401. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #153694 by Christopher Davis on April 1, 2008 at 8:54 pm

Dr. Benway,

I didn't get a chance to thank you yesterday for the support and the photo (took me ten minutes to figure out that the overlayed text wasn't German). We had a last minute schedule change and I had to rush out. Sorry.

402. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #153009 by Christopher Davis on March 31, 2008 at 8:59 pm

Qouting craigyk...

"We parted company with him remarking that I could try to help all the oppressed people of the world by convincing everyone there is no god, and he would do it by trying to raise them out of poverty, giving them opportunities, and hope.

I must admit that if my goal really IS to decrease human suffering in this world his approach will probably be more effective than mine. If we really do want to convince people that ID is unlikely, we should give them a framework in which *they* can accept ET."

This sounds like the old adage about lighting a candle instead of cursing the darkness...and I agree. Problem is, I'm not running around trying to convince people there is no God. I'm trying to help the government of a third-world country (yes I know the PC term is 'developing nation') improve the lives of its people. Unfortunately there are numerous obstacles to this process, and all of them are directly related to religion...if not by actual scriptural doctrine then by the abuse of holy authority.

The point I would make to my religious friend if I were you, is that although numerous charitable acts are performed in the name of religion, they could be performed just as easily in the absence of such beliefs. The upside of the end or organized religion is that people could no longer be manipulated into thinking that their immoral actions are justified by God. It would remove one very convenient path that people have towards rationalizing their bad actions. People could then be held individually responsible for their acts be they good or bad.

I consider this better than lighting a candle. The death of organized religion would be like illuminating a walk-in closet using a set of stadium lights.

403. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #151738 by Christopher Davis on March 29, 2008 at 9:27 am

It seems that this thread has morphed into (among other things) a forum for "justifying" your beliefs---or in the case of the majority of us---the lack thereof. So here goes...

Tomorrow I will roll out in a convoy of up-armored HUMVEES heading to a small town in Afghanistan to witness the opening of a school constructed by the Afghan government along with the help of coalition forces. En route, we will see dozens of small children and they will run to the edge of the road and smile and wave. We will wave back and our gunners will toss out small bags containing candy, shoes, pencils, pens, toothbrushes etc. Many of these children will be girls...these little girls break my heart and remind me why I am an atheist.

You see, the school we are opening is for boys only. The Pashtun culture places very little value on women, much less the education of women. So when I see these little girls laughing and smiling, it saddens me because I know I am seeing them at possibly the happiest time in their life. I know that in ten or twelve years they will be someone's property.

They will be wed to some man who will treat them only slightly better than he does his livestock and feel no remorse in doing so. A man who has been taught since he was a little boy that such is the way of the world and such is a woman's place in it...and he has been taught this as part of his religion.

Now I know some wise-ass is going to read this and say "That's not what Islam teaches! Those behaviours are derived from tribal customs, not from the Koran!" I concede that may be true. But for those little girls who will wave at my convoy tomorrow, that bleak future is most likely the only Islam they will ever know.

So to hell with all the arguments about Hitler and Stalin, and to hell with all the arguments about how religion brings comfort and joy (puppies can do that)...the reality of religion is that for many millions of people, it is a subjugating, dehumanizing institution.

So why would I believe that the amazing world that we all inhabit was created by a being so insecure as to require the creation and maintenance of such institutions?

404. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #151041 by Christopher Davis on March 28, 2008 at 4:13 am

Dr. Dawkins,
For what it's worth, I believe your logic is sound. Furthermore, whether or not you were lied to in an absolute sense, if the reviews of the movies content are even in the least bit objective, you (and the other scientists featured) were deceived by omission.

Annabananna,
What part of the south are you from? I ask because I am originally from Alabama, and will be returning there after I finish my deployment here in Afghanistan. I have spent the last seven years of my life living in Arizona, and I will be returning to my home state after receiving a degree in Anthropology from Arizona State University as an unapologetic atheist (I was a quite atheist before I left)...do you think I have a chance at getting on the city council?

405. Expelled Overview

Comment #149834 by Christopher Davis on March 26, 2008 at 9:33 am

To add to Dr. Benway's comment about Rick Warren's "The Purpose Driven Life"...don't forget about all those "Left Behind" books by Timothy(?) LeHaye.

I agree with Styrer about seeing the movie before you criticize it. Right now all any of us who haven't seen it can honestly say is "I heard it's a ridiculous piece of shit." However, I have absolutely no intention of paying to see this movie. I'll most likely wait for the damn thing to come out on video and rent it. And as far as reading creationist books, I agree with Styrer again...it's a good idea to keep abreast of the propaganda these half-wits are spreading (Barnes & Noble does not have a loitering policy).

406. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #149755 by Christopher Davis on March 26, 2008 at 7:53 am

I don't know if my purpose is to make little copies of myself or not (if so I'm failing miserably), but I certainly enjoy going through the motions.

407. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #149201 by Christopher Davis on March 25, 2008 at 9:01 am

I saw a program on the DISCOVERY CHANNEL, I beleive the name of it was "Hillbillies" (it was hosted by Billy Ray Cyrus), and a segment of it pertained to "snake-handling churches". One of the churches had a veteran snake handler who was, according to one of the other church members, exceptionally blessed. Why? Because he had been bitten by the snakes nearly a hundred times but was still here to tell about it!

Of course when he did tell us about it the producers of the show deemed it neccessary to use subtitles because this guys Appalachian accent was so bad only people like me who also grew up in the sticks could understand him.

It gets better. It seems that this particular old coot had lost three or four family members, including his sister, to snake bites.

Now call me crazy, but if I'm handling snakes to show my devotion to my all-powerful, benevolent creator, I ain't going to feel too blessed if he lets my ass get bit repeatedly and kills off half my family.

408. Lying for Jesus?

Comment #149156 by Christopher Davis on March 25, 2008 at 7:44 am

Wow! Better late to the party than never. I liked Prof. Dawkins Blog and don't see the downside of his calling it like he sees it. However the thread seems to morphed into a debate on whether or not Hitler was a Christian.

Christians say definitely not, and claim that his many public statements to the contrary were mearly political rhetoric and not his true beliefs. They claim Hitler only expressed his true beliefs in private. Honestly, that sounds pretty damn Christian to me.

However, I think the debate is moot. The one thing anyone who has read even the slightest bit about Hitler and his Nazi regime should realize is that the man was an unstable lunatic.

Here's the rub...Creationists need Hitler to be an atheist. Then they can claim that because he feared no divine repercussions, he felt no inhibitions regarding his actions. Is that what Christianity is good for? Scaring people into not engineering genocide?

I'm sorry, but I don't need the fear of some sky-god kicking my ass in order to behave in a moral fashion. When Christians claim that atheists simply want there to be no God so that we can behave immorally without fear of repercussions, all they are doing is projecting. It's sad to think that so many people openly admit that the only thing that keeps them decent is the fear of the Biblical boogey-man.

One other thing, bibanu you can't seriously be calling foul because someone made an ad-hominem attack on Ann Coulter.

409. No Admission for Evolutionary Biologist at Creationist Film

Comment #148368 by Christopher Davis on March 22, 2008 at 6:49 pm

Dr. Benway,

I can beleive it. The military actively pushes religion down soldiers throats. In addition to the "all users" e-mails that constantly go out advising soldiers when church services will be held, and the countless religious based info-bulletins on AFN, the advice that the military gives soldiers on coping with being separated from their families and in a combat zone often centers around maintaining their faith.

Furthermore, if a person was really in need of help, most commands don't have a counselor other than the chaplain. He or she would have to be referred to real psychological counseling by a physician, and then fly several hours to get it. Plus,they would then have to bear the stigma of "needing to see a shrink".

410. No Admission for Evolutionary Biologist at Creationist Film

Comment #148202 by Christopher Davis on March 22, 2008 at 10:23 am

Personally, I can't wait to see this movie. Unfortunately, I'll probably have to. I'm a member of the U.S. Army Reserves and I'm currently in Afghanistan.

Yes, I'm in the Army and I'm an atheist...and that's one of the reasons that I can't wait to see this movie. The religious right continues to pander to the military and probably for good reason. While not everyone wearing a uniform is a Bible-thumping, young earth creationist, most are religious. Furthermore, an increasing number of servicemen/women have college degrees...mine is in anthropology. Unfortunately, when I tell people that my main area of interest is 'human origins', I as often as not get someone telling me that they don't believe in evolution and providing me with one of ID's specious arguments to back up their position.

When this happens what I prefer to do, instead of countering with a truly evidence based argument of my own, is deconstruct their argument. I can't do this if I haven't read/seen the other sides propaganda.

411. I suppose it's due ('Expelled' review)

Comment #148175 by Christopher Davis on March 22, 2008 at 8:41 am

I posted a comment here earlier this morning and it didn't show up. The gist of it was that while we all can get a laugh out of Ben Stein's "documentary", we shouldn't be so quick to dismiss its effectiveness. Most people are looking for a reason to believe.