The Making Of A Skeptical Pumpkin

We decided to carve a pumpkin this year. We found some great Carl Sagan Templates here. Apparently Sagan is a popular pumpkin choice. I guess a scientist would be a pretty spooky idea for a Jack'O Lantern to some. You know, using evidence to support ideas and all. The carving was not as difficult as it seems but I found that if you just worked and 8 hour shift lifting heavy things then it is not a good idea to hunch over a pumpkin for two hours. 

  

  

We got our pumpkin from a northwest suburb in Chicago. From their website it looked like a fun, adventurous(for a school day) place to frolic in a field of glorious orange globes. We were sorely disappointed however. They have an exhibit there called animal land which we expected to be something like a petting zoo with farm animals. We should have delved deeper into the website. Instead what we paid to see was a collection of exotic animals kept in cages, some far to small and in no way mimicking a natural habitat. Cages of sleepy tiger cubs, bears, shivering kangaroo, large agitated wild birds, cages that were mere feet away from taunting children and oblivious adults all enclosed in a large tent that we hoped was adequate to keep the cold weather out. We stopped after the first tent. There were two more. 

We also saw a mechanical dinosaur very slowly eat pumpkins with a climax that was comparable to the point when paint actually dries. The corn maze left something to be desired... that is unless you are three feet tall. I believe the fun of a maze comes from the fact that is it hard to find your way out. Standing two feet above the highest stalks surely prevents this.  Later, my girlfriend discovered that the pumpkins were shipped from New Mexico.

So, if you like seeing pent up wild animals, the least impressive corn maze this side of Chicago and buying an out of state pumpkin you could have bought at ALDI for half the price, go to Goebberts.

"Slut" Is Another Word For Control

 The women's liberation movements of the last century have made tremendous strides but have yet to squeeze their way into the smallest aspects of everyday life and thinking. Slut shaming is one of these aspects.

Is there a problem morally with having multiple sex partners? Is there a problem with any sort of sexual promiscuity? As long as it is practiced safely and without deception, in my opinion, no. A big fat no. This is the same problem some people, often you will find men to be the root cause, have with the gay rights movement in a sense. They want to control who gets to have sex with who. Men may have sex with only women otherwise you are a "faggot". Women may have sex with only a minimal number of men and must be in relationships with these men or risk becoming "sluts". Straight men, however, can have sex with as many women as they wish and only seem all the more virile for it. (Notwithstanding cheating, which seems to be universally abhorrent.) I'm generalizing here and I realize that many people don't share these beliefs, but still too large a number of people do. I see it everyday on television, movies, on facebook and in day to day conversations with friends, coworkers, and relatives. Hardly a day goes by where I don't hear some form of shaming towards promiscuous women or women perceived to be promiscuous. It is most often not even realized to be blatant sexism. It's a double standard that the majority of people seem to be comfortable with without even a second thought. Oh, they know it's a double standard, but to most it's an acceptable one. Why is this? Well, that answer is seemingly obvious. Sexism has been ubiquitous throughout human history and men have been in the privileged position. Shedding sexism means men, who've never as a whole, really had to deal with any serious level of sexism, will have to let go of certain privileges that they've had since the day they were born. We, as men have had them so long we feel that we are entitled to them. Women have been subjected to sexism for so long that some may think are deserving of it, or that it is harmless.

"Slut" is a word used to control women into behaving the way men think they should behave. Is there a comparably ubiquitous word for promiscuous men? Maybe "man-slut" fills this role, but it is obviously derivative, holds no real power over men and is often viewed as comedic. Nobody looks down on a man-slut. You don't hear men called "whores" and "sluts" with the vitriol that is often used against women for having multiple sex partners. Everyone knows this is a double standard but props it up anyway. There is no justification for it. If you have one I would like to hear it . I'm certain that I have been guilty of slut shaming in the past but I will be no longer to the best of my ability.

Russian Blasphemy Law

Russia is considering a new law that would curtail blasphemy:

The religious offense law was drafted in the wake of performance group Pussy Riot's “punk prayer” in Moscow’s central cathedral earlier this year. Members of the group were sentenced to two years in a penal colony under the broad charge of hooliganism for a lack of more specific legislation. The bill calls for up to three years’ imprisonment for disrespecting religious sensibilities and is currently being discussed in the Duma.

 The law seeks to punish, with up to a three year prison sentence, those who "disrespect religious sensibilities" which no doubt means the religious sensibilities of the orthodox church specifically. In the town of Rostov-on-Don the musical "Jesus Christ Superstar" is being cancelled thanks to the complaints of 18 individuals who say the musical is presenting the image of Christ incorrectly. It seems the production is shutting down rather than risking possible jail time for upsetting the delicate sensibilities of the orthodox church.

I visited Rostov-On-Don(my gf's hometown) in the spring of this year. It's not a very big city though certain areas have some charm and the river is very pretty. The orthodox cathedral is a central part of many Russian cities and Rostov is no different with a fairly large cathedral located at it's center. We had a great time exploring many of these cathedrals in both St. Petersburg(where exist some of the most beautiful religious architecture I've yet seen in my limited travels) and in the area near Rostov. The Church On Spilt Blood in Saint Petersburg is particularly magnificent with incredibly intricate mosaics depicting biblical stories. My favorites were the miracles performed by Jesus and this one in particular of him walking on water.

I resisted the urge to giggle at this early version of a super hero

Ever since the collapse of the Soviet Union there has been a great resurgence of open religiosity in the country and many new restoration projects for the churches that survived the U.S.S.R. The problem it now seems is not a suppression of the church but of a suppression of any belief that doesn't support it.

There is a small town called Novocherkassk near Rostov-on-Don with a beautiful Byzantine cathedral located at its heart. We decided to take a look. It was a long train ride through the country side of gorgeous farmland and gleaming green hills and a good trudge up a steeply inclined road on a hot sunny day to visit, but well worth it. Let me stem the objections you may have: Yes, I am an atheist but I am also capable of recognizing impressive architecture. Religion has held sway over nearly all cultures throughout history an as a result of it's monopoly has created some of the greatest works of art. I also have a certain fascination with modes of thought, beliefs, culture and art based upon decidedly irrational ideas. I was excited to see as much of it as I could

Respectfully admiring the cathedral

When we made it to the church we took numerous obligatory photos and headed inside where we proceeded to take more obligatory photos. I spent much of the trip trying not to look American but that camera in my hand was surely an obvious sign. The translation guide sticking out of my back pocket wasn't helping either. We spent maybe fifteen or twenty minutes quietly taking pictures and doing some un-obnoxious gawking before the three of us sat down on some pews in front of the alter. Toma, a friend of the family, facing one way, and my girlfriend and I facing the other. As it turned out, the position of our faces in relation to the alter angered God and upon leaving we were sternly scolded by a couple of nuns who carried the righteous wrath of the heavenly father within them. That was perhaps the one instance during our trip I was glad I didn't speak Russian.

As we were leaving I snickered to my girlfriend, "If only they knew how truly heathenous we really are". They might have had a fit.

I bring this story up given this potential new blasphemy law. If that law had been in place then we might have been  arrested. At least it's not outside the realm of possibility given the vague language that has been proposed and given the charges against Pussy Riot:

Russian lawmakers are calling for jail sentences of up to three years for anyone guilty of offending religious feelings

So, offending the "feelings" of those of the orthodox church will be a crime. This is precisely the reason for the First Amendment in the U.S. and why atheists continue to make a stink over even the most minor infractions lest we slide towards something resembling this law.

I've heard it pointed out that when a religion needs government coercion in order to maintain itself it is already a failed idea.