The ASA, Christian Voice and atheist bus posters

Swiss Toni offers wise and articulate argument about the Christian Voice challenging the legitimacy of the 'There is probably no God...' bus campaign. I'm not sure I'd have expended as much energy in this fruitless argument - Christian Voice seem to represent more the Bigoted Shout - so I'm rather inclined to adopt the end of the atheist ad: "Now Stop Worrying And Enjoy Your Life".


Still, bloody excellent post though.

How to make my day: Dougie Henshall interview in the Times

Not sure what pleased me most: the nature of the interview (fiery), the picture showing how he'll look playing Satan (dashingly wicked) or that I've actually found an interview in time to buy the damn paper (Times 2, Tuesday 25 March 2008).

Way to go Dougie!

Best fit for religion?

On the back of EineKleineRob's results, I did this rather odd quiz... I'm not entirely sure I understood HOW to answer the questions since I feel quite strongly about issues like abortion etc but since I don't really have a belief system it scarcely seemed relevant to demand 'mine' followed certain agree/disagree line...

Anyways:

My Results:

1. Secular Humanism (100%)
2. Non-theist (87%)
3. Unitarian Universalism (87%)
4. Theravada Buddhism (65%)
5. Liberal Quakers (59%)
6. Mainline - Liberal Christian Protestants (44%)
7. Neo-Pagan (43%)
8. New Age (24%)
9. Bahai (20%)
10. Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints (Mormons) (20%)
11. Eastern Orthodox (20%)
12. Hinduism (20%)
13. Islam (20%)
14. Jainism (20%)
15. Mahayana Buddhism (20%)
16. Orthodox Judaism (20%)
17. Orthodox Quaker (20%)
18. Reform Judaism (20%)
19. Roman Catholic (20%)
20. Sikhism (20%)
21. Taoism (19%)
22. Mainline - Conservative Christian Protestant (17%)
23. Seventh Day Adventist (14%)
24. Christian Science (Church of Christ, Scientist) (12%)
25. Jehovah's Witness (12%)
26. New Thought (12%)
27. Scientology (12%)


I am rather amused that Scientology came so low down (its the Anti-Cruise signal in me...) and that 12 of the 27 (around 1/3 of the answers) all came in at 20%. Only 5 came above the 50% empathy level as well...

Wongablog shoots and scores against a particularly annoying fish in a barrel

It's easy to do, but it is an incredibly annoying fish.

Gods and fiction

You can't make stuff up like this or this (unless you're RTD).

Courtesy of Counago & Spaves.

Do I want to take up being a Pastafarian?

I can't believe I've spent so little time being properly aware of the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster.

It's almost enough to encourage me to take up the 'faith'!

Via lovely Mr Wongablog, who's had real highs and lows lately.

Atheism

I'm Scientific it seems - rather like Sonia and lovely EineKleineRob. A little worrying though given my lack of science knowledge as compared to them!

You scored as Scientific Atheist, These guys rule. I'm not one of them myself, although I play one online. They know the rules of debate, the Laws of Thermodynamics, and can explain evolution in fifty words or less. More concerned with how things ARE than how they should be, these are the people who will bring us into the future. Scientific Atheist 83% Militant Atheist 67% Apathetic Atheist 67% Angry Atheist 58% Spiritual Atheist 33% Agnostic 33% Theist 17% What kind of atheist are you? created with QuizFarm.com

Marking the passing of Falwell

There's been considerable comment on the death of Jerry Falwell. I already alerted Cloud to it (when I couldn't get onto Blogger last night myself), but there have been some scathingly witty remarks that deserve to be commended:

This from J Crowley at Pandagon most recently caught my eye (especially the final remark)

Hee.

I heard the news on NPR this morning, and the sun seemed just a little brighter. Yeah, I know it’s maybe “bad protocol” to be happy about someone’s death, and I know conservatives are likely going to make a huge deal about the “liberal blogosphere” and how we’re maybe “being rude” or “inconsiderate” or “childish” or whatever (I’m predicting a lot of yammering about it from O’Reilly and Hannity and such over the next week or two), but I honestly don’t care. The world is better for his passing, and I see no reason to mute this sentiment “out of respect” or for whatever other placating, polite, arbitrary notion. He was a hate-mongering asshole with far too much influence, and his death is like removing a swollen, veiny, cancerous lump from humanity. Sure, you look at it floating in its jar of formaldehyde and you know it was made of the same materials you are, but that doesn’t mean you can’t be glad it’s gone, or can’t guiltlessly feel your body is better for it.

I will, however, admit I’m maybe going a step too far by thinking that someone needs to round up about a hundred people, drive a tanker of water out to the place where he’s buried, and spend a few weeks pissing on his grave in shifts.

Reminds me of the infamous competition for the most suitable epitaph to go on Mrs Thatcher's grave: "Licenced for Dancing".

There's plenty more on Falwell's death over at Pandagon - and other locations - which deserves perusal, and the Salon article by Alan Wolfe sums up why Falwell was always unlikely to get a pleasant send-off.

Religious Knowledge

Frightening how much we can retain isn't it? For sure, as EineKleineRob notes, some of the questions are a little easier than others, but even so...

You know the Bible 100%!

 

Wow! You are awesome! You are a true Biblical scholar, not just a hearer but a personal reader! The books, the characters, the events, the verses - you know it all! You are fantastic!

Ultimate Bible Quiz
Create MySpace Quizzes

First time I did it I got 96%... As soon as I re-read my answers I knew exactly which I had gotten wrong. My dad was clearly watching me on THAT...