March 2011
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Revealed: The Group Behind the Bills that Could... →
Did any of you pro-life folks watch Scott Roeder’s courtroom behavior, or read any of his interviews? Giving this man and other lunatics like him the legal right to declare an open season on abortion doctors and womens health care providers is not only absurd, it’s insane.
Simply put, we cannot depend on the pro-life movement to hold its own kooks accountable, so the law must do so.
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February 2011
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sometimes i yodel.: Oh great. Just found out... →
ruthlessbliss:
Maryland’s Declaration of Rights: Article 36 ”That as it is the duty of every man to worship God in such manner as he thinks most acceptable to Him, all persons are equally entitled to protection in their religious liberty; wherefore, no person ought by any law to be molested in his person…
The state constitution of Texas has a similar passage. I wonder if I can affirm...
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John Dominic Crossan's 'blasphemous' portrait of...
Wow, there’s nothing more compelling than the love of good, fundamentalist Christians is there?
One of his first fan letters came from someone who declared: “If Hell were not already created, it should be invented just for you.” Other critics have called him “demonic,” “blasphemous” and a “schmuck.”
That kind of hatred deserves a double quote,...
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"Don't Say Gay" Bill Proposed In Tennessee →
splatterdick:
theriotmag:
“You’re looking at legislation that is going to make sure that when you are talking about sexuality with students that it is age appropriate,” said Matthew Parsons, a father of seven children and founder of the group “Something Better.”
He says he’s in favor of the proposed bill that avoids talking about homosexuality to kids so young.
“If we’re talking about...
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Vatican confirms report of sexual abuse and rape... →
I’d say ‘Jesus is going to be pissed’, but after having responded that way to 230957230572350 similar instances of sexual crimes on the part of the Catholic Church, I’m pretty sure Jesus doesn’t give a damn.
The Catholic Church in Rome made the extraordinary admission yesterday that it is aware priests from at least 23 countries have been sexually abusing nuns.
The...
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“”What’s it like to be an Atheist?” It was a question I received last night. I...”
– Elliot C. Myrick (via theonlycure)
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US Citizen Recalls 'Humiliating' Post-911 Arrest →
Most of the conservatives I know like to justify their support for our government’s unconstitutional civilian spying programs by saying: “If you’re innocent you have nothing to worry about.” In light of the fact that our government is arresting innocent American citizens, ruining their marriages and careers with unreasonable court restrictions (not to mention torturing...
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Shirtless Congressman Was Reportedly Trolling for...
Lee’s shotgun resignation left most people wondering what other skeletons he was hiding in that substantial closet of his… and… it appears they may be coming out to haunt him. (Oh, the irony.) Here’s hoping this hypocrite gets exposed for his mind-boggling scumbaggery.
Per Gawker.com:
Chris Lee’s resignation from the House on Feb. 9 may be the quickest political ...
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I just watched The Rite... I'm speechless,...
What is amazing is that there are maybe two lines in the entire film that seem to speak well of atheists, and Anthony Hopkins has (seemingly) had to defend his religion every day since it released, or so it seems from my google alerts. That speaks volumes of the extent to which atheism is stigmatized in this world. (And the idiocy of a country that doesn’t understand the difference between...
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Iconic Chiefs announcer Bill Grigsby dies at 89 -... →
Hank’s gone. Lamar is gone. Now, Bill Grigsby is gone.
What a sad day.
Bill Grigsby was a civic treasure.
An ambassador for Kansas City, a master of ceremonies for all occasions, and a broadcasting icon for six decades, including 46 years with the Chiefs. Grigsby died early today.
He was 89.
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Pervert of the Week goes to... ...an evangelical...
To the great relief of the catholics, it’s a protestant this time.
Is this really the kind of guy you Christians want to give a shitload of money to? Also, I’d really like to know when the church is going to make background checks mandatory for its leadership.
Select a rating 1 2 3 4 5 ...
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Lipstick Feminists: What Planned Parenthood... →
It’s so sad that this list has to exist at all, and demonstrates that our countrymen really are complete idiots.
ignatius-m:
lipstick-feminists:
Conservatives are fond of willfully ignorant statements like: Our tax dollars shouldn’t go to abortion, so Planned Parenthood should have its funding stripped. We all know this is a lie. The information to debunk this claim is widely and...
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Atheist Challenge Days 10 and 11: Are You...
I’ve decided to combine these two questions because they’re fairly simple. I consider myself spiritual in the way I live my life… the pursuit of beauty and experience, but I don’t believe in spirits, souls, soul mates, or any of those other concepts that people associate with spiritualism.
As for question two, no, I work in finance and art. The branch of science that...
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Illinois House Introduces Bill to Repeal Moment of...
liberal-life:
I’ve written before about how the Silent Reflection and Student Prayer time is back in Illinois.
After several wasted “moments” in the classroom, some legislators are finally trying to put a stop to this nonsense.
House Bill 0273 (HB0273) was introduced by Republican (!!!) Jim Durkin and has since picked up co-sponsorsKaren May and Ann Williams (both Democrats).
The bill:
...
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Government Drops Defense of DOMA - YAY!!!
Holy smokes, people. I never thought I’d see a president take a reasonable and constitutional stance on the so-called ‘Defense of Marriage Act’. (Which coincidently, does absolutely nothing to protect marriage.) Yay!
I’m doing my freedom dance right now. YAY!
WASHINGTON — President Obama, in a major legal policy shift, has directed the Justice Department to stop...
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Atheist Challenge Day 9: Even though you’re an...
For an atheist, I have many experiences that I could call religious. For example, the sight of a lover next to me in bed sleeping, or my younger brother’s excited smile when he sees me in the stands cheering for him. Walking into a new art museum for the first time also ranks pretty high on my list.
Unfortunately for Christian Fundamentalists, atheism does not translate to unhappiness or...
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Kansas Equality Coalition Speaks Out Against...
How depressing. Two of these stories in one day, and almost no coverage from the google news feeds. What this tells me is that Republicans have gotten so bold and crazed that shit like this simply doesn’t register nationally. (And with them going after labor unions, legal abortion, Planned Parenthood, and social assistance programs… there seems to be only so much coverage to go...
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"Christians Should Have a Right to Discriminate...
The terminology used in the quote below is inaccurate. The bill might make it ‘legal’ to discriminate, but that doesn’t make it ‘okay’ by any stretch of the imagination. If this bill passes, Muslims, Jews, and any other group that could be similarly demonized better watch their asses.
Statements like these from our leaders are extraordinarily bad on numerous...
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Rumsfield: WMD issue was "the big one" in Iraq...
Some would say I’m a little bitter about this (and rightfully so, I think, after hundreds of thousands of civilian and coalition deaths in the War on Terror), but I’m sick and tired of seeing respected news outlets giving face time to George Bush’s cronies so they can attempt to rewrite history.
Not only were there no weapons of mass destruction, but the Bush Administration...
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“This bill sends an unmistakable message to American women that they don’t...”
– Wow… I didn’t even know our government funded a NASCAR team. What the fuck?
Autostraddle — House Votes to Pull Federal Funding from Planned Parenthood, Does Not Know How to Treat a Woman
Don’t panic about your ability to get birth control this month, there is virtually zero...
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Playing That Funky Music
I’m not really sure what’s in my head today. Sunshine is streaming through the windows. A comfortable breeze is blowing. (And if you’re from the Midwest, you know that this weather is an aberration in mid-February.) Most days that’s enough to remind me of the good in the world, even as everything I see on the screen suggests that the evil bastards out there are winning...
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Reblog if you want 5 random questions in your ask.
Do your worst.
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Outings threatened against anti-gay politicians in... →
Good. Any LGBT lawmaker who would use their position to deny civil rights to those who deserve them should be outed and exposed for the hypocrites they are. Let the world see them for the self-hating discrimination enablers that they are.
Per Americablog:
The Republicans, and a few wimpy Democrats, are trying to pass a state constitutional amendment in Indiana banning marriages and civil...
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Philadelphia Cardinal Orders Investigation of 37...
I’ve got two words for the Catholic Church: background checks. (Granted, the problem is clearly an institutionalized one, from the Pope on down the chain.) I still do not understand how the Catholic Church as an institution continues to escape public scrutiny for protecting pedophiles, apart from their limitless financial resources.
CNN gets extra points for the mugshot-like photos of...
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Atheist, agnostic group: Giles Co. Ten... →
I’d really like to see someone jack that plaque and replace it with a copy of the Code of Hammurabi. That would be nothing short of tremendous.
Per Roanoke.com:
The atheist and agnostic group that opposes posting the Ten Commandments in Giles County schools says it is ready to wage a lawsuit against the school board, though the group hasn’t yet filed its case.
Two Giles County...
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Indiana Court of Appeals awards Agnostic father... →
Living in America, I know I shouldn’t be surprised when courts issue illogical orders on the basis of religious mythology, but as someone who’s been heavily involved in foster care and adoption, an occurrence like this really touches me. In our culture it’s acceptable to think that someone can’t parent simply because they base their views on logic and evidence instead of...
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US Diocese Agrees to $77 Million Abuse Settlement
I don’t understand how the Catholic Church hasn’t been charged as an institution in the sexual abuse of their members.
helvetebrann:
US Diocese Agrees to $77 Million Abuse Settlement
I’m really tired of the Catholic church pretending that this isn’t a HUGE issue.
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Man pleads guilty to hate crime at NYC gay bar -... →
It bears repeating, folks, anti-gay beliefs are not benign, whether or not you personally act upon them or not. Culturally, it makes the beatings of LGBT folks seem acceptable.
At least they got this scumbag.
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Bill would make killing to save fetus a... →
Wow. Never in my life did I think I would see a law that would legalize the murder of abortion providers.
This is really scary shit.
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Teen Handcuffed to Chair With Bible for A Week As...
liberal-life:
BERRIEN SPRINGS — A 16-year-old boy, handcuffed to a chair in his room for a week, managed to get his chair to a computer to call 911 while his mother was gone from the house. Berrien Springs-Oronoko Township Police issued a report indicating the 911 call was received at 3:39 p.m. Tuesday. No arrests have been made as the investigation continues. But, the 16-year-old and his...
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Atheist Challenge Day 8: What’s your political...
Most atheists tend toward liberal and progressive thinking, and I’m not an exception. I consider myself an independent thinker leaning toward the Libertarian political brand. (Though I did, regrettably, vote Democrat in 2008, a vote I wish I could take back in hindsight.) My background as a former (read: escaped) Christian has given me a greater sensitivity to the attempts by religious groups to...
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Wisconsin Governor Threatens to Call Out National... →
Per Americanblog:
Remember when Wisconsin used to have solid Democrats with solid values? How did this transition to this happen? Once again, we’re seeing yet another GOP governor who is blaming the public service unions for the financial problems the country is facing. How can a middle class that has struggled for years be responsible for such an enormous economic collapse? How sad...
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My Valentines Day Story
There has only been one Valentines Day in my life when I was truly in love. It occurred when I was 22, and in love with a younger woman who is still the love of my life, even though things ended badly and we haven’t spoken since 2003. (Also, the year this Valentine’s Day took place.)
It was very simple, for weeks I bugged the hell out of her about what she wanted for Valentines Day. ...
“We must question the story logic of having an all-knowing all-powerful God, who...”
– Gene Roddenberry (via rationalityrules)
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"The average guy on the streets hates Spanish" -... →
Didn’t we elect these hypocritical, sanctimonious assholes to fix the economy? (And by ‘we’, I mean you. I voted Libertarian.)
Someone really needs to tell Steve Tilley that there are millions of naturalized and native brown people that speak their native tongues in their own communities, many of whom speak better English than natives. Perhaps if he stepped outside of his...
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WikiLeaks: Egyptian 'torturers' trained by FBI -... →
Our government supported Mubarak financially and politically, so it’s no small wonder we gave him a hand training his thugs in our torture methods. (But officially, we still don’t torture)
What’s puzzling is that it’s only the European media reporting on this. Newsflash, folks, the world hates us not for our freedom, but for our hypocrisy.
Per the Telegraph:
According...
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I Seriously Can't Believe This
In this day and age, after the entire nation has just raised an outcry, I seriously got into an argument with someone who supports redefining rape as ‘forced rape’ and has no concept as to why this is a bad thing. (Even going so far as to claim his support for it even should his sister/daughter/mother be drugged and date raped.)
Folks like this really diminish my faith in humanity....
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Rep. Chris Lee Resignation - Republicans Lead...
Outrageous events such as these wouldn’t bother me if these presumptuous men didn’t get elected by espousing themselves as jesus freaks, and their opponents as unethical, godless heathens. To add to the mix, these ‘sanctity of marriage’ types always seem to be the ones getting caught with their pants down, while committed gays and lesbians can’t even get into a...
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Bill in Iowa House Aims to Legalize Sexual...
This is so incredibly disappointing. Iowa has gone from a optimistically progressive to fundamentally regressive in just three short weeks. Sickening.
helvetebrann:
It would be legal for an Iowa business owner who cites religious beliefs to refuse to provide jobs, housing, goods or services to people involved in a marriage that violates his or her religious convictions, according to a...