tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-60044366621319063652012-01-20T16:22:20.000+08:00Thoughts on various topics from the perspective of a Jewish non-theist,taking the position that there is no evidence for the existence of a supreme being that directs our lives or the course of the universe.Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.comBlogger721100tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-21383578827636238232012-01-20T10:05:00.011+08:002012-01-20T16:22:20.021+08:00

The controversy over abortion may seem to generate more heat than light especially when one considers the news item  about Jenni Lake, which gives a somewhat different twist to the debate. Jenni was a 17 year old cancer patient who upon learning she was 10 weeks pregnant  decided to suspend radiation and chemotherapy treatments which if continued would pose a risk to her fetus. In taking this

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-89925871546213858442011-12-21T16:01:00.020+08:002011-12-22T16:46:30.781+08:00

My friend Alan Perlman has an outstanding blog site "The Jewish Atheist".  Alan is an ardent libertarian, a political and socioeconomic viewpoint with which I strongly disagree. He and I have been exchanging comments on his perspective, which is well illustrated in his post  "The Incentivized (Compassionate) Society". Alan's position may be summarized by his last entry in response to my comments:

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-77490774082953646782011-12-04T09:17:00.010+08:002011-12-09T10:25:24.006+08:00

A recent news article states that in light of economic hard times "many" Americans are  reassessing what it takes to be happy in life. Supposedly, they are redefining "prosperity" by becoming less materialistic and more focused on human needs. Yet this assertion is hard to square with reports of violence committed on this year's  Black Friday (Nov.25) by shoppers that is said to becoming more

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-77336406429356649612011-10-27T15:45:00.009+08:002012-01-11T11:03:32.663+08:00

In accordance with their political open-mindedness, over the last few decades many of the countries of Western Europe, including Great Britain,  have opened their borders to Muslim immigrants and refugees, many of whom are from former colonies of the host nations. It was expected that these newcomers would eventually blend into the societies which had welcomed them. But is it turning out that

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-55442070396503582252011-10-02T16:00:00.009+08:002011-10-27T16:19:49.912+08:00

In the matter of the present stalemate between Israel and the Palestinians, I support the two-state solution.  This is not because I trust the Palestinians to readily abandon their goal to exterminate Israel.  It's just that for years they have been an albatross around Israel's neck with no end to the issues between the two entities in sight. Thus the current status quo untenable.  It is wasting

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-67654673676608342422011-09-02T14:25:00.008+08:002011-09-03T10:10:46.561+08:00

I recently came across a Youtube video calle "Heresy" based on a production by the late Carl Sagan (saganp b;Carl Sagan.(Heresy)  [Carl Sagan Tribute Series, Part 20] - YouTube)   In this beautifully dramatized and animated production from the 1970's, Sagan discusses the oppression that organized religion historically  imposed upon science."Heresy" begins with the story of Galileo and his theory

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-16817570763345471022011-08-05T17:11:00.026+08:002011-08-16T14:39:13.173+08:00

A relative of mine (a fellow senior) forwarded the following e-mail to me: "We didn't have the green thing back thenHere is an old-timer's response to the incessant inundation we get on the "Green Thing" and "Sustainability." In the line at the store, the cashier told an older woman that she should bring her own grocery bags because plastic bags weren't good for the environment. The woman

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-9078277195032055502011-07-19T16:31:00.004+08:002011-07-20T19:13:13.344+08:00

Have the excesses of the radical Republicans and leaders of other far right organizations finally caught up with these extremists?  The GOP members of Congress have refused to seriously negotiate with their Democrat counterparts regarding the national debt limit and by doing so has threatened to put the U.S. into default on its monetary obligations, regardless of the potentially disastrous

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-6057662171236013112011-07-03T17:45:00.012+08:002011-07-07T08:18:03.338+08:00

The unexpected development in the rape charge against Dominique Strauss-Kahn  if nothing else shows that in legal matters things are not always as as they seem, no matter how solid a case initially appears against a defendant.  For this reason one issue that I've not yet seen discussed in all the media coverage of this affair, and for that matter in any well publicized case involving allegations

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-46810193591676132492011-06-11T18:21:00.020+08:002011-07-01T10:54:22.362+08:00

I recently got around to seeing the movie "Up In the Air". In this film, George Clooney plays the role of Ryan Bingham, a "terminator". Bingham travels around the country in behalf of companies who apparently don't have the balls to fire workers to their faces themselves and instead hire his employer's services to deliver the news to their sacked employees. Bingham informs the workers that "their

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com8tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-17761739453011603572011-05-19T15:11:00.014+08:002011-07-05T13:43:36.699+08:00

With gas prices once again in the $4 range in various regions of the U.S., I don't feel a bit sorry for American vehicle owners.  If big oil is gouging us, it's because decade after decade  we let it happen. Despite warnings starting almost 40 years ago beginning with the energy crises in 1973 and 1978 , we continue to drag our feet on making serious improvements  in gas mileage.  Instead we

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-6121678482737842062011-04-15T15:36:00.002+08:002011-04-16T09:02:46.697+08:00

A startling development has taken place in the U.S. employment picture. According to "Why The Middle Aged Are Missing Out on Jobs" these people (ages 45—54) are having a tough time finding jobs. In itself, that's not unusual as employers are more inclined to hire younger workers (and indeed this age group is experiencing gains in employment) . But the wild card in the deck is that competition is

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-10427965581175514352011-03-27T16:15:00.010+08:002011-03-30T17:01:03.158+08:00

Those heathen Japanese. GOD sent them a warning through that earthquake, tsunami and nuclear contamination to mend their wicked ways, to recognize his supreme powers and to pray to him for forgiveness for their stubborn refusal to accept his might,  But do they listen? Oh no, they're too busy digging themselves out of the rubble, working to rebuild the damaged areas and putting their lives back

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com10tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-5986915335584829302011-03-03T16:53:00.012+08:002011-03-06T17:59:04.884+08:00

There is a series on "The Animal Planet" television network titled "The Monsters Inside Me"  which focuses on various parasites that invade and feed off the human body. The program vividly  dramatizes the horrible experiences of people who have been infected by some of these organisms. Yet according to theists, as destructive as these forms of life might be, they were created by God who  has a

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-16810716978383440622011-02-08T19:14:00.007+08:002011-02-16T14:09:28.441+08:00

Many if not most theists are under the impression that in a life-threatening crisis, atheists will see the "error of their ways" and turn to God for help. However, that is an erroneous assumption.  Like many other non-believers, I know  this from personal experience.  I recently came through a personal (health) crisis involving what appeared to be a possibly life threatening medical condition.

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-31907621425181923792011-01-09T15:30:00.010+08:002011-01-20T10:43:17.538+08:00

Beyond preparing students for their chosen professions,  I believe that the purpose of  a secular college education should be the development of their reasoning skills.  Examples of subjects  leading to this end are critical thinking,  philosophy (including  the Socratic method),  history, and the natural sciences.  Ideally, students who successfully complete these course and take them to heart 

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-22325238500578792852010-12-15T17:19:00.010+08:002010-12-18T16:07:20.021+08:00

When I was attending California State University Los Angeles in the 1990's, there was a year (I forget exactly which one) when the first day of classes for the school quarter fell on the same day as Rosh Hashanah,  the Jewish New Year and a significant holiday in the Jewish calendar.  This coincidence placed Jewish students (and faculty members) who wanted to observe the holiday at a sharp

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com11tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-5465223290440310542010-11-13T14:43:00.028+08:002010-11-28T09:44:20.714+08:00

As an American Jewish atheist it's ironic that the country to which  I've expatriated, the Philippines, is one that is predominantly (85%)  and devoutly Roman Catholic.  However, it's my wife's place of birth and a cheap place to retire comfortably on our modest social security income. Also, the country is a constitutional democracy and does not force the majority's beliefs on others; so  I don't

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com13tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-63457788819185614602010-10-19T17:02:00.027+08:002010-11-19T12:40:02.842+08:00

I have not been a home buyer for many years and will likely never be one again, at least as a borrower.  Furthermore, as an expatriate  I no longer reside in the U.S.  So why should I be so interested in the unfolding drama of "Foreclosure-Gate" and the massive number of fraudulent and defective property titles throughout the country that are being brought to light and are fueling this scandal?  

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-59691476349252080112010-10-08T14:20:00.009+08:002010-10-13T10:24:22.629+08:00

As America observes October as National Breast Cancer Awareness Month, it can't be overemphasized that almost everybody has in one way or another been touched by this dreaded disease, whether as a victim herself, or as an acquaintance, friend, or family member of a woman who has been afflicted with this this illness.  Yet it bears mentioning that men also fall prey to breast cancer and account

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-19415779953468560682010-09-20T10:33:00.007+08:002010-09-23T19:06:37.151+08:00

The imam who proposed building a Muslim center  near the former World Trade Center site has received a great deal of support because he comes across as decent, caring individual who only wants what's best for the community at large.   It was as if his insensitivity about  9-11 and likely intent to foment discord that would (and did) result from this offer didn't play a part in his agenda. 

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-40517573807253336972010-09-03T14:37:00.004+08:002010-09-12T10:48:55.942+08:00

In my July 9 post, "Cognitive Dissonance: My Stressed-Out Sympathies for Israel" I discussed at length my conflicting emotions of sympathy and anger towards the State of Israel"  and the difficulties that I was having n trying to come to terms with this conflict. However, thanks to some sound advice from my wife Lydia  and input from my close friend Greg, I believe that I've overcome this dilemma

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-9361735361939407172010-08-17T14:41:00.018+08:002010-08-27T15:10:10.886+08:00

The Aug. 3, 2010 edition of one of my favorite blog sites, "Atheist Revolution" included  "CNN Features Battle Of The Idiots", a post which highlighted a debate in which a Christian fundamentalist minister from Florida voiced his church's intention to conduct a burning of copies of the Quran on the anniversary of  9-11 as a statement against Islam.  His views were opposed by the CNN interviewer

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com7tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-77428495011940516382010-07-31T15:35:00.013+08:002010-08-05T13:39:33.424+08:00

I came across an inspiring blog post, " The Dysletic Atheist" in which the writer, jon_poson26, recounts  how as a child he struggled with a learning disability but was finally rescued by a retired teacher who took an interest in his plight and became his mentor. Interestingly, the author's handicap was confined to reading but did not interfere with his math and science capabilities. I can

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-84776932460817191332010-07-09T21:12:00.020+08:002010-08-05T13:26:48.234+08:00

As is typical for Jews of my generation, since I was a child I have believed in and supported  Israel and  the ideals of Zionism.  At one time it made pragmatic sense to have a national haven for the Jewish people to return to in light of historical Antisemitism culminating in the Holocaust. Also, supporting Israel was an ace in the hole of sorts--a place of refuge if hatred of Jews were to

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-7557234404945250142010-06-18T15:01:00.018+08:002010-06-23T12:38:35.020+08:00

Dear President Aquino, As an expatriate American residing in the Philippines, I followed the election here last month which you won handily.  I offer you my congratulations and best wishes on your victory. I find interesting parallels and similarities between that contest and the 2008 Presidential race in the United States. When President Barack Obama was elected  by an overwhelming majority,

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com6tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-27182525823599399952010-06-08T13:52:00.008+08:002010-06-08T15:06:35.936+08:00

As a rule, when I create a post  I don't knowingly duplicate a topic from another blog site, especially a recent one from the blog list in my sidebar, in this case "Atheist Revolution".  I  believe that doing so is intellectually lazy.   However, due to the gravity of the issue and the enormity of the report relating to that topic as related by that esteemable site, I'm making an exception. I 

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-16441868596099618552010-05-19T18:33:00.011+08:002010-06-27T14:33:44.984+08:00

According to scientific evidence, our existence as living beings requires the right mix of chemical ingredients and "Goldilocks" conditions inside and on the surface of our planet and  in the surrounding cosmos, e.g. "just right" surface temperature, atmospheric conditions, the distance of  Earth from the sun, etc. (And speaking of our sun,  there is really nothing special about it. It's just an

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-27215827443106842822010-04-30T15:53:00.011+08:002010-05-16T14:11:02.893+08:00

It's really too bad that the State of Arizona had to pass such a stringent law as the one that was recently enacted in dealing with illegal immigrants. Whether this legislation passes judicial muster remains to be seen.    However, the Federal government has abdicated its responsibility  in this matter, and just by the sheer number, the situation at the border and beyond has obviously gotten out

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-72420186255694552522010-04-20T13:38:00.008+08:002010-04-22T15:41:43.985+08:00

Are occasions such as Earth Day really necessary for people to show support for the environment? . After all, what good is it for the world to give lip service respect to nature one day out of the year and then trash it the rest of the time? To be sure, the intent that led to the beginning of this celebration as an annual affair was honorable, even noble.  But as I look around and read about

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-28694807826278676552010-04-03T14:24:00.162+08:002010-04-11T13:59:11.088+08:00

Yesterday, my friend, Alan Perlman and I discussed on line a post "The Day The Philippines Stands Still" which I had written last year for my other blog site, "Your Guide to Living In The Philippines". Briefly, that post discusses the Philippine culture's fixation on death, an example of which is the observance of Good Friday and Easter in which the Filipino focus is on the crucifixion

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-30327947533493023732010-03-15T08:00:00.004+08:002010-06-27T14:37:20.467+08:00

I think that I might be more tolerant towards and even respect theists who oppose atheism if I were convinced that the motivation for their beliefs was a sincere love for the supreme beings who are the center of their respective religions. However, most believers seem to connect with their deities out of fear, guilt, a sense of duty, habit, appearance, or a combination of these forces. Few

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-70380491045081203092010-02-19T15:18:00.001+08:002010-06-27T14:40:03.000+08:00

In an attempt to explain the origin of the universe, astronomers once held that the cosmos had always existed and that matter was constantly coming into being. This was known as the Steady State Theory. Eventually, this principle was refuted and replaced by the "Big Bang" Theory, which based on strong evidence, shows that that the universe has not existed eternally after all and in fact was

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com5tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-28871313887874164102010-02-05T15:25:00.026+08:002010-02-06T16:04:24.366+08:00

On Tuesday I turned 65. To me this is a significant milestone. For one thing I am now a full-fledged senior citizen. Too bad there's no Denny's here in the Philippines where I can go and celebrate.As far as life expectancy, I'm now more or less at the" top of the eighth inning" (to quote my friend Alan Perlman). But even if I were to live a great deal longer such as into my 80's or

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-36779081263737201642010-01-26T10:40:00.118+08:002010-01-29T11:27:09.990+08:00

I recently came across an article on the Internet about a search that is underway by cosmologists for Earth-like planets outside our solar system. Actually, the existence of extrasolar worlds themselves was predicted decades ago and was finally confirmed in the 1990's. Since then, hundreds of such celestial objects have been found, but none with characteristics need to support life, at least as

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-87248978429922764712010-01-10T13:10:00.036+08:002010-01-10T14:09:30.399+08:00

I don't recall what led to our discussion, but the other day at breakfast my wife Lydia mentioned in passing how her almost life-long freedom from belief in a supernatural being had always given her a sense of freedom. But instead of using the term "supernatural", she accidentally said "unnatural". We both laughed at this linguistic lapse. However, we got to thinking that perhaps when it

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com3tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-49135626354920173372009-12-25T13:28:00.026+08:002009-12-25T14:09:07.973+08:00

It's just amazing that in this day and age anybody with at least half a brain can still believe the Christmas story. Yet obviously millions still do despite the advances of science over the centuries and the resulting rational explanation of religious "miracles". That in itself is enough to make Christmas a day of mourning for free- thinkers and progressives everywhere.Nowhere perhaps is

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-73538699244582472512009-12-25T13:24:00.001+08:002009-12-25T13:25:42.791+08:00

In compliance with FTC requirements which became effective this year, I am disclosing the following information.This policy is valid from 24 December 2009This blog is a personal blog written and edited by me. This blog accepts forms of cash advertising, sponsorship, paid insertions or other forms of compensation.The compensation received will never influence the content, topics or posts made in

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-15512562547722304072009-12-02T09:52:00.125+08:002009-12-14T21:42:15.064+08:00

If ever a prize for and chutzpah and religious hypocrisy were ever awarded, a top contender for first place would be a fanatical Orthodox Jewish extremist group in Israel, the haredim. Members of this sect do not work for a living and instead spend their time in prayer and Torah study. On one hand this fringe group have no problem accepting welfare and financial support from the Israeli

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-87597653392280086852009-11-16T10:55:00.060+08:002009-11-18T17:12:13.202+08:00

Even though my wife and are retired and don't have to follow a schedule, I like to arise every morning around 5am, and spend much of the next hour in contemplative activities such as reading philosophy or watching the dawn light up the sky just before the sun finally appears on the horizon, and enjoying the relative calm and quiet before the daily distractions of life in begin full force.As it

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-505746328951730342009-10-20T19:30:00.004+08:002009-10-21T08:57:18.568+08:00

On Saturday I attended Shabbat services at the synagogue here in Metro-Manila. It so happened that there was a guest speaker who spoke about tikkun olam. This is an ancient Hebrew phrase referring to the Torah and Talmudic teachings which acknowledge that the world is imperfect, and so it is the duty of each Jew to try to repair it. (Side note: So if the world is imperfect, then that

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-2184842418608354722009-09-21T11:11:00.037+08:002009-10-10T08:37:03.267+08:00

On Sept. 17, the Philippine Daily Inquirer ran a story about a rookie cop in Manila who found and returned to its rightful owner a lost wallet containing a large amount of cash despite, as the police officer acknowledged, the temptation to keep it for himself. Given the usually deserved reputation for corruption which police and other officials are known for and with the overall high crime rate

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-37518463649556650492009-09-13T14:26:00.044+08:002009-10-04T23:03:52.215+08:00

Yale University Press recently compiled a publication called "The Cartoons That Shook the World" but in doing so, decided to exclude caricatures that offended Muslim sensibilities. This omission was done under the threat of violence by Islamic extremists (is that a redundancy?) if the cartoons in question were published. By caving in to such extortion and then censoring its publications

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-62435027499010600842009-09-04T21:13:00.061+08:002009-09-10T12:16:45.211+08:00

As the country prepares to observe Labor Day which was created to honor the American working people and their contribution to society, some questions need to asked regarding a basic entitlement of workers and for that matter of all Americans: universal health care.First of all, it’s disgraceful how the campaign to reform the health care system has turned into a 3-ring circus. Why on Earth has

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-38196423212313043152009-08-13T19:00:00.004+08:002009-08-14T17:51:28.876+08:00

I recently read two news items that were published on the same day and which appeared to be unrelated to each other. But the more I thought about it, the more I noticed a similarity in their content.In India there is a custom—probably a symbolic child sacrifice ritual—practiced by both Muslim and Hindu parents, in which they throw their babies off temple towers into makeshift nets (actually taut

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-8905754025665581862009-07-26T14:39:00.028+08:002009-07-27T16:04:30.611+08:00

When prominent American Jews get arrested or are have found to have committed dishonest deeds (think Bernard Madoff), the first reaction of law-abiding members of the Jewish community is "what will the goyim (gentiles) think of us?" This reaction is a defense mechanism that has been instilled in us almost to the genetic level as a result of centuries of persecution.But when I read about the five

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-70516814927506031322009-07-07T10:21:00.004+08:002009-07-11T15:21:39.107+08:00

Senator Baucus,If you're so afraid of a government sponsored health plan, why don't you give up the one that you have as a senator? Why shouldn't all Americans have the kind of insurance that you and all the other federal employees enjoy?One reason that my wife and I left the country is that we couldn't afford U.S. health care insurance premiums after I retired (I'm too young for Medicare).

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-75428472906738890782009-07-04T15:25:00.003+08:002009-07-04T16:04:36.730+08:00

As Americans celebrate Independence Day, we must ask ourselves whether we are free as long as our society is shackled by theistic religious beliefs.It cannot be overemphasized that the founding fathers of our country were primarily deists if not outright atheists. The American Constitution makes no reference to a supreme being. And the separation of church and state is enshrined in the First

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-54293755056175853402009-06-06T09:29:00.004+08:002009-06-10T10:37:20.505+08:00

One thing that has troubled me for a long time is the phenomenon of "faith by the numbers". Why did it take the Holocaust for many Jews to finally question God's existence? During the 1800's alone, thousands of our people were slaughtered in the pogroms in Russia. Yet in the face of this destruction, for most Jews both in Russia and elsewhere during that time it was business as usual as far

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com4tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-48011369310103083752009-05-18T13:55:00.000+08:002009-05-19T17:14:31.796+08:00

I have changed the title of this blogsite from "Towards a Rational America" to "Towards a Rational America and An Enlightened Judaism". This expansion was made in order for the name to more accurately reflect the scope of my posts—past, present, and future.When I began this blog last year, President Bush was still in power and wreaking havoc on America. Many of the issues concerning the then

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-8162151512412579312009-04-16T15:01:00.006+08:002009-07-22T16:09:04.312+08:00

Over the past several months, I've experienced a myriad of health problems, which have required various treatments, surgery, endoscopic examinations one of which was invasive , medications, and a trip to the emergency room. Despite a number of scares that the symptoms were indicative of a serious illness, the results turned out favorably. But needless to say, the experience was very stressful.Yet

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-15814576559077273122009-03-21T14:47:00.011+08:002009-03-22T14:45:15.470+08:00

In today's Atheist Revolution blog, there was a report about a Baptist pastor who posed as an atheist and left hateful commentaries on the site Unreasonable Faith. The content of these posts which appeared to be written by a non-believer were intended to make atheists look like monsters, reinforcing the negative image that unbelivers already have in the eyes of the rest of society. Talk about

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-29610477137091450802009-02-28T17:21:00.025+08:002009-06-19T10:31:19.093+08:00

Did you ever notice that the most corrupt countries in the world are the also the ones whose populations are the most "devout"? The Philippines and Latin America where the Catholic Church wields tremendous power are perfect examples of this phenomenon. I have a hypothesis that there is a positive correlation between religion and corruption in almost any given society. It seems that the greater

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com2tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-12725274632154106612009-01-31T15:09:00.019+08:002009-03-07T13:20:04.895+08:00

Why are American religious fundamentalists so sneaky about trying to use public policy to impose their beliefs on others? It seems that if they can't advance their political agenda through the front door, they attempt to do so under the radar.When the courts ruled that creationism is a religious doctrine and has no place in public school biology classes, the religious right repackaged this

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-17892489068612718792009-01-05T14:28:00.006+08:002009-01-08T15:21:03.466+08:00

Even though I stand by my position that the election of Barack Obama as America's first African-American President represents a breakthrough from which atheists also may one day benefit, (see my Nov. 9 post "A Step Forward For American Atheists?") I am disappointed that he chose Pastor Rick Warren, a homophobic Christian fundamentalist preacher, to deliver the invocation at Obama's inauguration.

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-35846662182042161132009-01-02T12:21:00.011+08:002009-01-02T15:06:48.659+08:00

When I worked as a bill collector, a common excuse among senior citizens for their inability to make their payments is that they were having a hard time due to being on a "fixed income", usually social security. At the time I didn't understand the significance of that phrase, but I suspected it was a bogus alibi.Now that my wife and I are retired and are the ones collecting social security (which

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-48983978885320650352008-12-23T11:06:00.049+08:002008-12-30T14:13:13.269+08:00

I'm hardly the first free thinker, and I certainly won't be the last to note how gullible religious believers are in America, especially during the Christmas season. Yet it just never ceases to astound me how even intelligent people can give credence or even lip-service acknowledgment to such notions as virgin birth (a de-evolution to asexual reproduction) and the star of Bethlehem (the reduction

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-70344440710036379732008-11-23T15:06:00.017+08:002008-12-28T11:26:30.840+08:00

It's hard to believe that 45 years have passed since President Kennedy was assasinated. November 22 (which was November 23 here in the Philippines) is a day that those of us who were at least old enough to understand the world around them will not forget.It seems that in the last several years, much of what we have heard is the dark side of his personal life. But his flaws do not change the fact

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-3174866653837306282008-11-09T17:12:00.072+08:002008-12-28T12:07:31.953+08:00

To put it mildly, I am over the moon that Barack Obama will be our next president and Joseph Biden our next vice-president, not only because their progressive positions defeated that angry old man McCain and his looney-tunes running mate Palin, but in doing so Obama has also placed the rabid Republicans in disarray—at least for the time being.Moreover, Obama's win as a black man represents a

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-30656612173068258072008-10-06T14:34:00.060+08:002008-10-27T10:32:07.295+08:00

The 7 hundred billion-dollar Wall Street bailout has riled many Americans, and rightfully so. If there had been genuine benefits in that agreement for the middle and working classes to equal those for the wealthy and businesses that greedily fed at the hog trough of deregulation, it might be easier for us to swallow the bitter pill that President Bush is ramming down our throats. But as usual,

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-90701713020181419102008-09-10T15:27:00.041+08:002008-09-17T11:08:16.152+08:00

With the imminent activation of the Large Hadron Collider in Switzerland which will try to replicate conditions of the universe immediately following the Big Bang, we stand on the threshold of a breakthrough in our understanding of the universe. This new knowledge will likely lead to an enhanced perspective—possibly even a rewriting of the laws of physics as science now understands them.Yet even

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com1tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-15245563566489497342008-08-26T15:06:00.049+08:002008-09-14T16:08:41.652+08:00

Some events that have unfolded recently have made it possible for even an old skeptical curmudgeon like me to feel some hope for our country's future and to consider the possibility that the grip on American culture by the rabid Republicans and their ilk may be weakening.For example, according to a poll conducted by the Pew Research Center, slightly more than 50% of Americans do not want to mix

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-2390927773081122522008-07-30T14:24:00.164+08:002008-10-08T15:50:12.881+08:00

Last night, I happened to watch an episode of "Crossing Jordan" in which Jordan encounters what appears to be the resurrection of a man who Jordan, as a medical examiner, knew for certain had died. As the plot unfolds, Jordan gives the impression that she is an atheist or at least a skeptic, believing instead in the power of science to explain the apparently inexplicable. Using her forensic

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-47827629351303058712008-07-20T13:56:00.049+08:002008-07-27T11:06:51.184+08:00

Countries with military commanders in chief who are not also the elected civilian heads of state are prone to coups and power grabs by army officers against the government. In the U.S., we are theoretically protected from from such takeovers. The President is elected by the voters as the head of the executive branch of our government and is the leader of our armed forces as well.Yet since 9-11—

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-77951669682271127512008-07-06T14:08:00.032+08:002008-07-11T11:13:15.916+08:00

I happened to watch the coverage of the July 4 celebrations in the U.S. on CNN. For the first time in the almost-3 years that I've been residing in the Philippines, I found myself a bit nostalgic for these festivities. I guess that it's because I recently happened to read the full American Declaration of Independence and grasped what a truly magnificent document it is both in style and substance,

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-29558426894156201042008-06-11T14:33:00.028+08:002008-07-15T16:30:12.652+08:00

I support Barack Obama's progressive and populist positions. If he is elected President and follows through on the policies outlined in the speech that he gave in early June, Change That Works for You, then maybe America can be saved from the economic and social ruin that we are now heading for thanks to the Bush and the rabid Republicans.However, as a Jew and a nontheist I am worried about other

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-28453907110833474402008-06-09T08:45:00.010+08:002008-07-02T11:11:48.637+08:00

Americans have long held a misplaced sense of entitlement to cheap fossil fuels. Maybe $4-5 per gallon is a long overdue wake up call for us to get off our collective asses, start conserving, and investing in mass transit as well as in alternative energy sources.What a sorry sight it was to see President Bush go begging hat in hand to the Saudis to give the U.S. a price break for crude (which,

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-17260219412904636262008-05-30T10:31:00.050+08:002008-07-02T11:11:32.792+08:00

I recently read of attempts by American soldiers stationed in Iraq to convert the Muslim locals to Christianity. Why am I not surprised at this turn of events. It was only a matter of time before this would happen. The U.S. military has already become a captive force of the American fundies, no doubt with the blessing of their Commander-in Chief, President Bush, who has dialogues with God and has

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.comtag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-81197983024781269782008-04-30T14:03:00.043+08:002008-07-02T11:11:14.190+08:00

Secular humanism is based on such concepts as rational inquiry and attempts to understand the human condition unfettered by a reliance on a supreme being. So it's no wonder that this philosophy would have it's largest following among members of academia and other highly educated professionals.In turn, considering the correlation between education and income, it's no surprise that these

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-61672362877904494592008-04-25T14:35:00.037+08:002008-07-02T11:10:56.869+08:00

The phrase "politically correct" was originally a label used by conservatives to derisively describe the euphemistic, "feel-good" terminology used by postmodernists who distort word and idea meanings in order to fit their relativistic ideology. But what if the shoe were on the other foot? In other words what if Republican government policy dictated that scientific findings must conform to

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-21836989065082905872008-03-21T11:07:00.087+08:002008-07-07T16:12:35.677+08:00

The collapse of the real estate market has generated a lot of discussion from various pundits about personal responsibility. It has been said that many stranded homeowners especially in the sub-prime category contributed to their own financial woes by taking on a larger mortgage than they could afford, or by reckless borrowing against their equity. There is a lot of truth to this. I know that

Secular Guyhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/03355591007995127097noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-6004436662131906365.post-11173846385668274052008-02-12T15:38:00.080+08:002008-07-28T12:13:23.870+08:00

Hello and welcome to my blog.My wife and I retired and relocated to the Philippines, her native land, in August, 2005, and from the looks of things we couldn't have picked a better time to do so. Within this short period, it seems that America's retreat from reason which began in the 1980's and has accelerated since 2000 has become even more pronounced in these few short years. President Bush (

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