tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-45741750943040387812024-03-12T19:29:46.835-07:00Common Sense PlusRandall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.comBlogger199125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-20251646017374481432011-01-28T21:21:00.000-08:002011-01-31T08:51:25.748-08:00The 2nd Amendment - Then and Now<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TUOjrDOYTwI/AAAAAAAAAEg/6oYA5kIzEHU/s1600/musket-drum.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TUOjrDOYTwI/AAAAAAAAAEg/6oYA5kIzEHU/s320/musket-drum.jpg" width="241" /></a></div><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09779692154512287" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Adopted in 1791 along with the remainder of the United States Bill of Rights, the 2nd amendment to the US Constitution has stood as a pillar of American Freedom. Yet the climate of the times, then and now, has changed radically.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The available arms of early America vs those in the year 2011 are oceans apart and I can hardly fathom that our founding fathers would feel comfortable with the sweeping language they used to pen the 2nd Amendment. “The right to bear arms” back in 1791 meant that citizens could own knives, swords and muskets, the simple arms of a simpler time. Had 1791 been able to produce the far more dangerous array of weapons available to today’s average citizen, the 2nd Amendment may have been written in far different terms or perhaps not written at all.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Food for thought... </span><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8364241113702761" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Now imagine the recent Tuscon tragedy happening all over again but only having the weapons of early America available. And picture, too, how different the current popular unrest of Cairo, Egypt might look if it was taking place here in the United States under today’s gun laws.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Perhaps it’s time to rethink our right to bear arms, eh? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.09779692154512287" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">The 2nd Amendment - Then and Now</span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span></span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-24854589255399526902011-01-24T17:01:00.000-08:002011-01-24T23:51:24.886-08:00Reach Out For New Allies<span id="internal-source-marker_0.8157878849066615" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Perhaps this is a good time to seek out new allies who might respond positively to the recent trend toward cultural changes favoring secularism. It’s no secret that our American society is far from being a homogeneous one-religion package. Our US history teaches us that the rise of American Christianity was a gradual one, advancing little by little to become a very big player in today’s knee-jerk behaviors and thinking - it’s become a cultural bias that most people seldom even recognize. Yet, finding willing helpers with a natural motivation and ability to stem further evangelical efforts (in plain words, to quit their religious recruiting) may not be so easy... or will it?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Of all the institutions of our society, both public and private, big corporations may be ripe to consider a new change of policy. For their own good, large corporations are very interested in maintaining a positive public image; their degree of acceptability is without question directly tied to earning profit. Consider, for example, how the hotel industry and its hand-in-glove relationship with Gideons International has evolved. Since 1899 when the Gideons first began supplying free Bibles for hotel rooms, the practice has remained virtually unchallenged. Showing favor to Christian evangelical interests has been good for business. Hospitals, too, have fallen into the habit of accepting and distributing Gideon Bibles as a routine part of their service and it has done them no harm. But now the question becomes: Has today’s religious climate changed enough to merit amending the old policies that favor just one religion? Have we reached a point where no religious bias should be shown?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Let’s get serious about our expectations with regard to religion, and let’s tell the corporate world we care about it. Write letters to Hilton, Holiday Inn, Best Western and Ramada. Say something (on paper) to the hospital association in your state. Tell CEOs and corporate decision-makers about your feelings of religious alienation, about being second classed, and suggest to them that their making a small change of policy will help. It’s time to speak up and be heard where it counts. Make some noise.</span><br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TT6Al1nF4QI/AAAAAAAAAEc/Y7ZPoPY2RHo/s1600/Hotel_Bible_GIF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="238" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TT6Al1nF4QI/AAAAAAAAAEc/Y7ZPoPY2RHo/s320/Hotel_Bible_GIF.gif" width="320" /></a></div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.8157878849066615" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Reach Out For New Allies</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-28324418890920166492011-01-22T12:39:00.000-08:002011-01-22T18:19:21.318-08:00Ridicule. Ridicule. Ridicule... And, LOL!<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TTtAWbccuqI/AAAAAAAAAEU/5R6W4Z1UFNw/s1600/flying_man_GIF.gif" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://1.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TTtAWbccuqI/AAAAAAAAAEU/5R6W4Z1UFNw/s1600/flying_man_GIF.gif" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you came across an individual, someone of reasonable intelligence on most matters, who persisted <u>seriously</u> to boast that he could fly completely unassisted by any human invention, just like a bird, wouldn’t you laugh out loud to his face? It’s ridiculous, right? Well... plan on laughing long and heartily this spring. On May 21st, this year, there will be a lot of people, believers all, expecting to Rapture their way to the heavens. Yup! They’re anticipating “Judgment Day” once again and they’ll be flapping their little imaginary wings off to beat the band and to fly happily into the lap of their lord, Jesus. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So... Plan on having a side-splitting day, and in honor of all our believing friends, why not through a “<i>Holey Crap</i>" party just for laughs. And be sure to tell everyone - the joke’s on them.</span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span id="internal-source-marker_0.49605687521762076" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Ridicule. Ridicule. Ridicule... And, LOL!</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-66316227394834182012011-01-19T10:26:00.000-08:002011-01-19T10:26:53.035-08:00Campus Groups - Today’s Better Tomorrow<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TTcsytnwzFI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/MHtq8kg-CBM/s1600/ssa.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="http://3.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TTcsytnwzFI/AAAAAAAAAEQ/MHtq8kg-CBM/s1600/ssa.png" /></a></div><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">I’ve already dedicated several of my blog posts to starting up new secular/atheist community groups and to the importance of becoming personally involved as an activist for such projects. Here’s another and it’s darn near a slam-dunk, hands-down winner.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Without a doubt, today’s students are the leaders of tomorrow’s better society - a society that sets the nonsense of religiosity aside to favor secularism and it’s reality-based world view - all ripe with a newer set of youthful trend-setting critical thinkers and oodles of new reason-based decision makers. By extending your helping-hands, donations, and cooperativeness to a local Secular Student Alliance group on a college campus near you, the shape of tomorrow becomes insured. And if you find that the collage campus near you has no ready-made established group, </span><a href="http://www.secularstudents.org/groupstartingpacket"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">there’s plenty of help available to start one up</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Look into getting involved right now... It’s important.!</span><br />
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<span id="internal-source-marker_0.28194348932822644" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">Campus</span> <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Groups - Today’s Better Tomorrow</span></span><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> </span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-19122998541566585332011-01-18T03:55:00.001-08:002011-01-18T03:55:47.726-08:00Representation..?<span id="internal-source-marker_0.9608454188281051" style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"></span><br />
<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">With the question of government funded health care once again on the table before Congress, a new poll was conducted by the press, A/P. What a reasonable thing to do, eh? The results in - it was found that only 25% (one in four Americans) opposed the current law. So, why consider this issue with an aim to defeat it with a “Kill the Bill” proposal? Have some of our Congress people gone mad? And who are they representing if not the average American?</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">These questions ought to be tossed around the floor of the House on Wednesday this week and it may be fun to tune in on what’s said and on who said it especially since the recent air surrounding Tucson's disaster has been telling us that hard line party politics must be set aside. I wonder. </span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-61614017844807170732011-01-15T10:55:00.000-08:002011-01-15T10:59:27.058-08:00<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;"><a href="http://4.bp.blogspot.com/_lWUyoHRqk8c/TTHtGL089_I/AAAAAAAAAEM/vgtIQZCNV44/s1600/group_pic.png" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">It’s been a long while since I’ve taken time to live my life as I’d like to, but I’m ready to get back to it. This illness and hospital stuff has been no fun at all. And, that said, let’s talk activism.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">If you live in a state with several secular/atheist/agnostic groups already started, have you done anything to get those groups coordinated? Have you exchanged ideas? Have you spoken out for yourself and others? Have you done anything to encourage and develop even more groups? If so, good for you - do more of it. If not, “Let’s get on the ball, Buck-o.” Start networking.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Starting up a new group is easy. All it takes from you is a little time and perhaps a few bucks. Start by reaching out to stranded individuals who might fit the bill to join-up in a new group. Use the Internet and sites like </span><a href="http://www.facebook.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Facebook</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;"> - there are plenty of enthusiastic candidates out there. Then check out </span><a href="http://www.meetup.com/"><span style="background-color: transparent; color: #000099; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: underline; vertical-align: baseline;">Meetup.com</span></a><span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">. Start your new group and see where it leads you. And don’t assume it’s any harder to do in a nearby neighboring town. It’s not! Getting new groups off the ground is great fun and it’s very usefully needed activism. </span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">Likewise, creating interaction between groups and group leaders is just as easy... Announce an event - a leaders conference. Try using video conferencing and chat rooms to coordinate your plans, group to group. Whether you host a big or small meeting right off the bat is up to you. Do what you can do easily, but do something! Go for it.</span><br />
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<span style="background-color: transparent; color: black; font-family: Arial; font-size: 11pt; font-style: normal; font-weight: normal; text-decoration: none; vertical-align: baseline;">So... do you feel motivated to become a secular activist? I hope so.</span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-66463963077931854432010-06-10T09:52:00.000-07:002010-06-10T10:05:05.464-07:00Stay STD free - a guest post by Andrew Hall<div style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><a href="http://laughinginpurgatory.blogspot.com/p/about-me.html" id="l35p" title="Andy Hall">Andy Hall</a> is the entertaining writer of "<a href="http://laughinginpurgatory.blogspot.com/" id="l3b-" title="Laughing in Purgatory">Laughing in Purgatory</a>" and he's contributed a marvelously humorous post on a topic that might otherwise bring tears to the eyes, gnashing of teeth and a sense of burning to your privates. You'll recognize Andy's unique style from having read him in recent blog Carnivals. I hope you'll all enjoy this sample of Andy's writing as much as I have... Doc</i></span></div><div style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><i><br />
</i></span></div><div style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: large;"><u><b>Stay STD free</b></u><span style="font-size: small;"> - by Andrew Hall</span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0pt;"><img id="fjbo" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1182g9b8snhg_b" style="float: left; height: 325px; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em; width: 325px;" /></div><div style="margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">Hi! I really shouldn’t sound so chipper. There has been something weighing on my mind… on my very soul. You see I’m and adulterer. It’s true I adulterate a lot and my wife of 15 years (or is it 16?) may not like it. On a slow day I commit adultery only 20 times or so (it’s difficult to keep count, I’m a busy guy). The days where I adulterate the most is when I go to the gym where there </span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">are</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;"> many hot women. I get a lot of adulterating done there. In an hour there could be well over 50 discrete episodes. </span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">Wow! I feel better now. That’s a big load off my chest.</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">However, you may have some questions. You may or may not know it but I’m a fairly busy guy. I work full time, watch after my kids, </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">cook</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">, clean, do laundry, write/direct an occasional short film, and blog like a madman. What’s my time management secret to get all that stuff done and still squeeze in the adultery? There may also the question of my constitution. How can I commit adultery 50 times in an hour? I’m very motivated. </span><br />
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<span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">Kidding aside, I will let you in on how I do it. I put my faith in God almighty. All things are possible with him and in the case of adulterating I don’t even have to try very hard, </span></div><blockquote><div style="margin: 0pt 0pt 5pt; text-align: justify;"><i><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">“But I tell you that anyone who looks at a woman lustfully has already committed adultery with her in his heart.” Matthew 5:28</span></i></div></blockquote><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">See? Jesus Christ has said it himself! When I check out a woman God treats it's just like I'm having sex with her! God is </span><span style="font-size: small;">sooooo</span><span style="font-size: small;"> wise. Sure, I'm going to burn in eternal Hellfire (it's for the best God is always right you know), but I don't have to worry about getting any nasty STDs. It's all part of HIS plan</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">What? You say God doesn't want me to commit "virtual" STD free adultery? Wrong my friends! If God didn't want adultery to occur then he wouldn't have created the male sex drive. I see this as damage control for the Big Guy. He made this insane </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">instinct for us to procreate (I don't think using that word is</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">a sin...evolution definitely but not procreate) as a way </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">to spread the "seed."</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;"> But we can't have seed spreading everywhere all time nothing would get done! So if he limits the spread of</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">our seed via virtual means (our imagination) then everyone wins! Some seed will physically go where it needs to, stuff gets done, and an</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-size: small;">ample amount of imaginary adultery </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">occurs that</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">will cause every male to go to Hell for sure.</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">Am I saying the system is rigged?</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">Am I saying God wants us to go to Hell? </span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;">Am I saying I would like a corned beef sandwich on rye with mustard?</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: small;"><br />
</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt; text-align: justify;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">I have said many things and will continue to do so. My</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">belief</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;"> in God compels me regardless of the </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">dictates</span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;"> of reason or common sense. That's what</span><span style="font-size: small;"> </span><span style="font-family: 'times new roman'; font-size: small;">I all faith!</span></div><div style="margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div><div style="margin: 0pt;"><span style="font-family: 'times new roman';"><span style="font-size: small;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.</span><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><u><b>Stay STD free</b></u> - by Andrew Hall</span></span></span></div><div style="margin: 0pt;"><br />
</div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-25425001887963840992010-06-09T07:20:00.000-07:002010-06-09T07:24:01.003-07:00Calling all God-believers: Pray for a 23 hour day.<div style="text-align: justify;"><img height="240" id="tjwh" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1179hh286ffg_b" style="float: left; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em;" width="243" />I wonder if we can get the help of Christians, Jews and Muslims to do a little prayer work? If they call on their God to spin the Earth a tad faster and give us a 23 hour day, we might be able to solve our global warming problem in short order.<br />
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I hope I've figured it out correctly... I'm thinking that a 23 hour day will yield a cooling effect on the atmosphere. (I'd hate to get it wrong and make things worse - so help me out her if I'm screwed up.)<br />
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But what about about it prayer people? You're hooked into the main man. Get us the "spin" we need and a few months of shorter days, 23 hour days. Let's see if that will help us all out of a jam.<br />
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(... or give up your wacko ideas about gods and prayer and sell that gas guzzling SUV.) </div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">.Calling all God-believers: Pray for a 23 hour day.</span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-48767677969787831492010-06-05T20:09:00.001-07:002010-06-05T20:19:01.911-07:00A prescription for theists:<div style="margin-left: 40px; text-align: left;"><span style="font-size: medium;"><i>Take thee of:</i> one holy book and one black marking pen.<br />
<i>Instructions:</i> line-out whatever does not suit your true beliefs.</span><br />
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Thomas Jefferson took an honest approach to his attachment to the Bible and he did exactly what I've suggested above. In fact, he selected out those passages he agreed with and cut and pasted them into his own personal book of Bible beliefs - the Jefferson Bible. As far as I know, his example hasn't been repeated by anyone, yet it should have become a common practice.<br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">There is little doubt in my mind that people today, Christians for example, have severe doubt about what their Holy scripture says on many, many counts. It's obvious that Christians almost universally disagree with the Bible's attitude supporting slavery. Yet, they boast of believing their Bible. A great many people will also find the attitudes found in scripture toward homosexuality are reproachful, and so will there be those who would take intellectual issue with their Bible's ideas of crime and punishment, witchery, creation and miracles, etc..</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Jefferson recognized that his own disagreement with certain notions of the Bible warranted taking liberty to edit-out what he could not find agreeable. In my opinion, it was a very wise step for him to take and it rewarded him by yielding a more useful book, his own personal Bible.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">It just seems right that for anyone claiming to follow the Bible or the Koran or Torah to be able to make his claim as honestly as he can, his holy book ought to reflect not only what he believes but also NOT reflect what he does not or cannot believe.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Theists... today is a good day to begin. Grab your marking pens and read through (or line through) the scriptures. Be like Jefferson. Be honest with yourself.</div><div><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.A prescription for theists: </span></div></div></div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-33934430242702001252010-06-02T01:24:00.001-07:002010-06-02T01:43:54.113-07:00Getting at the real deal:<div style="text-align: justify;"><img id="ryqm" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1174gh3xmndc_b" style="float: left; height: 299px; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em; width: 289px;" />God-believers... try this. Whether you are a Jew a Muslim or a Christian (including Catholics and Mormons,) this is a "<i>must do</i>" exercise for all of you who wish to think of yourselves as being true to your belief. (I include Muslims in this Bible reading exercise simply because it is a religion as grounded in the Biblical God, the God of Abraham, as much as all the others and without which it could not exist.) <br />
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Right now, re-read and reconsider your thoughts about the first four words of the Bible - actually only the first three will be necessary for most of you, if you are honest. "In the beginning, God..."<br />
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If you haven't examined "In the beginning..." for its suggested meaning, its implications, do so now. Do you actually see any reason to think that a true beginning ever was? Is it true - could it be possible - that there was once a starting point before which nothing - absolutely nothing - was? (Even the Big Bang Theory rejects the notion of a "beginning".) Did everything that is (including your god if you believe that way) pop up from nothing as these words imply? Do you have any real experience or knowledge of anything at all from nature , from your own life or from the experience of others (other than this biblical proposed beginning) of anything real and tangible actually popping up out of nothing...? Has even science found anything - even the slightest thing - to suggest that something could possibly come for absolutely nothing - arising from no precursors at all? <br />
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In fact "In the beginning..." is quite a preposterous notion. It is so highly unlikely that a "beginning" from nothing could have been or ever occurred that choosing to read on to the next word of the Bible, "God", is moot.... quite pointless.<br />
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Think about it... religious beliefs are not grounded upon anything real. Not even from their beginning, beginning with the words "In the beginning..." Religion fails to adequately explain the reality of nature and of our being a small part of it. It's time to set religious nonsense aside.</div><span style="font-size: xx-small;"><br />
.Getting at the real deal:</span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-57400670144286429022010-05-31T21:40:00.000-07:002010-05-31T21:45:58.302-07:00Black atheism is beautiful...<img height="223" id="e46b" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1171cbwbm6c5_b" style="float: left; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em;" width="223" />I've been waiting a long time for this and its finally beginning to show up. Members of the black community who, like me, stand for separation of church and state and profess atheism and Humanism are stepping up to speak out at gatherings and conferences. Wow. I love it.<br />
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I have a few black atheist friends - very few - but that's only because non-religious black people are so far and wide between. If there is any single identity group in America that's drenched, totally, in religion any more than blacks, serve it up for lunch and I'll eat it along with my hat and yours. Blacks (and it is so surprising when you consider how derided and repressed by religion their people have been throughout history) represent perhaps the smallest atheist group in all America... That couldn't last for ever, of course, and now it's finally beginning to change. Whoopie...<br />
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Here's a treat. NPR (National Public Radio) did a terrific interview featuring Jamila Bay (<a href="http://www.theroot.com/views/black-women-who-use-word" id="rt8x" title="her blog">here's her blog</a>). Read the NPR interview yourself - read the whole thing. <a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=127239913&ft=1&f=1016" id="l05k" title="Interview">Interview</a><br />
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Tell me... are some days better than others, or is it just me. <br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">.Black atheism is beautiful...</span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-12470916122630181292010-05-30T12:43:00.000-07:002010-06-02T00:43:59.155-07:00US Catholic schools: Should they go it alone?<div style="text-align: justify;"><img height="254" id="nv7q" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_11694vgxstf5_b" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" width="377" />Here in the US it's a pretty good bet that a kid entering the Catholic school system has a better than average chance of turning out to be a decent adult. It isn't a 100% guarantee (there are plenty of good Catholic kids who get side tracked by drugs and other temptations) but, for the most part, a Catholic school education can be counted on. Moreover, it's such a good system that if the system itself doesn't toss a monkey wrench in the way of a developing child, and I'm speaking here of institutional child abuse and the degree to which Catholic priests have been implicated, the chances for just about every Catholic school child to go from kindergarten all the way through post graduate studies and on to receive an advanced degree and become one of our nation's success stories are, in fact, very good. And that good news leads us to a dilemma. What should US Catholics do to guard against losing such a great school system because the church is failing top down?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">The Catholic church is currently investing heavily into some rather new and very risky expansion in Africa and other third world nations and all its trying to do this even as it faces costly problems of legal suits and decreased membership from its failing churches in Europe, other developed nations and even in some parts of the US. If this continues, the Catholic school system in the US will begin to feel the lost dollars and cents pain of sharing in the risk and it may see itself begin to fall financially apart at the seams. What to do?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">Perhaps it's time for US Catholics to make a bold new plan and back away from their support for Rome... (and from church leaders here the US as well.) Perhaps it's time to demand a formal separation of US Catholic schools from all involvements with the church. This may be a good time to go 100% private by forming a secular corporation that stands completely on its own and (for very good reason) at more than arms length from the church. The schools, after all, have grown up entirely on donations and tuition fees paid directly by Americans. It hasn't been as though Rome was sending money here to develop schools. Oh no... Rome's place was skimming from the top - it's been doing that right from the get-go.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;">I wonder how well (in fact, I wonder how much better yet) a privately run (formerly Catholic) school system might work out if it was tried... The idea is good food for thought, anyhow. And I hope a few forward thinking Catholics, like principals and teachers, take up the ball. I'll hate seeing what happens if they don't. </div><br />
<span style="font-size: xx-small;">.US Catholic schools: Should they go it alone? </span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;"><b>UPDATE:</b> Good news. I've learned through private conversation that some US Catholic schools are already somewhat insulated from the Vatican. Some are "owned privately" by orders of nuns such as The Sisters of Mercy, and by such special efforts and planning have been moved to put these US Catholic schools in a much better position to survive any failings of Rome. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;">Upon learning this, I was very pleased to hear myself respond "Hurray for the Sisters of Mercy." Imagine those words falling from my mouth - unbelievable, but it's true. I sincerely hope every US Catholic school will follow suit. </span></span><br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;"><span style="color: red; font-size: small;">Thanks to Lana Coelho of Little Rock for this update information</span>. </span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-81486651865682078392010-05-29T16:35:00.000-07:002010-05-30T10:45:10.367-07:00Its not an easy first step... but take it.<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<img height="122" id="amd4" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1166grx5t7fz_b" style="float: left; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em;" width="209" />Dr Darrel Ray, author of "The God Virus" and creator of a network of support groups for people leaving their superstitions and beliefs behind, - <a href="http://www.atheistnexus.org/profile/DarrelRay">RR (Recovering from Religion)</a> - is someone to be admired for his compassionate work on behalf of others new to non-religion. He understands that people who have decided to call it quits with their religion face a difficult challenge. That challenge isn't embodied as much in adopting new ideology as it is in dealing with new social pressure.<br />
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A person leaving behind his former belief, the set of notions he has come to realize are unfounded by fact, has very little struggle understanding his own reason for deciding as he did. He knows his own mind and he's checked his perception of reality to satisfaction. The real struggle he faces is from outsiders, his former church friends. It comes from his own family and from his old friends who, with the best of intentions of course, try their hardest to prevent his new change of opinion and his decision to leave religion. Peer pressure falls hard on anyone leaving religion, and that's a fact.<br />
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Support groups like the ones Dr Ray has developed, while they may not be a "must do" step for everyone leaving religion, are a valuable asset for some. RR groups are a place tailor made for people who are new to non-religion. I recommend joining if you are just now walking away from religion. It makes good sense to have a friendly hand to hold, new or not, when faced with the kind of pressure that leaving religion can bring. <br />
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Taking the first steps to leave can be a tough decision. That's true enough. But the very first one, accepting yourself honestly as a non-believer is the easiest one... defending that decision, the next steps in leaving religion, is something altogether different unless one has the added strength of what RR offers. Leaving religion in the company of new friends makes the challenge so much easier. Join RR, find a friend to share with, and walk away.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.Its not an easy first step... but take it. </span> </div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-61447189419795480322010-05-27T03:42:00.001-07:002010-05-28T03:51:58.323-07:00The bottom line...<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
There's something, a general lesson, which must be learned by theists. And it's a simple enough something that they ought to be able to catch on pretty easily. It's this: What God wants an what God thinks and what God needs doesn't count.<br />
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<img height="246" id="j2_o" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1157fwr5fxdt_b" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" width="175" />When a preacher, a politician or anyone speaks of what God wants, there is actually no telling by anyone that what he said is true; and, in any case, it really doesn't matter either way. Here's an example: If someone claims that God wants everyone to drink more water, that claim can be questioned for its validity. Is it true or false? The fact is that nobody can actually know one way or the other. Whoever made the claim simple drew his conclusion out of thin air. He didn't actually get a "message" from God, did he? And here's the kicker: If everyone did or didn't drink more water, what difference would it make to the price of tea? ... None.<br />
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What God wants and what God thinks doesn't make a bean's worth of difference upon reality. God's desires are only what someone says they are. And the price of a cup of tea will always be the price of a cup of tea regardless of what anyone says God wants.<br />
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The bottom line is this... theists must learn and accept the fact that what God wants, thinks and needs is just somebody's made up opinion and opinions (especially on what God wants) are a dime a dozen. They simply don't count for anything.</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.The bottom line... </span> </div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-72278439758107914362010-05-25T23:31:00.000-07:002010-05-28T21:33:46.083-07:00Religion: how to be on wrong side of almost everything...<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
God-belief has lead people to be on the wrong side, on the immoral side, of so many issues that I have to say I'm truly surprised anyone still clings to it. By simply looking back at US history alone, it's and easy task to list one after another of cases where Bible followers have made their stand in wrong camps.<br />
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<img height="218" id="s4wc" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1155cbczwpgh_b" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" width="327" />Slavery, an institution clearly supported by the Bible and defended openly on that alone, was from our beginnings an issue that nearly tore the country apart. Our founding fathers and every administration through the Lincoln years - that's 88 years worth of struggle - fought long and hard to eliminate slavery by every reasonable means available; and yet, there it stood, supported to the last by religion. Moreover, the lasting attitudes of the slavery issue, the racial hatred generated, remained an issue long afterword... into the sixties and throughout the years of the Black Civil Rights Movement. Its foul attitude continues even today and can be easily seen in signs carried by far right wing Tea Party religious fanatics.<br />
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As an aside, I'll mention that it especially surprises me that black Americans, a race so directly downtrodden by slavery, are so easily able, as if they were blind and deaf to what the Bible says their God stands for, to dismiss completely that which is openly touted - that slavery is moral and right - yet blacks by the million remain loyal Bible followers.<br />
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But to continue... slavery and racial hatred aren't the only issues which have seen religionists take the wrong side against reasonable morality. Religion has been on the wrong side of nearly every American socially moral question. Witch hunting, for example, the fair treatment of Indians, and consider a woman's right to vote, an issue of the early twentieth century that was dearly fought against primarily on religious grounds. Men were, according to the Bible, meant to be the dominating sex. And that hasn't changed in the scriptures. It still stands. The notion remains in the Bible, true, and is still practiced by some Christian sects even today. Take another issue, and an old one, that religion stands resistance to teaching evolutionary science. Beginning with the Scopes Monkey trial, this issue represents a clearly religious lead division between intellectualism and dogma - an issue where religion once again takes a very wrong side - the side that says learning and knowledge are NOT good things - as if stupidity were a virtue. Gay rights is another issue where religion would, if it could, severely restrict the freedom and liberty of some individuals only to selfishly satisfy their own religiously planted, Biblical supported, ideological thinking - and of course to satisfy what God wants. It, too, is a case where Bible references are called upon relentlessly in support of ideas that are unjust and unfair. And the same is true for abortion rights where, for entirely religious reasons, a woman's right to decide on what she may do with her own body would be denied.<br />
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All of these issues have had strong religious support in the past, and still do. Yet, religion has not been and is clearly not as morally correct as it claims itself to be....and this has caused reason derived morals, burdened by religion all the way, to take the lead in establishing better ways.<br />
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So why do people still follow religion when it is clearly so obviously and consistently wrong? How could they... how do they take pride in calling themselves believers of God, followers of Jesus or believers in scripture-given morals? I wonder, will they ever catch on?<br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">.Religion: how to be on wrong side of almost everything... </span> </div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-29041700619656563732010-05-24T02:39:00.000-07:002010-05-24T03:03:03.067-07:00What's the best way to decide something - anything?<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Given a problem to solve, any problem: how should people go about finding the best solution? Should they, pray, consult their chosen holy book, attend a religious service and then finally decide, or should they do something else, something that's more closely directed to examining the specifics of the problem?<br />
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<img height="212" id="ghx_" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1153hsvcjp98_b" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" width="283" />It has frequently seemed to me that god-based decision making and problem solving is to often an end run around the line of reality to be a good first choice problem-solving tool for anything or anyone. Often, although a particular god-based solution may seem to satisfy and please the church and its community, the result ends up being a shade short of being the best possible solution. Words from the pulpit that say "God wants <i>this or that</i>" don't fit for most situations and I think this is an important message to spread to church-goers. The opinions of the church, and even the opinions of God as they may be written out in scripture, may not be the best ones to follow.<br />
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When faced with a decision in need of making or a problem in need of a solution, I hope it becomes a common practice for all people to think things through thoroughly first, to get all the facts and measure all the risks, twists and turns of possibility imaginable, and then to finally decide upon an answer or an action. If it feels right to pray afterwords... well fine. Pray if you'd like, but keep it in mind that 2+2 will always add up to 4 and the price for a cup of coffee will still be a buck twenty-nine.<br />
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If this message became the rule of thumb for everyone, our world would be a better place. </div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><span style="font-size: xx-small;">.What's the best way to decide something - anything? </span></div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-41244884662745482112010-05-22T15:40:00.000-07:002010-05-24T03:01:42.936-07:00Hmmm... How to debunk "Christian Heritage" propaganda<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
</div><div id="cqcb" style="text-align: justify;"><div id="e2t4"><img height="222" id="ka.2" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1151dp25gwfw_b" style="float: left; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em;" width="258" />There's no doubt in the minds of people who have checked the facts, that our nations "rich Christian Heritage" isn't as rich as some people are saying. But how in the world can the secular community debunk the claims of congress people and TV personalities who have all the ears of America listening, and who, with complete disregard for the facts, keep spreading their messages of misinformation.</div></div><br />
This seems at be a situation calling for a thorough face-to-face debate held under the public eye. We need to get America's attention focused on this question and we need to do it on a very public stage.<br />
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If the right wing darling, Sarah Palin, or Congressman Randy Forbes with his handful of "evidence" had their feet held to the fires of scholarly argument against true historians, my bet is that they would lose hands down. The same is true for Glenn Beck and for all of the popular Christian radio and TV personalities who do nothing but parrot these unexamined "rich Christian heritage" claims in unopposed sound bytes.<br />
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It's time to call on the experts and on our most knowledgeable non-religious atheist/secularist community members to take the lead. We have got to set the venue to hear-out everything to the last detail. Somehow, we have to set the stage to spread the facts - all of the facts - out into open air.<br />
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Like science, history is well documented. There are thousands of early writings to draw upon that will no doubt overwhelm the few examples of "Christian evidence" being offered by the wing nuts of the fundamentalist crowd. Lets get it on.... The current flood of misinformation needs mopping up. <br />
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<span style="font-size: xx-small;">.Hmmm... How to debunk the "Christian Heritage" propaganda</span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-14852192772857038332010-05-20T22:33:00.000-07:002010-05-31T20:00:49.926-07:00Check out your local hospital - again.<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
Because required return visits to my local hospital are on my schedule the situation of my local hospital has been on my mind and I've been ruminating thoughts about what a secular waiting area "ought" to be like. On my previous hospital visits (read it <a href="http://commonsenseplus.blogspot.com/2010/03/emergency.html" id="bevq" title="here">here</a> and <a href="http://commonsenseplus.blogspot.com/2010/05/check-out-your-local-hospital.html" id="aej8" title="here">here</a>) I've become aware that things as they currently stand just don't cut the fairness mustard when it comes to giving hospital patients and visitors the kind of needed "spiritual" support they may require.<br />
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<img height="197" id="jgxt" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_11476kcbkvhn_b" style="float: left; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em;" width="262" />As a non-theist, my comfort requirements in a hospital setting are easy to fulfill. Give me a cushy chair and a nice window view, perhaps a few news magazines and such, and I'll be good to go for a ten minute wait or a day-long vigil. On such occasions, I usually bring along my own reading materials anyhow. For theists, its likely a different case. They may find it necessary to consult a page or two of their personal favorite flavor of scripture in order to comfortably pass the time with less stress. No problem there, eh?<br />
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A Christian, for example, would probably appreciate having a handy Bible. A Muslim would prefer a Qu'ran. And that makes sense. But about the difference, I'll say in short that I see nohing wrong one way or the other.... until, that is, an obviously unfair imbalance is struck owing to attitudes and actions of the hospital.<br />
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The reality of what I've experienced at my local hospital, which happens to be a sharp bias for Christianity, is an epitome of imbalance. The spiritual "comforts and courtesies" as they're offered currently favor the Christian religion and specifically favor the Christian religion, <i>Gideon-style</i>.<br />
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What ought to be there instead..? I think the answer is quite simple. Variety. Choice. A bookcase.<br />
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If a small library of religious reading materials and a few non-religious selections as well, books reflecting the wide variety of world beliefs - Hinduism, Islam, Buddhism, Taoism, Judaism, Christianity, Mormon, etc., etc. - were housed in a prominent bookcase in every waiting room area and on every hospital flood, who would be left to complain? Not even me and wouldn't that be nice?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
I hope this kind of attitude of fairness catches on. Honestly... its a change that's long overdue. The Gideon are currently being given far to much in the way of special privilege. It's out of control and over the top. It's time to speak up and see this situation brought back to something more reasonable. </div><div style="text-align: justify;">.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Check out your local hospital - again. </span> </div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-21684130836582556222010-05-19T18:59:00.000-07:002010-05-19T18:59:45.053-07:00Check out your local hospital...<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<img height="185" id="k6lh" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1145fn8j4mdk_b" style="float: left; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em;" width="280" />Wow, I'm flabbergasted. The last time <a href="http://commonsenseplus.blogspot.com/2010_03_01_archive.html" id="rgum" title="I made a visit to the hospital">I made a visit to the hospital</a>, it was littered with Gideon Bibles. This time it was even worse.<br />
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Just as before, all the tables in the ER waiting room were decorated by brown covered Bibles. (One table also had a blue one beside the brown one.) And now I've noticed that there is a neat little display advertising the services of Alcoholics Anonymous. You all recall that group, I'm sure - they're the ones that get you off your booze habit by hooking you on God.<br />
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What's up with theses hospitals? Do they think everyone in the whole frickin' world needs a dose of Christianity. Gosh. Why not just give out "Jesus" injections?</div><div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Check out your local hospital...</span></div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-7053452657898380432010-05-19T10:58:00.001-07:002010-05-19T10:58:37.406-07:00Do you ever feel like... ?<img height="248" id="y6px" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1141fwx45chb_b" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" width="230" />Have you ever gotten the urge to make a random call to ask this: "Hey, has Jesus called you lately?"<br />
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I've often wondered if a simple reality check of that sort might help wake up a few sleepy-heads. After all, it's a no-brain-er that every honest response to the question would be have to be "No".<br />
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Hmmm.... Perhaps I'll give it a shot.<br />
.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">Do you ever feel like... ?</span> Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-40849434272309453502010-05-14T02:33:00.000-07:002010-05-14T02:46:43.409-07:00What if we're the the gods?<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
<img height="322" id="zapl" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1138st9855g5_b" style="float: right; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt;" width="296" />Since there is actually no one (other than ourselves) to say we aren't gods, why not claim the post? Humans are by far the highest level beings anywhere to be found on Earth and its a good bet we have no equals in our small part of the universe. So why not? Why not simply decide once and for all that we are the gods and there are no others.<br />
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I know, for example, without any hesitations at all that I'm a morally better god than Allah and the god of Abraham. I'm not in favor of subjugating or beheading infidels or genital mutilation, and I certainly have no stomach for flooding the world to rid it of <i>whatever</i>. Since I'm not a fan of slavery as Jesus was, I'd say I'm probably a better god than him. And as for honesty... you won't hear me making any promises of rags to riches favors just for following my advice and neither will I promise anyone life after death. Those notions just preposterous. <br />
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So what about it? What do you think? Are we or are we not the only gods around? (I think we are.) And if so, what grand design should we all work on together for our own good? <br />
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</div><div style="text-align: justify;">. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">What if we're the the gods?</span></div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-49875041396395291502010-05-11T17:06:00.001-07:002010-05-11T17:10:30.395-07:00No cows spared...<div style="text-align: justify;"><img height="258" id="iwff" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1136dwf9d8dn_b" style="float: left; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em;" width="243" />The time has come (finally) to an era of understanding that ought to be common to everyone. There are no sacred cows. No faith or belief, no religion of gods can feel as comfortable today as in the past with the idea that having faith is above all criticism and insulated from accountability. One by one, the mechanisms of special privilege formerly assumed by religion are faltering; and, one by one, reasonable minds are filling in their place with reasoned orderliness, process, fair play and by the restoration of the individual personal rights to liberty which everyone naturally deserves, with honestly weighed equality. <br />
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Freethinkers, skeptics, atheists, agnostics and Humanists are, as one, setting free the religiously enslaved minds of yesterday. Notions of mysticism, supernatural beings with magical ability, life beyond death, intercessory prayer, divine moral and ethical absolutes, miracles and personal salvation are loosing their faith-born foundation - and reasonably so.<br />
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If ever the word Hallelujah had an appropriate time or place, it would be now, said not for its original Hebrew meaning, "Praise Yahweh," but as an expression of "Hey world... What took ya so damn long to wake up?" </div><div style="text-align: justify;">.<span style="font-size: xx-small;">No cows spared...</span> </div>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-22102017418567758892010-04-27T21:45:00.000-07:002010-04-27T21:45:41.984-07:00Annie Laurie steps up to bat:.<br />
<div style="text-align: justify;"><img id="yx1g" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1127grb9m6f5_b" style="float: right; height: 214px; margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 0pt; width: 183px;" />If you haven't done so already, there are a slew of news videos to watch surrounding the recent ffrf win over the National Day of Prayer. And guess who's been out front under the spotlight... Annie Laurie Gaylor. Wow. That's good to see.<br />
<br />
Women are too infrequently seen and heard from when it comes to speaking out for atheist issues. Annie Laurie is a welcomed exception to the rule. Check out <a href="http://www.ffrf.org/news/media/" id="nnhl" title="ffrf in the news">ffrf in the news</a> from their website or visit <a href="http://www.google.com/search?hl=en&client=firefox-a&hs=Cgz&tbo=p&rlz=1R1GGGL_en___US349&tbs=vid:1&ei=O7zXS_upFovU8ATcqKWRBw&sa=X&oi=spell&resnum=0&ct=result&cd=1&ved=0CEkQBSgA&q=Annie+Laurie+gaylor&spell=1" id="hbik" title="Youtube and search her by name">Youtube and search her by name</a>. Our girl from Madison Wisconsin is on the job. </div>. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Annie Laurie steps up to bat:</span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-76574375362496116802010-04-26T08:58:00.001-07:002010-04-27T22:02:12.243-07:00Who should answer...? Who will answer...?<div style="text-align: justify;">I'm a little frustrated by the apparent apathy and disregard for keeping the record straight on one simple question of the day - or rather on an important question of the age. It isn't at all uncommon to hear words of "Our country was founded as a Christian nation" spilling from the mouths of politicians on the public stage, the media and especially from little guys on the streets. And that's just humbug!<br />
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Mis-information, widespread misinformation, is dangerous.<br />
<br />
The United States has achieved great things in a little more than two hundred years and at least <img height="254" id="v1qr" src="https://docs.google.com/File?id=dcp5wzf8_1123f835fxf2_b" style="float: left; margin-left: 0pt; margin-right: 1em;" width="254" />a part of that success has to be attributed to a past which held a healthy attitude for living the original national motto "<a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/E_pluribus_unum" id="lkpc" title="E.
Pluribus Unum">E. Pluribus Unum</a>" - <i>Out of many, one</i>. Today, things are different. The original national motto has given way to become "In God We Trust"... Our currency, except for the one dollar bill, no longer bares the original motto, failing to give an accurate reflection of where we came from and why we've done so well. What's wrong with this picture?<br />
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Isn't it time to set the record straight? Shouldn't the nations historians be heard from on the simple question of our nation's founding? Our college professors have remained far to silent. The media fails to attend to seeking out facts. Where is the open debate? Who holds the keys to unlock this silence and bring the truth to light - to BRIGHT LIGHT!<br />
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The floor of congress has heard only sparse debate on the subject a year ago when engraving "In God We Trust" on a wall in the Capitol Visitors Center was a week-long hot potato. But since then, nothing. The experts weren't called upon - not then and not since. Why not? And how much longer must we wait for people of integrity on all tiers of society to rise to the top and demand that attention must be directed to ending the ignorance? This is a simple question of fact and it must be answered in simple terms for all to know.<br />
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We are NOT a Christian nation. And it's time to shout it clearly from the roof tops. </div>. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Who should answer...? Who will answer...?</span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-4574175094304038781.post-89267279149454688402010-04-24T03:38:00.000-07:002010-05-01T21:19:17.992-07:00Scorned and pissed-off about it:<div style="text-align: justify;"><br />
The religiously lead battle wages on for official recognition on anything and everything having to do with government.<br />
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Our nation was begun as an experiment in government whereby the people were meant to be the highest voice of authority when deciding rule of law. Religion, and as well royalty, were scorned - marginalized and effectively set aside from participation in the process.<br />
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Royalty had no recourse. It bowed to the will of the people without a fuss when the American colonies defeated it militarily. Religion, on the other hand, geared itself up to fight on and to undermin the right of the people to govern on their own. It has been doing so ever since.<br />
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Throughout the history of the US we have seen landmark insurgencies upon secular authority. Like stamps and trademarks and like spray painted gang graffiti marking turf, religion has set a pattern to make itself appear as included into our ruling body. The enacted "Thanksgiving Day" celebration was one of the earliest of this kind of tactic. "In God We Trust" cast on coinage came along as another assault in the 1860s and later in the 1950s found its way to being printed on currency and to be recognized as a national motto. The words "under God" were inserted into the pledge of allegiance at around the same time. And today, the nations Capital Visitors Center is prominently decorated by the same words engraved in its walls.<br />
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And a current battle wages... a somewhat smaller struggle yet one that is of the same cloth. It's happened in the state of Oklahoma. Automobile license plates bearing the motto <a href="http://www.tulsaworld.com/news/article.aspx?subjectid=11&articleid=20100420_11_A9_Licens620449" id="aebu" title=""In God We Trust"">"In God We Trust"</a> are now available there, but it took an action of a very few people and a giant step by a single religiously lead individual to get there. Nonetheless, the scorned and pissed-off religious sector of society has once again made another mark of "officially appearing recognition" by government. It has won another small day.... almost.<br />
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Fortunately for Oklahoma and for the nation, there is a counter. The contralateral message "In Reason We Trust" is also being made available. Order your own license here: <a href="http://friendlyatheist.com/2010/04/06/an-atheist-friendly-oklahoma-license-plate/" id="v03_" title="In Reason We Trust.">In Reason We Trust.</a></div>. <span style="font-size: xx-small;">Scorned and pissed-off about it:</span>Randall "Doc" Fleckhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/15260856997118480277noreply@blogger.com1