Are Proselytizing Atheists Becoming Just Like The Religious Bigots They Condemn

I like Frank Shaeffer , the writer who grew up in the midst of the beginnings of the modern Christian evangelical movement who now rejects their fanatical and heavy handed methods. His new book, Patience with God: Faith for People Who Don’t Like Religion (or Atheism) gives us a look at the other side of the religious coin, so to speak. It claims that atheists often are not really that much different in their fanaticism when compared to the actual organized religious fundamentalist types they are vehemently condemning as lacking in reason or as stupid crackpots.

Shaeffer’s point is that no one really knows the truth. Because humans are incapable of knowing beyond any doubt what the truth is when it comes to the existence of god or non-existence of God. He thinks that both sides should start from a place of humility and open-mindedness when they claim that their truth is the only truth. Most often delivered with the added claim that any belief other then their own also renders one ignorant or stupid. Bill Maher, Christopher Hitchens and Richard Dawkins come to mind. I enjoy all three of these men’s ideas, but sometimes I think they take on a rather self righteous attitude and smugness when they argue in support of their atheist beliefs.

My personal experience is one of a person raised as a Catholic who fell away from that religion because of trouble with a number of its tenets. Later in life due to a personal crisis I began to look at spirituality in a different light. It lead me to a belief in god, but this time it was a god that was very personal and surprisingly actually worked in such a way as to revolutionize my perception of what it means to be human and alive. I would also argue that you needn't look to far to see the the destructive nature of dogma, and rigidness of any kind.

The important thing here is my experience of spirituality is extremely personal and what works for me may not necessarily work for you. Being an atheist may work for you after all. But it’s not my experience and I have no right really to dictate or claim or condemn you for what works for you. I guess what’s important is, does what you believe actually work to make your life better and happy and above all make you useful as a human being in concert with other human beings and nature.

I liked Shaeffer’s thinking because I’ve often noticed on a personal level the tendency of religious types to claim that there is only one way to salvation. He makes the point in his book that atheists are in fact claiming rather snobbishly the same thing by condemning and belittling those who believe in god. Who really knows? I guess the question is does what you believe or not believe work for you, and it’s really not anybody’s business to dictate to you what you should believe or condemn your beliefs, no matter what they are.

Here a video excerpt from a interview with Shaeffer from GRITtv about his new book.

Republican Anal Poisoned Mostly White Guys Shout Down Lie Exaggerate Mislead Obstruct In Final Attempt To Block Heath Care Reform Vote In House

Rush Limbaugh, in continuing fixation with his ass or getting penetrated from behind, said you can get anal poisoning if you support liberal ideas. If you can stomach the health care debate in the house you can watch the debate on CPAN live. Below is MSNBC Keith Olbermann segment on Republican strategy of doing nothing. from November 5th show.

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Unfolding Blowback Shooting Incident At Fort Hood Shouldn't Be Really Surprising

Whether it's a soldier(s) with PTSD, right wing military trained fanatics who snapped or a latent terrorist attack from al Queda going on at this US Army base in Texas it's the type of blow-back you should expect when you meddle in the affairs, politics and kill people of other nations without real justification. The unfortunate thing about it is that soldiers are both the pawns and casualties, along with their families, of this type of government policy.

Prima-Donna Progressives With Hurt Feelings Decide Not To Vote

Continuing a pre Obama trend…… Or have we not learned anything? For example here in Washington State liberal laziness has most likely placed Referendum 71 in a closer then needed race for approval.

Daily Kos Markos Moulitsas complains that the progressive base didn’t turn out yesterday to vote in large numbers, while the Republican base did, because our feelings were hurt over a perceived lack of progress on major issues we cared about when we all voted in large numbers for Obama in last year's election. If true it really shows that progressives have a perception problem an a very unrealistic view of what is required to bring about major political chance in this country over the long haul, plus their just plain lazy. But, of course if Kos or Huffington Post says it's true then it must be. Every lefty blogger I'm sure will pick up on this shortsighted narrative like the sheep that the conservatives often claims we are.

After all the work of the last few years required in electing a Democratic President I for one have had it with much of the negative bitching and sniping from the left. You’d think nothing has been accomplished. In a continuing sign of the need for instant gratification in every aspect of our life progressives have apparently become disgruntled, having apparently reached the time limit on when their personal political wish lists should have been completed by the new administration and the US Congress.

It seems to me that Liberals and progressives fail to give the Obama administration credit for the progress it has made both in saving the country from complete economic collapse after eight years of the Bush debacle, and historic progress on healthcare reform, mentioning only a few of the accomplishments of the Obama administration in less then a year in office. Instead many progressive and the gay centric blogosphere would rather hang Obama on the cross of you didn’t repeal DADT or DOMA as a litmus test of the success of Obama’s first year in office. As I have said before, gay rights issues are important and crucial but simply not the highest priority given all the major issues and crises which this country faces at this moment in history including two wars.

Kos attempts to make its point with nonsense like, “If you forget why you were elected -- health care, financial services, energy policy and immigration reform -- you will lose votes.” Since when has the Obama administration forgotten about these issues? Last time I looked there has been major and historic progress made on health care and the other issue mentioned are certainly in the hopper. Once again showing that Kos apparently does not have a full understanding of the political process involved. Sure there have been some missteps and false starts by the Obama Administration. But, given the mess they inherited only the unreasonable would not give them credit for what they have done.

Rome wasn’t fucking build in a day folks! I’m sick and tired of all this BS coming from the likes of Kos, Americablog and Arianna Huffington and the rest of the Obama whine filled liberal blogs. It’s one thing to hold the President’s and the Congress’s feet to the fire, its another thing to enable progressive's apathy, bitching or excuses for not showing up to vote based on some exaggerated perception that your not getting your way on your pet issues you think deserve special priority. We should be looking to were we'd like to be in 4 years for god's sake.

Michelle Obama Harvesting The White House Garden

I love this report. It shows Michelle Obama harvesting the White House Garden. Costing about $200 to plant it has produced over 800 lb. of food. Excuse the commercial.

Free Boeing Labor Betrayal Poster

Union busters beware or the thing that is coming...

click on image to enlarge

Baseball Players Union Supports EFCA With Newspaper Ads

Don't we wish that all unions had the leverage that the ML players association has. Go Phillies!


via mlbefca -

Time To Remove The Obstructionists On Seattle City Council

If you read my blog you know one of my consistent rants has been that the Seattle process and political culture of talking endlessly about issues and ending up doing nothing needs to change. That is one of the main reasons I support Jessie Israel for City Council.

Letter To Senator Sleaze Bag Liebermann

My email to Senator Liebermann. Why don't you send one also.

Senator Liebermann,

You may be the most egotistical snake in the grass in politics today. And that's saying something given the quality of most of your Republican and some Democrats colleagues in the US Congress.

Health care reform and the public option is not about your ego Senator.

You may not personally, or the conservative ditto-heads in your state, may not like any form of the public option but your announced intent to vote with the Republicans against cloture denies the rest of the country from ever having the OPTION to even choose the public option in our own State.

You’re a phony and for sure finished in politics once your regrettable term as a US Senator is over. I am sure you've been totally bought and sold by the insurance industry, which explains your actions. Otherwise you'd vote for the public option that would make them compete like any other American business.

History will show that low-life's like you were never really the friend of working class people to whom you pandered for support and votes and from whom you owe most of your sleazy power. Your disgusting!

In Washington State we’d of run you out of office long ago. I hope the citizens of Connecticut do the same as soon as possible whether by election or other legal means.

Daniel O’Brien
Vashon, WA

“It’s like two quarter-pound stools of alien space shit crashed into a toxic waste dumpster in Stamford, Connecticut, fucked, and out came their mutilated, blood-soaked carcass of a baby rat-child, Senator Joseph Lieberman.” Wonkette

Too Hip For SLOG

You figure it out...

Video Evidence That Right to Lifer Randall Terry Is Shitbird Crazy

What twisted Christian righteousness driven mental illness looks like and I needed a Halloween theme post anyway.

Kaboom! New Scientific Study Says Vast Magma Pool Under Washington State

Viaduct about to collapse in earthquake followed by Mount Rainier, St. Helens and Mt. Adams blowing up.

Time For Talk And Stalling On Viaduct And Seawall Replacement Should End

Can you hear me Mike McGinn?

McGinn Banks On Hysterical Tunnel Cost Overrun Distortion

Mike McGinn having based his entire campaign on the deep bore tunnel and then lost the debate on whether to get on with building the deep bore tunnel to replace the viaduct now turns to pushing his rather hysterical argument about the possible cost overruns. Fuck the facts. Here is a interview done on the Dave Ross show on KIRO involving Representative Judy Clibborn, the author of the language in the legislative bill, dealing with tunnel cost overruns.

Dave Ross: The amendment that you wrote does not in fact have the force of law? So does it or not?
Rep. Judy Clibborn: I don't think it does.
Ross: Then why did you write it?
Clibborn: Ok, I wrote it because there were a number of people who were very uncomfortable, I wouldn't say a large number, but a few people who felt that... those people who benefited from the tunnel, mainly those people on the waterfront should in some way be held on the hook for cost overruns.
Ross: I get why you would want to write it, I'm just surprised you would write something that, to me, looks like it would have the force of law but which doesn't because that would seem to be trying to trick people into thinking they're protected when they're not.
Clibborn: It was a way to get three more votes and get the tunnel bill passed.

Okay there are going to be cost overruns. Grow the fuck up people. Any politician worth their salt or any brain dead engineer knows that. Why, Because huge billion dollar government capital projects and your own home remodel always cost more then you think they will. The main problem here is Joe Mallahan realizes that the cost overruns will be a issue to deal with and is willing to deal with it at the time it happens. He knows that the State, no matter what the law says, cannot impose a tax on the city without further negotiations and agreement.

McGinn meanwhile uses the issue as a tool to frighten people into voting for him even though it stalls or stops progress on finally fixing one of the biggest tansportation problems the region has on the table. The candidates stances on this issue show Mallahan as a reality based business man and McGinn as the opportunistic policy wonk who strikes me as knowing little about running a business. Just what Seattle needs, another inbred anti-business policy wonk to discuss the finer points of the cosmic effect on the average citizen of ever doing anything from start to finish ever. Let's fucking talk over the fine points Ad nauseam instead of being leaders who make big decisions.

Something tells me that voters will soon be thinking, if their not already, that Greg Nickels wasn't so bad after all. But then again he had to go because of the totally unreasonable stand on dealing with nightlife and clubs didn't he?

The deep bore tunnel is a 100 year fix, it's not a small deal. It cost money. But in 10 years your going to love that someone had the leadership to get it done and it will turn out to be a great deal for the taxpayers. No matter what McGinn and the milk toast peer driven lefty talk it to death blogosphere thinks now.

Chevron With Deathtron

I'm sick of watching American multinational energy companies portray their company in their advertising as your new best friend busy finding new ways to supply the gas you need for your 15 miles per gallon car while of course being champions of the enviornment.

But in reality they're really busy killing both people and the environment.

Here's the image they like:

Here's the reality:

Was Suspicous Fire At Teamster Hall In Tacoma Aimed At ACORN?

BREAKING NEWS DEVELOPING

Was a suspicious fire at Tacoma Teamsters hall last night aimed at the community group ACORN? It appears that ACORN has a office at the same address of 220 S. 27th Street. Wonder why the MSM hasn't put this together yet and started to ask the obvious questons. My efforts to contact the ACORN office both in Tacoma and Burien were unsuccessful in trying to get a live person on the phone to ask them about the fire.

Glenn Beck and the rest of the red neck talking heads may of pushed some Pierce County wingnut over the edge. If this fire turns out to be arson it will certainly add to the belief that hate speech can have grave consequences.

Another American Idiotic Media Frenzy

And another great American balloon disaster.

Gays Need To Consider Realties Of Governing A Nation That's Deeply Divided

I want what I want when I want it... modern politics.

The gay centric blogosphere is in a tizzy over statements attributed to a White House source calling them members of a loosely defined “Internet left fringe”. The statements were apparently made in the context of a White House that believes that 90% of Democrats support the President in his attempts to deal with major changes on healthcare reform, the financial meltdown, the economy and wars in Iraq and Afghanistan. Thus with all that's on the President’s plate at this moment his administration apparently does not want to risk its limited supply of political capital on fights to also immediately take on anti-gay laws like DADT and DOMA.

I agree with the White House on this.

There seems to be a I want what I want when I want it attitude with the gay blogosphere that denies the real realities of governing this country at this time in our history. This is not to belittle the righteous of the gay communities cause or their valid concerns, but simply put, this President is under siege to reform many things that impact the majority of people rather than one loud and powerful and increasingly impatient interest group. It is commendable that the gay blogosphere and community has keep the Presidents feet to the fire, but it is counterproductive to attack the President as a fraud in a rather knee jerk fashion just because he has not made popular gay concerns the number one priority of his Presidency.

The other reality is that although public opinion on gay issues has improved favorably in the direction of gays, there still remains widespread ignorance in the nation and with the Republicans that could most certainly become a large distraction towards the ultimate success of other issues like healthcare reform, the economy and war and peace. In this atmosphere and in the world of politics the old axiom still exists in that one should know when to pick one’s battles.

I have little doubt that issues like DOMA and DADT and other gay concerns will in the end be dealt with under this President. It is a question of when, not if that happens. After only 10 months in office the President should be given credit for the things he has done already and not immediately condemned for some of the things that he has not done but, will most certainly get done if given time.

Rio Has Olympics And Government Run Healthcare

Barack Obama shouldn’t be blamed for not being able to bring the 2016 Olympic games to Chicago. I think that the blame, if there is blame to be considered, should be shared by most of us as a nation.

Yes, it’s probably true that the vote for Rio was a forgone conclusion based on the fact that the Olympic games have never been held on the South American continent and that Madrid had the head of the Olympic Committee, a Spaniard, supporting that city which pulled votes away from Chicago in the all important first round of voting.

But, what I believe the vote today really shows is more empirical evidence that this country has lost it audacity. It’s ability to pull off greatness and it’s ability to manifest our dreams. It’s officially become a trend.

Reports indicate that European delegates heavily influence the Olympic Committee. It doesn’t take a wizard to realize that at this particular time in history the United States is not held in the same regard as it once was in the eyes of the Europeans or the rest of the world, in spite of the election of Barack Obama. After eight or more years of Republican cowboy foreign policy blunders under George W Bush and others before him it’s no wonder they’d be more inclined to support other than an American city for the games.

Need I remind you that for the last eight years Bush more of less thumbed his nose at the Europeans and started a war in Iraq that many Europeans saw as evidence of government sanctioned criminal behavior, that as of yet has gone unpunished. That alone would turn the entire world against you so I won’t mention the complete collapse of the economy system or the American responsibility for wide spread torture as reasons why the rest of the world would be somewhat skeptical about what America stands for as a country at this particular moment. No one likes a bully or a know it all so why reward one with an Olympic games.

America has been given a timeout by the Olympic committee.

America has lots of explaining to do. Granted we have a great communicator in the new President who means well, but when the rest of the world looks at the facts they still see the moronic conservative political party and movement in this country that is still powerful enough to obstruct progress on just about every issue that faces us. Even stopping progress on the no-brainer like providing health care coverage for your citizens as part of a overall social safety net. Or a nation that could literally blow up the world by bumbling itself into electing a neo conservative leader who’s policy would be based more on crackpot religious dogma then reason or fact. They see a violent country happy to allow guns everywhere even if it makes no sense.

We are a country with a failing educational system, and a country that predominates in an every man or woman for himself philosophy of life devoid of empathy, which often leaves the weak to fiend for themselves, in spite of all our Judeo-Christian or other organized religious proselytizing. The problem actually spans both major political parties.

The Democratic Party version is acted out in the form of an ineffective, corrupt and badly compromised entity expected to manifest change, but that is unable to do so even though they control most of the power.

This vision of America certainly must trouble the citizens of other nations as much as it troubles many progressive Americans. We have lost our way. It’s not just the cowboy Republicanism and crazy talk but a sense that America’s time maybe passing. We are a country involved in two wars and a country that not too long ago came dangerously close to total financial collapse. On a personal level most members of the middle class find themselves heavily leverage financially and emotionally. We have become a nation that is often ruled by fear rather then hope on both a political and personal level.

The answer seems to be no we can’t, rather then the stereotypical American idea of a people willing to take bold risks that eventually would return a large return. We are forgetting how to dream or make the dream a reality. We are not open-minded about new ideas or cultures. We have become more protectionist and xenophobic towards the world as a whole. We seem to have spiraled into our own selfishness.

Alan Grayson For Majority Leader

What a pleasant thought. A majority leader in the House of Representatives who's knows how to fight with bare-knuckles. This is something the Republicans understand and have used effectively for years.

Everyone is flipping out over Congressman Alan Grayson of Florida and his floor speech about the Republican health care plan. To summurize: "Don't get sick" and if you do "die quickly". Most of the backlash, of course, is of the fake outrage kind which the right has down pat. But, sad to say, some members of Democratic party are acting squeamish about the tough talk too.

Get a fucking life Reid and Pelosi! Grayson is exactly what the Democrats need. Someone with guts and conviction who can articulate his point clearly and identify the Republican "lie factory" for what it is, pure corporate loving bullshit. Like so many Americans, I've had enough of the mamby-pamby mealy-mouthed BS coming from the Democratic leaders. We sent you to Congress to do a job.

I say lead or get out of the way.

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