7.22.2009

Christian Extremism in America: The Family

The Family I had heard of the secretive Christian extremist organization known as "the Family" before the latest high-profile Republican sex scandals hit the news. However, I did not know much about the group. In fact, all I had really heard was that they were a well-connected Christian dominionist organization in the Washington D.C. area. I still do not know very much about them, but I have to say that what I've been learning in the aftermath of the Ensign, Sanford, and Pickering scandals has been more than a little concerning. I hope that more information about the group emerges, so much information that they are essentially neutered. After all, it strikes me as nearly impossible to view this group as anything less than a serious threat to democracy.

Bruce Wilson has an informative post on the Family over at Huffington Post, and as much as I hate the thought of relying on them as a source of information on any subject, it seems like a reasonable place to start because he assembles information from a variety of reputable sources. Religion Dispatches also has some good information on the Family.

7.21.2009

Catholics Still Determined to Conceal Clergy Abuse

Mosaic cross ~Lobby of New West Catholic gym
Mosaic cross ~Lobby of New West Catholic gym (Photo credit: laudu)
I have never considered myself to be anti-Catholic, at least not any more so than I am anti-religion in general. Most of my friends are Catholics, and we usually manage not to get bogged down in religious or political debates. In fact, here in Mississippi, they are often allies against the sea of Southern Baptists which surrounds us. But the Catholic Church is another matter entirely, and I find myself having an increasingly difficult time imagining why anyone would want to associate themselves with it today.

In the last year alone, it seems like there has been one Catholic abuse scandal after another. As bad as they are, I keep coming back to the common thread which ties them all together: systematic efforts by the Church to prevent disclosure, conceal the harsh realities, and protect known pedophiles. Essentially, everyone but them is responsible.

In the latest bit of news on this front, we have a report from the Associated Press (update: link no longer active) that a Roman Catholic diocese in Connecticut is appealing to the U.S. Supreme Court to prevent public disclosure of more evidence of sexual abuse. If anyone is still denying that the Church seeks to conceal bad acts and protect pedophiles, this should set them straight.
The records could reveal details on how retired New York Cardinal Edward Egan handled the allegations when he was Bridgeport bishop from 1988 to 2000. Egan's deposition should be in the file, according to an attorney for the newspapers seeking the documents.
Jonathan Albano, an attorney representing various American newspapers and seeking disclosure of the records was quoted as saying,
It's somewhat disappointing that the diocese continues to approach the litigation in a way that delays the public's right to see these documents.
Disappointing is an understatement. This is appalling and should get the attention of anyone opposed to the sexual abuse of children. I agree completely with David Clohessy, director of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests when he says,
We're disappointed that the complicity of top Catholic officials continues to remain hidden. This is not what Connecticut Catholics or citizens deserve. It's one more painful reminder that bishops will do everything possible to protect themselves and their colleagues instead of children.
H/T to Deep Thoughts

7.12.2009

Existence of Atheists Scares Florida Christians

I am sure you remember the recent atheist billboard that went up in Fort Lauderdale, FL. I suspect you've also heard about the subsequent Christian protests of the billboard and the local media's description of it as "controversial." Many atheist bloggers have already sounded off about the situation, so I merely want to echo some of the great points that have already been made.

Opponents of the billboard seem to have two main objections:

  1. The billboard is located next to a Christian-owned business.
  2. The billboard is located in a predominately African American community.
I'm going to focus on the first objection because I am honestly unable to fathom how the second is in any way relevant. If someone would care to explain it to me, I'd appreciate it because I just don't get it.

7.06.2009

Daniel Radcliffe (Harry Potter) is an Atheist

Harry Potter World

Many people do not like to admit that they care what celebrities think about much of anything (until we elect them president), but it is fairly clear that this is not the case. People are interested in celebrities, and it should come as little surprise that many celebrities end up using their massive platforms to share their thoughts on a variety of subjects. While there are many cases where we wish they would shut up and stick to doing whatever made them famous, most of us can think of at least a few situations in which we are glad to hear from them.

Daniel Radcliffe, the actor who has player Harry Potter in the films of that name, confirmed in an Esquire interview that he is an atheist. As reported in The Telegraph, Radcliffe not only identified himself as an atheist in this interview but expressed his respect for Richard Dawkins. I suppose Christian extremists have yet another reason to boycott the Harry Potter films, which they were already doing.

7.04.2009

Proud to be an American?

Happy 4th of July! The American Flag in FireworksImage by BL1961 via Flickr

Throughout small town America today, one will see flags, fireworks, and junk food on display. A common sentiment you'll encounter is pride, and many will find it necessary to express their pride in being Americans today. I'd like to make two small contributions to this conversation, neither of which are original and one of which will be presented in video form. Yes, I am that lazy.

First, you are going to hear many people claiming that the United States is #1. Those making this claim do not usually specify what they mean, so one is left assuming that they must mean we are the best in every way imaginable. When you hear this claim, please consider the following from "10 Things Every Adult Should Know" (update: link no longer active) written by f*cking c*nts:

America is not #1. Well, not unless you count military spending and handgun related deaths. We’re shit at public education. Our health care system is both the most expensive and the least effective in the developed world. Literacy, infant mortality, per capita living below the poverty line and/or without any health insurance … etc., etc. We’re kind of horrible at a whole lot of things, if you want to be honest about it. We’re also, on average, fat as fuck.

There is nothing wrong with being proud of what we are doing right, and the progress we have made in some areas should be acknowledged. But none of this should be allowed to mask our screw-ups so much that we become blind to them. We still have a very long way to go.

Second, consider the absurdity of being proud over something that one did not do and had no control over (i.e., being born in America). But don't take my word for it. Instead, see what George Carlin had to say on the subject:


Have a good day, stay safe, and enjoy spending time with family and friends. Take pride in what you have accomplished (e.g., managing to break free from religious delusion), but don't get sucked into the mire of blind patriotism. I'll try to do the same.

H/T to toomanytribbles

7.03.2009

How Many Christians Really Believe What They Claim?

Detail from Albrecht Dürer
Detail from Albrecht Dürer (Photo credit: Wikipedia)
It recently struck me that one of the recurrent themes that has surfaced again and again at Atheist Revolution involves the question of whether most Christians actually believe much of what they claim to believe. Not only have I written a few posts directly posing this question, but it seems to emerge in some posts and linger just beneath the surface in many others. As I look at it head on, I still do not feel like I have made much progress in finding a satisfactory answer.

Christian Hypocrisy

A common route to this question are the many examples of apparent Christian hypocrisy that show up here and on countless other atheist blogs. Mojoey at Deep Thoughts has done a commendable job tracking Christian hypocrisy, and he has much company throughout the atheist blogosphere.

Blatant examples of what appears to be Christian hypocrisy do make us wonder whether we are seeing genuine hypocrisy (i.e., someone who is acting contrary to a cherished belief) or something more akin to a con being exposed. Of course, it all looks like real hypocrisy because a good con is going to profess belief as well as the true believers.

When we see the parade of fallen pastors, we have to ask whether they really believe what they have been preaching. It often strikes us as more likely that they were simply saying what they needed to say in order to get close to their marks.