Atheist Campaign

Similar to the bus campaign in London; 100 of these signs will be on Seatle buses beginning November. I'm sure it will get the christians in an uproar. However, the point is that the manger and the wisemen have had their time on the buses. It's about time we non-believers had the same opportunity.

What will happen when Jesus comes back?

Picked this up from another site where they are having a discussion on the second coming of Christ.

First comes the Rapture where anyone, regardless of denomination or religion, who believes that Jesus died for their sins and allowed him to become their Lord and Savior, is taken up to heaven.

Next comes 7 years of horror called the Tribulation. The first 3 and 1/2 years will be bad, but then the second 3 and 1/2 years will be worse. During that time, the Beast whoever or whatever that is, will make everyone who is still alive take a mark on his/her right hand or forehead to be able to buy or sell. Some form of 666 is to be used.

Back in the 1970's there was a very famous book called the "Late Great Planet Earth" by Hal Lindsey. It spelled out how everything would go down.

Back then, we didn't have the technology we have today that would be able to track people and mark people with the infamous 666. Now we do. Those little microchips they already use to put in the necks of family pets could just as easily be used in people. Bar codes could also be used for easy scanning.

Ok, to continue, during those 7 years of horror there will be 144,000 Jewish (Not Jehovah Witnesses or Mormons or anything else) Jewish evangelists that will go throughout the world telling people there is still time to repent and beome born again before the end of the world. Now, before you think, "Ok, I'll just wait till the Rapture happens and then get right with God," I should warn you, it will be a perilous time. There will be Earthquakes, fires, famines, wholesale murder etc. during those 7 years. You may or may not get that second chance to get right with God.

So,that's that?

Hell, what is it?

Now that I know I'm going to hell I wanted to do a little reading about it. While having my house painted this weekend I did a little reading...not enough yet, but just a start.

My son had this book at work and handed it to me one day. I scanned it and put it aside. Go to Hell: A Heated History of the Underworld by Chuck Crisafulli and Kyra Thompson. However with my new travel plans I decided to do some research. I started with this book and went to the bible. I used the KJV and the internet, online bible sites. I was surprised to find how little mention there is in the christian handbook about this horrible place.

http://ecclesia.org/truth/hell.html

So now let's talk about hell. How do you know it exists? What verses do you quote to be sure of your knowledge about hell? Does the bible describe it?

Well, I'm just asking?

This could be me!

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=kAIpRRZvnJg&feature=player_embedded

Devolution?

The family who walked on all fours is an absolutely fascinating discovery. Although this is old news for some, I only recently learned of these children. The family was visited by scientist and journalist beginning in about 2002 and PBS broadcast a program in 2006 and reran it recently.

“The three sisters and two brothers may offer insight into the way our apelike ancestors moved, according to scientists. Human ancestors are believed to have begun walking on two legs more than three million years ago. Discovered in a remote area of southern Turkey last summer, the family of ethnic Kurds has sparked a scientific debate…”

On one side of the debate Uner Tan, a neurophysiologist at Cukurova University in Adana, Turkey believes the siblings are “evolutionary throwbacks—a "missing link" to our forebears.”

Then, German geneticists believe the siblings' genetic abnormality may be because the children do not have the gene responsible for bipedalism, or two-legged walking, in humans.

And yet another says the cause is twofold: the way the siblings were raised and brain damage resulting from the genetic defect.

An incredible discovery to say the least but what fascinates me about all this is the debate! At this point none of the scientist involved agree…that’s perfect! Now they go to work, they ask questions, they test theories and make conclusions. We may never have a definitive answer but we will always have the questions. As long as there are questions and someone seeking answers, we will progress.

Wow! What a wonderful world to which we are born.

http://www.asa3.org/ASA/PSCF/1986/JASA3-86Murphy.html

The Big Bang

Okay we need a new thread. I have said before that I cannot argue the big bang theory. I don't claim to believe it, but I also don't disbelieve it. I am waiting to see what else is discovered and what new "proofs" become available. I really do not spend a lot of time thinking about how humanity or the universe came into existence. I am certain that I do not believe in a creator beyond that I cannot say any more about it.

How did I come to this place? I asked questions; hard questions. Why can't I see god, why does he let kids get sick and die, why does he allow bad things to happen? Where is he and why is he hiding? Why is the bible so vulgar and cruel if it is the word of god?

I asked my parents, my ministers anyone who would listen. But I soon realized that no one had the answers to my questions. I realized that I would have to find out for myself. So I began to read...everything. I started with the bible and book about how to read the bible, which I received from my minister. The more I read the bible the more disturbed I became. I was only 12 years old. I needed guidance so I went to one of my teachers for help. She could not answer my questions either.

So I went to the library. It was a small library, only one room and the librarian showed me to the 200's where the books on religion are shelved. I finally knew where to find the answers but they were not there.

I came to my disbelief in gods and all things supernatural by reading and studying many materials, including the bible, the book of Mormon, Will and Ariel Durant's History of Civilization, the work of Joseph Campbell and many others.

It was not a pivotal moment it was a slow process and it took years. I continued to go to church until 1991 when I woke one morning knowing that I would never again doubt myself or depend on others for my answers. I made up my own mind.

Richard Dawkins-The God Delusion

I had no idea how powerful this book really is. I read it a few years ago along with several other atheist books but never realized what an impact it had on so many people.

Check out the Converts Corner. Awesome stories of rationality. It gives me hope that so many are finding their way out of superstition and ignorance.

"The most valuable thing you have taught me is that there are people in the world who think rationally, reason justly and don't live in subjugation to superstition. That knowledge alone makes me feel, at times, quite a bit better."

-Stephen "the onus of proof is not on me" H

http://richarddawkins.net/convertsCorner