I have been attending the Alpha course with my buddy Fauzia (aka F-Dawg) for the last three weeks. I am a Christian, F-Dawg is not, although her mom is a recent convert and to say that poor F-Dawg has received her fair share of bible-bashing is probably the understatement of the year. The course has been cool so far and the group sessions are mostly dominated by F-Dawg and I debating issues that we have debated on numerous occasions before – so, pretty much, the other ten people may as well be paintings on the wall. Occasionally somebody makes a comment and very rarely is it relevant to the debate we are having. Last week F-Dawg and I were chit-chatting about the fact that Christians preach that Christianity is the only way. She cannot accept the narcissism and arrogance of this view and wants to know why all religions are not correct. Why is Christianity the only right one? It is a valid point and, of course, makes many Christians uncomfortable as exemplified by the half-assed response from the Christians in our Alpha group: there is some truth in all religions. That’s it. That’s the whole response. I got so mad that I thought my heart was going to jump right out of my chest and splatter all over my increasingly red face. Here’s the reason: in a world that preaches relativism, Christians are afraid to say that what they believe is right. So they pussy-foot around it, not wanting to chase people away, by skirting the truth of the matter. Yes, there is some truth in all religions but the whole point is that Christianity is the truth. The whole irony is that Alpha is an evangelical course designed to show non-believers the truth of Christianity – so when confronted by someone at Alpha who wants to know why Christianity is right and other religions are wrong, to bullshit around the issue is like a slap in the face. (more…)

The article Missing link found? Scientists unveil fossil of 47 million-year-old primate, Darwinius masillae, published in the New Scientist, reports that the missing link has been found. So what’s the link? Well, some dinosaur/possum thing that was found just outside of Frankfurt in 1983. Yes folks, it has taken scientists 25 years to come to the miraculous conclusion that what you see in the picture above is indeed the missing link. Scientists claim that the possum/dinosaur thing had “opposable thumbs like humans and fingernails instead of claws” and that the creature’s “hind legs offer evidence of evolutionary changes that led to primates standing upright”. It is thus the missing link – our “grand, grand, grand aunt”. **applause** So fingernails and some vague reference to hind leg ability equals missing link. Why something so obvious in its human-likeness was not reported back in the 80s, when the discovery was made, is anyone’s guess. (more…)

“There’s Probably No God. Now Stop Worrying And Enjoy Your Life” is the slogan of an atheist bus campaign launched in January around the UK. The campaign was financed by public donations to a fund administered by the British Humanist Association as well as a substantial payment made by Richard Dawkins, author of The God Delusion, in fulfillment of his pledge to match a portion of the contributions made by the public. Many Christians have heralded the coming of the apocalypse because of this first ever UK atheist advertising campaign. I don’t get what all the uproar is about. I say “Thanks atheists”. (more…)

So Barack Obama is the Antichrist. I myself, am quite relieved, although surprised that it didn’t turn out to be Oprah. Let’s face it, the world is in a pretty bad state. The environment, the economy and human nature are all in a state of degeneration and regression. I am pretty much embarrassed to call myself a member of the human race. People are getting crazier by the second. From the Australian father of three involved in a custody battle, who threw his four-year-old daughter over the side of a bridge to the psychotic mob stampede that killed a Wal-mart employee on sale day. Nevermind wars, greedy bankers, poverty, oppression, rape murder and pillage. And global warming is going to get us sooner rather than later. With the planet and its occupants facing their imminent doom I say “Welcome Mr Antichrist Sir”. (more…)

St Eulalia by John William Waterhouse is the most magnificently evocative painting. I simply adore it. When I saw it at the Tate Britain for the first time it brought tears to my eyes. Eulalia, in the foreground of the painting, was a twelve year old girl who was martyred in the fourth century (AD 304) in Barcelona for refusing to worship Roman gods. Diocletian was Emperor at the time and had ordered the persecution of Christians who did not offer sacrifice to the pagan gods. Eulalia endured hours of torture – her body was torn with iron hooks and her breasts were set alight, until she was finally suffocated as a result of the smoke and flames issuing from her burning body. Legend reveals that upon Eulalia’s death a white dove flew from her mouth and ascended into heaven as miraculously it began to snow. Aurelius Prudentius Clemens, who was a Roman Christian poet, wrote an account of Euralia’s martyrdom. The account is contained in Liber Peristephanon (Crowns of Martyrdom) which is a collection of 14 lyric poems on Spanish and Roman martyrs. Liber 3 is the story of St Eulalia – a story of courage and unfailing faith: (more…)