Donating To Religious Institutions

Recently my wife and I had to get rid of some old furniture from our daughters room after doing a little holiday remodeling. The furniture sat in our dining room for a few days while we tried to find a place that helped the needy that was also secular. Easier said than done.

In Gastonia, NC, I am convinced that the only secular place in the area is my house. There are a few places around that help the needy, but they are all religiously oriented. I can't justify driving 30 miles to Charlotte just to drop two car loads of good off. The price of gas and the environmental impact of unnecessary driving is reason enough.

After checking a few of the local places out, I found one place that gives goods to needy families and the only way you can tell that the place is religiously oriented is the name and the Bible verse that is scrawled on the back wall in a sad, lazy fashion. No one proselytizes or asks you where you go to church. All they seem to care about is helping other people.

Would any of you give anything to a religiously oriented charity organization if it was either that or the trash? I am sure that some people would rather throw the furniture away than to let a Christian group dole it out, but I would rather someone get some use out of the stuff that could use it. What would you do?

Grab Your Erasers, Kids.

Because if you don't like the way a classic literary art work is written, you can just re-write it. Literally.

 Mark Twain's Adventures of Huckleberry Finn is a classic by most any measure—T.S. Eliot called it a masterpiece, and Ernest Hemingway pronounced it the source of "all modern American literature." Yet, for decades, it has been disappearing from grade school curricula across the country, relegated to optional reading lists, or banned outright, appearing again and again on lists of the nation's most challenged books, and all for its repeated use of a single, singularly offensive word: "nigger." - Publishers Weekly

I don't like or condone the use of the word 'Nigger' out of context as a derogatory racial slur in life. But in literary work like Huckleberry Finn its a different story. However these two 'scholars' seem to disagree with me. And have decided to grab their pencil and eraser and go to work editing the source of "all modern American literature." Unacceptable. I say.

...two scholars are editing Mark Twain's classic Adventures of Huckleberry Finn to eliminate uses of the "N" word and replace it with "slave," Publishers Weekly writes.

As PW says, "for decades, [Huckleberry Finn] has been disappearing from grade school curricula across the country, relegated to optional reading lists, or banned outright, appearing again and again on lists of the nation's most challenged books, and all for its repeated use of a single, singularly offensive word."

One of the scholars, Alan Gribben of Auburn University, tells PW that "this is not an effort to render Tom Sawyer and Huckleberry Finn colorblind. ... Race matters in these books. It's a matter of how you express that in the 21st century." NPR: New Edition Of 'Huckleberry Finn' Will Eliminate Offensive Words 

Mark Twain defines a Classic as "a book which people praise and don't read." Well I've read it, and it needs to be left alone. 

If anything needs to be changed it's the schools curriculum. Do they really believe that keeping things from children is a good way to educate them? Hiding things and keeping kids away from information will only lead to misunderstanding and actual inappropriate use of that information when they do get a hold of it. You should use this opportunity to explain it the appropriate controlled way.

There are countless comments on various accounts of this story that say the book taught them about how the word 'nigger' was innapropriate and not to be taken lightly.

"Learning the 'N' word from Huckleberry Finn taught me not to use it because it was improper, so.. why the change?" - Unknown Tweeter.

This is ridiculous, no matter how you look at it. It's no better than when Kirk Cameron and his buddy Ray Comfort decided to 'add a few pages' to The Origin Of Species. There is no good justification for the editing of any literary work. I wouldn't even dream of editing the bible. Even as an atheist. I don't like it or its message, but it's not mine to screw with. 

What do you think? The two have said they hope to get the book in more hands this way. Is that an acceptable excuse?

The Revised copy is set to be published sometime in February.

Muslims Plot To Kill Danish Newspaper Staff

The Muslims just won't quit about the goddamned cartoons that were posted in the Danish newspaper, the Jyllands-Posten in September 2005.

Danish and Swedish police said yesterday they had foiled a potentially devastating terrorist attack after arresting five suspected Islamic militants who wanted to "kill as many people as possible" in the offices of a Copenhagen newspaper that published cartoons of the Prophet Mohamed.

Denmark's intelligence service said it arrested four men in two raids in the suburbs of the capital and seized an automatic weapon, a silencer and live ammunition. Swedish police said they arrested the fifth suspect, a 37-year-old Swedish citizen of Tunisian origin who was living in Stockholm.

You've got to be kidding me. All of this over a cartoon of a old nomadic pedophile that happens to be worshiped by roughly 1.8 million morons. Someone draws a picture of this buffoon and the easily offended followers of the Religion of Peace plot to kill as many people at the office of the paper as possible.

You know what doesn't help the image of your religion? Shit like this. Islam is not a religion of peace, so why do we continue to treat it like it is? People should take note of this: the fundamentalists of any religion are out to silence anyone who doesn't believe like they do, especially when it comes to Islam.

Bill James Is A Homophobic Douchebag

For those of you who were wondering, hate is still alive and well in North Carolina.

Anti-gay, Republican Mecklenburg County Commissioner Bill James on Monday said gays are “sexual predators” in an email to his colleagues on the board.

James’ remarks were made in response to County Commissioner Chair Jennifer Roberts’ request to send a letter thanking some members of the Charlotte-area congressional delegation for their “yes” votes on “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell” (DADT) repeal this month. Roberts was to send the letter to U.S. Reps. Larry Kissell and Mel Watt and U.S. Sens. Richard Burr and Kay Hagan. President Barack Obama last week signed the repeal act into law.

This guy is beyond repulsive, and I am not just talking about his resemblance to a hybrid of the guy from Mask and Porky Pig. So to get the personal attacks out of the way, No, Bill James. There isn’t one guy on the planet that would fuck you. I am not sure there is one woman on the planet that would fuck you, and we all know how notorious women are for having bad taste in men. You are like a bag of smashed assholes that has been mixed with a bucket of dicks and a quart of bullshit. What a hideous cake you would make. Moving on.

“Homosexuals are sexual predators,” James wrote in one email from a string of several between county board members, Roberts and County Manager Harry Jones, and provided by James to qnotes. “Allowing homosexuals to serve in the US military with the endorsement of the Mecklenburg County Commission ignores a host of serious problems related to maintaining US military readiness and effectiveness not the least of which is the current Democrat plan to allow homosexuals (male and female) to share showers with those they are attracted to.”

OK, from the comments you can guess that this philistine has never served in the military. Had he served in the military, he would know that there have always been gay people in the military. The military is one of the gayest organizations I have ever been involved with. Men are showering with other men as we speak and not engaging in a rape fest. The repeal of DADT is going to go ahead with or without the OK of the Mecklenburg County Commission. I think one of the serious problems with the military is assholes like Bill James acting like they know anything about the military.

Want some more info about the character of Bill James?

James’ anti-gay comments following the Christmas holiday are not the first time the public official has spoken out strongly on LGBT issues. He often uses derogatory language or slurs to describe LGBT people in debates or communication with fellow public officials and constituents. During debate last December on domestic partner benefits for county employees, James leaned over to his Democratic colleague, Vilma Leake, and called her son a “homo.” Leake’s son died from AIDS in the 1990s.

I can only guess that the good people of District 6 are as hate filled and backwards as Bill James because they keep voting this guy into office. Maybe I should start taking bets on how long before we find Bill James balls-deep in some male prostitutes ass.

Do Not Define Me, You Arizona Dirt Worshiper

One thing that pisses me off a great deal is when other people try to tell me what I believe. The ideas that they have in their thick, Neanderthal-like skulls all sound the same and sound like something from a Chick Tract. It came as no surprise to find that this letter that was posted to a news paper came from Arizona, a land replete with morons and the super-religious (same thing).

Follow the link and read the letter. I shall not sully my blog with its vapid contents. All I have to say is ATHEISM DOESN’T MAKE ANY STATEMENTS. Atheism is simply a lack of belief in a deity. Now, if this dirt worshiper from Arizona would like to debate the origins of the universe with an evolutionary cosmologist or debate the intricacies of biogenesis with, I don’t know, a biologist, perhaps he should do just that. Something tells me the conversation would be very confusing for one of the participants.

A person can be an atheist and not have a degree in biology or quantum physics. It doesn’t take Einstein to see how stupid the idea of a creator is. However, since we are defining each other here and making demands, I want to know where Steve Miller’s (the author of this letter) proof is for a 6000 year old universe? What papers has he written to prove that Adam and Eve gave birth to the world population? I am pretty sure he would have a hard time finding proof outside of the Bible.

I know we say it often and it pisses of the mental midgets of religion, but when you make a claim, you had better have some goddamned evidence to back up that claim. Atheism doesn’t make a claim. Religion on the other hand is nothing more than a series of claims with either no evidence or evidence to the contrary. I’ll stick with atheism.

Keep Your Voices Down, Lest We Wake The Baby Stig.

Top Gear. (My favorite television program of all time) has caused a religious outcry. “They‘re picking on me.” The three amigos known as Jeremy Clarkson, James May, & Richard Hammond the hosts of the UK’s BBC2 television program have upset two different religious groups in a recent episode.

In the episode the trio was issued the task of making the exact same journey across the desert that the supposed wise men had taken to see the new born king. I have not yet seen the episode as here in the US we are always about a season or two behind the UK. But I do know that two scenes in question observe. 

Clarkson and Hammond dressed in Niqabs, a version of the burqa covering everything but the eyes, while filming a segment in the Middle Eastern country of Syria. 9News

In this scene from the show's Boxing Day special, presenters Jeremy Clarkson, Richard Hammond and James May step into the nativity to present the baby Jesus with gifts. When the blanket in the manger is removed, the presenters are shocked to see the baby dressed in a racing helmet and jumpsuit in the style of Top Gear regular The Stig. 9News

There you have it. What do you think? Did they cross any lines?. Let’s see what the critics think…

"The burqa is a symbol of our religion and people should not make jokes about it in any way," he was quoted by the Daily Mail as saying. "It would have been equally bad even if they'd not been in a country mainly populated by Muslims."  - Controversial Islamic activist Anjem Choudary

“I can see Muslims have a right to complain about the light-hearted treatment of burqas, but what about Jeremy Clarkson pretending to be Jesus Christ and having a nativity scene with The Stig as the baby Jesus," - Viewer Tony Stephens

Muslims have never been able to take a joke so their reaction isn’t really all that shocking. You Christians on the other hand, I’m seriously disappointed in you. The baby Jesus was only a baby Stig. He could have been Stillborn baby Jesus. Now that would have been offensive.  The Stig is an iconic character from the program who is held as a hero and loved by all. If there is a Jesus, I bet he gets it. He thinks its funny too.

When you’re a scheme as big as Christianity you have to acknowledge and be prepared for parody, and as far as parody goes this one really isn’t that bad. I would have honestly thought you were the bigger person if you have embraced the joke for what it is, a joke. Its funny and hardly offensive. It’s not supposed to discredit you or what you believe, there is enough of that in the bible. This was a just a surprise ending that had huge merit with us Top Gear diehards. And on that bombshell it is time to end.

A Compromise Worthy Of Obama

Remember the rabbis in Israel that signed a letter stating that no one should rent or sell to a non-Jew? Well, one of their own has decided to try to come up with a compromise. Wait, What? How do you compromise with people who are only interested in driving non-Jews out of Israel and taking over their homes, which requires force in many cases?

He said his draft opens by expressing reservations about the letter's call for "what sounds like" discrimination against Arabs. It then declares Israel to be "a Jewish state, the place of the Jewish people" and says the state must safeguard Jews' right to their country by "acting against hostile elements that seek to exploit the principle of equality ... to exercise the 'right of return' and expel us from our country."

No, it doesn’t sound like discrimination, it is discrimination. It is fucking racism and is disgusting to see Jews, of all people, to be participating in such vile acts. If Israel is a Jewish state for Jewish people, then all funding needs to be cut off immediately. Perhaps they can find strictly Jewish money to fund their country. If you have a group of Palestinians driven from their homes, there should be nothing but a right of return. A person losing their mind over losing their home to invaders is not an exploitation of equality, it is justice. How many Jewish neighborhoods have been razed and taken over by Palestinians? I would guess that at the rate of construction and how fast the Gaza Strip is shrinking, not too many.

Israel needs to start being treated like Apartheid South Africa, because that is exactly what it has become.