Atheist Revolution

Free Speech, "Offensive" T-Shirts, and Christian Privilege

2009-09-17T05:25:00.000-05:00

I cannot count the number of times I've encountered Christians wearing t-shirts that could be described as offensive. I remember the Campus Crusade for Christ shirts my fellow students used to wear during my college and their bloody Jesus imagery. I remember the "Nuke Iraq" shirts adorned with Christian bible verses during America's first blood for oil campaign in the Persian Gulf. More recently, there are the shirts opposing reproductive rights depicting aborted fetuses, flaunting anti-gay bigotry, atheist bashing, anti-democracy, and the like. And yet, no matter how much some of these shirts might irritate me, I am happy to defend the right of those wearing them to do so. They are exercising their right to free expression and more power to them.

Check out the t-shirts that were the subject of a recent post at Friendly Atheist. I am not going to get into the subject of children wearing such shirts at school here because I want to focus on a more general issue. Imagine an adult wearing one of these shirts in public. I may not agree with their message (i.e., "Islam is of the devil"), but that is irrelevant. I still support such an exercise of free expression.

Since many atheists have a rather low opinion of Islam, you may say that this particular shirt is an easy one to support. Fine. Imagine that the shirt instead said "Atheism is of the devil," "Atheists are evil," or even "Kill all atheists." I would still support the right of a Christian to wear such a shirt. I wouldn't like it, but I would still recognize it as free expression.

Here's the catch - the right to free expression goes both ways. I defend the right of the Christian to wear such a shirt, and I expect the Christian to defend my right to wear a "fuck the skull of Jesus" t-shirt (I don't actually have such a shirt, but I do fantasize about it often). The thing is, I would be shocked if more than a handful of Christians would actually defend my right to wear such a shirt. And yes, this is pure hypocrisy.

At least in the U.S., a Christian wearing a blatantly anti-atheist shirt is going to emerge unscathed. On the other hand, I cannot imagine an atheist wearing a blatantly anti-Christian shirt surviving long here in Mississippi. Even pro-atheist shirts are going to be perceived as vile assaults on Christianity!

This tells me that the playing field is far from level and that Christian privilege is pervasive. Their cars will not be vandalized on account of their Jesus fish, but I cannot display a Darwin fish. Disparaging comments about atheism are commonplace, while criticism of Christianity incurs wrath. Christian billboards are all over the place, but atheist billboards are rarely tolerated. I could go on and on, but I am confident that you get the idea.

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Catholic Lobbying Group Opposes Child Victims Act

2009-08-11T05:49:00.000-05:00

Image by Premshree Pillai via Flickr

It is not fair to portray the majority of Catholics as child molesters, those who sympathize with them, or those who seek to conceal their crimes so that they might continue. No, the majority of Catholics regard such actions as despicable. Not sufficiently bad to cut off their financial support of the Church, but bad nonetheless. Perhaps this will change their mind.

Writing for FindLaw, Marci A. Hamilton delivers the bombshell:

Based on an unscientific survey of everyone with whom I have spoken in recent months, I have come to the conclusion that there is an untold story that would shock the vast majority of Americans. Pieces of it have appeared in various publications, but never the whole story. It is the story of the New York Catholic Conference's outrageous measures to stop the reform of New York's laws that govern child sex abuse.

It seems that the Catholic Church is now devoting their considerable resources to defeat the Child Victims Act (CVA) in the New York legislature.

The CVA would extend the statute of limitations on child sex abuse by five years and make it somewhat easier for abuse victims to have their day in court. Who would possibly oppose this? According to Ms. Hamilton,

The CVA's most active opponent is the New York Catholic Conference, the lobbying arm for the Roman Catholic bishops.

Her article summarizes the tactics this group has used in their opposition to the CVA. It seems that they will stop at nothing to defeat the legislation.

Ms. Hamilton notes that the New York Catholic Conference is opposing the legislation on the grounds that "window legislation would lead to diocesan bankruptcies and cuts in services." Wow!

The ugliest confrontation to date, which was engineered by the bishops and pitted believers against survivors, occurred in front of Lopez's office. A handful of Jewish and Catholic survivors have been staging a protest there for weeks. DiMarzio organized a group of believers to march in support of Lopez's opposition to the Child Victims Act. Two busloads of people were taken to the neighborhood and told – contrary to the facts, as noted above -- that the CVA did not apply to public institutions and that it would bankrupt the dioceses, causing losses of services. About a dozen survivors, who had been raped as children by priests and rabbis, stood across the street holding signs in favor of the Child Victims Act. When the survivors confronted the sadly uninformed marchers with the truth about the bill and the misinformation from the bishops and Lopez, they told me directly, some of the marchers actually threw coins at the survivors.

I hope Ms. Hamilton is right that this would be upsetting to most Americans. I also hope word of this story spreads far and wide.

H/T to The Good Atheist

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Feeling Powerless in the Face of Catholic Crimes

2009-07-26T09:20:00.000-05:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

I watched Doubt last night. Excellent film that is easy to recommend. If you have seen it, you'll understand why I mention that I just watched it even though that isn't what this post is going to be about. I mention it only to shed some light on my state of mind. You see, I got up this morning, made coffee like usual, and sat down in front of my computer to begin my Sunday morning ritual of reading atheist blogs. Not more than 2 minutes into it, and I am so mad I feel like punching someone. What happened? I read this post at Deep Thoughts and the disturbing article to which it linked in the Chicago Sun-Times.

It seems that Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Raymond E. Goedert, a former top official in the Catholic church in Chicago, has admitted that he was fully aware of sexual abuse committed by 25 different priests on his watch between 1970 and 1986. He knew that these priests were molesting children and chose to do nothing, not even report them.

Auxiliary Bishop Emeritus Raymond E. Goedert's statements show "the lengths they went to to protect their reputation and the priest at the peril of the child," said attorney Jeff Anderson, who represents men who have sued the archdiocese over alleged childhood molestation.

As far as I'm concerned, the money paid out by the Catholic church to survivors of priest abuse is not nearly enough for us to consider the issue closed. As the systematic efforts to conceal these crimes, enabling the perpetrators to continue, becomes evident, it is time to stop this sick religion. As evidence mounts, not even Bill Donahue will be able to defend these guys much longer. Enough is enough!

There is an organization devoted to helping those abused by priests, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests. That's how widespread this shit has been - they need their own advocacy group! Here's what their outreach director had to say on the subject:

Only a fool would believe that decades-old, deeply rooted patterns of ingrained secrecy, deceit and recklessness have magically been transformed.

What do we do? I desperately want to help people escape from this sick religion, but I feel powerless to do so. I know I can't convince current Catholics to drop their silly faith and get away from their perverted church. I hate this!

And to those who will read this and claim that I am being unfair to criticize ordinary Catholics for the crimes committed by a relatively small number of their group, I have two quick questions. First, why would you knowingly chose to associate with such a group? Second, do you not realize that the money you pay into your church goes, at least in part, to pay these guys?

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Catholics Still Determined to Conceal Clergy Abuse

2009-07-21T06:58:00.000-05:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

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 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

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Another Catholic Abuse Scandal

2009-07-13T06:18:00.000-05:00

Image by mharrsch via Flickr

I am utterly disgusted with the Catholic Church for their efforts to ignore, conceal, and enable their pedophile priests to assault untold numbers of innocent children. And now, it appears that yet another sexual abuse scandal is breaking. You have heard of Opus Dei, but it is time that you meet the Legion of Christ.

From a recent article in The Independent:

Parents of youngsters recruited as Legionaries described it as a cult that targeted the young and naive in particular, some of them just 13, and then "brainwashed" them. But it is Maciel himself who has proved most controversial...

It has also been alleged that he was a paedophile. The first accusation came in 1976 from the former head of the Legion in the US. By 1998, the Vatican had received sworn statements from eight men, all detailing how Maciel had abused them when they were young recruits.

The article also describes the account of former Legion recruit, Stephen Dougan:

Around the time of his 18th birthday, Dougan was summoned one night to the bedroom of his novice master. "He said he had severe cramps in his stomach. He unbuttoned his pyjama top, poured oil on his stomach and asked me to massage him. I did. Very soon he unbuttoned his pyjama bottoms and poured on more oil. He asked me to 'do it deeper'. He meant lower down. His penis was erect. I was shocked and confused. I can remember my hands in his pubic hair. I closed my eyes and prayed."

It boggles the mind how anyone would want to be associated with such a church today. As if the abuse itself wasn't bad enough, the evidence that the Church knew about it and tried to hide it is considerable. We've seen that in case after case. Even for those Catholics lucky enough never to have been abused by their priests, why would they continue to support such an institution?

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Mark Sanford is Innocent, Blame Satan

2009-07-08T05:04:00.000-05:00

Image by PK Kool via Flickr

It looks like I may have been unfair in honoring Republican Governor Mark Sanford (SC) as Idiot of the Week. If the whole sordid affair was not his fault, it seems wrong to celebrate his idiocy. How could it not have been his fault? Simple. Satan did it. Warren "Cubby" Culbertson, described as Sanford's "spiritual adviser, appears quite determined to win next week's Idiot award.

According to USAToday:

...In an interview with The Associated Press this weekend at his Columbia office, just blocks from the State House, [Warren "Cubby"] Culbertson said he believed his friend when he said that this was his only marital transgression. He thinks Sanford was simply caught off guard by 'the power of darkness.'

I have a simple hope for future generations. I hope that someday "spiritual advisers" like "Cubby," Billy Graham, Rick Warren, and their associates are regarded with the same contempt that is now reserved for televangelists and others who prey on human misery.

H/T to Pam's House Blend

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Idiot of the Week: Mark Sanford

2009-07-04T06:18:00.000-05:00

Image by Mike Licht, NotionsCapital.com via Flickr

It is Saturday, and that means another helping of idiocy in the form of the Idiot of the Week series. Idiocy of this magnitude deserves attention, and that is exactly what it gets here each Saturday.

This week's winner is South Carolina's Republican Governor Mark Sanford but not for the reasons you are expecting. Sanford may have been competitive simply because he is a "family values" spouting hypocrite who went after former President Clinton with a vengeance and now refuses to step down himself. And yes, comparing himself to King David was certainly worthy of idiot gold. I will acknowledge that this hypocrisy was what initially brought him to my attention, but it isn't what put him over the edge for Idiot of the Week.

I actually feel somewhat sorry for Sanford. He clearly has not been in love with his wife for some time now, does not appear capable of leaving her to be with his "soul mate," and lacks the judgment to be quiet about it. What an awful predicament! Sanford wins the Idiot of the Week distinction for anchoring himself in a failed marriage when it seems quite obvious that his heart is elsewhere. He is not being fair to himself or his family here. Gov. Sanford, divorce your wife and pursue what makes you happy.

I do have to give Sanford credit for one other thing. The phrase, "hiking the Appalachian Trial" will live in infamy as a synonym for cheating on one's partner.

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What Does the Bible Say About Mark Sanford?

2009-06-29T06:27:00.000-05:00

Image by Getty Images via Daylife

One of the common claims I have heard about the Christian bible is that it provides an excellent guide for living. Even though it was written a long time ago, many believers consider it to have been divinely inspired and thus timeless. It is only natural, then, that we would look to the Christian bible in times of tribulation. What wisdom does the Christian bible offer in the case of Gov. Mark Sanford's (R-SC) extramarital affair?

Put yourself in the shoes of the core Republican base for a moment. As a proud bible-believing "family values" conservative, you were dismayed to learn of Sanford's sin. You know that he will be seen as a hypocrite and that this sort of publicity hardly helps your party. Moreover, you feel personally betrayed by Sanford because he seemed to speak from the heart when promoting your shared values. He spoke your language, and you were convinced that he was one of the good ones, a true believer like yourself. It is perfectly natural that you would feel betrayed.

As an evangelical Christian, you are used to finding strength in your bible when you most need it. So what does your bible say on the subject of Gov. Sanford, Sen. John Ensign (R-NV), and so many others? According to Leviticus 20:10,

And the man that committeth adultery with another man’s wife, even he that committeth adultery with his neighbor’s wife, the adulterer and the adulteress shall surely be put to death.

As State of Protest recently pointed out, Sanford had better hope that nobody takes his repeated references to "god's law" or his efforts to violate separate of church and state too seriously. Note to Sanford and Ensign: Stay the hell away from any future Palin rallies!

Of course, neither Gov. Sanford nor Sen. Ensign deserve death. But they do deserve to be labeled hypocrites. And the bible-believing "family values" conservatives? They deserve a therapeutic dose of reality.

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Christian Support for Torture

2009-04-30T17:31:00.000-05:00

Image via Wikipedia

CNN is reporting some interesting results of a survey conducted by the Pew Research Center. Evidently, church attendance is positively correlated with support for the torture of suspected terrorists among American Christians. Church attendance is a widely used index of religiosity, which is distinct from spirituality.

White evangelical Protestants were the religious group most likely to say torture is often or sometimes justified — more than 6 in 10 supported it. People unaffiliated with any religious organization were least likely to back it. Only 4 in 10 of them did.

And yet, we atheists are supposed to be the immoral ones.

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Baptist Pastor Caught Lying, Impersonating Atheists

2009-03-20T13:14:00.000-05:00

Image by ATENCION: via Flickr

If I have anything to say about it, the story of a Baptist pastor impersonating atheists on various blogs in a desperate attempt to confirm bigoted stereotypes will sweep the atheist blogosphere and perhaps extend beyond our little niche. This is an intriguing tale that deserves to be widely read. I only wish I could take credit for writing it, but credit goes to Daniel Florien of Unreasonable Faith for breaking this one wide open.

Daniel's post, "Pastor Gets Caught Lying for Jesus," contains a number of important lessons for Christians and atheists alike. I simply cannot resist highlighting one here. Contrary to popular stereotypes, it appears that atheists are such decent people that someone trying to demonize them has to resort to lies and deceit to do so.

Pastor Chris Fox of Kendalls Baptist Church in New London, NC, was caught impersonating atheists in comments he left on Unreasonable Faith. Here is an example of one of his comments, and you can see for yourself what he was hoping to accomplish:

What’s wrong with killing babies? I see no problem with it. I have enough mouths to feed. I don’t get the argument and I am an atheist. Since I don’t believe in God, I don’t believe in anything characterized as good, bad / right, wrong. So, what’s the big deal?

My guess is that Pastor Fox was hoping for one of two things here. Either someone would agree with him, confirming his stereotypes and allowing him to run back to his superstitious flock and loudly proclaim they were all true, or nobody would take the bait in which case he could still return to his flock in victory by claiming that someone other than himself had left the comments he wrote.

So Daniel and some of his readers became suspicious, and Daniel did a bit of detective work. He soon discovered that Pastor Fox had been doing this under a variety of handles, giving the impression that multiple atheists held these views.

What Pastor Fox probably did not count on was that Daniel was able to learn his identity and reveal it to all. Best of all, Pastor Fox apologized for Daniel's reaction but not for his own behavior. Well, at least he's had many excellent role models in the non-apology apology!

It seems fairly clear that Pastor Fox is confused. After he was caught lying, he insisted,

I am in no way a fundie or extremist. Like you I believe in thinking, searching, asking questions, and hearing others from outside my box. I thank you for your allowing various opinions and sides to share.

Well, Pastor, you may call yourself whatever you like, but this does not change what you tried to pull. That you do not seem to find anything particularly wrong with your behavior speaks volumes about your character. I'm not even going to say that you reflect badly on Christianity because most Christians I've had the pleasure of knowing would never dream of stooping so low. You should be ashamed.

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Christians Upset Over Indianapolis Paper Pulling Prayer

2009-01-13T05:23:00.001-06:00

Image via WikipediaWhen the Indianapolis Star decided to stop printing a daily Christian prayer, something they had been inexplicably doing since 1963, they made a deliberate editorial decision:

We appreciate that this has been a long tradition in The Star. But we are re-evaluating our mission and all that we do. I believe that prayer is a very personal thing and that offering prayers is something for individuals and their churches. We are a newspaper, not a church.

Also, we do live in a society in which there are many, many different beliefs. We respect all religions, and the prayer was written only from the Christian perspective.

Because of those issues, we have decided to drop the prayer. I’m confident that people will continue to offer their own prayers reflecting their own lives and faith needs.

It will surprise no one that they have received their share of complaints from Christians. Suppose for a second that the situation was different and a paper that had not previously done so announced that they were going to start printing a Christian prayer each day. What would happen?

Assuming that atheist readers noticed, I suspect that some would complain. Some might go so far as to cancel their subscriptions to the paper. Some atheist bloggers might opine that it was a mistake for a major paper to promote religious drivel, and I'd likely be one of them.

Christians would rush to the defense of the paper and argue that they had the right to print a prayer if they so desired. They would say that atheists could complain all they wanted but that it was up to the paper to determine whether they wanted to do this. After all, the paper is not a part of government. These Christians would be correct. The paper would indeed be free to make such a decision, just as we atheists would be free to complain about it.

I wonder how many of the Christians now complaining realize this. Of course, they have the right to complain, protest, boycott, etc. I value these rights and encourage upset Christians to exercise them. I only wish that they would extend the same courtesy to we atheists instead of immediately trying to make the issue into one of good and evil.

H/Ts to Pharyngula and Negligible Knowledge Base

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Hold Bush Accountable for War Crimes

2008-12-19T06:03:00.002-06:00

Image via WikipediaLet me get this straight: It is okay for the United States to participate in trying, convicting, and ultimately executing Japanese leaders for war crimes such as waterboarding in the aftermath of World War II; it is not okay to prosecute Bush for doing the same thing. I don't get it. Torture is a punishable offense unless we're the ones doing it. This has to be some of the most blatant hypocrisy I've encountered.

After Congressional Democrats refused to pursue impeachment, many of us realized that a war crimes trial might be the last chance to hold Bush accountable for authorizing torture. However, the media has no interest in this, and so the only way we are going to have justice is if the American people demand it. I'll be contacting my elected officials in the next few days.

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Free Speech and Atheist Billboards

2008-12-14T07:45:00.000-06:00

Friendly Atheist has a good post asking us all to consider whether we truly support freedom of speech. He is right to note what appears to be considerable hypocrisy around this issue. We pick on Christians for their hypocrisy because it tends to be so common and obvious, but I'd like to remind us that atheists are not immune from making the same mistake. This is a good subject for some discussion in light of the recent news about atheist billboards, bus campaigns, and the like.

It is easy to defend one's own freedom to disseminate unpopular ideas (e.g., atheism). However, someone who supports freedom of speech must recognize that this freedom applies to those with whom we disagree as well (e.g., Christian extremists). To defend my right to free speech while attempting to interfere with theirs is a clear example of hypocrisy.

Are some atheists guilty of just such hypocrisy? Perhaps. Consider the atheist billboards slowly appearing in some American cities. I think it is safe to say that most atheists support erecting such billboards, and even those who do not are likely to become upset with what looks like censorship when they are taken down. But does not defending this in the name of free speech also require us to endure the most absurd Christian extremist billboards we can find?

If we are really serious about free speech, we must recognize theists' right to erect billboards promoting their beliefs. We can respond to them, correct the misinformation they contain, produce our own alternatives, encourage discuss around them, etc., but we cannot seriously call for their removal without betraying our own hypocrisy.

This can sometimes be a fine line to walk. Suppose a Christian extremist raises a particularly objectionable billboard. This is their expression of free speech. You may complain loudly and often, as this is your expression of free speech. Where the trouble begins is when someone with the power to do so acts on your complaints and removes the billboard. This is what we all have a stake in avoiding.

It is clear to me that many Christians have a double-standard when it comes to free speech. They embrace their freedom to spread their god delusion while opposing our attempts to normalize atheism and promote a secular worldview. Their rationale is simple. They believe that their delusion has beneficial effects on society and that any alternative is harmful. Atheists are not immune to making the same mistake and often for the same reason.

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Washington Atheists' Sign Stolen From Capitol

2008-12-06T07:12:00.000-06:00

Image via WikipediaIn a recent post, I thanked atheists in Washington State and the Freedom From Religion Foundation for their efforts to oppose more holiday fusing of church and state. They placed an atheist sign in the Washington State Capitol. While I personally find the idea of celebrating the Winter Solstice almost as absurd as celebrating Christian holidays, I applauded their sign for telling the truth about the effects of religious belief. Sadly, it did not take long for the sign to be stolen. I am assuming that it must have been stolen by an atheist since a Christian would never break one of their own Commandments.

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How Miracles Work

2008-09-30T05:14:00.001-05:00

Image via WikipediaBelievers sometimes struggle to explain exactly how miracles work to we atheists. This is understandable. Explaining something that doesn't exist can be tough. Fortunately, I found two Christians who were at least willing to try amidst a sad story from Florida. Maybe we can learn something about miracles together.

The driver of a tractor-trailer, talking on his cell phone while driving like virtually every bad driver I see on the road these days (can you tell this is a pet peeve?), collided with a school bus. One child died, but passers-by were able to rescue others before they burned to death.

According to Jim Yancey, Marion County Superintendent of Schools, this was both a tragedy and a miracle. Evidently, this is how miracles work. An innocent child dies and others survive. Really? What do you think the parents of the dead 13-year-old girl thought when they read your quote in the local paper, Superintendent?

But Yancey was not to be alone in his superstitions. One of the rescuers, James Horton, a father himself, had this to say:

The Lord put us all there for that reason — to save those children.

As The Stubborn Curmudgeon pointed out,

But not to save the sweet, innocent, 13-year-old little girl who died. God must have put her near the flames for a reason just like he made the truck driver use his cell phone at the perfect moment.

I cannot help wondering if this father of three believes that his god deliberately killed this innocent child for some mysterious reason. If so, would this make a psychopath or just another misguided Christian. Believers seem oblivious to how this sort of thought process leads to victim blaming and massive guilt for the family of the deceased.

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Know Them By Their Deeds: Alabama Pastor Accused of Rape and Murder

2008-08-09T06:15:00.000-05:00

We all know that humans are capable of unimaginable atrocities. Some atheists see this as evidence against the possibility of gods; some Christians see it as evidence for the necessity of their god. But I think both groups can agree that humans sometimes do some really nasty stuff. Deep Thoughts often posts examples of Christian hypocrisy, reporting case after case of Christian clergy engaging in despicable acts. This one sets a new standard of depravity, and I just wanted to bring it to your attention in case you missed it.

An Alabama pastor, Anthony Hopkins of the Inspirational Tabernacle Church of God in Christ, stands accused of the following:

rape, sodomy, sexual abuse, and incest (he victimized at least one of his own daughters over several years)
murdering his wife after she caught him raping his daughter
dismembering his wife's body and storing it in a freezer

Police arrested him in front of his audience but were kind enough to wait until he finished his sermon. WTF? Evidently, their respect for his role as a pastor was so great that they were reluctant to interrupt his sermon. Never mind why they were arresting him. Now that is Christian privilege! Unbelievable!

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Disabled Boy Banned From Church

2008-06-08T07:56:00.003-05:00

After her church filed a restraining order to prevent her and her 13 year-old autistic son from attending, Carol Race decided to fight for her rights and the rights of other parents of autistic children. On one side, we have Rev. Daniel Walz of the Church of St. Joseph in Minnesota saying that Ms. Race's son, Adam, is "disruptive and dangerous." On the other, we have Ms. Race alleging discrimination. So who is right?

Ms. Race sees herself as defending the rights of her son and others with autism. She has even created a new website asking church leaders to reserve a pew for those with special needs. She acknowledged that her son can be loud at times but says that she does what she can to prevent disruption, often sitting in the back and trying to keep him quiet.

“There are thousands of families not going to church who don't feel welcome because they're afraid they look or act different. They came to church, someone turned around and gave them a dirty look and they walked out and haven't come back,” Carol Race said, as quoted by the local newspaper Minneapolis star tribune.

According to Rev. Walz, Adam's behavior was often disruptive. He is a big kid, weighing in at 225 lbs, who Rev. Walz accused of urinating in the church and striking another child. Adam, insists Rev. Walz, posed a threat to others in attendance. This is what led him to file the restraining order, he says.

I certainly understand why Ms. Race is upset. While I have difficulty understanding her desire to attend church, I tend to agree that she should have the right to do so. On the other hand, I am not sure why the minister and other congregants should have to put up with a disruptive individual, regardless of the reason for the disruption. It seems like they are seeking to prevent her son from attending not simply because he has special needs but because his behavior is disruptive. What do you think?

Know Them By Their Deeds: Pastor Guilty of Fraud

2008-04-06T07:40:00.000-05:00

A reader e-mailed this story to me, and even if it took me awhile to get it posted, I could not help but do so. It seems that a former pastor in Northumberland County, Rev. Raymond Clayton, has admitted to an interesting case of identity theft. Specifically, he used his parishioners' identities to obtain credit cards. He plead guilty to fraud in federal court and will be sentenced in June.

I realize that Jesus needs huge sums of money, but this story seems to be yet another piece of evidence to support the possibility that con artists are overrepresented among clergy. I've said it before and will keep repeating it: the sort of blind faith religion demands makes people more susceptible to many forms of exploitation by those who cloak themselves in religion.

Tags: Northumberland County, Rev. Raymond Clayton, church, religion, crime, hypocrisy, faith, trust, identity theft, credit cards, fraud

Know Them By Their Deeds: Former Pastor Stole From Children's Food Program

2008-01-31T05:40:00.000-06:00

It would seem that only the most callous sort of person would take food from hungry children (although many Republicans would like to end programs to aid such children). According to the Associated Press, a former pastor in Texas is about to be sentenced for stealing $586,347 from a summer program to feed needy children.

James Cornell Clark, formerly a former pastor at Mount Vernon United Methodist Church, has already been convicted of importing a Kenyan prostitute and forcing her to have sex with him and is soon to be sentenced on 41 counts of fraud for misrepresenting his church as the sponsor of a Department of Agriculture program to provide meals to needy children over the summer.

Clark was laundering the money through bogus corporations, such as the Mt. Vernon Faith-in-Action Outreach Project and Trinity Christian Outreach Ministries, and putting it to personal use.

Tags: hypocrisy, Texas, pastor, fraud, criminal, religion

Know Them By Their Deeds: Atheist Tree of Knowledge Repeatedly Vandalized

2008-01-06T15:19:00.000-06:00

I keep forgetting to post this one, but better late than never.

The "Tree of Knowledge" erected in front of the West Chester county courthouse by the Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia was vandalized at least four times during the month of December. The tree also drew many complaints. It seems that many Christians do not think atheists should be allowed to have any sort of holiday display.

Tags: Philadelphia, atheist, Freethought Society of Greater Philadelphia, vandalism

Know Them By Their Deeds: Pittsburgh Diaper Fest

2007-12-22T13:04:00.000-06:00

A reader sent me this bizarre story out of Pittsburgh that fits perfectly with my ongoing "know them by their deeds series" when one considers how eager many Christians are to play morality police. It seems that a local Christian youth group has been putting on skits in which teenage boys exchange their clothes for adult diapers, bibs, and bonnets. Have we learned nothing from the Catholic Church?

According to the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette, such a skit occurred during the Nov. 29 meeting of the Mt. Lebanon Young Life club, directed by youth minister O.J. Wandrisco. The mother of one 14-year-old boy contacted the Mt. Lebanon Police Department and the principal of the local school with her concerns, after which she and her son filed a formal complaint.

Ms. Metz said at the Nov. 29 Young Life meeting, after her son and two other boys were selected to take part in the skit, they were taken to a rest room by an older teen and given adult diapers, bibs and bonnets and directed to take their clothes off and put the diapers, bibs and bonnets on. Her son took off his pants, but kept on boxer undershorts, his shirt, shoes and socks.

The boys returned to the group, where they were asked to sit in the laps of three girls. The girls spoon-fed baby food to the boys and then gave them baby bottles filled with soda pop. The first boy to finish was the winner.

Strangely, it appears that the police are not going to pursue criminal charges. According to Lt. Truver, nothing criminal occurred.

"Her 14-year-old son told us he participated in an activity completely voluntary in nature and that he had fun with it and that there was no coercion and our position is that while the activities may be somewhat unorthodox depending on your perception, there's nothing to indicate that any crime occurred," he said.

Um...they were 14 and an adult was leading the activity. However, it sounds like the district attorney plans to review the case, and the school district appears to be trying to distance itself from the youth group, no longer allowing them to use school space. At least parents will now know what has been happening.

Mr. Wandrisco and a national spokesman for Young Life say the skits are all in fun and meant to be used as "icebreakers" at the youth group meetings.

Another skit commonly used by the group, and acknowledged by Mr. Wandrisco, involves young girls eating chocolate pudding out of adult diapers. What exactly is that supposed to represent? As the outraged reader who me this story put it, "And having girls lick pudding from diapers? Well, that makes sense because, you know, women are 'supposed' to eat shit."

The national vice president of communications for Young Life, said that such skits are commonly used in their organization and that they fully support Mr. Wandrisco.

Tags: religion, Christianity, hypocrisy, Pittsburgh, Catholic, youth group, Young Life

Know Them By Their Deeds: Campus Evangelicals Go Too Far

2007-11-26T06:08:00.000-06:00

You are a 22-year-old conservatively-dressed female college student, strolling across campus on your way to class. Suddenly, a street preacher who has harassed you previously charges you, cocking his fist, and swinging it to stop inches from your face. He then calls you a whore.

Such is the case described by Amy Mariani in The Oracle, the University of South Florida's school paper. The student described in this incident has filed assault charges against preacher, John M. Kranert, a regular fixture on campus.

As vile as this incident sounds, it appears to be nothing new for Kranert.

She [the student] said Kranert demeaned her on prior occasions by saying, "I can tell you've been with every man on campus by the way you stand," and asking if she got her name from Black Entertainment Television because of her caramel complexion. He didn't know her name, nor did he ask, suggesting the question was purely racist at its roots, according to the Oracle.

Is Kranert merely exercising his right to free speech or to practice his religion, or has he gone too far? Mariani, herself a Christian, notes that Kranert and other campus evangelists have the right to spread their message (i.e., spout their Christian nonsense) in public like anyone else. And yet, approaching someone in a physically threatening manner and hurling derogatory insults is something else entirely.

Yet when a street preacher - or anyone else - crosses the line and charges at someone, calling them unfounded and derogatory names, he has entered insidious speech territory. Insidious speech is intended to harm and is not protected by the First Amendment.

I suppose another relevant question is whether the University owes their students the right to learn in an environment free from harassment. It would seem to me that they probably do. And yet, Mariani has personally observed this behavior from Kranert on multiple occasions.

I've seen him tell a Hindi student that she is going to hell because she worships a fake god. I've seen him tell a woman to cover her cleavage before she tries to talk to him. I've seen him tell a black student that she isn't going to heaven because of the color of her skin. And he's told me, as I was defending the Hindi student, that he won't respect anyone who doesn't believe in his God.

Instead of implying that Kranert is not a real Christian, I wish Mariani could have simply recognized this for what it was - another Christian extremists run amok.

Tags: Christian extremist, hypocrisy, Florida, University of South Florida, campus evangelism, campus evangelicals, street preacher, religion, Christianity, evangelical, free speech, harassment, Constitution

Know Them By Their Deeds: Church Leader Accused Of Molesting Children

2007-10-13T06:57:00.000-05:00

Heyward Hickman, described as "a respected church leader" and senior warden at All Saints' Episcopal Church in Cayce, SC, has been charged with sexually molesting two young brothers (8 and 11) "more than 100 times each."

The church must be traumatized. Their reaction?

All Saints held a brief prayer service Thursday night. The vestry attended and determined that there are no allegations against Hickman pertaining to the church, Retzlaff said.

“If the charges are true, obviously we grieve for the victims and do what a Christian community does,” he said. “Work on healing, on repentance, on forgiveness.”

Know Them By Their Deeds: Another Fundy Pastor Guilty of Incest

2007-09-08T08:40:00.000-05:00

The AAP story, printed on stuff.co.nz is simply titled, "Pastor had sex with daughters to teach how to be wives." It seems that a 54 year-old fundamentalist pastor in South Australia had sex with his two teenage daughters and then attempted to excuse his actions by claiming that he was teaching them how to be good wives. He pled guilty to incest and related charges and was sentenced to 8.5 years. He'll be eligible for parole in 4 years.

The man told the court the sex was not about fulfilling his desires but about teaching his daughters how to behave for their husbands when they eventually married, as dictated in scripture.

I guess I'm not sure what more to say.

Tags: religion, hypocrisy, Australia, incest, crime

Know Them By Their Deeds: Pastor Prays For Harm to Befall AU Staff

2007-08-16T14:21:00.000-05:00

Americans United for Separation of Church and State recently asked the IRS to investigate unlawful politicking by the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park, CA. Now the pastor of this church has responded, only it isn't what you'd expect. Rather than denying the allegations, this pastor decided to respond by calling on his congregation to pray for assorted bad things to happen to AU staff.

AU's complaint indicated that the church's pastor had used church resources to endorse Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee. That is, AU alleged that the church had violated the federal law prohibiting non-profit religious groups with tax-exempt status from endorsing candidates by promoting Huckabee as "god's candidate."

“Federal tax law is clear,” said the Rev. Barry W. Lynn, Americans United executive director, “Churches and other non-profits may not endorse candidates, if they want to keep their tax exemption. I am confident that the vast majority of Americans do not want to see their houses of worship politicized.”

According to AU, Dr. Wiley S. Drake, the pastor of this church, explicitly endorsed Huckabee in an August 11 press release. Now AU has issued another press release alleging that Drake has encouraged his congregation to "pray for the demise" of AU staff members.

Instead of responding to Americans United’s concern of illegal activity, Drake issued yesterday afternoon a plea to his supporters to join in “imprecatory prayers” (curses) every morning for Americans United and its staff.

Fortunately, AU also provides us with a taste of Drake’s own words:

“In light of the recent attack from the ememies (sic) of God I ask the children of God to go into action with Imprecatory Prayer,” Drake said, in an Aug. 14 press statement issued from the First Southern Baptist Church of Buena Park. “Especially against Americans United for Seperation (sic) of Church and State.”

According to AU, Drake identified two specific staff members in their press release as the targets of their "imprecatory prayers."

In a section of his press release called “How To Pray,” Drake includes a long list of biblical citations that call on God to smite enemies. For example, the alleged enemies of God “shall be judged,” “condemned,” and “his days be few….” Additionally, supporters should pray that the enemy’s “children be fatherless, and his wife a widow,” and “his children be continually vagabonds, and beg; let them seek bread also out of their desolate places.”

Tags: hypocrisy, Americans United for Separation of Church and State, Americans United, California, Southern Baptist, religion, Christian, Christianity, Mike Huckabee, Barry Lynn, Wiley Drake