Happy April Fools’ Day! Take a minute and remember some of the best pranks you’ve heard of.
- Creationist stakes $10,000 on contest between Bible and evolution – Haha, oh wait no this isn’t a prank.
- Risk of Autism Is Not Increased by ‘Too Many Vaccines Too Soon,’ Study Shows – Do you think this will convince parents who still mostly vaccinate their kids but do it on a “delayed” schedule? From Kathy O.
- Few Know How to Enter; Fewer Finish – The story of the world’s hardest adventure race (that I’ve ever heard of).
- Ask An Anthropologist about Marriage – A great piece about the current marriage equality debate in the SCOTUS. From Will.
- Awful New York Times Obit for Rocket Scientist Rhapsodizes About Her Beef Stroganoff
- Losing my religion for equality…by Jimmy Carter – From Mark H.
- Why Did The Supreme Court Take Up Gay Marriage Anyway? – An interesting take on the motivations of the conservative justices of the SCOTUS.
BONUS: Absurdist humor (from Heina). On a completely unrelated note, this sandwich looks delicious.
The Jimmy Carter piece is swell and all, but it’s implied that this is a new development.
Carter published that piece in 2009: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2009/jul/12/jimmy-carter-womens-rights-equality
April fools pranks: I saw a re-broadcast of the spaghetti trees many years ago, and it was great. They’d clearly put some effort into it. They even mentioned that although spaghetti was grown in most of southern Europe, only in Italy had they managed to breed the trees to grow the spahetti all the same legnth, and higher quality, of course.
Let me get this straight: Scalia wanted to hear a gay-marriage case now, while he still has time to be remembered to posterity as a bigoted asshole. I think he could have saved himself the trouble. That was already going to happen anyway.
I do like Jimmy Carter, but fuck me I HATE this whole “my faith has been twisted to be misogynistic!” crap. I posted this at the link, but it’s still in mod there:
Sorry, Jimmy. I know you mean well. But these faiths have not “twisted” scripture to denigrate women. The hating of women is right there, in the text, over and over and over again:
http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/women/long.html
What exactly could it possibly take to make those statements and stories anything other than espousing the submission and devaluation of women? Where are all the verses that you think evens this out? (and is it even possible to even out a statement like “in sorrow you shall bear children, and your desire shall be for thy husband and he shall rule over thee” or “let not a woman speak in church” or “thou shalt not suffer a witch to live”?) And why, if the god you believe in is real, did he fail to correct all the women being mistreated in the name of his word (counting both old testament and new) for several thousand years?!
You are the one twisting, and reading selectively. You’re ignoring the parts you don’t like, and yet still trying to have it both ways so that you can get the privileges of your faith and pretend that you worship a just and loving god. I’m sorry, but the character in those old stories does not meet any reasonable definition of just and loving, and it’s not a virtue to have faith in such a being, or to praise such a being (in fact, if it were even remotely likely he existed, I would say we have a moral obligation to fight him).
How did you enter my head and write my thoughts down so well? Must be psychic! ;)
It’s one of the perks of being the Ebil Feminazi Thought Police.
I agree LSP. Although women have a larger role in the Catholism than the Vatican would like to admit. And they have often rebelled against the hierarchy of the church. http://www.bostonglobe.com/opinion/2012/06/12/singling-out-nuns-catholic-church-overlooks-its-history/2pRGmDhD5VVlRFprZIHiiP/story.html
And the church finally recognized the leadership of Hildegard of Bingen (I was fascinated by her story in my youth… Although I’m an atheist I find many forms of devotional music beautiful).
But then there are instances where nuns have reinforced misogyny. Such as Magdelene Laundries.
It always amazes me that women are such am important part of the church that reinforces their oppression.
Unfortunately as long as there people who describe themselves as Christian, Jewish, and Muslim and subscribe to their various teachings, they will not see the value in equality.
The Literal Genisis Trial idea is very confusing
How can there be such a thing as “Creation Science”. That’s an oxymoron. And science and faith can not be argued against each other. It’s like judging whether an apple or an orange is the best fruit. Faith is faith because it doesn’t rely on facts. Science does and therefore no one would win in a comparison. If you believe in creationsm it doesn’t matter what the scientist argues, it will be always wrong to the believer. .
The guys at Caustic Soda devoted today’s podcast to “Pranks, Practical Jokes and April fools”
http://www.causticsodapodcast.com/
What, you don’t listen to Caustic Soda?
By Mary
“Creationist stakes $10,000 on contest between Bible and evolution. Creator of Literal Genesis Trial believes people who argue in favor of evolution are at a scientific disadvantage,” If that’s true that’s because he’s incredibly ignorant or delusional or both.
Now that it’s over, I’m glad. Not a fan of April Fools Day. Though, I wasn’t working this one, copy editing and doing fact checks on a day when people are routinely putting out BS stories is stressful.
I agree, I always forget and then I fall for all the pranks. Or how about when people actually die and you’re like, “No way, I’m not falling for it, ha-ha guys.”
Nightmare scenario, ugh!
Didn’t mean to reply to your post, but if I did reply to your post: Genesis contradicts itself about whether animals came first or man between the first two chapters. There, 10 grand won or something.