Societies worse off 'when they have God on their side'
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Correspondent

RELIGIOUS belief can cause damage to a society, contributing towards high murder rates, abortion, sexual promiscuity and suicide, according to research published today.

According to the study, belief in and worship of God are not only unnecessary for a healthy society but may actually contribute to social problems.

The study counters the view of believers that religion is necessary to provide the moral and ethical foundations of a healthy society.

It compares the social peformance of relatively secular countries, such as Britain, with the US, where the majority believes in a creator rather than the theory of evolution. Many conservative evangelicals in the US consider Darwinism to be a social evil, believing that it inspires atheism and amorality.

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See.. if I believed in a God, this would be breaking SEVERAL Cardinal Sins... Lust, Gluttony, Pride.. Thank God I'm an Atheist. I like to 'Think Outside The Book'

"I'm writing for the kind of person who would rather the doctor told them the truth."

This quote from Richard Dawkins rang true to me. I was in a similar situation a few years back. I was hospitalized. At the time no one was sure exactly what was wrong with me. We had narrowed it down to either a tapeworm ova or a neurological condition. I had done some research, and was pretty sure it was a neurological. My doctor was hoping for the tapwworm (Honestly, because if it was, it was curable - in my opinion). While I was lying in the bed, the priest was wandering around, doing communion. When he came to me and asked me if I wanted his assistance, I just smiled. 'Sir, I thank you for wanting to help. But if you really want to help, go find me a doctor. I have some questions for him.'

Picture the scene...it's back in the old, old, old, old days. Back when we were digging grubs up out of the ground to eat, and that damned sabre-toothed tiger kept eating half the village. Og (Our hero) was out getting some grubs to smear on his genitals as part of a mating ritual (Og has a big date tonight. He polished his club, and even got Grok to go and pick some flowers. Too bad Og doesn't know that Shirley, his date, was being eaten by that damned sabre-toothed tiger while he was out.) Well, Grok was on a hill, picking some flowers and debating throwing his bone club into the air and letting it metamorphosize into a spaceship. Well, a large flash of light came from the clouds and incinerated poor Grok. And here we get to the first point of this weeks diatribe.

Today's stupid question.. what is the dumbest or most non-sensical thing you can blame Racial Tensions on. and you have to back up your statements!

For me.. it's Sesame Street..

Let me explain...

The Chicken, The Egg, The Forest, and the Trees

Well, you see, it goes a little something like this. I have a habit of solving (or at least trying to solve) one Universal Mystery(tm) once a week. Usually before breakfast. One of the more recent solvings is actually one I'm rather pleased with myself for.

Which came first, the Chicken or the Egg? Quite the paradox. It's been used for years to represent the kind of question that cannot be answered. It's like the "Can God make a rock so big He cannot lift it?" question. Granted, I plan on working on that one after a big bowl of Wheaties and OJ. But I digress. I have pondered the Chicken/Egg dilemma for a while. I honestly thought I would figure out this one while I was drunk/stoned/tripping/whatever, but nope. There I was, sitting in my bed re-reading the tattered copy of the Principia Discordia which has been a constant travelling companion for years now. The answer hit me like the metaphorical Ton of Bricks, which was a lot less intrusive than a real Ton of Bricks would have been. (Thank you Eris) Anyway, the answer is....