Hey guys, I still don’t have enough mailbag questions to fill an entire show. If I can’t get a few more, I’ll have to wait until next week for the Bonus Show. If you want a question answered, just put it in the comments! Don’t forget for you non-members: if you ask a question, the bonus show is free for you!

**NOTE** Ok, I think we have enough. I’ll record and post up the bonus show tomorrow afternoon. Sorry about the delay guys; it’s not an easy task to do a show alone. I suppose it just feels weird talking to yourself out loud, but with all your great questions it should be a breeze.

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How could I resist posting this up, honestly?

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The Center for Inquiry has decreed that the 30th of September is now Blasphemy Day International to commemorate those Danish cartoons that set the Muslim world on fire? Th which means, of course, that it will be celebrated by dozens of people worldwide…

Ok, now I’m being a little cruel, but I’m not entirely sure this holiday will catch on. It’s cool and all that it falls on my Dad’s birthday, especially considering the fact that he loves to blaspheme (every single swear word in French is an offense to the Catholic Church). Still, I think I have to agree with Hemant over at Friendly Atheist in saying that although I do love the idea, how it gets implemented worries me a little.

I think the problem lies in where we draw the line. The truth is we all probably have a lot of religious friends that would be terribly hurt if we went out of our way to offend and shock them. There’s also the danger that some might take things too far, and if they do, it’ll be impossible to disassociate ourselves from the few atheists who cause real trouble. The same way Fundamentalists dictate the image we have of Islam, so too can a few bad apples spoil our image of being rational, logical people. It’s not something I feel we should discard so carelessly just to annoy the hell out of religious folks. If it was up to me, I would have made it Apostasy Day instead!

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I just realized the other day that I should be putting some of my other talents to good use here on the site. When I was a kid I used to draw like a maniac, usually at the cost of my grades. I was therefore left with a poor education but a decent skill to scribble. Why I haven’t used it more on the site is a mystery to me. I guess I was afraid that since my art style changes so often, it might be difficult to be consistent with a comic. Then again, the way I figure it, I should put up drawings when the mood hits me rather than promise anything grandiose.

Speaking of promises, get ready for a big surprise tomorrow…

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Since Ryan is still in Tennessee and Jeff is currently working his 9-5 job, I thought it might be fun if I made this week’s Bonus show a Mailbag episode. That means anyone who wants to ask me a question can do so right here in the comments. Now, in case you aren’t a member and dislike the idea of asking a question without the ability to listen to the answer (since the Bonus Podcast is for patrons only), the deal is if you ask a question, you get the show for FREE. So don’t be shy and email us your questions or comments now!

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Did you ever wonder why Jehovah Witnesses can’t aceept blood transfusions? Turns out that in 1945, the Chuch basically decided that a new interpretation of the Bible was needed, based on their belief that blood is reserved for the atonement of sin only (I guess they don’t know it carries oxygen and fuel to cells), and that it is therefore a deadly sin to accept transfusion, even if it saves your life.

You have to love religion. They just make shit up, and everyone else has to follow; no questions asked. It seems unimportant to the Church that such a rule would cause the death of so many of their own members (I mean, you might as well make taking antibiotics a religious offense too). It’s not a very smart move if you want your membership to grow, but that’s just me.

Here’s a story from the National Post that suggests that the Church actively smuggles children away from hospitals to avoid court mandated blood transfusions. Donna Ryder is a former Witness who claims she smuggled children for the church, including one boy who was brought to Mexico for an alternative treatment that ended up killing him. She now feels remorse and has dedicated herself to exposing the Church for all the suffering they’ve caused.

The Church denies any involvement, but it’s not entirely difficult to see just why it might be true. They take a huge stance against blood transfusions, and considering it’s a sin that merits excommunication, is it really such a surprising accusation? I’m not sure if they are systematically smuggling children away from hospitals like Donna suggests, but something very fucking fishy is going on.

What angers me the most is that these guys care more about following their stupid rules than they care about sick kids. What a fantastic religion! If you sign up now, you too can enjoy never having the benefit of a blood transfusion. They can’t really be that helpful, right?

(props to James for the link)

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