The Grand Rapids Atheist.
Thanks to everyone who has emailed me and posted on the blog while I was away.
Lets get back to it.
-GRAtheist-
Re-post: Guide to Christian Cliches and Phrases
Saw this on another blog and thought I would share….
http://unreasonablefaith.com/2008/05/29/a-guide-to-christian-cliches-and-phrases/
Posted in Uncategorized
Horrible Comment From a Faithful Reader, Richmond
Comment left on my blog here
Richmond says:
“Uhhmm… I just thuoght about this the other night… maybe I’ll find it hard to give care to a dying atheist man. Because we were taught that spirituality is really significant to people in their death beds. “
This comment comes from a “good, moral, christian man”.
I work in the health-care field. We care for a majority of our patients are religious, mainly christian. I have no qualms working in this setting. People are people across the board, their race, color, creed, or religion should not get in the way when administering care. I would have no problem caring for anyone who needs it no matter what religion they are.
Richmond’s comment goes to show the “in-think” that many people of religions suffer from. They draw a clear line between themselves and the “others” and they think of themselves as inherently better because they believe (wrongly) that they have the truth.
Richmond, exactly why would you have a hard time caring for a dying man because of your religion? Is that the type of thing your religion teaches?
no wonder I am an atheist.
I have been called a scumbag, told my son was going to hell (good thing it doesnt exist), been called a heathen among many other things, and not once have I been offended, until now. Richmond, your comment was and is disgusting and goes to show your false sense of moral superiority. I can safely say that modern medicine, a profession not based in faith but rather, based in science, would be better off without you. Leave it to people you can separate ancient dogma from reality and what is best for patients.
-GRAtheist-
Posted in Uncategorized
The Power of Prayer?
Man: “Hey, I am running so god will give me good health”
Woman: “I am running because exercise is what gives you good health, not god”
I was reading this on a local church website, A New Life Christian Fellowship Church – Grand Rapids, MI
Jim F. –
“Recently, I went to the doctor and found out that my blood pressure was high – 150/100. Soon after, at a meeting, Andrew had anyone with a need for healing come forward. We all held hands and I asked God for my blood pressure to be 120/80. High blood pressure is asymptomatic so you can’t tell if it’s high or low. Knowing that faith without works is dead, I extricated myself from the couch and started running. Three weeks later, on my next visit to the doctor, my blood pressure was 117/76. Praise to Him who is able to do above what we ask and think!”
wow! The fact that his blood pressure went down probably had nothing to do with the fact that he started running, and moving about instead of sitting his ass on the couch, and had EVERYTHING to do with god. right.
Well guess what, I am an ATHEIST. I do not believe in the idea of a personal deity. One day my cholesterol was high. I changed my eating habits, my exercise habits and guess what?!?!?! All praises be to ME my cholesterol was lowered! Was it god? or was it the fact that I changed my habits to produce the desired effect?
I will tell you flat out. In both cases, the blood pressure and the cholesterol, god was not involved one bit. Both issues were resolved due to real world works, running, and altering habits, real people making real change in the real world. There is no need to invoke the supernatural in either case.
Here is an interesting link for you…
http://www.whydoesgodhateamputees.com/
-GRAtheist-
Posted in Uncategorized
The Creation Mueseum
After reading a local weblog entry, I decided to share it with you.
Recreational Bathing Enfvironment’s Blog
The first part is about his family reunion, but the second part is about the Creation Museum. If you dont know what that is, I will fill you in. It is a museum that teaches that the world is 6,000 years old (we know it is not), teaches that a god created everything, evolution is false, and humans co-existed with dinosaurs. Clearly the work of fundamentals and evangelicals. I barely know what to say about this other than they should not be spreading these untruths, and stating things without hard evidence. The one thing about that bothers me about his blog entry is this statement:
“I used to argue with my Mom about Creation vs. Evolution, but I’m at the point now, where I believe both are right, and neither side is totally sure. We have no clue, and I’m completely comfortable living without knowing.”
Well, the truth is that they are not both right. One is a demonstrable, model that explains the process for how the natural world is. The other asserts supernatural causes that can not be proved, outright untruths, and strict dogma.
So, anyone out there been or plans on going? Dont get me wrong, I would love to go if someone paid for it (because I wont give these fuckers a penny of my money), but I think I would be laughing the whole time.
I have included some other articles about the “museum”
National Center for Science Education
-GRAtheist-
Posted in Uncategorized
Biggest Bible Mistake Ever
I saw this sticker in Chicago. I went to the site. Its crazy, I am still not sure what is going on with it yet, I will figure that out soon.
TheBiggestBibleMistakeEver.comI think there are actually 2 biggest bible mistakes ever. 1) That it was ever written and 2) that people believe it.
I am going to get back to posting more soon. Summertime is crazy busy in Michigan, we wait 8 months for 4 months of good weather, so we take advantage.
-GRAtheist-
Posted in Uncategorized
More Reader Comments
This one is long, but please bear with me.
As I have stated before, I appreciate all of the reader comments and discussions. There have been very good, civil discussions, and that is what we need.
Anyway, one of the longtime readers of this site left this:
The bible said “Therefore I tell you, do not worry about your life, what you will eat or drink; or about your body, what you will wear. It is not life more important than clothes? Look at the birds of the air; they do not sow or reap or store away in barns, and yet your heavenly father feeds them. Are you not much more valuable than they? Who of you by worrying can add a single hour of his life?
and why do you worry about clothes? see how the lilies of the field grow. they do not labor or spin. yet i tell you that not even Solomon in all his splendor was dressed like one of these. if that is how God clothes the grass of the field, which is here today and tomorrow is thrown into the fire, will he not much more clothe you, o you little faith? so do not worry, saying, “what shall we eat?” or “what shall we drink” or “what shall we wear?” For the pagans run after all these things, and your heavenly father knows that you need them. BUT SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS, AND ALL THESE THINGS WILL BE GIVEN TO YOU AS WELL.
THEREFORE DO NOT WORRY ABOUT TOMORROW, FOR TOMORROW WILL WORRY ABOUT ITSELF. EACH DAY HAS ENOUGH TROUBLE OF ITS OWN!
-matthew 6:25-34
these words contain God’s promises to all his children in this age of trouble and uncertainty. God promised to provide for our food, clothing and necessities. We need not to worry, if we seek to let God reign in our lives, we can be sure that he will assume full responsibility for those wholly yielded to him.
–
Lets first start with how absurd this whole passage is. Essentially it is saying “do not prepare or plan for tomorrow, god will take care of it. Even if I was the most devout believer god would not just provide me a plate of food. If I just waited for god to provide it, I would just eventually die, that is unless I took it upon myself to seek out the means to provide food for myself.
“and why do you worry about clothes? see how the lilies of the field grow. they do not labor or spin.”
If what this passage and also what Khoellete is saying is actually true, then it would stand to reason that not one true believer has ever starved or died of exposure, because as stated, god would have taken care of the things that person needed.
Also, are we to tell the billions of people around the globe who are starving and dying of famine that it is their own fault because they did not “ SEEK FIRST HIS KINGDOM AND HIS RIGHTEOUSNESS”? That is extremely arrogant and not helpful whatsoever.
You have not demonstrated that this is a promise from god at all. These words do not actually provide anything for anybody, except maybe an empty promise and false hope.
We could settle this scientifically. I will live my life as I already do, preparing for the next day, not believing in god, and not believing some invisible guy will provide for me. And you can sit at a table, not worrying about anything, not preparing for the next day, merely believing that the lord will provide everything you need. We will see who will be fed and clothed and who wont.
-GRAtheist-
Posted in Discussion
The Grand Rapids Atheist 