Happy Birthday Issac Newton

He was born on Christmas day, 1643 (by the calendar in the works then . . .actually Jan 4 now). No shepherds came. No star alerted the masses. No wise guys. No frankincense nor Murray. But we do know that he was born on this day. Records show it. We have his school records (not so hot either!). And of course we have all of his work published in The Principia. We have eyewitness accounts of his lectures and his letters. We have his journals including the entry about the apple (which did not hit him on the head).

All in all Newton was undoubtedly a real person and we’re thankful for his work which has given work to all those teaching introductory physics for centuries after his death.

On the other hand there is NO record of Jesus having been born on December 25th. The story with the manger and the no room at the inn is pure myth. No eyewitness accounts. No letters from Mary. No love notes from Joseph (well that’s probably understandable). No mention in the historical records of the time in question. Jesus left us no writings of his own (which seems strange) and the ‘eye witness’ accounts of his lectures were actually written years after his alleged death. Who knows how much the writings of Paul, John, and Ringo were massaged over the years by a church struggling for survival.

So happy birthday Isaac. For me your work and your life are more real and hold much more importance than the passing on of a popular myth for the perpetuation of those creating and supporting the myth.

NOW pray for me

Police think Claire Davis, 17, was a random victim -- in the wrong place at the wrong time when a gunman opened fire at her Colorado school. Her friends and family are asking for prayers.

OK I'm in. There I just prayed. I just prayed to the same god that let her get shot in the first place. The same god that let the kid buy a shotgun.

It's the same after every disaster. People want to pray to a god who is all powerful without asking why the same god let the event happen in the first place. Why doesn't the whole process just seem stupid on the face of it like it does to me?

I guess I lake faith.

I did pray though...Really. Does it count when an atheist prays?

Not Dead Yet!

Here we go again. Another round of 'journalists' investigating near death experiences. In reading (ok I skimmed) this article from CNN I find once again people who claimed they 'died', saw their bodies, talked to a couple of saints, but then returned to life.

Except they clearly weren't completely dead because they're alive now. Let's talk about chatting with the saints, and looking down from above after you've been dead for a least a week or two.