Tacoma Atheists

For those of you wondering, nonresponsibility isn’t really a word. But then, of course, that’s the least of the Roman Catholic Church’s problems. And it’s always been a problem that went all the way to the top (partly because the Church is a scam, and partly because, in the immortal words of Neo, there is no spoon). [emphasis mine]

Sex-Abuse Scandal in the German Church Touches Pope Benedict XVI’s Archdiocese – NYTimes.com

BERLIN — A widening child sexual abuse inquiry in Europe has landed at the doorstep of Pope Benedict XVI, as a senior church official acknowledged Friday that a German archdiocese made “serious mistakes” in handling an abuse case while the pope served as its archbishop.

The archdiocese said that a priest accused of molesting boys was given therapy in 1980 and later allowed to resume pastoral duties, before committing further abuses and being prosecuted. Pope Benedict, who at the time headed the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, approved the priest’s transfer for therapy. A subordinate took full responsibility for allowing the priest to later resume pastoral work, the archdiocese said in a statement.

The Vatican spokesman, the Rev. Federico Lombardi, said he had no comment beyond the statement by the Archdiocese of Munich and Freising, which he said showed the “nonresponsibility” of the pope in the matter.

Bruce Ramsey and Lynne Varney regularly squabble on a Seattle Times Editorial blog series called Civil Disagreement. Today’s topic: the recent 9th Circuit ruling upholding “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.

I’m posting this for two reasons: First, it’s topical and we’re interested in this sort of thing. Second, it’s good to know that Lynne Varney has been waiting in vain this whole time for someone to have “the guts to stand up for God.” Really? Didn’t realize your omnipotent omnipresence omnibenevolent Creator needed bucking up. Good to know the 9th Circuit can form the cheerleading kickline you’ve been hoping for. Thanks for outing yourself, Lynne. We hardly knew ye.

Ed cetera | Civil Disagreement: One Nation, Under God? | Seattle Times Newspaper

Lynne Varner: Bruce, I”m pleased by what was obviously a tortured ruling out of the 9th Circuit on the Pledge of Allegiance. The divided court said the pledge doesn’t violate the constitutional separation of church and state. Finally, some one has the guts to stand up for God. Now if they could just do so during the holidays when some try to ban Christmas trees at the state Capitol and forbid the word Christmas from being uttered in schools.

Isn’t that a little on the nose? I mean, I thought you’re supposed to just HINT at the coming of the Dominion of God, right?

I’m trying to be serious here, but every time I try to contextualize this video appropriately, I stumble into the phrase “a growing storm” and I can’t stop laughing. Janet Porter is as pathetic as she is barefaced in her requests to God to provide her and her ilk command of our media. Good thing there’s no one listening upstairs; I wonder what the people of Palestine, Israel, India, or China might say about a spontaneously Christianist local media.

Here’s the video.

Janet Porter Prays For Control of the Media: Speaking at the “Convergence 2010: A Cry to Awaken A Nation” conference on March 4-6, 2010, Janet Porter prayers to God to gain control over the nation’s media. (rightwingwatch.org)

Missed this one a couple days ago, but just catching up now. Yes, let us all remind ourselves that without God, there can be no morality.

Gay News Watch | Papal aide, Vatican men’s choir in gay prostitution ring

“Put on some music, swallow a Viagra, and adelante!”

That’s the headline in Europe today following reports that a papal aide used an intermediary in an elite Vatican choir to solicit young male choristers and seminarians for prostitution.

Police wiretaps are expected to result in charges against Angelo Balducci, 63, a Papal Gentleman, as lay attendant are called, and the former chairman of the Holy See’s Public Works Department, which is itself caught up in a corruption investigation.

Hat tip to SLOG.

BTW, “Papal Gentleman, as lay attendant are often called” is perhaps the gayest phrase ever, and it’s their own terminology! This is easily worth 2D6 against any saving throw by the Vatican attempting to brush this off.

From Huffington Post:

While Doctors without Borders was struggling to get anesthetics for amputations into Haiti, an Albuquerque group queued up aid of their own sort: 600 solar powered talking Bibles. Even now, food, water, and medicine are having trouble reaching Haitians because of damaged transportation facilities and supply lines, but the missionary group says some of their Bibles are on the way.

I first read about the solar powered Bibles after a friend forwarded an article from an Australian news source — the point being that half way around the world people found the story controversial enough to be newsworthy. Why?  Because it is morally troubling, even for many Christians. According to the gospel writer, Jesus says “I was hungry and you gave me bread,” not “I was hungry and you gave me Bibles.” How can anyone see pictures of crushed buildings, blood covered children, and people begging for food, and think of it as an opportunity to win converts?

Like many others, I read about the solar Bible effort with a sense of disgust. But as a former Evangelical believer, I also read about it with some sympathy for the people packing the boxes. There is no doubt in my mind that they think what they are doing is kind and good. I would bet my psychology license that their behavior is driven by genuine concern for the people of Haiti. I simply believe also that the Evangelical mindset has tremendous power to co-opt and redirect a believer’s moral priorities and compassion. Continue reading →

When: March 26 to 28
Where: Renton Technical College, 3000 NE 4th St., Renton, WA 98058

Be sure to register soon for the NW Freethought Conference in Renton, before it fills up! Space is limited! Registration is online, via PayPal! The conference website is https://www.nwfreethought.org/

Speakers include:

Ophelia Benson, the co-force behind several books and a superb website, the goal of which is “fighting fashionable nonsense.” She will open our conference talking about being as critical of what we agree with as what we scorn.

Dr. David Domke, University of Washington Communications professor and author of “The God Strategy” and “God Willing? Political Fundamentalism in the White House.” He was one of the two top-rated speakers at the 2009 conference, and will be the keynote speaker at the banquet this year. He’ll be sharing ideas from his most recent research.

Anu Garg, the founder of wordsmith.org, which goes to 800,000 subscribers in 200 countries, and has often included free-thought ideas in the daily quote. He’ll talk about his philosophical path from Hinduism (330,000 deities) to where he is now (none at all). He’s a member of FFRF and AU.

Topics include:

AU/CFI Forum: Reaching Public School Students for Christ — It’s Legal!
Green Eating
How We Know What Isn’t So: Why Personal Experiences Override Science
Critical Thinking Skills
Living without a Soul, Dying without a God
Green Burial
Faith-based Child Abuse: Recent Oregon Court Cases
Current Church-State Separation Cases
Drug Policy Reform

Sign up now! Registration is online, via PayPal!

Judi Gladstone, one of the Secular Jewish Circle co-founders, will be facilitating a discussion of the “You are not alone” billboard at two Seattle public libraries in February (selected for their proximity to the billboard on Lake City Way). While this will be an opportunity for outreach for our secular Jewish organization, it’s also meant as a general discussion of the billboard’s message, and she welcomes all who have a stake in it.

Saturday, February 6,  2-5 p.m.

Wednesday, February 10, 6-8 pm

This disgraceful letter to the editor appeared in The Tacoma News Tribune today, and made me just see red:

Christians stepping up; where are atheists?

By Brad Eleken, of  Graham

My prayers go out to the victims of the earthquake in Haiti, and I will help by donating through a Christian charity. I am thankful that the United States, as always, takes the lead in helping when disaster strikes. As I read The News Tribune, I am struck by the fact that the Christian organizations are mobilizing and sending aid and aid workers without any thought as to the religion of the people of Haiti.

Just as when the tsunami struck Indonesia, and tens of thousands of Muslims were killed, the United States and Christian charities took the lead.

So where are the atheist organizations? Are they sending aid workers, money or prayers? No. But they do have money to devote to a display in the Capitol building in Olympia, to tell us there is no God, there is no heaven or hell.

If there are atheists interested in helping the people of Haiti, I ask them to give to World Vision or one of the other fine Christian organizations. Or they can do nothing.

This screed is especially outrageous in light of the call to arms that went out from Seattle Atheists asking people to donate for Haiti relief that went out Jan. 14.

It’s more inaccurate because of the SCORES of atheist and humanist charities that were launched in the past few years, and which are SPECIFICALLY addressing the Haiti crisis.

Seattle Atheists itself commits itself to charity and community service, and has an ongoing food drive, a blood drive, and gift wrapping, of which 100% of the proceeds go to Childrens Hospital.

CFI’s S.H.A.R.E. project, Richard Dawkins Foundation’s Non-Believers Giving Aid, Humanist Charities’ Haiti Earthquake Relief Fund have all dedicated the full force of their giving power to the victims of the Haiti disaster. Additional secular charities include MADRE, Partners in Health, Doctors Without Borders, Americares, International Relief Teams, and Mercy Corps.

Atheists give to secular aid organizations, because we do not like to see money going towards  solar powered bibles. Because if that’s your idea of humanitarian aid, you need to really be shot out of a cannon.

We recognize that people need clean water, food, medical care, and shelter, and NOT proselytizing. They need care, not “ministry.” They need to survive. They don’t need half the money that would have gone to pay for these things going to fat cat pastors and churches.

So in other words, Brad Eleken of Graham, you’re an ill-informed ass.

Please voice your displeasure both in the comments and by writing letters to the editor. This will not go unchallenged.

On Saturday February 6th, Seattle Atheists will join other free-thought groups to celebrate the 201st birthday of Charles Darwin, the brilliant scientist whose revolutionary work became the foundation of modern biology.

Seattle Atheists and our fellow organizations in the Northwest Freethought Coalition (NWFC) will come to together to celebrate Darwin, science, humanity and in appreciation of verifiable knowledge that has been acquired solely through human curiosity and ingenuity.

The event is family-friendly and will include speakers, educational evolution-themed games, activities, and food. The public is encouraged to attend.

WHERE:
Juanita Community Club, 13027 100th Ave NE, Kirkland, WA 98034

WHEN:
Saturday, Feb. 6, from 1:00 to 4:30 p.m.

Below is my response to an old and dear friend’s e-mail. I have edited it so that it will not be evident to anyone reading it who the friend is.

Dear Friend,

I thought that you might be surprised, as most of my old friends and my family have been. It is difficult for most Christians to believe that a former southern baptist minister could be an Atheist. You responded very much like a lot of them and did so with concern, love, an obvious bias that I understand, and some false assumptions. I have no problem explaining my journey to you or anyone who has a sincere desire to know, but you really need to keep an open mind, because as you already have in your e-mail, you will be tempted to assume some things that simply are false. Nothing that you wrote that supports your faith is new to me and I think you know me well enough to know that. They are convictions I once held myself. I think you also know the answer to some of the questions you posed; especially the one about whether or not I ever was a Christian. You, of all people, know better than to ask such a question. As arrogant as this may sound, if I wasn’t a Christian, then no one is.

Let me answer some of your other direct questions. I do not believe in anything supernatural or spiritual, therefore I do not beleive in a god. Christianity at it’s core is a religion based on faith (believing without evidence). In fact there is no evidence that the God of the bible exists, there is only personal experience. This is how there can be so many different religions and so many different Christian denominations that can claim to have the truth. None of them have the truth, they have belief without evidence. So, to your question about death and an afterlife….when I die, I’m dead, gone, that’s it. No I will not see my wife and children somewhere in a “spiritual place.” No such place exists. Continue reading →