I want to talk about some of the things I used to believe in when my universe was smaller. Some of my family had always been in the habit of visiting a new age shop on the westside. They sell statues, crystals, rocks, medalians, buttons, herbal tea, window stickers, prisms, and lots of books and magazines. One such book, "Behold, A Pale Horse," was lent to me by a cousin. She still displays it proudly, alongside a giant yellow book called "The Matrix." It was supposedly written by a former navy man, William Cooper, who emplored in the introduction, "I have no reason to lie to you," or some such. It was my first exposure to the most dark and rococo or conspiracy theories. The moon landing is a hoax, the government is holding aliens, the Trilateral Commission and the Illuminati are running the world, and the government plans to ignite Jupiter into a second sun. Last I'd heard, the author was involved in a shoot-out with police on lawn.

The Creation Science/Intelligent Design movements are, at their best, an imitation of science that fails to incorporate its defining characteristics in a way that could transform it into an actual science. The scientific method helps one overcome his/her subjectivity in interpreting data and generating hypotheses. The religiously-based pseudo-sciences begin and end with their prejudices. A scientist is forced to continually reevaluate his/her assumptions based on new data. Their religious counterparts start with a seed of the already implausible, and proceed to spin elaborate rationalizations around what is plainly the failure of their hypothesis.

[b]OK,guys..I am new here but have something too confes..I think the non-exsistant God must be a idiot...lets look at the proff,shall we?

1.Intelligent Design[what a freaking joke]

According too the Intelligent Design theory,or puff-the-universe-is-here theory,as I call it..God is supposed to have created Earth just as he wanted

God,if you are watching this..you are a freaking moron.First,you create Earth in the most fucked up position of all in the solar system..where life goes bye-bye every 200 million years or so,and pure hardworking nature has too start over everytime,damn...thats just a move you can expect from a jerk like you,dear asshole in the sky

Here's another head-scratcher: "Higher Power." I've heard non-committal "spiritual" people refer to this, even quizzing me on whether I believe in one, with a straight face. Though not a typical conversation of the sort, a (former) friend made some kind of argument about energy. "When you fart, that's energy," he continued. I simply said I didn't believe in a "Higher Power."

You're not escaping the logical problems of "god" by muddying the language. What is this "power" "higher" than? Is it hotter, bigger, smarter, heavier: what? There are innumerable things bigger, hotter, more energetic than us. Maybe we'll find something smarter someday. But what's it have to do with anything? Advocates of this "higher power" -- that's likely just a bastardization of whatever "god" they're too lazy to worship in earnest -- are of course supposing that they have some kind of access to this "energy," that it's relevant to them in some way.

Most of my family is nominally Catholic. Only a few are hardcore Christians, and a few more make frequent vague references to religion. I've been been thinking about the word "god." It's a generic word, and in using it to refer to a specific mythological deity, it implies said deity has somehow risen to a level of legitimacy where it becomes synonymous with the generic word. In my head, I've been replacing all references to "god" with "Yahweh," or "Jehovah," or "Allah." That small shift in thinking has shown me, on an emotional level, how indistinct the Abrahamic faiths are from cults and obsolete mythologies.

These are my initial reactions upon finishing Siddhartha by Herman Hesse.

Siddhartha response A
by Samuel Hammond

His whole journey up to the end, is him suffering, and consciously rejecting (at least trying to) his self. When he finally finds enlightenment he is accepting his ignorance and character flaws, and lives like the rock -- not as indifferent, but as tolerant, loving, and accepting: The rock and the tree accept the spots where they are planted, as opposed to the sufferer, like the Samanas, who go through self deprivation in order to find the same revelation. This is the underlying irony of Siddhartha. Siddhartha's naive son does the opposite by running away from his father. The self is thus the default. It is what every man processes at birth, and is what the naive man tries to breach.

Just an opening post to mark the beginning of this new blog. I'm writing this, mainly, to vent the frustration I have dealing with creationists, biblical literalism, and the "moral majority" in general. I feel ill with the knowledge that my country borders the country wherein reside innumerous Kent Hovinds, Michele Behes, and Ken Hams. So, in solitary protest, I'll post my thoughts and opinions here, where they can be recycled in the future for essays and school assignment. The next post immediately after this one will be one I wrote, in part, for this sites Essay Contest.

Naturally,
Hamandcheese aka Samuel Hammond

To get to the root of the matter...

Xians know that they cannot back up their claims except with other faith-based claims. Now, I've seen this work well with other Xians, but not with atheists.

The atheists I know use rational + logic formula to dissolve Xian arguements. Xians utilize the same formula to attempt to prove their claim. This has never, ever worked. Everytime I have seen a Xian use a logical process to support whatever he might be talking about, he/she gets their ass handed to them.

I want Xians to know the only way to convince me of the supernatural will be to show me evidence.

Hello chums. I've been taking a break from the philosophy/theology thing for a bit. I don't know how you all do it my heads about to explode. I'm still around Though. I've been thinking about what and what not to ask you guys. So I just came up with this. And I stand my ground on the topic but by far, I'm no Scholar.

What do you say to the events of Bible Prophecy? Yeah I can't Believe I'm going there too.

I know you don't agree to there exsistence, but the idea in general. If you read the Bible (mind you know how to really read and study your Bible) and look at some history an alarming number of things line up. Many things have to do with Israel. Let me know.

I figured I'd post a bit about myself and my history so you can know me a bit better.

My name is L.G., I was born in Roswell, New Mexico. I was raised in a religiously neutral home for 12 years, after which I moved with my parents to Abilene, Texas. My grandmother, a strict Southern Baptist, insisted on indoctrinating me with religion as soon as we got there. I fell for it for a number of years, having had membership at a number of churches: Baptist, Methodist, C of C, even Episcopalian. I started doubting after I left the Episcopal Church.

My doubt didn't last long, when I met my ex-best friend Bekah. A devout and charismatic Mormon, I felt what I found in Mormonism was the filling to the empty hole other religions left. I was only an active Mormon for about 3 months, after which I fell away and had my name removed from their church.