While reading through a discussion thread on another website, I came across a comment that brought to light a couple of important questions about this whole “Jesus died for me” belief. The comment basically stated that Jesus is believed by xians to be a god who couldn’t really die or even sin and is apparently alive and well. The commentor pointed out how xians weep with sorrow when they hear the story about Jesus’ death for the millionth time even though they believe their savior lives. One minute they are crying and feeling sad…”Terrible how sinners killed Jesus…boo hoo” and then “He lives! He lives! Hallelujah!” the next.

Webster dictionary defines sacrifice as “a: destruction or surrender of something for the sake of something else b : something given up or lost”. So, the question remains “How was Jesus’ death a sacrifice?” How can something be called a sacrifice when nothing has really been lost?

Thanks to “Ricky” who sent us wonderful news of the House or Reps. recent passing of H.R. 2679, a bill designed to prevent attorneys representing clients in Establishment Clause violation cases from collecting remuneration. This bill, also known as the Public Expression of Religion Act (PERA), was introduced by John Hostettler (Ind-R) and has companion legislation in the Senate via (gasp!) Sam Brownback (Kan-R, fucker). Of course, this bill made it through the House without much discussion or fanfare from the media (I guess they’re a little busy with Anna Nicole Smith’s kid). If it passes the Senate, you can be sure it will be signed into law without much additional bullshit.

The wording of the law is an obvious election year sweetheart deal for the religious right as it extends their right to be obnoxious cocks in general public to protect religious displays that may be funded or featured by government public institutions. So according to this, all you parents that don’t want your children inundated with religious crap when they go to school; all you folks that don’t want to be deluged with religious crap at the courthouse; if you can’t afford a lawyer all on your own, you’d better sit down and STFU. So much for civil rights.

Are you an agnostic/atheist who was baptized Catholic? Did the Roman Catholic Church (RCC) ever officially excommunicate you? No?

Then according to the RCC, you are still considered Catholic, and they may include you in their reckoning of their numbers worldwide.

At least, that’s what the Atheist Foundation of Australia, Inc. says, but take heart: there’s an easy way out! The AFoAI has laid out the steps you can take to get yourself excommunicated, just like Archbishop Milingo.

But be prepared for a struggle, for the RCC “apparently does not excommunicate its members easily.”

snippet: They say that the reason for this is to leave the way open for reconciliation. However, their thinking is based on irrational belief and is motivated by fear, and they assume that you are the same. They believe that you will react as they do to the fear of death, and wish to deny reality and embrace an illusion. Even more importantly, by never giving up a member, the church is able to claim millions as members, who do not accept its doctrines, who never attend, who never contribute money or time and who are, in fact, opposed to what it stands for. This greatly enhances its power. If you were ever baptised a Roman Catholic, and have not been excommunicated, you are still being counted.

snippet: As of 1983 there are nine canons under which excommunication can take place. Five of them only apply to priests or bishops. One of the others is physically attacking the pope, and criminal acts can hardly be recommended. Another is ‘violation of sacred species’, normally called desecrating a consecrated host….Next to last is ‘procuring of abortion’. Excommunication for this is supposed to be automatic, but it only applies to the doctor and the woman involved. I am told the church does not seek out such cases. [snip]

Otherwise, there is canon 1364, ©1 Apostasy, heresy, or schism. This involves automatic excommunication, if you can convince the church that it applies to you. The most common usage of this canon is when a former Catholic embraces another religion….It is your task to convince the church that you, as an atheistic secular humanist, (or whatever) are in the same ‘non-Catholic’ category as a Muslim or Buddhist….You will need to write a letter to your current parish. It should include the necessary information to meet all of the criteria for deserving to be excommunicated.

snippet: The church is patronizing to atheists. They can easily recognize another superstition, but, being unfamiliar with rationality, they have difficulty accepting the decision to renounce all mumbo jumbo. They have, however, officially established these criteria for judging all cases of excommunication: You must ACT….You must be PERSISTENT….If at first you don’t succeed…Cite long commitment, and keep trying and keep writing. You must be CONTUMACIOUS….You must be AWARE that this involves excommunication. [snip]

You have to BE A ROMAN CATHOLIC. Obviously. In your letter, make them aware of this by telling them the parish where you were baptised and the date. Many people, hoping for some kind of heresy cachet, have inquired about getting excommunciated, even though they are not currently memebers[sic] of a church. No, you can’t.

THEY HAVE A DUTY to other Roman Catholics….In terms of marriage, communion, death and so on, you should be treated as a non-Catholic. If they fail to do this, they are not dealing fairly with the Catholics in their charge.

The piece concludes with a handy form you can print, fill out, and send to your local priest if you need additional ammunition to get the ball rolling; it includes unambiguous statements like “as a principled and rational person, it pains me that someone, somewhere may be counting me as an adherent of an irrational superstition which has done and is doing irreparable harm to humanity and with which I profoundly disagree.” Some helpful suggestions for getting in the mood to initiate your bid vary from “foster reason, critical thinking and self-esteem in children” to “promote human rights for all.”

As for ideas for celebration once your excommunication is officially complete - come on, you’re a freethinker; I’m sure you can come up with something that’ll kick some major butt! Maybe choosing “I’ve been excommunicated!” as the theme for your 2006 Halloween party? And don’t forget to frame that letter of excommunication!

We really need a category called “damned scary” for this blog. I don’t have a graphic and I’m not going to bother Sean for one this time, but we all need to read this, I think. Richard Dawkins has said more than once that bringing up children who don’t yet have the ability to think and make critical choices (i.e. religion) is a form of child abuse. Originally I thought he was going maybe a tad far, but I’ve reconsidered over time, and this example is DEFINITELY an example of child abuse.

http://www.commondreams.org/headlines06/0929-08.htm

Also, read a very nice piece about Judge John Jones on today’s Red State Rabble

Should the government outlaw trans fats? In Chicago and New York, there’s a movement afoot to outlaw them. I can understand banning smoking in restaurants, workplaces and other public areas since second hand smoke affects the health of others and is especially dangerous to those who already have respiratory problems, but isn’t banning approved food ingredients going a bit overboard? Will we all soon be having the government decide our menus for us? Most of us know why they’re unhealthy: Trans fats clog arteries, have been linked to heart disease and may raise the risk of diabetes. But lots of things that we eat everyday are bad for us. White bread is bad, sugar is bad, etc. Will these things be banned next? Chocolate cake? Ice Cream? Skittles?

Over the last few (thousand) days We’ve been subjected to a few of the religious who believe that it is their duty to inform us of their rules for living. I’ve found that by allowing them their say and then moving on that I am much happier. I hear them out and do not shout them down even when they desperately deserve it. What annoys me more and more is their absolutist attitude. There is no way but my highway the highway to Jesus. A mythological figure of mass delusion. They call him the Prince of Peace as they deliver war to the disbelievers. “Praise The Lord” we are the “People That Love”. But we don’t love that sinfulness that you are part of so you must die. And worse you will be placed in hell and tormented for eternity. Please Please Please before it’s too late.

I think each of us has been part of an experience with such people. Maybe they are or were your neighbor or associate of some kind. You knew they were heavily religious and yet never would suspect that they would start frothing at the mouth calling you terrible names. And they did and all for some mistaken belief that subborned their rational mind and replaced it with ignorance. An ignorance so deep that no thinking is required. In fact thinking is frowned upon. The old, “If you aint with us your agin us”. The gutless followers fall in in unison and repeat what it is that their leadership tells them. They become zealous with their own pride in finally being part of something bigger than themselves. They are part of something wholesome and good, or so they’re told. They are indoctrinated into the ways of their particular system and rarely stray.

I used to feel a certain sympathy for them for being so easily mislead but not anymore. They are adults and should be treated as such. They in fact are adults and we need to force them at times to be so. It is remarkable in a kind of pathetic way to see them in a state of confusion that is of their own making. They know how to reason and in their minds they know the truth. But they want the fantasy to last and by holding on to their adult version of Santa Claus they can prolong their inability to mature and become fully functional responsible adults.

We in the first world have the very best most advanced scientific infrastructure in the history of human experience. And what do the religious want from it? They want the results without the work or the decisions to pursue a line of reasoning that may conflict with their beliefs in fantasies. We have laid at our feet the most beautiful, fantastic, affordable life enhancing goods and services ever in the history of human experience. And what do the religious want? They want to regulate it and have dominion over all of mankinds activities. We have fostered scientific progress that allows mankind to live in more and more inhospitable environments and we have fostered scientific progress that has placed clean healthy foods on the tables of 6 billion people wordwide. We feed 6 Billion where only 2 billion would previously have been sustained. And what do the religious want? They do not want curbs on child bearing in fact in many countries the churches are advocationg the people to have more children.

I could go on but enough is enough. Every step of the way the religious have been butting in and making claims that have nothing to do with advancing the human condition. They rarely get along with themselves so why should we give them any say in the development of the era that we are entering. An era free from religion sounds pretty darn good to me.

Found in a newspaper left on the lunchroom table at work today:

Bathroom walls used to inform

Administrators at the Christian-based school [my emphasis] searched for an unconventional way to get news and information out to students. E-mails, posters and campus bulletin boards were just too easy to ignore.

snippet: Sheena Cunningham, 21, a senior at Palm Beach Atlantic, loves the idea. She said the potty rag helps her stay connected with what’s happening on campus. She said students don’t always have time to read The Beacon, the campus newspaper. But they never miss Stall Talk.

“Everyone goes to the bathroom,” she said. “It’s right there. You have no other choice but to read it.”

snippet: Among the headlines in this month’s issue: “Getting Along with your Roommate,” “Top 5 Places to Eat Off-campus” and “Top 10 Reasons to Consider Joining Campus Recreation Activities.” A prayer is featured prominently as well.

snippet: Lutz said advertisers are constantly looking for new ways to reach their audiences, and some businesses sell advertising space inside restrooms.

“In bathrooms, you’ve tapped into a person’s hallowed, private space,” she said. “It’s one thing to give helpful information. It’s another thing to subject them to ads when all they want to do is use the restroom.”

Hmmm, that would mean no proselytizing in the bathroom; I mean, it’s a form of advertising - the proselytizing, that is…

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Man. Old Bill, usually rather reserved in confrontation, refuses to take any shit in this Fox interview. He must be sick to death of being blamed for 9/11 by the neocons. He has the facts, as always, and is brilliantly articulate. Wallace is a fool to mess with a man of his intellectual power. Watch it and punch your fist in the air. Go, Bill!

Here is part two.

Here is part three.