Oh, they have their own Jesus. Well that makes sense.

Okay well this explains how they can continue to call themselves Christians while mistreating everybody who does not look like them.

(H/T to Democratic Underground.)

Jesus take the wheel. Seriously Jesus take it. WTF Jesus?

Darn it, it's so hard to concentrate with everybody screaming "stop" and "look out" at me.

Courtesy of NWF Daily News: 

A 28-year-old woman was taken to the hospital for evaluation after driving into a Mary Esther house Thursday morning. 

The woman told Okaloosa County Sheriff’s Office deputies she was praying at the time and had her eyes closed, according to the OCSO. 

The Fort Walton Beach woman was traveling eastbound on Marcia Drive when she failed to stop at a stop sign, went through an intersection and into the yard of a home on Miramar Drive. 

She tried to back out but got stuck in the sand, the OCSO said. 

She was cited for reckless driving with property damage.

Personally I blame God.

I mean if a person is trying to have a talk with him, the least he can do is make sure they do not plow into somebody's yard.

You know it's almost enough to make me stop believing in God.

Yep, that's it, I'm done.

Phil Robertson has proof that Jesus existed. It's called the calendar, duh.

Duck Dynasty Dude Hilariously Proves Beyond a... by DailyPolitics

Courtesy of Raw Story: 

Duck Dynasty dad Phil Robertson had some of his trademark Christian wisdom at the Western Conservative Summit in Denver, Colorado this weekend to help enlighten people how he knows Jesus is really the son of God. 

“If your calendar is dated of all the human beings who have ever walked on the Earth, and your calendar is dedicated and predicated to just one of ’em, evidently something rather large went down,” Robertson explained.

Well there you have it then.

Of course for some reason Robertson failed to mention that the Gregorian calendar was created by Christians who were sort of predisposed to believe Jesus existed, without regard to any evidence proving it one way or the other.

Robertson also fails to address the fact that if one were to use the calendar to prove the existence of a god or son of god, that it could then also be used to prove the existence of the Roman gods Saturn (Saturday) and  Mars (March), and the Norse god Thor (Thursday).

By the way according to the Chinese calendar today is Yi-Wei (Sheep) (6th month), 3, 4714, or the Year of the Monkey.

Damn this Robertson guy is a simple fuck .

Conversation between Richard Dawkins and biblical scholar Dr. John Huddlestun essentially destroys Christian mythology.

Over thirty minutes long, but well worth your time to listen. Unless of course you like you biblical mythology to remain undisturbed.

I remember back in the 1980's when I first started to learn that the facts uncovered by biblical scholars completely refuted claims made in the Bible.

Even though I was already a non-believer I have to admit that I was stunned by the fact that essentially EVERYTHING in the book is revealed as false by the facts.

I think the two that stunned me the most, was first that the Egyptians did not keep Jewish slaves, and therefore the Exodus of the Old Testament is pure fiction, and second that in the early stages of Judaism there were multiple gods and not one all powerful god.

Remember Christians today are taught that the Jews ALWAYS worshiped the one true God, and that the story of Adam and Eve is revealed truth that has been passed down since the beginning of time.

And all of that is pure biblical bullshit.

Such a good point.

And before all you Christians start getting all riled up, keep this in mind:

Paul, the earliest New Testament author, never mentions the virgin birth. For someone who we rely upon for much of Christian theology, it is an odd omission. Paul refers to Jesus’ birth twice (Rom 1:3; Gal 4:4) and never says he was born of a virgin or of different means than anyone else. You’d think that would be important. 

The virgin birth is also not in Mark, the earliest gospel, or in John, the only other gospel not based on Mark. Why is such an important story left out of all the early sources? Probably because it hadn’t been made up yet. 

Why would the story be made up? Perhaps to fulfill an old prophecy of a virgin birth, which the Gospel of Matthew cites: 

Behold, the virgin shall conceive and bear a son, and shall call his name Immanuel. (Isaiah 7:14) 

Some scholars say “virgin” was a mistranslation in the Septuagint (the Greek translation the gospel writers used), and should have been translated “young woman.” That means the story might have been based on a mistranslation! 

It seems likely the virgin birth was created to boost the authority of Christianity through prophecy and compete with rival gods who were born of virgins.

When I was younger I used to love to trot this out to my Christian pals just to see how red they got in the face.

I am a little less combative these days, but it is still something that I like to introduce into the conversation once in awhile. 

You know just to keep everybody on their toes.

Okay I think I'm going to need this shirt.

Apparently Jesus is like a Wal-Mart greeter for Hawkins, Texas.

Courtesy of Politicususa

Speaking for Jesus? Isn't that what the whole "Thou shalt not take the Lord's name in vain" is talking about?

Well it might not anger Jesus, most likely because he is a mythical creation, but it did upset the FFRF.

This from KMOO: 

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has sent a letter to an East Texas City Council requesting they remove a sign posted on city property. 

The group states in its letter that the “Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins’ sign posted on East Front Street is an unconstitutional religious display. 

The letter states, “The Jesus Welcomes You to Hawkins’ sign sends a message to the City’s citizens that the Hawkins government is endorsing and compelling a belief in a particular god. By endorsing such a belief, the sign sends the message to nonadherents that they are outsiders, not full members of the political community, and an accompanying message to adherents that they are insiders, favored numbers…” 

The letter ended by requesting the City Council to reply back with a plan for how to proceed.

However the mayor of Hawkins says that the creation of the sign was a "community project" and thinks the community should fight to keep it up.

And the mayor thinks you should show your support even if you are NOT a Christian, because Jesus was a good guy:

“Citizens should voice their support,” Rogers said. “Even if you don’t look at Jesus as a religious leader, you have the humanitarian aspects of his life while he was here to consider.”

You see they just like Jesus for being Jesus, they don't want him featured prominently on their sign to indicate any kind of religious preference in their town.

Yeah, right.

Tuesday morning cartoon.

Bill O'Reilly blames bad reviews of his film "Killing Jesus" on a liberal bias and because it's "open season on Christians in America."

Courtesy of Raw Story:  

Bill O’Reilly complained that he was a victim of religious discrimination because the “Killing Jesus” television movie, based on his book by the same name, received bad reviews from publications that he considers liberal. 

“The truth is, it is open season on Christians in America, and faith is not held in high esteem in the halls of Manhattan media operations,” O’Reilly said. 

The Fox News host suggested Monday night on his “O’Reilly Factor” program that critics should weigh his intentions in writing the book above its artistic merits, adherence to historical fact, and skillful use of dramatic elements. 

“A movie like ‘Killing Jesus’ is a noble endeavor, even if you didn’t like it – even though some conservative folks didn’t like it, either,” O’Reilly said, promising to read negative comments from conservatives. “But to see what actually happened to a good man, Jesus, who preached loving your neighbor and loving God above all, to see how he was abused and murdered historically, right before your eyes, is a powerful use of the motion picture concept.”

As you can see from the clip O'Reilly claims that he was divinely inspired to write his book, and that God was using him as a vessel, much like Christians believe the authors of the Bible were used by God to put HIS words down on paper.

This of course makes O'Reilly believe that his book is above criticism, despite his claims that critics had a right to their opinions. You can fairly see him bristle as he reads each negative review, and then attacks each of them as stupid, or elite, or pushing an agenda.

From my perspective the first problem with this is that it presents the story of Jesus as "historic" when in fact there is little outside of the Bible to support that label.

The second problem is that while there are plenty of theologians who are qualified to write a book about the life of Jesus, Bill O'Reilly is certainly not numbered among them.

However personally it really does not matter to me.

I have already sworn off ALL movies and television specials based on the Bible.

I made that decision after learning that there is no evidence to suggest that Moses led his people into the dessert, or that the Egyptians ever even had Jewish slaves in the first place.

I, of course, had already dismissed almost all of the Biblical stores as hogwash long ago, but after learning that even the most fundamental stories of the old testament were a steaming pile of BS I decided that I would no longer support the retelling of them with my hard earned money or attention.

I quite literally have no problem spending an afternoon in a darkened theater watching a superhero movie, or a silly horror film, or a movie with the most unbelievable premise of all, the romantic comedy. But those movies simply want to entertain me, and do not have the subtext of wanting to sell me a product for which I have absolutely no use.

Besides of all of the poorly written and unbelievable content I have ever suffered through, nothing challenges the content from the Bible. And I do mean NOTHING.

Well he seems reasonable.

Besides "Dykes on Bikes" (Which sounds like a Showtime movie just waiting to be made.), witches, hypocrites, and pot smokers, the guy also calls out "so called Christians."

Which makes me wonder is there NOBODY that gets a free pass from this guy's god?

Femen "sextremist" is arrested in Vatican City for stealing baby Jesus while topless.

Courtesy of News.Mic:

Vatican spokesman Father Federico Lombardi said the woman, Ukrainian citizen Iana Alexandrovna Zhdanova, stands accused of vilification of religion, obscene acts in public and theft. A Vatican policeman stopped Zhdanova, who had "God Is Woman" written on her bare chest, after she seized the statue of the Christ Child and attempted to make off with it shortly after Pope Francis had finished reading his Christmas greeting to the faithful assembled. The policeman attempted to cover Azhdanova with his cape (Vatican police have capes!) with mixed success. 

Femen, for its part, is unrepentant, even putting up a gallery of images of the attempted Jesus-napping on its website. In a statement, the feminist collective proudly described itself as "persona non grata" in Vatican City: 

"This morning the Holy Vatican court reviewed the case of the kidnapping of baby Jesus Christ commited [sic] by FEMEN sextremist and recognizing the absolute legality of her arrest, however, it has ordered to release Zhdanova. Sextremist Zhdanova will be extradited from Vatican, followed by a ban on enter the territory of the Holy See. The infant, which have been kidnapped by FEMEN, became a symbol of necessity of taking away a woman's right on reproductive function and sexual freedom off the Church. A sacred duty of every woman is to take away the child from Vatican!'

The organization describes itself as "fighting patriarchy in its three manifestations — sexual exploitation of women, dictatorship and religion," and has stated that its goal is "sextremism serving to protect women's rights."

You know I actually started to write this post, which i put off for a few days, with the idea that I would condemn their actions at the end and suggest that there are better ways of getting their point across. 

However after reading through this article and few others on the incident I find myself agreeing with them to some degree.

So now I am all conflicted and junk.

So I will leave up to you dear readers. What do you think? Over the top, or reasonable response to an oppressive anti-female organization?

Pennsylvania teenager might get two years for face raping a statue of Jesus.

Courtesy of Mother Jones: 

Teenagers are prone to dumb, tasteless pranks, but one 14-year-old is facing prison time for his latest stunt. The teen, from Everett, Pennsylvania, hopped on top of a statue of a kneeling Jesus—in front of an organization called "Love in the Name of Christ"—and simulated oral sex with the statue's face. Naturally, he posted the pictures to Facebook, which made their way to authorities. 

Officials in Bedford County charged the teen (whose name hasn't been released) with desecration of a venerated object, invoking a 1972 Pennsylvania statute that criminalizes "defacing, damaging, polluting or otherwise physically mistreating in a way that the actor knows will outrage the sensibilities of persons likely to observe or discover the action." You'd think an appropriate punishment for a kid violating this seldom-invoked law might be picking up trash or, at worst, paying a fine. If convicted, he faces much worse: two years in juvenile detention.

Seriously? Two years for rubbing his adolescent trouser snake on an inanimate object. 

That is completely ridiculous.

And not only ridiculous, but possibly unconstitutional as well.

That is unless Pennsylvania were willing to give this person two years as well.

Christianity summed up in one paragraph. Fair?

Two-thousand years ago, God raped an engaged Palestinian woman so He could impregnate her with Himself so He could sacrifice Himself to Himself so He could forgive us because our ancestors ate an apple He gave them because they were tricked by a snake He created.

This is not original to me as I stumbled across it on Reddit the other day.

However it does reflect much of my interpretation of Christianity.

There are many who would take offense at the charge of rape, but since Mary was supposed to be around fourteen to fifteen years old at the time it meets the definition of statutory rape by modern standards. And since an all knowing God would be aware of that fact, it is hard to argue that he did not knowingly violate a child who was unable to consent.

In fact according to the Bible God did not even bother to request her consent, and simply impregnated her with nary a word of warning.

Try as I might I can never figure out the morality that Christians claim is found within the pages of their holy book. Murder, genocide, oppression, rape, infanticide, yes and in abundance.

But morality?

The position Jesus takes when it comes to gay sex. You know for those who were wondering.

To clarify Jesus's position when it comes to gay sex: Bottom.

— God (@TheTweetOfGod) April 5, 2013

And that explains why he never addresses it in the New Testament.

Man I wish I could see the faces of the Fundamentalists as they read this!

The religious indoctrination of children. For their own good, or a form of child abuse?

I am once again going to refrain from saying anything derisive and simply open up this topic for discussion. 

I do have a few questions however. What exactly is the benefit of a religious based education system? I mean besides the obvious opportunity to misrepresent the facts and proselytize to children at their most vulnerable and trusting?

And do most of you think that it is appropriate to tell children that the stories from the Bible, Torah, or Quran are factual, when the evidence does not support that point of view? Or do you feel that only ONE of these books should be taught as though its contents were factual? And if so, which one, and why?

Probably NOT the person with whom you want to discuss religion.

Wait I can go to hell for drinking? What about that whole "water into wine" thing? Dammit, Jesus is SUCH a bad influence!

You know I think I may have found our Palin troll's car.

Usually people like this try to keep the crazy on the inside.

Only driven on Sunday's. Of course it was driven OVER any atheists or Muslims standing too close to the curb.

(That's all I've got. Your turn!)

You know a life really was sacrificed so that you could be here today. It may just not be who, or what, you think.

If image does not enlarge for you, just click here.

Yes I know what you are thinking.

Gryphen, stars are not people. We cannot feel a connection to them like we would with God.

Well that may be, but you know Gods are not actually people either, and at least when it comes to stars there is actual proof of their existence.

That is certainly more than I can say about other possible heavenly occupants.

And by the way, what do you think first inspired the idea of a heavenly god?

The vast beauty which inspired ancient man, is the beauty we are still witness to today. The only difference is that now we know what it is from which we receive such inspiration.

I can barely make out Joel Osteen telling Piers Morgan that homosexuals are going to burn in hell over the loud pinging of my gay-dar.

I'm sorry, and I hate to be crude, but just how long do you think that Osteen spent tweezing his eyebrows and grooming his luxurious chestnut colored  mane before sitting next to his beard wife and condemning the Village People to eternal damnation?

Methinks that Ted Haggard might be in a position to provide a little counseling to a fellow closet case in the very near future, don't you?

By the way Christians, Jesus was totally gay.  I mean come on, he hung out with twelve dudes and only let the one hot easy chick in the group rub his feet.  What does THAT say to you?

But do you know what?  His father loved him just the way he was. 

I mean sure he did let the Romans tie him to a tree, stick him with a spear in the ribs, and leave him to rot in a cave, but once he knew Jesus would never stop digging the dudes he still let him come live with him in heaven.

And isn't it really ALL about the happy ending?

Christians in Tennessee caught acting like Christians.

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After all of the divisive language and hate speech over the last month is is so nice to see a story of real humanity that reminds of just how GOOD people can be when their leaders inspire them to love instead of hate.

Yes I am talking to you Sarah Palin and Glenn Beck!

For those Christians who believe the Republican party best represents their values. Think again.

I have often wondered how the Republicans, the party of greed and avarice, have been able to co-opt Christianity.  I believe if this really were a "Christian nation", based on the true teachings of Jesus Christ, we would be a more tolerant, more peaceful, and more spiritual nation.