27 March 2008

Fitna the movie: Tear out the hateful verses from the Quran.

Everyone on the planet should see this movie.

[March 28 Update: As you will find if you try to view this video, it is no longer available at LiveLink.com. The LiveLink staff have received death threats from peace-loving followers of the Quran. An English version still seems to be available here. But don't wait too long to view it. Most of the world is busy appeasing Islam.

I should also mention that there appear to be a few problems and/or errors in the movie. The cartoon was used without permission (I guess I, too, am now guilty of that) and an individual in the movie might have been misidentified. More information about the movie can be found at Wikipedia.]

Quran verses from the movie (Pickthall translation):

Make ready for them all thou canst of (armed) force and of horses tethered, that thereby ye may dismay the enemy of Allah and your enemy, and others beside them whom ye know not. Quran 8:60

Lo! Those who disbelieve Our revelations, We shall expose them to the Fire. As often as their skins are consumed We shall exchange them for fresh skins that they may taste the torment. Quran 4:56

Now when ye meet in battle those who disbelieve, then it is smiting of the necks until, when ye have routed them, then making fast of bonds ... And those who are slain in the way of Allah, He rendereth not their actions vain. Quran 47:4

They long that ye should disbelieve even as they disbelieve, that ye may be upon a level (with them). So choose not friends from them till they forsake their homes in the way of Allah; if they turn back (to enmity) then take them and kill them wherever ye find them, and choose no friend nor helper from among them. Quran 4:89

And fight them until persecution is no more, and religion is all for Allah. But if they cease, then lo! Allah is Seer of what they do. Quran 8:39

At the end of the movie there are these words:

It is not up to me, but to Muslims themselves to tear out the hateful verses from the Quran.

I agree. I suggest beginning by removing these verses.

The same approach should be taken with the Bible. Here is a similar list from the Bible.

Moderate Christians, Jews, and Muslims (if there are any) ignore these verses anyway. Why not make it official? God did not inspire the cruel, intolerant, and hateful verses from either the Quran or the Bible.

It's time to tear them out of the "Holy Books" -- or just throw the whole books away.

24 March 2008

BC (Biblically Correct) Tours

Sometimes it's hard to be biblically correct. But these folks try really hard.

Here are some fun quotes.

Narrator: They say Adam and Eve walked with dinosaurs. And there was no such thing as death, not even meat eating animals, until Eve ate fruit from the tree of knowledge. So, for instance, they say that Tyranosaurus rex with those enormous, ripping teeth was designed to eat vegetables.

BC tour guide (pointing at a T. rex): If this creature was designed to eat meat from the very start, what would he have to do until Adam and Eve sinned and death entered the world?

(Tour Guide answers since none of the kids knew the BC answer): Fast and pray until the fall.

Tour Guide: Is that likely?

Tour Guide (not waiting for a response): The answer is, everyone look at me and say, "no".

Tour guide (since the kids didn't respond satisfactorily): Try that with me: "No".

The kids looked confused by all that. I don't blame them.

But they were no more confused than the BC tour guides.

Narrator: Their time line for their 6000 year history is a little hazy.

BC tour guide: For the flood there was a period there where we believe people lived to be 800, 900 years old, almost 1000 years old.

Narrator: So how long was that? How many generations of 800 year old people did we have?

BC tour guide: Without doing the math, I think there's about 6 or 7 generations.

Narrator: In doing the math that would take about 5600 years during which people lived roughly 800 years.

BC tour guide: So from Adam to Noah, I think it's about 1000 years. I could be wrong about that.

The biblically correct answer is 1656 years. (The ABC folks forgot to figure in when the old guys did all that begatting.)

BC tour guide: Is evolution a religion?

Everyone (more or less) answers together: Yes

BC tour guide (pointing to some fossils): What do you see right here?

BC tour guide (not waiting for a response): You're looking at God's judgment of a sinful world. You're looking at the remains of the flood.

Narrator: Why are human and dinosaur remains not found in the same sedimentary layers?

BC tour guide: Okay, there are several problems for the creationist. There's no doubt about that. And one would be that.

BC tour guide: How do we know that God made birds to be birds?

Everyone all together: It says it in the Bible.

(via Pharyngula)

21 March 2008

Sam Harris: What Barack Obama Could Not (and Should Not) Say

...even a person of the greatest candor and eloquence must still claim to believe the unbelievable in order to have a political career in this country. We may be ready for the audacity of hope. Will we ever be ready for the audacity of reason? Sam Harris
(via Huffington Post)

Gay Scientists Isolate Christian Gene

PZ Myers expelled from Ben Stein's 'Expelled' movie

But his companion, Richard Dawkins, was allowed in.

I guess they didn't recognize him!

Read all about it in Pharyngula.

20 March 2008

CNNN: Which bits of the Bible are we still to believe?

CNNN: The issue that's threatening to split the church in two: That's right, the controversy over gay bishops just won't go away. And it's good to see Anglican Archbishop Peter Jensen maintaining the position that he's had for years.

Dr. Peter Jensen: The Bible does forbid us to bless homosexual unions or practicing homosexuals from joining the ministry of the church.

CNNN: Unpopular sure, but he's got something there, I think. The Bible is very clear on this in Leviticus that a man should not lie with another man.

(Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination. Leviticus 18:22)

Oh yes, and who could question Leviticus? Laws like putting to death those that curse their mother and father ...

(For every one that curseth his father or his mother shall be surely put to death: he hath cursed his father or his mother; his blood shall be upon him. Leviticus 20:9)

... are just good old-fashioned common sense. We'd have a whole lot less lip from teenagers if we had more respect for God's word on that one.

But which bits of the Bible are we still to believe? We asked Archbishop Peter Jensen to help us out.

CNNN: I just wanted to congratulate you on returning the church to the Bible.

Dr. Peter Jensen: Very kind of you.

CNNN: I was just wondering Dr. Jensen, do you agree with Exodus 35 that we should put to death those that work on the Sabbath?

(Six days shall work be done, but on the seventh day there shall be to you an holy day, a sabbath of rest to the LORD: whosoever doeth work therein shall be put to death. Exodus 35:2)

Dr. Jensen: Thank you. I always believe that the Bible is the truth and the word of God.

CNNN: So we should put to death those that work on the Sabbath.

Dr. Jensen: Well, no, because you have to read the whole Bible, and when you read the whole Bible you see that that's not true.

CNNN: Where's the part in the Bible that says Exodus is not right?

Dr. Jensen: We don't do that anymore.

CNNN: You're wearing glasses, Dr. Jensen. Doesn't it say in Exodus Leviticus 21:20 that those that have defective sight cannot take the communion of God?

Dr. Jensen: Now you know...

CNNN: Nor dwarfs nor hunchbacks, I think.

Dr. Jensen: Shall we look it up?

CNNN: Sure, you're more than welcome to look it up. Here it is, Leviticus...

Dr. Jensen: You're so good looking.

CNNN: You don't want to say that because a man shouldn't lie with a man like he would a woman, otherwise he's an abomination. That's Leviticus 18 isn't it?

Dr. Jensen: You are obviously well educated. (Begins walking, almost running, away.)

CNNN: I'm seeking more information, Dr. Jensen, as to why is it that Leviticus 18 is still relevant, whereas Leviticus 21, 22, and all these others aren't relevant.

Can you put out a new Bible with the true bits highlighted? I'm just so confused. Which bits do I follow?

Dr. Jensen: (Getting into his car.) I'm very impressed. I do congratulate you.

CNNN: He tried to pick you up I think, Craig?

Yeah, Lucky I had Leviticus to protect me.

18 March 2008

Obama Speech: 'A More Perfect Union'

If you haven't heard this speech, you should.

Full Text of Speech

15 March 2008

Hillary Clinton: "I think the whole Bible is real."

Here's what Hillary Clinton said about the Bible in a New York Times interview.
I think the whole Bible is real.

Well, I suppose the Bible is real enough -- whatever that means. But is it true and is it inspired by God? Apparently Hillary thinks it is.

The whole Bible gives you a glimpse of God and God’s desire for a personal relationship, but we can’t possibly understand every way God is communicating with us.

Okay, let's get "a glimpse of God" then by reading the following passage from the "real" whole bible.

"If thy brother, the son of thy mother, or thy son, or thy daughter, or the wife of thy bosom, or thy friend, which is as thine own soul, entice thee secretly, saying, Let us go and serve other gods ... Thou shalt not consent unto him, nor hearken unto him; neither shall thine eye pity him, neither shalt thou spare, neither shalt thou conceal him: But thou shalt surely kill him; thine hand shall be first upon him to put him to death, and afterwards the hand of all the people. And thou shalt stone him with stones, that he die." Deuteronomy 13:6-10

The glimpse I get of God from this passage looks a lot like Anton Chigurh. Not a pretty picture.

But back to the interview.

Q: Is there a favorite book that you return to in the Bible?

Senator Clinton: ...Psalms is always a favorite. It’s both comforting and challenging.

Always a favorite? Comforting and challenging? How about these Psalms, Senator?

He teacheth my hands to war. Psalm 18:34

Blessed be the LORD my strength which teacheth my hands to war, and my fingers to fight. 144:1

He shall judge among the heathen, he shall fill the places with the dead bodies; he shall wound the heads over many countries. 110:6

Break their teeth, O God, in their mouth ... let them be as cut in pieces. 58:6-7

The righteous shall rejoice when he seeth the vengeance: he shall wash his feet in the blood of the wicked. 58:10

God shall wound the head of his enemies ... That thy foot may be dipped in the blood of thine enemies, and the tongue of thy dogs in the same. 68:21-23

Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones. 137:9

Do not I hate them, O LORD, that hate thee? ... I hate them with perfect hatred: I count them mine enemies. 139:21-22

Let burning coals fall upon them: let them be cast into the fire; into deep pits, that they rise not up again. 140:10

Maybe Clinton's love for the Psalms can explain her campaign tactics and her vote for the war in Iraq.

Senator Clinton: There are lots of aspects of Isaiah that I find very intriguing and provocative.

Me too. Here are a few "intriguing and provacative" verses from Isaiah.

As for my people, children are their oppressors, and women rule over them. Isaiah 3:12

Through the wrath of the LORD of hosts is the land darkened, and the people shall be as the fuel of the fire: no man shall spare his brother. And he shall snatch on the right hand, and be hungry; and he shall eat on the left hand, and they shall not be satisfied: they shall eat every man the flesh of his own arm. 9:19-20

For the indignation of the LORD is upon all nations, and his fury upon all their armies: he hath utterly destroyed them, he hath delivered them to the slaughter. Their slain also shall be cast out, and their stink shall come up out of their carcases, and the mountains shall be melted with their blood. 34:2-3

And I will feed them that oppress thee with their own flesh; and they shall be drunken with their own blood, as with sweet wine. 49:26
Maybe all the religious nuts haven't dropped out after all.