The Jesus Kidney Cult

A Mr. Falkingham donated one of his kidneys to a stranger after joining a group calling themselves The Jesus Christians. His mother objected to the whole thing saying her son had not agreed to the giving up of a kidney on his own free will but had instead been influenced to do so by the small sect (25 members world wide). Cult leader David McKay said kidney donation is not mandatory but does put the golden rule into action:

"Do unto others what you would have them do unto you. If you were sick wouldn't you like someone to donate a kidney?"

Nineteen of the members of the group have donated kidneys. I wonder what the objection of average Christians might be to this. I say objection, because I doubt they will put the golden rule "into action" in this way. But why not? Isn't it as much a need as donations for things like food and clothing? Most of us will not donate a kidney to a stranger and we have no moral obligation to do so. I would, as I think most people would, give one up for a loved one, but not a stranger. Then again, I do not allow my life to be governed by the Christian myth. But for any Christians out there who do not choose to seek out the stranger in need of a transplant, I have to wonder why. There are plenty of people waiting for a kidney, and it's your Christian duty to help them, is it not? This tiny cult (Christianity as a whole started out as a tiny cult) is only taking the ideas and words of Jesus and the New Testament to their logical conclusion.

Here are the words of a Christian much admired for taking on the atheists, Dinesh D'Souza, in his debate with Daniel Dennett:

You're living in a western civilization shaped primarily by Christian assumptions. How do you know this? Look at an example. If there's a famine in Rwanda you can be fairly sure that all the European countries will rush to help...Now, there are other rich countries in the world, they will observe, but do nothing. And why? Because they were raised with the belief I was kind of raised with as a kid, which is an Indian proverb "the tears of strangers are mostly water" which is to say, to some degree you look out for your own, but you don't necessarily have any common ground with strangers.

So please Christians, prove the truth of Mr. D'Souza's words and give a kidney today to a stranger. It's the Christian thing to do (I'm sure Dinesh has already donated one of his to a stranger desperately in need).

Red-State Bozos and Stop-Loss

Commenting on the new film Stop-Loss and its box office performance, Deadline Hollywood Daily quotes a studio source:

"No one wants to see Iraq war movies. No matter what we put out there in terms of great cast or trailers, people were completely turned off. It's a function of the marketplace not being ready to address this conflict in a dramatic way because the war itself is something that's unresolved yet. It's a shame because it's a good movie that's just ahead of its time."

Then in the comments the Red-State fascist Kool-Aid drinkers crawled out from under their rocks with the usual I Love Big Brother As Long As A Republican Is President crap:

Stop Loss is a loser because the rest of America is not as anti-America as Hollywood or B. Hussein Obama.

My comment: GO TO HELL YOU RACIST! NOTHING IS MORE "ANTI-AMERICAN" THAN WHAT BUSH HAS DONE TO THIS COUNTRY!

Next we have this loser:

WHEN IS THE MEDIA AND HOLLYWOOD GOING TO FIGURE OUT THAT THE ONLY PEOPLE AGAINST THE WAR ON TERROR,ARE THE MEDIA AND HOLLYWOOD.MAKE ONE MOVIE SUPPORTING THE TROOPS AND IT WILL BE A BLOCKBUSTER.JOHN WAYNE IS ROLLING IN HIS GRAVE.
Comment by skip

My comment: So the war in Iraq is the same as the "War on Terror", eh? You fail, Bozo! And read the news once in a while, "skip", the latest poll results (March 08) show the American people opposed to this evil mess. When asked "Do you think the result of the war with Iraq was worth the loss of American life and other costs of attacking Iraq, or not?" 64% said it was not worth it and only 29% said it was worth it. When asked "Do you favor or oppose the U.S. war in Iraq?" only 32% said they were in favor and 66% said they were opposed.

Don't worry, it gets worse. These two Daves both excel at making asinine remarks:

The difference between today’s “war” movies, and those of generations past is that the “classics” give the audience something to cheer for…THE AMERICANS.
There was a sense of PRIDE in one’s county, and it’s mission…Halting oppression, tyranny, the spread of communism.
Comment by Dave

Hollywood is so out of touch that they are teetering on self destruction. Not only is America against the culture corruption that Hollywood tries to mainstream but the anti-American attitude of their Iraq propaganda war films is sure to choke them. With the exception of the Hollywood creatures, Americans by and large love America. Want to make a blockbuster film on the Iraq war? Try focusing on the liberation of 25 million people form the oppression they’ve suffered for 30 years. This liberation made possible only because of the incredible US armed forces. Try portraying the remarkable progress and success of this endeavor. And yes, the Iraq war has been and continues to be an awesome and selfless accomplishment for our great country. Wake up Hollywood while you still have the chance.
Comment by david

My response: Dave and David, why don't you both go shove it where the Sun don't shine. Neither of you have the slightest clue. Is America always right, no matter what our criminal government does? Are you proud that your military drops bombs on the heads of children? Are you proud of the fact that we invaded a country that did not attack us, in violation of Nuremberg? That the war may cost us up to 3 trillion dollars or more? David says: "the Iraq war has been and continues to be an awesome and selfless accomplishment". Huh??? Yeah, keep telling yourself that, David. Whatever the two of you are smoking, I don't want any.

There were a few sensible comments, such as this:

The problem with Iraq themed movies is not that they are “anti-american” or “anti-military” but that they are not escapist...If I want to be depressed about the state of the world, I’ll just stay home and watch the news.

The Kool-Aid drinkers have destroyed the Republican party and any conservative values and principles it once had. They are as delusional as their Great Leader, accusing "Hollywood" of being against the war while implying that the average American supports our interventionist foreign policy completely. How else could they make such comments as those above with all the polls showing the public has turned away from the invasion and wants our troops to come home?

Pennygate

This story (Via Check Your Premises) gives one some hope for the next generation. A group of 29 7th and 8th graders, fed up with only a 30 minute lunch period, protested by using pennies to pay for their $2.00 lunches.

School officials were not impressed and began doling out detention like sloppy Joe's. In all, 29 students received punishment. Administrators told them that what they had done was "disrespectful" not only to cafeteria staff but also to fellow students. (Yet on Friday, many of them brought bag lunches to protest on behalf of the so-called "Readington 29.")

But as news of "Pennygate" began spreading, it soon became clear that this cause was bigger than even a silver dollar. Parents and civil rights advocates, outraged at the school's position, began raising a stink. The story received nationwide coverage.

A couple of pro-government goose steppers gave their two-cents worth in the comments:

I am all for the first amendment, but those rights DO NOT extend past the school house gates. As teachers we have a solemn obligation to protect our students first and educate second. To achieve that we must maintain discipline. What kind of school would it be if kids were running wild and crazy through the halls and calling it a "protest." Teenagers can call this unfair, but it is the price they pay for a free education.

Where does this "teacher" see anything in this story about kids "running wild and crazy through the halls"? Of course any dissent, even of a peaceful nature, cannot be allowed in the public schools, because the whole purpose of the government (fascist) school system is to teach obedience and discourage independent thought. That is the real "price" we as a society are paying for this "free" (I like the way this tax supported leech that calls itself a "teacher" is under the impression that publik skool edukashun is somehow free) service. Of course it is more like an indoctrination, not an education, anyway.

Another jerk left the following comment:

The school caved and it is a disgrace. Stand up for what is right.

That's what those protesting kids were doing, you jackass Big Brother-loving loser!

Here is an explicit statement of the real purpose of state schools, as outlined by some black-robed tyrants in California: "A primary purpose of the educational system is to train school children in good citizenship, patriotism and loyalty to the state".

Loyalty to the state. Sounds very Nazi-like, don't ya think?

Video: Awareness Test

I'm posting this because I thought it was pretty interesting.

Here, There, and Everywhere

It's been a tough week for us here at Skeptical Eye, but we're hanging in there. We can only say that we are doing the best we can under the circumstances. The blog may be taking a bit of a different direction, though we will still cover religion and skeptical issues. We are interested in philosophical questions and always have been. We just want to be able to write without calling people names or being too harsh on those we think are or at least probably are, wrong. We will however not shirk from telling the truth as we see it, whomever it may offend.

We have been in the passing of time Christian, agnostic, philosophical theist and atheist. We now no longer want to "be" anything, and prefer to go without a label. We can assure regular readers, however, of one certainty, we are in no danger of converting to any religion and will be as critical (with a perhaps gentler tone) as in the past of the miracles and revelations of all organized belief systems.

You may be wondering what brought this on, but we can say nothing of that for now. The mood here could change again, you never know, although we strongly suspect it will not. We welcome all and look forward to continued posting here at, as we said in the beginning, our humble blog.

Thanks to all of you who have been return visitors. We have appreciated your interest and support more than you will ever know.

Son of the Atheist and the Bear

In spite of the title, this post in no way is meant to imply that the atheist and the bear had intimate relations resulting in male offspring. No, this is simply a continuation of my series (previous entries here and here) on the idiotic Atheist and the Bear stories that are still being emailed and posted all over the internet.


A recent variation begins: An atheist was taking a walk through the woods, admiring all that the "accident of evolution" had created. Boy is that atheist gonna find out soon how wrong he is, yuk, yuk, yuk! Stupid atheists! Behold the righteous vengenge (in bear form) of our pyscho God. Never mind the facts or that evolution doesn't happen by "accident". No, let's just bash atheism, science and evolution by passing around asinine "jokes" like this one. Now, if you want to see the other side, i.e., reason, truth, and science, fight back militant style, check this out.

Anyway, folks, I've finally written my own takeoff on this stupid story. Behold, The Atheist and the Christian in the Woods:

The Rev. P.T. Peppercorn was working on his sermon, to be called, he'd decided, "The Amazing Power of Prayer", yes, that's what his lukewarm congregation needed, a reminder that God was indeed omnipotent (hmmm, he wondered how many of his flock would understand a big word like that), he crossed out omnipotent and replaced it with all-powerful. There, that was better. He smiled.

He got out his well-worn Bible and opened to the gospel of Mark. Mark 11:24 would be his text :"Therefore I say unto you, What things soever ye desire, when ye pray, believe that ye receive them, and ye shall have them." How absolutely astonishing that so many Christians would rather watch television then spend time in prayer when they had a heavenly Father that made promises such as this one. He shook as head. It was so sad how little faith there was nowadays.

Two miles away Charlie, an unbeliever who the locals had started calling the village atheist (one ardent believer had said "More like the village idiot") was packing himself some sandwiches and his gun, getting ready for a walk in the woods. There were bears in them there hills, so he always had a firearm at his side when he went. He'd had to shoot a wild animal once before, a mountain lion in that case, though before the big cat was dead, Charlie had received a few wounds that would leave permanent reminders of the encounter.

Back at his house, a lovely place paid for by his congregation, Rev. P.T. Peppercorn was stuck in the middle of writing his sermon, writer's block having overcome his ability to put down words. He put down his pen (he always wrote his sermons in longhand, feeling that God's thoughts were better able to flow through him that way, it being a more take-your-time approach to composing) and got up from his chair. He looked out the window and thought a nice walk in the woods would restore his inspiration and give him a chance to meditate on the sermon in progress. He packed himself some sandwiches and his Bible. He never took a walk without a Bible by his side, for he knew God's word was powerful and sharper than any two-edged sword. He patted his Bible, opened the front door, and headed for the hills to enjoy some quiet time with his thoughts and his Lord and his Lord's wondrous creation.

Charlie the atheist checked his gun, "Yep, fully loaded," he said. Okay, now he was ready. He opened his front door and headed for the hills, looking forward to a beautiful day in the woods and all the wonders of the natural world, the amazing products of millions of years of evolution.

Rev. P.T. Peppercorn started his walk at a brisk pace, but soon slowed down. He looked all around as he walked.

"What majestic trees!" he shouted, as if the trees themselves had ears to hear him. He thought of this himself and laughed, thinking that some in his congregation were less likely to hear him on a Sunday morning then trees.

He noticed all the things around him and said, "What beauty."

He was getting hungry and found a clearing and a rock to sit upon. It was time for lunch. He retrieved his sandwiches and sat down to eat.

Charlie the atheist was enjoying his trek through nature, but soon he got hungry as well. He happened upon the same clearing as Rev. Peppercorn. Startled by the presence of another, Charlie approached with caution, then saw that the figure was Peppercorn, a man who had once denounced him from the pulpit for handing out atheist literature on a street corner (thus the village atheist label, a label that Charlie figured old Peppercorn had first applied).

"Well, Preacher, what brings you out to these parts? Are you lost?"

Oh no! thought Peppercorn, It's HIM! But then the good reverend had a second thought. Maybe this was the perfect opportunity to do some seed planting. After all, everything happened for a reason on God's green earth and maybe this was a chance to save a truly LOST person, that wicked blasphemer, Charlie the atheist.

"Good to see you, Charles," said the Rev. P.T. Peppercorn with a false smile. "I once was lost, but now I'm found. Do you know what that means?"

Charlie couldn't believe what he was hearing. Was the preacher actually going to try to convert him? "It means you're wasting your life on a lot of hogwash," replied Charlie.

"Charles," began Peppercorn.

"It's Charlie," said Charlie.

"Charlie, have you ever noticed how everything in nature is amazingly complex and seems designed for its environment?"

Charlie took a bite of his ham and cheese sandwich. "Yeah," said Charlie, talking with his mouth full. "The pig that gave up its life to become lunch meat was perfectly designed to be a sandwich ingredient and go good with Swiss cheese."

Peppercorn was about to respond when suddenly a huge bear emerged from the woods and entered the clearing.

"Oh my God!", shouted Rev. Peppercorn.

Charlie took another swallow of sandwich and then calmly took out his gun. The bear looked angry and ran straight for the two men.

"Oh Lord Jesus, please protect us and send this animal back into the woods!" prayed Peppercorn. The bear kept coming. "Father I ask you in Jesus name, send this wild creature away!" The bear moved closer. Rev. Peppercorn noticed Charlie holding the gun. "Well, what are you waiting for!" Peppercorn yelled. "Shoot it! Shoot it!"

"The effectual fervent prayer of a righteous man availeth much", said Charlie. "I'm waiting for your praying to avail us."

"Don't be ridiculous. You've got a gun, use it!"

"You've got a Bible, Reverend," said Charlie. "Which item do you think will be more effective against this bear, your holy book, or my firearm?"

Before Rev Peppercorn could reply the bear was upon him. Charlie had fired the gun, but he missed. Peppercorn was thrown to the ground by the great beast. "Jesus help me!" he screamed. As he watched Charlie aim for another shot, Peppercorn suddenly realized he had indeed wasted his life, and that no God or Jesus would save him, only an atheist with a gun would. Charlie fired again and the bear fell dead, hit by a bullet to the head. The Rev Peppercorn was bleeding profusely, but he was alive. He looked up to the patch of sky above the clearing and forgetting his most recent thoughts, said "Thank you, Lord for saving my life and killing this bear."

"I killed the bear!" said Charlie indignantly.

Later the Rev. Peppercorn died in the hospital from his wounds. Charlie skinned the bear and turned it into a rug. He kept it on the floor in front of his favorite chair, to remind him that bullets did more damage than prayers to bears and that guns were more powerful than gods.

Dream of Change

I had a dream last night. Most dreams are so incoherent and nonsensical that you tend to forget them right away. I remembered this one, though its starting to fade even as I write this. In it I was walking through a landscape of my life, the places I or my family have lived before, and the other landmarks of my brief existence so far. I passed by the house my mother lived in for over 20 years, as it was before it burned to nothing in October 2003. I received a phone call from my sister at the time and she said "Mom's house burned down" and I thought she was joking. We never believe such things on first hearing. I have heard those who were alive at the time President Kennedy was assassinated say the same thing (those who were told about it from someone else and did not first hear it on the news) , that they thought the person telling them the horrendous truth was just making a joke. So many memories of Mom's house up in smoke. I did not see the aftermath in person, but my sister made a video of it, and I watched in sadness the remains of what once was.

Life is change, there is no permanence about anything. Death will one day take us all, and before then, many we know or love. In the past year two of my close friends lost their fathers and in both cases they were still relatively young men. But that is the nature of the world, for life to be possible, death must exist as well.

I have always been a sentimental type, so change has never been easy for me, but I acknowledge its necessity. Without change there is no life, there is no being, there is no time, there is no me or you. I wish there was something original I was saying here, but there isn't. But for those who fear change and the sadness it sometimes brings with it, just remember that life is change, just as life is temporary, and that you would not exist without that reality. So appreciate what you have and enjoy the time spent with those you love, and the next time you are tempted to take someone or something for granted, know that they will soon pass away, as will you, and act accordingly.

Blinded by the Light

A hotelier in India claimed statues of the Virgin Mary in his home had been crying tears of honey and bleeding oil and perfume. Apparently some people took it all too seriously and began looking for the Virgin in the sky, staring directly into the sun leading to blindness. Even after being warned of the danger, the crowds are still flocking to the man's house, hoping to see a miraculous image in the sky. Source

The incident above is a tragedy. The very sad thing is, it is only one example of lives ruined or harmed by religion and superstition. From faith "healers" and televangelists who give sick people false hope and take their money, to children indoctrinated to believe that well established scientific facts such as evolution are just lies of the devil; from fanatics brainwashed into believing that paradise and another, eternal, life await those that fly airplanes into skyscrapers, to the millions, past and present, with a life clouded by the idea of the eternal damnation and suffering of unbelievers, including those of one's own family (not to mention the extra, extreme burden for "lost" souls that so many have, wasting their lives passing worthless tracks and Chick comics, or street preaching, or wondering if that loved one that died was really "saved" after all) ; from those with lives spent in following an imaginary invisible friend named Jesus while letting so many of the joys of reality pass them by, to the women in Muslim countries denied their full humanity and equality as citizens.

In the face of all this, how dare anyone attack militant, so-called "New Atheism" with the false cry of "fundamentalist," as if atheism compared in any sense with religious superstition. Enough of all your phony impartiality and insincere agnosticism. The truth rings loud and clear for all who have ears to hear it: WE DO NOT LIVE IN A CARTOON UNIVERSE! If only those poor fools who lost their sight looking into the sun for a nonexistent Mother of God had realized this basic truth, they would have their eyesight right now. But instead they were deceived, forgetting that Satan comes as an angel of light, calling truth (like the fact of evolution, or the imaginary nature of apparitions) Satanic, when religion, "the light" to so many, is so often the real evil.

Someday supernatural religion will die out and billions will say "Free at last, free at last, no thanks to God, we are free at last."

May reason, not faith, guide you throughout life. Amen.

Hold the Lemon, Please

Haven't you always wondered how well (if at all) restaurant workers wash their hands after using the rest room? They don't put cameras in the rest rooms to monitor the employees, but I've always thought that they could do something more than just have a sign reading: Wash Your Hands After Using The Rest Room And Before Returning To Work. How about a special food handler sink with a camera above it, and any time you leave the food prep area you have to wash your hands there when you come back before you can touch food again. And have you seen some of the disgusting rest rooms at certain restaurants, especially some fast food places? Sometimes there isn't even much soap in the dispenser. And how many people really wash their hands instead of just briefly running them under water for a second or two?

I'm glad I'm eating a lot more of my meals at home.

The Three Trillion Dollar Bush War

From Vanity Fair

On March 19, 2008, the U.S. will have been in Iraq for five years. The Bush administration was wrong about the need for the Iraq war and about the benefits the war would bring to Iraq, to the region, and to America. It has also been wrong about the full cost of the war, and it continues to take steps to conceal that cost.

In the run-up to the war there were few public discussions of the likely price tag. When Lawrence Lindsey, President Bush’s economic adviser, suggested that it might reach $200 billion all told, Secretary of Defense Donald Rumsfeld dismissed the estimate as “baloney.” Deputy Defense Secretary Paul Wolfowitz went as far as to suggest that Iraq’s postwar reconstruction would pay for itself through increased oil revenues. Rumsfeld and Office of Management and Budget Director Mitch Daniels estimated the total cost of the war in the range of $50 to $60 billion, some of which they believed would be financed by other countries.
Read the rest.

At a time when the dollar is rapidly becoming worthless, job prospects are looking grim and retail sales decline while oil prices skyrocket, this evil, unjust, criminal and costly war continues to drain away our resources. And people are seriously talking about George W. Bush II, i.e., John McHagee, having a real chance at the White House?