I had heard several years ago that prairie dogs have different calls for “human” and “human with gun”. I had even heard that they would recognize an individual human (I can’t recognize individual prairie dogs) and, if that human had a gun last time they saw him/her, they would scream “human with gun” even if s/he were not carrying a gun this time.

However, these complete sentences are surprising to me. I generally try not to underestimate non-human animal intelligence. However, it appears that I had once again fallen into that trap in assuming that prairie dogs (basically medium sized ground squirrels) wouldn’t be smart enough to speak in whole sentences and to convey information that seems to be more detailed than really necessary.

They can, for example, distinguish between domestic dogs and coyotes even when the dog is superficially coyote like. What’s the point of that? Are dogs more or less dangerous to prairie dogs? I have no idea. But, they can make the distinction and they do.

All that’s left now is to wonder, what are they chattering about?

If we are any indication, they’re probably just gossiping. About 70% of human speech is typically gossip. Unless prairie dogs are smarter than us, they’re probably just talking about each other behind each others’ backs. I’m just kidding, mostly. Of course, we have no idea what they’re saying. Half the time we have more than enough difficulty decoding our own speech … or have you never had a misunderstanding with anyone?

This is clearly another animal to whom I would grant moral considerability.

What We Know About the Huge Explosion at the West, Texas, Fertilizer Plant

Wednesday’s fire came one day after the 66th anniversary of the worst industrial accident in American history—the Texas City disaster, another fertilizer explosion that left 581 people dead when a French vessel hauling ammonium nitrate caught fire.

I had never even heard of that disaster before. Perhaps that’s because I’m less than 66 years old. Or, perhaps it just doesn’t get much mention these days, being an accident rather than an attack.

The clearest footage we have of the blast itself comes from a man who appears to have been watching the fire from his car with his young daughter. The explosion comes about 30 seconds in (warning: not for the faint of heart):

I hope that girl gets her hearing back.

Let’s also not forget the Oklahoma City bombing, another fertilizer explosion, albeit a deliberate one that time.

The 1993 bombing of the World Trade Center was also done with a bomb made of fertilizer.

How the first World Trade Center plot sowed the seeds for 9/11

Here’s a list of United States fertilizer explosions, deliberate bombings excluded.

Fertilizer explosions listed and US facilities mapped

So, the question is this, with all of the fertilizer explosions, why is moving to organic farming not considered a matter of national security? Fertilizer seems to be a highly explosive compound that should be tightly regulated. In fact, I’d say we should dramatically reduce our use of chemical fertilizer and replace it with nice, safe, good old fashioned shit.

I know the current dogma is that the green revolution was created by this type of fertilizer and hence 40% of all humans on the planet are made of this dangerous fossil fuel product. However, I would say a few things to that.

1. Our current big agriculture is not sustainable. We are depleting both top soil and ground water at alarming rates that cannot continue regardless of what else happens.
2. How much better off would our species be if 40% of us had never been born? I know this is not a politically correct or popular thought. But, human overpopulation is the biggest risk to our species survival today. Climate change, ocean acidification, pollution of all types, warfare, drought, famine, and almost any other major problem we face today, especially the ones that threaten our very survival as a species, are all caused by human overpopulation.
3. We are also making advances in organic and non-industrial farming techniques. These advances are far more sustainable than our current big agriculture practices and produce nearly the same yields. See Pollyface Farms for an example.

What about other fertilizer? Last I heard manure does not tend to explode. I am not aware of a significant number of cows dying when their cowpie hits the ground or when they step on the cowpie of another. Though the thought of cows lighting their farts might make me a bit nervous.

Further, in India, cowpies are dried out and used as fuel. So, they do burn. There are health issues associated with cooking and heating homes by burning dung. However, I am not aware of anyone’s home exploding when they light the cowpie. I don’t even feel any need to look for statistics on this. Still, I do not advocate use of dung as a fuel. As a fertilizer though, it’s great.

And, of course, there are the issues of both human health and the health of the planet to consider as reasons to buy organics or at least, more traditionally farmed foods. With unlabeled Roundup Ready crops coming soon to a stupormarket near you, you will need some way to ensure that you are not eating Agent Orange in your corn and soy products. Certified organics may be your only way to be sure about what you’re eating, unless you live in driving distance to Pollyface or a similarly sustainable local farm.

So, to sum this long post up, please buy food that doesn’t go boom! (More accurately, please buy food that doesn’t require spreading explosives around the yard.)

Note that this also goes a long way into explaining the relationship between the Jesus myth and other myths around at that time, as well as the synthesis of the myths that produced this character and how he was Euhemerized into a flesh and blood creature long after his supposed death.

This thread now replaces my outdated and incorrect thread that equated Jesus with Horus. The reality of the synthesis of other characteristics and some new stuff into the Jesus myth is far more complicated.

If you have any genuine interest in this subject, please do watch the entire video, even though it is an hour long. If you have even more interest, the book will be out soon. I don’t personally have that much interest. The video is enough for me.

Old Testament quote, emphasis mine (thanks to Mechon Mamre for the RaMBaM translation):

22 And if men strive together, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart, and yet no harm follow, he shall be surely fined, according as the woman’s husband shall lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 But if any harm follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

This clearly states that the fetus was not a life. In fact, it indicates that a miscarriage could be caused without causing harm. The loss of the fetus can be compensated by mere money. After that, if there is harm, it is life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, ….

I don’t agree that causing a miscarriage causes no harm to anyone, personally. I’m merely noting that the Bible states this. More importantly, the Bible explicitly states that the fetus is not a life. For it is only when harm is caused to the woman, that thou shalt give life for life, etc.

My personal view on abortion is that we should do everything we can to reduce the need and increase the availability of the procedure. Comprehensive sex education, improved availability of birth control, reduced stigma for using or purchasing birth control especially among teens, will all reduce the need for abortion. But, when it is necessary, it should be readily available and legal.

And, since we now know that the Bible says that a fetus is not a life, perhaps we as a secular country, as well as our theocratically minded vocal and powerful minority, can and should stop opposing women’s rights to the procedure. While they’re at it, perhaps they can even stop the death threats, murders, and harassment of doctors and clinic workers. Dare I say as an atheist that it would be “the Christian thing to do.”

In case anyone thinks that this is merely the Jewish Interpretation, here are a couple of mainstream Christian interpretations of the same passage.

Here’s the King James translation of the same passage. Emphasis mine again.

22 If men strive, and hurt a woman with child, so that her fruit depart from her, and yet no mischief follow: he shall be surely punished, according as the woman’s husband will lay upon him; and he shall pay as the judges determine.
23 And if any mischief follow, then thou shalt give life for life,
24 Eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 Burning for burning, wound for wound, stripe for stripe.

Here’s the New International Version translation of the same passage (emphasis mine):

22 “If people are fighting and hit a pregnant woman and she gives birth prematurely[a] but there is no serious injury, the offender must be fined whatever the woman’s husband demands and the court allows.
23 But if there is serious injury, you are to take life for life,
24 eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot,
25 burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
Footnotes:
Exodus 21:22 Or she has a miscarriage

If anyone would like additional translations or has some to add, feel free to add or request them. Given that these are all substantially similar in stating that a fetus is not a life, I think it unlikely that some other translation will disagree materially.

So, here are my points about why I believe abstinence is sinful from both a biblical standpoint and more importantly to me why abstinence only education and the encouragement of abstinence pledges and the like are inherently sinful.

• Many people today believe that birth control is sinful. This is based primarily on Genesis 1:28 which states in part, “Be fruitful, and multiply”. Therefore, even condoms, which prevent sperm from getting to and fertilizing eggs, are sinful. Therefore, anything that prevents sperm from getting to and fertilizing eggs must be sinful. Abstinence performs exactly the same task. Therefore, abstinence is a sin. I don’t actually agree with the interpretation of birth control as sinful based on Gen 1:28. But, for anyone who does, abstinence, the rhythm method, withdrawal, or any other means of reducing the likelihood of egg fertilization, must be equally sinful. Note: It’s also time to inform your priest that celibacy is sinful. Whether your priest keeps his seed to himself, spills it on the ground, or into the hand, mouth, or anus of a choir boy, his non-reproduction is as sinful as using a condom and very much more so if a choir boy or other child actually is involved.
• Next, the dirty little secret is out. Abstinence doesn’t work. Since a great many people find it hard to overcome their hormones, especially raging teen hormones, abstinence often results in unwanted pregnancy, especially teen pregnancy. And, nothing increases abortion more than unwanted pregnancy. Whether or not abortion is sinful is another question of Bible interpretation since it is never ever mentioned by name, despite having been a common procedure throughout biblical times, even predating the authorship of the Old Testament by many centuries. However, since many people today, especially Christians, believe abortion is sinful, anything that increases abortion must be sinful. Therefore, abstinence, and especially abstinence only education, is sinful due to its ineffectiveness at preventing pregnancy.

How do I feel about all of this sinning? Well, as an atheist, my view of sin is only in negligently or deliberately causing unnecessary harm to others. I don’t believe any form of consensual sex among adults is sinful. I don’t believe abortion is sinful. I do believe that policies that increase the need for abortion are sinful. Why? Well, if unintended pregnancy can be dramatically reduced through education and birth control, then not educating people and giving them access to birth control causes them to go through an unnecessary medical procedure. While that procedure is far safer and cheaper for the mother than childbirth, it is far more expensive and risky than birth control.

Now onto real results. Here’s a good article on the success New York City is having with sex education and contraception.

With sex ed, contraception–and Plan B–NYC teen pregnancy rate drops

Here’s some information on just how badly Abstinence Education does at preventing STDs and pregnancy.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Abstinence-only_sex_education#Effectiveness

This next is a lengthy report. However, reading the conclusion is probably a good start.

http://www.mathematica-mpr.com/publications/pdfs/impactabstinence.pdf

In fact, this one paragraph of the above article may be enough if you don’t have time to even skim a long study.

The main objective of Title V, Section 510 abstinence education programs is to teach abstinence from sexual activity outside of marriage. The impact results from the four selected programs show no impacts on rates of sexual abstinence. About half of all study youth had remained abstinent at the time of the final follow-up survey, and program and control group youth had similar rates of sexual abstinence. Moreover, the average age at first sexual intercourse and the number of sexual partners were almost identical for program and control youth.

That about says it. Abstinence only eduction does nothing except waste our tax dollars.

The Center for Disease Control agrees.

http://www.cdc.gov/mmwr/preview/mmwrhtml/mm6013a5.htm?s_cid=mm6013a5_w

Implications for Public Health Practice: Teen childbearing is associated with adverse consequences for mothers and their children and imposes high public sector costs. Prevention of teen pregnancy requires evidence-based sex education, support for parents in talking with their children about pregnancy prevention and other aspects of sexual and reproductive health, and ready access to effective and affordable contraception for teens who are sexually active.

And now, I’d like to point out that all of today’s views on sinning do not actually come from the Bible. The views come from preachers who interpreted it to say what they wanted it to say.

As for the bible’s banning of contraception and abortion, please someone show me exactly where either is mentioned by name. Both existed in biblical times. Silphium was so popular as a birth control method and for other uses that the plant was harvested to extinction. The first recorded abortion was in Egypt in 1550 BCE, predating even the Old Testament, and from the same part of the world. So, Moses and presumably Jesus and of course God would have been very aware of it. Yet, abortion is never mentioned in the Bible, either the Old Testament or the New. Nor is birth control. And, the authors of the Bible were certainly not squeamish about matters of sex.

They describe incest, rape, homosexuality, and even bestiality. They laid down laws requiring the parents of the bride keeping the fucking bloody sheet (literally on both counts) from the wedding night to prove their daughter’s virginity. The authors were not prudes. Yet, they left out any mention of birth control or abortion. BTW, Adam and Eve had two children. Abraham had two children with different women. Perhaps the commandment to Adam to be fruitful and multiply meant that he should have the number of children he could support adequately, not a huge herd of malnourished street urchins. Many of the biblical matriarchs and patriarchs did not have as many children as even Roman Catholics do today, let alone orthodox Jews who take the fruitful and multiply command more literally than the Catholic church and hence marry young and have sex only when the woman is most fertile. Yeesh!!

So, now that you know that neither birth control nor abortion is sinful, but abstinence only education is very sinful for causing both unwanted pregnancy and abortion, what will you do?

If you’re a parent, will you teach your children the facts of life? Will you keep a drawer with an adequate supply of condoms for them? Will you advocate that your school teach children how to avoid abortions rather than hoping that yours will be among the few who can keep their hormones in check against many generations of evolution prompting them to do otherwise?

If you’re really opposed to abortion, you should try to reduce it by proven effective means of reducing unintended pregnancy. If you oppose birth control and sex education, it’s time to face facts, you are pro-abortion.

I am not pro-abortion. I am pro-choice.

P.S. I hope this post didn’t come out too choppy. I was trying to make a few related points and may not have segued well between them. The points I hope I’ve made are:

1. Abstinence is as much of a sin as any other birth control method. Either preventing potential children is a sin or not. Not fucking is no different than fucking with birth control from that standpoint.
2. Abstinence only eduction is sinful two ways. First by teaching the sin of abstinence. Second, by being ineffective and thus causing unintended pregnancy and abortion.
3. Finally, the perceived sins of birth control and abortion do not originate in the Bible. Any priest or minister who tells you otherwise has either not read the Bible, is ignorant of the existence of both birth control and induced abortion in biblical times, or is lying.

(Update 3/13/2013)
P.P.S. If anyone doesn’t understand the reason I felt the need to write this post, this is it in a nutshell. It’s all about people like Pat Fagan who ignore the basics of biology and post lies regarding human history to further their delusional beliefs and to enforce them on others. Pat, birth control has been around and in wide use since centuries before Christ. So has abortion. People are biological organisms, not robots.

Family Research Council: Unmarried People Should Be Denied Birth Control And Punished For Having Sex

Child Gets Suspended For Being An Atheist

Here’s the crappy original ad in all it’s lackluster, non-glorious, boring entirety.

And, now that you’ve wasted those two minutes, enjoy the spoof.

Now that you’ve seen the spoof, my one criticism of it is that they didn’t even mention that when even HFCS was not enough to sell all of the corn, they went to corn ethanol. Corn ethanol, when it’s not made into good bourbon but is instead made into car fuel has all the benefit of taking diesel fuel, pouring it into farm equipment, and thereby turning it into alcohol that won’t burn as well as the diesel fuel did. So, it destroys your car’s gas mileage while taking about as much energy to produce it as it gives back. In winter, it can save you from buying gas line antifreeze. But, that’s about the best thing that can be said for it. Oh … and it makes a ton of money for the likes of Monsanto and Archer Daniels Midland. If you consider that a benefit, then yay!!

Thanks to arkcode for the image.*

I’m very glad to see this particular Dope leave office. While I would stop short of wishing him ill health, I must say that he has been a truly awful Pope/Dope, in my opinion.

Remember, this is the Dope who said that the indigenous peoples of the Americas had been silently longing for Christianity to come … and to enslave and slaughter them.

Anger at Pope’s Brazil comments

This is also the Dope who threatened to excommunicate women who were so religious that they wanted to be priests. Way to win points with your female followers. Dope.

Vatican says will excommunicate women priests

And, of course, he believes gay marriage is insidious and dangerous. Dangerous? Really??!!? Dope!

Pope: Gay Marriage is ‘Insidious and Dangerous’

The one downside is the very real possibility that Richard Dawkins is right about the Dope, that he will destroy the whole rotten edifice of the Catholic Church.

Ratzinger is the Perfect Pope

Last, but very far from least, let’s not forget that this is the same Dope who tried to cover up rampant pedophilia in the Catholic Church.

More Evidence Emerges That Pope Benedict Helped Shield Pedophiles Before He Became Pope

Good riddance to bad rubbish. Good-bye Dope Nazinger!

* Though I don’t support what ArkCode does, I hope and suspect that the author will not mind my use of this image in this way, especially with the link to his post underneath. Barry, if I am incorrect and you would like this removed, please post a comment and I will remove it as soon as I see your comment. Thanks.

At least, a quarter of Americans feel that this is what He is doing.

Poll: Quarter of Americans say God influences sporting events

Why can’t humans dream up a god who is superior to us? What’s the point of creating an imaginary friend to whom one can pray for the temporary suspension of the laws of physics if said imaginary friend is no better than we are?

For the record, count me among the small number who disapprove of the expressions of faith mentioned in the article. I disapprove for the same reason I disapprove of thanking god for rain after a drought. Why not blame god for the drought in the first place?

In case you missed the earlier video of Ellen talking about Bic For Her pens, here it is.

Women, you have good role models to follow. You don’t need to follow Caribou Barbie or Michelle Bachman. You could follow Hillary Clinton or Margaret Thatcher or Golda Meir or Indira Ghandi (well, maybe not the bit about being assassinated).

Please don’t believe you are inferior to the likes of George W. Bush. I promise you’re not, unless you are Sarah Palin. Remember, the sexiest organ in the human body is the brain. Please use it.

Of course, these ads are the least of the problems women are facing today in our increasingly religiose, sexist, and immoral society. The real horrors are in the criminalization of pregnant women and de facto overturning of Roe v. Wade, the treatment of rape victims, repealing VAWA (who the hell thought that was either a political issue or a good idea??!!?), and many others. But please, women, if you all stand up for your rights and don’t accept this sort of bullshit, it will have to go away. You are 51% of the population. You have the controlling interest in this country. Use it. Some of us men will be right alongside you.