out of mind

windowinyourhead asked: "Pseudoscience" suggests there might be some element of science present. Astrology is faith-based, which is to say, religion.

I agree that it has more of a religious tone in terms of believing without understanding, but astrology has a very rich history. It’s basically the primitive version of astronomy, so it’s just a matter of correcting ones course to interpret the universe correctly.

People who are hard core believers of such pseudoscience are not corrupting the world, they’re simply choosing not to reach beyond their own understanding because of the way it already makes them feel. It’s a gap of ignorance they have yet to cross. That’s a very similar parallel to the way religions persuade others’ minds to operate as well, but astrologists are not banning together against climate change, women’s reproductive “rights” or gay marriage.

However, astrology will eventually fade out, as will other religions in terms of superimposing these “truths” or this pseudo “knowledge” onto others as well as applying it across the board, globally overgeneralizing and completely tuning out the societal factors at hand along with the persistent, applicable and rapidly-advancing understanding of how our brains/minds function.

The way I look at astrology is this….I’m just glad you’re looking up and paying attention to the stars. If you don’t have anyone around you providing you with any more information on the stars and planets you so dearly attribute to the way you are and the interpret our existence, then you’re limiting yourself to truly understanding the natural world for what it really is.

Understanding the way the planets and the stars operate manifests true awe and slowly displaces your feeling of connectivity once sought through pseudo-practices like astrology. You want to know, or you don’t. If you don’t, you’re not doing anyone any favors by putting others onto it or again, superimposing your own insecurities and willful ignorance onto another person’s life. There’s no excuse for ignorance anymore. Our technological advances as a civilization have brought forth abundant knowledge and global access. To waiver that “right” as a human being - knowledge, curiosity, understanding, intelligence - is to deny life itself.

Because once you go down that road and you take the little that you know, applying this naïvety to your peers, loved ones, etc. - whom are all faced with diverse struggles for a multitude of reasons brought forth by this society and the reality we live in, dealing with them through their own understanding of life - you are automatically assuming what you’re “preaching” or passing on, is correct.

I would much rather be sharing the correct information based upon my understanding of the world as it actually is, which exhibits true recognition and respect regarding what that person is going through so that I can effectively assess the situation coherently and confidently, to comfort and strengthen someone emotionally and intellectually as well, so they are able to move forward with new knowledge.

Astrology, much like religion, is like staring into a fire and admiring its physical and aesthetic beauty, but never getting too close to the fire. A comfortable relationship based upon something perceived as too complex, too mysterious to grasp, yet using that a tool for how you navigate through and assess life. And to make matters worse, it’s a dangerous social tool passed onto others, dispersed as some kind of independent spiritual truth.

But without ever experiencing what it’s like to get burned and the natural laws coupled with the biological/neurological understanding of the way fire truly “works”, you’re “truth” - whether it be pseudoscience/religion - complicates the lives of others when passed off or shared as this beneficial understanding and connection with reality, which is based on false pretenses, primitive understanding or “ancient wisdom, some of these are called”. I don’t need to go forth with breaking down how harmful this is to a person, let alone a society, let alone a global population, let alone a species - the only species, mind you - with the ability to rationalize themselves out of the truth, making them a danger to themselves, others and the environment they coexist amongst.

So there. If anyone wants to know why I have any type of anti-religious bias, here it is. Not all religions and spiritual practices are harmful in this way, but the ones that are harmful and manipulative are the ones indoctrinating the minds of the youth in the present day.

sagansense:

Heretic | Sponsume | Funding Creativity & Innovation

Synopsis
Kane is a highly opinionated atheist with an uncontrollable anger towards religion. He spends his time on the Internet voicing his idea’s, he spends his nights vandalizing religious buildings and when his anger gets the best of him, he assaults religious preachers. Kane often regrets becoming so violent and feels hypocritical. Though when Kane meets someone he believes to share the same views as him, the anger starts to subside. Unfortunately Kane is mistaken about this person.

Who we are
We are a small group of young independent film makers based in Farnham, Surrey. We’ve all been making films for a number of years. This project is our most ambitious yet.

For us, Heretic is a personal story and a prevalent social issue. We have always been interested in films that comment on soceity and have a taste for human stories with a gritty style. Our last film, was screened at the British film festival in Berlin.

What we need
All money pledged will go directly to the film’s production. On low budget films like this every small bit goes a long way. This includes such things as hiring camera equipment, securing locations, transport and catering. The money raised will be invaluable for the production quality of the film that and will allow the story to be told effectively.

We plan to shoot early March and have the film finished late April to early May.

By pledging you will be massively supporting this film. Without you it won’t happen.

Contact us
If you have any question please forward them to the director and co-producer Daniel Lloyd.

(Source: atheistsconfessions, via sciencesavedmysoul)

A poem I wrote to highlight the difference between Jesus and false religion. In the scriptures Jesus received the most opposition from the most religious people of his day. At it’s core Jesus’ gospel and the good news of the Cross is in pure opposition to self-righteousness/self-justification. Religion is man centered, Jesus is God-centered. This poem highlights my journey to discover this truth. Religion either ends in pride or despair. Pride because you make a list and can do it and act better than everyone, or despair because you can’t do your own list of rules and feel “not good enough” for God. With Jesus though you have humble confident joy because He represents you, you don’t represent yourself and His sacrifice is perfect putting us in perfect standing with God! - via bball1989 

This has been floating around Facebook this evening (at least in MY neck of the woods it has) & after finally giving in & watching it, I reposted it with my own commentary:

I get it. He’s speaking from the heart. But what’s more ignorant, becoming embedded into organized religion or confidently, blindly, arrogantly, yet “poetically”- standing in front of an educatioal institution (ironically, of all things) - denying science & then passively acting as if it’s not more a privilege to live in an age where science is prevailing whether that thought makes a person “uncomfortable” or not. where our species actually has facts & real evidence we’ve discovered ON OUR OWN that understands & explains life is not this simple. Oh just be more like Jesus. No. How about Martin Luther King, Jr. or HIS father. How about Henry David Thoreau. Or Albert Einstein. Or Emma Goldman. Or Ghandi. So many great people have come & gone that have been pure humanitarians & of the truest makings, examples & compliments to the human species. Yet we have a population of traditional-thinking “sheeple” still trying to grasp tightly onto this ancient story in an attempt - not to discourage anyone from ignorance & promote scientific literacy, the history of our species or the legendary figures that have walked amongst us with MANY books that speak of them still to this day; instead, they’re trying to “keep Jesus cool”. With all due respect (although I don’t really care about offending a dead man) - JESUS. CHRIST.

sciencesavedmysoul:

wilmeratti reblogged your photo

Science trying to replace or explain GOD.

Are you telling me that in school they NEVER taught you about how clouds and the sun work? Those are very basic scientific concepts that most logical and even religious people don’t dispute. The words…

Carl Sagan (via myheadisweak)

(Source: ikenbot, via myheadisweak)

(via myheadisweak)

christinsanity:

You know when your nation went wrong at some point when….

(via stfucreationists)

sciencesavedmysoul:

I love him. He was hilarious and an amazing person.

pieceinthepuzzlehumanity:

socialistexan:

liberal-life:

A gay Gibson County couple said they were assaulted when they tried to attend church services at the Grace Fellowship Church in Fruitland, Tennessee last Wednesday.

“I went over to take the keys out of the ignition and all the sudden I hear someone say ‘sick’em,’” said Gibson County resident, Jerry Pittman Jr.

Pittman said the attacked was prompted by the pastor of the church, Jerry Pittman, his father.

“My uncle and two other deacons came over to the car per my dad’s request. My uncle smash me in the door as the other deacon knocked my boyfriend back so he couldn’t help me, punching him in his face and his chest. The other deacon came and hit me through my car window in my back,” said Pittman. He said bystanders did not offer assistance. He said the deacon yelled derogatory homosexual slurs, even after officers arrived. He said the officers never intervened to stop the deacons from yelling the slurs. 

Pittman said the attacked was prompted by the pastor of the church, Jerry Pittman, his father.

So much for loving your neighbor.

(via wespeakfortheearth)

brokentripod:

Please jump out of your third-story window.

(via stfucreationists)

anirabbit:

People do their best to assert that atheism is a religion so that they can easily dismiss the position in some way.

That or it is done out of ignorance.

cleatora:

Some people just don’t understand that different fields of study disagree with others. If you feel I’m wrong,…

(via dkyubey)

mychildwill:

(submitted by rhymeswithshmarcy)

(via sciencesavedmysoul)

christinsanity:

You’re holding everyone back.

(via stfucreationists)

depressingfacts:

forthebibletellsmeso:

nathanisamazing:

Actually, I’m not done with this.

Galatians Chapter 1 says not to accept another gospel.

That is, a gospel other than that of Jesus Christ.

Who taught people to love one another regardless of race or religion.

Or, have you all forgotten the parable of the Good Samaritan?

You just twisted the bible for your own warped ends, anonymous graphic-maker.

YOU are the person whom Galatians eternally condemns.

I dislike you and your deceitful ways immensely.

So let me get this straight.  You said that Jesus Christ tells us to love one another, and this passage must be edited or changed to appear this way.  Then, you tell me that this passage condemns me… makes sense…  If you don’t think about it… At all…

Here’s some more intolerance in the Bible for people who think it’s a fluke:

“If anyone will not welcome you or listen to your words, shake the dust off your feet when you leave that home or town.   I tell you the truth, it will be more bearable for Sodom and Gomorrah on the day of judgment than for that town.”

-Matthew 10:14-15

“Whoever believes and is baptized will be saved, but whoever does not believe will be condemned.”

-Mark 16:16

“But the man who has doubts is condemned if he eats, because his eating is not from faith; and everything that does not come from faith is sin.”

-Romans 14:23

“You adulterous people, don’t you know that friendship with the world is hatred toward God? Anyone who chooses to be a friend of the world becomes an enemy of God.”

-James 4:4

“Though you already know all this, I want to remind you that the Lord delivered his people out of Egypt, but later destroyed those who did not believe.”

-Jude 1:5

And about a million other passages.  The New Testament condemns everyone who does not believe in Christianity over and over and over again.  If you think I’m twisting the Bible, please, tell me how.  If any of these are changed in their meanings by the context around it, I would like to know, but most of the Christians I know believe that God condemns anyone who does not share their belief.  If you don’t think that’s intolerant and evil, and you actually want to worship a God that would do that, you might want to rethink you’re entire morality.

Finally, let me ask you this:  if the Bible is to not be trusted with so many verses because of the changes made while editing, what makes you believe any of it?  If you are saying people have taken it and changed it for their own purposes, doesn’t it make sense that maybe it originated that way?  And if you’re only belief is that God exists and nothing else matters, maybe you shouldn’t be so angry that I point out idiotic, immoral things from a book that you don’t even follow?  Just a thought.

Honestly, I just love having biblical smackdowns on my dashboard.

It makes me want to jump up and yell YOU’VE JUST BEEN NATURALLY SELECTED, PREPARE TO BE WEEDED OUT FOR THE EVOLUTION OF THE HUMAN POPULATION.

Sorry, I’m tired.

(via dkyubey)