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Today in S.C.V. History May 3
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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.
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The city of Santa Clarita Arts Commission is holding its regular meeting in City Hall's Council Chambers Thursday, May 9 at 6 p.m. The meeting will be held at Santa Clarita City Hall, 23920 Valencia Blvd., Valencia, CA 91355.
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Experience the Butterfly Encounter at Gilchrist Farm open now on weekends thorugh Sunday, June 18. Walk through a tent of beautiful flowers hosting live butterflies that fly freely throughout the tent.
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The Santa Clarita Community College District Board of Trustees will hold a business meeting Wednesday, May 8, beginning at 5 p.m. The board will first meet in closed session at 4:15 p.m.
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The Castaic Union School District Governing Board will hold its regular meeting Thursday, May 8, at 6 p.m. A closed session will be held at 5:30 p.m.
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Fire Service Day Open House will be held at all County of Los Angeles Fire Department fire stations on Saturday, May 4 from 10 a.m. to 5 p.m.
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The Santa Clarita Valley Media Collaborative invites the public as well as local creatives, media industry professionals, students, parents, teachers and others to celebrate the next generation of media makers participating in the inaugural NextGen MediaMakers Festival on Saturday, May 18 from 2-5 p.m. at the Canyon Country Community Center.
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Explore Vasquez Rocks during the magical twilight and early evening full moon hours. These fun, collaborative, interpretive hikes are led by trained staff and volunteers and will highlight the park's natural and human history.
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Astrotourism is top of mind for travelers making special trips for experiences in the sky, and with the recent “take-your-breath-away” total solar eclipse, thousands of cruisers onboard Emerald Princess and Discovery Princess off the coast of Mexico caught a glimpse of the total darkness event.
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The Santa Clarita City Council will hold a study session on Tuesday, May 7 at 5 p.m. The council will meet at City Hall, Carl Boyer Room, 23920 Valencia Blvd., First Floor, Santa Clarita, CA 91355.
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Garbage inspectors will soon be paying a visit to neighborshoods throughout the Santa Clarita Valley to inspect recycling bins to insure residents are following the recycling rules in the SCV.
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College of the Canyons competed at the 3C2A State Singles & Doubles Championships for a second straight year, with the doubles duo of Sydney Tamondong and Estrella Segura establishing program history by advancing to the round of 16 at the Ojai Athletic Club.
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College of the Canyons men's basketball head coach Howard Fisher's Cougar Basketball Camp returns in 2024 with three sessions open to boys and girls ages 8 to 14.
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The Friends of Santa Clarita Public Library is hosting a “Spring Bag Sale” event at the Valencia, Canyon Country and Newhall branches of the Santa Clarita Public Library, during normal operating hours from Saturday, May 4 to Sunday, May 12.
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A former public school teacher who launched a racist and anti-immigrant tirade against a Santa Clarita street vendor is being sued by a Latino civil rights group for civil assault and violating California civil rights laws.
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The Village of Pine Mountain Club has hosted wine festivals since 2003. You can taste exciting wines from the world’s top wine-growing regions, with dozens of premier wineries to choose from on Saturday, July 6, 1-4 p.m. at Wine in the Pines.
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The American Cancer Society Relay For Life of Santa Clarita Valley will be held Saturday, May 4, 9 a.m.-9 p.m. at Central Park, with the theme “May The Cure Be With You,” a Disney/Star Wars celebration.
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Ten risk-taking, mid-career artists were announced Thursday as the recipients of the 2024 Herb Alpert Award in the Arts (HAAIA).
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CEDAR RAPIDS, Iowa -- The Master's University men's volleyball team won their opening match of the 2024 NAIA National Championship with a 3-set win over the No. 9-seed Mount Mercy (IA) Mustangs.
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Andrew Skerratt did not anticipate graduating with an electrical engineering degree from The Master’s University.
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Nichole Muro was brilliant in the circle through seven shutout innings and Gigi Garcia broke the game open with a two-run double in the sixth inning as No. 15 College of the Canyons got past No. 18 Cuesta College 4-0 in its 3C2A Southern California Regional Playoffs play-in game at Whitten Field on Tuesday.
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As we kick off the new month, I am proud to reflect on the incredible growth and achievements we've witnessed over the past four months.
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College of the Canyons student-athletes Sydney Tamondong (women's tennis) and Nathaniel Wilkinson (men's track and field) have been named the COC Athletic Department's Women's and Men's Student-Athletes of the Week for the period running April 22-27.
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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.