Purim!

Tonight at sunset marks the beginning of Purim, one of the lesser known Jewish holidays. Would you believe that there is actually a movie that is centered around the holiday? It's the mocumentary For Your Consideration, and the famous Purim dinner clip can be seen below:



I still don't know what Purim is about, but based on that scene, it's my kind of holiday.

Sam Harris At The TED Conference

New Sam Harris interviews have become something of a rarity. That's why it's nice to hear him talk with Patt Morrison (on 89.3 KPCC, whatever that is) at the 2010 TED conference.

Why Is This Relevant?

(Note: This is a repost from Friendly Atheist)

There have been a string of arson attacks against churches this year in Texas, which is obviously horrible. Happily, it looks like the ordeal is over, as the suspected perpetrators were arrested last Sunday.

I'm curious to learn what their motivation was, but since many details have yet to emerge, it's too early for me to guess. However, it's not too early for the Associated Press. They have published an article titled "Atheism book found in home linked to fire suspect," which would seem to insinuate that atheists have the inherent urge to burn down churches. But the relevance of this headline quickly becomes questionable when you see how the article begins:

Investigators have seized books on demons and atheism as well as rifles and knives from in a home linked to one of the men charged with setting an east Texas church on fire and suspected in a string of similar blazes.

Jason Robert Bourque, 19, and Daniel George McAllister, 21, were arrested Sunday and charged with a single count of felony arson in the torching of the Dover Baptist Church near Tyler about 90 miles east of Dallas.

Court documents link the suspects to the Feb. 8 Dover Baptist fire and another the same day at the Clear Spring Missionary Baptist Church in nearby Lindale. The churches are among 11 that have burned in Texas this year in suspected arson attacks.

Investigators searching a home Sunday in rural Grand Saline where Bourque's girlfriend and family live discovered paperback books titled "Demon Possession" and "The Atheist's Way," according to an affidavit filed Tuesday by Texas Ranger Sgt. Brent Davis. Also found were four rifles, three knives and a GPS device at the double-wide manufactured home, the affidavit said.

That's it? All it says is that the girlfriend had The Atheist's Way in her double-wide. It doesn't even say who owns the book. Incidentally, the book's subtitle is "Living Well Without Gods," and not "Finding Meaning Through Church Arson."

Additionally, the book on demons is equally worthy (or unworthy) of being in the headline. For that matter, the fact that there was a weapon cache might have been more notable.

Perhaps one or both of the suspects really are atheists. Or maybe they are Satanists. Or maybe they are even Christians. Though in a way, it doesn't really matter, because anyone who goes on an arson spree is almost surely sanity-challenged. Therefore, they aren't going to have any sort of coherent personal philosophy or ethical code, which makes their religious affiliation almost moot.

And finally, no book can make someone burn down a church, which the Associated Press should realize.

Obama Keeps The Faith, Privately

Obama's first year in office didn't go too smoothly, but he should be proud that he has refrained from flaunting his Christianity. Indeed, he hasn't even chosen a regular church. However, this doesn't mean the President is not religious, only that he wants to keep his faith private:

But since President Obama took office a year ago, his faith has largely receded from public view. He has attended church in the capital only four times, and worshiped half a dozen times at a secluded Camp David chapel. He prays privately, reads a “daily devotional’’ that aides send to his BlackBerry, and talks to pastors by phone, but seldom frames policies in spiritual terms.

The greater privacy reflects not a slackening of devotion, but a desire to shield his spirituality from the maw of politics and strike an inclusive tone at a time of competing national priorities and continuing partisan division, according to people close to the White House on faith issues.

In an ideal world, he would forgo the daily devotionals, but he's still light years ahead of his predecessor, who always loved guiding his policies by his fundamentalism.

Your Kids Are Disabled For A Reason

Virginia Congressman Bob Marshall declared at a press conference that God has some nasty surprises in store for those who have had abortions:

“The number of children who are born subsequent to a first abortion with handicaps has increased dramatically. Why? Because when you abort the first born of any, nature takes its vengeance on the subsequent children,” said Marshall, a Republican.

“In the Old Testament, the first born of every being, animal and man, was dedicated to the Lord. There’s a special punishment Christians would suggest.”

Marshall was among more than 20 people, mostly Christian pastors and clergy, who gathered for the press conference in the General Assembly Building.

. . .

“Looking at it from a cultural, historical perspective, this organization should be called ‘Planned Barrenhood’ because they have nothing to do with families, they have nothing to do with responsibility,” Marshall said.

If you think "Planned Barrenhood" is over the top, look at what Dean Nelson, from the Network of Politically Active Christians, came up with:

Nelson suggested that the organization be called “Klan Parenthood,” saying that the group’s founder, Margaret Sanger, made racist comments in the 1930s and that the organization has shown a “willingness to take donations from people who are racist.”

Finally, any press conference this crazy would not be complete without some transparent lies:

According to Marshall, Planned Parenthood receives “about $500,000 a year” from the state.

But Jessica Honke, director of public policy for Planned Parenthood Advocates of Virginia, said the only state funding Planned Parenthood receives is from Medicaid reimbursements. That amount was about $35,000 in the 2009 fiscal year, according to the Department of Medical Assistance Services.

The Dalai Lama's Surprising Popularity

Americans know almost nothing about Buddhism, except that it has something to do with that jolly guy with the big gut you see in the statues (sort of like Santa Claus). Despite the widespread ignorance, the Dalai Lama is surprisingly well respected:

A CNN/Opinion Research Corp. survey released Thursday, the same day the Dalai Lama visited the White House, showed that 56 percent of Americans hold a favorable view of him, putting him "in the same neighborhood as other major religious figures," said CNN Polling Director Keating Holland. "Favorable ratings for the pope, at 59 percent, and Billy Graham, at 57 percent, are virtually identical."

Not bad for a guy who lives on the opposite side of the globe, is entrenched in a decades-old political and cultural struggle many don't understand, and lives according to a tradition few Americans follow. Less than 1 percent of Americans identify themselves as Buddhist, with less than 0.3 percent of those being Tibetan Buddhist, according to The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

The executive director of New York City's Tibet House, Ganden Thurman, posits that the Dalai Lama reminds Americans of other heroes:

"He stands for achieving peace by way of peace, and since Gandhi and Martin Luther King aren't around, he's a placeholder for that kind of position," he said. "He says he's a 'simple monk,' but that's wishful thinking. He's a monk that's been saddled with the responsibility of shouldering the hopes and dreams of millions of Tibetan people. ... He's doing the best he can with that, and frankly, these are the kind of people we admire."

We don't understand him, we just like his vibe.

Elton John: Jesus Was "Gay"

In Parade magazine, the singer said "I think Jesus was a compassionate, super-intelligent gay man who understood human problems." From this quote, I don't get why he thinks Jesus was gay, but I also don't care. In fact, I don't see why anyone should be bothered by a celebrity's speculations about the sexuality of Jesus.

Can you guess where I'm going with this? That's right, Bill Donohue of the Catholic League is very, very bothered by Elton John's comment, saying:

"Jesus was certainly compassionate, but to say he was 'super-intelligent' is to compare the son of God to a successful game-show contestant," league president Bill Donohue said in a statement.

"More seriously, to call Jesus a homosexual is to label him a sexual deviant. But what else would we expect from a man who previously said, 'From my point of view, I would ban religion completely'?"

Let the cat fight commence.

The Erosion Of Religion In America

Yet another survey, this time from the Pew Forum, indicates that the younger generations of Americans are less religious. For example, those born after 1981 have a 26% chance of not being affiliated with a religion, compared to a mere 5% of those born before 1928 (click to zoom).

In addition, the younger generations are much less likely to attend religious services on a consistent basis.

The increased skepticism of these younger generations already looks to be paying dividends. They are more likely to side with science--choosing evolution over creationism, and not believing that the Bible is the literal word of God. They are also more accepting of homosexuality and the separation of church and state. There's plenty to be optimistic about.

Malaysia Is Cane Happy

Malaysia has started to cane women for having sex outside of marriage:

The caning of women has fueled debate about whether Islamic conservatism was intruding into people's personal lives in this moderate Muslim-majority country. Another woman, Kartika Sari Dewi Shukarno, a 32-year-old mother of two, was sentenced to caning last year for drinking beer.

Kartika's sentence has not been carried out, but authorities at a women's prison near Kuala Lumpur on Feb. 9 caned three other Muslim women who had been convicted in an Islamic Shariah court for having sex outside of marriage, according to a Home Ministry official. They did not explain why the punishment was only announced Wednesday.

Each woman received between four and six strokes of a rattan cane, the official said on condition of anonymity because he was not authorized to make public statements.

They say it's humane, because it's only a light beating:

The punishment for women is supposed to be largely symbolic rather than aimed at causing pain, unlike the caning of rapists and drug smugglers with a thick rattan stick on bare buttocks that causes the skin to break and leave scars.

How civilized; it's only about shaming.

Sarah Palin Vs. "Family Guy"

Everyone's favorite fundy ex-governor is irate about the newest Family Guy:



Okay, that was undeniably tasteless, though I admit to laughing at it (I'm pretty sure I'm going to hell anyway). But even if Palin has a legitimate beef, why does she bother feuding with a cartoon that features a talking dog and baby? It's just not something a serious politician/pundit would do.

Hunter S. Thompson Loses His Cool

This is so funny it must be shared:

Lent!

Lent is about to start, and that means Catholics everywhere will be sacrificing something dear to them or attempting to drop a bad habit . . . for a few weeks. This tradition always struck me as odd, like a half-assed New Year's resolution. If it's worth abandoning a vice for a few weeks, why not try to drop it all together?

And speaking of half-assed sacrifices, a Bishop is suggesting that people try to conserve electricity, and do things like abandon iPods for Lent. While his suggestions are surely better than doing nothing, it tells you something about how gluttonous our societies have become, as giving up an MP3 player is hardly a major sacrifice.

However, for the king of half-assed Lent resolutions, I'll point to a friend of mine. Back when we were in the 6th grade or so, he gave up his Game Boy, which was conveniently broken.

A Welcome Fatwa

A Fatwa has been called against body scanners at airports, which could cut the risk of terrorist attacks:



I actually see their point, though when the alternative to a body scanner is a cavity search, I'll go with the body scanner.

Using Jesus To Smuggle Marijuana

Someone was recently busted at the Mexican border when their framed pictures of Jesus were found to contain 30 pounds of marijuana. Much to my delight, smugglers often employ such sacrilegious tactics:

"This is not the first time we have seen smugglers attempt to use religious figures and articles of faith to further their criminal enterprise," said William Molaski, port director of the agency's office in El Paso, Texas, in a statement.

"What some might find offensive or sacrilegious has unfortunately become a standard operating procedure for drug smugglers. This would include using religious symbols, children and senior citizens in their attempts to defeat the CBP inspection process."

There's an amusing, highly-unintelligent debate about this story in the comments of the above link. One of the hardliners says:

I'm sure Jesus will punish these drug dealers. It's bad to use God's name to do sinning like Muslim extremists do to justify killings and it's bad also to stuff pot into Jesus' photos to allow drugs into people's hands; people who are likely to die or get addicted from drugs. These drug dealers are Anti-God or Anti-Christ for sure...shame on them.

And a counterpoint:

Jesus smoked weed. Recognize!!

Not A Happy Valentine's Day

Saudis won't have an easy time celebrating Valentine's Day, as the religious police are busy eliminating anything that could be used to celebrate the holiday:

Red-colored or heart-shaped items are legal at other times of the year, but as Feb. 14 nears they become contraband in Saudi Arabia. The kingdom bans celebration of Western holidays such as Valentine's Day, named after a Christian saint said to have been martyred by the Romans in the 3rd Century.

Most shops in Riyadh's upscale neighborhoods have removed all red items from their shelves. A statement by the religious police, informally known as the muttawa, was published in Saudi newspapers, warning shop owners against any violations.

"Those who don't comply will be punished," the statement said, without spelling out what measures would befall the offenders.

These guys are so crazy that they even ban Muslim holidays:

The Valentine's Day prohibition is in line with Saudi's strict Wahhabi school of Islam that the kingdom has followed for more than a century. The birthplace of Islam also bans several Muslim holidays except the two most important ones because it considers them "religious innovations" that Islam doesn't sanction.

But the people who want to celebrate Valentine's Day aren't stupid; they simply do their shopping well in advance.

You Never Know What's Behind The Veil

I can't tell if this story is an argument for or against the niqab:

An Arab ambassador in Dubai has had his marriage annulled after discovering that his bride, behind her veil, was bearded and cross-eyed.

The couple had only met a few times during their courtship. Each of these times the woman had worn a niqab, an Islamic veil that covers most of the face.

After the marriage contract was signed in Dubai, the ambassador tried to kiss his new wife. However, as he removed the veil, he was shocked at what he saw.

"He was absolutely horrified," a guest said. "The bride had a nice personality, but there was a good reason why she was hiding her looks behind a veil."

The unnamed ambassador went straight to court to annul the marriage, claiming his wife was "bearded and cross-eyed", leaving his wife in tears. The groom claims he had been shown pictures of the ugly bride's prettier sister.

The Islamic Sharia court annulled the marriage but refused to compensate the ambassador for the estimated 500,000 dirhams ($136,000) in gifts he had bought the woman.

To add insult to injury, the man also demanded the woman be sent to a specialist who examined her hormonal deficiencies. The specialist reported the woman was normal and suffered from no hormonal deficiencies.

The lesson seems simple: it's stupid to get engaged without seeing your partner's face. I'd feel worse for the bride if she hadn't gotten all those gifts, plus the the groom is probably jerk.

Focus On The Family Create A Hit, Even Without Doritos

Focus on the Family's Tim Tebow commercial (available here) was sorta lame, but damned if it didn't get results:

•Social media. Between Dec. 1, 2009, and Monday at 3 a.m., Focus on the Family generated more Super Bowl advertising-related social-media conversations than any other advertiser or brand — even more than Google, Anheuser-Busch and Doritos, reports Alterian SM2, a software marketing company that monitors social media.

Before the ad aired, negative comments and sentiment far outweighed positive, says Scott Briggs, director of business solutions at Alterian. By Monday at noon — hours after the ad aired — positive comments outnumbered negative ones by 53.4% to 47.6%, he says.

•TiVo. Focus on the Family snagged the game's third-most "engaging" rating (following top-ranked Doritos and No. 2 Anheuser-Bush), says Todd Juenger, general manager at TiVo. The ranking was made by looking for spots with the biggest viewership relative to the surrounding 15 minutes of programming.

•Subscribers. Since the ad aired, the organization has had 5,000 new subscribers to its magazine, Thriving Family.

•Viewership. The game on CBS was watched by 106.5 million people, surpassing the 1983 finale of M-A-S-H to become the most-watched television program ever, Nielsen reports.

•Consumer notice. CBS declined to comment on how many consumers contacted the network about the ad. But the advocacy group Women's Media Center says it knows CBS got at least 170,000 e-mails, calls and letters of complaint. "The Super Bowl is supposed to be a time we can come together," says Terry O'Neill, president of the National Organization for Women. "This ad introduced poison into that atmosphere."

Still, I can't help but wonder if the ad would have created even more buzz if it had been combined with a Doritos commercial:

Study Finds Link Between Religion And Being Fat

A new study says that being religious might not have health benefits, which contradicts the finding of several other studies:

The study, published in the journal Circulation, suggests that when it comes to heart disease and clogged arteries, attending religious services or having spiritual experiences may not protect against heart attacks and strokes.

"There's not a lot of extra burden or extra protection afforded by this particular aspect of people's lives," concluded Dr. Donald Lloyd-Jones, of the Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, who led the study.

In a review of data from nearly 5,500 people, Lloyd-Jones and his colleagues expected to see less risk for heart disease among those with more "religiosity."

Additionally, the study found a correlation between obesity and religion:

The researchers did note that those who went to religious services, prayed, meditated, or were highly spiritual were more likely to be obese, and less likely to smoke.

Given that many religions discourage smoking tobacco, the smoking finding was not difficult to explain, Lloyd-Jones said, but the reasons for the obesity finding were less clear.

"We're not sure whether it is that religious people are more likely to gain weight through activities they pursue, or maybe heavier people seek out religion as a result of stigmatization," said Lloyd-Jones.

Dr. Harold G. Koenig, a professor of psychiatry and medicine at Duke University, Durham, North Carolina, said the obesity finding was not surprising, given that congregations and families often "fellowship" over meals.

Simple enough: if you want to stop smoking, start praying, and if you want to lose some weight, stop praying.

What To Watch For In The Super Bowl

There are a couple of things to look for during the Super Bowl tonight. First, there's the already infamous Tim Tebow pro-life ad:

When the 30-second ad finally airs in the first quarter of Sunday’s CBS telecast — at a cost estimated at $2.5 million — it’s expected to show the devout quarterback and his mother, Pam, sharing the story of how she gave birth to him in the Philippines in 1987 after spurning a doctor’s advice to have an abortion for medical reasons.

In the past two weeks, as news of the ad spread, it has generated a vast, often passionate national discussion — the subject of countless newspaper columns, blogs and tweets, and fodder for dozens of advocacy groups to spar over abortion, women’s rights and free speech.

Broadcasting and marketing experts say it’s the first politically tinged advocacy ad ever with a national buy on a Super Bowl. The audience is projected at 100 million viewers.

I doubt many football fans care much about debating abortion. They care much more about gambling, which brings me to the second thing to watch for. You can actually bet on whether the Super Bowl MVP will thank God first in his acceptance speech:

From my years of listening to pro athletes talk, I know God loves football. I'm not betting on this, but if I did, I think the best bet is on God.

Palin Seeks "Divine Intervention" At Tea Party Convention

The National Tea Party Convention wrapped up Saturday night with Sarah Palin giving the keynote speech in front of hundreds of supporters in a Nashville, Tennessee banquet hall. Palin's speech, complete with its entrance fee of either $349 or $549, proved a popular destination for the conventioneers who had spent the weekend rallying, in part, against coastal Wall Street elites.

After her speech, Palin sat down for some softball Q & A. It was here that she got scary-theocratic, proclaiming that the country would need "divine intervention" to succeed. She said this as part of her response to a question asking her what the top three priorities for the government would be after it returned to conservative/Tea Party hands.

The first priority Palin named was to cut spending, and the second was to start exploiting all the natural resource's "under God's green Earth," like oil, gas, and coal. It's hard to tell if she was being sarcastic when she said "green Earth." But anyway, it was her third answer that was truly scary, where she said the key to America's future was:

Allowing America's spirit to rise again, by not being afraid . . . not being afraid to kinda go back to some of our roots as a God fearing nation, where we're not afraid to say--especially in times of potential trouble in the future here--we're not afraid to say, you know, "we don't have all the answers as fallible men and women, so it would be wise of us to start seeking some divine intervention again in this country, so that we can be safe and secure and prosperous again." To have people involved in government who aren't afraid to go that route, not so afraid of the political correctness that, you know, they have to be afraid of what the media would say about 'em if they were to proclaim their alliance on our creator.

(This quote starts at 1:56 in the video below, though they cut out part of it.)



A lot of people, distracted by her folksy dialogue, might not realize how out-there this statement of is. When she says we need "to start seeking some divine intervention again, so that we can be safe and secure and prosperous again," she seems to be implying if we all become God-fearing Christians, God will smite our heathen enemies. And why she says "again" is a bit of a mystery, as she appears to have invented her own version of American history.

Aside from that moment, there were plenty of other lowlights from the convention. For instance, the moment before the interview is nauseating, where the ex-governor informs the crowd that Piper is looking for Miley Cyrus, who resides nearby.

A few other cringe-worthy moments came from her speech, which was as smarmy as it was grammatically incorrect. One of the worst lines was her asking "How's that hopey changey thing working out for you?" That's right everyone, fuck hope!

Another bad moment from the speech was where she shared her knowledge of Constitutional law, as explained by Ellen Ratner (surprisingly, she's a Fox News contributor)

She went after reading the Miranda rights to the Christmas Day bomber but at the same time she kept mentioning the Constitution and the law. In fact the reading of Miranda rights to non-American citizens was defined by our courts, our system of law, and not by the current Obama administration. However, when you are giving red meat in a red state that is the buckle of the Bible Belt it does not matter that reading of the Miranda rights has been defined by law. It matters more that you are going to be giving a crowd-pleasing moment

Indeed, the crowd loved it, as they loved everything Palin said, be it fact or fiction.

NFL Cracks Down On Church Super Bowl Parties

The NFL is not letting churches put on Super Bowl parties, claiming it violates copyright laws. Video here (I tried embedding the damn thing, and for some reason it showed video about a snow storm).

After watching that, I have no idea why the NFL would care, but it's always fun to see churches get cease and desist letters, so cheers to the NFL.

Fun With Glenn Beck's Chalkboard

The Huffington Post has a caption contest for the picture above (click to zoom). They explain:

We here on the comedy team were watching Glenn Beck's show on mute and caught a glimpse of him filling out a chalkboard with terms like "Anti-Christ" and "world washed in blood." At that moment we wondered what exactly he was talking about, and (frankly) we had no idea. Not only can we not read most of his writing (does that say "little satan" or "latte satan" up left?) but we also could not decipher the topic. So, we turn to you, dear readers, for your educated guesses.

My entry: "I can't believe those retards at The Simpsons turned down this chalkboard gag I pitched to them!"

If I had to guess what he was really talking about, it would be something like "This is what the end of Obama's first term will look like."

John Travolta To The Rescue

When in comes to using an earthquake for one's advantage, no one can beat the Scientologists:

With an operation called The Volunteer Ministry Disaster Relief for Haiti, the Scientologists plan to establish a permanent base in the country. Pat Harney, a spokeswoman for the operation, said: "I have no doubt that in some form or other there will be a church of Scientology here." Scientologists were already working to found an orphanage, she added.

An advance party arrived nearly two weeks ago but the big moment occurred when actor John Travolta flew his Boeing 707 from Florida to Port-au-Prince carrying six tonnes of military rations, medical equipment, baby food and nappies as well as doctors and volunteer ministers. "We have the ability to make a difference in Haiti," he said.

Along with bringing the former star of Saturday Night Fever, the Scientologists also brought their own pseudo-scientific healing method to Haiti. Somehow, they are allowed to perform it in the island's hospitals and clinics:

The method, known as "assist", might involve touching parts of the body or asking a patient to stare at a wall. "It's a special Scientology technique developed by Mr Hubbard," said Ms Harney, referring to the science fiction writer L. Ron Hubbard, who founded the church in 1954.

Reports suggest many injured Haitians have been grateful but bemused. Other agencies in the capital were less enthusiastic. "I didn't know touching could cure gangrene," a spokeswoman for Oxfam said. Others wondered how Travolta obtained landing permission when many aid flights were diverted.

There's no denying that the Scientologists have helped by providing supplies, it's only too bad that they will eventually want something in return.

"God, Your Animals Are Stupid..."

This video should definitely be shown in Sunday Schools:



(Thanks to Ritchie for the link.)

Why I'm Not A Republican

If you haven't yet seen the Daily Kos/Research 2000 Poll that looks at the Republican view of reality, check it out. The results show that a significant number of Republicans do not live in the real world. Some of the findings:

--67% say "the only way for an individual to go to heaven is through Jesus Christ." Only 15% disagree.

--31% want contraceptive use to be outlawed. Also, 76% think abortion is murder, and 34% say the birth control pill is a form of abortion. Therefore, a fair amount of Republicans must think the pill is murder.

--Regarding education, 51% don't want sex-ed taught in public schools, and a mere 8% say openly gay people should be able to teach in public schools. Perhaps worst of all, 77% want public schools to teach "that the book of Genesis in the Bible explains how God created the world."

--Looking at the President, 39% say he should be impeached, 42% believe he wasn't born in the United States, 63% believe he's a socialist, and 24% say he wants "the terrorist to win."

Bias watch: the Daily Kos, which had a hand in this survey, is well known to have a liberal agenda. That said, the poll seems to have been conducted scientifically.

Obama Criticized For Neglecting Faith-Based Policies

Some religious leaders are concerned that President Obama isn't focused on making his policies "faith-based":

Critics say that the faith-based office isn't enough of a priority at the White House and that faith leaders who were consulted regularly during the campaign are now simply copied on pro-forma e-mails. They complain that Obama is no longer using the faith language that he employed as a candidate to frame his policy goals, and that before the new faith council convened, some of the most controversial questions, including religious hiring and abortion, were taken off the table.

"We're wondering if religiously driven voices really have a voice at the table," said David Gushee, an evangelical ethicist who has been in regular contact with Obama's team since the presidential campaign. And whether "gatekeepers around the president are thinking he has more important constituencies to pay attention to."

I hope these critics are right.

Parents Convicted In Faith-Healing Death

Kudos to the Oregon jurors who "sent a clear signal Tuesday (Feb. 2) that parents who rely solely on faith healing to treat their children face prison if a child dies.":

Jeffrey and Marci Beagley were found guilty of criminally negligent homicide in the death of their 16-year-old son, Neil, who died in June 2008 of complications from an undiagnosed congenital urinary blockage.

His parents attempted to heal him with prayer, anointing with oil and laying on of hands.

They are the first members of Oregon City's Followers of Christ church to be convicted of homicide in the congregation's long history of children dying from treatable medical conditions.

It's sad that the parents in similar cases went unpunished; hopefully, this verdict will reverse that trend.

And it seems that the jury, who voted 10-2 in favor of conviction, empathized with the Beagleys, but had to do what they thought was necessary :

As the verdict was read and the jury was polled on Tuesday, Marci Beagley and a few of the jurors cried. The strain of the nine-day trial was apparent. All but one of the jurors declined to speak with reporters.

"None of us thought they were evil," said juror Robert Zegar. "They just made a wrong decision."

Sentencing will be on February 18th, and experts predict a short sentence or just probation.

Rush's Prayers

Rush Limbaugh was generous enough share some information about his personal relationship with God while on Fox News:

Conservative radio talk show host Rush Limbaugh says he thanks God "every day" that he sees problems for President Barack Obama.

In an interviewing airing Wednesday on Fox News' "Fox & Friends," Limbaugh said the country has lucked out each time one of Obama's initiatives has failed. "The fact that his agenda has totally failed this year is the best thing that could have happened to this country," Limbaugh said. "I thank God every day that it is going down the tubes."

He proceeded to thank God for Vicodin and OxyContin.

Muslim Prayer Goes Green, Sort Of

Muslims will soon be able to conserve water while they pray to Mecca:

A Malaysian company has invented a machine it says will help Muslims purify themselves before prayers without excessively wasting water.

The ornate, green-colored machine comes with automatic sensors and basins to curb water usage during wudu, an Arabic word used to describe the act of washing the face, arms and legs before prayers.

The wudu, or ablution, rite precedes the five daily prayers Muslims are obligated to perform. There are more than 1.7 billion Muslims in the world, with the majority in Africa and the Middle East where water supplies are scarce.

Inventors AACE Technologies is counting on rich countries in these two regions to snap up the machines that will be available in the next six months and cost $3,000-$4,000 a piece.

. . .

The device, which also emits recorded Koranic verses and is 1.65 meters (5 ft 4.96 in) tall, only uses 1.3 liters (0.3 gallons) of water compared to the conventional methods, which usually involve leaving faucets running for the duration of the washing ritual, which can last for several minutes, Gomez said.

"During the Haj, two million people used 50 million liters water a day for wudu. If they introduce this machine they are saving 40 million liters per day," he said, referring to the annual Muslim pilgrimage to Mecca.

Wow, I never realized those prayers wasted so much water, and often in desert countries at that. This story is supposed to show that Islam can be environmentally friendly, but I think it shows yet another reason why we should abandon pointless rituals.

Undercover In The World Of Gay-To-Straight Therapy

Patrick Strudwick, a British journalist, went undercover and sought the services of two quack-therapists who said they might be able to cure his case of the gays.

The first therapist, known only as "Lynne," gets him praying early in the session:

"I love my work and in particular this whole area of SSA [same sex attraction]," she says, as we sit down. "It's such an important area to work in." She has a wholesome face and the suburban air of someone who, when not trying to convert you to heterosexuality, would probably be rustling up a jolly good Victoria sponge. Like those at the conference, she doesn't say "gay"; she only uses the term "SSA".

I ask how she views homosexuality – as a mental illness, an addiction or an anti-religious phenomenon?

"It's all of that," she replies.

And then we pray. "Oh Father, we give you permission to work in Matthew's life to bring complete light and healing into every part of his being." After asking God to heal me, she opens her eyes. "I know the boundaries to keep within," she says.

Strudwick then learns that he's sort of retarded:

But how do I instead become attracted to women? Lynne explains that it's about "reprogramming" and going back into my early developmental stages. "Parts of you have developed but there is a little part of you that has stayed stuck," she says.

Oh, like being retarded?

"It is a bit like that," she agrees.

Lynne also does a thorough background check into relevant events that could explain his SSA:

"Did you have a difficult birth?" she asks. No, I say. Why?

"It's just something I have noticed. Often [with homosexuality] it is quite traumatic, the baby was put into intensive care and because of the separation from the mother there can be that lack of attachment."

She moves on. "Any Freemasonry in the family?" No, I say, again asking her to elaborate. "Because that often encourages it as well. It has a spiritual effect on males and it often comes out as SSA."

After more prayer and awkward advice, it's on to the course's textbook:

Lynne recommends I read a book called Setting Love in Order by Mario Bergner, an "ex-gay". In it, he claims that through prayer he also managed to cure himself of HIV. So with prayer can an HIV-positive person really become negative? "Well the Lord heals, doesn't he?" she replies. "Are you HIV-positive?"

Those sessions with Lynne sounded like a lot of fun, but unfortunately, all good things must come to an end. However, Strudwick had more creepy adventures with the second therapist, a "recovered" homosexual called "David." The therapy in his sessions were done via webcam, which is lucky, because things quickly got weird:

David sets out an action plan. He recommends I join Christian men's groups. "Often there are [for homosexuals] a lot of wounds around masculine community," he explains. He also gives me "exercises" to do. These include standing in front of the mirror naked, touching and "affirming" myself. He makes another such suggestion. "A man may choose to go for a massage as a way of having healthy contact [with another man]," he says.

In the next session I tell him I have followed his advice. "It made me aroused," I say about the massage.

"An erection is just an erection," he replies. "All that indicates is that your body has been programmed that [sex] is the only way men have physical intimacy."

It gets even stranger when David guides him through a homoerotic exercises:

"Close your eyes and focus on that arousal you're feeling down in your genitals," he says. "I want you to hear, as a man, as I look at your body, I see strong shoulders and a strong chest, I see a man who has an attractive body and I want you just to notice the arousal you feel as you hear me talking about that. Imagine an energy and picture that energy as a colour, and make the brightness of the colour relate to the intensity of the sexual feeling, so you might be starting to get a bit of a hard on, you might be starting to feel an erection and that sexual energy, but I want you to just picture that as a coloured light. What colour would it be?"

Red, I say.

"I want you to imagine that red colour, that energy and listen to the affirmations that I see you as a strong, confident man, and I want you to move that red light from your genitals up into your chest to join that feeling of affirmation as a man, and as you breathe in that affirmation do you notice now what happens to the arousal?"

And now you know how therapists make gay people straight.

(Epilogue: Strudwick filed complaints against these two to the applicable governing body.)

The THC Ministry Defense

A Colorado man and member of THC Ministry (where they believe "Cultivation and enjoyment of Cannabis sacrament is a fundamental human right provided by God and protected by the first Amendment of the U.S. Constitution"), was arrested for--surprise!--possession of marijuana:

Trevor Douglas of Avon says he belongs to the Hawaii-based THC Ministry but was cited with marijuana possession after a Colorado state trooper pulled him over for having an expired license plate. The 25-year-old allegedly had less than an ounce of marijuana and a pipe.

Douglas told the Vail Daily newspaper that his religion is similar to Christianity and that the use of pot is sacred to him, just like wine and bread are sacred to Christians.

"The court is basically trying me for my religious beliefs," he told the newspaper.

He added that "If it's part of your religion, you should get security from this prosecution of possession." Even though I believe in legalizing marijuana, I must take exception with this statement. A cult leader who ritualistically molests children would also say they are exempt from the law, because they are only following the rules of their religion.

Likewise, if someone started a religious organization called "Bank Robbery and Arson Ministries," they would not actually be legally permitted to rob banks and commit arson. That's because the laws are supposed to apply to everyone, no matter what their religion is.

Dawkins: Christians Who Disowned Robertson Are Hypocrites

Richard Dawkins believes that Pat Robertson, who credited the Haiti earthquake to God's vengeful nature, was at least being consistent in his beliefs, unlike moderates.

Even without the stark heartlessness of Pat Robertson, tragedies like Haiti are meat and drink to the theological mind. To quote the president of one theological seminary, writing in the On Faith blog of the Washington Post: “The earthquake in Haiti, like every other earthly disaster, reminds us that creation groans under the weight of sin and the judgment of God. This is true for every cell in our bodies, even as it is for the crust of the earth at every point on the globe.”

You nice, middle-of-the-road theologians and clergymen, be-frocked and bleating in your pulpits, you disclaim Pat Robertson's suggestion that the Haitians are paying for a pact with the Devil. But you worship a god-man who — as you tell your congregations, even if you don’t believe it yourself — “cast out devils”. You even believe (or you don’t disabuse your flock when they believe) that Jesus cured a madman by causing the “devils” in him to fly into a herd of pigs and stampede them over a cliff. Charming story, well calculated to uplift and inspire the Sunday School and the Infant Bible Class.

Robertson may spout evil nonsense, but he is a mere amateur at that game. Just read your own New Testament. Pat Robertson is true to it. But you?

Educated apologist, how dare you weep Christian tears, when your entire theology is one long celebration of suffering: suffering as payback for “sin” — or suffering as “atonement” for it? You may weep for Haiti where Pat Robertson does not, but at least, in his hick, sub-Palinesque ignorance, he holds up an honest mirror to the ugliness of Christian theology. You are nothing but a whited sepulchre.

I mostly agree with Dawkins. True believers like Robertson have some barbaric ideas, but in a twisted way, his theology is more consistent and less convoluted than that of a moderate.