Friday, July 29, 2011

JEHOVAH WITNESS TURNED ATHEIST

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Atheist Geek News

 News And Links For Atheists: Atheist Asks Obama About Faith-Based Absurdities

By The Atheist Geek | July 24, 2011
Thought I was dead, didn’t ya? That’s the problem when you blog for a hobby. You write whenever the hell you feel like it.
VIDEO: Atheist Asks Obama About Faith-Based Absurdities
VIDEO: Christopher Hitchens Debates Is the Catholic Church A Force Of Good In The World?
VIDEO: Senator Franken Shames Homophobic Imbecile
A large list of awesome female atheists
I swear I didn’t post this just to get me laid.1
Guerrilla Skepticism on Wikipedia
The site’s creator believes that atheists can use Wikipedia entries to help further skepticism throughout the world (or at least the web) while minimizing belief in superstitions and quack science. Her web site tells us how this could work.
The Christian Delusion
Since Richard Dawkins’ landmark book, The God Delusion, was published in 2006, one frequent criticism that has been levied against it is that the treatment of Christianity is insufficient and too naive. Professor Dawkins has very little of a religious background, and I would agree that it shows in his book. The same may be said for Christopher Hitchens and god is not Great or Sam Harris and Letter to a Christian Nation. While there is still plenty to appreciate about each of those books, they have not offered a thorough refutation of Christianity. Although several other authors have produced wonderful works criticizing Christianity, this ex-Evangelical minister, John Loftus, has compiled an outstanding anthology of scholarly essays that strive to expose The Christian Delusion.
Scientologists, Catholics and More Money Than God
We do not need these books to tell us that money and religion make for a poisonous combination. But it is of some interest to see that ancient truth confirmed in both a church as relatively new as Scientology and one as ancient as Roman Catholicism. Even religious leaders develop a certain swagger when they know they are backed by bundles of cash. When a French court fined Scientology nearly a million dollars, one of its officials shrugged that off as “chump change.” And when the Vatican ran a deficit of nearly 2.4 million euros in 2007, an Italian journalist familiar with the church’s finances dismissed the debt as “chopped liver.” Chump change or chopped liver, both churches have bigger sums they can get to and use, and few outsiders are given a look at how they do it. These two books trace the cash source of theological confidence.
As an ex-Witness, I would find it neat if they wrote something like this about the Watchtower Society. Still, it’s good to keep things in perspective. The Society may be rolling in cash by any sane human standard, yet the bank accounts of the Catholic Church or the Church of Scientology would crush theirs like a bug.
Apathetic Atheism
Are you an “apatheist?”
Judge suspended for requiring church attendance as bail condition
Anti-Porn event – emotional appeals and dangerous misinformation
Sensory Perception Linked to Conceptual Perception
An inability to distinguish between internally-generated and externally-generated physical sensations appears to be linked to having trouble distinguishing between delusions (generated internally) and facts (that exist externally). This means that there seems to be a bond between sensory perception concept generation — between our ability to perceive the world through our senses and our ability to organize what we understand of the world through our mental concepts.
Victory for evolution in Texas
I Do Not Think This Means What They Think It Means…
Nor do I.
Pat Robertson is Bat Shit Crazy
1947 heat wave caused Catholic school girls to go wild
Someone filmed my dream. Again.
Atheist Barbie
How to get people to quit using homeopathic medicine
I have an in-law I’d like to try this one on.
  1. But I totally would have if I thought it would work. Alas, few things do. ↩
Topics: Atheist News and Links, Secular Atheist | No Comments »

News And Links For Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses: Film About Jehovah’s Witnesses And Blood Transfusions

By The Atheist Geek | June 28, 2011
Experience leads to film
Blood, written by Dundas resident Patrick Chilvers, is a hospital drama that follows a family of Jehovah’s Witnesses. The family is forced to decide whether or not to allow their daughter to receive a blood transfusion after she is involved in an accident. The consequences of that decision could change their lives completely.
Doctors, Police “fight off” Jehovah’s Witnesses over blood transfusion
The life of a critically ill nine-year old girl (name withheld) whose parents belong to the Jehovah Witnesses faith was saved last Tuesday when the James Town police offered protection to the medical staff of the Princess Marie Louise Children’s Hospital to provide blood to the dying patient.
The police intervention was as a result of a distress call by doctors and nurses at the hospital who were faced with the challenge at the hands of the girl’s parents who were protesting against the intended transfusion of blood to their daughter since it was against their faith.
Well, at least they didn’t have to beat off the Witnesses. That would have been a totally different story. Hell, you know you would have clicked on the link if it said that.
Yerevan sees another incident with Jehovah’s Witnesses involved
Yet another incident between a priest and Jehovah’s Witnesses has occurred in Yerevan. According to a message obtained by PanARMENAIAN.Net, a sectarian gathering in a Zvartnots airport -adjacent banquet hall arouse concern of the employees as well as the guests of the adjoining halls.
Harold Camping, Jehovah’s Witnesses, and Population Bombers: Fool Me Once…
Does Your Religion Affect Your Income
According to this study, the religions with members earning the least amount of money are historically Black Christian churches and Jehovah’s Witnesses. Just 15 percent of members of historically Black churches make $75,000 or more per year, which, as Hutson adds, may have a lot to do with the opportunities available to African Americans.
Are you a Closet Apostate?
Read through the points below and ask yourself if you can relate to any of them. Go on, humour me.
Jehovah’s Witnesses blocked from holding two conventions in St. Petersburg due to official interference
Mobs in India attack Jehovah’s Witnesses with impunity
2011 District Convention of Jehovah’s Witnesses
Let God’s Kingdom Come!
Yep, that’s the theme. I think it’s rather fitting, especially as this cult has been waiting for God’s Kingdom for over a hundred years! I think this theme has the slight tone of, “oh come on Jehovah, for heavens sake! We’ve waited for so long for your Kingdom to come. Please, let it come!”
I also have some PDF files for those who might be interested:
Change to Generations
Jehovah ’s Witnesses can accept transfusion of cryosupernatant plasma
Topics: Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, XJW News and Links | 2 Comments »

Review: X-Men First Class

By The Atheist Geek | June 9, 2011
X-Men First ClassI read the reviews for X-Men: First Class before deciding to see it. They’ve been pretty solid up til now … but that’s how it goes when a movie is new. Still, I told myself, James McAvoy is a good actor and I really like the way January Jones’s boobies look in that bra. So, shit yeah, I’m in. On the negative side, the idea of Kevin Bacon playing Sabastian Shaw is pretty damn funny. I could see him as Mastermind or somebody like that, but Shaw is basically the ultimate evil guy in this one. For now, just try to picture this: Kevin Bacon is evil and he wants to rule the world.
You know you laughed. Can’t be helped.
I had other reasons for concern over the X-Men prequel even as my wife and I made our way to the theater. First, prequels usually suck. I’m looking at you, Star Wars. Second, Mystique looked pretty damn ridiculous in this movie. Sadly, I think the actress portraying her should have spent another hour in the makeup chair. I’d still beg her for sex and then spend the night at a titty bar when she said no1, but that’s beside the point. Her whole look screamed “fake” throughout most of the picture. It was even more distracting than all the hot chicks parading around in their underwear.
The chicks parading around in their underwear was actually a plus, mind you. But none of this adds up to “X-Men: First Class was awesome” or “X-Men: First Class sucked total donkey balls.” So which is it? Click on the jump if you wanna find out.
Read the rest of this entry »
  1. That’s what always happens. ↩
Topics: Geek Entertainment, Geek Review | 3 Comments »

WTF?! I’m Still Here!

By The Atheist Geek | May 22, 2011
chihuahua tongueI’m betting you just woke up this morning and discovered you were still here. Like me, you thought, “Damn.” No more May 21st doomsday, huh? Thanks Harold Camping. At least I didn’t punch my boss in the sack yesterday. Not that he doesn’t need it, but that’s beside the point.
I’ve seen some pretty good doomsday gags suggested by other sites. My favorite is to take a bunch of sex dolls and fill them with helium, then let them fly over a field. Can’t you see it now? “Look at all those naked people going to heaven! Hey, that one’s got a raging hard-on!”
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Topics: Announcements, Personal | 1 Comment »

Doomsday, May 21st–So Long Suckers!

By The Atheist Geek | May 21, 2011
Picture
Third time’s a charm.
Right, Harold?
According to Harold Camping, the world will end on May 21st. Of course, Harold Camping’s argument is as irrefutable as any given by … uh … any totally random religious organization I might choose to mention. I’m sure cars are being overturned and cats are being set on fire in your front yard as you read this, so you might want to get a head start on hauling ass. Not that it matters. Cuz Jesus is gonna git ya.
Personally, I’m just hoping to get laid by someone with fully functioning lady parts by then. That almost never happens even on a good day. Dammit. So I’ll shower for the big event. You do whatever the hell you want.
Well, at least it wasn’t an elder who made the prediction. Maybe I can avoid the parade of in-laws waving signs about how right they were on my front step after all. That’s why I made sure to buy a home where the front step is so small. Only four of them can gather there at a time without falling off.
Picture
This cement never hardens.
Until someone steps in it.
There are land mines too. That’s why I don’t mow my grass. I have a slip of paper from the state that actually says it’s OK. How sweet is that? Keeps the kids off, too. Mostly. I still have plenty of mines left.
I just had my gallbladder yanked out like a grape off a vine last weekend. Ow. Jesus, couldn’t this have waited until I was on a real vacation or something? I’m just now able to move around without the help of 4 nurses and an ice cream cone for motivation.1 Thanks a helluva lot, Jesus. All knowing and wise? More like all knowing and inconsiderate if you ask me. Guess everything revolves around him and his precious apocalypse. No wonder I’m an atheist. Yeah, I said it.
I suppose no one will be alive to read the end of this post. Too bad. Or will they?
Read the rest of this entry »
  1. A life size blow up doll of Alyssa Milano works too. Except my dick gets in the way of the ice cream. ↩
Topics: Announcements, Personal | 1 Comment »

Is That An Attack On The Watchtower Society Or Are You Just Criticizing My Religion?

By The Atheist Geek | May 6, 2011
Picture
Sometimes, we see the
world through two
different pairs of glasses
and we don’t even know it.
Ever since I posted my series about the November AWAKE! articles on atheism, I’ve started seeing more comments from Jehovah’s Witnesses here on Atheist Geek News. Some Witnesses say they only stopped here because they saw my “attack” on the magazine and wanted to defend it (or defend the Watchtower Society by implication as the magazine’s publisher). I take exception to this and wanted to explain my position for future commentators.
Here’s the thing. I don’t think there’s anything wrong with someone posting a rebuttal or offering a criticism to something I’ve written. Especially if what I’ve written is factually incorrect. I just don’t think words like “attack” are warranted here. Unless every criticism against everything is also an attack, that is. At which point, both words become synonymous and it doesn’t matter which one you use.
I would agree that there are hate sites out there run by people who truly hate the organization and its Witnesses. Some of these people are very angry. Some have a reason to be. But I don’t think this is one of those sites. To me, Atheist Geek News is simply a pro-ex-Witness site, one that offers up stuff for atheists and geeks alike. (If you happen to be all three, why not take off your coat and search for a spell?)
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Topics: Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, XJW Advice, XJW Commentary | 11 Comments »

News And Links For Ex-Jehovah’s Witnesses: A Witness Named Corey Nash Was Killed…

By The Atheist Geek | May 1, 2011
Jehovah’s Witness recounts what he saw the day Corey S. Nash was killed in the parking lot of a Saginaw strip mall
SAGINAW — Blake Oliver of Flushing came to Saginaw for a Jehovah’s Witness convention at The Dow Event Center in Saginaw in August; he left a witness to the homicide of Corey S. Nash, 31, of Saginaw.
Monroe man charged with shooting rifle near Jehovah’s Witnesses
Jehovah’s Witnesses, Disfellowshipping and the Art of Civil Disobedience – Year of Sundays
This last Sunday, we did things a little differently. We attended the annual Memorial of Christ’s Death at a “Kingdom Hall” of my religious alma mater—Jehovah’s Witnesses—where I quietly partook of the emblems representing Jesus’ flesh and blood.
“Paying Attention” to: The Watchtower’s Secret Manual for Elders
Jason Barker provides his readers with an overview of the not-so secret Elder’s Manual.
The classification “atypical” by Jehovah’s Witnesses UMP
I found out about that one at JWD. (Thanks to AndersonsInfo.) Here’s the link to the discussion for those who might have missed it. Note that the original article is in French. The link above is a Google translation.
Here’s some more good news circulating. The Society is telling its Witnesses that apostates are “mentally diseased.” Yippie. You know they’ll be calling all inactives and ex-Witnesses that one, too. If you often find yourself locked in mortal combat with overzealous Witnesses, you may as well prepare yourself for this accusation soon. Just a heads up.
Protect Yourself from Liars and Deceivers: Expose those who try to deceive you.
This may sound like the title of a Watchtower article warning Jehovah’s Witnesses about evil apostates, but in fact, it’s a list of suggestions at Psychology Today. It might come in handy the next time your mom cracks up on you because you haven’t been to the Kingdom Hall in a while.
Have you ever wondered… What does it mean to be mentally clean?
From the Society’s own web site. Nuff said.
Topics: Ex-Jehovah's Witnesses, XJW News and Links | 1 Comment »

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A large list of awesome female atheists

In a perfect world, we shouldn't have to have a separate list for female atheist activists. Some commenters even said such a list was "patronizing" by insinuating that women couldn't play with the big boys. But when other polls, lists, and posts seem to forget our existence, every little bit of awareness helps. We have just as insightful things to say, but we need people to listen. Once more people realize this, you'll start seeing more females listed amongst the likes of Dawkins, Hitchins, Harris, Dennett, Myers, etc...

So, without further ado, here is a list of some great female atheists who you should check out if you haven't already done so:

Authors/Journalists - Bloggers - Podcasters/Videobloggers - Activists - Comedians/Other

Authors/Journalists


Bloggers


Podcasters/Videobloggers


Activists


Comedians/Other

If you know someone who's missing and you think deserves a shout out, let me know in the comments and I'll add them. Or if I listed someone but didn't link to their blog or a more relevant site, let me know. Consider this a growing reference!

To clarify, this list is for living women who are known for their vocal support of atheism, skepticism, and/or scientific thinking - or, likewise, speaking out against religion and supernatural beliefs. There are plenty of women who simply happen to be atheists but never ever speak about it - this isn't intended for them.

A little backstory:

My previous post asked readers who they thought was the most influential female atheist of 2009 - and it has become very popular. All of the comments have reinforced one major theme: Too many incredible female atheist voices are unknown.

When I started to make a list of influential females, I asked around for names. Half of them I hadn't even heard of, and some of them I was only vaguely familiar with. I did some Wikipediaing and Googling to try to figure out who should make it to the list. I didn't want to exclude people just because I wasn't personally familiar with them, but I didn't want a list of 30 choices either. I tried to focus on active voices of 2009: those who had written new books, been consistently blogging, appeared on the news, etc.

Of course, I'm not perfect. Some excellent ladies didn't make my poll because of inadequate research, my own obliviousness, or most likely a combination of both. Apparently the list was also very US-centric, which I promise was not intentional, but again a result of my own biases. And for every atheist woman I missed, there was someone on my list a reader hadn't heard of. I think this lack of awareness speaks strongly. If a fellow godless lady who trumpets the importance of female voices in atheism doesn't know so many of these people, how will everyone else?

My best solution at the moment is to make a giant list. I can't make people click the links, follow the blogs, or even care - but I think it will help. In all the comments here and at other sites, I've seen a curiosity - a "Why haven't I heard of these people before? Time to check them out!" So hopefully people will click the unfamiliar names on this list and find a new favorite blogger, author, activist, or whatever.

About Me













Jen McCreight is a liberal, geeky, nerdy, scientific, perverted feminist atheist who recently escaped Indiana for Seattle. More here.

About

About Jen McCreight
Before we touch on anything else, remember this: McCreight is always Right. It rhymes. If you ever meet me in person and actually pronounce my name correctly, you'll get a thousand bonus points.

Anyway, I'm mainly just some sarcastic gal with a lot of strong opinions. I just graduated from Purdue University in West Lafayette, Indiana with a double major in Genetics and Evolution and a minor in Psychology. Yeah, good ol' Indiana - I've lived here my entire life, though I consider myself a Chicagoan. I've been doing research in an ecological genetics lab for almost three years, and in the fall I'm going to the University of Washington to get my PhD in Genome Sciences.


Other than being a giant biology nerd, I'm also really active in the atheist movement. I wasn't raised in a religious household, so moving to a conservative Midwestern community for college was a bit of a culture shock for me. I co-founded the Society of Non-Theists at Purdue University at the beginning of my sophomore year, and was President for three years. We now have over 400 people on the mailing list, which should tell you two things: 1) Purdue desperately needed a voice for secularism and 2) I'm kind of insane when it comes to organizing things. I was also recently elected to the Board of Directors of the Secular Student Alliance, where hopefully I'll continue to help secular groups across the nation.

I'm liberal, pro-choice, a huge supporter of gay rights, and oddly obsessed with human sexuality. Like, a lot. PZ gets squids, Hemant gets baby eating, and I get sex. I think I win.

In my nonexistent free time, I like painting and drawing, golfing (8 handicap, woo!), and playing video games. Especially Civ 4. Taking over the world is fun.

About the Blog
Blag Hag was created on March 11, 2009, mostly out of boredom. To be completely honest, I had just gotten out of a long relationship and needed something to pass the time in the void known as singledom. I thought, why not blog? I love writing, and I had kept a personal blog since middle school - a Xanga which I later upgraded to a LiveJournal (I am so classy). I'm also horribly opinionated about things, so it seemed like the perfect hobby.

I haphazardly picked a name based on a bad pun just so I could get started. I never fathomed that people other than my close friends would actually want to read this thing, or that I'd start being referred to as The Blag Hag (Moral of the story: Think before you name things). But then I was Pharyngulated a couple of times, and apparently people think I'm funny (?) when I'm ranting about stupid people. There's no shortage of stupid people in the world (unfortunately), so people stuck around (fortunately).

This blog doesn't have a specific theme, unless you count Shit Jen Thinks About as one. Most posts are about atheism, religion, science, biology, sex, feminism, politics, and any strange combination of those things.

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