Today in Ridiculous

Oh God, i LOVE it! Thanks, Unreasonable Faith

Filed under GMAFB:
Healthcare provision seeks to embrace prayer treatments
A little-noticed measure would put Christian Science healing sessions on the same footing as clinical medicine. Critics say it violates the separation of church and state.

A faith-based prison is pushed
The privately run lockup would have only Christians on its staff.

Atheist Xmas Song

I'm more of an Angelina Jolie atheist, rather than a Christopher Hitchens type.

- Pharyngula | If you can't stand Adam Sandler's Hanukkah song, don't listen to this

Atheist Christmas Display

The Freedom From Religion Foundation posted this sign, reading,

At this season of the Winter Solstice may reason prevail. There are no gods, no devils, no angels, no heaven or hell. There is only our natural world. Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.

"Reason's Greetings." Love it.

- Freedom From Religion Foundation | Freethinking Winter Solstice Sign & Billboard To go up in Olympia!

Bill Maher's Religulous

[changed - thanks for the nod]

Bill Maher talks about his movie, Religulous, on Larry King.

- Religulous
- Disbelief.net

Atheist Finds Nothing in His Toast

At Cynical-C:

I wasn't that hungry tonight so I just thought I would make some toast when all of a sudden it popped up and I was staring at the face of NOBODY in the toast! HOLY WHITE BREAD! What are the chances of an atheist getting a piece of toast that looks like nothing! Someone call the media! I haven't been this shocked since I found the Flying Spaghetti Monster in my vermicelli.

Debaptism Ceremony

A small group of atheists gathered in Westerville, Ohio last weekend to have their baptisms undone, and to "come out" as atheists. Frank Zindler, of American Atheists officated. Walking under the "Blowdryer of Reason" each responded uniquely. One young girl yelled, "I can see!" One woman fell, revival style, into the arms of the woman behind her.

Members of the Worthington Christian Church protested outside. According to The Columbus Dispatch,

"They're making a decision that there's life without God, and we're concerned about it," protester Matt Lieser said.

I don't know that I'd ever undo my baptism. It meant something to me. Aside from anything about God it was a conscious decision to choose the life I'd been given. That's what being "born again" means to me, though I think the term "born again" is disrespectful to our mothers, who gave us our lives. Our first birth is perfectly adequate and doesn't need to be fixed by a guy, no matter how divine.

- The Friendly Atheist | Scenes from an Atheist De-Baptism Ceremony
- The Columbus Dispatch | Atheists bond during 'de-baptism'
- American Atheists | Future Events

Richard Feynman on Doubt and Uncertainty

From BBC Science and Nature, Horizon:

Richard Feynman was one of the most brilliant theoretical physicists and original thinkers of the 20th century. He rebuilt the theory of quantum electrodynamics, and it was for this work that he won the Nobel Prize in 1965
In 1981, he gave Horizon a candid interview, talking about many things close to his heart.

Richard Feynman | The Pleasure of Finding Things Out

Thanks, Conelrad.com!

21% of Atheists Believe in God?

Sam Harris, the author of Letter to a Christian Nation, is over at the Washington Post trying to make sense of a recent Pew survey which found that 21% of US atheists believe in God.

Harris suggests there may be a "schism in the atheist community." First, what atheist community? Second, how can there be a schism when there are no unifying principles?

The Romans considered early Christians to be atheists because they didn't believe in the Roman gods. Atheism can be, therefore, god or doctrine specific. Evangelicals in America don't consider Christians to be true Christians unless they are against the civil rights of women (abortion) and gay people. It shouldn't be surprising that some people find themselves labeled atheists by others even though they do believe in some sort of supernatural entity interested in their well being. It also shouldn't be surprising that believers labeled as atheists might be honest enough to identify themselves as not true believers, or atheists.

Adding to the confusion over atheism are Christians who work hard to position atheism as a faith or religion in the same category as Christianity - a sort of belief that there is no god. This sets up a popular notion that atheism has unifying principles, rather than a lack of them. In other words, how faithful do you have to be, and to what, to remain an atheist? If an atheist prays for a winning lotto ticket are they no longer an atheist? Can you not be a jack atheist? a lapsed or backsliding atheist? If you occasionally question atheism are you not a true atheist?

There are probably as many kinds of atheism as there are atheists. I self identify as atheist, non theist, antitheist, and a growing favorite - apatheist, depending on my mood. But I also consider myself a Christian because it is the faith into which I was born.

Thanks, fark.com.

Bill Maher's Religulous

At last: Bill Maher's Religulous. Directed by Larry Charles. You may know Larry Charles from his previous shows: Borat, Curb Your Enthusiasm, The Tick, and many others. Eat it, Ben Stein.