An extremely patient Dad explains to his vulgarian of a son that Santa doesn’t exist. I’m an ex-sailor and I don’t use the word “fuck” that many times in a week, much less a single conversation. You may need to pause here and there to catch everything said.
Spanish with English subtitles.
Enjoy!
Category Archives: atheism
Yes Javier, there is a Santa Claus
Religious Cult Survivor and Separatism – Part 6 by M.E. Anders
Part 6 of April G.’s story of her escape from a religious cult. Click HERE to read it.
What’s interesting is April’s description of the not-so-subtle attempts to hide the true nature of the group she belonged to. One has to ask; if they have such confidence in their beliefs and practices; why the need for deception?
Religious Cult Survivor and Separatism – Part 5 by M.E. Anders
Part 5 of April G.’s story of her escape from a religious cult.
Whadda ya know?
There are three types of people: those who “don’t know”, those who “believe” and those who “know”.
Those who “don’t know” are open to dialogue and examination of the facts as they are presented. A person who says they don’t know is more likely than not a person you can turn your back on without fear.
Those who “believe” are wild cards. Given one set of circumstances they could follow the path of rationality. Given another set of circumstances they can be easily influenced to commit acts of barbarity. Most people are believers.
Those who say they “know” are also saying that given the right circumstances they will kill to make their point.
Beware those who “know”.
On atheists and activism
I lifted this comment of mine from a post on Atheist Revolution. I think we are limited to what we can or should do as atheists.
The more time that passes, the more I realize just how little I have in common with many of the active atheists online. I also realize full well that the online atheist “community” is not representative of all atheists everywhere and may, in fact, represent only a small but vocal minority.
If there is one quality that all atheists might share in common, it would be the commitment to independent thought, a refusal to do or believe in anything simply because the majority does it or believes in it. Beyond that, I see the complete spectrum of human expression and experience, ranging from neo-fascists to far-left anarchists. Most of us lie somewhere in the middle, I suspect.
If there is one point around which all atheists should rally, it is the determination to prevent our lives being ruled by beliefs that have no foundation or basis in reality. This does not restrict the dialogue to religion, and should include all dogmatic political ideologies as well… from the left as well as from the right.
I find it ironic and frustrating that atheism is so inextricably linked in people’s minds with 20th century communist dictatorships and movements. I hold these up as examples of humans replacing one form of dogmatic beliefs (religion) for another (communism). That the communists claimed to be atheists does little to conceal the fact that they pursued their goals religiously and with little to no regard to reality, logic or critical thinking. They merely replaced one religion with another.
If atheists in the United States are to organize effectively AS ATHEISTS, we will need to limit our goal to simply fighting the efforts of others to legislate their religion on the rest of us. Anything beyond that and we stray into waters that are muddied and confused at best.
Facts? We Don’t Need No Stinkin’ Facts!!!
This completely supports what I’ve said all along…the faithful cannot be bothered with facts and even if they KNOW something would discredit their beliefs, they’ll still cling on to their superstition. It’s never about the truth when it comes to religious belief.
A singing puppet Jesus? Oh yeah, we got a singing puppet Jesus…
YouTube atheist TruthSurge hits another one out of the park with the clever “My Least Favorite Things”.
Video: Behind Crude Lies
Creatard Nephilimfree
The video I’ve posted below one of the more hilarious YouTube videos to have sprung from the never-ending evolution vs. creation battle.
For those who don’t recognize who is being spoofed…look at the photo above, click on it and check out his channel. It’s Nephilimfree, a young earth creationist who is known for his outrageous lies, bizarre behavior, litigious posturing and overall asshattery.
Courtesy of TruthSurge
Atheist Survivalism: In the Name of Jesus
UPDATE: 08/04/2011 13:22 hours
Apparently some readers are under the impression that this post paints all Christians in a negative light;specifically that Christians are inclined to violence against those who disagree with them. This notion is absurd and I cannot determine what in this post would lead some people to this erroneous conclusion. As I noted to a reader in the comments section, all Germans did not hate Jews, not were they inclined to violence against Jews. Still, the Holocaust happened. It does not take a majority of Christians to plan and carry out organized or spontaneous crimes against humanity. As an aside, I have no doubt that if the worst does happen and I’m on the run or in a bad situation, the folks that will be helping me out or fighting by my side would more likely than not be devout Christians. When commenting, please keep this in mind.
Enjoy,
TGM
Recently, American Atheists published some screenshots (reproduced below) from Fox News’ Facebook page:
None of the comments were particularly surprising to me. I’ve come to expect this type of behavior from those who dearly love their sweet baby Jesus. What is somewhat distressing is the fact that so many from our camp are not only surprised, but confused by the violent rhetoric of the right. If we are going to beat these folks, it’s important to have a better understanding of where they are coming from and why they speak and act the way they do.
Why they hate us
There are numerous reasons why atheists as a whole are detested by the average American and I’ve come up with a short list that is by no means all-inclusive. I invite my readers to add their own insights, observations and theories in the comments section.
Reactive Backlash – The radicalism of the 1960’s, fueled by genuine domestic dissatisfaction with the status quo was co-opted by the Soviet Union via front organizations even going as far back as the 1930’s in the United States. This is not to say that all left-wing student groups were pro-Soviet or even communist, but some definitely were. That the Soviets were actively involved in shaping American policy from within is an established fact. To what extent they were involved may be debatable but how effective they were is not. While the return on the Soviet’s investment was marginal, the damage done to the reputation of the American left was enormous and its impact is still felt to this day. Atheism has been linked inextricably with communism in the American mind and for the better part of the last century no ideology has been more detested or mistrusted by the American public than communism, our war-time alliance with the Soviets notwithstanding. It was always understood by both sides that it was a marriage of convenience. It should be remembered that direct American involvement in World War 2 spanned only 4 years; the Cold War with the Soviets lasted 45 years. It was in 1954 that the U.S. Pledge of Allegiance was altered in 1954 to include the now infamous “under God” verse as a reaction to Soviet communism. So… is the left truly to blame? Some might argue so, but I see it as just another way of blaming the victim.
Nationalism – Even those who are not particularly religious have tended to connect patriotism with a belief in God. This mindset has been continuously and nefariously reinforced through official government references to the Christian deity on our coinage and currency and by mention in our altered pledged of allegiance. By giving official recognition to this god, the U.S. Government has –in direct violation of the separation clause of the 1st Amendment- given Christianity its official seal and stamp of approval. Because of the strong official connection made by the U.S. Federal government between “God and Country” an atheist living in the U.S., would typically be labeled as “un-American” and even unworthy of being considered citizens.
And then, of course there’s Madalyn Murray O’Hair – For those old enough to remember, she was the #1 poster child for atheism and separation of church and state in the United States for many decades. Was she good for atheism? She may have won some court battles, but I’d say she lost the war for America’s hearts and minds. If one looks at her television appearances or read her son’s accounts of his mother, it quickly becomes clear that she was not the ideal spokesperson for the secular cause. In fact, it wouldn’t be a stretch to say she was a PR disaster. She was, after all, known as the most hated woman in America.
How are we seen as a threat and why?
Again, this is a short list and not all-inclusive. Readers are encouraged to add to this list in the comments section below.
Greed – Where there’s religion, there’s money to be made and blood isn’t too far behind– look at Iran’s mullahs and their support for theocracy. Look at the television preachers and the megachurches with their annual revenues of hundreds of millions of dollars. Like modern day drug lords or old time robber barons they aren’t going to go away without a fight as long as there’s lots of filthy lucre involved. In fact, they actively search out and attack anything or anyone that seems to have the slightest potential to lighten their wallets. Greed is a powerful motivator and anyone who threatens the coffers of one of “God’s” messengers is asking for extermination.
Support for Women’s reproductive rights and homosexuals – If the fundamentalist right is against something; chances are that we are for it and civil rights for women and gays are usually in the forefront of the struggle.
We ruin religious holidays – Every December we get to hear about the “War on Christmas”, a myth promulgated and kept alive by the likes of Fox pundits Sean Hannity and Bill O’Reilly. Atheism is closely associated in the American mind with communism and commies hate Santa Claus – at least, according to Red Skelton in his much beloved Christmas skit, The Littlest Christmas Tree, a masterpiece of anti-communist propaganda. My wife had her own version of Santa growing up in the Soviet Union, he was called Father Frost and he came around on New Years, not December 25th. Of course, since we don’t belief in the whole resurrection thing, we ruin Easter as well.
And last but not least…
Fear of the outsider
As “the other” atheists are a wild card in the minds of many Americans. In fact, atheists were identified as America’s most distrusted minority according to a 2006 University of Minnesota study
MINNEAPOLIS / ST. PAUL (03/28/2006) —American’s increasing acceptance of religious diversity doesn’t extend to those who don’t believe in a god, according to a national survey by researchers in the University of Minnesota’s department of sociology.
From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.
Even though atheists are few in number, not formally organized and relatively hard to publicly identify, they are seen as a threat to the American way of life by a large portion of the American public. “Atheists, who account for about 3 percent of the U.S. population, offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the last 30 years,” says Penny Edgell, associate sociology professor and the study’s lead researcher.
Edgell also argues that today’s atheists play the role that Catholics, Jews and communists have played in the past—they offer a symbolic moral boundary to membership in American society. “It seems most Americans believe that diversity is fine, as long as every one shares a common ‘core’ of values that make them trustworthy—and in America, that ‘core’ has historically been religious,” says Edgell. Many of the study’s respondents associated atheism with an array of moral indiscretions ranging from criminal behavior to rampant materialism and cultural elitism.
Edgell believes a fear of moral decline and resulting social disorder is behind the findings. “Americans believe they share more than rules and procedures with their fellow citizens—they share an understanding of right and wrong,” she said. “Our findings seem to rest on a view of atheists as self-interested individuals who are not concerned with the common good.”
The researchers also found acceptance or rejection of atheists is related not only to personal religiosity, but also to one’s exposure to diversity, education and political orientation—with more educated, East and West Coast Americans more accepting of atheists than their Midwestern counterparts.
The changing face of Christianity
In the not-so-distant past I’ve made the argument that Christianity is different from Islam in that Christianity was softened by the influence of the Enlightenment, and that because of this influence it presents a lesser threat to overall world peace and stability. I’m revising that stance to state that this may only apply to countries other than the United States. This isn’t your grandfather’s Christianity any more. An increasingly scientifically ignorant and generally uneducated population is proving to be a ripe breeding ground for intolerance, hate and stupidity on a scale that this nation has never before seen.
Who to blame?
As numerous preachers have demonstrated, any disaster (manmade or natural) can and will be interpreted as supernatural retribution for sin. It’s already been done countless times and when it happens after a large scale SHTF event, it will no longer be just an annoyance or source of amusement to us, but a death knell. Instead of offering real solutions for redressing specific economic, political, or social grievances, Christian extremists scapegoat groups that are the outside normal political and economic hierarchies (homosexuals, socialists, atheists and liberals ) in order to stir up the anxieties, fears and anger of a gullible and uneducated population. If we go back to Europe during the Black Death it was the socially disenfranchised (Jews, the poor, foreigners) who were victimized by the powers that be. This hateful finger pointing is, in fact, a call to arms and always has been, but we’ve never had reason to take them seriously – until now.
Is the U.S. immune to extremist takeover?
As rationalists, many atheists disparage nationalism and respond to any assertion that the United States is the greatest country in the world with derision and rightfully so. However, with the majority of us, our actions (or inaction) cannot be reconciled with our declared beliefs. We criticize patriotism and nationalism, yet we behave as if the United States is somehow immune from the ills and evils that have befallen nearly every other nation state in recorded history. Whether it is simple naiveté or a belief that bad things can only happen in other countries, I don’t know. Whatever the reason, it is a dangerous and reckless state of mind to be in.
Christian extremists may be a minority, but they have a disproportionate (and growing) influence in government and the media. To get a small taste of how much trouble a handful of dedicated kooks can cause, one need only look at how in the summer of 2011 the Tea Party manufactured the debt ceiling crisis and held the most powerful nation in history hostage to its demands.
Some offer the argument that we don’t have to worry about them seizing power because the Constitution will stop them from acting up. That’s wishful thinking at best. As a group, the religious right has been hard at work over the last 3 decades rewriting history and drastically reinterpreting the U.S. Constitution to match their own twisted views of what this republic should look like. While they have experienced setbacks here and there, they certainly show no signs of giving up in their quest to turn this nation into a camp of mindless Jesus zombies. An ever-growing number of right-wing con artists such as Glenn Beck, Michelle Bachmann and David Barton are peddling an American past that never was and a future that should never be to a gullible and uneducated public and they do it virtually unopposed. They are stealing our national birthright with impunity – all while waving the flag and cramming a crucifix up our collective ass. They aren’t going to go away without a fight and they’ve all said as much, time and again.
What’s happened to hated minorities throughout history?
Well, what has happened to unpopular minorities in any society in which dogmatic and extremist ideologues exercise unrestrained power over the governed?
The Third Balkan War (1991-2001) and the Rwandan Genocide (1994) may give us an idea of what to expect should extremist elements seize power in the United States . The Rwandan genocide had its origins in tribal animosities, the Balkan War and the ensuing genocides were the result of extreme nationalism fueled by religious and ethnic hatred that had been brewing for hundreds of years. While all sides were guilty of atrocities, the overwhelming majority were committed by Christians.
As with the other Abrahamic religions, the Christians have had a horrific track record when it comes to human rights when they wield political power unopposed. One tragic example is the burning of thousands of European Jews in 1348-49 during the Black Death. Other examples are the Crusades, the Inquisition and the countless atrocities committed by Christian missionaries for centuries upon unwitting innocents around the world.
An idea in the mind of one
Despite what some of us have been told as children, it doesn’t always take two to tango. An idea in the mind of one is enough to put us in a state of war. For decades members of the Republican Party and now more recently its even uglier cousin the Tea Party, have been peddling hate and proposing violence towards those that do not conform to their idea of what makes a good American. Of course, violence is not an official party stance with either group, but their tendency to describe the conflict between left and right in bellicose terms is telling. There’s not a difference of opinion, there’s a “Culture War”. Protesters show up to Tea Party rallies with guns on their hips and signs with thinly-veiled threats scrawled on them. Even in the creation-evolution struggle, images of war are used as metaphors for the conflict. The abortion debate has also spawned a steadily growing rash of violence against reproductive rights advocates and caregivers.
While many anti-abortion organizations preach opposition to violence to achieve their goals, there are some who do so while simultaneously giving scriptural justification for it. It is a confusing message that is both disingenuous and dangerous. It’s perfectly clear from visiting many of these groups’ websites that it is the law of man and not the law of their Bible that restrains them from committing wholesale slaughter of innocents on behalf of microscopic zygotes. In a potential scenario in which there is a breakdown in the social fabric, I have little doubt as to which law these folks will gravitate to.
Also, the face of intolerance has changed complexion over the decades. Now when we see or hear hate being spewed, there is no guarantee that it is coming from a white mouth; there are a growing number of African Americans and Hispanics that are contributing to the seemingly never-ending tirade of bigotry. Hate is becoming more and more accepted, if not quite yet mainstream. Threats of violence against those who disagree with you is something to be joked about.
The Great Race
As never before in our nation’s history, reason and stupidity are in a race for supremacy, and while some take solace in the fact that atheists’ numbers are increasing, I do not feel now is the time to be complacent and rest on our laurels.
As our numbers increase, so too does the influence of the religious right. Like it or not, we are severely outgunned when it comes to both finances and sympathetic media channels. We have no equivalent to Rupert Murdoch and his media empire, and it is through the media that most of this struggle is taking place, not in the courtrooms or halls of academia. We may have the law and reason on our side, but we do not possess the ability to manipulate public opinion and shape national policy the way that Murdoch’s minions do.
The ideal antidote for our current predicament is an educated and enlightened public, and that can only come from a firm commitment by our nation’s educators to teaching critical thinking skills and rejecting the agenda of those who would force a theocracy on an unwitting population.
Such a solution, however, would take a generation to successfully implement and bear fruit. In the meantime, the forces of ignorance and intolerance are gaining ground daily. That leaves us in a rather uncomfortable and tenuous position, with a sword of Damocles handing over our heads, ready to fall at any moment.
Our opponents see this as a competition with the grand prize being the survival of one side and the complete destruction of the other. To them, victory means maintaining the status quo in some areas and turning back the clock to the Dark Ages in others. We, on the other hand are stewards of intellect, reason and hope for a better future. There’s so much more than our lives at risk if the other side wins this race.
Atheist Survivalism: Introduction
This is the first of several articles on survival in a SHTF (shit hits the fan), TEOTWAWKI (the end of the world as we know it) or a WROL scenario (without rule of law) from an atheist perspective. What has prompted the writing of this series is what I see as the low chances of survival for many American atheists in a WROL/SHTF/TEOTWAWKI scenario and the severe damage that may occur to our culture and civilization as a result of disproportionately high losses in the secular community.
This is not a basic “how to” guide for folks on how to grow crops, trap squirrels in an urban setting or perform battlefield surgery. There are numerous sites, books and training films available for free or low cost to anyone interested in acquiring survival skills. As my expertise lies in security and weaponry, I will devote an entire post in the future to discussing realistic weapons choices and defensive options for varying budgets. No mall ninja stuff, just solid, matter-of-fact observations and recommendations. Guns and gear are not the sole focus of this series, but the need for them cannot be ignored in any realistic plan for surviving in a less than hospitable environment..
It shouldn’t be necessary to make a case for the certainty of organized and spontaneous oppression and aggression committed by Christians in the event of a large-scale natural or man-made disaster in North America. Enough of them have made their intentions known and have been covered extensively by other atheist/secular bloggers as to make such an endeavor seem redundant. However, since understanding the high probability of such a threat provides the main foundational support for all later articles in the series, I will address this subject exhaustively in my next post.
If you are currently not convinced that Christian aggression is a predictable response in the event of a breakdown of society, you will see this series of articles as irrelevant, perhaps even nutty. It is my hope to convince at least a few of this opinion to reevaluate their current attitude and adjust their mindsets accordingly.
As we move forward on this topic, please understand that while the subject matter might be distressing or even depressing, the underlying message is not one of paranoid gloom and doom, but a message of hope and peace. While I am a realist in regards to dealing with the unpleasantries of life, I am also an insufferable optimist. Bad situations bring out both the worst and the best of mankind. Together we can explore how to ensure that in any scenario, the best that mankind has to offer has a fighting chance.
The Dinner Party from The Thinking Atheist
Can you imagine a world in which ALL the religious behaved as if they believed all the crazy shit they claim to?
The Thinking Atheist gives us a small taste of what that might be like.
Morality 2: Not-so-good books by QualiaSoup
To date, one of the best atheist videos on morality I have seen on Youtube.
explaining atheism
I recently had a commenter on another blog ask me what atheists believed:
“Godless Monster, you don’t believe in the occult? That’s consistent, but I don’t know what atheists believe and don’t believe.”
At first I was a little surprised, but I shouldn’t have been. I have long realized that many (most?) people have a false impression or understanding of what atheism is. In fact, so many of the nasty notions that people have about atheists can be attributed to them not understanding what atheism is in the first place.
I gave the gentleman a short and long answer and hopefully that will have broadened his horizons just a tad. I’m not inclined to be patient when confronted with willful ignorance, but sometimes I’m too quick to label simple ignorance as willful ignorance and end up slamming the door on an opportunity to teach others about rational thought and secularism. I’ve tried to be more mindful of the fact that I was once ignorant of what atheism is and just as important…isn’t.
If a religious person asked you how you’d explain atheism would you take the time to teach them? If not why? If so, how? What would you tell them?
to be or not to be…an atheist
A post on Atheist Revolution touches on the subject of choice and atheism. Specifically, vjack asserts (correctly) that atheism is not a choice.
Still, choice is an important factor in the process that leads to atheism. At some point in the lives of those who are free-thinkers, we made a choice – a choice to follow where the evidence takes us and not where emotion may lead. A choice was made to embrace reality as we interpreted it or understood it through evidence. Once we committed to reality, atheism was inevitable. At that point, it cannot be a choice. It just IS.
The religious faced the same dilemma we did and took another path. The easy path, the path of least resistance and good intentions. But, as Saint Bernard of Clairvaux wrote, “L’enfer est plein de bonnes volontés et désirs” (hell is full of good wishes and desires).
To make a conscious decision to forgo reality is to knowingly squander the good fortune that has been bestowed on each and every one of us. That we are alive at all is testament to the fact that we have won the genetic lottery and are the benefactors of billions of years of evolution. Each and every one of us are the end result of the living, struggling, suffering and dying of an untold number of organisms. By denying reality, the religious deny the contributions of our ancestors, and through the commission of that misdeed they contribute to the unnecessary emotional and intellectual crippling of their descendants.
If for no other reason than this, there is a stench of evil about religion, even at its most benign.
A response…
While working on several articles concurrently, a lengthy comment from a reader of a past post (Where is the atheist outrage?) grabbed my attention as it touches on a few points that I will make in upcoming posts. Consider this a preview of sorts, of things to come. I responded to points and accusations the reader made, correcting errors of fact and logic as well as acknowledging what, if any, valid points the reader might have made.
“More atheist hypocrisy I see. Atheists always clamor about separation of Church and state and here they are now wanting to deny others their freedom of religion.”
In the fourth sentence of your comment, you make reference to the sin of lumping all Muslims together. I couldn’t agree with you more. Perhaps you could demonstrate some coherence and consistency in your argument by applying the same standards to yourself. Specifically, you have lumped all atheists together with the use of the pronoun “they”. I am hardly representative of the atheist demographic, as a brief jaunt through my posts would reveal to any but the most ignorant reader. In addition, I do not deny anyone their “freedom of religion”. I merely assert my free speech right to protest; a right – I might add – that is also covered by the First Amendment of the United States Constitution.
“These are American citizens who pay their taxes and live peacefully among the rest of society; why should they not be allowed to build the religious complex? What rational arguments do you have?”
To be sure, I have no rational or even legal argument for preventing the building of any religious structure, whether by litigation or force. Applying pressure via protest, boycott, education and media coverage, however, is an undeniably valid and useful alternative that has been in use for millennia in order to effect change that could not be accomplished in other ways.
“You refe (sic) to “they” as if all Muslims are the same. It’s like saying all Americans are racists and terrorists or all blacks are criminals.”
The post was written “off the cuff” and does not fully convey my thoughts on a rather complex issue. While I do not specifically refer to all Muslims as being the same, it is more than understandable how anyone could take this to be my meaning, especially considering the tone of the piece.
“Atheists, like other far right conservatives, and most atheists are far right conservatives, especially when it comes to war and aggression against other, especially nonwhite nations, are completely ignorant of the historical realities of 9/11.”
Where to start? You are either a liar, astoundingly ignorant or you are insane. Of course, it is within the realm of probability that you are a combination of two or more of these.
First off, the overwhelming majority of atheists are left of center, with a great many of them being far left, liberal loons. Scan briefly through the majority of atheist blogs and this becomes painfully obvious in a very short span of time.
Second, your assertion that atheists are white racists -insofar as you connect them to a vast right-wing conspiracy to wage “war and aggression” against “nonwhite nations” – is insane, to put it mildly. Atheism is the lack of belief in a god or gods. No more, no less.
“9/11 had nothing to do with Islam and everything to do with American aggression in the Middle East. America brought it upon themselves. Why would “Islamic terrorists” come all the way to the US to fly planes into some buildings? Why not a closer country in Europe with the same values as the US, like England, Switzerland, etc. Why the US? Very simple, US is a terrorist nation. Read “Imperial Hubris,” the author is a former CIA agent who readily admits US foreign policy is the culprit, though he, like you ignorant atheists, wants perpetual war. After all, America needs to control the whole world; you are the master race after all, aren’t you? Like Pat Condell’s hypocrisies, this post is nothing but irrational, emotional drivel without a shred of truth or enlightened understanding. For people who claim to commit to free though and reason, you talk from sheer ignorance about religion and politics. What do you know about Islam besides what you hear in the mainstream media and right wing talking heads? What do you know about those who suffer from the actions of your beloved nation and its closest allies other than they are dark skinned, Arab and mostly Muslim? What would you do if you were the target of American aggression? Would you just lie there and take it or would you fight back? Just 4 years before 9/11, America bombed a Sudanese pharmaceutical factory resulting in the deaths of millions from lack of medicine and America bombed an Afghan refugee camp, again resulting in deaths. I am sure your kind cheered and justified it as a pre-emotive strike against would be terrorists, if you even knew about this. Americans and British, and much of the western world, have an immense propensity for not knowing of the crimes against humanity, of the genocide and murder committed by their own nations and allies, much less caring. Then when you are hit back, you whine and cry and think you didn’t deserve it. Sure the US didn’t deserve 9/11 and England didn’t deserve 7/7, if the rule is an eye for an eye, they deserved much worse.”
As with the rest of your bizarre screed, you don’t really make an argument; so much as you vomit up a disjointed, rambling kaleidoscope of emotional and uninformed leftist rants.
If you take bin Laden at his word, 9/11 had everything to do with Islam. Yes, there were token mentions of Israel, imperialism and the Palestinians sprinkled here and there, but only someone unfamiliar with the tenets of Islam would accept those sparsely used (and lame) excuses as the real motivation behind the attacks. The majority of his tapes, videos and writings show the true inspiration for his murderous calling, and it is Islamic imperialism.
You suggest reading material to enlighten me. I have already read the book. The author is misguided and ill-informed, as were many of the intelligence personnel I have had the misfortune to encounter in my time. I offer some advice for future reading material to you in return. Specifically, I suggest you read chapters 4 and 6 of “The End of Faith”, by Sam Harris.
I am an Arab-American and a former Muslim. I was raised Muslim and I have worked in the Middle East as a security contractor and private soldier. Prior to that, I operated there while with the U.S. military back in the 1980’s.
As terrorism has been of special professional and personal interest to me, there is very little you are going to be able to educate me on in that field. In regards to the history and politics of the world, I believe I am more than capable of holding my own against most people, especially someone such as you.
I have close Muslim relatives that I love dearly still living in south Lebanon and in the United States. I wish them no harm, while at the same time, holding their religious beliefs in contempt. There are good Muslims, there is no good Islam.
I would like to touch on the subject of ethnic discrimination and racism. I have been the victim of racism (by white Christians) on a scale that would drive many people to hate the United States and Christians in general. I have been severely beaten many times and lost job opportunities due to ignorance spawned by racial prejudice. Despite my negative experiences at the hands of a small (and unrepresentative) group of unenlightened individuals, I am very proud of my country (most of the time) and do not hate Christians at all. I do not hate Muslims, either. I do, however, hate Islam. I hate it in the same way that I hate totalitarian communism and Nazism. If you had an inkling of what Islam is really all about and if you were of sound mind you would loathe this ugly cult of death.
To say that the men, women and children who died during the attacks of 9/11 “deserved it” is disgusting and shows a lack of ethics and compassion that would rival the worst of any Islamic terrorist. Anyone who would willingly hand over the civilized world to the barbarian elements of this planet in the name of political correctness and multicultural dogma is to be held in contempt.
Take your misplaced indignation and faux morality and cram it.
Why Choice Matters
Does it even matter one way or the other if our atheism is the result of a conscious decision to become an atheist? Click HERE to read a fascinating article by vjack at Atheist Revolution in which he addresses this question brilliantly.
On Target
I hated him.
I didn’t want to be there any more than he did, but neither of us was going anywhere until he put the required number of holes through the as-of-yet-untouched paper target waiting downrange.
“C’mon Stump! You’re from ‘West-by-God Virginia’…a good ole boy! Aren’t y’all supposed to be able to shoot?” I yelled.
“Yer makin’ me nervous”, he said, staring straight ahead at the elusive white rectangle in front of him.
I squatted next to him.
“Listen Stump, I’ve gone over breathing, grip, sling tension, trigger finger placement, trigger squeeze, sight alignment, everything. The rest is up to you. It’s all you, man.”
He was an electrician, but had the unfortunate luck to have been picked to be part of the Security Alert Team/Backup Alert Force (SAT/BAF). If bad guys boarded to do something bad, his group would be the backup force in case the pros (me and my team) got taken out. Nice sentiment, but in real life, they’d have been fucked.
It didn’t matter. Stump had to qualify or I had to boot him. The next in line for this position was his boss and he outranked me. He also wrote my duty section schedule for overseas assignments. It would have been ugly. Stump definitely had to qualify.
He got back into the prone position and slowly pulled the trigger. I caught a slight preemptive flinch before the sharp crack of the .308. He had pulled down and right. The round ricocheted forward off the steel deck and several others on the line shouted in alarm and lay low in case there was a second round.
This was ridiculous. I’d tried everything. This guy was afraid of the weapon and he sure as hell wasn’t listening to anything I said. I may as well have been speaking a different language. “Probably because he hates me.”, I thought.
“He hates me…” In one of those rare Eureka moments I’ve had in my life, I came upon an answer to my dilemma.
I leaned over and pulled back Stumps hearing protection. He rolled over to his side and stared at me. Resting on my palms and leaning right into his face, I rasped, “You’ve only got one shot Stump and this one has to count. You wanna know why? Because that target down there is me and I’m trying to fuck your mother. The only thing that stands between me and your momma is you and this weapon.”
Stump hated me for being mixed Caucasian and Arab. It was common knowledge that he had long family roots in the Klan and anyone who wasn’t lily white was shit in his eyes. It had to have been extremely humiliating for him to have me as an instructor. To him, I was a mud person, a sand nigger, an ay’rab.
Stump slapped in a fresh magazine and rolled back into position. “What’re you afraid of most, Stump? This fucking rifle…or me fucking your mother?” I snapped.
Honestly, I didn’t think the prick had it in him. 3 rapid, consecutive shots, all on black. I would never have believed it if I hadn’t seen it myself. Not the tightest grouping in the world, but more than good enough to qualify. I spoke to Stump in his language and I got him to do what I wanted him to do.
I’ve often wondered when we try to engage religious types, creationists, etc. in discussion, if we aren’t making any progress because we aren’t speaking to them in a language they can understand.
I didn’t want Stump to stop being a racist, I just wanted him to shoot the damn piece of paper and get the hell out of my face. I accomplished that. Maybe we don’t need to change the religious world’s point of view. Maybe we just need to convince them to leave us the hell alone. Speaking in terms they can relate to may go a long way towards accomplishing that goal. It doesn’t have to be a pleasant exchange; it just needs to work.
“Good job, Stump. You qualified. Congratulations.” I offered him my hand. He took it, shook it and smiled . “Thanks!”
He started to leave the firing line. My back was to him as I began reloading the empty 20 round mags stacked in front of me, waiting for the next trainee. The trainees were supposed to do it, but I was impatient.
“Oh, Stump. One more thing.”
“Yeah?”
“Fuck you.”
