Ant-Sermon

No time for "real" Anti-sermon, so present this meager effort....

 It has always amazed me that people who believe in magic can't imagine the motivation of people who reject same magic. In every other sphere of their life, believers employ tried and true methods to prove or disprove the legitimacy of claims made by others. They may research, test it with experiments, look at it with a skeptical eye as "too good to be true", and/or ask the person or organization who is making the claim to prove it. 

But when it comes to "faith" no proof whatsoever is needed. So we atheists offer them some.

Scientists used (as I recall) individuals who had their appendixes removed, since (again as I recall) the operation is rather clear-cut (no pun intended) and the recovery time is more or less universal. They then divided these recoverers into three groups: A-No one prayed for them; B-Were prayed for, but in another room out of sight from the patient; and C-Were prayed for with the prayers taking place right next to their beds.

As one would expect, groups A and B showed no difference in healing time whatsoever. But what one would not expect, group C show a slight improvement.

If this doesn't prove that it is a placebo effect I don't know what would. 

But....BUT....it also proves that your praying for Aunt Martha in Omaha without her knowledge does nothing.

(proves may be to strong of a word)

How about turning the tables on the above "argument"? Why not ask them to disprove Thor, or Athena, or Ra, or one of the thousands of gods mankind has invented? And can we take their inability to do so as proof of their.......trueness? 

But remember, there are questions we can't answer. It is perfectly okay to just say "We don't know". Not "knowing" is not a weakness if efforts are continually being made to know. I learned that from my daughter...smart woman, she. I would add a word, however; "We don't know, yet." As I have stated before the "birth" of the universe at the moment of the Big Bang has always troubled me.  Sure, sure, the numbers lead to the conclusion now, but you must admit, there are some troubling unknowns. What delights me is that thousands of very smart people are busy trying to answer my concerns.

But it is nice that the American Indians are now taking advantage of the money making potential of this bullshit magic.

Now a puzzle. What movie does this represent?...give it a minute....

HIGHLIGHT - [ LORD OF THE RINGS ]

Lastly, I would like to leave you with a question. How will the religious community respond when we find life on another planet or moon? Will they realize that the notion that we alone are from god is just plain fucking human arrogance or will they go to Plan B, which might state that god is even more great to have made life on two worlds; or worse, he got it wrong on that planet and thus created us...the ones who get to live with him for eternity...long after the suns and galaxies have vanished?