I have had an issue over the past few years (since I opened my eyes to the world around me) with the involvement of religious views in our legislation.
More and more we are seeing religious views and moralities being pushed through and turned into the laws we must all live by and it is frankly beginning to make me sick. One of the founding ideals of the United States is the separation of Church and State.
To me and the founding fathers (and many of the free-thinkers of the US) this means that our government shall not institute any form of "State Religion" nor shall it infringe on the rights of religious doctrine. In layman's terms it is stating that our government will not take on religious views and enforce them as laws of the land by creating a "State Religion" and in turn they will allow religions to operate freely with out interference (ie. outlawing a religion such as Mormonism, Wicca, etc.). Granted some practices of a religion that act direct conflict with base laws (ie, human sacrifice, child exploitation, animal cruelty, etc.) are granted a reasonable exception from this and deemed unacceptable.
The problem is that there are now religious views that are now being pushed through and turned into law. A perfect example is the official outlawing of gay marriage. It directly infringes on one of the core values this country was founded on.
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness. ~US Declaration of Independence, July 4, 1776
It doesn't have an exception anywhere that states "except gays". The bases for the argument against it is that homosexuality is an abomination in the eyes of god. Now I am not here to argue who is right (saving that for another blog) I am simply asserting that it is a religious view that has now been put into law. If Christianity is not the "State Religion" then why are we enforcing their doctrine?
More and more we are seeing the same thing popping up. Schools are being forced by the state to teach Creationism; women are jailed for abortions because a fetus has a soul at the time of conception; our children are forced to pledge heir allegiance to not only our country but to God. There is even a push to have the 3rd law of thermodynamics (I know this isn't legislation) repealed because it is counter to Christian beliefs.
How would Christians feel if other religious groups made their precepts into laws. What if the US outlawed pork? What if everyone was required to wear Mormon "garments", or we outlawed blood transfusion?
As much as these people like to use the slippery slope fallacy to support their arguments (Arguments against gay marriage) I think I will throw out my own (I know arguing from a fallacy is a failed argument before it starts but meh).
If we continue too allow Christians to dictate our laws and social morals how soon until be begin burning witches? (King James)Exodus 22:18, Thou shalt not suffer a witch to live.
Bottom line is that Christians would have a hissy fit if the US government stepped in and started dictating to them their practices so in turn they have no right to dictate to the government how they should operate. A Muslim has no right to tell a Jew how to live and a Wiccan has no right to dictate how a Mormon should practice, but for some reason we as Americans are allowing Christians to dictate to us all how we should live.
Wednesday, February 24, 2010
Gotta Love Mormons
Today Jennifer posted an article about a new (and not talked about) law in the great moral beacon state of Utah which would criminalize miscarriages. That's right ladies, at one of the lowest points in a woman's life they reserve the right to arrest you. Granted the prosecutors are using the legal definition of "Reckless Behavior" to base their charges. However that is a very broad brush to use. LawGlossery.net defines Reckless Behavior as; activity which increases the risk of harm. But the application of that is left to the prosecutor's discretion.
Sadly any stress inducing activity can cause harm to a fetus so where will the line be drawn? Will it only include activities that an individual decides is morally objectionable (smoking a cigarette, a glass of red wine a week) or will it be blanket application. If the latter is the case then what is to stop them from arresting you for having a miscarriage because you had a fight with your husband, got fired from your job, or any other activity that induces stress and inadvertently leads to a miscarriage?
In this desperate fight to protect the unborn we are now moving into a realm where women's bodies and lives are being put on lockdown while they are pregnant.
In Iowa Christine Taylor was arrested and charged under a feticide law because she discussed with a nurse her reservations about having a 3rd child after a phone argument with her estranged husband which resulted in her blacking out and falling down a set of stairs. Keep in mind that her and the fetus were fine and the conversation happened when she insisted to the paramedics take her to the hospital to insure that her fetus was unharmed by the fall. She expressed her apprehension and her doctor promptly called authorities. I remind you the fetus was fine and so was she but she was charged with a crime because had doubts. Thought crime? Breech of doctor/patient confidentiality? The only reason the charges were dropped and Ms. Taylor was released is because they determined that the fetus was still in the 2nd trimester and not the 3rd.
The bottom line is that this is a way to kick women while they are down and a revocation of a woman's right to govern her life. There are those that feel that the unborn have more rights than the born. Honestly it all comes back to religious views of some being forced on all. But I will blog about that next.
Sadly any stress inducing activity can cause harm to a fetus so where will the line be drawn? Will it only include activities that an individual decides is morally objectionable (smoking a cigarette, a glass of red wine a week) or will it be blanket application. If the latter is the case then what is to stop them from arresting you for having a miscarriage because you had a fight with your husband, got fired from your job, or any other activity that induces stress and inadvertently leads to a miscarriage?
In this desperate fight to protect the unborn we are now moving into a realm where women's bodies and lives are being put on lockdown while they are pregnant.
In Iowa Christine Taylor was arrested and charged under a feticide law because she discussed with a nurse her reservations about having a 3rd child after a phone argument with her estranged husband which resulted in her blacking out and falling down a set of stairs. Keep in mind that her and the fetus were fine and the conversation happened when she insisted to the paramedics take her to the hospital to insure that her fetus was unharmed by the fall. She expressed her apprehension and her doctor promptly called authorities. I remind you the fetus was fine and so was she but she was charged with a crime because had doubts. Thought crime? Breech of doctor/patient confidentiality? The only reason the charges were dropped and Ms. Taylor was released is because they determined that the fetus was still in the 2nd trimester and not the 3rd.
The bottom line is that this is a way to kick women while they are down and a revocation of a woman's right to govern her life. There are those that feel that the unborn have more rights than the born. Honestly it all comes back to religious views of some being forced on all. But I will blog about that next.
Are You Fucking Kidding Me?
So I have had this issue lately that every time I have something to blog about I have either just woken up or am about to go to bed. Because of this I haven't blogged much lately but have at least 2 for today and maybe a 3rd if I can organize my thoughts and sources more. The first should be kinda short so here be go.
As I scanned my Facebook updates today a fiend had posted a link to this article:
http://tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com/2010/02/isabel-mastache-fall-2010-collection.html
Am I that out of touch or are designers just full till bozo? What self respecting human would wear 90% of this garbage. If this is "High Fashion" maybe I should become a designer, and I can't even sew. I find it sad that ANYONE would consider this to be anything more than a joke. But then again humans tend to be completely stupid especially if someone tells them what to think.
It is the Milgram Effect in action. The fashion world tells us THIS is what's hot and we eat it up like a fat kid in a bakery. What will these designers have to do for us to wake up and realize they are playing a joke on us and we have been nothing more than sheep? I agree with the blogger that posted this that someone has officially broken the WTF wall and bought us to a new level of buffoonery.
The sad thing is that this fashion show WILL effect what becomes popular in the states and the rest of the world to some degree. This proving even further that the majority of mankind are lemmings just looking for their cliff.
As I scanned my Facebook updates today a fiend had posted a link to this article:
http://tomandlorenzo2.blogspot.com/2010/02/isabel-mastache-fall-2010-collection.html
Am I that out of touch or are designers just full till bozo? What self respecting human would wear 90% of this garbage. If this is "High Fashion" maybe I should become a designer, and I can't even sew. I find it sad that ANYONE would consider this to be anything more than a joke. But then again humans tend to be completely stupid especially if someone tells them what to think.
It is the Milgram Effect in action. The fashion world tells us THIS is what's hot and we eat it up like a fat kid in a bakery. What will these designers have to do for us to wake up and realize they are playing a joke on us and we have been nothing more than sheep? I agree with the blogger that posted this that someone has officially broken the WTF wall and bought us to a new level of buffoonery.
The sad thing is that this fashion show WILL effect what becomes popular in the states and the rest of the world to some degree. This proving even further that the majority of mankind are lemmings just looking for their cliff.
Friday, February 5, 2010
No Right or Wrong Answer
This blog has been spurned by a conversation between a few of my friends over Facebook. It all started with a survey an Atheist friend posted that asked if Atheists are smarter than Christians.
He asserts that that a choice in religion dictates ones level of intellect (or vice versa, he never really explained that part). His proof he is using to back his concept is that most scientists are Atheists. He claims that because they are more educated they are drawn to a refusal of the existence of a higher power. Indirectly he is saying that anyone that is spiritual in any way is simply too stupid to know better.
A lack of proof of something can neither disprove or prove a theory. Until recently it was believed that there was no way any creature could survive the environment around the volcanic vents of our deep oceans. It was once said that NOTHING could live there because of the heat, pressure, and chemicals present. Keep in mind this assertion was made without ever taking a direct look. It was an assumption based on the knowledge and technology we had at the time much like the Flat Earth belief. Now that our knowledge and technology has progressed we are able to prove those ideas wrong.
Just because we have no proof that something exists doesn't mean that it CANNOT exist (or as Christians would believe DOES exist). It simply means we do not know. Both sides are trying to use the same LACK of evidence to "prove" they are right and in my opinion both are idiots for arguing from logical fallacies. Let me show you what I mean.
1)There is no proof of God therefore there is no God.
a)Burden of Proof:
Claim X is presented by side A and the burden of proof actually rests on side B.
Side B claims that X is false because there is no proof for X.
b)Appeal to Belief:
wherein because "most" people believe x to be true therefore x must be true.
2)There is no proof God doesn't exist therefore he does exist.
a)Burden of Proof:
Claim X is presented by side A and the burden of proof actually rests on side B.
Side B claims that X is false because there is no proof for X.
b)Appeal to Belief:
wherein because "most" people believe x to be true therefore x must be true.
3)X poll shows that Atheists are smarter than Christians.
a)Appeal to Belief:
wherein because "most" people believe x to be true therefore x must be true.
b)Biased Sample:
X% of all observed A's are B''s.
Therefore X% of all A's are Bs.
c)Composition:
Individual F things have characteristics A, B, C, etc.
Therefore, the (whole) class of F things has characteristics A, B, C, etc.
d)Questionable Cause:
A and B regularly occur together.
Therefore A is the cause of B.
I could go on but I will spare you that but feel free to look through the rest of the 42 possible fallacies at .
The bottom line is that neither side of the argument is correct. Because God cannot be proved creates only one logical answer. We don't know. To assert any other answer is were we begin to go astray. For anyone to claim they are "right" on this subject is noting short of ignorant and arrogant. But we as humans have this need to be correct and sadly most of us insist that we are even after we are proven wrong or have no real proof we are right. Why can't we simply admit that we know nothing in the grand scheme of things. Once we are able to do that we mat then be able to actually learn something.
He asserts that that a choice in religion dictates ones level of intellect (or vice versa, he never really explained that part). His proof he is using to back his concept is that most scientists are Atheists. He claims that because they are more educated they are drawn to a refusal of the existence of a higher power. Indirectly he is saying that anyone that is spiritual in any way is simply too stupid to know better.
A lack of proof of something can neither disprove or prove a theory. Until recently it was believed that there was no way any creature could survive the environment around the volcanic vents of our deep oceans. It was once said that NOTHING could live there because of the heat, pressure, and chemicals present. Keep in mind this assertion was made without ever taking a direct look. It was an assumption based on the knowledge and technology we had at the time much like the Flat Earth belief. Now that our knowledge and technology has progressed we are able to prove those ideas wrong.
Just because we have no proof that something exists doesn't mean that it CANNOT exist (or as Christians would believe DOES exist). It simply means we do not know. Both sides are trying to use the same LACK of evidence to "prove" they are right and in my opinion both are idiots for arguing from logical fallacies. Let me show you what I mean.
1)There is no proof of God therefore there is no God.
a)Burden of Proof:
Claim X is presented by side A and the burden of proof actually rests on side B.
Side B claims that X is false because there is no proof for X.
b)Appeal to Belief:
wherein because "most" people believe x to be true therefore x must be true.
2)There is no proof God doesn't exist therefore he does exist.
a)Burden of Proof:
Claim X is presented by side A and the burden of proof actually rests on side B.
Side B claims that X is false because there is no proof for X.
b)Appeal to Belief:
wherein because "most" people believe x to be true therefore x must be true.
3)X poll shows that Atheists are smarter than Christians.
a)Appeal to Belief:
wherein because "most" people believe x to be true therefore x must be true.
b)Biased Sample:
X% of all observed A's are B''s.
Therefore X% of all A's are Bs.
c)Composition:
Individual F things have characteristics A, B, C, etc.
Therefore, the (whole) class of F things has characteristics A, B, C, etc.
d)Questionable Cause:
A and B regularly occur together.
Therefore A is the cause of B.
I could go on but I will spare you that but feel free to look through the rest of the 42 possible fallacies at .
The bottom line is that neither side of the argument is correct. Because God cannot be proved creates only one logical answer. We don't know. To assert any other answer is were we begin to go astray. For anyone to claim they are "right" on this subject is noting short of ignorant and arrogant. But we as humans have this need to be correct and sadly most of us insist that we are even after we are proven wrong or have no real proof we are right. Why can't we simply admit that we know nothing in the grand scheme of things. Once we are able to do that we mat then be able to actually learn something.
Fall of American Society As We Know It
I know it has been a bit since I have written but due to a lack of internet it couldn't be helped. Which leads me to my newest rant.
We have all noticed the lack of jobs in America as of late but what many of us fail to realize is the larger picture here. I really began thinking on this during a conversation I had with my oldest daughter about what she is learning in her History class right now.
She has been studying the French Revolution. Anyone connecting the dots yet? Well if not let me draw the picture for you.
If we go back to our High School we remember that the French Revolution came about when the lower classes (Proletariat) became so enraged by their stations in life and the division of wealth that they rose up against the ruling class (Bourgeoisie). Because of the soaring price of staple items and the lack of pay for the common person starvation and disease was rampant and those that owned the jobs refused to aid the worker in giving them a living wage so that they could afford the necessities for survival. Once the people were driven to desperation they turned on their masters and lead a revolt to take back what was theirs on forge a better life.
The same was seen here in the states during the dark days of slavery. The slave owners wold keep their slaves in squalor so that even if they tried to run they could never make it far because of a lack of resources.
We as average Americans are now finding our selves in the same situations. Our bourgeoisie class has taken to sending our work over seas so that they can increase their profit margin. The lack of available jobs has created a mentality in employers wherein we are all disposable and they have no need pay more when there are 40 other people waiting to take that job for a dollar less an hour. And to top it off the prices of staples of survival like fuel, power, health care and food have increased.
This series of events now has many of us finding ourselves short on bills, eating Raman Noddles, and pirating our internet from the neighbor that paid their cable this month. More and more we are all seeing news stories like this one from November of 2009 and the situation isn't getting any better.
All of this is driving more and more of our population to desperation and depression. Because of our desperation we are willing to take jobs that can't support us and our families because it is all that we can get and then we are forced to leave our children alone so that we can work more. Then our children begin to fail in school, act out in class, and turn to crime and mischief. It is a complete breakdown of our society all because a few people want to make $21 million this year instead of the $20 million they made last year.
Sadly the time is coming that our nation will rise up or completely disintegrate. We are on the cusp of our own "French Revolution". It is up to us to find the way to take our lives back or start learning a new national anthem because if we don't change things soon we will lose our flag.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." ~Declaration of Independence 1776
We have all noticed the lack of jobs in America as of late but what many of us fail to realize is the larger picture here. I really began thinking on this during a conversation I had with my oldest daughter about what she is learning in her History class right now.
She has been studying the French Revolution. Anyone connecting the dots yet? Well if not let me draw the picture for you.
If we go back to our High School we remember that the French Revolution came about when the lower classes (Proletariat) became so enraged by their stations in life and the division of wealth that they rose up against the ruling class (Bourgeoisie). Because of the soaring price of staple items and the lack of pay for the common person starvation and disease was rampant and those that owned the jobs refused to aid the worker in giving them a living wage so that they could afford the necessities for survival. Once the people were driven to desperation they turned on their masters and lead a revolt to take back what was theirs on forge a better life.
The same was seen here in the states during the dark days of slavery. The slave owners wold keep their slaves in squalor so that even if they tried to run they could never make it far because of a lack of resources.
We as average Americans are now finding our selves in the same situations. Our bourgeoisie class has taken to sending our work over seas so that they can increase their profit margin. The lack of available jobs has created a mentality in employers wherein we are all disposable and they have no need pay more when there are 40 other people waiting to take that job for a dollar less an hour. And to top it off the prices of staples of survival like fuel, power, health care and food have increased.
This series of events now has many of us finding ourselves short on bills, eating Raman Noddles, and pirating our internet from the neighbor that paid their cable this month. More and more we are all seeing news stories like this one from November of 2009 and the situation isn't getting any better.
All of this is driving more and more of our population to desperation and depression. Because of our desperation we are willing to take jobs that can't support us and our families because it is all that we can get and then we are forced to leave our children alone so that we can work more. Then our children begin to fail in school, act out in class, and turn to crime and mischief. It is a complete breakdown of our society all because a few people want to make $21 million this year instead of the $20 million they made last year.
Sadly the time is coming that our nation will rise up or completely disintegrate. We are on the cusp of our own "French Revolution". It is up to us to find the way to take our lives back or start learning a new national anthem because if we don't change things soon we will lose our flag.
"We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.--That to secure these rights, Governments are instituted among Men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed, --That whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends, it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundation on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." ~Declaration of Independence 1776
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)