5,000 Years Of Religion In 90 Seconds

What's the most important factor in deciding what religion someone will be? Geography, of course:

In Kentucky, Atheists To The Rescue

The moronic Kentucky anti-terror law that I was writing about yesterday is being targeted by a group of non-believers:

A group of atheists filed a lawsuit Tuesday seeking to remove part of a state anti-terrorism law that requires Kentucky's Office of Homeland Security to acknowledge it can't keep the state safe without God's help.

American Atheists Inc. sued in state court over a 2002 law that stresses God's role in Kentucky's homeland security alongside the military, police agencies and health departments.

Of particular concern is a 2006 clause requiring the Office of Homeland Security to post a plaque that says the safety and security of the state "cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon almighty God" and to stress that fact through training and educational materials.

The plaque, posted at the Kentucky Emergency Operations Center in Frankfort, includes the Bible verse: "Except the Lord keep the city, the watchman waketh but in vain."

"It is one of the most egregiously and breathtakingly unconstitutional actions by a state legislature that I've ever seen," said Edwin F. Kagin, national legal director of Parsippany, N.J.-based American Atheists Inc. The group claims the law violates both the state and U.S. constitutions.

I admire the group's effort, but I have a suspicion that atheists don't hold much sway in Kentucky.

The Twelve Days Of Destroying Israel

An Anglican church in England decided it would be a good idea to change the lyrics of Christmas carols to make them into anti-Israel carols:

The Twelve Days of Christmas was sung as: “Twelve assassinations/ Eleven homes demolished/ Ten wells obstructed/ Nine sniper towers/ Eight gunships firing/ Seven checkpoints blocking/ Six tanks a-rolling/ Five settlement rings/ Four falling bombs/ Three trench guns/ Two trampled doves/ And an uprooted olive tree.”

The event, “Bethlehem Now: Nine Alternative Lessons and Carols”, was organised by the group Jews for Boycotting Israeli Goods and the Palestinian group Open Bethlehem.

Classy. Needless to say, the event was widely condemned, forcing the Reverend in charge to concede that he "would think twice before allowing the service to take place in his church again." I assume that means he will think twice, and then allow it to take place again.

Charges Allowed In Prayer Death Case

Progress is being made in the ability to prosecute parents who kill their children after they replace medicine with faith healing:

A judge Monday refused to dismiss reckless homicide charges against parents accused of praying instead of seeking a doctor’s care as their 11-year-old daughter died of untreated diabetes.

Marathon County Circuit Judge Vincent Howard rejected arguments that prosecuting Dale and Leilani Neumann violated their constitutional rights to freedom of religion and due process.

"The free exercise clause of the First Amendment protects religious belief, but not necessarily conduct," Howard wrote in a 20-page decision.

Parents have a legal obligation in Wisconsin to project their children, care for them in sickness and do whatever may be necessary for their "care, maintenance and preservation, including medical attendance if necessary," the judge said.

Like similar cases, the details are disturbing:

Their daughter, Madeline, died at their Weston home on Easter after becoming too weak to speak, eat, drink or walk, prosecutors said. They claim the girl - nicknamed Kara - likely had symptoms for weeks and perhaps months that should have prompted her parents to seek treatment.

Leilani Neumann, 40, has said the family believes in the Bible, which says healing comes from God, and she never expected her daughter to die as they prayed for her. The parents told investigators the girl had not been to a doctor since she was 3.

Dale Neumann, 46, considered his daughter’s illness "a test of faith," the criminal complaint said.

This trial is going to be appealed to death, so it may be a long time before this case is ever settled.

Jack Black Always Did Remind Me Of Jesus

And now he's been cast in that role in Proposition 8 - The Musical.

Capitol Visitor Center Criticized For Too Few God References

It's nice to see that the way-over-budget Capitol Visitor Center will finally be opening. Rather than criticizing it for being extremely expensive in a time of recession and deficits, our lawmakers from the Religious Right are angered that it doesn't more closely resemble a church:

Protests by conservative lawmakers led architects to promise to add "In God We Trust" as the national motto and to engrave the Pledge of Allegiance in the new $621 million Capitol Visitor Center.

Sen. Jim DeMint, R-S.C., had threatened to delay Tuesday's opening of the marble-and-stone center that took seven years to build at triple the original cost.

But some last-minute fixes allowed hundreds of visitors to get their first look at the underground museum — and now the first stop for people touring the Capitol — as it opened three years late and $360 million over budget.

. . .

After taking a tour of the center in September with Steven Ayers, the architect who oversaw its completion, DeMint correctly noted that it had erroneously described "E. Pluribus Unum" — Latin for "from many, one" — as the national motto rather than "In God We Trust." Despite winning a months-long battle to highlight the importance of religion in U.S. life, DeMint was not satisfied Tuesday, saying the center still misrepresents American history by downplaying the faith of the founding fathers and other prominent figures. The center's "most prominent display proclaims faith not in God, but in government," he noted.

DeMint, rated the most conservative senator by several think tanks and advocacy groups, also protested an engraved statement near the center's entrance: "We have built no temple but the Capitol. We consult no common oracle but the Constitution."

That quote was uttered by Rufus Choate, a Massachusetts lawyer who represented his state in the House in the 1830s and in the Senate the decade after. GOP Sens. Tom Coburn of Oklahoma and Roger Wicker of Mississippi, along with Republican Rep. Randy Forbes of Virginia, joined DeMint in the protest.

These guys won't rest while there is still a resemblance of separation of Church and State.

Footage Of Atheist Display At State Capitol

Here's video on the Freedom From Religion Foundation's efforts to compliment the Christian imagery at the Washington state Capitol:



See a few posts down for more on the issue.

Vatican Sides With Countries Than Kill Homosexuals

The Vatican has decided to oppose a United Nations resolution that would make countries worldwide de-criminalize homosexuality, citing fears that it "could lead to reverse discrimination against traditional heterosexual marriage." Other European countries are not pleased:

A strongly worded editorial in Italy's mainstream La Stampa newspaper said the Vatican's reasoning was "grotesque."

Pointing out that homosexuality was still punishable by death in some Islamic countries, the editorial said what the Vatican really feared was a "chain reaction in favor of legally recognized homosexual unions in countries, like Italy, where there is currently no legislation."

Franco Grillini, founder and honorary president of Arcigay, Italy's leading gay rights group, said the Vatican's reasoning smacked of "total idiocy and madness."

"The French resolution, which is supported by all 27 members of the European Union, has nothing to do with gay marriage. It is about stopping jail and the death penalty for homosexuals," Grillini told Reuters.

By opposing the resolution, the Vatican will be siding with Islamic countries like Afghanistan, Iran, Saudi Arabia, Sudan and Yemen, where homosexuality is punishable by death.

Bush Still Causing Harm

The lame duck president still has a trick or two up his sleeve, like his plans to limit the accessibility of birth control:

The outgoing Bush administration is planning to announce a broad new "right of conscience" rule permitting medical facilities, doctors, nurses, pharmacists and other healthcare workers to refuse to participate in any procedure they find morally objectionable, including abortion and possibly even artificial insemination and birth control.

For more than 30 years, federal law has dictated that doctors and nurses may refuse to perform abortions. The new rule would go further by making clear that healthcare workers also may refuse to provide information or advice to patients who might want an abortion.

. . .

Proponents, including the Christian Medical Assn. and the U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops, say the rule is not limited to abortion. It will protect doctors who do not wish to prescribe birth control or to provide artificial insemination, said Dr. David Stevens, president of CMA.

"The real battle line is the morning-after pill," he said. "This prevents the embryo from implanting. This involves moral complicity. Doctors should not be required to dispense a medication they have a moral objection to."

Even if Bush is able to accomplish this goal of his, an Obama administration would likely be able to reverse it, though it could take a few months.

Reason's Greetings!

A Nativity scene near the Washington state Capitol has some company:

In the latest round of what's become almost a winter tradition — conflicts over religious symbols in public places — a group of atheists and agnostics have put up a sign in the state Capitol that says, in part: "Religion is but myth and superstition that hardens hearts and enslaves minds."

Freedom From Religion Foundation members put up the sign Monday, partly in response to a nearby Nativity scene. They also debuted a billboard in downtown Olympia that reads: "Reason's Greetings."

"Nonbelievers are a part of the fabric of America, and we claim our place at the table to exercise free speech and freedom of religion, which includes freedom from religion," said Dan Barker, co-president of the Wisconsin-based foundation. The organization claims 12,800 members nationwide and 670 in Washington state.

Let the misplaced outrage begin.

Survey Shows Jews Are Less Religious Than Christians

I've always felt that Judaism is more plausible than Christianity because it doesn't incorporate the whole Jesus phenomenon, which for me makes Christianity about twice as farfetched. Perhaps in accordance with their saner views, Jews are also less likely to be certain about their beliefs than Christians:

Only 41 percent of the 685 Jews polled nationwide for the report said they were “absolutely certain” they believed in God. Ninety percent of evangelical Protestants said they are certain they believe in God. Seventy-two percent of Catholics were also certain, according to the report.

Similarly, only 37 percent of Jews felt the Bible is the word of God, while 89 percent of evangelical Christians and 62 percent of Catholics felt it was.

At the same time, Jews are more active in their faith, but only because Judaism can sometimes be more of a cultural identity than a religion:

But when it comes to sending children to a religious day school, 27 percent of Jews said they do so, while only 18 percent of evangelical Protestants did. Twenty percent of Catholics and 10 percent of mainline Protestants said they also send their children to religious schools.

“We found that on every conceivable measure of religious belief, Jews simply do not at all look like Christians,” said Steven M. Cohen, a leading Jewish sociologist and director of the research center. “However, Jews’ patterns of affiliation rival or surpass those of Christians, especially when we take into account all the ways in which Jews join together that are unlike churches and religious schools.

Dr. Cohen said he feels the survey demonstrates that being Jewish is not just about religion, but is also about identity. And Jews “are both religious and secular at the same time,” he said.

The survey doesn't get into it, but I think Orthodox Judaism would be an exception. Without the yarmulke, the Orthodox often seem more like evangelical Christians than the typical Jewish person.

Muslims Worry About Their Image, As They Should

After the latest round of radical-Islam inspired terrorist attacks in Mumbai, Muslims are more worried than ever about their image, and probably with good reason. After all, paranoia from the September 11th attacks lives on, and it won't go away as long as additional attacks occur. It's good to hear many Muslims condemn terrorism:

Many Muslims said they are worried such carnage is besmirching their religion.

"The occupation of the synagogue and killing people in hotels tarnishes the Muslim faith," said Kazim al-Muqdadi, a political science lecturer at Baghdad University. "Anyone who slaughters people and screams `Allahu Akbar' (God is Great) is sick and ignorant."

In Britain, home to nearly two million Muslims, a spokesman for the Muslim Council of Britain, Inayat Bunglawala, said that "a handful of terrorists like this bring the entire faith into disrepute."

At the same time, a lot more could be done:

"I think that Muslims should raise their voice against such actions. They should forge a coalition to fight such phenomena, because it harms them and damages their image," said Ali Abdel Muhsen, 22, a Muslim engineering student in the West Bank city of Nablus.

Muslims and Arabs must confront the violence "that is taking place in our name and in the name of our (Islamic) tenets," wrote Khaled al-Jenfawi, a columnist for Kuwait's Al-Seyassah daily.

"Unfortunately, we have yet to see a distinguished popular condemnation in the traditional Arab or Muslim communities that strongly rejects what is happening in the name of Islam or Arab nationalism," wrote al-Jenfawi.

To reiterate my opinion, I know that radical Muslims can be as dangerous as any religious extremists. However, there aren't many non-Muslim religious terrorists at this point in time, and there are clearly legitimate fears about radical Islam.

Was The President Chosen By God?

I'm glad Obama will soon be president, though I certainly don't think his win was a sign from God. Some people beg to differ:

The day after Barack Obama was elected president, Larry Younginer knelt in front of the congregants at his suburban Atlanta church and offered a prayer of thanks.

"Lord, we have again come to you in prayer, and you have heard our cries from heaven, and you have sent us again from the state called Illinois, a man called Barack to heal our land," said Younginer, a 62-year-old retired information systems worker at Coca Cola in Atlanta. "We pray that you will build a hedge around him that will protect him from those who would do him harm."

Younginer, like many others, is convinced that Obama was destined to be president. The mere fact that he won the presidency against the odds has caused some Christians, particularly African-Americans, to see the hand of God in his victory after so many years of struggle.

. . .

Obama's positive message during the campaign was a signal that he had been anointed by God, Younginer said. And, he added, God put events like Sen. Hillary Clinton's defeat in the Democratic primaries, the economic crisis and Sen. John McCain's selection of Alaska Gov. Sarah Palin as his Republican running mate in place so that Obama could win the presidency.

If Younginer is somehow correct, he must think God works in mysterious ways - or maybe even random and harmful ways. If God is all powerful, I don't know why an economic crisis and the presence of Sarah Palin were necessary conditions to have Obama win, but God is never known for is skill in logic. Hell, I have little doubt I'm more logical than our hypothetical God.

Also, it's more than simple foolishness to believe that Obama is doing the work of God. It's always a dangerous belief to think anyone with great power is infallible. The president should always be watched closely and criticized when they make mistakes, or else we could end up with another failed presidency.

God Bless Kentucky

Politicians in Kentucky look to have the unhealthy obsession of feeling compelled to mention God almost nonstop, including in their laws. And when they don't see the word "God" in a law, all hell breaks loose:

A lawmaker says the state's Homeland Security office should be crediting God with keeping the state safe.

State Rep. Tom Riner, a Southern Baptist minister who was instrumental in establishing that requirement in 2006, disapproves of the fact that Homeland Security doesn't currently mention God in its mission statement or on its Web site.

The law passed under former Gov. Ernie Fletcher, who prominently credited God in annual reports to state leaders. But Gov. Steve Beshear's administration didn't credit God in its 2008 Homeland Security report issued last month.

"We certainly expect it to be there, of course," Riner, D-Louisville, told the Lexington Herald-Leader.

The law that organized the Homeland Security office first lists Homeland Security's duty to recognize that government itself can't secure the state without God, even before mentioning other duties, which include distributing millions of dollars in federal grants and analyzing possible threats.

Included in the law is a requirement that the office must post a plaque at the entrance to the state Emergency Operations Center with an 88-word statement that begins, "The safety and security of the Commonwealth cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God."

It's comforting to know that politicians still have the time to argue about shit like this as the recession worsens. God bless Kentucky!

The Perfect Location For A Papal Museum

A Houston museum has a new addition to accommodate a Vatican display of papal artifacts, and the new exhibit is called "Celebrating the Lives and Deaths of the Popes." Something about the museum struck me as funny:

The only exhibit of Vatican artifacts outside the papal capital is on display in an unlikely spot - the National Museum of Funeral History, an exhibit hall that celebrates coffins, hearses and other ceremonial aspects of death.

Isn't the museum really "Celebrating the Deaths of the Popes?"

New-Atheism Radio Segment

National Public Radio did a segment over the weekend on what's new in the world of atheism. Have a listen, there's lots of good stuff:

Even Voodoo Isn't Recession-Proof

Few Americans realize their country has a sizable number of people who practice Voodoo, most of them being Haitian immigrants. I bet it would horrify the evangelical crowd to see how the Voodoo "sacred carnival" is celebrated, where the people think they are dancing with spirits:

Goat meat stewing on the stove and sweet potatoes baking in the oven. Cooked fish, complete with bones and eyeballs. Spicy peppers soaked in bottles of rum.

The food is an offering to the spirits expected to dance among the revelers at Voodoo priest Erol Josue's Miami home that night.

Josue's belief: Provide spiritual sustenance to both the living and dead in Haiti and the U.S. to help the linked communities cope with disasters that have embroiled them the past year. Worldwide economic turmoil, the ruin and death left in Haiti by four tropical storms and a school collapse that killed 90 all have left an imprint.

Josue's night-long celebration of the dead, a condensed version of the two-day festival in Haiti that opened November, was repeated in other homes in Haitian-American communities during the month. Vodouisants believe the Gede, or the dead, rituals honor their ancestors and the spirits and help clear the pain of recent tragedies. About 1 million Haitians live in the U.S., most in Florida. Large communities are also in New York, New Jersey and Massachusetts.

Unfortunately, tough economic times have made this year's sacred carnival a toned down affair:

In the past, many guests laid offerings on the altars adorned with decorative skulls in black top hats. This year, they spent what they could to honor the dead, while still trying to support the living, Josue said.

"I don't think the Gede will be offended," Josue said. "They will be concerned about the condition of the world, because they have a lot of work to do now."

And to make matter worse, there is only one goat this year. I'm concerned that the Gede will be upset. But it seems like there was a happy ending, as everyone performed a dance that questioned their sanity:

All worries seemed to be abandoned at Josue's front door by 10 p.m., when the festivities began. About 75 people, from young adult to old, crammed into his living room, emptied of its furnishings to make room for four conga drummers and a central pole draped in black and purple, the colors of death and strength. More guests, including a few wearing skull T-shirts, spilled onto a sun porch and into the front hallway.

Josue and a few initiates, now dressed in black and purple, began calling the spirits with dancing and singing around the pole. When the spirits overtook their bodies, they staggered and lurched in the small space, supported by the outstretched arms of the crowd.

Maybe one goat is enough for the Gede after all.

Religious Violence Watch

Nigeria gets the dubious achievement of being the most recent country to have feuding religions kill each other in large numbers:

Clashes between Muslim and Christian gangs triggered by a disputed election have killed more than 200 people in central Nigeria, the Red Cross said on Saturday, in the worst unrest in the country for years.

The army sent reinforcements to police a 24-hour curfew on the city of Jos, which lies at the crossroads of Nigeria's Muslim north and Christian south, after rival groups of youths burned homes, shops, mosques and churches.

Hundreds of bodies were brought to the town's main mosque in preparation for a mass burial.

"I counted 218 dead bodies at Masalaci Jummaa. There are many other bodies in the streets," said a Red Cross official who asked not to be named.

Another estimated 7,000 people were forced to flee their homes, and it's all so pointless.

Advocate Of Pledge's "Under God" Addition Dies

The Rev. George M. Docherty, who is credited with convincing Congress to add "under God" into the Pledge of Allegiance through a famous sermon, died on Thursday from heart problems at the age of 97. Some people might consider Docherty to be a hero, but I think he was a red-baiter with backwards priorities:

Rev. Docherty's inspiration for the sermon came from his son's schoolroom experience of reciting the Pledge of Allegiance, which was written in 1892 by Baptist minister Francis Bellamy. When Rev. Docherty realized that it had no reference to God, he later said, "I had found my sermon."

Without mentioning a deity, Rev. Docherty said, the pledge could just as easily apply to the communist Soviet Union: "I could hear little Muscovites recite a similar pledge to their hammer-and-sickle flag with equal solemnity."

In fact, Rev. Docherty first delivered his sermon in 1952, but to little effect. Other groups, including the Knights of Columbus and a veterans' organization, had advocated a similar change in the pledge.

But in 1954, with Eisenhower in the congregation and the threat of communism in the air, Rev. Docherty's message immediately resounded on Capitol Hill. Bills were introduced in Congress that week, and Eisenhower signed the "under God" act into law within four months.

Docherty always shrugged off any criticism that God shouldn't be in the Pledge:

Then as now, legal scholars questioned whether a reference to a deity in a patriotic pledge violated the First Amendment separation of church and state. In recent years, there have been several court challenges to the phrase.

But Rev. Docherty remained unmoved. The phrase "under God" could include "the great Jewish community and the people of the Muslim faith," in his view, but he drew the line at atheists.

"An atheistic American is a contradiction in terms," he said in his sermon. "If you deny the Christian ethic, you fall short of the American ideal of life."

What a horrible, bigoted thing to say. Even though he spent much of his life trying to help the poor, I can't say I am mourning his death.

Cardinal Thanks Muslims For Bringing Religion To Europe

You know religion is fading in Europe when the Vatican starts to view Muslims as their new ally:

A senior Vatican cardinal has thanked Muslims for bringing God back into the public sphere in Europe and said believers of different faiths had no option but to engage in interreligious dialogue.

Cardinal Jean-Louis Tauran, head of the Catholic Church's department for interfaith contacts, said religion was now talked and written about more than ever before in today's Europe.

"It's thanks to the Muslims," he said in a speech printed in Friday's L'Osservatore Romano, the official daily of the Vatican. "Muslims, having become a significant minority in Europe, were the ones who demanded space for God in society."

The funny thing is that Islam has often been incompatible with European values. The Vatican may be right that Muslims are bringing God back to Europe, but more than anything they are bringing divisiveness.

Memelicious

So a while back The Darwin Report hit me up with a meme, and I decided to wait and do it a few days later, but I promptly forgot about it. Then yesterday, I got the same meme from the Primordial Blog, so I see there is an incredible demand out there to know more about me. So no more procrastinating, here I go. The rules:

1. Link to the person who tagged you.
2. Post the rules on your blog.
3. Write six random things about yourself.
4. Tag six people at the end of your post and link to them.
5. Let each person know they’ve been tagged and leave a comment on their blog.
6. Let the tagger know when your entry is up.

Okay then, here are my six random things. Remember, the emphasis is on random, not interesting.

1. I hate sour cream more than any other food. I literally cannot eat it. Honestly, I would throw up. I know a lot of people really like it, but I don't consider it edible.

2. I can run a sub six minute mile. All I have to do is cut off two more minutes and I'll be Olympic material.

3. If I'm wrong and there is a God, He still smiles upon an atheist like me. I've found not one, but two $20 bills in my life.

4. My first pick in fantasy football this year was Tom Brady, who was knocked out for the entire season during the first game (God being vengeful?). Ouch. I'm still going to make the playoffs though.

5. I have never read the Bible, Quran, or Battlefield Earth in its entirety.

6. I'm intimately acquainted with the Konami code.

Now I'm supposed to send this to six more people, but I want to be as inclusive as possible, so I invite everyone with a blog to do it if they so desire. Nevertheless, I'll submit my smartass list:

Ross Perot - Perot Charts
Perez Hilton - perezhilton.com
Michelle Malkin - michellemalkin.com
Nate Silver - FiveThirtyEight
Andrew Sullivan - The Daily Dish
Hugh Hewitt - Hugh Hewitt on townhall.com

That was more fun than I thought it would be, plus it was education. Gold out!

Should The Pope Use An iPhone Or A Rotary Phone?

The Vatican is warning people about the risks of spending too much time with modern technology:

Father Federico Lombardi, the Pope’s spokesman, said that without a spiritual life, people risked losing their souls.

“In the age of the cell phone and the internet it is probably more difficult than before to protect silence and to nourish the interior dimension of life,” Father Lombardi told the Vatican television show Octavia Dies. “It is difficult but necessary.”

“There is an interior and spiritual dimension of life that must be guarded and nourished. If it is not, it can become barren to the point of drying up and, indeed, dying,” he added.

I'm not the least bit spiritual, though I sort of agree with the Vatican, and I certainly agree that technology has its downsides. But considering the Pope's track record of texting, this isn't the most consistent message:

However, Pope Benedict has embraced many aspects of modern technology in order to convey the Catholic message to a young, tech-savvy audience.

At World Youth Day in Sydney, the Pope texted daily messages of inspiration and hope to attendees, while digital prayer walls were erected on-site.

Maybe they should issue a new statement: technology is bad, unless it's being used for Catholic activities.

Out Of The Terrorism Pan & Into The Scientology Fire

Mumbai has been through hell after suffering through days of terrorist attacks, but their troubles will continue when Scientologists start pouring into town:

A group linked to the Church of Scientology is mounting an emergency campaign to "flood Mumbai" with hundreds of thousands of booklets by L Ron Hubbard in order to spread its message to residents traumatised by the terror attacks.

As Counterknowledge.com reports, Scientologists have sent out an email which says: "Flood Mumbai with TWTH [Hubbard's The Way to Happiness] booklets! This will help calm down the area! ... 100,000 booklets can be printed in India. We need to raise £21,000 on an immediate basis to make up the full amount." The operation is being mounted by ABLE, the Association for Better Living and Education, which is officially described as "Scientology-related".

Feeding off of traumatic events looks to be the standard procedure for Scientology:

This is not the first time that Scientology front groups have taken advantage of tragic events: after the September 11 attacks in New York City in 2001, a group called the "Volunteer Ministers" appeared at Ground Zero along with other "charitable" organisations. But the Volunteer Ministers were sent solely to keep people away from trained mental health professionals, and to use their own form of mental therapy - Scientology - to console the bereaved. The same thing occurred after the Beslan massacre in Russia in 2004, in London on July 7, and in Blacksburg, Virginia after the mass shooting at Virginia Technical Institute. And now, while the gunfire and explosions continue in Mumbai, Scientology is wasting no time in spreading the word.

An organized effort by an anti-Scientology group is hoping to recruit the Cardinal Archbishop of Mumbai to their cause. I wish them luck, because the people of Mumbai have suffered enough.

"There's Probably No God" Group Receives Government Funding

The British group that made bus ads saying "There's probably no God. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life," has received a £35,000 (over $53,000) grant by the government:

The British Humanist Association, which is running a campaign get rid of faith schools and wants to end the Church of England's position as the established religion, was given the grant by the Government's equality watchdog and is using it to stage a series of debates about the place of religion in public life.

The four events will include speakers from faith groups but one of the keynote addresses is being delivered by the prominent atheist Professor AC Grayling, who claims "religious belief shares the same intellectual respectability and rationality as belief in the existence of fairies".

And guess what? Religious authorities are outraged:

Neil Addison, a Roman Catholic barrister who specialises in religious discrimination, said: "It's a bit like paying the Taliban to lecture on women's rights.

"There's nothing wrong with the British Humanist Association organising seminars, but it's the fact that they're getting public money.

"There is the question of whether this is what Government money should be going for, particularly in a time of recession.

"If we're having a debate on religion, should we be paying one side of the argument to hold it, especially with public money?"

The British government justified their grant by noting how they gave a variety of religious organizations funding. In that case, it's only fair to also give money to the humanist perspective, especially when the British Humanist Association's goal is to fight religious discrimination.

God Media In Review: The Flying Nun

For years, I knew there had been a TV show called The Flying Nun. I had never seen it, so I always assumed "flying" was some sort of metaphor. A couple of weeks back, I was watching some obscure cable channel, and I finally got my chance to watch The Flying Nun. To put it mildly, I was shocked and horrified to see that she was literally a flying nun, as you can witness through the introductory credits:



Can you imagine a show with such a thin premise being made today? Well, not only did ABC approve this show for production, but it actually lasted nearly 100 episodes running from 1967 to 1970. And most of the episodes pretty much revolved around how Sally Field's character Sister Bertrille, a novice nun, used her ability of flight for the good of the convent. This was explained by saying her goofy hat could catch gusts of wind, and when combined with her small size, she was able to fly.

Despite being about Catholic nuns, the religious tones of the show were surprisingly minimal. Rather, The Flying Nun was produced to be mindless entertainment. Still, there were times when having a show about nuns was an obstacle, like when Sally Field became pregnant:

Another problem the show's producers had to contend with was the fact that during much of the filming schedule of The Flying Nun's third (final) season, Sally Field was noticeably pregnant with her first child. This was a logistical nightmare for a series in which Field's character was supposed to be a religious celibate, and skinny enough to fly away in the wind. The show solved the problem by using props and scenery to block view of Field's body below the chest, and using long shots of Field's stunt double for the flying sequences.

Now those are signs of a low quality show. However, the show received some praise from the Catholic church. According to Wikipedia, "the show was commended by several Roman Catholic orders in the late 1960s for humanizing nuns and their work." I'm surprised they would like such a crappy show that had episodes with a secretly pregnant nun, but whatever, that's preferable to staging a pointless boycott.

Muslims Can Do Yoga Again

Islamic hardliners in Malaysia were forced to back down from their condemnation of yoga after they outraged the public:

Malaysia's leader assured Muslims on Wednesday they can perform yoga if they do not chant religious mantras — an apparent effort to assuage public anger over an Islamic body's ban of the ancient Indian exercise.

Last week, the National Fatwa Council said that elements of Hinduism in the practice could corrupt Muslims. Many ordinary Muslims responded by saying they had been performing yoga for years without losing their faith.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi told the Bernama news agency that Muslims who were interested in the health benefits of yoga could continue practicing as long as they do not chant.

Not that this is any great accomplishment; the Fatwa Council would probably like to severely punish anyone who performs yoga chants.

Mumbai Update

Calm still hasn't returned to Mumbai, India two days after terrorists started their initial attacks. The body count is up to 143 with scores more injured. The motivation and religion of the terrorists hasn't been confirmed yet, but considering the revelation that they specifically targeted Jews, I have a pretty good guess. Just hours ago, Indian commandos raided a Jewish center where the terrorists had taken hostages:

At the Jewish center, commandos slid down ropes from a hovering Army helicopter on Friday morning as they stormed the building. The blue-uniformed troopers landed on the roof and soon made their way inside the center, home to the Hasidic Jewish group Chabad-Lubavitch.

Throughout Friday, a gun battle raged inside the Jewish center, which echoed to the thump of explosions and the rattle of automatic fire. Later, Reuters reported that the commandos had blown up the outer wall of the center, and that the bodies of five hostages were discovered, quoting an Israeli diplomat speaking on Israeli television.

To make thinks more disturbing, the five dead hostages were reportedly executed during the raid, and include an American Rabbi and his wife. At least the couple's young son was able to get away unharmed.

A good way to follow all the developments is through a Mumbai blog that the New York Times has set up.

A Special Thanksgiving Message From Some Turd

I plan on enjoying my Thanksgiving, despite what the douche bag in this video says about us not being thankful enough because the Christian God doesn't dominate our public life.


He actually makes some good points about the country being too materialistic and selfish, but his solution that we simply need a massive helping of God is misguided.

What's Hanukkah Without A Christmas Tree?

The pro-Christian bias of the Bush administration is showing in the invitation to the White House Hanukkah party:

The president and the first lady invited leaders of America's Jewish community for a Hanukkah reception at the White House next month - but raised more than a few eyebrows by putting a picture of a Christmas tree on the invitation.

The message reads that the couple "requests the pleasure of your company at a Hanukkah reception," written beneath an image of a Clydesdale horse hauling a Christmas fir along the snow-dappled drive to 1600 Pennsylvania Ave.

And, no, it is not a Hanukkah bush. A close look at the wagon reveals the message "White House Christmas Tree 2008."

Scientology Rolling In Dough

No one knows how much money the Church of Scientology has, since their tax-exempt status allows them to keep this information secret, but they certainly aren't poor. We do know that they made about $300 million per year in the early 1990s, before they were tax-exempt, and based on estimates by Portfolio.com, they now make somewhere around $500-550 a year.

They estimate annual fundraising revenue to be between $50 million and $100 million, largely due to celebrity donations. If you can believe it, Nancy Cartwright, who does the voice of Bart Simpson, is said to have given a $7.5 million donation. Of course Tom Cruise is a big donor, and they estimate that he has forked over $25 in his lifetime.

Another big source of money is their practice of "auditing," where a person pays an average of $500 an hour for a pseudo-religious counseling session. A whopping $400 million is estimated to come from auditing and membership fees.

Additionally, they guess $50 million comes from consulting services, where "one licenses his management doctrines to small-business owners, particularly dentists and chiropractors, who pay fees in return." I would hate to go to a Scientologist chiropractor that blames soreness on my thetan acting up.

What a shame it is to see them have so much revenue. It's hard to think of a worse way to spend your money than to give it to the Church of Scientology, especially the auditing sessions. Even using the money to support a drug addiction wouldn't be as bad. At least you might enjoy it for a while, and the emotion damage would be less severe.

Michael Jackson Converts To Islam

In an effort to be even stranger, Michael Jackson is said to have converted to Islam and has adopted a new name. However, I doubt that he will be joining the Nation of Islam:

Pop star Michael Jackson has changed his name to Mikaeel and become a Muslim, according to a UK newspaper report.

Jackson, 50, wore a special Islamic hat to pledge allegiance to the Koran in a ceremony at a friend's mansion in Los Angeles, The Sun said.

British singer Yousef Islam - formerly Cat Stevens - was reportedly in attendance as Jackson recited the shahada, the Muslim declaration of belief.

Jackson had rejected an initial name choice of Mustafa in favour of Mikaeel, the name of an angel in Islam, the Sun reported.

Knowing that a whack job like Mikaeel Jackson sees something profound is Islam has to make other Muslims feel uneasy. Hell, if Jackson became an atheist, I might take up a religion just so I wouldn't be associated with him in any way.

Massive Terrorist Attacks In India

Is Islam a religion of peace? Clearly not always, as Islamic terrorists have killed at least 80 in Mumbai, India, and taken others hostage. Several coordinated attacks have appeared to target Westerners citizens, especially Americans and British. Details are still coming in, but a previously unknown organization called Deccan Mujahideen has taken credit for the attacks.

You can get a better feel for what is happening from this MSNBC video:

I Wish Ted Haggard Would Go Away Already

I never thought I'd say it, but I'm getting sick of hearing about the struggles of Ted Haggard. He's currently attempting some kind of comeback, but I don't have the stomach to think about it at the moment. If you're interested, have a look.

Oh well, I'm sure he'll do something outrageous in the future to rekindle my curiosity in him. What I'm not sick of, though, is watching this clip of Haggard in the documentary Jesus Camp. It's a classic:

Charges Filed Against FLDS Members

The leader of the FLDS polygamous cult, who are remembered as much for their bizarre fashion as they are for their alleged rampant sexual abuse, is now under custody and facing felony charges:

An elder of a polygamist sect and two other church members surrendered to authorities Monday to face felony charges relating to the marriage of underage girls to older men.

Frederick "Merril" Jessop, 72, a leader of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints who oversaw its Yearning For Zion Ranch in west Texas, faces one count of conducting an unlawful marriage ceremony involving a minor.

One of his daughters was allegedly married to jailed sect leader Warren Jeffs at 12 and is now the only child from the ranch in foster care after her mother refused to cooperate with child welfare authorities.

In all, 12 FLDS men have been indicted since Texas authorities raided the ranch in April looking for evidence of underage girls forced into marriages and sex with older men. Hundreds of children were placed in state custody for weeks before they were ordered to be returned to their parents.

None of them have admitted to doing anything wrong. Even if they happen to be innocent, they're still really, really creepy.