Religion: Laugh Your Ass Off

I've been thinking lately. Maybe the reason that religion gets to cling on to it's social respectability despite all the vicious, maniacal, and just plain ludicrous stuff it tries to get away with--maybe the reason is that we all take it so seriously. I mean what would happen, if we just laughed our asses off whenever somebody said they believed in God? What would happen if we just doubled over with tears streaming out of our eyes whenever somebody even mentioned heaven, hell, Satan, Jesus, Mohammad or Buddha? I guess it makes it harder to laugh at people who are really intent on enslaving and/or killing you (though not necessarily in that order). Anyways, a world were we could just laugh those silly freaks away and not have to worry about them anymore, is a world worth working for. Until then, here's a taste of what it might feel like to be able to laugh them all away:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Ope-1Zb5t-k

A Decisive Argument Against Religion

This is a video posted by YouTube objectivist Nelapidae. He presents a stunningly clear, precise and cutting argument against faith. Enjoy:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dQefreiEQOA

Ayn Rand: Atheist and Advocate of Reason

Here's a nice little collage of clips of interviews where Ayn Rand expresses her views on religion. I wish there were more guests like her on talk shows today.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=8GS6vxb4H3M

City of the Living

Here's a political art piece depicting the spiritual and concrete consequences of certain philosophical beliefs. I think I've been able to achieve a higher level of subtlety in this one as opposed to my earlier videos. I hope you like it.




http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=WavGf6NYul0

Vote Bob Barr in November. Vote Libertarian.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Im0Wqj3BSvU

Election 2008: Socialism or Capitalism, Which Shall it Be?

Okay, well, we KNOW that McCain can't be trusted any further than we could throw him, so for me he's not even a contender. Like I said, I admire Obama's stance on religious influence in government and his respect for rational discourse in the political process. Unfortunately, he's a rank socialist, who ignores basic economics in favor of generating a populist appeal. Of course, this has long been a staple of the "democratic" party. It's so accepted that he doesn't even try to sugar-coat it. Here it is:

SOCIALISM IN ACTION



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7A-yopgPHbw

So, what else is there to do? Is it really a choice between Socialism and Theocracy? NO. It isn't. Of course, the power-hungry influence peddlers would love for you to think that. They want you to choose between the mixed-values of economically conservative religious extremists and socially liberal communist ideologues. What they want you to ignore is that there is a third option. That option is economic conservatism and social freedom. The price is increased personal responsibility. The price is that we can no longer run crying to Big Daddy Government to save us from our own decisions whether they go awry from ignorance or accident. So what should we do this election? Vote Libertarian. Vote Bob Barr.

He won't hand us over to the Christian zealots. And he won't hand us over to the Collectivists either. Freedom is a principle worth fighting and dying for. Don't allow the Democrats and Republicans to convince you that some are more important than others and that they should be traded like some kind of commodity of influence. Rights are an absolute of human ethics. They cannot be compromised, or else they have no meaning and offer no assurance at all. To preserve our rights is to preserve freedom. And the government cannot force freedom. The bigger government is, the less freedom we have. The less freedom we have, the less able we are to turn our ideas into businesses, to do business with our fellow human beings and in the end, the harder it is to live. If you love freedom and life, vote against both those who would sacrifice us to religion and those who would sacrifice us to society. Vote for freedom. Vote Bob Barr.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=qWkPMJRDBuo

Lara Logan: A Rare Integrity

I live abroad and so I must admit that I'm probably behind on a few things, but I ran across this video on YouTube and this reporter impressed me with her carriage. I rarely see reporters nowadays who express convictions or who seem to be dedicated to rational discourse in the way Lara Logan does. I'll be following up on her work from now on. Enjoy :)



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6I420_fPM2E

George Carlin, Atheist Comedian, Dies at Age 71.

http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/25322638/

George Carlin, a very funny man who made his living pulling the pants down on institutionalized hypocrisy, died on Sunday. He was 71. As a tribute, I hope you enjoy this clip of his routine on religion.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vSZWDGLIKyY

Is the Koran compatible with science? Is it consistent?

Lately I've noticed an increase in claims, specifically on YouTube, but amongst Islamic advocates in general that the Koran is not only internally consistent, but that it also foreshadows modern scientific discoveries. Zealots will use carefully cultivated quotations to support these wild claims. Well, I tend to think that the psychology going on here is not unlike that which surrounds proponents of Nostradamus, astrology, palm reading, or any other of a litany of quacky half-baked pseudo-scientific spiritualist dogmas. To prove that these neo-scientific religious bigots are in fact spouting nothing but hot air, I decided to do some cursory research on contradictions in the Koran.

Here's what I came up with:

1) This site lists at least 10 issues which show that the Koran is either not internally consistent and that Mohammed had no more knowledge of astronomy than a gibbering cave-man.

http://www.faithfreedom.org/Articles/SKM/contradictions.htm

2) This site raises an interesting point. The Koran states that Allah can answer any question. It also states that he can do anything. So, can Allah ask a question that Allah cannot answer?

http://the-qurans-fatal-flaw.myblogvoice.com/?contradictions-inconsistencies-and-fallacies-in-the-koran-quran-120336

3) And here's a link to a list of a further 87 inconsistencies put together by one dedicated poster:

http://mybroadband.co.za/vb/showthread.php?s=d981da0ad3d6d5a72b63ef7628a00c80&t=71501

4) Here, perhaps most damning of all, is a group of Muslims who concede that the Koran has inconsistencies and promotes violence, but that it must somehow be "reformed" to remove such features. My suggestion..."Become an atheist."

http://www.reformislam.org/

and here is their list of Suras that they recommend should be deleted from the Koran because they "promote divisiveness and religious hatred, bigotry and discrimination."

http://www.reformislam.org/verses.php

I wonder how much of the Koran would be left...And this raises another interesting point. If the Koran, is not the unalterable, indefatigable, perfect, and complete word of God, why then bother with it at all?

And before you say, well the Koran is consistent, unalterable and 100% true, please consider these words from a religion of peace:

O you who believe! fight those of the unbelievers who are near to you and let them find in you hardness; and know that Allah is with those who guard (against evil).

If you would like to verify the veracity of the quotes attributed to the Koran, I recommend reading it. Nothing clears up controversy like looking at the facts. For your convenience I've also included a link to an online searchable Koran here.

A Brief History of Life on Earth

This is a fascinating video I found. The narration is by Carl Sagan from his old series "Cosmos". The video was re-edited by Cyraside. It's a short synopsis of the entire history of life, from the first molecules to the quest for space. I hope you enjoy it.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5kOLIHi9pTY

An Elegant and Complex Symphony of Creation

I ran into this video on YouTube and it took me back to my childhood and when I was taking my first steps down the path of reason. I hope you enjoy it as much as I did then and still do today. And if you happen to believe in creationism, take a serious look at this and then ask yourself. Which is truly more elegant, more beautiful, more charged with delicate grace and inspiration?





http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=0ZWzKNgp0qs

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=7WMbbLZoXcU

Frame of Reference

I've completed another one of those art videos. This one is based on another poem of mine. I hope you enjoy it.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=9yrnx8-7-xw

Comic Relief: The Babel Fish

Just happened across this clip from the old Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy. Hope you enjoy it. It always cracks me up.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dcncPpQ8loA

Fighting the Good Fight

Here's a promotional video from the National Center for Science Education. It shows how they proved that Intelligent Design is really Creationism.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GUB8Mv1SaKQ

Scientology: The Devil Next Door

Here's an interesting and informative video on the new-age fanatical religion founded by American SF writer L. Ron Hubbard. I also highly recommend Thunderfoot's entire, Why Do People Laugh at Creationists? series.



Here's the link to the Scientology video:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=cuHF_br-DBs

And here is Thunderfoot's proposed battle plan:



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=v6eNyBrQUKs


And here is a justification of Thunderfoot's Scientology = Nazi analogy.



http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=MYG5ayrd040

Sexpelled: No Intercourse Allowed

The title says it all. A parody of Ben Stein's opus to ignorance.

This is John Galt Speaking...

This is a 13-parter, so I can't embed all the clips here. But I seriously recommend that you at least look at part 1 and if you like, go check out the others.

Question Religion

Here's another interesting art piece that I thought you may enjoy.

Yaron Brook Speaking About The Future of Objectivism

This is an interesting video of the President and Executive Director of the Ayn Rand Institute talking about his view of the future of the philosophy of objectivism.



And here is an interesting interview where he talks about capitalism:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GIoP7V6U-aQ

Another Cool Video

I know I'm throwing a lot of videos up today, but I can't resist just this one more. It's pretty funny so check it out: