My Views and Comments

What gives?

2011-02-10T16:40:00.000-06:00

Yesterday we got an above average snowfall for here in Arkansas. It was 7-9 inches, I didn't really check. I noticed something I find odd today. The yards of the two buildings in the top photo haven't even been walked in today. These yards aren't the only ones. There are no kids out playing in the snow and I find that odd. I can understand why they aren't out in the morning hours but this afternoon it was plenty warm for kids to get out and play. Are parents afraid to let their kids be kids?

Hell my dog was wearing me out trying to keep up with him. He likes playing in the snow unless it is really cold like this morning or the snow has crusted over and he keeps breaking though it.

Was reading an Article.

2011-01-17T16:58:00.000-06:00

I was reading an article over at Buzzflash. I am hoping it is a joke but am afraid this person actually thinks the article is a good one. They start out with a title that sounds ok but why would they use someone like Jesus to support peace. I'm not sure of the verses but it is claimed that he said to kill all your father, mother, brother, and others. He is also suppose to have said that he didn't come to bring peace but to bring conflict. Those verses alone are enough, in my opinion, to suggest Jesus and those that follow him aren't these peace loving people many claim.

The author says the first thing she would do would be to make all men impotent for ten years. She seems to think that this would make the men appreciate their children more. I don't think she has a very good understanding of men who abuse children. If she thinks these guys would stop abusing their children she hasn't ever known anyone that is a child abuser. I would say that this action would actually cause an increase in abuse of children and women. I would say it would destroy many families and in the end it would cause an increase in the number of suicides. There are probably other reasons this would be a mistake but think those are enough.

I can agree with her second action but it fails way short of what it would take to stop humankind from being destroyed by military force. There are weapons that can kill 10000 or more in just seconds without much of an explosion. These weapons are chemical and biological weapons. Not all of these weapons even kill but will maim and scar people for life.

Her third action seems to be as rash as her first one. Does she really believe getting rid of Wall Street and the Pentagon would stop greed and the hunger for power? The only way to stop the greed and hunger for power that is destroying this nation is to make them cost more then they will gain someone. The easiest way to get rid of the more extreme greed is to apply heavy taxes too anything over a reasonable income. The problem with trying to stop the hunger for power is we wouldn't be a nation if some of the founding fathers hadn't had a desire for power.

The final thing just makes no sense at all to me. Yes the interstates did make travelling easier but even before they were built people traveled. The fogging in of airports is just childish and is another of those I really didn't think about what I was saying. How many times have these same airports been the only means of getting much needed supplies and medical personnel in areas that have just had a natural disaster?

What really made me laugh was this statement where she was talking about the good old days. I don't want for things to go back to what it was like then. The only real way for life to be as it was, we would need to get rid of most if not all the great advances we have made since the good old days. I have never really been sure what someone means by that phrase anyway. It seems to be childish fantasy most of the time when I do hear it. I very much doubt she wants to give up all of her toys and medical advances for the illusion of some fantasy world.

The final thing is just sad. If a person kills they are to disappear. What if someone kills in self defense or commits violent acts against someone who is threating them? I am sorry to say but I believe that most teenagers could come up with a better way to bring peace.

Playing with the camera.

2011-01-08T08:53:00.000-06:00

I really like this camera. Many years ago I had a 35mm but never was able to really do something like this with it. I'm not sure how fast the disc is spinning but was able to get these two pictures just before the video. I do know when the disc is at full speed, it will cut though a 20" tree in just a second. The only problem I have with the camera is there is so much you can do with it, it is hard to remember it all.

Bridges

2011-01-06T18:24:00.000-06:00

I am amazed at how long it takes to build bridges. It is probably to late in the year to be pouring the concrete now. This bridge was started about a year ago along with another one that is about 1 mile away from this one. I figure they could have finished this one but stopped working on it until they were ready to do the concrete on the second bridge. If you look closely you will see the bridge they are replacing. The second picture is a better view of the one they are replacing. It is hard to believe we drive across this thing with loads weighing over 85,000 lbs. Yes it is completely made of wood other the some metal bracing under and on the sides. If my information is correct, this is one of the few wooden bridges within the state and has been on the replacement list for a good while.

This is the second bridge and it is a one lane bridge.
If you enlarge this picture you will find a section of railing that is of a different color then the rest of it. It was several years ago that the newer section was put in because of damage damage due to flooding.

Why don't I believe in a God 2?

2011-01-06T05:36:00.000-06:00

I have still been thinking about this question and I see sin as another reason I can't believe a god exist.

Lets look at what sin is according to a few different sources. The dictionary say this is what sin is. What do religious people see it as? I don't think most religious people really use the dictionary version as they do their own personnel version. This is what really makes it tough to get a good list of what is and isn't a sin. I found this list of sins and another here. I haven't gone though either list completely but you can see they are different.
How many people even try to live their lives according to either of these list? How could anyone live according to these list? The concept of sin doesn't really fit in with the god most christians claim to believe in and worship. There are things those within religions call sin that I can agree with but most of the stuff harms the one trying to avoid the sin more then it would harm others if they just did it. The second list really trips me out but because of it, I am better able to understand why it is so easy to manipulate christians into acts that go against their better judgement. I have glanced at the second list and it just seems to me that sins are whatever some religious leader at the time wanted it to be.

I think people should focus more on what is right or wrong for humankind then on individual sins. How should we decide what is right or wrong? I look at how my actions will effect those around me directly. I think most indirect effects a decision has on others is not something you can use fully to make that decision. The bad part is not all actions that are right will always have positive effects on others directly. If we only do things that have positive effects we will never do anything but you can take actions with the least negative effects. I think drugs and alcohol are good examples of what can be right and wrong decisions made. Many drugs that are defined as illegal can easily have more negative effects then positive effects. The negative effects of drugs tend to be caused more because they are illegal then that a person has taken them. I know most of the hard drugs will destroy the person taking them and anyone they know can have their lives ruined also. I doubt the negative effects of illegal drugs would be as bad if most drugs were legal and controlled more then alcohol though. Alcohol has negative effects on society but with the correct education those effects have been seriously reduced. I think you could do the same with most drugs. No we will never be able to remove the negative effects either of these from society but we can reduce those effects. These are also good examples of how different religions have different things as sins. Christians all see the use of either differently and I wouldn't be surprised if you found many of these groups didn't see some drug use as a sin until it was made illegal.

New camera

2010-12-23T21:13:00.000-06:00

I have always enjoyed taking picture but have never been able to afford the type of camera to take really good photos. I have been working for the same small company for over 10 years and instead of a cash bonus this year they give me a Canon Rebel T2i. I haven't enjoyed a camera like this in over 20 years. I have just started playing with it and I know I will now spend a good bit of time taking photos. This is one of the first picture I have taken with it and am already impressed with the quality of it. You do have to understand I have only been using 8 and 10 mega pixel cameras before this one. The only thing that sucks about this camera is that some of the concerts I like going to doesn't allow this type of camera into the concert. I can understand that because of the high quality. I hope to start posting at least a few photos every week and maybe a few videos as I get better with this camera. I think me and my dog will begin making a few trips into nature now because of this camera. I am more into nature photography then most anything else. What kinds of stuff would anyone that reads this be interested in seeing about Arkansas?

Why don't I believe in a god?

2010-12-12T16:48:00.000-06:00

I was raised in a family that usually only went to church on Sunday and sometimes Sunday evening. I know I didn't like going but most kids would prefer anything to sitting in a church. I have at least 2 brothers who are heavy into religion but it is possible one other is but really can't see it. My 4th brother is probably a believer but not the kind that attends church unless he is chasing pussy. I have one sister that is Mormon and the other is a bit indifferent to church and it seems she only has much to do with it because she thinks that is what you are suppose to do. My mother is heavily involved with the church but it seems it is more social then hard core believing. I have no real clue about my dad since we have never talked religion and when it is talked about he seldom if ever says a thing. I was raised in a family that really wasn't to serious about religion since I really can't remember praying before meals other then on holidays or when with extended family.

I don't even know when I decided there was no god. I have been trying to figure out what is it that has caused me to see the world of religion for what it is. I can't say it was because of reading the bible. I can't say it is because I have more then the normal education in sciences. I can't say it was because of some terrible thing that has happened in my life. The things that have gone wrong with my life are for the most part my own fault, so I can't blame it on some imaginary being. There are things I wish I had been more prepared to deal with as an adult but I can blame that on anyone other then myself. When I was younger I never really thought much about the future and what I would need to know to deal with it. I tended to live in just the moment and boy did that come back and bite me in the ass. I think it is what I see in the world that tells me there can't be some all powerful being watching us. I see so much hate coming from so many claiming their lives are based on love and peace. I don't think that we would always turn to force if religions really were about love and peace. I know there are times that the only answer is using force but if you have to lie to justify using that force you never tried anything else. I see religion using force all the time to try and push their beliefs and will hear them whining when someone pushes back. I say if your god is real force isn't necessary for that to be shown. If you can't show your god is the truth without forcing that belief on children, I don't see it as anything more then indoctrination.

It sickens me.

2010-11-07T18:37:00.000-06:00

I used to believe that America was the greatest country in the world. Since I have opened my eyes to reality, I am embarrassed by what we are. We have politicians who have said they are only worried about insuring that President Obama doesn't get reelected. We have a former President who has admitted he ordered a person to be tortured and no one says anything in the media. We have politicians who say they will fight all attempts to change election financing. You have a small number of people who wish to kill health care reforms.

What has caused people to forget what has usually made this country great? I am not well educated in history but know enough about the history of this nation to know it is a new type of attitude that has come around. Is the problem religion? Is the problem the media? Is the problem the major money thrown at elections? I would say the biggest factor is actually the media.

What do I mean that the media is the major factor? I believe the biggest problem we have as Americans have is the fear of the truth. I saw a comment at a blog, I believe it was at vjack's blog, where someone said how we don't see the dead women and children from both our attacks and the attacks of the Afhgan rebels. Why don't we see the effects we are having on real people? I think it is the fact that many Americans don't understand how childish we have become. It is to the advantage of religion and politicians that we have this attitude.

I read several blogs and it amazes me that so many are willing to ignore how their actions will harm others as long as they get their way. I don't see the liberal nor conservative views as helpful in solving problems. The liberals seem to think that we need to throw money we don't have at problems while the conservative want to ignore the problems we have and throw the money into the military. They expect violence to solve the problems. Who can we turn to to help us out of this?

I would like to say me but damn if I was the one put in charge so many would truly hate me. I would end extreme greed and privilege for those who avoid responsibility yet think they are special. If I could do anything I felt would bring the world back from the brink of failure, there are some select things I would do. I would start in the USA, since I am from here. I would give the military 6 months to bring all forces home from foreign soil. That would include all military equipment and troops. I would stop all foreign aid and would provide only material support for humanitarian aid. That would mean no money but supplies that are needed. I would make all elections publicly funded and any private ads would cost triple or more to insure all sides got a fair shake in the press. I am afraid I would actually be a bit to socialist for many people yet in the end they would see the advantage of not worshiping money but the well being of all people.

Why I seldom post.

2010-09-06T12:30:00.000-05:00

I have been asked by a few people why I don't post more and I think it is pretty simple for me to explain why I don't. Most of what I have to say is based on my own observations and not based on any evidence beyond that. Many people want evidence and the people who have that are writing on other blogs. If you look down the right side of my page you will find a list of blogs and you will find much better writers on the subjects I tend to post about. I tend to defer to these bloggers because they are much better at presenting their evidence and making it easily understood where they are coming from.

I also have to really feel passionate about something to really take the time to write about it. I haven't found anything that has gripped me in a way that I feel I need to get my words out there other then making small comments at a few of the blogs I go to. I think some of it is also the fact that at a small number of these blogs I go to atheist actually make it easy for theist to point out how atheist are elitist.

It was a few months back that I saw a comment by an atheist that really made me feel many atheist aren't that different then theist. The basics of the comment was that he wasn't going to speak in terms that those not as well educated as he was would easily understand. He didn't want to dummy down his comments. This type of attitude is really no different then the ones most theist have it seems to me. This is the ignorance of elitist and it is a shame.

Lets really look at who is more likely to change their minds about something. How many leaders of most any group change their views knowing it will take away their power? I figure though history there have been a few but they are an extreme rarity. How many leaders of a group will change their views when the people within the group start to change their views? Look at history and you will find examples of this all over the place. The people who need to have their views changed are those that are following other not the person leading. When atheist won't dummy down their comments they are just enforcing the views many theist have of them and that makes the job of people who are actually trying to make things better for all harder.

A good example of how to make comments all can understand with little work is the book The God Delusion. Yeah I am still working on finishing it but all I have read of it has been easily understood and makes many good points without making someone feel stupid. When people have to spend half their time going to dictionaries or do some heavy research to understand a comment, the average people will ignore it.

I also think these types of elitist atheist are why I won't call myself an atheist. I don't want my views in line with their views. The elitist atheist aren't living in the same world as most people just like most theist in leadership roles aren't.

I can't help it but I love this commercial.

2010-08-18T19:10:00.000-05:00

I know that I shouldn't but I really do love this commercial. I'm sorry for this but I can't get enough of it. Every time I see this I just start laughing.

Honesty: Is it really important?

2010-08-01T00:59:00.000-05:00

Am I an idiot? I had the chance tonight to make 10 dollars and cost a girl 10 dollars. I went out tonight for the first time in a few months and when I ordered my beer the barmaid give me change for a 20 even though I only give her a ten. Why should I have been honest and corrected her mistake? I was actually 5 or 10 foot from the bar when I noticed that it seemed to me that I got to much change. When I went to her and asked about it, she was really surprised that I came back. Hell she even knew I had given her a ten and was really thankful that I came back. I wonder how many people would have done what I did? I doubt most people would have done what I did. I'm not talking about just theist but I am afraid many atheist would have walked away without returning the incorrect change. I wish more people understood that money is important but not what we should really focus on. Sometimes I wish I could be like the people that have ruined the economy but I can't be. Yeah, money is important to me but not so important that I screw someone over making less then I do.

We need more of this.

2010-07-31T12:58:00.003-05:00

A real American. I don't think I really need to say much about this link. It speaks for itself. You will have to copy and paste to view this video. I'm not sure why it won't let me embed it in the blog.
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=W4zwCMf8dsc&feature=player_embedded

Free Will: Does it really exist?

2010-07-27T04:08:00.000-05:00

I have really been doing some thinking on this and am almost to the point that free will is an illusion. I would say that if it does exist it is very limited in most situations of every day life. Many of the decisions we make aren't based so much on what we really want but on what we need and what society says we should do. Lets look at many decisions we make in a day that aren't really based on what we want but what is decided for us. How many of us really want to wake up as early as we do? How many of use really want to wear what we do when we go to work? How many of us really want to drive the speed limit? Ok I do get up earlier then I really have to but that is because I use the time to catch up on the news and read any blog post I find might be interesting. I would still have to get up earlier then I would like due to work. I don't mind wearing the clothes I do for work other then I am expected to wear boots due to safety. I am not a big fan of boots but understand the safety issue. How many people don't really like wearing what they do for work? I would guess a good percentage don't like it. The few questions I asked are just a few you can ask yourself about decisions you make daily not based on what you want but what others want.

I also believe that the amount of wealth one has can make free will more easily used to decide what you are going to do. How many people have enough wealth to allow themselves to do what they want? I think there are a few but anytime you have enough extra cash don't you feel more willing to go against the norms when you feel you will enjoy it?

I guess what I am really saying is that society and those within the group or groups we belong to tend to make many of the decisions for us about what we will do every day. The more involved we all get into the lives of others the less free will we allow ourselves and others. If you look into history you find the only people who have really had any thing close to free will are those that go against society norms and live in isolated areas. I figure those that lived before society became so important had much more free will then we do today. I figure having more free will will actually make life harder for others.

I also believe that both conservative and liberals want the government to involved in our lives. I know many conservatives claim to want less government but the areas they want removed sure aren't the parts that spy into the lives of us citizens. They seem to want to use more money to oppress the citizens. Neither side is really wanting to allow the citizens of this country to run their own lives but want to impose their way of life on all.

What is free will?

2010-07-25T15:55:00.000-05:00

My cat Winsill.

I have been reading the comments at Friendly Atheist. There have been many comments about free will by both theist and atheist. I know many christians say that their god gives them free will but I have never seen how such could really be believed. I am basing my view on what some christians have said to me not those that are trained in religion but only know what they have been told and read to try and defend their beliefs. I really think that most christians have a completely different idea of what free will is compared to what non believers and atheist see it as.

I am always hearing how everything happens according to their god's plan. Well that is unless it is something evil and then they blame it on the devil. I can't say how a god would make a plan but from what I know of the christian god, I would say that it would be micro managed. I have done that kind of planning and it tends to force any others involved into doing things in ways they might not want to do them. When anything is micro managed you can't say you have a free choice on how you are doing something. If their god is doing it this way then how can they say anyone has a choice in what they do? If he/she/it isn't micro managing then how is he running his plan? I have made plans where I just had a basic outline and those never finished exactly as I had hoped they would. If their god has just a basic plan and free will does have a way in this type of plan, how can the end not be changing all the time? I know even simple projects will end differentkly each time you do them if you alter any step even a small amount.

Another part of this question I seem to never get an answer to is how does the devil come into this? Does the devil do the will of their god or does he/she/it go against the will of their god? If the devil is doing the will of their god, doesn't that mean there really isn't anything evil other then how we name them? Since they claim all that their god does is good, that would mean that the devils actions in their god's eye would be acts of good but seen by us as evil.

If the devil is able to go against the will of their god, what does that do to the plan? I know when someone from outside decides to interfere with someone elses plans, it usually screws things up and causes problems that are unseen. Yes I know that christians claim their god is all knowing but that would mean he/she/it knew that the devil would be doing this or that and it was allowed. I would say this means it is part of his plan and will.

The way I see it, if you believe in a plan by any god or goddess you can't believe in free will.

What does this say about the Arizona law?

2010-07-18T05:34:00.000-05:00

There are several different news agencies reporting that neo-nazis are now taking up the call to patrol the borders of Arizona for illegals. Yeah I know that the new law doesn't actually do this but the hype being thrown around the politicians and media do imply that all good Americans should be helping. I am waiting to see what the supporters of this law have to say now that they are being shown how their views and the neo nazis. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/07/18/us/18militia.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

I am actually reading my first atheist book.

2010-07-13T16:00:00.000-05:00

I am actually reading an atheist book for the first time. Yes this is the book and I figure it will take a while. I haven't actually sit down and read a book in over 4 years. I went to the bookstore here and talk about a terrible selection of books by atheist. I found this and one other book that I was sure were written by actual atheist. I can't remember the other title but it was suppose to explain atheism. I do have to ask all of you few readers, why are the damn books so expensive? Damn I couldn't believe the prices on some of the books I checked out. I hope the people doing the work to get them out into the bookstores are getting a fair share.

I am not really that worried about the cost so much since I am trying to quit a bad habit. I have figured out I can fill my library fairly quickly if I can control my bad habit. The problem will be finding the books at local bookstores here in the bible belt.

I figure I will slowly build my collection and any advise about some of the better books to read would help. I know vjack has a list of some but am looking for the basic ones at this time.

I don't celebrate the 4th of July anymore.

2010-07-04T14:43:00.000-05:00

I really can't get into celebrating the 4th of July anymore. I do love the fireworks and the get together but have quit doing them for the most part. When I believe most if not all Americans really believe that this country was about the individual and his rights I was into celebrating the 4th. Over the past 10 or 20 years we have went from what the Founding Fathers wanted to what they were fighting against. I see it simply that many Americans have lost the will to stand on their own two feet and want others to stand for them. I know it is much easier to let others carry the load then to carry it myself. I let or expected others to carry the load for many years of my life and I really don't like where it has left me. I would say for the first 30 or 35 years of my life I expected others to either do what I wouldn't or to carry more if the load then I would.

I think many with in the theist and atheist community have lost track of what this nation was founded for. It wasn't founded so either group could control the views of others but to protect each person so they could live their lives as they saw fit. This is the biggest problem within society right now. Each group seems to think they are the ones that are right and are unwilling to work with each other to make things better for all. We are not here to make things better for just ourselves and those that agree with us. It doesn't matter if you believe in some god or not , we are here to get though life the best that we can. If the only way to make things better for yourself is to make thing worse for others, then you aren't doing the best you can. I heard about a guy who give 1.3 billion to charities but my question is why did he do it after those that are weathly are seen as evil. What charities did he give the money to? Will they use the money to do more good then to make things better for themselves?

I guess some that might read this blog might be wondering about the picture. What does it have to do with the post? It has nothing at all to do with the post. I have a cat and dog I take care of. I can't really call the cat mine because he is around only when he wants to be. The dog is more a family member then a pet and he is a little goofy at times. My question when it comes to the picture is, why do both of them drink water from the toilet when I put fresh water out every day?

My views on some problems. Part 1

2010-07-01T04:07:00.000-05:00

I haven't been posting anything lately and have even cut down on how much I have been commenting on the blogs I like to read. I have been working 6 days a week and have been pretty drained with no desire to do my normal typing.This post I am just going to talk about some of the events going on that have a direct effect on the lives of most people and what might be some ways to make things better.

Afghanistan.
I believe that the actions within Afghanistan have really hurt the USA and most other countries in the world. We, as a nation, have sunk billions into a bottomless pit yet have done nothing that was originally suppose to be done. If the former President had actually pushed for completing the original goals, we would probably have already been out of Afghanistan and many of the problems that have arisen from it wouldn't have happened. I am probably wrong about us being out of Afghanistan. People in power in the USA seem to think we have to be present in all the nations of the world. If the people in power could do it without losing the lives of thousands, I believe they would put forces in Iran and North Korean to impose their views on the people of those nations. Has the current President done anything to bring the original focus of going to Afghanistan back to the fore front? I don't believe he has and in the end this could be our Waterloo. The surge that was suppose to solve the problems within Afghanistan, as some believe it did in Iraq, hasn't worked any better then it has in Iraq. I know many people do believe the surge worked in Iraq but it is pretty common to hear about some group bombing another in Iraq. When enough foreign forces leave Iraq you will see a large increase in the amount of violence and the current Iraqi government will fall apart. I don't see the change of command in Afghanistan as solving any problems but just adding more problems then as a nation we are able to afford. The problems won't be solved by throwing more money and lives at them. I think we should give the Afghan and Iraqi governments final notice that our forces will be removed within the next 6-9 months and if they aren't ready to handle the withdraw, so be it. I also believe we need to remove all our forces from foreign soil. We cannot nor should we be the nation that tries to solve all the worlds problems. We can be a part of the problem solving but by trying to push our solutions onto other nations have us where we are today.

Gulf Oil Spill.

I believe that both the US government and BP really screwed the pooch on this one. I also blame the courts for these types of actions but haven't really got true evidence for this. They have allowed companies like BP to become the same as humans and we know how easily humans can screw things up. The problem is there really isn't anything government can do to some company or even the company leadership. Because BP is seen in the same light as a citizen, then the company should be arrested and confined as any other person would be if they did something like this. How would you arrest a company? Easily. I would say freeze their funds within the USA and file papers to have the accounts frozen in any country we have treaties with. The fault for the spill lies with the agency that allowed BP to operate it rig below the standards and with BP and its failure to obey the rules. The company contracted to operate it for BP should also be held accountable for its failure to think about safety first over money. As Americans we should be pushing both state and federal government to really get behind the research into new fuel sources. The focus should be on renewable fuel. I would say any company that comes up with a viable renewable fuel should be given tax free status for a set number of years and if they share the technology with others, they should be given even more. I know that the search for a renewable fuel is extremely difficult but think it should be a priority. Look at the disaster of the ethanol attempt. I think the focus of an new fuel source shouldn't be on automobiles so much as on transportation systems and industry. Many people think that cars use a lot of fuel but when it comes down to it the rail and trucking industries use millions of gallons a day. It won't be anytime soon that we will be able to solve these problems but it does need to become a serious search instead of just words the politicians say.

A tragic event.

2010-06-11T19:51:00.001-05:00

This post isn't so much about the tragic event but the lack of knowledge about it by people I have talked to today. This is the event that happened early this morning in southwestern Arkansas. I live about 100 miles from where this happened. I spoke to 10 people about this event around 5pm this evening and of those ten only 3 knew anything about it. I first heard about it this morning around 10am but because I was no where near a radio was unable to keep up with the news. When I did get back to a radio I was able to get updates. My problem with the 7 that had no idea this event happened is the simple fact that they don't want to know what is actually going on around them and in the world. I believe that fear of truth is what enables many to remain christians.

What is the root of all evil?

2010-05-29T18:46:00.000-05:00

I have been thinking about this some lately. I don't believe anymore that there is one cause for evil. I am just giving my personnel opinion on this, so like anything else I could be wrong. There are some things people say are the root of evil but only when viewed in the extreme are they able to stand alone. The three main factors I see as making evil come from people are religion, power, and money. None of these three are evil but are used by others to advance an agenda that harms more then it does good. There are very few if any major acts which don't harm someone some how.

I know that the three things I have listed aren't the only elements that lead to evil acts but I do see them as main causes. I will begin with religion. Is religion evil? I don't see religion as it was meant to be as evil but it is easily abused which leads to evil being committed in its name. What I know of history shows that religion has been used to advance many different types of actions. I believe that religion makes it easier for people to justify any action they take that they normally wouldn't commit. I could list all the acts that have been committed in the name of many different religions that are seen as evil in todays world. I don't think it is necessary to do that because most people already know what I would list. What we need to do is look at how people are in ordinary life in regards to their religious beliefs. Most people, no matter what religion, wants the world to believe that their religion is about love and peace. How do each of these different religions define what they call love? How do the people within each religion define love?

Power is something we all have to one degree or another. Like most things, power is easily abused and easily gotten when mixed with religion or money. Power give people the ability to help those in need. What makes someone in need? The problem I see with power is it makes many people believe they are above those under them. Most people who have power begin to forget what it took to get that power. We as people need to ask ourselves what we would do if we were in power? I like to believe that I would do what I could to advance our understanding the universe. How easy would it be for people with money to change my views? I have been poor my whole life. I have had to struggle many times to make it though the next week or mouth. Would I abandon my views if I knew I wouldn't have to worry about money or harm from others religions anymore? How can we stop religion and money from influencing people within power? If you were in a position of power would you want others restricting that power?

Lets get to what most people seem to thing the root of all evil is. When the original statement was coined, the odds are money was rare. While man was small barter and other means of trade were easily used. As mans knowledge began to expand, the ability of trade and barter became to complicated to work. We can still do some trading and barter today but it is usually in extremely small scales. Money isn't really the problem. It is the belief that money is the most important thing in life. Until extreme greed is gotten under control there is little that can be done about the effects of money. I figure here in the USA the best way to control greed is though taxes and eliminating private political contributions.

I believe that the real root of all evil is man and thier inability to understand all people are equal.

Was this punishment or an attack of the devil?

2010-05-22T17:20:00.001-05:00

You always hear christians saying how this or that disaster is punishment from god. I always wonder what christians say when something happens to them. Do they go around saying that god is punishing them for their sins or do they blame the devil for these events.

I had to work today and when I was headed that way I came upon a fire which was burning inside a church. The volunteer firefighters had only arrived shortly before me because they were just getting the hoses run out. I was unable to get a photo of all the smoke rolling out of the church because it would have been a bit dangerous to at that time. There were probably 5 different fire engines from brush buggies to large fire trucks there. The second time I went by it I was able to get a few pictures that showed some of the fire trucks and this time there were at least 2 county mounties there with them. Since there were so many vehicles on or near the road this was as close as I felt it was safe for taking any pictures from a moving vehicle. This time by they seemed confident they had the fire out and were putting the hoses up. It had been about 2 1/2 hours since I first went by it.

The third time I went by there were people trying to get some of the stuff from inside out into the sun to dry it seemed to me. From the photo above you can see some of the damage to the west side of the church up near the top. It didn't see to be as much fire damage but smoke damage and where they might have busted it away to get water to the fire.

The final time by the church I was able to get these last two pictures and it seems to me that most of the damage was on the inside unless the back of the church was burned a lot more then the other three sides. The top of the church had fallen in some but it didn't seem that the fire had gotten to far out of control by the time the fire fighters got to work. I would say they are probably lucky it was a Saturday morning, otherwise many of the people that came to fight it would have been at work or on their way to work.

I wish I lived a little closer to where this church is located or knew a few people that lived in the area. I want to know what rumors are flying around about the cause of the fire. I could believe that many of the members are wanting to say it was arson or an attack by the devil. I very much doubt that they are going around saying they are being punished by their god. I figure it was an electrical fire but wouldn't be surprised if the reasons being used for the fire run the gambit from satanist to muslims. I have a brother that goes to church and runs the sound system. Many of these older churches are running probably 4 or 5 times as much electricity as they did when they were first built. The failure of the members to understand that with the added draw of power by many of the new systems they use is what happens when you think some god is watching over you.

Right now I am working in an area where a tornado went though on April 30th. There are many in the area that seem to have the same mind set that anything bad that happens to them is the devil and all the good is because of god. Why do these people always want to blame sin when it happens to others but never blame their own sins when it happens to them?

Update: The police are investigating this as an arson fire. They have arrested a guy for burning another church in the area and suspect him of setting this one on fire.

Differences between scientist and those that are religious.

2010-05-17T04:46:00.000-05:00

I do something still today that used to really piss my ex-wife off. I would find a subject and start thinking about it heavily. I have been reading a few old blogs I used to read often until they quit publishing. The one I was reading that led to this post was about how religious people claim it takes faith to believe in science. It seems to me that this type of statement requires you to redefine the word faith. We know that faith is believing something without the evidence to support that view. I know of no science that is based on no evidence.

I have conducted no studies nor do I plan to about this topic. The points I plan on making here are my opinions and mine alone. Some of the differences I see between these two types of people are scientist tend to avoid saying they are 100% sure and always welcome challenges. I have met a few theist that seem to welcome challenges but once you start showing the evidence against their view they tend to get less and less willing to accept anything but their own words. Most that believe in any religion tend to be 100% sure of their views and will throw any evidence out with the bathwater if it doesn't fit their views. Yes a scientist will have some faith in his/her new hypothesis but will tend to have more trust in his/her abilities. A scientist might not like it but if their idea is proven wrong to them, they will accept it and modify their views to fit the new evidence. Many religious people will ignore any evidence or throw the devil into the mix to avoid admitting they are wrong. Most scientist will keep up with any advances in their fields and those that are related to it. I can't say that i know of any people who are religious that keep up with advances other religions make other then the methods which will get them more followers.

Do both scientist and theist use fear to advance their views? Is money the main reason either of these groups attempt to advance their views? I know theist use fear as a tool to advance their religion but I don't think it is used by most scientist. There are some but most people who use fear to advance science aren't actually scientist. The problem is that most non-scientist see the fear invoked by these other none scientist as coming from scientist. Yes money is always a factor in both fields. The difference I see is that most scientist use the money they struggle to get to help all of mankind while religions tend to use it to just advance their own views and could care less about the harm done to others. I have no way of knowing the full numbers but I would be willing to bet all I have that less then 50% of the money given to churches actually helps anyone outside of that church. I would be about 75% willing to bet less then 25% goes to those in need outside the churches.

Morals

2010-05-16T16:16:00.001-05:00

I have been doing some research into morals and how we might come about with the morals we do. I know most religious people claim it is their god that gives us our morals but I just can't see that. The main problem I see with this claim is that christian morals change with society but by their claims they shouldn't change at all. I like the example of how the laws and morals of people began to change after women got the right to vote here in the USA. Once women started voting many politicians began to enact laws which helped women. It has taken many years but the morals of people have changed when it comes to many crimes committed against women. There are other areas where religious claim morals but their actions don't support their views. Some of these areas are charity, murder, rape, and war. They talk about how their god is all about peace but will condone all the above as long as it is for their god.

What christian principles do christians mean when they say

2010-04-25T10:28:00.000-05:00

What christian principles do christians mean when they say that the US Constitution was founded on? I have asked this of many christians that have claimed these principles are what it is based on. I have never gotten an answer to this question from the people who make these types of comments on the blogs I read. I have found a few sites that discuss these claims and will be doing a few post over the next few months reviewing them. Anyone interested in helping me with this check out this site. I figure I will make this the main one I will be reviewing. http://www.faithfacts.org/christ-and-the-culture/the-bible-and-government

Racism from my point of view.

2010-04-18T10:56:00.000-05:00

I have been asked to write a post on my take of racism. I'm not sure i am the best person for doing this. First I need to give some background about myself and why I feel I am not a typical white male in regards to racism. I am from Arkansas and lived in a rural area that left me little chance of contact with other people other then at school and teen hangouts. The county I am from had 5 different school districts and of those five, three of them were all white students. One of the two had just a few years before I graduated gotten its first black students. The biggest town, population wise, was the main area where there were blacks residing. I can't be sure but would say between 85-95% of the black population lived within a small area of that town. It wasn't until I had turned 18 that I can honestly say I had any real contact with people of the black race. The contact I had until Oct. 81 was during sporting events and a couple of times at summer camps. One of the summer camps I went to when I was around 11 or 12 was the first time that I recall this group having a desegregated camp.
It was also at this age I saw the effects of racism for the first time.

I went to school at a small school that was one of the all white schools. The town only had about 500-600 residents when I was 12. Because I lived about 6 miles from town I seldom got to hang out in town other then when we had peewee football practice. A bunch of us would share bikes and go riding all over town. One day me and a friend were riding past this house that was near the school and saw a younger black couple moving into a home. I'm not sure if it was one or two weeks later but me and the same friend rode by that same house and it was completely different. All the windows had been busted out and there was a lot of graffiti painted on it. I never said anything about it until many years later and it was odd how some people reacted to it. The rest of the racism up until I left Arkansas for the army was whites talking shit that they had no reason for saying. I never said anything back and at times laughed at their jokes. Even today the town I went to school at is just over 97% white.

In 1981 I went into the army and for the first time I actually was forced to begin to understand that things weren't like I was always told they were. I guess I knew much of what I was taught as a child wasn't the truth but avoided questioning it. It wasn't until I got to my first duty station in Germany that I really started opening my eyes to the fact that other then skin color most people want the same things for their life. I have to give credit for this to SPC. Allen. He was actually very patient with me even though he really didn't have to be. Of course it took a few more years before I really got a basic understanding of how racism has truly hurt this nation. I guess the second big racist thing I saw happened while I was in the army.

I wasn't real big at hanging out with the people involved in this event but did know them all. The people involved were all white and the victims weren't actual people but the image that these guys presented. They were know within the unit as racist but they tended to keep it hidden from those in command. What final got them was a photo they took of a rope around the neck of a bust of a man that was black. Like most racist they weren't big on the brain power. They passed the photo around for others to see and a copy of it made it to the unit commanders attention. They were gone in a couple of weeks.

Earlier I talked about an event when I was around 12 and how some peoples reactions to the event were odd. I was attending PLDC, Primary Leadership Course, while in the army and one of the topics was racism. Some of the other students thought that race relations within the USA was pretty good but I disagreed with them. I used the two stories as examples of how there are still many racist out here and that to believe it is pretty good was foolish. They didn't actually believe my stories until one of the instructors took my side with me. What I found odd was that two of those disagreeing with me and not even believing me were black. We were in Kentucky and I knew black guys who wouldn't even stop at gas stations unless they were with others. It really did surprise me that they couldn't believe how racist the area around Ft. Knox was. While I was there one of the main leaders of the KKK lived about 15 miles from the base.

Have I beaten my racist upbringing? No I can't say I have completely beat it. The reason I say I'm not a good example is I am not a very active person when it comes to making friends. I has a small group of people I call friends and the rest are just people I know. I have a set of rules I use to define what makes a person a friend and there have probably been less then 100 people in my 46 years that fit these rules. I would say less then 10 of those were people that have been non-whites. Even within the army I was a bit of a loner and prefer it that way. Some people might say 100 friends is a good number but you have to understand I have known several thousand in this time. While I was in the army I would meet around 100-150 new people every 12-18 months due to normal rotations within the army. I still have to be aware that I can easily base my opinion on peoples skin color not on their actions.

Where I live now the race relations have gotten better then they were back in the 70's and 80's. I know there are still problems and until everyone decides to base their views of people on actions instead of what their skin color is, it will be a problem.