The Moral Compass Ceded; or, Argument By Snape

A comment from my previous post:

Criticizing God for not doing anything about suffering and evil right now is like reading half a novel and criticizing the author for not resolving the plot. God will bring accountability at the right time.

Besides, he HAS done something already, His name is Jesus – no greater suffering and death has the world witnessed as that God himself had to bear on the cross for our sake. He knows what pain is…, so I trust him on this.

The book is only halfway read;
The final page turn’d in Heaven,
When Hitler’s good is finally shown
Like Severus Snape in book seven. [Read more…]

Bible Proves: No Such Thing As Atheists

“What defines an atheist?” The question gives me grief;
Do they actively deny my God, or merely lack belief?

I’m told that I should ask one, but I think that’s rather odd—
There’s no need to ask the godless when I’ve got the word of God!

There’s a line in Psalm 14 on what the fool says in his heart,
So we know that they are foolish, but that’s only just the start—

There’s a couple lines in Romans, showing God won’t be denied,
So the simple explanation is… the atheists have lied!

If you want an honest answer, then you have to ask the King:
Some claim they’re non-believers, but there’s really no such thing.

Circularity Context, after the jump: [Read more…]

Guest Post: “Selective Miracles”

Selective Miracles–courtesy of long-time commenter and friend of cuttlefish everywhere Joan

Just listened to a parent thanking God or Jesus Christ
(Or their angels, a convenient second string,)
For protecting his young children from the harm of being sliced
Through with bullets in a maniac’s last fling. (continues, after jump:) [Read more…]

God’s Been Making Plans

God’s been making plans again
To show us he’s our master
And time has shown, when god makes plans
It always spells disaster

God’s notion of a good idea
Is not the same as man’s—
So bar the windows! Bolt the doors!
Cos God’s been making plans.

[Read more…]

30 Months In Prison For Indonesian Atheist

Well, fuck.

Via the Jakarta Globe…

An Indonesian man arrested after writing “God doesn’t exist” on his Facebook page was jailed for 30 months Thursday for sharing explicit material about the Prophet Mohammed online.

Alexander Aan, 30, was found guilty of “deliberately spreading information inciting religious hatred and animosity,” presiding judge Eka Prasetya Budi Dharma told the Muaro Sijunjung district court in western Sumatra.

Aan posted comic strips. Comic strips. Ok, and a few articles. And for this…

“Under the Electronic Information and Transactions law, we sentence him to prison for a length of two years and six months,” Dharma said.

“What he did has caused anxiety to the community and tarnished Islam.”

Aan was beaten by an angry mob and arrested by police in his hometown of Pulau Punjung in western Sumatra in January after posting the material online and declaring himself an atheist.

The court had earlier indicted Aan with two other charges — persuading others to embrace atheism and blasphemy — and prosecutors had sought a three-and-a-half-year jail term for him.

But the court convicted him of the most serious charge and dropped the other two.

Ah… leniency.

This is freedom of religion without freedom from religion.

Indonesia, the world’s largest Muslim-majority nation, guarantees freedom of religion in its constitution and the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights, but only recognizes six faiths: Islam, Buddhism, Hinduism, Catholicism, Protestantism and Confucianism.

Its courts have in recent years given light sentences to perpetrators of violent attacks on Christians and Islamic minority Ahmadis, some of which have been fatal.

(wow, even this news story omits atheists in this last sentence.) This is, I think, the model that the Tea Party wants for the US.