Mid-June Rehash: Dolphin/cephalopod copulation, divine search warrants, and criminalizing atheism!

I'm hopefully getting back in the swing of this blogging thing again.  This time I'm shooting for making mid-month rehashes of stories from around the internet a regular feature.  Let's do this.

Is that an octopus on your genitals, or are you just ha... wait, what?

So, in case any of you haven't seen it yet, this image started going viral yesterday:

Photo credit: Joan Gonzalvo

Best comment I've seen so far: "That's gotta suck."

(via Ed Yong)

Mid-month absurdity: Divine revelation is now probable cause?

Last year, a self-proclaimed psychic told the Sheriff's Office of Liberty County, Texas, that a local couple had 25 to 30 dismembered children buried on their property.  This prompted a raid on their home by deputies and put the couple in the media spotlight internationally (largely because the Sheriff's Office tipped off the media before executing the search warrant).

As it turns out, the couple weren't really serial killers and didn't even have one dismembered child buried in their yard, let alone 25 to 30 of them.  Now they're (rightfully) suing the Liberty County Sheriff's Office for defaming them and ransacking their home on the word of a charlatan.

The charlatan in question had this to say for herself:

“They up front asked me how I got the information, and I am a reverend. I am a prophet and I get my information from Jesus and the angels, and I told them that I had 32 angels with me and they were giving me the information and then it went from there,” she said.

Jesus and 32 angels told her about it? Must be legit.

(via Ken at Popehat)

Atheism gets you 2 1/2 years in prison in Indonesia

I hope by now that all of you who love freedom have heard of what's happening to Alexander Aan of Indonesia.  If not, go read up on it.

He's going to prison and will spend the next 2 and a half years locked up with dangerous criminals for asserting God's non-existence on an atheist group page on Facebook.  He also has to pay a fine of roughly $10,600 US.

Islamic extremists, however, seem to think that the sentence is too lenient; some of them feel that he's committed a capital crime.

“These atheists should be beheaded, that’s what they deserve,” wrote a man who identified himself as Putra Tama, a Muslim from neighboring Jambi province.

The Islamic Society Forum (FUI), an umbrella group for several hard-line groups, said that a five-year jail term for Aan would not suffice.

“He deserves the death penalty, even if he decides to repent. What he has done cannot be tolerated,” said Muhammad al-Khaththath, FUI’s secretary-general.

“It is important to prevent this group from spreading atheism in this country,” he added.

That doesn't bode well for him; how many Islamic extremists are going to be sharing a cell block with him?  It's morbid, but I wouldn't be surprised some righteous zealot sticks him with a shiv in the name of God.


At any rate, it isn't even legal to be an atheist in Indonesia.  You can choose from a laundry list of state-approved religions, but "none of the above" isn't an option.

Note to self: don't go to Indonesia.

If you're interested, the Atheist Alliance International is collecting donations for a legal fund to help Aan fight this ridiculous conviction.  If you want to contribute to that specific fund, make sure you tick the appropriate box before donating.

(via Friendly Atheist)

Atheism gets you jail time in the UK, too?

Indonesia doesn't exactly have the world's most permissive religious freedom laws, but surely nothing like that would happen in a bastion of liberty like a Western nation, right?

Yeah.  Wrong.

John Richards, an elderly man living in Boston (a small town on the eastern coast of England), has a sign hanging in his window proclaiming religion as fairy tales for adults.

Recently, the local police informed him that he could be arrested for it if it offends anybody and he refuses to take it down.

Unlike in Indonesia, I highly doubt an arrest in this case would result in any kind of conviction.  I hope.

(also via Friendly Atheist)

Recommended Reading: The Merely Real

I may have linked to her old blog as recommended reading last year, but Chana Messinger has a new blog that she updates frequently, writing about all sorts of interesting topics like feminism, skepticism, and occasionally food.  Go check it out.

My response to Eugene Delgaudio's email

Yesterday I received an email from Eugene Delgaudio, President of anti-gay group Public Advocate.  Here's what I sent as a response:

I get email... from "family" "values" organizations!

As a birthday present from the blog fodder gods, I found this piece of rubbish in my inbox yesterday morning: an email from Public Advocate President Eugene Delgaudio.  At first I was confused as to why I received it, but then I remembered that I took a survey hosted by his organization that PZ Myers had selected for Pharyngulation.  Apparently my votes in favor of the so-called "gay agenda" constitute signing his petition.

I'll post the email in its entirety below the jump, along with some choice illustrations I've added in.  I'll post my response in a separate entry due to length.

Christian salvation as a protection racket

UK atheist blogger Rosa Rubicondior posted a humorous comparison between the sales pitches of religious proselytizers and mafia thugs.

I can't say the thought hasn't crossed my mind before - it's really the core argument behind Pascal's wager.  If you don't accept our offer, we can't guarantee that your kneecaps won't get broken with a baseball bat.  You wouldn't wanna take that chance, would ya?

Two offers you can't refuse.

I'll hear Christians swear up and down that the god they believe in loves us all as his children, and yet believe that this same being created a devil to tempt us to sin and a hell to eternally torture us in if we do not submit to his will.  He offers us a "free gift" of salvation in his extended right hand, and the flame of infinite suffering in the left behind his back.

If this being existed, the rational, self-preserving choice would be to show him the utmost respect; the righteous and moral choice, however, would be to resist this tyrant in the face of his eternal wrath.

I'm wondering if the reason some professed Christians struggle to keep the faith is the same reason people in mafia-controlled neighborhoods don't talk to the police.

Weekly Recap: An atheist asks for advice, The Brick Testament, and more billboard controversy!

I saw this in the local paper while at my parents' house.  It may be a cheesy advice column, but it's a good sign to see the atheist viewpoint getting more mainstream exposure.  I have to wonder if the article offended anyone like certain billboards did, however...

Bible stories, told with Legos!

I recently stumbled across The Brick Testament, a series of biblical illustrations creatively built from the versatile plastic blocks we remember from our childhood (or later in life, for that matter).

Nothing is held back.  No detail is too racy, too gory, too contradictory with other details to be acted out with little yellow people.  Go check it out.

Godless Quote of the Week

One attack I’ve heard theists make against atheists is, “So, you atheists think you know everything? You think you’re smart enough to know everything? You think science can figure out everything? There are more things in heaven and earth, Horatio, than are dreamt…” That quote is from my good friend Mr. Straw Man, but it’s an idea we hear all the time: atheists are arrogant and don’t think they need god, because they’ve got it all figured out. I think people who make that accusation are confusing style with content. I’m a loud, aggressive, strident, outspoken atheist, and I’m an asshole — but what I’m claiming is not in any way arrogant. It couldn’t be more humble. It’s just “I don’t know.”

- magician, skeptic, and crude humorist Penn Jillette, in the intro to his new book God, No!: Signs You May Already Be an Atheist and Other Magical Tales.

Sunday Subscription Suggestion

This week I'd like to spotlight Science Sushi, a blog that serves real, raw science without the usual jargon or speculative sensationalism.  The author, Christie Wilcox, is a proud nerd with an affinity for marine life and a penchant for mythbusting.

She infamously ignited a flamewar with proponents of the "organic" agriculture movement by writing a post debunking myths about the "organic" label, and held her ground like a boss.

Weekly Absurdity: Why is this still controversial?

Atheist and secular humanist organizations around the country have been putting up all manner of billboards over the past several months.  Unlike the intentionally incendiary ads sponsored by American Atheists earlier this year, these billboards have all contained a positive message: you don't need to believe in a higher power in order to lead a good life.

One such billboard sponsored by the Center for Inquiry went up in Grand Rapids, Michigan earlier this week:

How offensive!

This message has proven too controversial for many Christians' sensibilities (take a look at some of the comments on the news articles!).  The same billboard was apparently banned in Tennessee for its "offensive" message.  It's interesting how even extremist Christian messages don't cause the same level of controversy.

This, however, is perfectly acceptable.

I know that I've written on this subject before, but it still confounds me.  As always, insecure believers seem to see happy, friendly nonbelievers as the greatest threat to their religion's existence.

(via Friendly Atheist and Skeptic Freethought)

Recap Post: pop stars for science, Straw Poll, the faaabulous Ann Coulter, femShep beauty pageant, and godless Christians!

While I'm brainstorming, kicking around, and shooting down ideas for future posts, here's a weekend fluff digest post to tide you loyal readers over. Some highlights of the past week or so:

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"Science is rock and roll." Black Eyed Peas frontman Will.i.am is doing something that lifts my hopes for this country (my opinion of his music aside). He's teaming up with other popular musicians in a video campaign to promote scientific curiosity and encourage improvements to science education, leading up to a one-hour TV special to air on Sunday evening. I'm willing to let slide the obvious fallacy induced by celebrity endorsement because science needs positive publicity in America.

(via Culture of Science by Sheril Kirshenbaum) #science

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The Heathen Republican didn't quite have the budget of Michele Bachmann's campaign, but still made an effort to garner votes at the Straw Poll, complete with deep-fried hors d'oeuvres. Unfortunately he didn't have quite the turnout that other candidates enjoyed; I wonder why? "For ethical reasons, I instructed my campaign not to pay for any of the attendee’s tickets, so we only had a few people show up. I didn’t realize conservative votes could be purchased for as little as $30."

#atheism, #politics

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Ann Coulter is a gay icon, at least as far as right-wing gay lobbyist group GOProud is concerned. It shouldn't be surprising that she's the best they could dig up: "The organization, though branding itself as a gay rights group, generally views gay marriage as a states' rights affair—a stance famous for working out awesomely for interracial couples in Alabama before the mid-'60s."

(via Mother Jones) #politics, #lgbt

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Canadian game developer Bioware held an online poll to decide the appearance of the female version of Commander Shepard to be used in ads for Mass Effect 3. Flamewars and fanboy rage ensued over matters of hair, eye, and skin color.

Finally a feminist gamer chimed in and asked why it was even happening. "BioWare took one of the small handful of non-sexualized female heroes in gaming and put her on stage for the world to judge on appearances alone, aka a f**king beauty pageant. . . No male hero has ever been or ever would be dragged into the limelight and forced to defend himself like this."

(via my brother Josh, and Penny Arcade) #gaming, #feminism

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It appears that a few reverends in the Netherlands are rethinking the God Question but still keeping the faith nonetheless. "'God is not a being at all... it's a word for experience, or human experience,'" proclaims one reverend.  According to the BBC article, "[his] book Believing in a Non-Existent God led to calls from more traditionalist Christians for him to be removed. However, a special church meeting decided his views were too widely shared among church thinkers for him to be singled out."

I think that this story raises an intriguing question: are people like this being intellectually dishonest by identifying with a faith while not believing its theology, or are they facilitating the evolution of Christianity into a philosophy that will survive in the increasingly secular future?

(via fellow humanist Derrick S.) #Christianity #atheism

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That's all for now.  A post about the WTC "cross", a potential political rant, and a potential blogging-related announcement coming soonish.

Are Muslims and secular humanists allied to destroy America?

Of course not.  But apparently Brad Hughes over at American Thinker believes that they are.  He writes of a "worldview war":

"with secular humanism and Islam as co-belligerents on one side and Judeo-Christian America on the other." 

I'm curious as to how he came to this conclusion; let's read his article, shall we?

He opens up with a Bible passage as his first piece of evidence (Ephesians 6:12 - New International Version no less!  Doesn't he know that anything other than King James is blasphemy?), setting the stage for what can only be a well-researched exposition.

Brilliant satire of religious proselytizers

Via Blonde Nonbeliever:

Just watch it. I couldn't stifle my laughter.

If you'll open up the door, we'll all come inside and eat your brains!

It may well be that all this talk of a two millennia old zombie rising again to reap millions of fresh victims today is really the harbinger of the Zombie Apocalypse. Even the CDC has acknowledged that we should be prepared for this eventuality.

Annual Zombie Walks seem to be ever-growing in popularity, a sure sign of how people will behave once the plague of undeath is upon us.  If people will wander the streets en masse in tattered clothes smeared with grime and gore while their brains are still intact, just imagine what they'll do with their executive functions impaired!

This past Tuesday, I attended a Columbus Science Pub meetup for a very informative and entertaining talk about the neurobiology of slow-moving zombies by Dr. Steven C. Schlozman, author of The Zombie Autopsies.  I now have a better understanding of the level of brain damage it would take to turn a human being into a rabid, flesh-eating monster.  Perhaps it was fate that this event was scheduled just days prior to the Rapture?

The signs are clear: we are mere hours away from being overwhelmed by hordes of voracious, pitiless, mindless zombies who will bring an end to civilization as we know it.  And if it doesn't happen today, be prepared for it to happen any day now.

Rain, rain, go away...

Central Ohio has been experiencing copious rainfall during the past few weeks.  I've been blogging with increased frequency and increased snark during the past few weeks.  Coincidence, or evidence of a death threat from divine providence for my brazen incredulity?  Today's Saturday Morning Breakfast Cereal comic makes me think that the beautiful double rainbow my wife and I saw the other day may have been more than just sunlight refracted by raindrops...

We are, after all, a mere two weeks away from Judgment Day according to some.  Heavy rainfall at this latitude during April and early May couldn't have any logical explanation, right?