|
|
|
|
|
[Sign Up Now] to Receive Our FREE Daily SCVTV-SCVNews Digest by E-Mail |
|
|
Inside Weather
Calendar 
Today in S.C.V. History May 7
1861 - Andres Pico and partners granted state franchise to build toll road and cut 50-foot-deep cleft through (Newhall) Pass; they failed; Beale later succeeded [story]
|
Comment On This Story |
Opinion Section Policy
Read More From... RECENT COMMENTARY
Monday, May 6, 2024
Monday, May 6, 2024
Monday, May 6, 2024
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Thursday, May 2, 2024
Wednesday, May 1, 2024
|
Tweet This
Facebook
Digg This
Bookmark
Stumble
RSS
Latest Additions to SCVNews.com
|
Get ready to level up your small business game. The next Los Angeles Region Small Business Summit will be held Thursday, May 9 and features Supervisor Lindsey Horvath, Los Angeles County Team Department of Economic Opportuntiy, city of Los Angeles and partners at Mission College in Sylmar.
 |
College of the Canyons has captured the 3C2A Southern California Regional Championship, the ninth in program history, after turning its opening round lead into a four-stroke advantage over runner-up Cypress College on Monday, May 6 at Rio Bravo Country Club.
 |
When every second counts, blood products can provide lifesaving care. The American Red Cross asks the public to give blood or platelets during Trauma Awareness Month in May to keep hospitals prepared for all transfusion needs, including emergencies.
 |
The city of Santa Clarita has announced the pickleball courts at Bouquet Canyon Park will be closed on Wednesday, May 8, for necessary maintenance on the windscreens.
 |
The California Animal Welfare Association, the San Francisco Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals and the American Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Animals have announced the inaugural California Adopt-a-Pet Day will take place on Saturday, June 1.
 |
1861 - Andres Pico and partners granted state franchise to build toll road and cut 50-foot-deep cleft through (Newhall) Pass; they failed; Beale later succeeded [story]
|
|
Gilbert, Arizona's Leah Burke has signed her National Letter of Intent to play soccer at The Master's University.
 |
CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa - The Master's University struggled against a high-energy Georgetown (KY) Tigers squad, losing in straight sets 23-25, 18-25, 20-25 in the championship match of the 2024 National Association of Intercollegiate Athletics Men's Volleyball Championships.
 |
College of the Canyons student-athletes Nichole Muro (softball) and Owen Crockett (men's golf) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running April 29 to May 4.
 |
Step into the Heart of 1970s Texas at The MAIN as Front Row Center presents, "Lone Star, Laundry, and Bourbon."
 |
Warmer weather, longer days and the sound of baseball is officially back!
 |
Mental Health Hookup, in partnership with Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital, will conduct the third annual Stop the Stigma community event on May 18, from 10 a.m. to 2 p.m., on the Henry Mayo Newhall Hospital campus, located at 23803 McBean Parkway in Valencia.
 |
|
California State University, Northridge is set to open a first of its kind resource center in the CSU system to provide basic needs services such as food, clothing and wellness in a centralized location on campus.
 |
The city of Santa Clarita’s Film Office released the list of three productions currently filming in the Santa Clarita Valley for the week of Monday, May 6 - Sunday, May 12.
 |
In an effort to bolster local businesses, Los Angeles County just launched the Entertainment Business Interruption Fund, a $4.1 million grant program aimed to serve businesses that were impacted by the Hollywood strikes and the pandemic.
 |
The city of Santa Clarita is excited to announce the upcoming exhibition, “From the Sweet Flypaper of Life,” featuring the remarkable works of high school students enrolled in the CalArts Community Arts Partnership (CAP) Photography Lab Program.
 |
Zonta Club of Santa Clarita Valley will host a free workshop to provide a recap of previous workshops beginning Nov. 18, 2023 through May 18, 2024 and a review of tools learned and how to continue to build on connected relationships.
 |
As a City dedicated to inclusivity and community, we aim to create world-class events to bring our residents together.
 |
|
During Motorcycle Safety Awareness Month in May, the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department would like to remind drivers to always look twice for motorcycles.
 |
|
Dale Donohoe and Kim Kurowski were named the Santa Clarita Valley's top volunteers of the year at the 2024 SCV Man and Woman of the Year dinner celebration held Friday, May 3 at the Hyatt Regency Valencia. The event also honored all of the 17 men and 17 woman nominated for the award.
 |
|
|
The regular meeting of the Saugus Union School District Governing Board will take place Tuesday, May 7, with closed session beginning at 5:30 p.m., followed immediately by public session at 6:30 p.m.
 |
REAL NAMES ONLY: All posters must use their real individual or business name. This applies equally to Twitter account holders who use a nickname.
27 Comments
You don’t understand atheism at all. Atheists have no “problem” wrapping their minds around a supreme being, we just have no reason to think such an entity exists.
And even without religion, winter solstice is an astronomical event that many cultures celebrate, because that’s when days stop getting shorter and start getting longer again.
“Freedom from lies?” Which lies are those? To call someone out as a liar without citing their lies and the evidence that demonstrates the claims to be lies is, at best, disingenuous. Is it the claim that atheism is not a religion? If so, you failed at demonstrating that to be a lie. Gathering as a social group to be a community to enjoy camaraderie, communal music, and a thought-provoking talk is not religion, but it has been a part of the human experience for millennia, and some people miss that but not the magic, superstition, and mythology that religions are built upon. Is it the evangelism? No, because you showed that saving dolphins can also be evangelized, and you certainly wouldn’t call that a religion. Is it the displays? Given the tiny proportion of total media devoted to atheism versus that devoted to religion, and the sensibility of the messages carried therein versus the wishful thinking and nonsense of the latter, hardly. But, it WAS nice that you managed to close things up with Pascal’s wager, because we all know that the Christian God is the only possible deity that could exist. What if YOU’RE wrong, and it’s Odin whose wrath you’ve incurred? No battle of Ragnarok for you! What if it’s Osiris, weighing your heart against a feather, or Zeus deciding if you’re headed to Hades or the Elysium Fields? Did you ever stop to think that you could be wrong? Why would you think a threat of punishment from a magical being we don’t believe in would be any more compelling to us than the threat of Hades would be to you who doesn’t believe in Zeus? Did you ever wonder if the arguments you present actually make sense, or do you simply rely on the echo chamber of the like-minded people in your religious community for confirmation of their soundness? Critical thinking skills and rational skepticism are the first steps to atheism. Avoid them at all costs if you want to keep your religious faith intact.
Randy, very well stated. Thank you!
Amen to that Randy. Very nicely put. SCV.com should get rid of Joe’s irrational rantings and give you his column.
Joe, if you read this: you seemed like a pleasant man when I saw you at the Inter-faith discussion, the American Legion breakfast and the senior center TG dinner. But your rants are pure demogoguery. (And you’ll probably zero in on the fact I may have misspelled demogoguery; I’m not even checking the dictionary just to give you some ammunition for another column degrading us atheists.)
cudos to you sir.
I believe in God Almighty with all my heart and soul. If I’m wrong, there will be no consequence, and I will just be “no more”. What will atheists
face when they find themselves wrong? God is
merciful. He is also just.
Read the last half of my prior post, then apologize for making the same terrible kindergarten theology argument.
Marilyn, read Randy’s response above to understand the logical fallacy of Pascal’s wager.
That’s wrong. If you’re wrong and some other religion is right, you’ll probably be going to some hell you didn’t even know exists (because you only know your own religion, if that, and not the thousands of other religions). Talk about a statement of ignorance. =)
Do you think God will punish me because he did not make himself evident to me. Which God are we talking about. Zeus, Thor, Hercules? You religious types can,t make up your minds who to pray to.
you are an atheist! godchecker.com list 2,500 gods-no-more. We just disbelieve in one more god than you.
According to your precious Christian bible, the god you worship has repeatedly murdered children.
Murdering children is neither merciful nor just.
Atheists are morally enlightened enough to understand this.
Too bad Christians are so morally retarded.
Are you telling me that one has to worship a pagan god to recognize the occurrence of shortest day of the year in the Northern Hemisphere?
Considering I just had a knock at my door ‘evangelizing’ a Christian religion, I can’t imagine why on earth Joe would have an issue with atheists doing the same.
Once again the white Christian male has to mansplain his way of life to the rest of us who can’t possibly find community in gathering with others WITHOUT a supreme being. Who can’t possibly find morals without the help of supreme being. Who can’t possibly wrap our heads around an astronomical event (not a religious event) during the winter months of which we can celebrate.
It pains me this man is responsible for overseeing the education of the children of this valley. He wishes everyone to be like him and his kind and can’t seem to tolerate the rest of us. He’ll shake your hand and smile and say he will consider everyone in his decisions but his business and his seat are bought and paid for by the other white male christians in town.
Thank goodness the demo is changing in town.
yup. Name me one major religion that has a (GASP!) woman at the head … ?
“By definition, atheists are on an evangelical campaign to convert believers to non-believers.”
Joe, you’re misleading your readers again (what’s new?). Unlike religious proslytizers, we atheists are not trying to convert anybody. You are welcome to worship any superstitions you choose (but please keep it out of the public arenas). We are trying to get the message out to other non-believers who live and work among religious fanatics like you that it is all right not to believe in the god superstition. We encourage them to join our ranks – in the millions worldwide if not billions – so as to escape the intimidation from religionists with which they are constantly bombarded. You should pay closer attention when the Inter-faith Council invites an atheist to be on the panel.
What a load of hypocritical bigotry. Mr.Messina, you’re just another among many Christians who can’t stand it that atheists are speaking out and doing what y’all do constantly.
The booth in San Diego is “Ask an Atheist.” It’s not evangelizing. Evangelizers are the ones down the steet singing and drumming and handing out literature. Evangelizers are the SHOUTERS who drown out normal conversation across the street. The San Diego booth’s quiet presence is to let people know that they are not alone if they are not believers. Atheists, humanists and rationalists need each other in order to protect our right to freedom from religious interference in government and public schools. And don’t knock us for seeking some of the same perks that religious people have: gathering, socializing, celebrating, doing good works, educating. Those things aren’t “church”; they’re the goals and results of normal human interaction.
—This man who wrote the article is wrong.
All babies are born atheists. Their parents indoctrinate their innocent children in the religion of their locality. People have claimed over the years that there have been thousands, maybe millions of gods. Which gods are real, and which ones are not? Or are none of them real?
Atheism is simple: In the history of the world not once has anyone brought forth any evidence whatsoever that any type of god or gods exist. Simple.
—This man who wrote the article is wrong.
All babies are born atheists. Their parents indoctrinate their innocent children in the religion of their locality. People have claimed over the years that there have been thousands, maybe millions of gods. Which gods are real, and which ones are not? Or are none of them real?
Atheism is simple: In the history of the world not once has anyone brought forth any evidence whatsoever that any type of god or gods exist. Simple.
This is a hateful article. FFRF is celebrating the winter solstice and they encourage others to join them, why is that so threatening? It’s no coincidence that Christmas was set for December 25, the exact same time as winter solstice was being celebrated by the Romans.
It seems Mr. Messina is on the verge of understanding the grips that non-believers have. I’ll use his words and insert the atheist position.
The season for festivities at this time of year would not exist if it weren’t for the winter solstice. Most atheists “evangelize” because they want others to realize what they realize and why. This year, Christians have launched a concerted campaign, setting up booths at craft fairs and in parks sharing their holiday message. Christians – whom I lovingly refer to as Religious Freaks – in their fight to impose religion, are selling a variety of greeting cards for “Christmas.” It’s ironic that Christians, so dead-set on the concept of a human God, would be promoting a holiday that is linked to Pagan solstice celebrations.
Throughout history, cultures around the world have worshiped sun gods and goddesses at the time of solstice. How does a monotheistic group reconcile itself stealing solstice celibrations with greeting cards that say, “Yes, Virginia! Christ was born on the solstice”? Confused? I think so.
There are now Christian “churches” and meeting houses popping up where they sing songs, hear a “talk” and have some quiet reflection before going home. Sound familiar? Christians are also putting up holiday displays everywhere, even on government property where it should remain neutral on the subject! And in central New Jersey, people are claiming, “Disaster victims don’t need real help, just prayer and Bibles! Sound crazy? I think so.
There are even hateful Christian activists who put up billboards saying such things as “Why do Atheists hate America,” “Anti-God is Anti- American, Anti-American is Treason, Traitors lead to Civil War,” and threats like “It’s your choice… Heaven or Hell,” and saying that anything they can to “convert” is worth it.
By their own admission, Christians are on an evangelical campaign to conver non-believers to believers. Isn’t America wonderful with that whole freedom-of-speech thing? Too bad there wasn’t a “freedom from lies” in the Constitution. I guess when the only “truth” you base your whole existence on is a book assembled thousands of years ago from unknown sources which contains so many abserdities, it becomes a fluid and subjective “Truth,” or simply a book of multiple choice to pick and choose things that match our societies morals.
These people are disingenuous. It’s not that they want equality and freedom to practice their own brand of religion. They want us to abandon logic and have the same “belief” they have. They want us to feel ridiculous for rejecting logic and rejecting the claim of an afterlife simply because they believe in it.
The fact that they can’t wrap their minds around science and logic doesn’t prove something exists in the absence of evidence. Talk about being full of yourself. And they actively work against “atheists,” telling us it’s for our own good.
The fact that they think we can’t be fulfilled and have purpose because we don’t believe in Heaven and hell shows a level of ignorance that’s staggering.
If you want to sell your wares, be honest about it. If you really have the truth, that there is a god, then “prove it.” If it’s true, it will stand on its own. If not … well then, don’t expect people to accept it.
Hear what Gretta Vosper, Progressive and Atheist Christian Minister and Author, has to say about if belief in a religion makes one happier than being atheist: http://www.vidoyen.com/questions/does-belief-in-one-of-the-established-religions-make-one-happier-than-being-atheist/answers/gretta-vosper
It depresses me to see religious people as lackeys , who “BELIEVE!, BELIEVE!” … but don’t question, question. To me, it’s is such a waste … waste … of resources and energy.
I am an atheist who has two goals b4 I get dead(I am a 71 yr old senior): First, isolate religionists – religion is just one of a bunch of subsets of the BIG SET of the supernatural (others are scams like astrology, reading head bumps or palms, alleged telepathic talks with the dead, etc etc.). Second, once isolated, EXTERMINATE! yup. Get rid of the stoopidity that gets $71,000,000,000 in gov’t hand outs (local, state, federal) EACH YR!!! And, this figure is a very very very conservative estimate (see Prof. Cragun at the University of Tampa’s research. I suggest “believers” do just what many of us realists have done – READ THE BIBLE (OR OTHER “HOLY” BOOKS). If you do, they are the GREATEST dose of reality one can discover.
I would like to comment on the last four paragraphs directly.
“These people are disingenuous. It’s not that they want equality and freedom to practice their own brand of religion. They want us to abandon our religion and have the same “nothing” they have. They want us to feel ridiculous for believing in an afterlife simply because they don’t believe in it.”
– Do I, personally, want people to abandon their religions? Yes. I would prefer to have more rational, reasonable, logical people in this world instead of people who believe in angels. But not by a long shot do I consider abandoning religion equating to having nothing. Abandoning beliefs in things we do not have sufficient evidence for, in exchange for those things that we do have evidence for is just a shift toward a firm focus on reality. Sometimes reality isn’t comforting, and that’s okay. I prefer to put my energy into the tangible rather than the intangible. Do I want the religious to feel ridiculous for believing in an afterlife? No, I don’t want anyone to take a hit to their self esteem. Nor do I want to continue to be threatened with your religion’s hell (as you have alluded to in the last sentence of this article) because I don’t believe in it. It seems to me a Christian version of “If you don’t want to play ball the way I say, then I will take my ball and go home. Plus, I’m totally telling on you!” And the threat remains as empty as a super model’s stomach. Threatening me with hell is like threatening a Christian with spending eternity with Bigfoot.
“The fact that they can’t wrap their minds around a supreme being who made everything must mean it can’t exist. Talk about being full of yourself. And they actively work against “believers,” telling us it’s for our own good.”
– It’s not that we atheists can’t wrap our minds around a supreme being creating everything. It’s that the evidence does not support supernatural causes. It points to natural, reliable, predictable causes. I actively work to bring awareness to the evidence. If the evidence works against your beliefs, you may want to reconsider your beliefs.
“The fact that they think we can’t have fun because we believe in Heaven and hell shows a level of ignorance that’s staggering.”
– I think you can have a ton of fun! I encourage you to have as much fun as you can pack into your day/week/year/life! Go for it, have a gay old time! ;-)
“If you want to sell your wares, be honest about it. If you really have the truth, that there is nothing, then “preach” it. If it’s true, it will stand on its own. If not … well then, make sure you have air conditioning.”
– The sciences do have the truths. The truths are reliable and repeatable, and they not only stand on their own, but upon the shoulders of millions of other scientists and researchers, et al that have duplicated the answers. That’s one of the great things about peer review. You don’t have to try to convince someone else about the great truth you have discovered via experimentation. You hand over the experiment to another person and just say, “see for yourself.”
In closing I would say that atheists have the same capacity to be disingenuous as the next person, but in my own personal experience I have seen less of it in other atheists than I have in the devoutly religious.
Typical Christian, Republican stupidity.
I’m sure his magical, baby-slaughtering friend is really proud.