Meme Dump

Meme Dump

Tuesday Thought #2

If Christians Can Pass Out Bibles, Satanists Can Pass Out Coloring Books

Okay, so … religion. It’s fine for those that want it, and it’s fine for those that don’t. But the problem lies within certain religious groups because some folks believe their faith is the only faith and all others are meaningless. But, sometimes, well, a lot of times, they’re proven wrong and then a little kerfuffle ensues.

Case in point:

Down in Florida, or as I have often called it, having lived there, Flori-duh, the Orange County Schools have allowed a group called World Changers of Florida to distribute Bibles in public schools.

Twice!

Naturally, this does not sit well with those of us who believe in a Separation of Church and State, but it also doesn’t sit well with The Freedom From Religion Foundation — an atheist group — who wanted equal time in the schools and threatened a lawsuit.

So, to settle that suit, and because they know they’re wrong wrong wrong, Orange County Schools agreed to allow The Freedom From Religion Foundation to pass out their atheist materials in school as well.

And that’s where the Satanists come in.

The Satanic Temple wants equal access to the schools as well, to distribute its Satanic Children's Big Book of Activities, a coloring book. Lucien Greaves, spokesman for The Satanic Temple explained the group's motive, saying the Satanic Temple:

“would never seek to establish a precedent of disseminating our religious materials in public schools because we believe our constitutional values are better served by respecting a strong separation of Church and State, but if a public school board is going to allow religious pamphlets and full Bibles to be distributed to students—as is the case in Orange County, Florida—we think the responsible thing to do is to ensure that these students are given access to a variety of differing religious opinions, as opposed to standing idly by while one religious voice dominates the discourse and delivers propaganda to youth.”

And while I am not now, nor have I ever been a Satanist, I say, Go for it. If a public school system in this country is going to allow one religious group to come into a public school and pass out their literature, then they must allow each and every other religious group to do the same.

Failing that, maybe those parents who want their kids to have Bible passed out at school should send their children to a church-affiliated school and leave the public schools alone. Not everyone worships Satan, not everyone worships God, hell, oops, not everyone worships at all, so let's keep all of these faiths, these belief systems out of public schools and stick to reading, writing and arithmetic.

Otherwise your children will spend all their time collecting literature from Christians and Catholics and Jews and Muslims and Buddhists and Satanists and Pagans and Wiccans and Atheists and Agnostics and never really get any education at all.

via NCRM

Have You Heard? If You Don't Swear To 'God' You Can't Join The Air Force

I never wanted to join the military, even though I come from a military family. My father served twenty-plus years in the Air Force and even my sister enlisted. But I never had the inkling to join up, probably because I am staunchly anti-gun, anti-violence, anti-war; yeah, maybe that had something to do with it. But I am grateful for the men and women who do join up, in any branch of the military, and I respect and value their service, and their desire to serve.

Sadly, though, the Air Force doesn’t seem so keen on some enlistees, especially someone who wants to reenlist. At a time when the Air Force, and any branch of service, should be holding the door open to anyone who wants to serve, and is capable of serving, they have decided not to allow one man to reenlist because he crossed out the words "so help me God" at the end of the Air Force oath of allegiance.

His attorney, Monica Miller, with the Apignani Humanist Legal Center, says her client was informed the Air Force would not accept his reenlistment contract because he had crossed out the ‘God’ and that he had just two options: say the oath as written, or leave the Air Force.

In a letter to the inspectors general of the Air Force, Miller said the airman should be allowed to reenlist under a secular oath, and not have to swear to ‘God’ and added that the airman is set to sue the Air Force if he is not allowed to reenlist.

What’s odd is that, up until last October, you were allowed to omit the words ‘so help me God’ from the oath, but for some reason the rules were changed and now this man, who has served his country already, and wants to continue his service, won’t be allowed to because, well, God.

An Air Force spokeswoman confirmed the new policy:

"Reciting ‘So help me God’ in the reenlistment and commissioning oaths is a statutory requirement under Title 10 USC 502. (AFI 36-2606) is consistent with the language mandated in 10 USC 502. Paragraph 5.6 [and] was changed in October 2013 to reflect the aforementioned statutory requirement and airmen are no longer authorized to omit the words ‘So help me God'.”

Basically, the Air Force cannot change its instructions to make “so help me God” optional unless Congress — oh lordy, now the Do-Nothing-Congress is involved — changes the law requiring it. Never mind the fact that to an airman, an atheist airman, swearing to God would be a lie, and never mind that, according to Miller, Article VI of the Constitution prohibits religious tests, and therefore In fact, in the trumps the Air Force Instruction. In fact, in the 1961 case Torcaso v. Watkins, the Supreme Court ruled that “neither a State nor the Federal Government can constitutionally force a person ‘to profess a belief or disbelief in any religion.’”

You know, that whole Freedom of Religion thing we thought we had going on in this country.

As I was saying, I never wanted to be part of the military, and yet here we have someone who has served, and wants to continue serving, but will not be allowed to reenlist because he refuses to swear to God.

This is really getting ridiculous, y’all.

source

Just For Giggles

Source





Loose Ends

I loves me some Real Housewives of Beverly Hills. I LOVE Brit Lisa Vanderpump. I always love a Diva Brit with a rockin' bod and a way with words.

Here are just a few of my favorite Lisa quotes:
On Camille’s dancing: "She was really shaking it and moving it. I think all that’s missing was a pole, really."
On her gay houseguest Cedric: "I was very disappointed to see that under all that dynamite, there’s like a two-inch fuse."
On former childstar and castmate, Kim: "It was all good fun, but Kim seemed much more reserved and much more on the outside. Maybe she went back to Witch Mountain."
On having sex with her husband: "My husband calls me a sex object. He says every time he wants sex, I object. I say to him, you know what? Christmas and birthdays. And it’s your birthday, not mine; it’s another day off."
On Taylor and her husband Russell: "I mean, Taylor’s a bright, vivacious, attractive woman. Evidently, opposites attract."
On setting up Kim on a blind date: "I actually have somebody in mind, but he’s — actually, he’s still behind bars."
LOVE.Her.

Johnny Weir.
He's come out.
Of the closet.
He's gay.
Who knew?
But he's copping to his love for all things men and feather boa in his new autobiography.
Color me surprised.
I kid.
Color me nonplussed.

What about the woman who had a meltdown while the republicans in Congress wasted time reading the Constitution instead of, oh, I dunno, getting to fucking work?
They were reading the passage about the president having to be a natural born citizen, when, from up in the gallery, Theresa Cao screamed something like, "It's people! Soylent green is people!"
Oh? That isn't what she said?
"Not Obama! Not Obama! Help us Jesus!"
Yeah, that's what she screamed before security dragged her crazy birthing ass outta there.

I know reality shows aren't real, but they aren't even pretending anymore. I mean, when someone like Calvin, who doesn't win a challenge, doesn't work well with others, insults his clients, stays on The Fashion Show, it makes me wonder.
And I kept wondering after Casey was eliminated from Top Chef all-Stars this week for her chicken feet.
No, she doesn't have chicken feet, she served chicken feet.
And they were awful.
But, um, yeah, what about Jamie?
Jamie cut her finger a couple of weeks back and left to go to the hospital, leaving her team to do all the work. She came back in time to accept some of the credit.
She didn't get knifed.
Then the next week, she couldn't get her chickpeas soft--and that is not any sort of lesbian sexual reference, I mean actual chickpeas--and she didn't serve the judges any food at all because her tam won before her hard peas were plated.
She didn't get knifed.
Then this week she makes nearly inedible scallop dumplings and overcooked green beans and, again, she doesn't get knifed.
Casey and her chicken feet are sent packing.
Who is Jamie $^%^#^^ing to stay on the show.

Elizabeth Edwards left her ex-husband, John, nothing in her will and people are seemingly in shock.
Let's see.
He cheated on her.
His mistress gave birth to his son.
She divorced him.
He's rich.
I'd be surprised if she left him anything at all, unless it was his balls in a jar.

I saw Bill O'Reilly debating with an atheist the other day, I think his name was David Silverman. Silverman's group is responsible for billboards in NYC, and elsewhere, that call religion a scam, and the use of the word scam offended O'Reilly.
But, what offended me, or actually made me laugh out loud, was when O'Reilly said proof of God exists in the fact that the ocean tides rise and fall each day.
Um, Bill, that's actually the moon.
And, according to Vera Charles, the man in the moon is a lady.

And what about newly elected Florida Republican, Teabagger, wingnut, asshat and fucktard, Allen West who says he hates Obama; hates him. He criticized Obama for going to Afghanistan and having Air Force One land at nice out of concern for the president's safety. He thinks the president should put his life at risk and land in broad daylight like the soldiers do, and yet, he was wasn't the least bit concerned that every single president who travels to a war zone lands at night.
He wants Obama to change that.
And I think maybe Obama should, once Allen West flies his illiterate Teabaggin' ass over to Afghanistan and parachutes from the plane at high noon with a giant red flaming bulls eye tattooed on his large fat ass.

Just sayin'.

This Apple Fell Far From That Tree

Y'all know about Fred Phelps, right? Westboro Baptist, um, semi-preacher? He of the God Hates Fags signs? He who protests at the funerals of American soldiers?

Yeah, that asshat.

Well, turns out old Fred has a son, who spent a lifetime moving away from his father and is now speaking out about Freddy.

Nate Phelps, father of four and self-confessed atheist, now lives in Calgary, Canada, and is engaged to be married to his second wife. He spoke to the Canadian newspaper Globe and Mail about what it was like growing up the son of such a hate-filled man:

"I don’t accept the argument that growing up in a twisted environment is what led me to atheism....I accept the argument that growing up in a hyper-focus-on-God environment led me to search for answers. There’s no doubt about that. And I do accept that there’s damage there....I just don’t see any evidence for a God. But I see plenty of evidence for good and evil in humans."

Phelps did acknowledge that, after being raised by such a man as Fred Phelps, he feels the need for atonement, and the need to work out his feelings about his upbringing. These days, as part of what he calls his atonement, he speaks on the subject of his family and his father's religion at both secularist and gay conventions. In fact, earlier this year he returned to Topeka, Kansas, to speak at a gay rally, a move that "put him at the centre of his father’s hate campaign".

Speaking on the subject of homosexuality, Nate Phelps said he understands that gay men and women don’t choose their sexuality, but did admit that the religious teachings of his father were "hard-wired" into his brain, and that even today he sometimes doubts his thoughts. He does concede that it isn't intellectual thought that causes his doubt, but emotional thought that leaves him wondering.

After being raised by Fred Phelps, it's no wonder that Nate still wonders; being brainwashed by one's own parent can do that to a child, even a grown child. And Nate Phelps has had his share of suicidal thoughts and has battled depression, but he lives in hope, while his father lives in hate.

Nate Phelps is one of 16 of Fred Phelps's children, two of whom have changed their names and turned their back on the family for good.

Sometimes, sometimes, good does come from evil.

You can read more about Nate Phelps, and his life, and trials, and struggles, as the son of hatred, on his website HERE.

Inclusiveness

Obama's Nonbeliever Nod Unsettles Some 

By MELINDA HENNENBERGER (Jan. 23) 

Not everyone was happy with President Barack Obama's nod to nonbelievers and non-Christians in his inaugural address. And some of the stiff criticism about Obama’s religious inclusiveness is coming from African-American Christians who maintain that no, all faiths were actually not created equal. "For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness," the new president said. "We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this earth," he also said. Nothing too controversial, proclaiming that America's strength lies in its diversity. But between those two statements, the new president got specific:

"We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and nonbelievers."

By mentioning, for the first time in an inaugural address, the 16.1 percent of Americans who check "no"’ when asked about religion, Obama turned it into the most controversial line in his speech -- praised by The New York Times editorial board and cited by some Christians as evidence that he is a heretic, and in his well-spoken way, a serious threat. With that one line, the president "seems to be trying to redefine American culture, which is distinctively Christian," said’ Bishop E.W. Jackson of the Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, Va.

"The overwhelming majority of Americans identify as Christians, and what disturbs me is that he seems to be trying to redefine who we are.’"

Earlier this week, Jackson was a guest on the popular conservative Christian radio show 'Janet Parshall's America,' where a succession of callers, many of whom identified themselves as African-American, said they shared the concern, and were perplexed and put off by the president’s shout-out to nonbelievers. Parshall noted that atheists were celebrating the unexpected mention, and indeed they were: 

"In his inaugural address … President Barack Obama did what many before him should have done, rightly citing the great diversity of America as part of the nation's great strength, and including 'nonbelievers'’ in that mix,’" said Ed Buckner of American Atheists. "His mother would have been proud,"’ Buckner said, referring to the fact that Obama’s mother was not a church-goer. "And so are we." 

Jackson said he and others have no problem acknowledging that "this country is one in which everybody has the freedom to think what they want.’" Yet Obama crossed the line, in his view, in suggesting that all faiths (and none) were different roads to the same destination: "He made similar remarks in the campaign, and said, 'We are no longer a Christian nation, if we ever were. We are a Jewish, Hindu and non-believing nation.'" Not so, Jackson says: "Obviously, Jewish heritage is very much a part of Christianity; the Jewish Bible is part of our Bible. But Hindu, Muslim, and nonbelievers? I don't think so. We are not a Muslim nation or a nonbelieving nation."’ With all the focus on Obama as the first African-American president, the succession of black callers to Janet Parshall's show was a reminder that the "community"’ is not a monolith, and that many socially conservative black Americans are at odds with Obama's views, particularly on abortion and gay rights. Nor do they all define civil rights in the same way. The Rev. Cecil Blye, pastor of More Grace Ministries Church in Louisville, Ky., said the president's reference to nonbelievers also set off major alarm bells for him. "It's important to understand the heritage of our country, and it's a Judeo-Christian tradition,"’ period. But his even bigger beef with the president, he said, is that a disproportionate number of "black kids are dying each day through abortion. President Obama is supportive of abortion, and that's a genocide on black folks. Nobody wants to talk about that as a civil rights issue." ___________________________________________ And now, back to me. Since when is inclusiveness a bad thing? This was the first time that I, as what I call a Free-Thinker--which is a Carlos word--felt included. In the past when I heard politicians talk about Christianity, I thought, Hmmmmm, not me. Or Catholicism, or Judaism....it wasn't me they are talking about. Now we have Obama, mentioning all faiths, including the faith of non-believing, as well as mentioning the LGBT community. Well, I thought how happy I was that I checked off the box next to his name last November. I was included. Finally. I was being mentioned. Finally. That felt great. And now we have these ministers criticizing the President for including anything other than Christianity. For including 'them.' Those people who don't believe the exact same thing as these 'ministers.' Those people who believe in a different god, or no god at all. I'm confused. So, religion is divisive? Religion is meant to keep us separate and apart? Unless you believe in this one thing, you don't belong? God, or I ought to say, gosh, I love organized religion. They're so welcoming. Unless you're one of 'them.' Bishop E.W. Jackson of the Exodus Faith Ministries in Chesapeake, Virginia, says the majority of Americans identify as Christian, so we should only include Christians. Well, Bishop, the majority of Americans also identify as white, so should we exclude everyone else? The majority of Americans are aged between 20 and 64; why don't we stop talking about those who fall outside that range. The slight majority of Americans are women; let's give men the boot. I love flawed logic. Most of us think this way so everyone should think this way. 'Jackson said he and others have no problem acknowledging that "this country is one in which everybody has the freedom to think what they want.’" ' Go ahead, acknowledge those people over there, yeah, 'them,' but for the love of God, er, gosh, don't include them. He says we are a Christian nation, and maybe a Jewish nation, but not a nation of Muslims or Hindus. I got news for you, Bishop, we are a nation of all kinds of people, all colors, all languages, all faiths, all orientations, genders, ages, all everything. And Barack Obama is including all of us in this country's dialogue. You need to shake off the old rhetoric and look to the future, man, because it's here. In addition to Obama's inclusiveness, the Rev. Cecil Blye, pastor of More Grace Ministries Church in Louisville, Ky, has an issue with the President's stand on abortion, and a woman's right to choose. He says '"black kids are dying each day through abortion. President Obama is supportive of abortion, and that's a genocide on black folks. Nobody wants to talk about that as a civil rights issue." ' But Rev, why don't you use your ministry, your church, your pulpit, to tell women to protect themselves during sex so they don't become pregnant; then the abortion rates will drop. Why don't you tell the men in your congregation to put a glove on it before having sex, so they aren't creating more children. Get to the source of the problem, Rev; and that isn't abortions. It's men and women having unprotected sex. I find it funny that these men of the cloth are so narrow in their thinking. So closed off to the possibility of hope; the possibility of One Nation Under Gosh, or God, or Buddha, or Mohamed or whomever you believe. I think we'd be a much better nation if we showed the world that all people are welcome here, all faiths, ages, genders, sexual orientations, colors, languages, heights, weights, shoe size......the list goes on and on. But that's just me.