Blasphemy in Pakistan

A new page! Pakistan's blasphemy laws are infamously strict and unjust, tied to the country's overall culture of intolerance and prejudice, and result in a constant stream of murders, violent attacks and mob violence against anyone accused of saying the wrong religious things. Knowing that the consequences can be life-destroying even when the claims are false, accusations are often made against competitors during feuds or to resolve grudges. Such is the temper in a country that is being dragged backwards into a barbarous theocracy by religionists, amidst a wave of fear. The concept of blasphemy is their primary weapon.

"Blasphemy in Pakistan" by Vexen Crabtree

The contents menu is:

1. Pakistan Has No Freedom of Belief Nor Religious Freedom of Expression
2. The Blasphemy Laws
3. Cases
   1. 2017 - Human Rights Watch Highlighted Cases
   2. 2010 - Asia Bibi, Salman Taseer and Shabaz Bhatti

A list of denominations of Satanism

A new page! Satanic churches, divisions and sects. "A List of Denominations of Satanism"

The contents menu is:

1. Types of Satanism
2. Church of Satan (1966CE)
3. Temple of Set (1975CE)
4. Order of Nine Angels (1980s)
5. First Satanic Church (1999CE)
6. Joy of Satan (2002CE)
7. The Satanic Temple (2013CE)
8. Local and National Variations
9. Defunct Denominations (Church of Satanic Brotherhood, Ordo Templi Satanis)

An introduction to the biblical book of Jonah

An introduction to the biblical book of Jonah.

God punishes Jonah with a storm and has a monstrous fish eat him, until he relents and preaches to the city of Nineveh that it will be destroyed. He didn't want to, because he didn't think it would be destroyed, and he didn't want to be a false prophet. After being bullied into it, God changes his mind, and doesn't destroy Nineveh.

The teachings in the Book of Jonah are that God punishes those who are disobedient and rewards those who are obedient, and if you murder someone at sea then all is well as long as you fear God. Also, if you are in an unequal relationship, it is best to simply do as you are told, else, things will only end up harder for you. It's not the Bible's finest moment.

Historically, the book lacks legitimacy. Nineveh was the capital of the great Assyrian empire and at no point did the events of Jonah 3:5-10 actually occur - not a single trader, traveller, statesman or historian note that the entire population suddenly gave up its old ways and embraced a new religion.

http://www.humanreligions.info/jonah.html.

Religious Days and Festivals in October

A list of religious days and festivals in October - days for the seasons, various saints and gurus, celebrations and finally, samhain / halloween, on www.humanreligions.info/october.html.

The Food Chain and God: The Natural Evil of the World

A new page! "The Food Chain and God".

A good god could, if it wanted to, have designed all life so that it is directly sustained by manna from heaven, with no need for consumption of biological matter. But almost every form of life must by its very nature capture, kill and eat other living beings in order to survive. Without this murderous torment, life is impossible. If not by direct consumption, then, organisms must still acquire biological matter at the expense of others: the competition for food is also a case of living beings being required to outdo each other merely to survive. There is no way to live life along a principal of do no harm.

If life was created, and not simply the result of undirected unconscious evolution, this is surely the worst possible way to have created life. A god could not have created a more vicious cycle if it tried: tying the very existence of life with the necessary killing of other life is the work of an evil genius, not of an all-powerful and all-loving god. Either no god ever instigated life or guided it, or, such a god is monstrously evil.

The contents menu is:

1. The Arms Race: Poisons and Resistance
2. The Despair of Darwin
3. Non-Biological Energy and Balance

What is Fundamentalism?

Fundamentalism is the approach to religion that sees believers embrace an early form of their religion, to consider it beyond criticism and worthy enough to be enforced without having to accommodate modern evidence or logical arguments against it. Fundamentalists of text-based traditions treat a core holy text as infallible and inerrant. Because beliefs are given absolute importance, fundamentalism is often sectarian and intolerant: every doctrinal interpretation results in schism and division.

http://www.humanreligions.info/what_is_fundamentalism.html.

Prayer: Shouldn't Theists Trust the Plan?

I've updated the introduction paragraph to Prayer is Ungodly:

Of all the many courses of action or inaction, a perfect God always picks the best one. This appears to makes prayers ineffectual. If one prays for a friend to miraculously recover from an inoperable brain disease, what will happen? The prayer cannot make a difference, because, God has already picked the best course of action. If the prayer is successful, it's because God was already going to move that way. If it was unsuccessful, then, God has a better plan. To pray for God to act is to doubt that God already knows best.

There's a more dramatic 2nd paragraph.

1. Deliberations from the 18th Century
2. The Christian Bible (1 John 5:14)
3. Praying is Magic
4. Satanism

The Book of Job

I've shortened the introduction to the Book of Job and added a section on dating & authorship. The contents menu of The Book of Job is now:

1. Authorship and Structure
2. God Testing People in The Bible
3. God as the Author of Evil: Are Satan and God Interchangeable?
4. The 42 chapters of Job (1070 verses)
   1. Job 1 (22 verses) - Job was blameless. The LORD allowed Satan to test him. Job's servants and children were killed. He tore his robes and worshipped.
   2. Job 2 (13 verses) - Satan & LORD discuss Job; Satan gives Job skin disease; Job's wife discourages Job; Job stays faithful; Job's friends visit him
   3. Job 3 (26 verses)
   4. Job 4 (21 verses) - Eliphaz said, "Will you become impatient? When did the innocent ever perish? I heard a voice: 'Can a man be more righteous than God?'"
   5. Job 5 (27 verses) - "Who will answer you? Man is born to trouble. As for me, I would seek God. Do not despise his discipline. He wounds, but he binds up."
   6. Job 6 (30 verses) - Job said, "My misery would outweigh the sand of the seas! You have proved no help. Show me how I have been wrong! Would I lie to you?"
   7. Job 7 (21 verses)
   8. Job 8 (22 verses) - Bildad speaks to Job: Job & children must have sinned to cause Job's trouble; tells Job to turn to God; talks about evil people
   9. Job 9 (35 verses)
   10. Job 10 (22 verses)
   11. Job 11 (20 verses) - Zophar said, "Should your babble go unanswered? God exacts less than your guilt deserves! Reach out to him and you will find hope."
   12. Job 12 (25 verses)
   13. Job 13 (28 verses) - "I want to argue my case with God. Be quiet and I will speak. Though he slay me, I will hope in him. God, why do you hide your face?"
   14. Job 14 (22 verses)
   15. Job 15 (35 verses) - Eliphaz said, "Your own mouth condemns you! Why do you turn against God? The wicked will be like a vine stripped of unripe grapes."
   16. Job 16 (22 verses)
   17. Job 17 (16 verses) - Job is desolate. All is woe.
   18. Job 18 (21 verses)
   19. Job 19 (29 verses)
   20. Job 20 (29 verses)
   21. Job 21 (34 verses)
   22. Job 22 (30 verses) - Eliphaz said, "Is not your wickedness great? You withheld bread from the hungry. Is not God high? Submit to him and be at peace."
   23. Job 23 (17 verses) - Job said, "If only I knew where to find God! When he has tested me, I shall come forth as gold. But he does whatever he pleases."
   24. Job 24 (25 verses) - "The wounded cry out, but God charges no one with wrong. Some rebel against the light; they are exalted a while, and then are gone."
   25. Job 25 (6 verses) - Bildad said, "Dominion and awe belong to God. Who can be righteous before him? Even the stars are not pure in his sight!"
   26. Job 26 (14 verses) - Job said, "How you have helped the weak! Sheol is naked to God. The pillars of heaven tremble. These are the fringes of his ways!"
   27. Job 27 (23 verses)
   28. Job 28 (28 verses)
   29. Job 29 (25 verses)
   30. Job 30 (31 verses)
   31. Job 31 (40 verses) - "Does God not see my ways? Have I lied? Have I refused to help the poor? Have I put my trust in money? Let the Almighty answer me!"
   32. Job 32 (22 verses)
   33. Job 33 (33 verses)
   34. Job 34 (37 verses) - "It is unthinkable that God would do wrong. Can one who hates justice govern? God shows no partiality. Job speaks like the wicked!"
   35. Job 35 (16 verses) - "Even if you are righteous, what do you give to God? He does not answer because of the pride of evil men. You must wait for him!"
   36. Job 36 (33 verses)
   37. Job 37 (24 verses) - "God thunders with his voice. By the breath of God, ice is made. Do you know his wondrous works? He is great in power and justice!"
   38. Job 38 (41 verses)
   39. Job 39 (30 verses) - "Do you mark when the deer is born? Will the wild ox serve you? Do you give the horse his might? Does the hawk fly by your wisdom?"
   40. Job 40 (24 verses) - Job said, "I have no answer." The LORD said, "Will you condemn me? Behold now, Behemoth, which I made. Can anyone pierce his nose?"
   41. Job 41 (34 verses) - "Can you catch Leviathan with a hook? Everything under heaven is mine. His breath sets coals ablaze. He is king over all the proud."
   42. Job 42 (17 verses)

The Maldives

Over 1000 atolls (islands made from raised coral reefs); cultural and civic life has been ruined by strict Islam. A comparison of international statistics, concentrating on Social and Moral issues. The contents of "The Maldives (Republic of Maldives)" by Vexen Crabtree (2013) is:

1. Overview
2. Maldives National and Social Development
3. Maldives's Demographics and Migration
4. Maldives's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
5. Maldives's Health
6. Maldives's Modernity and Learning
7. National Culture
8. The Natural Environment
9. Economic Inequality and Poverty
10. Religion and Beliefs

Human Rights and Freedom in Taiwan

A new page! "Human Rights and Freedom in Taiwan". Taiwan performs very well in ensuring human rights and freedom compared to most other countries. It does the best in the world at supporting freethought and better than average on supporting personal, civil & economic freedoms, supporting press freedom (one of the best in Asia) and in LGBT equality. In 2019, Taiwan became the first Asian country to legalise same-sex marriage.

Statistics covered:

1. Taiwan's Human Rights, Equality & Tolerance
2. Human Rights & Tolerance Data Sets
   1. Personal, Civil & Economic Freedom
   2. Press Freedom
   3. Slavery
3. Prejudice Data Sets
   1. LGBT Equality
   2. Freedom of Thought

Religion in India

India is 80% Hindu, 14% Muslim, 3% Christian. Hinduism has a wildly varied mix of beliefs and practices which date to prehistory. Buddhism and Sikhism both also started in India and in the 1960s, Western spiritualists took home some interpretations of Hindu beliefs: the result was a range of movements which became called the New Age.

But religion in India is no longer peaceful. Intolerant right-wing Hinduism-first parties have instigated a bloody series of mob conflicts with Christian and Muslim communities; causing hundreds of churches and mosques to be destroyed, and a great number killed and displaced.

Incompatibility between Hinduism and Islam lead to the breakoff of Pakistan amidst fighting that saw over a million people lose their lives, and, three subsequent wars and a nuclear arms race, with the disputed territory of Kashmir as the flashpoint. During this cultural and religious conflict, Hindu extremism has become "an impediment to... human rights".

http://www.humanreligions.info/india_religion.html

India

Added to Section #6 tables on India's education statistics compared to the rest of the world: The BJP, a conservative Hindu-first party made popular by its campaigns of hate against minorities, have pursued a policy of establishing astrological departments at universities, despite academia's longstanding aversion due to the overwhelming evidence that astrology is not founded on any kind of reality. In an unequal nation of 1.4 billion people, the funding could have provided for a large number of teachers, covering sorely-needed topics of maths, the sciences and engineering. http://www.humantruth.info/india.html: 6. India's Modernity and Learning. #india #BJPGovernment #BJP

Violent Extremism in Hinduism

Hindu violent extremism is a serious problem, especially in north India; there are thousands of attacks against religious minorities every year. It has become "an impediment to... human rights". Reactions by victims stimulates Hindu mobs to enact further attacks. For example, when the Babri Masjid mosque was destroyed by Hindu activists in 1992, thousands of protesting Muslims lost their lives in a very one-sided series of mob fights. And over Christmas 2007 in one state, a hundred churches were damaged and 700 Christian homes destroyed. Complicit are political parties that use race and religion to divide people and stoke hatred; especially the Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP), the Rashtriya Swayamsevak Sangh (RSS), Vishva Hindu Parishad (VHP) and Shiv Sena. Section #3 lists some of the worst cases of mob violence. Link: http://www.humanreligions.info/hindu_extremism.html.

Prayer as Meditation - or as Insult

I've rewritten this page on prayer, removing half of the content and expanding the section on meditation.

What is prayer for? It doesn't change outcomes, because God's plan is perfect and prayer can't change which is the best action for God to take. Prayer doesn't work against individual ailments, nor does it change national outlooks (even on health). So what's the point?

Prayer still has positive uses. It gives us a quiet-time to think slowly, and let ideas and resolutions come to us. It can also create social togetherness and consolidarity, as can all shared rituals. With these advantages, although theists call it "prayer" - others, more accurately, call it meditation, which actually does have some positive results on one's own health.

The contents menu for "Prayer is Pointless, Except as Meditation" by Vexen Crabtree (2023) is now:

1. Prayer Tells God Nothing
2. Praying Doesn't Change What Course of Action it is Best for God to Take
3. Praying is Best Considered Meditation and Introspection
4. Prayer as a Passive Aggressive Activity

Prayer Across the World (Who Prays the Most?)

A new page! "Prayer in World Religion".

Daily prayer is most common in Central America (77%), Africa (75%) and The Caribbean (74%). The least prayerful countries are China (01%), UK (06%), Austria (08%), Switzerland (08%) and Czechia (09%). Does prayer work? All of the larger studies on prayer, and the well-controlled ones, show that prayer has no effect on the world.

The contents menu is:

1. Which Regions of the World Pray the Most and the Least?
2. Which Countries Pray the Most and the Least?
3. Does Prayer Work?
4. In the Theistic Viewpoint, Prayer Can't Change God's Perfect Plan
5. Prayer in Christianity
6. Prayer in Islam

The average immigration rate in Europe is 14%. Of the countries with over 1m population, the highest immigrationrate is Switzerland (29.6%), Austria (19%) and Sweden (17.6%). Ireland is 8th in the list, the UK is 15th. For a full list, see: www.humantruth.info/europe_migration.html by Vexen Crabtree of the Human Truth Foundation.

Buddhism, Confucianism, Humanism, Jainism, Taoism, Raelism, Scientology and other movements are all religious but don't have a belief in god(s). This confuses westerners in particular, who often equate religion with god-belief to such an extent that they can't imagine being religious without it. "Atheist Religions"

The contents menu is:

1. An Introduction to Atheism and Secularism
2. Introductions to Some Atheist Religions
   1. Buddhism is an Atheist Religion
   2. Confucianism
   3. Humanism
   4. Jainism
   5. Taoism / Daoism
   6. UFO Religions
3. Atheist Religions Tend to be Kinder and More Compassionate Than Theist Religions

www.humantruth.info/the_values_of_liberalism.html divides liberal values into three categories (social, political & economic), which together stem from the 17th century Enlightenment. But note that someone who holds liberal ideas in one domain doesn't have to be liberal in another - an individual may be socially liberal but not economically; others may be liberal overall, but not when it comes to politics.

Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights: The Freedom of Expression

A new page! Article 19 of the Universal Declaration of Human Rights grants us the ability to speak freely as long as we don't infringe on other rights. Political extremists and traditional religions have been effective and stalwarts opposition to free speech, enforcing censorship, victimisation and blasphemy laws against those whose opinions they don't want to hear. "Freedom of Expression"

The contents menu is:

1. About Human Rights in General
2. Commentary on Freedom of Speech
3. Limits
4. Opposition to Free Expression
5. Press Freedom Index
6. Blasphemy and Censorship: In Christianity and Islam

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Human Rights and Freedom in Ethiopia

The first round of international treaties on human rights began in the 1940s after the founding of the United Nations. For the following few decades, Ethiopia regularly signed and ratified almost all such treaties, except a few. However since 1989, it has signed only two, and, ratified only one.

For full details and statistics, see: Human Rights and Freedom in Ethiopia by Vexen Crabtree.