Episode 09

Hey Folks,

Episode 9 is now up on the feed.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/NorthernFreethinkers

Mike is now joining us as the third host for out bi-weekly(ish) podcast.

Here are the links to the articles we discussed in the episode.

http://www.thestar.com/article/266160 - Faith Forward

http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/story.html?id=2287480 - Faith Based Prison Units

Episode 07 and Episode 08 of Northern Freethinkers are Up.

We missed the show notes for episode 07 and there are not to many for episode 08. Please leave me a comment or email us at northernfreethinkers@gmail.com if you would like a copy of them.

Cheers

Budget Car & Truck Rental in London Ontario. You are now on my shitlist.

No time like the present to start a shitlist and the first entry is going to Budget Car & Truck Rental in London, Ontario. I also hope owner Russ Urlin gives this a good read.

Me, my wife and our roommate rented a car for the the Thanksgiving weekend to go see some of the local sites and enjoy some turkey dinner. Car was nice, brand new Toyota Yaris with only 10km on it. So weekend was great and we returned the car at the time and date the contract indicated. We drove about 540km the entire weekend before we returned it.

Couple days go by, they were closed on the day we returned the vehicle and we deposited the keys in the return slot, we get the bill.

It is a little fishy, they billed us for another day and then tacked on around 200 more kilometers. My wife contacted them when she looked at the bill to get it corrected. Once we were able to show, based on the written contract the return date, the clerk did remove the extra day. She also emailed us a copy of their contract. My wife was then transferred to the owner/manager Russ Urlin. This guy was was extremely rude to my wife and later to me. He lied to me and told me that the mileage cost was for only 6 dollars, when I asked him to double check for me on his contract, I didn't know my wife had a copy at this point, he refused and after asking politely a few more times he hung up on me.

He also told my wife that they never make mistakes.

I did file a complaint with the BBB and here is the contact information they provide on their site:

Name:	BUDGET CAR & TRUCK RENTALS
Phone:	(519) 433-1701
Fax:	(519) 645-6473
Address:	519 York Street
	London, ON N6B 1R4
Original Business Start Date:	January 1967
Principal:	Russ Urlin, Owner
Customer Contact:	Russ Urlin, Owner
Type of Business:	Auto Renting & Leasing
BBB Accreditation:	This company is not a BBB Accredited business.

Their grade with the BBB is F. Never ever rent from this Budget location.

Militant Atheist

Northeern Freethinkers Episode 6 is out

Hey Everyone,

Episode 6 is now out.

http://feeds.feedburner.com/NorthernFreethinkers

Here are the links we talked about in the show, and others we didn't have time to get to.


http://www.theglobeandmail.com/news/world/canadas-public-sphere-just-got-a-lot-more-messy-and-free/article1277210/

http://www.thestar.com/news/world/article/691637

http://www.winnipegfreepress.com/life/faith/the-gay-debate-57602742.html

http://www.lawtimesnews.com/200909085345/Commentary/Editorial-When-rights-collide

http://www.canada.com/life/Calgary+brochure+raises+Muslim/1973575/story.html

http://newsjunkiepost.com/2009/09/19/research-finds-that-atheists-are-most-hated-and-distrusted-minority/

http://christianretailing.com/index.php/newsletter/latest-etailing/20072-darwins-origin-in-christian-stores-

http://www.miamiherald.com/entertainment/movies/AP/story/1249325.html

http://www.opposingviews.com/articles/news-charles-darwin-film-finds-distributor-will-be-seen-in-u-s-r-1253828264

Thanks for listening and pass along the link to your friends or tell them to look us up in iTunes.

Official Podcast of the Canadian Secular Alliance

Northern Freethinkers is now the official podcast of the Canadian Secular Alliance and sponsored by the Centre for Inquiry Canada.

We are just finalizing our record date for episode 6 and will have Mike Evans on for a second time.

If you haven't done so yet, look us up on iTunes and write us a review.

Northern Freethinkers Episode 05

Episode 05 is out. We interview Justin Trottier from the Center for Inquiry Canada.

The Vatican is Bullshit!

Reading this blog, you are most likely familiar with the comedy duo, Penn & Teller.

This week in a episode of bullshit!, starring the pair, they take on the Vatican and Pope. They discuss matters from child abuse cases to the spread of AIDS/HIV in Africa. If you have not yet seen this episode I highly recommend getting a hold of a copy or catching it in syndication.

Northern Freethinkers Episode 04

Here are the show notes for episode 4 of Northern Freethinkers. We only covered a few of the stories in this list, the rest were just of interest to us this week.

That Inhumane Monolith

Jimmy Carter Leaves the Baptist Church in Protest of Woman's Rights

Fixing Non-Believers Live on TV

The Catholic Church vs. Our Rights Commissions

Online Outcry Forces Tim Hortons to Pull Out of U.S. Event Against Gay Marriage

Muslim Couple File Human Rights Beef Over Superstore Salami

New Study Shows Current State of Vocations to US Religious Communities

Homosexuality: Trouble on the Reorient Express

Statue of the Virgin Mary Stolen From Outside Calgary Church

The Creation “Museum”

Roughly 300 Atheists Visit the Creation Museum in Kentucky

Roughly 300 Atheists visit the Creation Museum in Kentucky. These 5 skeptics made a short 3 part documentary about their experience.

Also check out PZ Myers blog to get his account of the day.

As Muslim Women Suffer, Feminists Avert Their Gaze

I found this article on the National Post website this morning.

As human beings we need to stand up for these women of Islam. They are being abused and killed because of "Honour". I am sorry, there is no honour in killing or abusing women because they decided to wear trousers or go to a cafe.

It is up to all of us to stand up, not just the feminists.

We can only let a religion run its course un-checked for so long. Clean up you act Islam or move on.

Northern Freethinkers Episode 4

Hey fans of Northern Freethinkers. Just letting you all know that Theo is on vacation right now so there will be a delay in episode 4. I will update you when I know the recording date.

Cheers,
C0-Host Stirling

Camp Goodtimes Week One Canceled

Just heard from a source that the local Camp Goodtimes in BC has canceled it's week one of the camp. Let's hope that they will be able to put on the remaining weeks.

If you are un-familiar with this program check out this link.

Canadian Secular Alliance New Website

Hey Folks,

The Canadian Secular Alliance has launched a new website.

Check it out at: http://www.secularalliance.ca/

Let them know what you think.

Northern Freethinkers Episode 03

Episode 03 of Northern Freethinkers is now up. Below are the links to the articles we discussed.

http://www.cbc.ca/canada/story/2009/06/26/veil-vote-legislation026.html

http://www.nationalpost.com/related/topics/story.html?id=1735673

http://www.livingwaters.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=383

Please email us with comments or leave them below.

The Canadian Healthcare System: An open letter to Americans and their government.

Watching the news and listening to the debate on healthcare reform in America I would like to clear up some myths that seem to be floating around.

Wait Times:

I am not sure where this arose from, but there really are no long waits to get care. If you have the minor sniffles and pains we have many privately run clinics that you can go to, and these are still covered under our system.

If you go to an emergency room, you will encounter the same thing as one in America, long wait for the sniffles because the guy with the heart attack has higher priority.

Cost:

The taxpaying public pays for healthcare and it is all based off how much you make. People with low to no income don't pay any monthly rate. Once you make enough money then you start to pay, simple as that. Everyone pays and everyone gets equal coverage.

Pre-existing Conditions:

This is the best part about ours and other government run systems, no pre-existing conditions clause. You can have cancer one day and the sniffles the next. It is in no way going to affect your coverage or cause you to pay more.

Prescriptions:

This one is a little odd. If you are admitted to a hospital, all drugs are covered under your medical plan, however if not, then you have to pay. This is one place that we do have a private insurer. However if you are low income, you can get coverage from the government system. The private insurer in Canada can not determine any pre-existing conditions as well and the coverage is usually under $30CAD a month. This usually gets you some travel insurance as well.

So call it a socialist system, but it works, for the most part. Everyone gets care, no one is turned away because they don't have insurance. You can get help for minor things that could lead to bigger issues down the road. Prevention is always a priority in our system as this keeps costs down in the long run.

Healthcare, as far as I am concerned, is a right for every human.

Northern Freethinkers Episode 02

Here it is, episode 02 of Northern Freethinkers.

Below are the links to the stories that we talked about in this episode.

Atheist Teens Lead the Way

Why Health Advise on 'Oprah' Could Make You Sick

Ontario Bails Out Ottawa Stem Cell Scientists Leading International Project.

Swedish Pirate Party Wins Seat in European Parliament

The Swedish Pirate Party has secured a seat in the European Parliament with 7.1 percent of the vote.

This is a great step for our friends in Europe who wish to have a say in copyright and other technology issues.

Take a look at the full article from torrentfreak.

Commandments Lecture Series

This article from the Holy Post a section of the National Post gives us an insight into the relevance of the 10 commandments in today's society.

Christopher Hitches was the first to speak to the crowd hosted by the Royal Ontario Museum. Where he throws out most of the original commandments and adds a few of his own.

Hitches is followed by author A.J. Jacobs and Camille Paglia in the weeks to come.

Random Quote

"The Bible is a collection of honorable, but primitive legends which are still nevertheless pretty childish." ~ Albert Einstein

Northern Freethinkers Pilot Is Up

Here is the pilot. Thanks for the feedback on the test. Don't forget to subscribe with iTunes.

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/NorthernFreethinkers

Will the Antichrist be a Homosexual?

Oh Alaska, you do make me chuckle.

Here is an opinion piece from the Frontiersman of Wasilla, Alaska. The writer brings up the story of Lot to explain the bibles position on homosexuality but just breezes over the fact that Lot offers up his Virgin daughters up to be raped like it is fine and dandy.

Watch out for the guy in white loafers, he just might be the Antichrist.

Random Quote

"You cannot become an Atheist merely by wishing it!" ~ Napoleon

Impark Update

Impark is issuing me a cheque for $0.50, it will cost them $0.52 to send it. Think I may just frame it instead of cashing it.

Random Quote

"Some say religion makes people happy. So does laughing gas!" ~ Clarence Darrow

Off Topic, but I Hate Impark. Blatant False Advertisement of Rates.

Sorry for the bad cell phone pic, no dslr on me today.

Great Protest Sign

From the Wall Street Journal

Religion Rebranded Lures Young Canadians

Posted on TheStar.com

Kevin Newman of Global television will be be presenting Hip 2B Holy tonight on Global. He co-wrote and co-produced this documentary as well.

Old But Good One

"Prop 8 - The Musical" starring Jack Black, John C. Reilly, and many more... from Jack Black

Northern Freethinkers Test Pilot

Myself and fellow host Theo have produced our first test pilot episode for Northern Freethinkers.

Looking for comments and suggestions before we do the final pilot.

http://feeds2.feedburner.com/NorthernFreethinkers

Tax Exemption for Advancement of Theism

As we are all mostly aware, religious organizations here in Canada get the same tax breaks other charities. As it is stated in our tax exemption legislation there are four ways an organization can qualify.

(i) the relief of poverty
(ii) the advancement of education
(iii) the advancement of religion
(iv) other purposes beneficial to the community that the courts have identified as charitable

The third qualifier in the list is the one that concerns me and other non-religious people the most. A religious organization has all the right to self promote but as a supposedly secular government, we should not be giving them a hand in the matter.

Should we not base tax exempt status on what the organization does but on how much revenue is used toward the other criteria? Should we assist the organization that spends millions of dollars on their own worship centers or should we assist the organization that is doing true charitable acts through volunteers and a limited paid staff.

The government and the services it supports are loosing out on lost tax revenue on organizations that use more money internally then spend on the community. In 2007 this was approximately 1.2 billion dollars. This could be much better used for our healthcare system. A system that we know helps people.

101 Contradictons in the Bible

An amusing article from ThinkAtheist.com

It is to long to post here but click the link and enjoy. Here are a few examples from the site.

72. Matthew and Mark agree that Jesus went away and prayed three times. What were the words of the second prayer?

* Mark does not give the words but he says that the words were the same as the first prayer (Mark 14:3 9)

* Matthew gives us the words, and we can see that they are not the same as in the first
(Matthew 26:42)

74. When Jesus said My God, my God, why hast thou forsaken Me ? in what language did he speak?

* Hebrew: the words are Eloi, Eloi ..(Matthew 27:46)

* Aramaic: the words are Eloi, Eloi .. (Mark 15:34)

Random Quote

"I only worship Santa Claus... He's the only mythological figure who leaves evidence!" ~ Esiah Zakite

Girl Guides Dropping "God" from Pledge

I just read an article on ParentCentral.ca talking about the Girl Guides of Canada dropping any religious wording from their pledge.

This has ruffled many feathers within the organization and from outside.

However the Girl Guides operate as a private organization and as so can include or exclude any religious meaning so forth. I know as a former member of Boy Scouts of Canada the same thing happened years ago and the organization dropped Christian values to allow more people of different religions to join. The organization was also spreading into more non-christian areas.

If either of these organizations receive any funding or support from the public sector, then yes they should remove all religious teaching or views from their operations.

If anyone is more familiar with how these organizations interact with the public sector drop me a line in the comments.

Chemist Shows How RNA Can Be the Starting Point for Life

An English chemist has found the hidden gateway to the RNA world, the chemical milieu from which the first forms of life are thought to have emerged on earth some 3.8 billion years ago.

Read the article from the New York Times

Great Video on Evolution

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vss1VKN2rf8

Random Quote

"More people have been slaughtered in the name of religion than for any other single reason." ~ Harvey Milk

Random Quote

"People who want to share their religious views with you almost never want you to share yours with them.” ~ Dave Barry

Torture More Accepted by Frequent Church Attendees

I came across this poll in a few publications in the last week or so. According to the results the more frequent and devout church goers were in favor of the use of torture.

This makes me think and wonder. Why are the good sheep of the lord so in favor of allowing the torture of another human being? I wonder if that other human being was a affiliated with the same religion as them, if their views would be the same? However I have to admit I am not surprised by these results and I am reminded of a recent Facebook discussion I had with a friend of my sisters. After some discussion on a bible quote she had posted John piped in. We started the usual debate over logic and faith but what really struck me and reminded me of this poll was his comment on how my disbelief had caused me to have cancer at a young age and the tumor I am being treated for now. This was not the first time I have heard or witnessed such comments from someone of faith.

There is this feeling and observance from Christians I have encountered that non-believers and people of different religious views are seen as evil or just lesser human beings. Missionaries often have this attitude surrounding them. This must make it ok to treat another human so badly.

The people that think torture is ok should re-evaluate their ethics. Maybe step back from their religious prejudices, look at the facts about the effectiveness of torture and think of these prisoners as fellow human beings.

I welcome comments and maybe if we have some Christians in the crowd, you can prove me wrong.