I don’t have anything to blog about.
Well, not quite true. I do, but they are going to take time to develop and currently for my classes for the month of April I have three research papers to write, three tests to take, a timeline, and a final to take. For some reason this is slowing me down when it comes to doing substantive posts.
So, since I am trying to do at least two blogs a week I thought I would do some free association and just post a bunch of random thoughts on random subjects. Hey, it may not be my best blog, but I least I attained my goals – climb every mountain and so on.
Anyway, first random thought – how about them Republicans?! Just when it seems as if their election season multiple foot in mouths moments forgotten they come along and provide new ones.
First, from the state that brought us such statesidiots as Sarah Palin comes Congressman Don Young and his use of “wetbacks” when describing how things used to be in the days of his youth on his father’s farm.
Yep, that will bring in the Hispanic vote for the Republicans.
And then there is Republican National Committee Dave Agema’s facebook posting in which, based on an on line article (which we all know is totally reliable) “Everyone Should Know These Statistics on Homosexuals,” by Frank Joseph, M.D, posted that gays were responsible for “half the murders in large cities”, were sexually promiscuous, and were riddled with sexually transmitted diseases. Oh, let’s not forget the child molestation and their being responsible for the high costs of our healthcare.
Way to stay on the wrong side of history Dave!
Oh, should also mention that today is not only Good Friday, but more importantly, Dindy and mine’s 33rd anniversary. Not only have we added on a few years and a few pounds since we were married but we have also added on a lot more love during those years. Didn’t think it was possible to do that. Looking forwards to another 33 years, and then another, and another.
Guess I could give a preview on some the blogs that I am not working on right now due to school.
One is a blog about Paul Copan’s book “Is God a Moral Monster?” in which he defends God’s morality against the attacks of the new atheists such as Richard Dawkins. This one is actually a critique of the book and will consist of multiple blogs. I already have the rough draft for the first three chapters (this only takes two blogs and that because I spend most of the first one explaining what I am about to do and why).
I suppose I could go ahead with that, but then there is a good chance that there would be a long gap between parts of the critique, so I prefer to wait and finish off the book.
Spoiler alert – so far Mr. Copan does not succeed in defending the literal reading of the Old Testament’s God’s morality.
Now, my other two blog ideas are just some random notes right now. What is fun is they grew out of the research paper I am writing for my “Bible in Historical Context Class”. This paper is about the use of the Bible to support both the abolitionist arguments against slavery and the slave owner’s arguments for slavery prior to the Civil War.
The first blog is comparing how the Bible is used and interpreted in relation to slavery, gay rights, and abortion. There is a relationship between how the Bible is used and viewed by the abolitionists and Christians today in regards to slavery and to how those Christians in favor of gay rights are viewing the Bible. Conversely for the slave owners of the 17th – 19th centuries, those few Christians who are OK with slavery, and those, more common, Christians who are against gay rights all share a similar view of the Bible.
However, the same is not happening in regards to abortion even though of the three issues it is the one that has the least Biblical support for being anti-choice and the most Biblical support for being pro-choice.
The other blog arising from my research is how the Bible and Christianity was used by the blacks in pre-Civil War America to resist the oppression of the whites – whether the whites were slave owners, fellow citizens, or abolitionists. It is not something I had ever considered or known about until I started reading the poems of Jupiter Hammon and followed that up with some readings about blacks during that time and followed that up with an interesting discussion with Professor Day of the University of Texas at Arlington about this.
Not only is this going to make for a better paper (although I am going to be bumping up against the length requirements, probably) but provide material for an interesting blog about how religion can and does help a people and society Atheists are all too aware of the drawbacks and harms but too many refuse to consider the good and positive aspects that can come from religious beliefs. Hopefully this will stir up some good discussions when I get around to writing and posting it.
OK, lets see, what else. Sun is out and shining. Really wonderful day out.
I have come up with some more aphorisms, but not enough to update that blog yet.
Hmmm, didlle day do re doso, ahhh,
Ah, I see I am at 932 words and going. Nice respectable length for a blog. Hopefully next week someone will say something that will spark a blog that I can write fairly quickly. Otherwise I may have to do Random Thoughts 2 and I am not sure if I have that many thoughts.
Enjoy!
Bad Atheist 