Intelligent Design Throughout History

This is one of my favorite talks by Neil deGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium. It's from the 2006 Beyond Belief Conference, an annual gathering of scientists and philosophers and academics talking about matters of secular humanism and science and society.

In this funny, entertaining talk, Tyson talks about how Intelligent Design has been invoked throughout history--even by some of the greatest minds in science: Sir Isaac Newton, Ptolomy...and how that kind of thinking has historically had consequences for mankind's progress.

Robert Frank: Economic Naturalism

Darwinism as it applies to economics. But probably not in the way you'd think.

A Few Things You Can Take on Faith

God knows ahead of time the exact place and moment of every person's conception and death. Therefore, committing murder and rape is just carrying out the plan of God (You go, Scott Roeder!)

According to the Commandments, rape and slavery aren't off limits, but heaven help you if you work on a Sunday or cuss.

I've already broken nine of the Commandments many times over and am surely condemned to Hell. What difference does it ultimately make if I break the 10th?

God forgives all in His eternal benevolence even when I once again take a crowbar to my neighbor's head and steal his money. Or when I kidnap another child and make her my sex slave.

The Earth is just a pitstop to a greater, more meaningful place. Do to it what you want.

Condoms are sinful. Just ask the Pope. Even here in this AIDS stricken part of Africa.

According to my religious leaders, I will be made a martyr and clear a way to heaven for all my descendants by crashing this airplane into this building built by infidels.

Some FACTS to consider:

According to a survey of developed democracies taken by The Journal of Religion and Society, societal dysfunction correlated strongly with religious belief, i.e. the more devout the country, the more societal dysfunction. This correlation was stronger even than factors like wealth, as the US, wealthier but more devout, had more dysfunction than poorer, less devout countries.

WITHIN the US, crime and social dysfunction is higher along the Bible Belt than in less devout areas.

In the general US population, 8-16% identify themselves atheists, within US prison populations, 0.21% identify as atheists, according to the Federal Bureau of Prisons.

Republicans tend to be more devout than Democrats.


--Anson Jew

How to Spot a Libertarian

Libertarians, Laissez-Faire Capitalists and their ilk all share some common traits...the chief one being they are convinced that they are the hardest working, toughest mofos in the world, and that everyone one else in the world who isn't as bad-ass as they perceive themselves to be are just a bunch of lazy, whiney, sissy, weenies. An example of their brand of tortured logic goes something like this: I am successful, and I worked hard. You are not successful. Therefore, you did not work hard (said the millionaire Britney Spears to pauper Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart).

Usually these guys are themselves pampered little weenies who have never experienced real hardship nor acknowledge real hardship in others, but have gained a little success, and then buy into their own hype (to paraphrase Ann Richards: born on third base, act like they hit a triple). Their smug, over-inflated sense of self worth and entitlement drives a lot of their right wing political agendas, like their attitudes toward business, taxes, the poor, minorities, women, the environment ("my water doesn't make me sick, you whiner!") and even our policies on torture.

I recently found a couple of videos that clearly show some of these guys in their natural habitat.


Fox Business Channel's Stuart Varney:






WLS's Matthew Erich "Mancow" Muller:

Visit msnbc.com for Breaking News, World News, and News about the Economy

Mancow's little experience taught him his lesson. Maybe Varney should be forced to do his broadcasts with a Chinese accent and he'll learn his.


Related Articles:

Robert Frank's original NY Times article.

More on Huffington Post


--Anson Jew

Deregulation for Dummies

How we got here in a nutshell.

Daffy for President

Someone should have shown this to George W. Bush.

44 Presidents in 4 Minutes