I'd like to expand a bit on some of the discussion provoked by my post, Inside a Tennessee Science Classroom. It is very easy to blame the teacher featured in the video clip, and I have little doubt that this is appropriate. But what many fail to realize is that teachers like this are under tremendous pressure these days (1) not to offend anyone, and (2) avoid lawsuits. None of this absolves the teacher from responsibility, but it will have to be considered if we want to improve the quality of public education in the U.S.

Imagine for a second that you are given the task of teaching science, social studies, or a range of other subjects without offending anybody. You cannot offend the overly sheltered kids who have been brainwashed by fundamentalist homeschoolers. You cannot offend any parents, no matter how unhinged they might be. It is difficult to imagine how any teacher can accomplish this.

Ridicule is the only weapon which can be used against unintelligible propositions. Ideas must be distinct before reason can act upon them; and no man ever had a distinct idea of the trinity. It is the mere Abracadabra of the mountebanks calling themselves the priests of Jesus.

- Thomas Jefferson, Letter to Francis Adrian Van der Kemp, 1816

Subscribe to Atheist Revolution

Technorati Tags: Christianity, reason, Thomas Jefferson

I missed this one last week but want to mention it now. Some nutjob firebombed a Planned Parenthood clinic in Madera, CA on Thursday. This happens to be the same place where someone threw a brick through the window of a mosque just one week prior to the firebombing. It does not sound like the FBI thinks the crimes are connected, but I think it is probably fair to speculate that the perpetrators shared a common motive: Christian extremism.

There are plenty of Christian churches who will condemn these actions. They might not do it as publicly as some would like, but I have no doubt that they will do it. But there are other Christian churches where whoever committed these acts will be regarded as heroes. And this is a problem.

Subscribe to Atheist Revolution

I was intently reading a recent post at Friendly Atheist about how atheist students at Penn State responded to a recent visit by assorted campus preachers. As I have said previously, I think that public idiocy should be met with public mockery, and so I always love to hear about it happening. The Penn State Atheist Agnostic Association handled this situation beautifully and should be commended for their tactics.

But one line in Hemant's post really clicked for me.

They [the campus preachers] just came to preach the hate and then acted shocked when they realized it wasn’t working:

That is such a perfect description. They came to preach hate, and it did not work. I like to think that the atheists who were so effectively countering their message gave others a space to reject the preachers' message without feeling guilty about doing so.

Once again we see how effective mockery can be when used strategically to counter hatred and bigotry.

Subscribe to Atheist Revolution

Yeah, I'm sure you saw this coming. Some weeks, this is just too damn easy.

Idiot of the Week goes to Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer. Before this, she was known primarily for her "papers please" law. After her performance in the gubernatorial debate, I cannot imagine that she will be known for anything else.



I have to confess that I have watched this clip at least 10 times. It is priceless! "We have did what was right for Arizona."

On a serious note, I would expect that a performance like this would be more than enough to end a political career. And yet, I know full well that it won't be. If Sarah Palin is any indication, Brewer's blank state, uncomfortable giggling, and maniacal stare will simply endear her to enough voters to earn re-election. And we wonder why our elected officials often seem so ineffective and untrustworthy!

Subscribe to Atheist Revolution

Rep. Randy Forbes (R-VA) is a member of the secretive anti-democratic group known as "The Family." He also happens to be the one who introduced the bill to reaffirm "In God We Trust" as the national motto. The good news is that he now has some competition in the state of Virginia. Meet Dr. Wynne LeGrow, a Democratic challenger for the seat held by Rep. Forbes.

Dr. LeGrow's background is impressive. He is a primary care physician, a retired Major in the U.S. Army, and a family man. And he is a self-described non-believer. Yes, that's right, an atheist is challenging a Christian extremist in Virginia's 4th Congressional District.

Subscribe to Atheist Revolution

Compelling stuff that is all too rarely addressed on American television. Silverman is right that atheism has at least a couple of things to offer society: the promotion of knowledge and tolerance.



H/T to Atheist Media Blog

I have seen a handful of former Christians turned atheist apologize for some of what they did as Christians (e.g., bigotry, evangelism, etc.). I think this is a positive development, and I hope that such examples continue to inspire more to do the same. While I was generally content to keep my Christian beliefs to myself when I actually had such beliefs, I do have something much more recent for which I'd like to apologize. In fact, my apology isn't for something I did as a Christian at all but for something I did as an atheist.