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Opinionated, polemical, biased... with none of the cussing!

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Contact me!

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Planet Atheism - aggregating blogs by non-believers and freethinkersIf you need to contact me, or perhaps you'd like to make a general comment about my blog, here are a few ways:
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Health advice didn't go far enough

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Filipinos warned on crucifixions
crucifixion
Health officials in the Philippines have issued a warning to people taking part in Easter crucifixion rituals.

They have urged them to get tetanus vaccinations before they flagellate themselves and are nailed to crosses, and to practise good hygiene.

On Good Friday dozens of very devout Catholics in the Philippines re-enact the crucifixion of Jesus Christ.

The health department has strongly advised penitents to check the condition of the whips they plan to use to lash their backs, the Manila Times newspaper reports.

And they advise that the nails used to fix people to crosses must be properly disinfected first.

Maybe they should tell the penitents not to flagellate and crucify themselves instead. I've seen such penitent processions myself and they're abominable blood-and-gore fests, folk Catholicism at its crudest. If the Romish church is serious in dissuading such practices, they should ex-communicate flagellants for damaging their bodies (which is supposedly the temple of god, 1 Cor. 3:16-17; and of the holy ghost, 1 Cor. 6:19-20).

Recently read books - March 2008

The last ten books I've read since January:Bible Prophecy: Failure

Grading system:

1/5 - I hate it! :yuck:
2/5 - I don't like it. :down:
3/5 - It's ok. :smile:
4/5 - I like it. :up:
5/5 - I love it! :D

Currently reading: From Epic to Canon: History and Literature in Ancient Israel by Frank Moore Cross.

Mooch my books

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There's a new book social networking site called Book Mooch. The idea is to share books you are willing to give away, and you earn points for sending them. You can then use the points to "mooch" books from other people. I signed up yesterday and listed an initial batch of books I'm willing to part with (because I have multiple copies!):
Some Mistakes of Moses
When I woke up today, the first three book have already been mooched! Two moochers are from the US and the third from the UK. Sending overseas gives me 3 points each. Now I can get some of the books I've always wanted! And since these books are given not sold, I don't have to pay any taxes or tarrifs! Take that, you corrupt customs officials! p:

If you have books you want to give away, go sign up at Book Mooch. You might even have a few books I'm looking for!

I have Jesus

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I hold in my hand the very body of Christ Jesus himself! Or, that is, if you believe that the "real presence" of Jesus is somehow contained in a tasteless communion wafer:

So what, you say? One can buy communion wafers by the bagful if you know where to shop for it. But this one is different: it's consecrated! Yep, this poor wafer was blessed by, not one, not two, but three ministers! I attended service with my family this past sunday (still can't fully kick my church habit, I'm afraid). No special occasion, just your normal churchy stuff.

While I don't mind singing crappy religious songs (I was a church choir member myself), I draw the line at receiving communion. Something about ritually devouring the (symbolic) body of a once-living human being rubs me the wrong way. I may be a carnivore, but I'm no cannibal.

But this past sunday, my better judgement got the better of me and I found myself going towards the altar to receive "host". I had consumed communion wafers when I was a Christian (don't worry, you're not missing much). When it was my turn to eat Jesus, I faked eating the wafer but instead "palmed" it (thank you Penn and Teller!).

So now I have a consecrated communion wafer. What do I do with it? Sell it on eBay? Nah, it's just a plain wafer, no curvy lines that could be mistaken for a "virgin". Now that would've fetch me a pretty penny.

Maybe I can do an experiment. According to scriptures, God would not allow the body of the "Holy One to see corruption" (Psa 16:10, Act 2:27, Act 13:35). If this is true, then a consecrated host ought to be immune to molds and the like. Sounds like a Sacrilicious plan! :devil:

Darwin Day 2008

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Happy Darwin Day!
For my own part I would as soon be descended from that heroic little monkey, who braved his dreaded enemy in order to save the life of his keeper; or from that old baboon, who, descending from the mountains, carried away in triumph his young comrade from a crowd of astonished dogs — as from a savage who delights to torture his enemies, offers up bloody sacrifices, practices infanticide without remorse, treats his wives like slaves, knows no decency, and is haunted by the grossest superstitions.

Charles Darwin, The Descent of Man (1871)

Numerology and the US Election

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Hat tip to No More Hornets for exposing the truth about Mike Huckabee, presidential hopeful and baptist pastor:
Add up all the letters in:
"Go Huckabee for President of the United States, Two Thousand and Eight."

"Go Huckabee" = 78, "for" = 39
"President" = 110.
"of The United States" = 211
"Two Thousand and Eight" = 228

Take the total: 78 + 39 + 110 + 211 + 228 = 666!
Wow, I was already wary of this reconstructionist wingnut, but this puts the icing on the cake: he's a spawn of the prince of darkness! Since the bible itself supports the use numerology (the bible forbids other forms of occult practices but conspicuously omits numerology), I think this evidence about Huckabee should be of concern to his Evangelical supporters.

Maybe we can find similar coincidences in the other candidates. That's the great thing about numerology, it "works" for everything. p:

My blog in CotG

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My blog series on the bible has been accepted for inclusion in the latest edition of the Carnival of the Godless! Yay, now I can rub shoulders with the better known atheist bloggers out there.

Read more...