The Good Person Test

I found a little test this morning,  it's called The Good Person Test, sounds innocent enough.....

As I am not usually ashamed of my past I answered honestly.   I'll admit, I have stolen, told lies, and even lusted after someone, I have also used the 'lords' name in vain, even though I find the 'lord' to be as credible as the tooth fairy. 

After the first 5 questions this 'test' tells me:
"By your own admission and the standard of God's law, the Ten Commandments, you are a lying, thieving, blasphemous, murderous, adulterer at heart."   Wow,  I am a real piece of shit!  But wait,  I may not be perfect but I have most definitely never committed a murder, but according to 'God's Standard' being angry with my brother makes me an murderer.

Anyway I continued the test, to see how bad I really am.   As it turns out my life is is pretty dismal.   The end of the test tells me:
"Trust in Jesus Christ as Your Only Hope -- Trust in Jesus, like you would trust a parachute if you were jumping out of an airplane. You wouldn't just believe in the parachute, you would put it on (trust it) and jump (act on it). That is how we must put our faith and trust in Jesus as our only hope of heaven."


Hmmm.   Sounds like fear mongering and scare tactics to me, but to be sure, I took the test again.  This time I lied on the test (why not; I'm already a murderous sinner).  When I took the test the second time I pretended to have never done anything wrong.   Here's my result:
"Unfortunately, you don't see yourself as God sees you. The Bible says all men are sinners, until you're ready to admit that you can't continue this test."

So, basically everyone is a sinner, and needs to repent to god because they are human.  We are all such bad people and need to spend our lives repenting for our human nature.   Weren't we all created in god's image?  Does that mean god is a sinner and yet wants us to be better than him?   Isn't trying to hold one in a high light than god a sin as well?  What an ass! God really screwed us from the start didn't he? 

This again is why the whole 'god/lord/christ/heavenly father' fallacy is laughable.   We'll never be good enough, but we're supposed to try really hard just in case he has a moment of weakness and lets us into heaven.   No thank you,  I'll continue to live as a moral good person and deal with the implications on my own;  I'll take responsibility for my own actions and accept the consequences accordingly.    I don't need to live for an imaginary being that already thinks I'm a failure.

If you want to see if you are a good person here's the link to the test.  However, I'll save you the suspense-  you are a real low life too! 

www.goodpersontest.com



-Happy Monday fellow sinners.  May your sinning and rationality be fun this week!

TBN (Trinity Broadcast Network) is falling apart.

TBN's founders Paul and Jan Crouch are in hot water.  Allegations from their grand daughter include sexual predation, and millions of dollars spent on the founder's lavish lifestyle.   TBN is one of the largest if not largest Evangelical TV outlets in the US.   They hold nonsensical faith healing broadcasts where you can send them money to pray for you.   It appears your $$ is going to mansions in Newport Beach, and buying their dogs motor homes.

In addition to the recent allegations TBN and it's founders have settled several claims out of court for sexual misconduct and another claim related to a homosexual encounter with the founder and a network engineer.   The amount of the homosexual encounter settlement was $425,000.   I wonder why an evangelist would pay someone $425,000 to silence rumors of his homosexuality?   Doesn't god protect the righteous and spite the sinners/sodomites?




http://www.catholic.org/national/national_story.php?id=45379&utm_source=catholic.org%2Fhomepage&utm_medium=banner&utm_content=latest%2Bnews&utm_campai

Freedom From Religion Foundation and others strike back!

Freedom From Religion Foundation has stepped it lately.

Here's an ad that ran last night during the CBS evening news.

I find it to be well done, simple, and not an 'attack' on anything.   Read the comments on the Youtube video; they show our country has a long way to go when it comes to keeping religion from politics.



In other atheist news, there are several billboards around the country to coincide with Easter(a holiday celebrating fertility taken from Pagan times


Here's one in Moscow ID, it's been continually defaced - by moral christians no doubt.

Here's a pastor's rebuttal to the Dallas/Fort Worth billbaord.   This guys is a bumbling fool, with threats of hell, fire, brimstone, etc....     Here's my favorite quote;  "I'm not here pushing religion, I'm against religion.  I'm just tellin ya, I'm pushing a relationship with god.  Read your bible......"      Sounds like pushing religion to me.  Of course he defends it as a way of life and the only reasonable choice we have.   

Here's a billboard being put up in NYC.

I know it's sort of lame to be doing a cut and paste job for a blog, but I just wanted others to know that the anti religion movement is gaining strength in our bible ridden country.   Even if you, the reader, is not in a position to publicly battle the religious fundamentalist in your community please consider making a contribution to one of the groups producing these videos.  If we can be seen as a force to be reckoned with we can slowly make a positive change for our children and our country and pull our country out of the backwards stone-age mentality that we are facing.

Jail for causing a ruckus?

John Kieffer, president of Atheist of Florida, was arrested at a Polk County School Board meeting last month on charges of disorderly conduct, resisting arrest and possession of medication without a valid prescription(on his person).    Before the school board meeting was convened he spoke up during a prayer BEFORE the meeting was called to order.   

It's sad that he gets arrested in a bible thumping state, but groups like the Westboro Baptists can act much worse and be protected by free speech.    Had the school board meeting been called to order Mr Kieffer could have possibly been legitimately charged, but as it was, the meeting was not in order, so it was yet to be an official event.

Here's an article detailing the mayhem;

http://www.theledger.com/article/20110222/NEWS/110229946/1410?Title=Atheist-Arrested-at-Polk-School-Board-Meeting



Also there is a fund setup for Kieffer,  he faces up to 16 months in jail for his 'crime',  he stood his ground and passed on a plea bargain and will be going to court.   I suggest you look at the details and if you feel he was wronged you may want to donate to his fund.   The Florida Atheists have done some good work and have fought the good fight in a state that seems to have aspirations of a theocracy...

These are the people that scare me.

New from whacko land.

A women claims she saw an image of Jesus on her TV.   

http://www.wtsp.com/news/article/244611/19/Woman-says-she-captured-Jesus-image-in-her-TV

I challenge you to celebrate Lent!

Recently I've seen business capitalizing on Lent, namely restaurants.  I see more offerings of meat free meals, in observance of Lent.   I wonder how much less booze, chocolate, and deserts are sold during lent?  I bet most people only observe lent around their fellow zealots, and not at all when they are free of others judgements?

Either way I challenge everyone to celebrate Lent this year, but first we need to understand what Lent is......

Observing Lent has 3 parts
1)  Justice towards god (prayer)
2) Justice towards self (fasting)
3) Justice towards neighbors (charity and volunteering)

So I think it would be great if people observed Lent in the following ways;
1)  Pray to god if you'd like, just do it in your home or church.  Leave it out of my workplace and government.

2) If you want to fast then go ahead, means more steak and beer for me!  Seriously, if you want justice towards yourself quit believing in fairy tales.   If you want to be a stronger person take responsibility for your life, and quit using religion as a way to explain and justify your shortcomings.  Other than cleansing your body, fasting will not make you a better person - the guy in the sky won't reward you because you are hungry.   In reality, you'll be less productive and more likely to make stupid decisions because your body is starved of nutrients.  If you must fast why not send the $ you saved on not eating to some kids in Africa or even some homeless people in your neighborhood.  Odds are they care more about being nourished than they care about god.

3)  This is a big one!    Help people for the simple reason that society grows as a sum of it's parts.  Help others because it is the right thing to do.  Help others for the joy of being able to make someone's day better.   Don't pretend to be helping someone when your motive lays in bringing up conservations about god and religion.   Volunteer at a soup kitchen, clean the elderly neighbor's yard, donate time and materials to a public school.   Whatever you do just help out in anyway you can, but don't do it for god's grace do it because our world needs compassion from the heart not from religious based guilt.


The ultimate sacrifice for Lent would be to give up religion!   Religion is more gluttonous that chocolate, meat, sex, coffee, or jewelery.   Religion is used as a way for people to avoid their problems and avoid confrontations with the world around them.  Take charge of YOUR life,  your destiny lays in YOUR hands.   You may not control what happens to you, but you surely can control how YOU react to it.  Instead of being passive and letting some mythical being guide you do something strong; TAKE CHARGE OF YOUR LIFE!   It is vain, and egotistical to think that you don't have to have a direction in life as long as you give your heart to god.    Instead give your heart to those you love, those your work with, and those less fortunate.   Instead of bashing homosexuals, pro choice people, look into your heart and find compassion for them.  Everyone is going through some difficulty in their lives at any given time.  Praying for people is like saying "I feel bad for you, but instead of getting off my ass and helping you, I'll just say a quick ineffective prayer"   Praying for those less fortunate that you is a slap in the face and more offensive than NOT praying.   By praying you are acknowledging their struggle, but telling them you're leaving their fate to some imaginary person/thing instead of actually inconveniencing yourself to actually help. 

I'm dizzy and feel funny (not due to last nights ale)

Recently, I was reading another theist blog, and a car wreck was mentioned.

The accident involved a Jeep w/ 3 occupants.   The appeared to have lost control on an icy road. 

So god was NOT looking out for them, they were all shaken up, the driver totaled his car, may have gotten a ticket, and their day at the ski area was thwarted.   Of course the apologetics will, unreasonably of course, argue that 1) it was a miracle that they were okay and 2) that god was protecting them.

First of all it was not a miracle, it was a combination of seatbelts,  modern automotive engineering, metallurgy, gravity, intertia, and a soft medium (snow).   These are all tangilble things, yet the unreasonable will still rely on faith and theism to make their point.   Once again science wins, and fantasy fails.......     As for god protecting them, s(he) did not protect them.  If this guy is so powerful and all knowing why did he let these 'good christian' kids slam into a power pole?    The apologist would answer that again 1) god was testing their faith and 2) that it would have been much worse w/out the guy in the sky.

Are you getting dizzy? The apologists want you to run in a circle until logic and rationality are replaced with a dizzy nauseous feeling that causes your mind to do weird things like think an accident was a blessing from god.

 " Thanks god,  I beleive in you, worship you, and you reward me with a car accident to test my faith and show your love.   I'd also like to thank you for not making the accident worse and for not allowing my totaled car also burst into flames.  "  

People's unhealthy attraction to god seems to me like some women's justification for being abused.   They feel their husband/spouse/partner loves them so much that he has to occasionally hurt them because they aren't good enough.  They will live with guilt that they are abused, somehow thier controlling partner has convinced them that they deserve their 'punishment'.  Religion is no different, but oddly enough people got through their lives in fear of a 'god' that NO ONE has ever seen.  


As stupid as it is to thank god for someone's misery I have to say I feel a little sorry for these idiots.  Whenever I hurt myself I am usually mad at myself for doing something stupid that caused myself to hurt myself.    I once severely burned myself, the cause was my stupidity, nothing more.   I also healed quickly and other than a little nerve damage I am just fine.   I credit my recovery to SCIENCE, listening to my doctor, and keeping on top of caring of my injuries.   A religous person would most likely credit all this to god.   If there was a god I would be pissed that I missed 2 months of work because he didn't save me from myself.  Of course, I'm a rational person that can take responsibility for my actions regardless of how careless they are.

Do you ever wonder why religious nuts have health insurance, car insurance, flood insurance, etc....    I thought that was all up to god.........

-rg