Michael O'Brien, former councilor and Mayor of Wexford attended the RTÉ programme Questions and Answers on 25 May 2009 and, after Minister Noel Dempsey, the sponsoring minister of the Ryan Commission report in to Child Abuse allegations spoke, Mr O'Brien spoke to the minister and to the panel.
Wednesday, May 27, 2009
STOP MEALY MOUTHING
Monday, May 18, 2009
Wolfram|Alpha
I don't think I like Wolfram|Alpha
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=atheist
I don't agree with the definition presented and that synonym network is just horrible, illiterate? bad?, where does that crap come from, born?
http://www.wolframalpha.com/input/?i=atheist
I don't agree with the definition presented and that synonym network is just horrible, illiterate? bad?, where does that crap come from, born?
Friday, May 8, 2009
Crackergate in Belgium !!!
"Niet zomaar lachen met het geloof" ("don't just laugh with faith")
I've searched for English sources but can't find any yet so let me frame and translate a little, Goedele is a sort of celebrity (for over 15 years already) in Belgium who stands for women in general (women's rights, freedoms, sexuality ...).
Since about a year she has her own magazine, sort of controversial from the first issue (had a vagina story with explicit pictures, not a very big issue in Belgium).
On the latest cover she's depicted as a nun, that's not too bad for the church here, they should and can accept this but in the magazine are some (fake) communion wafers with an accompanying text: Eat this it is my body.
And yowza, big uproar, cardinals, bishops, priests all have their knickers in a twist and shout about outrage.
I have not bought the other issues but: I HAVE TO GET THAT MAGAZINE!
I've searched for English sources but can't find any yet so let me frame and translate a little, Goedele is a sort of celebrity (for over 15 years already) in Belgium who stands for women in general (women's rights, freedoms, sexuality ...).
Since about a year she has her own magazine, sort of controversial from the first issue (had a vagina story with explicit pictures, not a very big issue in Belgium).
On the latest cover she's depicted as a nun, that's not too bad for the church here, they should and can accept this but in the magazine are some (fake) communion wafers with an accompanying text: Eat this it is my body.
And yowza, big uproar, cardinals, bishops, priests all have their knickers in a twist and shout about outrage.
I have not bought the other issues but: I HAVE TO GET THAT MAGAZINE!
Sending a stern message
Apparently my medical insurance company (Partena) supports "alternative treatments", here is the rough translation (I sent it in dutch obviously) of what I sent them:
I just wish more people would voice their opinion and let these companies know that appeasing the ignorance is not always the best move.
I am satisfied with Partena but as a customer I want to let my voice heard AGAINST de validation that's being given to "Alternative treatments" by your Advantage package (it is good that you at least do not label it "alternative medicine" as it is indeed not medicine)
I hope the funds attributed to this are minimal and have the lowest priority, I understand that these things are popular and are a way to attract customers but you should also be aware that you could also lose customers over this who do not wish to see higher contributions or have their contributions being used for this.
Kind regards,
Hugo
I just wish more people would voice their opinion and let these companies know that appeasing the ignorance is not always the best move.
Wednesday, April 29, 2009
Thursday, April 23, 2009
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
Comment op een andere blogger
'k was even in een creatieve bui en heb de volgende comment geplaatst op de post
Waarom ik tegen abortus ben - of voor
Inderdaad, er zou een politionele opvolging moeten zijn van elke zwangerschap en een crimineel onderzoek moeten zijn bij iedere miskraam (in de toekomst zal het waarschijnlijk mogelijk zijn om na iedere coïtus een automatische zwangerschapstest te doen en zwangere vrouwen te registreren, tot dan heffen we gewoon het dokters geheim op wanneer het over zwangerschappen gaat)
Vrouwen met verdacht gevonden miskramen moeten zich voor de rechtbank verantwoorden en voor moord veroordeeld worden (indien kan aangetoond worden dat ze al eens iets gerookt of gedronken hebben of een risicovolle activiteit gedaan hebben zoals fietsen -> onvrijwillige doodslag)
Alle onderzoek op stem cellen stopzetten en wetenschappers veroordelen die moedwillig meedoen aan deze moord partijen.
Invitro fertilisatie die zovele embryo's vernietigd moet ook als criminele activiteit bestempeld worden, dokters en koppels die dit durven moeten veroordeeld worden.
Indien er nog ingevroren embryo's zijn moeten die bij noodgevallen eerst geëvacueerd worden uit hospitalen aangezien men in die containers 1000den levens kan redden terwijl die enkele baby's wel even kunnen wachten, ze hebben trouwens al maanden van het leven geproefd en zijn trouwens al niet meer zo onschuldig als die ongeboren embryo's.
Uiteindelijk moet het potentiële nieuwe menselijk leven dat in ieder van onze cellen zit beschermd worden, de massa moord die men begaat met het onschuldig snuiten van de neus moet stoppen, deze cellen die moeten opgevangen en bewaard worden (Kleenex moet berecht worden voor de massamoorden die hun producten veroorzaken)
We mogen ook de opvolging niet vergeten, er moet steun gegeven worden aan humane koppels gevonden worden die de miljoenen baby's die ongewild het leven onthouden worden wil laten inplanten en adopteren, er moest maar eens de volgende Obama, Beethoven of Einstein tussen zitten (de Dutroux's, Hitlers, Bundy's of Fritzl's vergeten we even, trouwens als iedereen gered word zal iedereen blij zijn wie weet zit Jesus himself ertussen!)
Ieder potentieel leven MOET de kans krijgen om te leven, iedere ongeborene moeten de kans krijgen, het gaat hier over leven of niet leven, kwaliteit doet er niet toe!
Ik kan bijna niet wachten tot de realisatie van deze utopisch paradijselijke maatschappij.
Monday, April 6, 2009
Praying the wrong way
Mecca mosques 'wrongly aligned'
I think eventually the prayers will arrive where they need to be.We all know prayers are earth bound otherwise just a slight inclination a few 100km away from the Kaaba would shoot the prayer into space where it would dwell forever.
Thus it all depends on prayer velocity and friction, because unless someone is are praying exactly in line with a meridian or latitude the prayer will circle the earth until it eventually passes the Kaaba, now I don't know anything about whether prayers have friction thus slowing them perhaps to a standstill or if prayers could start dwindling down and crashing to earth or speed up and escape earth's gravity pull, I'll leave those important questions to the "real" muslim scientists.
(via The Anti-Theist and Misoclere Society)
Friday, March 27, 2009
"Losing My Religion" by William Lobdell
Just listened to the FFRF podcast interview of Feb. 28 with William Lobdell, author of Losing My Religion I actually became physically sick listening to that interview, my stomach still feels awkward.
There may be worse crimes and many people and children may have suffered more but none of the criminal pedophile rapists were so supported by their communities and protected by the organization that they worked for as the priests in the catholic church.
It is so horrible that the truth had to be held back, appalling, lay it all open I say, expose those fucking catholic rapists pedophile priests (sorry, my stomach is still in a knot after hearing that, if anything even remotely like that would happen to my children no one would be able to stop me, I'm adamantly against the death penalty and am really non-violent but, can't even continue this sentence)
There may be worse crimes and many people and children may have suffered more but none of the criminal pedophile rapists were so supported by their communities and protected by the organization that they worked for as the priests in the catholic church.
It is so horrible that the truth had to be held back, appalling, lay it all open I say, expose those fucking catholic rapists pedophile priests (sorry, my stomach is still in a knot after hearing that, if anything even remotely like that would happen to my children no one would be able to stop me, I'm adamantly against the death penalty and am really non-violent but, can't even continue this sentence)
Thursday, March 19, 2009
Vatican backtracks over doctors involved in providing abortion to a raped nine-year-old -Times Online
Vatican backtracks over doctors involved in providing abortion to a raped nine-year-old -Times Online
As is the case so often they "repent" only after a huge public outcry (where was their religiously tuned morality when they decided "too hastily").
One can only imagine in horror what they'd do if they acquired actual power again to suppress media and impose their laws.
The dark ages may be in our history but those people would be overjoyed to return to them.
WAY too little, WAY too late I say, they should not have stuck their noses in this case in the first place, anything they continue to say about this is an affront to humanity, only their backtracking into a dark cold cave would be a marginally adequate reaction.
Some questions I have about this:
Where was their finely tuned religious morality when they were "too hastily" deciding the ex-communication?
Does anyone really believe they would "backtrack" if there had not been a public outcry? (thus showing the flexibility of so called dogma)
How many "too hastily" ex-communicated people are there in Brazile who are because of this ostracized by their community but about whom we do not hear and for whom the church does not backtrack?
What are "systematic" abortions? If there is another similar case and it is the same doctors who perform the operation are they then systematic? Why would a 2nd (3rd, 4th,...) similar case be morally different?
How can dogma be flexible?
As I see it, their dogma is not flexible, they still and will continue to condemn everyone.
But there is a greater force than their dogma, when there is a real and actual risk of losing "souls" (ie. $$$) they will start a damage control program that overrides the dogma.
Oh, yeah and the vatican is evil
(wouldn't it be at least a little uplifting if Google results for vatican would return the wiki for Evil and vice versa?)
As is the case so often they "repent" only after a huge public outcry (where was their religiously tuned morality when they decided "too hastily").
One can only imagine in horror what they'd do if they acquired actual power again to suppress media and impose their laws.
The dark ages may be in our history but those people would be overjoyed to return to them.
WAY too little, WAY too late I say, they should not have stuck their noses in this case in the first place, anything they continue to say about this is an affront to humanity, only their backtracking into a dark cold cave would be a marginally adequate reaction.
Some questions I have about this:
Where was their finely tuned religious morality when they were "too hastily" deciding the ex-communication?
Does anyone really believe they would "backtrack" if there had not been a public outcry? (thus showing the flexibility of so called dogma)
How many "too hastily" ex-communicated people are there in Brazile who are because of this ostracized by their community but about whom we do not hear and for whom the church does not backtrack?
What are "systematic" abortions? If there is another similar case and it is the same doctors who perform the operation are they then systematic? Why would a 2nd (3rd, 4th,...) similar case be morally different?
How can dogma be flexible?
As I see it, their dogma is not flexible, they still and will continue to condemn everyone.
But there is a greater force than their dogma, when there is a real and actual risk of losing "souls" (ie. $$$) they will start a damage control program that overrides the dogma.
Oh, yeah and the vatican is evil
(wouldn't it be at least a little uplifting if Google results for vatican would return the wiki for Evil and vice versa?)
Friday, March 13, 2009
Moral scale
vatican defends abortion expulsions
It is just too easy to compare this to rapist priest protections while excommunicating victims because they dared talk to authorities after their confession was declared "a secret" (see also: http://www.bishop-accountability.org/) but that is exactly what came to mind as I was reading the latest update of this Brazilian case.
How evil is even the partial defense of the father (who also liked the handicapped sister a lot). catholics cannot just claim that that is not their "faith" these are the people who write the dogma, who are in charge, this is not a case of a catholic politician or some crazy catholic neighbor, these are bishops, diocese, the fucking vatican!
They define the catholic's faith. I've read that one of the doctors plans to continue going to church and will continues to call himself catholic, I'll never ever understand that, if I'm with the scouts and they expel me for an action that I consider good and the highest scout leaders supported the expulsion, then I would not try to go to the meetings in the hope that certain scout groups would not follow their leaders and that I could stay under the radar, NO, I'd start going against the scouts, if I still wanted the values that I thought were important I'd start my own group and call them outdoorsers or naturepeople but not scouts and I'd speak out about all the bad things of the scouts.
Now ex-communication in my view is like blasphemy, a non punishment, I'd even like it, but in their society it is still a big deal and they can be expected to become social pariahs.
This is further torture of a RAPE VICTIM the catholic church should forever be linked to evil!
Just to show that I don't shield from other news sources, I found this site named Conservative Truth, now only in rare cases will there be much rational to be found on such sites and the subtitle seems to agree with that statement.
But the following article about catholic priests was very informative, well written and I agree with everything in it.
Why Aren’t Sexually Abusive catholic Priests Excommunicated?
It is still very relevant to the current situation, I think Mary Mostert should update her article with this Brazilian case.
And if you look at what their precious bible tells them then abortions is not even such a big crime, at least not as big a crime as picking up sticks on the sabbath:
A simple fine for causing a the woman of a couple WHO WANTS THE BABY to miscarriage, I can imagine that if the husband (notice that the woman has no say about the fine) did not want the kid then he'd not ask for a big fine and might even befriend the guy he was fighting with after he caused the miscarriage.
Here's some more bible bits about abortion
Of course rape is not such a big thing in the bible either, was 50 shekels a lot of money back then or are those mail order brides overpriced (and they don't even give a free ride first like in the bible)
Vile just vile.
It is just too easy to compare this to rapist priest protections while excommunicating victims because they dared talk to authorities after their confession was declared "a secret" (see also: http://www.bishop-accountability.org/) but that is exactly what came to mind as I was reading the latest update of this Brazilian case.
How evil is even the partial defense of the father (who also liked the handicapped sister a lot). catholics cannot just claim that that is not their "faith" these are the people who write the dogma, who are in charge, this is not a case of a catholic politician or some crazy catholic neighbor, these are bishops, diocese, the fucking vatican!
They define the catholic's faith. I've read that one of the doctors plans to continue going to church and will continues to call himself catholic, I'll never ever understand that, if I'm with the scouts and they expel me for an action that I consider good and the highest scout leaders supported the expulsion, then I would not try to go to the meetings in the hope that certain scout groups would not follow their leaders and that I could stay under the radar, NO, I'd start going against the scouts, if I still wanted the values that I thought were important I'd start my own group and call them outdoorsers or naturepeople but not scouts and I'd speak out about all the bad things of the scouts.
Now ex-communication in my view is like blasphemy, a non punishment, I'd even like it, but in their society it is still a big deal and they can be expected to become social pariahs.
This is further torture of a RAPE VICTIM the catholic church should forever be linked to evil!
Just to show that I don't shield from other news sources, I found this site named Conservative Truth, now only in rare cases will there be much rational to be found on such sites and the subtitle seems to agree with that statement.
But the following article about catholic priests was very informative, well written and I agree with everything in it.
Why Aren’t Sexually Abusive catholic Priests Excommunicated?
It is still very relevant to the current situation, I think Mary Mostert should update her article with this Brazilian case.
And if you look at what their precious bible tells them then abortions is not even such a big crime, at least not as big a crime as picking up sticks on the sabbath:
And if men struggle and strike a woman with child so that she has a miscarriage, yet there is no further injury, he shall be fined as the woman's husband may demand of him, and he shall pay as the judges decide. But if there is any further injury, then you shall appoint as a penalty life for life, eye for eye, tooth for tooth, hand for hand, foot for foot, burn for burn, wound for wound, bruise for bruise.
- Exodus 21:22-25
A simple fine for causing a the woman of a couple WHO WANTS THE BABY to miscarriage, I can imagine that if the husband (notice that the woman has no say about the fine) did not want the kid then he'd not ask for a big fine and might even befriend the guy he was fighting with after he caused the miscarriage.
Here's some more bible bits about abortion
Of course rape is not such a big thing in the bible either, was 50 shekels a lot of money back then or are those mail order brides overpriced (and they don't even give a free ride first like in the bible)
Vile just vile.
Tuesday, March 10, 2009
Friday, February 27, 2009
deredactie.be - Bisschop Williamson trekt verklaringen in
Bisschop Williamson trekt verklaringen in
De titel en het artikel doen vermoeden dat de Bisschop zijn fout inzicht in wat er tijdens WO II gebeurt is heeft herzien en aanvaard dat de holocaust heeft plaatsgevonden inclusief de uitroeiing van miljoenen Joden.
Op hetzelfde moment kopt een CNN artikel "Holocaust-denying bishop apologizes, but does not recant", in dat artikel worden directe quotes gegeven van de uitspraken van Bisschop Williamson:
Het artikel op de Redactie komt blijkbaar toch tot een heel andere conclusie, een conclusie die op apologetiek lijkt, het kan natuurlijk ook zijn dat de kennis van engels niet zo goed is bij de Redactie of zou de reporter misschien katholiek zijn?
Het is natuurlijk ook wel frapant dat de schade aan "de kerk" op de eerste en speciale plaats komt bij Bisschop Williamson, de schade aan slachtoffers en familie is tweederangs en niet zo belangrijk natuurlijk als de enige echte kerk.
-
Als het niet zo serieus was zou het zeer ironisch zijn dat juist die paus zich probeert te verschuilen achter een "wir haben es nicht gewusst"
De titel en het artikel doen vermoeden dat de Bisschop zijn fout inzicht in wat er tijdens WO II gebeurt is heeft herzien en aanvaard dat de holocaust heeft plaatsgevonden inclusief de uitroeiing van miljoenen Joden.
Op hetzelfde moment kopt een CNN artikel "Holocaust-denying bishop apologizes, but does not recant", in dat artikel worden directe quotes gegeven van de uitspraken van Bisschop Williamson:
"I regret having made such remarks," Bishop Richard Williamson said in a statement on a Catholic Web site where he has posted in the past. "If I had known beforehand the full harm and hurt to which they would give rise, especially to the Church, but also to survivors and relatives of victims of injustice under the Third Reich, I would not have made them."Ook dit BBC artikel geeft deze quotes en komt tot dezelfde conclusie dat er blijkbaar wel spijt is over de gedane uitspraken maar niet over de inhoud ervan (en zelfs die spijt is natuurlijk ook wat twijfelachtig door de geforceerdheid ervan)
Het artikel op de Redactie komt blijkbaar toch tot een heel andere conclusie, een conclusie die op apologetiek lijkt, het kan natuurlijk ook zijn dat de kennis van engels niet zo goed is bij de Redactie of zou de reporter misschien katholiek zijn?
Het is natuurlijk ook wel frapant dat de schade aan "de kerk" op de eerste en speciale plaats komt bij Bisschop Williamson, de schade aan slachtoffers en familie is tweederangs en niet zo belangrijk natuurlijk als de enige echte kerk.
-
Church leaders said the Pope had not been aware at the time of an interview given by the bishop
Als het niet zo serieus was zou het zeer ironisch zijn dat juist die paus zich probeert te verschuilen achter een "wir haben es nicht gewusst"
Friday, February 13, 2009
This is a dangerous site
http://zerooutoffive.blogspot.com/
I spent the last 20min trying not to laugh out loud.
I need to get some work done!
I spent the last 20min trying not to laugh out loud.
I need to get some work done!
Thursday, February 12, 2009
Monday, February 9, 2009
been a while
I haven't posted much lately, I've been sick, busy, having fun and just didn't feel like it.
But I got some things on my mind.
Here's a European story that rubs me the wrong way, PZ's latest post about Eluana Englaro, WTF, indeed how's a comatose woman gonna consent to sex of any kind but also does Berlusconi really mean to say that infertile women have no right to life???
Next I have a little beef with some fellow atheist bloggers, there are some other posts similar to this one, trying to limit what atheists can and cannot do as if they (or those that think like them) are/should be the only spokespeople for atheism, I don't feel like posting them all but I don't like it, unless they are speaking about the 1 in 5 atheists who believe in god I'd say let them give it their best shot at debating a theist.
Oh yes he does, because what Dan Baker agreed to defend was the non existence of the The God of The Bible, a very clearly defined god, not just "a god", and such a debate is quite easy, especially for Dan with his extensive knowledge of the Bible.
But I got some things on my mind.
Here's a European story that rubs me the wrong way, PZ's latest post about Eluana Englaro, WTF, indeed how's a comatose woman gonna consent to sex of any kind but also does Berlusconi really mean to say that infertile women have no right to life???
Next I have a little beef with some fellow atheist bloggers, there are some other posts similar to this one, trying to limit what atheists can and cannot do as if they (or those that think like them) are/should be the only spokespeople for atheism, I don't feel like posting them all but I don't like it, unless they are speaking about the 1 in 5 atheists who believe in god I'd say let them give it their best shot at debating a theist.
... defend the concept that a god exists at all
Oh yes he does, because what Dan Baker agreed to defend was the non existence of the The God of The Bible, a very clearly defined god, not just "a god", and such a debate is quite easy, especially for Dan with his extensive knowledge of the Bible.
Thursday, February 5, 2009
Buscampagne in Nederland
Voila, nu ook in Nederland, komt al heel dichtbij ;-)
Spijtig dat ze er geen PayPal account bij gezet hebben dan kon iedereen makkelijk steunen, maar blijkbaar gaat het zo ook wel, ze zitten al aan €6000
http://www.atheismecampagne.nl/index.html
Spijtig dat ze er geen PayPal account bij gezet hebben dan kon iedereen makkelijk steunen, maar blijkbaar gaat het zo ook wel, ze zitten al aan €6000
http://www.atheismecampagne.nl/index.html
Friday, January 23, 2009
New non-religious parenting book
Raising Freethinkers is released
I got the first book Parenting Beyond Believe and I'll be ordering the new one too.
I got the first book Parenting Beyond Believe and I'll be ordering the new one too.
Tuesday, January 20, 2009
Microsoft Tag
I've played with Microsoft Tag a little.
It's quite amazing how fast it catches and resolves those tags on my phone, I just have to point the camera to the tag very briefly for the application to recognize it.
Yes, it is essentially a barcode with a site behind it but this type of barcode can be read by any phone with a camera (and an internet connection)
I made a Tag for this site
It's quite amazing how fast it catches and resolves those tags on my phone, I just have to point the camera to the tag very briefly for the application to recognize it.
Yes, it is essentially a barcode with a site behind it but this type of barcode can be read by any phone with a camera (and an internet connection)
I made a Tag for this site
Tuesday, January 13, 2009
Went to a local humanist meeting
They were hosting a lecture from a popular (amongst humanists) Belgian Professor, Prof. Johan Braeckman who did a lecture on Darwin and creationism, ID...
I'm a member but the Belgian humanist organizations clearly need to become more organized, there are chapters in just about every city and they pretty much operate on their own. I was a member of HVV in a different city so I didn't get any info on what was going on in the city I live in now.
I'm now member of both chapters and I will not extend the membership of my original city when it comes up.
The lecture was OK, a rehash of a lot of things I already knew but still good to listen to and learned a few more things about Darwin's personal life.
The drink afterwards was good to find out a bit about the organization but other than that it was pretty cold (literally and figuratively)
Monday, January 12, 2009
Thursday, January 8, 2009
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