Christians Were Right Again! Argh!

Two new scientific studies confirm what Christians like Ray Comfort have been telling us atheists for some time now.

Study 1: Earth has a special place in the Universe (perhaps in the center) in contradiction to the Copernican principle

"Earth may be trapped in an abnormal bubble of space-time that is particularly void of matter. Scientists say this condition could account for the apparent acceleration of the universe's expansion, for which dark energy currently is the leading explanation.

...

One problem with the void idea, though, is that it negates a principle that has reigned in astronomy for more than 450 years: namely, that our place in the universe isn't special. When Nicholas Copernicus argued that it made much more sense for the Earth to be revolving around the sun than vice versa, it revolutionized science. Since then, most theories have to pass the Copernican test. If they require our planet to be unique, or our position to be exalted, the ideas often seem unlikely.

"This idea that we live in a void would really be a statement that we live in a special place," Clifton told SPACE.com. "The regular cosmological model is based on the idea that where we live is a typical place in the universe. This would be a contradiction to the Copernican principle.""

From www.space.com

Study 2: Religious belief has medical benefits and helps reduce pain.

"Brain scans of volunteers who were subjected to electrical shocks revealed that Roman Catholics felt less pain than atheists and agnostics when they were shown a painting of the Virgin Mary."

From www.guardian.co.uk

Just because Christians were right about these things thousands of years before these groundbreaking studies were conducted doesn't mean we should give up hope of atheism just yet. Remember, we still have the theory of evolution on our side, and no one has yet to challenge that!

Ray Comfort is a filthy quote miner...

...anyone surprised? Anyone?

As par usual, he has the reading comprehension of an ADD inflicted 3rd grader who's all hopped up on half a jug of craft glue. The quote in question is mined from a book review of Dr. Carl Sagan's "The Demon-Haunted World: Science as a Candle in the Dark."
Of course, Dr. Richard Lewontin wasn't stating that science will believe anything simply so they can denounce god. Sagan's book deals exceedingly little with any deity, and focuses on skepticism, irrational belief and pseudo-science in a more broad manner. Lewontin was discussing how although some claims of science may be counter-intuitive or hard to believe, that we are forced to accept them because of the evidence presented to support them.

I encourage all of you to read the article, but it is rather lengthy, so I'll quote more in context here. What Ray posted will be bolded so you can be as baffled as I am at the sheer scope of his dishonesty.

"With great perception, Sagan sees that there is an impediment to the popular credibility of scientific claims about the world, an impediment that is almost invisible to most scientists. Many of the most fundamental claims of science are against common sense and seem absurd on their face. Do physicists really expect me to accept without serious qualms that the pungent cheese that I had for lunch is really made up of tiny, tasteless, odorless, colorless packets of energy with nothing but empty space between them? Astronomers tell us without apparent embarrassment that they can see stellar events that occurred millions of years ago, whereas we all know that we see things as they happen. When, at the time of the moon landing, a woman in rural Texas was interviewed about the event, she very sensibly refused to believe that the television pictures she had seen had come all the way from the moon, on the grounds that with her antenna she couldn’t even get Dallas. What seems absurd depends on one’s prejudice. Carl Sagan accepts, as I do, the duality of light, which is at the same time wave and particle, but he thinks that the consubstantiality of Father, Son, and Holy Ghost puts the mystery of the Holy Trinity “in deep trouble.” Two’s company, but three’s a crowd.

Our willingness to accept scientific claims that are against common sense is the key to an understanding of the real struggle between science and the supernatural. We take the side of science in spite of the patent absurdity of some of its constructs, in spite of its failure to fulfill many of its extravagant promises of health and life, in spite of the tolerance of the scientific community for unsubstantiated just-so stories, because we have a prior commitment, a commitment to materialism. It is not that the methods and institutions of science somehow compel us to accept a material explanation of the phenomenal world, but, on the contrary, that we are forced by our a priori adherence to material causes to create an apparatus of investigation and a set of concepts that produce material explanations, no matter how counter-intuitive, no matter how mystifying to the uninitiated. Moreover, that materialism is absolute, for we cannot allow a Divine Foot in the door. The eminent Kant scholar Lewis Beck used to say that anyone who could believe in God could believe in anything. To appeal to an omnipotent deity is to allow that at any moment the regularities of nature may be ruptured, that miracles may happen."

Deconversion Stories

I thought it might helpful to readers of this blog who are starting to question their faith, fenc-sitters and new atheist to describe our 'deconversion' stories.

I found a lot of common experiences among deconverts druing their initial period of questioning their faith. Feelings of confusion, isolation, loss - I know as for myself, I was under the impression I was the only atheist in the world for several years. LOL! Of course, this may now be less common with the availibility of the internet, but it can still be a difficult period for someone coming from a Christian or other religous background.

I will post my deconversion in the comments later today when I have more time. If anyone else thinks its a good idea to share - please do!