Thursday, November 28, 2013

Site Blog Test

                                                               +AMDG+

The Masked Angel:

I pray you all had a happy Thanksgiving and are taking my advise by not buying into the commercialism of Consume-us but I would like to give a quick update about this blog:

This idea has been on my mind for some time and I think now would be as good a time to start it.
Starting next Thursday, I will be putting anti-atheist memes on here that I have designed myself.

Here's one I found on Google to give you some idea about the ones I have in mind:


Ultimately, I want to create a side blog about this in the style of liberallogic101 but first I want to see how this idea goes over first. So check back on Nov 5th for the first one. 
God keep you and remind you that atheists are idiots.

Monday, November 25, 2013

Christmas Plan of Attack

                                                                      +AMDG+

With the Advent season coming, I thought that now would be a good time to bring up how much we are at war to save the Christmas season. Let's face it: there are many tools atheists/secularists use to discourage, or flat out shame people into not celebrating the holiday or at the very worst make it an excuse for companies to push their wares on us, hence why some complain Christmas has "become too commercialized."

Let's get one thing straight here: I'm all for people earning their own keep, but this is one of several reasons Pope Leo X protested against unbridled capitalism: you're sacrificing the dignity of man for the sake of the dollar and then trick yourself into thinking what you're doing is right.
If you don't believe me on that, consider this: as we speak, Wal-Mart employees who have to work on Thanksgiving night (yes, they're pulling this bull again) are holding a can drive so the workers can at least have a decent Thanksgiving meal. Upon hearing about this, the executives of Wal-Mart said (and I am not kidding: this was their real response):

"This is proof positive that Wal-Mart employees look out for one another."

So how did we get to this sad state of affairs? We and we alone must accept the poor choices we've made. We made the choice that being one of the first 100 people inside a mall just to get 80% off is more important than taking time off to actually talk to our families (and no, talking to your families does NOT mean texting or Facetime.)

Some brave souls have put together online petitions and letters urging stores to not put Christmas related goods and decorations up so early but they clearly have no affect. More and more stores are buying into the "skip Thanksgiving as much as possible because since when has spending time with family ever made us money?" mentality so now it's up to us to fight back.

How?

1. "Know yourself and know your enemies and you need not fear the outcome of a thousand battles."
This is a quote from Sun Tzu and he was talking about preparing for battle but the principle can also apply to talking Christmas back. Think about it for a moment: the only reason why stores put their Christmas decorations up before Thanksgiving (and in growing numbers, before Halloween) is because they think it will make them more money. If we give them money for it, we are enabling their behavior. 
How so? Companies will only perform an action if they think it will either make them money or at the very least bring in as much as it takes to execute it. If the figures show it's not worth it, they won't do it. This right here is key to victory. 
Think of it like this: pretend for a moment the dollars in your wallet are voting ballots. Every time you spend something, you're casting your vote in favor of it. Now, here is a crucial point: unlike in a public election, if you choose to not vote, your vote still counts. If you don't literally buy into the commercialism, then they'll get the message.

2. Follow your family's old traditions.

If you don't know them, learn about them. Even if you don't understand them at first, there's most likely a reason why they have existed as long as they have.
For example, in my family we have a tradition called the Christmas Pickle. If you've never heard of it, 
check this link out: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Christmas_pickle

3. Realize memories will last more than the stuff you give other people. 

If you don't believe me on this, try this thought experiment: recall as many gifts you were given as possible. Now, recall all the other memories you have on events related to Christmas: I'll bet you dollar for dollar group B is bigger than group A. 

4. Don't put your decorations up until the start of Advent.

Do I really need to explain this one?

5. Don't buy anything the day after Thanksgiving.

If emergencies happen or you want to pay off a bill, then okay, but nothing retail related. Plus, you know things are bad if even South Park starts spoofing it:



5. Observe all of Advent.

In one article I've cross, the Christmas season was compared to a buffet, with Advent as the main course and Christmas as the dessert. It further stated that too often stores want us to skip the dinner and go right to desert.

Advent is supposed to be a time of preparation for Christmas, and Christmas is not supposed to be for just one day. It is supposed to last from Christmas Day until the Epiphany (aka Baptism of the Lord, aka Three Kings Day or in my neck of the swamp, the start of Mardi Gras).

So put up not just the lights and the tree, but also the Advent Wreath and Nativity Scene.
Speaking of which....

6. Do the Advent Wreath prayers as a family and defend the Nativity scene wherever people show it.

The only thing I can add to this is a link to the Advent wreath prayers:
http://www.fisheaters.com/customsadvent2.html

As for the Nativity scene, don't let secular/atheists bully you into taking one down. If a town called Warren can stand up to them, then so can you. And contrary to what you have been led to believe, it is legal to both put a Nativity scene in full view on your own property and put one on city owned property. 

7. Attend Mass on at least ALL the Holy Days of Obligation.

This means Dec 8th, Christmas Day, New Year's Day and Epiphany but can also include Dec 6th (St Nicholas Day) as well as Dec. 12 (Our Lady of Guadalupe). If you want to attend more often, you are greatly encouraged to do so.

8. If you are going to buy gifts, be sure said gifts are made in America or make something yourself.

This isn't so much Christmas related but it is a way to bring jobs and revenue back to America. Economists say if we just buy $65 more in American goods, we can create 200,000 jobs right here at home. 
Notice I said "if you're going to buy." I would prefer it if gift money was spent on solving more long term problems, which leads me to....

9. Consider giving to either Samaritan's Purse or Advent Conspiracy. 
Here are the links to each respective group:
http://www.samaritanspurse.org
http://www.adventconspiracy.org

10. For home cooks out there, consider making your goods with produce from a co-op and with Fair Trade ingredients.

This goes especially for any recipe that calls for chocolate and/or coffee. More information on Fair Trade can be found with this video: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F_h99DDa39E

11. Arm yourself.

Tired of not hearing "Merry Christmas" at a store? Frustrated over the fact you can't find any religious themed Christmas cards? Here you have several options:

-Catholic Daughter's Court #2554 sells online little buttons that say "It's Okay to Say Merry Christmas to Me."  Orders for said buttons can be found here
-ChristisChristmas.com sells paper Christmas cards or if you prefer online greetings, sign up for e-cards at catholicgreetings.org
-And of course, it's easy to find car magnets for the Knights of Columbus "Keep Christ in Christmas" campaign, which can be found here.

12. Do not invite any known atheist or secularist to any Christmas party or event you throw.

That might sound mean, but think of it like this: no Jewish person would invite a Gentile to Hanukkah; no Muslim would invite a non-Muslim to Ramadan, so why should an atheist be invited to a Christmas party? They reject the faith so why let them enjoy it? 
Besides, what could bring people down more than some atheist screw-head claiming Jesus is just a myth?

And there's the 12 part Christmas plan of attack just in time for Advent, but never fear: I will soon be bringing the REAL thoughts atheists have towards Christmas and it will leave no doubt that atheists are idiots!!

Monday, November 11, 2013

Atheist Church? Give Me a Break!!

                                                         +AMDG+


LOS ANGELES (AP) — It looked like a typical Sunday morning at any mega-church. Several hundred people, including families with small children, packed in for more than an hour of rousing music, an inspirational talk and some quiet reflection. The only thing missing was God.
On Sunday, the inaugural Sunday Assembly in Los Angeles attracted several hundred people bound by their belief in non-belief. Similar gatherings in San Diego, Nashville, New York and other U.S. cities have drawn hundreds of atheists seeking the camaraderie of a congregation without religion or ritual.Nearly three dozen gatherings dubbed "atheist mega-churches" by supporters and detractors have sprung up around the U.S. and Australia — with more to come — after finding success in Great Britain earlier this year. The movement fueled by social media and spearheaded by two prominent British comedians is no joke.
The founders, British duo Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans, are currently on a tongue-in-cheek "40 Dates, 40 Nights" tour around the U.S. and Australia to drum up donations and help launch new Sunday Assemblies. They hope to raise more than $800,000 that will help atheists launch their pop-up congregations around the world. So far, they have raised about $50,000.
They don't bash believers but want to find a new way to meet likeminded people, engage in the community and make their presence more visible in a landscape dominated by faith.
Jones got the first inkling for the idea while leaving a Christmas carol concert six years ago.
"There was so much about it that I loved, but it's a shame because at the heart of it, it's something I don't believe in," Jones said. "If you think about church, there's very little that's bad. It's singing awesome songs, hearing interesting talks, thinking about improving yourself and helping other people— and doing that in a community with wonderful relationships. What part of that is not to like?"
The movement dovetails with new studies that show an increasing number of Americans are drifting from any religious affiliation.
The Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life released a study last year that found 20 percent of Americans say they have no religious affiliation, an increase from 15 percent in the last five years. Pew researchers stressed, however, that the category also encompassed majorities of people who said they believed in God but had no ties with organized religion and people who consider themselves "spiritual" but not "religious."
Sunday Assembly — whose motto is Live Better, Help Often, Wonder More — taps into that universe of people who left their faith but now miss the community church provided, said Phil Zuckerman, a professor of secular studies at Pitzer College in Claremont.
It also plays into a feeling among some atheists that they should make themselves more visible. For example, last December, an atheist in Santa Monica created an uproar — and triggered a lawsuit — when he set up a godless display amid Christian nativity scenes that were part of a beloved, decades-old tradition.
"In the U.S., there's a little bit of a feeling that if you're not religious, you're not patriotic. I think a lot of secular people say, 'Hey, wait a minute. We are charitable, we are good people, we're good parents and we are just as good citizens as you and we're going to start a church to prove it," said Zuckerman. "It's still a minority, but there's enough of them now."
That impulse, however, has raised the ire of those who have spent years pushing back against the idea that atheism itself is a religion.
"The idea that you're building an entire organization based on what you don't believe, to me, sounds like an offense against sensibility," said Michael Luciano, a self-described atheist who was raised Roman Catholic but left when he became disillusioned.
"There's something not OK with appropriating all of this religious language, imagery and ritual for atheism," said Luciano, who blogged about the movement at the site policymic.com.
That sentiment didn't seem to detract from the excitement Sunday at the inaugural meeting in Los Angeles.
Hundreds of atheists and atheist-curious packed into a Hollywood auditorium for a boisterous service filled with live music, moments of reflection, an "inspirational talk" about forgotten — but important — inventors and scientists and some stand-up comedy.
During the service, attendees stomped their feet, clapped their hands and cheered as Jones and Evans led the group through rousing renditions of "Lean on Me," ''Here Comes the Sun" and other hits that took the place of gospel songs. Congregants dissolved into laughter at a get-to-know-you game that involved clapping and slapping the hands of the person next to them and applauded as members of the audience spoke about community service projects they had started in LA.
At the end, volunteers passed cardboard boxes for donations as attendees mingled over coffee and pastries and children played on the floor.
For atheist Elijah Senn, the morning was perfect.
"I think the image that we have put forward in a lot of ways has been a scary, mean, we want to tear down the walls, we want to do destructive things kind of image is what a lot of people have of us," he said. "I'm really excited to be able to come together and show that it's not about destruction. It's about making things and making things better."

For the link, click here.

THE MASKED ANGEL:

Oh, where do I begin with this one? 

First off, are we surprised this is taking place in Los Angeles? The exact same town that brought us race riots, the 99% movement and the Oakland Raiders? The exact same area whose nonsense is causing people to go move outside of California? 
Second, (and I don't know who else noticed this) "hour of rousing music, an inspirational talk and some quiet reflection"? Is it me or does this sound like a Protestant church device?
Third...what's the point? What is this going to accomplish? If the point of this is to show that one can be "Good without God" then it is doomed to fail. All a Christian is going to see when looking at this is the atheist letting the Christian frame the debate and therefore the Christian will see no need to change their mind.
Fourth, who do these two limeys think they are?

From what I can tell, Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans are two comedians (notice the people who start these movements are not qualified in any way to speak about religion?) who came up with an idea about having a church but not have God. According to an interview with ABC NEWS, Jones abandoned the faith when his mother died when he was only ten.

Not to dump on losing his mother, but I can name people who suffered far worse tragedies than that and that didn't them from believing in God.

Fifth, I like this quote from one atheist:
"I think the image that we have put forward in a lot of ways has been a scary, mean, we want to tear down the walls, we want to do destructive things kind of image is what a lot of people have of us."

Scary,mean, wanting to tear down walls and do destructive things? Now wherever would people get that idea? ;)

Sixth, service projects started by atheists? Dream on. Statistically speaking, that notion is most likely a lie. Study after study shows religious people give more, volunteer more, and donate more of themselves to community projects.

Lastly, there is one positive thing I can say about this:
this dispels the notion that atheists get together and worship nothing.
Thanks, hate-theists: I almost forgot about the Reason Rally!!!