Priceless

Guilty Verdict in Murder of Abortion Doctor

Photograph by Mike Hutmacher Jeanne Tiller, wife of Dr. George Tiller, the slain abortion provider, at the trial on Thursday. It took jurors 37 minutes on Friday to convict Scott Roeder, an abortion opponent, of first-degree murder in the death of George R. Tiller, one of the few doctors in the country to perform late-term abortions. Mr. Roeder’s lawyers had called for his acquittal. Mark Rudy, a public defender, told jurors that Mr. Roeder had developed such strong feelings about his religious faith and against abortion that he ultimately felt compelled to shoot Dr. Tiller, who had performed abortions for three decades and was a focal point for controversy nationally. “I did what I thought was needed to be done to protect the children. I shot him,” he testified, adding at another point, “If I didn’t do it, the babies were going to die the next day.” Was he remorseful? No, Mr. Roeder said without emotion. After the killing, he said, he felt “a sense of relief.” Mr. Roeder told jurors that he had a growing sense of his own faith and opposition to abortion in the 1990s after watching “The 700 Club,” the evangelist Pat Robertson’s television talk show. Mr. Roeder’s views on religion and abortion, he said, went “hand in hand.” So, Nola Foulston, the prosecutor asked Mr. Roeder, do you feel you have successfully completed your mission? “He’s been stopped,” Mr. Roeder said. But do you feel you have successfully completed your mission?, she asked again. “Yes,” he said. http://www.nytimes.com/2010/01/30/us/30roeder.html?hp=&pagewanted=all

AIDS - Circumcision Fallacy

For All The Haters

The Oldest Quranic Manuscripts

근면과 재능. 두 가지가 다 결여되면 결코 뛰어난 사람이 되지 못한다. 그러나 두 가지를 다 겸비하면 가장 훌륭한 사람이 될 수 있다. 평범한 머리를 가진 사람도 근면하면 뛰어나고 근면하지 못한 사람보다 더 앞질러 나아갈 수 있다. 근면의 대가로 살 수 있는 것이 명성이다. 대가가 적으면 그 가치도 적다. 최고의 직위에서는 노력 부족 때문이지 재능이 부족해서 궁지에 몰린 사람은 별로 없다. 높은 지위에서의 제2인자가 낮은 지위에서의 제1인자보다 낫다는 것은 나름대로 변명이 된다. 그러나 높은 지위에서는 뛰어난 반면 낮은 지위에서 평범하게 머무는 데 만족한다면 이는 변명이 될 수 없다. 따라서 타고난 재능과 후천적인 노력이 다같이 필요하다. 그리고 근면은 양자를 보장해 준다. -발타자르 그라시안

Spiritually Transformed Firearm of Jesus Christ

Korea’s economy growing second only to China’s

Korea had withstood the global economic hurricane better than most. Randall Jones, a Korea economist with the OECD, said in a report he presented in Seoul yesterday that Korea’s economic resiliency was so substantial that the country grew faster than all of the world’s fastest growing economies except for China during the financial crisis. http://joongangdaily.joins.com/article/view.asp?aid=2915492

"...그러나 그보다 더 못마땅한 것은 너를 비롯해서 제법 지각있다는 사람들이 그런 충고를 해줄 때 쓰는 논리다. 세계와 인생에 대한 이해라고? 말은 쉽지만 엄밀히 따져 세계와 인생을 다 이해한다는 게 가능하다고 생각해? 내가 알기로 거기에 가장 가까운 사람은 부처나 기독이겠지만 그들조차도 속속들이 이해한 것 같지는 않다. 대부분은 자기가 이해하고 싶은 것만, 그리고 이해할 수 있는 만큼만 이해하고 한세상을 지나갈 뿐이야. 그 다음에 따져 보고 싶은 것은 그 이해와 시간의 관계이다. 많이 헤매고 먼 길을 돈다고 반드시 세계와 인생을 더 잘 이해 할 수 있게 되리라고는 나는 믿지 않는다. 일평생을 헤매고 돌아다녀도 이해하지 못할 것은 영원히 이해하지 못할 것이고, 먼 빛으로 스쳐보다도 이해할 수 있는 것은 가까이서 들여다본 것보다 더 똑똑히 이해할 수도 있다. 더구나 이 세상은 우리들이 처음 살기 시작한 것도 아니다. 이미 수많은 사람이 살고 갔고, 그들은 나름대로 자신이 이해한 세계와 인생을 우리에게 전해 주었다. 우리 배움의 대부분은 바로 그걸 전해 받는 것이라고 나는 생각해. 곧 세계와 인생에 대한 이해란 반드시 직접적인 체험이라야 된다는 법은 없으며, 더욱 그 이해가 시간과 비례하는 것이라고도 보지 않아. 오히려 어떤 부분은 우리가 일생을 저자바닥에 뒹굴어도 모를 게 몇 줄의 글귀로 한순간에 뚜렷해질 수도 있어." "벌써 걱정한 것보다 훨씬 악화되어 있었군. 이 지긋지긋한 거리의 영웅이 될 만하다. 잘있어. 비정한 미래의 법관 나리. 이 빌어먹을 거리와 함께 잘해 봐라." -이문열, <추락하는 것은 날개가 있다>에서

사랑 그대로의 사랑

내가 당신을 얼마만큼 사랑하는지 당신은 알지 못합니다. 이른 아침, 감은 눈을 억지스레 떠야 하는 피곤한 마음 속에도 나른함 속에 파묻힌 채 허덕이는 오후의 앳된 심정 속에도 당신의 그 사랑스러운 모습은 담겨 있습니다. 내가 당신을 얼마만큼 사랑하는지 당신은 알지 못합니다. 층층계단을 오르내리며 느껴지는 정리할 수 없는 감정의 물결 속에도 십년이 넘은, 그래서 이제는 삐걱대기까지 하는 낡은 피아노 그 앞에서 지친 목소리로 노래를 하는 내 눈 속에도 당신의 그 사랑스러운 마음은 담겨 있습니다. 내가 당신을 얼마만큼 사랑하는지 당신은 알지 못합니다. 하지만 언젠가는 당신도 느낄 수 있겠죠. 내가 당신을 얼마만큼 사랑하는지 당신도 느낄 수 있겠죠 비록 그날이, 우리가 이마를 맞댄체 입맞춤을 나누는 아름다운 날이 아닌, 서로가 다른 곳을 바라보며 잊혀져 가게 될 각자의 모습을 안타까워하는 그런 슬픈 날이라 하더라도 나는 후회하지 않습니다. 내가 당신을 얼마만큼 사랑하는지 당신은 알지 못합니다. 그러나 내가 당신을 사랑하는 건 당신께 사랑을 받기 위함이 아닌 사랑을 느끼는 그대로의 사랑이기 때문입니다.

Daily Show: Haiti Earthquake Reactions

The Daily Show With Jon Stewart	Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c
Haiti Earthquake Reactions
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Haiti

Residents searched through hundreds of bodies piled up outside the central morgue, looking for their relatives. A woman crying outside a building that had collapsed, burying her mother. Lionel Michaud cried after finding his 10-month-old daughter among the bodies outside the central morgue. His wife was also killed when the building they lived in collapsed while he was at work. Photo: Damon Winter/The New York Times

The Invention of Lying

Martha: I'm so scared, Mark. I don't want to die. You know, people don't talk about it much, but death is a horrible thing. One minute you're alive, there's a whole world around you, humming and jumping, people coming in and out, doors opening and closing, love and anger and the whole mess of it all, and then like that, it's all gone. This is it Mark, only a few hours left of this until an eternity of nothingness. I'm scared. Mark: Listen closely to me, mom. I have a surprise for you. You're wrong about what happens when you die. It's not an eternity of nothingness. When you die you're going to go to your favorite place in the whole world. And you're going to be with all of the people you've ever loved and who have ever loved you. And you're going to be young again, and you'll be able to run through the fields and dance and jump, and there will be no sadness, no pain, just love and happiness. There will be ponies made of gold, and everyone will live in giant mansions, and everything will smell like cookies. And it will last for an eternity, mom. An eternity.

Low - Murderer

One more thing before I go One more thing I’ll ask you Lord You may need a murderer Someone to do your dirty work Don’t act so innocent I’ve seen you pound your fist into the earth And I’ve read your book It seems that you could use another fool Well I’m cruel And I look right through You must have more important things to do So if you need a murderer Someone to do your dirty work

Don't Deny The Bible

One might almost pity Republican politician Bradley Byrne, who would like to become the next Governor of Alabama. Last November, Byrne – a Christian, but by no means a foam-flecked fundie – was quoted in the Mobile Press-Register as saying: I believe there are parts of the Bible that are meant to be literally true and parts that are not. He explained that: It is unimportant whether some details of the Bible, such as people living for hundreds of years, are factually correct. Byrne was also one of three candidates that expressed at least a partial belief in evolution, but with “God behind it”. This week, following a threat by Christian zealots to boycott Piggly Wiggly grocery stores in North Alabama, Byrne claimed that he had been misquoted, and that: I believe the Bible is true … Every word of it. Byrne added that the Mobile Press-Register report had been used by his opponents in anonymous attacks since November. Byrne had come to a Piggly Wiggly branch to announce his first big endorsement this year, from the Alabama Retail Association. When notice of the Piggly Wiggly press conference was posted on al.com on Wednesday morning, several readers began agitating against Byne and Ragland Brothers Retail Cos Inc, which owns the Piggly Wiggly stores. One genius, uafan1198, posted this message: Just got a call from a person at my Church letting me know about this. My family will not be shopping at Ragland Piggly Wiggly stores anymore or anything else they own…. I don’t shop at places that think it is OK to stand next to people who don’t believe the Bible is all true.

비젼에 미치면 꿈에 미치는 것이고 사람들이 기억하게 될 것입니다. 역사에 남을 것입니다. -Pastor Joshua Kim

Global Peace Index

I hear time and time again the incredible statements being made by the religiously minded whom make comparisons between themselves, other religious groups and also even to the non-religious. I hear often Muslims claiming their religion to be one of peace, of knowledge of wisdom and of respect (laughs), and much of the same spewed from the pipes of the Christian, Jewish and Hindu drones. Though, its interesting to note that I have yet to see any statistical data nor any evidence to support such claims; mainly due to the fact that there is none. With this video, I seek to present factual statistical data that expresses that such claims are not only false, but like most religious speech, are blatant falsities that exist as a propaganda force. Religion now like always maintains a clear and distinct correlation with conflict, not peace! The Vision of Humanity Global Peace Index survey accounts for internal and external conflicts and the subsequent losses incurred, Including that of potential terrorist acts. Relationships with neighbouring countries and overall political stability. Perceptions of criminality in society, violent and non violent crime rates and intentional homicidal displacement ratios to the overall population. Capital prison population, capital police officer population. Military expenditure, capability, sophistication and number of armed personnel. Volume transfer of conventional weapons both import and export and ease of access to minor. UN peacekeeping funding, overall UN involvement and capital respect for human rights... The overall functionality of government, the Electoral process, Political participation and overall political culture. Civil liberties, corruption perceptions, Women in parliament, Democracy Index, Gender Inequality, freedom of the press, export and import % of GDP and foreign direct investment flow. Number of visitors as % of domestic population, and net migration. Gender and age ratios, regional & international framework/conditions and framework of regional integration. Education spending, primary, secondary and higher school enrolment ratio, mean years of schooling and adult literacy rate. Hostility to foreigners, importance of religion in national life, willingness to fight. Nominal GDP, per capital, unemployment percentage, life expectancy and infant mortality rate. With that said, the Global Peace Index is detailed and comprehensive to say the very least. Utilizing the results generated from each of the ten most religiously concentrated Islamic, Christian and Non-theistic Atheist nations I have compared them directly as to express the clear and distinct correlation between religion and conflict. But more importantly, the apparent correlation between non-theism and peace. As the numbers clearly demonstrate, religion is a negative driving force, pulling us backwards. Non-theism is a positive driving force, pushing us towards the future. The percentages of both theists & non-theists were taken from sources such as Adherents & Wikipedia, rounded to the largest denomination and then compared to official demographics produced by academic institutions. Its almost impossible to gain a specific percentage in all cases, though you need to factor in those whom have not yet come out of the theistic closet. Regardless, the message remains the same; non-theism is clearly a positive driving force whilst theism remains a negative influence upon our global society. I suggest you visit the vision of humanity site and check out the complete study... http://www.visionofhumanity.org -EpochOfReason

가라! 네 눈짓을 따르라. 너의 젊은 날을 이용하고, 배움의 때를 놓치지 마라. 거대한 행운의 저울 위에 지침이 평형을 이루는 순간은 드물다. 너는 올라가든가 아니면 내려가야 한다. 너는 이기고 지배하든가 아니면 지고나서 굴종해야 한다. 이겨 의기양양하든가 쓴맛을 삼키든가 망치가 되든가 모루가 돼야 한다. 괴테 Goethe