Ever have one of those moments when you're pissed, and the only way to vent is to relay how you got pissed? This is one of those times.

So me and two of my old high school friends were going around town today, lookin for stuff to do. (To keep their identities hush hush, let's call em Smartyman and Christianface.) Anyway, at one point in our many ramblings, Christianface and I began talking about movies. (Seeing as how I'm a film student and he used to also be one, that might just be inevitable when we get together.) Christianface eventually began talking about how "Princess and the Frog" was an awful movie. I am kind of fond of it, so this intrigued me. To quote Christianface, "It involves voodoo! And I know movies like 'Aladdin' have magic in them, with the Genie and everything, but the thing is... voodoo exists. Black arts exist..." "It's just FANTASY," I said, honestly too shocked to have any tact. Christianface just looked at me with a smug face, peering over his imaginary glasses as if I'd missed some great, ultimate wisdom that everyone else knew. I guess you can't expect anything but smugness towards those that disagree when you talk to a typical Christian. And then this is where Smartyman chimes in, spouting out a bunch of supposed miracles that have happened, and how these stories "are where atheism breaks down, because atheism doesn't allow for these things. But OUR worldview does." (Just to be clear, Smartyman and Christianface don't yet know that I'm an atheist, and not a Christian.)

Your world view? YOUR world view? Well, it's a shame that you never bother to actually check the authenticity of your stories, is it? Otherwise, I think you'll find that YOUR world view breaks down like an overstressed postal worker. But I couldn't object too much, or else they'd catch on that I'm one of those foolish spawns of Satan. So I interject, "My philosophy is that if a claim that outrageous is only backed up by hearsay, you shouldn't believe it." To which Christianface replies, "Yeah, but you could make the argument that the entire Bible was hearsay, and I just can't accept it not being believable." For me, hearing this was akin to seeing a dog catch a squirrel, only to have the squirrel run off and toss an acorn at his head.

So I decided to water down the concept to something he could handle better. "Look," I said, "I'm not saying it's impossible. But when you hear a claim that's as outrageous as these rumors of miracles and magic, it's best to gather up as much evidence as you can before coming to a conclusion." He didn't get a chance to respond, but the idea still seemed to put him off a bit.

However, it sparked a conversation between Smartyman and Christianface, where they shared studies that show that prayer works, and stories about how God met certain people's 'needs'. (No, not the needs of cancer patients or all the starving people in Africa. Screw them. A Scottish family needed some cake in order for their celebration to be traditional, and they forgot one. So God had one delivered at the last minute.) And I simply had to sit there and try to keep a straight face over the fuming frustration inside. They were being arrogant and they didn't even know it. I guessed 100% of their stories and "studies" were told to them by their pastor or Bible professor.

And then they asked me how Christian my school was. "They're just normal people. It's a secular school." I said. Good thing they didn't respond, because their response likely would have sent me on a rant about how it's good to not be brainwashed and to not have a religion crammed down your throat and up your ass every hour of every day of every week.

Anyway, the moral of this long ramble is this: Think before you believe. Don't believe before you think.