This is a very passionate speech and obviously well thought out and presented. I applaud him and all the attention he has brought to the subject along with the others Bill Maher comes to mind also his staements on Real Time were fantastic.

Frrrrrrunkiss!

Scott
Fundamental American Freethoughtian

Albert puts it best in this video http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Y5OEocRp2wA

You would think since EVERYONE has a camera on their cell phone now that some better video or pictures would surface.

I’m grateful, too, because you guys have always been supportive to gay folks in an easy, natural, and caring way. As a middle-aged gay man, I am sad to say that such was seldom my experience when I was growing up in the Jesus-saturated South.

Living now in New England, I feel like I can breathe a bit more freely, but hearing you guys podcasting from the Atlanta area gives me hope that even in Dixie, there can be straight guys who are comfortable living with and supporting their gay brothers & lesbian sisters.

This video was terrific. I voted against 8, and it unfortunately passed, though not for my vote. I feel his frustration, and hope that there is the opportunity for me, and all those who voted against 8 to get another crack at it and make things right.

That being said, I absolutely loved this. He is a very well spoken guy and he put to words what I have only been able to express as growling and curse words.

The fact that CA passed Prop 8 (and my home state passed Prop 2) almost (almost!) puts a damper on my Election euphoria. I cannot believe that in 2008 we will elect an African American president but still there are people on both sides who would deny rights to an entire group of their fellow Americans, their fellow human beings. WTF!?

Can we get some religious people to play this at their church?

Keith Olbermann Is My Hero

My brother told me that no one who he asked that voted for Obama gave him a good reason why they voted for him. So I gave him 2 immediately and he said no, those don’t count. Makes me wonder what other good answers he got that he dismissed.

This is my first time here, and I have to tell you, I am thoroughly enjoying the wealth of good information you have provided in this blog. Thanks!!!!

She needs to shut up, moron. We don’t attack Christianity, we attack all religions.

Thanks for the comments. You are correct, he is speaking about priests in Leviticus. I took a bit of liberty to not point out that distinction as it sounds just as ridiculous either way but thanks for keeping me honest!

As far as Deuteronomy, I hadn’t heard that interpretation and I am sure not many Christians have read the Hebrew text of the old testament. In any case it is crazy to penalize someone for the “sins” of their fathers, especially a kind and loving God.

Not to overdo my point but unless the intelligent people of the left can understand why Sarah Palin appeals to the Joe six packs who clean the toilets and bed pans, fight the wars, drive the trucks, work the farms then the coalition which got so much done in the golden age of free thought will not work well. Why was Bill Clinton more successful in this area?

By the way, Thomas Paine left school at age 13 to go to work and then went to sea. He was largely self educated, lived and worked in very tough circumstances. Maybe his familiarity with how the other half lives made him a better “thinker” and voice for common sense for the common man.

Mr. Barr is a very good choice.

Thanks for your comments. Sam Harris is perfectly capable of defending his own views, but I can’t help but respond in this forum.

In short…surely you are joking. I agree with you that all citizens should be ever skeptical and ever vigilante when it comes to those who see the power of high office. That said, it does not seem illogical to say that being president of the most influential nation on the planet is a job that requires specialized skills; in short, an elite as opposed to a Joe Six-Pack/Joe the Plumber/Hockey Mom/Soccer Mom or whatever other obnoxious Label for the Common Man you wish you insert.

When it comes to the job of president, or even vice president, we as citizens should look for, among those whose policies we believe are sound. the best of the best.

So…while you may disagree with Obama’s policies (and I do on a great many of them) no one can seriously claim that he has not arrived at his opinions after much self-education and introspection, and he has shown over the last few years an ability to hold forth on any number of subjects with depth and intelligence. Palin, on the other hand, has shown that she can memorize talking points and wink her way through carefully controlled photo ops. Her primary qualities are a) she has a uterus and she’s not afraid to use it, and b) she possesses the same blithe certainty and smug incuriosity that our current commander in chief has used to get us into a heap of trouble.

Barack Obama has degrees from two of the finest universities in the world and has taught constitutional law, whereas Sarah Palin bounced like a pinball through a series of community colleges and obscure universities before squeezing out a degree. Granted, she has shown a knack for getting elected to state office, but so has Obama.

While Obama eventually disavowed the ridiculous rantings of his home church pastor (and let’s face it, Obama isn’t a very religious person when it comes down to it - he gives lip service for political reasons); Sarah Palin really honest to goodness does believe in Armageddon, witchcraft, the End Times, that every sperm is sacred, and that America is Gosh Darn It the Greatest Nation that God Ever Put on This Here Planet Earth Dontcha Know. The Bible says it, she believes it, and that settles it (never mind that she’s probably as woefully ignorant of the contents of that Good Book as she is of everything else).

In summary, I think you’re attacking Sam Harris for saying things he didn’t say; you’re inferring much that he didn’t imply. In the end, if one asks which of the two (Obama or Palin) one would trust to make reasoned decisions about the future of the country, the one who reads books and has a sense of humility about American’s place in the world would seem the clear winner, nevermind all the other stuff.

I’ll be voting for Bob Barr.

Until freethinkers use the same critical analytical skills we use to defrock religious charlatans to defrock the self-righteous priesthood of left we will not have the credibility we need to improve the human condition. Too many people will see that the discussion is really about who is in power – not about how we make life better for all. The Joe the plumber’s of the world possess a very good BS detector and the alarm bells are ringing.

I was wondering if you could pass my comment on to David and perhaps get his reply about it on your next ‘holey scripture’ podcast segment? I’d really love that, but perhaps I ask too much.

I am a newly ‘deconverted’ atheist from way down under in New Zealand. I love your show but I do have this one critique. Prior to my deconversion from a lifetime of Christianity, I studied at a Seminary. I want people to be atheists and to learn about atheism, of course, but I don’t think it helps our cause to misrepresent Christianity. The best argument is an accurate argument, after all

In Podcast #7 - Religion & Insanity, David mentions Leviticus 21 (about blemished people) and Deuteronomy 23 (about bastards), saying that those people can’t go to church. In my understanding, Leviticus 21 is referring to Priests and in particular verses 10 through 16 have progressed to High Priests. They were the ones who were believed to go into an altar room, the ‘holy of holies’, a place considered so dangerous and sacred that a rope was tied to the High Priest’s leg so that he could be pulled out if he died without somebody else going inside and risking God’s wrath. Today’s translation, if Christians actually used the Old Testament in this manner (which they don’t), might be that Senior Pastors can’t be disabled. I’m not saying that it sounds any less stupid!
Also, David has referred to his own ‘bastard’ status on at least a couple podcasts, rendering him unable to attend church unto the 10th generation. However, at least a couple commentaries that I have read interpret the hebrew as talking about a more significant kind of congregation like an eldership position or even civil office. So, today’s translation of that might be, ‘Christians born of unwed parents can’t hold positions of authority in communities or run for political positions’. That might be a good thing, I wonder how many U.S. Christian politicians have an illegitimate marriage somewhere within 10 generations of their ancestors?

I still think that there are no ways of turning those verses into today’s language without it sounding peculiar, but I can’t help thinking that any biblically literate christians listening to your podcasts might be annoyed rather than gently persuaded by heavy handed use of funny bible verses. Your ‘holey scripture’ segment is always fun to hear though, keep it up.

In reason,
Iain from NZ

Have you not listened to any of our other podcasts? Or read this blog? We air Georgia’s dirty laundry all the time. We’re not picking on Arkansas; had Maher interviewed one of the Senators or Congressmen from Georgia we’d be laughing at him.

John

-Governors praying for rain (or anything) on the steps of the State Capital
-Creationist stickers on our textbooks
-Right wing conservative state government
-Newt Gingrich

Here are a few things we do have…
-a Democratic Governor, State Legislature, and Federal Congressional Delegation (except 1 Representative)
-an active Freethought Community

While I will agree that Arkansas is no Freethought Shangri-La, maybe the folks in Georgia need to read the one about the glass house…

Remember guys, just 20 years ago, y’all thought there was a secret cabal of Satanists who were molesting and killing your children.

Well which is it????

And to think I used to live in her district…