When Mortals Claim to Converse With God

The New York Times on Wednesday carries an analysis of how certain words and phrases have been used by speakers at the Republican National Convention.

There were 62 mentions of "God" in the speeches. Compared to the 148 mentions of "Romney," God came out relatively good, unlike the phrase "middle class" that was mentioned only four times.

Rick Santorum referred to God the most — seven times — and he received cheers and applause when he said, "I thank God that America still has one party that reaches out their hands in love to lift up all of God's children, born and unborn."

Most of the God mentions were in the context of "God bless you, and God bless America."

[...]

I never had imaginary friends growing up, which was probably partially responsible for my disbelief in imaginary deities...

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Original Page: http://themoderatevoice.com/157832/when-mortals-claim-to-converse-with-god/

Mussolini Headkick - Your God is Dead

Mussolini Headkick - Your God is Dead - YouTube

XTC - Dear God

XTC-Dear God - YouTube

Lyrics:

Dear god, hope you get the letter and...
I pray you can make it better down here
I don't mean a big reduction in the price of beer
But all the people that you made in your image
See them starving in the street
'Cause they don't get enough to eat from god
I can't believe in you

Dear god, sorry to disturb you but...
I feel that I should be heard loud and clear
We all need a big reduction in amount of tears
And all the people that you made in your image
See them fighting in the street
'Cause they can't make opinions meet about god
I can't believe in you

Did you make disease and the diamond blue?
Did you make mankind after we made you?
And the devil too!

Dear god don't know if you noticed but...
Your name is on a lot of quotes in this book
And us crazy humans wrote it, you should take a look
And all the people that you made in your image
still believing that junk is true
Well I know it ain't, and so do you
Dear god
I can't believe in
I don't believe

I won't believe in heaven or hell
No saints, no sinners, no devil as well
No pearly gates, no thorny crown
You're always letting us humans down
The wars you bring, the babes you drown
Those lost at sea and never found
And it's the same the whole world 'round
The hurt I see helps to compound
That father, son and holy ghost
Is just somebody's unholy hoax
And if you're up there you'll perceive
That my heart's here upon my sleeve
If there's one thing I don't believe in

It's you
Dear god 

We are all Atheists

When I see televangelists hijack the airwaves on Sunday morning, I am left wondering how one god can be the only true god. It amazes me that so many faithful can simply discount the gods of other faiths. Faith can be a beautiful way to show support for one's chosen religion, butut can not be used as a crutch when defending said religion.

How could any loving god choose one group of faithful and condemn all others, especially considering that nearly all aspects of religion require faith, mostly due to a lack of tangible evidence. Written accounts are hardly more proof of act than spoken tales and myth.

"I contend that we are both atheists, I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." - Stephen F Roberts
http://freelink.wildlink.com/quote_history.php

Being agnostic or atheist simply levels the field and gives an opportunity for an unbiased opportunity to observe religion without discounting any as less possible than others.

He Can Turn Water Into Haterade

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Original Page: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/failblog/~3/OhiiG6jqKpU/6529386752

Darwin’s Status Updates

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Original Page: http://whattheywouldsay.com/darwin

Friday Religion News Roundup

Andrew Sullivan at The Daily Beast says the benediction is a "de facto endorsement of the Romney-Ryan ticket by the Catholic hierarchy." As troubling, he added, was that Dolan has "all but endorsed Paul Ryan."

And still more chatter on Rep. Todd Akin's rape remark. Lisa Miller at WaPo says Akin's ignorance about the mechanics of reproduction is not surprising given that 80 percent of the nation's high schools teach about abstinence.

As for Rick Warren cancelling a forum between Obama and Romney? It wasn't because the campaigns lacked civility, as the megachurch pastor claimed, but that the campaigners themselves lacked the interest.

Romney now says one of the reasons he won't disclose his tax returns is that everyone will know how much money he and his wife, Ann, have donated to the LDS church, which he thinks should be kept private.

A Norwegian court declared Anders Behring Breivik sane and sentenced him to prison. The court rejected the insanity defense for Breivik, who killed 77 people as part of an anti-Muslim crusade.

The ACLU announced it had reached a settlement with a Vermont bed and breakfast, after it refused to host a same-sex wedding reception for two women because of the owners' religious beliefs. Owners of the B&B agreed they violated the state's public accommodations act, but said they will no longer hold wedding receptions of any kind.

Members of the Muslim community in Illinois are hoping to show Rep. Joe Walsh (R-Ill.) they are just as American as he is. The Congressman has said radical Muslims were "trying to kill Americans every week." 

Paul Ryan waded into the Chick-fil-A controversy when he told a reporter that he associates the fast food chain with "free speech."

The Republican Jewish Coalition called on the Obama campaign to sever its ties to one of the rabbis on a list of 600 who support the president's reelection.

Rabbi Lynn Gottlieb was the only rabbi to speak at a controversial 2008 interfaith dialogue dinner in New York hosted for Iranian President Mahmoud Ahmadinejad, where she discussed the Holocaust and expressed support for Palestinian rights.

And finally, Joanna Brooks dismissed WaPo's Dana Millbank's suggestion that God has forsaken the Republican Party and is sending in Tropical Storm Isaac to steal the thunder from under the Republican National Convention.

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More: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/religion-news-service/~3/WkJIa20kfR8/friday-religion-news-roundup11

A Brief Argument Against the Soul

1. Most theistic laypeople have a belief in the soul that includes it somehow being within or somehow internally connected to their body.¹

2. Their belief likely also includes a conception of the soul as immaterial.²

3. Immaterial things cannot have special extension.

4. To reside in a place, like within the body, requires special extension.

5. This means that a consequence of (2) is that the soul cannot reside within or be connected to the body.

Conclusion: Most theistic laypeople have a belief in the soul that is internally contradictory [from (1) and (5)]

¹I haven't tested this hypothesis, but I think a survey of the average person's conception of the soul would bear this out. Certainly popular level portrayals, like movies, give this sense.

²For example, ask a person who believes in the soul to point it out on an x-ray or to a surgeon.

Original Page: http://feedproxy.google.com/~r/PlanetAtheism/~3/S_c96_T9UxM/