tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-25632130099350379142024-03-13T23:31:50.922-07:00Asylum JoyNews and Comments on Science and ReligionAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.comBlogger68125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-39555342090903702972010-01-17T18:42:00.000-08:002010-01-17T18:43:28.667-08:00How to End the StateThe state is a complex of coercive mentalities that seeks to control your life through fear, brainwashing and ultimately violence. But what can individuals do to free themselves? If you push against the state it will flatten you like an ant. Choose your battles vary carefully.The author of "How to End the State", Alex Ryan, seems to think that humans are evolving into more insightful and hence Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-9964890628894119942010-01-14T04:04:00.000-08:002010-01-14T04:07:00.605-08:00Pope John Paul II's Failed Assassin Claims He Is Agca the MessiahMehmet Ali Agca is the Turkish gunman who shot but failed to assassinate Pope John Paul II in 1981. On January 18 2010 he is due to be released from his prison in Ankara."For around 30 years I have been staying in cells on my own. I experienced hell on earth. But in spite of everything I am well. I feel good in myself both physically and psychologically," he said. Many have questioned this Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-89169521722226598182010-01-13T23:17:00.000-08:002010-01-14T04:01:02.876-08:00Pat Robertson: Haiti Earthquake is the Work of the DevilPat Robertson (actually Marion Gordon Robertson), desperate televangelist, failed Republican presidential wannabe and a charismatic in his bathroom mirror, told his slender audience of 700 Club broadcast that the earthquake in Haiti was the work of the devil.He tells a rambling story of how the Haitians made a pact with the devil in order to get rid of the French colonists. "They were under the Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-22167703503723859062009-12-24T18:39:00.000-08:002009-12-24T18:46:11.967-08:00What is the experience of faith?Have just read "What is faith?" on Digital Bits Skeptic and have to admit some disappointment. Great title but sadly a rather short article whose focus is on the pronouncements of faith rather than the experience of faith. My feeling is that looking at the ejaculations of the religious faithful under a rational microscope merely defines the linguistic boundaries between faith and reason but tellsAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-46649754788300297202009-08-06T22:57:00.000-07:002009-08-06T22:59:20.061-07:00Natural Born AtheistsAn interesting short article from the Proud Atheists blog. Not merely a rant about the lunacy of the Pentecostal church with its unwavering message of "you're going to hell!", but picks up on the idea that there are people just born unbelievers. Religious indoctrination starts at such an early age that it is very difficult to investigate how, or even whether, the average human goes through phasesAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-59429317728445438322009-08-06T02:23:00.000-07:002009-08-06T02:28:51.539-07:00How to Make Some Money From Your Atheist BlogBlogs come and go, and atheist blogs are no different. However, there is one aspect of blogging on atheism, agnosticism and the whole family of faithlessness that has been bothering me for some time: how to make some money doing it? Now, anybody who has tried inserting some Google Adsense advertising on their blog or website immediately comes up against a problem – there are few if any relevant Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-63186942114890094782009-07-30T21:25:00.000-07:002009-07-30T21:27:30.783-07:00God and Science Don't Mix - My ThoughtsMy practice as a scientist is atheistic. That is to say, when I set up an experiment I assume that no god, angel or devil is going to interfere with its course; and this assumption has been justified by such success as I have achieved in my professional career. I should therefore be intellectually dishonest if I were not also atheistic in the affairs of the world.— J.B.S. Haldane, “Fact and FaithAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-84407657748898600262009-07-23T10:12:00.000-07:002009-07-23T10:23:15.214-07:00Mormons may have posthumously baptized Obama's African ancestors"Mormons have not only posthumously baptized President Barack Obama's mother into their faith, but they may have performed the ritual for the president's African ancestors as well, including his father, grandfather and great-grandfather, according to researcher Helen Radkey.She has uncovered records in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saint's new FamilySearch database that include Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-51052676113261573322009-06-26T01:16:00.000-07:002009-06-26T01:22:32.486-07:00A World Without Nuclear WeaponsOn the 3rd June 2009, a statue of Ronald Reagan was unveiled in the Capitol, giving Senator John McCain the opportunity of a floor statement that serves as an accurate summary of the aims of the Nuclear Security Project.The Nuclear Security Project claims to be in favour of a world free of nuclear weapons, and yet McCain's speech inadvertently shows how hollow this truly is. Quoting Kissinger andAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-69565274435984504512009-06-24T12:23:00.000-07:002009-06-24T12:33:44.473-07:00Geoengineering: More Political and Moral Than Scientific?Much of the green agenda regarding climate change seeks to reverse the effects of global warming by reversing the trend in carbon dioxide emissions. But what if there was a way to both remove the carbon dioxide and bring average temperatures back down again, without having to stall our polluting economies? Welcome to the world of geoengineering.Tim Harper, nanotech guru and investor, tells of a Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-87255480102304644342009-06-02T23:31:00.000-07:002009-06-02T23:58:50.415-07:00Osel Torres: from Buddhist Lama to Film-makerBorn in 1985 and quickly elevated to the position of reincarnated lama, or tulku, Osel Hita Torres has turned his back on Buddhism and now claims to be agnostic.Both Torres's parents were members of the Foundation for the Preservation of the Mahayana Tradition (FPMT). Founded in 1975 by Lama Thubten Yeshe and Lama Thubten Zopa Rinpoche, the FPMT teachings are founded on the Tibetan Gelupta Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-74276298036282593072009-05-29T00:15:00.001-07:002009-05-29T00:16:36.606-07:00Beliefs and Opinions: A Thought ExperimentOne of the many rhetorical devices used by the faithful is the argument that science is also just a belief system. It is unfortunate that the word 'belief' has two distinct meanings that are easily confused if one is not careful. Here I propose a thought experiment to prise out how psychologically and emotionally different they are. It would, indeed, be better if one were to use different words, Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-76889490932244405722009-05-26T01:33:00.000-07:002009-05-26T01:47:38.060-07:00The Galileo 2009 Conference: Faith and Science Have the Same Roots?Today, 26 May 2009, sees the opening of the "Galileo 2009" conference, organised by the Jesuit Stensen Institute and held in Florence. The first day takes place in the Basilica of Santa Croce, where Galileo is now buried, with the last day being held in the Villa "Il Gioello di Arcetri", where Galileo spent his last years. Today's Osservatore Romano has two articles related to this conference.TheAnonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-73176925290553798502009-05-24T07:07:00.000-07:002009-05-24T07:10:57.146-07:00A Dialogue With Modernity But Beware of SeductionsIt seems a long time since I last reported on the Vatican's daily news. I have probably missed a lot of details but from looking at today's epistle, the message remains the same. The Vatican has a difficult task ahead in reconciling science with Catholic doctrines but that is the aim it has set itself. But scientists must be made aware that the same spiritual predator hides behind its new lab Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-30815123939529501992009-03-11T08:39:00.000-07:002009-03-11T08:53:33.514-07:00Over 400 Links to Atheism v Theism DebatesFor those who enjoy atheism vs. theism debates, here’s the most complete list you’ll find on the web (421 of them and counting). Please comment with additions or corrections; this page is updated often. The entire table is now sortable by any column, thanks to sorttable. (And it works and looks best in Firefox.) See the recent updates. Also see my reviews of all William Lane Craig debates. My Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-57915766446878146572009-03-05T10:59:00.000-08:002009-03-05T11:08:24.243-08:00Vatican Alarmed at 'dot god' Top Level DomainsThe Pope has called on ICANN to keep religion out of the domain name system. The Vatican warned the internet address-making body of the “perils” of allowing new internet domains such as “.catholic, .anglican, .orthodox, .hindu, .islam, .muslim, [and] .buddhist”. ICANN, frequently accused of mission creep, could find itself having to decide who gets to represent an entire religion on the Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-23528365691145047002009-02-27T04:15:00.001-08:002009-02-27T04:33:02.793-08:00Evolve Beyond BeliefThis isn't particularly up-to-the-minute news but the tit for tat between atheist and Christian poster campaigns is gaining momentum. Those poor Christian souls obviously don't have enough propaganda draped outside their churches that they need to inflict their mind-numbing beliefs so everybody."We're supposed to lie down and take it and say, 'Jesus loves you,'" argued June Griffin, spearhead of Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-69709515937761819602009-02-17T21:15:00.000-08:002009-02-17T21:21:37.677-08:00Creationist Vote Bots Target Evolution Videos on YouTubeCreationists take their propaganda war against reality another step further by trashing any YouTube video they find offensive. This is perfectly logical from their fascistic fideist doctrines and proof, if proof was further needed, that this is not just a battle of ideas but a quest for control.Strange that YouTube are so lax about the vote bots. Either they don't care that their system doesn't Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-18442047291369396362009-02-17T11:54:00.000-08:002009-05-26T01:43:59.339-07:00In the footsteps of Galileo science must value faith and reasonIn the recent edition of the Osservatore Romano (16-17 Feb 2009) there is a very short piece entitled "In the footsteps of Galileo science must value faith and reason." The message is spelled out in the first sentence, stating that scientists are called upon by the Vatican to not renounce "neither reason nor faith". To suggest that scientists do not value reason is an insult of the highest order.Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-11339501268057618992009-02-17T05:16:00.000-08:002009-02-17T05:17:57.302-08:00DDT - Decoy Distract and Trash This paper may be sent to all email lists and posted on all web sites, without restriction. DDT(Decoy, Distract and Trash)bySteven M. Greer M.D.Director, The Disclosure Project Copyright 2002 A former high official at the NSA (National Security Agency) told me about a protocol informally dubbed DDT - that old poisonous chemical long-banned in much of the world. In Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-21902143062259798212009-02-15T22:31:00.000-08:002009-02-15T22:43:16.795-08:00New BookmarksNew BookmarksThere are times when I come across interesting content and quickly bookmark it at Infopirate. It has become quicker to do so than copying and pasting links directly into Asylum Joy. The down-side is that not 100% of the links and news items will be of interest to Asylum Joy readers, but on the up-side it means you may find interesting things you may not have considered. Some of the Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-21757631358849012082009-02-15T21:20:00.000-08:002009-02-15T21:32:30.325-08:00The Disclosure Project - CSETI, Secret Technologies, Aliens and UFOsI rarely post news on UFOs and ETs as so much of it seems unreliable and, somehow, I don't think humans need extra-terrestrials to be cruel to each other. But sometimes I come across websites that seem to be more informative; the Disclosure Project is one of them. I copy here excerpts from their project background page."Beginning in 1993, I started an effort that was designed to identify Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-28260666380791845172009-02-12T21:58:00.000-08:002009-02-12T23:11:25.463-08:00Vatican Accepts Darwinian Evolution as TrueThe Vatican has admitted that Charles Darwin was on the right track when he claimed that Man descended from apes.A leading official declared yesterday that Darwin’s theory of evolution was compatible with Christian faith, and could even be traced to St Augustine and St Thomas Aquinas. “In fact, what we mean by evolution is the world as created by God,” said Archbishop Gianfranco Ravasi, head of Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-78621692107758780152009-02-12T04:10:00.000-08:002009-02-12T07:07:52.404-08:00How many satellites does it take to cause a space crash?Space is big, but it can still get crowded up there.The recent collision between two orbiting satellites, including one Iridium satellite, was just an accident waiting to happen, according to debris scientists at Johnson Space Center in Houston. The fact that there even exists such a job as a space debris scientist shows that the problems are very real. The dangers are not so much to us on Earth Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-2563213009935037914.post-50044807884142633232009-02-10T19:57:00.000-08:002009-02-10T20:40:24.415-08:00Oath Against ModernismWhilst digging around about exorcisms I came across the Roman Ritual of 1962. This is the standard text of all sorts of Catholic rituals updated for, supposedly, a modern audience. However, looking at the index I found this little nugget right at the very end.OATH AGAINST MODERNISM "I, N.N., firmly accept and embrace each and every doctrine defined by the Church's unerring Anonymoushttp://www.blogger.com/profile/17700702422324131665noreply@blogger.com0