Why are Americans so religious?
January 5, 2008
Is the separation of state and church is our downfal?
The separation of church and state allows religious freedom, whereas religious freedom was not allowed in any large country anywhere else in the world. It allowed religions to diversify and adapt and evolve and compete for adherents. The most persuasive ideologies like Catholicism, evangelical Christianity and fundamentalist Christianity won, and the other competitors were the losers.
Go to a large church in the United States, and the services are like rock concerts with thousands singing and clapping and dancing.
Keeping religious symbols also feeds the monster, as well as the commercialism of Christmas and Easter which perpetuates Christianity.
We are a nation of religious hypocrites, alongside very vocal fundamentalist extremists. The majority seem to be cultural Christians who like the warm, fuzzy notions that come along with a god belief meanwhile ignoring whatever they don’t like. Sure, they’ll profess to be Christians because it’s traditional and more socially acceptable, and then rarely set foot inside a church, read a Bible, engage in whatever extramarital sex they prefer, and go to the bar to get loaded. But still, they are good “Christians” who consider themselves to be believers.
Then, of course, we see the guilt of this hypocrisy when this majority of cultural Christians enable the radical fundamentalists, who seem to thrive in our government, through notions like removing evolution/teaching creationism in schools or a gay marriage ban. It achieves a false sense of piety when they get to persecute minorities via what they claim is a religious morality that they themselves often disregard. And they seem to keep getting nuttier and nuttier; it’s depressing, especially in the face of the next election and Huckabee so likable and popular.
Pimping for Jesus: Pat Condell
December 19, 2007
Was Texas intelligently designed?
December 12, 2007
In Texas, just promoting a speaker that is critical of Intelligent Design can cost a person her job.
Read more
Islam Idiocy (Moronic Mohammedans)
December 4, 2007
Now that we’ve hit Jehovah’s Witnesses over the headHere, Here and Here, it’s time for someone else to get their turn in the “My religion says I should prefer death to proper medical care” barrel.
Muslim woman are not allowed to be viewed by men outside the family, not even by physicians.
Pregnant Belgium Muslim woman needs an emergency cesarean delivery, only anesthesiologist available is a man, and the woman’s husband bars his entry into the operating room.
At this point, a rational person would have the husband arrested, but our doctor doesn’t do this. Instead, (After TWO HOURS) an Imam is consulted - the anesthesiologist is permitted to apply an epidural injection, but only if the woman is completely covered except for a small patch of skin. During the surgery (conducted by a female OB/GYN) our anesthesiologist is relaying instructions and observations through a nurse: he is forced to stand in the hallway while his patient is in surgery.
Fortunately, the surgery went OK. It could have turned into a disaster: had the mother or child died during the procedure, the anesthesiologist would be responsible for their lives. This doctor risked his patients’ well being - and his career - following the religious beliefs of a sexist, bigoted religion.
The beautiful Kelly of the Rational Response Squad covered this one.
Source
8th Grader kills himself for God
November 30, 2007
A 14-year-old boy, Dennis Lindberg, killed himself under the instructions of a sadistic cult. This action was blessed by Skagit County (Washington) Superior Court Judge, John Meyer, who prohibited the State of Washington from interfering in the youth’s suicide pact.
Unfortunately, no criminal action will be brought against either the “Cult” or Judge Meyer, because the “Cult” is the Jehovah’s Witnesses, and the method of suicide the youth chose was to refuse treatment that would have given him a 70% chance of survival.
TJM author Luci recently wrote about another senseless death associated with Jehovah’s Witness prohibition on accepting blood transfusions.
Basically, JWs are prohibited from consuming the blood of an animal. “Church” leaders decided that hospital patients can be fed intravenously, a blood transfusion is food.
What?
TJM reader Jerry Jones (his link) commented:
Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to acknowledge that when human blood is transfused into their body’s circulatory system that the transfused human blood remains to be human blood and continues to function as human blood. Jehovah’s Witnesses refuse to acknowledge that if blood is eaten, then the ingested blood enters the body’s digestive system, where the blood would be treated by the body exactly the same as it would treat a hotdog, a potato chip, or any other food item.
Before you start thinking that I’m singling out JW’s, remember that MANY religions/dogmatic beliefs require the individual to harm himself/herself in the name of worship and/or conformity. Judaism (and others) requires the partial amputation of male genitalia. Sects of Islam require adherents to flog and/or lacerate themselves as a part of their worship. (Check out “Ashoura”) Female Genital Mutilation is still widely practiced in several locations around the world. Foot Binding, an old Chinese custom, has crippled millions of women.
Dogmatism turns otherwise rational people into lemmings. Religion is the single largest source of Dogmatism. Religion is also the most “Protected” in its application. Without Religion to back up this boy’s decision, his parents would have been brought up on child endangerment charges, he would be declared a ward of the court, and his doctors would be ordered to begin treatment.
Read more:
http://scienceblogs.com/pharyngula/2007/11/religion_kills.php
http://www.cnn.com/2007/US/11/29/jehovahs.witness.ap/index.html
Parenting Beyond Belief (the book)
November 8, 2007
A House of Cards
September 28, 2007
justjim asked Darque: “I would like to know where your enmity for religious faith comes from. What happened to you? Certainly it’s more than just a humanistic love of reason.”
I quickly discovered that this topic spawned enough material for a new article.
Don’t discount “Love of Reason” - Her evil bastard step-sister “Stupidity” is as dark and chilling as “Reason” is bright and warm. “Hatred of Stupidity” and “Love of Reason” are two sides to the same coin.
Read more
One Nation Under God???
September 23, 2007
The First Amendment reads as such:
“Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances.
Nichole Smalkowski- Creationism Museum
September 13, 2007
Kathy Griffin and Jesus
September 13, 2007
So Kathy Griffin (famous comedian for those who don’t know her… and she’s also an atheist) receives the Emmy Award and in her little speech says “Suck it, Jesus. This is my God now.” The media is outraged. Fox News this morning had gathered four upset newscasters and other believers discussing this. They were all oh so insulted and angry and made sure we know how inappropriate this remark was. After all, as one of them put it, 85% of Americans are Christians. Where are the clergy? Where is Jesse Jackson? Why does she go unpunished? And what’s worse, why are people in Hollywood and in New York cheering for her??? Read more
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