Death for Denouncing Islam?

The ugly head of religion - a Saudi blogger is facing execution for denouncing Islam.

I have started a new blog

I have started a new blog - my view on Australian politics.

Faith Healing - whose crime?

Are the parents to blame? Is punishing the parents a solution? What about those spreading the superstition?

What is the evidence of Scientific Method?

Richard Dawkins' answer: "It works!"

Austraila's Victorian Royal Commission into child abuse in religious institutions

Unless compelled by law, he won't speak the truth. Even then, he refused to release the names of the abusing priests. What a shame!

George Pell's "apology":

Do not bow your heads

We share the same spectrum of potential for care, for compassion, for fear, for joy, for love.

Bravo!

Did Pope Francis perform an exorcism?

I think so, do you?



Superstition on a public display!

What religion has contributed to the world (April/May 2013)

Cluster Bombs Come Home » Counterpunch: Tells the Facts, Names the Names

Cluster Bombs Come Home 

In sync with media outlets across the country, the New York Times put a chilling headline on Wednesday’s front page: “Boston Bombs Were Loaded to Maim, Officials Say.” The story reported that nails and ball bearings were stuffed into pressure cookers, “rigged to shoot sharp bits of shrapnel into anyone within reach of their blast.”
...
One Friday, at noontime, U.S.-led NATO forces dropped cluster bombs on the city of Nis, in the vicinity of a vegetable market. “The bombs struck next to the hospital complex and near the market, bringing death and destruction, peppering the streets of Serbia’s third-largest city with shrapnel,” a dispatch in the San Francisco Chronicle reported on May 8, 1999. 

Christianity in 13 minutes

What religion has contributed to the world March/April 2013

Orthodox Jewish man photographed covering himself in plastic bag during flight because faith forbids him to fly over cemeteries

[source]

Stupid, simply stupid! In case of the emergency, he cannot get oxygen or put on the life jacket. That's a violation of air safety requirement!

The Big Debates: Islam Or Atheism - Which Makes More Sense?

The debate which Lawrence Krauss almost walked out is now available.

Lawrence Krauss nearly walks out of Islam debate over segregation

On March 9, the Islamic Education & Research Academy (IERA) organized a debate at the University College in London between atheist Dr. Lawrence Krauss and Muslim Hamza Andreas Tzortzis on the question, "Islam or Atheism: Which Makes More Sense?" But before the debate even began, Dr. Krauss walked out.

Krauss was originally told by the organizers that the audience of the debate was to be segregated by gender. Couples were to be allowed to sit together, but single women were to be seated in the back. Krauss had told the organizers that he would not be a part of debate with such seating restrictions. [source]

The organizer agreed not apply the gender segregation.

But upon arriving at the debate, Krauss discovered that the segregation rule was still in effect. Krauss wrote in his blog

I had been promised that would not be the case, and then saw 3 really nice kids being ejected for sitting in wrong place. I packed up my bags and walked out. They caved in, and let the kids back, not without complaints of course from some of the attendees.[source]

After the incidence, University College London banned future event from the same organization.

An organisation known as the Islamic Education and Research Academy (IERA) booked a room at UCL for a debate on Saturday evening (9 March). UCL was notified during Friday by some individuals planning to attend the event that the organisers intended to segregate the audience by gender.

This was directly contrary to UCL policy. We do not allow enforced segregation on any grounds at meetings held on campus. We immediately made clear to the organisers that the event would be cancelled if there were any attempt to enforce such segregation. We also required the organisers to make it explicit to attendees that seating arrangements were optional, and guests were welcome to sit wherever they felt comfortable. We also arranged for additional security staff to be present to ensure that people were not seated against their wishes.

It now appears that, despite our clear instructions, attempts were made to enforce segregation at the meeting. We are still investigating what actually happened at the meeting but, given IERA’s original intentions for a segregated audience we have concluded that their interests are contrary to UCL’s ethos and that we should not allow any further events involving them to take place on UCL premises. [source]

That's what a civilized world should behave. Stand up to the principle of gender equality.

Atheists, humanists and freethinkers face widespread discrimination around the world with expression of their views criminalized and subject in some countries to capital punishment

While atheists tolerate the stupidity of religion, the reverse is not true.

In a document for consideration by the world body's Human Rights Council, a global organization linking people who reject religion said atheism was banned by law in a number of states where people were forced to officially adopt a faith.

"Extensive discrimination by governments against atheists, humanists and the non-religious occurs worldwide," declared the grouping, the International Humanist and Ethical Union (IHEU) which has some 120 member bodies in 45 countries.

In Afghanistan, Iran, Maldives, Mauritania, Pakistan, Saudi Arabia and Sudan "atheists can face the death penalty on the grounds of their belief" although this was in violation of U.N. human rights accords, the IHEU said.

Further, in several others legal measures "effectively criminalize atheism (and) the expression and manifestation of atheist beliefs" or lead to systematic discrimination against freethinkers, the document declared.
...
Three of the states with legislation providing for death for blasphemy against Islam, a charge which can be applied to atheists who publicly reveal their ideas, are on the council - Pakistan, Mauritania and Maldives.

Turkey's Foreign Minister Ahmet Davutoglu told the council on Monday there was a "rising trend" of Islamophobia, adding: "We condemn all sorts of incitement to hatred and religious discrimination against Muslims and people of other faiths." [source]

What has religion done to humanity in the last hundred year?

What has religion ever done to us?

God's God

Bible Contradictions

A poster Celsus posted a list of bible contradictions with detail reference to the verses.

HAS ANYONE SEEN GOD?

John 1:18 "No man hath seen God at any time."
Exodus 33:20 "Thou canst not see my face: for there shall no man see me, and live."
John 6:46 "Not that any man hath seen the Father, save he which is of God [Jesus], he hath seen the Father."
I John 4:12 "No man hath seen God at any time."

Versus:

Genesis 32:30 "For I have seen God face to face."
Exodus 33:11 "And the Lord spake unto Moses face to face, as a man speaketh unto his friend."
Job 42:5 "I have heard of thee by the hearing of the ear: but now mine eye seeth thee."

DOES GOD CHANGE HIS MIND?

Malachi 3:6 "For I am the Lord; I change not."
Numbers 23:19 "God is not a man, that he should lie; neither the son of man, that he should repent."
Ezekiel 24:14 "I the Lord have spoken it: it shall come to pass, and I will do it; I will not go back, neither will I spare, neither will I repent."
James 1:17 " . . . the Father of lights, with whom is no variableness, neither shadow of turning."

Versus:

Exodus 32:14 "And the Lord repented of the evil which he thought to do unto his people."
Genesis 6:6,7 "And it repented the Lord that he had made man on the earth . . . And the Lord said, I will destroy man whom I have created from the face of the earth . . . for it repenteth me that I have made him."
Jonah 3:10 ". . . and God repented of the evil that he had said that he would do unto them; and he did it not."
See Genesis 18:23-33, where Abraham gets God to change his mind about the minimum number of righteous people in Sodom required to avoid destruction, bargaining down from fifty to ten. (God destroyed the city anyway.)
See also II Kings 20:1-7, Numbers 16:20-35, Numbers 16:44-50.

SHOULD WE KILL?

Exodus 20:13 "Thou shalt not kill."
Leviticus 24:17 "And he that killeth any man shall surely be put to death."

Versus:

Exodus 32:27 "Thus sayeth the Lord God of Israel, Put every man his sword by his side, . . . and slay every man his brother, . . . companion, . . . neighbor."
I Samuel 6:19 " . . . and the people lamented because the Lord had smitten many of the people with a great slaughter."
I Samuel 15:2,3,7,8 "Thus saith the Lord . . . Now go and smite Amalek, and utterly destroy all that they have, and spare them not; but slay both man and woman, infant and suckling, ox and sheep, camel and ass. . . . And Saul smote the Amalekites . . . and utterly destroyed all the people with the edge of the sword."
Numbers 15:36 "And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."
Hosea 13:16 "they shall fall by the sword: their infants shall be dashed in pieces, and their women with children shall be ripped up."

SHOULD WE TELL LIES?

"Thou shalt not bear false witness." Exodus 20:16
"Lying lips are an abomination to the Lord." Proverbs 12:22

Versus:

"The Lord hath put a lying spirit in the mouth of all these thy prophets..." I Kings 22:23
"And if a prophet be deceived and speak a word, I, the Lord, have deceived that prophet ..." Ez 14: 9
"Oh Lord, thou hast deceived me, and I was deceived..." Jer 20:7
"And for this cause God shall send them strong delusion, that they should believe a lie." II Thessalonians 2:11
"...but of the tree of the knowledge of good and evil, you shall not eat, for on the day you eat of it you shall die." Gen 2:17 (Adam did not die on the day he ate)
In 2 Sam. 7:8-17 God promised he would establish the throne of David forever, but for 2000 years there has been no Davidic king.
Note also that Rahab is praised in the Bible for lying in order to shield the Children of Israel.

SHOULD WE STEAL?

Exodus 20:15 "Thou shalt not steal."
Leviticus 19:13 "Thou shalt not defraud thy neighbor, neither rob him."

Versus:

Exodus 3:22 "And ye shall plunder the Egyptians."
Exodus 12:35-36 "And they plundered the Egyptians."

SHALL WE KEEP THE SABBATH?

Exodus 20:8 "Remember the sabbath day to keep it holy."
Exodus 31:15 "Whosoever doeth any work in the sabbath day, he shall surely be put to death."
Numbers 15:32,36 "And while the children of Israel were in the wilderness, they found a man that gathered sticks upon the sabbath day. . . . And all the congregation brought him without the camp, and stoned him with stones, and he died; as the Lord commanded Moses."

Versus:

Isaiah 1:13 "The new moons and sabbaths, the calling of assemblies, I cannot away with; it is iniquity."
John 5:16 "And therefore did the Jews persecute Jesus and sought to slay him, because he had done these things on the sabbath day."
Colossians 2:16 "Let no man therefore judge you in meat, or in drink, or in respect of an holy-day, or of the new moon, or of the sabbath days."

SHALL WE MAKE GRAVEN IMAGES?

Exodus 20:4 "Thou shalt not make unto thee any graven image, or any likeness of anything that is in heaven . . . earth . . . water."
Leviticus 26:1 "Ye shall make ye no idols nor graven image, neither rear you up a standing image, neither shall ye set up any image of stone."
Deuteronomy 27:15 "Cursed be the man that maketh any graven or molten image."

Versus:

Exodus 25:18 "And thou shalt make two cherubims of gold, of beaten work shalt thou make them."
I Kings 7:15,16,23,25 "For he [Solomon] cast two pillars of brass . . . and two chapiters of molten brass . . . And he made a molten sea . . . it stood upon twelve oxen . . . [and so on]"

SHOULD GOOD WORKS BE SEEN?

Matthew 5:16 "Let your light so shine before men that they may see your good works."
I Peter 2:12 "Having your conversation honest among the Gentiles: that . . . they may by your good works, which they shall behold, glorify God in the day of visitation."

Versus:

Matthew 6:1-4 "Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them . . . that thine alms may be in secret."
Matthew 23:3,5 "Do not ye after their [Pharisees'] works. . . . all their works they do for to be seen of men."

ARE WE PUNISHED FOR OUR PARENTS' SINS?

Exodus 20:5 "For I the Lord thy God am a jealous God, visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children unto the third and fourth generation." (Repeated in Deuteronomy 5:9)
Exodus 34:6-7 " . . . The Lord God, merciful and gracious, . . . that will by no means clear the guilty; visiting the iniquity of the fathers upon the children, and upon the children's children, unto the third and to the fourth generation."

Versus:

Ezekiel 18:20 "The son shall not bear the iniquity of the father."
Deuteronomy 24:16 "The fathers shall not be put to death for the children, neither shall the children be put to death for the fathers: every man shall be put to death for his own sin."

IS GOD GOOD OR EVIL?

Psalm 145:9 "The Lord is good to all."
Deuteronomy 32:4 "a God of truth and without iniquity, just and right is he."

Versus:

Isaiah 45:7 "I make peace and create evil. I the Lord do all these things."
Lamentations 3:38 "Out of the mouth of the most High proceedeth not evil and good?"
Jeremiah 18:11 "Thus saith the Lord; Behold, I frame evil against you, and devise a device against you."
Ezekiel 20: 25-26 "I gave them statutes that were not good and ordinances by which they could not have life; and I defiled them through their very gifts in making them offer by fire all their first born, that I might horrify them; that they might know that I am the Lord.

DOES GOD TEMPT PEOPLE?

James 1:13 "Let no man say . . . I am tempted of God: for God cannot be tempted with evil, neither tempteth he any man."

Versus:

Genesis 22:1 "And it came to pass after these things, that God did tempt Abraham."
God also put a forbidden tree in the midst of the garden of Eden, then allowed the serpent to enter and tempt A+E to eat of it.

IS GOD PEACEABLE?

Romans 15:33 "The God of peace."
Isaiah 2:4 ". . . and they shall beat their swords into plowshares, and their spears into pruninghooks: nation shall not lift up sword against nation, neither shall they learn war any more."

Versus:

Exodus 15:3 "The Lord is a man of war."
Joel 3:9-10 "Prepare war, wake up the mighty men, let all the men of war draw near; let them come up: Beat your plowshares into swords, and your pruninghooks into spears: let the weak say, I am strong."

WAS JESUS PEACEABLE?

John 14:27 "Peace I leave with you, my peace I give unto you."
Acts 10:36 "The word which God sent unto the children of Israel, preaching peace by Jesus Christ."
Luke 2:14 " . . . on earth peace, good will toward men."

Versus:

Matthew 10:34 "Think not that I am come to send peace on earth: I came not to send peace, but a sword. For I am come to set a man at variance against his father, and the daughter against her mother, and the daughter in law against her mother in law. And a man's foes shall be they of his own household."
Luke 22:36 "Then said he unto them... he that hath no sword, let him sell his garment, and buy one."

DID PAUL'S MEN HEAR A VOICE?

Acts 9:7 "And the men which journeyed with him stood speechless, hearing a voice, but seeing no man."

Versus:

Acts 22:9 "And they that were with me saw indeed the light, and were afraid; but they heard not the voice of him that spake to me."

IS GOD OMNIPOTENT?

Jeremiah 32:27 "Behold, I am the Lord, the God of all flesh: is there anything too hard for me?
Matthew 19:26 "But Jesus beheld them, and said unto them, `With men this is impossible; but with God all things are possible.'"

Versus:

Judges 1:19 "And the Lord was with Judah; and he drove out the inhabitants of the mountain; but could not drive out the inhabitants of the valley, because they had chariots of iron."

DOES GOD ENCOURAGE HUMAN SACRIFICE?

Deuteronomy 12:31 "Thou shalt not do so unto the Lord thy God: for every abomination to the Lord, which he hateth, have they done unto their gods; for even their sons and their daughters they have burnt in the fire to their gods."

Versus:

Exodus 22:29 "For thou shalt not delay to offer the first of thy ripe fruits, and of thy liquors; the firstborn of thy sons shalt thou give unto me."

Lev 27:28-29 "Nevertheless, anything which a man sets apart to the LORD out of all that he has, of man or animal or of the fields of his own property, shall not be sold or redeemed. Anything devoted to destruction is most holy to the LORD. No one who may have been set apart among men shall be ransomed; he shall surely be put to death."

Genesis 22:2 "And he said, Take now thy son, thine only son Isaac, whom thou lovest, and get thee into the land of Moriah; and offer him there for a burnt offering upon one of the mountains which I will tell thee of."

Judges 11:30-39 "And Jephthah vowed a vow unto the Lord, and said, If thou shalt without fail deliver the children of Ammon into mine hand, Then it shall be, that whatsoever cometh forth of the doors of my house to meet me, when I return in peace from the children of Ammon, shall surely be the Lord's, and I will offer it up for a burnt offering. So Jephthah passed over unto the children of Ammon . . . and the Lord delivered them into his hands. . . . And Jephthah came to Mizpeh unto his house, and, behold, his daughter came out to meet him with timbrels and with dances: . . . And it came to pass at the end of two months that she returned unto her father, who did with her according to his vow which he had vowed."

Jer 46:10 "...the Lord of Hosts... shall avenge Himself on His foes. The sword shall devour and be sated and drink its fill of their blood. For the Lord God of hosts holds a sacrifice in the north country by the river Euphrates" (the place of battle)

II Samuel 21:8-14 "But the king [David] took the two sons of Rizpah . . . and the five sons of Michal . . . and he delivered them into the hands of the Gibeonites, and they hanged them in the hill before the Lord: and they fell all seven together, and were put to death in the days of harvest . . . And after that God was entreated for the land."

I Corinthians 5:7 " . . . For even Christ our passover is sacrificed for us."

SHOULD WE ABANDON OUR FAMILIES?

Ex 20:12 "Honour your father and mother...."
Eph 6:2 "Children, obey your parents for this is right in the Lord."
1 Tim 3:5 "For if a man does not know how to manage his own household, how can he manage Gods Church?"
1 Tim 5:8 "If anyone does not provide for his own family, he has disowned the faith, and is worse than an unbeliever."

Versus:

Mt 10:35 "For I have come to set a man against his father, and a daughter against her mother, ... and a mans foes will be those of his own household."
Mt 19:29 "And every one who has left houses or brothers or sisters or father or mother or children, for my names sake, will receive a hundredfold, and inherit eternal life."
Lk 14:26 "If anyone comes to me and does not hate his own father and mother and wife and children and brothers and sisters...he cannot be my disciple."

WHO HAS ASCENDED TO HEAVEN?

John 3:13 "And no man hath ascended up to heaven, but he that came down from heaven, even the Son of man which is in heaven."

Versus:

2 Kings 2:11: "...behold, there appeared a chariot of fire, and horses of fire, and parted them both asunder; and Elijah went up by a whirlwind into heaven."

WHEN DID PETER LEARN JESUS WAS THE CHRIST, AND FROM WHOM?

"The first thing Andrew did was to find his brother Simon and tell him, "We have found the Messiah" (that is, the Christ). And he brought him to Jesus. Jesus looked at him and said, "You are Simon son of John. You will be called Cephas" (which, when translated, is Peter)." John 1:41

Versus:

"But what about you?" he asked. "Who do you say I am?" Simon Peter answered, "You are the Christ, the Son of the living God." Jesus replied, "Blessed are you, Simon son of Jonah, for this was not revealed to you by man, but by my Father in heaven." Matt 16:15

HOW MANY DONKEYS DID JESUS RIDE INTO JERUSALEM?

One, according to Mark, Luke and John, but Matthew has him riding two at once - one full grown and one foal. Matthew apparently misunderstood the prophecy of Zech 9:9, and constructed his story in order to incorporate two donkeys.


Jesus Contradicts Himself, or demonstrates short term memory loss:

John 5:31 "If I bear witness of myself, my witness is not true."
John 8:14 "Though I bear witness of myself, yet my witness is true."

Jn 13:36 "Simon Peter asked him, "Lord, where are you going?"
Then shortly afterwards Jesus says:
Jn 16:5 "Now I am going to him who sent me, yet none of you asks me, 'Where are you going?'

Jesus disparages the use of `signs' as a means of proving divinity in Matt 12:38-39, Mark 8:12, Lk 11:29.
Jesus uses signs to prove his divinity in Jn 3:2, 20:30, Act 2:22 Matt 11:2-6

Jesus refuses to disclose who he is, or allow others to do so. Matt 12:15-16, 16:16-12, Mk 3:11-12, 8:29-30, Lk 9: 20-21
Jesus tells the Samaritans (John 4:25-26) the Jews (John 5:39, 8:42,58, 10:24-25,30) the crowds (John 6:40) and others (John 9: 35-38) who he is.

Matthew 5:22 "Whosoever shall say Thou fool, shall be in danger of hellfire."
Matthew 23:17 "Ye fools and blind." [Jesus is speaking in both cases]

Some Resurrection Contradictions:

Was the tomb open when the women arrived?
* Matthew: No (28:2)
* Mark: Yes (16:4)
* Luke: Yes (24:2)
* John: Yes (20:1)

Who was at the tomb when they arrived?
* Matthew: One angel (28:2-7)
* Mark: One young man (16:5)
* Luke: Two men (24:4)
* John: Two angels (20:12)

Where were these messengers situated?
* Matthew: Angel sitting on the stone (28:2)
* Mark: Young man sitting inside, on the right (16:5)
* Luke: Two men standing inside (24:4)
* John: Two angels sitting on each end of the bed (20:12)

What did the messenger(s) say?
* Matthew: "Fear not ye: for I know that ye seek Jesus, which was crucified. He is not here for he is risen, as he said. Come, see the place where the Lord lay. And go quickly, and tell his disciples that he is risen from the dead: and, behold, he goeth before you into Galilee; there shall ye see him: lo, I have told you." (28:5-7)
* Mark: "Be not afrighted: Ye seek Jesus of Nazareth, which was crucified: he is risen; he is not here: behold the place where they laid him. But go your way, tell his disciples and Peter that he goeth before you into Galilee: there shall ye see him, as he said unto you." (16:6-7)
* Luke: "Why seek ye the living among the dead? He is not here, but is risen: remember how he spake unto you when he was yet in Galilee, Saying, The Son of man must be delivered into the hands of sinful men, and be crucified, and the third day rise again." (24:5-7)
* John: "Woman, why weepest thou?" (20:13)

Did the women tell what happened?
* Matthew: Yes (28:8)
* Mark: No. "Neither said they any thing to any man." (16:8)
* Luke: Yes. "And they returned from the tomb and told all these things to the eleven, and to all the rest." (24:9, 22-24)
* John: Yes (20:18)

When did Mary first see Jesus?
* Matthew: Before she returned to the disciples (28:9)
* Mark: Before she returned to the disciples (16:9,10)
* John: After she returned to the disciples (20:2,14)

After the women, to whom did Jesus first appear?
* Matthew: Eleven disciples (28:16)
* Mark: Two disciples in the country, later to eleven (16:12,14)
* Luke: Two disciples in Emmaus, later to eleven (24:13,36)
* John: Ten disciples (Judas and Thomas were absent) (20:19, 24)
* Paul: First to Cephas (Peter), then to the twelve. (Twelve? Judas was dead). (I Corinthians 15:5)

Where did Jesus first appear to the disciples?
* Matthew: On a mountain in Galilee (60-100 miles away) (28:16-17)
* Mark: To two in the country, to eleven "as they sat at meat" (16:12,14)
* Luke: In Emmaus (seven miles away) at evening, to the rest in a room in Jerusalem later that night. (24:31, 36)
* John: In a room, at evening (20:19)

Did the disciples believe the two men?
* Mark 16:13 No
* Luke 24:34 Yes

Did Jesus stay on earth for a while?
* Mark: No (16:19) Compare 16:14 with John 20:19 to show that this was all done on Sunday
* Luke: No (24:50-52) It all happened on Sunday
* John: Yes, at least eight days (20:26, 21:1-22)
* Acts: Yes, at least forty days (1:3)

Where did the ascension take place?
* Matthew: No ascension. Book ends on mountain in Galilee
* Mark: In or near Jerusalem, after supper (16:19)
* Luke: In Bethany, very close to Jerusalem, after supper (24:50-51)
* John: No ascension
* Acts: Ascended from Mount of Olives (1:9-12)

New Mexico Bill Would Criminalize Abortions After Rape As 'Tampering With Evidence'

Why any sane person would continue to allow morally corrupted religious organizations to get into other's business?

A Republican lawmaker in New Mexico introduced a bill on Wednesday that would legally require victims of rape to carry their pregnancies to term in order to use the fetus as evidence for a sexual assault trial. [source]

Fortunately, the bill is unlikely to pass, as Democrats have a majority in both chambers of New Mexico's state legislature.

Catholic Hypocrisy

When objecting abortion, fetuses a few minutes old are still life. When admitting quilt for NOT saving fetuses, fetuses are just fetuses!

A Catholic hospital in Colorado has argued in court documents that it is not liable for the deaths of two 7-month-old fetuses because those fetuses are not people. [source]

Christian says children aren’t innocent so raping them isn’t so bad

I know NOT every Christian would be so immoral, but when you outsource your moral reasoning, things can really get very bad...



and some very bad comments from "religious leader"...

William Lane Craig and Relativity

William Lane Craig should go down in history as the most stupid individual mankind has ever produced...