Disqus - Latest Comments for ricky

Re: SL-LOST.com To Interview Michael Emerson

ricky — Thu, 22 Oct 2009 01:41:34 -0000

From the season 6 episodes you have done so far, one word to describe it.

Re: LOST Auction Items Preview

ricky — Mon, 19 Oct 2009 07:03:19 -0000

damn, i'd love to own these all. :)

Re: Fotbollsdomare!

ricky — Wed, 18 Apr 2007 06:34:27 -0000

han måste ha fått sparken just innan matchen eller nåt =)

Re: http://www.youthkiawaaz.com/2008/10/bi-weekly-poll-results-would-you-accept.html

ricky — Mon, 20 Oct 2008 04:40:00 -0000

hemosexuality iz treated as a crime in india homosexuals are viewed as aliens in india..people term goth fashion as homosexuality..a boy wearin an eyeliner is treated as a homosexual...dey turn around and stare at yu lyk anytg... bein homosexual is no crime and if i found my brotha or sis an homosexual itz fyn wid me i'll view dem as oder normal creatures...

Re: http://www.lagrandt.com/2009/06/entrega-de-pines_13.html

ricky — Thu, 18 Jun 2009 16:22:49 -0000

Y si rober... los pines se pueden usar una vez sola, seguramente ya los han usado todos los que lo vieron antes.

Re: http://vickydailylife.blogspot.com/2009/05/widgipedia-widget-resource.html

ricky — Thu, 21 May 2009 00:55:43 -0000

Thanx for the info.it will be handy for the people like me.

Re: http://vickydailylife.blogspot.com/2009/05/free-blogging-platforms.html

ricky — Wed, 20 May 2009 11:06:39 -0000

Nice post buddy.I guess wordpress should be the first choice for the blogging platform

Re: The opium of the atheists - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:47:00 -0000

Wow... There are so many holes in this argument.

Firstly, it's said that atheists can do bad things, too. You know, you're right. Atheists can and have done bad things. It's a good thing that that has nothing to do with any evidence for or against religion. If you just wanted to join the religion that was the most gentle, you could be a Jain. How about that, Mr. Muslim. Do a comparison. Islam and Jainism. Which has done more killing over the ages. If you think that you should join the religion that kills the least, I gotta be honest with you and tell you that Islam is not the best choice.

You also say that there was an Islamic "Golden Age". And that it was between the 7th and 12th centuries. May I submit that the reason for Islam's golden age was because the Christians of the time were even more radical killing-machines than the Muslims were back then. As soon as the renaissance happened (and science got some footing), Islam's civilizational lead crumbled. Thus, it's probably because Christians in general got LESS RELIGIOUS over time that they became the dominant civilization.

I don't need to take any leap of faith to be an atheist more than I have to take a leap of faith to believe that there are no unicorns or dragons in my apartment building. Sure, I don't see, hear, feel, or otherwise sense a unicorn in my apartment, but I'm somehow taking a leap of faith to think that it doesn't exist.

At the end, you're railing about secularist societies. We do horrible things like teaching evolution. How horrible it must be for a Muslim to live in our midst. By the way, what happens if an atheist lives in a Shariah-governed society. Oh, you kill us. Hmmm...teaching evolution in class or stoning people to death. You decide which government is worse.

Re: The opium of the atheists - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 08:54:00 -0000

I'll add a bit more.

I also like the part that says that "the Ottoman Empire would definitely not come into being had the Turks remained as pagan hordes". Well, I don't know about "hordes" as this implies a nomadic culture, but as for pagan, it's interesting to note that the main force behind the "Islamic Golden Age" was the learning gotten from Greek and Roman "pagans".

And by the way, I'm replying to the person who wrote the article (who will never read this, sadly), not the person who posted it.

Re: The Subtle, Lethal Poison of Religion - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Fri, 28 Sep 2007 07:39:00 -0000

@Dave Armstrong:

"I'm contending that if we can acknowledge mystery in science, why not also in theology? In that context I was presupposing belief in God. If you grant that, then given the traditional theistic / Jewish / Christian concept of a transcendent, monotheistic, omniscient, omnipotent God, it is foolish to think that we can figure all that out, since clearly such a Being is many magnitudes greater in thinking ability."

To a child asking a difficult question about scientific processes (i.e. anything), I wouldn't tell a kid to just be quiet and take in the mystery of it all, but instead, I would commend him/her on the great question and simply say that we don't know yet, but that maybe when he grows up, he can find evidence and answer that question.

I agree that, yes, considering the unfathomability of God's omniscience - His raw thinking ability infinitely greater than ours - it's really haughty of us to think that we really know what is in His mind...well, other than the fact that He hates fags, which is a given.

Re: Prayer guidlines published for Muslim astronauts - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:56:00 -0000

"To get around these problems, 150 Malaysian scholars, scientists, and astronauts brainstormed and published an 18-page booklet of guidelines for Muslim astronauts."

I would have thought that Allah, in his all-knowingness would have already written how to pray to him while Mecca is flying past below. If he'd told Mohammad to write about the exact speed that it would take to keep a vessel in orbit, and the exact things a person had to do in space, then it would be easier on all of us, huh. Is it that the almighty Allah didn't have the foresight to see humans venturing into space?

By the way, the idea of facing Mecca, even on earth is silly, and people don't face Mecca at all. They face the direction of Mecca (southeast, etc) but in reality, if they're on the other side of the world, they would have to face right into the ground to truly be facing Mecca, because the world isn't flat.

Re: Church pastor dies while enjoying unusual hobby - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Wed, 17 Oct 2007 04:41:00 -0000

Neal, it's not just that Christians and atheists just like attacking each other. We have our reasons. They attack us because they think that we are perverts who have no shame. We attack them when they're caught doing the exact activities that they preach against.

That's why I love that congressman Craig thing, and all of those other Republicans who were caught doing things that are completely unacceptable to THEMSELVES, supposedly. "Let's not let gays get married!...so that there will be more single gays for me!" This is why we laugh so hard when preachers are found doing these things. Believe me, if it was just a random guy who was in this situation, it wouldn't be on this website. It's just the hypocrisy that we love to bash.

Re: Christians declare war on those evil athiests - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 08:48:00 -0000

Wow! I was an atheist, but I just read those arguments and now I'm a devout Christian! These were the most influential 2 minutes I've ever had! I can't believe that I was so wrong for so long! ...Or, the stupidity of this made my brain hurt. Hmm... I have to go with the latter. I know that there's no reason to even refute this drivel, but I'd like to do it just a tiny bit for fun.

1) Answered already by the commentors.

2) So I guess that the trans-Atlantic slave trade (and the decimation of the natives) started and continued for hundreds of years while Europeans were still pagans. Thank goodness that Europeans converted in the early 1800s.

3) Wow...there is some evidence that Pontius Pilate lived and some places from the Bible existed! But I'm sure that this time, God didn't plant that evidence there like he planted the dinosaur fossils that appear to be millions of years old, or the Homo erectus skeletons, both of which are tricks played by God to put doubt in our minds...

4) The title is "How to shut up an atheist". Far from freedom of speech, I bet this guy wishes that we couldn't even open our mouths.

5) Again, universal human rights didn't come from the bible. Thomas Paine, "The Age of Reason", 1793: "I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of. My own mind is my own church.
"All national institutions of churches, whether Jewish, Christian or Turkish, appear to me no other than human inventions, set up to terrify and enslave mankind, and monopolize power and profit."

6) As I posted a few weeks, ago, Stalin and Mao were the "near-dieties" of the "personality cults". They could do no wrong, supposedly, and nobody could be an outspoken "freethinker" and acknowledge any of their wrongdoings. This sounds a lot like religion to me. Furthermore, besides the figures probably not being true, even if they were, it's not fair to compare the population of the 20th century (in the billions) to the population of past centuries (under 1 billion before 1800). One thing is for sure, Christians completely (and nearly-completely) wiped out whole cultures, including heretics and Native Americans.

Only 6? I'm just getting started!

Re: Pope blames atheism for world's woes - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:09:00 -0000

Where is the most violent region on earth? Where are all three "great" monotheistic religions from? But that's right...it's those darn atheists who ruin things.

Re: Nothing predates Christianity? - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Fri, 07 Dec 2007 04:41:00 -0000

Wow... I never thought I'd get all "religious" and stuff, but some people DO need to be stoned to death.

Re: Huckabee: Amend Constitution to be in 'God's standards' - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:39:00 -0000

Hey, I say he didn't go far enough. We should go full-on Shariah, where we stone adulturers (i.e. homosexuals) in the streets. That'll bring back family values...

Re: Huckabee: Amend Constitution to be in 'God's standards' - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Thu, 17 Jan 2008 02:44:00 -0000

Oh, and I forgot to mention that we must add rape victims to the "adulturers" category, as they bring shame upon their fathers' houses.

Re: Church pastor charged with theft - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:05:00 -0000

Because this is a sort of general article, and not a specific testimonial, I'll say this here...

I'm not sure if it's just because I just used a nickname instead of signing in with some account, but after I posted a recent comment, it said that the message needed approval. Since I'm an atheist backing up views of others, I have no doubt that it will be approved. However, I think that what separates us from the crazies (besides not being crazy) is the fact that we allow freer expression. Whenever I see that comments are screened, I lose some respect for the website (or YouTube video). Granted, anonymous Christians do mess with us too much, but that mostly shows how stupid, mean, and un-Jesus-like they are, rather than in any way discrediting us. Because of that, I think that the screening of messages should be done away with.

Re: Church pastor charged with theft - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 23:06:00 -0000

OK, I guess it was just one testimonial where I was screened. My comment showed up quickly here. Hmm...

Re: Is Barak Obama the Antichrist? - ExChristian.Net - News and Opinion

ricky — Sun, 24 Feb 2008 19:47:00 -0000

I'm not exactly sure what this poster is going for. Did you list the "Antichrist" link at the top in order to put down the idiots who came up with that blog, or did you do it to discredit Obama. I would have thought the former, except that underneath that link, you also show an article from the New York Sun that seems to also put down Obama. So I'm wondering which is it? Are you putting down Obama, or the idiocy of the commentators on him?

Well, just the top of the Antichrist Obama blog says it all "Barack Obama may be the Antichrist, he has risen up out of no where, he mesmerizes crowds, people are gathering in huge numbers, he is likely becoming the next President of the United States. Do not look only to what I say, but look to your Bibles, to passages in John, Daniel, and Revelations." Obviously crazy garbage. So I'll move on.

The New York Sun is well-known for being a conservative paper, so I have every reason to expect that they would not be swept off their feet. In fact, I would expect that they would try to put down Obama simply because he represents the best shot against the Republicans, i.e. their guys.

The paper insults young people for participating in the voting process while trying to hide it. It begins, "Let us start by saying that hope is good, political involvement is to be applauded, and young people are not all shallow sheep, flocking to the latest hip thing, be it a tattoo, tongue stud, iPod, or, ahem, presidential candidate." Is this making young people look good? Of course not. They're calling young people all of these things, but just not taking credit. It's like saying "Let us start by saying that not all Muslims are terrorists, and many Muslims just want to get along with others." You know that the rest of the article will be about terrorism and how Muslims are responsible. But the first sentence gets you out of trouble, because in essence, you're saying "I never said that! I said that you guys were peaceful!"

It's very strange, indeed, how people on the right will all come together to rally against any "cult leader" that could help to further secularize this nation, but there is never a peep out of them about the thousands or millions of cult leaders among them. These people are actually cult leaders, not just being "general" and "ambiguous" about statements, but promising blatant lies to their hordes, who act on these lies to make life worse for everyone else. Interesting indeed how these people are always looked over.

For a while, I wasn't for Obama. But then I realized (like you always do in politics) that you have to pick the lesser of the two evils, or else the greater (and it could be FAR greater) of the two evils will win. (I don't mean Hillary. I mean a Republican.) I heard some religious mumbo jumbo that Obama spoke, but I also know that neither of his parents are religious (his mom is agnostic and his dad is a Muslim apostate). I also know that in several of his speeches, he said something like "It doesn't matter if you're a Catholic, Baptist, Hindu, Jew, or you don't have any religion" or something similar. This speech brings atheists up from being outsiders to being a valid group that should be respected along with the others. It's a far cry from Huckabee claiming that we need to change the constitution to make it one with God's word.

I also know that, as a white person, Obama being president has the opportunity to heal race relations overnight ...Not that racism will completely vanish, but blacks will know that, comprising just 12% of the population, a good deal of whites and others voted for a black (or partly black) man, thus they can't all be racist. It will also help black children get their minds off just becoming rappers and sports stars and realize that there are so many other opportunities available.

Also, even if Obama said some religious stuff to some religious people at some time, I know that he isn't going to institute the plans of the religious conservative in this country. He seems to be open-minded and not hateful towards any group.

He is also for alternative energy (general and ambiguous as his plans may be), and only by implementing something soon can we escape from Peak Oil and climate change.

For years, we've had presidents with "experience" and "solid plans", and you know what? Nothing works out anyway. So what's wrong with change? 4 bad years, and he's out, and we've learned our lesson. The old white guys have had so many chances, it's not even funny. But yet some are so afraid of change, that they can't give a guy of a different sort just 4 years to prove that we don't have to put up with what we've gotten so used to.

So I know what I want. I know the kinds of policies that I want to see. But I guess I'm just in a cult...mesmerized by a good-looking, young guy. I'm just a groupie, willing to sleep with any asshole that plays music I like. Yeah, that's it. Believe what you want. But if a conservative paper is against Obama, that in itself is probably the biggest reason to vote for him.

Re: The love of the Creator is inside everyone - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Wed, 03 Oct 2007 02:19:00 -0000

Dear Trish,

That's a really horrible childhood you've had to put up with. I'm glad that you've moved on. I guess that to a Christian, you're breaking the commandment of "Honor thy (abusive) father and thy (freaking crazy) mother." It seems like the Christian god always punishes the victim, huh? Oh well, I'm glad that he doesn't exist.

Some people, like Anonymous/Josh say that you have to forgive your family. Well, doesn't even God say that people have to be genuinely sorry for something or else they won't be forgiven? We obviously know that you've always tried to be civil to your family, but they never change and accept any blame. (Those who don't believe this should take a look at the 'The INFAMOUS "God Warrior"' video on YouTube or Google Video to see the kind of person you're dealing with.) Thus, I think that starting a new life, with a new mindset is the most important thing to do. Going back to your family will only cause more pain.

You are more than fully justified if you never talk to them again, and you shouldn't even need to preface your judgements of them by a "Sorry, but..." You don't need to be sorry. They do. But that's the problem, isn't it? You do nothing wrong and yet you feel a bit sorry, and they are completely wrong yet never feel the slightest bit sorry. The best thing for you is that you've moved on. I also think that if you have free time, you should take up some martial art like Taekwondo so that you'll feel less vulnerable.

As for the comments to your post, I most like Lorena's. I'm an atheist, and I am of course for the promotion of science and reason, but I'm happy that you found a belief (Wicca) that is good for you. Because of your tolerant mindset, I don't see you cursing atheists or science or anything, and after all you've been through, it's just good to know that you're finally happy. I wish you all the best in the future.

Re: Where are you, God? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Sun, 14 Oct 2007 11:08:00 -0000

I have no idea of the degree to which you are suffering... All I know is that it's worse than anything I've had to endure in my life.

If we're all God's children, then I hope he loses custody. He's doing a Hell of a bad job.

One little thing that is helpful to an atheist like me after losing someone precious is that space is not 3-dimensional, but rather 4-or-more-dimensional, with time included. This means that although your son is gone at this particular time in history, his presence is forever. Each person takes up a tiny 3-dimensional space in the universe, and also takes up a piece of time. We can't go back in time, but we can know that the good times our loved ones had in life are not erased. They did happen in time, and that can't be changed. And not only that, but your son changed the universe, even if in a relatively small way, and these small changes (even down to a photon bouncing off his body) will impact the future of the universe for an infinite number of years.

Well, that's how I see it, anyhow. I'm sorry for your tremendous loss.

Re: Spirit in the sky - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 22:29:00 -0000

To Sharon: I felt horrible reading your post. I can't imagine how it must be for your children to not want to see you anymore. Maybe it will take some time, but they might someday see their mistake...just like you eventually did.

To Caleb: You have your chance now and only now. As we can see with Sharon's story, there is only a tiny window when kids are young to set out the truth for them. If you just keep silent and don't tell them the truth, then the same thing could happen, as what happened to Sharon's kids. One thing is to - just one year - ask them if they think that Santa is real. Then, on Christmas morning, don't have ANY presents for them. Say that Santa is make-believe like God (and explain why) and then go out shopping together so that your kid can get what he wants. It might seem cruel, but it would only be one day (and with a later reward) and it would prove something to your kid. I know that I can still remember some truly unique experiences from my childhood when I learned a very important lesson. These lessons stay with me to this day.

Re: Christian morality not good enough? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Fri, 09 Nov 2007 02:42:00 -0000

Thanks for the nice comments so far!

-Ricky W.

Re: Christian morality not good enough? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Sun, 11 Nov 2007 23:59:00 -0000

Thanks again for all of the nice comments!

-Ricky W.

Re: Christian morality not good enough? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Mon, 12 Nov 2007 00:02:00 -0000

Oh yeah, and to Chris, I also catch bugs and spiders and put them outside.

-Ricky W.

Re: Christian morality not good enough? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Wed, 14 Nov 2007 22:51:00 -0000

Country Atheist & Cattle Farmer:
"Don't get me wrong, I don't believe it's right to kill an animal just to be killing it for the heck of it, and I do believe that animal cruelty is wrong, however if you kill an animal to protect yourself, or your animals from being killed, then that's what you have to do. Plus people have been eating meat for centuries."

I think that although most people have understood, there are still some that feel a need to be defensive. I don't think that anybody, including myself, has said that you can't kill an animal to protect yourself or "your" animals from being killed. If you can find anything even approximating that, let me know. For that matter, I wouldn't mind killing a person, if that person was trying to kill me. Fortunately, we're not talking about a situation even remotely like that.

You then say that people have been eating meat for centuries. You also say that you're not a Christian. But there have been Christians for centuries...even millennia. I'm sure that most of our ancestors going back more than a thousand years were Christians. So I think you can understand if I don't take that to mean that I HAVE to be a Christian, or that I HAVE to eat meat.

By the way, thanks for being honest, at least with your name. If you are a Toyota salesman, you're probably not going to support those who prefer Fords, and if you say up front that you're a cattle farmer, well, I guess I didn't even need to read your comment.

-Ricky W.

Re: Christian morality not good enough? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Thu, 15 Nov 2007 05:33:00 -0000

To Country Atheist & Cattle Farmer:

You say that only 5% of your animals end up in your freezer, and the rest are sold as breeding animals, and thus - it seems you want me to conclude - you somehow have no affiliation to the meat industry. Now, it's true - I'm a city slicker, so I don't know the ultimate fate of the animals you sell, but I doubt the purpose of breeding cattle is so that we can admire their herding behavior. So you are still making money in the cattle industry, and thus have a stake in it. So my premise remains valid.

You say that people who don't kill bugs are strange, but I think that the strange people are those who get so enraged that we don't kill them. Now, do I eat 100% organic food that wasn't sprayed with pesticides? No. On the other hand, if there is just a random spider that I can easily catch with a cup and take outside - all within a scant 30 seconds - yeah, I'll do that. Why not? Here's a better question - Why get bent out of shape about it if someone does.

Do I worship spiders? Do I think that when I die, I will be judged by spiders and moths? Do I go to bug-worship service every week? Do bugs bend scientific laws? Again, No. Will I spare a bug's life if it isn't doing me any harm at all? Well, sure.

By the way, the spotted owl doesn't live in Alaska. Look it up. Now, if you want to get into a debate with me about oil, you're sure to lose. I'm a regular at TheOilDrum.com, and unless you know what MTOE and EROEI mean, don't get started with me. The short answer is that we are going to use ANWR, and the environmentalists keeping our greedy hands off it for this long has been a saving grace, because maybe we will have some energy left to start on a renewable energy program. Then again, maybe not. If, say, (and this is unrealistic) the U.S. exploited this domestic source of oil located in ANWR to get us off foreign oil, it would last for only 2 years before becoming completely depleted. It's not a silver bullet, and conservation can do much more. I'm pretty sure you haven't heard about "Peak Oil". Go to Wikipedia if you want. Maybe I'm crazy. At any rate, get back to me in 10 years and we'll see who's right.

But none of this deals with the matters I've been discussing. I've just responded to your off-topic rant.

Again, Country Atheist & Cattle Farmer, name one person on this thread who said that all atheists are bleeding heart animal rights activists.

I'm sorry that my personal story has upset you so much that you make up things that you want to have read, instead of things that you actually read here.

If you ever want to have a real conversation, first tell me who here
1) said that it is wrong to kill animals that are attacking you and
2) said that all atheists are animal-rights activists

Until then, I must say that I have no respect for people who make false, baseless claims (especially in the pursuit of trying to win an argument).

Re: Christian morality not good enough? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Sat, 17 Nov 2007 20:50:00 -0000

Thanks a lot for your comment, Sharon!

-Ricky W.

Re: I left god for good - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Mon, 26 Nov 2007 23:30:00 -0000

@Anonymous: It looks like you're the only one who is offended. Let me guess...you're a Christian. Hmm...and you're reading posts at an ex-Christian site and immaturely lashing out at what you read. It looks like you are the one who is throwing your idiocy in our faces.

Go back to church. Don't worry. We won't miss you on here.

Re: What changed your mind? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 20:10:00 -0000

Pretty interesting. It reminds me of something I thought about in my childhood.

Back when I was young, I knew the colors, including "white" and "black". Then, I just wondered what things would be like if somehow I teleported to beyond the edge of the universe. What would it look like? Well, both white and black, and all the other colors are things, so it can't be any of those. But it must have some look, or else it would just be black, but black was a color, and thus a thing...and I wanted to know what "nothing" looked like.

Later on, of course, I realized that black is merely the absence of light. All the colors, and white (a mix of all the colors) are produced by tiny waves/particles, and a lack of waves/particles is simply black. Finally, I realized what things would look like if I somehow exited the universe. BLACK.

But for a while, I thought that I had to stretch my mind to come up with a concept that could not possibly exist, to explain that. The answer was simply "black", however.

Anyway, I still think that the terms "theist" and "atheist" come in handy, just like terms such as "Lutheran" and "Catholic", even though at the end, the reality is the same. Theists convince themselves that their dogmas are real, and atheists decide that they need proof in order to believe something.

Re: Without god, everything makes sense - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Wed, 19 Dec 2007 05:46:00 -0000

I'm an atheist vegetarian. And, in fact, I wrote a testimonial in which I said that one of the reasons that I knew Christianity wasn't for me was that there was no thought given to animals. In fact, in the Bible, God supposedly likes the smell of burnt flesh...and Jesus' apostles are fishermen and of course they continue to catch and eat fish. Anyway, with my morality, that didn't match. It's funny (and sad) how you can skin a baby seal or go hunting for sport and not have the slightest fear of going to Hell for it, and yet being friends with a gay person could get you in trouble. Anyway, good story. My testimonial is below.

http://exchristian.net/testimonies/2007/11/christian-morality-not-good-enough.html

Re: I knew I was being conned, so I openly denounced the church - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Tue, 05 Feb 2008 22:58:00 -0000

You, sir, were a child prodigy. At the age of ten, I'm not sure if I'd even shaken off my belief in Santa Claus, much less God. But I did come around in my teens, and I've definitely made up for lost time since then. Kudos!

Re: Atheism Freed Me from All Life's Superstitions - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Sun, 17 Feb 2008 22:11:00 -0000

Great testimonial! I can imagine how hard real OCD is. I had some mild forms of it, myself. For example, my prayers would get longer and longer every night until I kept myself up more than 30 minutes extra just praying. First, I just prayed for victims and such, and said the main prayers (Our Father, Hail Mary). Then, I added prayers for everyone who will suffer or has suffered. And I repeated it every night, even though you'd think that saying it once would be all I needed to cover everyone, of every time period. If my mind wandered at any time during the prayers, I thought that it was an offense against God, because I wasn't paying attention, and repeated the group of prayers I was on. I ended up with a mild case of insomnia for years, even lasting after I gave up religion. I'm pretty much better now, but every once in a while, I catch myself doing something mildly OCD-ish, such as if one hand pets something, then I have some desire to make my other hand also pet it. Sort of strange, and I think that religion was one thing that sort of got me there, and losing religion was one reason I got over it.

Re: Atheism Freed Me from All Life's Superstitions - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Tue, 19 Feb 2008 22:58:00 -0000

Oops. That last comment by "Rational" was actually by me. I just came up with this alternative name recently.

-Ricky

Re: I am not a Christian - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Mon, 26 May 2008 11:05:00 -0000

That's some mighty good advice in that anime. Congratulations on your deconversion. You know, I'm living in Japan right now, and it was most likely video games and anime that originally got me on this path I'm on now.

Perhaps those video games and anime provided the last reason for giving up Christianity fully, too. Of course, I never believed that good people of other faiths (or of none) would go to Hell, I thought it especially idiotic when I heard that from some other Christians (chiefly on the internet, as I'm happy I grew up in a liberal environment). Sadly, though, by looking at the Bible, it becomes apparent that those crazy Christians are right. I mean, even the first commandment is to love God (maybe I'd put not killing first, myself). Why, that would mean that all of my favorite anime characters!...and the brilliant creators and voice actors, and, well, 99% of Japan would go to Hell, too. All this while I started to realize that many of the Japanese people I started to meet were kinder than a lot of people from back home.

Anime, I salute you!...hehe.

Re: Atheists... do you have a purpose? - Testimonies of Ex-Christians

ricky — Sat, 12 Jul 2008 11:26:00 -0000

I'm an atheist, but I believe that you made one error. You said, "Religion does nothing to make the world peaceful. Religious sects of Christianity, Islam, Buddhism, etc., each thinking they are the only one that is right and every one else should be eradicated from the planet..."

I'd object to the putting of "Buddhism" in that group. Although all religion is incorrect in that there is no evidence to back them up, there are some religions that are quite liberal, and even some that, dare I say it, make the world an even better place (despite weakening rationality).

Most Buddhists have no problem with science. And, in fact, Buddha is not a God and believing in him won't get you to heaven. The things you do on earth influence whether you'll go to heaven or maybe go to hell (for a time...being able to be born again after being purged). Jainism preaches that every life (including animal and even plant life...they try to not kill plants if possible, but take ingredients that can grow back - as human hair does, without killing humans if it's cut) is sacred. They also have an idea called non-exclusivity which means that opinions vary, and one should never get so into dogma (even their own dogma!) that it makes you hate another group.

Besides the life-after-death stuff, there is indeed stuff that people can learn from SOME religions. It's mostly the Abrahamic ones that are ruining the world.

As I said, I still don't believe in any of them, but many of the followers of Eastern religions don't think that I'd go to hell, or should even be converted to their way of thinking. That's a far cry from what we're used to.

Re: God has some explaining to do - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Sun, 02 Sep 2007 05:51:00 -0000

whitehawke, your Bible quotes deserve an entire post to themselves. From what I get, God sure likes a good stonin'. I also remember a little while back, I read a bit of the Bible while bored in a hotel room. I picked it up and read a part about some bandit coming to a guy's house. The owner of the house, who was "righteous" and had a sex-slave on hand lent out his sex slave to the bandits, who raped her until she died. And the guy didn't feel bad at all. Well, that's about as far as I got.

Anyway, the Bible is filled with all sorts of crazy stuff, but I do give most Christians credit. They don't take the Bible seriously, themselves, unlike many in Afghanistan and Iraq who follow their holy book to a T.

Re: Athenova, Freedoma or Freemas? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 08:01:00 -0000

I'm an atheist, but I don't think that there should be an Atheist Day. I think that the aforementioned Freethought Day and Darwin Day are good enough, as holidays go. I'm more for an Atheist History Month, like Black History Month and all. That would let people know more about us and our acheivements more than just give atheists a day to celebrate. And what kind of "celebration" is the day you mentioned? It seems like a downer to me. You gotta work? You don't get presents? Sounds like every "non-holiday" is an "Atheist Day". After all, Atheists just lack belief, and normal days just lack anything special to celebrate. If that's the case, we already have about 350 days like that.

Another reason I'm against a specific day (or some symbol, for that matter) is that is that it will further drive a wedge between people, and I don't just mean between religious people and atheists. I'm sure that many atheists (including probably me) wouldn't be interested in celebrating the day, and thus wouldn't play as "active" a role in atheism as my atheist friends. And a symbol is a bad idea. Atheists are not unified because we have a symbol, but because we lack a symbol. Any symbol made for atheists, no matter how good the intentions, will be disliked by some other atheists. I personally don't think that anyone else's symbol should be accepted by me just because we share the lack of a belief. Only I can pick the symbol that's right for me. I don't pretend that others can push theirs on me, or that I can push mine on others.

And yeah, I, too celebrate Christmas. It's a heck of a lot more fun than the "no presents" day featured here. And like "rubyhypatia" said, it's not even originally Christian. I'm sure that people all over, for many reasons, felt down because of the cold, dark days and wanted to cheer up a bit. And I might as well celebrate my own atheistic holiday while I have some time off from work (although I had to work the past 2 Christmases)!

Anyway, no offence. Just my opinion. But I'm sure there's some free month for Atheist History Month, which I'd like to see someday.

Re: Athenova, Freedoma or Freemas? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Sat, 08 Sep 2007 11:15:00 -0000

Thanks, Roger.

Re: Drink, Drank, Drunk - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Sat, 15 Sep 2007 10:04:00 -0000

Yeah, forget the wine. Poison or not poison... It can be argued both ways. You real Christians should just drink some REAL poison. And yeah, as someone else said, you're not testing God, you're testing yourself. Are you a real Christian or not? Well, have a taste and find out!

(Note: I take no responsibility for people following this advice and realizing (just as they're in the throes of death) that they're not real Christians.)

Re: Hello angry Christians! - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Sat, 29 Sep 2007 11:36:00 -0000

"Or maybe it's just burning in fire. I don't want to get heavy about it."

That's gold!

Re: Freethinking atheism leads to Communism? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Mon, 01 Oct 2007 21:29:00 -0000

Go ahead, Huey!
-Rick W.

Re: How to quit worrying about global warming and be happy - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Fri, 12 Oct 2007 09:16:00 -0000

Your opinion would be fine IF there were a god and things were already pre-determined and God would cause the end of the world and any changes, or would have at least known when and exactly how they would have happened. This takes away your responsibility as a rational person capable of altering his actions.

However, as there is no God, that puts the responsibility for the world squarely on us. We (as a group) decide when "Armageddon" comes, not God. If you want to just sit around and not alter your lifestyle in any meaningful way, then your prophesy will come true because you help cause it to happen.

As for other people not caring, that shouldn't impact your decision, as you are not other people. Yes, ignorance can be bliss, but it also creates hell for those who actually give a damn.

There's a better (but maybe not "easier") way to stop worrying about global warming. The way is to realize the fact that "Peak Oil" is either here or not far off, and after the end of easy oil, none of us will be driving SUVs. Because of Peak Oil (together with tremendous population growth), we will have the largest die-off the world has ever seen. Crazy idea? Search for it on Wikipedia. During the 1990s, the average price for oil was around US$20 per barrel (getting even cheaper in the late 90s). Today, it's at $83 per barrel, the highest it's ever been in history, including during any previous oil crises, and taking into effect inflation.

You say that we're the most evolved primates on earth, and then you say that you'll just sit back and watch the show. How evolved, exactly, is that? It shows absolutely no critical thinking and no concern for others. If Peak Oil teaches us anything, it will be that we can't just ignore problems. We have to be prepared to drastically alter our lives to in fact save them in the end.

Re: A couple of comments on Pascal’s Wager and the Hellfire and damnation factor - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Sun, 21 Oct 2007 09:00:00 -0000

As for Pascal's Wager, everything you and the commentors have said is correct. Besides that, I see it this way. Here is my wager.

I wager my soul that either A) there is no god or B) that if there is a god, he's not such a prick as to send me and the billions of other people who do not believe in the Christian god to burn in a lake of fire forever.

If I'm right, then either A) I will just lose consciousness and decompose over time or B) be rewarded for my actions, and not punished via lake of fire merely for using the logic I was born with.

If I'm wrong, then this God is infinitely worse than Hitler and does not deserve worship from me.

As for the Atheist-Agnostic thing, it's like this. Atheists can just lack belief in a god. They don't need to prove via logic that god is 100% impossible. If you don't believe that there is a tiny, flying invisible unicorn that you can't hear or smell or touch silently buzzing around your head right now, then you are a "tiny invisible flying unicorn 'atheist'". This doesn't mean that there is no way that this tiny invisible flying unicorn exists, but it's just that you lack belief because it cannot be sensed or detected scientifically.

If you don't see an invisible unicorn in front of you right now, then would you conclude that the chances for its existence are around 50%? I think not. The chances are probably less than one-in-a-quadrillion. And that is merely what atheists think. So yes, I am an agnostic actually, but I'm not afraid to say that I'm an atheist, too, because I have no confusion about the issue or think that both sides have merit. At the end of the day, calling yourself an agnostic instead of an atheist, I think, is more of a defense mechanism, as it shields you from much of the hate that is directed towards out-of-the-closet atheists.

Re: Obsession -- Radical Islam's War Against the West - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Mon, 22 Oct 2007 09:05:00 -0000

As was already said in a comment, the idea that "a peaceful religion is being hijacked" is a crock. Tell me a time when the Islamic religion didn't condone wholesale slaughter. Why, even from Mohammad, the blood began to flow...like a hemorrhage. Despite usually arguing against Christians, I'm much more afraid of Islam. If there were a "Steel Cage" match between Jesus and Allah, Jesus would get the glory beat out of him...and then would probably be burned, mutilated, and hung from a rope from the top of the steel cage. Muslims can be nonviolent despite Islam, not because of it. (After all, right in their most holy book, it says that people like us should be slaughtered.)

Re: Was Jesus Gay? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Wed, 07 Nov 2007 22:51:00 -0000

Pat Condell is just brilliant. I've been following him on YouTube since I first heard of him through a previous post on this site.

Anyway, he brings up a good question - "Who would Jesus do?"

Re: Two Liars for Jesus and an Aging Philosopher? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Tue, 13 Nov 2007 20:18:00 -0000

All I have to say is that, sadly, it looks like Anthony Flew over the cuckoo's nest.

Re: Judgment Day: Intelligent Design on Trial -- now online - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 08:53:00 -0000

Thanks a lot for the video!

Re: Which century are we in? - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Tue, 27 Nov 2007 00:21:00 -0000

Haha! I like the extra information you've given us, Anonymous! I laughed so hard!

(Hmm...That's a good idea! Since so many anonymous people "fire and forget" their spiel, seemingly never coming back to further argue their lost cause, we might as well get some laughs out of it!)

Re: HAPPY WINTER LIGHTS FESTIVAL!!! - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Sun, 02 Dec 2007 08:18:00 -0000

I love Christmas...and I'm an atheist. It's just a great time of year to spend with your family, exchange gifts, and check out the decorations when the cold season has come.

I see it this way. People don't stop celebrating Christmas when they find out that modern-day Santa Claus and the flying reindeer aren't real. So I say why stop celebrating it when you find out that God isn't real either? And if you're like me, it was always all about Santa anyway...

Re: My biggest regret? Being a Christian sheep - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 19:37:00 -0000

That was a very good testimonial. I especially like hearing from those who have deconverted recently. It gives me hope that some religious people can, in fact, let rationality enter their minds.

I'm a bit interested in how, exactly, you became an atheist. Was it through the internet?...or did you just consider things yourself? I know you just sought out what you wanted to hear, but did you come upon something that you couldn't just disregard?

It's my hope that the internet will finally give nonreligious people a voice. You are right. When you are a religious leader, you have so much power to influence people, but when you become an atheist, all that is gone. BUT...the internet has changed this. This website, for instance. And YouTube. Some people who only talk about atheism and debunk religious teachings have over 10,000 subscribers, and probably many more that view at least one of their videos. Now, some people, no matter what, will insult them in the comments section. You have to suck it up. The internet isn't filled, like a church, completely with like-minded people. But, on the other hand, there is a greater chance that you can reach someone who would have never known about you.

Some people on YouTube who I subscribe to include "patcondell", "KingHeathen", and "JohnLArmstrong" (the last guy is a Deist). Maybe you have what it takes (the oratory skills, etc) to become another one. Maybe it's not too late for you.

At any rate, it's definitely not too late to enjoy your life and broaden your horizons.

Re: My biggest regret? Being a Christian sheep - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Mon, 10 Dec 2007 22:54:00 -0000

Thanks, exfundie, for that explanation!

Too bad that some people like tinachristina don't have the courage to question their beliefs.

Re: Hell? Consider the following - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Mon, 28 Jan 2008 01:19:00 -0000

This is a brilliant video - possibly the best video I've ever seen on the absurdity of Hell. It would probably even make religious people think (rather than an attack against the Bible with facts, which the believer just shrugs off).

I've had these same ideas, and they are part of the reason why I became an atheist. It's like you read my mind. I thought about all of the cultures that existed before they even knew about Christianity, and all the people these days who live good lives but are just brought up in other cultures. The difference between us is that you put it into an incredible video, and I kept these thoughts in my own head. Great job. I'll look for it on YouTube and favorite it.

Re: Once a Baby-Killer... - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Mon, 18 Feb 2008 00:20:00 -0000

Most people are hypocrites. Nothing more. I agree with Spirula completely. By the way, there are no differences between animals and unborn babies, except for the fact that animals have a good grasp of the world (my dog remembered me after my 2-year absence), are smarter (no embryo can follow commands), and have more nerve cells. Not that I'm for needless abortion, mind you. But then again, aren't Christians against condom use, too? What if we made condoms more readily available? But that would make women into sinners, huh, so a dead baby is better than a condom handed out to facilitate sin. At the end of the day, late term abortion is illegal in most cases, so instead of a twisting baby, it's more like scraping some cells off a uterus. It seems that pro-lifers only have the image of a fully-formed baby being killed, and don't think of the probable majority that haven't even developed limbs. Although I don't generally favor abortion, I must say that I'm pro-choice. Just think about it...you think of all babies as innocent beings, but you have to realize that Peta was once a baby, too. What a world it would be if his mom had done the right thing!

Re: Your blasphemous mouths will be stopped! - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Fri, 02 May 2008 02:27:00 -0000

You know, now that I think of it, I've never heard one of those college preachers ever say, "Y'all gotta give more money to the poor! That's what the Bible says! You gotta help out those who have the least!" Instead, I just hear "Fags are going to Hell!...And if you don't believe, you're going to Hell!" What a fine message they bring...

Re: All Christians are moral relativists - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:57:00 -0000

Hey Geoff. You're right. If any Christian claims that atheists don't have morals, and there are no morals besides what's in the Bible, I can prove that person wrong very easily.

See, I'm a vegetarian, and one for moral reasons. Christianity happily condones and promotes the killing of animals, as you say. Even the phrase "lamb of God" comes from the sacrificial lamb, in other words, a random animal killed because God loves the smell of burning flesh.

Even if that Christian thinks that vegetarianism is crazy (when it comes to animals, you're crazy if you don't want to kill them. Compassion is good, but boy oh boy, don't have too much, for God's sake!), he must admit that I have a moral standard that's not found in the Bible. In other words, I think about the welfare of others without hearing about it at all from God.

It's also fun to have Christians admit that if not for the threat of Hell, they would rape and kill. Of course, few would outright admit that, even if that's exactly what they indirectly admit everytime they say that the Bible gives people morals.

Re: The Pagan Christ - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Fri, 16 May 2008 05:31:00 -0000

Thanks for the video. But, still, Harpur seems to be saying, "I found evidence that the whole tooth fairy thing is a lie. People long ago fabricated a story and exterminated those who didn't go along with the official version. This made me come to the realization that instead of believing in the tooth fairy, we just need to find the fairy in each of us." I'd agree up until the last sentence. If something is completely made up, there's no reason why you should assume something else without evidence. So if there's no Jesus, then is there still salvation? If there is salvation, then does the Old Testament talk about it? Would believing that simply make you a Jew? Anyway, the Egyptians made up Horus (based just on the sun, which they didn't understand), so Christianity's whole premise is based on a misunderstanding. There's no reason to even try to salvage it, unless you're just trying to save face after believing such a blatant lie (which even I once did) for so long.

Re: Believing the Unbelievable: The Clash Between Faith and Reason in the Modern World - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Mon, 16 Jun 2008 07:57:00 -0000

Wow!... Thanks for that! Actually, I'd heard of Sam Harris, but I don't think I'd ever read his works or even watched one of his lectures on YouTube. I mostly just knew of Dawkins. But man, this guy is great! He puts everything so simply, but with maximum punch to it. I'll definitely check out more stuff from him in the future! Thanks again!

Re: Atheism vs. Christian Myth - ExChristian.Net - Articles

ricky — Sun, 06 Jul 2008 11:17:00 -0000

Those are two of the best videos I've ever seen. The first one really said a lot, and exposed the hilarity (more-so if it weren't so sad) and hypocrisy of these evangelicals, and the second one was really poignant (and who would have thought that a video featuring girl-on-girl fighting would be poignant?), especially because it showcased the capacity for extreme intelligence in apes (and "animals" in general), and extreme stupidity in humans. At once, it is the antidote to both the "human superiority" and "beautifully-created world" mindsets.

Re: http://www.tipsblogger.com/2009/06/download-free-spyware-removal-and.html

ricky — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:59:22 -0000

Thanx for the share.I have never tried it personally so i really doubt its efficiency. what is your experience with it?

Re: http://www.tipsblogger.com/2009/07/firefox-display-google-pagerank-alexa.html

ricky — Fri, 17 Jul 2009 09:57:14 -0000

Thanx for the info dude.It is really helpful.

Re: http://igorandandre.blogspot.com/2009/06/love.html

ricky — Sun, 05 Jul 2009 13:28:29 -0000

WOW this is amazing!! Can I post this on my blog? :)

much love,
Ricky

Re: Britney Spears and the Sleazing of America

ricky — Wed, 31 Oct 2007 12:11:00 -0000

Can you please help me try to figure out how to use this video?
I cannot seem to get it to work. www.britneyvideosite.com</br>

Re: The Best Article Yet About Why Windows 7 Will Be the Best Windows Yet

ricky — Wed, 19 Nov 2008 13:43:00 -0000

I hope windows 7 will be better than XP.. Or maybe XP is as good as it gets.

Re: Even Wordpress Dickfarts… Playlist

ricky — Sun, 16 Sep 2007 10:09:55 -0000

Looks like wordpress is back to normal.

Thanks for the mp3s

Re: The Fate Of “Gimme More”, Covers

ricky — Tue, 18 Sep 2007 22:18:42 -0000

Bottom line is that Gimme More is a great pop song and its tons of fun to listen to, especially in LA's traffic

Re: Chiddy Bang is the Coolest Thing Since the Cool Kids

ricky — Thu, 26 Feb 2009 23:11:50 -0000

Damn PMA, you guys have been on your shit lately, calling all kinds of bands.. Tigersapien, Timid Tiger, Gifted, and now Chiddy Bang! Whoa, is this the Gorilla vs Bear of pop music?

Re: Don’t Drink the Water: Clean Coal’s Downside

ricky — Sat, 02 Feb 2008 02:54:26 -0000

I know Merle very well!

For 17 years my family and I lived on the same side of the block four houses away. About 13 years ago I built a house and moved to Ben Titus Rd Still Creek. This is the Road where we had 4 cases of Polycythemia Vera two in one house sadly to say one just passed away!

Three years ago I was diagnosed with advanced Prostate Cancer. I agree that it is a big CLUSTER! The 500 block of Washington St. where Merle lives and I lived is also a BIG CLUSTER at last count there were 14 people with cancer sadly to say one just passed away! That is one block not the whole street. Our blocks are not very big! Do the math its not how we live its what we breathe and the water we drink.

These local companies and superfund sites that pollute the environment should be responsible for what they are doing to our lives.

WHEN IS IT ALL GOING TO END?

Re: Blackforest In A Cup

ricky — Sun, 18 Jun 2006 02:33:43 -0000

some people who been to a few plays or mingle with a few actors. actually ......in a bizzare manner...think they can act. jsut becuz THEY Seen some plays at KL PAC. so. simply put, maybe it isn't ur forte?

Re: What is Japanese for “mortal after all”

ricky — Sun, 11 Mar 2007 23:51:00 -0000

"Going wire-to-wire with Keith Foulke was certainly an aberration among recent World Series winners."

Not to mention this was in spite of his rather uninspiring Spring Training stats!

Re: Madrid Rock NO ha cerrado por culpa de la piratería

ricky — Mon, 08 May 2006 18:27:15 -0000

Avoid Arroceria Gala !!!
c. Moratin near the Prado

Please, if you go there and order paella it is possible that it would be served with a lot of salt. Not even closer to the best Paella in Madrid...
It is a tourist place to get money from tourists. One word: robbery!
I am used to eat Paella and I can guarantee this is one of the worst Paella I had ever etean in my life.

Ask in downtown to locals where you could find the best Paella in town.
You will find more inexpensive places that such “Gala tourist give me your money and eat some yellow rice”...

See you

Re: Hijacking Catastrophe :: 911, Fear & the Selling of American Empire

ricky — Mon, 27 Sep 2004 05:16:31 -0000

That link put the "A" in gay.

Re: Hijacking Catastrophe :: 911, Fear & the Selling of American Empire

ricky — Mon, 27 Sep 2004 12:36:33 -0000

I was trying to make the A look like a link is that ok with you donky nuts.

Re: Complain Unfair Business Ethics at CASE!

ricky — Fri, 27 Jul 2007 05:19:00 -0000

Can anyone explain to me how timeshare works? I want to be prepared if it happens to me one day.

Re: How likely is a marriage to last if the girl is 18 and the guy is 23 when they get married?

ricky — Sun, 10 May 2009 00:31:34 -0000

Very good chance if she is ***** 5 to 7 times a week

Re: Yeah it was good fun!

ricky — Tue, 11 Dec 2007 15:41:33 -0000

Peccato non esserci stato, sembrava un festone da paura...buon per voi e belle foto...yeah...

Re: Dual Screen con nvidia

ricky — Thu, 08 May 2008 11:47:53 -0000

Hello,
probably you Hello,
probably you forget:
sudo apt-get install nvidia-settings

i have the latest driver but that tool wasn't insalled

Re: SSAS: Changing Object Id’s Breaks Report Builder Reports

ricky — Sun, 08 Jun 2008 18:27:14 -0000

hi,has the reliance of ids been resolved ?

Re: 08003584847

ricky — Wed, 12 Aug 2009 13:54:00 -0000

They keep phoning me and not saying anything. Whats the point of ringing me everyday if they're not going to at least try to sell me somthing.

Re: 08000304909

ricky — Thu, 03 Sep 2009 18:33:18 -0000

I dont think so, because I was called at 11 pm by the number

Re: Let's Put This Meme to Rest: Global Warming ≠ Al Gore

ricky — Thu, 07 May 2009 12:47:36 -0000

The graph only goes to the year 2000. What about the last 9 years?

Has the temp changed in the last nine years?

Johnni

Re: Zune HD vs iPod Touch review and comparison

ricky — Wed, 16 Sep 2009 20:04:17 -0000

Dude, i have both the ipod touch and zune hd.
In the dark, you can CLEARLY see that the zune hd's screen is MUCH more vibrant than the ipod touch's.

Re: Instant Survey: Walk A Mile

ricky — Wed, 30 Aug 2006 19:08:24 -0000

I know who Al Gore is, but who is everyone else?

Re: Let's Put This Meme to Rest: Global Warming ≠ Al Gore

ricky — Thu, 07 May 2009 09:47:36 -0000

The graph only goes to the year 2000. What about the last 9 years?

Has the temp changed in the last nine years?

Johnni

Re: 404 : Server Not Found error - Blogger Custom Domain Blogs

ricky — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:19:00 -0000

Yes! Thank you very much, this worked for me after 2 hours of trying to figure out the problem!

Cheers,
Ricky
myspace.com/myrickyshow

Re: Was the Jesus myth plagiarized from pagan religions? - Letters to the Webmaster

ricky — Wed, 18 Jun 2008 10:20:00 -0000

Nothing against Awlheart, but that claim about "Amen" seems to be false.

According to Wikipedia, "Amen, meaning so be it, is of Hebrew origin...The Hebrew word ’amen derives from the Hebrew verb ’aman, a primitive root...This triliteral root (’mn) means to be firm, confirmed, reliable, faithful, have faith, believe...Popular among some theosophists and adherents of esoteric Christianity is the conjecture that amen is a derivative of the name of the Egyptian god named Amun (which is sometimes also spelled Amen). There is no academic support for this view."

It seems to be a folk etymology. I'm an atheist, and there's no way that "Amen" has to come from the Egyptian God to make me doubt Christianity. But this is a good example of something that can get you into trouble. A Christian could easily prove that wrong and then it's hard to continue to argue, even if all of the rest of your arguments are sound.

To me, it seems to be best to say what you are almost completely sure of. Arguing less is better than arguing more if you're not sure about some of the things.

Thankfully, it's not too hard to doubt that a man came back to life and flew up into heaven, or that the all-loving Lord would tell his followers (including some prophets) to commit massacres.

No doubt, Christianity has some huge similarities to other Roman mystery cults of the time. No doubt, a large number of ideas were borrowed (or stolen) from the others. I would agree that "The Pagan Origins of the Christ Myth" website is good, because it states (throughout most of it) that it only gives facts, not opinions. It also has excerpts from ancient texts.

Also, check out the first page of Genesis. The earth and light were created on the first day, and he "separated the light from the darkness" but only in the fourth day were the sun, moon, and stars created "to separate the day from night"...which were already around for three days. A day is intricately linked to the sun shining on the earth, so what produced a day before that? ...Just some extra hilarity from Christian (and Jewish and Muslim) texts.

Re: Why do you come so strongly against people believing in God? - Letters to the Webmaster

ricky — Wed, 28 May 2008 10:14:00 -0000

Jonah,

First of all, I'm just so relieved that you finally made it out of that whale (wait, it was a fish, right?). I really don't know how you could have had enough air to breathe in its stomach and all, especially with the acids that I thought would have dissolved you in a few days. But man, you're back. But I bet that you're probably not gonna go near the water anytime soon. I can only imagine how mentally scarred you are from that ordeal...

Secondly, I may be wrong, but from what I've just seen recently, it seems like every article that starts with "A letter from..." (As opposed to "From..." or "By..." or "Sent in by...") is from a deluded idiot. Is it that they actually sent in paper letters because they vow never to look at the website again, and they are unwilling to see any of the comments they might provoke? I think it might just be so, as no idiot I've yet heard from seemingly has the balls to post a response to our denunciations of him/her.

NEW RULE (as Bill Maher would say): Don't let religious apologists send in their opinions unless they are willing to follow them up with further debate.

Anyway, it's been said by others so well, but I'll reiterate things (as others have done, too).

Many (especially "Western" - that is, in fact, "desert nomad") religions pose a threat to any kind of society that I'd want to live in. Ask a gay couple who can't get married or an American slave from the 1850s (or a Saudi Arabian slave from the 1950s. Yes, they had slavery in the '50s), or dead "witches" or even atheists now who live in the dirtiest parts of the dirty old South (I'm from Charlotte and haven't had many problems. Then again, it's the don't-ask-don't tell policy, isn't it?) Ask the women who cover their whole bodies to be safe from rape (although the majority are probably too brainwashed to think of any other way to live). In short, we fight against religion because we think that it's harmful.

Queston: (Although you'll never read this or any of the other comments because you are scared to see the horriffic ass-kicking you've gotten.) -- Have you ever asked Muslims why they come so strong against anyone who isn't Muslim? I'll bet (odds 10 to 1) that you've never said these same things to Muslims. Really, we just have our own fun website, and we stick to it (instead of hijacking planes and beheading people that we disagree with). You got an ass-kicking on this webpage, but you didn't get one in real life. And that's another difference between us and some of the most crazy religious folks...

Re: I'm on this journey and need some words of wisdom - Letters to the Webmaster

ricky — Mon, 26 May 2008 10:53:00 -0000

Hi, Lori! I'd be pleased to add my two cents. I think that you have all the answers you need inside that rational mind of yours, but you're just afraid to look inside yourself (and towards science) instead of believing what people close to you have told you your whole life.

Of course, the answer to your question is, "No, you can't go out and kill people because they aren't following God's will." If you did, that would make you a musli... I mean, maniac. And if I told you that it was OK to kill heathens, then would that make you feel better, or just worse? I think you know, already.

So, yes. Any God who would do that is an evil God. Furthermore, having lived in two Asian countries where Christians don't make up anywhere near a majority, and having met so many great people, don't you think that it would be unbelievable if God threw them all in hell? What about that that 7-year-old girl who is shy and loves animals, and has heard of Christianity, but follows what her Buddhist parents do? If she gets hit by a bus tomorrow, is it right to send her to the fiery pits forever? Of course not. You have common sense (which is not God-given), so you can easily figure that out. But it goes against what you were taught, so you are probably desperately trying to get both points of view to match, when you know deep down that they can never match.

Let's not get deep into that so much. Let's just talk about some more simple things that rationality will soon give you the correct answer to. Here are a few more things to think about.

1) (In the first page of your Bible) Why is it that God said "Let there be light" on the first day, and there was a day and night, yet God only created the Sun (and Moon and stars) on the fourth day. How could a first day have been possible without the sun?

2) If God is merciful and all-knowing of the past, present, and future, why didn't he just create Noah first? In essence, when he inhumanely drowns the rest of the world (not even talking about Adam and Eve), he's basically saying "I really messed up. Let me start over." But he should have seen it all coming. Either accept evil in the world, or create Noah first. (Of course, there are still many evil people now who don't get drowned.)

3) How did that Noah get two kangaroos, two polar bears, two monarch butterflies, two grey squirrels, two red squirrels, two Pandas, two Koalas, two African Elephants, two Indian Elephants, two Sumatran Elephants...and the millions of other animals, including all manner of bugs, worms, and freshwater fish (that can't survive in brackish water) and saltwater fish (that can't survive in brackish water - rain mixed with the oceans would upset the water balance), and all of the food...you get my drift...into that woooden ark? (We don't even need to mention the excrement.) And you already know the answer to this, too.

You're a smart person. You've started questioning things. That's further than most get. I hope you stay on that journey and finally come over to the rational side.

Re: Take my advice: be sincere in your search - Letters to the Webmaster

ricky — Mon, 26 May 2008 11:25:00 -0000

By the way, I hope you don't use the old "Science shows that around 5,000 years B.C., there was a major flood around the Persian Gulf / Black Sea... THEREFORE God exists" argument...

Re: Take my advice: be sincere in your search - Letters to the Webmaster

ricky — Mon, 26 May 2008 11:20:00 -0000

I also dismissed religion from my life through reason. I'm not really sure where you did your research, but I'm pretty sure it wasn't on Wikipedia (or its sources at the bottom of the page that are listed so that you can verify them yourself), or any scientific journals, textbooks, etc etc.

By the way, why don't you enlighten us with the reasons to believe? I'd really like to know what you'll come up with. Will you pull out the "Josephus" card? Even Christian experts agree that it his writings might have been "altered" (i.e. forged).

If his work wasn't forged, then which is more possible? (You said, use reason, not faith, so I expect you to do so now.) Is it more possible that God needed to sacrifice himself to make himself forgive humanity that he always knew would sin?...He would send his son down to perform miracles (to a few dozen people, when there are millions right now that are desperate for help) and then die, and then rise up again into heaven?

OR...Is it possible that some people just paid a jewish historian (i.e. Josephus) to make crap up?

Is it more possible that the red-footed booby and the blue-footed booby are more closely related to each other, than each of them are to an elephant? In God's law, they're all created separately, so in fact a red-footed booby is just as closely related to an elephant. Of course, you would have to disregard all of the fossil and DNA evidence that shows otherwise.

I could go on, but instead, I'll let you have a chance to make me into a laughing stock by showing me how I'm so completely wrong. Remember, use reason, not faith.

Re: I am confused, and I am a Christian still (maybe) - Letters to the Webmaster

ricky — Thu, 13 Dec 2007 03:47:00 -0000

Boy, it seems that there are a lot of people on here being harsh to you. If you were making this up, I would think that you would be telling us "Jesus is real, and my experience is proof." But you're not doing that. So everyone else on here, settle down.

It seems like you're really looking for answers, and I believe you. You see, in some Churches, when a minister places his hand on a worshipper's forhead, they fall back or convulse or speak in tongues. I don't believe that EVERY ONE of those people is just faking it because they want to please the minister - or at least, they aren't consciously doing it.

You (and other people here) must realize that brainwashing and hypnotism are real. Now, maybe they don't work on all of us, but they can work on some people. I'm not saying that it's some kind of magic. I don't believe in that. But, there is a power of suggestion, and people can fall into it.

Now, I don't know why you did those things and felt those ways - I have never had that happen to me - but I believe that some people can succumb to suggestion, and I believe that you are earnest.

This has nothing to do with God, and doesn't prove Christianity in any way. And in fact, most of the people even of your church did NOT believe you.

But basically, what it comes down to is this: Are you a relatively good person? If you lose faith in God, then do you think that burning in the fiery pits of Hell FOREVER is a fair punishment? Do you think that simply questioning the existence of God is a crime that will put you in the same place as rapists and mass murderers? And if the crime of thinking critically WAS enough to put you in Hell to burn for eternity, then is that God any kind of being worthy of worship? If I burned forever for not believing (a torture infinitely worse than any committed even by Hitler), then I would have no respect for that being, and would further not gain any satisfaction from being in Heaven while nice atheists, Buddhists, Hindus, and others were in eternal torment.

But yet that's exactly the kind of God found in Christianity (and Islam). You know what? I bet that if you finally gave up on God, you'd feel more liberated than ever before, and your "demonic" attacks would stop.

Anyway, thanks for the testimonial, and good luck!

Re: Questioning my assumptions - Letters to the Webmaster

ricky — Tue, 09 Oct 2007 19:18:00 -0000

I didn't have time to read all of the comments above, so I may repeat things, but here goes...

First, I think you seem to be thinking, but still upset that you'll think too much and go to hell. Don't believe that "Pascal's Wager" thing. Strict belief without questioning is not the safest bet. If God is Allah, then you're going to hell, for example (although I HIGHLY doubt that). Also, imagine that there is a God out there who left absolutely no trace of His existence and wanted humans to use their minds and actually question his existence to show that humans can think for themselves. If that's the case, then He might send to hell anyone who doesn't think for him/herself.

As for me, I don't think that there is a God and I'm not scared of going to hell. You see, if God merely sent everyone who didn't believe in him to hell, He would be a tyrant worse than Hitler or anyone else. I'm living in Japan right now (thought I'm from the U.S.) and I've met some of the sweetest people. I've also lived in Singapore and have Chinese and other friends who are not Christians. Like I said, they're all great people. Now, will God send them to Hell? If a shy and polite 14-year old Japanese girl who has a dream to work for a charity when she grows up instead gets hit and killed by a bus tomorrow, would she go to hell? Think about it. Any God who would make her suffer forever is the vilest being in the universe. And if that is so, then isn't that God more like a devil? And then, isn't hell more like heaven and vice versa? I'd rather be with nice people like her than with Pat Robertson, that's for sure. So don't fear Hell. If God will send you there for merely expressing doubt, then your God is not an awesome God.

"As I see it, any atheist position will rest on two or three assumptions, the most common being that human reason is sufficient to determine the validity of any proposition."

That's an approximation of an atheist's thoughts, but in truth, that statement is false. Atheists don't say that human reason can determine the validity of any proposition. If one proposition is that "There are three trillion planets in the universe" and another holds that there are three trillion and one planets in the universe", an atheist might feel that it's impossible to ever know which is right. However, we know that the number surely isn't five and if someone knows beyond a doubt the exact number of planets, then we want to see the evidence, and that shouldn't only consist of a 2,000 year old book. Similarly, no scientist has ever observed a flying sleigh pulled by reindeer during Christmas eve, so that leads atheists to believe that the nonexistence of modern-day present-giving Santa Claus is more likely than the existence of him.

As for the suicide stuff... You should think about the slim chances that brought you into the world. You are the the marriage of one egg (one of which is excreted every month) and one sperm (300,000 of which are excreted every ejaculation) and any other combination would have produced one of hundreds of millions of possible siblings, who would instead get to live life.

Re: You really need to read the Bible! - Letters to the Webmaster

ricky — Sun, 23 Sep 2007 10:15:00 -0000

As was stated in an above comment, it's sad that Sapphire won't lower herself to debate with us. It shows that she has very little evidence to use in a debate. A good debater would jump at the opportunity to argue with others and prove them wrong, but instead, Sapphire heads on her way... I think she's scared that she'll turn against Christianity if she even reads our arguments.

But part of the post made me pretty happy in a way. Sapphire said, "And I would bet that if someone on the street, dirty, drug user, drunk, sinner whatever...if they asked for some thing to eat, a true christian would show their love and the love of their God by giving them something to eat." Seeing the success rate of beggars on the street in person, I can tell you that a good 95% of people in the U.S., and probably around the world, are not "true Christians".

Re: http://www.crimene.ws/2007/12/michigan-teen-arrested-over-blog-fight.html

ricky — Thu, 17 Apr 2008 11:05:02 -0000

This has been out of the news for months now, and it seems like everyone is moving on with their own lives. However, let this case serve as a warning to young people who use social-networking sites like Myspace for the wrong purposes--it can come back to hunt you if your not careful. I pray that Gabe and the other parties involved learned something from this, to be careful what you say about someone after they die, it was very out-of-character and brought unwanted attention to Whitehall District Schools.
His case is no different than such stories like the case of thirteen-year-old Megan Meier,who died after a fake user named Josh Evans,who was actually the mother of Megan's on-off again friend,told the girl "she should die" Megan suffered from Depression and A.D.D. and she hung herself from a closet bar--because of another person's careless comment that pushed her that far.

Re: Morning shorts

ricky — Wed, 06 Dec 2006 23:13:08 -0000

Bobbie Steele gets a huge pension increase for a couple months of work.
Her son becomes the Commissioner (what do we know about him?)
Todd Stroger gets a vote when he is not a Commissioner.

The election machines did not work. We are to trust that the election is fair.

Taxes are going up and up and up.
More indictments.

IS THIS GOOD?

Re: http://thehappyhospitalist.blogspot.com/2008/09/this-is-what-really-happens-and-why_18.html

ricky — Fri, 19 Sep 2008 02:15:00 -0000

I can't think of any reason why payment of physician services should be lumped into the same pool of money that pays for your lab or your MRI's, or your blood transfusion. I can't think of any reason why paying Dr Smith out of your own pocket should preclude you from enjoying the benefits of your monthly premium paid toward Part B. It is simply ludicrous that the systems is set up like this. It has destroyed access for the poorest people.

Re: http://lifeatcass.blogspot.com/2009/08/collective-wisdom-and-information.html

ricky — Thu, 06 Aug 2009 01:59:14 -0000

While people may have different views still good things should always be appreciated. Yours is a nice blog. Liked it!!!

Re: http://teachingall.blogspot.com/2009/02/personal-learning-network-twitter.html

ricky — Wed, 11 Feb 2009 13:21:00 -0000

Cool stuff! Thank you :)

Re: 404 : Server Not Found error – Blogger Custom Domain Blogs

ricky — Tue, 02 Dec 2008 22:19:00 -0000

Yes! Thank you very much, this worked for me after 2 hours of trying to figure out the problem!

Cheers,

Ricky

myspace.com/myrickyshow

Re: http://www.dailyautocad.com/2007/08/autocad-2008-multileader-command-ii.html

ricky — Thu, 16 Aug 2007 11:45:50 -0000

This is very cool!
cant wait to use it!!!!!
its gonna make the presentation of drawings much better, easier and quicker!!!!!
a great feature!!!!

Re: http://www.weekinrewind.com/2009/01/giveaway-madagascar-escape-2-africa.html

ricky — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:59:00 -0000

Put my name down for this giveaway. Enjoy this kind of animated films, especially Disney ones. Thank you for the giveaway. – Ricky rickydharris@gmail.com

Re: http://www.weekinrewind.com/2009/01/giveaway-igor.html

ricky — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:03:00 -0000

Put my name down for this giveaway. Enjoy this kind of animated films, especially Disney ones. Thank you for the giveaway. – Ricky rickydharris@gmail.com

Re: http://www.weekinrewind.com/2009/01/giveaway-breakfast-at-tiffanys.html

ricky — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:02:00 -0000

Put my name down for this giveaway. Enjoy the films, especially Classic ones. Thank you for the giveaway. – Ricky rickydharris@gmail.com

Re: http://www.weekinrewind.com/2009/01/giveaway-funny-face-centennial.html

ricky — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 05:03:00 -0000

Put my name down for this giveaway. Enjoy the films, especially Classic ones. Thank you for the giveaway. – Ricky rickydharris@gmail.com

Re: http://www.weekinrewind.com/2009/01/giveaway-city-of-ember.html

ricky — Sat, 07 Mar 2009 04:59:00 -0000

Put my name down for this giveaway. Enjoy this kind of animated films, especially Disney ones. Thank you for the giveaway. – Ricky rickydharris@gmail.com

Re: OTB 1.1.2 iPhone unlock is coming soon!

ricky — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 01:49:47 -0000

since im not in the US (im in the Philippines) ive bought an ipod touch since then ive grown familiar with the terminologies of unlocking and jailbreaking so i decided to buy an Iphone i just opened it yesterday. I was dismayed because it has version 1.1.2 pre-installed on it now i have basically two ipod touches the only difference is the other one has a silver lining. lols.

Re: OTB 1.1.2 iPhone unlock is coming soon!

ricky — Wed, 26 Dec 2007 01:58:20 -0000

any updates... :D thanks in advance

Re: http://socialblogr.blogspot.com/2009/09/google-adsense-sandbox-tools.html

ricky — Mon, 28 Sep 2009 12:56:11 -0000

Hey thank you for sharing it. I think the tool created by Labnol is a really good. I'm yet to get my adsense account approved.
.-= Ricky´s last blog ..Comment And Win $100 At Techzoomin =-.

Re: http://socialblogr.blogspot.com/2009/09/built-in-image-editor-on-wordpress-29.html

ricky — Sun, 20 Sep 2009 11:16:20 -0000

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Re: http://edittag.blogspot.com/2006/07/html-input-search-form-to-blogger.html

ricky — Tue, 01 May 2007 07:53:00 -0000

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blog aa banyak membantu proses belajar saya mengenai blog

Re: MEMEishness…

ricky — Thu, 10 May 2007 12:12:00 -0000

And I can relate: I missed 4 days last week due to a sinus infection that turned into a NASTY case of bronchitis that I'm still recovering from (making sure a trashcan is nearby for the hourly hacks).