americanatheists

What frustrates you the most about the religious in America?

There are an estimated 130 million Muslims in India, a country of 1.1 billion people.India’s worst religious violence in recent years was in 2002, in the western Gujarat state. More than 1,000 people, most of them Muslim, were killed by Hindu mobs in revenge attacks after a train fire killed 60 Hindus returning from a religious pilgrimage. Muslims were blamed for the train fire.A series of terrorist bombings have hit India in the past year, including the July bombings of seven Mumbai commuter trains that killed more than 200 people. Most of the bombings have been blamed on Muslim militants based in neighboring Pakistan, India’s longtime rival.

Isn’t religion wonderful for the great job it does in bringing people together in loving admiration of their creator? I just cannot imagine why we atheists do not want to be a part of this loving activity.Peter Nuhn

From: http://www.chron.com/disp/story.mpl/ap/tx/4810551.htmlMay 16, 2007, 5:05PMOdessa school district sued over Bible electiveBy MATT CURRY Associated Press Writer ? 2007 The Associated PressDALLAS ? Two advocacy groups filed a federal lawsuit Wednesday against aWest Texas school district on behalf of eight parents who say a Bible courseviolates their religious liberty.The American Civil Liberties Union and People for the American WayFoundation sued the Ector County Independent School District, asking theOdessa school system stop teaching the course.More info at the url above. I believe that even with the new “restrictions”that have been added to the Bible class bill currently in the Texas Senate,these types of lawsuits will be filed, and with good cause. The classes arenot about teaching, but preaching, and most politicians seem to be obliviousto that fact. Texas members, PLEASE call your state senator now and lethim/her know of your opinion of the Bible class bill. That’s HB 3678. I’mworking on getting the senate bill number for it now.Joe ZameckiTexas State DirectorAmerican AtheistsAustin, TXwww.atheists.org/txjzamecki@atheists.org

UPDATE: RALLY FOR REASONWEEKEND (Sun. 5/27 Speak-Out,Tues. 5/28 Demo at Creationist Museum…http://www.rallyforreason.com THOUSANDS OF Atheists, Freethinkers, and Humanists will be joining other advocates of secular education and good science to protest at the opening of the “Answers in Genesis” Creationist Museum in Boone County, KY. on Memorial Day — Monday, May 28, 2006. We do not oppose the right of AIG or other religious groups to express their opinions, no matter how inaccurate or fanciful. We do support the scientific enterprise, and the teaching of good science. THE EVENING BEFORE this historic event, the Free Inquiry Group of Cincinnati will host a “Rally for Reason Speak-Out”at the nearby Hilton Cincinnati Airport Hotel. Speakers will include Arlene-Marie (Michigan Atheists); Rev. Mendle Adams, opponent of Creationist fantasy and misinformation; Frank Zindler (American Atheists Science Policy Advisor); Dr. Gene Kritsky, evolutionary biologist; Dr. Helen Kagin, physician and many others. There will be an open microphone for comments and Q&A.

No loss.Er… I mean “We are saddened by the fact that Mr. Fallwell, who was talented in so many ways, did not live long enough to fully embrace reason”I would like to express my personal sympathies to members of Mr. Fallwell’s family. Not his friends, but his family.NEW: ELLEN JOHNSON Quoted on CNN: http://www.cnn.com/interactive/us/0705/gallery.falwell.reaction/frameset.exclude.html

Ellen Johnson, president of American Atheists “Jerry Falwell was instrumental in galvanizing millions of American evangelicals into an intolerant, sectarian and authoritarian political movement. Gays, women, secularists, civil libertarians and other groups who did not fit into his plan to construct ‘One Nation under God’ were stigmatized and attacked

Other Ellen Quotes:

“Perhaps the most ignominious moment in Falwell’s career was his appearance with Rev. Pat Robertson on a television program which blamed the terrorist attacks of September 11 not on Islamic fundamentalist fanatics, but on a wide swath of the American people — women (because of their support for abortion), gay and lesbian Americans, and individuals and organizations like American Atheists which labor for the separation of church and state.”"We cannot and must not lionize Rev. Jerry Falwell because he is now dead. We expect that some politicians beholden to the religious right,who perhaps owe their political careers in part to Falwell, will praise him for his religiosity or avuncular style. The truth is, however, that the Rev. Jerry Falwell was a dangerous man who opposed and worked against many of the key values underpinning our secular American democracy.:

http://worldnetdaily.com/news/article.asp?ARTICLE_ID=55668Go ahead. Read the article. I dare you to say he’s sane and intelligent. Go ahead. I dare ya. Hmm That was Robert Wagner (right?). Let me try again.You know to tell you the truth I can’t remember if Chuck Norris’ IQ is 65 or 66. The question is, do you feel lucky. Well do ya, Punk? No… That’s ClintI’m gonna take this lie and hit you on this side of your face. Hmm… Laughlin I think.In fact, although he looks tough and cool on camera, I can’t think of anything good that Chuck Norris has ever actually said. This article hasn’t changed anything.(thx Amanda’s Boyfriend)

Utah County Republicans ended their convention on Saturday by debating Satan’s influence on illegal immigrants. Is Don Larsen an embarrassment to the Republican Party when he tried to propose a resolution “warning that Satan’s minions want to eliminate national borders and do away with sovereignty.”Now the Crazy Religious Conservatives (CRC)have found a brand new bogey man, the illegal alien. And guess what? They also control the media. Our poor media. I thought the Jews controlled the media. I thought the godless secularist controlled the media. I thought the Hollywood liberals controlled the media. Now I find out it is the guy who mows my lawn. Shit. I wish they (the CRCs) would get their act straight and tell us once and for all who is behind the New World Order.Peter Nuhn

Forwarded from the Military Director for American Atheists, Kathleen Johnson:http://www.stripes.com/article.asp?section=125&article=45826

Religious stories one-sidedI feel compelled to write about some of the content in your paper.Lately, there have been many articles about religions and theirgoings-on around the world. With Operation Iraqi Freedom, Israel, Turkeyand such, this is no surprise. But many of these articles are centeredon Christianity in the United States. For example: Bible classes inGeorgia public schools, prayers for mountain tops, Anne Coulter and herright-wing blabber, “miracles,” etc.I was unaware that Stars and Stripes was a reporting agency forChristian fundamentalism. Granted, most of the readers of Stars andStripes are Christian, but where are the articles about militaryWiccans? Pagans? Atheists? Oh yes, there are atheists downrange, and Iam an example.As an atheist, I find the one-sided reporting from Stars and Stripescallous and insensitive. There are enough stories on atheists,free-thinkers, agnostics, pagans and Wiccans to fill entire reams ofnewspaper. So, either Stars and Stripes is just picking stories toplease the fundamentalist Christians, or you are unconcerned with all ofyour readers.Harold McLambLogistics Support Area Anaconda, Iraq

Nicole Smalkowski is getting thousands of comments (mostly favorable) fromall over the world as a result of her appearance on ABC?s 20-20.See: http://abcnews.go.com/2020/story?id=3164811&page=1http://abcnews.go.com/2020/comments?type=story&id=3164811http://www.youtube.com/results?search_query=Nicole+Smalkowski&search=Searchhttp://sads.myspace.com//Modules/Search/Pages/Search.aspx?fuseaction=advancedFind.results&searchtarget=tms&searchtype=myspace&t=tms&get=1&websearch=1&searchBoxID=HeaderWebResults&searchString=Nicole+Smalkowski&q=Nicole+SmalkowskiThe Smalkowski band will be at the Rally for Reason at the gates of Answersin Genesis in Northern Kentucky. See: www.rallyforreason.com Nicole Smalkowski and Chuck Smalkowski will both speak at the Rally.

“PET PROJECT” EARMARKS, LOBBYING SOAR AS RELIGIOUS GROUPS BENEFITGovernment grants to faith-based organizations have “increasedsharply” in recent years thanks to lobbying by religious groups and”earmarks” from politicians, according to a study released Saturday bythe New York Times.The findings reveal that more than half of theconstitutionally-suspect grants took place beginning with theCongressional session that included the 2004 presidential election,with legislators approving nearly 900 earmarks for religious groupstotaling in excess of $318 million.The figure does not include the over $1.2 billion that some observerssay is the total amount given to churches and other religiousorganizations thanks to President Bush’s federal faith-basedinitiative and similar programs operating in two-dozen states. Earmarks are federal awards that circumvent theconstitutionally-required process of review and competitive bidding.”They have been blamed for feeding the budget deficit and have figuredin several Capitol Hill bribery scandals,” noted the Times, “promptingrecent calls for reform from White House and Congressional leaders.”Critics charge that the earmark process weakens financialaccountability on how taxpayer money is spent, and amounts to a systemof political bribery for the benefit of politicians.The report also noted that as earmarks for faith-based projects havegrown, so has the number of religious organizations hiring Washington,DC-based lobbying firms. One earmark grant paid for a fitness centerat Malone College in Canton, Ohio, a “small evangelical Christianliberal arts” institution. The $1 million facility was gratis Rep.Ralph S. Regula. The college hired a lobbying firm “to help us with a’boots on the ground’ program of meeting with various Congressionaland Senate leaders,” a college spokesperson told the Times.”I never heard religious lobbyists talk about earmarks,” said Dr.Allen Hertzke, professor at the University of Oklahoma who monitorsreligious advocacy work. Daniel Hofrenning, professor at St. OlafCollege in Minnesota agreed, saying “Getting heavily into thepork-barrel politics of earmarks, that is a distinctive change.”A review of the grants listed in the Congressional Record reflectedthat 39 states and the District of Columbia received earmarkedbenefits directed to religious groups. They cover a staggering arrayof projects, everything from the construction of “green” retirementfacilities (Michigan) to subsidies for unspecified “teen programs” inConnecticut and a “technology grant” at a Christian home for boys inKentucky.