Technoviking

A fittingly strange and silly end to the Raytractors, a blog about a strange and silly man.

This is the End

AMF.

Post...and RUN!!!

And here we go....

I'm going to post this and move as fast as I can so that I avoid the stampede. I give you the 1st part...

Our New Forum:

www.wearesmrt.com/bb

Sex, Drugs, & Rock 'n' Roll

Re: Sex, Drugs, & Rock 'n' Roll

Would you agree that Christianity has nothing intelligent to say about any of these three important topics?

Do any other atheists (or even non-fundamentalists) wish to agree with me also that in addition to the rationality, a side benefit of not being religiously committed is that you can have a more sane, balanced, empirical understanding of these three topics?

Intro

"A painting must have a painter!" 

The voice peeled out across cyberspace. It was harshened by a  New Zealand twang, but also had the optimistic lilt of an unmolested choir-boy.

I heard the words flow from the screen. He must be a Poe, I thought, but the look on his face didn't seem to say so. It was hard to tell though - that same naive face was obscured by the kind of moustache that had filtered many a cup of holy sacrament.

That mo' spoke with wisdom, like an old-timer at a bar who comments on the game and how he could have played football, if only he hadn't been illegally tripped over in the 14Ds by Charlie McPhee.

He was the only man I heard of who openly admitted to thinking a banana proved an entire religion. His books came forth like a colony of Streptococcae, numerous, mildly offensive and almost exact replicas.

He was Ray and he was not ashamed.

Draft SMRT forum rules

After a flurry of activity this morning, we've come up with a draft of the forum rules. I've seperated the suggestions into Rules and Values. The former being "Follow these or else", the latter being "Please respect these values - they encourage healthy debate".


Absolute minimum:

RULES

• No Trolling (need to define this)


• Embedded pics/videos should be tasteful


• Warnings will be handed out for the breaking of Rules or the habitual violation of Values. After accruing 3 warnings, this may (at the discretion of the Moderators) subject the user to {insert something nasty here}.

The following values we could probably stick at the top of the forums, as a "Read This First" or something

VALUES

• No Preaching (need to define this)


• Cite your sources as often as possible


• Be civil, but creative cursing can be an asset


• No mention of the missing "a" in SMRT


• Be rational


• Be open-minded / wear a thick skin


• Have fun


• The forums are intended to be self-policing and democratic


• Flagging posts shouldn't be done to harass other people

Not restrictive enough? Something missing?

Let us know what you think...

I need a guinea pig

Anyone other than WEM who is online right now and wants to help me test the functionality of some things on the forum, please shoot me a quick email.

nonmagic@gmail.com

**Not being a jerk to WEM, I just need someone who had no mod privileges so they can tell me if flagging posts is possible, ect. In other words, help me test this interface.

EDIT: I HAVE MY 2 VICTIMS!!! THANKS GUYS!!

Another massive Presupositionalist thread!!

We all know the monster of argumentation that is Christian presuppositionalism. This thread is over a thousand posts.
If you don't want to read it, the participants were kind enough to summarise their positions in verse and rhyme.

Sye TenB:

The atheist claims he can know
But when asked how this is so
His response is so dense
For he claims 'reason and sense'
Whose validity he cannot show.

Dani' El

Sye was a saint who was true

Who said to the blind "We see blue"

They presupposed no one could

Since to see was not good

As it came from a Bible worldview

Andrew Louis
There once was a man named Sye
Who was really an irrational guy
He began with proof
Was withdraw and aloof
And it turned out it all was a big lie

Type Display Name Here

Sye once had a delusion,

He wanted to spread his confusion,

He posted a lot,

but his claims were shot,

'Cos the premise contained the conclusion.

zilch

There once was a Christian named Sye

Who fought for his Guy in the Sky

But the godless were bored, 'cause

his Sword of the Lord was

a presuppositional lie.

The Real Anthem

Corey Taylor (of Slipknot and StoneSour) and the celloists of Apocalyptica

This post from Ray had me thinking about a saying girls in my high school used to say...

Raytractors please read

Mac has got our new place pretty much ready to go! (THANK YOU MAC!!!) We need to do something before everyone goes rushing in, though.

We gotta come up with some rules.

WEM and myself are the mods as of right now and we need your feedback on this!!!

Please give this some thought and post your suggestions here so that we can refine the suggestions into something we can work with and get this train on track.

Thanks to everyone for their input!!

EDIT: This isn't the whole enchilada, just the forum portion... - MacGyver Jr

For atheists and theists alike who want to better understand evolution

I just got my monthly copy of Scientific American in the mail. This one is a special issue about evolution that has this on the cover:

Evolution at work: How doctors, police and others use it on their job

The evolution of evolution: How Darwin's theory survives, thrives, and reshapes the world

The future of human evolution

Molecular proof of natural selection

How life invents complex traits

Creationist's Latest Tricks



Then inside all of this is broken down into different articles. When you browse the index, lets say at the grocery store or *cough* the library where you can read it for free *cough* the articles are not titled the same as the cover states, just so you know. They are still there, just read the descriptions of the articles to find what you are looking for.

Also, page 74 has an article entitled 'Four Fallacies of Evolutionary Pop Psychology' that looks interesting.

For bonus points mosey on over to SciAm.com and check out the short article entitled Why Everyone Should Learn the Theory of Evolution. Personally, I thought it was so short it was almost more like an extended blurb than an article, but check out the comments.

Here's one:

woundeddog2 at 12:32 PM on 12/15/08

Romans 1:22
Professing themselves to be wise, they became fools,



That's it. As if someone who read the article would say to themselves 'Hey, I never believed the creation story before but I'm convinced now!' Trolls are everywhere.


But then there are the more reasonable Christians who leave comments like this:

mlyyski at 12:45 PM on 12/15/08

The creationist/evolutionist debate is maddening. When I was about 9 years old I was given a Bible, and the books "The World of Science" and "The Sea Around Us". It didn't take me long to come to the conclusion that God created, and science explains creation. I am a Christian who absolutely believes in evolution. The creationists who sat down and dreamed up their theory, though they probably thought they were defending God (another absurd idea), actually did a huge disservice to Christianity. Most disappointing are the science savvy 'intellectuals' who say creationists got it wrong, so God could not be responsible for creation, even though they haven't the slightest clue as to the origion of the universe. In fact, I have yet to see any theory as plausable as a 9 year old's assesment after nearly 50 years, just a lot of stne throwing and name calling on both sides. Mike Lyyski





After reading that last comment I have a sliver more hope for humanity that tells me maybe one day Christians will at least accept evolution more on the terms that Mr. Lyyski stated. Hey, it's not the whole kit'n caboodle but it's better than what we have now.

Back by Popular Demand- Just in time for Xmas

HELL VAN- STILL HERE


Normal American shopping mall


What this means, I have no idea

God hates you and don't forget it. Especially you, Santa Claus.

Eric- A Study in Absurdity

Sometimes in the course of events over at Ray's, certain individuals single themselves out as the most preposterous, absurd, lying pieces of shit, that they must be recognized as such.

This recognition goes out to "Eric." He has no profile (not a problem actually) but claims he has a science degree while not having a clue about the definition of a scientific Theory."

It has been explained to him on several occasion in a precise manner. Then, some one used a definition from Wiki, so while totally ignoring all the definitions he has been given, he says, "Wikipedia is not and should ever used as a standard, with a few keystrokes you or I can edit the information without accountability." He thinks he is slyly sidestepping the question by doing that, but of course he is only fooling himself.

Eric then uses the dictionary definition for the colloquial "Theory." It is hilarious the way he so overtly ignores facts that he does not like.

As I said, he is a liar because there is no way on earth that someone can hold a degree in science ad not know the definition of a Scientific Theory.

I'm going to post the comment he made that proves he is a study in absurdity.

"Eric" said...
Jason said,
You're misleadingly distorting the meaning of the word "theory" on purpose, which definitely invalidates your opinion.


DJ said,
Hello Eric. As you have a degree in a science-related area, then I assume that you are aware of the scientific definition of a theory, namely that one is a "well-substantiated explanation of some aspect of the world"(wikipedia).

Eric says:
Wikipedia is not and should ever used as a standard, with a few keystrokes you or I can edit the information without accountability. [He thinks he's being cute by sidestepping the statement]

Funk and Wagnalls New standard Dictionary of the English Language c19261.The act or result of looking into or contemplating any object or group of objects, or any event or series of events; beholding ; viewing; speculation.2.Hence: (1)A mental plan or scheme framed to agree with the observed facts and designed as a rational explanation of them. In this sense, customarily understood to be a scheme of explanation which comes nearer to being a law verifiable by all others on the basis of observation and experiment than does a hypothesis. (2)Mere hypothesis or speculation; hence, an individual view; idea; as, the soldier's theory of duty.3.More specif., a systematic generalization, entertained in the development of some one of the positive sciences, as furnishing the most satisfactory account ofr rational explanation of a series or group of its phenomena; an elaborate and well-sustained working hypothesis designed to embrace temporarily, and to further the continued investigation of some particular science or one of its branches.theorize1.To convince by theorizing. 2.To form or express theories; speculate.
December 16, 2008 4:25 AM

I must tag on a special mention for Shawn, who ignorantly boasts:

"Why bother [studying evolution] If I know something to be a lie, why entertain it further? I would be the fool then, and not the evolutionist. Rather, I will remain in ignorance of the subject and avail my mind on the things of God, which are wholesome and pleasant to the soul. This glorious meat is food for my soul and is the light that leads to salvation. That is the only thing my mind must know.

They will do anything to create the illusion that their silly beliefs are not going up in the smoke of reason.

The cut and paste hack strikes again...

http://raycomfortfood.blogspot.com/2008/12/charles-darwin-bible-200th-birthday.html

Is there no one or nothing that the holy 'tache will not exploit to make a quick buck or two...??

M.

Ray and the Onset of Dimensio

He's starting to get to him...

From 'The Anvil of Eternal Justice' post (sounds like something the Green Lantern would wield)

Someone said...'God is real. He's not going away just because you don't like the thought of God. Suppress the truth all you want, but it doesn't change reality.'

And Dimensio - in classic fashion - replied;

"Please substantiate your assertion with evidence."

Then Ray loses it and gives Dimensio what for;

"Dimensio...your continual "Please substantiate your assertion with evidence" when it comes to the existence of God, confirms the truth of Psalm 14:1. It is scientifically impossible to have a creation without a Creator. Nothing cannot create something. That's basic science. There has to be an eternal, immaterial first cause. Let me now make a prediction. As surely as tomorrow's sunrise, your come-back will be "Please substantiate your assertion with evidence." Prove me wrong."

Poor Ray. He thinks that asking for evidence of an assertion proves that 'The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God.' is true! It wasn't long ago that Ray was accusing Dimensio of suggesting that people should just believe and not ask questions too.

The rest is pure cart before horse stuff and his prediction is a desperate attempt to head Dimensio off at the pass because he knows full-well that he has no evidence to back up anything that he says. And I just love how he says; 'That's basic science.' as if he's given some indication that he's capable of understanding, well, anything!

Classic Comfort.

Cheers,

It's not funny any more that people are going to hell !! DON'T TOUCH ME!!!

Alternate title: 'Vera goes to a coffee shop'

If you're gonna come out to your parents, wait until after the holidays...

Just had to share this gem from Atheist Mind:





Someone needs to educate this hysterical mother on the true meaning of "Christmas". c^_^ɔ

What's in your head, zombie?

My nomination for atheist anthem. The song is about the violence in Northern Ireland, but apply it to the struggle for minds and religion.

Plus great imagery in the video

lyrics here

I thought I made myself pretty FUCKING clear...

THIS is our theme song. If you don't get it, you're a false convert.