There’s a mass rush of weddings that will be taking place on July 7^th, 2007. 7/7/7.

And to the brides and grooms who were scrambling to book a church or hall for that date years ago, and to those who are now doing the same for 8/8/8, let me just take a breath and say this:

Stop it.

Stop the lunacy. There’s nothing special about those days. You’re just making life harder for people helping you plan the wedding.

To no one’s surprise, there are people who think that day is lucky:

Like many brides-to-be who successfully secured a location for July 7, Alice Lee, 28, insists that she isn’t superstitious. The magic date was really for her Chinese mother-in-law, who sets store by such things.

“But seven is my lucky number,” Lee admitted. “At least it’s better than getting married on 6/6/6/.”

And this lady is probably going to breed one day.

No, a 6/6/6 wedding is no different from a 7/7/7 wedding, and neither is any different from an 8/8/8 wedding. And none of those days is any better than a Friday the 13^th wedding.

As a person who knows there’s no such thing as lucky numbers and doesn’t buy into idiotic superstitions, I just want to shake these people out of their delusions.

They make it sound like if they got wed a day later, their marriage wouldn’t be as special.

Reporters aren’t calling them out on it, either. Some are joining in on the idiocy. Here’s a line from an article by Kayce T. Ataiyero of the Baltimore Sun:

That 7/7/07, a date that occurs only once a century, falls on a Saturday, during a popular month for weddings, is creating the perfect storm of love, according to wedding professionals.

Believe it or not, today’s date of 6/28/07 also occurs only once a century!

Shocking, I know. Now, go! Run and get married before the sun sets!

I kind of feel good knowing there are companies out there taking advantage of these moronic couples for their money or for free publicity.

Take this hotel, for example:

On the higher end, the Ritz-Carlton New York in Central Park has the Lucky No. 7 wedding package. For a group of 77, it’s offering a seven-bottle champagne toast, a seven-tier wedding cake and seven Tiffany & Co. diamonds for the bride. Room 2007 will be available for the bridal party to get ready in, and afterward, the couple gets a seven-night honeymoon at any Ritz-Carlton hotel – all for $77,777. A seven-day advance payment is required.

Let me make this clear: If there’s a significant reason for choosing a 7/7/7 wedding date (like if July 7 was the date you first met your spouse), fine. I’m not talking about you.

But if anyone is doing it because it’s “lucky,” or because it’s an easy date to remember for an anniversary, that’s just pathetic.

For what it’s worth, China isn’t any better than America. They find seven to be unlucky. But eight is ok. So 8/8/8 weddings will be big there. And the Beijing Olympics will be starting at 8:00 p.m. on 8/8/8 as well.

Wouldn’t it be hilarious to see a study a year or two from now that tracked couples who got married on 7/7/7? I suspect the divorce rates would be no different than any other day.


[tags]atheist, atheism, superstition, wedding, 7/7/7, 8/8/8, Beijing, China, Alice Lee, Kayce T. Ataiyero, Baltimore Sun, Ritz-Carlton New York[/tags]

There’s a blogswarm coming.

You are invited to Blog Against Theocracy early next week. It’s a chance for everyone to write about separation of state and church and how that is indeed patriotic. For more information go here (details on how to send them your blog post links are coming shortly).

If you want some examples of what people wrote last time (back in April), check out this list. Apparently, everyone wrote something except you.

Ok, I’m missing from that list, too. I’ll fix that this time around.

Need help deciding what to write about? Some great resources are here and here.


[tags]atheist, atheism, separation of church and state, Blog Against Theocracy[/tags]

I’m not a big fan of tradition. I’m also not a big fan of snakes.

I am a fan of dead baby jokes.

So you would think I’d be conflicted about this video… (warning: it’s graphic):

Makes you want to vomit, doesn’t it?

It’s appalling. Disturbing. Dangerous. Forget tradition; these parents need to be locked up. I’ll adopt the baby. It’s cute.

Apparently, pitting baby against cobra is a rite of passage (or as this article says, “a ‘bite’ of passage) for snake-charming families in India. It is supposed to teach the child not to fear the snake.

The cobra has been defanged and its mouth is stitched up. But it doesn’t make the video any less frightening. Not to mention that cobras’ fangs grow back quickly, according to animal rights groups protesting this practice.

Even if the fangs are not an issue, the last few seconds of the video are even scarier. And they showcase another danger with this practice.

Where’s the critical thinking when you need it?

(via Sepia Mutiny)


[tags]atheist, atheism, baby, cobra, snake charming, Sepia Mutiny[/tags]

That meme got to me.

The rules:

• We have to post these rules before we give you the facts.
• Players start with eight random facts/habits about themselves.
• People who are tagged need to write their own blog about their eight things and post these rules.
• At the end of your blog post, you need to choose eight people to get tagged and list their names.
• Don’t forget to leave them each a comment telling them they’re tagged, and to read your blog.

My list:

• During nearly all of my college and grad school classes, I had crossword puzzles and Sudokus taped inside my notebook. would do those instead of take notes.
• I once had a free subscription to Maxim magazine. I don’t know how that happened. But soon after, I began receiving Stuff and FHM magazine (the same company publishes them all). Then, I began receiving Christian magazines. It seemed like Christians had seen my mail and wanted to help me.
• Leaving medical school after my M1 year was the best decision I ever made.
• I *really* want to be on Survivor. I even sent in an application and a videotape once. Didn’t get called for an interview, though. Damn.
• I’m still upset that I screwed up at Sectionals during a Speech tournament my senior year of high school and didn’t make it to the State competition.
• I’m freakishly double-jointed. For example, I can clasp my hands together behind my back and bring them to the front (over my head) without letting go.
• The highlight of my academic life was in 7th grade. I got at least 100% on every single test we took in pre-Algebra that year (there were extra credit questions). I could never do that again, though… (See Crossword Puzzle comment.)
• I don’t just sing in the car. I recite lectures and stand-up comedy bits along with the tracks. I’ve been doing that for years. If I have any public speaking skills, that’s where they came from.

Eight blogs to tag? Well, there are some new people on the blogroll…:

Letters from Le Vrai

Miss Heretic

Rants and Raves of a Black Skeptic

20 Gram Soul

Atheist Self

A Whore in the Temple of Reason

Jamonation

My Life Thinly Disguised as Groove

And everyone else.

Get to it!

An atheist friend from Texas recently went to his local Pancho’s Mexican Buffet in Euless, Texas.

Pancho’s is a chain with nearly 40 restaurants in the Southwest.

When he walked in, he saw a sign on the door that read:

Get 10% off on Sunday!

_{Bring in your Church Bulletin and receive a 10% discount on your meal}

When he asked if there was something atheists could do to get the discount, he was told there wasn’t.

I’m pretty sure if I opened an Indian restaurant and gave discounts to brown people but not white people, there would be problems. So why this policy is allowed at this particular Poncho’s baffles me.

My first assumption was that people at Poncho’s headquarters just don’t know about it. So I wrote to them a few days ago via email. They haven’t responded yet.

As for the bulletin policy, I am wondering if only certain types of churches get a discount.

Or if Muslim mosque bulletins (do they even have those?) are accepted.

My friend is going to go back there with a bulletin of some sort — one from an “atheist church,” perhaps? — to see if they take it.

I’ll keep you updated in any case.

Incidentally, when he left the restaurant, there was another sign that read “Muchas Gracias! Vaya con Dios.” which translates to “Thank you very much! Go with God.” It’s not much of a concern, but apparently, the business from atheists is unwanted at that particular Poncho’s.


[tags]atheist, atheism, religion, God, Pancho’s Mexican Buffet, Euless, Church Bulletin, Muslim[/tags]

The comic strip Rudy Park has been doing strips this week discussing Richard Dawkins/atheism/science.

Here’s a sampling:

June 25

June 26

June 27

(via RichardDawkins.net)


[tags]atheist, atheism, Rudy Park, Richard Dawkins, science, humor[/tags]

A band called Architecture Of Aggression is putting together a concert in South Africa called the 777 “Rock Against Religion” show. It will feature seven of the country’s “most outspoken rock and metal” acts performing on July 7.

Brothers Anton and Van Alberts and William Bishop say the concert would be a “a peaceful protest against the injustices caused in the name of religion against people of different faiths or the non-religious”.

Anton also adds this:

“Religion has been part of humanity since the beginning. It has also been responsible for some of the bloodiest battles in history.

Whether it has been in the name of Ramses, Yaweh, Aries, Allah or Christ, the human rights abuses and all the other acts remain unforgivable and unforgettable.”

Excerpts from a released statement the band put out are found in this article:

“religion served a purpose to our distant ancestors in many different, subtle and even useful manners”.

“It helped explain ‘mysteries’ such us the seasonal cycles, creation and where storms come from.

“It also stimulated the imaginations of early humans with stories of great gods and miracles.

“It also served as a useful tool in early civilisations and among nomad tribes, where circumcision could prevent disease in the male population, where eating the wrong animals could lead to infection by parasites and worse. But we have no more need for these controls,” it read.

Humanity now had intelligent ideas and understanding of how the universe functioned and possibly how it came into being as well, the statement said. “There is no need for religious dogmatism in our modern, educated, reasoning society any more.

“It is not only redundant but extremely limiting to us as a species. There will always be a place for it, as there will always be a place for the Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus and the Easter Bunny,” it said.

The band adds this:

The band said: “If we see someone wearing a ‘I love Jesus’ shirt we leave them alone, that’s their thing.

We also get a comment from a religious figure in one article, showing us just how religion can warp someone’s mind:

Dr Isak Burger, president of the Apostolic Faith Mission, said these groups’ arguments were unfounded and foolish.

“I believe the movement is demonic and inspired by Satan, but that Christians don’t have to feel threatened, because God is stronger than Satan.”

Of course, if Christians shouldn’t feel threatened, Burger needs to to tell that to the angry Christians posting on the band’s website.


[tags]atheist, atheism, Architecture Of Aggression, South Africa, 777 Rock Against Religion, Anton Alberts, Van Alberts, William Bishop, religion, Ramses, Yaweh, Aries, Allah, Christ, Tooth Fairy, Santa Claus, Easter Bunny, Jesus, Isak Burger, Apostolic Faith Mission, Satan, Christian[/tags]

***Update: Here’s a picture of the Tribune front page, for those who would like to see:

The article is at the bottom!***

The Chicago Tribune has a Page One story today on Camp Quest, the summer camp for children of atheist parents.

While it’s a very positive article (And I’m thrilled about the coverage), there were a couple phrases that rubbed me the wrong way.

Writer Ron Grossman makes a typical mistake that reporters too often do when discussing atheism:

Proudly proclaiming the motto “Beyond Belief,” Camp Quest bills itself as the nation’s first sleep-away summer camp for atheists. Founded in 1996, it has inspired four similar camps across the nation for children whose parents are either opposed or indifferent to religion.

This makes it sound like the parents are either apathetic about religion (in which case, why send a child to a religion or non-religious camp in the first place) or they hate all religions (when in fact many of the parents have close religious friends and family members).

The truth is these parents just don’t believe in superstition and don’t want to teach their children that we should rely on faith instead of proof and evidence. They want their children to grow up questioning the claims of religious figures and anyone else, for that matter. Many of them live in areas where they face a lot of antagonism (usually from Christians) as a result of their non-religiosity. Camp Quest is a haven for these children who have to deal with the atheist stigma on a daily basis.

Opposed or indifferent? Both options are incorrect.

[Camper Sophia] Riehemann notes that a secular perspective takes away childhood joys other kids have, such as Christmas. But that doesn’t bother her. “They have Santa Claus,” she said, “and we have Isaac Newton.”

Perhaps not the reporter’s fault since he’s speaking to a camper, but atheists celebrate many special occasions — and in today’s culture, it’s easy enough to enjoy Christmas (at least that time of the year) without being a Christian.

Plus, presents are always good.

And Santa Claus is real — I don’t know what Riehemann is talking about…

One thing Grossman gets entirely right is his description of the camp’s founder, Edwin Kagin:

Kagin has a full beard, a rolling gait and a sardonic delivery reminiscent of Mark Twain, as played by Hal Holbrook.

If you met him, I promise you this would be hilarious.


[tags]atheist, atheism, Camp Quest, Ron Grossman, Chicago Tribune, Santa Claus, Christmas, Christian, Edwin Kagin, Hal Holbrook, Mark Twain, Sophia Riehemann, Isaac Newton[/tags]

Since these Dawkins-Haggard videos seem to be popular, we’ll add another to the pile. This may be the funniest one yet.

The guy is pretty spot-on with the facial contortions…

I suppose he’d have to be. He is “Pasta Ted,” after all.

(Thanks to Maria for the link!)


[tags]atheist, atheism, Richard Dawkins, The Root of All Evil?, Ted Haggard[/tags]