Comedian Steve Harvey and His “Gastrous Ball”.

On an episode of CNN’s Larry King Live, the comedian Steve Harvey states that Atheists are “idoits”. But how much can one really pay attention to anything he says when he asks, “Why we still got monkeys?”, referring to his disbelief in evolution. The audio on this is a bit muddy so you might want to turn this one up for a laugh. Steve Harvey really IS funny! Who knew?

How to Not Help the World

by Hemant Mehta, adapted from his blog “The Friendly Atheist.”

For HumanistNetworkNews.org

1) Provide the U.S. military with Jesus Rifles:

Coded references to New Testament Bible passages about Jesus Christ are inscribed on high-powered rifle sights provided to the United States military by Trijicon, a Michigan-based company, says an ABC News investigation.

The sights are used by U.S. troops in Iraq and Afghanistan and in the training of Iraqi and Afghan soldiers. Trijicon, who says it is a “leader in the design and manufacture of high quality, innovative sighting systems,” landed a $660 million multi-year contract to provide up to 800,000 sights to the Marine Corps, as well as additional contracts to provide sights for the U.S. Army.

Yep… not a holy war at all…

2) Send Bibles–solar-powered audible Bibles–to Haiti:

Called the “Proclaimer,” the audio Bible delivers “digital quality,” and is designed for “poor and illiterate people,” the Faith Comes By Hearing group said.

With tens of thousands of Port-au-Prince residents living outdoors because their homes have collapsed or they fear aftershocks from last week’s quake, Faith Comes By Hearing thinks the audio Bible can bring them the “hope and comfort that comes from knowing God has not forgotten them through this tragedy.”

They don’t need books. They don’t need false hope. They need food and water and medical supplies and shelter and (tangible) protection.

3) Donate your tongue to God so you can have a baby:

A childless Indian man sliced off his tongue as an offering to the god Shiva in the hope of becoming a father. Police said 28-year-old Mukesh Kumar chopped off his tongue with a razor blade at a temple dedicated to the Hindu god in the state of Uttar Pradesh.

Yet another reason for comprehensive sex education everywhere.

Carl Sagan – A Glorious Dawn

A musical tribute to two great men of science. Carl Sagan and his cosmologist companion Stephen Hawking present: A Glorious Dawn – Cosmos remixed. Almost all samples and footage taken from Carl Sagan’s Cosmos and Stephen Hawking’s Universe series.

Firm will remove Bible references from gun sights

WASHINGTON – A Michigan defense contractor will voluntarily stop stamping references to Bible verses on combat rifle sights made for the U.S. military, a major buyer of the company’s gear.

In a statement released Thursday, Trijicon of Wixom, Mich., says it is also providing to the armed forces free of charge modification kits to remove the Scripture citations from the telescoping sights already in use. Through multimillion dollar contracts, the Marine Corps and Army have bought more than 300,000 Trijicon sights.

The references to Bible passages raised concerns that the citations break a government rule that bars proselytizing by American troops in Afghanistan and Iraq, which are predominantly Muslim countries.

A spokesman for U.S. Central Command initially said the Trijicon sights didn’t violate the ban and compared the citations on the sights to the “In God We Trust” inscription printed on U.S. currency.

On Thursday, however, Army Gen. David Petraeus, Central Command’s top officer, called the practice “disturbing.”

“This is a serious concern to me and the other commanders in Iraq and Afghanistan,” Petraeus told an audience at the Center for Strategic and International Studies in Washington.

In a statement issued later by the command, Petraeus said that “cultural and religious sensitivities are important considerations in the conduct of military operations.”

New Zealand announced Thursday that they would remove the citations from the sights they have, and Australia, which also uses the sights, is assessing what to do.

New Zealand defense force spokesman Maj. Kristian Dunne said Trijicon would be instructed to remove the inscriptions from further orders of the gun sights for New Zealand and the letters would be removed from gun sights already in use by troops.

The inscriptions are not obvious and appear in raised lettering at the end of the stock number. Trijicon’s rifle sights use tritium, a radioactive form of hydrogen, to create light and help shooters hit what they’re aiming for.

Markings on the Advanced Combat Optical Gunsight, which is standard issue to U.S. special operations forces, include “JN8:12,” a reference to John 8:12: “Then spake Jesus again unto them, saying, ‘I am the light of the world: he that followeth me shall not walk in darkness, but shall have the light of life,’” according to the King James version of the Bible.

The Trijicon Reflex sight is stamped with 2COR4:6, a reference to part of the second letter of Paul to the Corinthians: “For God, who commanded the light to shine out of darkness, hath shined in our hearts, to give the light of the knowledge of the glory of God in the face of Jesus Christ,” the King James version reads.

Photos posted on a Defense Department Web site show Iraqi forces training with rifles equipped with the inscribed sights.

Rev. C. Welton Gaddy, president of the Interfaith Alliance, said in a letter sent Thursday to President Barack Obama that the gun sights “clearly violate” the rule against proselytizing. Gaddy added that “images of American soldiers as Christian crusaders come to mind when they are carrying weaponry bearing such verses.”

Mikey Weinstein, president of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, contacted The Associated Press last week about the Scripture citations. He said he had received complaints from active-duty and retired members of the military. Weinstein said he couldn’t identify them because they fear retaliation.

The company’s practice of putting Bible references on the sites began nearly 30 years ago by Trijicon’s founder, Glyn Bindon, who was killed in a plane crash in 2003. His son Stephen, Trijicon’s president, has continued the practice.

“Trijicon has proudly served the U.S. military for more than two decades, and our decision to offer to voluntarily remove these references is both prudent and appropriate,” Stephen Bindon said in the statement.

The statement does not provide an estimate on the removal costs. A company spokesman did not return a telephone call.

The company is also making the same offer to military in other countries that have purchased Trijicon’s rifle sights.

An Army spokesman said Thursday the service was unaware of the coded biblical references until a few days ago.

“It is not the policy of the Army or the Department of Defense to put religious references of any kind on its equipment,” Lt. Col. Jimmie Cummings said.

Marine Corps spokeswoman Capt. Geraldine Carey said the service “is making every effort to remove these markings from all of our scopes and will ensure that all future procurement of these scopes will not have these types of markings.”

Annual Conference in San Jose

We are pleased to announce that the 69th Annual Conference of the American Humanist Association will take place June 3rd – 6th, 2010, at the Doubletree Hotel in San Jose, California.

Don’t miss one of the largest gatherings of humanists, atheists, and freethinkers from across the country! The Annual Conference will feature informative breakout sessions, activist training sessions for humanist chapter leaders, banquets honoring distinguished awardees, book signings by celebrity authors, and more!

The Doubletree San Jose is located less than a mile from San Jose International Airport and offers complimentary airport shuttle, contemporary guest rooms, high speed wireless internet access, an outdoor pool, three restaurants, and more.

Book your room early by calling 1-800-HILTONS and mention the American Humanist Association, or reserve online and enter “AHA” under Group/Convention Code to receive the special rate of $129 per night.

Conference registration will be available online in early 2010. Go HERE for the latest updates.

Reel Humanism – 2/2/10

REEL Humanism has returned! Vernon hosts a film and discussion series relating cinema to ethical issues. Join us at Cafe Libertalia on Tuesday, February 2nd, 2010 for Schindler’s List at 6:00 PM. This time is subject to become earlier due to the length of the film at 3 hours and 15 minutes. Updates to come…

Cafe Libertalia

3834 Fifth Ave

San Diego, CA 92103

---

This Weeks Coffee & Conversation – 1/30/10

1475 University Ave
San Diego, CA 92103

Join us for Coffee and Conversation at The Bamboo Lounge at 6:00 PM Saturday, January 30th, 2010.

What is Coffee and Conversation? Why, it’s the best damned discussion group around!  With it’s mix of academic scrutiny,  intellectual curiosity,  humor, and compassionate community building, our philosophy is:  Show up strangers and leave feeling like old friends.

We like to provide a forum for smart smart-asses to get together and talk about current events, get engaged in the latest info on The American Humanist Association, and have one hell of a good time.

The Bamboo Lounge serves sushi, ravioli, personal pizzas, and other fusion food at reasonable prices in a great upscale, yet relaxing, atmosphere.

Topics from last weeks Coffee & Conversation (Saturday, January 23rd) included:

Catholics Cry Foul as Celebrity Cruises Drop Priests From Ships
Religious Item Causes Airplane Scare
Obama and new bank regulations
Air America Files For Chapter 7: Soon to be off air
Man Accused of Beheading Wife, says she abused him
Doctor Claims Scientific Evidence of Afterlife
No Place in Denmark for Burqa says PM
Creationist Teacher Accused of Burning Crosses into Student’s Arms
Oklahoma Bank Posts Ten Commandments
The Supremes Roll Back Campaign Finance Reform
Trijicon will remove Bible Verses
Qunicy Jones to Re-Record “We are the World”
Scientologists ‘heal’ Haitian earthquake victims through touch

and many more…

Join us for this weeks topics. See ya there!

The God Virus

March 18, 2010
7:00 pm
Join us for an evening with Dr. Darrel Ray, author of The God Virus.
The Mission Valley Resort, Salon Ballroom
875 Hotel Circle South
San Diego CA 92108

Controversial Look at the Psychology of Religion Gives Practical Legs to the Revolutionary Idea That Religion Is an Infection of the Mind

New framework for understanding religion offers useful guidance on how to deal with religious infection in yourself or others

The idea that religion is like an infection that damages or shuts off certain mental abilities is not new, but in The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture, author Dr. Darrel Ray brings it down to a practical level.

Dr. Ray explains that the methods by which religions propagate in society bear a remarkable resemblance to the way viruses, parasites, and bacterial diseases propagate.

In some cases, biological diseases infect the brain and direct the infected organisms behavior. Religions also seem to infect mental functions, Ray asserts, and direct behavior in ways not necessarily good for people.

While biological propagation strategies spread diseases such as malaria, HIV, and rabies, Dr. Ray discusses religious infection strategies such as fear, guilt, hypnosis, and the need for security as avenues to inject the god virus and propagate it to others.

An extension of the concept of ‘viruses of the mind’ discussed by Richard Dawkins in his book, The God Delusion, Dr. Ray’s, The God Virus: How Religion Infects Our Lives and Culture details the practical consequences of religious infection in personalities, families, and culture.

If you are non-religious, this book may help you understand the behavior of those who are infected with religion. If you are religious, it will give you tools to understand your infection and maybe how to control or eliminate its detrimental effects in your life.

Tickets are on sale! Get them now!

$8 in advance
$10 at the door

This Weeks Coffee & Conversation – 1/23/10

Saturday, Jan. 23  at 6:00 pm

Join us for Coffee and Conversation at The Bamboo Lounge at 6:00 PM Saturday January 23 , 2010.

What is Coffee and Conversation? Why it is the best damned discussion group around.  With it’s mix of academic scrutiny,  intellectual curiosity,  humor, and compassionate community building; our philosophy is:  Show up strangers and leave feeling like old friends.

We like to provide a forum for smart smart-asses to get together and talk about current events, get engaged in the latest info on The American Humanist Association, and have one hell of a good time.

The Bamboo Lounge serves sushi, ravioli, personal pizzas and other fusion food, at reasonable prices in a great upscale yet relaxing atmosphere.

Topics from Sat January 16 included:
The Haitian Earthquake
DoD to speak at Senate Hearing
Obama offers asylum to undocumented Haitian immigrants
States rethink Adult Crime for Adult time
Tylenol Recall

and others

Helping Haiti

Haiti Earthquake Relief: How You Can Help
UPDATE 01/15 4:12pm: Thanks to the generosity of over 300 members, Humanist Charities is sending $23,450 from the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund to purchase food and supplies for the people of Haiti. The AHA sent the donation via wire transfer to a secure credit union in the Dominican Republic, where the money will be used by Sebastian Velez to secure food and supplies to deliver to the people in Jacmel, a city near Port-au-Prince devastated by the earthquake. A gift of this size had made it possible to provide the largest truck filled with supplies. The trucks and Dominican NGO teams will travel Saturday evening to begin distributing the food.
In an email sent to the AHA at 5:00pm today, Sebastian Velez writes: “I cannot begin to express how much good this will do, and how important it is that the help came so fast. I’m off to a meeting and feel elated that we Humanists have such a big presence. I also need to break the news that instead of $5,000, we have $23,000!” A full report and photos will be posted on Tuesday.
Humanist Charities of the American Humanist Association is proud to has supported Sebastian Velez’s brave efforts to secure food and supplies for the people of Haiti after this devastating attack. Your donations were quickly put to work and directly contributed to the purchasing of food and supplies that will quickly aid the people in Jacmel. From all of us at the American Humanist Association, thank you for responding quickly and giving generously in a time of great need.
Humanist Charities will continue to accept donations to the Haiti Emergency Relief Fund throughout the weekend.

UPDATE 01/15 at 10:45am: Sebastian Velez, with the help of several Dominican NGOs, are organizing a trip with food and supplies to Jacmel, a city near Port-au-Prince, that was also severely destroyed but has not yet received supplies nor attention. The teams and trucks are planning to leave Saturday night and have secured an armed escort to bring them to Haiti. Mr. Velez reports that “this is our best chance to send food immediately.” Humanist Charities has so far donated $5,000 to this effort, resulting in the largest truck with the most supplies. Mr. Velez is coordinating the distribution and will continue to keep us updated.
A devastating 7.0-magnitude earthquake struck the impoverished Haitian capital of Port-au-Prince yesterday afternoon, causing the destruction of thousands of buildings and a death toll that could reach many thousands. Officials report tens of thousands of people were left homeless.

Humanist Charities of the American Humanist Association (AHA) expresses its deep sorrow for the people affected by the massive devastation caused by the earthquake. To ensure rapid and effective response to this tragedy, Humanist Charities has established the Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund to support the relief efforts going on right now.

Humanist Charities is working with Sebastian Velez, evolutionary biologist at Harvard University and director of the Children of the Border project, which works to protect the rights and expand access to medical care and education for Haitian immigrants. Humanist Charities has previously supported Mr. Velez and the Children of the Border project when AHA members helped raise over $2,500 to expand emergency medical service for expectant mothers living in the Haitian border region of the Dominican Republic in 2008.
Mr. Velez is currently in Haiti assessing the situation and will report back to us a humanist or secular organization that can receive funds directly to help with relief efforts. If none is found, Humanist Charities will make a donation to the American Red Cross’ International Response Fund on your behalf.

We urge all members of the humanist and freethought community to join us in the relief effort. You can make a donation to the Humanist Charities’ Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund online at www.humanistcharities.org or calling 800-837-3792.
We also encourage members to support international nonsectarian relief organizations such as the American Red Cross, Direct Relief International, Doctors Without Borders, Operation USA, and Partners In Health.

Next Page »