The irony

Posted on December 10, 2008 by Michael

The atheist sign in Washington state is still causing discussion. Unfortunately, some of that discussion is ironic.

But upon further review, we also feel that some of those protesting the sign make a good point about the message. Rather than just being a statement for atheism or observing the Winter Solstice, it steps over the line and attacks religion. The sign sponsored by the atheistic Freedom from Religion Foundation calls religion “myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.”

A key aspect of the message being sent out by humanists and atheists is that religion has a privileged position in our society and it is precisely unworthy of that position. To say this group was over the line is to undermine the notion of free and open discussion.

So, while we’ll defend the right of the atheist group to hold its views, we do think the message itself should have been monitored and disapproved. In this holiday season when people of certain religions are celebrating peace, as is their right, a mean-spirited message is out of place on public property.

So if a religious group puts out a message which says something to the effect of “May we defeat the evil that is Satan” then that is a “mean-spirited message [that] is out of place” during this season of celebrating peace, right?

The more pertinent point here, actually, is that certain religions aren’t actually celebrating peace. They’re celebrating their belief in myths and the sense of community these myths tend to harbor. That’s part of the reason the likes of Richard Dawkins and PZ Myers have Christmas trees in their homes during the season. They obviously aren’t celebrating any myths, but they are celebrating their love of family and community.

As I’ve said in the past, religion clearly brings a sense of community with it and that can be a good thing (and may be a contributing reason to its existence in our evolutionary history). What this atheist group is doing is celebrating what brings them together – reason and rationality. That is, a lack of belief in devils and angels are other fabrications of the mind are one common thread which strings these people together. For that, we all, too, should embrace the unharmful, open discourse that threads us together as a nation based upon liberties and freedoms.

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Christian Science

Posted on December 5, 2008 by Michael

Christian Science is basically the belief that healing can be better had through really, really believing in God and praying to him rather than through all that crazy stuff they call “real medicine”. People who believe this hogwash aren’t as bad as those cults which entirely reject modern medicine all the way down to aspirin (which is actually emitted by some plants when under stress), but nevertheless, they are rather repugnant. A man by the name Seth Johnson recently wrote a letter to the editor (Kennebec Journal) explaining how his hooey actually does work! Like magic!

The article, “Child Deaths Test Faith-Healing Exemption” that appeared in the Nov. 19 Kennebec Journal and Waterville Sentinel was triggered by tragic events. I’d like to point out that Christian Science is not related to the faith-healing groups mentioned.

Maine law does and should require parents to provide proper health care for their children, but it does not require that care be medical. Accommodations in the law are not intended to defend the abuse or neglect of a child, but are intended to allow for the reasonable and responsible practice of one’s religion, such as Christian Science, through prayer and spiritual treatment.

Christian Science parents are caring, loving and responsible with their children and practice their religion with their family’s health and well-being as their first priority. My family practices Christian Science because it works, and my children’s health is of utmost importance.

Seth C. Johnson
Christian Science Committee on Publication Falmouth

Okay, well, he didn’t actually explain how it works, he simply asserted that it does. Of course, this is a word-limited letter, so perhaps it is unfair to expect a decent explanation. Fortunately, this is the Internet.

Christian Scientists believe that sickness is the result of fear, ignorance, or sin, and that when the erroneous belief is corrected, the sickness will disappear.

Magic?

They consider that suffering can occur only when one believes (consciously or unconsciously) in the supposed reality of a problem; if one changes one’s understanding, the belief is revealed as false, and the acknowledgement that the sickness has no power, since God is the only power, eliminates the sickness.

Ah, I see. More verbose magic.

Seth Johnson, you hold hack beliefs. There is nothing healing about your particular god; there is no substance to your belief that sickness can go away if you close your eyes really, really hard and pray. Your children may as well have no health insurance – at least until you actually excercise that coverage and go to a real doctor.

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Oh, Billo

Posted on December 5, 2008 by Michael

Washington State has recently granted permits for three displays in its Capitol building. One is a “holiday tree”, the other a nativity scene, and the third a sign from an atheist group which reads as follows:

At this season of
the Winter Solstice
may reason prevail.

There are no gods,
no devils, no angels,
no heaven or hell.
There is only our natural world.
Religion is but
myth and superstition
that hardens hearts
and enslaves minds.

Okay, fair enough. The state is allowing permits for displays which are privately funded. Assuming there isn’t profanity or pornography involved, there is little reason to deny a group a permit. Washington, being the generally progressive state it is, of course, allowed the display. We can all disagree and do it in harmony, no?

No.

Billo is a mook. Around 1:45, he goes on to say Christmas is a federal holiday honoring Jesus. Actually, Billo, Ganulin v. United States, 532 US 973 (2001) found that Christmas had been so sufficiently secularized that its status as a federal holiday was permissable. In other words, had they found the point of the federal holiday, in its modern form, to endorse Jesus, they would have taken away its holiday status.

Billo next goes on to rhetorically ask if it is necessary that a sign be placed next to the likeness of Martin Luther King Jr for people who disagree with his religious views. There’s a disconnect. We celebrate MLK’s civil rights movements, not his religion. The holiday is to honor his achievements, not his Christianity. Beside that, yes, if one group has a right to obtain a permit for a display on public property, so do other groups. This doesn’t mean they have the right to put their display where they please – the KKK cannot put a sign in front of a bust or portrait or whathaveyou of MLK. Just the same, no group would be allowed to do that.

Asked whether he was bothered by the atheist display next to his Nativity scene, Wesselius said, “I think the Nativity scene will speak for itself.” But he added, “I appreciate freedom of speech and freedom of access. That’s why they’re in there, and hey – you know, that’s great.”

This man, from the original article, has the correct attitude and outlook. We can disagree, but we can do it in harmony.

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National Science Standards

Posted on December 4, 2008 by Michael

If Carl Sagan was right and the laws of the Universe are the same everywhere we go, it might make sense that the United States at least has uniform science standards, no? At least that’s what Greg Laden thinks.

Over at Change.org, this suggestion has been put forth. From what I can see, people vote on these ideas and Obama at the very least listens to them. Considering that’s a complete 180 from these past 8 years, I’d say that really is change. And we’ve been needing it.

So go vote.

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Prop 8

Posted on December 3, 2008 by Michael

Internet meme 44,302,753.

Prop 8 the Musical

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Atheist Group Sues

Posted on December 2, 2008 by Michael

Following up on Kentucky’s homeland defense by a god, it looks like an atheist group is suing to have the offensive (and unconstitutional) language removed.

“It is one of the most egregiously and breathtakingly unconstitutional actions by a state legislature that I’ve ever seen,” said Edwin F. Kagin, national legal director of Parsippany, N.J.-based American Atheists Inc. The group claims the law violates both the state and U.S. constitutions.

It’s pretty obvious this group is going to win this suit, bar some issue such as legal standing, perhaps.

But Democratic state Rep. Tom Riner, a Baptist minister from Louisville, said he considers it vitally important to acknowledge God’s role in protecting Kentucky and the nation.

“No government by itself can guarantee perfect security,” Riner said. “There will always be this opposition to the acknowledgment of divine providence, but this is a foundational understanding of what America is.”

It’s almost a non-sequitor. Of course no government can guarantee perfect security. The opposition to divine providence has nothing to do with this. No mythical creature is going to guarantee anything other than a deluded populace. Bombs will still blow things up.

State Rep. David Floyd, R-Bardstown, said the preamble to the Kentucky constitution references a people “grateful to almighty God,” so he said he sees no constitutional violation in enlisting God in the state’s homeland security efforts.

This is beyond stupid. David Floyd probably also sees no clouds on a rainy day.

“God help us if we don’t,” he said.

Two hands working do more good than a thousand hands clasped together in prayer.

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Kentucky is defended by a god

Posted on November 29, 2008 by Michael

Specifically, it’s defended by the god we all know so well.

Under state law, God is Kentucky’s first line of defense against terrorism.

The 2006 law organizing the state Office of Homeland Security lists its initial duty as “stressing the dependence on Almighty God as being vital to the security of the Commonwealth.”

Specifically, Homeland Security is ordered to publicize God’s benevolent protection in its reports, and it must post a plaque at the entrance to the state Emergency Operations Center with an 88-word statement that begins, “The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.”

State Rep. Tom Riner, a Southern Baptist minister, tucked the God provision into Homeland Security legislation as a floor amendment that lawmakers overwhelmingly approved two years ago.

As amended, Homeland Security’s religious duties now come before all else, including its distribution of millions of dollars in federal grants and its analysis of possible threats.

This is utterly ridiculous. Aside from obviously being unconstitutional, it makes a mockery of public security. If we are to rely on invisible entities for our protection, we’re in trouble. God doesn’t buy nuclear response forces or direct funds for communication security, issues, and protection. Man does this. Always has, always will.

Looking to a god for our homeland security is like black people looking to Bush after Katrina. He’s invisible and not going to help anyone.

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More bus campaign news

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Michael

The British Humanist Association recently received public monies. It’s unclear if this has anything to specifically do with their recent bus campaign (maybe a Brit can clarify). At any rate, this is all fine and dandy, but the response has been interesting, if a tad predictable.

Critics say it is wrong for the Equality and Human Rights Commission to give taxpayers’ money to a controversial organisation whose stance would be found objectionable by many members of the public.

Most people vary on the details of their particular religious beliefs – and England still has an official church. Yet I presume “many members of the public” find its beliefs objectionable. But that really shouldn’t be the main point. Public funding isn’t done in simple interest of the majority. Minorities have those pesky “rights”, too.

Neil Addison, a Roman Catholic barrister who specialises in religious discrimination, said: “It’s a bit like paying the Taliban to lecture on women’s rights.

This is astounding. These two things are nothing alike. The Taliban holds no rational views on the role of women in society…on the basis of religion. The British Humanist Association seeks to explicitly denounce the undue respect we give to these sort of beliefs. It is only through rationality and reason that we can improve our societies. Defaming atheists, agnostics, and humanists does no one any favors. It is to these voices that we need to listen.

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Ad company offers bigotry instead of ad space

Posted on November 26, 2008 by Michael

The Atheist Foundation of Australia has recently been given a blow. Following in the footsteps of other atheist and humanist organizations, the AFA sought to place ads on the sides of buses, hoping to get their message out to the general public. Unfortunately, one ad company simply refused to allow them ad space without comment.

President of the Atheist Foundation of Australia Inc, David Nicholls said: “I am flabbergasted. This is extremely disappointing and a severe blow to freedom of expression in Australia. We are witnessing the result of seemingly paranoid executives interfering with pertinent social comment. This action has thwarted the right to state peacefully and openly a legitimate and timely message without violence.

Australia is going to look provincial and narrow in outlook to the rest of the world because of this decision. The planet is moving to a more enlightened era but apparently, public transport advertising agents in Australia have missed the bus. Isn’t that ironic”

Of course, this is blatant discrimination. The message was in no way profane. It did not violate any regulation of the company, which has been known to publish verses from the Bible. They simply want to quash free speech because, well, they can. I hope Australia has the appropriate laws in place to prevent this stupid biogtry.

One of the possible messages? “Atheism – Celebrate reason!”

Oh no! That’s Thor’s/God’s/Zeus’s/Allah’s Achilles’ heel!

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Really? Prince?

Posted on November 18, 2008 by Michael

Apparently, Prince hates homosexuals. He has evidently been a conservative Christian for some time. You’d think a guy who writes about fucking Darling Nikki and makes songs about sex toys and dresses flamboyantly might be a little bit looser. Nah. The virus that is religion has found another host.

Prince

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