Life is a Journey, Why Not Share it?

These days, you can rest assured that if someone has a new idea, or wants to share some new thoughts the Christian Right will show-up to protest. Now don’t get me wrong, I am not saying that all new ideas are great, and I am not saying all members of the Christian Right are always wrong, but some of their protests get pretty ridiculous. No protest is ever helped by stupid people with stupid signs. But there is one protester in particular that has been popping up all over the internet with what has got to be one of the stupidest, most pointless protest signs I have ever seen…

Worst Sign Ever

This guy’s sign is completely meaningless. It points out that Kenya was a British Colony when President Obama was born, which is meaningless seeing as President Obama was born in Hawaii. I am not sure you can get any further from Kenya than Hawaii. It then points out that BP originally meant “British Petroleum”, as though that meant the company was owned by the government of the United Kingdom. Even if the company were state owned (it is not), and even if President Obama had been born in Kenya (he was not), there is still NO CONNECTION! It’s hilariously ignorant. I also like the fact that he has the President’s name in quote marks, demonstrating a delightful ignorance of English grammar. It is protesters like this guy that can make any movement look patently ridiculous.

The “Exploring Islam Foundation” has started an ad campaign in London (possibly all of the United Kingdom?) trying to get people to look more favorably upon Islam. Certainly, they’d be pleased to attract some converts and prevent apostasy as well. On the surface, things may appear benign enough. It would seem that this is simply a movement to help non-Muslims realize that not all Muslims are extremists (which is certainly true). When you visit their site at www.inpiredbymuhammad.com, you will see a lot of bright colors, and friendly images and the site is clearly designed to appeal to western culture. The site also features a lot of appealing slogans and claims on the site, most of which are simply not true.

Slogans like “I believe in social justice. So did Muhammad.“, “I believe in women’s rights. So did Muhammad.” & “I believe in protecting the environment. So did Muhammad.” are plastered on the front page of the site. You do not have to read the Koran to recognize these slogans as patently absurd. You don’t have to be an Islamic scholar to know that a religion that stones women to death because they were raped, does not believe in women’s rights. You do not have to be a mullah to know that a religion that punishes apostasy with death, does not truly believe in social justice.

Now as a freedom loving American, I fully support the right of this group to express their views publicly, but I hope people will see through the lies posed in this advertising campaign, and will contact those responsible for it and demand some truth in advertising. The free people of the world have got to stand-up against the lies of all religious extremists, whether they be the Christian Right Wing in the United States or Muslim Extremists in Europe. If Islam wants to be considered a respectable part of the civilized world they must change their beliefs and practices. They must allow apostasy without threat of death, they must begin to truly demonstrate equal rights for women, and they must stop stoning & beheading people for any reason. It doesn’t matter how many pretty ads you post, and it does not matter how many “western friendly” slogans you use. You will be judged by your actions, and the actions of Islamic Extremists are the most extreme of any group of religious zealots. So long as you actively, openly call for the gruesome deaths of those that disagree with your beliefs, there will be no place for your religion in civil society.

It’s funny and sad all at the same time…

Some people should recognize the fact that they should not be eating junk-food. If you are so out of shape that you cannot bear to stand in the line to get your next junk-food fix, then you probably don’t need to be eating at Burger King, or any other fast-food locations!

Fatty girl eagerly awaits her burger!

Courtesy of  http://www.atheistcartoons.com

Most people do not know it, but there is an organization in New York City called “the Cordoba Initiative” that is planning to build a mosque at Ground Zero. They intend to open this mosque on September 11th, 2011, the 10th anniversary of the tragedy. They claim that they are building it as a “tribute” to those who lost their lives on that day, but I think if it is intended to be a tribute to anyone, it is a tribute to the 19 hijackers, certainly not to the thousands of innocents who were killed / injured on that day.

The name of the mosque in question is to be “Cordoba House”. The name Cordoba is not without historical meaning, though that meaning certainly eludes most Americans… Cordoba was the seat of the caliphate established, in what is now modern Spain, after the Islamic invasion from North Africa in the 8th Century C.E.

The occupation of Spain in medieval times is considered by many Islamic philosophers to have been an inevitable step in the manifest destiny of Islam. These same philosophers  tend to see the lengthy European “Reconquista” as a tragic, but temporary triumph of the infidels. The great mosque at Cordoba was built on the foundation of a Catholic Cathedral.

Throughout history, Islamic conquerors have built mosques on their newly conquered lands as a symbol. I don’t see how this is any different. How can they have the guts to call this place a tribute? I think it is an affront, and an intellectual insult. I think the people of New York, and of the United States should stand up and offer a resounding “NO!” to the construction of this mosque. If they want to build a mosque, that is fine, but let them build it in some place less sensitive to the American public as a whole.

Pat Condell offers a brilliant monologue on the subject:

British Petroleum has one very simple goal in mind…

Apple today announced that iPad sales have topped two million in less than 60 days since its launch on April 3. Apple began shipping the iPad in Australia, Canada, France, Germany, Italy, Japan, Spain, Switzerland and the UK this past weekend. The iPad will be available in nine more countries in July and additional countries later this year.

“Customers around the world are experiencing the magic of iPad, and seem to be loving it as much as we do,” said Steve Jobs, Apple’s CEO. “We appreciate their patience, and are working hard to build enough iPads for everyone.”

Apple's iPad

iPad allows users to browse the web, read and send email, enjoy and share photos, watch HD videos, listen to music, play games, read ebooks and much more, all using iPad’s Multi-Touch user interface. The iPad is 0.5 inches thick and weighs just a pound and a half —thinner and lighter than any laptop or netbook—and delivers up to 10 hours of battery life, according to Apple.

Developers have created over 5,000 new apps for the iPad that take advantage of its Multi-Touch user interface, large screen and high-quality graphics. iPad will run almost all of the more than 200,000 apps on the App Store, including apps already purchased for your iPhone or iPod touch.

Apple ignited the personal computer revolution with the Apple II, then reinvented the personal computer with the Macintosh. Apple continues to lead the industry with its award-winning computers and Mac OS X operating system. Apple leads the digital music revolution with its iPods and iTunes online store, has reinvented the mobile phone with its revolutionary iPhone and App Store, and has recently introduced its magical iPad which may help define the future of mobile media and computing devices.