding; the suppression of free thought, and the oppression of free-thinkers is the only contribution religion has to provide.
Religion has no place in politics. Religion has no place in society.