long time, no post

I've been busy will school, but I took time out to watch the Islam segment of the God's Warriors program on CNN. The part that struck me was the growth of pious, young Muslims in the United States. This bothered me greatly. I dislike Christian piety because it's anti-scientific, celebrates ignorance, and generally makes us look like a backward people to the rest of the world. Islamic piety on the other hand... well, that's just dangerous stuff, man. Convert, be enslaved, or die. Those are the three choices the Koran gives to any infidel (that's you) who is faced with an "offer" to convert to Islam. Some Muslims might not be so literal (not to mention barbaric), but then, they really can't call themselves pious, can they? Anyway, here's what one Muslim American Princess from Long Island had to say about her religion:

A lot of people go to the church on Sunday, and that's their religion for their week. Mine is every single day, every minute of my day."

Humble, isn't she?

Textbook Authors Eat Babies

The whole textbook industry, at least at the university level, is a big ugly scam. New editions come out every few years, usually with no substantial changes to the content. Law school books are particularly bad. But I think many law students, especially ones who have never had a job, almost enjoy overpaying for their books, kind of like they're practicing for after graduation when they'll have money to burn. Well, until that day comes, I don't have money to burn, and I was sickened by the price of books at our bookstore. Enjoy the following exchanged that took place over lunch during orientation.

ME: The books for our section cost $600 if you buy them at the bookstore.
OTHER GUY: That's really not bad. I've paid over 700 before.
ANOTHER GUY: Yeah, 600? That's pretty standard.

$600 for one semester's books is bad. Really bad. I've gotten mine for around $200, same books, just used and not from the blood-sucking bookstore. That is really not bad. Textbooks should be included in tuition and every professor who writes them should take a pay cut to pay for them. Dirty baby-eaters.

4.0

Tomorrow it begins. Orientation at University of Illinois College of Law.
Four. Point. Oh.

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!