Understanding Death

This post stems from a recent death of a motorcyclist near my home town. He ran off the road and was thrown from the bike. He was not wearing a helmet. He was pronounced brain dead at the hospital and a day later, was removed from life support.

It is a tragedy and many of my friends on Facebook were very close to him. My news feed has been filled with love for him, prayers for his family and one question. I have seen this question posed over 10 tens in the past 48 hours. WHY?

Why did someone who was kind die so young?
Why did a person who loved and was loved so much suffer a tragic end?

Religious people always look to the sky for some magic answer. In reality, death is something none of us can escape (yet). Without this cycle of life and death, our universe as we know it would not exist. Some people die of old age, some of cancer, some by the hands of others.

When you get down to the bottom of it, the answer to their question of "why" is simple: He wasn't wearing a helmet. The human skull is not evolved to sustain massive injury and doctors (not a god) were unable to save him. It may seem callous but it is reality. There is no alternate (supernatural) reason for his death. He made a mistake and unfortunately, paid with his life.

People have to start accepting the reality of death. Only then, can we truly celebrate life.

I've Been Challenged

Last night, I received a text from my best friend Katie*. (She was raised Catholic but is hanging onto her faith in the form of non-denominational mega churches.) Well, her fiance's brother (Jim) is a youth pastor and has apparently gotten wind that I am atheist. *cue creepy music* In the text, Katie tells me that Jim has a book for me and her to read and would "like to have a discussion" about it. The book? I don't Have Enough Faith To Be an Atheist.

First of all, I'm wondering about his motive. If he would like to discuss the book with someone of a different opinion, then I'm down. If he wants to pray over my head and hope to convert me to Christianity, then he is sadly fooled. I think the conversation he'd like to have with me can be done without reading that silly book.

Secondly, even the title of the book makes me think the author is full of shit and this book isn't meant for atheists but for people who are already slaves to their faith. I did a little bit of research on the book yesterday and as expected, its the same ole Christian nonsense. (Has anyone read it?)

As of now, I'm waiting to here back on a motive. I don't think he knows what he's getting himself into. I'm not the smartest person but I'm far from undereducated. Maybe I should warn him that I bring notes and credited sources! Lol

I'm also thinking of just telling him that we can have a friendly debate without the use of the above book. However, Id love to allow him to bring his own Bible and Ill bring mine...I've got a few questions for him LOL

*names have been changed for privacy 

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**Update** Well ladies and gents, I have some pretty interesting news. The y.pastor hasn't even read the book yet. He was hoping that we would all read it at the same time & then discuss it. (It really silly to recommend a "good book" without actually reading it first-though, this is what they do with their Bible every day) He has also stated that his goal is not to convert me but to have an open discussion and that he does have questions for me (I'm assuming "how do you believe life got here" sort of stuff) If he is sincere about not wanting to convert me, this should be an interesting dialogue.

I've recommended that if he really wants to discuss the book, we should break it down into sections and have multiple discussions like a book club of sorts. This would make it easier to discuss the topics layed out in the book:absolute vs. Relative truth, morality, evolution vs. Id, & the new testatment (the authors seem to steer away from talking of the ot but like to cherrypick their verses from it)

I'm waiting to hear back & see if everyone wants to do it that way...this book is like 400 freaking pages and I don't want to have to speed read lol :)

Picking things out of the Bible

I was told that if you read the word of Yahweh in the Bible, he will speak to you and you will see him as Lord and Jesus as your savior. I have taken it upon myself to read some of the Bible and accept this challenge. Yet, I can’t seem to get out of Genesis. Skipping the whole creation story, [There is no possible way that that story ever took place. It should only be taken metaphorical.] I began to look at the story of Noah. This is widely regarded in the Christian community as being a literally true story. However, the fairy tale stops as Noah is unloading the animals. No children’s book would even dare to include the real ending of Noah.

God is not Great: How Religion poisons everything

If you haven't bought this book, buy it. It is absolutely amazing! Not only should atheists read it but religious people as well. I lent it to my Christian aunt & uncle. I don't think they'll ever get to reading it.. As soon as I get it back in my hands, I intend on writing a review!

My Abortion Rant

Da Vinci 

A fetus is a viable human life when it can live outside the womb. With the help of medical science, infants can be birthed at earlier ages and survive to be normal adults. Late-term abortions should only be performed during medical emergencies; i.e baby critically injured due to natural or physical causes. If a fetus who can survive outside the womb with medical care is aborted, the mother and practitioner should both be charged with a crime. In the case where a soon-to-be mother has made the decision to abort her late-term pregnancy, the baby should be delivered early so that it may finish its development in an incubator. The mother will sign over all rights to the child and adoptive parents should be found.

If the fetus has not reached this stage, women should have full rights to opt for an abortion. This is a conscience decision by the women about her own body. There are many factors that go into making such a decision and the option should be left open for safe and humane removal and disposal.

Abortions should also be affordable but not funded by the government. Doctor's offices that perform abortions should be free of picketers and religious-pamphlet givers. It should be a private experience just like any other doctor's appointment.

...I dream of the day when science can remove a zygote and grow a neonate.

Letting my kid watch Veggie Tales

About a year ago, my daughter who was two at the time found Veggie Tales. Fruits and vegetables that tell stories from the Bible using modern twists, including Indiana Jones and The Princess and the Pea. It does mention god and Jesus throughout the entire show. One episode later and my daughter was hooked. She completely fell in love the cucumber. She calls him "Pickle".

A few months ago, Veggie Tales Live! came to my grandmother's "non-denominational" Christian church. She invited us to go and I said that would be awesome. I love any chance to hang out with my grandmother. This particular church is a mega-church. So, we walked into the auditorium's lobby. Immediately, Ivy runs toward the Veggie Tale booth with all of their stuffed animals and toys. She picks out a flashlight toy and a stuffed pickle. We sat down near the front and waited for the show. Most of the other little kids were sitting quietly as if this was a real church service. As the lights dim, men dressed as giant vegetables stumble onto the stage singing their opening song..

If you like to talk to tomatoes,
If a squash can make you smile,
If you like to waltz with potatoes,
Up and down the produce aisle...
Have we got a show for you!

Immediately, all of the kids just gasp in awe. My daughters eyes lit up and she couldn't believe she was seeing the real Pickle!  Before long, she was jumping in the middle of the isles and dancing her little heart out. Most of the other children were standing by their parents, not sure if they were allowed to move from their spot. Soon, they couldn't stand it and joined my daughter in the isles. They were all having a blast and it was nice to see my daughter getting the party started! In the end, it was a great show and a great way for my daughter to spend precious time with my grandmother.

Why, you may ask, would I let my kid watch something that I believe is utterly false? If asked, Ivy knows Pickle is just a cartoon. She'll also say the same of Elmo, the Iron Giant, and Woody from Toy Story. To be honest, I don't think she even gets the concept of god that is mentioned along the storyline. She sees veggies dancing around, sing songs, and being polite to everyone. I will say that it does teach good values and some of their songs are quite catchy. It leaves out all the gory stuff about hell but hey, it is a kid's show after all.

My daughter also watches science documentaries, The Blue Planet, Planet Earth ect ect... She loves them too. She's fascinated by monkeys and tigers. When asked, she knows these animals real. We can visit a zoo and see, and sometimes even interact, with the animals. She knows that these do exist in reality.

I don't want to keep my child in the dark about the Christian religion. The majority of my family would label themselves as Christians and she will begin to hear about the many religions as she gets older. So, what's the best way to introduce a three year old to religion? In it's basic form, a fairytale.

Raising Children

Raising a free-thinking child can be difficult in the southern United State. Fundamentalist Christians are everywhere, with their signs of hell and hatred. Most will shun you and your children once it is revealed you are not of the Christian faith. 

A few thoughts have been racing through my mind as I try to rehearse the conversations between my fundie family & I. I know there will be questions like, "How can you raise a child with morals? Morals come from God." Most of us know that this is not the case. Instead, our basic morality comes from within us. It is an innate survival skill passed along many generations. [I will assert here that pre-marital sex is not a moral dilemma but religious dogma.] 

The Golden Rule, "Treat others as you wish to treated." 

After rehearsing the conversations in my head, I decided to write it down. A mission statement, if you will, for my daughter.

"We are raising our daughter in a free thinking household. We are teaching her to think critically, not judgmentally. When it comes to doing the right or wrong thing, we look to our conscience and to the good of humanity. When it comes to history, we will teach her about how our forefathers passed on tales of mythical beings that lived in the stars and controlled the happenings of Earth.  We will show her the stories of different cultures and religions, including Zeus, Ra, Thor, Yahweh, and Allah. We will tell her that there are still people who worship these deities and they do so in a variety of ways. When we teach her about the Universe, we will look to science. When she is sick, we will turn to the science of medicine. We will not limit her knowledge because it goes against our own belief systems."

It is still a work in progress but hopefully it will help people see how a free-thinking household can benefit their child. Teaching open-mindedness can end the bigotry of the world. Teaching one religion, and only one, will only teach children to feel hatred [and in some cases, sorrow] toward other people. It is a closed minded way to view the world and I refuse to allow my daughter to take part in it.