Tuesday, December 20, 2005
Quote of the Day
"I think we can all look forward to the time when these three theories are given equal time in our science classrooms across the country, and eventually the world; One third time for Intelligent Design, one third time for Flying Spaghetti Monsterism, and one third time for logical conjecture based on overwhelming observable evidence." —Bobby Henderson
Thursday, December 08, 2005
Quote of the Day
“. . . In all parts of our globe, fanatics have cut each other's throats, publicly burnt each other, committed without a scruple and even as a duty, the greatest crimes, and shed torrents of blood.
. . .Savage and furious nations, perpetually at war, adore, under divers names, some God, conformable to their ideas, that is to say, cruel, carnivorous, selfish, blood-thirsty. We find, in all the religions, 'a God of armies,' a 'jealous God,' an 'avenging God,' a 'destroying God,' a 'God,' who is pleased with carnage, and whom his worshippers consider it a duty to serve. Lambs, bulls, children, men, and women, are sacrificed to him. Zealous servants of this barbarous God think themselves obliged even to offer up themselves as a sacrifice to him. Madmen may everywhere be seen, who, after meditating upon their terrible God, imagine that to please him they must inflict on themselves, the most exquisite torments. The gloomy ideas formed of the deity, far from consoling them, have every where disquieted their minds, and prejudiced follies destructive to happiness.
How could the human mind progress, while tormented with frightful phantoms, and guided by men, interested in perpetuating its ignorance and fears? Man has been forced to vegetate in his primitive stupidity: he has been taught stories about invisible powers upon whom his happiness was supposed to depend. Occupied solely by his fears, and by unintelligible reveries, he has always been at the mercy of priests, who have reserved to themselves the right of thinking for him, and of directing his actions.”
-- Baron d'Holbach, Common Sense, 1772
. . .Savage and furious nations, perpetually at war, adore, under divers names, some God, conformable to their ideas, that is to say, cruel, carnivorous, selfish, blood-thirsty. We find, in all the religions, 'a God of armies,' a 'jealous God,' an 'avenging God,' a 'destroying God,' a 'God,' who is pleased with carnage, and whom his worshippers consider it a duty to serve. Lambs, bulls, children, men, and women, are sacrificed to him. Zealous servants of this barbarous God think themselves obliged even to offer up themselves as a sacrifice to him. Madmen may everywhere be seen, who, after meditating upon their terrible God, imagine that to please him they must inflict on themselves, the most exquisite torments. The gloomy ideas formed of the deity, far from consoling them, have every where disquieted their minds, and prejudiced follies destructive to happiness.
How could the human mind progress, while tormented with frightful phantoms, and guided by men, interested in perpetuating its ignorance and fears? Man has been forced to vegetate in his primitive stupidity: he has been taught stories about invisible powers upon whom his happiness was supposed to depend. Occupied solely by his fears, and by unintelligible reveries, he has always been at the mercy of priests, who have reserved to themselves the right of thinking for him, and of directing his actions.”
-- Baron d'Holbach, Common Sense, 1772
Friday, December 02, 2005
USA founded on Christianity?
A coworker was lamenting about how Target or someone was calling "Christmas trees" "Holiday Trees" or somesuch out of pressure from non-Christian groups. He went on to say that we have let too many Muslims into this country and that this country was founded by Christians. I normally have a "no religious or political discussions at work" policy, but I had to challenge him on his last point at least.
Do you think this country was founded by and/or for Christians? If you do, I would love to know on what you base that belief.
In the meantime, I have a challenge for you. Find "God", "Jesus", "Christianity", "religion", or any form of these words, in the Constitution of The United States. Hint: "religious" is in the Constitution once, and in the Amendments once as well. Homework assignment: Find where they are used, and quote the sentence they are used in.
Here's a link to The Constitution: http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html
PS I'm sure you'll be excited to find a date referrence of "the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord". Extra credit: If you find this an endorsement of Christianity, do a little research into where the names of the week come from and report back.
Do you think this country was founded by and/or for Christians? If you do, I would love to know on what you base that belief.
In the meantime, I have a challenge for you. Find "God", "Jesus", "Christianity", "religion", or any form of these words, in the Constitution of The United States. Hint: "religious" is in the Constitution once, and in the Amendments once as well. Homework assignment: Find where they are used, and quote the sentence they are used in.
Here's a link to The Constitution: http://www.house.gov/Constitution/Constitution.html
PS I'm sure you'll be excited to find a date referrence of "the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord". Extra credit: If you find this an endorsement of Christianity, do a little research into where the names of the week come from and report back.
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