Tuesday, August 28, 2007

Journalist Links Atheists to Child Pornography

Amanda Rogers, freelance investigative journalist, wrote an article published in the American Chronicle about the vigilante group Perverted Justice which worked in the past with the NBC news program "To Catch a Predator."

In her article she details the exploits of Perverted Justice and the trouble into which they are getting themselves and NBC.

After the gruesome details, she quilts in this little generalization:

"Other discoveries are that almost without exception: each Perverted Justice member is either an Atheist or a Wiccan/Pagan. Many of their websites contain pentagrams and images of witchcraft."

Now her readers can infer that all atheists and Wiccan/Pagans are child pornographers.

This renders the entire article defunct as objective rational journalism.

Here's the article:
http://www.americanchronicle.com/articles/viewArticle.asp?articleID=36133

Thursday, August 23, 2007

On "God's Warriors"

Christiane Amanpour presented a brilliant program on Muslims, Jews and Christians, however, the alleged "Secular" was only included as a minor part of the subject matter, and were mostly presented from religious perspectives. The behavior that was presented as "Secular" by people interviewed in the series was not secular at all.

The Secular agenda is merely a platform of individual freedom of choice. The religious only rail against the abnormal behavior occurring on the other side of the platform, then blame the platform.

Of course, defining what is abnormal is entirely subjective to one's own culture or subculture. The Secular understand this and can learn to participate in a respectful manner in multiple cultures, within reason. This opens passages for people to explore different belief systems and make their own choices.

The extremists of the three religions are struggling for dominance over each other and the rest of the world, while the moderates tolerate the extremists and the semi-practitioners and non-practitioners.

The Secular (perhaps not all) see moderates as a cauldron of homogenization between the extremists and non-practicing members of each sect. Sort of like an engine that allows a religion to maintain its existence. If the moderates suddenly migrated toward the semi-practitioners, the extremists would lose their sense of authority, and rituals might fade out of existence.

When a religion must use fear, force or deception to keep a hold on its flock, it's a false religion. The winner is the religion with the most people who were allowed to learn about other cultures, and chose of their own free will, their paths.

To religious people, there is a Fifth Horseman of their apocalypse, and its name is Freedom.

Tuesday, August 7, 2007

House and Senate on Break

Our U.S. Senators and Congressmen are on their August break. You might see them around your district. We, the people expected change after the 2006 election, and the rumors going around are that the Democrats have rolled over and have not been effective since they have become a majority.

But, we, the people rolled over. We only gave the Democrats a simple majority, not an overriding majority. For the Democrats to be effective against the onslaught of warmongering predatory capitalists, an overriding majority is needed, a better than two-thirds majority that can override a Presidential veto or some other arcane parliamentary procedure.

So we have nothing to complain about but our own inability to elect an effective majority of legislators different from those who dominated our government for the last six years.

Saturday, August 4, 2007

Religous Impunity

A recent letter to the editor in August 3, 2007 that was titled “Might be surprised at who we don’t see in heaven,” demonstrated how selective some people can be using quotes from the bible to validate their sense of superiority or “infallibility.” I was also struck by the last sentence of the letter. The author said he was one of the worst sinners to walk “this sod” but that Jesus died for him and he was “free, praise the lord, free at last.” I had an epiphany.

As an atheist I have no “Get out of Hell Free Card” in the form of Christ being crucified. I must take stock of other people’s feelings all the time. I have no comfort of Jesus Christ with which to snuggle away guilt for having mistreated other people. I have no luxury of washing my hands of my misdeeds every holy day. I must treat other people as I would want to be treated, and I expect nothing less from everyone else.

Unfortunately, there are people out there who feel they can run to their place of worship and wash away their guilt by enveloping themselves in their symbols and rituals of blissful forgiveness on a regular basis, leaving behind those they wronged who are ultimately duped into thinking the wrongdoers will be judged by God later, so they take no action.

It’s not about extreme actions or behavior; it’s about basic social attitudes in a country that is supposed to protect and nurture diversity. There’s no sense of ecumenical community, it’s all team rivalry that fomented the 9/11 attacks. It’s time to let religion to go altogether, it’s nothing but trouble.

The competition between religions is bad enough without people treating their neighbors with a sense of religious impunity.