More anti-atheist blowback

Buzzfeed, a site where pretty much anything and everything and everyone is mocked (particularly Christians and Tea Party types) really doesn't play favorites.  Or.......perhaps even people in the "hipster, agnostic, anti-Tea Party" crowd are sick to death of militant atheists.  Either way, this was the result.

Top 10 Reasons Atheists Suck

1. Atheists really enjoy being smarter and more rational than everyone else. Have you noticed that about Atheists? I have.

2. Atheists tend to be haters who don't believe in anything. You get excited about something cool and they are always all skeptical, asking lots of critical questions, and basically kill the positive energy.

3. They love reading Reddit.com, which is a perfectly good site, but they get all smug about how Reddit is better than other sites. Like is there some rule that if you don't worship the real God, you have to worship Reddit instead?!? WTF?

4. Atheists love to mock hard working, religious Americans who love their kids, work hard, and go to church.

5. Atheists think they are rational and scientific but isn't it more rational and open minded to say that God *might* exist? Should real scientists keep an open mind?

6. Atheists are some of the biggest trolls on the Internet. They will probably start trolling me just for writing this post.

7. Have you ever known someone who would rather be right than loved? And eventually you are like, “dude, ok, ok, you are right” but you are also thinking “what an a-hole!” That a-hole is almost certainly an atheist.

8. Atheists are the kind of people who enjoy telling small children that Santa Claus, the Tooth Fairy, and the Easter Bunny are all fake. Thanks for ruining all the fun, atheist! I guess you think a 5 year old knowing “the truth” is more important than them having a happy childhood.

9. Atheists are selfish. Instead of praising God for good things that happen in their life, they just praise themselves. Like “wow, I really deserved that raise. Praise myself!”

10. They just suck. You don't even need a reason. It is obvious. Just accept it.

I have to add, so you know where I'm coming from, that most atheists are perfectly normal, likable people.  I have no problem with them.  I have no beef with them.  I'm live-and-let-live.  They're live-and-let live.  It's those militant Richard Dawkins wannabe assholes who fit the "type" described in this list.  You know, the people that Vox Day so loves to pillory.

The amazing thing about this list is not the list itself.  It's that it made Buzzfeed.  Things don't just end up on Buzzfeed.  They end up there because a sufficient contingent of "hipsters" think it merits the attention.

Being the consummate connoisseur of schadenfreude, I have to opine that the idea of militant atheists being subjected to increasing ridicule warms the cockles of my dark heart.

Now go say 10 "Hail Darwin"'s and contemplate the total purposelessness of your wretched existance.

Doofuses in the news (Wiener Award)

Are there two stupider people on the planet than Pat Robertson and Danny Glover? No, really! I'm not asking a rhetorical question here!

Robertson, who apparently can't let any disaster pass without providing aid and comfort to the anti-Christianity community, had this to say about the Haiti earthquake.

"They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III, or whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, we will serve you if you'll get us free from the French. True story. And so, the devil said, okay it's a deal."

Uh huh. I guess if the devil said it, Pat Robertson, false prophet, would know.

Just by way of a little factual intervention, the apocryphal tale of Haiti's "deal with the devil" dates back to the 1790's. It was France's way of explaining away their mighty army's defeat at the hands of revolting slaves.

But Robertson isn't the only one making an ass of himself opining on the Haitian earthquake. Take it away, Mr. Glover.

We have to mount a much larger effort in the US. It's going to be a defining moment for this administration. Other countries in the region, they are Venezuela, Brazil, Cuba, and other countries have already stepped to the plate. What happened to Haiti is a threat that could happen anywhere in the Caribbean to these island nations, you know, because of global warming, because of climate change and all this. And we need to find -- we did what we did at the climate summit in Copenhagen. This is the response. This is what happens, you know what I'm saying? But we have to act now.

That Danny Glover! What a hoot!

To summarize, Pat Robertson posits that the earthquake and Haiti's poverty are God's punishment for Haiti's "deal with the devil". And Danny Glover posits that the earthquake is Gaia's punishment for the "failure" of the Hopenhagen summit. The Vulture posits that the earthquake was caused by the sudden movement of tectonic plates, as are ALL earthquakes.

What a pair of clowns!

Congratulations, clowns! You're Wiener Award winners!

Vulture Droppings - The World Economy Craters

Vulture Droppings is a semi-regular feature of this blog. It's a kind of "Random Thoughts" post in which I try to quickly summarize a particularly large event or series of events. Think of it being sort of like what a vulture leaves behind after devouring a horse. You don't get the whole horse, just highly processed leftovers.

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You may have noticed that I haven't spent much time commenting on the impending financial implosion that will wreak havoc across the entire planet. Were I a betting man or a prognosticator, I'd say early to mid Summer should be the center of gravity tipping point for a number of the world's economies. Mexico won't last through the Summer. Eastern Europe (with the exception of Russia) is teetering. Much of Western Europe is wobbly as well. And South America? Fuhgedaboutit!

Who can save us from this dire dilemma? Why, His Eminence, King Obama! A trillion here, a trillion there...pretty soon we'll be talking serious money! But it's going to work. All of the Keynesian economists say so. That Keynesians are pretty much wrong 90% of the time is beside the point...

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Okay, Vulture. You've had your little chuckle. Now get serious. Is it really that bad? To be honest, I don't know. I only know what I read. You see, given the location in which I live and the career field in which I'm employed, I'm extremely sheltered from the gyrations of the economy. I'm not saying that so as to brag; on the contrary, my situation makes me even more worried. Things aren't hunky-dorree in these parts; how bad can it be in, say, Michigan or California?

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So...is King Obama's "stimulus" going to help? Are you sh**ing me? Of course not! Nor was it ever supposed to be anything more than expensive window dressing.

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I'm of the opinion that King Obama would be all kinds of happy if the entire American financial system collapsed. After all, it's only in extreme times that extreme measures (like Fascism and Communism) can be made palatable to the sheeple.

While Obama's reputation is that of a lifelong Communist, his actions belie different leanings; he's a Fascist through-and-through. Lest there be any misunderstanding, by "Fascist" I mean a proponent of the Private/Public ownership of the means of production as implemented by Benito Mussolini. I am NOT using the word in the traditional Leftist pejorative way, which is, as a means to tar one's enemies.

And truth is we've been living in a Fascist system for years. It just wasn't codified until King George the Dim implemented his infamous bailouts last Fall. His bailouts established the precedent that profits belong to the corporations, but losses belong to the sheeple. If that's not Fascism, what, then, is it?

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Okay, Mr. Gloom-and-Doom. So what can we do to protect ourselves? How the hell should I know? I'm just an ordinary man who happens to live in extraordinary times. I have no reference point nor sufficient knowledge to have the first idea what we the common folk can do, short of storming Congress carrying torches and pitchforks.

Times are hard, and they're going to get harder. The Russians are fairly certain that we're going to self-destruct.

If you're inclined to believe Igor Panarin, and the Kremlin wouldn't mind if you did, then President Barack Obama will order martial law this year, the U.S. will split into six rump-states before 2011, and Russia and China will become the backbones of a new world order.

Panarin might be easy to ignore but for the fact that he is a dean at the Foreign Ministry's school for future diplomats and a regular on Russia's state-guided TV channels.

As much as I hate to say it, if the scenario painted by Mr. Panarin plays out, we will do in 2009 what the mighty Soviet Union did in 1989-1991; we'll splinter into regional factions with an impotent central government trying vainly to hold it all together. Perhaps we'll be as lucky as Russia and manage to hold together enough substance in one of the splinters to serve as a counterweight to the Russians and Chinese. But I doubt it.

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Feeling good and depressed yet? Feeling hopeless? Don't. There is One far mightier than those pitiful perfumed princes and princesses who lust after the power to rule over us all. My trust is in Him, though my actions may not always reflect that.

Paul said it best:

For I am convinced that neither death, nor life, nor angels, nor principalities, nor things present, nor things to come, nor powers, nor height, nor depth, nor any other created thing, will be able to separate us from the love of God, which is in Christ Jesus our Lord. -- Romans 8:38-39

Amen.

The last piece of the fascade falls

He was supposed to be a conservative, the heir to Ronald Reagan. That "compassionate conservative" stuff? All part of his master plan to win over moderates. Once he was in the White House, he'd stride forcefully rightward and restore Conservatism in the White House.

He was supposed to want no part in "nation building" - Clinton's poorly executed attempts at creating functional nations out of third-world shitholes.

He was supposed to be a born-again Christian, saved from alcoholism by his faith in the Lord Jesus Christ.

He was supposed to be all of these things. He is none of them.

It has become obvious in the past 8 years that King George the Dim is a stateist of the first order. He's a fiscal nightmare. He puts no stock whatsoever in personal liberties. How can I say that? Actions speak MUCH louder than words. King George's legacy includes a multi-trillion dollar increase in the national debt. It includes the Department of Homeland Security (the Schutzstaffel). It includes domestic spying programs that, we're assured, only target "the bad guys", but in reality could be used (and may, in fact, already be in use) against any of us.

His little adventure in Iraq (wrong war/wrong country - if you're REALLY fighting Islamic extremism, you attack it at the source, Saudi Arabia) added billions of dollars of debt in the ultimate example of nation building: nation building at gun point.

Now the fascade of who King George was supposed to be is finally destroyed en toto. His alleged Christian faith? Not so much.

President George W. Bush said his belief that God created the world is not incompatible with scientific proof of evolution.

President George W. Bush, here at an appearance Monday in McLean, Va., said in an interview on ABC's 'Nightline' that the Bible is "probably not" literally true -- even though "I think you can learn a lot from it."

And there you have it. To King George, evolution is "scientific proof". To anyone not part of the cult of Science who's bothered to do any research into the matter, it's a nice mythology that requires more faith than a belief that a superior Being created everything.

But put that aside. Who knows HOW God created the Earth? Simplistic Christians think it took 6 days because that's what Genesis says. Literalist Christians think 6,000 years, because "With the Lord a day is like a thousand years". Too bad they didn't notice the word "like" and the rest of the verse (2 Peter 3:8): "and a thousand years are like a day". That would leave THINKING Christians, who have no problem admitting that we have no idea how long it took or how God did it. Those "6 days" could have been billions of years. Day one alone could have been several billion.

The Genesis account is a simplified narrative targeted at a primitive people to whom any span of time beyond the next growing season was beyond their grasp. That's ironic when you consider that NOW that same simplified narrative is a stumbling block for the intellectual heirs of those primitives. You know, like King George.

He's not a Conservative. He's not the heir to Reagan...more like the heir to Woodrow Wilson. There nothing compassionate about his Stateism. He's the worst kind of nation-builder. And his Christianity is phony, just a prop for political gain.

It makes me wish that Karma was real. I'd love to see him get his just desserts.

Vulture Droppings - Election Day

Vulture droppings is a semi-regular feature of this blog. It's a kind of "Random Thoughts" post in which I try to quickly summarize a particularly large event or series of events. Think of it being sort of like what a vulture leaves behind after devouring a horse. You don't get the whole horse, just highly processed leftovers.

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It's finally here. Thank God! I couldn't take much more of this election BS. I've already voted today, tallying my vote for Ron Paul, thank you. If you haven't voted yet, please consider reading from these past links before you do.

• On voting
• Ron Paul, Superstar
• Black Democratic voters = Conservative Republican voters

Okay, now on to the last minute election-related tidbits that will be stale and unusable tomorrow.

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First, there is a myth that I wish to squash, posthaste. That myth is that it is important for everyone to vote. I wish to register my contrarian answer to that myth.

Everyone should NOT vote. Why not? Because "everyone" includes people who aren't paying attention! Because "everyone" includes people who think it's important to vote for the candidate who promises the most "stuff" for them. Because "everyone" includes people who know more about Madonna than they do about Barack Obama. And because "everyone" includes people sucking on the government teat, draining our national vitality and sapping the resources of the middle class. If you don't know who the candidates are, don't vote. Please. If you don't know how the candidates stand on issues that are important to you (or you don't even have a clue what the issues are), don't vote. And if you're voting for a candidate based on the color of his skin or the "stuff" they've promised to give you, please FOR THE LOVE OF GOD DON'T VOTE!!!!!!

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There's an email going around that purports to prove that BHO is the Antichrist. One of the "proofs" of this assertion is this.

According to The Book of Revelation:

The Anti-Christ will be a man, in his 40s, of MUSLIM descent, who will deceive the nations with persuasive language, and have a MASSIVE Christ-like appeal....the prophecy says that people will flock to him and he will promise false hope and world peace, and when he is in power, he will destroy everything.

There's just one problem with that. IT ISN'T TRUE!!!

The Book of Revelation doesn't say jack about the age or ethnicity of the Antichrist (though some have come to the conclusion that he would be Roman or Italian). As a point of fact, Islam wasn't established until about 600 AD, so John the Revelator wouldn't really have a term for a Muslim nor any kind of context of who they are, now would he?

If you're going to malign a candidate, at least get your facts straight!

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One final item. This is the text of an email from Pastor Richard Fredericks I received just today. It's wise council for all of us, regardless of how the election turns out.

Dear Family and Friends,

Tomorrow the election is over and the country has decided. May I make a few post-election observations, not about the candidates (who cares what I think), but about our processing of politics as Christians.

For the record, I really admire both McCain and Obama. To last through the gauntlet of a presidential campaign takes an exceptional person, and the strength under fire and tenacity of both candidates deeply impressed me.

John McCain is not only a true war-hero, he is a stamina super-hero. When most 72-year olds with a 401K only dream of their well-earned retirement, Senator McCain is energetic and proved he could shoulder the weight of the presidency. He ran a campaign schedule that would kill most young men—including clear, rousing speeches in SEVEN states on the final day: try that sometime. He is a model of making your whole life count for the things you care about.

Barack Obama brought an eloquence of communication to this race unseen since John Kennedy, and his position papers on race and religion (the two hot buttons of his candidacy) are, in my opinion, must reads for their thoughtfulness—especially if he emerges as the winner.

Finally, the fact that we had: the oldest presidential candidate ever, the first black (bi-racial) candidate ever and that two strong women (Senator Clinton and Governor Palin) played central roles in this election definitely marks a new era of maturity and openness in American politics.

Now three observations about us:

Once we decide for a candidate and against the other, based on their positions (a good thing) there is a tendency to impugn the motives and character of the candidate we did not chose. Fiery zeal and words like idiot, crazy and dangerous get applied to both. I would be willing to wager a year’s salary that if you spent a long weekend with either candidate (and with an open heart) you would leave with great respect—perhaps not for their positions—but for their character and sincerity.

Second, my prayer for the American church is that we always respect the political process but stop believing anything other than the church sharing Jesus Christ as Savior and Lord can transform America. Political leadership matters, especially in a crisis (as Lincoln and Roosevelt demonstrated). But throughout history, whenever Christians believe their political party will usher in God’s righteousness—without exception—things have gotten corrupt at best and deadly at worse. Our hope is God’s grace alone, shared by Christians who believe Jesus alone is the answer, not legislation. I think perhaps Christians bent on political salvation may be the new legalism.

Third, God’s Word calls us to be “completely humble and gentle; be patient, bearing with one another in love.” Ephesians 4:2. There is no clause that says ‘except for politics.’ Christians should be marked by passion for beliefs coupled with an equal dose of civility because of genuine humility about our own sinfulness and lack of infinite perspective on what God is up to. NOW—let’s pray for our new president—whoever he is. Love Ya, R

Amen, Richard. Amen.

Watching my 401(k) circle the bowl

I made a huge mistake. I checked on my 401(k). OH. MY. GOD!

I'm down almost 1/3 since the beginning of the year. Hell, I'm down $10K just today. I always knew in my heart that "save for the future" was a bullshit philosophy. * smile *

So as I watch my retirement swirl round and round as it prepares to go right down the old bowl, I'm sitting here in the sort of calm that only a recovering alcoholic truly understands. That serenity prayer thing? Until you live it, you're never going to have peace in this life. This whole financial cluster-F is one of those "things I can't control". My only option is to let it go and trust in Jehova Jira - God the provider.

The prime minister of Italy, Silvio Berlusconi, dropped another bombshell today.

Italian Prime Minister Silvio Berlusconi said political leaders are discussing the idea of closing the world's financial markets while they "rewrite the rules of international finance."

"The idea of suspending the markets for the time it takes to rewrite the rules is being discussed," Berlusconi said today after a Cabinet meeting in Naples, Italy. A solution to the financial crisis "can't just be for one country, or even just for Europe, but global."

Ah, bliss! We're one step closer to the glorious One-World Socialist Dystopia!

We've been cursed to live in Interesting Times, my friends. Might as well hang on and enjoy the ride.

It was 20 years ago today...

Okay, it was 20 years ago last Friday, but it was a most noteworthy personal milestone for Mrs. V and me.

21 years ago an attractive young woman at work caught my eye. I tried to subtly inquire about her...but subtle was never my strong suit. I bought Tupperware from her, just to give me an excuse to meet her. I didn't even need the Tupperware. Finally, I screwed up the courage to ask her out. It's a decision I'll always be thankful I made.

Mrs. V was only 24 years old. Just a baby. I soon learned that her husband had left her and her 3 month old son just 3 months earlier. "A kid.", thought I. "Oh boy." But once I met Kyle, I immediately fell in love with him. It was a match made in Heaven.

We dated, fell in love, and anxiously awaited the day that her divorce would be final. It seemed to take f-o-r-e-v-e-r. Finally, in late July 1988, the judgment was finalized, and we could set a date. We didn't just set a date, we cherry picked THE date from that year -- August 8th. 8-8-88.

Fast-forward 20 years. We've been through a lot together. Good times and bad. I reckon that most of the bad was my fault. Yet, by God's grace, we made it through the hard times and grew in love and appreciation of each other.

Mrs. V is truly the most loving, most thoughtful, most patient and long-suffering of spouses. She is truly the second greatest blessing God has given me, second only to His gift of salvation through Christ Jesus.

DP, I love you so very much and always will. You are my friend, my confidant, my strong constant in a crazy, unpredictable world. Thank you so much for 20 wonderful years. I look forward to growing old together with you.

As The Anglican Church Turns

When I think of liberal Christian theology, the Anglican (Episcopalian) Church is the first to pop into my mind. Whether it be gay priests, or gay marriage, they're at the forefront of being trendy rather than boldly magnifying our Lord.

Now two Anglican priests have married. Huzzah, huzzah.

Two male priests exchanged vows and rings in a ceremony that was conducted using one of the church's most traditional wedding rites – a decision seen as blasphemous by conservatives.

The ceremony broke Church of England guidelines and was carried out last month in defiance of the Bishop of London, in whose diocese it took place. News of the "wedding" emerged days before a crucial summit of the Anglican Church's conservative bishops and archbishops, who are threatening to split the worldwide Church over the issue of homosexual clergy.

Why is it that those who oppose turning their church into "singles night at the gay bar" are labeled "conservatives", which, in Liberal-speak means "those holding back progress"? How about maybe they simply wish to live within Biblical guidelines?

Now, mind you, I'm of the opinion, as a practicing libertarian, that when it comes to marriage, people can do whatever they like, and the government can call marriage anything it likes. It doesn't make it "marriage" in the eyes of God...but it's a nice social contract. After all, the only definition of marriage that really matters is the one from Genesis: one man, one woman, one lifetime.

Neither am I particularly offended by homosexuality nor homosexuals (the non-strident ones, anyway). I see homosexuality as a sin no more offensive to God than adultery, fornication, serial lying, stealing, hate, or pornography. As Jesus said, break one part of the Law and you've broken it all. And I have my own sins to deal with; I haven't the time nor the energy to sit around and judge others for theirs.

Vox Day sums up the libertarian view of government involvement in marriage quite nicely.

Being a libertarian, I see no reason why the government should be involved in any way with the private social contracts written between individuals. Marriage is no more subject to legal definition than friendship; what passes for government-defined "marriage" is no more marriage than a fish is a frog. A marriage license is simply a binding legal contract between three parties that happens to share a name with the ancient institution. The state governments didn't even control the licensing until 1853, so either no one was legally married in America before then or there is a complete distinction between marriage and the tripartite legal institution that was redefined [May 15th] in California.

But Vulture, this isn't an issue dealing with government involvement in marriage, so why even bring that up? I bring it up to show you where I'm coming from, so that when I speak out against these showboating Anglican priests, you'll have a context within which to understand my views, and also so that I can't simply be labeled and ignored by asshat liberals.

This is typical of the agenda of strident gay militancy. They're not content with gay people being left alone. They're not content with gay people being tolerated, or even treated as "normal" (whatever THAT is). No, they've got to be in your face 24/7, rubbing your nose in their stridency.

This "marriage" is both a publicity stunt and a way to poke the "conservative" Anglicans in the eye. These "progressives" WANT to trigger a crisis within the Church in order to assure that THEIR AGENDA is the CHURCH'S agenda. They don't care if the "conservative" Anglicans break away and form a new church; they'd be peachy-keen all kinda happy with that. All that matters to them is that they get what they want.

So to Mr.-and-Mr. Orombi-Williams I say this: Nice stunt. But does it magnify Jesus? I mean, isn't THAT what you are supposed to be doing as ministers? Hmmm?

Happy Fathers Day

I just love Fathers Day. L-O-V-E. My kids put away their sarcasm for the day. Mrs. Vulture ladles out the kindness and thoughtfulness all the live-long day. And, of course, there's gifts.

But the best gift of all is to be a father in the first place. What a blessing! My boys have made my life much richer and more meaningful. I love them dearly, and have enjoyed watching them progress from little velvet-skinned babies to full-size, hairy men. They've given me much to be proud of. They've loved me far more and far better than I deserved. They're in my heart forever.

A Fathers Day shout out to yodaddy, dw, and mark (to whom happy birthday wishes are also in order, ya old man). God's blessings be with you on this day.

Special prayers are in order for Luke Russert, who lost his dad, Tim, late last week. I can't imagine the pain of having Fathers Day fall just days after you've lost your dad to a sudden heart attach.

Don't think it can't happen here -- part deux

Lest you think I was being alarmist last week when I wrote about the arrest of 2 preachers in Norway, here's something a little closer to home.

A priest is being investigated as a potential criminal under a federal "hate crimes" law for quoting from the Bible, and he's being targeted using a Canadian provision under which no defendant ever has been acquitted, according to a new report.

Pete Vere, a canon lawyer and Catholic journalist, has reported on the prosecution of Father Alphonse de Valk, a pro-life activist known across Canada, by the Canadian Human Rights Commission – "a quasi-judicial investigative body with the power of the Canadian government behind it" – at CatholicExchange.com.

"What was Father de Valk's alleged 'hate act'?" Vere wrote.

"Father defended the [Catholic] Church's teaching on marriage during Canada's same-sex 'marriage' debate, quoting extensively from the Bible, the Catechism of the Catholic Church, and Pope John Paul II's encyclicals. Each of these documents contains official Catholic teaching. And like millions of other people throughout the world and the ages – many of whom are non-Catholics and non-Christians — Father believes that marriage is an exclusive union between a man and a woman," he wrote.

So...all of this "tolerance" and political correctness is, what? Only for preferred groups? I mean, if an Imam had said the same things, would the reaction have been the same? Would the Ministry of Love...excuse me, the Human Rights Commission...be so quick to leap on that religious leader to make an example of him?

We're headed in the exact same direction that Europe and Canada traveled before us. Free speech is under attack on all fronts, not the least of which is religious free speech (provided it isn't Muslim religious free speech). Only a major stink from the populous will prevent this inevitability, and I'm not confident that the sheeple of this country are up for the task. Are you?

Blogger Ennui

I guess this happens to every blogger in the process of trying to get an "audience" in the early going of their blog. Last Thursday I was contemplating the stats for my blog...and for the first time since TVL fired up last November, I wondered if I was wasting my time. I quickly jotted down the following thoughts (cleaned up for syntax and spelling).

Site hits are down. Comments have fallen off the map. I had my biggest day [that Thursday] only because of a Ted Kennedy picture I'd embedded in a previous post (apparently other bloggers were looking for a TK picture to embed in their take on the announcement that he has cancer). I've been doing this almost 6 months and have yet to attract a coterie of readers. I have 2 regulars - 2! One of them has software problems entering comments. The other travels a lot. Maybe 6 months isn't a long enough period to figure out if I'm actually going to be a success at this. But right now, I'm writing for myself, 2 regulars, and an audience of chirping crickets.

As I might say, were someone else to write something like that, boo-frickin'-hoo!.

Then, on the way home from work, I was listening to a radio talk show I never listen to -- especially at that hour. I only tuned in because the show I was listening to had gone to commercial. An author was talking about his book, something to the effect that randomness is everywhere in life and shows itself in the "luck" we perceive in life. He went on to talk about how randomness came into play with Roger Maris and his amazing 61 homer season, how randomness played into the career of Bruce Willis, as well as other examples.

But the one tidbit of information from this interview that really stuck with me was this: just because you are failing now does not make you a failure. Keep at it and let randomness do its part.

As a Christian, I understand that much of what we call "luck" and this author documents as "randomness" can be attributed to the hand of God intervening on our behalf. I was very much uplifted by the words of the author, and have decided to keep at it and know that at some point an audience will either develop or it won't. Besides, I owe it to my two regulars to keep at it.

Kyle's achievement

If you were wondering why I was pretty much unreachable this weekend (yeah, you're DYING to know), it's because my oldest son Kyle (known in these parts as xfloggingkylex) graduated from college on Saturday. There were parties to prepare for (and host, and attend). There were relatives up from Florida and South Carolina. It was a wild, hectic weekend.

Hopefully, the fact that I'm extremely proud of Kyle and his accomplishment didn't get lost in the chaos. He worked very hard. He earned a spot in a national merit society. He's been accepted to graduate school. He's an extraordinary young man (and not just because he's my son).

Kyle, I love you. I'm so very proud of you. God truly blessed me when he brought you into my life.

You did it! Congratulations!

Footnote: I'll provide a link to all of the graduation day pictures once I have them up on a page for all to see.

He is risen!

He is risen! He is risen indeed!

These words will be spoken in Christian churches all over the world today. They won't be spoken out of a sense obligation or ritual, but because they represent the cornerstone of our faith. Jesus is our Hope and our Salvation. Today we celebrate His birth, perfect life, propitiatory death, and his resurrection (the conquering of sin, death, and the grave).

I defer to Vox Day to add the exclamation mark to this message.

He is risen! He is risen indeed! Hallelujah!

NBC's Religious Bigotry

The spouse and I have been big Law & Order fans for years. We TiVo every new episode and watch it when we have time. Most episodes are common cop/lawyer fair, with occasionally excellent writing and surprising plot twists. There's a reason the show has been on for 18 years -- it is outstanding by network TV standards, low though they may be.

But, after viewing Wednesday night's episode, I may never watch Law & Order again. Here are the particulars of this episode, the most offensive piece of bigotry I've ever seen on TV.

• Woman is found stoned to death.


• Murdered woman is involved with Muslim artist (Ha! It must be him, you know what zealots those people are).


• Murdered woman's co-worker says that she argued with Muslim artist the day she was killed (Ha! We knew it!).


• But...artist was just trying to protect the woman from Albanian immigrants who had threatened to kill him if he went forward with his exhibit at her gallery. He's a pro-woman Muslim (he must be the only one), and his paintings portray the sufferings of Muslim women at the hands of men (MEN ARE EVIL!).


• Artist checks out - he's not the perp.


• Cops check out the Albanians (Ha! It must be THOSE religious bigots!).


• But the Albanians have an FBI tail on them 24/7, and they were nowhere near the crime scene at the time of the murder.


• Of course, the FBI has also been taping phone conversations of the murdered woman because she had used the words "Muslim", "jihad", and "Fatima" in the course of a phone conversation with the Muslim artist. The cops inform the OBVIOUSLY inept FBI agent that those words are from the name of a painting by the artist. FBI agent sheepishly retreats.


• But cops listen to one of the taped conversations (yeah, it's okay for THEM to do it, they're on the side of the angels, unlike the fascist FBI).


• Turns out the murdered woman was getting horizontal with the artist.


• Time to harass the husband (Ha! It's ALWAYS the husband) and confront him with this information.


• Husband shrugs off the accusation. Cops eventually buy it.


• Cops try to check out the college age son at the University he's supposed to be attending, and find out he dropped out some time ago.


• They find out that he's living with crack addicts - he's "ministering to them". They haul him in.


• Eventually, he's about to confess to the murder when his "counselor" interrupts. But, when the cops look through the two-way mirror, what they see is not an attorney-client meeting, but the two men PRAYING (OH THE HORROR!), The "counselor" is confronted, "Are you a lawyer, or not?" He replies, "I didn't say I was his lawyer, I said I was his counselor." Horrors! A Christian Minister!

Okay...you with me so far. To this point, all offensiveness has been pretty de rigeur. Nothing too out-of-the-ordinary. But it's apparent they're setting up something. Why else would they have all of the false leads pointing to stereotypes?

Now the whole episode narrative changes. From this point on the entire episode becomes a soapbox for "the message", which is:

• Christians are fanatics


• Christians are bigots


• Christians are feeble minded and easily controlled


• Christian leaders are brain washing control freaks


• Christians hate those who are different


• Christians want to kill those who are "sinners" in their Christian eyes


• Christians call these "sinners" infidels


• Children left by their feeble minded parents to attend "camps" lead by the fanatical, brain-washing Christian ministers are glassy-eyed robotic zealots


• These children spout insipid crap when prompted by their evil brain-washer, who is teaching them to kill


• And, ultimately, this final "message": Christian fanatics are no different from Muslim fanatics

You really had to see it to believe it. The "Chosen Prophet" son of the murdered woman, who stoned her to death to cleanse her of her sin. Do these asshats know the first thing about Christianity?

• Christians have NEVER believed in stoning sinners. Stoning is from the law of Moses and all Christians believe that the Law was fulfilled (or superseded, if you will) by Jesus Christ.


• Christians do not now nor have they EVER believed that a sinner must die in order to be forgiven for their sin. Individual asshats have practiced this reprehensible doctrine in the past (see: witches, Salem), but it has never been nor shall it ever be a part of Christianity. Christians believe in blood atonement; but it's not the blood of the sinner that atones, but rather the shed blood of the Savior, Jesus Christ.


• Christians (with the exception of those asshats in Kansas who believe that "God hates fags") are taught to "love the sinner but hate the sin". We believe in ministering to and loving sinners, not in killing them. The fact is WE'RE ALL SINNERS. Just because I'm not a homosexual or an adulterer doesn't make me better than them. I've got my own "thorns in the flesh" to overcome, thank you.


• Christians don't go around blowing themselves up, nor killing people who aren't Christian, nor foisting the Christian equivalent of Sharia on our countrymen and women. We all know who's doing that, don't we?


• I'll put the members of my church up against any 100 atheists you chose at random, and I wager we'll come out WAAAAAAAAY ahead of THAT group in the areas of independence, intelligence, and open mindedness and tolerance (like, how many atheists will tolerate OUR viewpoint, or even allow us to speak it?).


• Show me ONE Christian who has EVER used the word 'infidel' to describe an unbeliever. Just ONE! You can't do it. Because WE DON'T DO IT!!!! We don't use that word. It's not a part of our "orthodoxy", if you will. We don't say it because we don't believe it.

What we have here is typical liberal-atheist projection. They project upon Christians all of the most evil attributes imaginable so that they can feel better about the amoral lives they themselves live. There's also a healthy dose of "equivalence" here -- our Christian fanatics, their Muslim fanatics, it's all the same. Uh, no...it's not. We're not the one's trying to remake society in "our" image. That would be the Muslims. And the Liberals. See what I mean about "projection"?

Note also that there is no outcry in the media about this horrendous steaming turd of bigotry. Switch it around: make it "Jews" or "Muslims" brainwashing their children and murdering "infidels" instead of Christian wackos. You wouldn't be able to swing a dead cat without hitting someone decrying the bigotry. Shoot, if it was Muslims, you would have riots and fatwas. Someone would be dead. Fast.

Welcome to America, where bigotry is not tolerated...except when it's against white men, Asians, and Christians.

The writers, director, and producers of this episode can all kiss my lily-white Christian ass.

Nate is a genius

Nate, AKA Der Hausfrauhrer, has a blog called The Pan Galactic Blogger Blaster. Nate is Southern - REALLY Southern, "The South shall rise again!" Southern. One of his favorite post topics is ATF - not the federal agency, but rather the alcohol he's drinkin', the seegar he's smokin', and the weapon he's firin'.

And there's a brain along with all of that "Southern". It turns out that Nate's a genius.

You see, in the endless debate of "God or Science", the one argument I'd never heard is the one made by Nate last week in his blog. There's really no summarizing it, and I can't do it justice with snippets, so here's the whole thing, intact. Well done, Nate!

History vs. Science

Given that History and Science are both bodies of knowledge... and both are systems for verifying knowledge... it seems a bit odd that I would choose to juxtapose them so. After all...we're supposed to pit Theism and Science against each other aren't we?

This matchup seems far more logical to me...as the two are in many ways mirror images of each other. Science is the study of what is real. History is the study of what has happened. Again...the matchup doesn't seem natural. After all... what's happened is obviously real...isn't it?

See there-in we have the rub.

The processes of historical investigation are tried and true. They are just as self-correcting as science.

But what can science say about history?

Not a lot really. We can't really experiment to determine if Caesar crossed the Rubicon. In fact...science is really pretty useless for determining anything that may have happened. See science hamstrung by its "repeatability" requirement. Which is odd for something designed to study nature...since nature isn't necessarily prone to performing on demand.

History says...This Happened!

Science says...This couldn't have happened because I don't understand it and can't make it happen again.

History says...Science is irrelevant.

The trouble here is scientists. They have reached the point where they no longer acknowledge that there are things they don't understand. Rather than simply saying, "we don't understand" they claim that the offending phenomena is simply impossible.

History says that Jesus Christ was Crucified and Resurrected. Science doesn't understand it...so it hisses from a safe distance.

3000 years ago we were wise enough to realize that we didn't know everything...

Today...we have shiny trinkets and machines that go "PING!" but we're fools. We're stupid enough to believe that if we don't understand something...it must not be possible.

I can only applaud. Again, well done, Nate!