9
POPSReligious Tests? Once again we're presented with examples of outright bigoted prejudice. Perhaps not surprising if it was put forth from a stereotypical Nascar dad but from a contender to the presidency it seems a bit out of line.
7
POPSGrandpa McCain Don't Like Them Atheists! Promulgating the idea of bigoted, separatist thought seems to take up a lot of the energies of the Republicans these days. Of course this has been their bread and butter issue for years. Give us someone to hate and forget about the real issues that plague the common man. They're the first to cry foul over class issues but they certainly have no qualms about using them to instill fear and prejudice if it suits their corporate aims.
5
POPSBlack Death Anniversary Certainly a defining moment in world history. It's interesting that present day fundamentalists such as Falwell are still using the same arguments that their 14th century counterparts employed. You'd think that after 600+ years they'd have learned something.
3
POPSSally Kern Bigotry Here she is damned by her own words. What she says is not new. Bigots like her have been saying this for a long time. What is new is that now we can cast their words into the light of day for all to see. And this person is an elected official! Shame on you Oklahoma.
9
POPSScience Ignorance Blessed in Oklahoma Although this legislation has not made it through to law the very idea that it was put forth at all is surprising. I feel sorry for rational Oklahomans who must endure this humiliation.
3
POPSSpread the Word Here's your FSM toolkit. Put on your white shirt and tie*, hope on your bicycle and start ringing those doorbells. Join the proslytyzing bandwagon. *White shirt and tie optional. Pirate costume entirely appropriate.
6
POPSReligion and Abortion This article makes a cogent argument that religion actually promotes abortions rather than diminishes them. Link to full article for more info.
2
POPSBurnt Offerings are Next! I've included the date in the clip to show that this is really a news story from this century! I love the ending of the clip where the good pastor calls forth Elijah's prayer for rain and asks why can't we do the same? Because we understand what causes rain? Just a thought. Also of note is the governor's spokesman saying that "I think it always works, even if there's not the desired outcome," To the more erudite readers out there this of course is the "Flip a Coin" defense of prayer. No matter what the outcome - claim it worked. Anyone care for a case of snake oil with that?
4
POPSReligious Dogma Invades Healthcare Cline makes a good point that professionals like doctors and pharmacists knowingly enter professions that could compromise their religious beliefs. What could be their justification for then using these religious beliefs to refuse services to certain individuals?
6
POPSGimme That Ole Time Religion Some of us look back on this tragedy and discount it as due to ignorance. Yet it is more than that. Think of the present day belief in satanic possession that exists 316 years after this hysteria overtook the town of Salem. As far as I'm concerned they have much in common and display a disappointing lack of rationality in a large segment of the population.
13
POPSCultural Diversity? Or Just Wrong? This is sure to stir up controversy. Knowing what we know today, should be stand quiet and ignore the lives scared by this archaic practice because of cultural diversity? I fervently believe we need to speak out and show our revulsion over such primitive and harmful ideas. We know that practices such as this are harmful to women but hesitate to bring them to the forefront for fear of offending certain segments of the population. I couldn't disagree more. These "traditions" need to be exposed to the light of modern thought and people need to express their outrage for such devastating practices.
6
POPSMore Religious Absurdity I continue to be amazed at the lunacy of religious practices. Most are benign, mere oddities. But this clip points to serious consequences to other people because of possible serious infections being passed on by health care professionals. Hygiene is many times overlooked in hospitals ostensibly because of lack of time needed to properly wash hands. That, however, is a completely different matter that relates to budget financing and staffing. This clip points to another much more easily taken care of lapse in patient care. The question that should be raised is how much accommodation should be given to religion especially if that accommodation puts patients in jeopardy?
6
POPSFlorida Creationist Shows Off Of course not all Floridians are this abjectly stupid. Although recent polls indicate that close to 50% prefer creationism over evolution. Take a peek at what a lack of science education can accomplish.
11
POPSScientific Icon Found As often happens following one of these scientific miracles expect a spat of similar instances to follow. Just this morning I found a forgotten bag of bread covered with Rhizopus stolonifer that suspiciously resembled the image of Charles Darwin. I'm thinking perhaps a shrine is in order.
8
POPSHello! Is Sanity in the House? By some people's reasoning it should be allowable for Jews to riot because Joe's BBQ opens and serves pulled pork platters? Christians should storm the gates because Wal-Mart is not keeping the Sabbath holy? Catholics should go berserk when someone doesn't genuflect before Mary? Why aren't more people standing up and saying these crazy people are crazy? We're all supposed to adhere to Sharia law? How utterly absurd and pointless.
2
POPSJesus in My Oatmeal For those of you out there who have recently been awed by the appearance of Jesus or Mary in your marmalade here's a more rational explanation for you to try on. Rationality. It's really a good thing.
10
POPSMuslim Bullying How absurd for any religious group to expect for persons of differing faiths or no faith at all to adhere to their quaint religious practices. It reminds me of the resistance to teach evolution in public schools or the attempts to force religion into the public arena. Both spheres have a similar lack of credibility and rationale. Kudos to Wikipedia for not kowtowing to religious fanatics.
4
POPSUh, Who Cares What Religion Obama Is? Evidently this "issue" has captured the imagination of religious people around the US. Maybe they're not familiar with Article VI of the Constitution. The Senators and Representatives before mentioned, and the Members of the several State Legislatures, and all executive and judicial Officers, both of the United States and of the several States, shall be bound by Oath or Affirmation, to support this Constitution; but no religious Test shall ever be required as a Qualification to any Office or public Trust under the United States. The popular view today would seem to be that this article was simply a "suggestion".
21
POPSMy God Can Beat Up Your God For CM regulars who have accused me on beating up on Christians I offer this clip about Hindu militants and their strife with Christians in India. Ain't religion fun...
4
POPSWe're Not Alone The US is not alone in the world when it comes to religious puffery. Korea has joined the flock of countries with biblical rulers.
12
POPSThose Noisy Atheists Cultural taboos against religious criticism are deeply ingrained. But are they justified? Apparently they are not. What happens is that generally people take criticism of their religious beliefs personally. It's as though religious beliefs hold some sort of position that is materially different from other beliefs that they hold. Except for the fact that religious beliefs are not reality based they are still simply ideas that a person has come across and decided to adopt.
3
POPSIowa Helps Democratic Party When I discovered that Iowa had chosen Mike Huckabee as the Republican nominee my little heart took a leap with joy. Who better than a Bible-thumping, evolution denying , anti-choice, far right priest/candidate for the Dems to be running against. In many ways he is a caricature of Bush although he does appear to be more articulate.
3
POPSTell Me It Ain't So I've often heard my Christian friends make a distinction between worshiping God and Allah. This always struck me as quaint since both religions (Christianity and Islam) share a common Abrahamic tradition. What they mean to infer is the different ways in which the two religions view the biblical Jesus.
3
POPSYou Gotta Have God in Brazil I'm not surprised in the least. A significant number of people hold the belief that believing in a deity is a necessary condition when judging a person as being moral. Although this belief is unfounded and easily disproved it continues to influence opinions.
3
POPSReligious Violence in India Proselytizing Christians anger Hindus in this latest saga of religious violence to sprout up in the world. Of course, atheists look at this and can't help but shake their heads at how nonsensical religionists are.
9
POPSHmm, Astrology or Astronomy? I seem to recall a certain president mouthing these same sentiments. I suspect history may show him to be at least one of the most ignorant people to hold such important office.
5
POPSFloridians See the Light? I just clipped another article concerning this topic and then came across this article. Well, that was a short lived controversy. It seems the Florida creationists sipped from the reality cup just in time. Good news.
4
POPSFlorida Religionists Cling to Myth As in Texas, Florida is also debating whether or not to include Intelligent Design in its science curriculum. Following the Dover Pennsylvania trial you'd think these yahoos would have gotten the word. ID is not science. We'll have to wait and see if they cling to their Bronze Age myths or join the rest of us who live in a reality based world.
9
POPSGimme That Ole Time Religion Some things are simply wrong. We know it deep in our bones. Defending this by reason of cultural diversity doesn't change that fact. We know enough about human psychology to plainly see that this is not the way to raise a kid.
2
POPSEducation Cowards Another "educational" institution bothered by the Christian Evolution Police. They claim they don't want to offend anyone's sensitive religious feelings. What a bunch of crap.
8
Clips
Latest Pops
Latest Comments
Most Pops
Tags
Print
Save
Turn on live update