ABC Atheist debate update!

May 3rd, 2007 • 3 comments atheism, christianity, debate, tv

Remember my post a few days ago about the death match between Atheists and Christians? Well, I just got word about the debate between the blasphemychallenge.com guys and Ray Comfort and Kirk Cameron. Here’s the official word from Mark Spence:

Thank you for requesting more information about the Atheist Debate
between “The Way of the Master ” co-hosts Kirk Cameron & Ray Comfort and
the www.blasphemychallenge.com founders/representatives.

ABC just confirmed that the debate is going to be at Calvary Baptist
Church in New York City on Saturday, May 5, 2007 @ 7:30pm (EST).

The full debate will air on www.abcnews.com on Wednesday, May 9, 2007 @
2:00pm (EST).
The Nightline piece will air that same night at 11:35 p.m. (your local
time)

For more information please go to:
http://abcnews.go.com/Nightline/story?id=3130360&page=1

Most Commonly asked questions:
1. Is it open to the public? No. ABC was very strict about this.
Sorry, no exceptions.
2. How does one get a Media Pass? Contact Andr...@abc.com
3. Is it ok to show up outside the church to support? Yes.

**Please note the preceding information may change without notice by
ABC.

Woohoo!! Now I know when to set my DVR to record. I can imagine that abcnews.com will be getting a bit more traffic than normal on Wednesday.

PBS to air three part documentary about Atheism

May 2nd, 2007 • 1 comment atheism, christianity, education, tv

My girlfriend linked me to an article about PBS airing a three-part Atheist documentary that’s being lambasted by America’s right wing. This is no surprise considering the documentary was very well received in England, whose non-theistic population is growing by the year. While not specifically an Atheist myself, I’m looking forward to this documentary produced by the BBC.

You can read the article for specifics so I don’t have to duplicate something I’ve already linked to. But I do love the following quote from some crazy fundie:

Janice Crouse, director of the Beverly LaHaye Institute for the conservative group Concerned Women for America, told Cybercast News Service that “airing the program gives credibility and cohesiveness to individuals who seek to undermine the beliefs and values on which democracy and the American dream are founded.”

Democracy is founded on monotheism and subserviency? I thought its foundation was laid in a polytheistic society that promoted social discussion and interaction versus that of bowing down to a sole leader, looking to them for all the answers. Man, I guess history has it all wrong! The “rule of the people, by the people” was really envisioned as “rule of the people, by a person”. I like the fact that this short documentary is “propaganistic” according to Crouse yet the numerous Christian-based television stations and radio shows aren’t even though they get to preach shove their views into your face without anyone saying a word.

Set your DVRs — or VCRs if you’re still using one — to record according to your local PBS schedule.

Christians set to prove existence of God on national TV

April 30th, 2007 • 3 comments atheism, christianity, debate

Last week, Hemant got word that the guys from the banana video would be pitted against two Atheists for a live death match on ABC. Well, I wish it was a death match but instead it’s just a vocal debate.

Well, Digg finally caught up with the rest of the world and someone posted this. I’ve been planning to watch the online simulcast of the debate which should prove to be interesting from the Christian side for sure, I’m going to relish the insane things they say. I love this quota from Ray Comfort:

The Christian writer also noted that there is a genuine attack against Christian beliefs, more than other religions.

Gee, now why would that be? It might not be because Christian fundies make it their life-long goal to attack, demean, belittle, and otherwise hate upon those of other religions would it? It wouldn’t be because they make it an endeavour to convert people of other religions to Christianity by vehemently attacking the people’s original religion would it?

I foresee the end of this debate with the Atheists laughing and Comfort and Cameron hanging their heads in shame.

Mojoey sure went through hell for Hemant’s book

April 29th, 2007 • atheism, chatter, intolerance

Hemant‘s book I Sold My Soul on eBay was released recently and generally, reviews are positive. However, his eye was caught — as was mine — by Mojoey’s interesting day at the airport while in possession of Hemant’s book. Hemant gleefully outlines the rather bizarre day Mojoey recounts.

Funny what happens to a guy with an Atheist book but people keep quiet (believe me) when you walk around with books emblazoned with the words “The Devil”, “Satan”, “Lucifer”, or “occult”. I do get the occasional odd stare but no one ever outright asks “Are you a Satanist?” so I could come up with some witty retort. It makes me wonder why people are seemingly more afraid of those who outright state “there is no God” than people who seek to destroy that God and their religion completely. Maybe the “great” Satanism scare of the 1980s was too much for the masses?

Carnival of the Godless #63

April 2nd, 2007 • atheism, blog, carnival

It’s finally up! I didn’t get in this time but hopefully, soon I will. Go have a good read of the delightful new CotG at Abstract Nonsense.

It’s a great read for this week as well.

Book Reclassification Day

March 23rd, 2007 • atheism

What is Book Reclassification Day? It’s Dan Harlow’s idea of a way to get back at book stores for improperly shelving and categorizing books. Lots of people like the idea, lots of people do not. People are split on what to do mainly because reshelving would mean extra work for already tired employees but people want to do it because it may make the stores rethink their ways of shelving and categorization. Personally, I think the idea is not the greatest because I know people that work in book stores and that shelve books and the last they willingly want to do is move a whole mess of books from one section to another because someone is trying to passive-aggresively make a statement.

But why did this entire idea of a new “day” come about? Well, Saint Gasoline made a hilarious comic about it and Dan ran with the idea. While not an Atheist in any sense of the word (I am a strict Gnostic Luciferian minus that magick mumbo-jumbo), I do support what Dan is trying to do 100%. He wants book stores to reshelve or reclassify books based on or about Intelligent Design moved from the science section to either the religion or faith section because Intelligent Design is nothing more than faith-based pseudo-science (meaning Christian fundies and other Christianists). Some books on ID are written by scientists but does this make them science section worthy? Many Christians will vehemently argue that Richard Dawkins‘ books such as The God Delusion are as much based on science as Intelligent Design is and would love nothing more for them to be removed from the sciences sections. Better yet, they’d probably want them tossed out and burned.

So what’s my real take on this? After a day or so of commenting and discussion between myself, Dan, and a number of other commentors, Book Reclassification Day went from moving books (and pissing people off) to simply turning them upside down, leaving notes regarding the books’ falsehood, making hip little signs to alert passers-by that books on ID are not science worthy and so on. Not only will I stand by this far more than I will moving books, I will probably participate myself. However, my true stance is that instead of taking guerilla actions such as these, I find it would be far more beneficial and effective to write the book stores and complain over and over about the poor classification of such books and demand they rethink their shelving strategies. I know that shelving positioning and determination are almost entirely based on popular demand, e.g. groupthink, but seriously I don’t see why an extra section or two cannot be created to shelve books more appropriately.

If this ever works, I’ll start writing so I can get the damned books on Satanism removed from the atrocious “New Age” section and properly placed in the “Religion” section where they truly do belong.