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...