How I know that no one is reading my blog

I misspelled the word atheist in about 100 places (my fingers just type "ie" out of habit) and no one had commented on it yet. Nitpicking is a cornerstone of the internet, so I figure no one reads this. And really, why should they?

Awkward Moments (Not Found In Your Average) Children's Bible

This book just showed up in my mailbox one day. I'm glad it did.

http://www.amazon.com/Awkward-Moments-Found-Average-Childrens/dp/149217744X

How to suck at your religion

Great comic strip from The Oatmeal. It made me think of Chick tracts.

http://theoatmeal.com/comics/religion

USPS discriminating against Atheists? A study by Atheist Shoes.

I have friends and family who work for the USPS. To hear them tell it, the USPS is a pseudomilitary organization--in management style, not weaponry, although I do wish the had a mail cannon--run by former soldiers, sailors, and airmen (airpeople?) who passed the Civil Servant's exam. Mostly due to episodes of MASH that featured the lovable Father Mulcahey, and the saying, "There are no atheists in foxholes," I've always thought of the US military as a somewhat religious organization. Not like the Catholic church is a religious organization; more like the Salvation Army, I guess. So, I wasn't really surprised to learn that there might be a correlation between the labeling of Atheist Shoe's packages with a giant "Atheist" sticker and the retarded (in the delayed or impeded sense of the word) delivery of their packages.

 http://www.atheistberlin.com/study

Be sure to read some of the comments. And if you like comments, read some of the comments on Merriam Webster's definition of the word "retarded." Or as spelled in the first comment, retarted.

War on Christmas: Even the Pope Emeritus is getting in on it.

Pope Benedict's book debunks aspects of the Christmas story. Now, if we can just get him to agree the entire story is a myth...

http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/22/world/europe/vatican-pope-jesus-book/index.html

Signs this blog is going downhill

Here are a few fun posts from CNN. Yes, CNN.

These relate to the atheist group, American Atheists, Inc., and the billboards they've been buying.

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/03/01/atheist-group-targets-muslims-jews-with-myth-billboards-in-arabic-and-hebrew/

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2010/11/30/dueling-billboards-face-off-in-christmas-controversy/

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/03/first-on-cnn-atheists-ratchet-up-rhetoric-use-billboards-to-attack-republican-politicians/

This is my favorite, though. Sarah Palin gets all pissy because she said she would create laws based on god's law and the billboard read an understated should:

http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2013/03/04/atheist-group-apologizes-for-misquoting-palin-but-defends-billboards-intent/?on.cnn=1

10 Virtues for Atheists by Alain de Botton

Maybe Alain could have stopped at 9 or struggled through to 11 so these wouldn't have become Athiest commandments.

http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/home-news/10-new-virtues-for-atheists-alain-de-botton-unveils-new-manifesto-8479256.html

Atheist church?

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/magazine-21319945

Here are some quotes from the article:

"It's not a church, it's a congregation of unreligious people."
"I think people need that sense of connectedness because everyone is so singular right now, and to be part of something, and to feel like you are part of something. That's what people are craving in the world."

Warning: I'm pretty sure this is how all religions started, folks.

"It will become an organised religion. It's inevitable. A belief system will set in. There will be a structure, an ethical outlook on life," says architect Robbie Harris.

I think Robbie's got a point here. Maybe try having your non-service on Thursday. And somewhere that doesn't look like a Catholic church. I remember another group of people who got together because of a guy named Jones; it didn't end well.