Yet Another Web Site

(via Fundies Say the Darndest Things!)

I believe, as we stand on the abyss tonight, that those Americans who are want to turn to God for answers that this is a time to be doing that. To ask for his help, supernaturally, so that we don’t make this fatal step pushing our nation into socialized medicine.
– Congressman Todd Akin (R), CSPAN, House Session

(via Pharyngula)

If I ever want to move into a more profitable line of work, at least I know I can get supplies from Amazon:

(via Fundies Say the Darndest Things!)

If you find the math in relativity fun, great, but relativity is not going to help anyone. It never has. Pick up a Bible in between some equations.

Andy Schlafly, Conservapedia

Andy Schlafly must not be aware that the Global Positioning System needs to correct for errors introduced by relativistic effects.

Also, let us not forget that whole E = mc² thing…

(via Pharyngula)

Hitler is angry at atheists (funny on a number of levels):

Pat Robertson says Haiti paying for ‘pact to the devil’

PAT ROBERTSON: And, you know, Kristi, something happened a long time ago in Haiti, and people might not want to talk about it. They were under the heel of the French. You know, Napoleon III and whatever. And they got together and swore a pact to the devil. They said, “We will serve you if you will get us free from the French.” True story. And so, the devil said, “OK, it’s a deal.”

And they kicked the French out. You know, the Haitians revolted and got themselves free. But ever since, they have been cursed by one thing after the other. Desperately poor. That island of Hispaniola is one island. It’s cut down the middle. On the one side is Haiti; on the other side is the Dominican Republic. Dominican Republic is prosperous, healthy, full of resorts, et cetera. Haiti is in desperate poverty. Same island. They need to have and we need to pray for them a great turning to God. And out of this tragedy, I’m optimistic something good may come. But right now, we’re helping the suffering people, and the suffering is unimaginable.

KRISTI WATTS (co-host): Absolutely, Pat.

Radical cleric Pat Robertson weighs in on yet another tragedy giving it his own “special” spin. He must be truly a shit of human being to be able to put such a spin on the deaths of thousands of people.

Why Dec. 25th? Church settled on ‘Christ’s birth day’ centuries later

By Joseph Kelly
12/13/2006

The gospel accounts of the Nativity (Matthew 1-2, Luke 1-2) do not say what day Jesus was born. There were attempts to calculate the day, but by the third century Christians realized this was impossible.

So they tried other ways to determine a date for Jesus’ birth:

- Many people believed the world was re-created on the first day of spring (March 25 of the Julian calendar followed in ancient Rome). How appropriate, then, for the world’s redeemer to become incarnate that day!

- Other scholars argued that Jesus became incarnate not at his birth but at his conception. If Jesus was conceived March 25, he would be born nine months later, Dec. 25.

This date didn’t catch on immediately, especially in the Eastern Mediterranean region where people believed Jesus was born Jan. 6. But in the West Dec. 25 had much appeal. Why?

Many Romans venerated the sun, whose birthday was Dec. 25, or a virility god named Mithra with the same birthday. Also, the Romans observed a raucous celebration called Saturnalia Dec. 17-23. Thus, Dec. 25 offered a date with a good theological basis that also would counter several pagan holidays.

Although we don’t know the final steps, in 336 the church at Rome officially observed the “birth day of Christ” Dec. 25. This tradition spread. But what about Jan. 6? The church decided to use that day for Jesus’ manifestation to the whole world, symbolized by the Magi.

The Magi were three kings, Melchior, Caspar and Balthasar, right? Not really. Matthew’s Gospel speaks only of Magi; it doesn’t call them kings, or say they rode camels or give their names.

The early Christians looked to the Old Testament for prophecies relating to Jesus. One prophecy in Isaiah said that foreigners traveling on camels would bring gold and frankincense to the Messiah, while a psalm spoke of kings coming.

Naturally the Christians interpreted the Messiah as Jesus, and the only foreigners who brought him gifts were the Magi. So by the third century we find Christians speaking of the Magi as kings riding camels.

How many Magi were there?

A great Egyptian scholar, Origen, found a Genesis passage in which three pagans honored the Hebrew patriarch Isaac. Origen said the three symbolized the Magi, but didn’t say why.

Names for the Magi do not appear until the sixth century; all are fictional. “Balthasar” may be a corruption of Belteshazzar, a Babylonian king in the Book of Daniel. “Melchior” may be a combination of two Hebrew words for “king” and “light.” And “Caspar” may derive from the name of an Indian king converted by early Christians.

These names first appear in the West in a sixth-century mosaic in the church of St. Apollinaris Nuovo in Ravenna, Italy.

The date for Christmas may have been settled by the fourth century, but legends of the Magi grew throughout the Middle Ages.

—

Joseph Kelly, the chair of the Department of Religious Studies at John Carroll University in Cleveland, Ohio, is the author of The Origins of Christmas.

Absolutely, as long as it’s not that terribly depressing one about the chap who gets born on Christmas Day, shoots his mouth off about everything under the sun, and then comes a cropper with a couple of rum coves on top of a hill in Johnny Arab land.

— from Black Adder’s Christmas Carol

Hanukkah Ham?

(via Fundies Say the Darndest Things!)

With all the many references to musical instruments, there is one instrument that is NEVER mentioned! The DRUM! Why is that? The drum was a very common instrument in Egypt and the lands around Israel. And yet the DRUM is NEVER mentioned in a King James Bible.

Did the Lord just forget to include the DRUM or is there another reason?

Is it because — drums are associated with voodoo, shamanism, paganism and magic rituals?

…

When the first blacks from Africa were converted to Christianity they knew the power and evil influence of DRUMS. And the converted blacks strictly forbid the use of drums! They referred to the drums as “the Devil’s drum”.

…

One simple guideline for Christian music is NO DRUMS!

Terry Watkins, Dial the Truth Ministries

No drums? — But cymbals are mentioned: “Praise him upon the loud cymbals: praise him upon the high sounding cymbals” — Psalm 150:5

To be fair, there are a whole lot of other musical instruments not mentioned in the Bible, maybe they should be banned from Christian music, too.

Have you ever really read this thing? Technically, we’re not allowed to go to the bathroom.
— Reverend Timothy Lovejoy

As callista and i watched what dc weather says will be 12 to 22 inches of snow i wondered if God was sending a message about copenhagen
– Newt Gingrich (via Twitter)

Perhaps Newt should have his local haruspex interpret the sacrificial entrails just to be sure.

.. he dominates the DECADENT SUBWAY SCENE.