Pray To End Prayer.

I saw a sign at a church today that said "Pray to end abortion" and I thought, why abortion? If you are going to use prayer to stop something why not "pray to end war" or "pray to end starvation"? I know the people involved view abortion in a way I never will, but do they just not comprehend the atrocities that go on around the world. If you really believe in the power of mass prayer, why not start a campaign to "pray to end rape", "pray to end child abuse" "pray to end violence"? I know it is a dangerous step to take to start invalidating a cause by bringing up a supposedly more righteous cause. That line of reasoning only ends in supporting nothing because you reason out helping anyone. There is always someone more needy, someone suffering more, someone who needs more help. Besides this, is there rational evidence for the power of prayer? People on both sides of issues find themselves praying for their side, yet when one side wins, does that mean a god choose a side? Does that mean someone prayed harder, or prayed better?
As an atheist, it can be hard for me to take the power of prayer seriously. I prefer the power of actions. If these people truly want to put an end to abortion, then there are real life things they should be doing. For instance, removing the reasons why people choose abortion in the first place. We as a society constantly tell young women that getting pregnant too young will ruin their chance at a good life. Some even go farther, claiming that all unwed mothers or single mothers are doing wrong by their children. Adoption is a fine solution for some, but there are too many unwanted children and not enough eligible homes.
So let's start here. Stop telling young women that having a child at sixteen will ruin their lives. Support them. I am not saying having a baby alone at sixteen is ideal, but it doesn't have to cut off your options. If women in less than ideal circumstances are supported by a society that values and supports unique families, then pregnant women may feel they have options. We as a society place value on the traditional two parent home at the expense of alternatives, but these alternatives are sometimes the only alternative to abortion. Recognize that single mothers, or single fathers, can have a wonderful life. Separated parents can do a good job too. A supportive family can make all the difference, as can supportive friends. Perhaps guaranteeing women paid time off after the birth of their child (like is common in other countries) could help. Financial support (yes, welfare) for single parents that can't find a good work/parent balance can also make a difference.
How about opponents of abortion boycott all companies with anti-family employee practices. Parents should not have to choose between working seven twelve hour days or working nothing. Parents need time in their work life to raise their kids, and when employers overwork their employees to protect the companies bottom line, it's the families of those employees that suffer.
Let's not forget the women who had no choice in the pregnancy. Pray to end rape. Then actively work to end rape. Teach your children to respect women. Teach them that it is never okay, ever, under any circumstances, to rape. Take a zero tolerance approach to rape culture. Never, ever tell and women anywhere ever that it is in any way her fault. Never side with the rapists. If a women didn't have a choice to get pregnant, give them a choice to end it.
Access to birth control and quality sex education, regardless of their impact on your faith. What is more important, ending abortion or ending premarital sex? Choose one. Recognize the fact that people will have sex. There is no stopping that. But, if provided with access to education and contraception, you can reduce the number of unwanted pregnancies.
And what about gay marriage? Wouldn't more committed, stable, married couples increase the adoption rate? Especially when those couples have to do something outside "normal" procreation to have children. Legalize marriage between pairs of consenting adults, and streamline the adoption process. It may go against the religious and societal teachings of many who hold anti-abortion views, but marriage equality will go a lot farther towards ending abortion. If you want women to choose adoption over abortion, then help ensure those kids will be adopted. Maybe even adopt one yourself.
The bottom line is this, women have abortions because their other options seem imposing. A hardline approach against abortion does little to persuade women to choose alternatives. Support these women and their children. Encourage parents to sacrifice to support their pregnant children. End the stigma of teenage parenthood. End the stigma of unmarried pregnancy. Support programs that help lower income single parents. Eliminated the need for abortion and the problem will take care if itself.
Then let's all focus on the lives after they are born. Let's give those unaborted babies a fighting chance at a future. Let's raise them in a world of peace, understanding and tolerance. End war. End violence against women. End starvation and inequality. Let's work towards a world worth bringing children into.

Triond And Internet Publishing (The Cheap Way Is The Only Way).

Quite a while ago I decided to try to publish some articles on the internet for money. There are many places to do this, and they operate in few different ways. The one I chose is a site called Triond. I write an article on any topic I want, put it into their editor where I have the option of adding pictures and video, then submit. They in turn publish the article on one of many websites they have. These websites are generally set up for different topics, travel, computers, music, and so on. They naturally have the websites filled with ads, and I get a cut of the ad revenue that my content generates for them. Another way they pay is through referrals. Basically, if someone else signs up to Triond through my link, I get a small cut of what they make. Besides articles, Triond also lets you post photos and videos.
I got into Triond as an outlet for writing mainly. A lot of these would have made great blog posts for this blog or Olaf Jansen, but others are best placed on the kind of websites Triond runs. I've written about music (of course) but also current events, video games, veganism, as well as articles about my other websites. Those articles double as free advertising.
I've made very little on Triond so far, but the money is secondary. I enjoy writing, I enjoy getting published outside of the blog world, and I enjoy writing articles on topics I normally wouldn't write about.

Some of my assorted Triond articles:

The Expanding Range of Music Formats: Why People are Paying More for Less
This was my first article. I wrote it about the different formats music is available on, leading up to my thoughts on what people miss out on in a digital only world.

Understanding The Pre-Damaged Output of Black Flag
Damaged was Black Flag's first proper full length release, although they had been around four years, had three singers, toured a lot and put out quite a bit of material. This article sets out to explain their pre-Damaged discography.

Mano Negra Puta's Fever
This is a review of the album Puta's Fever by Mano Negra. One of my all time favorite albums. This is currently my most viewed article.

Rasta Themed Cell Phone Cases and Covers
This one is basically an ad for a Zazzle store of mine. 

Lesser Know Animal Ingredients
A short article on animal ingredients. Vegan's learn fast that a lot of things are not vegan even though they appear to be. This can be enlightening for non-vegans, too.

Nintendo's Home Consoles 
A history of Nintendo's consoles. This was fun to write.

My complete Triond output and be found here.