Michael Nugent

April 29, 2009

New blasphemy crime for Ireland?

Filed under: Secularism — Michael Nugent @ 9:00 pm

Life of Brian Blasphemy SceneThe Irish Government’s new proposed blasphemy crime combines the oppressive religious thinking of 1950s Catholic Ireland and modern Islamic fundamentalism.

This proposal should be opposed for three reasons. One, it does not protect religious belief; it encourages outrage and it criminalises free speech. Two, it treats religious beliefs as more valuable than secular beliefs and scientific thinking. Three, we should be removing 1930s religious references from the Irish Constitution, not legislating to enforce them.

Atheist Ireland, as an advocacy group for a rational, ethical, secular Ireland, encourages Irish citizens to lobby their TDs about this proposal. Here are detailed arguments for the three reasons to oppose it, plus a summary of the proposed new crime and its background.

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April 22, 2009

True as God? Strange Bible Quotes Part 2

Filed under: Funny,Religion,The Bible — Michael Nugent @ 9:46 pm

Here are ten more examples of passages from the Christian Bible that are either silly or unjust. You can read the first ten examples in the series here.

11. God will save only 144,000 male virgins, undefiled by women (Rev 14:3-5)

And they sung as it were a new song before the throne, and before the four beasts, and the elders: and no man could learn that song but the hundred and forty and four thousand, which were redeemed from the earth. These are they which were not defiled with women; for they are virgins. These are they which follow the Lamb whithersoever he goeth. These were redeemed from among men, being the firstfruits unto God and to the Lamb. And in their mouth was found no guile: for they are without fault before the throne of God.

12. Effeminate people are unrighteous and cannot go to heaven (1 Cor 6:9-10)

Know ye not that the unrighteous shall not inherit the kingdom of God? Be not deceived: neither fornicators, nor idolaters, nor adulterers, nor effeminate, nor abusers of themselves with mankind, Nor thieves, nor covetous, nor drunkards, nor revilers, nor extortioners, shall inherit the kingdom of God.

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April 19, 2009

True as God? Strange Bible Quotes Part 1

Filed under: Funny,Religion,The Bible — Michael Nugent @ 6:44 pm

The Christian Bible contains many assertions that are either silly or unjust. I’ve been posting them one at a time on Twitter. Here are the first ten together:

1. Dragons and owls honour God because he puts rivers in the desert (Isaiah 43:20)

The beast of the field shall honour me, the dragons and the owls: because I give waters in the wilderness, and rivers in the desert, to give drink to my people, my chosen.

2. Dwarves or flat-nosed men may not offer bread at the altar of God (Lev 21:16-23)

And the LORD spake unto Moses, saying, Speak unto Aaron, saying, Whosoever he be of thy seed in their generations that hath any blemish, let him not approach to offer the bread of his God. For whatsoever man he be that hath a blemish, he shall not approach: a blind man, or a lame, or he that hath a flat nose, or any thing superfluous, Or a man that is brokenfooted, or brokenhanded, Or crookbackt, or a dwarf, or that hath a blemish in his eye, or be scurvy, or scabbed, or hath his stones broken; No man that hath a blemish of the seed of Aaron the priest shall come nigh to offer the offerings of the LORD made by fire: he hath a blemish; he shall not come nigh to offer the bread of his God. He shall eat the bread of his God, both of the most holy, and of the holy. Only he shall not go in unto the vail, nor come nigh unto the altar, because he hath a blemish; that he profane not my sanctuaries: for I the LORD do sanctify them.

3. King Saul gave his daughter to David for 200 foreskins (1 Sam 18:25-27)

And Saul said, Thus shall ye say to David, The king desireth not any dowry, but an hundred foreskins of the Philistines, to be avenged of the king’s enemies. But Saul thought to make David fall by the hand of the Philistines. And when his servants told David these words, it pleased David well to be the king’s son in law: and the days were not expired. Wherefore David arose and went, he and his men, and slew of the Philistines two hundred men; and David brought their foreskins, and they gave them in full tale to the king, that he might be the king’s son in law. And Saul gave him Michal his daughter to wife.

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