Posts Tagged ‘religion’

WTF News

Wednesday, June 16th, 2010

I need to take some valuable time here to share the news of the weird with you. Yesterday I was sleeping snug and safe in my bed when the cat stuck his ass right in my face. Man, I love my cat. While I was trying desperately to sneeze that trauma out of my nose, I turned on the TV. I heard the actual headline:

“Jesus Statue Burns Down in Act of God.”

Now, whoever wrote this is the greatest genius that ever lived, or the most confused and religiously distressed individual to miss a dose of his or her medication. But you have to admit, that story is just fucking hilarious. If you have no idea what I’m talking about, I’m talking about this atrocity parked in front of the Solid Rock Church in Ohio:

Praise the Lord and take the crack pipe out of the hands of that sculptor. Then mass rehabilitation for the committee who thought this was the least bit inspirational.

This sculpture, and I use that term in the loosest way possible, was constructed from foam and wire and basically floated above the viewing pond. I think sculpture is a loose term here, but “foam atrocity” might offend some of my gentler readers. It burned the retinas of the local residents who came up with all sorts of creative names for it like “Big Butter Jesus” and “Touchdown Jesus.” I’m sure they meant it in the most gentle, Christ-like way possible. Anyway, the damn thing is just fugly, and the Almighty himself seconded that emotion with death from above.

Yes, God smote his own son’s portrait from above. Oh, the irony. That song from Alanis Morissette? Yeah, that just points out some unfortunate incidents. This story is just downright fucking ironic. I keep seeing the same 11 second clip over and over, and now I’m going to share it with you. It’s not because I don’t love you, quite the opposite, really. I love you, and I want you to be forewarned about what happens when you insult God using umbamugafugly statuary.

*Big sigh* — Even the cross is gone. Well shut my mouth wide open, it appears that God has it in for somebody. If I was the person who made that, I’d move into a shack with a copper roof. If you’re like me, you’re really conflicted about faith right now. (Well, actually, those of you who really know me know I’m not, but I’m going there with rest of my gentle readers so I don’t seem unsympathetic.) On the one hand, maybe this is proof that God exists and hates the way we humans depict him. On the other hand, maybe this is just more sinister proof that there is no God and that random acts of weather can profane the most sacred (and creepily ugly) of objects. I’ll leave the decision up to you; I’m not in the mood to open that big can of swarming maggots today.

Maybe all those Muslims have a point. Maybe we should avoid trying to depict a divinity. I mean, what if we are all terribly, horribly wrong, and we’re pissing off somebody we really don’t want to mess with. I have to point out, though, that it’s worth noting how attached we are to our personal concept of deity. I think if there is a Jesus out there somewhere, and he truly is omnipotent, he would make himself look exactly like this:

I am dead serious about this. Who could resist? Everybody loves kittens except for assholes, and who wants those people in heaven anyway?

Well, I’m going to put my copper hat on and head off for the afternoon. Here’s a klassic just to keep you in the spirit of things.

Science As An Article of Faith

Monday, May 24th, 2010

Being a scientist living in the land of religious lunacy, I’m often asked what I believe in. My stock answer to this is “Gravity.” After all, you just can’t escape it. Don’t believe me? Try to make the egg you just dropped levitate before it hits the floor or stop yourself when you’re half way to the ground from an uncomfortable height. Gravity’s a bitch, and it will get you every time. This is truly something you can believe in.

That had to hurt, and believe me, those people would have become instant atheists if it would negate the effects of gravity. See? I’m thinking of a clever advertising slogan here: Gravity: Finally there’s something to believe in.

I’m a chemist. Well, let me clarify. I’m an American chemist, which means I can design and make the drugs, I just can’t sell them. It goes without saying that I don’t have much use for theories you can’t prove and phenomena you can’t replicate. I also don’t have much use for people harassing me about how I “just have to believe” something, “have faith in things unseen”, or “need the _______ (Fill in deity of your choice, except Cthulhu. That guy’s just a bastard.) in my life.” I don’t buy any of this, and I make no apologies for it.

This is not to say my life is entirely devoid of faith. See, I have tons of faith in things unseen. When I do an enzyme assay, I have to take it on faith the enzyme is in there, because I can’t actually see it. I have to have faith that a color change indicates a chemical reaction took place. A lot of science takes place on paper, white boards and in the heads of individuals. You have to have faith in the math. No easy task.

Hmmm. I think it may be missing an exponent.

At the risk of boring the vast majority of you who all too readily recognize the above equation, let me do a little explaining to the new initiates. What you see above you is a portion (only a portion) of the equation that explains the existence of alternate realities. It helps explain the universe’s response to paradox. It tells us a little bit about how an object is not really there until we turn around and observe it.

Particles and cats can be sneaky things. You never know if they’re going to be there.

The above elementary musing is a portion of the String Theory equation. String Theory and quantum theory are intimate and incestuous. It makes me feel dirty just thinking about it. You can barely separate them, but they are, technically, different disciplines. One other thing: both take approximately one assload of faith to accept. The door to the universe one atom away from you is always open; you just have to have faith in the math. But think about this for a minute and tell me it doesn’t take your mind to wondrous places. You can see the past, the future, the world where the glass repairs itself after being broken or the world after the Allies lost World War II. Don’t worry if you’re a failure in this life, because in another string you’re actually the King of Sweden. Neato.

Of course, maybe we’re just pulling this out of our asses.

That just about sums it up.

Well, no matter. You don’t need to be a physicist to appreciate the sense of wonder the universe can instill. Here, take a look at this:

Antenna Galaxy

That’s a galaxy, and it’s a real object. If you have a mighty radio telescope, you can see it for yourself. Right now, we just have to leave it up to Hubble and the Internet. Look at it and tell me you don’t have faith in something grander than yourself. The thing is, unlike rule books written by perfectly fallible human beings or supposed miracles barely witnessed by anyone, this thing is hardcore reality. There it is; hanging around the cosmos, minding its own business, completely oblivious to your presence. It does not give a shit about you. Giving a shit about you is what we would consider “Well BENEATH Its Pay Grade.” It’s larger than your mind can comprehend. Nobody has to “believe” it’s there, we can see it’s there. Faith made simple.

Okay, now that the religious zealots have called me all sorts of names, bragged loudly about how they’re all praying for me and left the building, let’s take a minute to calm down, clear our heads, and think this thing through one last time.

Nam-myo-renge-kyo. See, I feel better already.

I believe my enzyme is in there. I believe in LeChatlier’s Principle. I believe there are 6.02 x 10^23 particles in a mole. I believe in that nebula. I believe the cat will be there when I open the box. Science is faith. Religion is rules and semantics. Don’t ever tell a scientist that s/he lives a godless life devoid of faith and hope. Far from it. We all believe in something larger than ourselves, otherwise, why go to work every day?

A religious icon for the ages.

I love you and want the best for you, so I’m leaving you that very special religious ceremony. It’s been passed down among our people for about a century. Now you can believe in LeChatlier’s Principle too. Safety tip: you’re not going to want to drink those when you’re finished with them. It’s one thing to believe in the practical and wonder-inspiring. It’s another thing to drink the magic Kool-Aid.