Comment

Comment by Chris 7 minutes ago

The following obviously includes religious charities, including the Boy Scouts.

Comment by Persephone 28 minutes ago

Wow now that is what we need someone to stand up, Arizona has such political numpties it's good to see this. Wonder if his ancestors were illegals of wait that's us.

Comment by Chris 41 minutes ago

Lawmaker Comes Out as Atheist During House Prayer

ARIZONA REP. JUAN MENDEZ ENCOURAGES COLLEAGUES NOT TO BOW HEADS

(NEWSER) – The Arizona House and Senate typically convene with a prayer, which members take turns delivering. But Democratic Rep. Juan Mendez did something unusual yesterday: He took the opportunity to announce that he's an atheist (he referenced his "secular humanist tradition") and encourage other members not to bow their heads in prayer, but rather to look at each other and "celebrate our shared humanness," the Arizona Republic reports.

"This is a room in which there are many challenging debates, many moments of tension, of ideological division, of frustration,” he told the House. "But this is also a room where, as my secular humanist tradition stresses, by the very fact of being human we have much more in common than we have differences." He also quoted Carl Sagan, adds the Phoenix New Times, and afterward said he was just one of 1.3 million Arizonans who are not religiously affiliated.

Comment by Onyango Makagutu 11 hours ago

Pope Francis rocked some religious and atheist minds today when he declared that everyone was redeemed through Jesus, including atheists.

During his homily at Wednesday Mass in Rome, Francis emphasized the importance of "doing good" as a principle that unites all humanity, and a "culture of encounter"to support peace.

Pope Francis Says Atheists Who Do Good Are Redeemed, Not Just Catho...

Comment by doone 13 hours ago

All religions or no religions

by digby

I have long thought that a necessary approach to dealing with the insistence on the part of certain Christians that their "religious liberty" is impinged if the government requires something their creed does not agree with is to have competing religions demand the same "freedom." You'd think we could avoid this nonsense after 500 years of bloody European history but apparently not.

Anyway, it's at least a good way to illustrate why the state should justinsist that everyone play by the same rules in the public sector while letting the church do its thing in the private sphere: 

The governor of Georgia has ordered that Bibles recently removed from lodges at government parks throughout the state be returned, reports state.

Republican Governor Nathan Deal issued the order after the Georgia Department of Natural Resources removed the Bibles following an atheist complaint about their presence.

Ed Buchner, 67, the former leader of the organization American Atheists, expressed his disapproval last month after finding a Gideon’s Bible in a cabin at one of the state parks. He said that he believed the Bibles violated the Establishment Clause of the United States Constitution, which says that “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.”

“Out of an abundance of caution to avoid potential litigation, the commissioner removed the Bibles from the rooms – though they were still available on site – after a complaint from a visitor,” explained Deal.

However, the governor states that both he and the state Attorney General, Sam Olems, believe that the Bibles stand on “firm legal footing.”

“These Bibles are donated by outside groups, not paid for by the state, and I do not believe that a Bible in a bedside table drawer constitutes a state establishment of religion,” he said. “In fact, any group is free to donate literature.”

Well, now. I'll just let Wonkette take it from here:

Oh? said some sharp kids at American Atheists. Did you say any group? Hey, guys, as it happens, we are a group, and we would just love to donate some literature to be placed in bedside table drawers in Georgia state parks! And so they will be sending the Georgia Department of Natural Resources “enough popular atheist books to place one in every state park cabin in the state.”

In a press release, the group acknowledged that it would really prefer that state-owned facilities be oppressively neutral on matters of religion, but if Georgia wants to play this way, sure!

“American Atheists does not believe the State of Georgia should be placing Bibles or atheist books in state park cabins; however, if the state is going to allow such distribution, we will happily provide our materials,” said President David Silverman.

I'm fairly sure this literature will never make it to those cabins. And frankly, I think it would be better if it were a Muslim group or a b'hai or something fairly exotic that nonetheless these people understand to be a religion. But still, the point has been made.

Comment by doone yesterday

The Pope And Atheists

MAY 22 2013 @ 1:51PM

Francis is living up to his promise.

Comment by Neal yesterday

Excellent video. Blitzer set himself up there, probably figured out he was safe with that crap in Oklahoma.

Comment by doone yesterday

She mentions being an Atheist after the 1:40 mark

Comment by doone yesterday

Quote For The Day

MAY 22 2013 @ 11:43AM

“This ‘closing off’ that imagines that those outside, everyone, cannot do good is a wall that leads to war and also to what some people throughout history have conceived of: killing in the name of God. That we can kill in the name of God. And that, simply, is blasphemy. To say that you can kill in the name of God is blasphemy … The Lord has redeemed all of us, all of us, with the Blood of Christ: all of us, not just Catholics. Everyone! ‘Father, the atheists?’ Even the atheists. Everyone! …

Comment by Don on Tuesday

We worked hard here in Vermont to get this legislation passed, but it was a tough go all the way. even in the country's least religious state.  You'd think all we'd have to do is look at Oregon and Washington, where it's worked just fine for 15 years, wouldn't you?

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