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	<title>Heaving Dead Cats &#187; Quotes</title>
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		<title>25 Blasphemous Quotes From Atheist Ireland</title>
		<link>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2010/01/28/25-blasphemous-quotes-from-atheist-ireland/</link>
		<comments>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2010/01/28/25-blasphemous-quotes-from-atheist-ireland/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 28 Jan 2010 09:09:51 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Neece</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Atheism]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/?p=2463</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>From <a href="http://www.michaelnugent.com/2010/01/01/atheist-ireland-publishes-25-blasphemous-quotes/" target="_blank">Michael Nugent</a> in Ireland, I found the following and thought I&#8217;d spread the blasphemy around and share it with you. Here&#8217;s to hoping Ireland gets a bit of sense and repeals this dangerous and ridiculous law. It&#8217;s a giant step backwards for human progress, as is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_and_the_United_Nations" target="_blank">UN blasphemy movement</a> that&#8217;s been going on for awhile now. I&#8217;ve added some nice religious imagery for eye candy. <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif' alt=':P' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/262.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2464" title="pedofest!" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/262.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="278" /></a></p>
<blockquote><p>From January 1, 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law became operational, and those in <a href="http://www.atheist.ie/" target="_blank">Atheist Ireland</a> began their campaign to have it repealed. Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine. The new law defines blasphemy as publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>From <a href="http://www.michaelnugent.com/2010/01/01/atheist-ireland-publishes-25-blasphemous-quotes/" target="_blank">Michael Nugent</a> in Ireland, I found the following and thought I&#8217;d spread the blasphemy around and share it with you. Here&#8217;s to hoping Ireland gets a bit of sense and repeals this dangerous and ridiculous law. It&#8217;s a giant step backwards for human progress, as is the <a href="http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Blasphemy_and_the_United_Nations" target="_blank">UN blasphemy movement</a> that&#8217;s been going on for awhile now. I&#8217;ve added some nice religious imagery for eye candy. <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_razz.gif' alt=':P' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/262.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-2464" title="pedofest!" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/262.jpg" alt="" width="430" height="278" /></a></p>
<blockquote><p>From January 1, 2010, the new Irish blasphemy law became operational, and those in <a href="http://www.atheist.ie/" target="_blank">Atheist Ireland</a> began their campaign to have it repealed. Blasphemy is now a crime punishable by a €25,000 fine. The new law defines blasphemy as publishing or uttering matter that is grossly abusive or insulting in relation to matters held sacred by any religion, thereby intentionally causing outrage among a substantial number of adherents of that religion, with some defences permitted.</p>
<p>This new law is both silly and dangerous. It is silly because medieval religious laws have no place in a modern secular republic, where the criminal law should protect people and not ideas. And it is dangerous because it incentives religious outrage, and because Islamic States led by Pakistan are already using the wording of this Irish law to promote new blasphemy laws at UN level.</p>
<p>We believe in the golden rule: that we have a right to be treated justly, and that we have a responsibility to treat other people justly. Blasphemy laws are unjust: they silence people in order to protect ideas. In a civilised society, people have a right to to express and to hear ideas about religion even if other people find those ideas to be outrageous.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/thesign1.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2465" title="offensive" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/thesign1-450x450.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="450" /></a></p>
<p><strong><span id="more-2463"></span>Publication of 25 blasphemous quotes</strong></p>
<p>In this context we now publish a list of 25 blasphemous quotes, which have previously been published by or uttered by or attributed to Jesus Christ, Muhammad, Mark Twain, Tom Lehrer, Randy Newman, James Kirkup, Monty Python, Rev Ian Paisley, Conor Cruise O’Brien, Frank Zappa, Salman Rushdie, Bjork, Amanda Donohoe, George Carlin, Paul Woodfull, Jerry Springer the Opera, Tim Minchin, Richard Dawkins, Pope Benedict XVI, Christopher Hitchens, PZ Myers, Ian O’Doherty, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor and Dermot Ahern.</p>
<p>Despite these quotes being abusive and insulting in relation to matters held sacred by various religions, we unreservedly support the right of these people to have published or uttered them, and we unreservedly support the right of any Irish citizen to make comparable statements about matters held sacred by any religion without fear of being criminalised, and without having to prove to a court that a reasonable person would find any particular value in the statement.</p>
<p><strong>Campaign begins to repeal the Irish blasphemy law</strong></p>
<p>We ask Fianna Fail and the Green Party to repeal their anachronistic blasphemy law, as part of the revision of the Defamation Act that is included within the Act. We ask them to hold a referendum to remove the reference to blasphemy from the Irish Constitution.</p>
<p>We also ask all TDs and Senators to support a referendum to remove references to God from the Irish Constitution, including the clauses that prevent atheists from being appointed as President of Ireland or as a Judge without swearing a religious oath asking God to direct them in their work.</p>
<p>If you run a website, blog or other media publication, please feel free to republish this statement and the list of quotes yourself, in order to show your support for the campaign to repeal the Irish blasphemy law and to promote a rational, ethical, secular Ireland.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/church_sign.jpeg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2466" title="church_sign" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/church_sign-450x303.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="303" /></a></p>
<p><strong>List of 25 Blasphemous Quotes Published by Atheist Ireland</strong></p>
<p>1. <strong>Jesus Christ</strong>, when asked if he was the son of God, in Matthew 26:64: “Thou hast said: nevertheless I say unto you, Hereafter shall ye see the Son of man sitting on the right hand of power, and coming in the clouds of heaven.” According to the Christian Bible, the Jewish chief priests and elders and council deemed this statement by Jesus to be blasphemous, and they sentenced Jesus to death for saying it.</p>
<p>2. <strong>Jesus Christ</strong>, talking to Jews about their God, in John 8:44: “Ye are of your father the devil, and the lusts of your father ye will do. He was a murderer from the beginning, and abode not in the truth, because there is no truth in him.” This is one of several chapters in the Christian Bible that can give a scriptural foundation to Christian anti-Semitism. The first part of John 8, the story of “whoever is without sin cast the first stone”, was not in the original version, but was added centuries later. The original John 8 is a debate between Jesus and some Jews. In brief, Jesus calls the Jews who disbelieve him sons of the Devil, the Jews try to stone him, and Jesus runs away and hides.</p>
<p>3. <strong>Muhammad</strong>, quoted in Hadith of Bukhari, Vol 1 Book 8 Hadith 427: “May Allah curse the Jews and Christians for they built the places of worship at the graves of their prophets.” This quote is attributed to Muhammad on his death-bed as a warning to Muslims not to copy this practice of the Jews and Christians. It is one of several passages in the Koran and in Hadith that can give a scriptural foundation to Islamic anti-Semitism, including the assertion in Sura 5:60 that Allah cursed Jews and turned some of them into apes and swine.</p>
<p>4.<strong> Mark Twain</strong>, describing the Christian Bible in Letters from the Earth, 1909: “Also it has another name – The Word of God. For the Christian thinks every word of it was dictated by God. It is full of interest. It has noble poetry in it; and some clever fables; and some blood-drenched history; and some good morals; and a wealth of obscenity; and upwards of a thousand lies… But you notice that when the Lord God of Heaven and Earth, adored Father of Man, goes to war, there is no limit. He is totally without mercy – he, who is called the Fountain of Mercy. He slays, slays, slays! All the men, all the beasts, all the boys, all the babies; also all the women and all the girls, except those that have not been deflowered. He makes no distinction between innocent and guilty… What the insane Father required was blood and misery; he was indifferent as to who furnished it.” Twain’s book was published posthumously in 1939. His daughter, Clara Clemens, at first objected to it being published, but later changed her mind in 1960 when she believed that public opinion had grown more tolerant of the expression of such ideas. That was half a century before Fianna Fail and the Green Party imposed a new blasphemy law on the people of Ireland.</p>
<p>5. <strong>Tom Lehrer</strong>, The Vatican Rag, 1963: “Get in line in that processional, step into that small confessional. There, the guy who’s got religion’ll tell you if your sin’s original. If it is, try playing it safer, drink the wine and chew the wafer. Two, four, six, eight, time to transubstantiate!”</p>
<p>6. <strong>Randy Newman</strong>, God’s Song, 1972: “And the Lord said: I burn down your cities – how blind you must be. I take from you your children, and you say how blessed are we. You all must be crazy to put your faith in me. That’s why I love mankind.”</p>
<p>7. <strong>James Kirkup</strong>, The Love That Dares to Speak its Name, 1976: “While they prepared the tomb I kept guard over him. His mother and the Magdalen had gone to fetch clean linen to shroud his nakedness. I was alone with him… I laid my lips around the tip of that great cock, the instrument of our salvation, our eternal joy. The shaft, still throbbed, anointed with death’s final ejaculation.” This extract is from a poem that led to the last successful blasphemy prosecution in Britain, when Denis Lemon was given a suspended prison sentence after he published it in the now-defunct magazine Gay News. In 2002, a public reading of the poem, on the steps of St. Martin-in-the-Fields church in Trafalgar Square, failed to lead to any prosecution. In 2008, the British Parliament abolished the common law offences of blasphemy and blasphemous libel.</p>
<p>8. Matthias, son of Deuteronomy of Gath, in <strong>Monty Python’s Life of Brian</strong>, 1979: “Look, I had a lovely supper, and all I said to my wife was that piece of halibut was good enough for Jehovah.”</p>
<p>9. <strong>Rev Ian Paisley</strong> MEP to the Pope in the European Parliament, 1988: “I denounce you as the Antichrist.” Paisley’s website describes the Antichrist as being “a liar, the true son of the father of lies, the original liar from the beginning… he will imitate Christ, a diabolical imitation, Satan transformed into an angel of light, which will deceive the world.”</p>
<p>10. <strong>Conor Cruise O’Brien</strong>, 1989: “In the last century the Arab thinker Jamal al-Afghani wrote: ‘Every Muslim is sick and his only remedy is in the Koran.’ Unfortunately the sickness gets worse the more the remedy is taken.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/l_97506351f42a86741e0a6edad2c6af5b.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2467" title="it's ok, you can touch it" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/l_97506351f42a86741e0a6edad2c6af5b-298x450.jpg" alt="" width="298" height="450" /></a></p>
<p>11. <strong>Frank Zappa</strong>, 1989: “If you want to get together in any exclusive situation and have people love you, fine – but to hang all this desperate sociology on the idea of The Cloud-Guy who has The Big Book, who knows if you’ve been bad or good – and cares about any of it – to hang it all on that, folks, is the chimpanzee part of the brain working.”</p>
<p>12. <strong>Salman Rushdie</strong>, 1990: “The idea of the sacred is quite simply one of the most conservative notions in any culture, because it seeks to turn other ideas – uncertainty, progress, change – into crimes.” In 1989, Ayatollah Khomeini of Iran issued a fatwa ordering Muslims to kill Rushdie because of blasphemous passages in Rushdie’s novel The Satanic Verses.</p>
<p>13. <strong>Bjork</strong>, 1995: “I do not believe in religion, but if I had to choose one it would be Buddhism. It seems more livable, closer to men… I’ve been reading about reincarnation, and the Buddhists say we come back as animals and they refer to them as lesser beings. Well, animals aren’t lesser beings, they’re just like us. So I say fuck the Buddhists.”</p>
<p>14. <strong>Amanda Donoho</strong>e on her role in the Ken Russell movie Lair of the White Worm, 1995: “Spitting on Christ was a great deal of fun. I can’t embrace a male god who has persecuted female sexuality throughout the ages, and that persecution still goes on today all over the world.”</p>
<p>15. <strong>George Carlin</strong>, 1999: “Religion easily has the greatest bullshit story ever told. Think about it. Religion has actually convinced people that there’s an invisible man living in the sky who watches everything you do, every minute of every day. And the invisible man has a special list of ten things he does not want you to do. And if you do any of these ten things, he has a special place, full of fire and smoke and burning and torture and anguish, where he will send you to live and suffer and burn and choke and scream and cry forever and ever ’til the end of time! But He loves you. He loves you, and He needs money! He always needs money! He’s all-powerful, all-perfect, all-knowing, and all-wise, somehow just can’t handle money! Religion takes in billions of dollars, they pay no taxes, and they always need a little more. Now, talk about a good bullshit story. Holy Shit!”</p>
<p>16. <strong>Paul Woodfull </strong>as Ding Dong Denny O’Reilly, The Ballad of Jaysus Christ, 2000: “He said me ma’s a virgin and sure no one disagreed, Cause they knew a lad who walks on water’s handy with his feet… Jaysus oh Jaysus, as cool as bleedin’ ice, With all the scrubbers in Israel he could not be enticed, Jaysus oh Jaysus, it’s funny you never rode, Cause it’s you I do be shoutin’ for each time I shoot me load.”</p>
<p>17. <strong>Jesus Christ</strong>, in Jerry Springer The Opera, 2003: “Actually, I’m a bit gay.” In 2005, the Christian Institute tried to bring a prosecution against the BBC for screening Jerry Springer the Opera, but the UK courts refused to issue a summons.</p>
<p>18. <strong>Tim Minchin</strong>, Ten-foot Cock and a Few Hundred Virgins, 2005: “So you’re gonna live in paradise, With a ten-foot cock and a few hundred virgins, So you’re gonna sacrifice your life, For a shot at the greener grass, And when the Lord comes down with his shiny rod of judgment, He’s gonna kick my heathen ass.”</p>
<p>19. <strong>Richard Dawkins</strong> in The God Delusion, 2006: “The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully.” In 2007 Turkish publisher Erol Karaaslan was charged with the crime of insulting believers for publishing a Turkish translation of The God Delusion. He was acquitted in 2008, but another charge was brought in 2009. Karaaslan told the court that “it is a right to criticise religions and beliefs as part of the freedom of thought and expression.”</p>
<p>20.<strong> Pope Benedict XVI</strong> quoting a 14th century Byzantine emperor, 2006: “Show me just what Muhammad brought that was new and there you will find things only evil and inhuman, such as his command to spread by the sword the faith he preached.” This statement has already led to both outrage and condemnation of the outrage. The Organisation of the Islamic Conference, the world’s largest Muslim body, said it was a “character assassination of the prophet Muhammad”. The Malaysian Prime Minister said that “the Pope must not take lightly the spread of outrage that has been created.” Pakistan’s foreign Ministry spokesperson said that “anyone who describes Islam as a religion as intolerant encourages violence”. The European Commission said that “reactions which are disproportionate and which are tantamount to rejecting freedom of speech are unacceptable.”</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/irish.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2468" title="irish" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/irish-450x450.jpg" alt="" width="450" height="450" /></a></p>
<p>21. <strong>Christopher Hitchens</strong> in God is not Great, 2007: “There is some question as to whether Islam is a separate religion at all… Islam when examined is not much more than a rather obvious and ill-arranged set of plagiarisms, helping itself from earlier books and traditions as occasion appeared to require… It makes immense claims for itself, invokes prostrate submission or ‘surrender’ as a maxim to its adherents, and demands deference and respect from nonbelievers into the bargain. There is nothing-absolutely nothing-in its teachings that can even begin to justify such arrogance and presumption.”</p>
<p>22. <strong>PZ Myers</strong>, on the Roman Catholic communion host, 2008: “You would not believe how many people are writing to me, insisting that these horrible little crackers (they look like flattened bits of styrofoam) are literally pieces of their god, and that this omnipotent being who created the universe can actually be seriously harmed by some third-rate liberal intellectual at a third-rate university… However, inspired by an old woodcut of Jews stabbing the host, I thought of a simple, quick thing to do: I pierced it with a rusty nail (I hope Jesus’s tetanus shots are up to date). And then I simply threw it in the trash, followed by the classic, decorative items of trash cans everywhere, old coffeegrounds and a banana peel.”</p>
<p>23. <strong>Ian O’Doherty</strong>, 2009: “(If defamation of religion was illegal) it would be a crime for me to say that the notion of transubstantiation is so ridiculous that even a small child should be able to see the insanity and utter physical impossibility of a piece of bread and some wine somehow taking on corporeal form. It would be a crime for me to say that Islam is a backward desert superstition that has no place in modern, enlightened Europe and it would be a crime to point out that Jewish settlers in Israel who believe they have a God given right to take the land are, frankly, mad. All the above assertions will, no doubt, offend someone or other.”</p>
<p>24. <strong>Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O’Connor</strong>, 2009: “Whether a person is atheist or any other, there is in fact in my view something not totally human if they leave out the transcendent… we call it God… I think that if you leave that out you are not fully human.” Because atheism is not a religion, the Irish blasphemy law does not protect atheists from abusive and insulting statements about their fundamental beliefs. While atheists are not seeking such protection, we include the statement here to point out that it is discriminatory that this law does not hold all citizens equal.</p>
<p>25. <strong>Dermot Ahern</strong>, Irish Minister for Justice, introducing his blasphemy law at an Oireachtas Justice Committee meeting, 2009, and referring to comments made about him personally: “They are blasphemous.” Deputy Pat Rabbitte replied: “Given the Minister’s self-image, it could very well be that we are blaspheming,” and Minister Ahern replied: “Deputy Rabbitte says that I am close to the baby Jesus, I am so pure.” So here we have an Irish Justice Minister joking about himself being blasphemed, at a parliamentary Justice Committee discussing his own blasphemy law, that could make his own jokes illegal.</p>
<p>Finally, as a bonus, <strong>Micheal Martin</strong>, Irish Minister for Foreign Affairs, opposing attempts by Islamic States to make defamation of religion a crime at UN level, 2009: “We believe that the concept of defamation of religion is not consistent with the promotion and protection of human rights. It can be used to justify arbitrary limitations on, or the denial of, freedom of expression. Indeed, Ireland considers that freedom of expression is a key and inherent element in the manifestation of freedom of thought and conscience and as such is complementary to freedom of religion or belief.” Just months after Minister Martin made this comment, his colleague Dermot Ahern introduced Ireland’s new blasphemy law.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/the_judeochristianmuslimgod_jpg.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-2469" title="the_judeochristianmuslimgod_jpg" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2010/01/the_judeochristianmuslimgod_jpg-445x450.jpg" alt="" width="445" height="450" /></a></p></blockquote>

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		<item>
		<title>JFK Had the Right Idea</title>
		<link>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/11/10/jfk-had-the-right-idea/</link>
		<comments>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/11/10/jfk-had-the-right-idea/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Tue, 10 Nov 2009 17:19:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Johnny</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[History]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[rant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Johnny]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[separation of church and state]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/?p=2217</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/wallcat1.jpg" alt="Wall Cat" title="Wall Cat" width="390" class="alignright size-full wp-image-2218" />I stumbled upon a transcript on the National Public Radio site awhile-back. It was a speech made by John F. Kennedy in 1960, given to a group of Protestant ministers a few months before the election. JFK was a devout Catholic, but he was also had a solid understanding of the separation of church and state; this speech has some excellent excerpts that exemplify this. JFK was the first Catholic elected president, and during the elections other religious groups (primarily the Protestant group) were concerned about rumors that he would send an ambassador to the Vatican and be taking direction from the Pope. As it turned-out, it was Reagan who established <a href="http://www.americanambassadors.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Publications.article&#038;articleid=44" target="_blank">the first ambassador to the Vatican</a> in 1984.<span id="more-2217"></span></p>
<blockquote><p><font size="2" face="verdana"><img src="http://media.npr.org/news/images/2007/dec/5/kennedy150.jpg" border="0" alt="John F. Kennedy, Sept 12, 1960" hspace="8" vspace="5" width="170" align="right"/>So it is apparently necessary for me to state once again not what kind of church I believe in — for that should be important only to [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><img src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/11/wallcat1.jpg" alt="Wall Cat" title="Wall Cat" width="390" class="alignright size-full wp-image-2218" />I stumbled upon a transcript on the National Public Radio site awhile-back. It was a speech made by John F. Kennedy in 1960, given to a group of Protestant ministers a few months before the election. JFK was a devout Catholic, but he was also had a solid understanding of the separation of church and state; this speech has some excellent excerpts that exemplify this. JFK was the first Catholic elected president, and during the elections other religious groups (primarily the Protestant group) were concerned about rumors that he would send an ambassador to the Vatican and be taking direction from the Pope. As it turned-out, it was Reagan who established <a href="http://www.americanambassadors.org/index.cfm?fuseaction=Publications.article&#038;articleid=44" target="_blank">the first ambassador to the Vatican</a> in 1984.<span id="more-2217"></span></p>
<blockquote><p><font size="2" face="verdana"><img src="http://media.npr.org/news/images/2007/dec/5/kennedy150.jpg" border="0" alt="John F. Kennedy, Sept 12, 1960" hspace="8" vspace="5" width="170" align="right"/>So it is apparently necessary for me to state once again not what kind of church I believe in — for that should be important only to me — but what kind of America I believe in.<br/><br/>I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and no Protestant minister would tell his parishioners for whom to vote; where no church or church school is granted any public funds or political preference; and where no man is denied public office merely because his religion differs from the president who might appoint him or the people who might elect him.<br/><br/>I believe in an America that is officially neither Catholic, Protestant nor Jewish; where no public official either requests or accepts instructions on public policy from the Pope, the National Council of Churches or any other ecclesiastical source; where no religious body seeks to impose its will directly or indirectly upon the general populace or the public acts of its officials; and where religious liberty is so indivisible that an act against one church is treated as an act against all.</font></p></blockquote>
<p>If only politicians today would take this view, instead of attacking that wall of separation.</p>
<blockquote><p><font size="2" face="verdana">That is the kind of America in which I believe. And it represents the kind of presidency in which I believe — a great office that must neither be humbled by making it the instrument of any one religious group, nor tarnished by arbitrarily withholding its occupancy from the members of any one religious group. I believe in a president whose religious views are his own private affair, neither imposed by him upon the nation, or imposed by the nation upon him as a condition to holding that office.</font></p></blockquote>
<p>Truly he was a politician who understood the founding of our county; for although beliefs of our founding fathers may have varied, they knew that the success of the nation depended upon religious freedom, and to have religious freedom you must have separation of church and state.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=16920600" target="_blank">You can find the full speech transcript on NPR’s site.</a></p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/06/25/h_con_res_131/" title="[UPDATED] Thousands of Tax Payer Dollars to Add Engraving to Capitol Visitor Center (June 25, 2009)">[UPDATED] Thousands of Tax Payer Dollars to Add Engraving to Capitol Visitor Center</a> (5)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2010/02/04/your-two-cents-about-the-faith-based-initiative-program/" title="Your Two Cents About the Faith Based Initiative Program (February 4, 2010)">Your Two Cents About the Faith Based Initiative Program</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/12/24/why-do-christians-hate-the-aclu/" title="Why Do Christians Hate The ACLU? (December 24, 2009)">Why Do Christians Hate The ACLU?</a> (5)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/05/15/separation-of-church-and-state-benefits-everyone/" title="Separation of church and State Benefits Everyone (May 15, 2009)">Separation of church and State Benefits Everyone</a> (24)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/06/12/kingsville-king-of-ignorance/" title="Kingsville: King of Ignorance (June 12, 2009)">Kingsville: King of Ignorance</a> (7)</li>
</ul>

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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>What Is Your Favorite Quote or Story From the bible?</title>
		<link>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/04/25/what-is-your-favorite-quote-or-story-from-the-bible/</link>
		<comments>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/04/25/what-is-your-favorite-quote-or-story-from-the-bible/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 25 Apr 2009 10:23:00 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Neece</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Atheism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[believing problem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bible]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[christian]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Quote]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[SirLeeTees]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/?p=1330</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>What a strange question from an atheist, huh? But I really mean it. Which quote is your favorite, or do you prefer a story from somewhere in the bible? Here&#8217;s my favorite at the moment:</p>
<p><a href="http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/ps/137.html#9" target="_blank">Psalms 137:9</a> Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.</p>
<p>Look, I made it into a motivational poster so we can all be inspired by the &#8220;good book&#8221;.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/psalms137-9.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1331" title="psalms137-9" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/psalms137-9-450x351.jpg" alt="psalms137-9" width="450" height="351" /></a></p>
<p>Lovely, huh? The text at the top was inspired by my husband Butch, no god involved. I turned it into a t-shirt (and other stuff, of course) too! <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/no_god_know_peace_tshirt-235414700887759016?gl=SirLeeTees&#38;rf=238103958359493392" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/no_god_know_peace_tshirt-p235414700887759016o1o7_325.jpg" alt="No god, Know Peace shirt" width="325" height="325" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/no_god_know_peace_tshirt-235414700887759016?gl=SirLeeTees&#38;rf=238103958359493392" target="_blank">No god, Know Peace</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sirleetees*" target="_blank">SirLeeTees</a></div>
<p>Know god, No Peace; No god, Know Peace. This is the correct wording. <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>So that&#8217;s the &#8220;good book&#8221; that gets cherry-picked by ignorant christians every day. Full [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>What a strange question from an atheist, huh? But I really mean it. Which quote is your favorite, or do you prefer a story from somewhere in the bible? Here&#8217;s my favorite at the moment:</p>
<p><a href="http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/ps/137.html#9" target="_blank">Psalms 137:9</a> Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones.</p>
<p>Look, I made it into a motivational poster so we can all be inspired by the &#8220;good book&#8221;.</p>
<p><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/psalms137-9.jpg"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-1331" title="psalms137-9" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/04/psalms137-9-450x351.jpg" alt="psalms137-9" width="450" height="351" /></a></p>
<p>Lovely, huh? The text at the top was inspired by my husband Butch, no god involved. I turned it into a t-shirt (and other stuff, of course) too! <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<div style="text-align:center;line-height:150%"><a href="http://www.zazzle.com/no_god_know_peace_tshirt-235414700887759016?gl=SirLeeTees&amp;rf=238103958359493392" target="_blank"><img style="border: 0pt none;" src="http://rlv.zcache.com/no_god_know_peace_tshirt-p235414700887759016o1o7_325.jpg" alt="No god, Know Peace shirt" width="325" height="325" /></a><br />
<a href="http://www.zazzle.com/no_god_know_peace_tshirt-235414700887759016?gl=SirLeeTees&amp;rf=238103958359493392" target="_blank">No god, Know Peace</a> by <a href="http://www.zazzle.com/sirleetees*" target="_blank">SirLeeTees</a></div>
<p>Know god, No Peace; No god, Know Peace. This is the correct wording. <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>
<p>So that&#8217;s the &#8220;good book&#8221; that gets cherry-picked by ignorant christians every day. Full of barbaric, hateful, delusional and amoral people from 2,000 years ago.</p>
<p>Which story sums up the bible for you? Or which quote says it all? And why?</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/04/07/cherry-picking-and-a-bible-lesson-for-atheists/" title="Cherry-Picking and A bible Lesson For Atheists (April 7, 2009)">Cherry-Picking and A bible Lesson For Atheists</a> (11)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/07/29/psalm-1379-and-dealing-with-religious-relatives/" title="Psalm 137:9 and Dealing With Religious Relatives &#8211; EDITED (July 29, 2009)">Psalm 137:9 and Dealing With Religious Relatives &#8211; EDITED</a> (13)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/05/20/here-we-go-again/" title="Here We Go Again&#8230; (May 20, 2009)">Here We Go Again&#8230;</a> (125)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/06/28/conversations-with-christians-beth-2-down-the-rabbit-hole/" title="Conversations With christians &#8211; Beth 2 &#8211; Down The Rabbit Hole (June 28, 2009)">Conversations With christians &#8211; Beth 2 &#8211; Down The Rabbit Hole</a> (16)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/08/03/100-questions-for-christians/" title="100 Questions for christians (August 3, 2009)">100 Questions for christians</a> (26)</li>
</ul>

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		<series:name><![CDATA[bible Lessons]]></series:name>
	</item>
		<item>
		<title>Wild Geese by Mary Oliver &#8211; My Favorite Poem</title>
		<link>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/01/25/wild-geese-by-mary-oliver-my-favorite-poem/</link>
		<comments>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/01/25/wild-geese-by-mary-oliver-my-favorite-poem/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Mon, 26 Jan 2009 03:36:17 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Neece</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Think]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Words]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[change]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hello]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[helpful stuff]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[happy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[helpful]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mary oliver]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[morals]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[poem]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[story]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wild geese]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/?p=1050</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1052" title="morning geese by zeneece" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/morninggeesebyzeneece.jpg" alt="morning geese by zeneece" width="400" height="282" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">You do not have to be good.<br />
You do not have to walk on your knees<br />
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.<br />
You only have to let the soft animal of your body<br />
love what it loves.<br />
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.<br />
Meanwhile the world goes on.<br />
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain<br />
are moving across the landscapes,<br />
over the prairies and the deep trees,<br />
the mountains and the rivers.<br />
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,<br />
are heading home again.<br />
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,<br />
the world offers itself to your imagination,<br />
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—<br />
over and over announcing your place<br />
in [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="text-align: center;"><img class="aligncenter size-full wp-image-1052" title="morning geese by zeneece" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2009/01/morninggeesebyzeneece.jpg" alt="morning geese by zeneece" width="400" height="282" /></p>
<p style="text-align: center;">You do not have to be good.<br />
You do not have to walk on your knees<br />
for a hundred miles through the desert, repenting.<br />
You only have to let the soft animal of your body<br />
love what it loves.<br />
Tell me about despair, yours, and I will tell you mine.<br />
Meanwhile the world goes on.<br />
Meanwhile the sun and the clear pebbles of the rain<br />
are moving across the landscapes,<br />
over the prairies and the deep trees,<br />
the mountains and the rivers.<br />
Meanwhile the wild geese, high in the clean blue air,<br />
are heading home again.<br />
Whoever you are, no matter how lonely,<br />
the world offers itself to your imagination,<br />
calls to you like the wild geese, harsh and exciting—<br />
over and over announcing your place<br />
in the family of things.</p>
<p>from Dream Work by Mary Oliver<br />
published by Atlantic Monthly Press<br />
© Mary Oliver</p>
<p>Why am I sharing this?<span id="more-1050"></span></p>
<p>This is my favorite poem. When I first heard it over a decade ago, it struck me as a <a href="http://dictionary.reference.com/browse/palliate" target="_blank">palliative</a> to what ailed me. I was floundering within the christian world, not actively, but still completely under it&#8217;s crushing jackboot of guilt and sacrifice. I had no idea why I was so unhappy and confused. But this poem was beacon. Here was someone telling me I did not have to martyr myself, repenting over forced morals of an ancient and barbaric god. I didn&#8217;t clearly understand this at the time, but I still felt a palpable relief.</p>
<p>It still took me many years to fully shrug off the burden of religion. A long and difficult journey, sometimes quite painful and frightening. But entirely worth it.</p>
<p>I was thinking of this poem today and just wanted to share it with you. Do you have any words or images that you&#8217;ve found comforting or helpful in your life? I&#8217;d love to know what they are. If your story is too long for a comment, email it to me at <a href="mailto:heavingdeadcats@gmail.com">heavingdeadcats@gmail.com</a>. If you want to be anonymous, also email and let me know. But I&#8217;d like to share your story with everyone. I think it&#8217;s helpful for us to share and learn from each other. <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/07/03/rise-of-the-gnostic-atheist-a-deconversion-story/" title="Rise of the Gnostic Atheist: A Deconversion Story (July 3, 2009)">Rise of the Gnostic Atheist: A Deconversion Story</a> (16)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/12/15/why-i-am-not-a-christian/" title="Why I Am Not A Christian (December 15, 2009)">Why I Am Not A Christian</a> (0)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/03/29/what-is-atheism-to-you-conversations-with-craig-the-christian-1/" title="What Is Atheism To You? Conversations With Craig the Christian 1 (March 29, 2009)">What Is Atheism To You? Conversations With Craig the Christian 1</a> (36)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/08/01/the-burqa%e2%80%99s-hijab-defense/" title="The Burqa’s Hijab Defense (August 1, 2009)">The Burqa’s Hijab Defense</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/10/11/should-religion-be-taught-to-minors/" title="Should Religion Be Taught To Minors? (October 11, 2009)">Should Religion Be Taught To Minors?</a> (13)</li>
</ul>

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		</item>
		<item>
		<title>99% of christians Are Hypocrites</title>
		<link>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/12/19/99-percent-of-christians-are-hypocrites/</link>
		<comments>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/12/19/99-percent-of-christians-are-hypocrites/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Fri, 19 Dec 2008 23:35:31 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Neece</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Quotes]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bible]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[helpful stuff]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypocrisy]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[blasphemers]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[christian]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[First Amendment]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[hypocrite]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[jesus]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/?p=892</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-894" href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/12/19/99-percent-of-christians-are-hypocrites/page1_6/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-894" title="jesus endorses us" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/page1_6-300x242.jpg" alt="jesus endorses us" width="300" height="242" /></a>I think if you&#8217;re a christian, the most important parts of the bible would be Jesus&#8217; teachings. So why are there churches? Why do christians demand that there is prayer in school and insist on praying openly? Why are there TV evangelists openly crying out, &#8220;In Jesus&#8217; name&#8221; every other slimy sentence? Because they are all Blasphemers and Hypocrites.</p>
<p>Matthew 6:1-7. Read it, christians. Take it to heart, or do you have more hypocritical lies to twist the words of your own savior so that you can do what you like?<span id="more-892"></span></p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/mt/6.html" target="_blank">Matthew 6</a><br />
6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.<br />
6:2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p><a rel="attachment wp-att-894" href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/12/19/99-percent-of-christians-are-hypocrites/page1_6/"><img class="aligncenter size-medium wp-image-894" title="jesus endorses us" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/12/page1_6-300x242.jpg" alt="jesus endorses us" width="300" height="242" /></a>I think if you&#8217;re a christian, the most important parts of the bible would be Jesus&#8217; teachings. So why are there churches? Why do christians demand that there is prayer in school and insist on praying openly? Why are there TV evangelists openly crying out, &#8220;In Jesus&#8217; name&#8221; every other slimy sentence? Because they are all Blasphemers and Hypocrites.</p>
<p>Matthew 6:1-7. Read it, christians. Take it to heart, or do you have more hypocritical lies to twist the words of your own savior so that you can do what you like?<span id="more-892"></span></p>
<blockquote><p><a href="http://skepticsannotatedbible.com/mt/6.html" target="_blank">Matthew 6</a><br />
6:1  Take heed that ye do not your alms before men, to be seen of them: otherwise ye have no reward of your Father which is in heaven.<br />
6:2  Therefore when thou doest thine alms, do not sound a trumpet before thee, as the hypocrites do in the synagogues and in the streets, that they may have glory of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.<br />
6:3 But when thou doest alms, let not thy left hand know what thy right hand doeth:<br />
6:4 That thine alms may be in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret himself shall reward thee openly.<br />
6:5 And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.<br />
6:6  But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou hast shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret; and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.<br />
6:7 But when ye pray, use not vain repetitions, as the heathen do: for they think that they shall be heard for their much speaking.</p></blockquote>
<p>So Jesus is saying to keep your religion to yourself. Don&#8217;t pray in public, don&#8217;t be showy and brag about the good things you do. Do it in secret. Keep it to yourself.</p>
<p>Back to Matthew, Jesus goes on:</p>
<blockquote><p>6:19  Lay not up for yourselves treasures upon earth, where moth and rust doth corrupt, and where thieves break through and steal:<br />
6:20  But lay up for yourselves treasures in heaven, where neither moth nor rust doth corrupt, and where thieves do not break through nor steal:<br />
6:21 For where your treasure is, there will your heart be also.</p></blockquote>
<p>Jesus talks about wealth. If you&#8217;re a good christian you should be rather poor. Why do churches build such opulent buildings? Why do those heinous TV evangelists beg for money, and why do poor christians send it to them? If you&#8217;re a good christian, you have no need of treasures. Remember that when you open your presents on christmas morning. That&#8217;s the epitome of hypocrisy, isn&#8217;t it?</p>
<p>Read all of Matthew 6, good christians. Then I expect to see you eschew fine clothes for sackcloth, trade your SUV in for an older car with no bells and whistles, give your possessions to the poor in secret, never go to church again as that is hypocrisy, and pray in a closet in private.</p>
<p>Therefore, keep your religion out of government and politics. You have no need of such things as prayer in school. You should have no problem keeping your faith to yourself, which means you would be quite happy to keep the First Amendment which gives everyone the right to practice their religion and keep it separate from the government.</p>
<p>Ok! That was easy. Now we can all live in peace together. If you&#8217;re a good christian, you don&#8217;t need to proselytize, you will teach by example. Live a good life, be a good person. Pray in private. Help the less fortunate. .</p>
<p>So why do so few christians take Jesus&#8217; words to heart and practice these principles? Jesus said it himself- you&#8217;re hypocrites. Plain and simple. And you wonder why atheists have so little respect for what you blather on about?</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/05/31/conversations-with-ash-1-answering-questions/" title="Conversations With Ash: 1 &#8211; Answering Questions (May 31, 2009)">Conversations With Ash: 1 &#8211; Answering Questions</a> (9)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/11/30/what-other-deities-were-born-on-jesus-birthday/" title="What Other Deities Were Born On Jesus&#8217; Birthday? (November 30, 2009)">What Other Deities Were Born On Jesus&#8217; Birthday?</a> (9)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/10/20/todays-score-atheists-2-churches-minus-100/" title="Today&#8217;s Score: Atheists 2, Churches -100 (October 20, 2009)">Today&#8217;s Score: Atheists 2, Churches -100</a> (5)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/05/15/separation-of-church-and-state-benefits-everyone/" title="Separation of church and State Benefits Everyone (May 15, 2009)">Separation of church and State Benefits Everyone</a> (24)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/08/27/logical-fallacy-8-cherry-picking/" title="Logical Fallacy 8: Cherry-Picking (August 27, 2009)">Logical Fallacy 8: Cherry-Picking</a> (36)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>24</slash:comments>
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		<item>
		<title>We Are Lions!</title>
		<link>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/12/13/lions/</link>
		<comments>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/12/13/lions/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Sat, 13 Dec 2008 21:34:41 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>Neece</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Agnostic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atheism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Atheist]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Brilliant]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Freethinker]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Important]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Think]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[video]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[wow]]></category>
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		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/?p=856</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p>This will inspire you. It sure inspired me. 40 inspirational speeches in 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Let me know what you think of it.</p>
<p></p>
<p>I wrote a transcript because it&#8217;s so awesome:<span id="more-856"></span></p>
<blockquote><p>Will you fight? &#8220;No, we will run! And we will live.&#8221;<br />
Shame on you!<br />
This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you&#8217;re gonna let it be the worst.<br />
And I guarantee a week won&#8217;t go by in your life you won&#8217;t regret walking out, letting them get the best of you.<br />
Well, I&#8217;m not going home.<br />
We&#8217;ve gone too far!<br />
And I&#8217;m going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause.<br />
A day may come when the courage of men fails, but it is not this day.<br />
A line must be drawn here! This far, no further!<br />
I&#8217;m not saying [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p>This will inspire you. It sure inspired me. 40 inspirational speeches in 2 minutes and 15 seconds. Let me know what you think of it.</p>
<p><object width="425" height="344" data="http://www.youtube.com/v/d6wRkzCW5qI&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xcfcfcf&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1" type="application/x-shockwave-flash"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/d6wRkzCW5qI&amp;color1=0xb1b1b1&amp;color2=0xcfcfcf&amp;feature=player_embedded&amp;fs=1" /><param name="allowfullscreen" value="true" /></object></p>
<p>I wrote a transcript because it&#8217;s so awesome:<span id="more-856"></span></p>
<blockquote><p>Will you fight? &#8220;No, we will run! And we will live.&#8221;<br />
Shame on you!<br />
This could be the greatest night of our lives, but you&#8217;re gonna let it be the worst.<br />
And I guarantee a week won&#8217;t go by in your life you won&#8217;t regret walking out, letting them get the best of you.<br />
Well, I&#8217;m not going home.<br />
We&#8217;ve gone too far!<br />
And I&#8217;m going to stay right here and fight for this lost cause.<br />
A day may come when the courage of men fails, but it is not this day.<br />
A line must be drawn here! This far, no further!<br />
I&#8217;m not saying it&#8217;s going to be easy.<br />
You&#8217;re going to work harder than you&#8217;ve ever worked before.<br />
But that&#8217;s fine, we&#8217;ll just get tougher winning!<br />
A person grits his teeth, and shows real determination.<br />
Failure is Not an option!<br />
That&#8217;s how winning is done!<br />
Believe me when I say,<br />
We can break this army here.<br />
And win just one for the giver.<br />
But I say to you what every warrior has known since the beginning of time.<br />
You&#8217;ve got to get mad.<br />
I mean plum mad dog mean.<br />
If you would be free men then you must<br />
Fight to fulfill that promise! Let us<br />
Cut out their living guts.<br />
One inch at a time.<br />
And they will know what we can do!<br />
HOO!<br />
Let no man forget how menacing we are. We are Lions!<br />
Like a big bear, man!<br />
This is Your time!<br />
Sieze the day.<br />
Never surrender.<br />
Victory or death!<br />
That&#8217;s the Chicago way.<br />
Who&#8217;s with me!?<br />
Clap. Clap! Don&#8217;t let Tink die! Clap!<br />
Alright!<br />
Let&#8217;s Fly!<br />
And gentlemen in England now abed<br />
Will Know my name is the LORD when I<br />
Tell our enemies that they may take our lives, but they&#8217;ll never take<br />
Our Independence Day!</p>
<p>Found at <a href="http://infidelicacy.blogspot.com/2008/12/inspired-mashup.html" target="_blank">Infidelicacy</a>, Thanks! <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p></blockquote>
<p>Freethinkers, Atheists, Agnostics, all people who cherish their rights and freedoms, we must unite! We must find common ground and common cause. We must eschew apathy as the evil it is and rally for justice, common sense, reason, science,  skepticism and critical thinking!</p>
<p>It&#8217;s happening, slowly. We must encourage and nurture this brave cause against the enemy of mindless, hypocritical religious bullies.</p>
<p>Will you be the problem? Will you wallow in apathy and ignorance? Will you let the senseless automatons controlled by their religious leaders keep you in the dark shadows under their jackboot of fear, repression and false morals?</p>
<p>Or are you part of the solution? Will you stand tall and proud? Free of gods, myths and fairy tales, free to think clearly and independently? The choice is yours.</p>
<p>In that vein I would like to have one symbol, an atheism logo or a freethinking logo that would encompass the whole idea, to help us come together and make us all stronger than we could ever be alone. Maybe an atheist creed, or a freethinking creed. Something we can all get behind. I wonder if such things are possible. I would like to think they are. <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' />  Suggestions, ideas and comments are Always welcome. <img src='http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-includes/images/smilies/icon_smile.gif' alt=':)' class='wp-smiley' /> </p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/12/15/coming-out-religious-closet-great-survey-atheists/" title="Coming Out of the Religious Closet and a Great Survey For Atheists (December 15, 2008)">Coming Out of the Religious Closet and a Great Survey For Atheists</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/01/03/20-reasons-i-am-godless/" title="20 Reasons I Am godless (January 3, 2009)">20 Reasons I Am godless</a> (13)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/01/05/religulous-were-on-the-road-to-nowhere/" title="Religulous: We&#8217;re On The Road To Nowhere (January 5, 2009)">Religulous: We&#8217;re On The Road To Nowhere</a> (3)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/12/12/belief-unbelief-scientific-method/" title="Belief, Unbelief and The Scientific Method (December 12, 2008)">Belief, Unbelief and The Scientific Method</a> (19)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/03/15/atheism-is-the-default/" title="Atheism is the Default (March 15, 2009)">Atheism is the Default</a> (46)</li>
</ul>

]]></content:encoded>
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		<slash:comments>4</slash:comments>
		</item>
		<item>
		<title>Penn and Teller, Bullshit!</title>
		<link>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/10/29/bullshit-penn-teller/</link>
		<comments>http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2008/10/29/bullshit-penn-teller/#comments</comments>
		<pubDate>Thu, 30 Oct 2008 00:30:14 +0000</pubDate>
		<dc:creator>sheisgod</dc:creator>
				<category><![CDATA[Agnostic]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Ideas]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Penn & Teller]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Quotes]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[Skeptical]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[Think]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[advice]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[believing problem]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[change]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[humanity]]></category>
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		<category><![CDATA[lies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lifestyle]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[logic]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[lord]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[money]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[morality]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movie]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[movies]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[musing]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[mysticism]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[myth]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[neat]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[opinion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[politics]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[power]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[religion]]></category>
		<category><![CDATA[bullshit]]></category>

		<guid isPermaLink="false">http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/?p=575</guid>
		<description><![CDATA[<p style="center;"><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/penn-and-teller-bullshit.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-577 aligncenter" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/penn-and-teller-bullshit.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="305" /></a></p>
<p>Creationism</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkWeONGjipQ">Part 1<br />
<br />
<span id="more-575"></span></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivVU_VJQmKI">Part 2</a><br />
</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWK4vmS-6bM">Part 3</a><br />
</p>
<p>Holier than Thou</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41NYwGK_nFM">Part 1</a><br />
</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_P3_zv1_mI">Part 2</a><br />
</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKKzkdoZfdM">Part 3</a><br />
</p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/02/19/why-do-atheists-have-to-rock-the-boat/" title="Why Do Atheists Have To Rock The Boat? (February 19, 2009)">Why Do Atheists Have To Rock The Boat?</a> (22)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/07/18/violation-of-freedom-of-religion/" title="Violation of Freedom of Religion (July 18, 2009)">Violation of Freedom of Religion</a> (8)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2010/01/14/the-secret-divides-part-2/" title="The Secret Divides Part 2 (January 14, 2010)">The Secret Divides Part 2</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2010/01/10/the-secret-divides/" title="The Secret Divides (January 10, 2010)">The Secret Divides</a> (4)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/01/12/the-law-of-attraction-and-the-secret-are-bullshit/" title="The Law Of Attraction- And The Secret -Are Bullshit (January 12, 2009)">The Law Of Attraction- And The Secret -Are Bullshit</a> [...]]]></description>
			<content:encoded><![CDATA[<p style="center;"><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/penn-and-teller-bullshit.jpg"><img class="size-full wp-image-577 aligncenter" src="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/wp-content/uploads/2008/10/penn-and-teller-bullshit.jpg" alt="" width="297" height="305" /></a></p>
<p>Creationism</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=HkWeONGjipQ">Part 1<br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/HkWeONGjipQ&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/HkWeONGjipQ&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object><br />
<span id="more-575"></span></a></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ivVU_VJQmKI">Part 2</a><br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/ivVU_VJQmKI&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/ivVU_VJQmKI&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=CWK4vmS-6bM">Part 3</a><br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/CWK4vmS-6bM&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/CWK4vmS-6bM&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p>Holier than Thou</p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=41NYwGK_nFM">Part 1</a><br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/41NYwGK_nFM&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/41NYwGK_nFM&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=V_P3_zv1_mI">Part 2</a><br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/V_P3_zv1_mI&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/V_P3_zv1_mI&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>
<p><a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=DKKzkdoZfdM">Part 3</a><br />
<object classid="clsid:d27cdb6e-ae6d-11cf-96b8-444553540000" width="425" height="344" codebase="http://download.macromedia.com/pub/shockwave/cabs/flash/swflash.cab#version=6,0,40,0"><param name="allowFullScreen" value="true" /><param name="allowscriptaccess" value="always" /><param name="src" value="http://www.youtube.com/v/DKKzkdoZfdM&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" /><embed type="application/x-shockwave-flash" width="425" height="344" src="http://www.youtube.com/v/DKKzkdoZfdM&amp;hl=en&amp;fs=1" allowscriptaccess="always" allowfullscreen="true"></embed></object></p>

	<h4>Related posts</h4>
	<ul class="st-related-posts">
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/02/19/why-do-atheists-have-to-rock-the-boat/" title="Why Do Atheists Have To Rock The Boat? (February 19, 2009)">Why Do Atheists Have To Rock The Boat?</a> (22)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/07/18/violation-of-freedom-of-religion/" title="Violation of Freedom of Religion (July 18, 2009)">Violation of Freedom of Religion</a> (8)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2010/01/14/the-secret-divides-part-2/" title="The Secret Divides Part 2 (January 14, 2010)">The Secret Divides Part 2</a> (6)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2010/01/10/the-secret-divides/" title="The Secret Divides (January 10, 2010)">The Secret Divides</a> (4)</li>
	<li><a href="http://www.heavingdeadcats.com/2009/01/12/the-law-of-attraction-and-the-secret-are-bullshit/" title="The Law Of Attraction- And The Secret -Are Bullshit (January 12, 2009)">The Law Of Attraction- And The Secret -Are Bullshit</a> (75)</li>
</ul>

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