Author: JaguerRhye
Keywords: atheists/existence of God/christianity/theism
Added: December 31, 2009
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First, you must know I am a very enthusiastic fan of Harry Potter and his universe. I am not embarrassed by this in any way, but I have not reached true fangirl status (dressing up, fan mail, fapping to movie posters and the like). Still, if the HP universe existed, I would be leaking happiness! You would hear me squeal out various spells as I breezed past you on my broom.
I’ve been cruising AverageWizard (which is filled with many more intense fans than myself) and imagining what it would be like if my life truly was magical. Would being a skeptic mean something different than it does today? If magic existed, would we believe in a supernatural realm? What would be the cause of this magic? Since many spells fight the natural laws of our current universe, would these laws endure in the Harry Potter universe? Would there perhaps be new ways to explain magical events like transfiguration, immortal life, and flying broomsticks?
And as usual, I find that I am not the first to think of such things. Take Roger Highfield’s book The Science of Harry Potter for example.
[Highfield uses] the Potter corpus as the launching pad for a wonderful foray into genetics, biology, quantum theory, behaviorism, mythology, folklore, and more, bolstered by drawing on and extrapolating from the work of a great variety of scientists and scholars. Magic, like science, he states, affords many insights into the workings of the human brain, which he designates as the greatest wizard of all. Whether dealing with flying broomsticks, Quidditch, or Bertie Bott’s Every Flavor Beans, Highfield demonstrates how Muggle science has a leg up on many of the phenomena in Harry’s world. The book’s second half focuses more on the origins of magical thinking.
George Plitnik, a physics professor at Frostburg State University, even offered a seminar using the book. Talk about making science fun to learn!
So, would life be different for you if magic existed? Do you think supernatural beliefs would be more or less rampant in society? Would Jesus Christ have been a magician instead of a rabbi? Would we be suffering from the same crises of war, hunger, environmental pollution, and poverty? Would Harry Potter be the messiah in our next religion? Could a Satan myth exist in this world as the ruler of all dark magic?
P.S. Just in case you didn’t know, Daniel Radcliffe, the actor behind Harry Potter, is an atheist!
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This poll was suggested to me by Craig A. James and it's a good one. This time before starting the poll I'd like your input. I have Ray Comfort, Dinesh D'Souza (a friend of mine I'll admit), James White, Oral Roberts, Ken Hamm, and possibly JP Holding. Were there any high profile scandals I'm missing, or others you'd like to see included? Other nominees can be suggested below. Tell me why you
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Author: GeorgeMacDonaldWorks
Keywords: Unspoken Sermons George MacDonald audio book
Added: December 29, 2009
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Yep, Christian Bloggers are upset about the fact that I bested nearly all of them this month, being ranked 4th over most all of them (maybe 3rd if we wait until tomorrow to see). Now come the personal attacks. They'll claim it's because I crowed about this feat, which I did, and that I attacked Jim West's credentials and his arguments, which you can see both Dr. Hector Avalos and I did. But the
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Author: seriouslymatsteele
Keywords: i'm going to try be proud atheist mat steele seriouslymatsteele christianity christian atheism
Added: December 29, 2009
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If the above embed doesn't work, please listen to this short clip here.
When Islamic terrorists attacked America on September 11th, 2001, I knew that it was far bigger than the terror that had gripped the country two years earlier in Colorado's Columbine High School, but I had the suspicion that the two incidents had similar minds behind them. Wildly angry, fervent, driven criminals who lived for years on the edge of sanity, before finally making the tragic decision to go out with a bang. (You should really read that Columbine article I linked to, it's got some very interesting new insight and it's a quick read).
9/11 was perpetrated by angry, disillusioned, poor and enraged young men (remember most of the hijackers were in their mid-20s) following a charismatic religious leader who convinced them the world was against them and that god was on their side. In their warped minds they were doing the right thing. Good reason.
In the still unraveling case of the Columbine High School attacks we see what appears to be an angry, disillusioned, depressed Dylan Klebold operating at the behest of the charismatic Eric Harris and they both seemed to believe the world was against them. Check out this exchange, the two reportedly video taping themselves about 30 minutes before the attack.
Eric Harris and Dylan Klebold record their last home video. In it, they are in the family room of the Harris home. Eric is filming Dylan, who is wearing a black baseball cap backward, exposing a "B" embroidered in white - the Boston Red Sox logo. He's wearing am untucked plaid shir and black BDUs (military-style pants) tucked into military-style boots. There are several duffel bags on the floor.
Eric: "Say it now."
Dylan: "Hey mom. Gotta go. It's about a half an hour before our little judgment day. I just wanted to apologize to you guys for any crap this might instigate as far as (inaudible) or something. Just know I'm going to a better place. I didn't like life too much and I know I'll be happy wherever the fuck I go. So I'm gone. Good-bye. Reb..."
Dylan takes the camera then and begins filming Eric. Eric's also wearing a plaid shirt and he has on a white t-shirt on underneath.
Eric: "Yea... Everyone I love, I'm really sorry about all this. I know my mom and dad will be just like.. just fucking shocked beyond belief. I'm sorry, all right. I can't help it."
Dylan: (interrupts) "We did what we had to do."
Eric: "Morris, Nate, if you guys live, I want you guys to have whatever you want from my room and the computer room."
Dylan adds that they can have his things as well.
Eric: "Susan, sorry. Under different circumstances it would've been a lot different. I want you to have that fly CD."
Eric: (eventually) "That's it. Sorry. Goodbye."
Dylan: (sticks his face in the camera) "Goodbye." The tape ends with a brief glimpse of a sign on the wall of Eric's bedroom. It's the letters "CHS" along with a drawing of a bomb with a lit fuse and, written in bold black letters, the word "clue".
Last week we saw an attempt to bomb an international flight on Christmas Day. Like the Columbine and 9/11 the suspect of the failed attack fit the profile. Postings on an internet message board, evidently made by suspect Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, portray a lonely, disillusioned, repressed young (25) man. Here's what NPR had to say.
So here's what religions do — act as a catalyst (even if your 'religion' is essentially just your friend). Take a rage-filled young loner, usually men, further isolate them from any rational influences, give them empty-purpose and you can turn an intelligent, promising person quickly into a walking bomb. Abdulmutallab abandoned his family in the pursuit of an organization that made him, the loner, the outcast, feel accepted — radical Islam. Soon he would risk his own life for that cause. And of course, there's a lot of politics behind the purpose for the attack (chiefly, it looks like the attack was a response to U.S. actions in Yemen.Internet postings purportedly written by a Nigerian charged with trying to bomb a U.S. airliner on Christmas Day suggest a fervently religious and lonely young man who fantasized about becoming a Muslim holy warrior.
Throughout more than 300 posts, a user named "Farouk1986" reflects on a growing alienation from his family, his shame over sexual urges and his hopes that a "great jihad" will take place across the world.
While officials haven't verified that the postings were written by Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, details from the posts match his personal history.
For example, the username also matches the alleged bomber's middle name and birth year. Farouk1986 says he is from Nigeria, the home nation of the man who allegedly tried to bring down the Detroit-bound flight. And the suspect's father says Abdulmutallab broke off ties with the family.
Those posts, beginning in 2005, show a teenager looking for a new life outside his boarding school and wealthy Nigerian family.
Most of all, they paint a portrait of someone who seems lost and needs someone to hear him.
But what drives a young man to throw away his future, his moral reasoning, his family, his life? What's his 'good reason.' Once again, it is the flawed and damaging logic of religion.
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By Martin Beckford of the Telegraph:Researchers describe a large proportion of the country as the “fuzzy faithful” who have a vague belief in God but do not necessarily belong to a particular denomination or attend services.
However, most people still say religion helps bring happiness and comfort, and regret its declining influence on modern society.
Professor David Voas, who has analysed the
