Nerd is my Gender
What's yours?
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Today in theology class…
We were talking about the second chapter of Proslogion. My professor was trying to explain to us what the work meant. Mainly, that if you could entertain the idea of God in your mind it must mean that God exists. Something like, you can’t think of something that doesn’t exist. Savvy?
I told him that the same thing can be said about a unicorn.
(I hope he doesn’t fail me.)
I hate to burst your bubble, but unicorns are in the Bible.
Psalm 92:10 (King James Version)
But my horn shalt thou exalt like the horn of an unicorn: I shall be anointed with fresh oil.
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The Atheist "Challenge"
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Q:
At what point did you know you were an atheist? Why did you become one, what were the factors leading up to the decision, if you weren’t always one?
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A:
I wasn't always an atheist. I studied the Bible a lot. The more I did, the more I realized it was giving its God a bad reputation. After looking around, I realized that either God's a real jerk, isn't involved in human affairs, or doesn't exist. Either way, my participation is not required.
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Q:
What religion did you grow up with? Did you have positive or negative experiences with religion?
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A:
I've had mostly positive experiences with religion personally. Apart from the bits where Christians use the Bible to claim that they're not being hateful, they're just the messengers. I'm sure they really believe that, too, sad to say. But other than that, yeah, my childhood was full of Christians who had a personal code of conduct based in love and caring.
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Q:
Are you a more outspoken or more apathetic atheist? Why?
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A:
I'm outspoken about atheism because I'm outspoken about everything about myself.
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Q:
Do you think religion is obsolete and should be wiped completely off the face of the Earth, or does some good come out of it?
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A:
I object to the wording of this question. Are we really going to have a cleansing? The world has enough warfare as it is. But honestly, I see a future where religion simply fades into the background as we need it less and less.
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Q:
Did you lose any friends because you decided to be an atheist? Did your family flip out?
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A:
Probably, and yes. They believe there is a hell. An oppressive belief if there ever was one.
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Q:
How do you feel about so-called “militant atheists” such as Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris?
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A:
I laugh. And then ignore them. Wankers.
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Q:
Except for God, do you believe in anything supernatural or pseudoscientific? (Ghosts, alien abductions, spirits, souls, demons, psychics, magic, Harry Potter, etc.)
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A:
Hey, Harry Potter is REAL! But, um, if things are real, I don't even need to believe in them, so it doesn't matter either way.
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Q:
What’s your political alignment? Does your atheism influence how you vote and how you feel on issues?
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A:
I vote anti-evil. Read into that what you will.
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Q:
Even though you’re an atheist, have you ever experienced a moment that could be called “religious?” Like an epiphany about the world or complete peace?
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A:
No.
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Q:
Are you spiritual, or are your feet always on the ground?
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A:
Are those the only options? Seriously?
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Q:
Do you have/plan on having a career in the sciences? Alternatively: which branch of science intrigues you most?
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A:
I'd love to do science, but I like having a personal life more. I really enjoy physics and psychology, and the rest is rather cool too.
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Q:
What happens when we die? Do you fear death?
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A:
Nothing happens. Woohoo! I'm not afraid of death, though I don't like experiencing pain in any form, and I imagine dying probably hurts. Also, it would be really rude to everyone who's still alive that I owe money (though it's not like they could chase me down with torches and pitchforks into the nonexistent afterlife).
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Q:
Would you ever date/marry somebody who follows a religion? Be honest.
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A:
Probably. As long as they don't believe that hell exists.
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Q:
On a scale of 1-10, how happy are you with life at this moment, and why?
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A:
RIGHT now, I'm a little hungry, but I just finished my schoolwork for the week, and I get to go hang out with Bencakes' family, so that's cool. This also sums up my feelings about the rest of my life, coincidently.
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Q:
Recommend a book. :) (Doesn’t have to be relevant to atheism, just any good book.)
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A:
The Gods Themselves, by Isaac Asimov. This actually has nothing to do with religion or atheism (contrary to what the book title sounds like). The second of three sections in the book is deeply touching to my life. It's all about an alternate universe where there is a race of beings which have three sexes (all three required for reproduction). The main character is physically in the form of the "emotional" sex, but she feels like she should actually be of the "rational" gender. Her struggle of coming to terms with her transgender identity really resonates with my personal struggle.
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Q:
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Rejection of Religion: What's the difference between humanism and feminism?
(Not trying to insult feminists)
Many feminists I see aren’t even fighting for feminine superiority. They just want fucking equal treatment. How the hell does that make them a feminist. In my mind, a feminist wants women to be on top (of society. lol). A feminist feels dominance over men.
“Not trying to insult feminists”, eh? Let me explain this in a way you can appreciate. Saying feminism is about women feeling dominance over men is like saying humanism is about worshiping the self as a god. It sounds stupid when people make uneducated statements about humanism, right? Yeah…
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What is feminism according to you?
If Feminism is for equal rights, then why call yourself feminist? Be a humanist. Don't just care for your group's rights, care for everyone's rights.Asked by anticapitalist
DEAR GOD WON’T SOMEBODY THINK OF THE HUMANISTS!
…oh wait, I am a humanist. And though I’m a feminist, I’m not a woman, so it’s not “my group”.
Educate your damn self.
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Gender Policing in Atheism
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Joe:
Is their some weird thing going on in atheist circles with the word ‘female’? I’ve been reading a couple of blogs and apparently someone on a panel used the word ‘female’ to describe…um…females and ONE WOMAN stands up and protests the use of ‘female’ as dehumanization. And when a man on the panel calls this absurd claim well, absurd, he got accused of being dismissive of ALLLLLLLL Women and a symbol of sexism in the atheist community. I’m sorry; getting bogged down in the use of word ‘female’ should be dismissed. There are unquestionably sexist atheists but I don’t see how that is reflected in the use of a word that the vast majority of people use with no cruel intent.
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Andy (me):
It really depends on the usage. Like, it also bothers me when people use "girls" and "men" together. This is most common in pop music (like "you be my girl and i'll be your man"), but sometimes people do it in real life too. If people are saying "females" for women but "men" for men, then we have a problem. If people are saying "females" and "males" like they do in the military, then it's all even.
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Joe:
Then it's the context, not the word. The complaints appear to be about the word itself and the reaction to the woman who claimed offense.
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Andy:
I haven't heard it. Maybe I'm too out of the loop here.
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Joe:
I wouldn't have brought it up but it has been mentioned on a couple of atheist sites. And let me be clear. That woman has every right to take offense but I also have every right to weigh what she's saying and call it stupid.
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Keith:
As I got older I began to understand what was behind 'womyn' and the dislike for the word 'female'. But also came to view it as going a little far in trying to right perceived social wrongs as opposed to actual social wrongs. Do keep in mind though, that no one has made any effort at explaining to me why using 'woman' or 'female' is wrong. Seems every time I have asked a woman who has issues with either term, all I got in response was "You're a sexist/fascist if you don't know!" I also hate it when someone uses 'girl' to describe and adult woman or 'girls' for a group of women.
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Joe:
It is a little troubling that this post appears to only have dudes responding.
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Asia:
Apparently, you're unaware that Andy isn't a dude....
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Paul:
There are more male head's of state then female heads of state. There are more male CEO's then there are female CEO's. Until that becomes equal then men have no right to claim sexism.
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Amber:
I *heart* Paul.
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Laura:
The conversation must have set off some kind of trigger for her. Sometimes even rational people go rabid when certain buttons are pushed. It really depends on the context, like Andy said. Girl/boy, man/woman, female/male....all equivalent when paired like that but maybe a little offensive when mixed. I have seen so called feminists call grown men boys. Using patronizing speech is really off-putting no matter which gender it's aimed towards.
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Andy:
I'll call my boyfriend "boy" when I'm trying to sound insulting, but only for jokes and stuff, because it really is degrading to call a grown adult by children's terminology.
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Jude:
I'm not offended by the word "female" as long as it's used as a correlate of "male" but I do think part of the problem with "female" might be old connotations from cultural folklore, like "the female of the species (is deadlier than the male)" and other usages that seem more oriented to taxonomy than to human beings.
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Bridget:
I'm still trying to understand why she became upset over the word female.
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Kenneth:
I like females. That's right I said it. I said I like females. Sometimes I want to have sex with them. Sometimes I like very feminine females.If a female don't like that then we don't have to have sex at all. If she wants to get an attitude about it I don't even have to like her at all. I might not even qualify her as being a female.We can fight about it if she wants. but we will have to fight in the nude.
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Andy:
Weird, I could have sworn I just heard someone say something completely irrelevant. Must have been the wind.
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Joe:
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Response to the “Religious Antagonist”
In his latest episode, Mike approaches a homeless man and offers him $20 to scratch the word “God” off the sign he is holding. The man refuses. Mike questions the man’s rationality. Why is he refusing real money for a ‘fairy tale’? The man’s wife gets involved and also refuses. Mike engages them both. Supposed hilarity ensues as Mike tries to get the couple to give up their faith in a higher power for the temptation of $20.
I’m sorry, Mike, I don’t think this was the reaction you were expecting when you sent this to us but I think this is a cruel, cold and pointless tactic and I am struggling hard to understand why you think this is a) meaningful or b) something we’d appreciate.
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Humanists strive to affirm the dignity of every individual. People without homes are not our props. They are not our cute little visual aids. They are people. Why is that so difficult to grasp?
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I’m listed in Tumblweeds under nerd, genderqueer, humanism
I’m listed in Tumblweeds, a user-generated community directory that rates Tumblr bloggers by their number of followers. Find me listed in #nerd, #genderqueer, #humanism
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Apparently we should simply accept racist imagery without comment; as long as we’re scoring ideological philosophical points, that’s what counts, right?
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At some point in human history, people thought it would be a good idea to let men who hear voices from invisible friends tell us when we can fuck and with whom and that we should pay them for this so that they don’t have to get real jobs. Worse still, this is still considered to be a good idea.(via sexgenderbody)
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The possibility that the church has been wrong on the ethics of committed homosexual behavior — that’s a momentous question,” Gushee said. “It’s obviously one that people in the broader culture have determined a long time ago that the church was wrong about. But I would say that, from the perspective of any kind of understanding of Christian doctrine and Christian ethics, it is not an easy thing to throw (overboard) the majority position of more than 2,000 years.
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Greatest church mural ever?!?
Oh my Flying Spaghetti Monster this is for real!
Years ago I wrote a post in which I bemoaned the fact that no church would paint a mural of the scene in the Bible where Elisha orders bears to kill a bunch of teenagers. Well, a really talented comic book artist named Wes Molebash illustrated it based on my description. Here is what I wrote:
“That story is insane and here’s how I envision the mural. Elisha is standing in the middle of all these angry, bald hating teenagers. He looks really enraged and the caption out of his mouth says, “Do you know where you are? You’re in the jungle baby! You’re gonna die!” And then in the corner of the mural are two huge bears with hockey sticks. I’m not sure why they have hockey sticks but it seems a little tougher to me.”
Well, I found out last week, a church actually painted it full size! A guy named Scott Welsh sent me this photo, which is awesome:
I can’t even…
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Benny Hinn is really the Dark Lord… it all makes sense now!
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Homophobia Among Atheists
File this under “atheism does not equal skepticism”:
Homophobia is good for humans because it contributed to our existence and survival
If it weren’t for disgust, many straight men would hump anything….Being the fact that homophobia is rooted in disgust and disgust is an evolutionary survival instinct, the natural selection process caused homophobia to flourish…The men who weren’t disgusted by gay men had a better chance of sexually submitting to gay men in which increased their chances of contracting deadly std’s in which wiped them out…So homophobia contributed to the existence of the human species
Religious people don’t understand evolution so they turn to their religion and or use their religion to explain and justify disgust of gays.LOL WUT
(Source: atheistnexus.org)
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“Do not send money to Christian charities for Japan earthquake. We need blankets and food, not bibles and Fundamentalist propaganda.” ~Japan Photos on Twitter
Don’t worry, Japan Photos, I donated to your Red Cross.
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How sick do I make this person? Let us count the ways!
Lazy Christians
Phew, safe here - not a christian.
Sex-Drugs-Rock Music
I’ve haven’t yet heard of the musical genre that is sex-drugs-rock, but I imagine it will be all over the Grammys in a couple years.
Baby Killers
This is a tough one… many times what seems like a regular period is actually a very early miscarriage, so I’ll put this one down as a “maybe”.
Party Animals
I haven’t played a good game of Pin the Tail on the Donkey for many years, and it’s been a while since my last pinata.
Sport’s Nuts
I prefer generic mixed nuts as opposed to the licensed kind, as they cost much less.
Roman Catholics
At first I wondered why this wasn’t included under the “lazy Christian” category, and then I remembered that Catholics actually have to work for their salvation.
Computer Freaks
Alas, I am still not a cybog.
People that watch TV more than study the Bible.
This… actually doesn’t apply to me. Wow.
People that talk to pets more than God
I don’t think anyone could possibly talk to pets more than God does, but I have neither pets nor god.
Fox Hole Religion
Yeah, I agree: on the battle field is a horrible place to try to distract soldiers from their duties with nonsense.
The Jews that are from the Synagogue of Satan
There is no Synagogue of Satan, but just in case anyone was thinking of starting one, don’t - you might make someone sick, and then they’ll put you on a list.
False Religions
Those bother me too. Hmm… maybe I should be the one holding this sign?
Racists
I feel you there, bro.
Lying Pentaco$stal$
This must be the 1st Church of Ke$ha.
Effeminate Culture
There goes half the nation, including anyone who’s ever watch the Oprah show and liked it.
Ankle Biters
Oh yeah, like mosquitoes! I hate mosquitoes!
Dykes on Bikes
Come on, they’re just trying to do their part to reduce CO2 emissions.
Money Lovers
I’m probably not capitalist enough for this.
Child Molesting Homosexuals
This definitely is a redundant listing, as priests would fall under the umbrella of Roman Catholics above.
Sex Perverts
This one might actually apply to me. After all, I like to do it with the lights on and the sheets off.
Rebellious
Um…
Women
I’m trying to reform, I swear!
And Mormons
Envious that they get their own planet? Admit it.
Well, that’s it. Adding up the tally, I score like 1.5 on the How Sick I Make This Person scale. I’m kind of disappointed, actually. I had no idea I’m so straight-edge! How about you?
Genderqueer with a touch of happy humanism.
