jewel January 16th, 2010
Honestly, I don’t get it. Here we are, in the 21st century and there are still people talking about pacts with the devil to explain completely natural events!
Here’s Pat Robertson, of the 700 Club talking about the earthquake in Haiti:
The Haitians “were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever,” Robertson said on his broadcast Wednesday. “And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, ‘We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.’ True story. And so, the devil said, ‘OK, it’s a deal.’ “
Seriously? He believes that? Aside from the complete and utter heartlessness of his “explanation”, it doesn’t really sound like his god is all that loving or big on forgiveness. Mr Robertson seems to be light on the compassion as well. Not that this really surprises me, mind you, since he and Jerry Falwell blamed 9/11 on”the pagans, and the abortionists, and the feminists…” rather than squarely where the blame really was, which was religion and politics.
jewel November 10th, 2007
Some very cool news – on Tuesday, November 13th, at 8pm PBS will be airing a new NOVA program about the Kitzmiller vs. Dover trial on teaching ID in public schools. Check your local listings.
For more information, see the press release or click on the graphic to be taken to the NOVA site on the program.
edited to add: The NY Times also has a pretty good write up on Judgment Day.
jewel October 26th, 2007
Though I’m not sure she would agree, Ayaan Hirsi Ali is an amazing woman. Raised to be a good Muslim, she tried very hard to do right by Allah. But when her father arranged for her to marry someone she had never met – and refused her plea to not go through with it – she ran. It wasn’t easy for her; just the opposite. But she knew there had to be more to life than being a submissive wife and mother. She did not want to end up like her mother.
Infidel is the story of her life so far. Her story is moving and at times very tragic. This is a very powerful book, full of imagery that shocked my Western mind. Continue Reading »
jewel July 31st, 2007
I recently read The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins. He is one of my favorite authors, so reading his latest book was just natural.
Just as I have come to expect from Dr. Dawkins, The God Delusion is a well reasoned treatise. He systematically dismantles the supposed needs for belief in God and pretty much any argument one could have for retaining belief. He mainly goes after the three Abrahamic religions – Christianity, Judiasim and Islam – but his arguments apply equally well to any other religion, past or present. Continue Reading »
