Sexual Orientation?

In today's society there seems to only be three types of sexual orientation... Straight, Bisexual and Gay. And sure, those are the major variables or place-setters. But I think that we can get more technical and precise than that, at least we should in order to allow these terms to better fit today's average Straight, Bisexual or Gay person. Here's my take on the issue...

Why Do We War?

Why do we war? What good has it ever brought us? All it ever does is cause more suffering and destruction. Where would we be today if mankind never fought a single war, if we were peaceful and passive towards one another, and found a balance within our ecosystem in which we did not over consume our planet's resources? Where would we be?... Fucking nowhere good, that's where.

Top 50 Award Winning Atheist Blogs!

1st Amendment Rights and a Right Wing Nutjob

So, if you've been living under a rock for the last month I'll fill you in. There's a crazy Baptist pastor in Florida who wants to burn the Islamic Holy Quran because he believes it to be a "book of the devil"... Also, Lindsay Lohan is still a slut.

What is Torture?

First of all, let me apologize for my absence. And for those of you who are thinking "I don't care" you're lying. Of course you do. You are reading this aren't you? Exactly, so shut up.

There's been some recent discussion over the use of water-boarding by US interrogators overseas. Is water-boarding torture? Should the US allow its interrogators to torture prisoners? How do we answer these questions? Well I'm going to try.

Recommended Private School Awareness Contract

 The government requires the signage of this public awareness contract before any child can legally attend any private school based on religious notions. Please, read the following lines carefully and initial each before signing.

School Yard Religious Hatred

This is the full transcript of an email I received from a young fundamental Christian after he read one of my rebuttals to Christian logic and dogma...

Stem Cells: Contrasting Positive & Negative Claims

Today I received and email from a fellow atheist and veteran. He had been having a debate with his conservative father on the social and scientific merits of abortion and stem cell research. He asked me to read the debate, mainly the last dozen posts, and get back to him. His father had him questioning his position on stem cell research.

The Danger of Achieving Higher Education Before Gaining Simple Logic

The First Rule of Logic: The Argument from Higher Education-
Your education means little to nothing. Education is information. Without the ability to employ proper logic to process the information you are still illogical and unintelligent. Higher education means nothing, it does not trump all those with lower educations and if you invoke your education as an argument you lose automatically, that's why it's a logical fallacy.

Alcoholism is NOT a disease!... My thoughts...

By scientific definition any behavior is not a disease. And saying alcoholism is a disease is misrepresenting a vast amount of the people afflicted with alcoholism, since only a small population of alcoholics have a genetic predisposition to addictive personalities. If we consider alcoholism a disease then we must begin to consider homicide a disease too.

UPDATE

Sorry I've been away for so long. I've been getting settled into my new home in Chicago, Illinois. If you're in Chicago send me an email sometime. Maybe we'll grab some beers. Also, the blog might be adding a weekly scheduled audio podcast soon. Let me know what you'd all like to hear in a Foxhole Atheist Podcast... news, emails, etc... any ideas?

What Would You Do? Mormon Polygamist Pedophilia

If you haven't been watching NBC's new show "What Would You Do?" you've been missing out. This last Tuesday they did an episode showcasing a scenario between a old Mormon man and his new child bride.

Don't Make Fun of Jesus!

Today I posted a picture on my Facebook page. It sparked two separate situations. First I learned that my girlfriend was deleted by a few of her friends for the very fact that the picture existed. It was quite clear to anyone with half a brain that she did not post the picture, but that someone else had. I guess when it comes to personal offense it doesn't matter if you aim your aggression in the right direction, so long as you can still feel vindicated in the end.

The Rational Reponse to Faith Based Reasoning

You only believe something because you think it's true, and you only think it's true because you think somewhere there is good reason to believe it. But as soon as all the reasons are dissected and shown to be nothing more than half truths and whole lies, you decide to resort to the "I have faith" argument. I call bullshit.

Political Philosophy

The systems of Communism and America's democracy lack a balance of both responsibility and authority.

In basic forms of Communism, everyone has responsibility, but no one has authority. In practice, it's actually that the majority has responsibilities, but all the authority rests in the hands of those who in relation to their subjects, have no responsibility. Or at least they feel no responsibility.

Animal Rights: Letter to an Ethical Vegan

There's not enough consistency in the moral vegan/vegetarian argument for animal rights. One minute it's that every living animals has inherent rights, but then it's that we understand rights and have a moral obligation to them, but if a lion eats me it's justified because he didn't understand and has no obligation to consider my inherent right to life.

Discussion with an Acupuncture Supporter

Me:
Acupuncture is only a Placebo.

Him:
Its not placebo...acupuncture works by triggering responses in the nervous system. For example, the use of acupuncture as a pain reliever involves affecting key nerve junctions that trigger the release of endorphins. The notion that all Eastern medicine and homeopathy is "placebo" or "faith based" is an errant one.

Apologies Over My Absence

I have been sick and my computer has been infected with annoying spyware. Just as soon as I get a virus, so does my computer! Typical... Anyhow, I'm back and the spyware is almost dead. Let me know if you see any strange posts from me, since they may not be from me. I've got new blog ideas, and I'm working on them as we speak to supply you all with your foxhole atheist fix.

Sincerely,
Sgt.Haile

Theologians are Atheists in Theistic Clothing

There's a huge difference between a theologian and an apologist. An apologist is someone who believes in a specific God and tries to argue for the existence of their God by giving reasons for belief. They fail because there is no justified reason to believe. Where as the theologian is a former apologist who figured out that there is no justified reason to believe, so they stray into this obscure language so that their belief cannot be properly singled out.

What is Socialism? And how does this apply to Health Care?

Socialism isn't a true government system. It's a political concept that the government should play an active role in the welfare of its people. A concept that most governments apply on one level or another. The issue is how much control should it have in these systems, and therefore, how much control should it have over its people.

Quick Stories: Death by Bear?

Basically, the prophet Elisha ran into a large group of kids. The kids laughed at Elisha and mocked him for being bald. I guess that wasn't common in those times? Elisha cursed them in the name of God, and then of course God couldn't let a member of his click get picked on by some kids so he did what any mob boss would do to discipline young kids... He sends two female bears after the children. The bears rip the kids to shreds and eat them. How many kids were there?... 42 to be exact, at least by the Bible's account. This story can be found in Second Kinds chapter 2.

Counter-Criticism to the Catholic Child Rape Epidemic?

On Facebook I am friends with a, what I would call, fundamental Christian apologetic amateur theologian with an intellectual superiority complex. For the sake of this post, we will refer to him as "Charlie"... I was going to say we could call him "The Smartest Moron" but I know I'd get pseudo-intellectual hate mail from him.

The Origins of Evolutionary Criticism

Since its introduction into the public view, evolutionary science has come under harsh criticism from many fronts. Originally, this was perfectly acceptable. All new theories and scientific disciplines come under fire. Not because they are naturally untrue, but because they must pass a trial by intellectual fire in order to be accepted. The first objections to evolution were based on three fronts...

Public Service Announcement: Traumatic Brain Injuries and the Military

Military men and women are continually involved situations where risk of injury is high. One silent war wound that can often go unnoticed is a traumatic brain injury (TBI). A TBI damages the brain that can often cause life-altering wounds, which can result in changes in personality, behavior, and even the brain functions of the victim. Some of these conditions are not just life-altering, but can be life threatening and are often partnered with rehabilitation from special care facilities like CareMeridian Nursing Home.

According to the veteran's health initiative, active male members of the military were hospitalized due to TBI related injuries at a rate of 231 per 100,000. The rate for female members of the military was 150 per 100,000. Based on these statistics over 4,000 military personnel are hospitalized on average each year for traumatic brain injuries. Some are as mild as a concussion, while others can be severe and have life altering effects.

The best way to prevent TBI is through awareness. Recognizing and responding to the symptoms of a TBI can often aid in the preventing further damage caused by the injury. Dizziness, headaches, changes in personality or sleep patterns, and memory loss are clear signs of TBI. Unfortunately these symptoms can sometimes be ignored or discarded as minor pains during times of conflict and even once the solider returns home. This sets up a dangerous precedent for a war wound that may never heal, so it is vital that serviceman and their families are aware of TBI, so that they can recognize and help treat it if symptoms are present

Moral Judgment: Evolved or Divine?

The ability to tell right from wrong, good from evil, and the proper from the improper is what we refer to as “Moral Judgment.” It’s how we decide what actions should be illegal, what rights should be protected and how we should interact with others around us in our daily lives. As individuals, we exercise our moral judgment every time we speak or act in order to act in terms that are not offensive, obscene or misunderstood.

The Ten Commandments Dissected

1. "I am the Lord your God, you shall have no other Gods before me."
This commandment isn't even about morality. It's about conformity. It's a jealous God telling you that you're not allowed to worship any other God. It almost seems as though he admits that other Gods exist. He must be, since the next commandment deals with the same issue, but specifically with non-existent Gods.

Alcoholism is NOT a Disease!

Earlier, I explained to that they discovered a gene that inhibits people's genetic predisposition to addictive personalities. Which can cause them to adopt any number of compulsive behaviors. But the manifestation of this genetic tendency is not necessarily a disease in itself. And the adoption of a compulsive behavior, especially which impulsive behavior they adopt, is still a choice.

Atheists Debating Atheists?

That's right people! We don't always agree on things! And when one atheist steps over the line, we see it as our intellectual duty to smack them back! Why? Because unlike the religions of the world, we don't just excommunicate them and say "Oh, he was never a real atheist!" because most of the time they are real atheists, we just have a problem with the way they said something.

Raising Kids to be Theist Robots

I was told that I, or atheists in general, have the same old tired arguments against God. To be entirely honest, I think that's true. But there's a good reason for it. As atheists, we can only respond to those God claims that we are presented with. If we could prove a negative, then we would prove Gods can't exist and be done with it. But since we cannot, we have to wait for a new God claim to come our way. We get presented with a new claim and we have new arguments. It has been a very long time since I've heard an original God claim.

The Problem with Prayer...

My major issue with prayer is that it doesn't work. That alone should be reason enough to do away with this ancient practice. But people always want to point out the concept of "prayers for the injured, sick and dying." So once again I have to go into detail on why something that doesn't work shouldn't be done... My issue with prayers for the injured, sick and dying is that it has the best of intentions while doing nothing to solve the problem.

"If I were God..."

I've been asked repeatedly by Christians, "Why do you disbelieve the Bible? What about it makes it hard to believe?" (As though it weren't obvious.) My basic answer is this... The Bible does not reflect the sort of intelligent writings one would expect from an all-knowing, all-powerful, all-seeing creator of the universe. Its main body was written about 3,000 to 4,000 years ago, and the ideals within it represent the opinions of men who lived 3,000 to 4,000 years ago. What about this do Christians not understand?... Imagine a book written by an advanced race of aliens...

Theists Who Say They Don't Need to Justify Their Beliefs?

Yes, you do! Everyone is responsible for what they believe, why they believe it, and what they do with their beliefs! There are people out there who think they don't have to answer for their deeply held beliefs... We call them insane asylum patients. They have deeply held beliefs that they were asked to justify and they either did not or could not.

12-Step Programs are Religion?

Before I begin this rant I’d like to get this one simple thing off my chest. I personally don’t know jack-shit about addictions. I’ve never personally experienced an overwhelming attraction to a controlled substance. The farthest I’ve ever dabbled with drugs is social drinking and the occasional cigar. I’ve never once inhaled a single puff from a marijuana, never shot a single CC of heroine, never snorted a single line of cocaine! And I’m not kidding. When it comes to controlled substances I have very limited personal experience and when it comes to real addiction I got no clue what-so-ever! I don’t even know what the word “addiction” really means.

Mayan Calendar: 2012?

My theory on the whole Mayan calendar thing is this... Imagine you had to create a calendar and your only device for recording information was stone. What would you do? You'd make sure the calendar lasts a very long time! No one wants to be cutting a new fifty ton stone calendar every year! The Mayan calendar is a lot like the Chinese Zodiac. They are revolving calendars, that way when one year is over the calendar can be reused the next year. It's a common practice in areas where communication is limited to horseback messengers or worse, foot messengers like the Mayans had. So the Mayan calendar recycles itself every so often.

Liberal Christianity: Why Your Claims Lack Merit

What/Who decides who's a "Real Christian" and who is a "False Christian?" There needs to be a standard, and in my mind the standard must be the Bible! Therefore, those who support Biblical texts are more of a Christian than a moderate. Moderates may seem "nicer" but they ultimately make the Christian theology more convoluted.

I, as an atheist, am in no position to say who is or who is not a Christian. However, as long as Christians claim the Bible as a source then the Bible is in the perfect position to decide.

Excuses for the Bible's Moral Law

Theist responses to atheist readings of the Bible's moral law...


Theist #1: "Please do not be one of those that takes the entire Bible literally!"
Why does it seem logical to take the straight-forward verses as trivial or symbolic, while taking the truly unbelievable claims of divinity and miracles as fact?

DADT: Don't Ask Don't Tell

I served from 2004 to late 2009. During those 5 1/2 years I served with three homosexual men. Not all of them were in my exact unit, but I knew them. At first, being a new soldier, I had a problem with gays in the military. Then, with some experience, I learned it really didn't matter. Maybe the Army was different at one time, but now we like to throw around a bunch of gay jokes and even act gay in an exaggerated manner in order to be funny; lightens the emotional load. It occurred to me that we're being hypocrites. What exactly is the difference between a straight guy pretending to be gay for the purposes of satire, and a real gay person? The real gay guy doesn't even act "gay," at least not in the way we're referring. He just likes other men. So this one gay guy does something in private that we don't... Who cares? Why is this such a divisive issue?

LOVE

Let's get this straight right now. Love is not a force of nature. Love is not some all loving, all knowing, all pleasant supernatural element. It simply is the emotional response we get from chemical reactions caused by physical stimuli. That sounds non-romantic, and it should. Even the most glorious things in life will look less colorful under the microscope. That's life. Deal with it.

Warfare

War is as much a part of the human condition as breathing. We’ve been writing the “Big Book of War” ever since on ape slapped another. It is unfortunate that one of the skills humanity has perfected to an exact science is the art of ending life. For as long as humanity persists in illogical beliefs and stifles the advancement of sciences that could prevent the causes of war, we will continue to find reason to kill one another. What are the three main reasons wars occur?... Belief, Resources and Pride… Belief means anyone with a world view that teaches them to think of their neighbors as “lesser beings.” That can be racism or religion or any number of illogical ideals. As soon as you see the man across the border as inhuman, then it’s easier to walk across it to kill him.

The ACA Pub Crawl: As Hard to Find as Proof of God!

This last Saturday night was supposed to be the annual Atheist Community of Austin (ACA) Pub Crawl. An old Army buddy of mine was coming down to Texas so we could both attend. In the process of planning, we decided to meet up with two other Army buddies of ours who were planning on being in Austin the same time. This turned out to be our undoing, though we still had fun. We were too late to meet the ACA group at The Dog and Duck. Then we got to Fado's too late. We tried to find the Elephant room, but our drunk guide led us the wrong way. We tried to get into the Speak Easy and ended up going to the Chupacabra instead.

Binary Proposition: Atheism or Theism

This is meant to simply clear something up for those who don't seem to understand. There are a lot of misconceptions when it comes to atheism, and in this case it's probably because of our fickle nature. There seem to be a lot of "Non-Theists" out there who are using many different labels... "Brights, Pearlist, Agnostic, Humanist," etc... What I'd like to explain to those atheists out there is this... Ultimately, there are only two positions: Atheist and Theist.

Something to Think About: Where My Daily Quotes Go to Die

Do you believe because you know beyond a reasonable doubt? Or do you persist in believing because it is a comfortable delusion? If I told you that every time you have diarrhea there's a child who gets adopted by a loving family, would you eat spicy nachos more often?

You follow the New Testament, but not the Old Testament. You have no reason to justify this exception other than you find the New one to be personally acceptable and the Old one simply is not. Free Will... It's not a God given gift. It's just a right.

Top 10 Arguments for the Existence of God

10. SHIFTING THE BURDEN OF PROOF:

THEIST:
I know God exists. If you disagree, prove otherwise. Oh you say you can't prove God doesn't exist? That's because you know he does!

ATHEIST:
Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence. This is the way the real world and science work. When you say God exists, you are making an extraordinary claim; therefore, the burden of proof is on you to back up your claim.

Things We Should Do to Better America

-All CEO's of public companies (corporations) are limited to making only 10 times of the lowest paid worker's salary for their corporation.

-All Senators are restricted to making only 2 times the average salary for working residents of their state from the previous year.

-All Representatives are restricted to making only 2 times the average salary for working residents of their district from the previous year.

The New 10 Commandments

What would the 10 Commandments be like if an Atheist wrote them?...

1.) Do not hurt or kill any living person unless that person is threatening your life or limb as well.

2.) Do not hurt or kill any living animal unless presented with a survival scenario, such as hunting for food.

Obama Mania!!!

I don't have any real problem with Obama. My only issue stems from two areas... The hype and the misconception. Let me explain...

You know the term people have been throwing around, "Obama-mania!" This refers to the extreme hype that's been surrounding this man since he stepped onto the campaign trail. Here's my problem with this. Nothing and no one will ever be able to live up to the hype that is created around them. It's just that simple. You want "Change you can believe in?" Well then don't set your sights too high. Obama, no matter how smart, no matter how well spoken, will never be able to live up to the hype surrounding his name.

Gun Control

Perhaps I hold a bit of bias in this situation. I was an Infantry soldier for six long years. I've used guns in many ways, not all responsible. Despite my use of firearms and my training in firearms and tactics. I know there is a serious problem in America with gun related violence. Where does this issue come from? Is it just the presence of firearms that causes this? I doubt it. Canada has just as many firearm owners per city block as America. Is it just unregistered guns?

Why the Bible is NOT Proof of Jesus

Imagine you were born about 2,000 years in the future. (Roughly 4,000AD) You’re walking through the wilderness and stumble upon an ancient DVD of the movie “Titanic” by James Cameron. The disc is in disrepair but luckily there’s a multimedia device in the future that can still read it. Even though it’s two thousand years later there are still historical records of the real Titanic and the events that surrounded its destruction. Based on the current historical data of the real Titanic and the scenes depicted in the movie, one might assume the movie to be a good source for accurate historical information regarding the events of the Titanic's maiden voyage.

Abortion: A Necessary Evil

Abortion is a horrible reality. But no matter how horrible it is to imagine, it is no less necessary. Hopefully, with advancements in science and medical care we can limit the need for this regrettable procedure. However, in the mean time, we need to cooperate with the societal need for abortion. Picketing women's clinics with signs that show aborted late term fetuses doesn’t do anything to console the pregnant women who desperately need this procedure. Guilt trips do nothing to change the necessity for this life changing and even life saving medical procedure. Lying about it is even worse. Telling people that a first trimester fetus feels pain and that the fetus is far more developed than it truly is are practices used by pro-life supporters the world over. These practices are immoral and dishonest. You also must understand that the legal conflict over abortion is not helping the main issue. If abortion is made illegal it will do nothing to save the lives of the unborn.

Inconsistencies in the Bible?... Never!

To say that the Bible is consistent with the world as we see it is true. The Bible is consistent with the universe as we see it from our limited point of view. The Earth is flat in the Bible, and it certainly seems flat when you stand on it. The Sun revolves around the Earth in time with the Moon, and it certainly seems like that when we watch day turn into night.

Sex Ed and Abstinence Only Ed

The problem with sex education in the US public schools is this… Some Americans have a problem with sex, and some Americans have a problem with STDs, Rape, Teen Pregnancy, etc… Whose priorities are in the right order?

Teenagers having sex is about as American as apple pie. Who cares if teenagers have sex? They do it today, and they did it in your parent’s day too. Even when you tell them not to, they still do it. Hormones are a hard thing to say no to.

Does the Bible Support Slavery?

First things first... Slavery never was, nor will it ever be, good. Not under any circumstances or cultural contexts of any time.

For someone to tell me the Bible does not support male chauvinism and slavery is a ridiculous lie! This guy once told me that the Bible's laws regarding slavery were designed to be beneficial to slaves, especially female slaves! The damned book tells us female slaves are for raping! It tells us that you can sell your daughter into sexual slavery, and that you must sell her as a sex slave to the man who rapes her because he made her unclean! It tells us that female slaves serve for an eternity, while the men get off after 6 years!

Religious Moderation (Specifically Christianity)

The problem is see with religious moderation is it thinks it deserves more respect and leniency because it's "other than extreme.” I see religious moderation as a form of hypocrisy since moderate beliefs require that someone claim a title such as "Christian" and yet refrain from following and believing in key ideas supported by Christian texts in the Bible.

To Reason Why?

I think that too often people ask "Why?" Why is a good question to ask, but not too soon. For instance, think of yourself as a detective on a crime scene. There might be a woman who fell from her 10th story balcony to her death. This is an untimely death, however, thus far there is no evidence to suspect "foul play." There's a lot of questions that need to be answered to file your report. “Who? What? Where? When? How?” etc...