Fiction Writing Protected From Defamation By United Nations... (ridiculous!)

So apparently specific fiction writers want their work protected from defamation... I wonder if Spielberg is gonna get in and get HIS works of fiction protected from defamation?! (bloody phantom menace! piece of shite!)

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CATO dot ORG

In a 83-to-53 vote, with 42 abstentions, the U.N. General Assembly urges nations to provide "adequate protections" in their laws or constitutions against "acts of hatred, discrimination, intimidation and coercion resulting from defamation of religions and incitement to religious hatred in general.

Only Islam and Muslims are specifically named in this resolution against religious defamation sponsored by Uganda -- on behalf of the 57-member Organization of the Islamic Conference -- with co-sponsors Belarus and Venezuela. In the opposition were the United States, a majority of European countries, Japan, India and a number of other nations.

Those voting in favor say they do not want to limit free speech but do intend to stop such expressions as the 2005 Danish cartoons disrespecting the Prophet Muhammad that ignited violent protests by Muslims around the world.

Also in an article, The Freedom to Criticize by Floyd Abrams (The American Jewish Congress Monthly, 2008), he emphasizes, and I fully agree, that the effect of what the United Nations voted for on Dec. 18 "would be just as dangerous if this did not (originally) come from the Islamic states, but came from any other group of states representing or purporting to speak for any other religion."

Another of America's leading First Amendment lawyers, Marc Stern, co-executive director of the American Jewish Congress, makes a crucial point that if this approach to "defamation of religion" were to become a crime under international law (under the impetus of the U.N. resolution): "nations would be able to seek extradition and trial abroad of persons who make statements critical or offensive to one or all faiths anywhere in the world."

Already, for example, as Reuters reported last June 4 ("Jordan Summons Danish Cartoonist on Blasphemy Charges"), that country's prosecutor, Hassan Abdullat, subpoenaed "11 Danes for drawing and reprinting" cartoons that offend Islam. The Danes were charged -- in Jordan -- for "threatening the national peace."

Under Jordanian law, Reuters reported, "reproducing images of the Prophet Muhammad inside -- or even outside the country -- is illegal under the Jordanian Justice Act."

Original Article: Washington Times

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When does it end?
I'll tell ya... when every non-believer is wiped from the face of the planet...

Atheists... we are not safe here... this viral meme called religion is starting to threaten our very existence... SOMEONE needs to do something about it... I'm working on solutions but I'm only one man... sheesh!

The Presumption of Atheism

This blog is merely a repost. Click the blog's title above to go to the original.

Originally posted by James Tracy

In a court of law the accused is presumed innocent until proven guilty. There are a myriad of beliefs out there in the world - some weird, some sensible, and some downright absurd. What is the typical approach when faced with a new claim or a new belief? Do we at first assume that the belief is true until proven false? It seems clear to me that this is not the way we typically behave when faced with a new belief.

Suppose that I tell you that unicorns exist. Is your first reaction going to be - “Okay, I will assume that you are right until I can prove otherwise?” Of course not. The way that we approach new and not self-evidently true claims is by holding off believing in the claim until it can be demonstrated to be true. As for unicorns, I will not believe in them until I see positive evidence for their existence. In this sense, the approach to all new beliefs should be one of skepticism first and then belief next only on the condition that there is sufficient evidence to support that belief.

In general this can be called The Presumption of Skepticism.

Unfortunately, it seems that some people forget that this applies to any belief, including belief in god. Thus, the theist asks - “How can you be an atheist if you can’t prove that god doesn’t exist?” Given the presumption of skepticism, one should remain skeptical (and therefore, an atheist) in belief in god until it can be satisfactorily shown that god exists.

An atheist taking a presumption of atheism does not need to prove anything. His or her atheism is justified by an absence of evidence for the existence of god, just as our skepticism of the existence of unicorns is justified by an absence of any evidence that unicorns exist. If one cannot positively support a belief, the only other sensible option is to decline that belief - put it off or on hold until evidence or proof can be found.

The Presumption of Atheism has been rigorously defended and described by the philosopher Anthony Flew. In writing about the presumption of atheism, Flew wrote:

It is by reference to this inescapable demand for grounds that the presumption of atheism is justified. If it is to be established that there is a God, then we have to have good grounds for believing that this is indeed so. Until and unless some such grounds are produced we have literally no reason at all for believing; and in that situation the only reasonable posture must be that of either the negative atheist or the agnostic. So the onus of proof has to rest on the proposition.

The Burden of Proof

A related question is that of the burden of proof. That is, who should be responsible for providing proof or evidence? The simple answer is - the person who makes a positive claim. In other words, it is the person who makes the claim that must provide the proof, not that person who is skeptical or unconvinced of that claim. In sum, the burden of proof rests on anyone making a positive
claim as opposed to a negative claim. Here are some examples of positive and negative claims:

Positive Claims (Carries the Burden of Proof)

• I believe that god exists.
• I believe that god doesn’t exist.
• I believe that angels exist.
• I believe that the world will end next month.

Negative Claims (Does not carry the Burden of Proof)

• I don’t believe that god exists.
• I don’t believe that angels exist.
• I don’t believe that the world will end next
  month.

Notice the subtle difference between these two statements: (1) I believe that god doesn’t exist and (2) I do not believe that god exists. Number (1) is a positive statement and thus, carries the burden of proof: God does not exist. Number (2) is a negative statement and a position of skepticism and does not carry the burden of proof: I am not convinced that god exists. It is quite easy over the course of a conversation or a debate to over look this distinction and mistake number (2) for (1).

The Magic Show

So for those of you that know me, you know I'm am now a fully cognizant, recognized, and devout Atheist... There is no turning back (short of brain-damage) to religion.

Oh I have some interesting theories on life, the universe and how things work that some would call hokey. For instance, I've seen some things done that I still don't understand, and the jury is out on them for now, so I refer to them as "energy work" and leave it in my "unexplained" box in my head. But in NO WAY do I ascribe ANYTHING to an All Powerful, All Knowing, All Just Deity or Deity-Group on any level.

Just... No... Way...

Well, I am going to be returning X-Mas gifts that my well meaning Step Mother got me that I would rather have cash for. Since I am moving into an Apartment in about 30 days, I need the cash for Furniture, moving expenses, etc. I just bought my California King Mattress yesterday. I am shopping (still) for the Platform Bed to put it on. I have to get pots and pans, dishes, toilet paper, towels, Emperor Scorpions, silverware, glasses... you know... New apartment stuff.

I can't wait to get my Emperor Scorpion pet moved in!

I used to raise them out when I lived out in California...

Anyway, back to my opening statement.

I am meeting my father at the church where he ushers to get those receipts. I forgot that he doesn't know about my Atheist Status yet. He is in fact a Preachers Kid himself, and caught so firmly in the delusion that there isn't any hope for his redemption from this particular meme. And that's ok. It doesn't directly cause him damage, other than the sad fact that he can't revel in what life is... temporary.

So he invited me to church and I think I'm gonna go.

I figure I'll pop out my Kindle and read me some "God Delusion" while sending sexxy chats to my female online friends from my iPhone.

What could me more fun for an Atheist to do while visiting his fathers church?

lol.

Ahhhhhh.... life is too short. (and not short enough)

I'm already 25 minutes late to service, but that's ok... cause I'm only going so I can twitter the insanity that church can be...

Make sure to check me out on Twitter: randomblink

Well, I guess I should change into something respectable for church... but I don't have any shredded jeans? crap... and it's too cold for shorts... sigh. What is a guy to do?!

9" Nails

I'm getting ready for bed at 8:47pm. I'm trying to offset a 4:00am bedtime last night. If I get to bed now, I can get 8 hours of sleep in time for tomorrow. And that's what I'm shooting for. I have a week to look forward to.

This week I am making my rebirth event.
I'm turning Thursday into a day I will celebrate, and NOT because my brother was born on that day either... sorry Jesse.

Thursday is a new year.
My divorce may not be finalized by that day via the courts? But it's finished as far as my mind and body recognize it, so I am making Thursday my day. I'm recognizing the importance of reinventing myself, I'm grabbing ahold of what I want and making it real this year. Hell, by Thursday, I will have moved even further towards my new home, I might have my new computer and have re-started several key projects, and more.

It's time.

Meanwhile, I was stumbling around in some of my old posts, and I ran across this post on Richard Dawkins forum... from someone whom I admire for their wit.

Click Here To Get To Original Post

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Look... you believe that a cosmic Jewish zombie, who is his own father, can make you live forever if you submit to a magical soul-douching ceremony (complete with magical water, incantations and waving of hands), symbolically eat his flesh (in the form of a cracker) and telepathically tell him that you accept him as your master so he can remove an evil force from your soul that is present in humanity because a rib-woman was tricked by a malevolent entity (disguised a talking snake... with legs) into eating a piece of magical fruit from an enchanted tree... (etc.)... and that there is something horribly wrong with people who ARE NOT so stupid and gullible that they can be made to believe such outrageously ridiculous codswallop.

Ahhhhh... I love it when people sum up some things so beautifully.
Thank you DuckPhup...

Well, it's 9:20pm. My day was nice and relaxing. I feel so much better than I have in years. I'm starting to get used to these swings too. I will feel completely depressed for awhile, then I start to rediscover things I enjoy, then I start to have hope. Well, I'm at the hope phase right now and I will enjoy it. If I start to swing down, at least I can recognize it and it doesn't take control of me. It helps me to focus on what is wrong, and present solutions to fix it.

I'm shutting my soon-to-be-replaced system down... turning up the volume on my tunage... climbing under the covers... and finding nirvanna...

Tomorrow is a full day...
May yours be better than you ever thought it could be.