American Atheists is deeply saddened to hear of the tragic events involving our soldiers at Ft Hood. Our VP and Military Director Kathy Johnson is stationed there and is unharmed. At this point, we know very little, but we have confidence in our military to secure the base and ensure the safety of our troops.

UPDATE: According to Kathy, who is a crime scene investigator and on the scene in Ft. Hood, this does appear to be a religiously motivated event. The investigation continues.

Reporting from Washington – Backed by some of the most powerful members of the Senate, a little-noticed provision in the healthcare overhaul bill would require insurers to consider covering Christian Science prayer treatments as medical expenses.

The provision was inserted by Sen. Orrin G. Hatch (R-Utah) with the support of Democratic Sens. John F. Kerry and the late Edward M. Kennedy, both of Massachusetts, home to the headquarters of the Church of Christ, Scientist.

The measure would put Christian Science prayer treatments — which substitute for or supplement medical treatments — on the same footing as clinical medicine. While not mentioning the church by name, it would prohibit discrimination against “religious and spiritual healthcare.”
Read More

Here they go again. After losing the provision to force insurance companies to pay for Christians to kill their children by praying over them, Senators Orrin “Magic Underwear” Hatch and John “WTF” Kerry have re-started their efforts to have it included again.

Here is a prime example of policians who honestly don’t care. Children will die if this passes, and they don’t care. We will pay for the children who die, and they don’t care. This provision is clearly illegal, and they don’t care.

There is no mystery. There is no “other side” of this argument. Praying to deities is ridiculous, and forcing us to pay for witch-doctors is just another tax for the church.

In a Q&A with Details magazine, the openly gay ‘Lord of the Rings’ star admits to a habit of tearing out the Bible passage that condemns homosexuality — Leviticus 18:22 — every time he finds one in his hotel room. The passage: “Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it is abomination.”

“I’m not proudly defacing the book,” he asserts, “but it’s a choice between removing that page and throwing away the whole Bible.”

Read More

I frankly love this idea, except for the “not proudly defacing the book.” I say we SHOULD proudly deface the books. Take a magic marker and cross off the parts you don’t like. Tear out the pages. Jot notes in the side margins. These books are free to take and deface as you see fit — so do it!

Here is an exerpt from a letter written by long-time atheist activist Margaret Downey to American Airlines, which apparently played Christian music to the cabin on a plane in which she was flying.

I really agree with Margaret. They have the right to play whatever they want, but this is not a situation where you can just change the channel, and it’s not subtle. It is, in my opinion, a blatant disregard for non-Christians. Remember, we’re not talking about the Doobie Brothers, we are talking about intentionally deciding “let’s play Christian music” to a diverse audience.

In total we had to listen to three songs about a religious doctrine we find disturbing. I’m sure that a Jewish family, a Hindi family and nontheist people such as my husband and I were equally offended that American Airlines was promoting the Christian doctrine in a space that could not be escaped from. We were a captive audience!

I expect my airlines to remain neutral in matters of religion. This is why I will not fly Alaska Airlines. They promote and proselytize Christianity at ever opportunity.

Please confirm that this type of religious incident will not happen again when I use American Airlines. Please also explain who was responsible for the religious promotion on this flight — the pilot and/or the staff.

Read beliefnet Article
American Airlines Customer Relations

Friends,

Howdy again, Joe Zamecki here in Austin to tell you about our giveaway to the homeless this Sunday. Atheists Helping the Homeless is coming together as a bona fide group very nicely now.

We’ve got our new website with improved url: www.atheistvolunteers.org/Austin

It’s got Paypal capabilities for donations, and a ChipIn button to get you there.

It’s got a video playlist player so you can watch us do giveaways while you learn more about the group.

We’ve gotten some more boxes of donated items to give out, plus we’ll have items we’ve bought with donated money as well. Thank you to all our donors and volunteers and other supporters! )

Also I’m told there is supposed to be a reporter from the Austin Chronicle there this Sunday, specifically about us and our giveaway. www.auschron.com

Finally, on the next live airing of Answers in Atheism, I’m scheduled to be the phone-in guest, to talk about the AHH. www.answersinatheism.net The date for that show is to be announced soon.

Please consider coming out to our giveaway under I-35 at 7th Street in Austin this Sunday. We’ll be there starting at 8am sharp. If we all wear t-shirts that say that we’re Atheists, that would look really great for the video. We have a sign now too, thanks to more good volunteer work done, so that’ll get into the video too.

No preaching Atheism though. It’s really fun to just help out, and occasionally get questions about who we are. It’s fun to talk about it without pressure from either side, and every time, we come out winners. There’s really no conflict. It’s all positive activism. )

Joe Zamecki
Co-Founder, Atheists Helping the Homeless
www.atheistvolunteers.org/Austin
Texas State Director, American Atheists
www.atheists.org/Texas_State_Page
www.youtube.com/aajoeyjo

http://www.facebook.com/joe.zamecki

(512)758-0060