Even when the President is just emptying his pockets it freaks the Right Wing out.

Courtesy of Addicting Info:

President Obama carried out his annual YouTube interview on Friday and revealed what he carried around with him each and every day inside his pockets. While normally what’s in a person’s pockets might be self-explanatory (i.e.,. phone, wallet, etc.) the president is no ordinary person. And the items he carries around aren’t ordinary, either. There’s also an in-depth explanation for each one of them. 

Here’s Obama in his own words: 

“I stick these in my pocket to remind me of all the people I’ve met along the way and the stories they’ve told me. So, this is what I had in my pocket today: this is rosary beads Pope Francis gave me that obviously means alot to me cause I so admire him and it makes me think about peace and promoting understanding and ethical behavior. This is a little Buddha that a Buddhist monk gave me. This is a lucky poker chip that’s metal that this biker gave me. This is a Hindu statuette of the monkey God Hanuman that a woman gave me. And, I’ve got a coptic cross; this is from Ethipia. So, I’ve got a whole bunch of this stuff but the reason I showed you these is because I carry them around all the time.”

Now take note that the very first thing that the President showed the interviewer was a rosary given to him by Pope Francis, and the last thing was a Coptic cross.

However nobody cares about that, or the poker chip, what gets the attention of the Right Wing is the little monkey statue. Because to them that is that proves what they have suspected all along.

Conservatives on Twitter, freaking out about Barack Obama since 2007.

How the five major religions spread across the world.

It's like watching five different strains of cancer fighting to see which can kill the host body first.

More than 5,000 buffalo slaughtered as part of Hindu celebration, because...you know...religion.

Courtesy of The Independent: 

The slaughter of more than 5,000 buffaloes at the Gadhimai Hindu festival in Nepal has drawn global condemnation from animal charities. 

Many more buffaloes and farm animals including chickens, goats and pigs are due to be killed as part of what is thought to be the world’s largest animal sacrifice ritual. 

Devotees believe the event brings good luck and will encourage Gadhimai, the Hindu goddess of power, to answer their wishes. 

Several charities had worked to stop the slaughter – the first of its kind since an estimated 200,000 animals and birds were sacrificed in 2009 – but only succeeded in pressuring the Indian Government into stopping animals being transported across the border.

I sometimes receive criticism for always picking on Christianity, with  comments such as "Why don't you ever go after Islam or Judaism? Why is it always Christians that you target?"

And of course the answer is because it is Christianity that is currently having the most negative impact on the politics and education in this country. Not to mention being used as an excuse for racism, sexism, and the manipulation of the ignorant.

However trust me when I say I have nothing but disdain for ALL religions, and I certainly find this practice both barbaric and inhumane.

Of course we must also remember that in America we slaughter far more than 5,000 cows a day simply to keep all of us in Big Macs. However that is done to appease OUR great god of capitalism, so of course that is to be excused out of hand.

Oh and before any of you start feeling superior because your religion does not participate in such primitive rituals you should remember that Judaism has a long history of animal sacrifice, and the only reason that Christians did not usually participate is because of the sacrifice of Jesus, and seriously who can top that?

So yeah this is pretty gross, but in a world where we are still cutting off bits of our genitalia as a sacrifice to one god or another, and murdering our fellow man due solely to almost imperceptible religious differences, it seems fairly hypocritical to get too worked up over this.

Though I have little doubt that many will.

Science vs Religion.

The above graphic may seem a little over the top, I mean who in their right minds would drink from the glass on the right? (Personally I would have to be damn thirsty to drink from the one on the left either.)

However it is really not as exaggerated as you might want to believe.

For example in India millions of devoted Hindus travel to the Ganges River for its supposed purification capabilities, but in fact it is terribly polluted and potentially fatal.

There was also a report in 2013 that the holy water used in Catholic ceremonies could prove lethal.

And then of course there are the times when religious people drink what they believe to be miracle water only to discover that it's actually aphid excrement.

But then I guess one could simply rationalize explosive diarrhea as God working in mysterious ways.

Very interesting.

If image does not enlarge click here.

If you want to see a Christian's head explode go ahead and tell them that religions evolved one from another.

Satanists and Hindus apply to build monuments in Oklahoma. Oklahoma not happy.

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Oklahoma lawmakers are appalled that Satanists would try to erect a monument in their state capitol, but their decision to include a monument to the Ten Commandments of the Christian Bible’s Old Testament may have placed the state on shaky legal ground.

Before any new monument can go into production, it has to be approved by the Oklahoma Capitol Preservation Society. Duane Mass, the architect who designed the capitol building and serves on the preservation board, rejected the idea outright. 

“That’s Oklahoma’s house. It’s not the Satanic club of New York’s house,” Mass said. Lawmakers expressed similar sentiments. 

“I think it is a joke,” said Senate Pro Tem Brian Bingman (R-Sapulpa) to the Tulsa World. 

“This is a faith-based nation and a faith-based state,” grumbled Rep. Earl Sears (R-Bartlesville) to the World, perhaps forgetting that Satanism is also a faith. “I think it is very offensive they would contemplate or even have this kind of conversation.”

Yeah how dare they demand religious tolerance from a  state demanding the tolerance to allow them to erect religious monuments in their state capitol.

The nerve!

Okay so if this is a "faith based nation" and the 1st Amendment protects the rights of those of faith, then perhaps the Hindus would have a better shot. After all they have been around for like several thousand years longer than the Jews and Christians.

Also courtesy of Raw Story: 

That’s where the Hindus come in. 

The fourth-largest faith group in the U.S. – and third-largest in the world – said it would like to join the religious displays to honor Oklahoma’s Hindus and raise awareness about their faith. 

The Hindu group said their planned statue of Lord Hanuman would be “big and weather-proof.” 

Hemant Mehta, who writes for the Friendly Atheist blog, said the Hindus’ request would likely put Oklahoma lawmakers in a legal and political bind. 

“If the Commission votes yes on the proposal, conservatives will flip out,” Mehta wrote. “If they vote no, they’re just inviting a lawsuit. This is beautiful.”

I don't know about everybody else but the Hindus had me at "big and weatherproof." 

Personally I think it would be all kinds of awesome to have a state capitol that was filled with different statues representing various religious faiths. Just think of the educational opportunities!

School field trips to the capitol would be far more instructive in that they would include explanations concerning the various religious faiths that are able to worship freely in America, and how we as a nation do not favor one over another.

Don't you think that would be awesome? Oklahoma?

A 5000 year time lapse chronicling the expansion of Earth's most powerful religions.

I have watched this thing quite a few times now and I am struck how the discovery of the new world put Christianity into hyper drive.

It almost appears that Islam would have held dominance if not for missionary work in the Americas.

I would really like to see is a map chronicling the expansion of religions BEFORE the Abrahamic religions were introduced. Of course accurate data for that would be hard to come by.

(Source)