Iconator.

Alright, I'm making this post expressly for my iconator profile.

AIMing me.

If you want to AIM me, please have something you want to discuss with me. I don't want to answer random questions about my interests, I don't want to hear how your day went, and I don't want to know how great you think my icons are. I prefer if you leave that option open only for requesting an icon or debating something with me.

Typing properly.

If you type like you failed 3rd grade and on, don't be offended if I treat you like an idiot or if I call you an idiot. It isn't difficult to put a little effort into your posts. And guess what: You grammar does matter on the internet.

I am a questioning type of person.

I will gladly and openly question whatever opinion, argument, or faith you profess. If you don't like such a thing, then keep that opinion, argument, or faith to yourself. You automatically open yourself up to criticism by posting on a public website. I really don't care if I offend you by doing so.

Pro-choice is not pro-abortion.

I have never met anyone who believes that every pregnancy, intended or unintended, wanted or unwanted, should end due to an abortion rather than childbirth. By being pro-choice, I believe that abortion is a personal, moral decision that every woman has the right to make. I believe that abortion is a decision to be made between a woman and a doctor, and is something to be neither encouraged nor discouraged. I'm not all "Yay abortion! Let's all get pregnant and get 'em!".

Babies are not killed through abortion.

By definition, a baby is a human being that has been born and is not yet a year old. By definition, a fetus is the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo. If you are going to engage in a debate topic, you best use the technical and legal terms rather than terms of endearment when putting forth an argument.

Just because you have an opinion does not mean it warrants respect.

So many people get pissed at me because I'm not all happy and giddy and polite when I tell someone that they're wrong or that I disagree. Respect is not a gift. You have to earn it. Having an opinion about something is not enough to earn respect.

Just because I have an opinion doesn't mean I'm wrong or rude.

And stop getting angry at me because I don't like Christian music. God, that's annoying.

Download a spell-checker or get Firefox.

It's not that difficult, and if you type properly, chances are large that I will like you more. Plus, Firefox kicks total ass compared to Internet Explorer, so you should get it anyway. It has a built in spell-checker and you can download add-ons and change themes. It's way better.

Top Ten Quotes About Atheism.

10. "I don't know if God exists, but it would be better for His reputation if He didn't." – Jules Renard

9. "Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burned, tortured, fined, and imprisoned, yet we have not advanced one inch toward uniformity. What has been the effect of coercion? To make one half of the world fools and the other half hypocrites." – Thomas Jefferson

8. "We are all atheists about most of the gods that societies have ever believed in. Some of us just go one god further." – Richard Dawkins

7. "I am against religion because it teaches us to be satisfied with not understanding the world." – Richard Dawkins

6. "Faith is the great cop-out, the great excuse to evade the need to think and evaluate evidence. Faith is belief in spite of, even perhaps because of, the lack of evidence." – Richard Dawkins

5. "The Old Testament is responsible for more atheism, agnosticism, disbelief-call it what you will-than any book ever written; it has emptied more churches than all the counterattractions of cinema, motor bicycle and golf course." – A. A. Milne

4. "Question with boldness even the existence of God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear." – Thomas Jefferson

3. "Those who believe absurdities will commit atrocities." – Voltaire

2. "That which can be asserted without evidence, can be dismissed without evidence." - Richard Dawkins

1. "I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours." – Stephen Roberts

Why I am an Atheist.

I'm often asked the question "Why are you an Atheist?". If it's asked by an innocent, curious person, that's all I get asked. If it's asked by a manipulative, annoying theist, it comes along with "God loves you" or "You're going to hell" or "You're missing out on so much."

This post will hopefully do a good job explaining why I'm an Atheist. I don't want to encourage Atheism through this and I don't want to belittle Theists.

Basically, my mom is an Atheist, my brother is an Atheist, and my dad is a Christian. Sometime back in fifth grade, I "dated" a boy. One time we went bowling and it was on a Sunday so I went to church with his family too, for the sake of time. For the month or so we dated , I believed in God. Not with any reason, exactly, except to have a greater connection with the boy. I think that's a lot of the reason I'm an Atheist. I understand what it's like to be brainwashed as a child when you don't understand enough about the world to decide on your own what you believe. It was at the point that he "broke up" with me that I began to really wonder about my religion. I appreciated the comfort that Christianity had brought me but I wasn't sure if my belief was based off of what I felt was true. So I asked God, many times, to show himself to me somehow in my life so I could have complete confidence in his existence.

I received nothing.

I think it was at that point where my "conversion" to Atheism began. It wasn't until a couple of years ago that I understood enough to make an objective decision about my religion. I was, obviously, an Atheist.

I told you that to tell you this: Most of the reasons people believe in God is because they felt something. All I felt was hope. I wanted there to be a god. Some higher power that created me and that loved me and that had wonderful plans for my life. But I realized that, rationally, that just wasn't the case.

But the bigger reason is probably just because it's in my nature. I always question everything. I have doubts about everything in my life, and I love to discover things on my own. It was my natural curiosity and questioning nature that led me to question religion. I find too many inconsistencies in religious faith and in the Bible specifically that I have far too difficult a time believing it. That said, I still question my beliefs even though they are very firm. I'm not 100% sure and anyone who claims so or even thinks so is an idiot.

Other reasons:
I feel no need to apologize for being human. After all, if God made me, he made me with my flaws and I shouldn't ask for forgiveness if it's God's fault.
There is no logic in believing something with no evidence. It's the burden of the believer, not the non-believer, to provide evidence. The same applies for anything supernatural or without proof: Santa Claus, Harry Potter, fairies, goblins, unicorns, every fairytale ever written, etc.
I have this one guaranteed life, and I want to live it to the full. I'm not going to sacrifice it for a small chance at another one.
Evolution.

Pro-Life Poem, Fixed.

Another common myth that pro-lifers put forth is recognized as the "pro-life poem" and is unfortunately accept as medically and scientifically accurate. The following is my corrections of the poem's mistakes.

Baby
Month 1

Mommy
I am only 8 inches long
but I have all my organs.
I love the sound of your voice.
Every time I hear it
I wave my arms and legs.
The sound of your heart beat
is my favorite lullaby.

At the end of week five, the fetus is 1/8 of an inch long, not 8 inches long. At the end of week eight all essential organs have "at least begun formation" -- this means they still aren't all formed after 2 months and much less fully formed after one month. The ears begin to form as optic pits at the end of week five -- that means they have not even begun forming at the end of month 1, so there is no way the embryo can hear anything, not the sound of a voice, nor a heartbeat. At the end of week five, arm buds are visible. At the end of week six, leg buds form. This means at the end of month one, there are certainly not arms and legs to wave.

Month Two
Mommy
today I learned how to suck my thumb.
If you could see me
you could definitely tell that I am a baby.
I'm not big enough to survive outside my home though.
It is so nice and warm in here.

The fetus begins to make sucking motions with its mouth somewhere between weeks 14 and 17 (3 1/2 to to 4 months). The brain development is no where near a stage where sucking motions are anything other than a reflex. You cannot look at an eight week embryo and compare that to a baby. You can't look at a 6 year old and compare that to an adult. They aren't the same. Also, at this point, feeling anything is impossible, so a fetus would not know whether or not it is warm.

Month Three
You know what Mommy
I'm a boy!!
I hope that makes you happy.
I always want you to be happy.
I don't like it when you cry.
You sound so sad.
It makes me sad too
and I cry with you even though
you can't hear me.

Genitals appear well differentiated at 3 1/2 to 4 months. Again, the fetus (finally a fetus at this point. Previously it was an embryo) cannot hear anything, so it would not know if the woman was crying. Tear ducts do not develop fully until a few months after birth, so the fetus cannot cry.

Month Four
Mommy
my hair is starting to grow.
It is very short and fine
but I will have a lot of it.
I spend a lot of my time exercising.
I can turn my head and curl my fingers and toes
and stretch my arms and legs.
I am becoming quite good at it too.

Hair follicles start to grow at week 8 (2 months). Still at this point, the brain has not developed to a point where a fetus's movements are anything but reflexes.

Month Five
You went to the doctor today.
Mommy, he lied to you.
He said that I'm not a baby.
I am a baby Mommy, your baby.
I think and feel.
Mommy, what's abortion?

Now, at month five, the fetus is about 8 inches long. The fetus does not think or feel. The fetus is not a baby, either.
Baby: [noun] a very young child (birth to 1 year) who has not yet begun to walk or talk.
Fetus: [noun] In humans, the unborn young from the end of the eighth week after conception to the moment of birth, as distinguished from the earlier embryo.

Month Six
I can hear that doctor again.
I don't like him.
He seems cold and heartless.
Something is intruding my home.
The doctor called it a needle.
Mommy what is it? It burns!
Please make him stop!
I can't get away from it!
Mommy! HELP me!

The fetus can't feel until the third trimester. 6 months is still during the second trimester. Still at this point, any movement away from the needle it due to a reflex from the fetal nerve cells.

Month Seven
Mommy
I am okay.
I am in Jesus's arms.
He is holding me.
He told me about abortion.
Why didn't you want me Mommy?

Really nothing to say here. An afterlife is obviously just an opinion that can't be proven and is totally irrelevant to the abortion debate.

Every Abortion Is Just . . .
One more heart that was stopped.
Two more eyes that will never see.
Two more hands that will never touch.
Two more legs that will never run.
One more mouth that will never speak.
And another life that didn't live

This part is true. However, it is also true that every abortion is just:
One more heart that will never ache from neglect.
Two more eyes that will never cry.
Two more hands that will never self-harm.
Two more legs that will never run away from home.
One more mouth that will never say "I shouldn't have existed."

Both of these are emotionally appeals and neither are relevant to the abortion debate. And the whole "another life that didn't live" seems to contradict the whole "life begins at conception" statement.

The Illogic of Circumstantial Abortion.

If you've spent enough time debating abortion, I'm sure you've heard the position of "pro-circumstance." Often, they'll say something to the effect of "I'm fine with abortion if the woman was raped or if the fetus is mentally retarded or has some serious disease, but if you're pregnant from consented sex, it's your fault and you should carry the pregnancy to term."

I've never heard them put it exactly like that, but it's basically what they're saying.

Now, the hidden subtext that they would never admit to:

1. A fetus conceived from rape is not a person, and is therefore okay to abort.
2. A fetus conceived from consented sex is a person, and is therefore not okay to abort.
3. A fetus with mental retardation or a serious disease is not a person, and is therefore okay to abort.
4. If you're ready to have sex, you're ready to give birth and raise a child.
5. If you're pregnant and you chose to have sex, it's your fault because you didn't use contraception.
6. Abortion is irresponsible and the easy way out. You should put it up for adoption instead.

1 and 2 are saying that a fetus conceived from consented sex is a person, while one from rape is not. May I ask: What is the difference between them? If I walk to school and my friend rides her bike, once we arrive at school, we're both there. It doesn't matter how we got there. Also, if a rape-fetus and a consented-fetus (gettin' lazy here, bear with me) are not equal in their rights, should a rape-child and a consented-child (really, very lazy) also be unequal with their rights? Should I be allowed to kill a 2 year old toddler whose father raped his mother?

3. Again with the question: Is it acceptable for me to kill a 2 year old with the same mental retardation or serious disease? Why should the rights between a healthy and an unhealthy fetus vary? Either they have them or they don't.

4. Oh, I love hearing this one. Look, it's very simple. Consent to sex isn't consent to pregnancy, only the possibility of such. If I drive a car, I don't consent to being killed or injured in a car crash, but I do consent to that possibility by default.

5. Contraception is used with 54% of abortions. It isn't fool-proof. Not all pregnancies are results of irresponsibility. Even if they were, it's still not your business.

6. Adoption is equally irresponsible to abortion. In fact, abortion IS responsible, because it's accepting that you are pregnant and not ready for a child. The irresponsible thing to do would be to deny it ever happened. Also, this statement fails to consider if the woman’s health is in danger, if the woman is addicted to drugs or alcohol, if the woman is dependent on anti-depressants, if the woman has an eating disorder, or if the woman is emotionally or physically unable to give birth.

Thoughts? Arguments? Opinions? Let's hear 'em.

Pro-Life Arguments Refuted.

Abortion is murder.

Murder is illegal and involves malice. Abortion fits neither of those criteria.

All life is sacred, and killing is wrong.

Bacteria, bugs, and grass are all living. I’m betting you wash your hands, have killed a bug, and someone in your family cuts your lawn. Everyone kills things at some point, and you’re not rallying against killing in those situations.

The Bible is against abortion.

The word abortion is not mentioned once in the Bible. More importantly, are you unaware of the First Amendment and the fact that America isn’t a theocracy?

The abortion Holocaust must be stopped!

Oh, I love this one. First of all, the Holocaust killed fully conscious persons. The victims could feel the humiliation and the shame, they could hear the screams of people being tortured and killed, they could smell the stench of death around them, they could feel the pain as the died, and they could see their friends and family being taken from them to be killed. A 1st and 2nd trimester fetus is incapable of feeling, hearing, smelling, or seeing anything. There is a gigantic difference there. This logic also applies to the claim that abortion is like slavery.

Abortion is wrong because it looks disgusting.

I’ve never heard it worded like this, but this is the basic logic applied to showing a picture of an aborted fetus and saying that is it wrong. All medical procedures look disgusting. Appendectomies and heart procedures look no more attractive. Do you want those illegal as well?

Adoption is better than abortion.

Adoption is equally “irresponsible” to abortion. It is not the right option for every woman. This statement fails to consider if the woman’s health is in danger, if the woman is addicted to drugs or alcohol, if the woman is dependent on anti-depressants, if the woman has an eating disorder, or if the woman is emotionally or physically unable to give birth.

Abortion causes breast cancer.

This is a famous statement from pro-lifers, but not one shred of evidence supports the statement. In 1997, the New England Journal of Medicine published the largest scale study ever on this subject – with 1.5 million participants--which concluded that there is no independent link between abortion and breast cancer. So if abortion does increase the risk of breast cancer, it does so by an undetectably small margin. Becoming pregnant and carrying a pregnancy to term may, however, reduce the risk of breast cancer. More proof is here.

Even first trimester fetuses can feel pain.

Completely false. Fetal nerve cells can react to trauma, but pain reception requires a neocortex--which is not formed until early in the third trimester. Further proof is here, here, and here.

Fetuses are sentient at 8 weeks.

Fetuses begin to develop a minimal brain stem at 7 weeks, but are not capable of consciousness until the third trimester and most likely remain unconscious until birth. As one brain scientist puts it, "the fetus and neonate appears incapable of ... experiencing or generating 'true' emotion or any semblance of higher order, forebrain mediated cognitive activity." Entire journal here.

That fetus you’re aborting could be the next Einstein.

It could also be the next Hitler. We don’t know the future and we never can. No one can make that judgment. But further more:
That period could be the next Mother Theresa.
That ejaculation could be the first female president.
That protected sex could be the doctor who cures cancer.

But you’re not arguing against a woman having a period, a man masturbating, or a couple using responsible sex practices.

If you're pro-choice, that means you would kill this.

First of all, that is a born baby. That is an independent, sentient, feeling, thinking, hearing, tasting, consciously-moving baby. Not one of those things can accurately describe a fetus. Secondly, babies are not involved in abortions -- fetuses and embryos are. Whether you like it or not, they aren't the same thing. Thirdly, just because a person is pro-choice doesn't mean that they would get an abortion personally. All it means is that they recognize individuals own their bodies and have the right to do what they want to them, even if that means getting an abortion.

Please let me know if there are other common pro-life arguments that I have skipped over.