Kirk Cameron And Ray Comfort Still Spewing Their Lies, Misrepresentations, And Scientific Ignorance

A reconstruction of Lucy on exhibit at the 

National Museum of Natural History in

the United States. Image credit: Mpinedag. 

Running out of new material to throw against evolutionists, Christian evangelists Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort had to dig up and rehash a decade old video segment from their television show Way of the Master. But here's the problem - the segment is rife with lies, misrepresentations and sheer ignorance.

The five-minute video which is a clip from an episode of the Way of the Master that first aired in 2005 (or 2006) had Comfort and Cameron trying to debunk the theory of evolution by arguing that no transitional fossils have been found to prove that modern man evolved from ape-like ancestors. Comfort re-uploaded the clip on the YouTube channel for Living Waters, the Christian ministry started by Comfort.

Of course, the scientific community disagrees. Many transitional fossils have been found. These may not number to the thousands that creationists like Comfort and Cameron would want to see but they pretty much support the evolutionary theory.

The God that Comfort and Cameron believes in forbids lying but the two evangelists lied several times during their attempt to take down evolution. They made their biggest lies when they grossly misrepresented facts and the scientific community's stance on Lucy, the Nebraska Man, the Piltdown Man and the Neanderthal Man. An article on the Iron Chariots website did a great job in discussing all these lies and misrepresentations. I highly suggest that you read it.

What's so damning about the re-uploading of the video on YouTube is that Comfort hasn't learned anything from the tons of blogs and websites that pointed out the lies and misrepresentations in the clip. In the video, Cameron says that "nearly all experts agree that Lucy is just the skeleton of a three foot tall chimpanzee". What experts are Cameron referring to? This is just a blatant lie. Anyway, below is the video, the comments section of which is rife with Christians gobbling up the lies of the two evangelists.

Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins Meets God And Schools Him About The Development Of The Modern Banana

Richard Dawkins is an evolutionary biologist. He is an atheist. He is also the author of one of the most scathing books on religion - The God Delusion. That said, he is someone who feels quite certain that when he dies, it will be the end of it. No going to a place in the sky populated with winged human beings. No going to a fiery place either.

But what if he's wrong and there is indeed a God? In the following skit in the web show Mr. Deity, the evolutionary biologist gets the chance to meet God and engage him in a lively conversation. As he always does, Dawkins doesn't mince words in confronting the utterances of God. Like why did he put the retina in the eyes backwards. Or what's up with the recurrent laryngeal nerve in the giraffe.

In an attempt to put the biologist in his place, God brings out a banana and makes the contention that it was perfectly designed by him. Dawkins refutes the deity's claim by mentioning the proven fact that the modern banana has been engineered by humans. It could be that this portion of the skit is a jab to Ray Comfort, a young earth creationist who once claimed that the groves in the banana perfectly fit the palms of the human hand because God designed it.

Here's the skit. It's pretty dry but there's a few things that can be learned from it. The fake advert at the end was also pretty good.

Filipino Evangelist Calls Evolutionary Biologist Richard Dawkins "The Freakiest Of Freaks"

One of the most outspoken critics of religion is the English evolutionary biologist and author Richard Dawkins. The God Delusion, a book considered by many as one of the best anti-religion tomes ever written, was penned by him. Dawkins doesn't hold back in his criticism of religions especially Christianity. For this reason, he is considered an enemy by many among the ranks of the faithful. Among them is Eliseo Soriano, a controversial Filipino evangelist who heads his own ministry called Members Church of God International or MCGI.

In his blogs and social media accounts, Soriano regularly lambastes Dawkins. In a new website called Controversy Extraordinary which his ministry runs, Soriano has written a series of blog posts attempting to take down the works, ideas, and other utterances that Dawkins had made.

Most of Soriano's anti-Dawkins remarks were caused by a particular passage from The God Delusion. Said passage is from chapter two of the book and it goes this way, "The God of the Old Testament is arguably the most unpleasant character in all fiction: jealous and proud of it; a petty, unjust, unforgiving control-freak; a vindictive, bloodthirsty ethnic cleanser; a misogynistic, homophobic, racist, infanticidal, genocidal, filicidal, pestilential, megalomaniacal, sadomasochistic, capriciously malevolent bully."

In said blog posts, Soriano painted Dawkins as one who is much less intelligent than him and one who turned to atheism because of his love for sin. The evangelist's brethren and followers ate it all up as evidenced by the comments on his blog posts. One commenter says, "Dawkins is a monster." Another one says, "Dawkins is insane."

In one of his most recent pieces, Soriano referred to Dawkins as "the freakiest of freaks". What merited such a bold utterance from the evangelist? It's the quote from the evolutionary biologist's book which we just quoted above.

The outspoken atheist Richard Dawkins. Image credit: Wikimedia Commons

As he always does in his writings, Soriano tries to refute Dawkins' contentions by quoting a barrage of passages from the Bible which is a rather tiring tactic of Christian apologists. You can point Soriano to the mountain of evidence supporting the theory of evolution but he will dismiss all of it then top it off by reciting Genesis 1:1. And this is exactly what the evangelist does every time he writes about the likes of Dawkins, evolution, and other scientific facts that go against his faith.

It's also ironic that the Bible passages which Soriano presented as refutations of Dawkins' assertion that the Chrsitian God is a "jealous" entity and an "unforgiving control-freak" paints a picture of a God that is jealous and a control-freak. When asked why God would do such annihilation of people, Soriano and his ilk often say they deserve it because they are evil or they've been given time to repent but they did not.

Like kittens in front of a bowl of fresh milk, Soriano's followers licked up the evangelist's refutations without so much of a hesitation. The comment section is a pool of agreement. This is of course not surprising. However, some commenters went the extra mile and called Dawkins a "monkey", "wicked", a "loser", and a "retard".

Some of Soriano's followers have been goading the evangelist to challenge Dawkins to a debate. This might explain the barrage of anti-Dawkins articles that Soriano have been pushing online. "Freakiest of freaks" isn't the only unflattering words that Soriano used to describe Dawkins. He has also called him "delusional", an obvious play with the title of Dawkins' most well-known book.

To the question of will Dawkins debate Soriano? Unlikely. The biologist has always been against debating evangelists. He was challenged numerous times by creationist Ray Comfort but he never took the bait and simply laughed off Comfort's challenges. Dawkins also did not agree with science educator Bill Nye's decision to engage well-known creationist Ken Ham in a controversial and much publicized public debate. From an educational standpoint, this is a good thing. Dawkins is better off writing books and articles on science and religion than debating evangelists who've shut their minds to stuff other than what's contained in the Bible.

Filipino Artist Paints Pope Francis Enjoying The Rural Life With Kris Aquino, DongYan, Coco Martin, Etc.

In less than a week, the big man of the Catholic Church will set foot upon the shores of the Philippines for a series of activities that will include paying the President a visit at the Malacanang Palace, a mass at the Manila Cathedral, and lunch with survivors of Typhoon Yolanda.

Being a nation populated mostly by Catholics, the archipelago is in celebratory mood. Trinkets, t-shirts, pendants, posters, books, you name it, featuring the Pope are being peddled in the streets. The country's television stations, radio stations, and print publications have been covering the upcoming event non-stop. In short, when Pope Francis lands in the Philippines come January 15, it's going to be the start of a Big Day, at least for majority of Filipinos here and abroad.

The anticipated visit has also inspired a lot of Filipino artists to incorporate the Pope in their work. Songwriters wrote songs about him. Writers wrote pieces about him. And visual artists created masterpieces featuring him. Among the latter is Dante Hipolito who is stirring a bit of controversy with a recent painting of his.

In the painting, Hipolito had the Pope Francis enjoying the company of celebrities namely Vilma Santos, Gary Valenciano, Grace Poe, Marian Rivera, Dingdong Dantes, Coco Martin and Kris Aquino.

Salubong by Dante Hipolito. Photo from the Philippine Star in an article by Edgar O. Cruz.

Looking at the painting, I don't know what to make of it. What is Hipolito trying to imply? There's an article on the Philippine Star related to the painting but it doesn't divulge much with regards to the painting's message. I guess the celebrities are there because they are fans of the Pope. But why? The painting will be displayed at a group show at the Galeria de las Islas from January 25 to February 20. Maybe Hipolito will talk more about the painting there.

The theme of the painting aside, it's a really good looking piece. Hipolito is an amazingly talented artist. Just check out a gallery of his works here. I can't afford buying originals of his works but I wouldn't mind purchasing prints of them.

Tricycle Drivers In Tagbilaran, Bohol Are Being Forced To Put Bible Verses On Their Cars

In the form of an ordinance, tricycle drivers in the city of Tagbilaran in Bohol are being required by the city government to put verses from the Bible on their cars. And if they refuse to do so? They will either be fined or their license will be revoked. This is a classic case of Christians trying to muscle everyone else to believe what they believe. They want to force Jesus Christ down everybody's throats. What's even more saddening about it is the fact that it's the government that's doing it for them.

This is the very definition of Christian fascism. The people who came up with the ordinance are forcing their Christian agenda on everyone. And because it's a state-supported ordinance, the tricycle drivers have no choice but adhere to it or else they lose their license to ply the streets of Tagbilaran and earn a living.

Now, I'm sure there will be people who will be saying, "Bohol has a population that's composed mostly of Christians so it's okay for them to do so." But here's the thing: the Philippines is a secular country, at least it's supposed to be. Just because the majority believes in the Christian God doesn't mean laws and ordinances will be established based on their beliefs at the same time alienating the minority groups.

There's this thing called "separation of church and state". Needless to say, whoever came up with the ordinance requiring tricycle drivers to put Bible verses on their machines clearly don't understand this. Or they understand it but they think they can break it and escape with it. The Philippine Constitution clearly states that the state should not endorse a religious group. And it's mind-blowing to think that this ordinance has reportedly been around for over 20 years.

Let's say the tricycle drivers love putting the Bible verses on their cars. And Tagbilaran's population loves reading the verses while they commute. There doesn't seem to be any harm being done, right? Everybody's happy! Wrong. This is a secular country. The ordinance is violating the Constitution. And most important of all, there are people in the city who are not Christians. These people who are outside of the Christian faith, no matter how minuscule they are, are being alienated. Just because they aren't speaking out to criticize the ordinance doesn't mean they aren't there.

Screengrab from a video by the Christian Broadcasting Network.

This ordinance in Tagbilaran came to my attention after reading an article from the website of the Christian Broadcasting Network. The article carried the title "Mandatory Verses Have City Driving For Jesus". The tone of the article is of course celebratory because it's a Christian website for a Christian audience. And of course, the article didn't mention the fact that the ordinance is violating the law of the land and is infringing on the rights of others.

And it's scary how passive the article was in mentioning that those who don't follow the ordinance will be fined or have their license revoked as if fining a person for not adhering to the whims of a religion is the most common thing in the world. The article is bathed in perceived theistic privilege.

Imagine if a city in Southern Mindanao (the population of which is hypothetically composed mostly of Muslims) put out an ordinance requiring drivers to print Koran quotes on their cars or else they'll be fined or have their licenses revoked. What would the Christian minority think?

The Christian Broadcasting Network also made a video about the ordinance. You can watch it here.
Lucille Lagunay, a councilor in the city was featured in the segment and this is what she had to say, "With the biblical message at the back of the units, commuters get to see the message everyday and then it helps in a way preserve the peace of our city. Everyday, commuters get to see the biblical message in the tricycles and who would think of crime when they see biblical passages everywhere."

Also, according to the report, the ordinance has resulted to lower crime rates, stronger families, and a relatively peaceful city. This could be just the Christian reporter talking but if Lagunay or anyone from the city hall fed him the information, it would be nice if Lagunay could provide proof or statistics showing that the ordinance did result to such improvements.

Lagunay is basically making the claim that people who read the Bible are less likely to commit crimes than those who don't. However, facts don't support such a claim. The Philippines which is considered to be a very religious country has a much higher crime rate compared to less religious countries like Denmark, Japan, South Korea, etc. Some of these countries don't even believe in the Christian God. How come they live in much better conditions than the Philippines?

As to the verses being put on the tricycles, I'm sure whoever is providing the verses are cherry-picking them. Imagine reading this while in a tricycle, "Happy is the one who takes your babies and smashes them against the rocks!" This is from the book of Psalm, chapter 137, verse 9.

Catholic Priest In Manila Says Practicing Yoga Increases Risks To Demonic Possession

Have you seen the movies The Exorcism of Emily Rose (2005) or The Last Exorcism (2010)? They are pretty scary, right? Being possessed by a demon looks like a very nasty experience. The twitching, the scratching, the bedeviled eyes, the screaming, bones that turn to rubber, etc. They make you squirm.

From what we've seen in the movies or read in books, demons seem to pick their victims in random. You get possessed if you happen to be at the wrong place at the wrong time. However, a Catholic priest in Manila has come up with an unofficial list of things that might cause a person to be targeted by a demon.

In a talk delivered at the Arzobispo de Manila in Intramuros, Msgr. Jay Bandojo made the claims that you open yourself up to demonic possession if you engage in or believe in any of the following: yoga, feng shui, amulets,astrology, transcendental meditation, lucky charms, fortune-telling, horoscope, spirit of the glass, and cursing. That's quite a list. If you are into any of these things, you have a higher risk of being possessed by a demon according to Bandojo.

In an article on the Philippine Daily Inquirer which brought Bandojo's stance to the fore, Bandojo is quoted saying the following during his talk: "When you practice yoga, you are told to ‘empty your mind’ while saying [the mantra] ‘om,’ so you can feel relaxed. But when you empty yourself, you’re opening yourself to possession. You have to be careful because demons might take advantage of (this) empty [vessel of your soul] and possess it."

Markus Koljonen (Wikimedia Commons)

So where did Bandojo get this idea that demons prefer possessing yoga enthusiasts? Is there a passage in the Holy Bible that says so? There's none. This negative stance against yoga simply stems from the fact that it originated within another religion which is Hinduism.

Here's the thing - this is not the first time that a Christian priest or pastor has said that yoga attracts demons. There's this Irish priest named Padraig O'Baill in Ireland who asked his parishioners to refrain from practicing yoga, tai chi, and reiki. There is this pastor named E.W. Jackson in Virginia in the United States who said that practicing yoga is tantamount to serving Satan. For sure, there are others out there who think just like them.

Of course, there's no evidence backing up the idea that yoga increases the risk of demonic possession. If Bandojo's claims are true, then we should be hearing about thousands of of people in India being possessed by the devil. India is a country populated by over a billion people. Most of them are Hindus. And millions of them practice yoga. Demons should be having a feast over there in India. But that's not happening, is it?

The 5 Most Common Filipino Misconceptions About Atheists In The Philippines

Majority of the more than 100 million people who call the Philippines home adhere to a religion. Most of them are Christians. A sizable chunk of them are Muslims. Then there are the minorities like Buddhists, Hindus, etc. In other words, the Philippines is a nation of believers. Most Filipinos subscribe to the notion that there is a higher power, a supreme being. They believe that they were created by a Creator. That they were put on Earth to live out a purpose. That there is life after death. That this post-death affair will be either of two things - eternal damnation or eternal bliss.

Filipinos who are religious strongly cling to their beliefs. This is not at all surprising given the fact that most Filipinos grow up in communities wherein almost every aspect of life is affected in one way or another by religion. A great example is the immense influence of religion on the country's educational system. This rings true whether a school is a public institution or a private one. From kindergarten to college, students are exposed to religious influence. Most private schools in the country are run by or are connected to religious organizations so their curriculum often include religious teachings.

Even public schools that are not supposed to be endorsing a particular brand of religion in accordance to the separation of church and state law often subject students to the trappings of religious belief. Displaying Christian crosses in public classrooms is an all too common practice in the country. This is of course a violation of the Philippine Constitution but you don't see people questioning or protesting it. This speaks a lot of how embedded religion is in Filipino society.

With all of that said, if you are an atheist in the Philippines, consider yourself to be in the lion's den. This is not the Netherlands. Don't expect to receive a pat on the back when you out yourself as an unbeliever. The truth is that coming out as godless in this country carries with it a lot of risks that can be quite serious. You might be disowned by your family. Your lover might break up with you. You might not get that job, or that promotion. You might lose friends. You can kiss your political ambitions goodbye. In short, you are entering a world of possible turbulence that can turn your life upside down.

This begs the question "How did it come to this?" Why the negative reaction when you come out as an atheist in this country? A major driver of this negativity are the rampant misconceptions that a lot of Filipinos harbor about atheists. Below is an overview of five of such common misconceptions.

1) Atheists worship Satan.

Satan from the series The Bible on the History Channel.

Many religious Filipinos consider atheists to be on equal footing with devil-worshipers. This often stems from the line of thinking that goes "If you don't worship God, then who do you worship? If you are not on the side of God, then you are on the side of his enemy Satan." Needless to say, this line of thinking is borderline wrong and grossly misinformed. Atheists don't worship any supernatural being. Not believing in God includes not believing in everything connected to him like the Devil and angels and demons and the concept of heaven and hell. How can you worship something that you believe is non-existent. To not believe in God but believe in the Devil is bollocks.

2) Atheists are communists.

In the Philippines, atheism has become almost synonymous to communism. Proclaim yourself an atheist here and some people will picture you waving the hammer and sickle flag or donning a beige-colored hat with a big red star in the front. However, atheists don't like being equated with communists as much as communists don't like being equated with atheists. And rightly so. Atheism is rejection of a deity while communism is a system of government. There's no glue connecting the two.

The idea that atheists are communists stemmed from the efforts of religious apologists who used the barbaric acts of well-known communists like Joseph Stalin, Pol Pot and Mao Zedong to discredit atheism. These apologists often make the argument that the atrocities done by these communists were due to their not adhering to a god. This is of course a lie. These men being atheists isn't the reason why they murdered millions of people. They committed atrocities because of their dogmatic Marxism and communist ideas. For a detailed debunking of this myth being perpetuated by Christian apologists, read this and this or this.

3) Atheists are rebelling against God.

Savages from the film King Athur.

Religious people think that atheists believe that God exists but because of their hard-headedness they want to rebel against him. Like teenagers rebelling against their strict and over-protective parents. Atheism is looked upon by religious people as a mere phase, one that atheists will eventually get over with. Like teenagers getting over their rebellious ways. This is of course wrong thinking. Atheists aren't rebelling against anybody. Again, how can you be rebellious against someone you believe do not exist. Not believing in the Tooth Fairy does not mean that you are rebelling against the Tooth Fairy.

4) Atheists are sinners who don't want to accept responsibility over their wrong-doings.

Al Pacino as the sin-loving Tony Montana in the film Scarface.

In other words, religious people think that atheists reject God as an excuse to keep on sinning. With that said, they imply that selfishness is the sole reason why atheists don't believe in God. Atheists just love stealing that they reject God to escape their self-guilt. This paints atheists as the most shallow and selfish kinds of people. Needless to say, the idea that atheists don't believe in God because they are enjoying their sins too much is bollocks. In contrary, people turn to atheism because they don't see substantial evidence that a supreme being exists. That's all. Sinning has nothing to do with it.

5) Atheists believe they came from monkeys.

Orangutan mother and child in Borneo. Photo by Hadi Zaher via Flickr.

This is a classic one. If you come out as an atheist, expect people to be asking you if you believe that you came from monkeys. Then a debate on the evolutionary theory will possibly commence. And your theist friends will ask you, "If we came from monkeys, why are there still monkeys?" Why are there still orangutans in the jungles of Borneo? Why are there still gorillas in the mountains of Africa?

Of course, anyone who is familiar with the real tenets of the evolutionary theory knows that we did not come from monkeys. Instead, we humans and monkeys evolved from a common ape-like ancestor. Majority of Filipinos are not aware of this simple fact.

So there you have it. Five of the most common misconceptions by Filipinos about atheists and atheism in general. If you have anything to add, feel free to chime in on the comments section below.

Image Of Jesus Christ Purportedly Appeared In The Trunk Of A Banana Plant In Nueva Vizcaya

Some residents of barangay Comon in Aritao, Nueva Vizcaya believe that they've received something that is akin to a sign from God. An image has appeared in the trunk of a banana tree there. The image, the residents say, possesses a striking resemblance to Jesus Christ. People has since been flocking to the banana patch to look at the image.

The image first gained attention when a youthful resident named Nathaniel A. Cordero took a photo of it and posted it on Facebook with a caption that says, "I just captured an image of papa Jesus on a banana tree. Grabe kinilabutan ako dito."The photo quickly piqued the interest of a lot of people.

A few days later, Cordero posted an update. This time, it's a video showing the image with water seemingly flowing like tears from its eyes. Part of Cordero's caption for the video goes, "Please share this video if you believe in God."

From there, the image went viral as hundreds of people shared the video. Some people shared the video with hashtags such as #keepthefaith, #miracle and #amen. That's when people started flocking to where the banana tree is located.

In another video update by Cordero, several people can be seen taking pictures of the image with their tablets and cellphones. Others approached and touched the image, probably hoping for something divine to flow back to them.

Our Take

There is this thing called pareidolia. This is a psychological phenomenon wherein a person perceives some random image or sound as something significant. When you look at the clouds and and you see an image of a rabbit. When you look at the water stains in your bathroom floor and see the image of a cat. When you look at the veins of a dead leaf and see an image of a bearded face. These are instances of pareidolia. This phenomenon can be used to explain what Cordero and the residents of Aritao have seen in the banana tree.

To state the obvious, the image on the banana tree can resemble anyone who has a beard. Charles Darwin, Charles Manson, Rasputin, Aragorn, Jon Snow, etc. Why do people always quickly go with Jesus Christ or God? If I am to take a photo of the same image and proclaim that it resembles Charles Darwin, people will probably laugh or mock me. Some will say I'm stupid. The point here is that if it's Jesus Christ, the image is a miracle. If it's somebody else, the claimant is tagged a moron.

And then there's the question that a lot of religious people ignore. This question is "Why?" Why would Jesus go around putting his likeness in the trunks of banana plants, in toasted bread, in water stains, etc.? Why confuse your believers with such cheap tricks? Why not just show an exact image of yourself to erase any doubts? Plaster yourself on the wall - head, feet, everything - and people will believe.

Seeing a random image in a banana plant that slightly resembles a bearded guy, claiming it to be the likeness of Jesus, and taking it as a sign that he is real is wishful thinking. It's illogical.

A Lesson On The Brief History Of Religion In Art

Jeremiah Dickey has created for TED-Ed this short but interesting lesson about the history of religion in art. Description for the lesson goes "Before we began putting art into museums, art mostly served as the visual counterpart to religious stories. Are these theological paintings, sculptures, textiles and illuminations from centuries ago still relevant to us? Jeremiah Dickey describes the evolution of art in the public eye and explains how the modern viewer can see the history of art as an ongoing global conversation." For discussions and related resources on the lesson, go here to view the whole lesson.

Where Do Atheists Get Their Morals From?

A new cartoon has just been posted on the Answers In Genesis website. Said cartoon regurgitates the common claim from Christians that if atheists don't get their morals from God, they'll be rampaging in the streets killing and raping other people. It ignores the fact that you don't see non-believers doing such acts. If this claim by Christians is true, then the newspapers and the daily evening news on television will be filled with stories about atheists getting arrested and jailed for murder, rape, robbery, etc. But this is not happening at all.

There are a lot of studies and research which show that the most secular countries in the world often have less instances of these grisly crimes. The less religious a country is, the more peaceful it is.

Photo from Answers in Genesis

Here's an excerpt from a post in the blog Godless in Dixie which disproves the Christian assertion that atheists are immoral: "Statistically speaking, what is the outcome of non-belief on large populations? Internationally speaking, those countries with the lowest crime rates (like the Scandavian countries and Japan) are among the least religious in the world. On the other hand, the country with by far the highest crime rate (the U.S.) is among the most religious, particularly among developed countries. The same pattern holds true for states within the U.S. as well. Those states with the lowest crime rates (e.g. in New England and the Pacific Northwest) rank among the least religious, while the highest crime rates afflict the Deep South (aka “The Bible Belt”). If disbelieving in a divine Lawgiver led to immorality/amorality, these results should be reversed, and our prison populations would show a higher proportion of atheists than can be found in the general population. In reality, however, surveys of prisoners have shown that less than half of one percent of prisoners identify with atheism. So either atheists are in fact less inclined to criminal behavior or else they are significantly better at getting away with it."

And here's a quote from Matt Dillahunty from an episode of The Atheist Experience: "I get my limits from a rational consideration of the consequences of my actions. That's how I determine what's moral.I get it from a foundation that says my actions have an effect on those people around me and theirs have an effect on me. And if we're going to live cooperatively and share space, we have to recognize that impact. And my freedom to swing my arm ends at their nose. And that I have no right to impose my will over somebody else's will. It's from an understanding of reality not an assertion of authority."

A Child Should Never Be Subjected To This Kind Of Suffering (Viral Photo)

This photo of a child doing the penitensya is going viral on social networking sites like Facebook and Twitter. It shows a child whose age may range between 3 and 6 beating himself up. Fresh blood is all over his tiny back. The man walking alongside the boy also seems to have splatters of blood on his white jersey shirt and green short pants. As the man himself isn't doing the penitensya, the blood may have come from the boy.

As expected, the reaction from netizens is of disgust and anger. The penitensya is an option that should only be available to adults. This child probably doesn't even have an inkling as to why he's doing what he's doing. This brings us to the question "What made him do it?" Is he doing it because he wanted to? Did someone tell him to do it? If yes, who? His friends? His family?

Whatever the case, this image is disgusting. This is not faith. This is abuse. Why isn't anybody stopping him? How can a grown person just stand by and watch a child subject himself to pain like this? This is wrong. This is not right. These things shouldn't be happening. It's the 21sth century already. It's time for Filipinos to start thinking straight, reasonably and rationally. A rational person wouldn't allow a boy to do this to himself. What did the boy do to deserve such a thing? He stole some money? He lied? What?

Grow up Philippines. Grow up. What's the point in making a child do the penitensya? Nothing, absolutely nothing. It's senseless. For Christians who find this okay, why don't you ask yourself "Would your God approve of this?"

Post by Only In The Philippines.

Source: Facebook

5 Girls Rescued From The Clutches Of A Religious Organization In Tacloban City

Five girls, all of whom are minors, were rescued by the police in Tacloban City from the hands of a religious organization called "Baba Nam Kevalam". The five girls were in the company of four members of said religious group when they were apprehended by the authorities.

Bombo Radyo reported that the four suspects who were identified as Flora Rovera, Gina Padua, Claribel Sabuga, and Jose Morteno were aboard a bus together with the victims and on their way to Luzon when they were apprehended through an entrapment operation by the Department of Social Welfare and Development (DSWD) in cooperation with the police. They can possibly face charges of child trafficking.

Of the five girls who were rescued, two were aged 12, two were aged 14, and one was aged 15. They all hail from the town of Marabut in Eastern Samar. They were recruited by the suspects with the promise of taking them to Quezon City where they can go to school. Through a tip from a concerned citizen, the DSWD and police were able to come up with an entrapment operation to apprehend the suspects and rescue the girls.

The suspects were also not able to produce documents proving that they have positive intentions for the girls. It was also learned that the religious group has previously distributed relief goods last December to victims of Typhoon Yolanda. This made it easier for them to get the trust of potential recruits and their parents.

Experiments Show That Elephants Are Way More Smarter Than We Think

When you ask a random person to name what he/she thinks are the smartest animals on the planet, you will usually get dogs, monkeys, or dolphins as a response. It's unlikely to hear someone say elephants. But as the following excerpt from the television documentary series Through The Wormhole on the Science channel shows, elephants deserve to join the ranks of dogs, dolphins and chimpanzees as among the smartest animals roaming this earth.

In this excerpt, elephants are made to look at themselves in a huge mirror. Other animals would normally ignore their reflections or simply think of these as other animals. Elephants, on the other hand, seem to be self-aware. They seem to recognize the reflections on the mirror as themselves. That's why they act in ways that are similar to the way humans look at themselves in the mirror.

Another experiment aims to find answers to the question "Do elephants think about what other elephants think?" When the experiment was done, it does seem to suggest that they do.

Another very interesting aspect of the experiments is when they are used to find out if elephants have the mental capacity to be spiritual or sort of come up with something akin to religion. Elephants are social animals. As the clip points out, there are anecdotes concerning elephants visiting the places where relatives have died and possibly reflecting on them. These are of course still very difficult to understand and to come up with conclusions will be very premature. But that's what science is all about. To seek knowledge on how these things work.