tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-83423810328283689752024-03-05T08:41:24.544-08:00That Atheist BitchKylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.comBlogger114125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-42960223216924450292014-08-03T19:08:00.000-07:002014-08-03T19:08:50.464-07:00Does Life Have Meaning Without God?<!--[if gte mso 9]><xml>
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<span style="color: blue;"><b><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">This post originally appeared on a website once called Associated Content in a very similar form. I wrote it in response to this guy who kept asking me why I didn't just kill myself because I didn't think heaven was real. Yeah, bizarre, eh? Anyway, I've kept it pretty much as it was. I think my writing "voice" has changed a great deal in the last seven years and so has the Internet landscape regarding discussions of belief. </span><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">But this post was very popular, a few pastors even asked me if they could use parts of it in their sermons. So I decided to relocate it when the site it was on ceased to be on July 31, 2014. Here it is, warts and all.</span></b></span></div>
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<i><span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">...and then he said to me "If
there is no afterlife, then our life on earth is meaningless. Without God our
life on earth has no purpose...." At the time I was thunderstruck and had
no idea how to respond. After thinking a bit I came up with this.</span></i></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Wow, I'm very sorry for you. All the
beauty, wonder, love, and experience to be found on earth are meaningless to
you?</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Finding life without an afterlife
pointless or depressing is as silly as going to an amusement park and becoming
so depressed that your visit will end that you sit down just inside the
entrance and cry your eyes out. How about running through the gate flushed with
excitement and trying to ride all the rides and see all the shows before the
amusement park closes for the day? Eat cotton candy until you puke and enjoy
your day at the park until the security guard pulls you kicking and screaming
out the gates when your day is done.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I believe that what we do is all
that matters. Bad will hit you, good will hit you but your measure is how you
ride the waves. With luck and hard work and the love of your brothers you can
build a good strong boat.</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Great, you prayed to end hunger -
fabulous, I'm sure that just filled a lot of starving bellies. How about
getting food to the hungry instead? That's the answer - get off your lazy
praying ass and go pray with your hands. Even atheists can pray with their
hands. There might not be a God but you can know that prayers are being
answered even if it's just by you. I think "God" gives people the
power to sit back and not feel responsible - "it's all in God's
hands." You are who you are and what you do, if you do evil, well there ya
go. If you do good - same deal. Every moment is a choice and you can keep your
self as strong on the path as possible and you can spend your last second
thinking - "I could have done more."</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Why all this drive to go to heaven?
In some ways it sickens me. Isn't doing good enough? Why does there have to be
a carrot on the end of the string to motivate you? Can't you just do and be
good because that's a reward all by itself? Why do you yearn to live forever?
Why not yearn to live right now? Why do you need a God commanding you to be
good? Are you, personally so inherently evil that if there were no promise of
heaven or threat of hell you'd just be a frickin demon? Doesn't the desire for
good exist in all and don't they crave it whether they believe they'll get a
reward for it or not? Don't you eventually grow out of needing gold stars to
use the potty? Don't you eventually just do good because it's good? Or must you
be rewarded and threatened until you die?</span></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don't believe in God, just in
good. To be loving is all the meaning I need.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Look to your heaven and your
invisible God. Pray quietly in your house to live after death and pray for the
hungry to be fed. Behave yourself only because you hope for heaven and fear
hell. I'm afraid knowing people like you roam the earth - I hope you never stop
believing because you seem to believe normal people would run amok without their
fear of going to hell or their hope of heaven. To me, that means you think you
would. I'll go right now and lock my doors in case your faith becomes shaken.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I feel sorry for all who think
humans are inherently evil and I also feel a bit afraid of you. You must be
looking through the windows of your own soul to see such things in the hearts
of men.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You see, I've seen evil in men, more
than my fair share. But where you see God as saving me and the devil as hurting
me, I see humankind as saving me and broken, hurt humankind hurting me or pure
chance causing me pain. The glorious mother-hearted love when a stranger picks
up a stranger, risking all from their love of a sister they never met - I'm
sorry the windows from your soul leave you blind to that. I'm sorry you haven't
seen tears of joy in the eyes of a stranger because you groaned; you blinked an
eye when they thought you were a goner. I'm sorry you've never felt the good in
people, coming from their brilliantly good selves.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I'm sorry for you in a way that
chokes tears into my eyes and stings my heart. I can't imagine your loneliness
thinking that there is no purpose here, no meaning other than to obey rules and
a hope that you get to go somewhere better after it's done. There is nothing
better. This is heaven, this is hell. Your heart and eyes and hands make it so.
In my heaven, you get broken and torn to shreds and it hurts immensely but the
love glowing in every human heart touching you is so beautiful and blinding
that like the pain of childbirth your suffering is as nothing in time. I hurt,
I fear, I feel pain every day but still this life is beautiful beyond anything
I can imagine. It has purpose and value and worth all of itself. No heaven or
hell necessary.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">You don't know what love is or what
good is. I am more sorry for you than I can express. Good is that bond between
people that need to lift, to carry, to tend, to nurture and to love. It is that
thing inside us that throws aside everything and flings us headlong into a
flooded ditch to grab a drowning child we've never known before. It's that
desperation to keep the lives of others safe and to try to pull them up from
pain. It's once knowing pain we can't bear to see others in pain. It's sobbing
at the death of a stranger because she had a mummy, a daddy, a big sister who
would break from the pain. It's crying with joy at the saving of a stranger
because she has a mummy, a daddy, and a big sister whose arms would ache
without her. It's feeling the pain of your brothers and trying with all your
heart to stop it and also, feeling their joy. It's living for their joy, living
to banish fear and pain.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">Love and good are feelings in your
heart opposite the dark things in the world. All of the darkness in the world
can't smother the light of a single candle. Surely the candle will die out but
in its time it will light enough candles that darkness only hides in corners
and under the bed.</span></div>
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<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="line-height: normal; mso-margin-bottom-alt: auto; mso-margin-top-alt: auto;">
<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">I don't know what God is, or if it
is real but I know what love is and what good is and I know that both love and
good are better to me than any promise of heaven and failure to be who I want
to be is more frightening to me than any promise of Hell. After all, you think
you get a second chance - I don't. <b>I only get one try so I'd better do this
right.</b></span></div>
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<br /></div>
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<span style="font-family: "Times New Roman","serif"; font-size: 12.0pt; mso-fareast-font-family: "Times New Roman";">So you probably figure I'm going to
hell.........I guess that's fine because I've had my time in heaven.</span></div>
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Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-26778832009920333022013-10-02T09:40:00.002-07:002013-10-02T09:40:27.015-07:00"What Can You Say to a Grieving Atheist?" and More of My Atheist Musings on Bubblews<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8H29slXwJupAGkPqqwjA6QGpMnD34v-7tWfmtYYMAM8WBvMiiK8z6lxaw0UaYwgJLD3j-JXW4cQt78eY7EWxDiRKM9tfP2tRRyWySUAM_1itkWAFSjQLZJ4on7nKMOkeDZIlikt8zLc/s1600/Rippled+Question+Marks.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgl8H29slXwJupAGkPqqwjA6QGpMnD34v-7tWfmtYYMAM8WBvMiiK8z6lxaw0UaYwgJLD3j-JXW4cQt78eY7EWxDiRKM9tfP2tRRyWySUAM_1itkWAFSjQLZJ4on7nKMOkeDZIlikt8zLc/s320/Rippled+Question+Marks.jpg" width="273" /></a></div>
Wow! I haven't posted on this blog since April!I've actually put very little attention to writing on atheist relevant topics since then but I have put up a few such posts including one called "<a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/1220221-what-can-you-say-to-a-grieving-atheist" target="_blank">What Can You Say to a Grieving Atheist?</a>"<br />
<br />
On the same topic I also posted "<a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/1208076-on-comforting-atheist-grief" target="_blank">On Comforting Atheist Grief</a>" and on a related topic, "<a href="http://www.bubblews.com/news/1212516-why-do-some-christians-think-it039s-a-good-idea-to-try-to-convert-grieving-people" target="_blank">Why Do Some Christians Think It's a Good Idea to Try To Convert Grieving People?</a>"<br />
<br />
<br />
Please keep in mind that these only represent my opinion and that they aren't intended as end-all be-all guides to anything or even as articles. They are opinion pieces and your thoughts and input to those discussions are completely welcome.<br />
<br />
<br />
Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-64953480384979635562013-04-07T10:28:00.000-07:002013-04-07T10:28:28.982-07:00Is An Atheist View Getting Stale?<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0l2FcYMynYIbBqoMz5FuRpiCS3Z3G2l7GZGHYD5d5AVDn0DvolYk1SKRcrAZbDmDDp6tTVNHOh1l6VoGD3gbpr6GKZcXPXXoIuE5vrZVPxRkFBLvygDHhllAIxY9AabImWnFPcfz8r0/s1600/sunset.framed.jpg" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0l2FcYMynYIbBqoMz5FuRpiCS3Z3G2l7GZGHYD5d5AVDn0DvolYk1SKRcrAZbDmDDp6tTVNHOh1l6VoGD3gbpr6GKZcXPXXoIuE5vrZVPxRkFBLvygDHhllAIxY9AabImWnFPcfz8r0/s1600/sunset.framed.jpg" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
I was recently checking a page of mine to see if all the links on it still work. I freshened it up a little with some new text but I'm a bit concerned it looks stale. If you have a moment, I would really appreciate it if you'd check it out and let me know what you think. If you have any ideas for keeping it a little more current I'd appreciate those as well.<br />
<br />
The page in question is:<br />
<a href="http://www.squidoo.com/Atheist-Issues" target="_blank"><b>An Atheist View</b></a><br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjH0l2FcYMynYIbBqoMz5FuRpiCS3Z3G2l7GZGHYD5d5AVDn0DvolYk1SKRcrAZbDmDDp6tTVNHOh1l6VoGD3gbpr6GKZcXPXXoIuE5vrZVPxRkFBLvygDHhllAIxY9AabImWnFPcfz8r0/s1600/sunset.framed.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><br /></a></div>
<br />Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-26173265701069478432013-04-03T10:53:00.000-07:002013-04-03T10:53:12.038-07:00What Do Atheists Think About Homeless People?I tend to study the search terms that land people on my articles and editorials. That's just part of my "thing." I love to analyze things and, provide things useful to searchers or make a connection I find interesting. I am in love with data of all kinds.<br />
<br />
In any case, this sort of odd search has been popping up for several years now and it was so odd to me that I just didn't know what, exactly, I could do with it. The search varies in how it is phrased but it is roughly, "What is the atheist view of homelessness?" as well as, "What is the atheist view of homeless people?" I know, right? What the heck does that even mean?<br />
<br />
I understand how that sort of search lands people both on my pages concerning atheism and those concerning homelessness but what on earth would prompt such a search in the first place? Lately, similar searches have been popping up a lot more frequently so I decided to take a stab (in the dark, really) at answering whatever question the people doing the searching are asking.<br />
<br />
I've written a page expressing my individual atheist view of homelessness and homeless people which includes a bit of speculation as to why people would think atheists have some uniform view on the subject and as to why people might search for such a thing. However, I wouldn't be surprised if I'm dead wrong on the subject as to what the searchers may be thinking. I'm a high-functioning autistic so I often excel at misjudging what others are thinking.<br />
<br />
If you have any idea why people would be searching for atheist views on homelessness or why they would think atheists, as a group, have some sort of singular view of homeless people or homelessness please, enlighten me. You can find what I've written so far at <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/an-atheist-view-on-homelessness" target="_blank"><b>An Atheist View on Homelessness</b></a> which, you may note is simply providing my view of homelessness and homeless people. If you have different views of homeless people and are an atheist, I'd greatly appreciate your comments in the comment section on that page. If you are someone searching for atheist views on homelessness, I'd also appreciate your comments posted on that page to help everyone make sense out of what is being wondered by people who search for atheist views on homelessness. Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-51804699491661158522012-09-06T16:07:00.000-07:002012-09-06T16:07:17.122-07:00NaCl Available on Amazon - Free Copies for Select Reviewers<a href="http://www.amazon.com/NaCl-Rich-T-Anderson/dp/B00798LPRS" target="_blank"></a><br />
<br />
OK, so this is not an atheist relevant post other than that I'm an
atheist and I created some of the album art for my partner's album of
somewhat liberal and experimental rock and roll. <b><a href="http://www.amazon.com/NaCl-Explicit/dp/B007A66FSI">You can
listen to clips from NaCl on Amazon or buy the album as a package of
mp3s or as a CD.</a></b> <br />
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.amazon.com/NaCl-Rich-T-Anderson/dp/B00798LPRS" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="400" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhp9PQfb4nf61CYKOSmIgWuZrPtvQazMFLDkvwf9GfTiSoMcVlNGF4uQxEAkQi7C_TdnP948K0mdHKVRzXelLatf7kEyXZFoACqAufGXqDDsmcXo0TM306GbW3QAB6TW9Cmw6WAt0HWe-M/s400/NaCl+Cover+Art.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />
<b><a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/richardtanderson">You can watch a
video (soon to be two videos) from the album on Reverbnation and listen
to different clips and whole songs from NaCl.</a></b> <br />
<br />
If you are a writer and would like a free CD of NaCl, contact me and I will furnish a free copy of NaCl in exchange for an honest, substantial review on Amazon. Supplies are extremely limited.<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="http://www.reverbnation.com/richardtanderson" target="_blank"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiKl2WDPFqIhK-xzNfRZrwbzZXcb-C1sEtw2lXCW9493h8A36cW1ldMA81PIV2gf7tipIN-WDghJXwDYbp28Jyffzu_MXH1gnHqa6u2yvrc0t7gtFR1QDtScJsFeEGL7LdcTTwduzeIec4/s400/NaCl+Album+Back+Cover.jpg" width="400" /></a></div>
<br />Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-3316061452131607412012-08-15T08:07:00.000-07:002012-08-15T08:08:25.232-07:0016 Atheist Documentaries You Can Watch for Free on DocumentaryStorm I just popped on for a moment so I could share a link to a website where you can watch sixteen atheist documentaries for free. I have a slow Internet connection and computer but I was able to load and watch the documentaries. If you have an issue with getting the videos to load, try restarting your computer or switching browsers.<br />
<br />
<a href="http://documentarystorm.com/category/religion/atheism-religion/" target="_blank">Atheist Documentaries on DocumentaryStorm</a><br />
<br />
I plan to go through and write a brief review of each of the atheist documentaries on the website and post them here as time allows. Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-49435156631942781262012-08-10T09:54:00.004-07:002012-08-10T09:54:57.037-07:00Why Do Threat-Type Messages Occur In Clusters or Waves?Most abusive comments don't make it to the page because most people delete them if they contain swearing to keep their pages visible or simply don't publish them to avoid turning their blog, editorial, or article into venue for a flame war. I practice a little of both. I don't publish comments with any swearing on Squidoo because my pages will become invisible to the public if I do and if comments anywhere cross a threat line I take them down or don't publish them. I follow similar rules on my blogs but allow some mild swearing. All of this makes it difficult for others to tell when I'm getting abusive comments. I presume it is the same for other bloggers and atheist writers. <b>So I'm wondering if anyone else is getting clumps and clusters of sweary-pants comments right now? </b><br />
<br />
I hadn't gotten <i>any</i> for over two weeks and then they started trickling in again. Now I'm getting them in clusters of three or four at a time, several times per day from what appear to be different people. This has always been how it happened in the past, stretches without nasty comments or threats interspersed with clumps and clusters of them. Before, they always seemed to correspond with something atheist relevant I'd written experiencing a burst of near popularity. This time, my view counts are pretty small on my atheist material, and my most popular writing at the moment has to do with crafts. <b>Are the vocal anti-atheist, anti-non-Christian folks just generally extra stirred up right now or something?</b><br />
<br />
The kind of weird thing is that the sweary comments I'm getting contain zero death threats so far. I'll take that as a good sign but maybe it's just an indication that the death threat people are bothering someone else at the moment.<br />
<br />
<b>So what is your theory as to why the nasty comments tend to come in clusters rather than more-or-less evenly scattered in time?</b>Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-82620697710651986562012-07-11T17:42:00.000-07:002012-07-11T17:44:03.249-07:00Atheist Documentary: Anything but an Atheist: Chapter One<br />
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Earlier this week it was my pleasure to be introduced to a
site devoted entirely to showing documentaries.
I also found out they have an entire category for atheist
documentaries. </div>
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As I browsed through their selection deciding which one to
watch first <a href="http://documentarystorm.com/anything-but-an-atheist/" target="_blank"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anything but an Atheist</i></a>
caught my eye. The title grabbed me
because it’s something I can relate to as an American atheist. Some people don’t seem to be bothered by
whatever you are just so long as you aren’t an atheist. In any case I loaded it up and watched chapter
one of <i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anything but an Atheist</i> today.</div>
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<div class="MsoNormal">
It starts out with a graphical depiction of the statistics from the University of Minnesota’s
data showing how atheists are America’s
least trusted minority. It moves on to
show some very revealing clips from television shows illustrating how very
acceptable it still is to bash or hate atheists in a very open manner. </div>
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The documentary shows quite a few prominent people who are atheists
or who were atheists when they were alive throughout the video. While I’ve seen a lot of lists of celebrity atheists
I liked seeing their faces. I think it’s
really helpful to put faces to people to break down the stereotypes. </div>
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There are also a few segments showing interviews with
atheists who have experienced discrimination.
While I’ve seen the clip from 20/20 with the young lady in Utah who was treated so awfully once her family came out
as atheists, it still got me a bit teary-eyed because her experience being a
young atheist in small town America
is so similar to my own. There’s no
reason people need to do this to people whose beliefs aren’t harming them one
bit.</div>
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Anyway, I think that chapter one of <a href="http://documentarystorm.com/anything-but-an-atheist/"><i style="mso-bidi-font-style: normal;">Anything but an Atheist</i></a> is well worth a watch. I look forward to watching more of this
documentary. I also think it might be a
good tool to help atheists show their friends and family members what kind of
problems atheists in America
face. Many theists aren’t even aware
that this kind of thing goes on and I think they need to be if we’re ever going
to be accepted by the society we live in.
</div>Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-44611945978435728202012-04-14T07:46:00.003-07:002012-04-14T08:04:28.328-07:00Risk Assessment Help for Teens Coming Out AtheistI recently put up a page to help teens and young adults coming out atheist to evaluate the risks they might face in coming out atheist to family, friends, and their school.<br /><br />I decided to write it because many of the homeless lgbt teens and young adults I took into my home over the years wished they could have a do-over and take it back after coming out and getting kicked out of the house, either with or without a period of escalating abuse or a nasty beating. They hadn't considered all the possible risks. I think that atheist teens may face the same risks.<br /><a href="http://www.squidoo.com/teens-coming-out-atheist-in-the-US"><br /><span style="font-weight: bold;">In any case, here's a link to my new page for atheist teens and young adults thinking of coming out atheist.</span></a><br /><br />If I've missed something glaring or you've experienced some other negative affect of coming out atheist as a teen or young adult, please let me know. Also, if you have any links to resources for teens and young adults coming out atheist, I'd love to add them to the page. Your help is greatly appreciated because I never had to come out as an atheist to my family and never "came out" as anything else to them as a young person. This is obviously still a work in progress and more content and photos will be added.<br /><br />I have a plan to write a whole series on coming out atheist in America so this page need not include everything to do with coming out atheist. I plan to remove the very few coming out tips from the page and link to a page of coming out tips once that page is, if not finished, at least somewhat presentable.Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-64064397311027702812012-04-14T07:04:00.000-07:002012-04-14T08:12:34.273-07:00I'm BackWow, I haven't done anything with That Atheist Bitch for a very long time! At least I haven't been kept away by health issues this time aside from the way my illnesses limits my working capacity. I've been writing a lot of other stuff, including an atheist book I've been working on almost forever. It appears that I can only write a certain amount during a given time period so I've been intensely focusing on writing that earns money.<br /><br />I hope to do better about posting for a very happy reason; my health has been slowly improving since I was put on better pain medications and a vitamin D supplement. It's amazing how much better a person feels when one can sleep through the night without waking up due to pain every hour or so.Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-27556101143805540092011-08-29T09:05:00.000-07:002011-08-31T07:05:13.958-07:00National Atheist RegistryI just came across something kind of scary today. There's this fellow named Pastor Mike who wants all atheists put on a national registry like sex offenders!
<br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class="" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"><img src="http://www.blogger.com/img/blank.gif" alt="Link" class="gl_link" border="0" /></span></span>
<br />Pastor Mike's blog only allows members of his blog to comment so I guess I'll comment on <a href="http://pastorstahl.blogspot.com/2010/09/putting-atheists-on-national-registry.html">his blog post</a> here on mine. As to why atheists don't want to be put on a national registry - why on earth would we want to be put on a conservative Christian target list? We already get threats galore from such groups. Some conservative Christian who is also mentally unwell is apt to start killing people on the list!
<br />
<br />So, in case anything happens to me or any other outspoken atheist you know, please direct the FBI to Pastor Mike.
<br />
<br /><span style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);">Update: It looks as if Pastor Mike began to feel shame for posting hate speech on his blog so now his blog can only be accessed by its members. </span><a style="color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://blogs.browardpalmbeach.com/pulp/2011/08/atheist_national_registry_prop.php">So here's a link to someone who quoted a big hunk of the text of Pastor Mike's post and actually deserves to get views on his blog. </a>
<br />Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-17216185289839467772011-06-11T17:43:00.000-07:002011-06-11T17:48:43.545-07:00Agnostic AtheistsYou probably already know what an agnostic atheist is if you follow my blog. In fact, you may just be one yourself. However, I'm thinking about people who don't already know what an agnostic atheist is.<br /><br />I created an experimental page on which I explain what an agnostic atheist is. What I'm hoping you'll do is read it and get back to me if you can't understand what the blue blazes I'm trying to say or if you can think of a better way to say it.<br /><br />Here's the page: <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/agnostic-atheist">What is an Agnostic Atheist?<br /></a>Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-54013835931029823722011-06-03T17:51:00.000-07:002011-06-03T17:57:48.302-07:00All of My Atheist Editorials, All in One Place!Well, they aren't just quite yet, but eventually, they will be. So far, I've organized about twenty-five of my atheist relevant articles and editorials on a Squidoo webpage. Links to the editorials and articles are arranged by topic. <br /><br />As time permits, I will be adding more links to <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.squidoo.com/kylyssas-atheist-editorials">Kylyssa's Atheist Editorials</a>. Please stop by and have a look.<br /><br />Your feedback is greatly appreciated so if you have any suggestions for making the page easier to use or better looking please let me know!Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-37464821679917252002011-05-22T13:12:00.000-07:002011-05-22T13:49:18.721-07:00What Has That Atheist Bitch Been Up To?Well, I've been pretty darned sick for the last few months so a lot of what I've been doing has been just trying to get by. I'm <span style="font-style: italic;">still</span> fighting pneumonia and the whatever-it-is that causes my high fevers and severe muscular pain.<br /><br />There is good news though and I'm starting to feel as if I'm on the mend. Little by little, my strength is coming back and my chest has healed enough from the torn muscles and ligaments that I can once again sleep on my back for short periods of time. I still need a spare pillow or two to buttress my chest when I lay on either side but that is getting better, too.<br /><br />In other good news, I took on a client who seems to be the elusive and much desired <span style="font-weight: bold;">best client ever</span> in that they are great communicators and respectful of my expertise as a (retired) professional floral designer. They are also the only Internet floral delivery service I've <span style="font-style: italic;">ever</span> found that actually saves people money <span style="font-style: italic;">and</span> doesn't deliver limp flowers in a cardboard box! You can check out what I've written for them so far on <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.peoplesflowernetwork.com/blog/">their blog</a>. I don't have to pander or try to sell specific things, I just use their product photos to illustrate the articles. I don't have to say anything I disagree with or find to be questionable. As I said- <a href="http://www.peoplesflowernetwork.com/"><span style="font-weight: bold;">best client ever</span></a>! <br /><br />In other writing adventures, I've been slowly removing all atheist related content from Yahoo Contributors Network (formerly known as Associated Content) and re-working it into Squidoo pages. As some of you may already know, Associated Content appears to have fallen on the wrong side of Google's Panda update and into the realm of content farms. You can find almost every atheist relevant article I used to have up there on one of my atheist relevant Squidoo pages. When I'm finished (or nearly finished or just pretty far along...) I may create a page or blog post which identifies and links to the individual articles so they easier to find. <br /><br />I've also been writing more short stories and doing a spectacular job of getting them rejected by every major science fiction and speculative fiction publication. Well, not every one, I've avoided submitting them to the big two, Analog and IASFM. I'm working up the chutzpah to give it a shot. One can't get anymore rejected than rejected so aiming high hurts no more than aiming low, now does it?<br /><br />I've also been working on (and should get my charcoal dusted fingers back to ASAP) art for my partner's subversive, liberal, alternative rock/folk CD, due out a little later this year. There is much ado about mastering at the moment. You can hear an early version of one of the songs that will be on it <a href="http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5Ds9uk2I_e0"><span style="font-weight: bold;">here</span></a>.<br /><br />I have a doctor's appointment on the 31st at which, I hope, my test results from the last visit will shed some light on wtf is wrong with me. The doc was very thorough and apparently tested me for everything from HIV to malaria.<br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"></span></span>Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-64649930181346818602011-04-29T09:01:00.000-07:002011-04-29T09:22:59.664-07:00Atheist Chaplains, Really?I just started reading all the buzz about atheist chaplains. At first, I didn't know exactly what was being proposed. After a little research I got to the bottom of this weird sounding phrase.<br /><br />It looks like atheist soldiers are pushing to get an atheist in as a member of the military chaplain program. You can read more about it in <a href="http://www.nytimes.com/2011/04/27/us/27atheists.html?_r=1">this article in The New York Times.</a><br /><br />Apparently, while 70% of US soldiers identify as Christian, 90% of military chaplains are Christian. There are a few Jewish and Muslim chaplains, a single Buddhist chaplain and a few chaplains of other religions but the largest single minority in the military, those unaffiliated with any religion, is not represented at all. Having a non-religious chaplain to talk to, especially in the evangelism ridden setting of the US military, would probably be of great benefit to those unaffiliated soldiers.<br /><br />To be clear, chaplains are not called "Christian chaplains" or "Jewish chaplains" or "Muslim chaplains" so the appellation "Atheist chaplain" is a bit odd. However, I think I understand why it is being used in this case.<br /><br />I think that use of the term atheist chaplain is intended to get people talking. It's working.<br /><br />Atheist billboards and bus ads have started dialogues about acceptance and tolerance of atheists in the general population; use of the term atheist chaplain is starting a dialogue about doing the same in the military.<br /><br /><br /><span style="display: block;" id="formatbar_Buttons"><span onmouseover="ButtonHoverOn(this);" onmouseout="ButtonHoverOff(this);" onmouseup="" onmousedown="CheckFormatting(event);FormatbarButton('richeditorframe', this, 8);ButtonMouseDown(this);" class=" down" style="display: block;" id="formatbar_CreateLink" title="Link"></span></span>Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-21180326414679520152011-04-14T10:54:00.001-07:002011-04-14T10:59:00.272-07:00Illness UpdateSo I went to the med center yesterday. Apparently I've got pneumonia as well as torn muscles (on the outside of my chest cavity) and injured pleura. No wonder I've felt like crap! I've got antibiotics in my system so I should be better in almost no time. I was glad to learn that I hadn't cracked a rib coughing after all.Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-70315303966037473112011-04-05T07:56:00.000-07:002011-04-05T08:09:26.890-07:00Back After an IllnessHello, folks, I just wanted to post a line to let you know I'm back at the blog after a bit of being sick. Other things were going on, too, but mostly I've been too sick to expend effort on any writing that doesn't pay. <br /><br />Having autoimmune diseases sucks. Any little cold bug sets them off. The good news is that I have a doctor's appointment on April 27th. The bad news is that I think the latest cold invited in a bacterial infection who brought along a case of bronchitis as a date. I get testy when I can't breathe.<br /><br />Anyway, enough of my complaining. It looks like I'll live. I'll be back here writing blogs full of atheisty goodness in no time.Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-8466970646820276922011-01-10T08:36:00.000-08:002011-01-10T08:57:09.396-08:00An Atheist View is Recognized!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02ucyHHXvx0g1wII62rc5-PVqIvkcTWOvjVDmlO9FoNRToV9gbfspK6Jd6it8PfUyBDNh130Via2Fyig4W0JGaeR8TVLI-zucvs_AgWd2g77_05VmezPMY-K_g0n9POtSIOO6128D3jY/s1600/atheist-cat-symbol.gif"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 103px; height: 98px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj02ucyHHXvx0g1wII62rc5-PVqIvkcTWOvjVDmlO9FoNRToV9gbfspK6Jd6it8PfUyBDNh130Via2Fyig4W0JGaeR8TVLI-zucvs_AgWd2g77_05VmezPMY-K_g0n9POtSIOO6128D3jY/s320/atheist-cat-symbol.gif" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5560601835534350610" border="0" /></a>It's just an on-site award but it means someone on Squidoo who had gotten an award themselves nominated <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.squidoo.com/Atheist-Issues">An Atheist View</a> for what is called a Purple Star and then a staff member approved it. Purple Stars confer a little lensrank boost to the pages they are on and are meant to designate a page that is up to a high standard of excellence. I've gotten a few of these awards in the past but not on anything about atheism. It speaks of a very open-minded attitude among the staff that they approved a page about being an atheist.<br /><br />Squidoo also recently created a sub-category for atheism and agnosticism that is not under religion! My atheist relevant pages are usually a collection of editorials about atheism that I've written and placed on a single page. They do well in the rankings and now even have a non-religion category to be in. If you are interested in putting up your own page (atheist themed or not) you can easily <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.squidoo.com/lensmaster/referral/Kylyssa">join Squidoo</a>. The payout for top tier lenses is getting quite substantial. Last month it was $30.95.<br /><br />If you are feeling charitable, please visit my Purple Star atheist lens and maybe your views will bring it to the front page of Squidoo! You can also find links to more of my atheist relevant pages on the right sidebar of this blog.Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-89329428217703512702011-01-07T13:32:00.000-08:002011-01-08T10:57:39.799-08:00Denying The Right To Dictate and DiscriminateIt seems like every other atheism related conversation I've been involved in lately touches on this one weird thread. This is not a new thought by any means but, why do so many people think that, by denying them the right to take away the rights of others their religious freedom is being denied? How is it that they can equate not having the right to discriminate against others because of their religious beliefs with persecution?<br /><br />For instance, some Christian groups on college campuses call persecution when they are not allowed to discriminate against people who want to join. Others insist their freedom of religion rights is being violated when marriage equality legislation passes because they are denied the right to enforce the tenets of their religion on others.<br /><br />What's up with that?Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-11918318512620063602011-01-04T17:01:00.000-08:002011-01-04T17:15:50.588-08:00Atheist Condolences<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDeU3NbbN8Hai29q7v5wWywRAwSRjuYYJYI9Ah4mTZrmGVGhjJKos2C36UkVEO3ozWoWsZgoIxT-kVj5JPkeaMFEbCdVQKOPkSZFr5idvPRpkbIn-02CuBT6GarHx6D8VBA86MhQMpe4/s1600/atheist_sympathy_1.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 165px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEigDeU3NbbN8Hai29q7v5wWywRAwSRjuYYJYI9Ah4mTZrmGVGhjJKos2C36UkVEO3ozWoWsZgoIxT-kVj5JPkeaMFEbCdVQKOPkSZFr5idvPRpkbIn-02CuBT6GarHx6D8VBA86MhQMpe4/s200/atheist_sympathy_1.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5558504329422057826" border="0" /></a><br />I was a florist for 18 years. I dealt with many grieving families as they ordered flowers for their loved ones. It showed me how much grief is set in a religious framework in our culture. This presents some difficulty to non-religious people.<br /><br />While our friends and loved ones are grieving, we want to express our sympathies but there's a 900 lb gorilla in the room, at least for me. I believe death is the end but most people around me believe it is a beginning. It can be hard to support religious friends and family during times of grief and loss simply because the words used to express sympathy in a non-religious way are seldom heard. If we learn by example, who is the example for sharing non-religious condolences?<br /><br />I know of quite a few atheists who deal with religious grief by staying silent. It gives the impression they are cold and uncaring even if their heart is breaking for their religious loved one.<br /><br />To help non-religious people share their sympathy and comfort with religious people during times of loss, I wrote <a href="http://www.squidoo.com/sympathy-101-for-atheists"><span style="font-weight: bold;">Sympathy 101 for Atheists</span></a>. Please let me know what you think of it. I'd also love it if you'd share how you express your sympathy in non-religious ways.Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-85333059689140265152010-12-29T10:24:00.001-08:002010-12-29T10:45:11.438-08:00Give Me Your Links!<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAcJ9K2FPMNjyHZEdFs7SltkrT1UhaM7ZUuw-4BoF-iBumxFiVlwLf8ua0S5WtGxQK9TIm-gDv8bFXGrYS7vuuU-0u_tFnc5bCNsrGsgNB-eDjcelgTIL6CIToXZD_p7eKD-pUce-x8A/s1600/1213666_world_wide_web.jpg"><img style="float: right; margin: 0pt 0pt 10px 10px; cursor: pointer; width: 200px; height: 150px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgJAcJ9K2FPMNjyHZEdFs7SltkrT1UhaM7ZUuw-4BoF-iBumxFiVlwLf8ua0S5WtGxQK9TIm-gDv8bFXGrYS7vuuU-0u_tFnc5bCNsrGsgNB-eDjcelgTIL6CIToXZD_p7eKD-pUce-x8A/s200/1213666_world_wide_web.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5556176914480741426" border="0" /></a><br />Yes, that's right, I want your links. I am compiling a couple of lists of atheist blogs and websites (free backlink, folks) to post on two or more Squidoo pages which will be permanent additions to Squidoo.<br /><br />There's a slight catch, though. Squidoo is G rated. So basically I don't want any links to sites which contain adult content or excessive profanity. I link to That Atheist Bitch but I have to call it "That Atheist (Censored)" over there to keep my G rating.<br /><br />If you have or frequent any wonderful atheist or atheist friendly sites or blogs please drop a link or links here in the comments. Those which have sufficient appropriate content will be linked to on one or more pages.<br /><br />If you aren't familiar with Squidoo, here is an example of what Squidoo pages look like: <a style="font-weight: bold;" href="http://www.squidoo.com/Atheist-Issues">An Atheist View</a>. If your link is appropriate and a good fit, it may even end up on that particular page as well as on one of the list pages. That particular page usually stays in the top 2,000 of over a million pages so it gets some decent views, sometimes spiking with much more than decent views. The pages I'm proposing to create will probably stay in the top 10,000 out of over a million pages as that is how most of my other atheist themed pages do on Squidoo. They still get decent views, too.Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-32284488946828647982010-11-27T10:54:00.000-08:002010-11-27T11:01:25.392-08:00An Atheist on Christmas<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiSPrfR-y1f4zo0bDXP2rnMi6FZFxnkcdvrL4yIS5NEQFveiar1vT8WbeW_5VNKiTBpVo-d60WUJ76jrCusZrooW2Ye6RY51sKbmokWzY9YNJFzCfKJndi9cyj4ws2Wm4i2y4HfTB_VQ/s1600/atheist_xmas_tree_ts.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 170px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhsiSPrfR-y1f4zo0bDXP2rnMi6FZFxnkcdvrL4yIS5NEQFveiar1vT8WbeW_5VNKiTBpVo-d60WUJ76jrCusZrooW2Ye6RY51sKbmokWzY9YNJFzCfKJndi9cyj4ws2Wm4i2y4HfTB_VQ/s200/atheist_xmas_tree_ts.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5544306546468698610" border="0" /></a><br />Thanksgiving is over though the leftovers are not. The retail world switched to Christmas last month. So now is the time to turn our thoughts to the end of the year. Whether we talk about it or not, each "out" atheist is bound to hear a few snide words about Christmas. So here is my page on Christmas and a few snide words of my own: <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.squidoo.com/an-atheist-at-christmas">An Atheist on Christmas</a>.Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-17685052079715245782010-11-21T13:07:00.000-08:002010-11-21T13:24:33.832-08:00Yep, I'm a Soulless Autistic AtheistEarlier this year I was in a discussion about autistic people who are atheists. One person was saying that autistic people, no matter how high functioning, are too mentally retarded to "get" deep concepts like God. But another proposed the idea that autistic people, in general, have no souls. Several others jumped on the bandwagon.<br /><br />I don't believe in souls but I didn't like the way the discussion was going. The statement that they don't think autistic people have souls is dehumanizing because the yahoos saying it do believe in souls. I was horrified to learn people I thought of as friends would believe such a thing, that some human beings are less human than they are. Of course, I "unfriended" those folks.<br /><br />Why am I writing about this now if it happened earlier this year? Someone else mentioned something similar today so I thought I should record the phenomenon. Has anyone else heard of this or something similar?<br /><br />I have bumped into quite a few atheists who are on the autism spectrum and I think it is possible that autistic people are slightly more likely to be atheists than people in the general population. But I have as theory as to why that might be. <span jsid="text"> I think most autistic people live in a fact based world and are either unwilling or unable to play along with the pretend game that is religion.</span>Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-63879387019461099732010-11-13T22:24:00.001-08:002010-11-13T22:31:23.384-08:00An Atheist View could use a boost<a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.squidoo.com/Atheist-Issues">An Atheist View</a> is one of my Squidoo pages on atheism. It has some new material added and it needs boost. It used to have a spot on Squidoo's homepage but its views have been dropping. So, if you have a moment, please stop by <a style="font-weight: bold; color: rgb(255, 0, 0);" href="http://www.squidoo.com/Atheist-Issues">An Atheist View</a> to help restore it to its place of pride on Squidoo's front page. While you are there, you may want to take a peek at some of the newer atheist relevant pages that I and others have put up there.<br /><br />Thanks a ton, folks!Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-8342381032828368975.post-3973466221393808632010-11-11T10:11:00.000-08:002010-11-12T16:26:08.059-08:00Don't Ask, Don't Tell - Why are we coddling bigots?<a onblur="try {parent.deselectBloggerImageGracefully();} catch(e) {}" href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8w-kcZnkOFaA6JkHuZDv4DtLaIjEhPZjtIIPRdZHk1aghVyVSrsdn2F8MCLLEr1po26VkL9AzZzLURaZ9ToRPND-C8f7LCY5LmTXIpMER6KYmRvhWOleym9gmDuBQAnonkeT7DKanFmA/s1600/1285084_flag.jpg"><img style="float: left; margin: 0pt 10px 10px 0pt; cursor: pointer; width: 129px; height: 200px;" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi8w-kcZnkOFaA6JkHuZDv4DtLaIjEhPZjtIIPRdZHk1aghVyVSrsdn2F8MCLLEr1po26VkL9AzZzLURaZ9ToRPND-C8f7LCY5LmTXIpMER6KYmRvhWOleym9gmDuBQAnonkeT7DKanFmA/s200/1285084_flag.jpg" alt="" id="BLOGGER_PHOTO_ID_5538369313405267890" border="0" /></a>Some people voluntarily decide to go out and risk having to kill someone or get killed themselves by joining the armed services. They risk their physical and mental health for something they believe in, our country. Due to these brave volunteers, America has not seen a draft since 1973. We owe them a lot.<br /><br />So why do we care who they love or what bits get them aroused? What difference could a person's sexual orientation make in his or her ability to serve as a soldier? Not only that, but gays and lesbians are already serving and already have served in our military with distinction. <span style="font-weight: bold;">DADT is a blight on our nation's honor. </span><br /><br />A mere mention of a husband, wife, or partner can get a gay person discharged from service. A Facebook mention by the husband, wife, or partner of someone serving in the military can get that soldier discharged. <span style="font-weight: bold;">So today, Veterans Day, the loved ones of soldiers serving in harm's way dare not post their messages of support or prayers for safety online for fear of getting that loved one booted out of the service he or she has chosen.</span><br /><br />People against repealing DADT tend to focus on sex acts and seem to enjoy talking about them in great detail. But sexual orientation isn't just about sex, it's also about who we fall in love with. Centuries of love stories tell us that we can't flip our emotions on or off with a switch and we can't choose who we fall in love with.<br /><br />The folks opposing the repeal of DADT are fantasizing about gays running amok and raping hetero soldiers while the rest of us have different images in our minds, perhaps of a man embracing his partner who is going off to war or a woman, child in tow, eagerly watching for her wife and her child's mommy to come out of the gate at the airport. Now which of those things seem perverted? <span style="font-weight: bold;">The perversion exists in the minds of the bigots.</span><br /><br />I repeat myself - there are already gays and lesbians in the military and they are doing nothing at all bad. DADT is asking them to be isolated and in the closet, as if their personhood and service and sacrifices are meaningless. We'd never think of telling a soldier he can't talk about his wife but some folks, for some perverse reason, think that a soldier ought to never mention his husband.<br /><br />Folks who oppose repealing DADT also love to quote the Bible to underline their perceived superiority when, in fact, many Christians have no opposition to gays in the military or anywhere else.<br /><br />Most of the people troubled by the idea of repealing DADT are bigots, bigots with a bunch of perverted ideas. So puzzle me this - why are we coddling bigots?Kylyssa Shayhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/02111750352909247774noreply@blogger.com0