*snicker*
The next time a young earther tells you
Time is your God
Tell 'em Fine. At least my God exists.
The majority can’t decide
I agree completely with Sarah Stead from last week's Gateway.
Specifically, I appreciated this quote:
Any time you ask a majority of people to vote on the rights of a minority, especially when religion is involved, the minority doesn’t stand a chance.
Still not getting it…
So this letter came out in the Journal on Saturday, but I still feel the need to address it as it mirrors some of the the responses I've gotten.
Any old God will do in 'tolerant' society
As I watched the ceremonies for Remembrance Day I was suddenly struck by the closing statement of the main speech from the podium. "Please pray this to the God of your understanding and according to your belief system."
An Albertan to watch the environment
I don't think it comes with too much shock to know that Jack Layton has chosen Edmonton-Strathcona's ambitious Linda Duncan for the position of Environment critic in the NDP shadow cabinet.
With her vast experience at environmental law and advocacy, as well as the proximity to many of the worst polluters in the country, it's like she's been training for this position since she entered law school at the University of Alberta (actually, she likely was ready to be Minister of the Environment, but that'll wait till the NDP form a government).
It's a bit enjoyable to know that the strongest voice in parliament to defend the environment will be Alberta's lone opposition MP.
Saturday night sermons
This is an open letter to the preachers on Whyte Avenue and Gateway Boulevard / Calgary Trail on the evening of November 15, 2008.
War on Christmas
Atheists shouldn't be celebrating Christmas they tell me.
Well guess what, neither should Christians.
Remember those Ten Commandments that so proclaim the fundamental basis of Christian morality? Well numbers one and/or two (depending how you count them) are pretty specific about no idols. Hell, the whole story about the Golden Cow sums up the Old Testament God's feelings on other idols.
So in modern incarnations of Christmas, where celebrators are pseudo-worshipping Santa Claus, the Grinch, Rudolph, Mary, a tree, or even Wal-Mart, perhaps the Christians telling me not to have a Christmas vacation ought to reexamine their own belief systems.
But further than that, what parts of Christmas are even Christian?
For the sake of love
(H/ts to Tyler at Edger and Hemant at Friendly Atheist)
Who has a legitimate reason that Proposition 8 (to ban gay marriages in California) and similar legislations should be put forward?
Why single out a single segment of the population and say, "I don't approve of what you do in your own privacy"?
Someone explain to me, because I don't get it.
A sceptical White House?
Here's an interesting bit from a recent interview with president-elect Barack Obama:
JIM ANGLE: He was asked what he's been doing to get ready for office and whether he talked to any previous Presidents.
PRESIDENT-ELECT BARACK OBAMA: I have spoken to all of them, that are living, obviously, President Clinton -- I didn't want to get into a Nancy Reagan thing about, you know, doing any séances. [emphasis added]
Obama later apologized for apparently mocking the supernatural belief system, but that doesn't remove two facts:
- It was Hilary Clinton who did séances, Reagan used astrology, either way, superstition. (I imagine Laura and George just used good ol' fashioned prayers).
- Obama is willing to make fun of superstitions. People who generally buy this stuff don't do that. This means there is potentially a sceptic in the White House. Imagine the ratifications of that - a president who consults knowledgeable advisers before acting. It's the most promising thing I've heard about him so far.
Exciting times.
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