Life is full of meaning for individuals who create meaning in their life. Wealth, sex, friends, family, social causes, politics etc only have meaning to those who assign meaning to them. For one person ‘saving the Pandas’ is meaningful, to another it’s completely meaningless. For one person ‘family traditions’ are meaningful, to another they’re just meaningless time wasters. One man screams for the Stormers every weekend, another has no clue and doesn’t care. We all try share the ‘meaning’ we get out of things with everyone else but there are people who simply aren’t going to care and we need to get over it. Does that mean that nothing is meaningful? Not at all! Well… maybe to the universe at large, yes, everything is pretty meaningless, but we’d all be suicidal if we didn’t attach meaning to the arbitrary things of our lives. So go ahead and get passionate about things – it’s what makes life worth living. Sex, super heroes, crispy bacon, cigars, whiskey, children, vampires, guitars, costumes and hobbits are just a few things that have tons of meaning to me even if they mean all of nothing to you.

2. Friends are temporary but essential

Friends come and go. We make friends by investing time and effort into the kinds of people that meet a particular need in our lives at a particular time. The reality is that we are always changing ourselves. What we believe or enjoy or desire changes over time and so do our needs. As a result we find new people that are more enjoyable to be around and lose friends with whom we’ve lost what once connected us. Just go to a matric reunion 20 years later and you’ll see what I mean. So I figure we need to enjoy the friends we have now and not cry too much over the one’s we’ve lost.

3. People pick a social reputation

Everyone decides at some point how they want to be seen by the community at large. Some pick the ‘nice guy’ reputation and want to be seen as easy to get along with and lovable. Others pick the ‘fuck you’ reputation and want people to fear them until their trust is earned. Still others want to be seen as ‘crazy’ or ‘quirky’ or ‘mature’ or ‘fearless’ etc. We build and nurture these reputations and get quite offended when people don’t take them at face value. We even assign moral judgments to validate our choices like, “Being cautious and mature is BETTER than being spontaneous and fun loving” or vice versa. I have identified at least three reputations that I have adopted since childhood, and I have a good mind to test drive a few more, just for fun!

4. People are scared

People fear everything. They fear small creatures and large creatures. They fear the unknown. They fear pain, and death, and discomfort. They fear change. They fear confrontation and embarrassment and loss of reputation. There is almost nothing that is not feared by someone; and very few people who are not severely hindered by fear in their lives. I think this is sad. I often just sit and watch people going about their daily lives, and this one thing is clear to me – people would be so much more than they are if they weren’t scared. The problem with fear though is that it’s primal, and so it activates involuntarily as a defense mechanism. Our tools for dealing with fear are courage and rationality, traits that are still hard to find, even in 2011.

5. Life is a journey

There is a common misconception that “people out there” (everyone except yourself) are living “normal lives”; that everyone has a college or university degree; that everyone has medical, house, life and car insurance; that everyone knows what they want to do with their lives; that everyone is married with kids; that everyone goes to gym; that everyone wants an enormous salary; that everyone except you is happy and has what they need! More importantly, there is a perception that this is how it SHOULD be – that this is the definition of life; what it means to be a human. This might be the most deceptive illusion in western society. Of course, this is not how things are at all, and in fact the percentage of people in the world for which the above list is true is almost zero. Very few people know what they want to do with their lives. Very few people are in their career of choice. Very few people stay married for long and most people live in ‘dysfunctional’ families. We’re all so busy trying to be like someone who doesn’t exist, and even if they did we’d probably be uncomfortable in their lives. Every individual has their own peculiar path to walk. Every individual is working out what works for them in their own way. There is no ‘model’ or ‘right’ way to live. I think if we all understood this principle we could get on with ourselves a lot better and just enjoy the journey for what it is.

Although I love these comics and the characters I don’t for one minute believe they exist, or ever existed, and nor does anyone else any more… but that wasn’t always the case.

As recently as 300 AD people seriously worshipped Greek or Roman gods in temples and with prayers in the same way millions worship Jesus or Allah today. If you lived in ancient Egypt and did not believe in Ra you would have been seen as a heretic, or crazy – certainly misguided and ignorant. The same would be true for anyone living in Greece in 400 BC and not believing in Zeus etc. And yet, all these “gods”, once revered, and sacrificed to, and worshipped, and died for, have been relegated to cute comic book characters. Anyone today who claimed to still believe in the existence and deity of Hercules would be considered as much a fool as a member of the flat earth society.

How is it then that in the year 2011 billions of people still worship mythical man-made super heroes like Jesus, Krishna or Mohammed? How is it that we believe these beings are real, and all powerful, and control our lives? Is it not evident that they too will become, and are becoming, cute stories that need to be seen for what they really are? Are we supposed to believe that the best evidence the creator of all things could supply for his deity was to walk on water or turn it into wine? Really? That’s it? That makes someone God? Clearly that puts David Copperfield in as a serious contender for creator of the universe!

Already the convoluted Christian story is moving into the realm of comic fiction where it belongs. I’ve just downloaded a comic called Jesus vs. the Vampires, and although I haven’t read it yet I’m sure it’ll be great fun and that Jesus H. Christ will kick a few vampire asses, while walking on water and sipping a good vintage wine, like some sort of robed and bearded demon hunting Van Helsing character. The nativity scene with the wise men and sheep we see all over the place during Christmas is simply the Christian addition to the jumble of kitschy traditions we’ve borrowed from a bunch of ancient cultures we now call heathen.

We need to stand back from our little cultures and families and church communities and see the big picture – Isis, Zeus, Odin and Jesus are simply stories we used to give our lives meaning when we understood nothing about how the universe really worked. Look around you – I mean really look to see: people’s limbs are not growing back; people are not walking on water; gods are not interacting with the general populace. Pretending that it’s true doesn’t make it true. It never has. There never was an Odin. There never was a Hercules. There never was a Jehovah. If there is a God we know nothing at all about it, and it has no interest in our affairs at all, unless that interest is completely academic.

The world will evolve when we understand the difference between fiction and reality and we stop acting on directives issued in works of fiction. We don’t obey the words of Sauron or Gandalf, neither do we plead to Dr. Spock or Wonder Woman to affect our job interview or heal our child of a fever. Instead we prepare for our interview and give our child panado or antibiotics because these things are real and we understand why they work.

Ah, I see my download’s complete. Go Jesus! Do a Chuck Norris on that Vampire ass!! And since when do Vampires sparkle? Your holy shine will put an end to that rubbish! Woohoo, the two finger gesture of God and he turns into ash – yowzers! I hope there’s a Jesus vs. Green Lantern coming soon…

It is used by well meaning Christians and Muslims everywhere (yes, everywhere).

When someone says, “Reindeers have horns”, it is not a generalization; it is a fact. Sure, there are exceptions, but if someone were looking for reindeer horns for, I don’t know… reindeer horn soup, they would not be silly or naïve to go looking in a herd of reindeer. And to say that reindeer are generally brown in colour would not be spiciest or derogatory – again, it would simply be a statement of fact. The white reindeers without horns would not define the group; instead they would give cause to consider whether these exceptions are reindeer at all.

When I speak out against the Catholic Church and their many atrocities against mankind I usually get an onslaught of angry individuals who boldly state that I have no right to paint all Catholics, or all Christians with the same brush. Instead of considering the claims against the church, they separate themselves from those claims and pretend that they are entirely innocent of anything they were not directly involved in. Ironically, these same people have no problem feeling proud or taking glory for some distant feeding or philanthropical programme the church is running that they also have no direct involvement with. They claim that their tithes and offerings support the feeding programme, but deny that those same coins support all the evil propagated by the church. These people say things like, “Not all Catholics are bad”, or, “Not all Catholics abuse children”. What do these statements have to do with the moral state of the church? Nothing. Do these statements absolve individual Catholics of their part in the whole thing? Not at all.

Let me break down the fallacy of this type of logic (I have no misconceptions about the uneasy relationship faith has with logic) with a parallel.

Most people agree that the Nazi party was a corrupt, even “evil” institution that did great wrong in the world. Most people also agree that not all Nazi’s were evil. Most Nazi’s were probably just following orders out of fear or some misguided ideology. Did those who were innocent justify the existence of the whole organization? Absolutely not. Most people agree that the Nazi party was too evil to continue existing and had to be shut down. It makes no difference how many “good” Nazi’s there were, the whole thing had to come to end for the good and safety of all mankind. The “good” Nazi’s were the support base of the whole evil organization. Their “good” money was used for evil purposes. Their “good” support politically and numerically gave power to an evil structure. Every one of those “good” Nazi’s is responsible for their own actions and how those actions contributed to one of the darkest times of human history. Many “good” Nazi’s went to church and prayed and claimed to love God, but none of that is a “get-out-of-jail-free card”.

This is true of every sinister group and organisation you can think of from the Mafia, to suicide cults, to… yes, many religious groups! Just because individuals claim to be unknowing, or naïve, or “good” does not take away from what their organisations are doing in the world.

You may be thinking that it is my own logic that is faulty – that if we applied this principle to Atheists, then Atheism is responsible for the atrocities of Stalin or Mao, but this too is flawed. If Atheists all over the world supported these individuals [in the name of Atheism] then I would agree and would certainly NOT continue to consider myself an Atheist; neither would I support Atheism financially or otherwise. But these men did what they did in their own names, or in the name of some broken ideology (forms of communism). Maybe they didn’t believe in God, but that was not their motive or their goal. To say that Mao and Stalin were Atheists is to say they were males, or chess players; all of which may be true but none of which has anything to do with the evil of their organisations. No “good” person could support these organisations with a clear conscience in full knowledge of what was being done by them; and all should agree that they needed to be resisted and ultimately closed down for the good and safety of all humans.

If I was an employee of a large company, and held a good position there, and I discovered that this company financially supported the blood diamond industry in Liberia, or that they were supplying weapons to pirates in Somalia, could I in good conscience continue working for that company? Would I not resign rather than have blood on my hands? Or would I claim ignorance and plead innocence based on the fact that I’m a hard working employee that pays his taxes and goes to church – and furthermore, take offence at the accusations and fight to keep the company open. Maybe, at the very least I would attempt to expose the corruption to see the company continue without those that made the evil decisions. Would it matter that the company also gave a percentage of its earnings to charity? Whichever way you look at it, you could not merrily go to work every day and sleep well at night.

So why is it that the Catholic Church, or Islam, or Protestant churches that do sinister things in the name of Jesus and Christianity, continue to thrive and find support despite all the evil they do? These organisations have the full and knowing support of millions of “good” people. Millions of people turn their eyes from the sins of their churches and selectively dissociate themselves with the dark deeds of their organisations. “Innocent” Catholics, humble family folk, support with weekly attendance, submission and finances the great evils of their church, and take great offence when these dark matters are brought to light. The Pope (their Pope) supports these crimes either directly, or by willingly covering up the actions of his clergy. The WHOLE WORLD knows what the Catholic Church has been up to and STILL people don’t cry out to have the whole thing shut down??

Today in Africa millions of people have contracted AIDS, a death sentence, because the Catholic Church insists that contraception is evil, and “good” Catholics everywhere believe them. This is not the act of one insane Mao, or Stalin, this is the decree of a church that has the support of millions of deceived sheep; all in the name of Jehovah God, the Pope and the Bible.
Thousands of paedophile priests who ought to be in European prisons doing useful community service have simply been relocated to Africa where they have even easier access to all the small boys and girls they could dream of; swept under the rug in the name of the church.
Muslim females today in many Middle East countries are subjected to brutality and inequality comparable to the worst medieval conditions you can imagine; all in the name of Allah, Mohammed and the Kuran.
Lower middle class Protestants in English colonies all over the world are manipulated to give 10% and more of their hard earned cash to Pastors and Reverends and Bishops who drive BMWs and have every need taken care of, while the givers would do better to take care of their personal debt; all in the name of Jesus, scripture and promises of personal financial return.

So, telling me that, “not all Christians are bad”, is completely irrelevant. I have no desire to bring down good Christians or good Muslims, nor do I care how many soup kitchens and feeding programmes you are personally involved in. Feel free to keep feeding the world – we surely need it. What I want to see is the dismantling of religious organisations involved in corrupt, sinister, harmful and evil actions in the world. If that means your particular corrupt organisation needs to be dissolved, it’s really not the end of the world, join something friendlier and less harmful, like the local gaming club

Of course you could always become a Humanist and put your energies and finances to better use without all the holy middlemen.

For this reason, as well as the fact that I want people to listen to my own awesome podcast PRIMORDIAL SOUP, I’m going to help you get yourself sorted on ITunes, podcasts and your portable MP3 player.

Let’s start with the big picture, and then I’ll take you through the details.

1. You need to know where to find the web site of the podcast you want to listen to, OR, simply know what the RSS feed address of the podcast is (Don’t panic yet, we’ll get to that).
2. You need a computer (duh).
3. You need to install ITunes on your computer.
4. You need to tell ITunes how to find the podcast you want to listen to.
5. You need to download the podcast using ITunes (ITunes does this for you every time it sees a new episode of the podcast is available)
6. You need to have an MP3 player. This could simply be your computer, but if you intend to listen to your podcast in the car, or gym, or while visiting your mother in law, then I suggest an IPod or cheaper equivalent with earphones.
7. You need to sync your ITunes on your computer with your portable MP3 player.
8. Now you’re ready to enjoy your podcasts!

Now the details…

You need to know where to find the web site of the podcast you want to listen to, OR, simply know what the RSS feed address of the podcast is.

1. Most podcasts have a web site. You can Google the name of the podcast to find their site.

1. Go to the site and look for an RSS feed button. Here are examples of what it might look like… you get the picture.
   
   
   
   1. Right click on the button and select Copy Link Location. Your feed address is now ready to be pasted into Itunes.
   2. Here are some feed addresses for some of my favourite podcasts. You can simply copy them from here if you like:
      1. Primordial Soup: http://primordialsoop.wordpress.com/feed/
      2. Consilience: http://feeds.feedburner.com/ConsilienceAnAfricanSciencePodcast
      3. Skeptics Guide to the Universe: http://www.theskepticsguide.org/feed/rss.aspx?feed=SGU
      4. The Good Atheist: http://www.thegoodatheist.net/feed/

You need to install Itunes on your computer.

1. To install Itunes on your computer go to http://www.apple.com/itunes/download/ and click
   
2. It’s quite big so go get a cup of coffee.
3. Once downloaded, double click the file, answer all the questions and install ITunes on your machine.

You need to tell ITunes how to find the podcast you want to listen to.

1. In ITunes click advanced (at the top), then click Subscribe to Podcast…
   
2. Paste the podcast feed URL that you copied earlier into the URL box. Then click OK.
   
3. Your podcast will appear in the podcast list in ITunes.
   
4. ITunes will automatically look for all backdated issues of the podcast which you can see by clicking the small arrow symbol next to the podcast name
   
5. ITunes is defaulted to download the latest version of each podcast. So if you want the earlier versions you just need to click on the GET button next to that podcast episode.
6. Podcasts can be quite large so if you’re setting up several podcasts for the first time you may need to leave your computer downloading overnight.

You need to sync your ITunes on your computer with your portable MP3 player

1. Cool, now you have some podcasts. You can listen to them on your computer by selecting them in Itunes and pushing play – or you can sync them with your portable device.
2. To sync an IPod to ITunes, connect your IPod to your computer with the white Apple cable you got with the device.
3. A new menu item will appear on the left called DEVICES. Click on your device name in that menu.
4. At the top, click Podcasts.
5. Click the check box next to Sync Podcasts.
6. On the bottom right of the screen click the Sync button
7. All the podcasts you have downloaded and not yet played will be synced to your IPod.

Now you’re ready to listen. Enjoy!

“In brightest day, in blackest night, No evil shall escape my sight.
Let those who worship evil’s might, Beware my power… Green Lantern’s light!”

So a question I’m getting a lot at the moment is, “Who the f%^$# is Green Lantern??!” as well as, “Why the hell are you so retarded whenever you talk about him?”… both reasonable questions.

If you’re living in the dark ages of superhero fandom, or were one of those kids who played cricket and soccer at school or smoked at the bottom of the field with the “rebels”, then the chances are you don’t know or understand the answer to either question.

I was probably about 10 years old when I read a Green Lantern comic for the first time, and I was instantly hooked. I knew about Superman, Spiderman and Hulk, but Green Lantern was just much cooler than any of them. I think I related to Green Lantern (Hal Jordan in particular) more, with his cocky attitude, weakness for pretty girls (yes even at age 10), and general desire to do good and save the universe. He also had an awesome outfit with a wicked cool symbol on his chest. There was also something really intriguing about his “superpowers” which resonated deeply in my personality, but before we get to that let me start by explaining the whole Green Lantern fiction in a paragraph.

An ancient race of little blue bald aliens with big heads and great power called the “Guardians” worked out how to wield the green spectrum of light as a weapon against fear and tyranny in the universe. Because their numbers were few (and the universe is a big place), they decided to recruit sentient beings who had the ability to overcome great fear from different sectors of the universe and bestow on them each a ring which could harness the green energy through imagination and willpower. They called this intergalactic police force “The Green Lantern Corps”. Effectively with enough will, focus and imagination Green Lanterns can create constructs of green energy that can do just about anything. The rings are also “programmed” to protect their wearers and provide other powerful abilities like flight and phasing. In various times of need the Guardians recruited humans from earth, the most famous of which is Hal Jordan, military test pilot. There are thousands of Green Lanterns in the Corps of which only four have been human.

Hal Jordan is in my view the perfect superhero. He is not the boy scout, unrealistically perfect Godlike being that Superman is, neither is he the pessimistic manipulative cynic that Batman is. He is a regular guy with a regular job and all the usual worries around love and relationships, both with females and with family. He is given access to amazing potential which he never asked for and is constantly trying to improve himself and his skill with the ring. What really separates him from the rest is not that he can move planets or create big green dragons, but that with or without the ring he has the character to face his fears and exercise enormous courage in the face of adversity. His tenacity, willpower and imagination make him my favourite fictional hero of all time – yip, even better than Jesus

This Friday (17 June 2011) the premier of the movie Green Lantern will show in South Africa. I had been predicting for many years, and hoping like crazy, that someone would do a Green Lantern movie in my lifetime – not only a Green Lantern movie but particularly a Hal Jordan Green Lantern movie. When I saw the trailer months ago for the first time, needless to say I was ecstatic, and have been ever since! What I’ve seen of the two official trailers so far have not disappointed. I have every reason to believe that this may be the greatest superhero flick (Marvel or DC) that has ever come to the big screen. The CGI, casting, script and general production look amazing, and it seems they’ve gone to every effort to stick to the comic script and details exactly.

I will be watching this movie on Friday with a group of my best friends, then the following Friday with another group of good friends (in costume) followed by a Green Lantern party, then the Friday after that again with my kids.

If you have never heard of Green Lantern till right now, then I hope this will be enough to convince you to go see the movie, but I suggest for a richer experience that you go down to your local comic or Incredible Books store and read a Green Lantern graphic novel before you do!

Director Kenneth Branagh really went the extra mile to keep the characters, atmosphere and locations true to the Thor we all (or at least some of us) know and love from the comics. Thor’s outfit was from the ‘Ultimate Thor/Avengers’ arc which was slightly disappointing only because I went to some trouble to create myself a Thor helmet which I proudly wore around the mall for the movie trip, only to discover that Thor wore no helmet at all throughout the film and a whole pile of youngsters probably thought I was in the wrong cinema or something.

In general films portray a slightly, if not tremendously watered down version of a comic book mythology, which is not surprising when you’re trying to squeeze 30 or 40 years of intricate story telling into just under two hours. Thor I felt was different. The movie incorporated an enormous amount of the original fluff from the comics and even added certain elements that improved the buy-in-ability of the whole fiction. In the movie they downplay the ‘God’ nature of Thor by using, among other things, one of my favourite sceptical quotes by Arthur C Clarke – “Any sufficiently advanced technology is indistinguishable from magic.” Effectively Thor and his race are really advanced aliens that were worshipped as Gods by less sophisticated societies in the past (Vikings). The whole thing was far more ‘sciencey’ than ‘magicky’ – which I appreciated. Even his body armour was a type of nano-morphing-metalic-skin of some sort.

This movie had it all. For the guys – cool gadgets, one liners, mass destruction, flying tough guys, beer drinking and awesome mixed fighting styles, not to mention the lead actress Natalie Portman… droooooool!!! For the ladies – well, a topless Chris Hemsworth, a smiling Chris Hemsworth, Chris Hemsworth in a cool Thor outfit, etc..

The comedy timing was great! I laughed out loud regularly to the annoyance of a few folk sitting around me. There’s a particularly cool moment where the human Chris Hemsworth becomes Thor and Natalie Portman’s character is, shall we say, impressed. I won’t give it away.

As has been the build-up in the Hulk and Iron Man movies, there were the usual references in Thor to the existence of… well, Hulk and Iron Man! And with Captain America coming up it is clear that there are plans afoot to assemble the Avengers soon, and I absolutely can’t wait!!! Under any other circumstances I’d be telling the world how DC is way cooler than Marvel, but for today, congratulations Marvel – job well done!

This movie is a must see for absolutely everyone.

What it did do was make me think, “I must write a piece on friendship some day!” This is that piece.

I didn’t shut up. I didn’t behave. The reality is that this human wasn’t a friend’s backside and had no rights to insist anything from me as a friend. Friendship isn’t a weapon to be wielded when it suits. Friendship is a commitment, a journey, a sacrifice. Needless to say, this human quickly unfriended me on Facebook and vanished into the sunset from whence he came… not unlike so many others who vanished the moment I stopped believing in a God.

I have often pondered over the idea of friendship. How does it work? Who are your friends? What rights and responsibilities does friendship bestow? What is friendship not? Having discussed this issue at some of our Rumbles, and amongst friends (true friends), I have some suggestions about what a friend IS and ISN’T.

A friend is…

1. Someone who has the wellbeing of their friends in mind.
2. Someone who takes the time and effort to get in touch i.e. initiates contact.
3. Someone who speaks well of his/her friends behind their backs.
4. Someone who won’t let their friends destroy themselves.
5. Someone you look forward to spending time with.
6. Someone who honours their commitments to their friends.
7. Someone who will help you move house.
8. Someone who will bring you a meal in time of need.
9. Someone who will come to your aid in a dangerous situation.

A friend is NOT…

1. Someone who only thinks of you when you call.
2. Someone who can’t remember a thing you said because they were too busy hogging the conversation.
3. Someone who says, “I’ll be there”, and doesn’t arrive – without warning or apology.
4. Someone who says, “I’ll be there at 8″, and arrives at 9 – without warning or apology.
5. Someone who suddenly doesn’t know you anymore because they heard rumours that you believe/did something strange – without consulting you about it before jumping to conclusions.
6. Someone who is happy to take continually without a thought to giving.
7. Someone who loves to have you along at their life events, but never attends yours because, “it’s not their thing”.
8. Someone who can change their allegiances in the blink of an eye.
9. Someone who takes pleasure in pointing out your ‘faults’, but heavens forbid you point out theirs!

How do you rate as a friend? You can’t be a friend to everyone, but when you claim to be someone’s friend do you really qualify? Just a thought.

This has been a topic of great debate in my online interactions with Theists. Religion, and particularly Christianity has always presented itself as the guardian of morality in the world – more and more as they find themselves having to relinquish (to science) their claim of ‘guardian of the mysteries of how the universe works’. Morality is one of the only things they have left to feel authorative about. But was morality ever their domain to begin with, and do they really have any authority in this area at all? As I’m sure you’ve already guessed my answers are no, and no.

Morality is the understanding that something is ‘right’ or ‘wrong’, often replaced with ‘good’ or ‘evil’.

Let’s start with Christian claims to moral authority in the world. I will concede that if there really was a God who made everything, and he/it (could God really have gender) happens to be the God of the Jews and Christians, and that Jesus really is his son, and that the bible really is the inspired word of God, perfect in all its apparent contradictions… then sure, Christians would have authority in the area of morality.

Basically, the very definition of what is moral or not would be dictated by whatever set of rules the Christians (directed by God) wrote down, or preached, or declared to be true. If God says, “Kill your son”, then killing him is not immoral, as demonstrated by Abraham and others in the Bible. If God is real, as many believe he is, then morality (what is good or evil) is by necessity wrapped up in obedience to him/it. The fact that most Christians believe that the 10 commandments of Moses and the two commandments of Jesus (Love the Lord your God, and love thy neighbor) are the ultimate moral compass, demonstrates this point. Consider the first five commandments:

1. Do not have other Gods before me
2. Don’t worship idols
3. Don’t misuse the name of God
4. Keep the Sabbath day Holy (by not working)
5. Honour your father and mother.

Are these really moral issues? I guess I could make a case for honouring your father and mother, but the rest are clearly the commands of a jealous God. Billions of Hindus, Muslims and Bhuddists are immoral based on the first four commandments. That’s convenient if you’re a Christian. Nevertheless, my point is that if God is real then this IS morality and most of us are screwed.

The same could be said of any of the Deities people subscribe to. If the Muslims are right and Allah exists, then Christians are immoral by the same principle; and in this world view Atheists are going to be immoral no matter what… which is pretty much how almost all Theists see us. Of course, that argument alone could convince me of the improbability of any of our gods being real, but that’s another topic and I won’t even start on HOW people decide what it is that God wants…

I don’t believe for one minute that any of these gods are real, and so I have to relook at the definition of morality from a human perspective. Do people that don’t ascribe morality to God have any moral code at all? What is morality if it’s not doing what God tells you to do? People have pondered this question since the dawn of thinking man. There are many theories around morality. Some think it’s about the greatest good for the greatest number of people. Others link it to the pursuit of personal happiness. Others reject morality entirely and do whatever the hell comes to mind. Others see it as a social or societal construct, not dissimilar to law. The reality is that all of these views on morality – theistic, humanistic, fatalistic, anarchist etc. are all at play in the same world at the same time. So how do we sift through the jumble to determine what the best way forward is?

My personal approach is to consider the groups/societies where the greatest personal freedom, happiness and contentment for the greatest number of people, and where the lowest human suffering, enslavement and deception is being demonstrated. I find that the more pedantic and specific the moral code is the more it suits a smaller number of people at the expense of a larger number of “outsiders”. At the same time, to have no moral obligations at all results in anarchy, leaving almost nobody satisfied.

So somewhere there is a “sweet spot” on the scale that people will buy into for the maximum benefit to themselves and the greatest number of others. My casual observations (i.e. I haven’t done the polls and analysis) tells me that there are non theistic communities like Sweden and France where a great number of people within those borders enjoy great personal freedoms and minimal human suffering, and not because they think they’re “obeying God”, but because the general population has bought into some generally agreed moral principles.

In societies like this morality is not determined by sexual preference, smoking habits, how much alchahol someone drinks or what words people use to curse with. These are personal preferences that have no bearing on morality. Instead morality in these societies is based on principles like honesty, ethical business dealings, rejection of corruption, kindness, obeying the law (because the laws don’t produce misery) etc. Contrary to the opinion of many Christians, this is not a system where people just “do what they want”, but rather people consider their part in the larger scheme of things and make small adjustments and sacrifices as required for the greater good, without completely compromising their own happiness. Ultimately everyone understands that their personal happiness is linked to the happiness of others so an ‘economy’ develops that morphs and adjusts as required for the greatest happiness and the least suffering.

In this light “Thou shalt not kill” and “Thou shalt not steal” are logical moral imperatives that protect the greater happiness, and certainly don’t need to be issued by God. Evolution is doing just fine on its own. As a result slavery has been pushed out by the moral economy in most communities, as well as apartheid and misogyny, no thanks to the Holy Scriptures of most religions which at best permit these social evils and at worst promote them.

My conclusion is that Religion has very little to offer in the realm of morality and has often been an amoral force in the world. Morality is not about belief or disbelief – it’s about humans working out how to live together in a way that reduces suffering in the world. Can Atheists be moral? I think they have less superstitious complications to deal with than the average Theist and should therefore be in a position to live a good and moral life, the kind of morality that actually matters in a real world.

ARE Atheists moral? Well that’s a completely different question!

Uh… come again? The basic argument here is that if scientific evidence gives them the sense that the world might not be a fun and safe place to live then there must be something wrong with the science. Another example of the theistic tendency to create a fantastical image of reality and then modify the “evidence” to fit the picture.

Classic examples of where this argument crops up are:

1. The discussion around what happens when we die. I.e. that there is no evidence to suggest that anything happens when we die, except that our bodies break down into basic mineral components and our consciousness, residing in our brains, ceases to exist.

2. The discussion around free will. I.e. that there is a lot in evolution, chemistry, physics and even the softer science of psychology to suggest that everything that happens is caused by something else… or maybe everything else when it comes down to it. This of course sheds a whole new light on whether there can be anything like free will at all. I admit that much discussion around this topic is theoretical at best, but it’s interesting nevertheless.

3. The humorous idea that if heaven and hell actually did exist, and it actually was the Christian Heaven and Hell, and we actually did go to one of them when we died based on… well, who the hell knows… but if it was all true, then most atheists might chose Hell over Heaven based on things like: who else was there and; what music they played there.

Now don’t get me wrong, I’m not some unemotional, unattached geek-robo-psychopath who would not like to live forever or have free will; and I certainly wouldn’t enjoy the idea of a real Hell either.

But that’s not the point is it?

It’s like being diagnosed with a disease that could be controlled and managed but instead, denying the diagnosis altogether, because it’s not great news, and carrying on with life as normal. Rejecting the medication and living in denial. I suppose it’s a way to live. Just pretend everything is as you want it to be and Hey Presto! You’re a happy chappy! This is very much the modus operandi for evangelicals, “Name it and claim it!” “All things are possible…” “Let go, let God”. When good things happen, praise God – when bad things happen, God’s ways are mysterious. Whatever happens, it’s never what you think it is, and it’s never logical. If I save a woman from an oncoming train she might praise God, as though I had nothing to do with it. Logical? If thousands die in Haiti, we should praise God for the little girl who “miraculously” survives in a fridge or something… so where’s the miracle for the thousands of dead people?

For me, grappling with reality is a far happier and more fulfilling way to live. For one, there is so much to learn and discover, and as long as you’re not shutting your eyes and ears to everything you don’t like, the pieces start to fall together, and the universe becomes even more awesome than you ever imagined. When I consider that it’s all over when it’s over, I realize just how precious this life is and I live it with more vigor and curiosity than ever before. I think it would be cool if we really had free will, and I hope we do, but I’m working with the evidence I have access to. I do have a few theories about the evolution of free will from present natural laws, but that’s a work in progress.

The bottom line is that I would have never start asking the questions if I had simply accepted the going Christian doctrine – but then again, maybe ignorance is bliss.

If you’re not 18, it’s time to leave.

John Baker had been staring at her across the waiting area of arrivals gate B for at least 5 minutes. She was everything he had imagined and more. For the last two years he had only communicated with Susan over Facebook, and his only image of her was the limited gallery of low resolution photos on her profile page.

They had met, like so many others, by a random referral from a mutual, however distant friend they had both already forgotten. It was virtual love at first read. They were both musicians and free thinkers and it didn’t take long for either of them to start sharing more intimately than they might have in the real world.

They had often invited one another to visit their respective cities, but life was too busy and complicated, and perhaps they were both a little apprehensive about the thought of meeting each other for the first time. As it happened Susan had to fly to Johannesburg for a friend’s wedding and John was happy to pick her up at the airport the day before the event. This was the first time they would have physical contact since meeting in virtual space two years earlier.

John immediately recognised Susan from her profile pictures, but his breath was taken away at the reality. He was frozen in place, almost as though he would somehow wake up from a very pleasant dream if he dared step out to meet her. Susan was beautiful, but not in any traditional way. She had dusty blond short hair that spiked and protruded irregularly as if to compete for attention with the rest of her. She was fairly tall at about 5 foot 11 inches. Her figure was curvaceous so that she was not thin at all but appealingly female in all the right places. Her robust thighs were covered in tight blue jeans with a suggestion of pink lace protruding tantalisingly against her tanned coastal skin. Her naval was perfectly formed and pierced against her petit waist, which was clearly visible below a short, tight, white, V-necked T-Shirt that exposed her ample cleavage and the top of a lacy pink bra.

John realised that she was beginning to look concerned as she stood in the centre of the waiting area with her luggage, and he stepped forward to greet her. As soon as he came into view she recognised him and beamed. Her smile nearly knocked John off his feet and he had to shake his head to stay focussed on the simple task of greeting her. They came together and embraced like two people who had loved each other for years. Instinctively they both moved to kiss the other lightly and found each other’s lips hard to release. The kiss lasted at least 2 seconds and they both felt the first stirrings of desire and the discomfort of having to quench it for this occasion.

“Oh my God! You look amazing!” exclaimed Susan with a huge smile.

“Hardly,” said John, pushing down the blush moving up his neck, “But you… wow! Your pictures don’t do the reality any justice.”

“Flattery will get you everywhere,” teased Susan.

“C’mon then, let me take these things for you,” said John, as he picked up her two reasonably heavy pieces of luggage. “You’re staying at my place tonight, as agreed. We’ve got lots to catch up on.”

By the time they arrived at John’s house, the two of them had already caught up on the basic facts and events of each other’s lives for the last few months. John helped Susan get her things into the spare room and told her to make herself at home while he put some coffee and snacks together.

“You don’t mind if I take a shower?” asked Susan. “It’s been a long trip and I need to wash the dust off.”

“Of course not. Make yourself completely at home!” With that, John left her room and headed for the kitchen.

As he walked away Susan considered John’s appearance. He was 6 foot 3 inches, with dark brown hair and green eyes. He was not athletic or seriously toned, but he had a healthy build and exuded strength and confidence. His face was assertive and thoughtful. His long fingers had her mind wandering to arbitrary comparisons. She smiled to herself and removed her clothes without closing the door.

John came out of the kitchen holding a tray with two cups of coffee and some chocolate brownies in a saucer. As he placed the tray on the table in the lounge he raised his eyes to see the open bedroom door and beyond through the open en suite bathroom door. He could see the left strip of the glass shower and the occasional glimpse of the curve of a hip or an arm as Susan lathered herself in soap. His heart began beating wildly and he turned away in an attempt to reverse the effects of his imagination on his stiffening manhood. It didn’t work. He heard Susan exit the shower and move into the bedroom where he knew she must be getting dressed in full view of him, except he was now seated with his back to her on his leather three-div couch.

Susan moved past him into the lounge, her hand stroking his shoulder as she passed around the couch. Electricity flowed through him. She glanced around and noticed that the leather three-div was about the most comfortable thing in the lounge. She sat down next to him. John watched silently, passion relentlessly building. Susan was now dressed in a flimsy pair of soft cotton shorts and a silky, semi-transparent, feminine floral top. It was clear that she was wearing no bra as her nipples danced under the silky sheen of her shirt. He raised his eyes and was immediately embarrassed to notice her noticing his appreciation.

“Susan I…” John began, but immediately she leaned close to him and placed a single elegant finger to his lips.

“Shhh…” she protested through a mischievous smile. “We’ve got lots of time for talking, but right now I think we both have other things on our minds.”

That was all John needed. Suddenly the situation changed as he pulled her close and using both hands, guided her face to his own and passionately kissed her. They kissed for an eternity, lips generous as they allowed each other access. They had two years of taste and touch and smell to catch up on and in this moment all their focussed longing and passion and desire for one another was brought into crystal clear focus.

Then suddenly, as though the realisation came to them both like explosions, their hands started grasping at fabric – peeling away each other’s layers in a frenzied feral madness. As soon as Susan’s shirt was removed and tossed aside John crushed her against his now naked torso. He had to feel her exquisite breasts naked against his chest. She in turn pressed against him as though her breasts were moles trying to burrow into his heart. Already his hands were deftly removing her shorts. She had nothing underneath, as he suspected. Her hands were stripping away his belt and opening his trousers. Quickly, so as not to lose a single precious moment he lay back and peeled off his own jeans, undies and socks in a single movement.

They were now both naked. Susan moved over him as he lay on his back. Their lips embraced again and now they were both aware of every inch of contact from their feet to their face. John felt the smooth skin of her feet against his, her right thigh between his legs and her soft shaven sex against his hip, already leaving the wet evidence of her arousal.

Now John synchronised his fingers and his tongue. With an aggressive thrust he entered her mouth with his tongue, while at the same time inserting two fingers firmly past the tender outer lips of her wet sex and pushing them deep inside her and upwards against her corrugated G-spot. Susan inhaled sharply and arched her back involuntarily as she gave in to a violent spasm of pleasure. John’s fingers continued to caress her inner pleasure, not allowing her more than mere moments to catch her breath before engulfing her in deep and violent kissing.

She had already unconsciously begun to stroke his shaft, squeezing tighter and stroking more vigorously as her climax approached. Then John could not tolerate it anymore, and with surprising strength and agility flipped Susan onto her back and moved over and into her, his full length plunging deep inside her lubricated and hungry opening. Within two thrusts Susan screamed in climactic ecstasy and threw her face into John’s shoulder, biting hard into his flesh. John thrust hard three more times amidst Susan’s erratic convulsions and then erupted inside her. She pulled him down to her and held him tightly as the tides of his release diminished.

Now they could focus on catching up…