"The Root of All Evil?" with Richard Dawkins

In a clear and honest documentary Richard Dawkins argues that religion leads to a warped sense of morality and indoctrinates children around the world. 

Click here to watch

Best line of the whole documentary:

"But that's your belief, how do you know that it's right?"

"It's a faith issue. I mean, why do you not believe?"

"Umm.. because of evidence."

I Love the Whole World! Boom De Ya Da Boom De Ya Da!

Watch the Discovery Channel's commercial celebrating this wonderful planet of ours!

*look real close for Stephen Hawking...

love the mountains

I love the clear blue skies

I love big bridges

I love when great whites fly

I love the whole world [Les Stroud]

And all its sights and sounds

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da

I love the oceans

I love real dirty things [Mike Rowe]

I love to go fast

I love Egyptian kings

I love the whole world

And all its craziness

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da [Richard Machowicz]

I love tornadoes [Joshua Wurman]

I love arachnids [Bear Grylls]

I love hot magma

I love the giant squids

I love the whole world

It's such a brilliant place

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da [Jamie Hyneman and Adam Savage]

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da [Stephen Hawking]

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da

Boom-dee-ah-da, boom-dee-ah-da

Sam Harris talk at Idea City 2005

Click here for a short talk given by Sam Harris (Author of The End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation) at Idea City in Toronto back in 2005. 

He talks about religion and how it should not be given such false 'respect' and should no longer rest outside of the realm of criticism and questioning. I strongly believe that religion is the most important and fundamental topic that we as a species need to discuss and critique at this moment in our world's history. Enjoy!

We Are One Planet with Carl Sagan

Click here to watch a brief heart-gripping talk with Carl Sagan (1934-1996) from his epic PBS series "Cosmos: A Personal Voyage" which aired in 1980. This clip came at the end of the 13 part series and encapsulates Sagan's frustrations and hopes for a planet gripped in the arms of the Cold War. 

Sagan was an extraordinary scientist, astronomer and astrochemist who marveled at the beauty and wonder of the cosmos. Exploding stars, black holes, colliding galaxies left him in awe of our insignificantly small place in an incredibly vast universe. From this appreciation of the wonder of our universe came a strong frustration with how humans willfully and purposelessly destroy our precious planet as well as each other. He strongly believed, with a passion impossible to ignore, that there is a pressing need for humans to realize that we are all one species on a small, modest planet floating in an infinite and expanding universe. If we place ourselves in that context wars, weapons, arguments, stress and everything else that we waste our energy on can be seen for what they really are: destructive and futile. He was an astronomer as well as a humanist and hopefully his love for other human beings as well as for our overwhelming and awe-inspiring universe will continue to be passed on to future generations.

hu·man·ism        (hyōō'mə-nĭz'əm)    
n.  

1. A system of thought that rejects religious beliefs and centers on humans and their values, capacities, and worth.
2. Concern with the interests, needs, and welfare of humans: "the newest flower on the vine of corporate humanism" (Savvy).
3. Medicine The concept that concern for human interests, values, and dignity is of the utmost importance to the care of the sick.
4. The study of the humanities; learning in the liberal arts.
5. Humanism A cultural and intellectual movement of the Renaissance that emphasized secular concerns as a result of the rediscovery and study of the literature, art, and civilization of ancient Greece and Rome.

"humanism." The American Heritage® Dictionary of the English Language, Fourth Edition. Houghton Mifflin Company, 2004. 14 Oct. 2008.

He Left Too Soon: Bill Hicks

Bill Hicks (1961-1994) was one of the funniest, smartest and most courageous human beings to walk this planet. He was never afraid to question or criticize our existence and how a lot of us simply drudge our way through life without realizing how precious, and fleeting, it really is. He was (and still is) a relevant social critic who ruffled people's feathers and offered a different way of looking at our world.

He died too early, at the age of 32 from cancer. His spirit, tenacity and unblinking straightforward discussion of pertinent issues will be remembered for many years to come. 

Here are some clips of his hilarious and engaging performances:

"By the way, if anyone here is in advertising or marketing?.... Kill yourself."

Gays in the Military

"Play from your fucking heart"

Fundamentalist Christians, Fat Americans and Dinosaur Fossils

'War on Drugs'

One of the greatest discourses ever spoken:   It's Just a Ride

*Note: Bill died in 1994, notice how relevant his critiques are for today? Even the names of people and places (Bush, Iraq, fundamentalist Christians, etc.) are the same as the issues we face today. 

How far have we come? 

Are we still in the same place?

"Zeitgeist"

Click here to watch Zeitgeist, a movie available online with its creators encouraging people to organize free screenings of the film. Many important issues are brought up in this film, as well as some 'conspiracy theories'. 

Zeitgeist: the general moral, intellectual and cultural climate of an era; Zeitgeist is German for "time-spirit"; the spirit characteristic of an age or generation.

Ayaan Hirsi Ali, "Is Islam Compatible With Liberal Democracy?"

Ayaan Hirsi Ali was brought up as a Muslim in Somalia but always had her questions and doubts about the faith as well as its practice. She never agreed with the unequal status of women in an Islamic environment and so when she was arranged to be married to a stranger she sought refuge in Holland. There, she was exposed to different ideas, people and worldviews. She attended university and eventually joined the Dutch government working on immigration issues, specifically the integration of immigrants into their new culture (one of the most pressing issues of our time). When she was in Denmark she teamed up with Dutch filmmaker Theo Van Gogh to make a short film (click here to view) dealing with issues many women face within the Islamic faith (unequal status to men, physical, sexual and emotional abuse, etc) and it angered the Islamic community so much that Van Gogh was murdered in the street with a note stabbed into his chest warning Ali that she was next. 

Why so much anger when someone questions their faith? 

Click here to watch her talk about her book "Infidel" and whether she thinks Islam is compatible with liberal democracy. 

I really admire her courage and conviction in standing up and questioning the Islamic faith as well as its practice. However, her language and 'West is the Best' attitude might be more hurtful than helpful. She simply needs to extend her critique to every religion when she speaks, not only Islam, and Muslims might realize that she isn't attacking only their faith, but religion in general (particularly when there is violence in the name of 'faith'). But, that doesn't come across in this talk and some of her remarks will undoubtedly be taken the wrong way (particularly the 'War on Islam' comment).

Watch for yourself and think for yourself.