Defiant Atheist

Quick Summary of my Beliefs

2006-11-02T15:20:00.000-05:00

Ask around in America and the general consensus seems to define religion as a belief in divinity coupled with theories regarding the world’s origins and an afterlife. Unfortunately, many American’s narrow this definition further to exclude all but their own specific God and their own theories on origin and afterlife. Often, all other religions are dismissed as misguided, deemed as “Satan driven” cults, or simply disregarded all together.

As an atheist, I do not believe in the god of Abraham, the gods of Ancient Greece, or in the Brahmic deities of Hinduism. I acknowledge that I am a rapidly fading speck in the infinite span of time and space and there is no way myself, or any of my fellow “specks”, can absolutely know our origins. Further, I understand that our bodies are complex, biological machines and that our consciousness is merely a series of electrical pulses or neuro-chemicals received and interpreted by the meaty matter of our brains. No souls are involved, no cognizant existence following our deaths. I, comparable to most Christians, Muslims, etc., accept my beliefs as undeniable fact and am confused by other’s lack of understanding.

My version of the universe’s truths hold no place for the three main criteria that the general public uses to validate a belief system. However, religion is still an important aspect of my life. My morality and convictions, often quite different from the conventional, is vital to my identity and my pride.

At the heart of my beliefs is the need for individuality. Since the time span of our existence is so brief, I feel the most important thing we must all do is to take many introspective looks throughout our lives and decide upon the things that fulfill us and leave us feeling satisfied. This means of satisfaction, of course, differs for each of us, but, once discovered, should be the focus of our lives. This pursuit gives my life meaning and to me seems much more rewarding than obsessing over ancient strictures that lack a true personal element.

My beliefs, both the primary tenet and other smaller moral decisions I have made based on experience and introspection, are my religion. It has no name, no divinity, no afterlife, and no mythology. My religion has adherents numbering exactly one. It is deeply personal and highly rewarding. It is everything that I know, everything I believe and, in fact, everything that I am.

Happy 6 * 6 * 6 Citizens

2006-06-06T23:35:00.000-04:00

I usually don't call upon either end of Judeo-Christian mythology, but the Christlings have spent the day worried about the end of days and were, once again, WRONG. Thats enough reason for me to have felt a little happier the entire day.

Hope it was good for you. Check out the Omen!

Now this is Justice!!

2006-05-25T18:57:00.000-04:00

In Mogadishu, Somalia a man has been convicted of murdering his neighbor over an argument over Mohamed's education. As a result the murderer, Omar Hussein, was sentenced to death by stabbing. The sentence was to be carried out by his victim's son, 16-year-old Mohamed Moallim.

Convicted Murderer, Omar Hussein

16-Year-Old Avenger, Mohamed Moallim

Notice the Flowery Hood and the Pretty Skirt

Now, I realize that Somalia is a near-anarchic shit hole run by warlords and, in many places, Sharia Law. I am not congratulating them on any of their numerous fuck-ups. Instead, through my announced appreciation of this particular method of justice, I would like to state that a favorable stance on the death penalty is not solely held by the ultra-conservative fire and brimstone or the "allahu akhbar" crowds.

I am a proud and fervent atheist and I passionately support the death penalty. I do not feel the need to support my stance with the gibberish written in ancient and rediculous tomes. I simply realize that when our loved ones, who have committed no relevant wrong doing, are murdered we have the desire and right to revenge. There is no need to sugar coat this or envelop this perspective in antiquated myths. The purpose of the death penalty is for the victims and their families and friends to be avenged. The desire for vengeance is primal and natural and despite the feeble cries to the contrary, their is nothing wrong with this.

While, again, I have no love for the Somali system of law or way of life, in this instance I must commend them. Not only was Mr. Moallim gratified with the death of his fathers killer, he had the just honor of wielding the blade.

Thanks to Ogrish.com, for both the story and the pictures.

Sam Harris on the Colbert Report, Tuesday April 25

2006-04-29T14:30:00.000-04:00

This was a pretty good interview. When Harris managed to speak he made good points. I particularly appreciated his reference to the Vatican's "genocidal stupidity".

Of course Colbert's ignorant, loud-mouthed tirade stood in sharp contrast to Harris' insights, but, as I'm sure much of middle America is unaware of, Colbert's stance is satirical and designed to make that position appear stupid. Not that it needs any help.

You can watch the whole interview HERE courtesy of the good citizens at onegoodmove

.... And Then There's This Asshole! pt. 1

2006-04-17T11:46:00.000-04:00

In response to my post on V for Vendetta Lan Whu writes:

Wow. You're defined by your disbelief in God. A life wasted. Good job on liking V for Vendetta.

I figure this perspective is widely held by Theists about any Atheists with the balls to discuss their beliefs, so I'll reiterate my response to Mr./Ms. Whu in a separate post just to clarify things:

Fascinating conclusion on someone that you don't even know. You read a blog and think you know the intimate details of its author's life; pretty small minded, I'd say, but I'm not surprised.

Contrarily, there are people that allow their entire lives to revolve around an ancient superstition and the imaginary friend that springs from it. Billions of wasted lives.

It is my prerogative to vent my sadness and frustration at my species, whose potential for greatness is unbound yet unrealized because of this antiquated and pointless distraction.

My life is defined by my ambition, my accomplishments and my family. Far preferable to the ignorant and mad perspective of the multitude of fanatics. I am thoroughly happy and fulfilled and have no concern with the negative opinion of a silly prick that fancies himself "Conan the Republican."

V for Vendetta

2006-03-18T11:35:00.000-05:00

I know I've been absent for a while, but I absolutely needed to post and give great accolades to V for Vendetta. This movie must be seen by all citizens and hopefully light a fire under our asses.

Though the setting of this movie is a futuristic, totalitarian England the parallels between this setting and present day America are blatant. Like our own government, the British government in this movie violates its citizens civil rights as standard procedure and regularly use fear and lies as tools of manipulation. Unlike modern America, this setting has a hero who opposes tyranny and represents justice.

The directing of this movie was genius, with excellent choreography and a list of subtleties that only multiple viewings could uncover. Natalie Portman was, as always, superb.

The ending of this movie is so moving that I could hardly control myself.

I reiterate: this movie is an absolute must see!

People Should Not be Afraid of Their Governments. Governments Should be Afraid of Their People.

Imbecile President and His Administration Sell Administrative Duties of Major U.S. Ports to United Arab Emirates

2006-02-20T22:47:00.000-05:00

The Bush Administration has decided to sell the management aspects of Major U.S. ports in Philadelphia, New York, New Jersey, Baltimore, New Orleans and Miami to the United Arab Emirates. This sale would, among other things, give workers, who are managed by executives from the UAE, access to ships as they are being loaded and unloaded in our ports. If this does not immediately ring alarm bells signaling dire idiocy you should note that the Arab Emirates:

is one of three countries in the world that acknowledged the Taliban as the rightful regime in Afghanistan
was a primary transfer point of smuggled nuclear materials to Iran, North Korea and Libya
acted as an operational and finacial base for some of the terrorists and hijackers of September 11

(Philadelphia Inquirer)

I can not fathom the bounds of stupidity this country is forced to endure under this foolish man. The only reason this asshole was reelected was that the stupid masses were duped into believing he would prevent successful terrorist attacks; then he and his fools pull off yet another ignorant and idiotic decision.

Senators Robert Menendez (D-NJ) and Hillary Clinton (D-NY) plan to propose a law to ban foreign ownership of U.S. port operations.

It is Time to Deny Muslim Apologetics and Cast Aside Political Correctness

2006-02-11T09:12:00.000-05:00

Muslims are truly becoming more trouble than they are worth. Too many of them are murderous, and for the safety of western citizens a moratorium should be placed on immigration and tourism from Islamic countries. Apologists will inevitably say that Muslims have the right to travel and emigrate freely. These imagined freedoms pale in comparison to the very real right of citizens to not dread public transportation, public gatherings, etc.

The myth is that Islam is a peaceul religion. What I see is a large minority of Muslims that are monsters and murderers, and the so-called moderate majority spend more time arguing with us for the well deserved fear and loathing we have towards Islam, than in trying to stop those that have supposedly hijacked their religion of peace. I see absolutely no evidence of that Islam is a peaceful religion, and I am certainly not one to accept things on faith. Especially when my life is on the line.

If Muslims want respect instead of scorn, they must stand up and protest the murders and the acts of terrorism, and do so loudly. If Muslims gathered in huge numbers, comparable to those riotting through out Europe and the Middle East, and called for peace and sanity, then perhaps they will deserve respect (there is now some Muslim action to end the riots. This is too little and far too late). Until then, as a matter of self-preservation we should not feel obligated to consider Muslim sentiments. We should be weary of Muslims. There is no need to force ourselves to feel comfortable around them or to even accept them. Political correctness is demanding that we ignore a legitimate threat, and that is utterly foolish. It seems that many Muslims and other apologists expect westerners to disregard the fear for our own lives and that of our loved ones, so that a bunch of lunatics and fanatics can express their cultural tendencies, many of which involve killing the very westerners that are expected to be tolerant.

It has been told to me, directly, that westerners are scapegoating Muslims. Stating this implies that Muslims and Islam are guiltless. This is not pre-Holocaust Germany, and rioting Muslims and terrorist are not European Jews. The real scapegoats are westerners, not Muslims. Middle Easterners see us as the root of all the world's evils, completely disregarding the fundamental flaws in their religion and culture. Many Muslims even expect us to accept the blame for all their misery. It is these very sentiments that motivate many Muslims to murder our citizens. It is these men that have decided to make life a battle between us and them, and they are fully willing and often eager to inflict the wrath of Allah onto innocent bystanders. Under these Muslim established circumstances, their is no real argument for abiding Muslim apologetics.

U.S. Government Backs Islamic Rioters, Freedom of Expression Exists Only Conditionally

2006-02-05T12:52:00.000-05:00

In an attempt to distance America from the assumed source of Muslim anger in Europe and the Middle East, the State Department released statements that seem to side with the fundamentalist rioters.

"These cartoons are indeed offensive to the belief of Muslims," State Department spokesman Kurtis Cooper said in answer to a question.

"We all fully recognize and respect freedom of the press and expression, but it must be coupled with press responsibility. Inciting religious or ethnic hatreds in this manner is not acceptable."

Cooper said he had no comment as to why the United States chose to pass judgment in a dispute that ostensibly does not involve America. (Reuters)

The press responsibility Cooper speaks of is clearly the same responsibilty that prohibits the publishing of photographs revealing the caskets of fallen American soldiers. Or perhaps the press responsibility Cooper is demanding, relates to having American soldiers clandestinely publishing pro-American propaganda in Iraqi newspapers or the Bush Administration paying news contributors to praise the No Child Left Behind Act. They have some great balls telling others how they should handle their media.

The American government does not speak for all Americans. They ignore the obvious, underlying tensions that are not one sided, and not felt only by Muslims.

Danish Cartoons Bring to Light the Reality of World Wide Islamic Madness

2006-02-03T15:12:00.000-05:00

Muslims through out the world are rioting today over Danish cartoons depicting their "prophet" with a time bomb above his head. Rioters have stormed the Danish embassy in Indonesia, taken to the streets in droves in Gaza & gathered en masse in England to call for the death of all who insult their prophet (Thanks to Daniel360 for this link).

I understand the anger, however all these mad Muslims are achieving is an escalation of the underlying sentiments westerners have towards Muslims. The cartoon in question (and several others) stem from a fear and loathing of Muslims. Apologist demands aside, these feelings are warranted. Islamic Fundamentalists use their outdated beliefs as excuses to murder wantonly. England, America , Spain and Russia have all felt the wrath of fanatical Islam. Westerners must now fear for their lives daily, and if the worst we will do is illustrate our resentment, then it seems these Danish artists are fully justified.

The actions of these rioters also bring attention to the myth of moderate Islam. For years Muslims have been tacitly complicit in terrorism by demanding that we stop dreading Muslims, while, rarely acting against the actions that inspire this dread. Now, however, we see British citizens, who we can assume are "moderates", calling for mass death over words and drawings. I wonder how they define moderation.

Islam is a greater hazard to us than even Christianity. Christian fundamentalists threaten to rob us of our freedom and our knowledge. Fundamental Islamists threaten to murder us and our loved ones.

UPDATE: This video, allegedly found on an internet forum frequented by terrorist groups, Depicts two Danish cartoonists with rifle crosshairs animated over their faces.

State of the Union Address

2006-02-02T22:13:00.000-05:00

I don't know why anyone would believe the words that spew from our great Ceasar's mouth, though I am certain many doting and gullible citizens ate it up with a big red spoon.

Of particular interest to me was his tirade on the evils of scientific research. Though he did not directly mention it, his allusions to stemcell research were palpable. His comments on America's oil addiction, oozed hypocracy and his assertions that this dependancy would be reduced under his administration, were laughable. Lastly, the tone he used to demand that his god bless America sounded, to me, like a battle cry for dominionists and a fervent "Fuck Off" to secularists through out America.

This website: Misstatement of the Union lists factual omissions & misrepresentations in his speach.

"Our" Government Continues to Trample Our Rights and Now Yahoo, MSN and AOL are Complicit in Privacy Violations

2006-02-01T10:28:00.000-05:00

The "Justice" Department has subpoenaed Google, Yahoo, MSN and AOL, demanding all search query records in a specific week in the summer of '05. Ostensibly, this is to perform research on how easy it is for children to find porn. They claim that these privacy violations are needed, in order to protect children from internet pornography. Unfortunately, as is the tendency of much of the modern American public, people are misunderstanding the situation as a needed concession in order to protect children from being IN pornography.

"Red" America's penchant for misinterpretation aside (generalization), "Big Brother" works with great ease when the dumb masses express such gullibility and "faith" in our mighty dictator and his goons. In this climate, where the government is implementing illegal wire taps, rigging elections, and anything else it pleases, It is beyond comprehension how people can still believe that the government chose now to demand these records for the reasons they've stated.

This is the latest offense stacked on top of a large litany of privacy violations, reduction of personal rights, etc., that has been put into place by the US government in the last 5 years. It is frightening to witness the governments audacity as well as the complacency of American's when the very "freedom" they tout religiously, are being taken away, with out reason and with minimal resistance.

The Department of "Justice" has, likely, initiated the beginning of the decline of our free expression on the internet. Google appreciates its customer base enough to uphold our privacy rights and continues to fight against this decline. Meanwhile, Yahoo, as well as, MSN & AOL capitulated instantly (Clear Channel anyone?) As a result, these products are now worthless.

Complacent and complicit in tyranny, at "home" and abroad, The new Yahoo way.

the Hypocracy of "christ" or the Corruption of the Bible?

2006-01-28T17:30:00.000-05:00

There are many people who question wether or not Jesus lived at all. Though I am a fervent Atheist, I do not count myself among this crowd. Not only do I believe that Jesus likely existed, but I am fully willing to respect many of his teachings (though I am not sufficiently patient or humble to follow them). Furthermore, wether deserved or not, I am inclined to accept that he genuinely believed in the meaning of these teachings. Foremost among these is the virtue of humility. I find it hard to believe that a man who was willing to face the wrath of Rome, in order to freely discuss the need for humility, would base his lessons around being the offspring of a god & effectively the most important man on Earth. Even if it were true, a truly humble man would play that fact down and ensure that his followers paid more attention to his words than his "station". I find this highly suspect. To me it seems that either Jesus is a hypocrite who does not merit the credit that I give him (much less the adoration and worship of over a billion "christians") OR, more palatably, the Gospels, written over fourty years after the death of Jesus, have been corrupted by the agenda of those trying to spread a new religion in a hostile environment. This latter option seems the more sensicle.

Most of the accounts of Jesus that we follow today come from Saul of Tarsus, who knew very little of the life and personality of Jesus. Saul, originally, despised Christians and persecuted them for a living. When he became a "christian", assuming his conversion was genuine, he would have had alot to "attone" for, as well as a lot of internal convincing required for him to make such a life change. I think there's a good chance this is where the "Jesus is the son of god" thing originated. I strongly doubt that if Jesus is who he claimed to be (his message, not his supposed divinity) that he would declair incessantly to be divine.

In essence, if one maintains a sense of logic, one must choose between accepting the fallability of the Bible or accepting the hypocracy of "christ". Though I realize that christians are not generally known for their logic, this is a common sense issue that goes beyond the concept of a "leap of faith".

Guilt: Perpetuating a Myth for Two-Thousand Years and Counting

2006-01-28T17:27:00.000-05:00

I personally think that to most people, wether or not they realize
it, god is a memory of tradition & the threat of guilt. Most people
are religious since they were children because, let's face it, its
alot harder to talk an adult into believing the grand, invisible man
trick. As children they're taught this fairy tale from their parents
and they buy into it. The catch is, unlike most other fairy tales, the
parents actually believe it! So the theists grow up following the
example of their 'rents & innevitably, even if they don't admit it,
doubt MUST come to them. However, admitting that the invisible man trick is just a myth would mean accepting that their entire life, until that point, was a lie. Worse than that, their parents, granparents, etc., who may be dead or dying, also lead lives based on nonsense. This is obviously hard to deal with. However, instead of finding a more sensicle way to define their lives, they prevent the true guilt of lying to themselves & allowing their loved ones to lie
to themselves, by subdueing their moment of clarity & continuing the
self deceit.

It is unfortunate that the majority of man kind eats up this spoon
fed nonsense, but that is the world we live in.

Faith and Ignorance in the 21st Century

2006-01-28T17:22:00.000-05:00

We live in an age where human curiosity has pushed us, as a species, to develop an understanding of the world around us. This comprehension extends to lengths beyond that which our ancestors could have ever imagined. Knowledge of the atom now allows us to power our cities, or destroy those of others. Knowledge of human anatomy and bio-chemistry, has nearly doubled our life expectancy in the last 80 years. Even for the average man, true understanding of the universe we are a part of requires only to open the right right book or view the right website.

Despite the fact that knowledge flows through our society, like the blood that keeps us living, most people through out the world base their entire lives on a set of beliefs that can not be true. Based on common sense and the simplest facts of nature, men do not rise from the grave after three days of death; any plane of existence that can only be reached upon death, is as imaginative as tales of Tartarus or Valhalla; & any being who sentences you to an eternity of burning & torment, for not prostrating yourself, is neither merciful or loving.

Faith is defined as "belief that does not rest on logical proof or material evidence", this rings loudly of self-induced ignorance. Accepting myths without apporopriate evidence is a dangerous anachronism. Today we all face being murdered by fanatical Islamists, who consider themselves holy warriors. People who receive a spinal injury, or develop leukemia must face a life of misery or the end of their lives, because fundamentalist christians are impeding physicians in their attempts to help those with the greatest need. In this country, thousands of people are fined or incarcerated every year, for smoking marijuana, speaking "profanity", expressing their sexual nature, and inumerable other acts that are considered immoral by fundamentalists, and prohibited by our corrupt legislators. These are all consequences of faithful ignorance. This is the time for progress and forward thinking, yet there is a resurgence of the detrimental mindset that has slowed human progress since the decline of the Roman empire. For progress to continue unabated, it is necessary to encourage the public to abandon their antiquated beliefs & agree to move forward.

Atheist "Testimonial"

2006-01-28T15:15:00.000-05:00

I was raised in a Pentecostal family. If the Catholic Church is known for being secretive & conspiratorial, the Pentecostals are known for being obsessive lunatics (the redneck "snake handlers" are an even more insane offshoot of Pentecostals).

My grandfather was a Pentecostal pastor in Cuba. He moved his family to America, where eventually one of his daughters met my father to be, A Cuban Catholic who's family intermingled (though barely practiced) Santeria along with Catholicism. My father, having listened to my grandfather's nonsense converted to a Pentecostal. Judging by how obsessed he would become with his crazy religion he
probably felt pretty guilty about his "blasphemous" santero-catholic adolescence.

After my parents divorced, I lived with my father for seven years, from age 10 to age 17. During this time I was forced to attend church every week, often several times a week, Including all night every Halloween, New Years and Easter. At church they would "speak in tongues" which I always thought meant screaming gibberish, loudly, while jumping around, knocking shit down & scaring the children.

Aside from my "language lessons" I also had to endure constant personal sermons & exclamations that I was aiming my life straight into hell. Regular anointments with oil on my forehead, CDs, video games, books, television. It was fucking ridiculous & messy. Enlarged bible verses were forced in & around my room instead of posters & my CD lyric sheets were scrutinized in mirrors in search of demonic intentions (not kidding). I had to change into my desired attire @ school because the way I chose to dress was not holy enough. And my books & CD collections were completely purged on more than one occasion. I could go on but this was meant to be more of a rant than a list.

People always tell me religion was so forcefully shoved right down my gullet that I was frightened out of it. My response to that is I was raised no differently than hundreds of thousands of other kids throughout America who fervently swallow up their parent's silly nonsense. My upbringing just made that shit so unpalatable that I was able to brake that ancient spell on my own.

Now I am an adult & I am free. I base my life & my actions on reason & pride. I see the way the country is going & I am horrified. The republican party has been absorbed by the religious right & is actively striving for theocracy. The Democratic party is weak & prefers to placate all ends than take action. I am still young & inexperienced but I hope that as I grow as a person I find myself able & willing to do whatever it takes to prevent the fanatics from achieving their goal.