The religion of the "non-religious" left: anti-free-speech, anti-science, anti-Enlightenment

Islam v. Free Speech: Twitter Surrenders
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429190/islam-twitter-and-free-speech

Why ‘Draw Mohammed’? The Artist Explains
http://www.nationalreview.com/article/429175/draw-mohammed-cartoonist-speaks-out-why-i-entered-garland-contest

[Bernie Sanders:] Global warming a worse threat than terrorism, "...climate change is directly related to the growth of terrorism..."
http://www.nationalreview.com/corner/427094/sanders-absolutely-global-warming-worse-threat-terrorism-tom-s-elliott

The main arguments supporting Sanders' assertion seem to revolve around resource availability:
http://www.factcheck.org/2015/11/sanders-on-climate-link-to-terrorism/

However what's missing from Sanders' equation is the impact of the Islamic meme set itself upon the stability and viability of societies.

Mark Steyn's response:
http://www.steynonline.com/7299/the-leader-of-the-free-world-and-his-universal

(that the Western political leadership is largely in denial about the real root causes of terrorism)

Obama's statement about what, according to him, the future "must" not belong to:
https://reason.com/blog/2012/09/25/president-obama-says-we-must-condemn-tho
(never talking smack about Mohamed)

Sam Harris and Maajid Nawaz collaborating discussions:
https://www.samharris.org/blog

Maajid is an unfortunately-singular truly-liberal voice within "Islam."
Cartoon posted by Maajid:
https://twitter.com/maajidnawaz/status/422342223460855809
more on Maajid:
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Maajid_Nawaz
https://twitter.com/MaajidNawaz
https://www.facebook.com/MaajidNawazFanPage/

Sam Harris debates Cenk Uygur (an example of the new regressive left vs those few lefties who're willing to be honest regarding Islam)
http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-young-turks-interview

Sam Harris chats w/gay neocon Douglas Murray:
http://www.samharris.org/podcast/item/on-the-maintenance-of-civilization

Re climate change, Mark Steyn is engaged in a legal battle with Michael Mann.
http://www.steynonline.com/6234/the-silencing-of-science
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6bARjABDqok

Judith Curry & Mark Steyn at the Senate: 

excerpt: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Oh6zDbWMuP0

full hearing: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5KVTmo2Vxnk

Anyway I've come to conclude that, as per Daniel Dennett's "dangerous" idea regarding religion being a natural phenomenon, religion is so damn natural that two or more atheists gathered in the name of their favorite social or political agenda cannot help but form a de facto one.

Charismatic charlatans come in all shapes and sizes. When our favorite "prophet" is on our side of the political spectrum we're more ready to dismiss their flaws. For example when Clinton was in office I personally wrote to the White House expressing my support during their trials & tribulations. However I now see that I was hoodwinked, just like I was hoodwinked about Joseph Smith.

Why are the rape crimes of Bill Clinton given a pass while the probably-natural activities of Catholic Priests & other pedophiles are not? Just because something is 'natural' doesn't mean it should be valued. Sociopathy and psychopathy are natural too, natural abusive outlier activities that is.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Naturalistic_fallacy
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Appeal_to_nature

Recoverers from religion have a hard time seeing value in fully natural & fully evolved human morality which says "no" to certain activities. Why did fully natural religions/cultures evolve moral codes of conduct? For fully natural reasons.

So how "conservative" should we be? It's a balancing act. An evolution if you will. And we aren't the first people to deal with the tension between letting it all hang out, and hanging people for doing so. Somewhere in between those two extremes lies human happiness & human thriving.

Islam & Mormonism are too conservative.

60s/70s SanFran-Glory-Hole-style liberalism is probably too permissive.

Humans aren't Bonobos. Shame regarding certain otherwise destructive activities exists for some reasonable evolutionary reasons. Moral codes of conduct evolved as counterweights to proclivities which can be destructive.

Tiny Robots Can Become Humping Lesbians Dreaming of Parthenogenesis

(video link - especially for those using an iphone)

1. Tiny Robots Can Become Humping Lesbians Dreaming of Parthenogenesis

2. Old Fart Liberal Atheists sometimes can create life - Whodathunkit

3. Thanks to those who help us.

4. Speaking the truth.

-------------

Currently obtaining the newer Battlestar Galactica. My wife is very tired of Star Trek TNG. She liked Enterprise better. And DS9 may be way too boring I think though.

We need something much more sexy!

She also likes the Henson's Dinosaurs tv series. Thanks to me the S.L. library has copies in stock again of the latter item.

Hmmm. Farscape was another good one by the general Henson family. But it's a bit too, well, visceral for my wife's taste.

As for BSG, it's worth noting that we're also comprised of little robots of a sort - with apparently emergent properties once you get enough of them together.

Will machines eventually create robots that're more human like?

At present machines called humans naturally & rather easily produce more machines called humans. A uniquely fun, rewarding, & very challenging experience I recommend to those lucky enough to push forward with such an endeavor. Had to go to China to get mine - with the help of a man I met through a now defunct atheist group here who also has a Chinese wife. Worth it though.

Thanks long-time-atheists-in-Utah for that one, the old farts in the atheist community here who have zero to do with the new crowd. I wouldn't have a wife & kid if it weren't for you.

Sometimes the work of liberals does produce a baby. Amazing! Hmmm, I'll have to remember that. Oh, and there's the very nice gay man who helps us when we go on vacation. Yes, by hell that's true. A service oriented guy who spends his life helping others. Ok, thinking of him softens my view a bit perhaps.

Anyway, when the robots realize they're robots in fiction & stories, it's quite an experience for them.

What happens when humans realize the same?

The debate between Sam Harris & Daniel Dennett is one example:

Dennett:
http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/reflections-on-free-will

Harris:
http://www.samharris.org/blog/item/the-marionettes-lament

Hey I like Harris when he does debates with theists. BUT on the issue of free will, I'm with Dennett.

IF you know you're made of tiny robots, and you think an MRI machine shows you DON'T have free will, will you be less, well moral? Yes, you will be less moral.

However if you know you're made of tiny robots, BUT you ALSO believe you have a reasonable amount of free will, you will be more moral.

Hmmm.

By extension, belief in the Bible may make you more moral. Quite true. It may also make you less moral, especially during the time of the Spanish Inquisition.

Monty Python on the issue:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vt0Y39eMvpI

Monty Python on gay marriage:
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=dlzAquNjgsk

The black atheists view:
http://blackatheistsofatlanta.tumblr.com/

----quote begins

Black Atheism vs. White Atheism

Black Atheism has nothing to do with the support or promotion of homosexuality, but White atheism does. Why do White atheists promote and support homosexuality? The answer lies in their European myths (Google Gay Zeus and Ganymede).

Homosexuality was routinely practiced by the Greeks. Their high god Zeus routinely had sexual contact with the mortal called Ganymede the Water Bearer proving that homosexuality and pedophilia was the highest standard of their culture. The ideas, concepts, customs and traditions that went into the making of the deity is a reflection of the culture of the people. Simply put, if you have no problem with homosexuality then you have no problem with deifying that concept into your ideal god.

Africans clearly had a problem with homosexuality because they never based a god around that idea and concept. They never based their culture or gods around that behavior. Another difference between Black Atheism and White Atheism —-White Atheism is based around Darwin and European science and culture. But, Black Atheism is based around the African symbol Khepera (Dung Beatle) and African science and culture. We follow the signs and symbols of African original culture, which clearly understood reproduction and evolution that is verified in the symbol of Khepera in the Nile Valley as early as 56,000 B.C. or earlier (reference Dr. Ben Jochannan and Dr. John Henrick Clarke).

Khepera is one of Africa’s oldest symbols of evolution and reproduction, which predates Darwin by thousands of years. Therefore, we don’t recognize Darwin as being the origin of the theory of evolution. To add, the law of reproduction clearly played out in the fertility figurines of the Black goddesses that you find first in Africa and then all over the world. White Atheists , however, do not acknowledge the law of reproduction. This is due to European science failure to officially recognize that the law of reproduction is the mechanism that causes evolution (gene mutation). Finally, the biggest distinction between Black atheists and White atheists is that we recognize racism and White supremacy.

----quote ends

Fascinating. I wonder how much of their views come from the fact that their ancestors were forced to come to America as slaves? Maybe some. Doesn't mean they aren't right on some points. Oh well, and they're made of tiny robots too.

Hey, if you're made of tiny robots, I suggest you try to make a new collection of tiny robots based on yourself and a friend. And, when our sun becomes 10% hotter causing the oceans to boil off, may I suggest that our distant children either re-engineer the sun or find another place to live.

We don't need to be defeatist narcissists like Lawrence Krauss. Or anally retentive a-holes like P.Z. Myers to represent the "atheist community" or the "atheist movement." But as with any movement you sometimes need a whole bunch of laxative to clear out the turds.

Thanks, Pinker, Dennett, and Hitchens, and the liberal atheist guy who helped introduce me to my wife. Also thanks to the gay guy who helps us go on vacations. Thanks, the Internet, for letting me speak even though some people want me to shut up.

Oh, and thanks Deseret News, you ARE good for something once in a while. Exposing the pedo that my gay nephew was friends with. Hey, if I'm ever friends with my gay nephew again, I'll be sure to tell him about how it was pretty stupid of him to befriend such a man. Live & learn. That's what I say. The good, the bad, and the ugly. Hey, it's human nature. Emergent activities of tiny robots. Whodathunkit.