Recent posts

#1

Politics / Re: Dominionists in the United...

Last post by Recusant - Today at 05:21:49 PM

These white male Christian nationalist dipshits think really highly of themselves. If you're not them, you're lesser in their eyes and supposedly in the eyes of their god.

"Pete Hegseth's holy war on 'weirdos' targets most Americans" | Salon

Pete Hegseth is odd. This isn't just a personal opinion, though there's no doubt that he gets widely mocked for his carefully cultivated public persona, which is a mix of megachurch preacher, gym rat and Robert Duvall's napalm-huffing character in "Apocalypse Now." The fact that the defense secretary is different is simply a statistical reality.

It's not just that he's a white evangelical Christian, a group that, according to PRRI, makes up only 13% of the population. Hegseth's church, the Communion of Reformed Evangelical Churches, is extreme even for the right, with a leader who argues against women's suffrage and teaches that slavery was the height of "mutual intimacy and harmony" between the races. Even within MAGA, those remain fringe positions, despite great efforts by some Christian nationalists to reignite "debate" on such long-resolved issues.

All this means it's hard not to laugh when Hegseth pontificates about his hatred of "weirdos." Although he has a war to fight in Iran, somehow he finds time to focus his attention on what he clearly sees as the greater battle: remaking the military according to the demands of his very white, very male, very right-wing vision.

"No fatties, no t******s [slur against transsexuals], no beardos, no weirdos, no wimps, no radicals," Hegseth said during a Sept. 30 speech at the U.S. Marine Corps Base Quantico in Virginia. He didn't explicitly say "no women," but his kicker — "with testosterone testing on top" — made the implication plain. The "no beardos" demand may seem strange, but as Jamelle Bouie of the New York Times explained, it's coded racism. Hegseth ended medical exemptions that allowed beards for people, mostly Black men, with certain skin conditions. This may explain why he has no problem when white men have beards, as seen on his church leader, Doug Wilson, or the many celebrities the defense secretary likes to take photos with. (Hegseth himself sported a beard in 2018.)

[Continues . . .]

#2

Miscellaneous / "god" is a sadistic creature

Last post by iriss7480 - October 06, 2026, 08:44:47 PM

I wrote an essay about how the Christian "god" is evil and abuses your trust:
https://seylee.medium.com/god-is-a-sadistic-creature-f571b5e36a20?postPublishedType=initial

[iriss]

#3

Miscellaneous / Re: Let me tell you about the ...

Last post by Recusant - October 06, 2026, 12:03:00 AM

Mind you, as a character in mythology YHVH is an unabashed psychotic. His supposed incarnation (multiple personality disorder?) is a neurotic at best. The historic person (assuming he existed) was heavily delusional while also hypnotically charismatic. The Islamic version is not an improvement. Worshipping these dysfunctional personalities seems like mass Stockholm syndrome.

I like to commit the unforgiveable sin every once in a while so: By the way, the "Holy Ghost" should sit on a cactus and spin.

No doubt all of the above has been said before (by myself and others) but I want to let iriss know that there is some agreement here. 

#4

Miscellaneous / Re: Let me tell you about the ...

Last post by Dark Lightning - October 05, 2026, 10:51:02 PM

 

#5

Miscellaneous / Re: Let me tell you about the ...

Last post by Recusant - October 05, 2026, 08:13:15 PM

Just can't let go, eh? The mythology provides you with an imaginary scapegoat for unpleasant aspects of your life. As much a crutch for you as it is for the Bible-thumpers.

#6

Miscellaneous / Let me tell you about the true...

Last post by iriss7480 - October 05, 2026, 01:26:07 PM

I wrote an essay about how "god", instead of giving you comfort, reassurance and encouragement, will overwhelm you with its creepy presence.

https://seylee.medium.com/let-me-tell-you-about-the-true-nature-of-god-24a91997a2a7?postPublishedType=repub

#7

Miscellaneous / Re: Intentional infliction of ...

Last post by Recusant - October 04, 2026, 10:26:31 PM

I suppose that by continuing to believe the mythology is real, you have something to blame. It may provide some measure of comfort (I'm the victim of a supremely powerful supernatural being!) but probably won't produce positive results.

#8

Miscellaneous / Intentional infliction of emot...

Last post by iriss7480 - October 04, 2026, 02:50:37 PM

I've written about the Christian "god"s intentional infliction of emotional distress the last 13/14 years.  Where I live, it is a crime to harass someone incessantly.  It has been especially bad the last 3/4 months.  This being is engaging in targeted aggressiveness for no reason.

https://seylee.medium.com/intentional-infliction-of-emotional-distress-db5316f15bfd?postPublishedType=initial

#9

Religion / Re: Who Would Have Thought?

Last post by Dark Lightning - October 04, 2026, 01:55:34 PM

PZ has a blog over at Free Thought Blogs. When I first started out with atheism on the 'net, I hung out at Raving Atheists. Pretty virulent. It is no more.

#10

Religion / Re: Who Would Have Thought?

Last post by Recusant - October 04, 2026, 04:43:26 AM

Ah, the storied history of "new atheism." Remember Atheism+  .  The collapse of the atheist conferences under the weight of their coddled (and curdled) testosterone. How about the author of The Happy Atheist, PZ Meyers? This site existed several years before he used that name for his book; not sure if a website has copyright grounds but it never was an issue anyway. Haven't heard anything from him and his devoted fanbase in years.

The best of the "Four Horsemen" have died, leaving us with Dawkins and Sam Harris. I wouldn't argue with the comment "The less said about them the better."

I don't know if that atheist "mass" still exists, first I have to remember what they called it. 

There are still a few discussion boards, pretty much all dominated by men of a certain age, or even like this one, populated almost exclusively by that demographic.

It's the nature of atheism though. Plenty of atheists about, but we mostly just get on with our lives.