If Christians believe their god can hear even silent prayers, then why is there need for this kind of disturbance to others?

If a rock band was practicing at someone’s house and disturbing the neighborhood, I would bet that most of the congregation members of this church would be demanding someone be arrested if the noise didn’t stop. Just because it’s religion, it’s ok to be ignorant to everyone in the neighborhood?

Ohio church noise bothers neighbors

MASSILLON, Ohio - Is it worship? Or disturbing the peace?

Neighbors of Worshippers of Christ the Warrior King Church [”Warrior King”? ] have petitioned the city, saying screams and sounds of glory and praise coming from the building are a nuisance. But church members contend they’re being harassed because of how they worship.

“Sunday morning is God’s day of worship,” the Rev. Troy Sowell said. “I’m not going to tell this congregation, ‘You’re being too loud.’”

Sowell says he’s open to finding a solution but is not going to forfeit his right to worship God.

Police responded to noise complaints three consecutive days during a revival last year, after the congregation moved in.

“They have a sound system over there that is very loud,” said neighbor Reginald Winters. “I’m in my house with the door shut, and literally, my windows are vibrating in my house. … This year, it’s started right back up.”

The church closed its doors and windows, but the complaints have continued, said Jerena Copeland, associate pastor.
Sowell said light bulbs have been stolen from the building and beer bottles have been wedged beneath the tires of members’ vehicles.

Church members recently met with Police Chief Robert Williams.

“I’m still hoping for an amicable, diplomatic solution,” said Williams, an ordained minister and the son of a pastor.

By “diplomatic solution” he means “our way or the highway, and if it bothers you, too damn bad.” There shouldn’t have to be a “diplomatic solution” except to apologize for being inconsiderate and selfish, and tone it down. That is what would be expected from any other good citizen.

The Humanist Symposium: Inaugural Edition

Adam, at Daylight Atheism blog, invited me to contribute to this great new carnival. I mulled over what I had recently posted and saw that I was too caustic and not uplifting enough to be considered. (*sigh*)

He raises the bar, by asking us to take this to the next level — showing the world what atheism really is about. Instead of standing in the witness box, defending ourselves against the RaptureRight’s lies, scurrillous distortions and distractions, we must stand tall and proud, and go about the business of being the only promise for the future — and in the process, showing up christians as merely Bronze Age throwbacks and obstructionists. Instead of being “an anchor in one’s life”, their religion becomes our “society’s deadweight”, the albatross, the millstone around our necks…

Coming to atheism takes many forms: the painful climb out of the abyss, the “spontaneous” realization (during a service, while reading a book, during a dream), the rejection of parental indoctrination — or the lucky, life-long, non-belief because a parent didn’t believe either. There are, of course, many other paths and always a story to tell about it. It’s one of my joys to read these stories!

It seems to be a great mystery to the brainwashed that we atheists come to this understanding without a structural framework. Or an atheist-study-group. Or being recruited to it. No matter how many times we explain it to them, they fail to understand (often deliberately) that it comes from critical thinking, and we know that that is stifled early in their lives.

And we are equally mystified at their cognitive dissonance! How could a theosophy based on love, as it purports to be, be so full of hate? Of course, the answer is that it is a business: BigChurch! In order to carve out a fiefdom (some huge!), one must: draw lines that lead to exclusion; establish language, rituals and symbols that identifies one to kindred; and collect the $$$ tribute. It helps if one’s “voice” has “legs” (read: travels) through the use of media technology; conversely, technology must be the “enemy” — and one needs many enemies! And one also needs “friends in high places” — not in heaven but in government! To them, the next logical step is to take over government…

See? This is what I’m talking about — no matter how temperate and logical I try to be, I fail!

So, having removed myself from Adam’s consideration, I selected the best posts (by my yardstick) from three of my favorite new atheist blogs and sent them to him. I’m proud to say that two are listed (and sad that the third didn’t make it — but this is a new carnival and there’s another chance coming up soon!).

Please drop by his post, link and leave a few comments. Everyone will be better for it…

While reading through the current news articles at American Atheists, I was appalled at this story of two Mormon women in England who went totally beserk in disciplining six children.

Two ‘out-of-control’ Mormon women tortured six children by beating them with rolling pins and whipping them with stinging nettles, a court heard yesterday.

Deidre Carrington and Maria Keable are also alleged to have hit them with wooden spoons, made them eat hot chillies and punched and kneed them.

The pair meted out the brutal treatment to children aged from just two to 12, Canterbury Crown Court heard.

Prosecutor Robin Johnson said: “This was a case of two women who were completely out of control and were acting in a disgraceful way.”

We have discussed this many times before about how many fundamentalist god botherers are more apt to not only emotionally abuse children, but also physically abuse their children, justifying it as “correction” and “punishment” as ordered in their religious texts. “Spare the rod and spoil the child.”

Mr Johnson said: “She said she was a member of the church and had strict principles to teach children to work and be obedient.”

During her police interview Keable, of Ramsgate, said she was like a grandmother to the children and they called her Aunt Maria. She told police that in her country “the use of chilli was normal”, adding: “My mother used it.”

Mr Johnson said: ‘She believed her motives were Christian.”

You can read the entire story here: Mormons ‘hit children with rolling pins’

Suffer the little children. . .

“A Brief History of Disbelief” This is a BBC series about Skepticism and Disbelief.

http://www.veoh.com/videos/v290939G3cdaPWh

The whole series can be found over at Red State Rabble.

Scroll down and find “A Brief History of Disbelief”, Parts I and II. Also, please if you would like to see this on your local PBS station there is an effort afoot to do call-ins and ask them to please play the entire series. The blogosphere rules, so up and at em, spread the word. If you like this sort of thing, that is.

Now if we could just get the sons and daughters of Abraham to read a book and join us in the 21st century, we might have something.

Update to the downloads are here:.
http://www.huge-entity.com/2007/03/jonathan-millers-brief-history-of.html
The update includes 6 additional interviews called “The Atheism Tapes”.

And now for current news, an absurdity that needs exposure for what it is. Get a laugh out of this.

http://deseretnews.com/dn/view/0,1249,660215179,00.html

And I thought all along that “The Bush Admin” was Satan. I now know the error of my ways. ROTFLMAO

Introducing comedian Chris Bliss:

Okay, that wasn’t really funny. So, is he really a comedian? Check it out for yourself…

Christian visitor/commenter who calls herself/himself, “Honestly” came by and asked us today

if there is no God and you really don’t care, why do you insist on maintaining a blog site that states over and over that there is no God and you really don’t care. Who are you trying to convince?

We are trying to convince YOU that you need to give up the sky daddy beliefs or keep your religion to yourself and out of our secular government, our public schools and institutions, and our bedrooms….honestly. (And also stop trespassing on our private property with your bible-thumping — our homes are our ” PRIVATE sanctuaries” away from the world.)

Here is a video by American soldier, drakeblackhorn who provides a very clear and excellent answer. Music by Bad Religion, “Faith Alone”. [Ed note: Click the pause button in order to pause video to read each section if you need to. It’s a pain, but if you don’t use the pause, it moves too fast for some.]

“Faith Alone” lyrics

What the world needs now is some answers to our problems
We can’t buy more time ’cause our tender isn’t valid
What the world needs now is some accountability
If your soul needs love you can get consoled by pity
But faith alone won’t sustain us anymore
faith alone won’t sustain us anymore [to fade]

Quoting a Bible passage is apparently a “get out of jail free” card in some parts of Ohio. And this happened in a big city, not a small hick town! This is blatant disregard for the laws which uphold the separation between church and state! And how the hell does quoting memorized Bible verses prove that someone is a good person? Would a person of another religion or would an atheist/agnostic get off so easy?

Ohio judge frees man after Bible quiz

CINCINNATI - A man arrested on Wednesday for allegedly trying to use a stolen credit card at a drugstore got a break from a judge after passing a sort of Bible quiz.

When Eric Hine appeared in court this morning, his attorney described him as a church-goer, hoping the judge would set a low bond.

Hamilton County Municipal Court Judge John Burlew was skeptical and asked Hine to recite the 23rd Psalm.

He did: all six verses. Some in the courtroom applauded. [BARF! GAG! PUKE!]

Burlew was satisfied and released Hine on a $10,0000 appearance bond, meaning he’ll have to pay that amount if he doesn’t show up for his next court date.

It really pisses me off that this guy gets caught and arrested for trying to steal from someone, and then be applauded because he can quote from a mythology book! And if he shows for his next court hearing, he doesn’t have to pay a dime.

Here is the video of the alleged “improprieties” by Richard Gere which has led a court in India to call for the arrest of both Gere and Bollywood star Shilpa Shetty. This is a follow-up to my April 16th Post, Whackadoos abound.