Mojoey & The Atheist Blogroll

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Not even FAKE SNOW?! How offensive...

Comment Date: Dec 15 2009 11:02 PM
Rating: Christmas-Offensive
Comment: The Gap has been intentionally offensive to Christmas for years. I remember about 4 years ago they decided not to decorate their stores during the holiday. Not even trees or fake snow..just completely ignore the season. It is weird for a retailer to take such a bold approach, after all it is a time that they make money! My family decided not to shop there that year. I would not shop there now, ...

I've never been a fan of "Focus on the Family." I'm pretty sure James Dobson had absolutely nothing to do with my personal upbringing...so I, even in my Christian heyday, did not feel it necessary or remotely tempting to invite him into my home to help me with my family.

This Christmas, good ole James has done an excellent job of 2 things:
1. Wasting money on a comment-monitored public website
2. Bringing the most ignorant (we'll call them less fortunate from here on out) Christians out of the woodwork.

Before I did any Christmas shopping, I visited FOTF's "Stand for Christmas" website to check out how Christmas-Friendly, Christmas-Negligent, or Christmas-Offensive some of my favorite retailers are. Boy, am I glad I did! I can't imagine the embarrassment that would come with giving a Christmas gift from Banana Republic! And I can't even bring myself to say or write The G-P anymore. 80% Christmas-offensive...oh the horror.

I'm not linking to this site because I don't want a bunch of track backs to my blog. I'm sure if you google "Stand for Christmas," it'll be the first choice on the list.

*note: all typos following "Comment" are [sic]able, but I'm just not gonna go there. All comments were CTRL+C --> CTRL+V straight from where they were posted

Some Christian-Offensive reviews of some of the biggest stores around:

The G-P tops the list at 80% offensive:

Comment: Some businesses just don't get it. Why would you offend the majority to please the minority? Most americans celebrate Christmas...Wake up. You've lost my family's business forever!
Comment: Their Holiday commercial was very offensive with the message celebrate what ever you feel like. Including Solstice. I dont plan on ever shopping there unless they change their message.
Comment: I will NOT buy anything else from GAP (which I am a HUGE fan of). By ignoring Christmas and offering "Happy Solstice," a WICCAN witch-warlock acknowledged dedicated day, they have GROSSLY OFFENDED not only ME but the MAJORITY of Americans. I will get the word out to others as well.
Comment: The commercials are horrendous. They are completely uncalled for and are most definitely a defiant attack on Christmas....
Comment: ...no Christmas displays. They want the Christmas $$$, but why--- you don't celebrate
Comment: ...Don't you guys understand that taking Christmas out of your store is discriminating against most Americans?
Comment: ...offensive that they would compare the BIRTH of our SAVIOR to other "holidays"....

Best Buy comes in at 74% Christmas-Offensive:

Comment: As a Christain and a freedom loving American patriot I was extremely offended by Best Buy choosing to with the Muliums a happy holiday and have yet made any attempt of wishing the Christians a Merry Christmas in their ad campain which I am checking weekly. I went into the store and shared my opinion as well as with their 1-800 number. They lost my business and I have encourage all my family and friends to do the the same. Merry Christmas to you all!
Comment: We have been watching the Stand for Christmas website and we are very disappointed to see where Best Buy's ratings are. As much as we love that store - we AVOIDED Christmas shopping there this year and kept them off our Christmas wish lists to others.
Comment: I was just about to purchase a lot of gift cards from best buy for grandchildren,but heard Bill O'Reilly's report on Christmas Friendly stores.I decided to ONLY shop CHRISTmas friendly stores..
Comment: Absolutely nothing anywhere about Christmas..not even a tree outline, wrapped gifts, etc. You can tell they are going out of their way to get your money but steer clear of Christmas. I was wished a "Happy Holidays" when I checked out. This will be my last trip to Best Buy until they reverse this anti-Christmas (and in my book, anti-Christian) attitude. See ya later BB.
Comment: I went to the Best Buy in Thousand Oaks today to buy Christmas gifts. There was not one sign it was the Christmas season. I left my gifts there. On the way out I asked the man at the door were their Christmas signs were. He said "We don't do that." Well I don't need to spend my money there. They want your money but they can't put out any Christmas decorations. I will not be back. Hello Costco, Target or Walmart
Comment: Was not playing Christmas music. Employees said happy holidays instead of Merry Christmas. After reading here, I decided to take back the two camera we bought on black friday. It is not worth the 30.00 total savings.


And to balance the scales...I present the most Christmas-Friendly retailer in the history of all of the world.

...Drumroll please.....Christians, I think God will forgive you if you keep your tithe to it spend at......

BASS PRO SHOPS!!

Comment: I love Bass Pro, their Christmas village makes me incredibly happy. I had to stand for 2 hours to get my daughter to see Santa but the elves were so helpful with keeping her entertained and even when we left the village we were still told Merry Christmas
Comment: Huge Christmas village set up w/ activites for children
Comment: I love your store santas village is just the best thing i have ever seen a retailer do! My kids have something positive to do every weekend and FOR FREE! ...Just wanted you to know how great it is that you celebrate not only Christmas but families! You are to be congratulated for reaching out to the WHOLE family!
Comment: I was very surprised and very pleased to hear the Christmas carols with all verses over the P.A., even the lyrics celebrating Jesus being born as the Son of God!
Comment: Bass Pro goes all out for Christmas. It is almost worth going to the store just to look @ the decor.
Comment: Front page CHRISTMAS sale! Yay!
Comment: In last Sunday's paper, it was one of only two retailers who had "Christmas" prominently displayed throughout the entire ad. They have a Christmas village set up inside the store (not a "holiday" or "winter" village), and it's an old-fashioned Christmas village where kids can get a free photo with Santa (who sends a letter to the child in the mail), lots of free games to play, and employees dressed as elves. I give this retailer the highest rating.


In closing...you're welcome, Christians. Now go shopping and stop reading.

I didn't pick and choose the most awesome comments...they're all basically the same as what I've selected to post here. So for all you humanists and godless heathens that care about people's feelings...all you have to do to garner the Christian happy sparkly eyes and almighty dollar during this holiday, er, Christmas season is 1)Say MERRY CHRISTMAS! (as many times as possible), and 2)Set up a "Christmas" village, Christmas tree, play Christmas music, and give out free pictures with Santa. I bet free candy canes would be a super bonus.

Oh yeah...and hey Jesus, Happy Birthday.

Menopausal atheists?

Just a standard side-bar ad on a random site ...of course the giant, albeit white, Dawkins-style A caught my attention...

Jesus Junk and Xian Privilege

I think this shows that Christians can get away with just about anything...Wonder if these ethically challenged companies pray for forgiveness?

"I think you have a real tension between the legal department and the PR department," he said. "(Large companies) are very sensitive to looking like they are anti-Christian, so they are very restrained in going after the wrongdoers."

Seriously? Apparently Xians have all the money and influence in this "democracy" we live in. I bet they buy this shit in bulk at the mega churches for their highly unnecessary book stores and internet cafes.

I still haven't bought a truly "offensive" anti-Christian shirt to wear in public...maybe I should. Although, I did take my Jesus ashtray to play poker a few times, back when you could smoke in local bars...there wasn't much warmth at the table those nights.

Atheism and Cheap Books

I wasn't sure if I should be pleased or upset today when I ventured in to my local Half Price Books store and found that the "Agnosticism/Atheism" section was gone. Totally gone. I wandered around the "Religious" section for a bit, then over to "Science and Mathematics," and there was simply nothing to be had. No Dawkins. No Hitchens. No Barker. No Russell. No Ehrman. Nothing.
I went to a clerk to ask where the section was relocated. "It was relocated into non-existence." WHAT?! He showed me the "Comparative Religion" section - 3 copies of Letter to a Christian Nation just doesn't count for an atheist presence on the shelf. (And who sells that book anyway? Christians who were fooled into reading it?) I found one copy of "Breaking the Spell," and though I've not read it, we only have the paperback copy and the hardback was $12, so I bought it.
So, should I be upset that "Christian Fiction," the mother of all "duh" sections, took up not one but 6 bookshelves, and not even one shelf was set aside for my precious disbelief? Or...should I be pleased that atheists buy good books and don't sell them for pennies on the dollar to sit at a store where cheapos like me go to get a quick fix?
I'm not even sure what I was looking for, but I'm 99% sure I didn't find it.

If only Dr. Pepper Corp had any jingle balls...

Sybil's Sagan

My most beautiful cousin, Sybil (affectionately "Shay" as kids, although we have never met), posted a Carl Sagan quote on Facebook the other day. Sadly, it got lost in the mix of notifications and vodka...so I am just now getting around to commenting. :) I promised a blog post, so here goes...

Carl Sagan was a brilliant scientist who died almost 13 years ago. He is well known for his work in the field of astronomy, including the SETI project (although he was not a "believer" in E.T./UFO's specifically.)

Sagan claimed agnostic in the realms of god/God and religion. (agnostic = a-gnostic = (a)lack of (gnostic) knowledge. He was a giant force in the publication of photographs of Earth from deep space (which showed us just how small we are).

I can't even begin to do the great Carl Sagan justice with any sort of homage here on my measly blog, but he was a genius of the highest human caliber.

Sybil's Facebook quote: "Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense."

I am posting for Sybil because she posted in a comment that she didn't know what to think of the quote, and was hoping someone (probably me) would open up the discussion. (Do you know any other heathens, cuz? :) )

I must say that I am jaded...I have read so many Sagan quotes, and I do own his book "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage." I have picked it up and read it here and there, random pages and ideas. The man was brilliant, and I am a lowly "smart." WAY beyond me, but I love trying to figure it out, nonetheless.

The most famous quote from Sagan that atheists like to use is, "Extraordinary claims require extraordinary evidence." I love this quote, and believe in it, not just in debating theism, but anything in life. If I say the sky is blue, well...duh, look up, it's blue. If I say the sky is purple...we've got a discussion on our hands.

In order to continue on with this post, I must present a few other Sagan quotes:

"Life is but a momentary glimpse of the wonder of this astonishing universe,

and it is sad to see so many dreaming it away on spiritual fantasy."

"It means nothing to be open to a proposition we don't understand."

"I maintain there is much more wonder in science than in pseudoscience.

And in addition, to whatever measure this term has any meaning, science

has the additional virtue, and it is not an inconsiderable one, of being true."

.....

So, Mr. Sagan. What of God/god?

I think it takes a big person of high intelligence to admit that they don't know something.

One thing that bothers me about being an atheist is that the term "agnostic" is considered separate.

Trust me, I've read comments from "baby atheists" (probably rebellious teens) who don't understand

the correlation.

A = without

Theism = belief in God/god

Gnostic = knowledge

Agnostics can be atheists, or they can just be agnostics. Regardless, we are all claiming ignorance or insufficient proof..

I claim ignorance on all sorts of things; quantum physics, open heart surgery, how a steam locomotive works, why Ivy grows and grows,

only to be eaten by some weirdo green caterpillars....it just means "I don't know enough to say

"I don't believe/understand."" An atheist is a person who thinks they have enough information to say

they have no belief in a god. It doesn't mean I think I can disprove the existence of God/god, or that

I KNOW God/god isn't real...it means that *I* do not believe in God/god.

So, the quote in question... "Skeptical scrutiny is the means, in both science and religion, by which deep thoughts can be winnowed from deep nonsense."

I think the point is, THINK. Think deeply and with purpose. Faith and thinking are not related. Faith is not a catalyst of the thinking mind, and the thinking mind will stump faith out like a 4-minute old Marlboro. Do I think I am superior? Absolutely not. But, I have allowed "outside the box" thinking, whereas some don't.

Do you think God ever wonders, as we do, where He/he came from?

Do you think it absurd that we dismiss Thor, Zeus, Titan as man-made gods, but if you question the lord/Lord almighty, may you be damned to hell?

I wonder who the last person on earth to believe in Zeus was. What kind of ridicule did that person go through? How was that person separated from everyone else in the world that realized that Zeus was a man-made god (like all gods)? Who decided that Yaweh/Jehovah/Jesus/God was any different? Because a "man" "walked" "named" "Jesus?"

The History Channel has a great series called "Clash of the Gods." Historical stories of the "gods" that people have worshiped throughout history. I highly recommend watching it. It's not the first time I've been presented with the similarities between Jesus Christ and ALMOST EVERY OTHER GOD IN THE HISTORY OF CIVILIZATION.

Sybil's Sagan quote is probably one of the most poignant reasons I choose to believe what I do. I think. I question. I relinquished the bible as a source of authority some years ago. As you cannot define the word "red" by using the word "red," you cannot discuss Christianity using the bible. The bible isn't proof of anything. The bible isn't an authority. The bible is a collection of stories that have been censored, whittled down, and made to suit the purpose of the church for centuries.

Simple thought: Pascal's Wager. So eloquently described by many, but summed up in one bumper sticker: "If you're living like there's no God, you'd better be right!"

Please.

All I truly ask is that any religious person who wishes to discuss the merits of their religion, their God/god, their opinions...at least give me more than I can get from Kirk Cameron. Educate yourself. Don't be afraid of the dark side...if you are truly faithful, I can't drag you to my side, and you're safe. Don't cap your mind off with religion. Let yourself be the curious being that you are. Read. Study. There are SO many incredible minds who have left a mark on our world because they dedicated their lives to finding the truth. Listen to what they have to say with respect...they are God's creatures. They are the lightbulb of the world

Don't see yourself short. Think about it.

I hate god on Facebook

When this blog was created, we knew of nothing called Facebook. Yes, there was Myspace...but that's a different animal. I love Facebook. I love knowing what my "friends" are doing and going thru. I love getting invitations to parties and MMA fight watching parties...

Status updates are my favorites, and I have several favorite friends that I troll Facebook for daily to check out what they're doing. My friend COLIN always writes in CAPS and always likes his own status. His status updates are usually pretty random, and he suggested that I go as "Sexy Abraham Lincoln" for Halloween to counter all of the 30-something slut costumes. My friend Holland has the best kid anecdotes ever. Her son is a funny little guy that I'd love to spend time with. My friend Tracy has great tits and everyone on Facebook knows it. My friend Dre (Andrea back in the day) hates it when you tag her in pictures that are pre-2000. My friend Amanda drops her kids on their heads and has pajama parties, and my friend Jamie paints wine glasses and hates her job. (By the way, Jamie is painting me some wine glasses just in time for XMAS with the American Atheists logo...I'm sure she's taking orders, so if you want some...email me and I'll get you in contact with her).

Then...there are status updates that make me crazy. Now, I don't mean to offend anyone (haha), and if you want to delete me from your friends list, please feel free to do so, this is America.

"Pray for me"

"Pray for my dad"

"Pray for my sister"

"Pray for my dog"

Seriously?

Facebook is not a coven of saints. (Trust me, I know *wink*)

Today, my (I love you) Mom tried to stick it to me when I posted a Freud quote about the absurdity of religion with a quote from Einstein about "God." My cousin followed with a quote from Ravi Zacharias. (Boo).

Here's my issue. I'm "out" as an atheist, but I don't think that people know what the word means. (a)=without (theist)=belief in a god. I don't hate Christians. I don't hate Muslims. I don't hate Jews. I just don't believe in a god. Why is this so hard to understand?

Likewise, why is it that Christians that I know have a hard time reconciling "Religion" with "god." (ie. my mom's quote from Einstein about "God" had nothing to do with religion, because Einstein didn't subscribe to any traditional religion).

Facebook has minimalized the word "friend."

If I knew you in high school, but I haven't spoken to you in the 14 years that I have been out, you probably aren't my friend. I have very few real friends.

I will continue to voice my heathenism on Facebook status updates, because I am one, and I hate christmas (as opposed to those who love Christ-mas)...the holidays have resurrected the infidel in me. I am not ashamed to be a non-believer.

What do you do, though, when you have "friends" who post this:

"Let's see how many people on f/b aren't ashamed to show their Love for God and admit that Jesus is their Savior. We need to get God back in America. If you are not ashamed copy and paste this in your status"

Dislike button, anyone? My only recourse was to ask if God lost his green card. I dunno.

So, with my first sporadic post (forgive me as I get back into the groove), I leave you with this bit of humor:

From: Pace, Stacy US-HSP
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009 10:02 AM
To: Wang, Jennifer (US-HSP)
Subject: I've always wondered where he likes to party...

UPS Delivery Date / Time: 12-November-2009
Delivery Location: FRONT DESK
Signed by: JESUS

Shipment Detail

Ship To:

MGM GRAND-LAS VEGAS

From: Wang, Jennifer (US-HSP)
Sent: Monday, November 16, 2009
To: Pace, Stacy US-HSP
Subject: RE: I've always wondered where he likes to party...

NICE! Jesus <3’s> Sin City!

I am of peace, always.

1 year, 11 months, 14 days

...That's how long it has been since any of you have officially heard from the Stacy & Jared duo. What have we been doing? Let's see...

Stacy got a new job and a promotion a year later.

We moved into our house together.

We've played in probably over 500 games of poker and double that for scrabble.

We've watched every season of House.

We've watched every season of Dexter.

We've watched every season of Mad Men.

We've watched every season of Rescue Me.

Jared has beaten 6 different games on XBox 360.

We got a Wii, and we are obese.

We've had pee-wee football, pee-wee t-ball, youth soccer, and dance classes to attend.

Our kids have grown to almost-5, 7, and the dreaded 12.

Jared built a deck, 3 arbors, and a tree house in the back yard.

We have extricated 4 Crepe Myrtles from our property, and had a dead oak tree removed.

We've consumed approximately 14,000 oz of beer, 50 bottles of whiskey, 50 bottles of vodka, and 90 cases of redbull and diet coke.

We've been to Oklahoma, New Orleans, southern Mississippi, Los Angeles, Cabo San Lucas, and Cancun.

We've gotten a collective 6 new tattoos.

We've won over $600 in scratch-off lottery tickets.

We've taken guitar lessons and written our own lyrics to silly songs.

We've laid on the roof and looked at the stars thru standard binoculars.

We've read dozens of books, and listened to the 50-CD audio book of Atlas Shrugged.

We've done 98 New York Times Sunday Crossword puzzles.

We deleted our myspace accounts.

We opened facebook accounts.

Jared completed the new Cowboys Stadium project.

We've made new friends, and lost touch with old ones.

We've hung out with atheists and felt out of place (how is that possible?)

And now we're back, older, wiser, and as steady in our disbelief as we've ever been.

Looking forward to catching up, renewing our spot on blogrolls, and having blogger-comment conversations with people we wouldn't normally get to talk to.

Here's to Redux!