- Today is atheist pride day
- RIP Brian the space bat – From Rav Winston. And there’s even a tribute video.
- No jail for pastor in spanking case – “A pastor who spanked a young girl after he thought she was lying about sexual abuse allegations against her stepfather will not serve any jail time.”  Â
- Too busy to pray? Let a computer do it – “The company uses “the latest technology in text-to-speech synthesizers†to read aloud your typed prayers “at a volume and speed equivalent to typical person praying.– From killyosaur42.
- How to ruin someone’s spa experience
- What’s that? You demand some Friday cuteness? How about some baby giraffes? Then there’s what happens when shepherds get bored (no, not THAT you pervs).
“He also is not allowed to have any abusive contact with other children, the judge said”
I was under the impression this applied to everyone. I mean I’d at least consider it a guideline.
That article about the computer praying for you is DANGEROUSLY close to Douglas Adams territory.
In the first Dirk Gently book, there was a civilization that made electric monks to believe things for them so they could get on with their lives. I hope that’s the next step here, as well!
The girl was allegedly lying about being abused so the parents took her to a minister to be abused. The double-think is unimaginable.
@Expatria: “close to Douglas Adams territory”
Also Roger Zelazney who had a praying machine in Lord of Light. He also penned the still wickedly funny Agnostic’s Prayer:
“Insofar as I may be heard by anything, which may or may not care what I say, I ask, if it matters, that you be forgiven for anything you may have done or failed to do which requires forgiveness. Conversely, if not forgiveness but something else may be required to insure any possible benefit for which you may be eligible after the destruction of your body, I ask that this, whatever it may be, be granted or withheld, as the case may be, in such a manner as to insure your receiving said benefit. I ask this in my capacity as your elected intermediary between yourself and that which may not be yourself, but which may have an interest in the matter of your receiving as much as it is possible for you to receive of this thing, and which may in some way be influenced by this ceremony. Amen. “
@Expatria: Not to mention it’s almost exactly like the prayer machines in Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale.
One of the major premisses behind the requirement to report suspected child abuse is that people who are emotionally involved in such a situation make lousy investigators. Nothing in this story tells me the girl lied. It wasn’t the preacher’s call, and the judge should have held him accountable.
When I read the headline about the pastor I mistakenly thought it would be about spanking in the Paul Reubens sense. Definitely more serious.
I’m not too sure about the atheist day thing. The only reason to be proud of being an atheist is because others are so fucking loud and obnoxious about their religious beliefs. I’m not proud to be an atheist, I’m proud to be an analytical thinker with an open mind living an examined life. It’s this quality that has led me directly to atheism and, I believe, keep me there forever.
I wish there were a way to have the uber-religious shut the fuck up without having to resort to the same tactics used by every religious and nationalist group in the history of mankind.
Perhaps smashing them over the head with baseball bats while yelling, “Where’s your God now, byatch!” would be more appropriate.
They have computers for prayer, but why do I still not have a computer that will complete my work for my one true Lord and Master: College?
@SloFox: Perhaps smashing them over the head with baseball bats while yelling, “Where’s your God now, byatch!†would be more appropriate.
This is always appropriate in my book.
Brian? I’ve decided he should be called Eric. Eric the fruit bat.
For the last few years that I was a parole officer I was the sex offender officer. Right near the end I had a man in his early 20’s get out of prison. He had molested his sister when she was 5 or 6 years old and he was 17 or 18. The rape went on for a few years before it came out. He was released to his grandmother since his victim lived with his parents. The grandmother came in with him and told me that she new the victim was a liar and that the rapist hadn’t done what he had plead guilty too. It came out that they had been blaming the victim for the four years that the rapist was in prison. I reported it all to CPS and did my best but I doubt the girl ever received the help she needed.
@JSug: Are all your pets called Eric?
@Gabrielbrawley: There’s nothing so odd about that. Kemal Ataturk had an entire menagerie called Abdul.
I’ve gotta think wheat grass up the ass would be a blast.
Haha.. The shepherd video was so obviously faked it’s hilarious.
If I landed the job of putting together the album art for Meat Loaf’s ‘Bat out of Hell IV’ I would totally stick Brian right on the cover. Brian’s far more awesome than I can ever hope to be.
@SloFox: No he didn’t
‘I’m not proud to be an atheist‘
Yes, it reminds me of Phillip Larkin saying something along the lines of his not being a poet so much as someone who wrote poems. Atheism isn’t really an ontological state.
For the largely American audience who maybe don’t know Larkin’s writing, I recommend for the skepticla audience, Church Going
http://www.poemhunter.com/poem/church-going/
and then for fun, This be the Verse:
http://www.artofeurope.com/larkin/lar2.htm
For a moment I thought that said “Atheist Bride Day.” I was wondering if mine would arrive with the post, or if I had to go to a specific shop to acquire her…
@Expatria:
So, then, is “Atheist Husband Day” on April 1st?
Eesh, a wheat grass colonic. What’s next? Pine cone colonics?
@Gliblord: Not pine cones, but those pine tree air fresheners. New car smell available upon request.
@Gliblord: COTW