It should be obvious what this one is in response to. (although the site without the .au is much better)

My direction on this song is a little different to all the other times I’ve tackled religion, this time I’m drawing on the language of addiction, because there are a number of similarities (and yes, I know that this isn’t an original idea)

Musically, I’ve tweaked some of the tones. I used a different guitar amp, changed settings on the master EQ and such. Also…. auto-wah.

Click here for the free mp3

Lyrics:

Verse 1:
I know what
You truly need
Believe me
It won’t cost
It’s useful
Have a taste

Chorus:
Take a hit
It’s all about life
Don’t worry
The first one’s free
You need it
It’s all about life

Verse 2:
Have some more
You truly need
Feel the glow
Donate cash
Tell your friends
I’ll give more

Verse 3:
Tell the world
Give us all
He wants it
Do not stop
Or we’ll cut
The supply

Final Chorus:
Take a hit
It’s all about lies
Destroying
All who agree
Fuck Jesus
It’s all about lies

Your god/goddess/deity/universal lifeforce/prime mover/lord/maker/idol/numen/providence/spirit/totem/et hoc genus omne is false. None of the supposed works/writings/miracles/experiences actually happened as you believe them to have happened.

All prophets/preachers/emissaries/channellers/diviners/shamen/seers/mediators/ministers/popes/gurus/saints/ehgo who claim to have experienced such things are either:

1. Lying (or at least not telling the whole truth)
2. Deluded (whether through deception of others or lack of education or understanding)
3. Wackadoo (from mild temporary insanity to completely batshit fucking insane)

This statement applies to any and all claimed supernatural powers, whether still worshipped or not, throughout time and space (including but not limited to the entirety of this universe) unless sufficient evidence can be provided.

A song fuelled by various recent events.

I’d write more, but no one reads it anyway.

Click here to listen to the MP3

Lyrics:

Verse 1:
Now watch out
When I’m around
A little un….
Balanced in my
Twisted thoughts
Always churning
Ready to snap
Like a small twig

Chorus:
More than a troll
Crush like a truck
I’m not the one
With whom
You wish
To fuck

Verse 2:
Revenge served cold
For every grudge
Eventually
I will unleash
All that I have
To destroy you
Don’t tread on me
Or I’ll pwn you

Bridge:
Don’t be afraid
Of the unknown
‘Cos now you know
I’ll reap what you sow

Final Chorus:
Stronger than all
Never give up
I’m not the one
With whom
You wish
To fuck

Image rolled from here

Its hard to show that you’re a powerful god when the people you’re the god of no longer exist.

Sometimes the greatest freedom comes from restricting oneself.

This song comes from these intense restrictions:

• No bass
• No keyboards or samples
• Just a guitar, a beat and vocals
• Written and recorded in under an hour

It has a real dirty, garage rock feel…. but in an almost NiN kind of way.

As for the lyrics, feel free to interpret them in your own way.

Click here for the mp3

Lyrics:

Verse 1:
I know that
Around me
A beating
Heart of pain
I must be
One with it
Become like
The saviour

Chorus:
The serenity of destruction
Embrace the peace

Verse 2:
I feel how
It must be
The only
Path to rest
I am now
Absorbing
The power
Of ruin

Image from here

Typically when we atheists are pulling out biblical contradictions we pull verses from very different parts of the bible. It might be somewhere in the old testament versus a gospel, or a gospel versus an epistle, this post is going to be a little different.

I’m going to turn Paul against himself.

To be even more pointed, and to avoid the issues that might come if I pick verses from the books that most scholars think are pseudo-pauline I’m just going to stick to 1 book. The First Epistle to the Corinthians.

The first section:

1 Corinthians 11:5-16 (English Standard Version)

5 but every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head, since it is the same as if her head were shaven. 6 For if a wife will not cover her head, then she should cut her hair short. But since it is disgraceful for a wife to cut off her hair or shave her head, let her cover her head. 7 For a man ought not to cover his head, since he is the image and glory of God, but woman is the glory of man. 8 For man was not made from woman, but woman from man. 9 Neither was man created for woman, but woman for man. 10 That is why a wife ought to have a symbol of authority on her head, because of the angels. 11 Nevertheless, in the Lord woman is not independent of man nor man of woman; 12f or as woman was made from man, so man is now born of woman. And all things are from God. 13 Judge for yourselves: is it proper for a wife to pray to God with her head uncovered? 14 Does not nature itself teach you that if a man wears long hair it is a disgrace for him, 15 but if a woman has long hair, it is her glory? For her hair is given to her for a covering. 16 If anyone is inclined to be contentious, we have no such practice, nor do the churches of God.

A nice long ramble, the common thing that Paul would write, but the real key to my point is the first verse: “every wife who prays or prophesies with her head uncovered dishonors her head”. This set of verses is the beginning of a large multi-chapter instruction on church worship practices. The obvious meaning to be taken is that if a woman is to pray or prophesy within a church service she is to do so with a head covering.

Now for comparison:

1 Corinthians 14:34-35 (English Standard Version)

34 the women should keep silent in the churches. For they are not permitted to speak, but should be in submission, as the Law also says. 35 If there is anything they desire to learn, let them ask their husbands at home. For it is shameful for a woman to speak in church.

This comes from the end of the section on worship. It says quite the opposite from the first section, as now women are to keep silent in church.

WTF?

How can a woman be permitted to pray and prophesy, 2 of the main sections of the church worship in one verse, and be told they must shut up only a few pages later?

The “simple” answer, and the one that is accepted by non-evangelical theologians is that the second set of verses are a later addition by a scribe who wanted to further oppress women. Sure, both verses put forward a view of women that most modern westerners would call backward, but that is not the point.

The point is: how could an all-powerful God who gave us the Bible as his primary method of communication allow such an obvious contradiction into his inerrant word?*

* Answer: He didn’t, because he doesn’t exist, and the bible is just the frequently errant words of men**

Image from here

They just want to see poor women put into factory farms for their breast milk.

A nice acoustic cover.

Except its more of a depressing dirge.

Just me, a guitar, and a microphone.

Recorded in one take.

I hope you hate it.

Click here to hear it

Image from here

In our last installment we’d reached the start of my uni adventures.

I’d been accepted into a Computer Science degree at Club Mac which was sweetened by a $5k a year scholarship. I’d also managed through a lot of hard work to lose most of my weight dropping from the mid-nineties to low-seventies. My body self-image hadn’t really followed that trend though. Which is unfortunate, because much of what happened may have been avoided if it had.

So I started uni, doing the degree I “wanted” to do. Although that want was more derived from external pressures and expectations than I care to admit. At many points I’d made choices about subjects, electives and hobbies based on things like what was “gay”, or what was a better possible career based on potential financial outcome, or just what people thought the short, fat nerd should do.

I was miserable. My emotions varied from depressed to angry to lonely. Sure, I had “friends”, but they were more like acquaintances I hung out with. Its not like I shared anything deep with them (take note, as this will be a recurring theme). My life was basically just attending classes, hanging out, and sitting at home playing games or guitar or with myself. There was no interest from girls, which I chalked up to being the short, fat nerd (even though I wasn’t fat any more).

By the time my 18th birthday came around I was ready to push stop.

So I did.

Or at least I tried. With booze. Lots and lots of booze.

Since it was my 18th, I knew that if I was successful people would say it was a tragic accident rather than a suicide. Which gave me the courage to actually go through with it as I knew the impact on others would be less than a typical leaving a note type suicide.

I drank all night, all kinds of alcohol, with every gulp of beer being followed with a shot or 3. I then stumbled into bed knowing that I wouldn’t wake up.

Expect I did. My body somehow got itself out of a alcohol induced coma and threw up, removing the “poison” and keeping me alive.

I didn’t even get a hangover, and I ruined my favourite flannel shirt.

A very interesting instrumental I crafted over about 3 hours. The main beat is driven by a number of samples that came with garageband, which makes it totally not my normal thing, except that it kind of is.

Being written over such a short time gives it an almost stream of conciousness feel, but with a dose of accelerated evolution. I had an idea, recorded it, listened to it and either moved on or recorded something slightly different and cycled again. The various components accumulated very quickly until I had the tune you can hear below.

Finally…. the derivation of the title should be obvious.

Click here for the mp3