Privileged, I Am

It's not hard to see I'm privileged. Looking at that wheel, I fit neatly into many of those categories.

I'm fortunate. Plain and simple. Being privileged gives me opportunities and options in life. I accept that, but don't automatically respond that it should afford me better treatment in life.

For all those out there who are embracing privilege at the expense of others, please stop acting like you are entitled to it. In reality you are just lucky!

Haphazardly winning that jackpot of  fortuitousness isn't a virtue or worthy of applause. It's by chance you are who you are.

Shame on you for thinking you can look down on those with less privilege. As if you are better.

Right. 

Yes, you are privileged, but also, an entitled and truly despicable human being.

Duggar - Keep Digging, I'm Sure There's More

Josh Duggar is in the news again. Who's surprised by this? Not me!

Once again we feel all disgusted with him because he has shown the world that he is not only a child molester, but a cheat and a liar to boot! Add to that, he's a huge hypocrite doing all those sinful things right under the prayerful eyes of his wife and his family. He even admits that. Good for him. And honestly, as soon as the news was confirmed in both instances, good on him for not squirming out of it. He immediately admitted what he had done when he was finally exposed in the mainstream media.

But what else does that tell us about Josh Duggar? He got caught.

He may act as if he is just a fallen sinner and needs back into the good graces of his lord and savior, but in fact, what he actually is just that... caught. And he can't get out of it by hiding anymore.

In fact, it says the same thing about most of the public figures which have a religious bent.  And frankly, to me, this detail is the ONLY reason they fess up. It is because it hit the news cycle in a big way and there's no stepping back from that reality. It's called damage control. They were exposed and now they may be repentant. But it's only because it's now out in the open in all its glorious salaciousness!

How many times do we have to hear in the news what so and so has done after telling the whole world they are better than everyone else? I'm really getting sick and tired of seeing this kind of crap. Almost daily! But yet, me being an atheist - I'm the really nasty character. Right.

Here's an idea - Josh and all you other holier-than-thou types, how about you be brave and tell us now what else we can expect to find hidden in your closet? I'm sure there's so much more. Honestly, I think I would have much more respect for that. I'd really be willing and able to understand you were human and had a failing; we've all been there. But to have your type throwing in my face what a disaster I am for my belief system while you were out there being the lousiest humans ever, it's just unacceptable. Always was... still is.

Here's to the next shoe to drop...

I'm Angry

You know that feeling when you could jump out of your skin when you see a perceived injustice or stupidity unraveling before you?

I feel this quite often being on the Internet or just walking out my front door.

I'm really, really, really, REALLY, REALLY getting sick of things that bring me to this place. Realize that I understand I'm in control of my emotions, feeling this way is only brought on because of what I have deemed worthy of getting upset about. 

Here's just the short list...

• the unending stream of people who claim they have all the answers and, in reality, the lack of understanding they produce
• seeing proof of humans being unkind or hurtful, intentionally, for the fun of it or worse, to make a point - whatever that point may be
• having politicians who hold positions of power when all they really want is power in a position from which to control things
• watching illogical and unreasonable people decide the fate of others, not just in politics but in everyday life
• feeling betrayed by those claim to have your best interest at heart
• people suffering because of the lack of compassion in those who are in a position to help
• watching the innocent and the vulnerable be neglected by the greedy, powerful and disinterested in this world

This world needs to be a better place. Its inhabitants are counting on it. Really... if we don't get our shit together, and start taking care of each other and ourselves, what kind of place will we really end up inhabiting?

#LOVEWINS #LETHATEDIE

jthughes.blogspot.com

June 26, 2015 is a day we'll not soon forget. It was much too long in getting here, but it ultimately did arrive.  Love won and the majority of this country is just fine with it except...

You'll remember that Rick Scarborough, a Christian political activist, said...

"We are not going to bow. We are not going to bend, and if necessary we will burn." 

He implied things are going to hot for us if the immoral take over and make decisions for the righteous. He's inciting all the followers to rise up and protest in what could possibly end up in the worst case scenario - the lives of those who would like to think they know better, taking all the naughty ones with them.

Say we believed in their alleged god, do you ever wonder what he thinks right about now? Why aren't believers contemplating that instead of them deciding what the next step is? Who left and made them king? No one actually since we are all lowly sinners, people!

And that's my point. If god is the almighty ruler and life flows how he dictates (at least that's what believers keep chanting) then let your god decide what happens to this country for the decisions it's making for the collective.

Don't instigate, stop hating, stop fighting... you'll supposedly get what you deserve in the end anyways right? You'll be living the charmed life in heaven with your pops and the sinners will be down in hell flaming it up with satan. Let god make his appearance to either shit and finally get off the pot to punish us or he doesn't and you're just wrong that gay marriage is the be-all-end-all thing.

Let it go, and leave us in peace. That's all anyone ever wanted... RIGHT?!?!?! 

Hey Indiana! Learn The Definition Of Discrimination

Justin Burlin Pinterest, pinned from wolfysmuse.tumblr.com

The first business of Indiana is publicly stating their beliefs coincide with Governor Mike Pence's beliefs as well. He being the one who recently signed into law the Religious Freedom Restoration Act, a bill designed to actively promote the discrimination of members of the LGBT community.

And of course, this restaurant supports this bill because, you know... god. They wear their religion on their sleeves and the bible tells them so. It didn't take them long to rush to the local media to show exactly how much their religious beliefs mean to them. Me thinks they don't understand how this legitimized discrimination will hurt them in the long run.

Their bigotry and ignorance is glaringly obvious, just watch the video as she can't even understand how their actions and this new law function in reality. Given how she blatantly says she will refuse service based on their religious beliefs, one can see she doesn't understand what the word means.

But that's OK, I guess. When they have to put up the "Going Out Of Business Sale" sign, maybe then they'll understand.

This bill may have been pushed through with the intention and restatement of what they already have a right to and hold dear, but ultimately what it will accomplish is to give those who support this bill the legal right to discriminate against a class of people who make them feel icky. That's it. They'll for sure tell you it's only about upholding their religious beliefs, but marginalizing others because you don't agree with their lifestyle is discrimination. Period.

But we're just supposed to throw out the fact that words have meanings.

dis·crim·i·na·tion

dəˌskriməˈnāSH(ə)n/

noun

1. 1.

   the unjust or prejudicial treatment of different categories of people or things, especially on the grounds of race, age, or sex.

   "victims of racial discrimination"

   synonyms:

   prejudice, bias, bigotry, intolerance, narrow-mindedness, unfairness,inequity, favoritism, one-sidedness, partisanship

Wake up people... one religion is not more important than the other and if you think it is, you don't understand the basic tenets of our constitution. You have a right to freely practice your religion, but you do not have a right to impose your religion on others. Denying service to someone because of your religious beliefs IS imposing your beliefs on them.

All this new law wants to accomplish is to legitimize discrimination. Propping up religious beliefs as the reason for it is just wrong. Sharia Law, American-style baby! This is what it looks like.

We've come so far with all the states who have legalized gay marriage. To see Indiana pass this law, and do so gleefully, means we are going backwards. Sadly, there are others now trying to follow suit.

It just makes me sick to my stomach that we as a nation can't seem to get on the right page of history.



***Interesting Facebook page of Memories Pizza and be sure to check out the website. The backlash has begun.

****UPDATE: It got ugly quicker than I expected - Memories Pizza is closed for now... maybe permanently.

*****UPDATE 4/2/15:  The GoFundMe page for the owners of Memories Pizza has received donations in excess of $200,000 in support of them sticking to their principles and upholding their faith.

SCOTUS Rules The Wrong Way Again

So there you have it, religion now gets to make health care decisions. Just one more chipping away at established law to appease the religious right. Just like the picture says - it is INJUSTICE and it's against women, and yes, they act like gods among us; the ones who are playing the part by making incredibly life-altering decisions with women's health care decisions.

With the recent ruling of the five scrotum... er, five old white guys of the SCOTUS, it's outrageous that now the belief system of the religious right, Christianity, seems to trump the belief system all others. What does SCOTUS not seem to understand about the concept of equal protection under the law in our country? I still believe every person has the right to express their beliefs, but seriously, to now be governed by the belief system of one religion? I don't think the justices got it right this time.

This fight being waged against women by Hobby Lobby, along with 100 other companies, and receiving the blessing of the Supreme Court Justices, shows us that they don't give a shit about religious freedom. They want their belief system to dominate this country. Don't you know by now that Christianists have all the answers and should make all the rules? Because of course - they have that book that tells them so. Argh...

These past three days my blood pressure has been elevated when I think how much we are still fighting about, and what we are losing by the decisions being made in this country with respect to women and their rights. Today's woman and the future generations of women have to struggle even more now to regain what should have been guaranteed during all our lifetimes; equality, that which has eluded us for too long.

The only positive I see coming from this ruling is that women (and men) will be more united to stand against those who would continue to undermine the rights of women, and bring with it a conscious shift leading to more thoughtful and reasonable legislation. We've always had activists who fought the good fight and brought us farther than those before them, but this current level of anger, agitation, and passion created in the minds and hearts of much of our citizenry after the ruling... well, it is palpable. Social media is exploding - both sides of the issue - but it would seem the motivation for more progressive change has the stronger voice. The justices have managed to set in motion something I hadn't seen in a long time, and for that I'm glad. Who knew that Hobby Lobby would be the straw that finally broke the camel's back!

Two things are at stake here - the equality of women and complete separation of church and state. My hope is that these issues will finally be resolved in my lifetime.

This is only the beginning of one hell of a fight. Buckle in, it might get worse before it gets better. But let us not be mistaken, this is a fight we must have and finish. It speaks to the core of what is wrong in our country and across the world where women are being oppressed, mistreated and/or marginalized for their sex. And religion is at the heart of it. It is what propagates the discrimination and the oppression that exists in this world. 

And it needs to stop... NOW!

Did Louisiana Just Give The Boot To Buddhists?

Scott Lane has a problem. He wrote about it and he enlisted the ACLU to help him fight the good fight. His step-son, raised Buddhist, is having Christianity forced on him in a country that supposedly honors and respects, but especially claims to uphold a person's right to Freedom of Religion, any religion he chooses to practice. But Sabine Parish doesn't seem to think they did anything wrong. Christianity Rules, don'tcha know?!?!

It is despicable to me that a child would be harassed for any reason, but for it to be teachers and staff that would participate and encourage behavior that not only violates a constitutional law, and feel proud about forcing their religion onto children tells me we still have a long way to go when it comes to educating our society. Obviously Sabine Parish needs immediate attention in that arena.

I applaud Scott Lane and the ACLU for addressing the problems at Sabine Parish. It is a typical fight, sadly, but a necessary one. Indoctrination of students and promoting one religion over another does not belong in the school system, any school system. The active proselytizing and shaming we are seeing around the country, not only this school, has to stop.

If we want to educate then teaching the history of religion, all religions, wouldn't be a bad thing, but Christianity cannot be promoted as if it were the only religion practiced in this country by the citizens and their dependents. Teaching classes as if this religion were the only right religion is just not appropriate.

And it has to stop. Whenever we see injustices occur and our constitution is twisted to fit a selfish agenda, we must speak out and we must act. Scott Lane, I applaud you for standing up and the ACLU for aiding you in this fight. I'm with you 100%!

Give the boot to unconstitutional and unethical practices in Sabine Parish!

Haters Gonna Hate - Love Is Gonna Win

Revolution of Love

When and UNTIL your god magically updates every single bible in existence and all future versions contain what you now call 'traditional marriage' between one man and one woman, and only when that happens will I listen to what you have to say, maybe... well, probably not because you know... knowledge about the validity of the bible and things. In the meantime, I will respectfully ask you to STFU! You use that book to support your position of disgust to deny the LGBT community marriage equality and I, along with millions of other people, demand that you stop using that book that you wave and continually cite during this struggle to achieve equality for this community.

Read your book again before you wag your tongue and wave your righteous finger. If we were truly doing 'traditional marriages' then our nation would NOT be what it is currently. One man and one woman bound by a desire to be together is what has evolved in these modern times because where we started with, that which is represented in the bible, is reprehensible. And contradictory to what you say the bible preaches today. Knock it off and get real.

The states in this country are moving (and quickly), one by one, into the direction of extending the same rights that current marriages enjoy to those who currently don't have them. The revolution of love is occurring whether you like it or not. Think about it. You've dissed the bible in favor of much more loving relationships by agreeing that your current 'traditional marriage' is more desirable... so do it again and stand with us. Stop fighting what is right and what will ultimately happen! Marriage Equality will happen in ALL states. Your protests are useless. And your bigotry and hate only injuring your own emotional health. If you replaced it with love and acceptance, just imagine what a kinder nation this would be.

Who Didn't Know This Was Coming?

And yet another 'big name/high level in the atheist', or as I like to call them 'longer in the movement than me' people, has now been named in our movement's Achilles Heel!

Now before every one's hair on the back of their necks starts bristling, keyboard ready and fingers twitching... I'm not saying there isn't a problem. There is if women are being raped, attacked, assaulted - verbally or otherwise, or in any way being demeaned because of their sex. And it should not be tolerated. What I am trying to say is that this is not unique to the atheist community. Women have been on the shit end of the stick when it comes to these issues for thousands of years and are still dealing with them. Slowly, things are changing, but they still face a battle. But had we not had rational people at the helm of some of these major atheist organizations, we wouldn't have seen regulations and guidelines pop up as quickly as they did when allegations began to be leveled. What is different between this country's history within various organizations/movements dealing with women's issues and our atheist community, is atheists have been quicker to address and, in general, been a lot more responsive to the voices of the vocal women (and men)  in this movement.

I could be wrong (and I frequently am), but I haven't seen the problem as wide spread as the chatter on the Interwebs would indicate. Having never personally experienced any bad things happening to me because I'm a woman at an atheist convention is primarily why I say this, but also after getting to know many women in the movement, I've not heard one case of harassment or rape at a convention. Maybe they didn't share their story with me. Or maybe I never had it happen to me because I'm not pretty enough, maybe I'm too old, maybe it's because I'm a tall and strong looking woman, maybe because I usually just go back to my room alone or if I do meet up with people it's in a large crowd or if I'm with someone, he's not a dick. And I'm also not saying with my assessment of why I've never been raped and someone else could be raped or mistreated badly is because they would have to be pretty, young, short and waif-like, like to party, hook up with one guy, or just a bad judge of character and basically asked for it. That's NOT what I'm saying, so don't make that judgment either. I'm speaking strictly from my perspective.

I'm also not being dismissive of any woman's claim of being raped or assaulted. Any crime that is committed should be dealt with quickly and appropriately. Any steps that can be put in place to prevent it from ever happening again should also be implemented. Serious offenses should be taken seriously, period and misogyny should not be tolerated.

Frankly spoken though, all the attention to isolated incidents and certain individuals in our movement gives us a serious bad reputation. Not just from the incidents alone, but the back and forth atheist bashing and 'who's camp are you in?' allegiance atmosphere has created a division that just doesn't make sense to me. Let's not go there, please. It's hard enough to find credibility as intelligent, rational human beings in this religionist dominated country. But now, all eyes are focused on us as if all our atheist men ever do is rape other atheist women and then afterwards we slander the whole male sex in the process when it's just isolated incidents. We're supposed to be the realists, so act like it.

Let's call this what it really is... some men are misogynists, some men are rapists, some are being incredible douche bags and some men who think with their dicks instead of their compassion and brains in a situation that could be complicated by the usage of said appendage - those men are the problem. And again, I think in most situations, conventions or otherwise, the standards and expectations are that men AND women will be respectful of each other. If not, they are dealt with. But let's not demonize ALL men in the process or create an atmosphere where MOST men can't be trusted. That's just unreasonable, and something I thought we atheists weren't.

Anti-Human

Comparison chart   Ethnicity Race Definition: An ethnic group or ethnicity is a population of human beings whose members identify with each other, on the basis of a real or a presumed common genealogy or ancestry. The term race refers to the concept of dividing people into populations or groups on the basis of various sets of physical characteristics which result from genetic ancestry. Significance: Ethnicity connotes shared cultural traits and a shared group history. Some ethnic groups also share linguistic or religious traits, while others share a common group history but not a common language or religion. Race presumes shared biological or genetic traits, whether actual or asserted. Racial genetic differences were previously assumed to have significance in the area of intelligence, but currently there is no evidence of that. Genealogy: Ethnicity is defined in terms of shared genealogy, whether actual or presumed. Typically, if people believe they descend from a particular group, and they want to be associated with that group, then they are in fact members of that group. Racial categories result from a shared genealogy due to geographical isolation. In the modern world this isolation has been broken down and racial groups have mixed. Distinguishing Factors: Ethnic groups distinguish themselves differently from one time period to another. They typically seek to define themselves but also are defined by the stereotypes of dominant groups. Races are assumed to be distinguished by skin color, facial type, etc. However, the scientific basis of racial distinctions is very weak. Scientific studies show that racial genetic differences are weak except in skin color. Nationalism: In 19th century, there was development of the political ideology of ethnic nationalism -- creating nations based on a presumed shared ethnic origins (e.g. Germany, Italy, Sweden...) In 19th century, the concept of nationalism was often used to justify the domination of one race over another within a specific nation. Legal System: In the last decades of the 20th century, in the U.S. and in most nations, the legal system as well as the official ideology prohibited ethnic-based discrimination. In the last decades of the 20th century, the legal system as well as the official ideology emphasized racial equality. Conflicts: Often brutal conflicts between ethnic groups have existed throughout history and across the world. But most ethnic groups in fact get along peacefully within one another in most nations most of the time.       Racial prejudice remains a continuing problem throughout the world. However, there are fewer race-based conflicts in the 21st century than in the past.   http://www.diffen.com/difference/Ethnicity_vs_Race The hairs on the back of my neck always go up when I get a questionnaire and must answer what my 'Race' is. I'm HUMAN! That's the race I belong to! My ethnicity is White! Well, after doing some research to gain a better grasp on the subject matter of this blog - changing the term Racism to Ethnicitism, I find out that I'm an ignorant Caucasian. I know there are many more people who have thought along the same lines as I have, so I'm sharing my learning experience with you. You're welcome.

I'm thrilled to understand something more accurately and will be the first to admit that I had it wrong. I'm appreciative that I have the ability to digest and accept the definition of those terms. However, acknowledging that understanding makes me go even deeper into why now either term - 'Racism' or the new term I wanted to attribute to discrimination 'Ethnicitism' - feels inappropriate.

My thought process and my humanity would lead me to believe that making distinctions based on color and/or physical characteristics is wrong and frankly, rude. We are segmented, classified, labeled, categorized and made into statistics far too often; this only allows more discrimination to flourish. When will we just stop and realize that regardless of our skin, our sex, our belief system, our sexual orientation, our upbringing or any other difference... we are simply... Humans. When can we get to a place where discrimination, in any form, against someone who is different from us because of any of those characteristics or more, means we are only being anti-human? The inner conversations I have struggled with, the injustices I have railed against all my life resonate around this one thing - How do we teach caring? If we just 'cared for' our fellow human beings rather than pointed out the differences that we have, our world would look much differently.  Being Pro-Human changes the current dynamic 'we allow discrimination to occur because the differences between us are more important' to 'the differences between us highlight we have the unique ability of be one of a wide variety of human beings'. Thinking about how we get to viewing humans in a whole new way always brings the movie 'Independence Day' into my mental imagery. If an entity would invade Earth, I do think that the current human inhabitants on this planet will finally understand how insignificant our differences really are when our existence is threatened on a global scale. My plea would be "How about we choose an enhanced humanity in our world right now without that being a requirement?" Can caring please rise up and become a more valid emotion NOW, rather than some archaic thought process that differences between us humans in this world is considered a threat? I hope so. I'll say it... "I'm NOT anti-human." Will you join me in declaring the same?

Faulty Friendships

My initial instincts.... wrong.

My perceptions.... grew.

My decision to say 'fare-thee-well'... spot on.

My life is better for it.

God is Like My Mother

Many are thankful to have had a loving mother as a guide, teaching and nurturing them before they set out into their own lives. Frequently mothers will continue to present themselves as being a source of love that can be relied on to provide something those seeking it cannot provide for themselves. The title of mother and the women aptly named as such, are generally representative of being loving people. Not in all cases, but generally most beings would consider them loving and trustworthy. If someone is raised in a home where love and respect is continually shown through words and deeds, then the recipients of that love and respect know they can trust the source.

I can't say that I have that type of a relationship with my own mother. Thankfully, I do have many relationships that would prove to me what being loving and trustworthy are all about. They taught me what it means to have those qualities and gave me the opportunity to teach my children what it means to be there for them and others. To me, love means knowing you can count on someone to do as they say they will do and trust is established when you can repeatedly expect that to happen.

What creates the most stress in my relationship with my mother is that she frequently says one thing and then proceeds to act entirely different. I have a huge trust issue with her due to that fact. This past Easter got me thinking about the trust that followers have in their spiritual buddy. Easter Sunday is the holiest of celebrated days for believers; the torture, death and resurrection of their lord and savior is revered specifically for what he went through for them. And the followers love and thank him for his sacrifice for them.

The actions that allegedly played out for jesus that fateful day do not evoke emotions for me that scream an allegiance to god, rather they make me question the sincerity of the words that god claims he is a loving god. These events bring me back to the days of things that occurred in my childhood involving my mother. The events that made me realize that loving someone and treating them poorly do not equal a loving relationship.

How are the religious folks even remotely okay with jesus getting the bejeezzus flagellated out of him when their supposed 'loving' god is the actual reason for the poor carpenter getting sacrificed in the first place? Remember now, this is god's plan to give them an out for being such bad sinning human beings. Faithful followers everywhere are okay with the thought "Yes, let me allow my son to be tortured unrelentingly and made to hang crucifixion style, agonizingly, for however long until his death because I love you and want you to be with me. Through him all is possible."

This incident, specifically, and one example after another shown to us in the bible depicts an incredibly different god; one who does such horrific things and then supposedly does them ONLY 'because' of that love he has for human beings. Huh? Why are red flags not going off in EVERY religious mind in the face of that hypocrisy? Can it be shown anymore perfectly that this is non-trust provoking behavior! All the events that led up to Easter being the high holiest of days is the perfect example of someone who can't be trusted to do what he proclaims!

I repeatedly question why followers aren't asking themselves how their heavenly 'father' chooses to actively promote this action of letting his son die on the cross if he is really such a loving god. Not to mention allowing his son to go through the alleged torture prior to being nailed and displayed on said cross. Doesn't that for even one hot minute strike a chord in believers that this goes against what 'being loving' means? Would they, considering themselves to be loving people, ALLOW these types of events to occur to their own children?

Alarms should be going off! All buttons actively firing, flashing and ringing out with the message that these are not actions of a loving and reasonable god. Actually, quite the opposite! How can the claim be made that 'our god is an awesome god and our god is a loving god'? It's simply not true.

Close, loving and personally satisfying relationships are based on a mutual trust and respect for one another. Loving relationships can be counted on to provide messages of endearment that are supported by deeds showing the other person consistently 'they've got your back' and won't let you down. Loving relationships build a foundation of trust that is continuously reinforced through loving acts. That bond and the trust gets stronger when the truth that is shown us is a love that can be seen and heard consistently and without fail.

When actions speak a different language than what is originally heard, questions should immediately be raised and doubts interjected into the previously held thought process. My relationship with my mother, after many years of hearing one thing and seeing another, helped me to understand that I wasn't dealing with someone who was loving. I was in a relationship with someone who 'thought' she was but didn't have the first clue about what it meant be that person. Many of her actions in fact were opposite of what demonstrated love. Being a reasonable person showed me how to question and then intelligently remove myself from that destructive relationship.

Using reason saves you, not believing a fictitious man in the sky.... especially one who lies.

Indoctrination is a Friend of Power and Greed

I've never understood why the mega-organizations and some leaders of the faithful would be allowed to be in a position where they are sitting on literally billions of dollars or even have a net worth in those numbers.Those that would claim to be followers of god or jesus or whatever the name of their god in other faiths is, should really be 'power-less' and more concerned with their flock; not to mention, living a life that would reflect what most of their followers have. But it seems money or the fact that so many good little followers continue to pad their churches' wallets entitles the leaders to become less like who they preach they want to emulate. I've always firmly thought that any money collected on behalf of charitable organizations should come in and go out to those who the funds are being raised for, not the organizers; ensuring that any expenses are kept to zero or very little.

Billions - yes, billions is what they are taking (actually, raking) in and it doesn't seem to stop. The other part is that it really doesn't go anywhere either. It simply resides with those that command it be given to them to use in whichever way they choose. The current laws have been structured in their favor so we won't know how corrupt their actions really are. It would seem it is just about power and greed, not about what is best for the people they serve. The people giving simply 'believe' that tithing is the right thing as they've been instructed to do. This is where not questioning gets you into trouble and why the moniker 'sheep' is a good description, as that is what sheep do - they follow rather than lead themselves.

Ironically, I searched for a picture under Preacher and this came up. It was titled 'Businessman with arms raised'. Isn't that what they really are when all their actions are intended to increase the bottom line?

People of faith who would blindly do as their pastor tells them, set themselves up to approach life and how they lead it from that same perspective. With a little over 83% of the people in this country having aligned with some form of religion, we can see how the indoctrination of 'following' rather than thinking for oneself, has contributed to this high of a percentage choosing a religious affiliation.

There is a mindset that goes along with being a person of faith and it doesn't just happen all by itself. Faithful people in leadership positions within their religious organizations know that children will be the most willing to absorb the indoctrination. That is why they tell their congregations to school their children in the ways of the lord. Young minds are being molded to believe in fairy tales, to be submissive to, scared of, fearful of and generally abdicate thinking to someone in the church hierarchy who is doing the thinking for them. Well, them and the almighty god who knows better about everything than the lowly humans do. They grow up in an atmosphere that continually reinforces that mindset; no wonder they don't deal any differently when they become adults.

Interestingly, as with anything in life, one of two things will happen in the indoctrination process. Those choosing to remain in the religious fold will either remain faithful to their upbringing and continue that cycle of indoctrination or they will think for themselves. When they do think for themselves they will understand being under the thumb of someone else is inappropriate for their life and will shed their religious upbringing. Those that remain in it - fully, wholeheartedly and aspiring to great notoriety - those will use it to their own advantage; having grasped the power and the financial gain that could come to them when they do. The first person who understood this concept of gaining power over others by creating followers is how religion became to be used by self-serving people. These people will continue to perpetuate this cycle of power and greed by becoming leaders in organized religion to control the followers. All under the guise of being a 'believer'; all the while profiting and benefiting off those who would not think for themselves.

Luckily, we are seeing a shift in the hold that powerful and greedy people in organized religion have over the faithful; people have been leaving religion in droves and continue to even now. Those that are still faithful are revolting against the oppression that was built into the religious dynamic by speaking out against those who would want a status quo, as evidenced by all the scandals surrounding the Catholic Church and we are seeing this in the political arena as well with the Occupy Movement. The indoctrination of oppression is seeing the shackles falling off of those people who were held captive by them previously as they realize that those who would oppress them have only desired to maintain their own interests, not those of their followers. I look forward to a world where indoctrination is a dirty word.

Change can sometimes be a slow process, realizing only minimal gains for the better. But it is progress, never-the-less, when you witness people taking back their rights, their dignity, their intelligence, their humanity and, most importantly, their freedom.

*Also published at AtheismResource.com 

We're Still Here

It is now exactly the end of October 21, 2011 in my time zone and guess what?!?!?! We're ALL STILL HERE!

Deviant Art

I'm sure this came as a big bag of disappointment to some people. End of the world as we know it or  the mass evacuation of good souls all over the world... it just didn't happen... again. DUH!!! Of course it didn't happen. Rational and reasonable people knew that, as well as the smug-smile-on-their-face christians who quoted Mark 13:32; no one will ever know the exact date of the end of the earth. It may come one of these days, but my guess, unless someone pushes the big red button and releases launch codes of all the nuclear missiles... it's not going to happen for a very long time.

The Rapture

Silly people, rapture is for con artists who want to take advantage of you because you have 'blind faith'. They know how gullible you are and understand you weren't taught to think for yourselves. I do hope that you've learned a valuable lesson and that it will kick-start your brain into functioning as it was intended to. But if it doesn't and you continue to just fall for crap like this, please understand that there are potentially serious consequences for not using logic and reason in your thinking.

That also goes for those people who think that Harold Campings' only mistake was in assuming that he could predict the eventual rapture you think IS coming. Being rational, questioning things that don't make sense, understanding the real world and admitting that you don't have all the answers is a lot more honest and real than believing in a supernatural being for which there is absolutely no proof for beyond the indoctrination you received, the blind faith you accept whilst parking your thinking skills to the curb, the fear of retribution you think you'll receive for not being a good little follower or the salvation you dream of experiencing at the end of your days. Being rational, using logic and reason; those things are not evil, they are highly recommended in this thing we call reality.

Instinct Takes Over

From Poems & Quotes

Many people think that forgiveness and acceptance go hand-in-hand when, in personal relationships, that bond is damaged or torn apart. My own personal sense of justice tells me that is impossible when you are dealing with the aftermath of hateful, cruel, inappropriate behavior or anything that would present itself to you in a fashion that you personally would find hurtful.

Having encountered many instances where people cross boundaries and whether it was friends, family or business associates, once they have done something that negates a supposed respectful relationship, acceptance becomes a less attainable thing. The only thing that anybody really wants from that point on is distance between oneself and the intruder on our sensibilities.

Can the person who perpetrates the injustice ever gain your acceptance again? Possibly, but that requires effort and a willingness from the person who has wronged you. It requires honesty and a commitment to understand the thing that he/she has done in the commission of that hurt. And it requires a sense of remorse and a commitment from them to never allow it to happen again. All those things, done over and over again, until that time when you can feel acceptance of that person as a natural state of being.

Call me a pessimist, but the likelihood of that happening for people like me... rare. Even though I try to hope for positive in all things, having a strong sense of what I'm entitled to as a person and as a realist about life in general, I have a tendency towards self-preservation and once wronged, will generally do what it takes to never have the offense or anything closely related to it, occur again.

It's hard for me to understand people, women specifically, who will remain with someone who beats the crap out of them; suffering unspeakable horrors at the hands of someone they love. It seems, with the act of remaining, they give their acquiesence to the violence they endure and to a degree, forgive and accept the monsters they live with. The one who beats them and the one inside of them that allows it. They don't seem to have that will to live the life they are deserving of or in many cases, not conscious of even being entitled to a better life, until it's almost too late.

The self-preservation I mentioned, this is what keeps me moving forward against not only the incidents of personal assaults, but also the harshness of life that we all encounter. This is my strength, my reality and what keeps me sane. It's also my joy, my happiness and what makes me want to stay in the game.

DO NOT DONATE TO AMERICAN CANCER SOCIETY!!

Gotta love Facebook to spread the injustice around pretty quickly. After having read Greta Christina's take on the American Cancer Society's big charity foo pah, it moved me to add my own two cents.

Greta's piece clearly states that The American Cancer Society did not openly come out and say that they were rejecting the money because it came from the atheist organization, Foundation Beyond Belief. However, in doing so it goes against what should be a charity organization's function. The American Cancer Society is in the business of adding to their coffers in order to bankroll research, so it seems terribly odd that they wouldn't take it. And really, what other reason than differing ideology is there? My guess is they knew exactly how wrong it would be to openly take a stand on what they thought about an atheist organization. Coming out honestly on the subject would have really left a bad taste in the mouths of those who would then take their donations elsewhere. Hem and haw and doing the dance of avoiding coming clean... yeah, much better plan.

Well, now it's out and surprise, surprise... it's leaving a bad taste in the mouths of those who previously donated and predictably, it casts a doubt on future donations. People are going to choose other ways to donate their money because discrimination doesn't sit well with them. If you are one of those, please... Let me help you with that.

Charity Navigator 

America's premiere independent charity evaluator, works to advance a more efficient and responsive philanthropic marketplace by evaluating the Financial Health and Accountability and Transparency of America's largest charities. 

 

The American Cancer Society doesn't fare too badly when it comes to how they run the organization, BUT let me point out a few things.

In comparing the other organizations that deal with financing research for cancer, the ACS scores the LOWEST!  And take a look at what a CEO at ACS makes. Do you think that's a bit out of line considering this is supposed to be a charitable organization? You know, one that is compassionate to a cause? I thought caring equated with doing everything that you could for that cause, maybe including not withholding valuable research dollars in order to pay a guy's salary?!?! I'd say that's taking too big of a cut, MR. CEO!

Many have already voiced their displeasure on the American Cancer Society's Facebook page and have publicly said they would take their donation dollars elsewhere. Please stand with those people and do the same. Go check out the other organizations below and find one that is right for you. Charity should be about giving freely, without hesitation and with love and compassion as the core reason for doing so. Not accepting charity because of someone's ideology is smacking that love and compassion in the face.

Do not turn the other cheek. Please.

Charity Name	Overall Score	Overall Rating
American Cancer Society - GA	53.85
National Comprehensive Cancer Network - PA	60.67
National Cancer Coalition - NC	64.13
CancerCare - NY	60.55
The V Foundation - NC	64.25

 

Leadership      (FYE 08/2009)

Name	Title	Compensation
John Seffrin	CEO	$914,906

Other Salaries of Note
William Barram	National VP of Divisional Services, Retired	$1,550,705
Donald Thomas	Deputy CEO, Retired	$1,407,719

O Ye Faithful - Ye Lie!

The disgust I feel when atheists are labeled as evil characters is sometimes almost too much for me to stomach. It is despicable and, frankly, un-christian-like that the people who have no credible evidence to support the fact that there is a god or Jesus and choose to live out their lives in a different fashion are then judged for it by those claiming to have a faith in the almighty. Where's the so-called love they have for their fellow man that they always go on about?

In forums where they can remain hidden, those complete strangers make bold, hateful accusations and attack non-believers when they see only written words from our kind. The anonymity of the Internet gives them power to indict us but they wouldn't be the only ones who judge us. Even so-called friends who are believers use the word evil or at the very least, less than good because of what we claim to be true and our way of thinking. Regardless of the connection we have with them, they will have reservations about our kind because we are different from their clan of people. This hesitation to defy the mentality of the clan can be called strength in numbers, fear of being ostracized or mob mentality; not sure which but whatever label it's given, the stance taken is one of being unwilling to understand the true intent of an individual and then dismiss, ignore, belittle, label or smear them because of that lack of understanding.

I have to stress, not all Christians or believers do this, but a large majority of the faithful do. If those religious people who do would just stop for a moment and assess who we are and look at our actions, individually, they might possibly have to reverse their assessments of us specifically when our actions are in alignment with what we call our values. The values that usually resemble their own proclaimed values. To just simply imply our lack of a belief in a god automatically means we don't have values, some or any, is just discrimination and down-right rude and insulting. Especially when I see how they parade their values and ethics everywhere; touted as the righteous way to live, only to watch them implode when I see their vileness also in full public display once the scandals break.

To all those who would shout the loudest about values and who are frequently having to apologize for doing the opposite.... Please keep your values to yourself. Stop preaching, it makes you look stupid! And more specifically, stop maligning those of us who do have values and actually have lives that reflect them. Stop saying that atheists are inherently value-less because it's just not true and while you are at it, stop committing all those acts that show us how value-less YOU actually are.

When I have the opportunity to read Freethought Today, the "Black Collar Crime Blotter" section, it totally turns my stomach and sends my blood pressure sky-high because of the many cases of sexual abuse involving children. The newspaper-sized pages are filled with local, national and international incidents of arrested/charged, civil lawsuits filed and settled, legal developments, allegations made, removed/resigned instances, pleaded/convicted and sentenced individuals. It covers a wide spectrum of criminal activity - rape, assault, breaking and entering, embezzlement, fraud, kidnapping, etc. The predominant crimes are sexual in nature and again, many of the offenses occur primarily with children.

This monthly updated blotter tells me that religious people DO NOT have the 'good' market cornered. Actually, quite to the contrary, as evidenced by our own frequent personal experiences. We've all witnessed many instances of hypocritical actions and behavior displayed by religious family members and neighbors. And watched as believers got involved in community leadership positions with their halos blazing, only to be fodder for the evening news. The local, state and national politicians don't disappoint us either after they swear on the bible the oath 'So help me God'; then predictably, we see one criminal act or sex scandal after the other come out. They claim to hold themselves to a higher standard because they've got god on their side and then do the very things they claim they are above participating in. The hypocrisy is astounding.

Throughout history, there have been many famous and not so famous examples of people who have done some pretty shabby things in the name of Christianity or just because they could; the list is endless. It is no different in today's society. You need to look no further than the evening news or at the frequent stories floating from one Facebook page to another about a deplorable, evil act committed against yet another child by a member of the community that has touted their morality as better because they believe in a god or claim to be part of a religion that holds them to a higher standard. As I said, it disturbs me greatly to be maligned just because I don't have the same beliefs as they do, but to also see the prevalence and the types of atrocities these so-called Christians commit; it sometimes just leaves me speechless.

But then, justice arrives after the acts come to light and the hypocrisy is clearly evident. There is some satisfaction in seeing them finally fall from grace committing the acts they would accuse us of doing. It's always brilliant to watch them take up a good part of their lives professing decency and values, only to fall disingenuously off their perch of perceived morality when their vile actions are exposed. Seeing their shame, humiliation and regret on display in the media is almost too funny to watch. The righteous speeches, forceful and passionate, meant as indications of their character; now, are meaningless. Getting caught is a bitch, isn't it?

Ray Garton says it best - “People can be good with god, sure.  But there are a whole lot of people who are bad with god, too, and we need to stop deluding ourselves into ignoring that fact.  Belief in god is not a shortcut to morality and church attendance is not emblematic of a good person  What a person believes really doesn’t matter.  What matters is how a person lives. “

In a perfect world - there is no religion, there is no hate, there is no crime, and everybody just lives a happy, comfortable life. I'd settle for one where people just stop acting as if they were better than everybody else. The reality is they aren't and many times they are actually worse.

Examing Morality... Logically

Christians Are Morally Comprised

Dan Barker making keen, logical analogies. Love him.

There's No Plan

This piece started out with me wanting to define god's plan. Reading one thing after another, after another, after another of other people's definition of what that is, I stopped wanting to write about it. Reading the many variations just made me realize that I don't want to define it, try to understand it or even set in motion something to talk about that would in any way give any religionist an excuse to defend it. So, in other words, who cares about god's plan? Not me. Because, seriously, it's not logical that there is one plan based on the different themes that are out there. It's just whatever the flavor or interpretation of that particular faith is.

I know that I always debate people about their beliefs but today, I'm not willing to have a discussion of understanding what god had intended. I don't believe in god, so why would I try to even fathom what that made up person had in mind for us? No, the theme today is reality.

Why do we, those who oppose the idea of a supernatural being, always try to discredit him and his practices? An atheist's stance always has been to focus on reality, maybe that's what we should be speaking about. If making sense is why we choose not to believe because the whole supernatural thing doesn't, then let's choose to only talk about life in terms that do just that. 

Concentrating on living the life that we think it is and what we want it to be should be a priority, right? Considering that life is a journey that changes with each new experience, I would think that anybodies plan ultimately should be about ensuring that the life we live with all its changes, as well as its stable periods and every situation in between, should be as enjoyable and smooth, but as exhilarating as it can be.

Along the way, nature and the society in which we live that life throws us curves that can make or break us. Comfort and resolution, at those times, is what we crave but don't necessarily get. What is the next step, how do we fix things, why does it have to hurt so bad? Those uncertainties or unanswered questions should logically drive us in the direction of resolution but not always. Sometimes we get trapped in the cycle of bad chemistry combined with bad choices but also, in situations that are beyond our ability to rectify. Not learning how to rationally handle those situations that are within our power to handle, can stop us from progressing to the next level of understanding and moving beyond it.

A person who does not rely on a spectre up in the sky to handle those moments in life that are fraught with crisis has to think about the next step, evaluate the reality of his or her situation and then determine what the next best solution is to handling their crappy reality. The only progress that can be made is with the determination to change the outcome of the current situation. Even and especially those that are in potentially life-threatening situations.

It sounds so easy to just put it out there like that, like I've got all the answers. I don't. Especially when I know that we have all had situations in our lives where commanding oneself to do the rational or sane thing is incredibly difficult and seemingly impossible. Intense emotions are powerful expressions of the reaction to those situations in our lives that bring us to our knees. Experiencing them can intensify whatever the situation may be and deny us the rational thought it might take to get a handle on the situation that is going out of control.

Many situations also require intervention of a medical kind because, at times, imbalances in our brain chemicals create a whole host of other physical situations that just 'facing' reality do not solve. For all the rationale I possess myself, I could be one situation away from a nervous breakdown. We are complicated machines with a rationally functioning brain that also performs millions of chemical interactions on a daily basis that can change the outcome of how we use that brain.

Aside from an imbalance that impedes our ability to see our situations exactly as they are, reality isn't really all that scary. It just is as it represents itself. No expectations that it would be any different than how it appears to me. When I look out the window, the sun in shining, birds are chirping and the wind is blowing through my window and eliciting a favorable response for just 'being' what it is.

The child in the picture below has the opposite reality, one of desperate living conditions and a quality of life that is obviously a hardship. This child's reality is certainly an emotion-evoking situation for me, but again, this picture is of a child who is starving. Does this stir me to action, yes, but does my reaction to it change his or her reality, no.This is one of those situations that would be hard for the average innocent, vulnerable child to just turn-around using logic and rationale because the factors contributing to this are out of its control. Yet, it is a reality, one that I, as a rational thinking person could, upon seeing the problem, rationally come up with a solution to end this suffering.

picture compliments of jesus-is-savior.com

This is what living in reality means. You accept the horrors, as well as the beauty of it and you live with it, through it and because of it. It just is. The emotions that come with it shouldn't change your perspective of it, but serve to enhance it or motivate you to change the circumstances that are adding to your dissatisfaction or downright discomfort because of it.

The Upside of Cutting Ties With Atheists

In becoming more involved with the atheist movement, I've heard many sad stories of people whose family and friends have basically let them go when they shared that they were identifying as atheists. My immediate thought is how unacceptable of them. Believers let a label destroy what was once a good relationship or let a non-believing family member no longer feel safe in the fabric of their immediate fold. All because religion and faith had no meaning for them. Christian love seems to be lacking there.

I wish that someone could explain to me how a person who feels there is no evidence for a god makes them less than the person they were before that revelation or how they are any different now versus how they were before they found out that piece of information. The atheist still has the same personality, same empathy, same caring, same level of humanity that he/she had before that was announced, so why should it change the relationship with the believer?

Human babies make connections involuntarily, the bond only growing deeper with each shared experience and the strength of that bond being a good one depends on the level of love, nurture and caring received and given to each other. As we get older and venture out into the world, we have the opportunity to make voluntarily connections on our own. Friendships start to develop as soon as commonalities are revealed and an ease is felt when spending time together; the more experiences are shared, the deeper the connection.

Being out and proud as an atheist, I've made many, many connections to people specifically because of my atheism. It has drawn many people to me and what I feel many wonderful associations because of it. I can see that some will be life-long friends just because of what they have shown me in addition to their atheism. And that is my point, connections we make are not really determined because of what we think or don't think, it is who we are as people, our character and our personality that keeps those connections alive.

This is what I keep coming back to - why would someone who has an already established relationship with a closeted atheist just let go when they find out that they are out of the closet atheists? It certainly doesn't have anything to do with the friendship they established or family relationship they are in. When you take that piece away they would still get along. The person who is belittled or betrayed because of that admission is not the one at fault nor are they reason. What causes the disconnect is not the atheist, but the other person. Sadly, I think this speaks more negatively about the person who detached themselves from the atheist than the person who spoke honestly about their feelings and what they thought about things.

Not all who believe in the supernatural do let go of valued relationships, but I've personally experienced it and many of my friends have shared similar stories. It seems to me that the people who choose to remove themselves from the lives of the atheist never had enough courage to be honest about their level of caring. Their support, love and admiration is contingent on rules dictated by someone else, not what they themselves believe it means to have and maintain a relationship. The person they choose to abandon is still the same person as before but because they now identify as an atheist, they are no good. Sitting in judgment of them seems to be easier than standing firm with that connection and defending the person.

When relationships are discarded, what makes that even slightly okay in their book? How can they just end it and dismiss this relationship of value without any hesitation? I feel it's really a stretch to call them family or a friend, close or otherwise, when some believers would eliminate someone they love from their lives because of a label. The bible says "The fool hath said in his heart, There is no God. They are corrupt, they have done abominable works, there is none that doeth good." (Psalm 14:1) As if everything they thought about the person before is apparently based on a lie, a lie they think the now out atheist has perpetrated. They seem to feel justified in that decision to end what was once a good thing because of their religion. Again, how christian and loving of them. No compassion, just rip out the hearts of the non-believers in the hopes of gaining good favor with their lord. How disgusting and repulsive this is.

In my life, I've had to let go of relationships if they were damaging to me personally or we both had lost mutual interest in each other, but I've never let one slide because I've disagreed with their ideology. I really can't imagine how my life would be better if the person I love and respect would suddenly just have to stop being a part of my life upon the discovery that they think differently than I did. There are plenty in my life now that do and the person and their genuine goodness is intact, regardless of what they believe.

Any way you look at it, it stinks. For the person who reveals it, for the person who lets go and for the relationship itself. Every segment of this equation loses. And for what? A close personal relationship with a non-existent being is supposedly intact because of this action at the expense of a perfectly good human. That's disgusting to me. But maybe it's really a benefit in disguise. The non-believing person at the receiving end of this shameful action is better off. They are free to pursue more real relationships that are based in reality and truth. That should equate into more honest and healthy relationships for them and probably more satisfying ones.

So, actually... kind of a win-win. :)