cabhara's zeitgeist

Religilous

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Sun, 07 Dec 2008 07:01:00 +0000

Was pretty happy that Bill Maher's movie made it into the woods here. Was somewhat nervous to go, thought a bunch of crazies might attack me for seeing the movie. In the end I saw the movie for free (Thanks to the Fayetteville Freethinkers and the sponsor) and with a friend. I liked it mostly. Of course it's mostly preaching to the choir. Also, it's probably somewhat to black and white and without good suggestions for solutions. Still enjoyable.

Born Again

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Tue, 23 Sep 2008 03:08:00 +0000

Check out this movie.

loosing faith

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Thu, 27 Mar 2008 05:30:00 +0000

I published this originally in webooks, but I think it's more a blog entry than a short story...

I grew up as a communist. Well, actually I had a nice childhood in East Germany. We collected and sold recyclables to give money to poor African Nations and demonstrated for peace and Nuclear Disarmament. We were sure we were doing the right thing. We grew up imagining becoming writers, engineers or astronauts. My friend and me, we didn't like everything we saw in society, but we knew the ideals were right and reality could only get better.
My world view has changed somewhat since then. I still think the communist idea was noble: Every person contributes as much as he can to the community and the community provides to the person whatever he/she needs/wants. I just don't think anymore that this idea is compatible with humans. It seems better fitting for ants or highly developed selfless aliens. I think humans have developed so fast in part because of their wanting to live better than their neighbor and to own as many things as possible. Also, humans always need or develop some kind of leadership over others, and with that power comes corruption.
Anyway, I grew up knowing that there was no god. Almost nobody I knew believed in god, only my grandmother, but she never talked to me about it. She was the kindest person I knew. She had a very hard childhood. She was finally adopted by a kind and religious lady, so she grew religious herself. The rest of my family is pretty much agnostic, with some new age spirituality becoming popular now.
Being religious seemed kind of silly, even though a lot of the young people in church were quite smart and/or artistic. I think now that being in church was then for the young people like a kind of opposition and Hippie movement. The church youth would refuse to get drafted or carry weapons and wear hand dyed flowing dresses and sit together at candle light and sing soft songs with guitars. It still confuses me a bit when the super religious here (US) are happy about the death penalty and Iraq war. I'm now more of a pacifist than I was then.
Anyway, the wall came tumbling down and opened my eyes. (I had just started my first year of college.) It was less the newfound freedom or Western ideas than the behavior of the people around me. In a short time, people which I had learned to look up to for their idealism and positive outlook on our society, changed 180 degrees. They suddenly were only interested in material things or confessed that they always had thought very differently than they said, and that this new society was the very best society possible. Germans coined the term "Wendehals" (turning neck) for the successful ones among the changers. I learned out of this experience never to get uncritically involved in anything and not to trust organizations or ideologies which present themselves as the one and only right way.
At the end of college, I heard of the opportunity to go to the US to study 1 year. This sounded very exciting, so I applied, was lucky and went. I met this smart and handsome Indian, and 3 years later, we married. My husband is Hindu, so he is supposed not to eat beef. I wanted to be a good wife of a Hindu, so I stopped eating beef. However my husband was just discovering all the excitement of Western cuisine and didn't mind a good steak. I thought I should help him onto the right path and asked: "Aren't you supposed to not eat beef?" He got somewhat angry. He was saying that he was already feeling somewhat guilty, but why did I have to try to make him feel guilty even more? It was like a moment of revelation for me. All these imposed rules by religions felt suddenly so pointless. What does what you eat, when you eat, how you dress has to do with how moral you are and whether you are a good person?
Aren't there more important things? How you treat others, for example and what you contribute to society. Why does it matter whether you are married or not and what gender your partner has. Society looks at it now, but it should only matter to you and your partner. Why does it matter what cast, class or gender you are? As for your education, happiness, profession, choosing a partner, it should not matter.
Since then, I have been contemplating from time to time to become a vegetarian. Just from the thought that no animal should be killed on my behalf and that plant food is ultimately healthier. But the taste of a good steak has always pulled me back! Now, if somebody could tell me the trick of making a child eat veggies...
As for the God question, living in the bible belt painfully reminds me each day of how many people feel morally superior just because of the religion they belong to. I can emphasize with their reasoning and yet feel like a universe away. It makes me feel sick how they judge outsiders. But somehow they remind me of my childhood's unquestioned idealism.

Summarizing Christianity

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Sat, 03 Nov 2007 04:42:00 +0000

I have been seeing some very superb (short, funny and true) summaries of Christianity lately. Wanted to share some of them:

Seen on a T-Shirt:
Christianity:
The belief that some cosmic Jewish Zombie can make you live forever if you symbolically eat his flesh and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master, so he can remove and evil force from your souls that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was convinced by a talking snake to eat from a magical tree. Makes perfect sense.
Cafe Press Link

Bill Maher:
Here is our religious test for office:
If you believe in judgment day, I have to seriously question your judgment. If you believe, you are in a long term relationship with an all powerful spacedaddy, who will, after you die, party with your ghost forever, you can't have my vote even for Miss Hawaiian Tropic. I can't trust you with the levers of government because there is a electrical fire going on in your head. Maybe a president who didn't believe our soldiers were going to heaven might be a little less wiling to get them killed. Candidate Romney, a mormon believes in spiritually blessed underwear that can protect him. ....
YouTube link to this show

Saw something nice on PZ Meyer's website, but don't seem to be able to find it right now....

Raising a nonbeliever

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 04:59:00 +0000

Below is a comment I left on another blog. I thought it would be nice in my blog too:)

I was raised without religion. Religious people were a strange minority. Nice, but silly. Mostly older people. The young ones would sing around candle light and oppose the military(draft). Actually, I didn't think too much about religion because my view was the common view. Now I’m in the US and things are the other way around. The religious ones are the majority and they are in favor of death penalty and war! Very confusing. I read and think more and more about religion, and it feels sillier than ever before. Not that I can't understand the mindset and the power of upbringing, brainwashing and the opinion of the masses. Anyway. I started telling my kids (4 and 6) when they started a discussion among themselves (they are going to a Christian after-school care) whether god was dead or not (confusion between god and jesus?): There is no god, people just made up gods through the ages for comfort etc. Meanwhile I did some reading (Parenting beyond belief) and thinking, and I decided if I force them into non-belief, they could be seduced in anything other as well. So I encourage more critical thinking now. Just asking questions. “Do you think Santa is real? How do you think this or that works. What has been your experience so far? Etc.” I will not be upset for them if they join a religion. I will be upset if they don’t think, but just follow blindly. Of course I will be happy if they come to similar conclusions as me, because that’s what make sense to me…

Joined Atheist Blogroll

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Sat, 27 Oct 2007 03:30:00 +0000

It seems that atheists blogs are growing exponentially. However, I'm not sure if just more people get out of the closet, or if all kinds of blogs are growing exponentially!
I decided to join Mojoeys Atheist Blogroll to be part of the fun...

One scary thing though: so many people don't know how to spell atheist!

Doing some reading

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 02:34:00 +0000

Check out what they are reading... Well actually it's the same person twice. I'm pretty proud of myself for what I did with Photoshop!

Responses to Sam Harris' article

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 03:51:00 +0000

Some smart answers to Sam Harris article I found so far:

Ellen Johnson:
http://www.humaniststudies.org/enews/?id=317&article=1
...Is the American Cancer Society just "against" something because they fight against cancer? Are they a "negative" organization? Is Greenpeace a negative organization because they are against pollution? Sounds silly doesn't it? Yet we buy into this nonsense when it is said about us.
In the end, the Theist doesn't give a damn what we call ourselves. You can call yourselves "sugar" and they will still hate you and lie about you if you are an activist or if you don't accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior.
While we remain hung up on arguments over defining ourselves the extremist right wing Theists in America are defining the socio-political agenda for America and they don't give a damn what you think about their names.
...

PZ Meyers
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/10/letter_to_a_nonatheist_new_ath.php
...ike you, I look forward to a post-theist future when the term "atheist" is a quaint relic that lacks any contemporary context, as silly as saying that one is an a-Zeusist or an aleprechaunist. That time is not now, and you are ignoring reality to pretend that it is. We do have a context that makes atheism relevant and appropriate: we are immersed in a deeply irrational religious culture. Those labels you denigrate — "atheists," "humanists," "secular humanists," "naturalists," "skeptics," "anti-theists," "rationalists," "freethinkers," and "brights" — are useful rallying cries for the tiny, scattered bubbles of rationality drifting in the sea of superstition and ignorance. It's how we find each other and grow. It's how we build whole communities working for a common cause, rather than acting as isolated individuals....
It doesn't matter if you try to abandon the name, it's going to stick to you and us for a good long time; what we need to do is build our own positive values beneath that tag and change its meaning from within.

From the discussion on Sam Harris website:
We have to consider the context of this debate. Whatever label we embrace or is bestowed on us, be it atheists, rationalists, Brights, humanists or whatever, the core fact is that we are a minority.
At the same time, we know that many people who do not see themselves as atheists nevertheless harbor doubts about their faith. So the key challenge in moving toward a rational society is encouraging people with doubts to accept the validity of that doubt. This is a tall order in a culture that exerts cradle to grave pressure to reject doubt.
The primary benefit of a widely recognized atheism “brand”, as it were, is that it says to doubters, hey - there are other people who are thinking this too. I am not alone..
It is exactly this effect that sparked the ‘New Atheism’ movement. The books have presented the reasons why faith is a fallacy, but they also served as a rallying point for millions who now saw their amorphous doubt presented with sharp, bright clarity.
Where people once felt obligated to keep their doubts shrouded in opaque minds, now they see other minds going transparent, espousing rational thought, the fire of ideas carried forth by a label: atheism.
The value of a label isn’t so much for the world at large - it’s a way of telling a minority group that, yes, there are other people who think as you do. It establishes a point of gravity that can attract others on the edges.
I’m very glad Sam brought this up; we need to examine the tactical approaches to changing the culture. I think in the current context, the Out campaign is useful. The need for it will diminish in proportion to its success.

--------------------------------

“We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who creates faulty Humans, and then blames them for his own mistakes.”
—Gene Roddenberry

“All religions are founded on the fear of the many and the cleverness of the few.”
—Stendhal

The back lash to the back lash

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Mon, 08 Oct 2007 03:44:00 +0000

It has been often mentioned, that the rise and the success (bestseller etc.) of the new prominent atheist (Dawkins, Dennett, Harris, Hitchens) is a back lash because the religious, especially the evangelicals/fundamentalists have become to loud and prominent.
However there seems to be another trend now, coming out from some of the famous freethinkers themselves: Michael Shermer is accusing Dawkins and Harris and others to be too loud and too angry and rather side with the moderates than to make all religious people angry by treating them the same.

http://richarddawkins.net/article,1551,Rational-Atheism,Michael-Shermer-Scientific-American

Sam Harris meanwhile has decided that he doesn't want to be called an atheist or something similar, but rather go underground and just point out unreasonable things to fellow humans: because nobody will say to be against reason:
http://richarddawkins.net/article,1702,n,n

Well, things of course are never easy. While I acknowledge that most people around me are pretty smart and pretty well meaning (they only suspend logical thinking from time to time), I still would fight against them brainwashing my kids and for my right to not be religious without having to hide the fact (to not have disadvantages or worse). I would to be able to call myself an atheist without most people thinking: "an immoral and evil person!".

We will see what the future will bring, but I'm extremely encouraged by the many blogs and other articles of smart people without religion on the web these days.
http://comingoutgodless.blogspot.com/

They are growing by the minute! I have seen big changes in people's opinion happen in a short time, so we will see. On the other hand, churches are such enterprises and social clubs, many people are too busy being involved to find time to think different thoughts!

Nice Quote

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Wed, 12 Sep 2007 04:17:00 +0000

With or without religion, you would have good people doing good
things and evil people doing evil things. But for good people to do
evil things, that takes religion. (Steven Weinberg)

Dawkins movie: Enemies of Reason, Part 2

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Wed, 22 Aug 2007 04:28:00 +0000

Here is part 2:
http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=-4720837385783230047

It is funny what faces Dawkins makes when he is starting to get angry or impatient with the nonsense people talk. He goes after Homeopathy a lot.
The interesting thought is that to get full benefit from the Placebo effect, people need these healers with fancy tools and titles and that the healers believe it themselves. So we should let them go on for their benefit... The bad thing is if it hinders real (scientific) research and progress and cost people money which don't believe in it (tax, health insurance money...)

New Dawkins movie: Enemies of Reason, Part 1

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Sun, 19 Aug 2007 00:49:00 +0000

Check out the new Dawkins movie: The enemies of reason. (Part 1 of 2)
link: http://video.google.com/videoplay?docid=8669488783707640763

Part 2 is coming out August 20th in UK TV and should be hopefully available soon afterwards...

I like it, but then I like most things from Dawkins...

http://richarddawkins.net/

Harry Potter and God

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Mon, 13 Aug 2007 05:09:00 +0000

Finally finished the last Harry Potter book. I have to say, I expected more elegant magic, interesting turns and solutions, other than a long drawn wand war, a lot of dead people and a predicable end. I'm not totally hating the book, but I had higher expectations...
Anyway, what astonished me a bit (and annoyed me), was the religious symbolism and wording which made it into Harry Potter. How does religion fit into the wizard world? I don't know, but religion can be made to fit into anything, I guess.
First thing I noticed were some goblins are talking: "God bless Harry Potter". It didn't help them too much anyway. Then Harry Potter meets Voldemort with his eyes down and wonders if he is praying. Where did this come from?? Then there is this whole scene which looks like a heaven or something close to it... Then somebody says: Thank god that you got your mother's brains.
Where does this all came from?
Several possibilities: No deeper thoughts, just what expressions Rowling grew up with.
Or: trying to please the average American reader. Or Rowling suddenly became more religious, or somebody close to her or to the book. Or she couldn't think of anything else (for the "heaven" scene).
Harry Potter and God, just doesn't make much sense to me!

Life, Death, Reincarnation and Heaven

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Sat, 28 Jul 2007 04:37:00 +0000

The other day I suddenly became frightened and sad at the thought of loosing a loved one or dying myself. (Hormones!) I suddenly thought it so tragic that there would be an end abruptly. I can see how the idea of heaven or reincarnation can be pretty comforting. But then one wonders - how would it be if existence and conscience going on forever. This makes me think of the quote I was reading somewhere: "Many people which want to live forever don't know what to do with themselves on one rainy afternoon." :)
I guess the Hindu/Buddhist idea of reincarnation combines the best of all worlds: Living more than one life, but disappearing into the big something when you are ready (Moksha?). The only question which keeps coming to my mind is: How is it useful or comforting be be born again if one doesn't remember the previous lives? But my colleague told me: "It's in your conscience, and you keep using it unknowingly.."
Well, I'm balanced again and not worried right now. It would be sad to lose somebody close to me (especially the younger ones), but for myself, I would be only worried of people missing me too much (or not missing me!). Other than that, I didn't miss being around before I was born, so I'm sure I won't miss it after I'm gone.
Like the antique philosopher Epicurus said (from the history of disbelief):
Why should I fear death?
If I am, then death is not.
If Death is, then I am not.
Why should I fear that which cannot exist when I do?

Another quote and a movie

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Thu, 26 Jul 2007 05:12:00 +0000

Found this movie. Interesting theories, a bit too much conspiracy probably. But very convincingly told.
http://www.zeitgeistmovie.com

Quote I found in another blog. A bit harsh, but to the point.
Religious delusion is arguably the most prevalent and potentially dangerous form of mental illness ever to plague humanity.
Hopefully the human race will evolve past the need for this superstitious nonsense before the self-deluded loonies that infest our globe kill us all.
In the meantime, let them have their toys.

Religion is a blind old man

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Mon, 09 Jul 2007 04:57:00 +0000

Came upon this quote and I like it:

In dark ages people are best guided by religion, as in a pitch-black night a blind man is the best guide: he knows the roads and paths better than a man who can see. When daylight comes, however, it is foolish to use blind old men as guides.

--Heinrich Heine, Gedanken Und Einfalle

(taken from http://www.razorbackfreethought.org/)

Religion

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Wed, 28 Feb 2007 03:37:00 +0000

I want to write a post about religion, but there are so many thoughts in my head, I don't know where to start. I have been thinking about the value of fighting theism for example. Together with my Dale Carnegie training, I see the value of tolerance. Trying to see the reasoning and value in other people's beliefs. Today I read something like this: Talking about the other person's belief like one would talk about that person's wife and kids, knowing, that they looked best to them, and we didn't want to be impolite by finding fault. (But knowing, that we liked our things better)
I still feel tempted to display some slogan like : "humanist - not perfect, not forgiven, just responsible". I would call myself secular humanist - it's sounds much better than atheist to most American ears, which see some devillish thing in the word atheist. And I believe in humanity. It is probably not wise to put anything at the car - to avoid hate crimes. Maybe in my office. Or rather have some interesting books lying around, hoping somebody would show interest. Of course I don't have interest in other people's babbles (I love this one) lying around either.
I don't want my kids to be victims. But I could not tell them lies either. I think I have to work on teaching tolerance and care among other people.
I'm happy that there are so many atheistic/humanistic/sceptic material, web sites, people can be found. It is always nice to find people with the same ideas.
It will be interesting to find how this fight of ideas is developing. Of course, one can agree with people with so many things, only to find out, that they have very different philosophical ideas. I see the reason for most people's beliefs in their upbringing and culture around them. Each Sunday church visit makes them feel good (morally superior) and makes them come back next time. No time to develop different ideas in between. Most people mean well and see the good things only. So why condemn them or critizise the foundation of their beliefs. They wouldn't give it up easily even if they started doubting. And then there is the peer pressure too. How could anyone leave this cycle easily. So there is little use in trying to point out the absurdity of the foundation of their spiritual social life.
Another point: American churches seem to perfect more and more the art of spiritual entertainment. It's done as the Sunday entertainment and so engrained in society, daily life, etc. So only thing possible seems to be advertising for our beliefs, so doubting people see the possibility of leaving, and fighting for our rights were possible, so my kids are not forced to be exposed to the nonsensical thinking before the development of a critical mind.
Somebody was suggesting to introduce faith and non-faith in school, so youngsters see the possibilities. It might be hard to teach this un-biased ether way.

Yummy Chicken Soup with Coconut Milk

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Mon, 15 Jan 2007 03:21:00 +0000

Here is a yummy recipe for a simple delicous chicken soup, invented by the Master Chef my very own DH.

1 medium onion, cut into 1/2 inch pieces
some fresh chopped ginger
some spring onion
2 pound chicken breast, cut into 3/4 inch cubes
2 cans coconut milk (a 400ml)
some basil leaves, chopped
2 cups sliced mushrooms

Heat oil, add onion, ginger, spring onion, fry a few minutes.
Add chicken, slightly brown from all sides.
Add salt, pepper, stir, add mushrooms, fry a few more minutes.
Add cocnut milk and 1 cup water.
Cook for 30 minutes or so.

Done! Add more spices or dried basil or just enjoy as is!
On top of cooked rice is best...

Believing in evolution

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Sat, 06 Jan 2007 02:30:00 +0000

Believing in evolution? I imagine fundies asking me that question and what I would answer. Well, I just read an answer of somebody else. Mine would have been similar to this:
"I don't really care for the word 'belief,'" said Edwin Kain, a
Northern Kentucky lawyer who has defended atheist clients. "People say
do I believe in evolution? It's not something to be believed in, it's
something to be learned. Like the multiplication table. Do you believe
in the multiplication table, or do you use it, do you learn it?"

Christmas / Winter Solstice

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Mon, 01 Jan 2007 17:11:00 +0000

Christmas went over fast. I hope to get rid of the Santa story next year. It hurts to tell lies to Lucas. Didn't help with behaviour either. Amazing how the kids believe everything you (and TV and..) say. I want them to develop their knowledge and rational thinking before(instead) brainwashing gets to them. Lucas tries to understand his world and I want to make use of that. I got him a set of 3 books for his birthday: Big Bang, Development of Life and Evolution of humans. Looking forward to read these with him. He had these questions the other day, and I want to create a good base. Like they say: Share your beliefs and knowledge, or they will get it from somewhere else.

Are science and religion orthogonal or contradicting? If the first, I might be one-dimensional...

Beginning

cabhara@gmail.com (cabhara) — Sun, 31 Dec 2006 23:51:00 +0000

Welcome to my blog....