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• Miscegenation and Gay Marriage: Both Abominations?
• Carnival of the Godless #118 at Right to Think
• Idiot of the Week: Kevin Wirth

Miscegenation and Gay Marriage: Both Abominations? Posted: 31 May 2009 06:11 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia During the Civil Rights era, many American whites opposed miscegenation (i.e., mixing of racial groups through cohabitation, marriage, sexual relations, etc.). In fact, anti-miscegenation laws were common in many states until 1967. Today, such laws are widely acknowledged as mistaken examples of shameful bigotry. And yet, while watching African Americans protesting the Washington DC Council's recent legalization of gay marriage, I realized that precious little was learned from the Civil Rights era. In 1967, the year of the landmark Loving v. Commonwealth of Virginia, interracial marriages were illegal in 16 states. The case involved an interracial couple from Virginia (where interracial marriage was illegal) who traveled to Washington DC to be married. Upon their return to Virginia, they were arrested and informed that their marriage license was not valid in Virginia. What was the big deal over interracial relations? Why were two consenting adults being arrested simply for loving each other? The judge who heard Loving had the following to say: Almighty God created the races, white, black, yellow, malay and red, and he placed them on separate continents. And but for the interference with his arrangement there would be no cause for such marriages. The fact that he separated the races shows that he did not intend for the races to mix. Sound familiar? It should. Much of the rationale used for anti-miscegenation laws mirrors that currently used to justify opposition to gay marriage. Much of the religious gibberish uttered by those bigots is now used by modern anti-gay bigots. Those who opposed miscegenation were convinced that race mixing was an abomination in the eyes of their god. We hear the same argument today, only this time it is directed at gay marriage. It is bad enough when the privileged white power structure engages in such stupidity. To see African Americans do it, when they themselves were so recently victims of this sort of hate, is infuriating. Is this really what was gained from the Civil Rights movement: African Americans can now join whites in spewing hate and bigotry and another group? I sure as hell hope not. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: miscegenation, Civil Rights, African American, gay marriage, bigotry, hate, religion Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Carnival of the Godless #118 at Right to Think Posted: 31 May 2009 05:22 AM PDT The 118th edition of Carnival of the Godless is up at Right to Think. As usual, it is a good one and a great way to get one's fix of atheist reading from around the blogosphere. Check it out. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: godless, atheist, blog carnival Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Idiot of the Week: Kevin Wirth Posted: 30 May 2009 07:16 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia Idiocy this astounding deserves attention, and that is exactly what it will get here in the weekly Idiot of the Week series. A new winner will be announced each Saturday. Admittedly, I am cheating a bit with this week's winner because the qualifying statements were made on Friday of last week. Still, I I would be remiss in my responsibilities to simply let it go. Therefore, I am happy to crown Kevin Wirth, Director of Product Development and Media Relations for Access Research Network, as Idiot of the Week. And what, you ask, did Mr. Wirth say to qualify him for such a high honor? Well, there currently exists under Obama's watch perhaps one of the most onerous abuses of our freedoms and Civil Rights that one could imagine. I'm speaking about Americans, not Islamic terrorists. Many of the freedoms guaranteed to all Americans are currently and have been under attack, but these actions are usually referred to as discrimination. I'm beginning to wonder if these actions shouldn't be classified as a form of terrorism. Who is under attack? The dissidents in our culture. Wow! So American dissidents are currently under attack by a new form of domestic terrorism. That doesn't sound good at all. Dissidents are often a strength. We couldn't have had any social change movements (e.g., suffrage, civil rights, etc.) without them. Just who are these dissidents now under attack? These are the folks who challenge the conventional views held within our scientific, philosophical, and academic communities. But they are often made to pay a huge price for speaking their mind. Many freedoms have been stripped from dissident educators, students, and scientists who disagree with conventional wisdom on issues considered settled by many experts. They are often dismissed as kooks, pseudoscientists, and charlatans who we should either ignore or consider as serious threats to the survival of our society -- depending on who you talk to. Dissidents who are routinely dismissed as pseudoscientists? Hmmm...that's odd. Now you see where Wirth is heading, don't you? The history of abuse by intellectual terrorists and Darwin fascists has just begun to be documented and is irrefutable. And, it presents Obama and Co. with a clear example of violations he says he will not tolerate. Terrorism of any kind that threatens the freedoms of any Americans should neither be excused or ignored. And there you have it! Wirth is actually claiming that those who accept the foundation of modern biology and prefer to teach actual science as opposed to superstitious nonsense are...terrorists. H/T to Bay of Fundie Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Kevin Wirth, Obama, terrorism, dissidents, Darwin Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Carnival Against Child Abuse at Survivors Can Thrive Posted: 30 May 2009 04:19 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia The latest edition of the Carnival Against Child Abuse has been posted at Survivors Can Thrive. I contributed a post on Ireland's Catholic child abuse scandal. I was not sure they would accept it, but I am glad they did. I believe that it is important to continue to call attention to the link between the Catholic Church and child abuse. Again, what other institution has the power to conceal and enable abuse of this scope, to survive no matter what evidence surfaces, and to have so this much influence over so many people? Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: child abuse, blog carnival, Ireland, Catholic, scandal Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Vatican Says Abortion Worse Than Child Abuse Posted: 29 May 2009 09:41 AM PDT Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife Like most of you (I hope), I was outraged by the Catholic abuse scandal in Ireland. Compounding the pervasive abuse were the efforts by the Church to conceal it and prevent the perpetrators from being held responsible. I attempted to document some of the early responses from Catholics, including those who will clearly continue to defend the Church no matter what atrocities its clergy commit. However, it soon proved impossible to keep track of all responses, and I had to be content with pointing out that Catholic doctrine itself facilitated child abuse. But now there has been another response, this time directly from the Vatican, that simply cannot be ignored. The Irish Times is reporting today that Spanish Cardinal Antonio Canizares, described as a senior Vatican official, has been minimizing the importance of the Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse's report. In fact, the article describes him as suggesting, "...that the millions of lives lost through abortion represent a much more serious crime against humanity than clerical sex abuse." While Cardinal Canizares deserves credit for agreeing that the behavior of the many perpetrators should be condemned, he was quoted as saying, What happened in some schools cannot be compared with the millions of lives that have been destroyed by abortion. It (abortion) has legally destroyed 40 million human lives. Suppose for a moment that he's right. What does this have to do with the latest (of many) evidence that the Catholic Church has been abusing children and attempting to hide it? What does it do with the fact that the Church has fought hard to limit the amounts paid out to victims and their families? What does it have to do with their continue efforts to help pedophiles escape criminal responsibility and continue to have easy access to future victims? What does it have to do with the fact that another Catholic abuse scandal is about to surface right here in the U.S.? As Universal Heretic recently pointed out, "No other institution on the planet would be able to survive such monstrous scandals." Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: abortion, Catholic, child abuse, scandal, Ireland, Vatican, Catholic abuse, pedophiles Related articles by Zemanta Catholic Church Abuse Report Shocks Ireland (abcnews.go.com) Shame on the Catholic Church once again (gods4suckers.net) Irish Child Abuse Report: 'People Know The Truth' (abcnews.go.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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What Happened to the "Get Tough on Crime" GOP? Posted: 29 May 2009 04:30 AM PDT Image by fPat via Flickr Remember when Republicans proudly identified themselves as being "tough on crime," at least compared to their Democratic opponents? Now that they are determined to make sure that top Bush Administration officials who ordered torture escape a war crimes investigation, I cannot help wondering what happened to them. Even worse, it now appears that they are willing to can their own investigation of Clinton officials for rendition if it gets the Bush Administration off the hook with Justice. So much for being the party of law and order. It seems awfully hypocritical for the "tough on crime party to oppose an investigation of something as serious as war crimes. Maybe "get tough on crime" only applies to poor African American drug offenders. It seems even more hypocritical that the GOP is now trying to block a war crimes investigation by threatening to launch their own investigation of Clinton officials for using rendition if the Justice Department investigates war crimes. If they have evidence that Clinton Administration officials committed crimes, why have they not already investigated them? They should do so and do so immediately. And how absurd is it to attempt to use that as a bargaining chip now? If Clinton officials committed crimes, they should be investigated! And the same is true of Bush officials. We have compelling evidence that top Bush administration officials committed war crimes by authorizing and then implementing torture. A criminal investigation is necessary. If it turns out that Pelosi was in on it, she must be investigated too. If it turns out that Clinton officials were doing similar things, they must be investigated too. Why is this so difficult to grasp? Criminals must be brought to justice regardless of what political party is involved. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: GOP, Republicans, war crimes, torture, Democratic, Bush, investigation, Justice, Clinton, crime, Pelosi Related articles by Zemanta The wrong threat (washingtonmonthly.com) Our Long National Nightmare Is Decidedly Not Over (teambio.org) Prosecution's Opening Statement in US v. Bradbury, Bybee, and Yoo (firedoglake.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Atheism as Sex Posted: 28 May 2009 09:01 AM PDT The following quote is from Crutch of the Weak and brought to my attention by Oz Atheist's Weblog. It is simply too good not to share: If atheism and religion were sex … Atheism would be like masturbation - you know you're there by yourself, but hell, you're having a good time! Religion would be like masturbating with a happy face drawn on your hand - it's still only you, but you like pretending that you're not alone. Ain't that the truth! Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheism, sex, religion, masturbation Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Blogging Tip #15: Don't Moderate Comments Unless You Have To Posted: 28 May 2009 04:06 AM PDT Image by Getty Images via Daylife I have not written anything in the blogging tips series for quite awhile, so I thought it was time to do a quick one. This will indeed be a quick one, as the title gives away the tip. However, let me take a moment to explain why I think this is important. I don't know anyone who isn't at least a little bit annoyed when they press the submit button after writing a thoughtful comment on someone's blog only to be rewarded with a message about how the comment will be visible after it is approved by the blogger. When we submit a comment, we want to see it appear right away. When I am commenting on a top-tier blog, this is understandable. The blogger is likely swamped with comment spam, trolls, and the like. Comment moderation is essential in such cases to prevent the thread from filling up with garbage. But why are so many low traffic blogs with next to no comments moderating? My advice in this tip is simple indeed: Do not enable comment moderation on your blog unless you have to. Unless you are receiving considerable comment spam, it easy to delete the rare inappropriate comment and/or ban the offender after the fact. Your readers will appreciate not having to wait for you to moderate their comments and are likely to leave more as a result. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: blogging, blog, comments, blog comments, moderation, comment spam, trolls Related articles by Zemanta New Type of Scraped Comment Blog Spam (growmap.com) Examples of Comment Spamming in Blogger (cutewriting.blogspot.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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The Proposition 8 Ruling: Implications for Atheists Posted: 27 May 2009 03:22 AM PDT On May 26, 2009, California's Supreme Court made history by voting 6-1 to uphold Proposition 8, a voter approved amendment the state constitution to define marriage an an exclusively heterosexual act. One may wonder how such a thing could be possible in a state with such a liberal reputation. In brief, the initial passage of Proposition 8 was made possible by the massive financial support of the Mormon church and other Christian groups. And based on state law, it appears that the Supreme Court had little recourse but to uphold the law. I am optimistic that California will legalize same-sex marriage in 2010 when this issue is before the voters again, but that does not take away the sting of the latest ruling. There are lessons here for the fledgling atheist movement too, and we would be remiss to neglect them. Proposition 8 should be a nightmare scenario for any atheist because it shows us that well-funded religious groups can essentially mold the law to enforce their bigotry. They believed that same-sex marriage is immoral on the basis of their religion, and they effectively banned it. History provides numerous examples of where privileged Christians have legislated their view of morality. Whether we think of prohibition, anti-miscegenation laws, or efforts to censor certain forms of music in the 1980s and 1990s, we see a common theme emerging. These groups want to force their religion on others through theocratic means. They threaten everything that makes America worthwhile. We have recently learned that at least one high-profile Christian extremist opposes marriage between atheists and Christians. Who is to say that this will not be the next measure to appear on the ballot? And who is to say that they might not achieve their desired outcome by pouring enough money into it? I have recently grown frustrated with some heterosexual atheists talking about how they oppose Proposition 8 as some sort of gift to their gay friends even though it is "irrelevant" to them. If you are truly convinced that gay rights is irrelevant to those of us who are not gay, then I'm not sure why you would expect anyone to give a damn about our rights as atheists. How can the civil rights of any group be irrelevant? I have reached the unpleasant conclusion that some sort of vaguely articulated atheist movement is simply insufficient. We need an atheist rights movement in order to protect those liberties we currently have from encroachment by Christian extremists and other religious fanatics. We need true atheist activism to raise awareness among atheists and other groups, to cultivate effective power, and to respond to religiously-motivated attacks. We need to build atheist community to provide support to those who are desperate for a kind word or a willing ear. The forces of bigotry have learned a great deal about how to influence the political and legal processes. If we refuse to learn from our experience, we risk giving up our basic rights. That is one risk I am simply not willing to take. (photo by Tony the Misfit) Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: California, Proposition 8, Mormon, Christian, Supreme Court, atheist, religion, bigotry, Christian extremist, gay, gay marriage, same-sex marriage, atheists, civil rights, activism Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

California Supreme Court Upholds Proposition 8 Posted: 26 May 2009 11:09 AM PDT Image by Jamison via Flickr California's Supreme Court voted today to uphold Proposition 8, maintaining the ban on same-sex marriage in the state. Today is a sad day for civil rights, but this one is not over. It is high time that we in the U.S. wake up to the fact that we have given religiously-motivated bigotry way too much power. For more, see Atheists and Gays: Time For An Alliance. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: California, Proposition 8, gay marriage, same-sex marriage, law, court Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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• Decision on Proposition 8 Expected Today
• Challenges for the Atheist Movement
• Humanist Symposium #37 at She Who Chatters

Decision on Proposition 8 Expected Today Posted: 26 May 2009 03:00 AM PDT Image by John Lemieux via Flickr Today is the day we are supposed to learn the fate of California's Proposition 8. How California's Supreme Court decides this case will have nationwide implications. The decision is expected to be announced at approximately 10:00 am Pacific Time. According to the activist website www.DayofDecision.org, the court will issue one of the following 3 rulings: 1) Upholding the anti-gay Proposition 8 in full, including invalidating the 18,000+ same-sex marriages that were solemnized before the proposition's passage last November 4th; 2) Upholding Proposition 8's ban on all future same sex marriages, but allowing the 18,000 already conducted to stand; or, 3) Invalidating in its entirety Proposition 8's discriminatory ban on same sex marriage. Here is hoping that #3 is their choice. All eyes are now on California. H/T to Pam's House Blend Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Proposition 8, California, gay marriage, court, law, civil rights Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Challenges for the Atheist Movement Posted: 25 May 2009 10:13 AM PDT Image by victor_nuno via Flickr I was recently browsing the atheism directory of Reddit and voting up good pro-atheist submissions as I frequently do to combat routine down-voting by Christians, when I ran across an interesting op-ed in the New York Times. It was a mild critique of the atheist movement written by Charles M. Blow. It was one of those articles that did not make much of an impression on first read but got me thinking enough that I returned to it later and have now decided to share some thoughts about one part of it. After challenging the conventional wisdom that the maintenance of religious belief requires early indoctrination, Mr. Blow notes that the most common reason given by people who come to faith later in life are "because their spiritual needs were not being met." He also reports that people are most likely to choose their religion because "they simply enjoyed the services and style of worship." He bases these statements on the recent Pew survey. The part of Mr. Blow's brief op-ed that caught my attention, however, was the following: While science, logic and reason are on the side of the nonreligious, the cold, hard facts are just so cold and hard. Yes, the evidence for evolution is irrefutable. Yes, there is a plethora of Biblical contradictions. Yes, there is mounting evidence from neuroscientists that suggests that God may be a product of the mind. Yes, yes, yes. But when is the choir going to sing? And when is the picnic? And is my child going to get a part in the holiday play? Essentially, Mr. Blow is suggesting that "science, logic and reason" are simply not enough for most people. They do not speak to the daily concerns of the average person. I do not necessarily disagree with this. In fact, I have seen countless atheist bloggers making precisely this point over the past couple years. However, I am not sure about Mr. Blow's suggestion for the atheist movement: As the nonreligious movement picks up steam, it needs do a better job of appealing to the ethereal part of our human exceptionalism — that wondrous, precious part where logic and reason hold little purchase, where love and compassion reign. It's the part that fears loneliness, craves companionship and needs affirmation and fellowship. I agree with this up to a point. Science, logic, and reason alone certainly do not speak to much of what makes us human. Moreover, I think that most atheists recognize that we have not done a particularly good job of creating fostering a secular sense of community. As Mr. Blow suggests, we do need to do a better job in many of these areas. Where I am not willing to go along with Mr. Blow is the implication that we need to go outside the natural realm (i.e., into fantasy and delusion) to meet these needs. Nature itself is an astounding source of beauty, awe, and even transcendence. It speaks directly to our emotional side and is an ideal alternative to shared superstitions. Science too often provides this experience to those who understand it. The challenge facing the reality-based community is not one of learning lessons from religion, as Mr. Blow believes. The challenge is one of building effective secular communities, educating people about the unacceptably high costs of religious belief, and fostering a mutually beneficial relationship with nature. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Reddit, atheism, Christians, atheist movement, atheist, science, reason, nature Related articles by Zemanta The 34th Humanist Symposium (atheistrev.com) The Skeptical Attitude in Atheism (atheistrev.com) Why I Stopped Believing In God (de-conversion.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Humanist Symposium #37 at She Who Chatters Posted: 25 May 2009 10:58 AM PDT If your Memorial Day festivities were rained out like mine or you just feel like spending the day doing some reading, you'll be happy to know that the 37th edition of the Humanist Symposium is up at She Who Chatters. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: blog carnival, humanism, humanist Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Congratulations to Deep Thoughts on 5 Years of Blogging Posted: 25 May 2009 02:45 AM PDT I would like to congratulate Mojoey on the five year anniversary of his blog, Deep Thoughts. He may not consider Deep Thoughts to be an atheist blog, but he has done as much for the atheist blogosphere as anyone else. He may be best known for giving us the Atheist Blogroll, but he has also been a great source of inspiration for many of us. Deep Thoughts was one of only a handful of active blogs dealing with atheism when I started exploring the world of online atheism. His Hypocrisy Watch series has long been the place to go in order to find examples of why religious extremism is so dangerous. And yet, one of the things that attracted me to Deep Thoughts initially and has continued to do so ever since has been the eclectic nature of what Mojoey does with his blog. Some of his most enjoyable posts have been peripherally related to atheism, if even that. He is a happy atheist with a real zest for life, and this comes through well in his writing. In short, Mojoey was one of the first atheist bloggers to inspire me. Best of all, he has continued to do so. I hope he keeps at it for several years to come. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: anniversary, blog, blogging, Deep Thoughts, atheist, atheism, hypocrisy, religious extremism Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Catholic Doctrine Facilitated Child Abuse Posted: 24 May 2009 12:09 PM PDT I wanted to see a day or two pass without thinking of the tragic Catholic child abuse scandal in Ireland. I really did. But then I read a heartbreaking op-ed in The New York Times by John Banville, and once again, I just can't get it out of my head. Here is how Banville concludes: Ireland from 1930 to the late 1990s was a closed state, ruled — the word is not too strong — by an all-powerful Catholic Church with the connivance of politicians and, indeed, the populace as a whole, with some honorable exceptions. The doctrine of original sin was ingrained in us from our earliest years, and we borrowed from Protestantism the concepts of the elect and the unelect. If children were sent to orphanages, industrial schools and reformatories, it must be because they were destined for it, and must belong there. What happened to them within those unscalable walls was no concern of ours. We knew, and did not know. That is our shame today. It is not my claim that Catholic doctrine, or even religious belief itself, caused this to happen. That would be far too simplistic. However, I believe it is fairly clear that religious belief facilitated this and continues to facilitate similar atrocities today. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Catholic, child abuse, Ireland, religious belief Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Anti-Atheist Bigotry: Still Socially Acceptable in America Posted: 24 May 2009 05:29 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia I'm not sure why I've held off in posting about Charlotte Allen's bigoted tirade against atheists in the LA Times. I started to do so several times before becoming so enraged about the latest Catholic child abuse scandal. It isn't so much that I find myself exhausted from confronting bigotry and the perils of religious belief (although I do certainly feel this way at times). I actually feel somewhat energized and ready to take on whatever comes next. In any case, I've held off long enough. Allen's piece is a clear example of anti-atheist bigotry, and I want this post to show exactly why this is the case. A Valuable Example From Friendly Atheist We'll review our definition of bigotry in a moment and see that the Allen piece fits it perfectly, but I'd like to start with an excellent teaching example from Friendly Atheist. He suggests that we replace the word "atheist" with the word "Jew" in Allen's article. By doing this, he produces the following: Here's why I can't stand Jews. They're boring. They keep complaining about being oppressed. They keep talking about the same damn things all the time — Holocaust this and Israel that. They always claim they're victims. They only constitute a small percentage of Americans — probably because they can't win over any converts. They still complain about how state Constitutions bar them from holding office — really, only six of them do — even though the Supreme Court has said those provisions are unenforceable. They want affirmative action for their kind — one representative from the "pity-poor-me" school of Jews even said they need "safe spaces" at colleges! They assume everyone who doesn't agree with them is "beyond stupid." They never want to take on the serious arguments that theologians have made in favor of the Christian god. Some Jews think Jesus never even existed. So what do they know? They're not rational. They're just angry. Angry because they think the world is unfair to them. Angry that someone forced them to go to church as a child. Some Jews are so angry, they sued the government to prevent a Christian prayer from being spoken at President Obama's inauguration. The gall! He then points out the obvious: if Allen had written this, she would have been widely (and appropriately) condemned and likely forced to resign. He's right. A newspaper like the LA Times never would have considered publishing such an article. And yet, they deemed it perfectly acceptable for Allen to say these things about atheists. But Does It Meet Our Definition of Bigotry? Here was how I defined bigotry previously: In a nutshell, bigotry involves two ingredients: falsehood and unwarranted generalization. A false statement is applied to the victim of bigotry, often involving condemnation, by the bigot solely for belonging to a particular group. The bigot generalizes from an individual case (e.g., one lazy African American) to an entire group (e.g., African Americans). With this in mind, it is fairly obvious that Allen's article drips with anti-atheist bigotry. She repeatedly refers to "atheists" without any limiting specifiers (i.e., she is making unwarranted generalizations about all atheists), and she spews one false statement after another. Saying "I can't stand atheists...because they're crashing bores" is akin to saying "I can't stand blacks...because they're lazy." In both cases, we see false statements applied in generalized fashion to all members of the groups. In both cases, we have bigotry. The problem we are confronting here, quite clearly, is that anti-atheist bigotry remains socially acceptable in a way that other forms of bigotry are not. If this changes, it will change because of what atheists (and our allies) do. If it does not change, our apathy and inaction are to blame. The good news is that many atheists are indeed speaking out on this subject. I hope they will continue to do so. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Charlotte Allen, bigoted, bigotry, atheists, Catholic, abuse, atheist, anti-atheist bigotry, apathy Related articles by Zemanta Backlash Against the Charlotte Allen Anti-Atheist Piece in the LA Times: Part 4 (friendlyatheist.com) Backlash Against the Charlotte Allen Anti-Atheist Piece in the LA Times: Part 2 (friendlyatheist.com) Backlash Against the Charlotte Allen Anti-Atheist Piece in the LA Times: Part 1 (friendlyatheist.com) Backlash Against the Charlotte Allen Anti-Atheist Piece in the LA Times: Part 3 (friendlyatheist.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Idiot of the Week: Bill Donahue Posted: 23 May 2009 06:08 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia Idiocy this astounding deserves attention, and attention it shall receive! Right here in the weekly Idiot of the Week series. A new winner will be announced right here each Saturday. I must admit that this is the first time since I started the Idiot of the Week series that there really hasn't been much competition. Well, that didn't come out exactly right. Of course there's competition - there's always way too much competition. What I mean is that this is the first time that I had such an obvious winner in mind before Saturday rolled around. Following the release of a damning report by Ireland's Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse in which pervasive child abuse by Irish Catholics and a conspiracy by the Catholic Church going back to the 1930s to conceal the pedophiles among them were revealed, Bill Donahue had the following to say: Reuters is reporting that "Irish Priests Beat, Raped Children," yet the report does not justify this wild and irresponsible claim. . . . The Irish report suffers from conflating minor instances of abuse with serious ones, thus demeaning the latter. When most people hear of the term abuse, they do not think about being slapped, being chilly, being ignored or, for that matter, having someone stare at you in the shower. They think about rape. By cheapening rape, the report demeans the big victims. But, of course, there is a huge market for such distortions, especially when the accused is the Catholic Church. For more, see this post by outraged Catholic, Bitch Ph.D. And to give credit where credit is due, I'd like to point out that Bitch Ph.D. is precisely what many of us have been waiting for - a Catholic loudly and forcefully saying that Donahue in no way represents her: Let's sum up. Bill Donohue is defending a powerful institution, the Catholic Church, by minimizing and excusing the abuse and neglect of children, including deliberately overlooking oral rape, digital rape, rape with objects, or forced masturbation. For some of our winner's "greatest hits," check out Media Matters' research on Bill Donahue. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Bill Donahue, idiot, Ireland, child abuse, abuse, Irish, Catholics, Catholic, church, pedophiles, rape Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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• Catholic Responses to Irish Child Abuse Conspiracy
• Let Latest Catholic Abuse Scandal Be Last Straw
• Action Skeptics Posts 111th Skeptics Circle: You're Gonna Love It

Catholic Responses to Irish Child Abuse Conspiracy Posted: 22 May 2009 05:59 AM PDT Image by AFP/Getty Images via Daylife Confronted by mounting evidence of the scope of their crimes, a conspiracy to protect the perpetrators from prosecution, and a growing public outcry (at least I sure as hell hope it continues to grow), some Church officials are issuing apologies while others are simply continuing to ignore the issue. In this post, I will examine some of the statements which have been issued so far by Church officials, former Church officials, and assorted Catholics speaking out. We're Sorry I'd like to start with the apologies. After all, many people will commend the Church for issuing them at all. Cardinal Sean Brady, described as the leader of Ireland's Catholics was quoted as saying the following: I am profoundly sorry and deeply ashamed that children suffered in such awful ways in these institutions. Children deserved better and especially from those caring for them in the name of Jesus Christ. The Sisters of Mercy, one of the homes for girls where the systemic pattern of atrocities were documented, stated that they: Accept that many who spent their childhoods in our orphanages or industrial schools were hurt and damaged while in our care. There is a great sadness in all of our hearts at this time and our deepest desire is to continue the healing process for all involved. Several victims have refused to accept these apologies, and I can't say I'm surprised. It wasn't just that the abuse occurred or that it was chronic and widespread. One must also remember that the Church successfully conspired to prevent prosecutions of the perpetrators and worked out a deal with the Irish government to limit the amount of compensation they would have to pay to victims and their families. In light of this long-term conspiracy, these apologies seem hollow. We Didn't Know Child Abuse Was A Crime As hollow as the apologies might seem in light of the horrific material contained in the report, I suppose they are somewhat better than the response from retired U.S. Catholic Archbishop Rembert G. Weakland: We all considered sexual abuse of minors as a moral evil, but had no understanding of its criminal nature. This accused rapist says that he had no idea that sexually assaulting children would have long-term consequences on them. He says that he: Accepted naively the common view that it was not necessary to worry about the effects on the youngsters: either they would not remember or they would 'grow out of it'. Wow! I'm not sure what else to say about this. Ignore It or Throw Faith at the Problem And then there is what I expect will be the most common response of all - simply ignore the issue. This is from Fr. Roger J. Landry and was written in 2002 in response to the Boston abuse scandal: We can focus on those who betrayed the Lord, those who abused rather than loved those whom they were called to serve, or we can focus, like the early Church did, on the others, on those who have remained faithful, those priests who are still offering their lives to serve Christ and to serve you out of love. The media almost never focuses on the good "eleven," the ones whom Jesus has chosen who remain faithful, who live lives of quiet holiness. But we, the Church, must keep the terrible scandal that we've witnessed in its true and full perspective. This reminds me of the "bad apples" claim used by Bush administration officials to explain away detainee abuse after the photos from Abu Ghraib first surfaced. I do have to give Landry credit for one thing though. He does an absolutely outstanding job of unintentionally summarizing one of the things that makes faith so dangerous: No matter how sinful a priest is, provided that he has the intention to do what the Church does — at Mass, for example, to change bread and wine into Christ's body and blood, or in confession, no matter how sinful he is personally, to forgive the penitent's sins — Christ himself acts through that minister in the sacraments. Read those words again and let them sink in. See the problem? Yeah, it is a big one. I wouldn't have thought to include Landry's response to the Boston scandal here except that a self-described "faithful Catholic" presented it as an answer to the Irish scandal. That she regards it as an answer is disturbing. Atheists Are Evil! The only thing that could be better than ignoring the issue or attempting to obscure it with faith and Christianspeak would be ignoring the issue while demonizing everyone's favorite target...the atheists. This appears to be precisely what outgoing Archbishop of Westminster, Cardinal Cormac Murphy-O'Connor, decided to do. He said, rather controversially perhaps, that a lack of faith is 'the greatest of evils.' He blamed atheism for war and destruction, and implied it was a greater evil even than sin itself. Hmmm, I didn't realize we were the ones raping children and concealing it. I didn't realize we were the ones making sure that those who committed these despicable acts would never be held criminally responsible for them. What would I like to see in the aftermath of the news out of Ireland? I'd like to see the fall of the Catholic Church, but I'm not particularly optimistic that I will live to see that. However, there is something that I would accept as a consolation prize. I would like to reach the point where any discussion of Catholicism inevitably mentions widespread child abuse, systemic efforts to avoid prosecution and protect the perpetrators so that they may continue to prey on children, and the dangers of faith. Yeah, I think I'd take that. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Catholics, Catholic, Catholic Church, abuse, scandal, rape, Ireland, Cardinal Sean Brady, Sisters of Mercy, child abuse, Archbishop, rapist, faith, Boston, atheists, Catholicism Related articles by Zemanta The Church and child-rape (timesonline.typepad.com) The church's hidden shame (guardian.co.uk) Pope: Condoms "Increase Problem" Of AIDS (cbsnews.com) An abuse too far by the Catholic church (guardian.co.uk) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Let Latest Catholic Abuse Scandal Be Last Straw Posted: 21 May 2009 04:10 PM PDT Image via Wikipedia It is tempting to use evidence of the "decades of rapes, humiliation and beatings at Catholic Church-run reform schools for Ireland's castaway children" to slam the Catholic Church (see Catholic Church shamed by Irish abuse report). With a damning 2,600 page report including the discovery of "previously secret Vatican records that demonstrated church knowledge of pedophiles in their ranks all the way back to the 1930s," I think this is precisely what should happen. The problem of child abuse in the Catholic Church is not going away, and it is time for the outrage to translate to action. It is time for the Catholic Church to fall. What is the appropriate response to learning that "church officials shielded their orders' pedophiles from arrest amid a culture of self-serving secrecy?" Outrage. Anything less is simply insufficient. According to Ireland's Commission to Inquire Into Child Abuse: A climate of fear, created by pervasive, excessive and arbitrary punishment, permeated most of the institutions and all those run for boys. Children lived with the daily terror of not knowing where the next beating was coming from. No child deserves this. Bringing those who directly perpetrated on children to justice is important. However, when the Church itself turns out to be a conspirator, it is time to dismantle this sick enterprise once and for all. Anything less is not justice or even a reasonable facsimilie. The report found that molestation and rape were "endemic" in boys' facilities, chiefly run by the Christian Brothers order, and supervisors pursued policies that increased the danger. Endemic molestation and rape at the hands of Catholics, concealed for decades by the Church. It is not good enough for various Irish orders to die out. Not when other officials within the Church were aware of this and turned their backs. It is not enough that the Church has paid out some money to survivors, not when these sorts of scandals continue to pop up all over the world. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Catholic, Catholic Church, church, rape, beatings, Ireland, Vatican, child abuse Related articles by Zemanta Thousands abused in Catholic schools in Ireland (guardian.co.uk) An abuse too far by the Catholic church (guardian.co.uk) The Church and child-rape (timesonline.typepad.com) Wall of silence about 60 years of child abuse still not entirely broken down (sluggerotoole.com) Row over archbishop's abuse remarks (guardian.co.uk) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Action Skeptics Posts 111th Skeptics Circle: You're Gonna Love It Posted: 21 May 2009 08:30 AM PDT Action Skeptics has posted the 111th Skeptics Circle, and I think they have pulled off the coolest blog carnival layout I've ever seen. If you are as obsessed with the ShamWow guy as I am, you'll probably agree. Even if you don't have time to read all the posts now, go take a look out how they set the thing up. I love it! Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: skeptics, skepticism, blog carnival Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Christians and Gay Marriage Posted: 21 May 2009 03:56 AM PDT Image by City of West Hollywood via Flickr One of the things I have not been doing nearly enough of here is featuring particularly thought-provoking comments from my readers. This is because I get so many that I typically feel overwhelmed when it comes time to select any. My new approach is going to be to simply select those that intersect perfectly with whatever I'm thinking about at the time I encounter them. Here is a recent one from Jenni in response to the Idiot of the Week: Carrie Prejean post: You know, with all this insistence by theists that a marriage is between a man and a woman perhaps they should re-read their holy books to remind them of just what kind of marriages are sanctioned by their "beliefs." According to Deuteronomy 22:28-29 a man can marry his rape victim, Deuteronomy 21:11-14 says a man can marry his female prisoner of war, Judges 19:1-30 reminds us that a man is not limited to his wife, he may take concubines. All this prompts one to ask exactly what makes theists think they have the right to define marriage at all. A loving same sex marriage is way better than any of these their bible sanctions. Jenni's comment makes me suspect that many Christians who oppose gay marriage do so not because of anything found in their bibles but because of what their pastors tell them and because of their own hatred of those who are different from them. After all, there is much in their bibles which they are perfectly content to ignore. As Jenni points out, there is even plenty about marriage which they routinely ignore. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: comments, Carrie Prejean, marriage, gay marriage, bible, Christianity Related articles by Zemanta David Shuster Takes On Gay Marriage Hater (huffingtonpost.com) Blonde Beauty Queen Drops New TV Bombshell (news.sky.com) Miss California Goes to Washington (abcnews.go.com) Same-sex marriage bill passes NH Senate (cnn.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Pre-Order Dawkins' New Book Posted: 20 May 2009 08:00 AM PDT Richard Dawkins' new book, The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution, is now available for pre-order with a September release date. I will certainly add this to my next Amazon.com order. Not only is it the follow-up to the much loved The God Delusion, but it promises to present the evidence in support of evolution in one accessible volume. Very cool! H/T to Friendly Atheist Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Richard Dawkins, evolution, books, God Delusion Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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U.S. Military Burns Christian Bibles Posted: 20 May 2009 02:58 AM PDT CNN is reporting that U.S. military personnel burned Christian bibles which were confiscated at Bagram Air Base in Afghanistan roughly a year ago. The bibles, sent to the base by a church in the U.S., were printed in the two most common Afghan languages and were confiscated due to concerns that they would be used for proselytizing. Conveniently, the decision to burn the bibles emerged soon after Al Jazeera suggested that U.S. troops were being encouraged to spread Christianity in the Muslim nation. This allegation was denied by a U.S. military spokesman. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: CNN, military, Christian, bible, Bagram Air Base, Afghanistan, Afghan, proselytizing, Christianity, Muslim, Al Jazeera Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Pentagon Will No Longer Include Bible Quotes In Daily Briefings Posted: 19 May 2009 06:15 PM PDT Image by Getty Images via Daylife You have almost certainly heard about how the Pentagon prepared reports for Bush with Christian bible quotes on their covers. For an excellent description of what was done and why you should care about it, I urge you to read this post from Daylight Atheism. This is the same Pentagon accused of coercing military trainees to attend church and distributing Christian bibles. I also note that this is the same Pentagon that now wants us to believe that they are not deliberately proselytizing in Afghanistan. It appears that someone in a fairly high position made the decision that separation of church and state has no place in the U.S. military. We have been warned repeatedly of a serious problem with Christian extremism in our armed forces. It is starting to appear that those warnings barely scraped the surface of the problem. The good news is that there will be no more bible quotes on presidential briefings. I hope that those committed to resolving the other problems continue their important work. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Pentagon, Bush, bible, atheism, church, proselytizing, Afghanistan, Christian extremism Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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More Evidence of Christian Privilege Posted: 19 May 2009 04:25 AM PDT Image by eioua via Flickr The atheist billboards and bus ads springing up around the world go after theism itself, often by saying something about god(s). In the U.S., it might make sense to go one step further and address Christianity in particular. And yet, we are unlikely to see this because of the inevitable outrage and cries of persecution that would result. I suspect that even many atheists would see this as borderline intolerant. Christian privilege is alive and well. Image a billboard being erected in your town encouraging people to "Pull the Plug on Christianity." Can you imagine the sort of shit storm this would provoke? How long do you suppose such a billboard would even last? And yet, Oz Atheist's Weblog brings us news of Living Waters' billboard campaign where we see exactly this sort of attack on atheism. What is the difference? Why is this unacceptable when directed at Christianity but perfectly fine when directed at atheism? Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheist, Christian privilege, Christianity, atheists, atheism, Living Waters Related articles by Zemanta Atheist Billboard in Charleston (bigdumbchimp.blogspot.com) Atheist Billboards Up in North Texas (friendlyatheist.com) Atheism in the USA (atheistrev.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Words of Wisdom: Thomas Paine Posted: 18 May 2009 12:52 PM PDT The study of theology, as it stands in the Christian churches, is the study of nothing; it is founded on nothing; it rests on no principles; it proceeds by no authority; it has no data; it can demonstrate nothing; and it admits of no conclusion. --Thomas Paine, The Age of Reason Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: theology, Christian, Thomas Paine, religion Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Christians to Ruin Movie for Paying Customers Posted: 18 May 2009 03:22 AM PDT Cover of Angels and Demons It is a hot summer day, and you and a friend or significant other decide to escape into the cool confines of your local movie theater. Your companion has convinced you to see Angels and Demons, and while you are not particularly excited about it, you find yourself inside the theater and out the outrageous price they are charging for movies these days. As the movie begins, the theater erupts in craziness as a pair of Christians stand up in front of the screen and begin yelling some sort of religiously-inspired gibberish. What do you do? No, this didn't happen to me. As bad as the Da Vinci Code was, nobody is talking me into seeing this one. But it just might happen to you. You see, a Christian group calling themselves "The Resistance" is planning to disrupt screenings of Angels and Demons. Evidently, something about the film offends them to the point where they've decided that ruining it for others is the way to go. Honestly, I have a difficult time imagining how I'd respond in such a situation. Let me rephrase, I have a difficult time imagining how I'd respond in such a way that didn't end with me being led away in handcuffs. H/T to Universal Heretic Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: movie, Angels and Demons, Christians, Da Vinci Code Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Atheists Stand Up in Bloomington Posted: 17 May 2009 05:50 AM PDT Image by Canadian Atheist Bus Campaign via Flickr I wholeheartedly approve of the atheist bus ads and billboards we have seen sweeping the U.S. Although their message varies, the common core is that they demonstrate the simply truth that atheists are present even in more religious regions. This is empowering for atheists and a useful eye-opener for those who have not yet been able to leave superstition behind. As I am sure you have heard by now, our bus ads have been meeting with some resistance in Indiana. The Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign and ACLU deserve credit for taking this fight to court. Briefly, the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign seeks to run an ad on area buses stating, "You Can Be Good Without God." The Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation rejected the ad on the grounds that it is "controversial." Now the ACLU is suing the Bloomington Public Transportation Corporation in federal court, alleging that they are in violation of the 1st and 14th amendments of the U.S. Constitution. Despite apparently confusing the ACLU and American Humanist Association, a recent article in the The Indiana Daily Student had some great quotes from Charlie Sitzes, spokesperson for the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign. My personal opinion is that if a simple truthful slogan, 'You Can Be Good Without God,' can shake a religious institution to its core, then perhaps its adherents might want to consider abandoning that system of faith for one that has a stronger footing. This notion that human morality somehow requires gods may be absurd, but it also seems to be a central assumption many Christians make in reference to atheism. Of course, incorrect assumptions must not be off limits from criticism. As Stizes correctly notes, Atheists are at the low end of the totem poll, and we are fed up with it. It is also great to see that the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign has support from an unlikely source, Bloomington Mayor Mark Kruzan. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Indiana, atheist, atheists, atheism, Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign, American Humanist Association, Bloomington Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Skepticism Can Save You Money Posted: 16 May 2009 12:37 PM PDT Image by onebutan-iphone via Flickr Most parents, including even the most devout Christian parents, teach their children at least one important and accurate lesson about skepticism: Do not believe everything you see on TV. Imagine a child watching a commercial and then asking the parent for the item in the commercial. The parent has a friend who recently bought one for his or her child and reported that the product did not perform as advertised and broke way too soon. The parent is not about to waste money on something he or she believes to be such a poor product, and so he or she explains this to the child. "I know it looks cool in the ad, but it doesn't really do that and brakes easily." In other words, it is important to be skeptical of claims made by those selling something. Unfortunately, this lesson is not learned well, or at least not retained, by everyone. How many of you have found yourself tempted to by a ShamWow (and not just because their prostitute assaulting spokesman is fighting Scientology)? If you count yourself among those who have been tempted, check out this video posted by Stupid Evil Bastard. Knowing something about Consumer Reports, how they work, and how they are not ad-supported, I have to say that I am far less likely to ever purchase a ShamWow after seeing this video. How about you? Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: ShamWow, skepticism, skeptic, Consumer Reports, Scientology Related articles by Zemanta Shamwow guy Vince Shlomi arrested for beating a hooker (inquisitr.com) The Story Behind Scientology's Slap Chop Scandal [Scientology] (gawker.com) The Hooker-Beating ShamWow Guy Is a Renegade Ex-Scientologist [Scientology] (gawker.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Idiot of the Week: James Dobson Posted: 16 May 2009 04:08 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia Idiocy this astounding deserves attention, and attention it shall receive! Right here in the weekly Idiot of the Week series. Look for a new winner to be announced right here each Saturday. Like most weeks, there was ample idiocy to be found this week. In the end, I just had to go with James Dobson. Why? He sums up the Christian extremist position on hate crimes law so perfectly that he deserves credit. Speaking on the subject of the recent Matthew Shepard Act, Dobson attempted to strike fear into his flock with outright lies: Those who speak out against homosexuality, including pastors, could face prosecution for "inciting" violence against gay individuals. First, that is not what hate crimes laws do. Pastors who commit felonies while spewing bigotry might have a problem, but nobody is going to arrest them for doing it in church. Second, and I know this will sound crazy, maybe bigoted pastors should not be pastors. Remember the shit storm over Obama's Rev. Wright? If Obama demonstrated poor judgment by attending that church (and he did), surely the same can be said of those who attend the churches of these bigoted pastors. Still not convinced that Dobson is worthy? Don't worry, it gets better Even more concerning, the legislation could create special protection for pedophiles. Democrats voted down an amendment to the bill that would have excluded pedophilia from the definition of "sexual orientation." There is nothing whatsoever in the Matthew Shepard Act that gives pedophiles special protection. Why did Democrats vote down the amendment mentioned? Just maybe it was because pedophilia is a mental disorder that is not part of the definition of sexual orientation. Evidently, Dobson is upset because he is actually a fan of hate crimes. Things are being done that will undermine the rule of law and seriously damage morality and decency in the culture. H/T to Pam's House Blend Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: James Dobson, Christian extremist, hate crimes, Matthew Shepard Act, bigotry, Obama, pedophiles Related articles by Zemanta GOP Hysterical Over Hate Crimes Bill Because It Would Protect Gay People (thinkprogress.org) Rep. Foxx backtracks: My Matthew Shepard comments were 'a poor choice of words.' (thinkprogress.org) Does Dobson Really Want Christians to Disengage From Politics? (usnews.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Atheists Not Fully Human Posted: 15 May 2009 04:10 AM PDT Image by davesandford via Flickr The next time someone wants to instruct me in the art of fly catching (i.e., honey vs. vinegar and all that), I think I will note that it is helpful when communicating with others to have at least a modicum of respect for each others' dignity and basic human worth. Sure, we can disagree. We can even find our opponent's worldview to be somewhat contemptible. But as long as we can respect the other as an individual human being, we at least have the potential of some sort of meaningful interaction. After noting that, I will then direct the expert fly catcher to the video below. Watch as a high-ranking Catholic official, Cardinal Cormack Murphy-O'Connor, clearly indicates that he does not consider atheists to be fully human. Am I really to attempt meaningful dialogue with such a man? I think not. How could I possibly expect it to lead anywhere positive? I would not expect it to be any more fruitful than it would for my Jewish colleagues to attempt the same with a Nazi or my African American colleagues to try it with a Klan leader. When one side refuses to acknowledge even the basic humanity of the other, the barrier to bloodshed is thin indeed. H/Ts to Blue Linchpin and Evolving Thoughts Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheists, human, Catholic, Cardinal Murphy-O'Connor Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Torture: Illegal and Immoral Posted: 14 May 2009 12:07 PM PDT Image via Wikipedia As Dick Cheney and his few remaining supporters continue to insist that it was acceptable for the U.S. to torture detainees because his torture program worked and the media is now occupied with what Pelosi might have known, I continue to point out that the efficacy of torture is thoroughly irrelevant. Even if Cheney could conclusively prove that the torture program he authorized and continues to champion resulted in useful intelligence, torture remains illegal and immoral. It does not matter if it prevented some sort of attack. It is still a crime, it is still wrong, and those responsible for it deserve criminal prosecution. No amount of talk about 9/11 can change this. I find it frustrating that the mainstream media seems as afraid to condemn torture as they are of openly criticizing religious delusion. Have they learned nothing from the manner in which they helped lead us into Bush's unjust war? I also find it unfortunate that anyone could even momentarily consider defending Pelosi. If she was briefed on torture and did not raise hell, she bears at least some responsibility and should be investigated along with Cheney. This holds true for any member of Congress, regardless of political party membership. Pelosi is now claiming that she was misled. Maybe. We know that the Bush administration certainly misled the American people (and that is putting it mildly). Still, I have a hard time believing that Pelosi did not know any more than she is now claiming. Investigate her. Investigate all that were responsible. War crimes were committed. It is time to punish the guilty parties. This is not going to go away. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Dick Cheney, torture, Pelosi, Cheney, media, Bush, war crimes Related articles by Zemanta Obama Makes Terrible Mistake by Not Releasing Torture Pictures (bravenewfilms.org) As Cheney seizes spotlight, many in GOP wince (msnbc.msn.com) GOP Strategists to Cheney: Enough, Already (usnews.com) Calls for prosecution of American torture suspects increasing (allthingsreform.org) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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The Reason Project Posted: 14 May 2009 04:17 AM PDT I have long been lamenting the lack of atheist think tanks, umbrella organizations to help unite the various atheist groups, and the like. It looks like a promising new foundation may help with some of this. In case you did not receive the same e-mail I did, I wanted to post a quick announcement about The Reason Project, brought to us by Sam and Annaka Harris. This sounds like an excellent idea and something which will be easy to support, as long as it does not devolve into a personality cult. The Reason Project is a 501(c)(3) charitable foundation devoted to spreading scientific knowledge and secular values in society. Drawing on the talents of some of the most prominent and creative thinkers across a wide range of disciplines, The Reason Project seeks to encourage critical thinking and wise public policy through a variety of interrelated projects — all with the purpose of eroding the influence of dogmatism, superstition, and bigotry in our world. Now that is something I can get behind! Not surprisingly, they are seeking donations. However, it also looks like there are opportunities to volunteer to help out in other ways. At this point, I suspect what they could use most is publicity. And yes, the prospect of these things becoming more about the personality of their founders than any actual platform does concern me. I want to give the Harris' the benefit of the doubt and am happy to see that they have an advisory board. Perhaps it is just that we do not yet have many effective models of how to do this sort of thing without their becoming way too much about the founder. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: The Reason Project, atheist, Sam Harris, personality cult, foundation, volunteer Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Opposing Anti-Atheist Bigotry While Mocking the Religious Posted: 13 May 2009 03:29 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia There has long been disagreement among atheists about how best to balance our criticism of religion with our desire to end anti-atheist bigotry. On the surface, it seems like we are trying to have it both ways (i.e., we get to criticize religion but you can't insult atheism without being called a bigot). Yet, we do not have to dig far beneath the surface to expose this as a false dichotomy. Are Atheists Trying to Have it Both Ways? The crux of the matter was recently summarized by a commenter, Eric, on Paul Fidalgo's blog as follows: I especially enjoy how the author cries about being persecuted for his beliefs while calling Kirk Cameron a loon out of the other side of his mouth. Listening to the Atheist community whine about how they are treated rings kind of hollow after reading internet message boards where they relentlessly attack christian beliefs. The whole thing makes me want to go back to church, but they're just saying the same stupid stuff about atheists. Essentially, Paul was taken to task for expressing opposition to anti-atheist bigotry while criticizing Kirk Cameron's idiocy. However, Eric also raised the larger and more important question of how atheists can oppose bigotry directed at themselves while apparently engaging in the same directed at Christian beliefs. Paul acknowledged Eric's point and took a swipe at those of us who regularly make a point out of mocking absurd beliefs, Christian or otherwise: Point taken. Indeed, I'm pretty weary of the mock-the-Christians genre of atheist blog posts myself (not that I am totally innocent of this). He then made an important distinction between criticizing one's beliefs and "outright persecution or dehumanization." He correctly notes that there is a world of difference between his reference to Kirk Cameron as a "loon" and what Cameron and other Christian extremists seek to accomplish. However, Paul then loses me completely when he says, So perhaps it's not fair to call him a loon, or (hypothetically) malicious, deceptive, or stupid. Paul has been criticized for this post. Personally, I see pointing out the problems associated with irrational belief to be both a right and a responsibility. When Cameron introduces gibberish into the discourse, he deserves to be called on it. Paul agrees with this but says that the line should be drawn at mockery. I'd argue that if the statements warrant mockery, they should receive it. Regardless, it seems that atheists are saying that they should be immune to mockery while the religious are fair game. But is this really what atheists are saying? Understanding Bigotry Remember that bigotry involves two components: falsehood and unwarranted generalization. Describing Kirk Cameron as a "loon" is not a generalization at all (I'd argue that it is also not a falsehood, but let's set that aside for now). On the other hand, statements along the lines of "All Christians are..." necessarily involve a generalization. Take this for a test drive. Christians are self-righteous morons. Here we have an untrue generalization and thus bigotry. Vjack is an arrogant imbecile who should not be allowed to blog at all. I may not like this, but it is not a generalization of any sort and thus does not qualify as bigotry. Criticism? Sure. Personal insult? Absolutely. But not bigotry. If we in the atheist community are saying that we should not be criticized, then we are certainly trying to have it both ways because we have been very critical of Christian beliefs. However, this is not at all what I see us doing. I see us opposing anti-atheist bigotry and discrimination. What I do not see us doing, at least not most of us, is engaging in anti-Christian bigotry or discrimination. But Atheists Should Be Nicer This is an entirely different statement with little actual relevance to the present discussion. I suspect that some atheists would agree with this statement. I cannot begin to tell you how many times I've been told something about flies, honey, and vinegar. Frankly, I don't care for any of these things. But seriously, this is a different discussion and not one that should be mixed up with terms such as "bigotry" or "discrimination." Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: bigotry, atheist, religious, atheists, anti-atheist bigotry, religion, Kirk Cameron, Christian, discrimination Related articles by Zemanta Atheism on Family Guy (atheistrev.com) You can't rebel against what you don't believe exists! (bligbi.com) Addressing Anti-Atheist Bigotry: Emptying the Ocean With a Bucket (atheistrev.com) What Do You Dislike About the New Atheists? (friendlyatheist.com) What is the Atheist Stereotype? (atheistrev.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

The Answer to Army Suicides: Christianity Posted: 12 May 2009 12:50 PM PDT Image via Wikipedia According to The Public Record, the U.S. Army has decided to promote Christianity as a deterrent to suicide among soldiers. No, this is not one rogue official speaking off the record, but right from a recent edition of the Army Suicide Prevention Manual. Evidently, separation of church and state no longer applies to the U.S. military. Not surprisingly, the Pentagon has been quiet about this. The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) referred to the manual and an accompanying PowerPoint presentation as "not only an unconstitutional promotion of Christianity for the soldiers who are mandated to attend it, but for the behavioral health providers and non-Christian chaplains who must present it." As someone who regularly trains future mental health professionals to assess and treat persons at risk for suicide, I find this notion of pushing Christianity on vulnerable soldiers utterly disgusting. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Army, suicide, Christianity, church and state, religion Related articles by Zemanta Crusading in Afghanistan (bravenewfilms.org) Hunting People for Jesus: Growing Fundamentalism in the U.S. Military (crooksandliars.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Get Ready for the Year of the Bible Posted: 12 May 2009 08:28 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia Instead of doing actual work for the benefit of all Americans, Republicans in Congress are pandering to Christian extremists with H. Con. Res. 121, a measure to designate 2010 as the "Year of the Bible". I'll assume that they are referring to one of the many translations of the Christian bible and are simply too caught up in Christian privilege to say so. In any case, 14 Republicans are pushing the unconstitutional resolution. I agree wholeheartedly with The Progressive Puppy on this one: Fourteen Republican lawmakers with apparently too much time on their hands and no solutions to offer the country are pushing a resolution that will not address the nation's problems or advance prosperity or even untangle their previous governing mistakes. Indeed, the only voters who will be impressed by this shallow piece of congressional theatre are the religious fundies who once hallelujahed George W. Bush into office. Regardless of whatever setbacks Christian extremists have recently suffered, it is clear that they still have political allies willing to fight for their deluded agenda. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Republicans, bible, Congress, religion, church and state, Christian, Christian extremists Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Atheists in Anchorage Posted: 12 May 2009 04:24 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia When you think of Alaska, what comes to mind? Yeah, me too. But it is time to erase that awful association and replace it with something positive. When I think of Alaska, I will now think of atheism. You see, there is an active atheist Meetup.com group in Anchorage with about 60 members. They are even a sanctioned affiliate of American Atheists. Pretty damn impressive if you ask me! So if you find yourself in the Anchorage area, be sure to check them out at http://www.meetup.com/AnchorageAtheists/ Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Alaska, Anchorage, atheism, atheist, American Atheists, Meetup.com Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Results of Reader Religious Identification Survey Posted: 11 May 2009 08:57 AM PDT Image via CrunchBase The first Atheist Revolution poll was a smashing success. I suspected my readership would be predominately atheist, but I was not sure about what the numbers would reveal. I always seem to have a few Christan trolls, but I had little idea about those those who might not comment frequently. Here is what I learned: 88% of readers identified themselves as atheists 9% identified as agnostic 1% each identified as Buddhist and Christian Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheist, poll, Christian, Buddhist, agnostic, atheists Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Guest Post: Why I am an Atheist and Who Cares Posted: 11 May 2009 03:54 AM PDT Image by freestone via Flickr One of the things I would like to do more of here at Atheist Revolution is provide my fellow atheists who do not already have their own blogs with a forum to share their thoughts. By contributing a guest post, you get to reach an established reader base, and I get a nice little break from writing blog posts. The guest post below was submitted by BrandonAtheist. He is a married 67 year-old U.S. Navy veteran with two grown daughters and three grandchildren. BrandonAtheist has worked as a public relations specialist, professional ad copywriter, and newspaper reporter and photographer. I am pleased to bring you his guest post. Why am I an atheist and who cares? What's in a name? "A rose by any other name would smell as sweet." Shakespeare. Atheist. Agnostic. Secular Humanist. Non-believer. All names that characterize and define someone who does not for whatever reason accept the traditional belief system in god, gods, goddesses, supernatural personages, good spirits, bad spirits, devils, angels, afterlife, before life, or mystical interventionist in human or other affairs. What mankind has not been able to understand and explain has been attributed to some supernatural force. Greeks, Romans, fellow citizens, American Indians, East Indians, South Americans, Aleuts, Chinese, Japanese, Hebrews, people of the middle east, and far east, all with different belief systems. Far more erudite and learned men and women than I have pondered this age old question of religious belief systems, gods and goddesses. I have arrived at my on conclusions independently but with their input. There is sufficient historical data in texts on comparative religions and the history and evolution of religion to ascertain that men with motive and resource have written, rewritten, manipulated and distorted belief systems for power and personal gain. Some rulers were (are) nuts. They gave themselves the status of god or goddess as a justification for taxing and rule. Of course, the primarily ignorant masses, ill educated, obeyed without question. There is historical evidence that John the Baptist existed. The Romans kept meticulous records. But there is no Jesus recorded for historical evidence. Was he a composite of other contemporary Jews? Roman and Hebrew historical records indicate that indeed there was a reformation of Judaism, and the Romans had their hands full. Pilot remembers John but not Jesus. Strange. The only records are from learned scribes and Greeks like Luke or Romans like Paul. Paul was the single most influential figure to promote and spread Christianity. There are Roman records of his existence. He was citizen of Rome. It's his 'rasslin' matches I question. Paul and his troupe were instrumental in creating and manipulating the legend and figure of the Old Testament promise of a messiah. The Jesus figure was fabricated by the Pauline intellectual line of early church rulers and no doubt in collusion with the Roman leadership. Why? Create an opiate for the masses was the goal. It was successful then and remains so today. Why did they back then, and believers of today, fight tooth and nail for the various religions to prosper? Is it for salvation, redemption and an after life? Naw. Follow the bucks and power, it has been and is for power, money, self aggrandizement, and rabid narcissism in what is now the most expanded and wealthy good ol' boys club in the world: The classical and historical Christian churches. I opine this mentality and like motivation have spread like a cancer into the latter day Christian protestant churches of the world. My question now is, "Where's the beef?" There is no scientifically, independently documented proof of any supernatural beings or acts. We are asked to take it on faith. We've been told from proselytizers of "faith," like Jim Jones, Jim Baker, Jimmy Swaggart and all the others, too many to name to take their word for god's existence. Even when they are exposed for the frauds they are, they cry and plead to forgive them and remember to have faith—"because I told you to." All practicing men of the cloth pound the message home at every meeting and opportunity. If asked for proof of god's existence and the story of Jesus, they by rote, regurgitate the word and tell us, "You must accept it on faith!" Conversely, when you inquire as to why in this year 2009, that there is projected by the World Monetary Fund and World Health Organization that 300,000 plus children under age five are going to die of starvation alone, as broadcast on NPR, recently. But yet abortion or birth control is "against god's will." The world's natural resources are being depleted. Worldwide the quality of life is deteriorating. Women's rights in many Islamic countries are backsliding. Burkas are back big time. Clitoris removal is in vogue. Girls are thrown out of school, again. India and Pakistan can't agree on anything and have more religious sects than there are politicians and lobbies in Washington. What kind of world-god, or god of the 0T, Talmud (angry), or the New Testament (loving and forgiving), would sit on his or her throne and basically say, "Let them eat cake." Everyday, science is discovering more about the creation of the universe and life forms. Synthetic DNA has successfully been created and repeated in creation at a number of Universities and research centers.Genetic mapping and manipulation of genomes has been accomplished. Embryonic stem cell research is showing great promise to heal and help, from AP reports, Scientific American, etc. The brouhaha over the embryos' use is from superstition. Besides, the fertilized embryos are about to be discarded anyway. This is hard science, not voodoo supernaturalism. Hard scientific fact has stripped the hypocritical mantel of faith-based religion away and exposed it for what it is: Intelligently designed, superstitious manipulation of the masses for political and monetary gain (again, follow the bucks). The sad thing is that most of the dupers are as innocent and blinded by social and psychological mind-myths as their flocks. They all have drunk the Kool Aide. I found freedom in atheism once I came to the intellectual conclusion that religion, all of it, is a lie perpetuated by well-meaning and not-so-well-meaning--mostly men--with an agenda for job security, self-promotion, power, money and a few of the seven deadly sins. I still believe the big ten are good rules for everyone to obey. It keeps us civilized. I also believe when we live in fear of our gods, when we are scolded and shamed for natural thoughts and instincts by pompous preachers, and when we hold ourselves in self-righteous indignation about how others look, believe, and think, that it simply says volumes about what we think of ourselves and our own guilt heaped upon our heads by religion and its toadies. One might say a good dose of atheism is a catharsis for the constipated ideas of faith-based religion. Take a dose, you'll like it. I was a biology major with a minor in physical anthropology. I have also taught at the college level. I have been a professional copywriter and in the advertising agency and public relations business. I have been married to the same lady for 45 years, have two children and three grandchildren. I am a veteran of Viet Nam. I sleep good at night. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheist, atheism, Navy, veteran, public relations, religion, power, Jesus, Christianity, bible Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Christian Evangelist to Women: Shut Up! Posted: 10 May 2009 08:19 AM PDT Image by alison.mckellar via Flickr The Christian religion has a long and troubled history regarding the role of women. Long before the feminist movement, there were the infamous witch trials. Even today, many in the Christian right consider feminism to be a force of evil, undermining traditional family values. In fact, some Christian extremists are quite clear what they want from women - they want women to shut up. In fact, that is exactly what Christian evangelist "Dr." Phil Kidd argues in his brilliantly titled "Hey Lady Shut up!" I'm honestly not sure how to summarize Kidd's biblically-supported misogyny, so I will simply quote my favorite part: 11 Timothy 2:9 commands the woman to dress in modest apparel. I have personally seen that in a large percentage of churches, the long tongued, rebellious, bobbed-haired, preacher-hating, pants-wearing, liberal-minded women have determined the standard of dress for the church. The cowardly preacher is afraid to cross this group. He knows if he does, these loud-mouthed women will take their weak husbands and go to another church. Sadly, most woman pull their hair, grit their teeth, and even yell back when the preacher deals with modest dress. Some will even get mad just reading this article. I say to you, SHUT UP! To all the "long tongued, rebellious, bobbed-haired, preacher-hating, pants-wearing, liberal-minded women," you are welcome here and at countless other atheist blogs. We appreciate you. H/T to Pam's House Blend Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Christian, religion, women, feminist, witch trials, family values, Christian extremists, Phil Kidd, misogyny, atheist Related articles by Zemanta Why Are More Women Active in the Christian Church Than Men? (oup.com) The Global Battle Over Reproductive Rights (tpmcafe.talkingpointsmemo.com) Evangelical Christianity may go *poof* (bligbi.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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A Strong Atheist Blogosphere Posted: 10 May 2009 05:53 AM PDT I remember when the atheist blogosphere was nothing more than a handful of blogs discussing the perils of religious faith and promoting an alternative rooted in reality. Fast forward to today and one sees that there has been tremendous growth, not simply in the number of atheist blogs but also in the quality of those that endure. Yes, this is a good time to be an atheist blogger because one is surrounded with wise colleagues and inspiring readers. For a quick sampling of what is happening in a particular blogging niche, it is tough to beat blog carnivals. Here are a couple I neglected to post last week: Carnival of the Godless (edition unspecified) The Humanist Symposium #36 Having a strong atheist blogosphere benefits the atheist movement. Thank you for being part of it. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheist blogosphere, blogs, atheist, religious, faith, blog carnivals, Carnival of the Godless, The Humanist Symposium, atheist movement Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Reader Religious Identification Survey Posted: 09 May 2009 11:31 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia As you can see from the poll at the top of the right sidebar, I am conducting the first ever Atheist Revolution poll in order to learn more about the religious identification of my readers. Polling readers is something I plan to do more of in the future because it seems like a good way to make this blog a bit more interactive and learn something about who is reading it. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: poll, religious identification, blog Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Idiot of the Week: Pat Robertson Posted: 09 May 2009 05:17 AM PDT Image by nwistheone via Flickr Idiocy this astounding deserves attention, and attention it shall receive! Right here in the weekly Idiot of the Week series. Look for a new winner to be announced right here each Saturday. After selecting a top contender for this week, I decided to see what the people thought. I posted a call for nominations on Twitter. The response was good, and I put the people's choice up against my contender. The people's champion won the contest, and I am happy to announce that this week's idiot is none other than the Christian extremists' Christian extremist, Pat Robertson. Building on a long and distinguished career of idiocy, Robertson had this to say on the subject of gay marriage: How can we rule that polygamy is illegal when you say that homosexual marriage is legal. What is it about polygamy that's different? Well, polygamy was outlawed because it was considered immoral according to biblical standards. But if we take biblical standards away in homosexuality, what about the other? And what about bestiality and ultimately what about child molestation and pedophilia? How can we criminalize these things and at the same time have constitutional amendments allowing same-sex marriage among homosexuals. You mark my words, this is just the beginning in a long downward slide in relation to all the things that we consider to be abhorrent. Nobody I had in mind for this week's award could compete with that. H/Ts to the following Twitter users: @dkelz1888, @bigkoala, and @KaaSerpent Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Pat Robertson, Twitter, Christian extremist, gay marriage, idiocy Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Coming to Terms with One's Atheism Posted: 08 May 2009 03:19 AM PDT Image by Napalm filled tires via Flickr Now that you have learned what atheism means, it may be time to come to terms with your own atheism. Do you believe in any sort of god(s)? If your response was anything other than an affirmative one, you are an atheist. Yes, you. I know full well how difficult it can be to take the final step and apply this label to oneself. No matter what you have been taught about atheism, it is fairly likely that you have been told that atheists are evil, immoral, and otherwise flawed. So yes, it makes sense that you might be reluctant to join our ranks. Perhaps you feel comfortable calling yourself an agnostic, a humanist, or a freethinker. But an atheist? In a recent post titled "Just Accept That You're An Atheist," Sisyphus Fragment wrote, Freethinker, Non-theist, Non-Religious, Heathen, Infidel, Naturalist, Bright.. While I think that some of these terms are "cute", I personally feel that these names are nothing more than an intentional obfuscation of one's religious inclination. I agree. It is time to stand up and be counted. Doing a bit of reading may help you gain some confidence, and I encourage you to interact with other atheists online to dispel some of the remaining misconceptions. And by all means, feel free to reach out to those you meet online and ask for help. A cannot speak for everyone, but I know that you are one of the main reasons I am writing. I remember how alone I felt as I first considered atheism, and I want to do what I can to ease that burden on others. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheism, atheist, freethinker, humanist, agnostic Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Ken Ham Organizing Creation "Science" Fair Posted: 07 May 2009 03:34 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia Most of us in the reality based community have at least some appreciation of science, and many of us are downright excited about it. Of course, we have also learned to recognize that not everything claiming to be scientific is in fact science. According to Panda's Thumb, Ken Ham's Creation Museum is hosting a creation "science" fair next year. As Pharyngula notes, there is certainly nothing wrong with Christians engaging in science, however, this fair has precious little to do with science. Among the entry requirements, the children must agree to AIG's Statement of Faith. I am hard pressed to think of anything less conducive to the scientific method than the injection of faith. Panda's reaction is spot on: Those, of course, are the antithesis of science. Having kids sign on to presuppositions that reject the evidence that has been accumulated over centuries is the height of science denial, and it is a fraud to label the exercise "science." Absolutely. Reading the statement should make it clear to anyone that creation "science" is not science at all. It is merely religious dogma thinly veiled in pseudo scientific jargon. Pharyngula adds: That's not how science works: you don't get to specify ahead of time what answers you will find acceptable. If you read that statement of faith, you will discover that many of its article insist on the truth of claims that have long been refuted — such as that there was a global flood, the earth was created in 6 literal 24-hour days, the earth was created recently, etc. — and others are just plain silly. You have to agree that homosexuals are perverts in order to present at this "science" fair! Events like this remind us that we all have a vested interest in promoting scientific literacy. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Ken Ham, science, Creation Museum, faith Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Religulous, Miss California, and Dick Cheney: Defend the Delusion Posted: 06 May 2009 03:26 AM PDT Cover of Religulous What does one get when one watches Religulous and then finds oneself thinking about Miss California? I had one more fleeting observation about Religulous that did not make it into my review and Miss California's infamous quote somehow solidified it. In watching Religulous, one of the things that struck me was how little many religious believers seemed to know about their claimed religions and the scientific or historical consensus surrounding many of their claims. I should have mentioned this in my review, but it was not until I read and re-read Miss California's quote several times that the full significance of this observation hit me. When one is exposed only to dogma and not to reality during one's upbringing and when one is taught not to question the teachings of one's parents and one's church, this is precisely the outcome the rest of us should expect. Many of the religious believers in Maher's film were like Miss California - they had been raised to think this way and never really bothered to question it. It is widely recognized throughout the atheist community that we frequently know more about religious teaching than do those who claim to practice the religion. In part, this is because many of us are ex-practitioners ourselves. However, I believe that this is more about the process of questioning and exploration that many of us went through before discarding superstition. It was through critical examination that many of us were able to escape. In watching Religulous, I was initially shocked to see Christians at the Holy Land Experience who seemed to have no idea that their bible was written decades after the death of their alleged savior. How could they not know this? Enter Miss California. They were raised to believe certain untruths and have not yet embarked on the process of critically evaluating much of what they were taught. An earlier scene in Religulous is instructive here. Maher visits a truckers' chapel at a truck stop and is asking a handful of congregants about their beliefs. It does not take him long to get to what will strike most of us as fairly basic questions that no one in the group can answer (e.g., why is believing in things without evidence a good thing?). One man says something like, "If you are challenging my god, we're gonna have problems - I'm not listening to this" and storms out the moment it Maher begins to sound even mildly skeptical. So desperate was this man to protect his delusion that he was not willing to tolerate even a few minutes of disagreement with his religious convictions. It occurs to me that millions of Americans are exactly like this man, not just when it comes to their Christian delusion but also with regard to their political views. In fact, I suspect that this is precisely what makes Fox "News" so appealing to some. Remember the reports about Dick Cheney's handlers having to arrive early at wherever he would be staying to set the TVs to Fox "News" lest the Grand Torturer might be confronted with dissent? Unfortunately, Cheney was not unique in this regard. Just look at how the torture debate is shaping up. "We do not torture because torture is bad, and we don't do bad things" runs smack into the reality that we did in fact torture. The resolution simply cannot be acknowledgment that we did bad things, and so it is perverted into "What we did was not torture" or even "Torture is usually bad, but it was not bad when we did it because we had no choice." Such massive bullshit and yet really not that different from how countless people maintain their religious beliefs every day. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Religulous, Miss California, Dick Cheney, religion, religious, dogma, Maher, atheist, superstition, delusion, Cheney, dissent, torture Related articles by Zemanta The Abuse Of Religion (andrewsullivan.theatlantic.com) The Skeptical Attitude in Atheism (atheistrev.com) Greg Hanlon: Promoting Doubt: Bill Maher on the DVD Release of Religulous (huffingtonpost.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Atheists on Twitter Posted: 05 May 2009 05:47 PM PDT Image via CrunchBase If you are an atheist using Twitter, check out the new atheist page at Twithash.net and add yourself to the directory. It is a good way to find like-minded folks to follow and perhaps get some more followers yourself. For those who are not familiar with Twitter or tried it and could not figure out the point, this might help. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Twitter, atheist, atheists, Twithash Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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A Bigot Among Democrats: Sen. Díaz Posted: 05 May 2009 03:24 AM PDT Image by Getty Images via Daylife The Republican Party has been having a difficult time since...well, at least since Sen. McCain listened to those who said he should choose Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his running mate. Did they hit rock bottom with calls to "teabag the White House," or can they sink even lower? I suppose time will tell. One thing is clear, however, just because the GOP is no longer viable does not mean the Democratic Party is not going to make mistakes. It is almost as if some Democrats are jealous that the Republicans have become a sectarian party, inextricibly linked to fundamentalist Christianity. Take New York State Senator Rubén Díaz, for example, now organizing a rally to oppose marriage equality. As Pam Spaulding reminds us: This is a perfect example of why the Democratic party needs to check itself -- just because someone has a (D) behind their name does not mean they hold Dem principles, or even engage in rational thought -- a lack of understanding of the separation of church and state should at least be a baseline for god's sake. Díaz, also a Pentecostal minister, has called for Gov. Paterson's removal for supporting marriage equality. And yet, as Pam points out, Díaz is essentially untouchable because his party would rather have numbers than real progressives. By way of compromise, they allow him to engage in bigotry. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Republican, Democrat, McCain, Palin, teabag, GOP, Democratic, sectarian, New York, Rubén Díaz, bigotry, gay marriage Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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What is Wrong With the National Day of Prayer? Posted: 04 May 2009 03:36 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia As we get closer to the National Day of Prayer, many atheists are going to hear the same question: "What is wrong with the National Day of Prayer?" The exact phrasing will vary, but the essence of the question will be along the lines of this: "I understand that you don't pray, but why do you have a problem with other people doing so? I mean, what is so bad about having a National Day of Prayer anyway?" Of course, the obvious response says something about separation of church and state. After all, the National Day of Prayer was designated by an act of Congress and certainly seems to be a case of favoring religion over no religion. However, this is only part of the reason for opposing this event. I encourage you to review the others at Americans United for Separation of Church and State's page, "What's Wrong With the National Day of Prayer?" Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: National Day of Prayer, church and state, prayer, Americans United for Separation of Church and State Related articles by Zemanta WARNING: You May be Part of an Unholy Alliance! (stateofprotest.com) Christianity's latest (absurd) whine (bligbi.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Tennessee Considering Bills to Authorize Church-Specific License Plates Posted: 03 May 2009 06:30 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia The Tennessee General Assembly is currently considering bills that would permit the state to issue specialty vehicle license plates for a specific church, the Church of God in Christ. The bills were sponsored by two Memphis legislators. If passed, this would mark the first time a license plate has been allowed for a specific religious denomination. If you have an opinion on whether states should offer specialty plates for churches and why or why not, consider e-mailing a brief (3-4 sentence) response to Hot Button at hotbutton@commercialappeal.com by May 6. They also request that responses include identifying information (e.g., name, home address and daytime/evening telephone numbers) so they can contact the authors of comments they want to publish. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Tennessee, law, church and state, license plates, Church of God in Christ, Memphis, religion, church Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Finally, a True Miracle! Posted: 02 May 2009 06:07 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia One of the most popular questions atheists get from Christians is, "What would it take for you to believe?" The question is sometimes intended to obtain support for the popular misconception atheism involves some sort of faith. Other times it reflects genuine curiosity about the sort of evidence atheists would accept as supporting the theistic belief claim (i.e., some sort of god or gods exist). Atheist responses vary (mine is here), but one of the more common involves the direct experience of a god appearing in the absence of altered states of consciousness or mental illness. What we now have is not quite this convincing, but it does appear to be a true miracle. I expect many atheists will soon convert to Christianity upon hearing this news (many probably already have). The Associated Press broke this amazing story late this week. I am saddened that it has not received the attention it deserves and am no wondering about some sort of atheist media bias. After all, what else could explain why the following miracle is not the lead story on every major news network? CALEXICO, Calif. – The hottest thing on the griddle at the Las Palmas restaurant these days isn't the food — it's the image of Our Lady of Guadalupe that a cook says she saw on the griddle. Restaurant manager Brenda Martinez says more than 100 people have flocked to the small town of Calexico on the California-Mexico border to gaze at the likeness of the Virgin Mary since it was discovered as the griddle was being cleaned. Among the awe-struck was a group of masked Mexican wrestlers who arrived Thursday for an exhibition at a nearby swap meet. One, known as Mr. Tempest, says: "This is amazing. It's a true miracle." Since the discovery, the griddle has been taken out of service and placed in a shrine in a storage room. I'd like to offer the following observations about this story: It really does not seem to take much to get a group of religious people to "flock" somewhere. Any story mentioning "masked Mexican wrestlers" deserves way more attention than it is likely to receive. I enjoy the whole people-seeing-religious-figures-in-shit meme entirely too much. H/T to Alison W (@Ali_Cat71 on Twitter) Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheists, Christians, atheism, faith, miracle, atheist, Calexico, California, Las Palmas, Mexico, Mexican, religious, religion Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Idiot of the Week: Gordon James Klingenschmitt Posted: 02 May 2009 06:01 AM PDT Image by Getty Images via Daylife Idiocy this astounding deserves attention, and attention it shall receive! Right here in the weekly Idiot of the Week series. Look for a new winner to be declared right here each Saturday. There was a particularly crowded field of competitors this week. I was able to narrow it down to three contenders, but it was quite a challenge to pick just one. In the end, I had to go with former Navy chaplain, Gordon James Klingenschmitt, for calling on supporters to launch "imprecatory" prayers against Barry W. Lynn (Americans United) and Mikey Weinstein (Military Religious Freedom Foundation). Almighty God, today we pray imprecatory prayers from Psalm 109 against the enemies of religious liberty, including Barry Lynn and Mikey Weinstein, who recently issued a press release attacking me personally," prays Klingenschmitt on his Web site. "God, do not remain silent, for wicked men surround me and tell lies about me. We bless them, but they curse us. Therefore, find them guilty, not me. Let their days be few, and replace them with godly people. Plunder their fields and seize their assets. Cut off their descendants. And remember their sins. In Jesus' name. Amen. Idiocy is one thing, but Klingenschmitt skillfully combined it with Christian extremism, pushing him over the top. H/T to Stardust Musings and Thoughts for the Freethinker Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: Klingenschmitt, prayer, imprecatory prayer, Barry Lynn, Americans United, Mikey Weinstein, Military Religious Freedom Foundation, Christian extremism Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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Time For Some Atheist Pride Posted: 01 May 2009 05:37 AM PDT Image via Wikipedia Black Sun Journal has a great post integrating some of the recent high profile reporting on the atheist movement. His conclusion is that the very same tactics for which atheists are frequently criticized appear to be working. One of the lessons I take from this post is that it is important for us to pause periodically and take stock of what we have been able to accomplish so far. In addition to realizing how far we still have to go on the road to atheist equality, it is important for us to take some pride in the progress we have made. BlackSun uses recent coverage of the atheist movement from the New York Times, Los Angeles Times, and other sources to demonstrate that the commonly heard criticism about in-your-face tactics is misplaced. These are objections the entire movement has been dealing with ad nauseam. And they're clearly bunk. This bellyaching has always demonstrated to me more than anything else where a person's true sympathies lie–with the believers. It's also self-refuting. The critics who claim that we are too harsh, need to be nicer, would "catch more flies with honey," and the like are missing the signs of progress. Of course, this is by no means a call for complacency. We acknowledge that our work is far from finished. Rather, it is a reminder to give credit where credit is due. Fund raising for secular political action is entering the same orders of magnitude as the top religious lobbying groups. The scare tactics and attempts at intimidation by accommodationists have not only failed, but failed spectacularly. To all who have been working tirelessly to promote atheism and call out bigotry, keep doing what you are doing. It is working, and we are all in your debt. And a big thanks to BlackSun for reminding us to take pride in our accomplishments. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: atheist, atheist movement, atheist pride, atheists, progress, atheism, bigotry Related articles by Zemanta Atheists come out of the closet (deacbench.blogspot.com) Christianity's latest (absurd) whine (bligbi.com) Insights for New Atheists at Exsisto Sane (atheistrev.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

Christian Support for Torture Posted: 30 Apr 2009 03:32 PM PDT Image via Wikipedia CNN is reporting some interesting results of a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Evidently, church attendance is positively correlated with support for the torture of suspected terrorists among American Christians. Church attendance is a widely used index of religiosity, which is distinct from spirituality. White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified — more than 6 in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only 4 in 10 of them did. And yet, we atheists are supposed to be the immoral ones. Subscribe to Atheist Revolution Tags: CNN, research, survey, Pew, church, religion, torture, Christianity, religiosity, atheists Related articles by Zemanta Americans View Fox News as Biased (mydd.com) Losing Wealth but not Finding God (dailyatheist.blogspot.com) America becoming less Christian, survey finds (cnn.com) What is the Atheist Stereotype? (atheistrev.com) Copyright © 2008 Atheist Revolution. This feed is for personal non-commercial use only. If you are not reading this material in your news aggregator, the site you are looking at is guilty of copyright infringement.

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