Archived blog post

Announcement #2

Posted by Tim on Tuesday, February 10, 2009 | Permalink
 

I keep thinking that I should declare this blog officially dead, but I can't quite bring myself to do so. After all, I might write something ... sometime ...

Writing about religion is more than a little frustrating, having to reiterate the same old arguments and put up with trolls and hit-and-run fundie commenters. Also, I got all the metaphysical stuff out of the way early on, leaving me to have to follow the news if I wanted to write anything of interest - something that I don't consistently bother with (plenty of other people do that job rather better than me).

There is still an interest in the site though, so I'm not planning to get rid of what's already here whether I continue writing or not. I still get hundreds - sometimes thousands - of visitors a day. People still comment on old posts and I receive a large number of responses to the Christianity Questionnaire (I haven't posted any of the responses recently as they are all just variations of the same theme).

I have been told that sites like this are pointless as I'm either preaching to the converted or winding up fundies who are beyond any form of reasoning. This may be partially true, but I'd guess that at least a few of the more intelligent religious people who have found their way here have gone away questioning their beliefs to some extent. Also, anything that promotes atheism is a good thing. While it may be several centuries since anyone was burnt at the stake for heresy, it's only fairly recently that atheism has become socially acceptable. The atheist bus thing is a good example of this - I don't imagine that even a few years ago it would have happened. The response from religious groups was fairly feeble and not really taken seriously (although the hypocrisy of Christians and the special treatment still given them for no reason other than they have a "belief" was evident when a Christian bus driver refused to drive one of the busses displaying the advert - somehow I can't imagine an atheist bus driver being allowed to refuse to drive a bus displaying an advert for the alpha course).

On the subject of the advert, I do think that the wording could have been stronger:

Atheist bus



(Thanks to the bus slogan generator, via b3ta)

Anyway, this site is more than just a blog. Since writing last I have put back the articles from the original version of this site and re-done the front page (just an introduction, but contains the important - and much talked about it would seem - disclaimer). Any other updates will be added below.

In the meantime, buy my stuff!

UPDATES:
23/02/09 - added a response to a Christian's view of atheism

Comments [ hide comments ]
hi tim,
i used to comment here back in the day (i think 2005?)attempting to defend the christian position. i did your questionnaire and you said that i was 'rather more liberal then god himself'. don't know if you remember that particular nugget. hehe.

anyway, just wanted to let you know that i'm now an atheist (no one's more surprised than me) and to say cheers for interesting and challenging debate that helped me look at my beliefs a bit more rationally!

hope you're well!
ffyona
ffyona, 13.02.2009, 12:46pm #
Well done! (seriously, not being patronising or anything) - you'll feel a lot better with a free mind.

The old posts (and comments) are still there, get to them from the articles page (top menu).

Nice post on fundamentalist republicans BTW [http://sickbutimpretty.blogspot.com/2009/01/to-various-horror-story-fundamentalist.html] - I never quite understand how these people can't see that Jesus was a socialist.
Tim, 13.02.2009, 5:51pm #
ha 'amen' to that, i'm sure jesus would be ever so proud of gun totin' capitalists.

i had a read through the questionnaire, it didn't feel good. i don't regret being a christian, i'm just impressed at how utterly irrational my head used to be. i literally couldn't get back into that mindset if i tried.

thanks:) it's scary leaving the cave, but i've never felt better. (i get to have vices out here!)

xxx
ffyona, 18.02.2009, 1:04pm #
This is a great site. I have read a lot of information here that is exactly what I have been thinking all along! Most of my family and friends dismiss me when I tell them I am an atheist. But I don't mind. There is nothing that will convince me that God created us or that heaven and hell exist.

Anyway..I hope you keep up the blog....
1975, 22.02.2009, 3:10am #
Speaking of good sites:
http://freethoughtpedia.com/wiki/Funny_theist_quotes
Seriously, the amount of stupid in that thread is amazing.
for example:
I'm not talking about a simple power outage. I'm talking about enriched plutonium which comes from the conversion of uranium into WMD. It is considered the most dangerous substance known to man and absolutely will shut off the electricity present in planes. All any terrorist has to do is drop large quantities of plutonium from airplanes onto American soil and it will render electricity completely useless. And the chain reaction that will occur from the US shutting down will be global. We Americans have had the capacity to do that to our enemies for years. I had erroneoulsy thought that atheists knew that since they claim to know so much about our universe.
[Emphasis added]
But as usual, you haven't thought things through at all and are speaking from ignorance again.
Numerous, 24.02.2009, 8:05am #
Speaking of good sites:
www.evolutionisdead.com.

Get rid of your blog tim-- Get back to Jesus, and stop drinking excessively.
I've defeated you and brother jeff. Looking forward to your website coming down.
RHF, 28.02.2009, 2:34am #
Sorry RHF, but you're a complete moron. You can't even answer my questions, so you just run away and ignore it. It;s because you're afraid.
Accept it, your website is just a biased piece of crap, put together so you can pretend that what you want to believe is right.

Accept it, were right and you know it.
Numerous, 01.03.2009, 8:47am #
Accept what Numerous? That the fantasy of evolution is true?
If humans have been re-producing for millions of year then why is the population only 6 billion. Exponential growth too difficult to understand. Natural selection and random chance can not produce complex organisms like us.

Sorry Numerous, your delusional as all the other atheists on this website. Simple arguments defeat evolution.
You can quote all the scientists you want, and the looney evolution theories they come up with.
There is no proof of macro evolution. Where are your missing links?
Face it, evolution is dead.

www.evolutionisdead.com.

Don't waste my time on your delusions Numerous.
When you can prove to me that something can come from nothing , I'll take you seriously.
In the mean time, go the pub near piccadily circus and tell Tim to go home. He's probably on his 20th Kilkenny and his liver can't take it anymore.
RHF, 07.03.2009, 11:55pm #
Whereas your god comes from....
Whoops! NOTHING!
Seriously, the more you say the more you prove you're an idiot. Go waste your time somewhere else.
Numerous, 08.03.2009, 2:15am #
Writing about religion is more than a little frustrating, having to reiterate the same old arguments and put up with trolls

Whah, whah, whah... Cry me a river!
cl, 10.03.2009, 10:44am #
Not surprised that you don't have much to offer Numerous. Your an empty shell just like Tim and Brother Jeff. Your
arguments lack logic and make no sense.
Evolution is bull!!
It never happened, so please deal with reality.

Please cut down on the booze. Feel sorry for Tim.
Hope he makes his deliveries on time while licquored up.

If you really want to debate, bring it on chump!
RHF, 11.03.2009, 12:35am #
Considering you haven't even answered my last reply, you really shouldn't talk about being hollow, RHF.
But, for your convenience, I'll copy and paste the argument for you, and provide a link, so you can check it yourself.
QUOTE:
"Hey, "fuck evolution", try providing some evidence to back up your "theory". I'll go through your arguments anyways, to point out how you're wrong. You're correct that evolution is a "theory", but that just means it hasn't been proved yet. It does have overwhelming evidence to show it has a basis, though.
If evolution is a myth, then why is there so much proof of micro evolution? Almost all of virology depends on what we know about micro evolution.
You're pretty mentally ill to start cussing because we disagree with you, by the way.
If Darwin was "an old idiot", then how come all his stuff about "random mutations" etc was backed up almost entirely (99%) when we discovered DNA and RNA?
Now, you're saying "I believe in god, and theres nothing, absolutely nothing, that will "cnahce" that. I'm assuming "cnahce" means change. If so, that just shows how closed-minded you are.

So go fuck christianity in the ass, and at least try to give some sort of facts to back up your statements.

" we was created by a god so many billions of years ago how would humans have survived the meteor that made dinosaurs extinct? What you must remember however is this meteor has been proven to be the main cause of the dinosaur's extinction. We would have been here before the dinosaurs even yet how could our small fragile human bodies possibly survive such a catastrophic event? We would have been wiped out just as fast as the dinosaurs if not faster. However for all you evolutionist out there if we evolved from apes and Adam and Eve was the first humans made, how is it possible that we evolved from them. That would make the evolution man, monkey, man. It could be possible that primates had evolved from humans to better co-exist with there surroundings after the meteor stuck, resulting in another million years or so we started evolving back into humans due to a major shift in the environment ."
Evolution 101:
We weren't around when dinosaurs were still alive. We evolved from the earliest mammals, who survived the "holocaust" because they were small, and lived in burrows, where they were safe. As soon as the dust clouds blocking out sunlight disappeared, there were no large animals around, and the the majority of animals were all mammals.
Result:
The early mammals were a bit like rabbits. Use your imagination and figure out what happened then (mass breeding, evolution did the rest). You really should watch "walking with dinosaurs".

Now, since you all seem to have failed science, can everyone post how old they are, what grade they're in (K - 12, uni?) and [optional] their approximate IQ?
Seriously, be honest. If you say you're in year 12, and you don't know year 8 work, it'll prove you're a liar.

That said:
I'm in year 10, I'm 15, and my IQ is around 130.
If you don't know your IQ, google "free IQ test", and click any of the first 5 links. Easy as pie.
Numerous, 15.02.2009, 12:21am #"
http://www.religionisbullshit.net/blog/2008/02/evolution-in-five-minutes.php
Just look at the comments on the "evolution in five minutes" youtube video.
And thank you, RHF, for demonstrating the point that cl made, thank you very much.
By the way, click my name for a site that is often a catalyst in doubling people's understanding of the world. I suggest you try it, because judging from your arguments (note: not the word "debate", because that would imply you're somehow open-minded).
And by the way
I bet you're going to say some comment about how its ironic that I mentioned not being open-minded. Although saying this means you probly won't now.
Numerous, 11.03.2009, 5:39am #
RHF:
Since you haven't posted in a while, I'm assuming you're going to pretend this never happened, and (not so quietly) post in the next article that Tim posts. But, I just want to mention this, so I can link back to it for my convenience whenever you crap out your next utterly woeful comment.
I want you to post some logical evidence that disproves every post that Tim has posted here. If you can do that, I'll happily concede you're right (note: this will only be if it makes sense, and doesn't have any major flaws), which is the one thing I won't have to do, since you can't disprove his logical explanations.
Keyword: logical.
Go through everything he says, and make a (preferably fairly lengthy) comment on why each individual post is incorrect. If you can do that, then I might even become a christian, and will go to church etc. But hey, since you're just an unthinking troll, you won't actually succeed.
Now, I'm going to repeat this so you can't say you skimmed through and missed it:
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Do not bother to post if you don't do the above.
Numerous, 12.03.2009, 5:33am #
PS:
Before you leave, can you mention your age, IQ, and level of education?
And also please give us a definition of "deductive reasoning", so we can see if you actually know what it means.
Anyone wanna guess what RHF's _real_ IQ is (he isn't likely to post his real IQ, he'll just make it up, probably same with his age)?
Numerous, 12.03.2009, 5:36am #
after answer all of your little questions I visit the blog to find a link to buy your shit? AHHHH....the quest for truth so pure and...true? opportunist who doesn't even know about his own belief system.
Alex, 17.03.2009, 7:02am #
Not sure what point you're trying to make. If you're suggesting that the point of this site is to make money, well, I've only actually sold a couple of items anyway (it's just a fun way to promote the site). As for your questionnaire answers, I'll add my response sometime if I get round to it, although probably not as - like the vast majority of the thousands of people who fill it out - you've either not actually answered the questions I've asked or you've completely missed the point (with any sarcasm on my part going completely over your head).
Tim, 17.03.2009, 1:32pm #
Oh - and the point of this site is made clear in my "response to a Christian's view of atheism" (see the link at bottom of this post).
Tim, 17.03.2009, 1:34pm #
Alex, you do realise that bandwidth costs money? Every troll who visits this site costs a hundredth of a cent. And the "buy random crap" way of paying your debts is still a way of paying your debts. It gives him more money to spend on his own *RHF pops up and says some retarded comment here*.
Numerous, 18.03.2009, 5:25am #
Also, RHF, can you explain how the gamma ray absorbing bacteria found at chernobyl (click my name in this comment for a link) if they didn't evolve? Are you going to say it was a miracle of god, or something, or what? These couldn't have existed without that reactor, so they weren't around 30 years ago, let alone more than 6000.
By the way tim, your links broken.
Numerous, 20.03.2009, 5:39am #
Numerous is a brain dead UK teenager who consumes too much alcohol and has an IQ = log(Tim's shoe size).
Evolution is BS.
RHF, 21.03.2009, 1:56am #
lol.
Just goes to show that when you don't have any answers, you turn to swearing and ignorance.
Way to go RHF! Good job trying to ignore what I said, you just epically failed. Troll much.
Numerous, 21.03.2009, 3:12am #
Stop trying to compensate for your lack of IQ with swearing, RHF. It makes you look even dumber than you already are, although whether you _just_ "look" stupider is probably debatable.
Numerous, 21.03.2009, 3:14am #
I didn't use any profanity Numerous. Face it, your a teenage moron like the rest of you idiots in the UK. You have nothing to offer and you have the intelligence of a gnat. Go do your schoolwork and stop your underage drinking. Besides, what's the legal age to drink in the UK, 10?
Stop worrying about my IQ Numerous. YOu should be concerned with your own. Hope you can get it above 20 next year.


Tim, stay home tonight with your family and cut down to 10 Kilkennys from 20.

Call Numerous's parents and let them know about his alcohol problem.

I'm off on vacation for the next weeks.

Cheers
RHF
RHF, 21.03.2009, 8:53pm #
RHF, you really shoudln't be talking about alcohol problems, after drinking a bottle of gin. Next time, get a friend to make sure you dont drink too much, although that might be a problem since you don't have any, due to your intelligence being lower than that of this comment's.
Numerous, 22.03.2009, 1:50am #
Also, it doesn't matter what the legal drinking age in the UK is, because I don't live in europe, so it doesn't affect me, QED.
Numerous, 22.03.2009, 1:52am #
Swearing = close enough to baseless insults.
Numerous, 22.03.2009, 1:55am #
Ever heard of fideism, anyone (click the link on my name)? It's pretty stupid. Take a long look at it, in 200 years it'll probably be the only religion left. I was trying to find the babelfish quote when I saw it. Speaking of which, nobody can prove god exists, because, as that explains, without faith god is nothing, so QED he doesn't exist.
Numerous, 25.03.2009, 6:01am #
RHF, you're under the supposition that all atheists hold evolution to be true, probably because you believe that there's nothing much else out there for us to hold true, right?

Well, that's not true at all. It's not like we're a supergroup of people all united under one cause like most of the fundies yelling and running around today.

In fact, you'd find that most atheists are more inclined to not caring for finding an answer either way. We know the days we live out are a direct result of what we choose to do. We don't need an answer because we know that only we can turn the course of our lives.

And, thanks, Tim. I remember not a few years ago when I was just another stupid teen who's been thinking, questioning, and asking too much without knowing much of anything at all. I was a weak atheist at the time because I wasn't too sure of the answers I've contrived. There was always some fear that I was totally wrong.

But then I came across this site, and I've never felt more at home. Afterwards, I always had the pleasure of knowing full well of what could come up in an arguement, and instead of getting angry I should just adjust to the lastest information available to me.

I know it may seem silly, but this site has always been a cornerstone to the way I think. I may have been impressionable back when I went through this site, but I still feel it holds value to me today.

I'd hate to see this site kick the bucket, since it has always proved to be knowledgeable, even entertaining at times. And for that, I thank you, Tim and Jeff.
Tie, 01.04.2009, 3:34am #
Yeah, trying to argue with a fundamentalist is like arguing with a brick wall. I still admire your efforts, though.
Betsy, 10.04.2009, 3:02pm #
Speaking of opportunists, nobody does it better than the church. With Christianity you can literally buy your way into heaven, but you'd really have to be able to because 90% of the christians i have evr met are total arseholes. Scare the crap out of people about this immortal soul crap to mould them to do what you want, when you want and give you as much money as possible to perpetuate your misguided and socially destructive cannon of beliefs. Christianity is the most evil collection of lies ever forced upon the innocent people of this world, the fact that it is being relegated to that place in history with the rest of the insane religious belief systems that insane, power hungry arseholes throughout history have made us endure is a testament to the basic fact that the truth and the light will be victorious and unltimately save humanity from itself. 300 years from now this will be a footnote to history, the church will have earned it deserved place in hell along with those that blindly support it. Hallelua:)
Justin Hafey, 12.04.2009, 2:57am #
Justin, that's the problem with religion. If you really believe it, then an all-knowing, all benevolent and all-powerful god wants you to follow what the bible says, is infallible (all-knowing and all-beevolent), and has the means to make you do it (all-powerful, so he could kill you and chuck you into hell anytime apparently). For that reason, you cannot question the bible if you're christian, because you're questioning what "the almighty" said.
They don't have to justify their beliefs either, god said it therefore it must be right, 'parently.
Numerous, 12.04.2009, 3:31am #
'Twould be a pity if you decided to end it all. I mean end writing new stuff. I sometimes feel the same with the Pink Triangle blog (http://ptt-blog.blogspot.com), which has been going for a year now with only steadily increasing readership, but there's some satisfaction in talking to like-minded people and, as you say, you never know when some religious types are looking in and are genuinely freethinking and made to think about what you've written. However, if you want to bequesth me all your readers . . . No, only kidding. At least there's tons of stuff on your site to keep us in reading matter into the next century!
Andy Armitage, 21.04.2009, 3:12pm #
To all the Christians bashing on the atheists in this blog - please stop. Honestly if you want to be reasonable and if you want to even have a chance at convincing atheists to become believers, isn't it ridiculous to make fun of them and to call them idiots and what not? If you're trying to set an example and if you really love Jesus, I don't think mocking atheists and saying what you're saying is right. It's absurd to think that telling atheists they are stupid is gonna help. So just stop. You guys are giving terrible representation to what the real Christian is like. Thank you.
Bo, 23.04.2009, 8:39pm #
That goes directly to you RHF. You're calling these guys morons when they obviously have a huge amount of insight. And all you're doing is making them dislike Christianity more. If that's what you want, keep it going... but I'm guessing you don't, so stop posting.
Bo, 23.04.2009, 8:45pm #
If say per chance we scientifically created an omnipotent being, and it was programed to say "You're all right! Now gimme a hug", I think that would make things better. Until the Laser Eye's start to fire.
Mr.Chism, 24.04.2009, 12:10am #
Its not that RHF should stop posting. Its that RHF should post something intelligent.
Numer0us, 27.04.2009, 7:25am #
Numerous has a serious drinking problem (you too Tim) and that's why he should stop posting.
Bo, Numerous is a total moron -- that's the truth.
Evolution is total bs. Not a shred of evidence that this process happened.
Numerous can't prove that complex beings like us can come from mutations and random chance.
Numerous has nothing to offer and that's why I don't waste my time arguing with this idiot.
The rest of you atheists are boring.
Where's brother Jeff these days? He's an exciting atheist and fun to debate.

Can someone go to the pub near piccadily circus and tell Tim to go home. Crikey!! It's 3am and he's downed his 20th Kilkenny.
I need my milk delivered tomorrow morning.
RHF, 04.05.2009, 1:48am #
Aah, the brilliance of the creationist mindset. Well done RHF, can you post a few idiotic comments on my blog too? (click the name)
Oh, and a few here.
And RHF, if I got a share of a random minor company every time you made a "bold" statement without bothering to give a scrap of evidence, I'd be able to out-compete walmart by now.
Nice one, moron.
Numerous, 06.05.2009, 8:02am #
By the way RHF, if they're so stupid, it'll only take 30 seconds to show these flaws you claim exist. Of course, all that crack you've been snorting might hinder that a bit. So feel free to show everyone why you shouldn't do cocaine (by posting).
Numerous, 06.05.2009, 8:05am #
Show me the flaws numerous. You are not capable of original thinking. Any bullshit atheist with three letters besides his name can fool you.
Keep on drinking Numerous. Your posts humour me.
Where's brother Jeff? I destroyed him in a debate and that is why he is no longer on the web.
Looking forward to shutting down this website.
RHG, 08.05.2009, 2:38am #
Hey Numerous, isn't it past your bed time. What's the matter son? Got nothing better to do that argue with the unbeatable RHF?
Go get some sleep and leave the real work to the night owls like me.

Tim, time to go home. Say hi to brother Jeff.
RHF, 08.05.2009, 2:43am #
Hey everyone, say "3345" (without the quotes) in your post if you think that RHF has actually said something intelligent, or contributed to the discussion.
Failing that, we might aswell IP ban RHF.
And by the way RHF, scroll up for so much proof that you're an idiot that your eyes will water. READ YOUR OWN COMMENTS.
Numerous, 10.05.2009, 8:11am #
Hey, i have only just found this site and i absoloutly love it, i come from a christian family, but i dont really believe it, and this site has helped me i guess. Keep up the good work man.
Marcus, 06.06.2009, 3:07am #
Don't let the site die! We need to spread the message and save the world from the believers. :)
Robert, 30.09.2009, 1:17pm #
Regarding your response to the Christian view of Atheism...

I found this explanation of argumentation (linked to in their article) on their website.

"False Dilemma - Giving two choices when in actuality there could be more choices possible. Example: Do you still beat your wife?"

Is there any answer but yes or no to domestic violence, specifically an act physical of violence, which either does or does not exist? I guess if you're a Christian, and "the wife must submit to the husband", "beating your wife" isn't always just beating your wife.
Anon, 09.10.2009, 5:38am #
Yeah, those buses were a good idea. Recently where I live there have been "don't forgot jesus" stickers on the bus, so i've been tipexing them out. Hope thats how you spell teipex...
Me., 03.12.2009, 6:55pm #
please, keep the good work! keep writing. nowadays your blog is like a fresh breeze for all those people stuffed from numerous religious organizations. your articles give food for thought, rather than blinding people with stupid believe
Torrent File, 12.01.2010, 10:26am #
Come on Guys... what r u doing here. There is a God for sure for the whole world... and it's one God.
And for God sake what is the meaning of "there is definitely no God .. so stop fighting and make the most of your life"
who told you that we are fighting because we have God .. the opposite is the truth ... we have to live in peace because we have one God.
i wish u all the best in your life and get the right way in life...
I am just Muslim, 09.02.2010, 5:21am #
no one is going to live in peace because of religion... Religion is an insult to human dignity. With or without it, you'd have good people doing good things and evil people doing bad things, but for good people to do bad things, it takes religion. About 98% of society is idiotic. Cuz 98% believe in a godly figure. I despise religion 4 various reasons. Throughout history, religion has been responsible for a large proportion of the suffering in the world...
kelly, 10.02.2010, 12:55pm #
only reason why i do not like religion is because people have been killing, fighting, arguing over it, instead of helping their "neighbors" like the bible says. They are hypocrites to their own religion. Sadly most of the Christian people are like this, which is why i cannot respect Christianity anymore. Maybe if Christianity was a religion that followed its beliefs, then maybe the world would be a better place. Maybe if people stopped being biased, and so closed minded then the world would be a better place. And maybe if people stopped arguing over stupid stuff like this and actually try to make the world a better place then the world would be a better place. Stop blaming each other for everything, and try to fix the problem instead. and to Everyone, leave Everyone else alone. Let people believe what they want to believe. If they want to believe thats fine, but if they don't, don't try to scare them into believing by saying "your going to hell for eternity." The only religion that i actually respect is rastari because even though they hate on the west, they still are peaceful, and do what they do, and don't care about what other people think. Thats all I have to say
16 year old Kid, 05.02.2011, 10:04pm #

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