People Shed Light on Where Mythical Creatures Come From

Ever since I was a youngster, I’ve been mesmerized by dinosaurs and other ancient creatures. As I got older I learned about all sorts of incredible animals from different ages of the Earth – some so fantastical it’s hard to believe we’ve actually got the fossils to prove they existed.

But in the days before a proper scientific method, or, say, cameras, how did you draw the line between fantastical real creature, and fantastical myth? Tumblr user a-book-of-creatures kicked off a wonderfully nerdy discussion with fellow zoology/cryptozoology enthusiasts on exactly that question.

Most of the facts surrounding any mythology are hard to nail down of course (because, yanno, mythology), but some of the possibilities are fascinating – and kinda funny.

It starts like a game of telephone…

Source: weasowl.tumblr

Friendship is…magic?

Source: weasowl.tumblr

There’s a lot left up to interpretation…

Source: weasowl.tumblr

Don’t forget the impact of time!

Source: weasowl.tumblr

Imagine actually running into one of these…

Source: weasowl.tumblr

What’s your favorite creature – real or imaginary?

Let us know in the comments and let’s nerd out.

Do it!

The post People Shed Light on Where Mythical Creatures Come From appeared first on UberFacts.

People Share Why Atheism Is Right for Them

Some people don’t believe in God. Or any god, for that matter.

If you want to understand why they feel this is the right thing for them, in their bones, then opening your ears is a must – and these 14 people are ready to explain why they have no regrets about their lack of faith.

14. It’s not about hatred.

This is usually my simple answer too.

My biggest annoyance is that religious people often equate atheism with hating religion. I don’t really care if people are religious and want to believe something. If someone finds that fulfilling, they can do whatever they want. I find some of the moral tenets in some religions inspiring and I also sometimes envy people who truly believe in an afterlife.

That said, I can’t stand people who hate simply because of differing views. It could be because of religion, race, nationality, sexual preference, etc. To me, religion is just another thing that can be used to divide us. To me, it seems to bring more hate and sorrow to the world than hope and inspiration. I have many friends and family who are religious and are not this way, so I know that the hate comes mostly from overzealous people and does not represent the majority, but still these religions do cause hate and discord.

If it was ever proven that there is a god or creator, I would be all on board with worshipping them or at least acknowledging their existence. Until then, religion isn’t really something I think about at all in my daily life until questions like these are asked.

13. Evidence and proof are in short supply.

Zero proof and the fact that religious people rely on the word “faith” as their only defense when they try to push their shit.

12. There aren’t enough answers to all of the ‘whys.’

At first I believed in God, mainly because my parents said that. But then I began to wonder why this is so, and not so? Why is this greatest being not coming down to us, it should help us, but it does not. Many believers impose their faith, and say that God will take revenge on atheists (I am from Russia, this is why this attitude is not uncommon). This greatest being has nothing to do but punish the atheists? I began to try to delve into science, learned about the theory of evolution, and how, for me, even if the transformation of a monkey into a person seems implausible, the transformation of a piece of clay into a complex human organ system sounds even less realistic.

11. There’s no substitute for science.

Because I have no reason to. Just like I don’t believe in elves, goblins, ghosts, demons, bigfoot, chupacabra, the loch ness monster, santa claus, the tooth fairy, wishing on shooting stars, or any other superstition/fairy tail nonsense.

I don’t make a habit of “believing” in anything. I am presented evidence of something and from then on accept its existence; I don’t do anything on faith alone.

10. I’ve honestly never considered that before now…

Because a god that hides it’s identity makes zero sense. If it wanted our obedience, it could expose itself in a big way and get it.

9. Because women are just as important as men.

It was also used as a tool of control on me for a long time, as well as other women. It enabled the men at church to be lazy and entitled while guilt tripping women for never being able to do enough. Women who had enough of the “serving” bullshit (planning everything, taking care of everything, all domestic chores whether or not they worked full time, free childcare, expected to stop everything at the whim of others) and left church were branded as nasty feminists and everybody prayed for them. Fuck church forever

8. It’s not a natural law.

If you delete all mathematical equations discovered in the past 100 years, all of it will be re-discovered eventually, you can’t delete natural facts and order forever.

if you do the same with all religions, none of it will be ever seen again, ever. Religion and god are made up things passed down further by parents and society.

1+1 will always be 2 regardless if you live in the US or China. But Allah will be not the same god as Zeus regardless where you at.

EDIT: thanks for the awards and fruitful discussion guys!

7. Comfortable with your mortality.

There’s no evidence (and lack of evidence is not the same as evidence)
but mainly,
I’m perfectly comfortable with my mortality, and the universe just being there. I don’t need to create or believe in something greater than it to get on with my daily life. It’s a vast and crazy and unbelievable and beautiful and random and infinite thing. Why does it have to be created by something? Can’t we just admire it for what it is?

6. When you actually do the reading…

Actually read the bible. Was always skeptical as a child but actually reading the book, was the nail in the coffin for me.

5. It doesn’t look much like love.

If god loves all then why make millions of people depressed, tortured, murdered, hated, starving and ill? Why create famine or mass genocide and not happiness for all those you “love”?

4. Concise and interesting.

“I contend that we are both atheists. I just believe in one fewer god than you do. When you understand why you dismiss all the other possible gods, you will understand why I dismiss yours.”

Stephen Roberts
Edit; Thanks for the silver, kind stranger!

3. No good deity, anyway.

It’s a book written a couple thousand years ago, translated and retranslated a couple hundred times and rewritten to fit other people’s agendas.No one can verify anything that happened and plus no diety would let their name be perverted and used to kill people in their name even if they said they gave us free will.

2. Why is he worthy of worship?

Because God is a fucking tyrant, well the concept of God. He supposedly watches from the heavens as millions of people die from hunger, disease, murder, war, sexual abuse and so on. Religion makes you fear him so you don’t go to hell, where you burn for eternity if you don’t follow his commandments and obey the rules of his con stricting rule. People die tragically everyday, and people have the nerve to say God took them because he felt it was time. So I guess die a fucked up way because God wanted you to? Plus there’s no evidence and people have been waiting for his sons return for 2000 years and nothing. He watched the natives get slaughtered of the Americas because they needed to be converted, watched the Jews die in concentration camps and did nothing about it. He let racism and slavery exist which is super fucked up. I thought we were all suppose to be his children and exist in harmony. Why would a God who is supposedly so loving do that? He let’s the two major religions of the world, in Christianity and Islam fight a religious war that is pointless, which innocent people suffer from their evil doing. Is God just an evil being that we are supposed to fear and obey? It sure seems like it. Everyone who is religious is so bent on making it to heaven, and they forget to enjoy the short existence we have on this little rock, which circles our little star of a sea of billions that revolve around the center of our galaxy, which freefalls into the blackness and nothingness of space. We are insignificant compared to the universe, but yet, here we are pointing weapons at each other that could end our entire existence. Fuck we suck as humans.

1. We’ve done it for millennia.

In my opinion, God is just the name that we’ve collectively used to explain things that we cannot explain with science yet. There’s some things that can never be explained with science (like why does time exist, how did the first atom exist etc.) that’s simpler to think about by assuming there’s an entity behind all the unexplainable things.

I love hearing people talk about what’s formed them, what they think, and how it’s similar or different from my own upbringing and set of rules.

Do you believe in god? Are you an atheist? We’d love to hear your own reasons for your choices in the comments!

The post People Share Why Atheism Is Right for Them appeared first on UberFacts.

Here are Some Church Signs With A Sense Of Humor

For many churches, the best way to add new members is with an old-school marquee sign. You just put up a welcoming message, add a brief Bible quote, maybe tell everyone when the pancake prayer breakfast is, and bingo. Just sit back and watch the new members roll in.

But there will always be churches that take the road less traveled. Today we’ve got a selection of church signs that weren’t afraid to try out some comedy on the general public. Some of them are genuine laughers, others will have you wondering if Father Mike has been hitting the communion wine, but all of them get kudos for trying.

1. At least they’re honest.

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

2. If you screw up God’s preferred trail mix ratio, you will burn in hell for eternity.

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

3. Ever been slut shamed by a sign? Now you have!

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

4. Nothing’s funnier than forced religious conversion.

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

5. Please don’t try to help, St. John’s Anglican.

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

6. This is what happens when nobody refills Pastor Joel’s Prozac.

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

7. And this is what happens when you put the youth minister in charge of the sign.

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

8. Who says denying scientific fact has to be so serious?

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

9. I…can’t figure out what they’re trying to say.

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

10. “Actually, I was praying for cocaine. Sorry, shoulda specified.”

Photo Credit: So Bad So Good

There was no mention of Apple…

There was no mention of Apple as the Forbidden Fruit. Possible fruits include apple, grape, pomegranate, fig, carob, etrog or citron, pear, and mushrooms. There was a misunderstanding of – or a pun on – mălum, a native Latin noun which means evil and mālum, borrowed from Greek μῆλον or apple.

Manichaeism was a religion which…

Manichaeism was a religion which thrived between the third and seventh centuries, and at its height was one of the most widespread religions in the world. Briefly the main rival to Christianity before the spread of Islam in the competition to replace classical paganism.

Two Buddhists who bought £5,000…

Two Buddhists who bought £5,000 of live Crustacea and released them into the sea for good karma, were fined £15,000 for ‘untold damage’ to the environment by introducing non-native species.

Funny Tweets About Hanukkah From Parents

For those of you who celebrate Hanukkah, I’m sure you’re going to appreciate these jokes from parents about this special holiday.

Let’s get started!

1. Created a monster.

2. Eight days to go…

3. Interesting…

4. Uh oh…

5. The official mascot.

6. Good thinking.

7. Yeah…

8. That day is here.

9. A maddening pace.

10. It was only a dream…

11. Absolutely!

12. The way it was meant to be.

13. Mother of the Year.

14. Nobody’s perfect.

15. Lucky kid.

Happy Hanukkah, happy holidays, and have a great New Year!

The post Funny Tweets About Hanukkah From Parents appeared first on UberFacts.

In 1957 Little Richard saw a bright…

In 1957 Little Richard saw a bright red fireball flying across the sky, which he took as “sign from God” to repent from performing secular music and his wild lifestyle at the time until 1962. The fireball actually was the launching of the first artificial Earth satellite Sputnik 1.