Atheist Revolution

Who's a Real Atheist?

2008-12-03T05:34:00.001-06:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeBack in the days when rap music was first emerging into the mainstream, rappers were fond of accusing others of selling out. Performers like MC Hammer were a favorite target because they were perceived as engaging is a sort of rap-lite that traded credibility and heart for sales. There have been similar undercurrents in the atheist movement for some time now. Some atheists consider those doing anything shy of in-your-face activism sell-outs. Friendly Atheist has probably received as much criticism for his softer, gentler approach as anyone else. Is there any benefit to identifying so-called sell-outs at this stage of the atheist movement?

In what has to be one the most inflammatory ways of framing this debate, Austin Cline has coined the term "Uncle Tom atheist." I'm not crazy about the connotations of this choice of words, but I see what he's going for. Austin suggests that an Uncle Tom atheist is an atheist who is not "truly committed to equality, liberty, and liberation for all atheists." He sees such atheists as detrimental to the atheist movement.

Would you turn your back on working for real equality in exchange for a few scraps from the tables of religious theists so you can pretend you're being treated as an equal? Would you support increased privileges for Christians in the hope that a few of those privileges might drip down to benefit you personally?

Austin is calling on each of us to engage in some self-reflection. Who are we? What do we want with regard to an atheist movement? And most important of all, what are we willing to do in order to achieve our goals in this area?

Even though I do not agree with everything Austin says with regard to how one can discover whether one is an Uncle Tom atheist, I do think that he's right to call for some self-exploration around some of these issues. If we are serious about promoting atheist equality, and I fully realize that not every atheist is committed to this goal, there are some tough questions we need to ask of ourselves.

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Kudos To Washington State Atheists

2008-12-02T05:19:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaAccording to The Spokesman Review (Spokane, WA), conflict has been brewing in the Washington State Capitol over the past few years. In 2005, state Rep. John Ahern (R-Spokane) decided to protest the state's decision to call a large evergreen tree placed inside the Capitol this time of year a "holiday tree." Evidently, Rep. Ahern found this form of cultural sensitivity unacceptable. He gathered some like-minded Christians to sing carols on the Capitol steps and added a small "Merry Christmas" sign and a cardboard menorah at the bottom of the tree. In 2006, rabbis showed up to light a large menorah with the Governor, and Christians asked for a nativity scene. The state initially denied this request but then caved during a lawsuit, paving the way for the nativity scene the following year. Now the state says they'll allow virtually any sort of religious or political display. Enter the atheists.

This year, Christians plan to erect a Nativity scene on one side of the capitol's rotunda (remember, this is a state capitol building). Evidently, members of the Freedom From Religion Foundation are planning their own display for the other side of the dome, a sign "declaring that there is no God and that 'religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds.'"

I find this a fascinating example of what can happen when governments refuse to enforce the Constitutional ban on promoting religion. Had the state done the right thing from the beginning (i.e., refusing to permit the nativity scene or the menorah and allowing the case to go to court if necessary), we would have a a simple holiday tree onto which everyone could project their own religious delusions.

Because the state failed to honor the law, we are left with a situation where every religious and political group imaginable may soon be competing for space in government buildings. Now this may sound strange coming from me, but I don't particular want anti-religious propaganda in a government building anymore than I want pro-religious propaganda in the same building. I agree that if the Christian garbage has to be there that the atheist stuff belongs too. However, none of it should be permitted in the first place.

It is becoming increasingly clearer to me that Christian extremists, such as those who are offended when someone says "Happy Holidays" instead of "Merry Christmas," are making far more progress in secularizing their allegedly sacred holidays than we atheists ever could. Had Rep. Ahern simply been able to keep his trap shut, there would be no need for dueling displays in Washington's Capitol. The more he and his Christian brethren whine about the government not respecting their delusion, the more secular the holidays become.

Washington State claims that they'll allow anything that is not disruptive, free, and is not seen as endorsement of the position by the state. I do understand this line of reasoning, but I find it lacking. This is a government building, and none of this garbage belongs there.

H/T to Tangled Up in Blue Guy

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Kentucky Homeland Security Required to Credit Some God

2008-12-01T05:18:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaJust when you think you've heard it all, The Raw Story reports on a story out of Kentucky you won't be able to believe. Kentucky State Rep. Tom Riner is upset with the Kentucky Department of Homeland Security for failing to credit his god with helping to keep state residents safe. Huh? Oh, it gets better!

Back in 2006, Kentucky passed an anti-terror law. One of the provisions of this law, a provision pushed by Rep. Riner (who also happens to be a Southern Baptist pastor), requires that a plaque be added to the department's Emergency Operations Center that includes the following statement:

The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.

Wow! Rep. Riner actually succeeded in passing a law requiring a federally-funded agency to credit his god with protecting the people of Kentucky from terrorism! How is this possibly constitutional?

So why is Rep. Riner upset now? The department's 2008 annual report did not credit his god.

"This is recognition that government alone cannot guarantee the perfect safety of the people of Kentucky," Riner added. "Government itself, apart from God, cannot close the security gap. The job is too big for government."

I realize that I have more than enough religiously-motivated idiocy to deal with right here in Mississippi, but this simply cannot go unnoticed. Do atheists in Kentucky know about this? How can those of us outside the state help?

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Black Friday Death: Were The Deals Worth It?

2008-11-30T07:41:00.000-06:00

Image by Getty Images via DaylifeI have but one question for the more than 2,000 shoppers in Long Island who trampled a Wal-Mart employee to death on Black Friday - was it worth it? Get some good deals, did you? How much money did you end up saving, and was it a fair price for this man's death? Was that copy of Rush Hour 2 you picked up for $2 worth it?

According to Newsday, Nassau police reported that Jdimytai Damour, a seasonal employee of Wal-Mart, was trampled to death "after an impatient crowd broke down the store doors." Among the details released to the media were the following:

Hundreds of shoppers "stepped over, around and on the 34-year-old worker as they rushed into the store."
Nobody attempted to help Mr. Damour.
First responders struggled to reach Damour and were actually "jostled" by the crowd of shoppers.
Shoppers asked to leave by crying Wal-Mart employees who witnessed the trampling ignored them and continued shopping.

When I first heard reports of this story from friends, I thought it was merely a bad joke. I figured it must have been something someone pulled off The Onion and was trying to pass off as a real story (yes, I have friends who sometimes forget that The Onion is satirical). But it was real.

If this story isn't a scathing commentary on our "American values," I'm not sure what is. As such, it will receive little attention and quickly be forgotten. Of this, I think we can be quite confident. Personally, I am absolutely disgusted with humanity right now.

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Glorifying Stupidity is Bad for Society

2008-11-29T06:08:00.000-06:00

Image by tskdesign via FlickrIt is no secret that religion and science are at odds. Attempts to reconcile them have been popular but also in vain. Most of us recognize this now and may have even tuned out some of the continued noise in this area. However, I would hope that everyone would sit up and take notice when the religious community attacks education itself. Yes, religion has long been the enemy of reason, but there is something truly despicable about religiously-motivated anti-intellectualism. It reminds us that the lessons of Galileo have not stayed with humanity. Indeed, the Catholic Church is once again condemning knowledge in order to preserve itself.

In looking at our modern world, it is difficult to see how anyone could argue that what we really need is less education. And yet, the institutions of organized religion seem to have little choice. They have painted themselves into a corner by clinging to their "god of the gaps."

Religious belief does stand in opposition to reason, science, critical thinking, and education (as distinct from indoctrination). Increasing numbers of people are realizing this and either leaving superstition behind or embracing a watered-down version of various religious traditions void of actual belief.

Because the churches depend on the ignorant masses for their very survival, they oppose what we as a society most need. It is time for the trumpet of reason to sound. Our neighbors need to see what is at stake here.

H/T to Spanish Inquisitor

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Offended By "Merry Christmas?"

2008-11-28T06:29:00.000-06:00

Image by Ryoh A via FlickrAustin Cline recently posted a question he received on his forums asking why some atheists seemed to be offended by someone saying "Merry Christmas." At least for me, "offended" seems a bit strong. I'd prefer to use the term "annoyed" to describe how I feel upon hearing "Merry Christmas." I certainly notice it, but I do not take offense at hearing those words.

What could possibly be annoying about hearing someone wish me a merry Christmas? I find it annoying because it is insensitive. The person making the statement is either assuming that I am Christian (a form of Christian privilege), doesn't give a damn, or has not bothered to consider the impact of these words on persons with different beliefs.

In these situations, I almost always assume good intentions on the part of the speaker. Instead of jumping to the conclusion that the speaker thinks everyone is Christian or that they don't care how their words might make me feel, I assume that they are trying to be nice and are simply operating in a state of blissful ignorance. A bit annoying but hardly what I'd consider offensive.

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Thankful for the Atheist Movement

2008-11-27T08:00:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaI slept late this morning and hadn't really thought about writing a Thanksgiving post. I'm not big on holidays of any sort, and other than enjoying some time off work, I don't do anything different from what I usually do. I know that makes me quite odd, but I'm getting more comfortable embracing that. Still, my upbringing leaves me with an almost irresistible urge to reflect on what I am thankful for today. To the degree that it makes sense for an atheist to talk of being thankful, I am thankful for having an atheist movement. Even a largely disorganized and ineffective one is better than none at all, and so I extend warm wishes to all who make this movement happen.

For the purposes of this post, all I mean by atheist movement is a group of people interested in working together to defend and even promote the rights of atheists. Such a group recognizes that atheist equality is a civil rights issue. Such a group cares about making the world a better place for those of us in the reality-based community. Certainly, these brave people deserve our thanks.

It is good to simply know that there are others out there who have managed to throw off the shackles of ancient superstition and accept the world as it is rather than how they want it to be. Our brand of activism is about moving forward while benefiting from the lessons of the past. I thank the atheist activists for engaging in their long struggle.

Whether you write an atheist blog or visit them from time to time, whether you engage in brief acts of positive activism or are a full-time activist, whether you belong to one secular organization or several, I thank you. Your efforts help each of us feel less alone and more a part of our civil rights struggle. If I'm going to be thankful today, it is for your presence.

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It Is About Reducing Isolation

2008-11-26T06:00:00.001-06:00

Image via WikipediaI've got news for the Christians who are upset about atheist billboards, atheist bus advertisements, and atheist greeting cards. It is not about trying to take "Christ" out of Christmas at all. In fact, it isn't really even about you and your jealous little god at all. It is about letting millions of American atheists know that they are not alone. Nobody likes feeling alienated from the culture in which they live. These various campaigns are simply about normalizing the experience of countless atheists.

If the idea of atheists feeling free to be themselves threatens you for some reason, tough shit. We are here to stay, and we are not willing to keep our opinions to ourselves any more than you are. We are going to be more visible in the next few years, and you can expect to hear more from us.

We live fulfilled, ethical, and joyful lives without any need for monsters, ghosts, or gods. It is unfortunate that you haven't been able to do this yet. We hope that you will be able to do so eventually. We also understand how you feel about us. Many of us were once Christians, and we know what you have been taught about us. This allows us to empathize with you and even experience compassion for your struggle. But we will not apologize for our existence, and we will not stop working to promote education, reason, and skepticism.

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The Jealous Atheist

2008-11-25T05:18:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaIf you've read the Christian bible, you know that their god is repeatedly described as being a jealous god. I always found the notion of anything godlike being jealous of what humans thought or believed to be the height of absurdity, but this does not seem to bother those who claim to believe in such a god. Maybe being jealous is not so bad after all. In fact, I happen to be seriously jealous at this very moment. In fact, I am coveting someone else's property in the worst way.

Who am I jealous of, and what is the object of my coveting? I am jealous of fellow atheist blogger, Dubito Ergo Sum, for obtaining what has to be one of the coolest pieces of Americana I've seen in a long time.
Yep, a talking Jesus action figure found in the clearance section at Wal-Mart. I know what you're thinking - why would any self-respecting atheist even consider owning one of these, much less paying for it? I don't know what to tell you except to say that it is taking every bit of self-control I have not to get in the car and head for Wal-Mart right now.

Sure, there's the fun that could be had from posing the figure in all sorts of poses and take pictures which could be posted here to entertain you. I'll admit that this is appealing. But I think it is also about the horrified look on the faces of those who know me when they see me with something like this. Could there be a better decoration for my office?

Back in college, I was very open about my atheism to the point where anyone who knew me, even casually, knew my thoughts on religion. During this time, I found some of the ugliest Jesus candles you can possible imagine at a flea market for $1 each. I bought as many as I could carry and littered my apartment with them. My friends thought I was crazy, and the believers who came over were never sure what to make of it.

Yes, I know I have a sickness - some sort of strange addiction to finding the most repugnant Jesus crap out there. Maybe my jealousy of Dubito Ergo Sum is a symptom. Still, I suppose it means that I am more godlike than I previously thought.

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What Do Christians Have To Live For?

2008-11-24T05:40:00.000-06:00

Image by givepeasachance via FlickrA recent post at Separate Spectrum started me thinking about this question. What do Christians have to live for? Some will answer that they live for their god. Fair enough, but I'm not sure how they do this? Many will claim to believe in some sort of afterlife, but most still fear and avoid death. Do they live primarily for this imagined afterlife? If so, that seems like it would be an awfully empty sort of existence. Nothing in the here-and-now would matter except insofar as it affected a poorly characterized afterlife.

Many Christians are clearly uninterested in making the world a better place. They obsess about something called "the rapture" and imagine that there time here will be too brief to make any sort of impact. I suppose these Christians are in fact living for some sort of afterlife.

But others at least claim to care about improving their present worlds. Why is this important to them? Is it because they think they will be rewarded for it, or are there other reasons?

And how about morality? Some Christians believe that one of their deities (Jesus I think) already somehow guaranteed their place in "heaven." When he died, their sins were forgiven. For these Christians, I wonder how they could refrain from raping and murdering at will. After all, if they are already destined for eternal rewards, why would they remain moral during their brief time on Earth?

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Promoting Atheist Community: Atheist Philanthropy

2008-11-23T08:12:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaIn a recent post on promoting atheist community, I offered some suggestions about how best to begin the process of developing atheist community. I indicated that the first step would involve determining the sort of community we wanted, and I provided some brief recommendations. It was my hope that others would chime in, and I am happy to report that this is indeed happening.

Mojoey of Deep Thoughts and the Atheist Blogroll (join the Atheist Blogroll here) had an interesting recommendation of his own:

I would like to suggest another area for consideration, Philanthropy. I’ve been kicking around the idea of starting a philanthropic organization whose members are part of the atheist blogging community. Funds could be collected via donations. A small board of directors could oversee dispersal to appropriate charities or programs.

I think this is a fascinating possibility with a few different benefits. First, an effort like this would indeed promote atheist community. Those involved in running, promoting, and communicating with the organization would be coming together to work on common goals.

Second, as Mojoey mentions, this would be good for our image. Now, let me be very clear in what I am about to say so there is no confusion. I am not generally in favor of atheists worrying too much about our public image because I believe that our efforts along these lines will matter little to those who demonize us. However, I believe that something along the lines of what Mojoey is describing here would be good for our self-image and might help us gain access to the media in order to educate the uninformed about atheism. In these ways, I do see such an effort as having a positive impact on our image.

Third and perhaps most intriguing of all, Mojoey's plan would allow us to help others in the name of atheism. Like many of you, I contribute regularly to a variety of charitable organizations as well as those dedicated to preserving separation of church and state, promoting atheism, and the like. But this would be different. This would allow me to reach out in various ways to help others in the name of atheism. Of course, I can do this now as an individual through targeted contributions to select groups, but under Mojoey's plan, this would actually be a way to come together with other atheists.

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Blogging Tip #13: Searching Blogs Efficiently

2008-11-22T06:29:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaCross-blog collaboration benefits those who engage in it and strengthens the atheist blogosphere as well. Few posts address topics or issues so unique that they have not been previously discussed elsewhere. When writing a post, it is often helpful to review what others have written and to point readers to these sources for additional information or other opinions. This post suggests a helpful but underutilized method for identifying relevant blog posts.

You are probably already familiar with the Atheist Blogroll, but did you know that there was a search engine just for searching blog posts written by members? That's right, Larro developed an Atheist Blogroll Search Engine through Google so that we can search posts from Atheist Blogroll members.

I have found this tool to be incredibly useful. If I'm writing a post and want to know what other atheist bloggers are saying about it, the Atheist Blogroll Search Engine is my first stop. Consider it the next time you want to know what others in our community are writing about an issue.

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On The Logical Impossibility Of God

2008-11-21T06:33:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaI was rereading a portion of George Smith's excellent Atheism: The case against God recently and found a part I'd like to summarize for the reader. It deals with a core aspect of what many atheists (this one included) believe, namely that the god of the major monotheistic religions is logically impossible.

In a nutshell, he suggests that "...the entire notion of a supernatural being is incomprehensible" because nothing can exist apart from that which exists naturally.

To be is to be something as opposed to nothing, and to be something is to be something specific. If a god is to have any characteristics (which it must to exist), these characteristics must be specific - but to assign definite attributes, to say that a being is this as opposed to that, is to limit the capacities of that being and to subject it to the uniformity imposed by those capacities. A supernatural being, if it is to differ in kind from natural existence, must exist without a limited nature - which amounts to existing without any nature at all (p. 41).

The theist who is not ready to concede defeat has one obvious place of retreat. He or she will claim that his or her god is unknowable. Of course! Theists make this claim all the time. Their god is not merely unknown in the present time but unknowable in principle. The human mind simply cannot comprehend their god.

As Smith suggests, this shifts the discussion away from metaphysics and back to epistemology. However, before making this shift, it is important to understand that the theist is now admitting that his or her god (and any other supernatural entity) is beyond comprehension of the human mind. Is this really what theists believe? Perhaps it gets them around the many metaphysical problems with their god, but it may well come back to haunt them.

How might the concession that their god is unknowable haunt the theist? Consider the following dialogue which Smith provides:

Theist: "I believe in god."
Atheist: "What is 'god'?"
Theist: "I don't know."
Atheist: "But what is it that you believe in?"
Theist: "I don't know that either."

The hole into which the theist has dug himself/herself should now be apparent. The theistic belief claim (i.e., god exists) has been effectively neutered and is now thoroughly void of meaning.

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Promoting Atheist Community: What Do We Want?

2008-11-20T05:32:00.005-06:00

Image by clemente via FlickrIt has been clear to me for some time that we need a secular community, and I am happy to see others making similar arguments. I have called on my fellow atheist bloggers to begin the task of cataloging options for uniting nonbelievers. I think it is time to again pick up this task and move forward in building community among atheists. This post will serve as a reorientation to the task and attempt to outline some characteristics of the sort of community I think we need. My goal here is not to persuade but to spark greater dialogue.

The question in a task like this is always, "Where do we start?" In this case, I think we need to begin with a clear idea about what sort of community we are trying to encourage. For example, do we want a broad secular community that might include atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, etc., or should we limit our initial efforts to fostering atheist community? This is an important question, and not an easy one to answer. Perhaps we could even do both simultaneously, conceptualizing our task as involving parallel efforts operating at different levels of inclusion.

To begin the discussion about what sort of community we should try to foster, I offer the following recommendations:

Even though a broad secular community (i.e., atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, etc.) may be our ultimate goal, we should start with building atheist community.
One of the more important initial steps should involve atheist identity, educating our fellow nonbelievers about the meaning of atheism and giving them something with which to identify.
Initial efforts to develop atheist community should emphasize common political concerns where support is likely to be nearly unanimous (e.g., preserving separation of church and state, opposing religious extremism, ending informal religious tests for political office, opposing anti-atheist bigotry, etc.).
When encountering resistance from our fellow nonbelievers, we should frame the issue as one of ensuring political representation.

Each of these recommendations is likely to be controversial, and each could easily be the subject of considerable discussion. My hope is that by throwing them out there, some of this discussion will happen.

I'll end with a quote from PZ Myers worth remembering:

And at the same time, as skeptics and science-minded people, the principles of tolerance we adopt are going to have to include frank disagreement and criticism of ourselves and others. That should be a central part of who we are, that we do not muzzle our ideas and that we can go up to our fellow atheists and say, "you're wrong" on just about anything, but without simultaneously implying that they're going to be ostracized from the community.

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Proposition 8 Protests Offer Lesson For Atheists

2008-11-19T05:37:00.001-06:00

Image by bobster1985 via FlickrWhy aren't more atheists vocal about their feelings on religion? Why aren't more atheists willing to take a stand against anti-atheist bigotry and demand equality? In a word, fear. We fear losing friends, alienating family, getting fired from our jobs, or even being physically assaulted by religious extremists. These concerns are understandable, but true equality for atheists is likely to require some measure of risk. I submit that we could learn quite a bit from the protests of Proposition 8.

Yes, I realize that the protests we are now seeing in every state (even Mississippi) were prompted by a specific political action which removed rights previously granted to same-sex couples in California. Some may argue that atheists have faced no such denial of rights previously granted and that our efforts would be every bit as impressive if this were to happen to us. I'm sorry, but I don't believe that for a second.

Over at Mississippi Atheists, I posted a video from a small protest in Mississippi last weekend. Roughly 40-50 brave individuals gathered in a Mississippi town across the street from a college campus only a couple hours before a home football game. Those of you familiar with football in the South know what this means. For everyone else, think hordes of drunken rednecks pouring in from tiny rural communities for the game.

And yet, these protesters were out there, wrapped in rainbow flags and holding signs calling for equality. Some may have been terrified, but they did it anyway. They spread their message to passersby and received local television and newspaper coverage. And all over America, people were doing the same.

I know that atheists typically beat out all other groups, including members of the GLBT community, on lists of the most hated persons in America. But I simply do not believe that it would be measurably more perilous for us to take a stand. We can (and should) learn as much as possible about how to organize and foster activism from the GLBT community. However, I suspect that the crucial lesson on which all others may depend is one of working through our fear.

I'll tell you what I learned yesterday - I have no excuse for not standing up for atheist equality. None whatsoever. It is time to face the fear.

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Humanist Symposium #28 at Disillusioned Words

2008-11-18T20:14:00.000-06:00

The 28th edition of the Humanist Symposium blog carnival has been posted at Disillusioned Words. Check it out for some good humanist blogging.

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Online Dating For Atheists

2008-11-18T05:26:00.000-06:00

Has anybody tried Atheist Passions? I'd never heard of them until seeing them mentioned in a newspaper article somewhere. They advertise themselves as focusing on "atheist dating & social networking." Sounds like it might be worth a look. Or are there others out there you prefer?

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Rethinking the War on Christmas

2008-11-17T05:41:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaThe month of November brings both Veteran's Day and Thanksgiving, but it also heralds something even more special - the war on Christmas. It is almost unfortunate that this war is nothing more than a marketing campaign by Christian extremists to solicit donations from their deluded supporters. If only the war was real, it could bring atheists together to denounce Christian privilege as a potent cultural factor for maintaining extremism. But sadly, the war on Christmas is nothing more than an exercise in atheist-bashing where we become the boogeyman long enough to fill right-wing coffers. For this season, I have but one simple question: is there any way we could use this imagined war to benefit ourselves and our compatriots in reality?

I realize that this may seem like a strange question, and to be honest, I'm writing this post without much idea of where it will end up. That is, I'm not sure how we could turn this war to our advantage. It only occurs to me that it might be a question worth asking.

The Christian right has a platform from which to loudly blather about our fictional attacks on their religion. Each year, representatives from atheist groups set the record straight, pointing out there there is no such war. It makes no difference, and the dance is repeated next year.

What if we went off script? What if we embraced their imagined war and made it real? I don't mean armed conflict, of course, but an unflinching war of ideas. Perhaps this would give them exactly what they most want - an enemy they could use to incite fear and raise dollars. But in a way, they already have this even without our participation.

Instead of using our limited public forums to defend ourselves against Christian extremists, what do you suppose would happen if we went on the offensive? Imagine an atheist saying something like the following on national TV:

We all know that there is no actual war on Christmas and that windbags like Bill O'Reilly talk about it just to raise money for Christian extremists groups. But maybe there should be a war - not necessarily on Christmas itself - but on the Christian extremism responsible for spreading hate and blocking our educational and scientific progress as a nation.

If nothing else, might this force the mainstream media to discuss Christian extremism and how it impacts our nation? I submit that this would be an excellent starting point.

Personally, I'm on board with boycotting Christmas altogether as just another celebration of superstition. But I recognize that this idea has little traction in the atheist community and am fine with that. Christmas isn't the problem; Christian extremism (and arguably Christianity itself) is the problem.

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