Once upon a time we enjoyed regular writing from members of our community. That has dropped off, but we'd like to keep their work available for future readers. Enjoy.
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I'm taking a break from work at the moment and doing some reading of the day's news. Seems the fundiots are all up in arms about Obama's planned address to the students of the nation. I made the mistake of reading some of the comment threads at various news sites covering this topic. The good news is that the response from the rational sector is strong. The bad news is that the paranoid lockbrains are making a huge issue of nothing. Our president wants to inspire the young people of his nation, and the 'wingers are accusing him of "promoting his socialist agenda" directly to children.
What an ugly accusation. Worse, what an utter lack of faith in the intellectual abilities of your children. To state that they may only hear viewpoints filtered through your dogma is inane, foolish, and downright detrimental to them.
Of course, you can't follow a political/religious discussion (they are perpetually linked) without encountering those who rigidly adhere to the absurdity that morality stems from religious belief. It makes me angry, and it makes me feel isolated. I want to scream it out to all those I contact, "I am not immoral. You wouldn't be either without your god-belief." I want to offer myself and my children as concrete proof of humanistic goodness.
Why does it bother me? I think of the tongue-in-cheek observation of modern society: "I can't sleep. Someone on the internet is wrong!"
It really is that trivial. But it's not. I can't ignore the injustice of stifled learning going on in this country. That includes the push to "get Christ back in schools". I got a request to join this club on Facebook this morning. I resisted the urge to splatter the sender's wall with something, anything to counter the diatribe her father, a raging godbot, posts there almost every morning.
It's not worth it. Let it go. Be patient, and appreciate the real value of the people around you, religious or not.
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In spite of centuries of false and malicious propaganda by the religious community, it is the "reprobate godless atheists" in society who constitute many of western civilization's most admired achievers and contributors. The religious community would be well advised to consider why it is that as in Europe, America's fastest growing segment of its population is non-religious, agnostic and atheist rejecting traditional Christian faith as irrelevant.
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We decided back in May to try and have a book discussion every other month at our regular membership meetings. For September our discussion will be on Godless by Dan Barker, ex-evangelist and co-President of the Freedom from Religion Foundation. I've met him in person, and he's genuinely insightful and funny.
It's not necessary to have read the book. The conversation will be interesting for those who have not, as well, and will be limited to half the meeting time.
See you there!
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I'm not trying to sell anything. I'm trying to steal it. I want everyone I encounter to know I'm a decent person, raising decent children. Here's my latest message to that point. As always, I'm envisioning wearing it to the State Fair, which I'm actually attending this weekend. Probably without the shirt.
DELIBERATE
IGNORANCE
IS NO
VIRTUE.
It just makes you look stupid.
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Here's a great talk by the Fifth Horseman, PZ Myers.
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Those of us on the outside of religion don't find it odd at all that religion doesn't generate morally superior behavior. In fact, I would assume the opposite... that people who are "saved" have less reason than the rest of us to be good.