I quite expect to enjoy them. I think I’ll either read God Delusion first or End of Faith and put Hitchens book in the middle of them. I’m hopeful it will ignite a flame for reading books and I will start reading again. I used to a lot, but it sort of faded, so yeah.

But it goes without saying: nothing is sacred. These are not my “holy” books. They’re just books that support my position and therefore I wish to give them a spin. I may like them and I may not.

• The God Delusion by Richard Dawkins
• God Is Not Great: How Religion Poisons Everything by Christopher Hitchens
• The End of Faith: Religion, Terror, and the Future of Reason by Sam Harris

All of them hardcover. Coolio.

But it’s not this guy.

Since Darwin put forth his original theory, scientists have sought fossil evidence indicating past organic transitions. Nearly 150 years later, there has been no evidence of evolutionary transition found thus far in the fossil record. In Darwin’s own words, if his theory of “macro-evolution” were true, we would see a vast number of fossils at intermediate stages of biological development. In fact, based on standard mathematical models, we would see far more transitional forms in the fossil record than complete specimens. However, we see none — not one true transitional specimen has ever been found.

Either he’s intentionally ignorant or just lying.

Source.

Why can creationists not grasp the idea that transitional fossils are not creatures that are half crocodile and half duck but are around the mid-range in features of two types of species? My favorite example, Tiktaalik, is half-amphibian and half-fish. Or the other way around… Yeah, it’s the other way around.

The biggest reason why atheists don’t bother with so-called ex-atheists is that they lack understanding. I’ve not seen one ex-atheist who doesn’t do one of the following: deny evolution entirely or ignore the evidence.

There are thousands upon thousands of transitional fossils. That’s the one you can always count on them to miss.

He continues…

Even the popular press is catching on. This is from an article in Newsweek magazine:

The missing link between man and apes, whose absence has comforted religious fundamentalists since the days of Darwin, is merely the most glamorous of a whole hierarchy of phantom creatures … The more scientists have searched for the transitional forms that lie between species, the more they have been frustrated. ⁵

The reason they’re more and more frustrated is because with every new transition (“link”) you have two more spaces to fill. After filling those two spaces, you have four new ones. It continues on and on like this: there is no single “missing” form or fossil. Thanks for completely missing the point, though, dude.

Let me be clear: I am not a scientist. I turned eighteen years old almost a month ago. I am not anyone of supreme intelligence. I am a kid who has the internet and knows how to use it. If I can use the internet to find out information from credible sources, why can’t these people? Are they scared of something? Are they trying to hide something? Even so, if the evidence is presented, they ignore it. Why is this?

These questions never cease to amaze me. We have a new failure on our list, at least:

1. Kirk Cameron (Lying for Jesus: Kirk Cameron Edition)
2. Dr. Jason Lisle (Reading Answers in Genesis: Probably easier when high.)
3. Lee Strobel (Lee Strobel: Ex-Atheist or just ignorant?)
4. Ray Comfort (Banana: Proof of creationism., Ray Comfort has a blog, Ray Comfort: What the fuck, man?)
5. Rhonda Storms (Fuck Rhonda Storms)
6. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (DO SOMETHING IN LOUISIANA! QUICK!, Now the Candle Burns at both Ends)
7. Rush Limbaugh (Rush Limbaugh)
8. Bill Donohue (It Gets Me!, It Gets Me! (Part II))
9. Michael Edmondson (Beware the Believers, Beware the Believers: Expelled Viral Video)
10. Dr. Terry Mortenson (Evolution does not work that way!)
11. Randall Niles

I’ll would also send an email out to Mr. Niles informing him of his newfound position, but he’d probably just stick both fingers in his ears, close is eyes, and shout “la la la la la I CAN’T HEAR YOU la la la [...]” instead of paying attention.

I’ll consider this another case of Lying for Jesus in full effect.

Evolution explains something observed in nature: species are not fixed. Through different environments in nature, species adapt over time into completely new types of animal. Or just die out, but the ones we care about are the ones that adapted.

Anyway, evolution seems to be a pretty simple concept, yes? Well, groups like Answers in Gensis have been fighting it since like the 1980s and still don’t have a firm grasp on it.

To avoid quote mining, here is the whole quote:

God has made an almost incomprehensibly complex creation for scientists to study. Though lots of questions remain, two things are clear. One, true science powerfully confirms the literal truth of Genesis chapters 1–11. Two, evolutionary stories are fatally flawed in explaining the cosmos, the rock layers of the earth with their fossils, and the origin and diversity of living things. Of course, that is no big surprise, since the Bible is the inerrant propositional revelation of the Creator.

Evolution explains the variation of life on Earth. Not the cosmos. Not the rock layers. Not the origin of life.*

So, you know, I think we have yet another creationist failure for our list. Nah, I’m sure of it. Welcome Dr. Terry Mortenson from Answers in Stupidity!

1. Kirk Cameron (Lying for Jesus: Kirk Cameron Edition)
2. Dr. Jason Lisle (Reading Answers in Genesis: Probably easier when high.)
3. Lee Strobel (Lee Strobel: Ex-Atheist or just ignorant?)
4. Ray Comfort (Banana: Proof of creationism., Ray Comfort has a blog, Ray Comfort: What the fuck, man?)
5. Rhonda Storms (Fuck Rhonda Storms)
6. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (DO SOMETHING IN LOUISIANA! QUICK!, Now the Candle Burns at both Ends)
7. Rush Limbaugh (Rush Limbaugh)
8. Bill Donohue (It Gets Me!, It Gets Me! (Part II))
9. Michael Edmondson (Beware the Believers, Beware the Believers: Expelled Viral Video)
10. Dr. Terry Mortenson

*PZ Myers disagrees with this assertion; claiming that abiogenesis has a huge role in evolution. In all honesty, it does, but that isn’t the main tenant of evolution in respect tow hat these people claim.

I shall write peace upon your wings, and you shall fly around the world so that children will no longer have to die this way.

It’s been 63 years now since attacks on both Hiroshima and Nagasaki, and still the entire world mourns. The quote is attributed to twelve year old Sadako Sasaki, who died as a result of the attack on Hiroshima.

Let us remember all of those who lost their lives on that fateful day in 1945, as well as ensuing years, and use all of the power we have to be sure that nothing of the sort happens ever again.

I created (and danced) the “Richard Dawkins: Beware The Believers” viral ad for “Expelled : No Intelligence Allowed” found here:

http://ca.youtube.com/watch?v=eaGgpGLxLQw&fmt=18

The viral ad received 200, 000 views on the web during the three weeks prior to the (Expelled) release. I also have a visual effects credit for the film Expelled.

Since Beware the Believers contained an all-star atheist cast (Dawkins, Myers, Scott, Hitchens, Harris, Dennett) it was immediately popular among the atheist community. While a funny video that I quite enjoy (and will always enjoy, probably), it’s a resounding example of a creationist failure. You know the drill, don’t you?

1. Kirk Cameron (Lying for Jesus: Kirk Cameron Edition)
2. Dr. Jason Lisle (Reading Answers in Genesis: Probably easier when high.)
3. Lee Strobel (Lee Strobel: Ex-Atheist or just ignorant?)
4. Ray Comfort (Banana: Proof of creationism., Ray Comfort has a blog, Ray Comfort: What the fuck, man?)
5. Rhonda Storms (Fuck Rhonda Storms)
6. Louisiana Gov. Bobby Jindal (DO SOMETHING IN LOUISIANA! QUICK!, Now the Candle Burns at both Ends)
7. Rush Limbaugh (Rush Limbaugh)
8. Bill Donohue (It Gets Me!, It Gets Me! (Part II))
9. Michael Edmondson

Atheists, Skeptics, Freethinkers: 1 billion+

Expelled: No Intelligence At All: 0

Then what do you call this?

I call it another example of lying for Jesus. Do you see what I’m talking about? If you want to know, there’s more after the jump.

This DVD is unique in that it doesn’t follow the usual format of Christian experts exposing the theory. Instead, it lets evolutionary believers put their own foot in their own mouth, simply by asking them probing questions.
Join Kirk and Ray as they take an orangutan to lunch, and call major airlines and ask if a “relative” can join them on a plane. The graphics on this DVD have been designed so that there is no indication that it is Christian or anti-evolution. The content is derived from episode 21 of the Way of the Master series.

The Bible speaks to no end about bearing false witness and lying. I think this is both. Furthermore, it’s odd to call it “The Science of Evolution” when it is more useless antecdotes than actual science. Do Ray and Kirk dare mention the legions of transitional fossils? Do they make mention of the field of genetics? Do they mention that the entire field of medicine relies upon evolutionary knowledge?

Of course not.

These people don’t want the voice of reason to be heard. They want to make it seem like species evolve by being born completely different from their parents. They want to laugh at science that has made them able to live longer. They want to laugh at you for being grateful of all science has done for us. Most of all, they want us to be under control by telling us that if we don’t give them money and absolute submission, we are going to burn.

The elite here is comprised of: Richard Dawkins, Eugenie Scott, Daniel Dennett, Charles Darwin, PZ Myers, Sam Harris, and Christopher Hitchens.

My personal favorite character is Sam Harris, I think the grillz are funny. But Dennett is funny in anything like this, because he looks like Santa but most religious would tell you he embodies Satan instead. Also, when he comes out of nowhere and says “YEAH!”, I laughed hard. Of course, that particular “YEAH!” is seemingly taken from the Anthrax song I’m The Man. I could be wrong, though.

In other words, life couldn’t evolve, so god did it. But thanks to a 1987 court ruling on creation science, any mention of god or creation is completely forbidden, so they had to think of a new way to get creationism into class. So they took a creation science textbook, later known as Of Pandas and People, and put the buzz words “intelligent design” in the place of all mentions of creation, creationism, etc.

In the 2005 Kitzmiller vs. Dover trial, early editions of this textbook were released that show, in the IDeist community’s own words, that creationism is the same as ID. They changed no definitions, just words: creation to intelligent design, creationism to intelligent design, creationists to design proponents.

The scientific community is dealing with some deceitful people. Their only arguments are religious based ones and yet claim that their argument is one of scientific credulity.

These people are well known, and I’ve blogged about them many times, but this time has a very valid purpose. On the blog Uncommon Descent, they call everyone in the scientific community evolutionists and darwinists, neither of which exist as official scientific terminology. Yet they propagate these creationists buzzwords, and others, as well as calling evolution a religion for the purpose of getting ID recognized as science.

I propose today that we retaliate by calling intelligent design the following: IDeism, Dembskism, and their proponents IDiots, as they’re doing the same thing to us.

Today, I happen to be number one in one category. On the Blogs of the Day page, you’ll see that I’m in the number one spot.

That’s right. Thanks to one PZ Myers I racked in the top spot on WordPress dot com for yesterday in a mere nine hours. Want to know the final number of hits? Do you? Huh? I received 12,867 unique hits over a nine hour period. For comparison, my four month total (March – July) was only abou 3,500. That means I got over three times my total blogging traffic from four months of work in just nine hours. Quite incredible!

I owe it all, yet again, to my biology friendly hero PZ Myers, who gave me this epic shoutout. You can see his worship of me at this location.

lol. Worship.

Also, at the end of the day I was nudged out of the number two spot in growing blogs to finish in the number three spot. As for overall blogs, I finished in 21st place for the day.

More than being impressed with anything else, I found two things intriguing: the fact that PZ did notice me (he must get plenty of email like mine!) and the fact that he has so much traffic.

Thanks everyone for making this a very special day. I feel like a band that has just had a number one single and a number three album debut on the billboard 200! OK, lame comparison, but it feels good. The best thing is knowing that my hero did notice me <3