Write your Senators! No government sponsored BSA fundraisers!

I just found out today via No God Blog that the House of Representatives recently passed an act requiring the Secretary of Treasury to coin a commemorative coin for the Boys Scouts of America. Also, a surcharge will be added to the coin and the BSA will get that money. I wrote both of my US Senators immediately and I encourage everyone else who opposes this to do so as well. Here is what I wrote:

Senator <>,

I recently became aware of an act passed by the House of Representatives called HR 5872. It is my understanding that this act requires the Secretary of Treasury to mint a coin in commemoration of the Boy Scouts of America and to add a surcharge to each coin that will be payable to the Boy Scouts of America. In essence, it is a federally mandated fundraiser endorsing the Boy Scouts of America.

A 1996 U.S. Mint report titled "Commemorative Coins Could Be More Profitable," described the issuance of commemorative coins as follows: "Every commemorative coin program is authorized by an act of Congress. Congress authorizes commemorative coins primarily as a means of honoring certain events and individuals and raising funds for the coins’ sponsors."

Our government should not be endorsing any organization that is outwardly discriminatory against any group. Therefore, I ask you to vote against this issue when it comes before the Senate. The Boy Scouts of America has consistently discriminated against homosexuals and nonreligious people. This cannot be tolerated and the government should definitely not honor it.


Thank you,

<>

Comments on a Valley Real Life sermon entitled A Will to Live

The church my in-laws go to posts its sermons each week for people to download. It also broadcasts these sermons over a local radio station. I try to listen to the sermons once in a while because I find that it helps me predict my in-laws' attitudes toward my family. If the pastor preaches about them there evil atheists, my in-laws are more likely to treat us negatively. On the contrary, if the pastor preaches about reaching the unsaved, they will try to act loving and give us books etc to convert us.

I usually just listen and then forget about it. But, I've noticed MANY problems with these sermons and I'm appalled that nobody stands up to this pastor when he makes mistakes. So, I'm going to try to add a regular section to my blog that analyzes these sermons. Each time I do this, I will also post the link to the download so that people can listen to the sermon themselves.

Today, I listened to this sermon after I had read my regular blogs. On the Richard Dawkins website, I found an article rebutting comments from a Bishop Boteach. One part of this article speaks of preacher shrieks and R.D aptly points out that many preachers resort to screaming to get their point across and perhaps this stems from the low substance within the sermon. He argues that "there is some kind of inverse relationship between the sensible content of a speech and the decibel level needed to sway an audience."

After reading this, I sat down to listen to the sermon from a couple of weeks ago. I've noticed before that the pastor at Valley Real Life gets louder as the sermon progresses. But, I also noticed this time that he is louder in the parts that really seem pointless or that are utterly ridiculous. Maybe Richard has a point.

So, on to the sermon from May 4 entitled, A Will to Live. This church preaches in sermon series and this series is about the four seasons. Being the first sermon of the series, it focuses on spring.

The first point he makes is that all creation has a will and can speak to you. At first, I thought he couldn't mean this literally. But, he goes on to say that when he's fishing with his dad he often wonders if the trees are talking to each other or what the rocks are thinking. Why does he think this? He provides the Bible verses: Romans 8:20-21. I looked this up online and found that he is using the New Living Translation...one which I've noticed seems to water things down quite a bit compared to other translations. What do these verses say?
(New Living Translation) "Against its will, everything on earth was subjected to God's curse. All creation anticipates the day when it will join God's children in glorious freedom from death and decay."

Wow...talk about depressing. One week people are told how loving their god is, now they're being told he cursed all creation and that their only hope lies in the god that cursed them. And nobody thinks to question this? OK, now guess why he says god cursed us....you're right, it all goes back to original sin. So, according to this pastor, ALL of creation is cursed because of the curiosity god gave us when he created us.

At this point, I'm wondering what this has to do with spring. So far, it is just depressing and I would have walked out. Who wants to waste a Sunday morning listening to this crap? But, I keep listening to see if he attempts to bring it all around.

Then the pastor speaks of 3 people who suffered because of other people's mistakes. Joseph (sold into slavery by his brothers), Paul (shipwrecked, whipped, stoned, beaten because of his beliefs), and Jesus (forced to die on the cross because the loving god would not forgive Eve's curiosity which he gave her). OK, OK...but what does this have to do with spring. So far, all it shows me is that your god is a sadist.

Well, all of these men had a will to live and that is why they kept going. Spring represents life and hope...these men kept going because they wanted to live. They're like seeds. WARNING: CRAZY PART. According to this pastor, scientists are baffled by seeds. Yeah, he says they've analyzed them under microscopes, they study them and they've determined that seeds are dead. Then, they put them in the ground and these scientists are AMAZED that they sprout! It's mind boggling.

Alright, sorry buddy, but all you need to do is a tiny bit of research to discover that this is not true. Seeds can die and when they are dead they DO NOT sprout. Only seeds that are viable can sprout. Here is a definition from Fact Monster--the search engine my children use
"Seed: fertilized and ripened ovule, consisting of the plant embryo, varying amounts of stored food material, and a protective outer seed coat.

OK...do you consider a human embryo to be dead? I highly doubt it. This has not baffled scientists....only this pastor. Actually, this pastor should go back to elementary school to learn some basic biology. And still...nobody questions him!!

Alright, to finish things up, he says that god wants his people to praise him in the midst of all of life's turmoil. He claims that when people worship god through hardship, non-believers will look at them in awe and know god is real. Sorry, but that's not true. I look at those people and feel sorry for them for being so delusional. In fact, often times, they suffer needlessly because of the rules their god makes. It is very sad. It seems to me that it is only other believers who look at them in awe.

To end the sermon, this pastor makes a few statements that should be offensive to any thinking person. He says Christians should be "looking forward to the great day in heaven when all of this is done." "If you're not looking forward to heaven, I don't know how you're going to make it."

Those statements are so desolate...why would a loving god want you to feel that way? Maybe people should try changing their outlooks. This is the only life you get...make the most of it and stop being so negative! I don't need to look forward to heaven, I have so many positive things in this life that I cherish each day. I find it odd that the people who are supposed to be looking forward to heaven are often the most afraid to die. Maybe their lives would be happier if they learned to accept reality and stop relying on fairy tales to help them feel better....I know mine is!

Thanks to the Vatican for clearing that up

Guess what! The Vatican's astronomer says it is OK to believe in aliens!! I am soo glad they cleared that up because I am sure there are many Catholics out there who have struggled for years with this question. They definitely have their priorities straight.

Oh, and you Catholics do not have to worry. Believing in aliens means that your god is all powerful and of course he could have created other life forms. It doesn't matter that nothing is mentioned about it in the Bible...no...the Vatican can just change that when they need to. I'm sure someone out there will find a way to find evidence of aliens in the Bible anyway. Isn't it wonderful that we have an all powerful god out there keeping thousands of people from dying in earthquakes and cyclones?....oops, never mind. We'll just stick with the alien story to prove that your god is all powerful.

The other god in the Bible

My son has been reading his children's Bible almost every night and I always ask him the next day if he has any questions about what he is reading. One morning he said, "Yeah, which god is the snake god in the Bible?" I had to think for a minute and realized he was talking about the Adam & Eve story with Satan as a snake. I asked if he meant Satan. "Oh yeah. [Little boy at school] says we all need to stop believing in him and he'll die."

As the conversation progressed, I found out some interesting details about his new curiosity in the Bible. I guess the kids at school didn't believe him that he had a Bible because he has been open with them about our non-belief. One neighbor girl actually told my daughter that only people who believe in god can read the Bible. So, he had been reading these stories and then having discussions with kids at school to prove that he did have a Bible.

Kids interpretations of stories are so interesting. I really wish I could overhear some of these conversations because I know I'm just getting little tidbits from him. My son was so curious about why Eve ate the apple. As we discussed it, he decided that, "I think god must have wanted her to eat that apple so he could get her in trouble. That is not very nice."

I never would have considered this when I was 7 because I had been told what the story meant my entire life. I never had the opportunity to read the Bible without preconceived notions. I love asking my son what he thinks the story is about and hearing his interpretations.

The fact that he considered Satan a god is also really interesting to me. I guess when you're not immersed in the church, you can see things the way they really are. When you think about it, Satan is very powerful in the Bible. Some people today even think that he is powerful enough to cause problems in this world that their god cannot stop. It will be interesting to see how his interpretations change as he gets older.

Jonah: A Tale of Intolerance

My son has decided to read the Children's Bible we bought for him a couple of years ago. He decided to do this after he watched the Veggie Tales: Jonah movie. He thought the whole story was strange. We talked about the movie and then we decided to read the story in his Children's Bible as well as in the NIV Bible.

I read along as well because I haven't read many of the "children's" Bible stories for years. I know I shouldn't have been, but I was shocked as I read the book of Jonah. Sunday school would not be complete without learning about Jonah and the Big Fish...I remember reading it many times during my childhood. But, I didn't remember all of the bad parts.

The book begins with intolerance and it is a theme throughout the story.

God: I don't like what the people in Ninevah are doing so go tell them they better stop or I will kill them.

Jonah: Oh boy. They must be pretty wicked. I don't want to go there....I think I'll go to Tarshish instead.

God: OH YEAH! (Makes a big storm that is only calmed when Jonah is thrown overboard. Then sends a big fish to swallow him alive!) Neener, Neener, Neener!

At this point, we are told to try really hard and remember that god is doing this for Jonah's own good. Don't worry about the fishes digestive juices eating away at Jonah's flesh. It will be OK as long as Jonah just does what god says to do...forget about that free will thing.

Jonah: Help me God who put me here! I'm going to die. The waves were crashing around me, seaweed was pulling me under, I was on the verge of death and then I remembered you God...errr maybe it's because you're the one who did this to me. Uh Oh well. You're so great...I don't know what I was thinking of when I went to Tarshish. Will you forgive me for making a decision on my own?

God: (makes big fish vomit Jonah onto the land) Now, if you know what's good for you, you'll get your ass to Ninevah!

Jonah: (arrives in Ninevah, a HUGE city that require 3 days to cross!) You people are all bad because my God said so!! In forty days, you will all be destroyed. What? No he didn't say what was so bad...you just better stop it.

For some strange reason, instead of telling asshat Jonah to get the f*** our of their city and stop telling them what to do, ALL of the Ninevites believed Jonah and started worshiping his God. Yeah...that's gonna happen :)

King of Ninevah: Hey, for some reason I'm going to listen to this Jonah guy. I want all you people and all the animals to go buy some sackcloths and put them on. What? I don't care how you get a sackcloth on the donkey...just do it!! Oh, and stop doing the stuff that God didn't like. NO...you do not have a choice!

God: Oh how cute...look at that little donkey wearing a sackcloth. I guess I won't destroy the city after all.

Jonah: WHAT!! You told me that if I came to Ninevah, I'd get to watch it be destroyed. I knew you wouldn't do it. That's why I went to Tarshish because I KNEW you wouldn't have the guts! Just kill me!

God: Hey mister...you don't have any right to be angry at me. I'm God, I can do whatever I want!

Jonah: Well, I'm just going to sit here until you destroy Ninevah like you said you would.

God: (grows a vine to provide shade for Jonah)

Jonah: Hey, this vine is pretty cool.

God: (sends a worm to eat the vine) Hee,hee,hee...that will show him who's in charge.

Jonah: Hey...where'd my vine go? GOD...what did you do to it! Just kill me!

God: You don't have any right to be mad at me. I can do whatever I want. So there!



This story is so bizarre. I can see why many Christians are so intolerant of other peoples' beliefs. In the Bible, you're taught not to be tolerant...anything that is different must be destroyed! I'd like to know what was so evil about Ninevah? Did it really warrant destruction? What about the concept of free will? Jonah didn't want to go to Ninevah, but God overrode his free will and tortured him in order to get him to do what he wanted.

**edited**My son and I discussed the story afterwards and decided that the story is similar to the story of an abusive parent. Mommy says to go visit the neighbor kids and tell them they are doing bad things. Junior doesn't want to visit the neighbor kids and goes to a friend's house instead. Mommy gets mad and seeks revenge by locking junior in the closet for 3 days and nights with no food or water. Junior yells for mommy to help him. Mommy comes to the closet door and insincerely exclaims, "Oh my goodness, do you need help? Let me help you." She opens the closet door and tells junior he better get to the neighbor kid's house and tell them they are bad OR ELSE.

Not a very loving mommy is it. In fact, I think someone should call CPS so junior can find a better home. Yeah, that's the kind of god I would choose to worship.

What? Vaccinations provide more protection than god?!

Well, I've been waiting for this to happen. People have not been vaccinating their children and now....their children are getting the measles. This is beyond my comprehension. With something this serious, you would think more people would do the research on a claim before risking their children's lives. But, all the anti-vaccine people have to do is make a few crazy claims, find any doctor who will back them up, and get their information out. According to The World Health Organization"measles remains a leading cause of death among young children, despite the availability of a safe and effective vaccine for the past 40 years."

The victim of the latest confirmed case attends Moses Lake Christian Academy. When I visited their website, I found a bulletin to all parents about this. The problem is that the bulletins are dated May 3 & May 4. Unfortunately, children who have not been vaccinated would have been exposed before this bulletin went out. So, the possibility of exposure is tremendous. This is not the school's fault, but I would be curious to know how many kids at that school have religious exemptions for the vaccination requirement in Washington state.

Another problem is that this girl was traveling across the state while she was contagious. Where did she go? Krispy Kreme restaurant in Issaquah, The Experience Music Project in the middle of downtown Seattle, a McDonald's restaurant in Issaquah, and a rest area in Cle Elum. I do not know the statistics on the prevalence of people who refuse to vaccinate, but it seems that there is quite the potential for a problem here. The case of this girl is the 9th case recently reported in Grant County. It is interesting that health authorities believe that many of the cases may have been contracted at a large church conference in Kirkland. I hope they will keep updating information...I'll be curious to see how many cases of measles result from this church conference.

Happy National Day of Reason!!

To celebrate the National Day of Reason, I decided to make a post about logical fallacies. As I've thought more about my many encounters with my family, I've come to the conclusion that one of the main breakdowns in communication is because of logical fallacies.

There have been many occasions where we've been told things like, "I can't imagine evolution. Therefore, I believe god created us." When I've tried to point out the fallacy (argument from personal incredulity, false dichotomy) in their argument, they get angry and tell me I'm trying to attack them. Another one we've heard is, "My religion has been around for 2000 years. Are you trying to tell me all of those people were wrong?"(argumentum ad populem). I feel so helpless anymore because I can't win either way.

There is a clear double standard here. If they bring up a subject and I point out the fallacy, they accuse me of attacking them and causing problems. If I dare to start a conversation and something leads to religion or politics, again I am attacking them by bringing up the original subject.

So what would be wrong with me letting them believe I'm stumped by their logic? I think it's dishonest. I think truth is important and that is why I don't accept things without sufficient evidence. I've often questioned them about their sources and that really freaks them out. Supposedly, most of what they say is just common knowledge. But that again, is a logical fallacy.

I guess I am just getting frustrated. Is anyone else out there surrounded by fundy family and friends? How do you handle it? I really have a hard time sitting quietly and keeping my mouth shut. I guess I'm not a good Christian woman anymore :) Thank reason!!

Here are some sites I like about logical fallacies:

This is from the website of one of my FAVORITE podcasts:
The Skeptic's Guide to the Universe

The Internet Encyclopedia of Philosophy

About.com Alphabetical list of Logical Fallacies.