Fuck Nones.

So. There’s an article up about the so-called rise of the irreligious, and how they might change the political landscape. My initial reaction on seeing the headline was a rather cynical hmmm. Ever since people got all excited about the wave of ‘nones’, it’s been my experience in interacting with them that they are remarkably wishy-washy. The thing they seem to be most intensely reluctant to discuss or be involved in, activism wise, is anything to do with religion or secularism. Oh, they don’t believe, but it’s not a big deal, right, live and let live, all that jazz or “I think most religious people are okay, it’s just not my thing” or or or or or. Yeah, great, catch ya later. They don’t want to be rude. They don’t want to be pushy. They don’t care enough, in any direction. For the most part, I’ve found them to be one big shrug. Disclaimer: This is not every single person who identifies as ‘none’. Most, but not all.

I’m reading the article. Nothing I don’t already know, keep reading. Then I get to a bit I didn’t know – most nones can’t be arsed to vote. They don’t care, and even worse, most of them are uninformed about the recent election, out of choice. Fucking idiots. Thanks for fascism, thanks ever so fucking much.

chart

The 2016 Presidential Election

Interest in the Election

Consistent with their lower rates of voter registration, religiously unaffiliated Americans express less interest in the 2016 election, compared to white Christian groups. Fewer than four in ten (37%) religiously unaffiliated Americans say they are following news about the 2016 election very closely. Three in ten (30%) say they are following it fairly closely, while more than one-third (34%) say they are following the election not too closely or not at all closely. In contrast, a majority (56%) of white evangelical Protestants say they are following the election very closely.

PRRI. Oh well, maybe when nuclear winter hits, they’ll organize a nice bonfire or something. Fuck’s sake.

Parsing Trumpian Piety.

CREDIT: AP/Patrick Semansky.

CREDIT: AP/Patrick Semansky.

Religious blather is part and parcel of politics, unfortunately. Christians everywhere have a fucking fit if “god” isn’t mentioned enough, or christianity, or the big book of bloody tales. Normally, all of these mentions in Trump’s inaugural speech would not be remarkable, but in the case of our wannabe emperor, it pays to think things through a bit more.

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Let’s set aside for a moment the historical fact that patriotism has long been co-opted as a tool for prejudice, and focus on how Trump is referencing Psalm 133 here. His broader point—that societies function better when people are unified—makes sense generally. But things take a sharp turn when grokking what Trump is communicating theologically.

Take Trump’s use of “God’s people.” He didn’t have to use this phrase, since it varies depending on the Biblical translation— it’s “God’s people” in the New International Version, but others read “kindred” (New Revised Standard Version), “brethren” (King James Version), or “brothers” (English Standard Version). It’s also not clear if he or his speechwriters understand the original Old Testament/Hebrew Bible meaning of the term, which was specifically referencing the Jewish people.

Regardless, Trump parrots “God’s people” anyway, implying that all Americans — or at least all Christian Americans — are somehow chosen by God. And more importantly, he intentionally conflates the spiritual unity of “God’s people” with patriotism, merging commitment to country with a devotion to the Almighty.

[…]

“Let your favor be upon this one nation under God,” White prayed, referencing the Pledge of Allegiance. “Let these United States of America be that beacon of hope to all people and nations under your dominion, a true hope for humankind.”

This interlacing of nationalism and faith was quickly flagged by experts. Peter Manseau, author of “One Nation, Under Gods: A New American History,” told the Washington Post that Trump’s inauguration rhetoric reflected a “desire to fuse the languages of faith and nation.”

[…]

But another paragraph of Trump’s inauguration speech hints that he and his advisers are crafting a new version of this America-focused Christianity—one that keeps Trump at the center.

After suggesting there should be “no fear” while he is in office, Trump assured Americans they will be safe because they will be protected by the military, law enforcement officials, and God.

[…]

It’s not uncommon for presidents to praise the might of the American military, which is, without question, the most powerful fighting force in the world. Nor is it unusual for people of faith to implore God to protect the United States and its citizens—both liberal and conservative religious groups pray similar orisons each week.

But Trump drags both concepts into a very different—and highly unusual—theological space: he appears to be arguing that America will be protected by God because he is president.

[…]

But Trump, flanked by his menagerie of loyal faith leaders, is already preaching a nationalist gospel from the largest of pulpits. And while the exact parameters of this developing theology remain to be seen, it’s clear a revival of American Christian nationalism is on the horizon—with Trump as its high priest.

It’s hardly a secret that the religious reich has been salivating over the prospect of a brutal and bloodthirsty theocracy for a very long time. I highly recommend reading the full article. This is yet another facet of the new fascism to be very worried about.

Full article at Think Progress.

The Power to Nullify.

Reps. Julio Gonzalez and John Koster.

Reps. Julio Gonzalez and John Koster.

Two state legislatures are considering measures that would allow lawmakers to overrule decisions by Supreme Court majorities — and one Florida Republican wants to change the U.S. Constitution to allow Congress to do the same.

In Florida, state Rep. Julio Gonzalez (R-Venice) has filed two bills that would allow the state legislature or the U.S. Congress “to override or nullify court decisions.”

House Joint Resolution 121 would allow lawmakers to undo any state court decision by a two-thirds vote for up to five years, and House Memorial 125 would permit Congress to propose a similar constitutional amendment to give themselves the power to nullify federal court decisions.

Gonzalez, an orthopedic surgeon, said the bills are necessary because judges are often unaccountable to voters and unable to decide cases without considering their practical or political impact.

“(The legislation) would curtail the tendency of activist judges to manipulate the law to suit their political views and agendas,” Gonzalez said. “Equally as important, this would force the people to engage the Legislature in enacting rectifications to current laws that they see as objectionable or flawed, restoring the natural relationship between the people and their legislative bodies. This would also force the electorate to more carefully look at their candidates and their actions during times of re-election.”

There’s that dog whistle, “activist judges”. Yes, we only want judges who will do what we want, fuck the law!

[…]

Washington is considering a similar measure that would allow lawmakers to “reject the determination of the court” by a simple majority on cases where the state’s Supreme Court rules an act unconstitutional.

State Rep. John Koster (R-Arlington Heights), one of the bill’s co-sponsors, said he supports the measure because he believes the court overstepped its authority in deciding a lawsuit on education funding.

“It’s a worthy effort to tap (judges) on the shoulder and remind them of separation of powers,” said Koster, who admits the bill might not pass.

Gonzalez identified rulings on public displays of religion — including holiday celebrations and school prayer — and laws against flag-burning as his justification for the bills.

Emphasis mine. Well, that didn’t take long, did it? There isn’t even the slightest effort to wrap this in flowery language. I wonder how long it will be before bibles and public prayer are foisted on what’s left of schools.

Via Raw Story.

Ah, Heresy.

Donald Trump with Pastor Paula White (Photo: Facebook).

Donald Trump with Pastor Paula White (Photo: Facebook).

Oh, the evangelical crowd is happily crying “Heresy!” over the choice of prosperity gospel huckster Paula White being chosen to perform the inauguration prayer.

“I’d rather a Hindu pray on Inauguration Day and not risk the souls of men, than one whose heresy lures in souls with promises of comfort only to damn them in eternity,” wrote Erick Erickson, an outspoken Trump critic on the right. “At least no one would mistake a Hindu, a Buddhist, or an atheist with being a representative of Christ’s kingdom.”

Oooh, look, someone actually said even an atheist would be better. Sort of.

“Paula White is a charlatan and recognized as a heretic by every orthodox Christian, of whatever tribe,” said Russell Moore, of the Southern Baptist Convention’s Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission and an outspoken Trump critic.

White, who is the third wife of Journey keyboardist Jonathan Cain — also her third spouse — takes in up to $80,000 a week, according to a 2007 report by the Tampa Tribune, and owns multimillion-dollar homes in Trump Tower and Florida.

“Paula White has a long history of bankruptcies, failed business ventures, and unsuccessful marriages, which makes her the perfect choice to deliver a prayer on behalf a president-elect who has proudly proclaimed that he’s never felt the need to ask forgiveness from God for anything,” wrote Paula Bolyard, a conservative Christian blogger for PJ Media.

Trump and White do seem to be a perfect match. And they are neighbours, so cozy.

Erickson was particularly troubled by a video, which he posted, that shows White speaking to a man who says he’s a son of God, and that Jesus Christ was “not the only begotten son of God” — to which the pastor agreed, “He’s the first fruit.”

“Paula White is a trinity denying heretic,” Erickson wrote. “She rejects the Council of Nicaea’s creed that every Christian accepts. To reject the orthodoxy of the Nicene Creed is to reject Christianity itself.”

Oh, theology wars, the meat and drink of Christianity. First fruit, eh? So Yahweh has been busy raping young women and producing more magical sons for centuries? Eeeuw.

Via Raw Story.

Not Rainbow as in Gay, No.

The Ark is lit up with a big totally-not-gay rainbow.

The Ark is lit up with a big totally-not-gay rainbow.

Ken Ham has decorated the “ark” with xmas lights, in a bid to take back the rainbow from all those icky queer folk.

On his website this week, Ham announced that he would be lighting up the Ark in rainbow colours as a Christmas treat.

He wrote: “Our special Christmas event at the Ark Encounter started on Friday, December 16. We’ve decorated the whole Ark property with beautiful Christmas lights. And, for added ‘wow factor’, we’ve lit the whole Ark in beautiful rainbow colors. It’s gorgeous at night!”

Simply gorgeous, dahling.

However, he wants to make crystal clear that it’s not rainbow as in ‘gay’, but rainbow as in ‘God will bring death to sinners’.

Ham wrote: “In recent times the rainbow has come to represent… the LGBTQ movement.

“Indeed when the US Supreme Court legalized gay ‘marriage’ last year, the White House was lit up in rainbow colors.

“Sadly, people ignore what God intended the rainbow to represent and proudly wave rainbow-colored flags in defiance of God’s command and design for marriage.

“Because of this, many Christians shy away from using the rainbow colors. But the rainbow was a symbol of God’s promises before the LGBTQ movement—and will continue to be after that movement has ended.

“As Christians, we need to take the rainbow back and teach our young people its true meaning.”

Ham then prophesied a global catastrophe that will exterminate sinners like gay people.

He wrote: “Although God promised He would never judge the earth with a global Flood again, He is coming to judge sinful mankind a second time. This coming judgment won’t be with water but with fire.”

Right. So, you want to teach children that the rainbow is a symbol of El Shaddai’s promise he’s really, truly over his genocidal tantrums, but of course, that promise only applied to grisly deaths by water, and the fire is coming. Christianity, warped to the core.

Via Pink News.

Bill of Rights Nativity Scene.

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The exhibit is a Bill of Rights “nativity.” The cutout depicts the Statue of Liberty and Founding Fathers Benjamin Franklin, Thomas Jefferson and George Washington gazing in adoration at a “baby” Bill of Rights.

A sign beside the nativity reads: “Happy Winter Solstice. At this Season of the Winter Solstice, we honor reason and the Bill of Rights (adopted Dec. 15, 1791). Keep State & Church Separate.”

At the bottom it reads: “Thou shalt not steal, please.”

The exhibit is permitted to be up through the end of December.

“We’d much prefer that government property, judicial or otherwise, be free from religion — and irreligion,” said FFRF Co-President Dan Barker in a press statement. “But if a devotional nativity display is allowed, there must be ‘room at the inn’ for all points of view, including irreverence and freethought.”

Via MyWebTimes.

In Texas, however, the governor was extremely upset by the display, and had it removed:

AUSTIN (KXAN) — Gov. Greg Abbott has asked the State Preservation Board to immediately remove a Bill of Rights-themed nativity display in the State Capitol. It was removed Tuesday afternoon.

In a letter to the board’s executive director Monday, the governor called the Freedom from Religion Foundation’s display “juvenile” and “tasteless sarcasm.”

Abbott says the display does not serve a public purpose, adding that activities that promote a specific viewpoint are prohibited in the public areas of the Capitol. “Far from promoting morals and the general welfare, the exhibit deliberately mocks Christians and Christianity,” the governor says.

Via KXAN.

The Gay? It’s Ghosts, Just Ghosts.

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GailyGrind.

A paranormal organization is claiming that the vast majority of gay men and women aren’t actually gay – they’re just possessed by someone of the opposite sex.

According to the Spiritual Science Research Foundation (SRF), 85 percent of all gay men are possessed by female ghosts, causing them to be attracted to other men. Lesbians are, you guessed it, possessed by males ghosts.

The SRF cite “spiritual research” as proving that “the cause for homosexual preferences lie predominantly in the spiritual realm.”

The main reason behind the gay orientation of some men is that they are possessed by female ghosts. It is the female ghost in them that is attracted to other men. Conversely the attraction to females experienced by some lesbians is due to the presence of male ghosts in them. The ghost’s consciousness overpowers the person’s normal behaviour to produce the homosexual attraction. Spiritual research has shown that the cause for homosexual preferences lie predominantly in the spiritual realm.

  • Physical causes (5%): Due to hormonal changes.
  • Psychological causes (10%): Having an experience with a person of the same sex as a teenager or young adult that was pleasurable and therefore wanting to experience it again.
  • Spiritual causes (85%): Mainly ghosts.

Homosexuality can be overcome by regular spiritual practice as per the 6 basic principles. SSRF suggests some simple steps.

As for Gay Pride, the folks at SSRF don’t like it, no, not at all:

It is natural that the LGBT population has the need to be respected as human beings, and in fact they should be.  Nevertheless, naming Gay Parades as ‘Gay Pride Parades’ is inappropriate from a spiritual perspective because it increases the ego of the LGBT population specificially as it relates to their homosexuality. Pride is an aspect of ego and is thus undesirable from a spiritual point of view.

If this trend continues, one day we could have Parades for people who are proud to be college drop outs or business people who are proud that they are bankrupt.

Organizing such Parades in the name of human rights and freedom does not indicate that society is progressing. In fact, this evidences its decline. The human race needs to know what is right and what is wrong. Just as we teach children not to play in dirty water or eat mud, we need to educate society what is correct from a spiritual perspective. By failing to do so, we run the risk of a further decline in Righteousness and consequently people in society will become more unhappy.

They have some interesting Tables of Sin on their page about gay pride. About that ego stuff, I’ll just leave this here:

ego-levels

Skimming their twitter feed, I did come across this – the location of the soul, and it’s surrounded by deadly ego!

There is a wealth of nonsense at their site, and their tweet stream is full of isht too. Via The Gaily Grind.

Santa vs Jesus, Oh the Blasphemy!

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Santa vs Jesus, made by London company Komo Games, is played by two teams – one for each of the festive figures – who battle through challenges in an attempt to win the most “believers”.

It was funded via crowd-sourcing site Kickstarter which said it was the “most complained about game in history”.

But fans have called it “good fun”.

Danny Webster, spokesperson for the Evangelical Alliance, says he believes a board game helping people learn about Jesus at Christmas would be “a great innovation” but he has a problem with the Santa vs Jesus game because “it trivialises Christian belief and equates them both as fictional characters.

“With over 4 out of 10 people in the UK mistakenly thinking that Jesus was not a real historical person, this game won’t help correct that.

No, no, that’s not mistaken thinking. That’s actual thinking! There isn’t much evidence for the historicity of Jesus, and pretty much none for all those bloodsoaked fables in the bible.

“At its heart Christmas is about celebrating the birth of Jesus and the gift of life he brings.

No, no it isn’t. The church manufactured that nonsense about Jesus being born on 12/25, in order to destroy numerous winter solstice festivals, rituals, and the worship of other gods. When you’re relatively up on your mythology, you come across a considerable expanse of gods who all pre-dated the xtian mythos by hundreds to thousands of years, and it’s easy enough to see just how much the writers of various bits of the bible cribbed from earlier religions, because man, those stories were good! Khrisna of India. Thammuz of Syria. Esus of the Celtic Druids. Mithra of Persia. Quexalcoati of Mexico. All were crucified gods, and all met their fates hundreds of years before Jesus appeared on the scene. We’ll just have a look at Horus:

Born of a virgin, Isis. Only begotten son of the God Osiris. Birth heralded by the star Sirius, the morning star. Ancient Egyptians paraded a manger and child representing Horus through the streets at the time of the winter solstice (about DEC-21). In reality, he had no birth date; he was not a human. Death threat during infancy: Herut tried to have Horus murdered. Handling the threat: The God That tells Horus’ mother “Come, thou goddess Isis, hide thyself with thy child.” An angel tells Jesus’ father to: “Arise and take the young child and his mother and flee into Egypt.” Break in life history: No data between ages of 12 & 30. Age at baptism: 30. Subsequent fate of the baptiser: Beheaded. Walked on water, cast out demons, healed the sick, restored sight to the blind. Was crucifed, descended into Hell; resurrected after three days.

So stuff the outrage and nonsense, Mr. Webster. Oh, don’t be celebrating that crass, paganistic xmas, either. No tree, gifts, or Santa for you. No.

Via BBC.

Stocking Stuffers.

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Just a little reminder, if you’re looking for little goodies this Saturnalia, to delight your favourite atheist, happy hedonist, or religious relative, remember Oglaf!*** There are the fabulous tracts, or this nifty Sithrak pin, because you don’t want to go upsetting Sithrak, as he is an insane god for an unjust world:

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as well as many other wonderful goodies. I hafta get that pin. Actually, Dear Santa, I would like the whole Oglaf store… The Oglaf store is here.

***If you are new to Oglaf, never heard of Oglaf, do not open link at work. Lots of naked people, lots and lots and lots of sexy fun times with fully visible genitalia, and a whole lot of irreverence, intelligence, and biting wit, so if you’re sensitive about that sort of thing, don’t click.

 

Black Atheists Matter.

In Charlotte NC. Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty.

In Charlotte NC. Photo by Sean Rayford/Getty.

Christianity has played a central role in African-American life from the late 18th century to the present. Black churches raised funds for fugitive slaves, served as schoolhouses, and provided space for political meetings and activities, among other functions. Leaders of black congregations such as Richard Allen or Daniel Payne were often leaders of the broader black community. The spiritual messages of redemption and justice appealed to a people who experienced the brutality of slavery and the indignities of Jim Crow segregation laws. However, while many black churches were radical advocates for political and economic equality, others remained conservative institutions that failed to challenge the status quo. This conservatism helped give rise to an increasingly vocal and influential group of African Americans ­– the new black atheists.

Who are the new black atheists and what is behind their recent growth? First, let’s briefly look at the ‘old’ black atheists.

[…]

With women leading the contemporary freethought movement, the politics of respectability and its sometimes anti-feminist tendencies are being undermined. As Hutchinson notes in her book Moral Combat (2011), ‘for many black atheist women, atheism’s appeal lies in its deconstruction of the bankrupt mores, values and ideologies that prop up patriarchy, sexism, heterosexism, racism, white supremacy, imperialism and economic injustice’.

Feminism is an essential part of the new black atheists’ humanism. New black atheists think that it is not enough to deny the existence of God, teach evolution in schools or fight for the separation of church and state. They want to bring worldly solutions to practical problems. Many have embraced Black Lives Matter (BLM), a secular movement that is notably unaffiliated with black religious institutions and ideology. In doing so, they believe they will improve the lot of blacks in particular but also promote a more just, democratic and less racist American society.

As the black atheist Sincere Kirabo posits of BLM: ‘There’s a social activist movement underway continuing the unfinished business of the Civil Rights movement era. Want to make a difference? What we need is grit and involvement in the struggle, not a tribe satisfied with the empty promises of scriptural white noise. Please, for the sake and love of our own futures: abandon your fabled white messiah. Wake up. We are our own salvation.’

Black atheists matter: how women freethinkers take on religion. An excellent essay by Christopher Cameron, highly recommended. As history shows, attempting to to go along with white colonial doctrine doesn’t further people, as a group, or as individuals. It doesn’t decrease bigotry, either, because you’ll never be white enough, even if you manage the christian enough part. You only ever be an “oh, they are okay for a _____ person.”

The Trump Investigative Fund.

Resist.

Resist.

There are journalists who are determined to report facts and make a constant effort to disclose the truth. That’s very important right now. Think Progress has started a fund, and if you are able to drop a few pennies, this is a good place to do so.

[Read more…]

“Well, if that doesn’t curdle an atheist’s egg-nog I don’t know what will.”

1freethoughtradio

As Democrats were reeling from last Tuesday’s election loss, a radio station in Wisconsin quietly replaced liberal talk with round-the-clock Christmas music.

Just hours after Donald Trump was declared the next president of the United States, Madison’s 92.1 WXXM-FM began pumping the yuletide tunes, according to the Wisconsin State Journal.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation released a statement to inform listeners that its atheist “Freethought Radio” broadcast had been “unceremoniously yanked off the air locally.”

[…]

But far-right evangelicals like Fox News radio host Todd Starnes celebrated the fact that atheists no longer had a platform in Madison.

“The Freedom From Religion Foundation, a motley crew of atheists, agnostics and free-thinkers just got a lump of coal in their Christmas stockings,” Starnes crowed in a Fox News column on Tuesday. “Well, if that doesn’t curdle an atheist’s egg-nog I don’t know what will.”

What. an. idiot.

Nielsen Audio ratings show that WXXM pulled the highest share of any liberal talk radio station in the U.S. during the summer of 2016.

Well, there’s a fine example of cutting off your nose to spite your face. I’m sure round the clock Xmas music, which can drive some people homicidal, will be sure to bring in those high ratings!

Via Raw Story.