Question:

If the Gospels are literary fictions, can you give us any other examples of a fictitious narrative written by Hellenized Jews to reflect reinterpretation of scripture with Greek influence?

Atheist Answer

ANSWER FROM ROOK HAWKINS: Yes. There are quite a few examples I could give, but because I’m short on time because my book demands so much from me, I’ll use the most simple example with the most groupings I can list without having to go into a whole lot of details. The book of Tobit. Tobit is, for lack of a better way to put it, edifying fictions. The story uses very specific literary motifs and tropes, as well as Greek folklore (the dangerous bride, the greatful dead, etc&hellip. Nothing in this story is meant to be taken as historical narrative.

I’ll lay out some basic bullet points for you concerning Tobit and Homer. There are four main characters in both the Odyssey and Tobit (Mainly books 1-4 of the Odyssey).

HOMER

(1) Odysseus (father)

(2) Telemachus (son)

(3) Mentor (The Goddess “flashy-eyed” Athena disguised in human form)

(4) Penelope (mother, weaver)

TOBIT

(1) Tobit (father)

(2) Tobias (son)

Hello all, a few people have im'd me about the various places I get this stuff from and why I read such a variety. There is a one main reason for this. I don't trust the news, maybe a bit odd for someone who reads so much, but the more you read the more you realize how little can be trusted. I have heard that 70% of news in America is actually written by PR firms and this makes perfect sense to me. Since the news is a business, if you can get someone else to do your work for you in a competitive industry, you will quickly be out of business if you don't.

Many people have bought into the idea that media companies are staffed full of intrepid reporters who go out and find things to inform the public about. This is also utter bullshit since the majority of stories you read in a newspaper either come from the aforementioned PR firms or simply bought from the associated press service.

With all this in mind, I try to figure out what the stories bias is while reading, it's always there in some form or the other.

Anyway, on to the news.

Britain has just legalized polygamy.

For guess who?

Saturday (2/2/08) many of us awesome VA people gathered to meet Lori Lipman Brown. Lori is incredible, creative, and resourceful!   

The event was hosted by RAFT (Richmond Area Free Thinkers) - RAFT is a chapter of WASH. Members from the Richmond AU (Americans United for Separation of Church and State) and RRNA (Richmond Reason and Naturalism Association) were there as well.

We also had a number of long distance guests from Virginia Freethought Renanisance (RRS Affiliate), Charlottesville Skeptics, and UVA's "Virginia Atheists and Agnostics."  (Thanks you guys for making the trip.  We all *loved* meeting each and every one of you.)

I should say that again - It was really great to meet everyone and hopefully we'll have another joint event soon.

If I missed any groups or links you all are welcome to post them here.

Here we go again.

Questions and Answers about atheism.

One person answers common questions about atheists.

Link

Bryan Pesta Sheds More Light on the Atheist MySpace Group

More info from the friendly atheist on the atheist group takedown.

Link

Hitchens Vs. Boteach on Existence of God

I often get asked, and was recently asked by someone close to me “why?” Their question, of course, was referring to why I put together these articles and why I associate myself with an atheist activist group. A number of questions get brought up, and it is often difficult to provide proper information and a context to my response when the question comes up and I only have a couple seconds to provide a sufficient answer. Considering the importance that this question has on how I go about my life, I think it’s one worth responding to.

Common Questions and Comments:

The following is a email exchange I've had with a comrade of mine (also atheist) regarding Obama. The first text will follow with ealiest to the most recent exchange on the bottom.

the Obama article:

http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/newsletters/article.cfm?id=7644

 My response:

"oh... his... god..." (pun fully intended)

Friend's response:

HOW MANY HOSPITALS HAVE ATHEISTS BUILT? 

By Doug Ittner, found through RRS MSCD via Christian Pwnage site, reposted by Sapient in RRS MSCD blog. (isn't information great?)   

Yet more news.

Richard Dawkins debate.

Richard Dawkins talks about faith-based schools in England.

Link

Kellym78's new group.

Kelly has created a new online group at OpEdNews.com

Civil War

I recently received a forwarded article written and recited by Ben Stein on the CBS Morning News on December 15^th, 2005, concerning his negative views toward secularism. Read it here:

[NOTE: The author of the second portion of the article is disputed. However, I've run across a number of Christian websites which include the more heinous, anonymously authored portion. In addition, the edited version continues to circulate via email, perpetuated by the Christian community, and in my case, by my own sister. Even if Mr. Stein did not author the loathsome latter portion, that a number of Christians apparently support the appalling arguments made is a source of serious concern.]

Response to Bruce Walker's "The Godless Delusion"

Kelly O'Connor

Bruce Walker's anti-atheist diatribe, printed in a magazine that touts itself as The American Thinker, is the ultimate in irony. This story is the clear byproduct of one who appears to be incapable of rational thought and instead chooses to regurgitate rhetoric that was likely force-fed to him in those weekly indoctrination camps known as churches.

Mr. Walker starts out his vitriolic falsehoods with the contention that all people instinctively know right from wrong and that people choose evil. If that is so, then why the heavy Christian emphasis on child-rearing? If we are all born instinctively knowing right from wrong, then any kind of instruction or discipline would be completely unnecessary. This is a shining example of Christian compartmentalization. It is clear from their behavior that even they don't believe their own nonsense.