The reality is that America is a nation of the world and it is our duty to consider the entire planet when we make certain decisions. We have most of the world's wealth, an over-abundance of resources, many of the most intelligent and powerful people on the planet, and a military complex unlike any in history. Our behavior affects almost every corner of the world. As the self-proclaimed greatest nation on Earth, it's our duty to act like it.
Having personally gone through theism and agnosticism, I fully understand why people would want to call themselves agnostic atheists. It has a (slightly) better connotation to it than atheism, it sounds more open-minded, and it appears to be more scientific. But the truth is that claiming agnosticism gives credence to the idea of theism, and that is the polar opposite of what a true atheist believes.
The next time you hear Cheney say that America wasn't attacked after 9/11, ask an Iraq War veteran about roadside bombs.
The problem here is that we (as a society) tend to confuse opinions and beliefs. Everyone has the right to their opinions and no one can have a wrong opinion. But anyone can have beliefs that are simply wrong.
I registered Metzae.net a decade ago right after adopting the screen name Metzae. Since then, it has grown into a large network of websites that cover everything from photos to politics to profanity. It is one of the most unique websites I’ve ever created and is full of things to discover. Some of them are [ Read More ]
The reality is that America is a nation of the world and it is our duty to consider the entire planet when we make certain decisions. We have most of the world’s wealth, an over-abundance of resources, many of the most intelligent and powerful people on the planet, and a military complex unlike any in history. Our behavior affects almost every corner of the world. As the self-proclaimed greatest nation on Earth, it’s our duty to act like it.
Though voting may seem pointless to some, it’s the discussions surrounding the election and the lead-up to it that truly matters. And considering how few people actually vote, each vote is worth far more than one. For every person that does not vote, there is someone that votes for them. And if you’re comfortable letting other people vote for you, then by all means sit at home while “they” think for you.
If you really want to boil it down to the absolute basics, I believe the reason we are alive is entropy. It’s the only “force” that ensures that things will change, and change is absolutely necessary for the existence of life.
We have more in common with one another than anything else in the entire Cosmos. The genetic differences between every living human is less than the difference between Chihuahuas and Huskies. We all have the same biological heritage and we all float on the same tiny ball in an unimaginably vast ocean of space. If you consider all of the various forms of matter and the possibilities of existence, you can begin to see just how much we truly have in common. One person may like lasagna with meat, one person may like it without meat, but every person that ever existed would eat a bowl of it if they were hungry.
A person can be smart, logical, and also believe in God but only if they have an incomplete understanding of logic. I don’t mean that as an insult. Logically speaking, very little about what religion has to offer makes sense. Invisible sky creatures? Telepathic connections to the undead? The Earth is only a few thousand years old? God speaks only to a handful of chosen people? Religion is the only path to morality? Be honest with yourself: none of those questions have logical explanations from a religious perspective.
Before society developed and codified it, religion existed (in a metaphorical sense) for millions of years. The mammals that learned to live in strict hierarchies were the ones most likely to survive. Even in the primitive world, multiple minds worked better than one. And from an evolutionary perspective, the only thing that really matters is survival.
Having personally gone through theism and agnosticism, I fully understand why people would want to call themselves agnostic atheists. It has a (slightly) better connotation to it than atheism, it sounds more open-minded, and it appears to be more scientific. But the truth is that claiming agnosticism gives credence to the idea of theism, and that is the polar opposite of what a true atheist believes.
I’m putting together a collection of Gaian music, and I need everyone’s help. What do I mean by Gaian? Well, anything that is positive or uplifting with an emphasis on taking care of the world or your fellow humans. I’m trying very hard to avoid cheesy music because I want it to be genuinely uplifting [ Read More ]
“Cosmos” by Carl Sagan was more influential to me than any book I’ve ever read. It reawakened the spirituality inside me, opened my eyes to the wonders of science, gave me a sense of self, helped me appreciate all life on Earth, and laid the foundation for the human being I have become.
Q: What does your worldview say about cooperation & conflict, if anything? A: I am Gaian. I believe that everyone is intimately related, which is why we are so contentious at times. I believe we are connected to the Earth, and our actions directly affect our environment. I believe that cooperation supersedes conflict. I believe [ Read More ]
Q: Should public display of hate be illegal? A: Not only should it be legal, it should be highly publicized and ridiculed. Someone once asked Jerry Springer why he, a Jew, would give KKK members a platform to spread their hate to a national audience. His response was sublime. He said that it is our [ Read More ]
Trust me: you will love this video.
Q: What is the meaning of death? A: Organisms are giant machines, and they require a lot of energy. All day, every day, most organisms spend their time concerned with the consumption and excretion of biological material. And since they constantly reproduce, they are introducing more of these consumers into the environment. Birth brings about [ Read More ]
Q: How does evolution explain why men tend to outperform women in mathematics and spatial reasoning? A: Our species has a long biological heritage of men going out to do the hunting while the women stay at the camp to do the gathering. The men that tended to get lost because of their terrible spatial [ Read More ]
Q: Science does not have any morals, yet Atheist still worship science? It seems futile and I don’t understand. Why do you choose hell over the kingdom of God? A: Science does not have any morals because science is not a religion. Mathematics and chemistry have no morals, either, and yet people have little doubt [ Read More ]
I have had the same Yahoo! account for over a decade. I mostly had it because I collect accounts at every major website. Most of Yahoo’s services are crappy and nerfed, so I’ve never had much of a need for it. But about a month ago I started participating in Yahoo! Answers and found it [ Read More ]
Q: How come atheists are never haunted by ghosts or spirits? A: We are! Everyone is! The difference is that some people recognize those fears as an irrational and natural part of our biological heritage, so we don’t pay them much attention. Our imagination is a power thing. “I don’t believe in ghosts but they [ Read More ]
Q: My friend won’t leave me alone about the fact that I’m Jewish but celebrate Christmas? A: Christmas is not about Christ. People give each other presents on Christmas. Is it to celebrate the birth of Jesus? Nope! It’s because giving gifts to celebrate the winter solstice has been going on for thousands of years. [ Read More ]
Q: What’s with all of this animosity between Christians and atheists lately? A: Lately? This crap has been going on for (literally) thousands of years. It just wasn’t until the invention of the internet that we finally got to see the theism debate argued across the spectrum. We have intelligent people, idiotic people, atheists, theists, [ Read More ]
Q: What do you guys NOT understand about Islam? A: Oh my gawd, this is like asking a cave man what he does not understand about quantum physics. If anyone gives you any grief, just send them this link: http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/quran/good/long.html
Q: Ever heard of a Unitarian Universalist Muslim? A: It’s not outside the realm of possibility. Unitarians don’t demand anything from you or your beliefs, so someone could be *any* religion and still be a part of their church.
Q: Should being a Christian who believes in the rapture disqualify you to fly commercial airplanes? A: Yes. I believe that all people should be held to their beliefs, especially when they’re ridiculous. I don’t believe *anyone else* should be held to those beliefs, so don’t misunderstand me. I just love the idea of making [ Read More ]
Q: Is Bill O’Reilly bipolar? this guy realy creeps me out when he gets pissed at his guests A: If he was bipolar we would have more examples of him completely losing it like he did early on in his career. What you’re seeing now is mostly egomania. His cult-like following and the fact that [ Read More ]
Q: Do you think ex-president Bush used religion in a manipulative way to gather support for the war in Iraq? Or do you think he’s a delusional nutbag who has hallucinations? I know it sounds like a false dichotomy, but it really isn’t: http://www.secularhumanism.org/index.php?section=library&page=haught_29_5 A: It doesn’t sound like a false dichotomy at all. He [ Read More ]
Q: Why has evolution programmed us to believe we have immortal souls? A: Because (in a sense) we do have immortal souls: our DNA. Every strand of DNA in every living cell of every organism is a genetic history lesson. We share our respiratory, circulatory, digestive, system as trillions of other animals, and we are [ Read More ]
Q: What are the chances of something happening to save us the embarrassment of another Bushtard in office? A: We would have to endure eight full years of embarrassment. And considering the only embarrassment to our nation has come in the form of baseless accusations from the right and people suffering from ODS, it would [ Read More ]
Faux News is the new face of domestic terrorism. They are not simply exercising their right to free speech or press; they are abusing their position and power to further their political agenda. Their blatant and intentional distortions lead to widespread misinformation, they create and organize anti-government opposition, and they actively state they want the [ Read More ]
Q: If you had a spouse that claimed homosexuality was a choice? A: If my spouse claimed homosexuality was a choice I would immediately doubt their reasoning skills and seriously consider divorcing them. Then I would slap myself for not realizing their bigotry before I married them.
Q: Has anyone ever seen a ghost? A: No one has ever seen a ghost. Our brains misinterpret the unknown by giving them more reality than they actually have. If there was any proof of ghosts we would’ve found in the several thousand years that humans have been claiming it. We even live in a [ Read More ]
Q: Why do couples break up so easily? When a husband and a wife disagree and argue, they divorce and they don’t love eachother anymore. But when siblings fight or if someone argue with their parent, they still love eachother and value them as family. Isn’t the spouse apart of the family? It was their [ Read More ]
Q: Is the human mind capable of grasping the universe? A: I don’t think the human mind is capable of fully understanding it, but only because we were not evolved for such advanced thinking. It doesn’t make a difference in our lives whether or not we can grasp these concepts, so the tendency towards advanced [ Read More ]
In case you haven’t heard, 26-year-old Desiree Jennings (who was training to be an NFL cheerleader) was diagnosed with a rare neurological disorder called Dystonia. Her case is so rare that even specialists have been heard saying they’ve never encountered it. However, because it happened to her ten days after getting a flu vaccine, the [ Read More ]
Q: What is the email etiquette in this situation? I emailed my colleague who happens to have about 4 different email addresses. I used the one she was using a few months ago……but I have a feeling she doesn’t check that one anymore. I sent the email 2 days ago but I still haven’t gotten [ Read More ]
Q: Why is it OK for Jews to hate Christians, but wrong for people to hate Jews? A: It’s not okay to hate anyone. People are hypocritical and they use their religion as justification. It’s evil, no matter which way you slice it.
Q: Why the cross ?????? Evil is all around us. I get that. Why do people use , in my humble opinion , a negative symbol of Christ? A cross is what he was killed on. I don’t want that around my neck. And what is a symbol going to do for you anyway? When [ Read More ]
Q: If you could ask God any question, what would it be? and what would be the question that God asks in response? A: Eric: Why are you so explicit in the Bible but so silent in nature? God: How would I get people to read my book if they knew the ending?
Q: Atheists: Could you argue IN FAVOR of Theism? This is more a poll about debate skills than principles. I know from my own debate experience that I rely on the rules of logic to form a sound argument. I also think that I can argue from either side of most debates effectively…with the exception [ Read More ]
Q: Should we interfere in the process of evolution? Me and my friend were talking about baby sea turtles in which I told my friend that sometimes they die if seagulls or predators come and eat them on shore when their born. She then told me what if you go and try to help them [ Read More ]
Q: Isn’t the issue of the National debt just a wedge issue like abortions for the Republican propaganda machine? A: Our entire economic system is built and reliant upon debt. Without it, the system would collapse. Our debt can never be resolved, so it’s easy to use it as a political tool. And since the [ Read More ]
Q: Fellow atheists, I really need some help on this one. I (against some recommendations by others) decided to take an opportunity to tell my mom about my “conversion” or should I say my “reversion” to atheism. She’s fine with it. She had me tell my dad. Last night I found myself in a major [ Read More ]
Q: Can someone tell me why men and women eat differently? A: Though we are the same species, our differences in gender play a huge role in how our bodies use energy. Males tend to be larger and do more physical labor, so they tend to need more energy. Females tend to be smaller, and [ Read More ]
Q: Are human rights in other countries something the American people, and govt, need to concern themselves with? A: Absolutely. The United States the independent nation hasn’t existed since December 7th, 1941. Since that time we have become the leading representation of the world’s interests. Of course, we’re still a backward lot that can’t even [ Read More ]
Q: How do I wake up in the morning without falling back to sleep? I set my alarm 5 times in the morning: 4,5,6,6:30,and 7. I feel so tierd in the morning I use to be able to get up straighten my hair do my makeup very pretty and dress good but now I just [ Read More ]
A: The visible spectrum of light goes from the infrared to the ultraviolet. The waves of the infrared are stretched out and move slower than the compressed and faster-moving light on the ultraviolet side. When sunlight (which is slightly yellow) hits our atmosphere, it is scattered by the gases in the air. This compression of [ Read More ]
Q: Does anyone know what percent of humans will one day be fossils? in a debate with a creationist. I remember hearing it at one point its microscopic. A: It would be hard to pin down a number but just consider this… Dinosaurs existed for hundreds of millions of years. Every year there were hundreds [ Read More ]
Q: Do you believe heaven is more like a Socialist or Capitalist system? A: Heaven is far more like socialism than capitalism. After all, socialism simply means a system in which everyone shares. And in heaven, everyone has all they need, so money is irrelevant. But since you used the catch-phrase socialist, the other answers [ Read More ]
Q: Do limbaugh supporters realize these things? 1) he has no education, why would you put so much stock in a college dropout. 2) he ducked military service. 3)has 3 failed marriages 4)was drug addicted 5)has made millions dividing this country stirring up hate and racist ideology. that he has so many supporters says more [ Read More ]
Q: Do you feel social intimacy in your community? A: Only on rare occasions, like when Obama got elected. This is traditionally one of the most conservative areas in the nation, so it was nice to see that *half* of everyone around me was hopeful for the future.
Q: Spiritually speaking about midichlorian evolution…? If midichlorians are symbiotic flora that communicate with the Force, and is present in Jedi who have emerged from genetically unrelated races that evolved from different planets across the galaxy far far away, where did midichlorians come from? How can the same genetic material evolve on multiple planets simultaneously? [ Read More ]
Q: American Girl Doll…the new American Girl HOMELESS Doll, priced at $95…Has the world gone mad!? A: The fact that you find this appalling is proof that we have not, in fact, gone mad…yet. )
Q: Why is rest important? A: Our bodies are gigantic biological machines. We are warm blooded because there are tiny “explosions” happening at the molecular level all day, every day. Our cells take in nutrients, break them apart, and use the energy that is released. We require large amounts of energy to keep our blood [ Read More ]
Q: If man is more than just an animal how come the Alpha male syndrome is so prominent in our society? Females also display this syndrome as well. A: We’re not more than animals, and anyone who thinks that is deluding themselves. Need proof? Rape, murder, war, assault, abuse, etc. If we were better than [ Read More ]
Q: How do i sneak out of the house? I live in a flat on the third floor, my bedroom is right next to the front door which leads to a balcony, where you access the steps. I want to sneak out without waking up mum or her coming into my bedroom and finding out [ Read More ]
“Everyone needs someone to stand by them.” This video is the very essence of Gaian. It starts out simply enough with one man and a guitar, but it slowly and steadily grows into a multi-cultural expression of humanism and solidarity. It’s one of the most uplifting things you’ll ever see, and it’s worth sharing with [ Read More ]
Q: Does anyone else think its funny that whenever I mention science to a Christian IRL they either say…? that science is stupid or that it was created by the Devil? Like I told my friend that science has proven homosexuality to have occurred in nature and she replies saying something like “I hate science, [ Read More ]
Q: Are US politics more contentious than ever before? Politics sure seem ugly nowadays. Republicans say it started with the left attacking Bush. Democrats say it started with the witchhunt of Bill Clinton’s fondness for big butts leading to impeachment. And the US has had rough patches in its history, like before the Civil War, [ Read More ]
Q: Is it time that we abolish the two party system? And replace it with one party? Then we could actually judge? our elected one’s on their own merit. It’s evident that the Capitalist want America to fold under Democratic control, and clear that under Capitalist control that the bottom three quarter’s of america suffers. [ Read More ]
Q: There’s major problems between Sea Shepherds & Japanse whalers. How do you believe the whalers should be executed? Let’s pretend your job was to chooose how someone would die once the judge has sentence them to death. If the Japanese whalers were sentence to death for their crimes against the whale and against the [ Read More ]
Q: Do you find the term “westerner” offensive? Depends a bit on who says it, but it’s beginning to get to me. It never botherred me before but i have a Muslim collegue from Afghanistan who has used it in a few to many inaccurate and offensive contexts and now it really rubs me the [ Read More ]
Q: What has Obama done to deserve the Nobel Peace Prize? Barack Obama is the fourth president to win the Nobel Peace Prize behind Theodore Roosevelt, Woodrow Wilson, and Jimmy Carter. Tell us why YOU think President Obama won this prestigious award. A: http://www.splicd.com/GMJuEOaF84o/152/660
For those that don’t know, there has been a persistent rumor that Faux News commentator Glenn Beck raped and murdered a young girl in 1990. It’s very likely an untruth, but Beck has yet to deny these claims. So the rumor persists. But fear not! Beck has a throng of supporters, most notably Shelley the [ Read More ]
Q: Why do some Christians tell atheists that they aren’t going to heaven? Do they think that bothers us? We don’t believe there’s a heaven and we don’t think Christians themselves are going to any place like that either. So why do they say this to us? A: Short answer: They’re bad Christians. Long(er) answer: [ Read More ]
Q: Why do people follow the bible so fanatically? The bible’s influence on the majority of the population is on par with Hitler’s influence on his own people. If you force lies in a person’s face over and over again, eventually the truth will be perceived as a lie. This has been used before with [ Read More ]
Q: If Christians are such good people why don’t they accept other religions? were meant to be accepting of each other who cares what others believe in. Everyone has different opinions that’s just life. A: Like many other religions, there is one important part that can’t be overlooked: they believe their religion is correct and [ Read More ]
Q: This question was asked yesterday. Would the religious do the same for atheist? Atheists, If religion was outlawed would you fight for freedom of religion? Freedom of religion is considered a fundamental civil right, if it was to be prohibited (like it was under the Stalin regime) would you fight alongside Christians, Muslims, etc. [ Read More ]
What happens when you mix art, poetry, music, science, philosophy, and genius? This video. Easily one of the greatest videos I’ve ever seen. I haven’t felt this numinous since I first read Cosmos. I can’t thank the author of this video enough, and I look forward to enjoying more like it. If you only watch [ Read More ]
It is time you publicly denounced the anger and racism that’s being intentionally stoked in hopes of defeating health care reform and building GOP turnout for the 2010 elections. I know from speaking privately with GOP consultants, lobbyists and politicians that many are alarmed and even ashamed about Joe Wilson, about the death threats, about the incendiary, racist tone of the teabaggers, about hate-radio. Do something about it.
1. Reform will stop “rationing” – not increase it: It’s a myth that reform will mean a “government takeover” of health care or lead to “rationing.” To the contrary, reform will forbid many forms of rationing that are currently being used by insurance companies. 2. We can’t afford reform: It’s the status quo we can’t [ Read More ]
I’ve put together a cluster of links, videos, and other things that will help people begin to understand what is happening in Iran. Of course, the best way to learn about this is to look it up yourself, but this should provide a good starting point. I welcome any suggestions from anyone and I’ll update [ Read More ]
Embedded video from CNN Video
The next time you hear Cheney say that America wasn’t attacked after 9/11, ask an Iraq War veteran about roadside bombs.
I get a lot of spam. Who doesn’t? Fortunately, I have Gmail and less than 0.01% gets through to me. Most of the time I just report it and go about my business. But I happened to read this one and I’ve gotta admit I still don’t know what the hell they want from me. [ Read More ]
I’ll admit it: I got caught up in this silly quiz thing that’s spreading around Facebook and decided to make my own. I spent more time on it than I probably should’ve, but I kind of have this thing for standardized tests. I tried to make it easy enough that anyone could attempt it, not [ Read More ]
What would happen if Eminem took himself less seriously, had a sense of humor, and loved to play World of Warcraft? The answer: MC Frontalot‘s “Final Boss” [Audio clip: view full post to listen] /cheer
May the 4th be with you! nyuk, nyuk That’s all. (Thanks Jennifer.)
President Obama [giggle], during his campaign associated himself with the idea of change. Given the previous eight years, changing the way Americans did things was an obvious choice. I mean, whether or not you agree with how Bush handled the government and the economy, it was clear that something needed to change. Now that change [ Read More ]
The Colbert ReportMon – Thurs 11:30pm / 10:30c Tip/Wag – Rush Limbaugh Colbert Report Full Episodes Political Humor Rap Battle Joke of the Day
The problem here is that we (as a society) tend to confuse opinions and beliefs. Everyone has the right to their opinions and no one can have a wrong opinion. But anyone can have beliefs that are simply wrong.
Just upgraded *all* of my sites to the latest version of WordPress before I realized there was another, slightly newer version available. Normally this would drive me crazy because it meant another hour of deleting, uploading, and activating. But now there’s an auto-update feature! And the interface is so secksy! I don’t know why more [ Read More ]
Metzae @ The WoW Armory Metzae @ Warcrafter Metzae @ Be Imba!
Google has a new social networking tool that I’ve been waiting months to implement into my sites. Late last night they finally sent me the email, so I added it to my site. I’m planning on putting on just about all of my other sites. The cool thing is that you can join the site [ Read More ]
By now, everyone has seen this video… But have you seen this one? Brilliant! I think it’ll take a lot of explaining for my children to understand the importance and all the nuance of this video. I love that they were able to get most of the same actors together to recreate it. It would [ Read More ]
I wish I had something more interesting to say, but I’m still a little too excited to make thinky speak. I did notice one thing, though. When Obama gave his soon-to-be historic speech, it was after midnight on the east coast. Think about that for a second. Remember, remember, the fifth of November…
If you’re voting for McCain and Palin even after they engage in tactics like these, don’t fool yourself: you are voting for evil. You’re already reading my post, so why not read the article that inspired it? Palin hits Obama for ‘terrorist’ connection Unsubstantiated bullshit like this is what led us into a disastrous war [ Read More ]
An excellent review of the new Iraq documentary, Year At Danger. For operations in Iraq, the National Guard mobilized schoolteachers, police officers, bankers, mechanies…and one filmmaker.read more | digg story
Gmail really does rock that much. And here are just a few reasons why…
Innocence Project of Texas client, James Lee Woodard, was released from incarceration yesterday after serving more than 27 years for a murder that he has always maintained he did not commit. The victim, Woodard’s girlfriend at the time of the homicide, was found strangled and sexually assaulted on the banks of the Trinity River in [ Read More ]
Please, please – if you’re still using Internet Explorer 6, STOP! Why? Microsoft wants you to. IE6 has many issues with security and display. Comedy Central wants you to. Once you upgrade to FireFox (Windows or Mac), or IE7 (Windows), you’ll get faster download times, smoother animations and better looking pages. All of the new [ Read More ]
When I see the moon in the daytime, I can’t help but think of it as a strangely round mountain range waaaay off in the distance. Did you know that the moon is getting farther away from the Earth as time goes on? Right now it’s the size of a dime held at arm’s length, [ Read More ]
