Second, I had a great conversation with Mister Payne for the Religion of Curiosity podcast, and the episode has just posted. This is a really great show that genuinely, curiously explores many questions about religion, so check out all of his shows! I haven’t listened to this episode yet*, but we talk about my beefs with Catholicism, why I consider myself to be pretty laid-back about my atheism these days, astronomy, bellydancing, etc. It was a really fun conversation so I hope you enjoy listening in.

*And I probably won’t… I hate how I sound, or my accent, or my word choice or something… so once something is published, I can’t go back and listen to it without cringing!

The day after Thanksgiving, I was already excited to start decorating. I’ve inherited my mother’s Dickens village, and I love putting it together every year, with all the little people in a quaint Victorian Christmas town.  When I mentioned this to one of my friends she replied, “But wait, aren’t you an atheist?”  I was a little confused and took a minute to think.  Oh right, Jesus is the reason for the season, isn’t he?

The things I like about Christmas aren’t related to the Christian story at all.  The winter solstice, or the shortest day of the year, in terms of daylight hours, was an important date in many ancient traditions.  This is now considered the first day of winter, but it also marks when the days will begin getting longer, a welcome event for farming communities and people who don’t like to come home from work when it’s dark.  It’s the day that the sun starts moving higher in the sky again, thus it is unconquered, or Sol Invictus.  Winter festivities around the world included Roman Saturnalia, full of gift-giving and merry-making (ancient eggnog anyone?), Roman new year celebrations , which helped to give us indoor greenery to celebrate life amongst the cold, and Scandinavia, which gave us the Yule log. Later, as Christianity became more established, they threw their holiday into the mix as to not be forgotten, and to reaffirm Jesus as the “unconquered son.”

Since Christmas was so heavily steeped in pagan tradition, it was rejected by the Puritans who settled the “New World.” Christmas had mixed popularity in colonial America but fell out of favor, along with other English customs like tea time and Doctor Who, after the Revolutionary War. In this era, Christmas continued to be celebrated in various forms in Europe where the Christmas tree and Santa Claus became part of the holiday.

Christmas as we know it was reinvented in 19th century America as a peaceful family holiday that focused on children. The practice of putting a Christmas tree in the house and giving presents to children from Santa were incorporated at this time, and the holiday grew up to be one of goodwill towards all mankind.  It was declared a national holiday in 1870.

So really, when you look at it, axial tilt is the REAL reason for the season, and we have a rich, complex history of traditions that have been invented and reinvented over the years to surround that. I think that as long as you don’t get wrapped up in cynical, crass commercialism, it can be the most wonderful time of year!

So I’ll happily have myself a godless little Christmas, but don’t get offended if I tell you “Happy Holidays.” I understand that some people celebrate Hanukkah instead of Christmas, or Kwanzaa or Festivus or the Solstice or even the Feast of the FSM, so “Happy Holidays” is perfectly appropriate, especially when I don’t know the person! I’m not attacking Christmas with that phrase.

Go ahead, fellow non-believers.  Turn up the holiday music, light your lights, put up your tree, and get something nice for your loved ones.  And, yes, flashing-light reindeer antlers are entirely appropriate.

Okay, who knocked over the kids? Must be the war on Christmas!

The Catholic Church surely don’t have the monopoly on harm.  But as an ex-Catholic who was quite dedicated to the faith and raised in a nearly all-Catholic community, the stupidity of some Church doctrines get under my skin in a deeply emotional way.  Maybe it’s frustration at the hundreds of hours I spent in church, the skewed view of history I received in my Catholic school, the percentage of my allowance that ultimately went into their bloated coffers, the anti-abortion letters we wrote to politicians as homework, the dozens of hours I spent in service to my church, desperately trying to connect the Catholic worldview with my own emerging one, or the fact that some of my nearest and dearest friends are still Catholic.

Sometime in high school, I found it increasingly difficult to align myself with a worldview that viewed homosexuality as an unnatural evil.  To count myself among the numbers of Catholics who supposedly, though not in reality, all hold to church doctrine, seemed disingenuous.  How so many can do that without trying to change their church for the better or just leave it in the Middle Ages where it belongs… I will never understand.

Anyway, this sentiment was brought forth in response to a couple of recent news items. In one, the Archdiocese of Washington, D.C., is at a standstill with D.C. lawmakers over certain non-discrimination laws that would require the Catholic Church to not discriminate against same-sex couples.  Catholic Charities would then end its contract with the city, which allows the organizations to partner up to provide basic charitable care to the city’s poorest inhabitants.  The article doesn’t cover the thorny issue terribly well, since it is full of quotes and accusations from both sides.  The issue is elucidated somewhat by a follow-up article (thanks, Nick!)

I think the solution is fairly simple: separation of church and state! It protects the religious freedom of the Church, which can then discriminate at will with its followers’ own money, and the lawmakers don’t then have to bend over backwards to compromise on civil rights.  While you are at it, take away the tax-exempt status of churches, and leave that privilege for the actual charitable subsets of the organizations.  I think no matter how you slice it, the Church looks like a bunch of bigots to the rest of us.

So this ties into the next recent topic, a debate on whether the Catholic Church is a force for good in the world.  On the “yes” side were Archbishop John Onaiyekan and Anne Widdencombe MP, and for “no,” everyone’s favorite chain-smoking atheist Chris Hitchens and the lovable Stephen Fry.  As you can imagine, the proponents of Catholicism tout the many charitable acts provided by the Church (um, see previous issue, it comes with a stipulation) and ignore the accusations of harm done by the Church in the past and in the present.  Even if you ignore rehashing the Crusades, the Inquisition, or the arrest of Galileo, there is plenty of harm to the world from Catholicism today. When the Church actively discriminates gays for no other reason than “god says it’s icky,” when the pope goes to Africa and blatantly lies to a continent ravaged by AIDS, saying that condoms worsen the spread HIV, when these Middle Aged superstitions are carried to all corners of the Earth with the bait of food and education, so that a doctor can be excommunicated for performing a live-saving abortion for a raped 9-year-old girl, or innocent people in Africa and around the world are being tortured and killed in accusations of witchcraft in 2009, some with the help of Christian pastors… yeah, I have a problem. You can have charity without the funny hats and ridiculous doctrine and the cost in human lives. Shouldn’t an organization that claims to have knowledge of divine truth be progressive in issues of civil rights, even to the point of being millennia ahead of the rest of the world?

I do believe that most religious people are generally good and would continue to support charitable acts around the world without Church oversight.  After all, building a better world is a basic tenet of secular humanism. Part of that belief is also motivated by the fact that I know so many people that I love and adore and that would never intentionally harm another human being who are Catholic.  My problem is with the doctrine and those that carry it out in harmful ways.  I would just love to see millions of Catholics see the atrocities being perpetrated TODAY in the name of their religion, and either force it to adapt, or leave it altogether.  I was heartened to see at the end of the debate that most of the audience came around to this starkly obvious conclusion.

Just watch and tell me what you think.

Part 1 of 5

Part 2 of 5

Part 3 of 5

Part 4 of 5

Part 5 of 5

So there, that’s my asshole skepticism unleashed just a bit. Passionate, yes, but informed, and with darn good reasons to care so much.  And if you really care, too, please do what you can to help others around with world without the guise of religion, and donate a little bit to a charity like Doctors Without Borders.

Way back on a Friday afternoon a week and a half ago, I trucked up to Philly via I-81 while listening in on a PAPER telecon, and later my iPod. There is something wonderful about singing at the top of your lungs in the car, especially when you are alone because your singing leaves much to be desired.  East Coasters know that Google Maps or car GPS will try to take you to Philly via I-95, but summer weekend traffic on that road is awful, hence I took the longer route.  I finally got to crash at my boyfriend’s house for the whole week, which was wonderful, and if you aren’t following our obnoxiously sickening banter on Twitter already, why aren’t you?  I immediately started playing with his cat, Jinx, and promptly got into an itchy-eyed sneezing fit.  The Target-brand Claritin knock-off I use is good, but not good enough for completely rolling around in cat hair.  *sigh* Sorry Jinx, I had to take it easy with you the rest of the week.  Thank goodness for laser pointers.

Saturday, we headed out to a skeptic meetup organized over on Skepchick, where I got to meet the lovely Rebecca Watson.  I reiterate my statement that I wish all the Skepchicks went to high school with me, so we could have taken over the school with our nerdy awesomeness, and it wouldn’t have taken me so long to come out of my shell.  I spent a good part of brunch conversing with Martha Knox, who told me all about the various skeptic/atheist/humanist groups in Philly, and how they have different events with different focus groups and they all keep in touch as a sort of coalition. Wow! I was impressed and heartened by the level of community among non-believers in Philly.  I hope to see something similar come out of our smaller town of CVille, and when I get a free second, ever, like to think of ways to help make that happen.  (Martha, if you are reading this, I hope you got the pictures I emailed you!) I also spent some time chatting with Box Brown, who writes a funny, adorable, and thoughtful comic called Bellen.

After a sufficiently sangria-infused brunch, we went off to the Continental where they actually serve a drink called the Buzz Aldrin!  I think it’s some kind of peach vodka in a Tang-encrusted glass, and it was quite delicious, though uber-girly.

Who needs a refill? This girl!

This bar also boasted these fantastic chairs shaped like undefinable animals, and I so want one…

After drinks, the group headed off to the Mutter Museum, which was already on my to-do list as it was recommended by Seth.  This museum is not for the weak of stomach, since it displays various human specimens, many of which were used to educate medical students in the 19th century.  You can find plaster casts depicting all kinds of diseases, a huge collection of human skulls, human-leather bound medical books, a collection of 2,000 objects removed from throats, fetuses in various stages of growth, the skeleton of a giant, and so much more.  It’s like the freak show meets medical education and shouldn’t be missed.

Finally, Tim and I had to hit to road to go to Atlantic City, for we had tickets to see Penn and Teller in a rare East Coast appearance! Tim’s brother had alerted us to the show a few months ago, and we started making plans immediately. Tim has been a big fan of P&T’s magic and their show Bullsh*t for many years, and I’ve been a fan for a few years now, and neither of us had ever seen a live show.  We met up at Harrah’s with a number of very cool skeptics, and we didn’t do one bit of gambling. This must be what happens at TAM in Vegas, right?

A bundle of trouble: Ken, Andrew, Heidi, Tim, Daphne, Christian, me, and Tim.

The show was wonderful.  It was everything I could have hoped for: illusions, surprise, showmanship, humor, and skepticism.  Both men are talented performers, with Penn having a flair for the dramatic and Teller performing some beautifully, elegant tricks.  What makes them stand out from other magicians is their reiteration of magic as a trick and an illusion, not some supernatural power.  They use their show as a soapbox against psychics who con innocent people out of their money with tricks like cold and hot reading.  They even show how our own perceptions can be misused to fool us. I won’t give away of the show, just go see them if you ever have a chance.

Obligatory fanboy pics!

Being that we were in Atlantic City, we took advantage and went out on the town! Since my mother reads this blog every once in a while, I’ll just say that what happens in Atlantic City, stays in Atlantic City. (And gets referenced in tweets for the next week…)  We stayed overnight in a lovely beach house and, after discovering that IHOP no longer existed where Google Maps said it did, had a really fun and thoughtful conversation over brunch.  I also realized that I need an iPhone. We’ll see how that turns out…

Tim and I headed back to Philly where we got a short rest (aka passed out for the rest of the day) and went to a family picnic for Memorial Day. I got to meet the whole bunch! The geeks clustered together at one point and talked about video games, Mythbusters, Penn & Teller, and more, thus driving non-geeks far away from our conversation.

I spent most of the actual work week at the University of Pennsylvania, working with some PAPER collaborators. For being out of my familiar office, I actually got quite a bit done.  There is something special about actually being able to communicate with collaborators face-to-face, and having a change of scenery to motivate you.  I also spent half a day at Temple, and they have a fabulous crepe lunch truck!  Both urban campuses (and the train commute) brought out the city girl in me, but for some reason, the urban campus also comes along with some seriously locked down wireless internet.  I came short of selling my firstborn child for access to the internet. Mid-week, we shipped of to Staten Island for an evening so Tim could meet my family and friends, and that was also a blast.  You know that your mom likes your boyfriend when they team up to pick on you. Tim and I got to play house all week, and he enjoyed my cooking even though it included veggies! I am also slowly getter better at Rock Band. Okay, by “better” I mean less amateurishly horrible.

On Friday, we got a chance to check out the Galileo exhibit at the Franklin, which showcases many examples of the scientific tools and books of his time.  The tools themselves are works of art as well as of precision, and we got a mini-lesson from a museum worker about how they have to keep the temperature, light levels, and humidity at a certain level to preserve the paper for hundreds of years, even though the paper made from cloth at the time is sturdier that what we make from pulp now.  I was totally in awe at Galileo’s telescope, to think that something so simple started it all.  Again, go see this exhibit yourself, for the short time that it is on loan from Italy!

Celestial sphere… since you couldn’t actually take a picture of the telescope.

Next, we were joined by the AstroKids of UVa for the wedding of one of our beloved grad students to her doctor fiancee.  Congrats to those two crazy kids!  Not content to have that be the only entertainment of the weekend, Tim and I also went up to the Poconos with his cousin and parents on Sunday to summer-ize his cousin’s boat on Lake Wallenpaupack. It was chilly, but really fun, and I’m looking forward to my weeklong visit up there in July!

Sadly, finally, I had to head back to CVille on Monday, and get used to it just being me again. I was very grateful to find that not only had my plants survived in my absence, but my plant sitter must have a magical green touch because my herbs and flowers had doubled in size and greenery since I had left!  She says it was all the rain. I suspend my skepticism in this case and insist that it’s magic.

So that’s it! A great week to kick off what looks to be an eventful and productive summer.

(More on Flickr.)

So what’s been going on?

• Carnivals #95 and #96 have been posted and are great reads. Ian O’Neill was kind enough to include me very late in the latter carnival. You can always count on me to bring some tasty Virginia wine! Seriously, go catch up on all the great astronomy and space news. Thanks again to the now 10 years old Universe Today for organizing this weekly dish o’ space!
• Alice’s AstroInfo has moved! Make sure to check your bookmarks and feeds and links!
• SarahAskew reminds us that this is a big week for astronomy during this great International Year of Astronomy! Unfortunately, this is my busy time, but some of these events are not to be missed. One of the events, “Around the World in 80 Telescopes,” will feature my favorite destinations/radio telescopes: The Very Large Array at 2:20 PM EDT and the Green Bank Telescope at 3:00 PM EDT. There will also be a webcast from ALMA in Chile at 11:00 AM EDT.
• Charlottesville now has Google Street View! And just in time for this amusing post on Google “ghosts and aliens” by Evan Bernstein at the SGU Rogues Gallery.
• A fireball was sighted a few hours to the north east of Charlottesville, and the debate still rages over whether this was a large meteor or a part of the Soyuz second stage. More data are needed, though meteor is becoming the favored explanation.
• Texas: Doomed.
• BSG has finally ended. Yes, I have some issues with the final episode, as epic as it was. I will just point you to some great commentary by carr2d2 on Skepchick, since I agree with much of what she says. SPOILERS, of course. In addition to my philosophical views, it’s just lazy story-telling.

What’s coming up?

• I finished Death from the Skies! Review forthcoming…
• The VAA did a viewing of Expelled… is it worth even writing about?
• The VAA also hosted a great talk last week by J. Anderson Thompson on “Why We Believe in God.” That is worth hearing about.
• Some fun radio astronomy news items… hopefully I’ll get to them before they get too old!
• I love Eureka.  I’ll tell you why.

One final update… this gift made me so happy…

The Pluto Files, autographed by Neil deGrasse Tyson! Thank you, Tim.

Duck! An asteroid is going to come whizzing by, as the Bad Astronomer points out. Okay, it’s not coming dangerously close, but astronomers are getting better at detecting approaching asteroids. The pun-master also ends this post with a real side-splitter.

James Randi speaks about Carl Sagan… so cool…

Ian O’Neill wrote up a news story for Universe Today about a Russian probe that aims to send microbes to Mars’s moon Phobos to see if they will survive and flourish upon return. This led to a very interesting Twitter discussion about the regulations and international treaties in place that forbids the contamination of other worlds. (Thanks to gfish3000, pgerak, and sumrtime!) As long as the bugs stay in the spacecraft, they should be alright. Just don’t crash…

Carl Zimmer of The Loom continues his exploration of a a recent Washington Post column that did not properly fact-check on a scientific study involving global coverage of ice. Reading through the whole story as it happens is a fascinating insight into the world of science journalism, and there’s a cautionary tale for scientists and journalists alike. (When in doubt, ASK the people who did the research!)

Mike Simonsen posts a really pretty picture of sundogs! Go look go look go look! I’ve never seen that in person, but would like to. I did get some decent pictures of moondogs a while back, which I’ve added to my brand new Flickr account. Go add me as a contact. I love looking a pretty pictures.

Daylight Atheism has some “action items” for those who are interested in keeping church and state separate. They take just a few minutes of your time. In fact, I was talking recently with a friend who was lobbying with Planned Parenthood. She told me that, contrary to my original belief, the staff of politicians actually tally up the “for” and “against” statements from their constituents and include that when voting, even if they can’t get around to actually reading all the comments.

The big, bad PZ Myers shows his soft side for a touching story animated by Nina Paley. It is called “Sita Sings the Blues” and is billed as “the greatest breakup story ever told.” It puts fantastic visuals with Hindu myth, modern love and pain, and 1920s jazz. It is SO worth a watch. It has also been down intermittently, but be patient, it should be available. It is being made available in other formats, under a Creative Commons License. There are some bitorrents out there, too!

Enjoy! On to the week…

This seems like an obvious point, but it was certainly an “ah ha!” moment for me. Really, there are as many religions as there are religious people, when you get right down to it. Each person interprets the religious teachings and acts, thinks, and reacts based on their own cultural and personal influences. My personal experience was with Catholicism, which is fairly strict on what it considers canon. However, most Catholics that I know believed and practiced a religion that was slightly different from that canon. So, is Catholicism all that comes out from the pope? Or is it defined by the Catholic people? What becomes a problem is when it is said that xx% of people are Catholic and Catholics reject birth control. Well… that’s not true. Many Catholics understand the efficiacy, safety, and need for birth control, so they are not being properly represented.

Is there ever a true, pure religion? One can say that the purest form is in the writings, but religious writings are self-contridictory. Therefore, it can never be practiced in it’s “pure” form! In fact, if more people were to realize that religion, and how it is practiced, is so heavily influenced by culture and personality, it could mitigate some of the “my religion is the only correct religion” mentality that threatens political stability and personal relationships. It may also keep non-believers from putting people in a box based on their religious labels. However, believers should be aware of the implications of their label and realize when religion breaks down in describing one’s actions and morals! Maybe, just maybe, religion isn’t needed for describing morality at all!

Just saying…

Jesus is Alpha and Omega the Begining and the End.
No one comes to the Father but through Jesus Christ.

Jesus died for our sins so that we can have eternal life through Him. He loves you and does not wish for you to go to hell but to have life. There are two places you can go after death and that is either Heaven or hell. Now in the bible it says hell has enlarged itself meaning more and more people are going to hell and its becoming bigger. Satan is going around and decieving many people in thinking there is no God or there is no heaven or hell. Do not believe satan, for he know his time is running out and he is trying to get as many souls as possible. There is a God and you don’t have to go to hell, all you have to do is accept Jesus as your personal Lord and Saviour. Its not hard at all and only takes a couple of seconds to become saved through Jesus. Jesus only ask of a small favor but, the hearts of men that make it so hard. Please repent, for Jesus is coming back sooner than you think to take back home His saints. But its up to you to choose wether you want to go back with Him and be in His loving care

God bless

At first, I thought I was going to be offended. But all I can see is someone who is really trying to… help. It wasn’t threatening, it wasn’t mean, it was an honest to goodness gesture. Normally, I am annoyed by proselytizing, but someone did take time out of their day to do a little something for me, to save me from a terrible fate that they believe may befall me. I can only say, thank you… but I think I’ll be alright.

Many theists, not this one in particular it seems, but some, get deeply offended when an atheist publicly declares his or her non-belief, even in a way that is not meant to convince others. Things like the “Don’t Believe in God?” ads (targeting other non-theists) or attempts at keeping church and state separate spark all kinds of outrage from some theists who wrongly feel that their rights are somehow being trampled. The so-called New Atheists are decried for writing books highly critical of religion, but of course, you don’t have to buy them. If more atheists were to actively proselytize like this fellow above, could you imagine the outrage then?

1. Participated in the Blasphemy Challenge. (My first and only YouTube video…)
2. Met at least one of the “Four Horsemen” (Dawkins, Dennett, Hitchens, Harris) in person. (Hitch signed my book and kissed my hand… did I tell you that already?)
3. Created an atheist blog. (Okay, it’s mostly astronomy, but there’s some skepticism/atheism in there.)
4. Used the Flying Spaghetti Monster in a religious debate with someone.
5. Gotten offended when someone called you an agnostic.
6. Been unable to watch Growing Pains reruns because of Kirk Cameron.
7. Own more Bibles than most Christians you know.
8. Have at least one Bible with your personal annotations regarding contradictions, disturbing parts, etc.
9. Have come out as an atheist to your family.
10. Attended a campus or off-campus atheist gathering.
11. Are a member of an organized atheist/Humanist/etc. organization.
12. Had a Humanist wedding ceremony. (One day I will.)
13. Donated money to an atheist organization.
14. Have a bookshelf dedicated solely to Richard Dawkins. (Maybe one day? But out of interest for the biology, not the atheism.)
15. Lost the friendship of someone you know because of your non-theism.
16. Tried to argue or have a discussion with someone who stopped you on the street to proselytize.
17. Hid your atheist beliefs on a first date because you didn’t want to scare him/her away.
18. Own a stockpile of atheist paraphernalia (bumper stickers, buttons, shirts, etc).
19. Attended a protest that involved religion. (WBC Counter-protest count?)
20. Attended an atheist conference.
21. Subscribe to Pat Condell’s YouTube channel.
22. Started an atheist group in your area or school.
23. Successfully “de-converted” someone to atheism. (There is one I take credit for, but she’s not really out.)
24. Have already made plans to donate your body to science after you die.
25. Told someone you’re an atheist only because you wanted to see the person’s reaction.
26. Had to think twice before screaming “Oh God!” during sex. Or you said something else in its place.
27. Lost a job because of your atheism.
28. Formed a bond with someone specifically because of your mutual atheism (meeting this person at a local gathering or conference doesn’t count).
29. Have crossed “In God We Trust” off of — or put a pro-church-state-separation stamp on — dollar bills.
30. Refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. (In high school I would say all of it except the “under God” part… the way it was written.)
31. Said “Gesundheit!” (or nothing at all) after someone sneezed because you didn’t want to say “Bless you!”
32. Have ever chosen not to clasp your hands together out of fear someone might think you’re praying.
33. Have turned on Christian TV because you need something entertaining to watch.
34. Are a 2^nd or 3^rd (or more) generation atheist.
35. Have “atheism” listed on your Facebook or dating profile — and not a euphemistic variant.
36. Attended an atheist’s funeral (i.e. a non-religious service).
37. Subscribe to an freethought magazine (e.g. Free Inquiry, Skeptic) (Skeptic is on my wishlist is someone wants to get me a solstice gift!)
38. Have been interviewed by a reporter because of your atheism.
39. Written a letter-to-the-editor about an issue related to your non-belief in God.
40. Gave a friend or acquaintance a New Atheist book as a gift.
41. Wear pro-atheist clothing in public.
42. Have invited Mormons/Jehovah’s Witnesses into your house specifically because you wanted to argue with them. (I wanted to once in college, my roommate wouldn’t let me!)
43. Have been physically threatened (or beaten up) because you didn’t believe in God.
44. Receive Google Alerts on “atheism” (or variants).
45. Received fewer Christmas presents than expected because people assumed you didn’t celebrate it.
46. Visited The Creation Museum or saw Ben Stein’s Expelled just so you could keep tabs on the “enemy.”
47. Refuse to tell anyone what your “sign” is… because it doesn’t matter at all.
48. Are on a mailing list for a Christian organization just so you can see what they’re up to…
49. Have kept your eyes open while you watched others around you pray. (Head slightly lifted, just like Geo.)
50. Avoid even Unitarian churches because they’re too close to religion for you. (Yes, except weddings. I’ll go anywhere for friends that are dear to me.)

20/50.

A bit of the crowd lining the walkway to the Chapel in support of those attending the play.

Also a Biblical fact.

The fabulous and splendid VAA with their candles.

A Christian counter-protestor has a little reminder for the WBC.

This is basically a repeat of my post on the VAA blog.