[youtube http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=q_0kFU7IfPM&w=640&h=390]
This is the full speech by Richard Dawkins at the “Protest The Pope” rally, 18th September 2010. (unedited)
Tag: secular
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6 adults, 8 children plan mass suicide ‘Cult-like’ group ‘awaiting the rapture’
Police alert: 6 adults, 8 children plan mass suicide
‘Cult-like’ group ‘awaiting the rapture’ after Palmdale, Calif., church service
PALMDALE, Calif. — Officials in Southern California on Saturday evening issued an emergency alert for six adults and eight children in a “cult-like” group believed to be planning a mass suicide.
“They were awaiting the rapture or some other catastrophic event,” Los Angeles County Sheriff’s captain Mike Parker said.
Steve Whitmore, sheriff’s spokesman, at a hastily called news conference shown covered by KNBC Channel 4 of Los Angeles late Saturday, said the group believed “they were going to meet Jesus or deceased relatives.”
He said deputies were searching the Palmdale Desert area for the group, believed to be six adults, including men and women, and six boys and two girls.
The notes did not use the term suicide, but did say “they wanted to go on to the next life,” Whitmore said.
The group apparently belonged to three families, possibly all were Salvadoran, he said.
They were at what is believed to be a fundamentalist church with a close-knit organization, Whitmore said.
The group from Palmdale was believed to be traveling in three vehicles, a 2004 Nissan Quest, a 1995 Mercury Villager and a silver Toyota Tundra pickup, the California Highway Patrol said.
However, the members may have changed vehicles after disappearing, the CHP told msnbc.com.
The Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department confirmed to KNBC, Channel 4, news late Saturday that its detectives were actively investigating the case.
Two husbands of two of the church members reported the persons missing at around 2 p.m. PDT, BNO News said.
Parker said one of the men had a purse he was asked to hold by one of the group members, and inside were identifications, deeds to property, and letters indicating they were awaiting the end of the world.
Parker said the group’s leader, Reyna Chicas of Palmdale, is among the missing.
Officials earlier reported nine children missing, but later revised the count to eight.
The missing group was last seen around 1 a.m. PDT on Saturday at a prayer meeting at a Palmdale church, according to the CHP.
“It is believed, through further investigation, that the missing persons’ intentions are to commit mass suicide,” the CHP said.
via msnbc.msn.com -
What Would Jesus NOT Do?
[youtube=http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zOfjkl-3SNE&NR=1]
We always hear about the many amazing things that Jesus of Nazareth apparently did, but nobody ever asks about the things that Jesus supposedly COULD have done, being omnipotent, but either didn’t bother to do or didn’t think were all that important. You know, things like… reducing human misery and suffering… that kind of thing.
It occurs to me that if indeed the miracles recorded in the bible were in fact true, and really did happen, then that only shows Yahweh/Jesus to be an even MORE malevolent and cruel being than we see in the old testament, and that’s saying something. If the miracles somehow prove that Jesus WAS in fact a god in human form, but all he could be bothered to do was turn water into wine and heal only a few hundred, or even a few thousand people with his magic saliva, then really – what is the use or good of such a god? Think of what a visiting, omnipotent deity COULD have done – but in this case, apparently, chose not to!!!!!
And this is meant to be that god’s main advertisement of its existence! Walking on water in front of a few of his mates, for the benefit of billions and billions of people who, if they don’t believe in his divinity and surrender control of their souls to him, will be sent to burn in agony for eternity.
People – DOES THIS RELIGION MAKE ANY SENSE AT ALL???