Christians are all Vegan Right?

Leviticus 17:14

King James Version (KJV)

¹⁴ For it is the life of all flesh; the blood of it is for the life thereof: therefore I said unto the children of Israel, Ye shall eat the blood of no manner of flesh: for the life of all flesh is the blood thereof: whosoever eateth it shall be cut off.


And thus why Jehovah's Witnesses refuse blood donations:



If an adult JW wants to refuse a life saving transfusion that is their (foolish) choice.  But when they refuse life saving treatment for their children, that is criminal child abuse and their children are safer under care of the state, as imperfect as even that care is.

Does The Universe Have Purpose?

Does the Universe Have a Purpose? An Animated Version of Neil deGrasse Tyson’s Response

Neil deGrasse Tyson was asked by the Templeton Foundation (Wait! Don’t leave!) to answer the question, “Does the Universe Have a Purpose?”

His answer, as you might expect, is wonderful — and it’s fun to watch thanks to this animation from MinutePhysics:

Hate Abortion? Give Out Free Birth Control.

This study confirms what I've always believed, if you hate abortion, make birth control widely available.  As this Scientific American article points out, when birth control was made zero cost the rate of abortions was half of what it was expected to be.

It is such a sad irony that the religious right advocates a policy - abstinence - that increases what they dislike the most - abortions.  Their position has no grounding in facts or reality.

Einstein & Religion

Albert Einstein was, and even is today, often misrepresented on religion.  Believers claim that Einstein believed in God but in a letter to a correspondent he stated his views clearly:

“It was, of course, a lie what you read about my religious convictions, a lie which is being systematically repeated. I do not believe in a personal God and I have never denied this but have expressed it clearly. If something is in me which can be called religious then it is the unbounded admiration for the structure of the world so far as our science can reveal it.”  Albert Einstein

What Would Jesus Say?

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/07/20/rick-warren-the-teaching-of-evolution-is-to-blame-for-the-colorado-shooting/

Lost Keys & God

A Shot at Creation Theories?

Interesting blog post from an Oregonian writer.  Terry Richard blogs about interesting places to visit in Oregon and the larger NW.  I wonder if his comments about the likelihood of "creation myths" is a subtle shot at religion - or evolution?

Believers Logic in a Flowchart

An Honest Oversight

It is high time that I pick up my quill and start posting to this blog again.  I've been intending to restart the blog for some time but a postcard received in the mail today finally prompted me to do so.  I was really enjoying the conversation with my friend TJ but I had to end the blog conversation - it seemed to be adding to  an almost obsession that was consuming TJ's life.  I didn't want to contribute to that.  Thus, this is still A Friendly Conversation but it is with you dear reader.




We received this in the mail today from a very good friend of ours, who, shall we say, takes her religion full strength.  I say "we" received it but alas, for some unfathomable reason, I was inexplicably left off the invitation!

An honest oversight on the sender's part to be sure.

I am hurt, hurt I tell you that I was not invited to this event.  Neither was my son Sam but then he doesn't live in town so he has an excuse.  

Interesting that "these questions" shouldn't be left to "world religions" amongst other nefareous authorities (like popular opinion or God forbid, science).

Abstinence and Abortions

Very interesting article about how the evangelical community has finally, in a very limited way, admitted that preaching abstinence is causing abortions rates to climb.  80% - 80%! of young evangelical adults are having sex before marriage and 30% of these women who become pregnant get abortions.  So one third of he recipients of the pro-abstinence (and presumably pro-life) message get abortions when they have an unplanned pregnancy before they are married.  That is astonishing.  If you hate abortion, teach birth control.