The truth is that skepticism, to an uncomfortably, annoyingly high degree, must be the default position in order for a person’s mind to remain within the realm of logic, reason and, in short, reality. The faithful person simply assumes that which requires proof, and boldly states that the act of assuming itself is indeed the proof. “Faith is my evidence, what’s yours?”

I’m reminded of a comic I once saw. It depicted the logic of the faithful most skillfully. “I have a baseball,” one stick figure claims. “Oh yeah?” replies another, looking incredulous, “Prove it!” The first stickfigure’s head grows gigantic and his expression insane, frothing at the mouth, “YOU CAN’T PROVE THAT I DON’T!”

While this example is quirky and humorous, it scores the point directly, with no frills or sugar-coating nonsense (which I despise). The Faithful makes a claim. When asked to prove that claim, he replies that the questioner must not be in the right frame of mind to question such an obvious truth, and that he, instead, must disprove it. This is contrary to how process of making truth claims actually works.

If a claim is made, you search or ask for proof. If such evidence cannot be found or presented, you adopt the default position of disbelief until such a time when adequate evidence can be presented. At that point, your default position can, and should, be reevaluated. This follows the same line of logic as the popular saying in the American justice system, “Innocent Until Proven Guilty.” In this case, “False Until Proven True.”

If a person were to make a plainly absurd claim (“I have invisible, inaudible leprechauns hiding in my garage”), they would, of course, be met with incredulity, but also asked to present proof. When they said “I can’t prove it, you just have to believe,” or “Can you prove that I don’t?” they immediately pay a price both socially and professionally. They may even be placed into a mental institution if they persist in their obvious delusion.

This is a hypothetical scenario that most everyone would agree upon. Why, then, do we apply a different logic when someone says that invisible, inaudible leprechauns are their religious, spiritual, faith-based belief? Shouldn’t blatantly absurd shades of faith claims be met with the same hostility and ridicule, lest they poison our minds’ and our society’s ability to judge truth claims?

There is so much about Christianity in particular that I hold to be directly contrary to that which I consider true and good. The doctrine of vicarious redemption at the core of the Crucifixion mythos discourages personal responsibility because of the idea that one may be forgiven and “saved” simply by choosing to believe (as if it was possible to choose one’s own beliefs while remaining intellectually honest) and accept that someone, claiming divine warrant, committed assisted suicide on behalf of everyone who had ever and would ever live.

This unpleasant proposition is intensified still further by the tale that a being exists the goal of whom is to destroy us, or perhaps get us to destroy ourselves, depending on who you ask. It is, therefor, only partially our fault that we are tempted to break the rules and laws set forth in front of and around us.

We are then told that it is entirely our fault should we choose to disbelieve. When logic fails and appeals to emotion fall short, threats come marching in to save the day. It’s eternal hellfire that awaits us. Just wait, we’ll see. Then it’ll be too late.

This is why I ridicule religion, faith and faith-based beliefs. This is why I meet them with hostility. Because they encourage, indeed rely upon, the very fallacies which I hold to be harmful to the mind and to society. I must ridicule religious and faithful belief. To do otherwise would be to ignore and, indeed, act against my principles.

Not only is ridicule a right, it is a necessity for a functioning society.

Once I overcame my initial feelings of scandal at being misled about to whom I was writing, I realized that this is a good thing. I am now on board with someone whose job is to find me a job or various temporary jobs. My chances of receiving payment of some kind for the rendering of my services has increased immensely. This is a very good thing.

At least I have all of the busy work completed for the job or jobs I will be recruited into. I am, overall, rather pleased with how today went, aside from the fact that my suit was about 3 sizes too large for me. I really needed some suspenders. Man, suspenders are awesome. They’re so good at suspending my pants, as in midair. Maybe that’s why they’re called that. If I wore suspenders, I think I’d probably have to grow a thick handlebar mustache. But I digress.

I am very probably going to get work now. Most likely a temp-to-hire position, which is not quite as good as direct hire, but I am far more likely in this instance to get a chance to start working in the first place. I hope they’re ready, because I am going to make them wanna hire the fuck out of my recently graduated ass.

I think over the past 2 to 3 weeks, I have encountered a number of smaller, more progressive “hittings,” if you will. It has come to me in waves. I will be sitting with my fiance and we will both gaze typically into one another’s oculars and begin stating the obvious frantically (we’re getting MARRIED). The excitement will then, of course, die down for a time until such frantic obvious-stating becomes once again necessary (WE’RE GETTING MARRIED OMG!).

As for the external reaction, I have been met with a great deal of support. I have, at the very least, been made ignorant of any criticizing gossip. Pleasantly so, as I do not wish to have anyone in my life that I must brazenly refer to, with much venom, as “the in-laws.”

One correspondent, with whom I correspond quite frequently (as is certainly the custom with correspondents), upon hearing that I was engaged, paused for a moment and immortally said “…With…the enemy?”

According to my second grade self, yes. I am engaged. With the enemy.

Something, apparently a dog, is shakily running around my apartment right now.
Kahlua, the chihuahua.

wherein I briefly expound upon New York Governor David A. Paterson’s disgrace, various earthquakes, and the reason we liberal atheists with exclusive partners are the smart ones.

http://twitter.com/mrdizzy
http://google.com/profiles/wilsocr88

Blind Guy Gives Up: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/nyregion/27paterson.html

Okinawa Quake: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/asiapcf/02/26/japan.okinawa.earthquake/index.html
Chile Quake: http://www.cnn.com/2010/WORLD/americas/02/27/chile.quake/index.html?hpt=T1

Liberals, Atheists and Sexually Exclusive Men are smarter: http://www.cnn.com/2010/HEALTH/02/26/liberals.atheists.sex.intelligence/index.html

So he waited JUST enough time for his stories to quiet down nicely, then he pops back out to go
“I-AM-SO-SORRY-BEEP-BLOOP-BLORP-DANGER-DANGER-DANGER” in a Presidential-looking press conference. Except without the press. Or the conferring. He threw some Buddhist stuff in there and looked the entire time like a President instead of a Blasian golf player.

That’s right, “BLASIAN.” Black-Asian. Blasian. Bitches.

Full apology. Warning: boring.

It was pretty awesome. I’m glad we can all have some immense fun and lols at his expense. Even if he did lose his endorsement deals. Like all of them.

What am I even doing right now? Oy vey.

Remember this? Well, the actress who did the voice for that one-shot character, Andrea Fay Friedman, has Down’s Syndrome in real life. She caught wind of the hoopla caused, as always, by our favorite former governor of Alaska, and she saw fit to respond. Awesomely. Check it out.

My name is Andrea Fay Friedman. I was born with Down syndrome. I played the role of Ellen on the “Extra Large Medium” episode of Family Guy that was broadcast on Valentine’s day. Although they gave me red hair on the show, I am really a blonde. I also wore a red wig for my role in ” Smudge” but I was a blonde in “Life Goes On”. I guess former Governor Palin does not have a sense of humor. I thought the line “I am the daughter of the former governor of Alaska” was very funny. I think the word is “sarcasm”.

In my family we think laughing is good. My parents raised me to have a sense of humor and to live a normal life. My mother did not carry me around under her arm like a loaf of French bread the way former Governor Palin carries her son Trig around looking for sympathy and votes.

Ohhhhh snap! Burn!

This is awesome. Palin has no chance in the presidential campaign circuit. Not even Fox News likes her.

wherein I briefly expound upon the start of the 2010 Winter Olympics in Vancouver, Google Buzz, and Sarah Palin giving me kitty-cidal tendencies.

Details & more in the cut:

Twitter: http://twitter.com/mrdizzy
Google Profile: http://www.google.com/profiles/wilsocr88

Luge Guy: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/13/sports/olympics/13luge.html

Google’s Buzz Introduction: http://googleblog.blogspot.com/2010/02/introducing-google-buzz.html

Palin’s Kitten-Punching Speech:

Article on the Speech: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07 /us/politics/08palin.html

wherein I briefly expound upon SNOWWW and Obama being civil whilst kicking ass, taking names.

Details & more in the cut:

http://twitter.com/mrdizzy

SNOW coverage: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/07/us/07storm.html

Obama links -
GOP retreat: http://www.cnn.com/2010/POLITICS/01/29/obama.gop/index.html
Prayer Breakfast: http://thecaucus.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/02/04/obama-calls-for-civility-at-prayer-breakfast/

Subscribe! K?