"Clothes make the man, but nakedness makes the human being."

Spencer Tunick - Melbourne

A while ago I wrote a piece about Spencer Tunick and his photography. It was called "Now lies the earth all Danae to the stars." What I failed to include was this video when he organized some of the people from Melbourne, Australia to be part of one of his nude photographic sessions. The day was enjoyed by all who participated it seems, except for a lonely protester who wanted to use the photographic session to voice his religious opinion. There's one in every crowd apparently, but to the cheering of the crowd he was removed from the scene. Even the police at the end of the shot seemed a little sad for the poor man and gave him a consoling pat on the back. What needs to be remembered is that this was a legal photo shoot with willing participants who were not paid for getting naked. But at least according to the lone protester, god was upset with this display of nakedness. What do you think?

By the way, those of you who may be offended by naked Australian wobbly bits bouncing around in full view, should avert their eyes from the video.

nakedness nudity tunick spencer tunick photography art photos religion protest protester humour humor

The Tu Quoque Fallacy: Or Atheism is a Religion Too.

From : Atheist Eve. (Click link to enlarge.)

~*~

I am going to start a series of posts which just involve a few lines of either my own thoughts on a specific subject, or a few lines of someone else's thoughts on various subjects. Comments are welcomed.

My understanding is that a religion would require an explicitly stated set of beliefs. There is no explicitly stated set of beliefs for someone who calls themself an atheist. However, if someone calls themselves a 1. Materialist 2. Naturalist 3. Existentialist 4. Humanist 5. Secular humanist - it could be argued that these philosophies display an explicit set of beliefs.

Would the evidence of explicitly stated beliefs mean that these philosophies were a religion? For that you would need to be able to demonstrate how a philosophy differs from a religion, or more pertinently, how it doesn't differ. Off the top of my head, I would suggest that a philosophy involves itself with arguments primarily based in reason and that a religion involves itself in arguments primarily based in faith.

Faith, in this context means that regardless of the argumentation or the processes used, that the argument would not under any circumstance change the position of the person of faith. Faith, in this sense, is an unwavering belief, which is not ameliorated or mitigated in the light of new or contradictory evidence or information. Secular humanists, materialists, naturalists or philosophers do not have "faith" of this nature. They may endorse a variety of beliefs, but those beliefs are open to review and to change in light of evidence to the contrary.

Tu Quoque Tu Quoque Fallacy logic religion philosophy equivocation beliefs faith atheist atheistism materialism naturalism existentialism humanism secular humanism evidence

'Praise the Lord' - Hill$ong Celebrates the National Day of Secularism

National Day of Secularism May the 26th

"Praise the Lord" - Hill$ong Parody - Brought to you by "The Chaser's War on Everything"

Introduction: - " Ladies and Gentlemen in the name of the father, the son and the holy spirit let me hear you say "A - men." Let me hear you say "Praise the lord." Let me hear you say "I will empty the contents of my wallet into that little collection plate when it comes around. And it's all Tax free! Hallelujah! "

Lyrics: -
"Praise the lord for all the cash I've got. Praise him for my Rolls Royce and my yacht.

Serving god ain't hard with a credit card. Jesus died so I could make a lot.

Praise the lord he's made us millionaires. Wave your donations in the air.

We've replaced our hymns with ATMS. And soon we'll charge a fee on every prayer.

Jesus Christ was a poor man don't you know. He should have used our accountants for his cash flow.

Stop the sermon on the mount he should have had a bank account.

Two thousand years with interest he'd be rolling in the dough.

Praise the lord this song's out on CD just $40.95 plus GST.

Hallelujah plenty of moolah. Solid gold baubles on my christmas tree.

I've got all of heaven's riches thanks to all you stupid b*tches.

Praise the lord for modern christianity. Whoever said religion should be free."

~*~

Hillsong Church (formerly Hills Christian Life Centre) is a Pentecostal Christian church. Its primary location is in Australia where it is headquartered at its "Hills" campus near Castle Hill, to the north-west of Sydney in Baulkham Hills' Norwest Business Park.

The Hillsong Church has attracted support from high profile politicians, especially from the conservative Liberal Party of Australia. The Prime Minister, John Howard, opened its Baulkham Hills campus and the Federal Treasurer, Peter Costello, spoke at its annual conferences in July 2004 and 2005. Mark Latham, the former Leader of the Opposition, declined Hillsong's invitation to the 2004 conference, although Bob Carr, the then Premier of New South Wales, (from the Australian Labor Party), did attend the 2005 conference. The former New South Wales Liberal Party state director, Scott Morrison (to November 2004), is a prominent member of Hillsong Church.

The Anglican Bishop of Western Sydney, Ivan Lee, has expressed concern that the extreme emotion of Hillsong services could be manipulative and said that "... their worship is in danger of being experience-centred rather than Bible teaching-centred".

Of course it is manipulative. It wants people to have an emotional experience, which will encourage them to part with their cash.

In the Australian Constitution - Section 116 - (Commonwealth not to legislate in respect of religion), it states that: - "The Commonwealth shall not make any law for establishing any religion, or for imposing any religious observance, or for prohibiting the free exercise of any religion, and no religious test shall be required as a qualification for any office or public trust under the Commonwealth."

Unfortunately, the constitution doesn't say - "And no politician will kiss the arse of corporate religion in order to gain a few more votes."

hillsong religion praise the lord politics parody secular secularism secular state religious right blog against theocracy national day of secularism satire

This Is Australia Too

"This Is Australia Too"

I mentioned before I went on holidays how I would take a few pictures and post them when I got back. Well, if you click the youtube presentation, you can view those photographs. I didn't take all that many pictures when I away, so you will see similarities in some of the shots. Usually, I would only select a few from each roll and use those, but in order to make the presentation of a reasonable length, I had to use all of them - even the less visually appealing ones. Anyway, to those who read my blog, I hope you enjoy them.

One of the reasons I decided to punctuate some of my writings with aspects of my own life, feelings and ideas, is so that people may get an understanding that skeptics, freethinkers, non-christians, non-muslims are real people who have real lives. They are just people who do not share your religious beliefs.

"Shoot straight you bastards. Don't make a mess of it." - Harry (Breaker) Morant - executed Australian soldier and poet.

australia holiday vacation travel photography photos pictures life blog internet blogging Breaker Morant

Blog Against Theocracy: National Day of Secularism May 26th

I have been tagged by Arthur @ Five Public Opinions for the National Day of Secularism on May 26th.

National Day of Secularism May 26th

Tagging stage:
If you are tagged by the meme, then it’s the same old format; mention this entry so people can see the rules and then tag five other bloggers (preferably Australian given the nature of the NDoT.) You can link back to these rules and display the banner.

Blog against theocracy stage:
If you have been tagged then in addition to tagging others, it is also hoped that you will write a blog entry about the separation of Church and State in Australia. It could be a critique of Pell’s “normative democracy”, the historic anti-democracy sermonizing of Archbishop Daniel Mannix, inevitable discrimination by the funding of (approved) chaplains in public schools, the state backed imposition of bans on forbidden women’s dress or whatever Church-State issue you find important.

Preferably, such a blog entry would be published on the 26th, but there is no deadline as such. Just a couple of caveats:

1) the church-state anti-theocracy blog entry should mention the phrase “National Day of Thanksgiving”, possibly mentioning that the entry is a response to the NDoT, and
2) feel free to add the (again admittedly modest) banner.

I, in turn, tag the following:
1. Dikkii's Diatribe
2. Plonka's Blog
3. Skippy the Bush Kangaroo
4. Dissecting Leftism
5. Talking Squid

atheist culture wars politics current affairs religion theocracy secular secularism national day of thanksgiving blog against theocracy meme

There's A Sucker Born Every Minute

"Money: That's What We Want."

"There's a sucker born every minute" is a phrase often credited to P.T. Barnum, an American showman. The entire quote is "There's a sucker born every minute...and two to take 'em." The source of the quote is most likely famous con-man Joseph ("Paper Collar" Joe) Bessimer.

"When Christianity went to Athens, it became a philosophy. When it went to Rome, it became an organization. When it went to Europe, it became a culture. When it came to America, it became a business."

christianity religion politics business capitalism evangelical fundamentalism america P.T. Barnum sucker

"This Is Australia" or "Now For Something Completely Different."

"This Is Australia"

I was wandering through some of the photographs stored on my PC the other day and decided that I would make a video snap shot of some of the places in Australia that I have visited. It also made me think about how our environments effect and reflect our cultural beliefs. I have been fortunate to have had ancestors who decided that they would make Australia their home. I also acknowledge at this stage that their decision and the decision of many other settlers to move here has not been so fortunate for the indigenous people who lived here first.

This video is just a snap shot of some of the places along the east coast of Australia, yet there is a focus upon one particular little farming community which was also my home town for many years. The music which accompanies the video was specifically written by an Australian group about that little cane farming community. The photographs were taken in a ten year period and also reflect the technology I used at the time, which was an old Canon SLR, so don't expect high quality digital resolution. In fact, I still mostly use the old SLR even though it weighs a ton and the quality of the image certainly isn't as crisp as a modern digital camera. Using the SLR is, however, much more fun.

Anyway, sit back and have a peek at the east coast of Australia through the lens of one who lives here.

australia this is australia and now for something completely different east coast patio cane fields cane field humidity

PS: - I am heading off for a few days rest and recreation. Hopefully, I will take a few snaps of my holiday and if I get any which are fit for publication, I will make a short video and post it when I get back.

(The ones of me where I discuss with Beelzebub how to genetically mutate cute little puppies into ravenous hounds from hell will not be published at this time.)

So, to the readers of this blog, I hope to see you soon. Have fun and may Darwin confer upon you and your descendants many beneficial mutations. Toodle oooo.

Are Theists More Superstitious Than Atheists?

How Superstitious Are you?

What is a superstition? A superstition is the belief that events are influenced by specific behaviors, without having a causal relationship. A causal relationship is the logical relationship between one physical event and another physical event. So a superstition is where there is an event, but there is no logical relationship between an event and the cause, or subsequent event which is ascribed to it.

Superstitions are based on cultural beliefs in a supernatural "reality" and they relate to things that are not fully understood or known. Therefore, the type and nature of the superstition may be dependent upon the culture and the origin of the culture. This culture difference is evident when one thinks of the number 13 or the number 4. In Asian cultures the number 4 is considered unlucky and in western cultures the number 13 is considered unlucky. The Chinese pronunciation for the words "die" and 4 are similar, which explains why 4 isn't a favourite number in many Asian countries. In western countries which have a christian tradition, the number 13 is considered unlucky because supposedly there were 13 at the last supper. So superstitions are culturally relevant, but many of them have their origins in a belief in the supernatural.

What are the origins of some of these other superstitions?

1. Breaking a mirror will bring 7 years bad luck.
(Before the invention of mirrors, man gazed at his reflection, his "other self," in pools, ponds, and lakes. If the image was distorted, it was a mark of impending disaster.)
2. The devil or evil spirits can enter your body when you sneeze unless someone says "God bless you."
(Ancient man believed that his breath was also his soul or "essence of life." A rapid departure of that breath, a sneeze, is the same as expelling life from one's body. Also, it leaves a vacuum in the head which evil spirits can enter.)
3. If you spill salt, you must throw a pinch over the left shoulder to ward off the devil.
(Salt was once a rare and costly commodity. As such, it was economic waste to spill any. Also, salt is a purifier, a preservative, and it symbolizes the good and lasting qualities of life. It was mixed into the foods used in the religious ceremonies of both the Greeks and Romans. One source of this superstition is Leonardo da Vinci's painting of the Last Supper. The betrayer Judas, has accidentally spilled salt onto the table.)
4. Black cats crossing your path bring bad luck.
(The Egyptians worshiped the cat and punished anyone who dared to kill one. In the Middle Ages, however, the black cat was linked to witches and Satan. Since it was believed that a witch had the power to transform herself into a cat, it was thought likely that a cat who crossed one's path was a witch in disguise.)

Without going through the origin of lots of superstitions, it is evident that many of them originate from a belief in the existence of supernatural forces which can either be harmful or helpful. Ancient man always had supernatural explanations for natural events. Supernatural explanations when systemized became religions and that is probably why we still find today that highly religious cultures are also superstitious cultures. That includes the majority of people on the planet except for perhaps those who are atheists, agnostics or skeptics. I haven't met any overtly superstitious atheists, but I have known many superstitious theists. Superstition and religious beliefs appear to walk hand in hand.

Religious practices are most likely to be labelled "superstitious" by those who do not share the religious belief. Especially when they include belief in extraordinary events, an afterlife, supernatural interventions, apparitions or the efficacy of prayer, charms, incantations, the meaningfulness of omens, and prognostications. Greek and Roman pagans, (who were theists but not christians), scorned the man who constantly trembled with fear at the thought of the gods, as a slave feared a cruel and capricious master. "Such fear of the gods (deisidaimonia) was what the Romans meant by superstition." (Veyne 1987, p 211).

PS: Don't forget to watch the video I made.

superstition religion culture folklore superstitious supernatural supernaturalism theist atheist

A Brief History of Disbelief

JONATHAN MILLER'S BRIEF HISTORY OF DISBELIEF Part 1

From the youtube description of the series: -

In this first ever television history of disbelief, Jonathan Miller goes on a journey exploring the origins of his own lack of belief and uncovering the hidden story of atheism.

Jonathan Miller visits the absent Twin Towers to consider the religious implications of 9/11 and meets Arthur Miller and the philosopher Colin McGinn. He searches for evidence of the first 'unbelievers' in Ancient Greece and examines some of the modern theories around why people have always tended to believe in mythology and magic.

With the domination of Christianity from 500 AD, Jonathan Miller wonders how disbelief began to re-emerge in the 15th and 16th centuries. He discovers that division within the Church played a more powerful role than the scientific discoveries of the period. He also visits Paris, the home of the 18th century atheist, Baron D'Holbach, and shows how politically dangerous it was to undermine the religious faith of the masses.

The history of disbelief continues with the ideas of self-taught philosopher Thomas Paine, the revolutionary studies of geology and the evolutionary theories of Darwin. Jonathan Miller looks at the Freudian view that religion is a 'thought disorder'. He also examines his motivation behind making the series touching on the issues of death and the religious fanaticism of the 21st century.

The other parts of the series can be viewed here:

A Brief History of Disbelief 2.

A Brief History of Disbelief 3.

A Brief History of Disbelief 4.

A Brief History of Disbelief 5.

A Brief History of Disbelief 6.

A Brief History of Disbelief 7.

A Brief History of Disbelief 8.

A Brief History of Disbelief 9.

A Brief History of Disbelief 10.

A Brief History of Disbelief 11.

A Brief History of Disbelief 12.

A Brief History of Disbelief 13.

A Brief History of Disbelief 14.

A Brief History of Disbelief 15.

A Brief History of Disbelief 16.

A Brief History of Disbelief 17.

A Brief History of Disbelief 18.

Each video is only about 10 minutes long. Watch them while they are available.

disbelief religion politics philosophy science theology christianity islam judaism jonathanmiller jonathan miller atheist

They can also be seen at this link should the other links become inactive. (Thanks for the tip Remy.)

How Many in the Bush Administration Went to Pat Robertson's Law School?

Bill Maher blasts Regent Law School

Video Transcript: -

Now that liberals have taken back the word "liberal", they also have to take back the word, "elite." By now you have heard the constant rightwing attacks on the elite media and the liberal elite, who may or may not be part of the Washington elite, a subset of the East Coast elite, which is overly influenced by the Hollywood elite. So basically unless you are a shit-kicker from Kansas you are with the terrorists. You know if you played a drinking game where you did a shot for everytime that Rush Limbaugh attacked someone for being elite, you'd almost be as wasted as Rush Limbaugh.

I don't get it. In other fields outside of government, elite is a good thing, like an elite fighting force. Tiger Woods is an elite golfer. If I need brain surgery, I would like an elite doctor. But in politics, elite is bad. The elite aren't down to earth and accessible like you and me and President shit for brains. Which is fine except for whenever there is a Bush administration scandal, it always traces back to some incompetent, political hack appointment and you think to yourself - "Where are they getting these screw-ups from?" Well, now we know, from Pat Robertson. I'm not kidding.

Take Monica Goodling who before she resigned last week because she is smack in the middle of the US attorney scandal, was a third ranking official in the Justice Department of the United States. She's 33 years old and though she never worked as a prosecutor, she was tasked at overseeing the job performance of all 93 US attorneys. How do you get to the top that fast? Harvard? Princeton? No, Goodling did her undergraduate work at Messiah College. You know Messiah, the home of the fighting Christies and then went on to attend Pat Robertson's Law School. Yes, Pat Robertson, the man who said that the presence of gay people at Disneyworld would cause earthquakes, tornadoes and possibly a meteor - has a Law School. And what kid wouldn't want to attend? It's three years and you only have to read one book. US News and World Reports which does the definitive ranking of colleges lists Regent's as a tier four school which is the lowest score it gives. It's not a hard school to get into. You have to renounce Satan and draw a pirate on a matchbook. This is for people who couldn't get into the University of Phoenix.

Now, would you care to guess how many graduates of this televangelist diploma bill work in the Bush Administration? One hundred and fifty! And you wonder why things are so messed up? We are talking about a top justice department official who went to a college funded by a TV host. Would you send your daughter to Maury Povich U? And if you did, would you expect her to get a job at the Whitehouse? In 200 years we have gone from "We the people" to "up with people", from the "best and the brightest" to "dumb and dumber" and where better to find people who are dumb enough to believe in George Bush than Pat Robertson's Law School. The problem here in America, isn't that the country is being run by elites, it's that it is being run by a bunch of hayseeds. And by the way, the lawyer Monica Goodling just hired to keep her ass out of jail - went to a real law school.

bill maher george bush politics religion white house video humor satire pat robertson monica goodling Regent University messiah college

H/T to Drunkentune at philaletheia.