Wednesday, April 11, 2012

FacePalm of the Day - Debunking Christianity: Quote of the Day, By Yours Truly ;-)

John Loftus posted the following quote.
I think the Christian delusion is harmful if for no other reason than that it weaken one's critical thinking skills. If faith is the basis for what one thinks then anything can be believed. It also adversely impacts us in polls that bolster the delusion in others, in donations to faith-based causes that are harmful, in TV, radio, and book buying habits that grant spokespersons for the delusion a bigger voice than warranted, and in voting patterns that place deluded people in power who in turn cause harm to individual people, one's particular nation, and the world at large.

I think that there is a serious problem. In Christianity there is no reason to believe everything, especially stuff that comes out of your own head. Christianity is about trusting God and building a relationship with God on God's Terms not your own. 

Debunking Christianity: Quote of the Day, By Yours Truly ;-)

Desposyni: Ben Witherington III on Women and Ministry

Check out Dr Witherington





Desposyni: Ben Witherington III on Women and Ministry

George Zimmerman To Be Charged In Trayvon Martin Shooting: Report

George Zimmerman will be charged with a crime(s) for shooting Trayvon Martin, but not for murder.

Corey announced earlier this week that she would not convene a grand jury in the case. Experts familiar with Corey's background say she has a reputation for avoiding grand juries in cases in which they are unnecessary. Under Florida law, murder charges can only be issued by a grand jury. Zimmerman may face other charges in the shooting death, including manslaughter and assault.
Read more at the following link.

George Zimmerman To Be Charged In Trayvon Martin Shooting: Report

I get the feeling their throwing the public a bone because he isn't being charged with murder, but they did arrest him. 

Tuesday, April 10, 2012

Debate: William Lane Craig & Peter Atkins: Does God Exist? Audio and Video - Apologetics 315

Brian Auten posted the video and audio on the Apologetics 315 of William Lane Craig vs Peter Atkins during Craig's Reasonable Faith last fall.






Debate: William Lane Craig & Peter Atkins: Does God Exist? Audio and Video - Apologetics 315

Not All Dead Men Stay Dead: 10 Essential Points about the Resurrection | Reflections

Српски / Srpski: Groblje_Sv._Marko
Српски / Srpski: Groblje_Sv._Marko (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Dr Kenneth Samples wrote a great article summarizing the essential points of Jesus Resurrection:

Historic Christianity contains numerous beliefs that are theologically and philosophically volatile (in the best sense of the term). These powerful truth-claims have transformed the church and even turned the world upside down. My new book, 7 Truths that Changed the World, explores seven of historic Christianity’s dangerous ideas. The following 10 points give a brief overview of what I consider to be the Christian faith’s most dangerous idea.

Not All Dead Men Stay Dead: 10 Essential Points about the Resurrection | Reflections
Enhanced by Zemanta

Desposyni: Albert Mohler and Perspectives on Theistic Evolution

Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theol...
Al Mohler, President of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
Matthew Dowling has posted a good article summarizing and responding to a lecture by Dr Albert Mohler on perspectives on Theistic Evolution,. Given his background in Biology, Dowling's comments and insights are well worth reading! Follow the link to his blog to see a link to the lecture and read his comments.


Desposyni: Albert Mohler and Perspectives on Theistic Evolution
Enhanced by Zemanta

Sunday, April 8, 2012

Arthur C. Clarke Predicts The Internet In 1974 [Video]




Arthur C. Clarke Predicts The Internet In 1974 [Video]

FacePalm of the Day - Debunking Christianity: Quote of the Day, by Sir_Russ

John Loftus posted the following quote that illustrates the error many atheist make in understanding God and the nature of Biblical faith. 

God isn't the 300 people who died in the plane crash. No, no, no. God is the one person who survived it. God is that unlikely event.

I disagree. God's hand is both in the 300 people who would die a plane crash and in the one who survived.

God isn't the death, mayhem, destruction and chaos of the tornado. No, no, no. God is the miracle puppy which lived through it.


No, God is responsible for both the tornado and the miracle puppy.

God isn't the hundreds of US children who die every year due to medical neglect by their Christian Science parents. No, no, no. God is the one who may have suffered needlessly, but didn't die.

One, where are the statistics that say that there are hundreds of children in the United States dying because of medical neglect from their Christian Science parents? Two, no where does the Bible tell us that getting medical attention is a sin. Three, God is not in Christian Science.

Christian faith is blindness to manifest horror in favor of comfort. Christian faith is picking over a cataclysm looking for anything to indulge their insatiable lust for feeling good. Link

Christian faith is not about turning your brain off or about feeling good. At its core, the Gospel cuts through pride and recognizing your own brokenness. Who expects to feel good about deserving to go to hell because of your sinfulness? The Gospel is the good news that Jesus redeemed us. We don't have to go to hell if we put our trust in Him. As for all the bad things that happen in the world, God does not owe us any explanation. I think Job put it best when his wife thought he should just give up his faith and integrity after they lost everything. 

 9 His wife said to him, “Are you still maintaining your integrity? Curse God and die!”
 10 He replied, “You are talking like a foolish woman. Shall we accept good from God, and not trouble?”
   In all this, Job did not sin in what he said.- Job 2:9-10

Debunking Christianity: Quote of the Day, by Sir_Russ

Friday, April 6, 2012

Who are getting food stamps?

For the past several years politicians and the mass media lay the blame for America's financial issues at the feet of minorities (especially black, single mothers) on public assistance. They "reason" that such people milk the system and contribute nothing. Rick Santorum and Mitt Romney are not the first to make such kinds of statements. The thing is that such statements operate on the assumption that the majority of Americans who are on welfare are Black or Latino and/or some other racial minority. There are a couple of major problems.

1. Even if all black people in the US were on welfare (and we aren't all on welfare) we are all such a small percentage (we are a minority, remember?)  I doubt that it would make a huge difference.
2. A higher percentage of people in the US are on welfare are white! Take the example of  food stamps.



Calvinistic Cartoons: A Good Question

Calvinistic Cartoons: A Good Question

Save Big on Your Mortgage in Three Simple Steps [infographic]

3_Simple_Steps_to_Save_on_Your_Mortgage


Save Big on Your Mortgage in Three Simple Steps [infographic]

Captain America Gives Hulk Some Direction in His Life - Topless Robot




Captain America Gives Hulk Some Direction in His Life - Topless Robot

Thursday, April 5, 2012

Faceplant of the Day: Debunking Christianity: Playing God: The Loving Psychopath

Recently,John Loftus pointed out a YouTube video that obviously means to metaphorically equate humanity's relationship to God with those of human being and his ant farm.




There are so many mistakes in this video. The metaphor does not work .  God is not like a man who made an ant farm out of stuff that already exists. The man organized the farm. He did not make the ants. He did not make the soil. He did not make the food the ants eat. On the other hand God, made everything. Not just organize reality but created everything that exists out of nothing.

Given that a man does not have control of anything that the ants do or what happens to anyone of them, the metaphor breaks down when you try to see God the same way. From God's perspective human beings have no more free will than ants/ And while the man is incapable of communicating with the ants in his farm, God is more than able to make Himself known to us. Just because some humans don't listen, doesn't mean that God does not speak or is incomprehensible.

If you want to make the metaphor perfectly resemble what God did, you would have to make the man become an ant, live as an ant, die as an ant for their sins and be resurrected! Without that, the charge that God is like a sadistic man who manipulates an ant farm. The thought is that the man is not worthy to be worshiped to be obeyed,  and loved so the ants are owed something. The man of course is sinful and imperfect and fallible. God however is perfect. Of course he has the right to do whatever He sees fit.
Debunking Christianity: Playing God: The Loving Psychopath

The Dunamis Word: The Resurrection Of Jesus, Critical Claims Debunked!

Elder Burnett has posted a brilliant summary of defenses against the critics of Jesus' Resurrection based on a book by Dr Gary Habermas. Take a look!

The Dunamis Word: The Resurrection Of Jesus, Critical Claims Debunked!

Desposyni: How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens


Michael Dowling posted a video from YouTube of Michael Williams, author of the fine new book How to Read the Bible Through the Jesus Lens: A Guide to Christ-Focused Reading of Scripture (Zondervan, 2012), giving a discussion on his book.





Desposyni: How to Read the Bible through the Jesus Lens

The Empire State Building [infographic] | Daily Infographic



The Empire State Building [infographic] | Daily Infographic

Today in Needlessly Terrifying Robots - Topless Robot




Today in Needlessly Terrifying Robots - Topless Robot

Wednesday, April 4, 2012

The Muslim Use of the Errant Unitarianism of Sir Anthony Buzzard

Dr James White has written a post on how some Muslims use the Unitarianism of Sir Anthony Buzzard to discredit Christianity. They seem to think that they have found a Christian who denies the Trinity therefore Trinitarians are wrong. Rather an irrational argument but they seem to think it flies. It more like crashes and burns. A three-part video is embedded in the post of a two-on-two debate between James White and Dr Michael Brown against Anthony Buzzard and another man who reject Jesus as God and Messiah. Also Dr White posts another video by a Muslim on YouTube who attacks Dr White and Christianity on the basis of the Trinity.

Dr White writes:

If one does not assume unitarianism my comments are, well, obvious. Only by cutting, editing, and ignoring context, can Sir Anthony attempt to create confusion and hence contradiction. He refuses to allow for the distinction between being and person, and on the basis of that refusal, asserts contradiction on my part. Yet, my very definition is based upon the distinction in usage and referent for the terms "being" and "person". Hence, to reject part of my definition, import a different definition, and on that basis accuse me of contradiction is irrational. We have seen this error on Sir Anthony's part many times. But what is MuslimByChoice's excuse this time? He is citing a man who believes Jesus died and rose again. He believes Jesus is properly called the Son of God (in a much higher sense than Islam can possibly allow) and hence is someone who rejects the inspiration of the Qur'an and the prophethood of Mohammed. It is clear once again that MuslimByChoice chooses to use any source, no matter how inconsistent with Islamic doctrine, teaching, or history, as long as it looks like it is contradictory to the Trinity. Isn't it interesting to see how dependent Muslims are upon enemies of the Christian faith, like Bart Ehrman, for example? Rejection of biblical teaching makes strange bedfellows, to be sure!

Follow the link at the end to see the videos.

The Muslim Use of the Errant Unitarianism of Sir Anthony Buzzard

Timeline of Trayvon Martin's Last Minutes - YouTube

CNN recently put together a timeline of what is thought to have happened the night George Zimmerman killed Trayvon Martin.




Timeline of Trayvon Martin's Last Minutes - YouTube

10 Job Hacks To Help You Through The Daily Grind

Work Hacks
From: Best Masters Degrees

10 Job Hacks To Help You Through The Daily Grind

Top Ten Myths About the Resurrection - Apologetics 315

Brian Auten has written a post summarizing links to videos that debunk the myths about Jesus' Resurrection.  Follow the link to his post!



Top Ten Myths About the Resurrection - Apologetics 315

The Top 10 Great Inventions From Ireland [infographic]



The Top 10 Great Inventions From Ireland [infographic]

Andrew Garfield on Spider-Man as Metaphor for Internet Trolling - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

This particular article brings up a very interesting point about anonymity and how it can be abused.

Obviously Peter Parker is going to behave differently as Spider-Man than he will in his nerdy, unmasked idiom, but the Amazing Spider-Man sizzle previewed for the press last month featured a wall-crawler whose behavior went beyond the typical boundaries of vigilante bravado; something I described as "epic spider trolling." I was referencing a scene that's since surfaced of Spider-Man giving some foolish criminal a bit of the business, but a new interview with Amazing star Andrew Garfield confirms that the darker(/funnier) nature of internet anonymity is something he built into his performance as Spider-Man.

FacePalm of the Day - Edward T. Babinski: Things Christians Have Been Against

Edward Babinski has recently posted an article enumerating several things throughout history that Christians have railed against and different positions Christians have held throughout the past 2000 years. This post is mostly true! There is one thing missing. I'd like to ask how many of these positions were supported by a correct understanding of scripture?  Does the Bible really say that condoms are bad? Does it say that cats should be killed because they are agents of the devil? Does the Bible really condemn anesthesia? No? No, it doesn't. That is why you need to know what scripture says for yourself!  

Edward T. Babinski: Things Christians Have Been Against

You can watch "Legend of Korra"'s first two episodes for free on iTunes.

Parting Shot: Watch the First Two Episodes of 'Legend of Korra' for Free on iTunes - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviewsParting Shot: Watch the First Two Episodes of 'Legend of Korra' for Free on iTunes - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews

You can watch "Legend of Korra"'s first two episodes for free on iTunes.



Parting Shot: Watch the First Two Episodes of 'Legend of Korra' for Free on iTunes - ComicsAlliance | Comic book culture, news, humor, commentary, and reviews
Enhanced by Zemanta

Tuesday, April 3, 2012

Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Live Action version 3.0) - YouTube

Someone re-created the intro for Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes using footage from the live-action movies.







Compare it to the animated version




Avengers: Earth's Mightiest Heroes (Live Action version 3.0) - YouTube

Five Strands of Evidence for Jesus Christ’s Resurrection | Reflections

Dr Kenneth Samples has posted an article that summarizes 5 points of evidence for Jesus' Resurrection. Not new, but well explained.

Five Strands of Evidence for Jesus Christ’s Resurrection | Reflections

Stars to Change in Re-Release of Titanic

This week one of the world's biggest moves ever...Titanic...gets re-released in Theaters 3-D.  Turns out that there will be another important change being made to the film. It should make Dr. Tyson really happy.

“There she is looking up. There is only one sky she should have been looking at … and it was the wrong sky! Worse than that, it was not only the wrong sky; the left-half of the sky was a mirror reflection of the right-half of the sky! It was not only wrong, it was lazy! And I’m thinking, this is wrong.“
Cameron has since rendered the sky to include a new formation, which will actually be correct to what people in that region of the Atlantic would have seen in 1912.
The science of movie magic.
Another thing to note is that there is an alternate ending that I was unaware of:





Stars to Change in Re-Release of Titanic
Enhanced by Zemanta

Today in Great Nerd Shirts, Better Causes - Topless Robot

A great T-Shirt that's being sold for charity!

Today in Great Nerd Shirts, Better Causes - Topless Robot

Xbox 720 And PS4: Next Gen Console Rumors - Sessler's Soapbox - G4tv.com




Xbox 720 And PS4: Next Gen Console Rumors - Sessler's Soapbox - G4tv.com

Facebook From The 1990's - G4tv.com




Facebook From The 1990's - G4tv.com

A Racist State of Mind: South Dakota

Today racism discussion are usually polarized between white and black. However there are many groups racially discriminated against that are often ignored. This particular essay is about the experience of a woman is Native American from South Dakota. It's about how she has had to deal with racism her whole life, just like many of us, and how she thinks and feels about if from her point of view. I think her word bear some consideration. I find that I don't think much about the Native American point of view because I know so few people from that community. Added further the fact that most African-Americans are also descended from native American Tribes (myself included), we should be paying more attention and care about what's happening there too. 

A Racist State of Mind: South Dakota
Enhanced by Zemanta

Monday, April 2, 2012

15 Things You Didn't Know About Death [infographic]

15 Things you didn't know about death

Scholar Interview: David Instone-Brewer - Apologetics 315

Brian Auten recently conducted a really good interview with Dr David Instone-Brewer. In the interview he discusses his new book  The Jesus Scandals. I really liked the interview. The reliability of the Gospels are discussed and how the negative things, both inside and outside the Bible,  said about Jesus and his followers actually confirm what is said about Jesus and his teachings. Follow the link to get the interview.

Scholar Interview: David Instone-Brewer - Apologetics 315

Tony Stark Talks Down Loki [Video]




Tony Stark Talks Down Loki [Video]

Sunday, April 1, 2012

Two More Good Articles on the Trayvon Martin Case

Thanks to Ryan Anderson for pointing out this article that explains that the mystery of who's voice was calling out in pain on the 911 tape could not be George Zimmerman.

The voice analysis is the latest piece of information to cast doubt on the narrative, advanced by Zimmerman and his family, that the Neighborhood Watch volunteer was attacked by 17-year-old Trayvon Martin. A police video this week showed no blood or bruises on Zimmerman in the aftermath of the incident, while Martin's funeral director said he saw no signs of a struggle on the teen's body.

Hmmmm....so no evidence consistent with a struggle between Zimmerman or Martin - directly contradicting  Zimmerman's account of what happpened. Gee, I wonder why? The article contains a YouTube Video containing the 911 audio in question.




Trayvon Martin Shooting: Voice Experts Claim Teen's Cries, Not Zimmerman's, Can Be Heard On 911 Call

Thanks again to Ryan Anderson.

I also found another good article posted by Reginald Hudlin on Facebook. The article concerns and interview in which the facts of the case are debated.

On tonight's Piers Morgan Tonight, Piers got into it with MSNBC's Touré, who was extremely annoyed about the way Piers had handled his interview with George Zimmerman's brother, Robert, the previous night. The exchange got pretty heated and Touré landed some serious blows on Piers
.


Follow the link below to see the video


Touré Slams Piers Morgan on His Own Show Over the Facts of the Trayvon Martin Case

10 Infamous Hoaxes [Video]

Here is a rundown of successful hoaxes!



10 Infamous Hoaxes [Video]

Saturday, March 31, 2012

Featured Sci-Fi Short Film: Chameleon [Video]

This is really good
A hostile race of aliens has invaded Earth and the government fears that the aliens are modifying their DNA to pose as humans. When a military officer abducted months ago mysteriously reappears, his wife is called in to ask him questions only she would know to find out who or what he really is. Starring James C. Burns (Call of Duty: Black Ops). Based on a story by science fiction author Colin Harvey.





Featured Sci-Fi Short Film: Chameleon [Video]

More Info On The Trayvon Case

I came across two articles that shed more light on the Trayvon case. Here are some of what I think should be highlighted and links to the full article.

Trayvon Martin may not have done the textbook best job at protecting himself from harm. And whether he was a “child” or not may be open to debate since government agencies and websites differ on how somebody age 17 should be categorized.  But considering the circumstances — rainy, getting dark, stranger following him with a gun — his actions were reasonable and well within his rights.  They certainly didn’t warrant his death.
To summarize Zimmerman’s own defense, Zimmerman initiated a confrontation by chasing a youth, the youth defended himself, and Zimmerman shot him dead.  Looks like grounds for an arrest.  And if you ask me, it’s grounds for a conviction, too.

With a Stranger Stalking, What Were Trayvon Martin's Options?

What is the relationship between Zimmerman and the one eyewitness who allegedly corroborated his account? An eyewitness who has only been identified in media reports as John claims that he saw Zimmerman getting pounded by Trayvon Martin. A Florida Fox News affiliate interviewed the witness, but he refused to show his face on camera. It’s unclear where John was standing during the incident and whether he saw how it began, but he says that after he noticed it, he ran upstairs in his apartment to call 911 and heard a gun shot while he was running. Who is this witness on whom it appears Wolfinger hinged his belief in Zimmerman’s claim of self-defense? Is he a friend of Zimmerman’s?

Top 5 Unanswered Questions In the Trayvon Martin Case

The Evolution of Makeup [infographic] | Daily Infographic



The Evolution of Makeup [infographic] | Daily Infographic

Walter Martin's last TBN Appearance - YouTube

Introduction to Playlist

Walter Martin defending the faith, circa 1985, on TBN with host Doug Clark. Neither the host nor the guest were ever invited back and the program was not reaired the following Monday as it was scheduled.




Walter Martin's last TBN Appearance - YouTube