Tell me again - Why am I supposed to 'support the troops?

 The United States government under the Obama administration (like that matters anyway), is on a mission to terrorize the world. They justify killing, because they're not doing the killing themselves. The troops are doing the killing, without questioning orders. They end up terrorizing peaceful people.

What It’s Like to Be Hit By a Drone Strike

"The following account is taken from an important and devastating new report on America's drone program, from law professors at Stanford and NYU. The report, "Living Under Drones: Death, Injury and Trauma to Civilians From US Drone Practices in Pakistan," is a deeply researched condemnation of how American drone strikes are terrorizing a civilian population in the name of national security."

The sad thing is, no one can really even agree what the body count is, or if it's actually effective.

Not Even the White House Knows the Drones’ Body Count

"Government officials claim they’re ultra-precise killing machines that never, ever miss their targets. Outside groups say they’re covered in children’s blood. The fact is no one has a clue exactly how many militants and how many innocents have been slain in the U.S. drone war that spans from Pakistan to Somalia. Remember that before you start your next Twitter feud about the drone war."

Stop the drones! They're about to be used on us! Well, maybe not with weapons (yet), but definitely to spy on us. Why do police need drones? Can they not do them themselves?

Seattle Police Dept. has permission to operate drones

"The Seattle Police Department is one of 50 organizations that have received permission from the federal government to operat unmanned aerial vehicles -- AKA drones."

 Drone Use Takes Off on the Home Front

"With little public attention, dozens of universities and law-enforcement agencies have been given approval by federal aviation regulators to use unmanned aircraft known as drones, according to documents obtained via Freedom of Information Act requests by an advocacy group."

So, if supporting the troops leads to actions like these, tell me again - why am I supposed to support the troops?

Were the Aurora Shootings a False Flag? Is this Proof?

Ok, it's not "proof," as an absolute, but do you think it's compelling?

You should read this and check out the links (I added a few below). You can ask my wife what I said about this guy (the 'suspect') and the blood trail on the sidewalk from a picture I saw a few days after this shooting happened (I thought James Holmes had been framed and drugged). Then you can ask me why I mistrust authority.

The court documents from a witness the police tried to recruit to falsely testify.
http://www.scribd.com/doc/105211790/Motion-to-Intervene-in-James-Holmes-Case

The original article that broke the story.
http://blogs.westword.com/latestword/2012/09/aurora_theater_shooting_james_holmes_police_chief_illuminati.php?page=2

The video above (of course).

Evidence that there was an accomplice, the police knew this would be happening and the blood trail did not lead to where they supposedly found James Holmes.
http://theintelhub.com/2012/07/27/colorado-batman-shooting-second-gas-mask-found-on-the-scene-neck-wound-blood-trail-cover-up-questions-and-more/

And there's even more! Somebody give me rational explanations. Anyone?!?!?!

Life's A Drone - Then You Get Hacked

Texas college hacks government drone

This is the most awesome thing ever! A group of students in Austin, TX told the Department of Homeland Security that they could hack a drone, and DHS dared them to do it. So, $1000 worth of equipment, a little bit of ingenuity, and a homemade hacking system later, viola! A hacked drone!


Of course, the media feeds into the cultural fear that has become America. They tell us that this means that if some college students can do it, so can the terrorists. Soon, they'll be taking over the thousands of drones that are set to watch our sky starting in a few years! Those terrorist will be flying them into buildings and not even killing themselves! What are we going to do? The fear is too great!

Come on, people! Wake up! We can't let drones take over our airspace. We need to take back our freedoms, deny them the ability to spy on us. We need to stop the use of drones in America. Call your senator, your mayor, your sheriff's department and demand that drones not be used in your city, county and state. I'm not statist, and I don't condone anything the government does, but these people are meant to serve our needs, even if they do so with violence.

Genesis 5 - Family Lineage?

I had a difficult time reading Genesis 5. To start with, I decided to read the King James Version of the bible. I've been reading from the New International Version, but for some reason, the KJV seems more... bible-ish. I guess.

Genesis 5 is basically a family lineage, from the creation of Adam to the birth of Noah's sons. There's very few mentions about family other than the men listed in this lineage. While I read this chapter, I tried to do the math in my head for every single person mentioned. I even wrote it down, and I still got it wrong. So I refer to the chart to the right. This chart contains past Noah a few generations, as Shem was one of Noah's three sons.

According to this chapter, these people lived for centuries. By today's standards, they all had children at extreme ages. Noah was 500 years old when he had his kids! 500! Unbelievable!

Anyway, here's my critical thinking questions for this chapter:

How could these people have lived for centuries? Were they actually human or gods? How the heck could anyone have had children at such ages? We know people have never lived that long, we know that people have never had children at those ages, so how can we believe this book is divinely inspired when we know it's wrong here?

Where did these ages come from? What calendar did the writers use? Can someone point to other documented sources of calendars in use at those times?

Why was it important to write out a lineage instead of a family tree? Why would some children be pointed out while others aren't pointed out?

What would be the dynamic between father, child, grandfather, great grandfather, etc.? Did they live separately, or together? Did they help raise each others children?

Anyone is welcome to answer or ridicule my questions. Everyone is welcome, Christians, Atheists, Muslims, Shaman, whatever; please have at it!

Don't Shoot My Dog!

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Atheist Discrimination?

I found this image on a facebook post and decided to check the facts because I was pretty sure that couldn't be done. But I was actually shocked. It appears that freedom of religion is only for people who have a religion, and since atheism isn't a religion, they're welcome to discriminate! Hurray for intolerance!

In Arkansas, I could not hold office or testify as a witness in any court! How do they do divorce court for atheists? Texas almost passes, stating no religious tests shall ever be required of me, as long as I acknowledge the existence of a 'Supreme Being'. Can that supreme being be me?

In Pennsylvania, one might get away with it, seeing as how it just says no person that believes in a god would be disqualified. It says nothing about any person who doesn't believe in a god, so I could get disqualified, but not necessarily so.

I'm not looking to get into politics, but it's nice knowing that option is there. When I grew up, I completely fell for the American ideal that I could be anything I wanted to be - a fireman, a doctor, the president. Well, just another piece of propaganda.

Here's the state constitutions I looked up:

From the Constitution of the State of Arkansas Article 19, Section 1:

Atheists disqualified from holding office or testifying as witness. No person who denies the being of a God shall hold any office in the civil departments of this State, nor be competent to testify as a witness in any Court.

From the Texas Constitution Article 1, Section 4:

RELIGIOUS TESTS. No religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office, or public trust, in this State; nor shall any one be excluded from holding office on account of his religious sentiments, provided he acknowledge the existence of a Supreme Being.

From the South Carolina State Constitution Article 17, Section 4 :

Supreme Being. No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office under this Constitution.

From the Constitution of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania Article 1, Section 4:

Religion Section 4. No person who acknowledges the being of a God and a future state of rewards and punishments shall, on account of his religious sentiments, be disqualified to hold any office or place of trust or profit under this Commonwealth.

To End the Fed, You Must Learn The Fed!

If you've never heard of the Federal Reserve, pull out a dollar bill, and you'll see it says Federal Reserve Note. That piece of green paper is an IOU.

People think money is the root of all evil, but it's an inanimate object. It can never be good or evil, it just exists or doesn't exist. It's only value is whatever value you and I place upon it. When it's not as valuable as it was before, it's undergone inflation. When a person or group purposely inflates our money, it's thievery.

The owners of the Federal Reserve (yes, private owners), have been stealing from the people of the United States for far too long. They've been cheating governments from around the world out of gold and silver for centuries, expecting the payback to come in the form of taxes on us, on our children and on their children and on and on until they own the world. They'll use anything that you want, and turn it against you with trickery and false promises.

Educate yourself. It's the only way we can stop them.

How to Question the Bible: Genesis 4

 

Here summary of each section in Genesis 4 and the questions that I ask as I read the bible from my atheist point of view.

Genesis 4

• 4:1-2 Adam had sex with Eve. She became pregnant and gave birth to Cain. She gives god credit for helping her give birth. Later, she gives birth to Cain’s brother, Abel. Abel managed the flocks, while Cain worked the soil.
• Sex! lol
• What did god do here? Maybe his part didn’t get written down? Why is Eve giving credit to god for something she and Adam had done on their own?
• Did many years pass without mention? Why would there be no mention of the things between?
• 4:3-5 Both Cain and Abel brought offerings to the lord, Cain brought fruit, and Abel brought fat portions from the firstborn of his flock. God liked Abel’s offering of meat, but didn’t like the fruit, and Cain became angry, with a ‘downcast’ face.
• Why did they bring offerings to god? Did he demand them or were they unsolicited?
• Why did god prefer animal fat over fruit? Why did he make a garden filled with fruit trees, and then look down upon his creation?
• Why would god show favoritism? Does he not love all his children equally?
• 4:6-7 God asked Cain why he was angry, and why his face was downcast. He also asks Cain if he does what is right wouldn’t he be accepted? Then he tells Cain that if he does not do what is right, sin will be waiting for him, sin desires to have him. But that Cain must rule over sin.
• How does God not understand feelings and how people can be hurt when others don’t accept their gifts? Does god not understand human psychology? How much does he understand of his creation?
• What does god mean by right and wrong? Isn’t the only inference of right and wrong in this book so far been simply obedience and disobedience? Is that what god means by right and wrong?
• What is sin? Why is this the first mention of sin in the bible? Has god defined sin to Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel yet? Was it part of the missing years in the story?
• 4:8 Cain asks Abel to come out to his field with him. Once there, Cain attacks Abel and kills him.
• Why did this create such jealousy? If god is all-knowing, did he not foresee this happening? Was god trying to stop Cain from attacking Abel or was he goading Cain into doing it?
• 4:9 God asks Cain where his brother is. Cain responds saying, “I don’t know. I’m not my brother’s keeper.”
• Why did god ask? Is he an all-knowing god? I’ve always said that the only stupid questions are the ones you already know the answer to. Was god trying to catch another person in a lie?
• 4:10-12 God says he does indeed know what happened because he can hear Abel’s blood cry out from the ground. God tells Cain that he is now under a curse, driven from the ground that received Abel’s blood from his hand. God curses the ground so that it will no longer produce crops for Cain, and tells him he will restlessly wander the earth.
• So if god knew what happened, why did he ask?
• Why is god so eager to punish?
• Would a loving god always ignore, punish or neglect those who don’t do as he pleases?
• 4:13-14 Cain tells god that his punishment is too much to bear. Because god is driving Cain from the land, he fears he will be hidden from god, and that during his restless wandering, whoever finds him will kill him.
• Why is the punishment too much for Cain? Does it make a difference where he is, if wherever he goes, he’s cursed? What is the difference with being cursed wherever he was and being cursed somewhere else?
• Is god not all-seeing? Would god disappear if Cain went somewhere else?
• How could Cain be afraid someone else would kill him? Are there other people besides Adam, Eve and Cain on the earth now? Is Cain afraid his mother or father would murder him? Or is he afraid that god would take the form of a human and murder him?
• 4:15-16 God tells Cain that no one will kill him, and if they did, they will suffer vengeance seven times over. God marked Cain so no one would kill him. Then Cain left god’s presence and lived in the land of Nod, east of Eden.
• Why does god only sort of punish Cain?
• Why would god protect Cain if he were trying to punish Cain? Protect him from whom?
• Was god in human form? Is that why Cain was able to leave his presence? Can god only communicate with humans if he’s in human form?
• 4:17-18 Cain makes love to his wife, she gets pregnant and gives birth to Enoch. At that time, Cain was building a city and he named it after Enoch. Enoch fathered Irad, Irad fathered Mehujael, Mehujael fathered Methushael and Methushael fathered Lamech.
• Where did Cain’s wife come from? Why was there no mention of her before? Did they meet in the land of Nod or was she banished with Cain?
• Why was it important to mention that a city was named after Cain’s son?
• Why is this genealogy listed like this? Were Irad, Mehujael, Methushael and Lamech not important to the story of the bible?
• Were all of these people cursed based on their lineage? Did god hold Cain’s mistakes over their head? Or were they considered innocent?
• 4:19-22 Lamech had two wives: Adah and Zillah. Adah gave birth to two boys: Jabal, the father of people who live in tents and raise livestock, and Jubal, the father of all who play stringed instruments. Zillah gave birth to a boy and a girl. The boy’s name was Tubal-Cain, who forged tools of bronze and iron, and the girls name was Naamah.
• Two wives?!?!?! That’s either extremely cool or extremely stressful!
• Before Jabal, did no one sleep in tents or raise livestock? Didn’t Abel raise livestock? Why would Abel not be considered the father of those who raise livestock? Are all those who live in tents and raise livestock considered descendents of Jabal?
• Before Jubal, did others not play stringed instruments? Is this implying that Jubal invented music?
• What is the significance of Tubal-Cain’s ability to forge tools? Is he the only one that can do that? What’s the importance?
• Why is nothing said of Naamah other than her name? If she was important enough to mention, wouldn’t the mention what she did? Is this just more discrimination against women?
• Were Adah’s children more important than Zillah’s? Is Adah considered superior because she had two boys and Zillah considered inferior because she had only one boy?
• 4:23-24 Lamech tells Adah and Zillah to listen to him. Lamech explains that he killed a young man for wounding him. He tells them that if Cain is avenged seven times over if killed, then Lamech will be avenged 77 times.
• Why did he kill the young man? Why is that story not explained or justified in some way?
• Why does Lamech think that he can be avenged 77 times over? Why was god the one who condoned vengeance seven times over (and implied that he would be the one to enforce it) in Cain’s situation, but not in Lamech’s situation? Was Lamech god?
• 4:25-26 Adam had sex with Eve again, and she gave birth to Seth, thinking that god had replaced Abel, since Cain had killed him. Seth had a son named Enosh. That’s when people started to proclaim the name of god.
• How are Adam and Eve still alive? Is this a flashback like in the movies? How has six generations gone by without Adam and Eve dying?
• What made Eve think god had replaced Abel? If he truly wanted Adam and Eve to have two children at all times, wouldn’t he just bring Abel back? Or stop Cain from killing him in the first place?
• What is the point of mentioning Seth and Enosh?
• Why is it only now that people are proclaiming the name of god? Did Adam, Eve, Cain and Abel not already know of god’s greatness? Why did they not teach others of the deeds god had done?

How to Question? The Bible: Genesis 2

 
This is the second in a series of posts that take a look at the bible from what I hope to be a critical analysis. I feel I've read the bible, or most of it anyway, throughout the course of my life, but I want to make sure.

REFERENCE: New International Version

Genesis 2

• 2:1 (seems to be continued from previous chapter) The earth was then complete.
• Why isn’t this in the first chapter? Seems weird to be separated for the first chapter.
• 2:2-3 On the seventh day, god rested, making the day holy because he rested on that day.
• Was god so tired that he needed rest? Is he not all-powerful? If he is, then he shouldn’t need to rest. If he isn’t then how did he create all of the earth?
• 2:4 Announces another account of the creation of the heavens and earth
• Why this wasn’t told before? Did it mess with timing of creation in the form of days?
• Is this a completely different version? Or a retelling of the first chapter? I will assume a retelling of the same story.
• 2:5-7 The earth was void of plant life and rain, and since there was no one to work the ground, god sent up streams and formed a man from the dirt, creating him and breathing life into his nostrils.
• Why does this seem a little out of sequence from the first chapter? Why is there no mention the animals that he had created, or that the sun and moon had been created, or day/night separation, etc.?
• Why doesn’t it mention the female? The first chapter was very clear: god made male and female forms at the same time.
• 2:8-9 God had planted the garden of Eden at some prior time, and he put the man he made there. He then made trees grow, both for food and to please the eye. In the center was a tree of life, which contained the knowledge of the difference between good and evil.
• When did god make the garden of Eden? It would seem that the whole world would be perfect, not just one garden; no human interaction to mess it up yet.
• Why did god put that knowledge, the ability to decide between good and bad, in a tree? Does this imply that the man he placed there did not know the difference between good and bad, right and wrong? What knowledge did this first man possess? Did he have had the faculty of reason, judgment, value? Could he have been able to trust or distrust? Would he have fear, joy, or any idea of safety? Would the fact of whether or not he existed even make a difference to him if he had no way of knowing the meaning of that existence?
• What was god’s purpose for this man? Why did god just suddenly decide to create a world? Amusement?
• 2:10-14 These explain the borders of Eden, saying it was split into four headwaters, rivers named: Pishon in the land of Havilah (Where there’s good gold and onyx), Gihon in the land of Cush, Tigris along the southeast of Ashur and the Euphrates.
• I know the last two rivers, both of which are in Iraq. Seems funny that we bombed it for so long
• Also, what’s up with the HUGE gold reference? Onyx? Pearls? Why was that so important that they got more than one reference? Interesting.
• 2:15-17 God put the man in the garden to work it and take care of it, and commanded him to eat from any tree in the garden but not the tree of life. If he ate from the tree of life, he would certainly die.
• Wow, so it’s made clear why god made man: as a slave to his whims. He had no one to tend his newly created garden, so he created a slave. To top it off, this slave had no knowledge of good or evil. How could he have known he was a slave?
• How would he know that death is bad? This man had no knowledge of good or evil. Is this the first implication that going against god is considered the only evil?
• Was god trying to trap this man? “Here’s everything you don’t know about the world. Don’t touch it.” How is this not entrapment?
• 2:18 God doesn’t think the man will do well alone so he decides to make a “helper” for him.
• Wait, so he didn’t make man and woman at the same time like it said in Genesis 1?
• Why didn't god just create a man strong enough to go at it alone if that's what he wanted?
• 2:19-20 God created all the wild animals and birds from the ground and brought them to the man to name them. The man named them, but none were suitable as his helper.
• So, I thought that god made the animals first? Not even finished with two chapters and this book is already contradicting itself. Did the same author write these two contradicting books? Isn’t the bible supposed to be the ‘word of god’ and therefore infallible? Why is it making these mistakes?
• God couldn’t name the animals? I hope the man picked out the right names.
• 2:21-22 God put the man to sleep and then took one of his ribs and healed the wound. He then made a woman from the rib and brought her to the man.
• Again, this account is a bit different than in Genesis 1, where it stated that god made male and female at the same time on the same day.
• Also, it almost sounds almost dirty, like a back-ally kidney theft; knock out the victim, sew them up and leave them there in a bathtub of ice. Couldn’t god have just asked for a rib? Or better yet, just tell him ‘Hey, I’m taking a rib!’ He is the man’s master, right?
• 2:23 The man names the woman ‘woman,’ because she’s part man (bone of my bone, flesh of my flesh).
• I bet she was grateful. “Hey thanks. I don’t need my own identity or anything, just consider me a part of you!” How generous.
• 2:24 The man’s feelings toward the woman explains why children grow up to leave home and why men marry women.
• I’m confused how one relates to the other. That one woman was part of that one man, so I understand how she could feel indebted to him for that, maybe. But if that one couple begat all of humanity, then why would female progeny be thought of less than their male progeny? That is a re-occurring theme in Christianity, and many claim it’s because of this and because of eating the apple
• 2:25 Adam (first time he’s been named) and his wife (yet unnamed) are both naked, but not ashamed of it.
• Well good for them! My kind of place!

How to Question the Bible: Genesis 1

This is the first in a series of posts that take a look at the bible from what I hope to be a critical analysis. I feel I've read the bible, or most of it anyway, throughout the course of my life, but I want to make sure.

I've always learned things best when writing notes as I read, so I'm outlining the bible as I read it. As well, I'll outline any questions that I have as I go along. Anyone is welcome to answer any questions or point out any fallacies in my thinking and I'll consider them.

I grew up reading from the King James version of the bible, but I'll be using the New International Version for this project. I know how difficult it is to read from the KJV. From begging to end, here here's installment one:

Genesis 1

• 1:2 – The earth was a formless, empty shape of dark water and god hovered over the water.
• How would you know it was dark? Light and dark hadn’t been created yet.
• How could you know it was water? Earth and water hadn’t been separated yet.
• 1:3-5 – On the first day of his existence god created light separate from the dark.
• Again, how can there be dark, without light?
• Also, who created god? Where did he come from?
• Was there nothing before god?
• 1:6-8 – On the second day of his existence, god separated the earth and the sky.
• How were they the same thing?
• Is the reference to the sky a metaphor for heaven?
• Was earth a part of heaven and he cast it out?
• Also, the author seems to consider the sky to be a sort of body of liquid similar to water, which it is obviously not.
• 1:9-13 – On the third day, god moved all the water into one place and let the ground appear, and called them ‘land’ and ‘seas.’ On this day he also created the plants and made sure they only produce seeds and fruit according to their kind.
• So, if he moved all the water to one place, why do we have millions of lakes, ponds, rivers, oceans, streams, creeks, etc.?
• Also, for what purpose would he create such diversity in plants? Why would he not create only one or two and fill the earth with those plants? He must have a reason to give the earth such variety.
• One other thing, did he really have to make sure that a plant could only produce fruit and seed based on the kind of plant it was?
• Also, fruit and seeds must be fertilized correctly in order to bloom, so in essence, god might have also created sex on this day.
• 1:14-19 – On the fourth day, god separated day from night, and formed the sun, the moon and the stars so that there could be markers to for sacred times, days and years. He also dictated at what times of the day or night that the sun, moon and stars would be visible.
• How did four days go by without separation of day and night? How could he have marked those days when those markers hadn’t even been created?
• If god just now created the sun, moon and stars, what was the source of light and darkness prior to this point?
• Each previous section says ‘And there was evening, and there was morning,’ but how can there be evening or morning without a sun to mark them?
• 1:20-23 – On the fifth day, god created all the animals that live in the water, and all the birds that fly in the sky but live on the earth, telling them to multiply and fill the earth and water with their kind.
• Again, was there really a need to tell them they could only be fruitful ‘according to their kind?’ Why would you create intermixing species of birds and fish?
• Again, why create such variety and dictate that none are allowed to partake in other varieties? (Why dictate that different birds cannot intermingle? And why don’t the mindless animals that god controls follow that rule?
• Why did he create birds and fish at the same time, but waited to create non-flying land animals?
• 1:24-31 – On the sixth day, god created the rest of the animals (the ones that can’t fly and don’t live in the water), including mankind in ‘our likeness.’ This includes both male and female. He also told the new humans to rule over the animals, fish and birds, as well as to ‘be fruitful and increase in number’ so that we could ‘subdue’ the earth. He told the new, as-of-yet-unnamed humans that he had created all the seed-bearing plants and trees so that they would have food. He also tells the animals of the land that the green plants are their food.
• Did god create humans as an afterthought? Did he think, “Gee, I need someone to control this place when I don’t want to have anything to do with this, I need to clone myself to create a sort of governor”?
• Did god intend humans to be vegetarian? This section says that he gave us the plants and trees for food, but mentions nothing about eating the flesh of animals.
• Did god intend all land animals to be vegetarian? He mentions that he has given every green plant for food to the beasts, creatures and bird that move along the ground, without mention of them hunting and eating each other.
• SUMMATION
• God created everything in six days, including the concept of days, months and years (the calendar).
• Based on the amount of information, it would seem that it was easier or less important for god to create the sky, the sun, the moon, the stars and the earth than it was for him to create the animals, fish, birds and humans. There’s short passages for the first few days, and they get longer and more complicated as we get into higher forms of animals.
• What’s with the OCD-like references to the ‘according to their kind’ in every reference to plants or animals (birds, fish and land animals) increasing their numbers? Does this mean that god was severely concerned that plants and animals would reproduce with others not of their kind? Why would it be so important to segregate the world like that?

Ron Paul on Top of His Game

A few reasons why I want this man to get the republican nomination for president:

“Our position [on gay marriage] is to stay out of peoples’ lives.”

“A voluntary association shouldn’t be interfered with by the state.”

“ That’s my personal belief [marriage is between one man and one woman]. That doesn’t mean that I should write laws that force other people to accept my standards.”

“The role of the state is not to make people’s behaviors different.”

“I don’t want to force people in social conditions anymore than I want to force people into economic conditions.”

He doesn’t like homosexuality and believes it’s a sin, but says the government has no right to regulate any kind of marriage, association or other social contract. It’s your choice; no prohibition, no force.