Goodbye, Japan

Today is my last full day in the land of cold noodles and hot sake. It should be super emotional, especially since I'm leaving my family behind, but they'll follow me in a couple weeks, and we'll all be back for New Year's probably. So, while my residence and daily routine will change, it's not like I'm leaving Japan forever. But I am sad to leave. I'm really dreading some aspects of American life, like born-again Christians and shop clerks with bad attitudes, things one never worries about here. But, I can get decent pizza and highways don't cost $10 an hour to drive.

Well, time to cancel my cell phone and zero out my bank account.

Sayonara

A challenge for creationists

There's a reason creation myths are called myths: They're myths! Stories. Not true. They were all made up at a time when people became self-aware and started to wonder about the universe, but hadn't the ability to answer the questions. From the "infancy of our humanity." And yes, this includes the story in your religion's special book, too. It's not special just because it's the one you happened to have learned in Friday/Saturday/Sunday/home school.

I have a challenge for you. Google the term "creation myths" and spend a good half-hour reading as many as you can, all the while keeping in mind that somewhere out there, there is (or at least was) someone or some many who believe the myth you're reading is true. I think you'll find that to be quite silly. Then, once you've got a taste for the goofy stories people fall for, go ahead and read the one you believe in one more time, and read it well. Notice any similarities?

This is what happens when creationism gets out of control:

Water collected after Noah's flood, it breached its earthen dam, and the water rushed in very quickly and carved out the canyon in a matter of weeks.

That's Mark Looy, Creation Musem co-founder, explaining how the Grand Canyon was created. Any 5th-grader worth his salt in science class knows this is a bunch of nonsense. Sigh. I can't write anymore about this. It gives me all kinds of bad feelings.

Good Christians don't revolt.

Most people, including myself, when they refute the claim that [begin southern accent] "America is a Christian nation," [end accent] usually go to the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence or other documents of the time. This never works to convince the faithheads. It's never enough.

Let's trying looking at it from the other direction. Instead of asking the Founders what they thought about Jesus, let's ask Jesus what he thinks about them. The answer can be found in Romans 13:1-2.

Let every soul be subject unto the higher powers. For there is no power but of God: the powers that be are ordained of God. Whosoever therefore resisteth the power, resisteth the ordinance of God: and they that resist shall receive to themselves damnation.

This was actually written by Paul, not Jesus (Jesus, apparently never bothered to write anything down), but there it is, the inspired word of God. Revolutionaries go to Hell, and a country founded by such Hell-bound sinners should not be so confident in its Christianly status.

The Gall of the Apostle Paul

This is a good one. If you can find a way to work this into a conversation with a fundamentalist, just sit back and enjoy the show.

Colossians 1:24

Now I rejoice in what I am suffering for you, and I fill up in my flesh what is still lacking in regard to Christ’s afflictions, for the sake of his body, which is the church.

(Emphasis added.) Do you understand what Paul is saying here? In general, he's just saying that he's been called upon to build Christ's church, and though the task is sometimes trying (he was in a Roman jail at the time), he is happy to suffer for our sake. That's all well and good. But what's this business about the lacking of Christ's afflictions? Paul has made it clear that [born-agains, cover your eyes] Christ's sacrifice was not enough. The church is also necessary, and without it, the suffering of Christ alone would not be sufficient. Paul's suffering, for the sake of the church, completes the task. So it would seem ye Christians have two choices: 1) accept Jesus Christ as your personal savior AND the Church as necessary for salvation, or 2) continue to think your personal relationship with Jesus will be enough, and that St. Paul either didn't know what he was talking about, or he was an uppity blasphemer. Happy deciding!

Template Change and the Big Red A

I changed the template of the blog. I really like the way the photo sits flush with the header. I think it's neat.

I also added a big, red 'A' to the sidebar. Click it to find out why. Here, too.

Update: I also put spaces in the title. That was long overdue, I think.

Moses: another mass-murdering pedophile

I just had to share this in case anyone out there thinks the Bible is a good source of morality and family values.

Numbers 31:17-18

Now therefore kill every male among the little ones, and kill every woman that hath known man by lying with him. But all the women children, that have not known a man by lying with him, keep alive for yourselves.

Those were the days, weren't they? No pornography or rampant homosexuality to threaten our wholesome Judeo-Christian values... like genocide and sexual slavery of children. Bring America back to God. Otherwise He just might kill your sons and rape your daughters.

So who was this Joshua character?

And that day Joshua took Makkedah, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof he utterly destroyed, them, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain: and he did to the king of Makkedah as he did unto the king of Jericho.

Then Joshua passed from Makkedah, and all Israel with him, unto Libnah, and fought against Libnah:

And the LORD delivered it also, and the king thereof, into the hand of Israel; and he smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein; he let none remain in it; but did unto the king thereof as he did unto the king of Jericho.

And Joshua passed from Libnah, and all Israel with him, unto Lachish, and encamped against it, and fought against it:

And the LORD delivered Lachish into the hand of Israel, which took it on the second day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein, according to all that he had done to Libnah.

Then Horam king of Gezer came up to help Lachish; and Joshua smote him and his people, until he had left him none remaining.

And from Lachish Joshua passed unto Eglon, and all Israel with him; and they encamped against it, and fought against it:

And they took it on that day, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and all the souls that were therein he utterly destroyed that day, according to all that he had done to Lachish.

And Joshua went up from Eglon, and all Israel with him, unto Hebron; and they fought against it:

And they took it, and smote it with the edge of the sword, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof, and all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining, according to all that he had done to Eglon; but destroyed it utterly, and all the souls that were therein.

And Joshua returned, and all Israel with him, to Debir; and fought against it:

And he took it, and the king thereof, and all the cities thereof; and they smote them with the edge of the sword, and utterly destroyed all the souls that were therein; he left none remaining: as he had done to Hebron, so he did to Debir, and to the king thereof; as he had done also to Libnah, and to her king.

So Joshua smote all the country of the hills, and of the south, and of the vale, and of the springs, and all their kings: he left none remaining, but utterly destroyed all that breathed, as the LORD God of Israel commanded.

And Joshua smote them from Kadeshbarnea even unto Gaza, and all the country of Goshen, even unto Gibeon.

And all these kings and their land did Joshua take at one time, because the LORD God of Israel fought for Israel.

Joshua 10:28-42

Apparently he was a mass-murdering dick.