:: GussetBLOG ::

:: Tuesday, January 05, 2010 ::

Atheist Ireland

In support of our athiest friends in Irland I am republishing the following in full from http://blasphemy.ie/2010/01/01/atheist-ireland-publishes-25-blasphemous-quotes/

From today, 1 January 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law becomes operational, and we begin our campaign to have it repealed. Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine. The new law defines blasphemy as publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion, with some defences permitted.

This new law is both silly and dangerous. It is silly because medieval religious laws have no place in a modern secular republic, where the criminal law should protect people and not ideas. And it is dangerous because it incentives religious outrage, and because Islamic States led by Pakistan are already using the wording of this Irish law to promote new blasphemy laws at UN level.

We believe in the golden rule: that we have a right to be treated justly, and that we have a responsibility to treat other people justly. Blasphemy laws are unjust: they silence people in order to protect ideas. In a civilised society, people have a right to to express and to hear ideas about religion even if other people find those ideas to be outrageous.

Publication of 25 blasphemous quotes

In this context we now publish a list of 25 blasphemous quotes, which have previously been published by or uttered by or attributed to Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, James Kirkup, Monty Python, Rev Ian Paisley, Conor Cruise O’Brien, Frank Zappa, Salman Rushdie, Bjork, Amanda Donohoe, George Carlin, Paul Woodfull, Jerry Springer the Opera, Tim Minchin, Richard Dawkins, Pope Benedict XVI, Christopher Hitchens, PZ Myers, Ian O’Doherty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Dermot Ahern.

Despite these quotes being abusive and insulting in relation to matters held sacred by various religions, we unreservedly support the right of these people to have published or uttered them, and we unreservedly support the right of any Irish citizen to make comparable statements about matters held sacred by any religion without fear of being criminalised, and without having to prove to a court that a reasonable person would find any particular value in the statement.

Campaign begins to repeal the Irish blasphemy law

We ask Fianna Fail and the Green Party to repeal their anachronistic blasphemy law, as part of the revision of the Defamation Act that is included within the Act. We ask them to hold a referendum to remove the reference to blasphemy from the Irish Constitution.

We also ask all TDs and Senators to support a referendum to remove references to God from the Irish Constitution, including the clauses that prevent atheists from being appointed as President of Ireland or as a Judge without swearing a religious oath asking God to direct them in their work.

If you run a website, blog or other media publication, please feel free to republish this statement and the list of quotes yourself, in order to show your support for the campaign to repeal the Irish blasphemy law and to promote a rational, ethical, secular Ireland.

List of 25 Blasphemous Quotes Published by Atheist Ireland

1. Jesus Christ, when asked if he was the son of God, in Matthew 26:64: “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” According to the Christian Bible, the Jewish chief priests and elders and council deemed this statement by Jesus to be blasphemous, and they sentenced Jesus to death for saying it.

2. Jesus Christ, talking to Jews about their God, in John 8:44: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.” This is one of several chapters in the Christian Bible that can give a scriptural foundation to Christian anti-Semitism. The first part of John 8, the story of “whoever is without sin cast the first stone”, was not in the original version, but was added centuries later. The original John 8 is a debate between Jesus and some Jews. In brief, Jesus calls the Jews who disbelieve him sons of the Devil, the Jews try to stone him, and Jesus runs away and hides.

3. Muhammad, quoted in Hadith of Bukhari, Vol 1 Book 8 Hadith 427: “May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of their prophets.” This quote is attributed to Muhammad on his death-bed as a warning to Muslims not to copy this practice of the Jews and Christians. It is one of several passages in the Koran and in Hadith that can give a scriptural foundation to Islamic anti-Semitism, including the assertion in Sura 5:60 that Allah cursed Jews and turned some of them into apes and swine.

4. Mark Twain, describing the Christian Bible in Letters from the Earth, 1909: “Also it has another name – The Word of God. For the Christian thinks every word of it was dictated by God. It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies… But you notice that when the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, adored Father of Man, goes to war, there is no limit. He is totally without mercy – he, who is called the Fountain of Mercy. He slays, slays, slays! All the men, all the beasts, all the boys, all the babies; also all the women and all the girls, except those that have not been deflowered. He makes no distinction between innocent and guilty… What the insane Father required was blood and misery; he was indifferent as to who furnished it.” Twain’s book was published posthumously in 1939. His daughter, Clara Clemens, at first objected to it being published, but later changed her mind in 1960 when she believed that public opinion had grown more tolerant of the expression of such ideas. That was half a century before Fianna Fail and the Green Party imposed a new blasphemy law on the people of Ireland.

5. Tom Lehrer, The Vatican Rag, 1963: “Get in line in that processional, step into that small confessional. There, the guy who’s got religion’ll tell you if your sin’s original. If it is, try playing it safer, drink the wine and chew the wafer. Two, four, six, eight, time to transubstantiate!”

6. Randy Newman, God’s Song, 1972: “And the Lord said: I burn down your cities – how blind you must be. I take from you your children, and you say how blessed are we. You all must be crazy to put your faith in me. That’s why I love mankind.”

7. James Kirkup, The Love That Dares to Speak its Name, 1976: “While they prepared the tomb I kept guard over him. His mother and the Magdalen had gone to fetch clean linen to shroud his nakedness. I was alone with him… I laid my lips around the tip of that great cock, the instrument of our salvation, our eternal joy. The shaft, still throbbed, anointed with death’s final ejaculation.” This extract is from a poem that led to the last successful blasphemy prosecution in Britain, when Denis Lemon was given a suspended prison sentence after he published it in the now-defunct magazine Gay News. In 2002, a public reading of the poem, on the steps of St. Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square, failed to lead to any prosecution. In 2008, the British Parliament abolished the common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel.

8. Matthias, son of Deuteronomy of Gath, in Monty Python’s Life of Brian, 1979: “Look, I had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was that piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.”

9. Rev Ian Paisley MEP to the Pope in the European Parliament, 1988: “I denounce you as the Antichrist.” Paisley’s website describes the Antichrist as being “a liar, the true son of the father of lies, the original liar from the beginning… he will imitate Christ, a diabolical imitation, Satan transformed into an angel of light, which will deceive the world.”

10. Conor Cruise O’Brien, 1989: “In the last century the Arab thinker Jamal al-Afghani wrote: ‘Every Muslim is sick and his only remedy is in the Koran.’ Unfortunately the sickness gets worse the more the remedy is taken.”

11. Frank Zappa, 1989: “If you want to get together in any exclusive situation and have people love you, fine – but to hang all this desperate sociology on the idea of The Cloud-Guy who has The Big Book, who knows if you’ve been bad or good – and cares about any of it – to hang it all on that, folks, is the chimpanzee part of the brain working.”

12. Salman Rushdie, 1990: “The idea of the sacred is quite simply one of the most conservative notions in any culture, because it seeks to turn other ideas – uncertainty, progress, change – into crimes.” In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie because of blasphemous passages in Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses.

13. Bjork, 1995: “I do not believe in religion, but if I had to choose one it would be Buddhism. It seems more livable, closer to men… I’ve been reading about reincarnation, and the Buddhists say we come back as animals and they refer to them as lesser beings. Well, animals aren’t lesser beings, they’re just like us. So I say fuck the Buddhists.”

14. Amanda Donohoe on her role in the Ken Russell movie Lair of the White Worm, 1995: “Spitting on Christ was a great deal of fun. I can’t embrace a male god who has persecuted female sexuality throughout the ages, and that persecution still goes on today all over the world.”

15. George Carlin, 1999: “Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there’s an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever ’til the end of time! But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He’s all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can’t handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, talk about a good bullshit story. Holy Shit!”

16. Paul Woodfull as Ding Dong Denny O’Reilly, The Ballad of Jaysus Christ, 2000: “He said me ma’s a virgin and sure no one disagreed, Cause they knew a lad who walks on water’s handy with his feet… Jaysus oh Jaysus, as cool as bleedin’ ice, With all the scrubbers in Israel he could not be enticed, Jaysus oh Jaysus, it’s funny you never rode, Cause it’s you I do be shoutin’ for each time I shoot me load.”

17. Jesus Christ, in Jerry Springer The Opera, 2003: “Actually, I’m a bit gay.” In 2005, the Christian Institute tried to bring a prosecution against the BBC for screening Jerry Springer the Opera, but the UK courts refused to issue a summons.

18. Tim Minchin, Ten-foot Cock and a Few Hundred Virgins, 2005: “So you’re gonna live in paradise, With a ten-foot cock and a few hundred virgins, So you’re gonna sacrifice your life, For a shot at the greener grass, And when the Lord comes down with his shiny rod of judgment, He’s gonna kick my heathen ass.”

19. Richard Dawkins in The God Delusion, 2006: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” In 2007 Turkish publisher Erol Karaaslan was charged with the crime of insulting believers for publishing a Turkish translation of The God Delusion. He was acquitted in 2008, but another charge was brought in 2009. Karaaslan told the court that “it is a right to criticise religions and beliefs as part of the freedom of thought and expression.”

20. Pope Benedict XVI quoting a 14th century Byzantine emperor, 2006: “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” This statement has already led to both outrage and condemnation of the outrage. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the world’s largest Muslim body, said it was a “character assassination of the prophet Muhammad”. The Malaysian Prime Minister said that “the Pope must not take lightly the spread of outrage that has been created.” Pakistan’s foreign Ministry spokesperson said that “anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence”. The European Commission said that “reactions which are disproportionate and which are tantamount to rejecting freedom of speech are unacceptable.”

21. Christopher Hitchens in God is not Great, 2007: “There is some question as to whether Islam is a separate religion at all… Islam when examined is not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms, helping itself from earlier books and traditions as occasion appeared to require… It makes immense claims for itself, invokes prostrate submission or ‘surrender’ as a maxim to its adherents, and demands deference and respect from nonbelievers into the bargain. There is nothing-absolutely nothing-in its teachings that can even begin to justify such arrogance and presumption.”

22. PZ Myers, on the Roman Catholic communion host, 2008: “You would not believe how many people are writing to me, insisting that these horrible little crackers (they look like flattened bits of styrofoam) are literally pieces of their god, and that this omnipotent being who created the universe can actually be seriously harmed by some third-rate liberal intellectual at a third-rate university… However, inspired by an old woodcut of Jews stabbing the host, I thought of a simple, quick thing to do: I pierced it with a rusty nail (I hope Jesus’s tetanus shots are up to date). And then I simply threw it in the trash, followed by the classic, decorative items of trash cans everywhere, old coffeegrounds and a banana peel.”

23. Ian O’Doherty, 2009: “(If defamation of religion was illegal) it would be a crime for me to say that the notion of transubstantiation is so ridiculous that even a small child should be able to see the insanity and utter physical impossibility of a piece of bread and some wine somehow taking on corporeal form. It would be a crime for me to say that Islam is a backward desert superstition that has no place in modern, enlightened Europe and it would be a crime to point out that Jewish settlers in Israel who believe they have a God given right to take the land are, frankly, mad. All the above assertions will, no doubt, offend someone or other.”

24. Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor, 2009: “Whether a person is atheist or any other, there is in fact in my view something not totally human if they leave out the transcendent… we call it God… I think that if you leave that out you are not fully human.” Because atheism is not a religion, the Irish blasphemy law does not protect atheists from abusive and insulting statements about their fundamental beliefs. While atheists are not seeking such protection, we include the statement here to point out that it is discriminatory that this law does not hold all citizens equal.

25. Dermot Ahern, Irish Minister for Justice, introducing his blasphemy law at an Oireachtas Justice Committee meeting, 2009, and referring to comments made about him personally: “They are blasphemous.” Deputy Pat Rabbitte replied: “Given the Minister’s self-image, it could very well be that we are blaspheming,” and Minister Ahern replied: “Deputy Rabbitte says that I am close to the baby Jesus, I am so pure.” So here we have an Irish Justice Minister joking about himself being blasphemed, at a parliamentary Justice Committee discussing his own blasphemy law, that could make his own jokes illegal.

Finally, as a bonus, Micheal Martin, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, opposing attempts by Islamic States to make defamation of religion a crime at UN level, 2009: “We believe that the concept of defamation of religion is not consistent with the promotion and protection of human rights. It can be used to justify arbitrary limitations on, or the denial of, freedom of expression. Indeed, Ireland considers that freedom of expression is a key and inherent element in the manifestation of freedom of thought and conscience and as such is complementary to freedom of religion or belief.” Just months after Minister Martin made this comment, his colleague Dermot Ahern introduced Ireland’s new blasphemy law.

Labels: Atheism, Law, Religion

:: Dan 5.1.10 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"Overzealous mentally-unstable worshipper" attacks Pope at Midnight Mass:

Labels: News, Religion

:: Dan 25.12.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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THE IMPACT OF ENGLISH LIBEL LAW ON FREEDOM OF EXPRESSION
A REPORT BY INDEX ON CENSORSHIP & ENGLISH PEN
9 OCTOBER 2009

BHA on BBC Consultation
"We want an end to the privileged status and position of religions and religious broadcasting by the BBC, and for some programmes about humanism or from a humanist perspective to be broadcast. In spite of legislation making clear that religions and beliefs, including non-religious beliefs such as Humanism, should be treated equally in terms of broadcasting, the BBC continues to resist doing so.
We want the BBC to fulfil its obligations and include Humanist programmes in its broadcasting!"

Radio 4 Front Row from Tues, available to stream for a week
"Lord Mandelson recently announced the government's plans for tackling illegal file sharing online. Under new measures, repeat offenders who ignore warning letters could have their internet connection removed. High-profile figures including Lily Allen and Radiohead's Ed O'Brien have been weighing into the debate over what approach the government and music industry should take to tackle the problem. Minister for Digital Britain Stephen Timms, CEO of UK Music Feargal Sharkey and Cory Doctorow, the journalist and supporter of copyright liberalisation, discuss the issues surrounding the file sharing debate."
Plus a report on Health & Safety vs cartoon violence.

Labels: Animation, Humanism, News, P2P, Politics, Religion, science

:: Dan 11.11.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. But when the Rapture comes what's to become of your loving pets who are left behind? Eternal Earth-Bound Pets takes that burden off your mind.

"We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. Each
Eternal Earth-Bound Pet representative is a confirmed atheist, and as such will still be here on Earth after you've received your reward. Our network of animal activists are committed to step in when you step up to Jesus."

[thanks Vil]

Labels: Atheism, Pets, Religion

:: Dan 13.9.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Things I didn't find time to write about this week:

Flow-based organizations can grow an archive with microblogging

Blasphemy laws in the 21st century

Plan to use jumping lice in battle against Japanese knotweed

The H-Word
Or, How I Learned to Stop Worrying and Love the Word "Hipster"
by Chas Bowie
[via null device]

Pigeons in aerial photography

Fiorucci Made Me Hardcore: The definitive view of British nightlife
"the best days of your lives will be wiped away by a change in fashion"

Fine Waters: Comprehensive Resource of Bottled Water of the World
Etiquette for Drinking Temperature:
"Serving all waters at the same temperature, let’s say 55 degrees Fahrenheit, will nicely show their differences. A slight increase in temperature will have a calming effect on waters with larger, louder bubbles. In general, the colder the water, the more focused it will be.Water can be served at almost any temperature, but knowing how to manipulate temperature will allow you to better pair the waters with food and establish a true epicurean dialogue."
Or you could serve it ice cold and some people like to serve it at 100 degrees C with an infusion of leaves.
[thanks Jules]

Labels: Ecology, Environment, Fashion, Music, Photography, Religion, Water, Wildlife

:: Dan 8.8.09 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Heya! It's been some time. I know I may have thrown you the odd scrap of music now and again but that old spark, it just hasn't been there lately has it. I know you have other places to hang out. I hope you understand what a death in the family has done here. But it's great to meet up again, have a drink, chew that fat, catch up on what we would have been chatting shit about if other events hadn't conspired against us.

Did I tell you I attended the BLDGBLOG book launch last week?

[v.o.g.: You mentioned you were going]

Ah, well, I did. And not only did I get a great book out of it, not only did I meet with and chat with Geoff Manaugh, whose a really inspiring guy, not only is there a photo floating around flickr of me sat at the same table as Warren Ellis (I didn't realise that at the time, I was distracted by the woman with him), but I've also come away with some blog based inspiration.

In the introduction to the book Geoff explains that when he started BLDGBLOG he decided that he wasn't going to pour concerns and negativity into it, it would just be for stuff that interested him. Things that made him think, gave him ideas, starting points for flights of fancy. I like that philosophy. I may try to take it on to some degree.


[source here via here]

So what else has caught my fancy?


Shots taken on Czechoslovakia - East border of the eastern German state security (Stasi)
[via www.ustrcr.cz]
Found in the Vice Magazine photography special, which is out now.

Its good to know that The American President is an Ass Man, Apparently

"But seriously, is this not one of the best presidential photographs of all-time? Even Sarkozy looks like he's sneaking a peek, though he's French, so we expect him to do it. However, in Obama's defense, that is a great ass!"

"Solicitors for the National Portrait Gallery are apparently threatening legal action against a US Wikipedia user for downloading 3,300 digital photographs of paintings in the UK museum's collection, and then uploading them to Wikipedia."
[via clayton cubitt]

Cauty - Julie Andrews tip in the Nude magazine sale


Codex Sinaiticus - Home The ‘Draft for Comment’ version of the Bible

Rumours of a Dr Who film

There, I Fixed It

6 Intriguingly Shaped Communities As Seen On Google Maps

My Pinhole camera experiments


"Patti Smith is one of the most anticipated gigs of the week, and the audience the most vocal. … joined by SMZ leader Efrim Menuck on drums and Portishead’s Adrian Utley, who attacks a guitar with a paintbrush to spooky effect."
Festival review: Ornette Coleman’s Meltdown, Southbank Centre, London SE1 | Music | The Observer
I mentioned this to Leafcutter John, wondering if he was aware Ade was at the Polar Bear gig where John had used the same paintbrush trick a few months back. His response was a spirited "Ah, but did he do it better?"

Stylophone Beatbox

Pre-order here

Open Source TIC - ePetition response | Number10.gov.uk
"The Government supports the principle that, where new software is being developed by the Timely Information to Citizens pilots, this should wherever possible be released under open source licence and available for use by other local authorities. ... Where the pilots will result in new software tools, ownership and intellectual property rights will usually remain with the individual local authorities"
Is this not a contradiction?

‘Ghost village’ to be demolished

"A village built in Argyll to meet the demands of the UK oil boom of the 1970s but abandoned without ever being occupied is set for a new role." [video link]

Stuff you've missed on the tumblr
* a whole bunch of new photographers discoveries
* shoes by architects
* a bunch of LEGO stuff inc jewellery, USB sticks and giant Star Wars models
* London Underground Map print dress
* Geek guide to shoe lacing
* The Battleships drinking game

I've also just discovered that Blogger is limited to 20 tags per post.

So what have you been up to? How are things?

Labels: Art, blogs, Copyright, Electronic Music, Flickr, FOSS, History, Instruments, IP, Law, Literature, Maps, Music, Petitions, Photography, Politics, Privacy, Religion, Sci-Fi, Wiki

:: Dan 14.7.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Pope tells Africa 'condoms wrong'...and eats babies. Or something.



Atheists call for 'debaptism'



National Secular Society - Debaptise Yourself!

What next, jews and skin grafts?

Labels: Atheism, News, Religion

:: Dan 18.3.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Null Device on The siege of the UN Human Rights Council:

"Sinister things are afoot at the United Nations, with an alliance of countries moving to change the UN Human Rights Council's mission to one prohibiting the criticism of religion. The alliance is comprised mostly of Islamic countries, though China, Russia and Cuba are notable by their presence. (It can only be presumed that they are doing this out of the principle of supporting repression wherever it rears its head.) I heard that the Vatican may also be involved, though this is unconfirmed.

"For what it's worth, if you live in the UK, you can petition the Prime Minister to oppose this; if enough people do so, maybe, just maybe, he will."

Labels: Amnesty, Freedom, Humanism, Religion

:: Dan 18.3.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Best protest sign. Ever. Cthulhu Hates Chordates.




This was from a counter protest to the utterly barmy Westboro Baptist Church's 'God Hates Fags' protests.

[via 606]

Don't forget, God also hates Figs.



[via grom]

Labels: gay, protest, Religion

:: Dan 13.3.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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The God Botherers Strike Back. And there's no probably about it.



Let there be adverts: Christians hit back at the atheist bus

Labels: Atheism, News, Religion

:: Dan 10.3.09 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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12 Days 2008 - Turkey Sacrifice
Originally uploaded by gusset.

Click through and read the comments.

Labels: Flickr, Food, Photography, Politics, Religion

:: Dan 25.12.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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2 new Acroplane releases this week


ACP037: Startslow - The Lost And The Stolen

Our 2nd EP from Gus Startslow. Dubstep, Breakcore, Electronica, Techno, Jazzyness and a clean ton of bass! Mad skills! Some really excellent vocalists involved with this one too.

ACP036: Automatic Tasty - Tweeter's Mid Life Crisis

This next instalment from our beleaguered pal, the Automatic Tasty, is a seven track EP documenting the recent hardships that have befallen this relic. Our knackered mate is currently spending his days eating packets of sugar under a bridge, a fitting end, really. Having taken an unflinching, top down look at the sidelines, rather than quite reading things as they appear, he has come to terms with the undeniable, & awful, situation at hand, & intends now, to act accordingly. Presented w/pleasure...

Grab both EPs for free from www.acroplane.org

New Humanist Advent Podcasts
'For each day of Advent, a special guest says which scientist or philosopher they think deserves celebration during the festive season'
[via Dave Gorman]

DJ Spazmo - An Experiment with Fireworks


MRK1 says:
'heres a Christmas mix i did for you all to d/l! get involved!!'
[tracklist in comments]
also
Virus Syndicate - For the Music (OUT NOW!!!!!!!!) - Contagious
get it!!!

Forensics says:
Reload Radio Set [mediafire link]
direct link
Recorded for the 'Helsinki Subconscious' show....
[tracklist in comments]

Labels: Humour, MP3, Religion

:: Dan 19.12.08 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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And other Kitschmas stocking fillers.
[thanks vilas]

Labels: Humour, Religion

:: Dan 9.12.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"A RANGE of Lego-style fighting figures — including an al-Qaeda terrorist — has been slammed by religious leaders."



Added to my Christmas list!

Labels: Lego, News, Politics, Religion

:: Dan 4.12.08 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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How is the recent increase in piracy going to affect global temperature?


Piracy Map 1
Originally uploaded by bldgblog.


The link is proven by the Church of Flying Spaghetti Monster:



Are all these new pirates followers of His Noodly Appendage?

Labels: Atheism, Environment, Humour, Maps, News, Pirates, Religion

:: Dan 24.11.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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There is probably NO GOD, so stop worrying and enjoy your life
Atheist Bus Merchandise available now

Labels: Atheism, Fashion, Humour, Religion

:: Dan 12.11.08 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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I saw a trailer on Channel 4 last night for the show Make Me a Christian. I found the idea of this repugnant. OK, so it may be fairly well balanced and may turn out to show the pros and cons of Christianity equally. But to be truly fair, shouldn't they be running Make Me An Atheist along side it?

The argument that you shouldn't take belief away from people, only give it to them, is weak. There are alternatives and people should be told what they are. For example, it should be explained that the morals we collectively live by are not necessarily of biblical origin, as religious people assume they are. People should be given the information and allowed to think for themselves.

Maybe a strand in the format of How to Look Good Naked could be replaced by How to Think for Yourself? It doesn't need to present any conclusions, it just has to present the evidence that one side of the argument would prefer you didn't see and give the other side a chance to respond. I wouldn't expect it to change society in any way, but it should be done nonetheless.

Labels: Media, Religion, TV

:: Dan 6.8.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"Ingrid Betancourt, freed from captivity and humiliation in the jungles of Colombia, returns to her beloved France and a hero's welcome Friday in the gilded halls of the presidential palace. ... [she] was freed Wednesday in a daring Colombian operation involving military spies who tricked FARC rebels into handing over Betancourt and 14 other hostages without firing a shot."

"[she] described their ecstasy with unforgettable vividness. 'The helicopter almost fell. We started jumping, we screamed, we cried, we hugged - we couldn't believe it. God carried out this miracle.'"

No he didn't. Fuck God.
Try thanking your rescuers.
Ungrateful bitch.

Um, apart from that this is a good thing, obviously.

Labels: Amnesty, News, Politics, Religion

:: Dan 4.7.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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George Carlin: Seven words that shook a nation

Read George Carlin's books for comedic brilliance

Labels: Comedy, Religion, RIP

:: Dan 24.6.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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'A psychology researcher has controversially claimed that stupidity is causally linked to how likely people are to believe in God. ...

That professional skeptics don't believe in a creator is perhaps not all that surprising. [University of Ulster professor Richard] Lynn argues, however, that it is their intelligence that directly gives rise to the boffinated classes' non-God-bothering tendencies. He said: "Why should fewer academics believe in God than the general population? I believe it is simply a matter of the IQ. Academics have higher IQs than the general population."

Lynn pointed out that most children do believe in God, but as their intelligence develops they tend to have doubts or reject religion. Similarly, as average IQ in Western societies increased through the 20th century, so did rates of atheism, he said.'

Labels: News, Religion, science

:: Dan 16.6.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Atheists in the US are arguing amongst themselves about whether we/they need buildings that can fulfil the social function of a church in a community but without the religious baggage [Church of no God, via null.devivce].

It's something I've thought about before, especially as I work on a lot of developments where a church will plough money into a community centre that no-one else would be willing to stump up for. But then I think about what social functions would be performed in a building if you stripped out the religious requirements. What you a re left with is a multi-purpose social meeting space. Somewhere where people can meet to chat, probably with a small stage for performances. Something open to everyone, regardless of faith.

Then I realised we have it already, it's called a pub (although non-alcohol drinking faiths may take issue with this). It's basically something any well equipped pubic house can provide. As long as it's somewhere that provides enough in the way of variety of products, from tea, coffee and cakes during the day, to relaxed social drinking in the evening, and has a family friendly policy, I think it could cover all bases. Even a well equipped café could do the same. I suppose the key difference is that you would most likely be expected to purchase something when you were there, which churches sort of don't do. Sort of.

Update:
Thanks to abscond for the comment. You're right, a squat also fulfils all of these functions and avoids the consumerist problem. Although as a general rule they are not included in new developments. But I take your point, I can almost hear Naomi Klein screaming at my proposal to further reduce public space and replace it with a commercial alternative. So I’m changing my mind and proposing that all new residential development areas have a purpose built squat included. It is, unfortunately, a flight of fancy of the likes usually confined to bldgblog, but it’s an alternative to the Church of no God proposal.

Labels: architecture, Religion

:: Dan 28.5.08 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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The City of London Police are prosecuting a teenager for calling the Church of Scientology a "cult" during a demonstration

I've been umming and ahhing about whether to post this story. It is ridiculous and an insane erosion of the right to protest obviously, but Scientology is such an easy target I can't get myself worked up about the campaign against it. So lets start with the facts. Scientology was started for a bet. Its mere existence, and the fact that any idiot follows it at all, demonstrates the ease of forming a religion and the gullibility of people to accept what they are told without asking questions. The question I ask every time I hear something about Scientology is, 'Why do people take religion seriously, what evidence is there to accept what any of them say?'

As null device links, Charlie Stross of antipope steps in here:

The difference between a "cult" like Scientology and a "respectable" religion such as Christianity is not in the plausibility of their beliefs. ... IMHO, religions and their believers should be judged on their actions, rather than on the respectability of their particular brand of mythology. (As Voltaire wrote, there is nothing more respectable than an ancient evil.) And religions shouldn't be automatically entitled to be handled with kid gloves and reverential deference, or, indeed, to impose restrictions on those who do not adhere to them (such as the proposed bans on embryo research), just because their organisations are founded on supernatural or unprovable beliefs.

Labels: News, Politics, Religion

:: Dan 25.5.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Einstein letter shows disdain for religion 'Albert Einstein regarded religions as "childish" and "primitive legends", a private letter he wrote a year before his death has revealed.' - Glad that's cleared up. I'm sick of religious people telling me Einstein believed in God.

Vatican says aliens could exist and may be free from sin! Only decades rather than centuries late to the band wagon now.

Sweet Dreams Security
"An outfit named Sweet Dreams Security is making designed objects for a more paranoid age; from spiked railings, barbed wire and CCTV camera covers in the shape of cute animals to heart-shaped chains and (perhaps more practically) lace curtains shaped like anti-burglar grilles."
[via null device]

"Over the last 50 years, Syd Mead has created startling pictures for clients all over the world. His technique infuses finished scenarios with a vivid reality, allowing the viewer to gain a look into many visions of future worlds. He has designed and illustrated for corporations, motion pictures, themed entertainment, and a wide range of transportation projects. Syd's combination of recognition and creative imagination has graced scores of films, books, and other exhibits. His film work includes Star Trek: The Motion Picture, Blade Runner, Tron, 2010, Aliens, Short Circuit and other films."
[via Jen]

Labels: News, Politics, Religion

:: Dan 16.5.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Jesus Could Have Walked on Ice

Rare conditions could have conspired to create hard-to-see ice on the Sea of Galilee that a person could have walked on back when Jesus is said to have walked on water, a scientist said today.

The study, which examines a combination of favorable water and environmental conditions, proposes that Jesus could have walked on an isolated patch of floating ice on what is now known as Lake Kinneret in northern Israel.

Looking at temperature records of the Mediterranean Sea surface and using analytical ice and statistical models, scientists considered a small section of the cold freshwater surface of the lake.

The results suggest temperatures dropped to [-4 degrees C] during one of the two cold periods 2,500 –1,500 years ago for up to two days, the same decades during which Jesus lived.

Labels: Environment, Literature, Religion, science

:: Dan 22.4.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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the GateWay
Originally uploaded by gusset.

Top: Sign for "the GateWay" – Alpha Course Centre, Yeovil. Font: Baker Signet
Bottom: Sign for "the GateWay" using an Albertus derivative font, as used in "The Village" in "The Prisoner"

Labels: Flickr, Fonts, Religion, Sci-Fi, Typography

:: Dan 11.4.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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Seven new deadly sins: are you guilty?

Fewer confessions and new sins

According to the (American) Catholic priest interviewed about this on BBC News 24 this evening (unfortunately the video isn't online) this shows how the Vatican is using reason. When did they ever worry about that?


[image source]

Labels: News, Religion

:: Dan 10.3.08 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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20 Tacky Religious Products Guaranteed to Anger God
[thanks rob]

Labels: Humour, Religion

:: Dan 21.2.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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'Cloak of silence' design is unveiled
Two independent teams of researchers have come up with a recipe for making special materials that could completely cloak an object from sound. Although the “acoustic metamaterials” have yet to be made, a third team is now trying to create a real cloak. These metamaterials promise to guide sound waves around an enshrouded object as if the object wasn’t there. As well as being used to conceal submarines from detection by sonar, such metamaterials could be used to improve the acoustics in concert halls.

Pope calls off university visit
The protests of nearly 70 scientists, including former CERN director general Luciano Maiani, have forced Pope Benedict XVI to cancel tomorrow’s visit to La Sapienza University in Rome. The scientists, who expressed their objections in a joint letter to the university’s rector earlier this week, deemed the visit would be “incongruous” with the Pope’s previous support of the persecution of Galileo in the 17th century.

Labels: Acoustics, Physics, Religion

:: Dan 18.1.08 [Arc] [1 comments] [links to this post] ::
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"I can sum it all up in three words: Evolution is a lie"

Source: 100 Greatest Quotes from fundamentalist Christian chat rooms

Labels: Humour, Religion

:: Dan 15.1.08 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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A business trust is looking at sites for a Christian showplace to challenge the theory of evolution

"The 5,000-capacity park will be the first of its kind in Britain, but not in the world. In Orlando, Florida, hundreds of thousands of visitors make pilgrimages to the Holy Land Experience, where they can see a bloodied Jesus forced to carry his cross by snarling Roman soldiers."


[source msnbc]

"By producing its own films, the trust believes it will be able to provide an antidote to modern culture. It says on its website: 'On television today there is so much sex and violence, it is no wonder our youth are binge drinking ... '"

I fail to see the logic there. And I'm not taking the quote out of context. (Unless the Observer have done that already, but I doubt they would need to.)

"'Evolution has falsely become the foundation of our society and we need the television studio to advocate Genesis across this land in order to remove this falsehood, which presently is destroying the church foundation.'

"The theme park's anti-evolution bias and its emphasis on Genesis has raised eyebrows among planning officials, according to Jones, who originally wanted to build the park at the site of an old B&Q store but was refused permission by the council.

"'Wigan council slammed the door in our faces. You mention the C [Christian] word, and people don't want to know,' Jones said."

Go Wigan!


[originally a b3ta image, sourced here, worth a read for a laugh]

Labels: News, Politics, Religion

:: Dan 17.12.07 [Arc] [0 comments] [links to this post] ::
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