taken from belief-o-matic religion quiz.  i ranked a hard-core humanist, and a soft-core nontheist- which sounds just about right to me.  i also took this quiz two years ago- right when i had started to really deal with doubt.  it’s interesting to see secular humanism jumping up to the top (from 73-100%); U.U. dropping a little; Buddhism staying strong in the top 6; and my LDS/Mormon beliefs dropping from a score of 49% all the way down to 26%.

taken from the chapter on faith:

my mother, even with all her professed secularism, was in many ways  the most spiritually awakened person that i’ve ever known.

she had an unswerving instinct for kindness, charity and love.  and spent much of her life acting on that instinct.  sometimes to her detriment.  without the help of religious texts, or outside authorities, she worked mightily to instill in me the values that many americans learn in sunday school.  honesty, empathy, discipline, delayed gratification and hard work.

[...] most of all, she possesed an abiding sense wonder. ar reverence for life and its precious transitory nature that could properly be described as devotional.  she saw mysteries everywhere, and took joy in the sheer strangeness of life.

he continues about how he did not have “a vessel for his beliefs”, nor a community for beleif, and thus he has embraced christianity.

listen to excerpt here:  http://www.fileden.com/files/2006/11/18/392548/Audacity_Faith.mp3

.this is my co-worker’s son terry at the laugh factory in california. he kills it on utah, mormons, jesus, beer, etc. you’ve been warned though: gets raunchy but funny.

happy father’s day!  i would like to say that i’m with my daughter right now but her grandma has taken her from me!  for three hours.  to church.  …so i’ll see her in a few hours.  anyways, here is some cool stuff to check out:

today, steven novella (pres. of the skeptic’s guide to the universe), has revealed his definition of a modern skeptic:

A skeptic is one who prefers beliefs and conclusions that are reliable and valid to ones that are comforting or convenient, and therefore rigorously and openly applies the methods of science and reason to all empirical claims, especially their own. A skeptic provisionally proportions acceptance of any claim to valid logic and a fair and thorough assessment of available evidence, and studies the pitfalls of human reason and the mechanisms of deception so as to avoid being deceived by others or themselves. Skepticism values method over any particular conclusion.

he continues on as to why he, sagan, and shermer have adopted this term to describe themselves over other terms.

skepchic has some funny drawrings of the do’s and don’ts of parenting (i saw this book at sundance the other day coincedentally).  there is also a new video by brian dunning (skeptoid) on critical thinking, called Here Be Dragons: An Introduction to Critical Thinking.

check out these great shirts on teaching the controversy.

dallas r., on this issue of the new yorker:

I love the The New Yorker magazine.  Twice a year they offer up a special fiction issue, with the latest issue currently out.  Having a issue mostly dedicated to fiction is cool enough, but this issue includes a gathering of short essays under the header “Faith and Doubt.” All excellent reading.  And James Wood also tackles theodicy in his review of Bart Ehrman’s “God’s Problem.”  And the plus side for you?  They are all available online.  Enjoy!

Faith and Doubt
Communion by Uwem Akpan
Winter Light by Tobias Wolff
Crabs by Edwidge Danticant
Mysteries of Flight by Mohammed Naseehu Ali
Counting Pages by Allegra Goodman
Hypocrites by George Sanuders

Review
Holiday in Hellmouth by James Wood

father’s day post secrets.

who is the best father in the bible?

pic: religions around the world

stuff i’ve found well worth the movement of a mouse, followed by a click:

• the 6 most badass stunts ever pulled in the name of science (by Cracked.com)
• How internet dating really works (comic)
• can you see the spider?  (picture)
• chick gets revenge on construction worker (funny video)
• video with Jerry Coyne:
• 
• weird animals (look at the pictures in the comments, as well).  weird what natural selection can produce.
• africa in perspective (photo).  btw, is this for real?
• 8 reasons why you’ll rejoice when we hit $8 a gallon (article)
• uncontacted tribes in the peru/brazilian border (link to article)
• Dean Kamen’s Robot Arm (article with video)
• certainty: blessing or cure?  (mormonism)
• a tiny fruit that tricks the toungue into thinking a lemon tastes sweet (for about an hour) (NY Times)
• stephen colbert on gay marriage
• man repairs flat bike tires with his feet (photos)
• lds church handbook available on the internet (mormonism)
• penn says: atheism is a solace (video)

battle of the wits!  see if you can out-smart the smarmy atheist

link to game

i thought these were…uhh… interesting.

enjoy.

this isn’t how evolution works, nor are the materials to work with or creation process (natural selection) comparable

circular reasoning is typical creationist reasoning (ie the bible is true because god says it is true…in the bible)

clever.

oh, the ignorance of it all.  fucking shit some people are dumb.

maybe porn stars are just immortalizing their youth. [SFW video- Penn Jillette]

good stand-up on the bible, christians and death, and religion…

via atheist media