5.31.2009

Miscegenation and Gay Marriage: Both Abominations?

The plaintiffs, Mildred and Richard LovingImage via Wikipedia
During the Civil Rights era, many Christians in the U.S. 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 same-sex marriage, it struck me 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 then mirrors that currently used to justify opposition to same-sex marriage today. 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 same-sex marriage.

Is this really what was gained from the Civil Rights movement: Black Christians can now join with White Christians in spewing hate and bigotry toward another group?

5.21.2009

Let Latest Catholic Abuse Scandal Be Last Straw

St. Peter's Basilica at Early Morning Photo wa...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. 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.

5.12.2009

Atheists in Anchorage

Municipality of AnchorageImage via Wikipedia

When you think of Alaska, what comes to mind? Sarah Palin? Yeah, me too. Sorry about that, Alaska. That isn't fair, so how about we erase that awful association and replace it with something positive. When I think of Alaska, I will now think of atheism. That's right, atheism!

You see, there is an active atheist Meetup.com group in Anchorage with over 600 members: Alaskan Atheists. For a city the size of Anchorage and in a conservative state like Alaska, I wouldn't have expected anything close to those numbers. 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 https://www.meetup.com/AnchorageAtheists/.

5.10.2009

Christian Evangelist to Women: Shut Up!

Four Church Women

Christianity has had a long and troubled history regarding the role of women in society. Women have been viewed as the property of their husbands, as inferior creatures in need of subjugation, and as serious threats to morality and the social order (e.g., the infamous witch trials). Even the more generous Christians have tended to regard women as second-class citizens.

In the present day, many conservative Christians bristle at the notion that women deserve equal treatment. They 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. They want to return to a time when men were able to exercise greater control over women.

This is exactly what Christian evangelist "Dr." Phil Kidd argues in his brilliantly titled "Hey Lady Shut up!" Focusing on Christian women who attend church, Kidd says, are too outspoken and dare to dress inappropriately at church. They might even talk back when scolded for their appearance. Clearly, they need to shut up.

5.08.2009

Coming to Terms with One's Atheism Can Be a Slow Process

What's Next?

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 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?

5.02.2009

Finally, a True Miracle!

An image of Our Lady of Guadalupe.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 at least one god appearing in the absence of altered states of consciousness or mental illness. In other words, we'd need to have some direct experience with these gods in which we are constantly being asked to believe.

What we have here is not quite this convincing, but it does appear to be a true miracle. That should be good enough. I expect many atheists will soon convert to Christianity upon hearing this news (many probably already have).

The Associated Press broke this amazing story (update: link no longer active) 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? Clearly, somebody in the mainstream news media is biased against Christians!