We don’t often talk about it (since we usually have bigger fish to fry), but alternative therapies can be just as dangerous as any other form of superstitious. Most often, the danger in these therapies lies in the fact that “patients” often favor these pseudo-scientific treatments to the real deal, and end up paying for it later. Comedian Andy Kaufman, when diagnosed with cancer, spend his hard earned money on psychic surgery with predictable results. Steve Jobs tried some bullshit diet for the first six months of his cancer treatment rather than rely on “conventional medicine”, and that cost him too.

Speaking of cost, it also amazes me how expensive bullshit medicine really is. Take the case of a young Quebec woman named Chantal Lavigne who recently died of hyperthermia in a therapy session dubbed “dying in consciousness” (insert tasteless joke here). Her guru, a woman named Gabrielle Fréchette -claiming to be channeling the Biblical figure of Melchisedek- wrapped up her followers in plastic and blankets and forced them to hyperventilate. After about 9 hours of this nonsense, Chantal collapsed and was taken to hospital where she was pronounced dead.

Some of her students have paid her over 20,000 dollars for the privilege of being put in danger for no real reason whatsoever. It’s stunning how much some people are willing to spend on fake medicine, especially when these dangerous treatments end up being so deadly. It’s not the first time these kinds of “sweat lodges’ have caused unnecessary deaths. Remember James Ray? He ended up getting 2 years in jail when his bullshit cost the lives of three people (and he got off lucky).

If all of this hasn’t made you mad, perhaps the fact that Gabrielle still plans to hold more of these sessions in the coming months will do the trick. While she maintains that she did her part by calling 911 when Chantal collapsed, it was her direct actions that caused the death of that woman. The fact that people pay her exorbitant amounts of money proves that her “patients” put their trust, and their lives, in the hands of a charlatan. That alone makes her culpable in Chantal death, and I hope the Quebec government agrees with me.

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Remember Kent Hovind? Back in the late 90′s and early noughties (that’s the best fucking word we could come up with for the early 2000′s), Kent was making money hand over fist with his seminars, DVD’s, and even his own creationist theme park. Then, the good times came to an abrupt end when Kent refused to pay any taxes, claiming he owed his money to God, not the federal government. This defense landed him with a 10 year prison sentence. Luckily, his idiot son- seen here in the intro claiming “evolution” was Hitler’s religion- has taken up the mantle.

Here’s my basic challenge to you. This video is over an hour and thirty minutes, and I challenge you all to watch his nonsense until you can stand it no more. How long can you last? I tapped out at the 5 minute mark. I’m usually tougher than that, but there’s something powerfully irritating about the way that man speaks. Maybe it’s his false confidence, or his crappy jokes. I also can’t quite decide if his son is a bigger jackass. Oh, so many decisions, so little time…

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It seems as though moving the server hasn’t fixed some of the issues we’re having at TGA. Seems as though Baby Jesus is finally getting his revenge! In any case, I apologize to those of you that can’t get on the site or have access to the podcasts. I’ll continue to try and chip away at the problem, with my characteristic incompetence. Oh internet, you don’t make things easy, do you?

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Since announcing that I will no longer be recording podcasts in the near future, a number of fans have asked if TGA will be shut down or closed. While I don’t plan on recording NEW podcasts, I would like to take some time to re-master my old work, piece together my favorite posts over the years, and find bloopers and gems that never made it to the shows.

The whole reason I started the podcast in the first place was to write my book. Over the years, my focus on the show took all the time and energy I wanted to devote to the book and put it elsewhere. This is my chance, now, to try and finish it. I’m enjoying doing the research for “Bible Stories”, which is the subject and title I’ve settled with. You guys seemed to flip out over those, so why not give you what you want?

There’s been some talk among the hard-core fanbase of changing TGA into a forum site in my absence. I like the idea, but would remind everyone that it would require some serious dedication from people who like the show. As one commentor put it, it’s the ATTITUDE of TGA that they will miss. Well, although I’ve cultivated this attitude for a number of years, I don’t own it.

I’ll be recording another 5 shows before hanging up the gloves, including a last mailbag episode where I promise to answer all your questions. I’ll be leaving on a high note. My biggest fear was continuing to do the podcast while working and having to witness the quality go down. I just couldn’t live with myself if I started producing crappy shows.

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It was a valiant effort, folks. I tried, hard as I might, to make a living spreading the “gospel’ of atheism, but in the end, I failed. It took me a little while to realize just how desperate the situation had become, but my failure to secure even the most modest of loans served as a cold reminder that outside of my tiny group of supporters, there is no recognizable value in what I do.

Part of me is honestly resentful of the scene. Were I some religious no-name douche-bag, my coffers would be overflowing with monies. Religious people might be gullible, but they are also aware of the importance of spreading their message, and the cost involved in doing so. For them, the idea of stretching their budget to accommodate their local pastor is just something they do. This dedication and generosity is in large part the reason why religions continue to spread and prosper. As atheists, we have no such dedication.

In many regards, my life is one of a “pastor”, in that the skills I have spent years crafting have no real importance in the 9-5 world. When a priest leaves his profession, he enters a world where his ability to sway the masses is essentially worthless. It’s why so many who have already lost their faith continue to preach the “good news” in order to pay their mortgage and put food on the table. In a way, my situation is similar. After spending years studying, researching and promoting my program, my isolation from the corporate world has lowered my stock. I’m at the bottom of the ladder, and that’s a terrifying prospect.

My eventual return to the working world spells the death of The Good Atheist. While I don’t doubt that the odd podcast may appear, I must now dedicate 100% of my effort to ensure my continued survival, leaving little time to contemplate matters of life, the universe, and the absurdity of existence. I stand defeated, and must now resolve myself to the fate that awaits me in the work-a-day world.

I would like to thank all the fans who have supported us over the years. The hard-core fans, in particular, helped to keep the show afloat for all these years. The tiny raft, set adrift in a sea of uncertainty, faced little chance of success. I’m grateful for all the wonderful messages I’ve received over the years from fans who expressed their love of the show. They were all touching, and I shall treasure them for as long as I live. I leave you in the capable hands of my fellow atheists, who will continue to fight the good fight.

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Krauss finds something in nothing from ASU News on Vimeo.

I love Laurence. He’s enthusiastic about his work, and his lectures have always been a lot of fun. He’s now making the rounds to promote his new book.
If anyone is feeling particularly generous, I’d love a copy of Laurence Krauss’ new book “A Universe from Nothing: Why There is Something Rather than Nothing“.

I’m a Kindle whore, by the way.

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When you think of the word courage, what’s the first thing to cross your mind? If you happen to be gay and a catholic living in Connecticut, that word is about to take on a disturbing new meaning:

The Archdiocese of Hartford, Connecticut, this month is beginning a program that ministers to gays and lesbians…The Vatican-endorsed program, called Courage…was started in 1980 by the late Terence Cardinal Cooke in Manhattan “to form a spiritual support system which would assist men and women with same-sex attractions in living chaste lives in fellowship, truth and love.”

It’s basically an organization that emotionally tortures gays and lesbians into giving up their joy of sex and intimacy because it doesn’t conform with what the Vatican wants.

“These are people in the Roman Catholic Church who need our care and love,” Deacon Robert Pallotti, director of the Office of the Diaconate, told the Hartford TV station. “In some cases, they have been rejected by society. They need to be accepted, affirmed and supported as Roman Catholics trying to remain faithful to church teachings.

Rejected by society, eh? Could that have anything to do with the fact that your organization continues to support the bigoted idea that what they are doing is inherently bad? Remaining “faithful” to Roman Catholic teachings is just a nice way of saying that they don’t want gay dudes fucking each other in the ass anymore.

Honestly, there is no one on this planet that needs the Vatican getting involved in their sex life. They’ve already proven that their sexual philosophies are diseased. While they condemn homosexuality, the Vatican has provided an unprecedented level of financial, legal and emotional support to child rapists. This alone should bare them from the conversation.

The program, ironically called “Courage”, is just another way for a bunch of creepy celibate dudes in robes to try and tell everyone else how to live. I’ll tell you what Courage is: it’s not putting up with deluded assholes who care more about their money, power and interests than they care about human suffering (remember, they actually think that suffering makes you closer to God). Courage is rejecting old dogmas in favor of scientific truth, even when everyone around you still cling to these ancient superstitions. And above all else, Courage is staying true to yourself, no matter what.

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There are two things that raced through my mind when I listened to this tragedy of a song:

#1. Why do so many white people think that to rap effectively, one has to be completely tone deaf? (I’m looking at you, Blondie)
#2. You can sell any piece of crap as long as you put a cross on it.
#3: Christianity is a creepy death cult. If it hadn’t been part of your culture for so long, you’d realize that their rapturous embrace of eschatology borders on insanity. The early church fathers were so convinced that Jesus was going to end the world that they discouraged people from marrying or having kids. Once that bearded hippy started looking like he wasn’t coming back, they switched gears a little, but their incessant need to believe in his return isn’t only crazy: it’s dangerous. Does no one accept the possibility that one day, one of these nutjobs with enough power might want to “speed things up” a little when it comes to the end of the world?

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