Another shout-out to those who constantly ask, “Ummm…what-the-fuck?”: Atheism and Unalienable Rights. Some beautiful highlights from the asylum:

Skeptics want to deny that rights come from God, but if they are correct, then there is no sound philosophical footings undergirding their perpetual claim to any rights. They are walking on a tenuous tightrope of conceptual fiat. Obviously they have not thought this issue through very carefully.

Wow, I’m such a dope! What the hell was I thinking? I think someone really needs to start reading some books on political philosophy. You know, that field that has been around for, I don’t know, a couple of thousand years or so.

The commandment “thou shall commit no murder” ordains the right to life. “Thou shall not steal” asserts the right to property. The biblical prohibition against man-stealing conveys the right to liberty. The Commandments given to the ancient Hebrews established those rights, making them transcendent and absolute.

Yep, just like that. It’s almost like MAGIC, the way that works.

If the Atheist worldview is correct about there being no God, then the only place anything called “rights” can come from, is gratuitously from the state. That would in turn set the stage for tyranny. The state would no longer be the earthly protector and curator of these rights, but for all practical purposes, the divine provider itself. The state would thus have the just power of caprice to withdraw these rights. If that is the case, there could be no just reason to rebel against tyranny, the cause would be moot and unwarranted. Unless government has limited authority and jurisdiction under God, nobody would have a basis for arguing that the state was ruling unjustly.

That’s right folks: embrace atheism, and you’re setting yourself up for your own demise. And right around Halloween, too. Coincidence? I think not.

These stories always crack me up: Faith Strong in Storm-Damaged Church. “Yes, beat me, beat me, and then beat me some more. Thank you Sir, may I have another?” They really should have medication for people like this.

A 100-square-foot hole in the 40-foot high ceiling of the church’s roof in Palm Beach Gardens was a blatant reminder to church members that God sometimes uses natural disaster to touch believers’ souls.

Yes, this is the way an all-knowing, powerful, and loving being finds ways in which to touch souls.

“God has a way of snapping his fingers, getting your attention and making you realize what’s important in life,” he said. “Don’t look at what may have been lost, but thank God for your life and your health.

“A whirlwind isn’t bad when it picks you up and takes you to heaven.”

Ugh. If a human has this attitude toward another human, I’m sure it would make the psychiatric reference books. But with god, it’s all part of the package. Nope, no dysfunctional behavior here, folks. Move along.

Findlaw has a couple of nice serious pieces on the recent “Pledge Protection Act” passed by the U.S. House which Bob and I both earlier commented on here. In “The Pledge Protection Act: The Lunacy of Letting Only State Courts Interpret the First Amendment” and “Conduct Unbefitting the Congress: The So-Called Pledge Protection Act Passed by the House of Representatives” the legal eagles over there say pretty much what I did in way more words — but with lots more detail. Worth a read.