Tri-Valley Brights

The Bible is false (Part 1 - The Bible is Immoral)

2009-10-24T22:36:00.000-07:00

The Bible and the religions supported by it (Judaism, Christianity, and Islam), are false, and would not be the word of any moral god.

How can I make such an indictment? Because the Bible teaches things which are immoral. The god of the bible encourages his followers to do many many immoral things, but let's just take slavery as an example. The Bible doesn't just condone slavery, it encourages it, in both the old and new testaments.

1 Peter 2:18 - Servants, be subject to your masters
Titus 2:9-10 - Servants, obey in all things your masters
1 Timothy 6:1-5 - Let as many servants as are under the yoke count their masters worthy of all honor
Colossians 3:22 - Servants, be obedient to them that are your masters
Ephesians 6:5 - Servants, obey in all things your masters according to the flesh
Leviticus 25:44-46 - Thy bond-men and thy bond-maids which thou shalt have, shall be of the heathen that are round about you: of them shall ye buy bond-men and bond-maids. Moreover, of the children of the strangers that do sojourn among you, of them shall ye buy, and of their families that are with you, which they begat in your land. And they shall be your possession. And ye shall take them as an inheritance for your children after you, to inherit them for a possession, they shall be your bond-man forever.

Either you agree with this immorality, or you reject the bible. Anything else, is an ill-fated and illogical attempt to have it both ways. Personally, I am more moral than the bible, because I believe slavery is wrong. You probably are too.

The Bible was used during the U. S. Civil War by southern slave-owners to show that any good Christian should recognize that god condones slavery. And they were right. The god of the Bible does condone slavery. In fact god's followers are admonished to obey him just as slaves should obey their masters.

Luckily, these are just stories people made up thousands of years ago.
We can do better. We can be more moral.

Finally, God proves his existence!

2008-06-22T23:25:00.000-07:00

George Carlin, comic genius, and outspoken Atheist, is dead. Thus fulfilling the prophecy in this video ;-).

George, thank you, and goodnight.

What if you're wrong?

2008-06-10T10:24:00.000-07:00

One question often asked of Atheists is "What if your wrong". The implication of this question is that if you do not believe in God, you will burn in hell.

It's really a kind of threat. Kind of like the mafia saying "You know what'll happen if you don't make your payments?"

But at least with the mafia, the choice is clear, but which God(s) should I believe in so I don't go to hell? There are so many choices.

Here's a guy who's finally figured it out.

The "What if you're wrong?" question, is is the particular apologetic known as "pascals wager". It is a fallacy known as a "false dichotomy".

Happy Towel Day!

2008-05-25T12:21:00.000-07:00

As every hoopy frood knows, today is Towel Day in recognition of Douglas Adams, who gave us The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy and much more.

Douglas was a friend of Dr. Richard Dawkins, and you can watch him reading his own work in Dr. Dawkins' Growing Up in the Universe series of lectures.

So Long Douglas, and Thanks.

Military Evangelizing

2008-03-31T11:47:00.000-07:00

Those of us who served in the military, understand that this is a real problem.

Mr. Weinstein will be giving a presentation in the California State Capitol, Rm.4203, that is free to the public on Sunday, April 6th.

"Imagine if your boss were constantly
coming by your desk to talk about his faith
and invite you to his church; when it’s your
superior officer, it’s much worse."

The Data So Far

2008-03-30T09:01:00.000-07:00

Some theists believe that the supernatural cannot be known empiracally, yet also claim that actual events (miracles) are caused by the supernatural, which they, based on their first premise, could not possibly know.

Here is a graph depicting the data on that second point. ;-)

Source: http://xkcd.com/373

Children Painting with Blood

2008-03-19T11:36:00.000-07:00

While researching my St. Parick's Day post, I came across this hilariously disgusting virtual children's coloring book, where children can commemorate the exodus story by coloring a scene where a man is painting blood over the doorway.

And the default color on the brush is red.
I chose instead for the man to be painting the house a nice sunny orange color!

Happy Passover!

When is St. Patrick's Day?

2008-03-14T09:38:00.000-07:00

St. Patrick's Day is March 17th... Well, sort of.
This year, according to the Vatican, it will officially be March 15th. Why?

Well it's a convoluted tale, but in a nutshell, the problem is Easter and the accompanying rigamarole. Easter doesn't have a specific date, but rather, is based on timing of the full moon. Seriously.
This year, Easter is a very early March 23rd, unless you observe the eastern orthodox reckoning, then it's not until April 27th. The Vatican's "rule" is that Easter is the first Sunday after the full moon that falls on or after the vernal equinox. This is different but no less complicated than the Hebrew calculation of Passover, and is based in part on it. The Christian celebration of Easter is said to be the day that the "Jesus" character from the Bible, came back to life after being killed. This event was supposed to be three days after the Passover Seder in the year C.E.33, so you'd expect these two celebrations to be linked on modern-day observances also, but these two groups use different "calculations" for deciding when their celebrations are. Next year, Easter will fall just after the beginning of Passover, as in the story.

Anyway, so because Easter is early this year, March 17th falls on "Holy Monday" which is part of the afore mentioned rigamarole. Vatican rules say this is supposed to push St. Patrick's day forward, past easter, as the Eastern Orthodox observe, but this year the Vatican "approved" the 15th to allow it to "more closely coincide with secular celebrations".

St. Patrick's Day is about being Irish (even though you may not be), Corned Beef & Cabbage, and Guinness. So while the Vatican tries to determine special dates for celebrations based on the full moon, the rest of us realize there is nothing mysterious about the timing. We'll stick with dates on modern calendars, thank you very much. The 17th is still the national holiday in Ireland, and parades and celebrations are usually on the nearest weekend anyway. Festivities will likely begin Tonight.

The picture is of a steel beam at St. James Gate

South Park's Social Commentary

2008-03-13T07:58:00.000-07:00

Last night's South Park, reminded us that for millions, AIDS is still very real. It highlights the fact, that although great advances have been made, they almost entirely benefit the rich, while the poor continue to be gripped by the disease.

The grip of this disease is of course greatest where condom use is low, and condom use is lowest where the influence of the Roman Catholic church is high.

When are we going to value human life and compassion more than ritual and fantasy?
Do you think there is a god that is more upset over condom use than in reducing human suffering?
Are you sure?
Are you HIV Positive?

The Power of Tantra

2008-03-11T18:44:00.000-07:00

The tantrik complained that Sanal might be worshipping a strong god that protected him."No, I'm an atheist" replied Sanal.

According to this story, the former chief minister of the state of Madhya Pradesh, Uma Bharati, accused her political opponents in a public statement of using tantrik powers to inflict damage upon her, after she experienced a death in her family, and a couple unrelated unlucky events. So a challenge was made by the President of Rationalist International, Sanal Edamaruku, for India’s most powerful "tantrik" to demonstrate his powers on him. A popular Indian television show aired a challenge.

Not suprisingly, The "tantrik's "powers" had no effect, and the "tantrik" was made to look foolish. The fact that this show was watched by Millions will have a positive effect for rationalism.
Source: RationalistInternational.net

Shermer - D'Souza Debate

2008-03-09T12:03:00.000-07:00

The Central Valley Alliance of Atheists and Skeptics is sponsoring a debate between Dinesh d'Souza, and Dr. Michael Shermer on April 18th.

Mr. D'Souza is the Robert and Karen Rishwain Fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University, and was a policy analyst for the Reagan Administration. He is an Author, writes a column on AOL, a column on TownHall.com, and he maintains a full schedule of speaking engagements, and (among other topics), speaks eloquently and effectively in support of the Christian belief system.

Dr. Shermer is the Executive Director of the Skeptics Society, Adjunct Professor of Economics at Claremont Graduate University, Columnist for Scientific American, Author, and lecturer. He is a a defender of all things that are based in reality, at the expense of fantasy, illusion, and superstition.

These tow have faced off before. In a previous debate, Mr. D'Souza claims he "comes as a follow skeptic", but his arguments and conclusions are heavily based on his beliefs.

Tri-Valley Brights, fellow Brights, Skeptics, and Atheists are encouraged to attend this event in Fresno, and to ask questions if possible. It is recommended, that questions be directed to Dr. Shermer, rather than to Mr. D'Souza, as this serves to help get our message out, rather than giving more time to the opposition. That can be difficult when you think you have a brilliant rebuttal, but it's better to lob it to our guy, and let him do it, so more time is spent on the skeptical message. It is also the recommendation of The Tri-Valley Brights, that Brights, Skeptics, and Atheists provide contact information to the attendees, should they have questions, or want to discuss or learn more about our positions.

A Young Jewish Boy Speaks in Synagogue

2008-03-06T22:02:00.000-08:00

It's nice to see a nurturing synagogue that allows a child to question faith. I have no idea if this common or not.

Source: ERV

Ricky Gervais talks about his conversion to atheism

2008-02-22T16:46:00.001-08:00

"Ten percent of Americans are Atheists; 0.2 percent of prisoners are Atheists"

Some Christians counter this particular statistic with "Yes, but they're not *true* Christians". The problem with this, is that it's Ad Hoc or postdiction. See: No true Scotsman fallacy.

Another argument is that many are simply lying and saying they are Christians, to avoid persecution. Well, sure, it's likely that some are, but that leaves them with the uncomfortable fact that the Christian majority are the persecutors.

Anyway, it's a good read. Witty as always.

Merry Christmas!

2007-12-25T12:01:00.000-08:00

Lights, please-
And there were in the same country shepherds, abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night. And, lo, the angel of the lord came upon them, and the glory of the lord shone round about them! And they were so afraid. And the angel said unto them, "Fear not! For behold I bring you tidings of great joy, which shall be to all people. For unto you is born this day in the city of David, a Saviour, which is Christ the Lord. And this shall be a sign unto you: You shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger. And suddenly, there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying, "Glory to God in the Highest, and on Earth peace, good will toward men."
That's what Christmas is all about, Charlie Brown.

Linus delivers a beautiful monologue doesn't he? But hold on, Linus. The holiday we celebrate today, goes back far earlier than Christmas or Christianity, and most of what we know as "Christian" are really adapted from other traditions. This time of the winter solstice has been celebrated by many cultures throughout history

Many traditions place the birth of their gods at this time. The birth of Mithras was celebrated on December 25 with celebrations lasting through January 1. The date of the solstice was December 25 on the Julian calendar of ancient Rome. The "Saturnalia" (for the Roman God Saturn), a festival that included feasts, the giving of gifts, and decorating of houses, was observed in pre-Christian Rome and lasted from December 17 to December 24. The "Dies Natalis Solis Invicti", (the birthday of the unconquered sun) was also celebrated in Rome on December 25th.

Later, some "Christian Gospels" tell an ancient nativity tale that borrows from Mythraism, Judaism, and others. As part of the nativity story, the "killing of the innocents" where King Herod kills all the children in or around Bethlehem is clearly a retelling of the story of the Nativity of Moses where the pharaoh kills all the male Hebrew children. And the census appears to have been written to create a reason for Joseph and Mary to be in Bethlehem without a place to stay. Again though, no records of such a census exist, and scholars agree that a requirement to travel to one's birthplace to take a census is ludicrous.

In both of nativity stories, the hero of the story escapes the killing to become a leader of their people. These stories, being fictional, have no corroboration in secular historical documents. In spite of popular beliefs, there are many documents from the time that either don't mention big events from the bible, or directly contradict them. For example, Herod did exist, and Flavius Josephus was very critical of him, but Josephus makes no mention of the "killing of all the children", which would have been quite a big event, but it is only written about in the Jesus story, more than half a century later.

The blending of Christian and "pagan" (which became the derogatory term for non-Christian) traditions began with Emperor Constantine I (306-312), and this began the conversion of the Roman Empire from polytheism to monotheism. In C.E.354, Pope Liberius, declared that the celebration of Christmas should be on December 25th, the same time as celebrations to other gods, in spite of the fact that if shepherds were "abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night" that would imply summer grasses. In winter, the flock would be safely in a corral at night. Thirty seven years later in C.E.391, Roman Emporer Theodosius declared Christianity as the only legitimate religion, making other traditional Roman (pagan) religions illegal.

So, Charlie Brown, while the true meaning of Christmas changes over time, the love of family and friends, and the desire to make the world a better place is eternal. The last part of Linus's speech is really the important part.
"May there be peace on earth, and good will toward all people."
Now that's what Christmas is really all about Charlie Brown.

Woo Hoo it's Festivus!

2007-12-23T00:01:00.000-08:00

There are so many rituals we can perform during this fun Holiday season, so why not one more!
A Festivus for the rest of us!
For those who don't know, Festivus is a whimsical event from the brilliant Seinfeld writers.

First: The Airing of Grievances!
Next: Feats of Strength. Until someone gets pinned, Festivus is not over.

The Festivus pole is made from aluminum (very high strength to weight ratio) and requires no decoration (Tinsel can be distracting).

Happy Festivus everyone!

Happy Winter Solstice

2007-12-22T06:08:00.000-08:00

(23.5 degrees of tilt is the reason for the season)

The ancients understood that life literally depended on the sun. This is obvious to any farming culture, or anywhere where life is difficult in the winter months. Because the solstice marks the moment when the sun appears to stop moving lower in the sky from day to day, and begin to go higher again, and because there was no understanding of the mechanism behind this, ancient people would rejoice at this event. They saw this as a miracle and a gift from god.

Some pagan religions referred to this moment as "the birth of the sun of the gods", and it was a time of celebration. Many religions marked this day as the day their god was physically born on earth (often of a virgin). These gods include Osirus, Mithra, Adonis, Dionysus, Jesus, Baal, Zoroaster, and Mithras. The birth of Mithras was said to have been witnessed by three shepherds. Later, followers of "Jesus the Savior" adapted this story, and a great many people still believe it to this day.

Today people understand that the winter solstice in the northern hemisphere, is the moment in time when the north pole, (which is currently tilted 23.5 degrees off the perpendicular to earth's orbital plane), leans furthest away from the sun. Because the direction of this tilt changes slightly over time, (about one degree every 71.6 years), the solstice happens at a slightly different place in our orbit around the sun. This causes the day of the solstice to change over time. Although the traditional date of the solstice was December 25th, today it actually happens on December 22nd.

Although we now understand the solstice as a natural, physical event, we Brights can still take this time to reflect on the symbolism of a new beginning, where Brightness starts to increase anew, to provide ever increasing illumination to the world.

Have a safe and happy holiday.

December Blood Drive

2007-12-16T11:14:00.000-08:00

Our next Blood drive is scheduled for December 18th.
Please join us to make sure there is sufficient blood supply during the holidays.
Contact us now

Happy Chanukkah!

2007-12-12T21:18:00.000-08:00

As another Festival of Lights comes to a close, we remember that the reason for the Hanukkah lights, is not for the "lighting of the house within", but rather for the "illumination of the house without," so that passers-by should see it and be reminded of the holiday's miracle.

Today, we Brights recognize that the miracles, magic, and mysticism, that accompany ancient ritual, are simply bad attempts to explain the unknown, but this does not mean that we can't continue to celebrate the Chanukkah message of triumph, and hope for a Brighter future.

Accordingly, lamps set up at a prominent window or near the door leading to the street, send a Bright message to the world that while we Brights reject the supernatural, we have a deep respect for our culture and history, and that of others.

(portions of this message have been excerpted from Wikipedia)

Happy Thanksgiving!

2007-11-21T11:20:00.000-08:00

Thanksgiving is a time when we pause to reflect and appreciate all the things we have. For most of us, we have much. As you spend time with friends and family on this holiday, take time to think about all the things you have, much of which came from the hard work of others.

The comfort you live in today, your home, your heating, your plumbed-in water, your power-on-demand to run appliances to do work for you, the internet, which puts information at your fingertips, like a modern-day Library of Alexandria, are all the result of advances in human knowledge. (Thanks, Romans!)

Our health is due in a great extent to the progress in modern medicine from the research done by huge numbers of people over the last hundred or so years, and beginning much earlier.

We are standing on the shoulders of giants, and we are enjoying the comforts of this position.

For this, we should be Thankful...

Give One, Get One

2007-11-18T09:13:00.000-08:00

Only 9 days left.
Give One.
Get One.

The One Laptop per Child "Give One Get One initiative" ends on November 26.

One Laptop Per Child

2007-11-08T23:53:00.000-08:00

Imagine the potential that could be unlocked by giving every child in the world the tools they need to learn, no matter who they are, no matter where they live, no matter how little they may have.

Please donate now.

October Blood Drive

2007-10-20T23:20:00.000-07:00

October's Blood Drive was a success, but turnout was below expected. :-(
We need more volunteers in December. It will be an important one, because blood is always in short supply during the holidays.
Hope to see you there! Call now to sign up