Abstinence Clowns?

 

The Secret Order of Abstinence Clowns | Amplify

I already knew that abstinence only education was a waste of money.  But this is worse than I had previously imagined.  If you'd like to see what an abstinence only clown looks like, click the above link to see the video.  Hurry, that crazy sexually frustrated clown is a little camera shy and has been pulling his videos from sites (including his own).  Considering that the Obama administrations won't consider this a laughing matter, they have a good reason to not want this silliness advertised.  Of course, that is exactly why I am posting this.  More people need to know what their money is being wasted on.

Religious politics = No 501 Status

 

Happy Atheist Forum • View topic - Support of Prop 8 should remove LDS's 501 Status

Far too many religious organizations are getting away with poking their nose into politics without any consequences.  Part of their requirements to maintain 501 status is to not associate themselves with politics by promoting a candidate, supporting the bill or other related activity.  I guess this is just one more thing to add to the list of problems in America.

Obama: A Man of Many Firsts

Obama is not only the first black president, but also the first president to acknowledge that America is composed of many world views in his inaugural speech. Obama took the care to mention that non-believers also contribute to the melting pot that we call home.

"For we know that our patchwork heritage is a strength, not a weakness. We are a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus - and non-believers. We are shaped by every language and culture, drawn from every end of this Earth; and because we have tasted the bitter swill of civil war and segregation, and emerged from that dark chapter stronger and more united, we cannot help but believe that the old hatreds shall someday pass; that the lines of tribe shall soon dissolve; that as the world grows smaller, our common humanity shall reveal itself; and that America must play its role in ushering in a new era of peace." Text of Obama's inaugural speech

Following a paragraph referencing the "scriptures" in a speech ended by "God Bless America," this may not seem like a big step forward. But consider the non-patriotic phrase at one point uttered by former President George Bush Sr.; "I don't know that atheists should be regarded as citizens, nor should they be regarded as patriotic. This is one nation under God."* True patriots value the ideal of equality.

While Obama is unlikely to completely separate his religious views from his work, it is very obvious that he is taking steps to unify this country under the idea of true equality. I say true equality because this is a nation where those in charge have claimed we are all equal for quite some time. We were all 'equal' back when blacks were slaves. We were all 'equal' back when women couldn't vote. In the near future maybe we can look back and sarcastically say: We were all 'equal' back when homosexuals could not marry. We were all 'equal' back when most of America would not vote for an atheist.

If slavery can be overcome in such a relatively short time frame; true equality for nonbelievers is only a moment away.

* http://www.robsherman.com/advocacy/060401a.htm

No Reason to Fear

I have noticed that I have no issues telling anyone that I am non-religious. I know they know that means that I don't go to church and don't practice any standard religion. No one reacts badly to my saying non-religious; at most they'll ask why. How I explain why depends on the person, I try to respond in a manner that I think they can listen to instead of tuning out due to extreme disagreement. For instance, if the person is very religious I start out by talking about being tired of how so many religious people are hypocritical. By the time I get around to saying anything that offends them they have agreed with at least half of my reasoning. With everyone else I just say that my reasons are quite complex but that the main reason is there simply is no evidence that any one religion has figured things out. If you get this far with someone; you can say 'atheist' pretty easily without them freaking out

I would never just walk up to someone at work or family gatherings and make a point to tell them I am a Christian back when I was one. Why would I do it now that I am an atheist? However, I do find it difficult to not be afraid to just come out and say atheist if I am in a situation where it is appropriate to be discussing religious views. In this part of the country a lot of, otherwise fairly reasonable, believers associate atheism with Satanism/evil. I don't know if this is something they picked up from church or if it is just a Southern misguided view based on lies circulated by evangelicals. But, it is something I have to keep in mind if I want to be able to discuss my views with someone in a calm manner.

I would use the term freethinker, but a lot of people don't know what that means and could be offended if you can't explain what it means before they jump to the conclusion that you are implying their mind is not free (which might be your view anyway). Nonetheless, you don't want to offend someone just by stating your views. I understand it is the other person's problem if they can't accept the existence of differing viewpoints. However, if I can control the conversation in such a way that I can speak freely without the other person getting offended; I prefer to do so. I think the more we can have a calm and open dialogue with theists the faster they will accept atheists/freethinkers as just another approach to viewing the world rather than something to fear due to false perceptions.

Basically, if you are around reasonable people...what is there to fear? You might have to lead into stating your views in order to create a foundation for the other person's understanding. But after doing so there shouldn't be any issues. The only people who would truly freak out are the fundamentalists and I'm pretty sure average religious people already think fundies are crazy anyway. Try not to let all the jerks/trolls/insane people on the Internet affect your view of how people react in the 'real' world.

I think that for most of us, our fear to be open about our views is unreasonable. I can tell people that I am pro choice in public without anything terrible happening. And this is during a time when, to many people, that is the same as saying I'm pro murder. If I can safely be pro-choice and pro-teaching evolution in this society, why should I fear being an atheist? With the exception of those who live in very backwards parts of the country, our fear to be open is not based on reason. As most freethinkers pride themselves on making decisions based on logic rather than emotions; I think we all need to objectively reevaluate why we think there is a reason to fear being outed as an atheist.

Lori Lipman Brown and Secular Coalition of America Part Ways

Lori Lipman Brown started at the Secular Coalition of America in 2005 as their only lobbyist. Since then the SCA has grown to a staff of six and is expecting further growth. People like Lori help to keep a secular voice in a government which all too often, conviently, forgets that this nation was not founded on Christian principals. The time has come for Lori and SCA to part ways. We can expect that Lori will continue to be a rising star in the daunting task of spreading the light of reason.

If you would like to learn more about the SCA or Lori, please visit: http://www.secular.org/