Clipmarks | AtlLiberal's Christian collection

Religious Tests?

Wed, 02 Apr 2008 19:22:17 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Once again we're presented with examples of outright bigoted prejudice. Perhaps not surprising if it was put forth from a stereotypical Nascar dad but from a contender to the presidency it seems a bit out of line.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

John McCain Wants to Limit the Presidency to Christians... and mabye Jews

Questions about that are very legitimate.... And it's also appropriate for me at certain points in the conversation to say, look, that's sort of a private matter between me and my Creator.... But I think the number one issue people should make [in the] selection of the President of the United States is, 'Will this person carry on in the Judeo Christian principled tradition that has made this nation the greatest experiment in the history of mankind?'"

What, exactly, does "carry on in the Judeo-Christian principled tradition" even mean? It sounds like a phrase that was designed by marketing experts to hit all the right emotional buttons among Christians without saying anything substantive enough to be considered meaningful.

Tags: prejudice, religion, christian, atheism, bigotry

Grandpa McCain Don't Like Them Atheists!

Sun, 23 Mar 2008 18:21:47 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Promulgating the idea of bigoted, separatist thought seems to take up a lot of the energies of the Republicans these days. Of course this has been their bread and butter issue for years. Give us someone to hate and forget about the real issues that plague the common man. They're the first to cry foul over class issues but they certainly have no qualms about using them to instill fear and prejudice if it suits their corporate aims.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

John McCain on Secular Atheists: Is John McCain Bigoted Against Atheists?

Atheists are the most despised minority in America; this is demonstrated most clearly by the fact that more people would be willing to vote for any other minority - Muslim, gay, female - than vote for an atheist for president. This discrimination is fueled by bigoted prejudices about atheists' values and morality, and you can tell a lot about a person's character based on whether they promote or oppose this bigotry. Sadly, John McCain is on record as supporting anti-atheist bigotry.

I think the number one issue people should make [in the] selection of the President of the United States is, 'Will this person carry on in the Judeo Christian principled tradition that has made this nation the greatest experiment in the history of mankind?'"

John McCain's opposition to nonbelievers as president is no less bigoted than being opposed to Jews, Catholics, blacks, or Latinos as president.

Tags: conservative, politics, mccain, republican, fear

Black Death Anniversary

Thu, 20 Mar 2008 15:43:15 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Certainly a defining moment in world history. It's interesting that present day fundamentalists such as Falwell are still using the same arguments that their 14th century counterparts employed. You'd think that after 600+ years they'd have learned something.

Clip Source: www.history.com

Black Death is “created,” allegedly

According to scholars at the University of Paris, the Black Death is created on this day in 1345, from what they call "a triple conjunction of Saturn, Jupiter and Mars in the 40th degree of Aquarius, occurring on the 20th of March 1345".

Despite what these scholars claimed, it is now known that bubonic plague, the most common ailment known as the Black Death, is caused by the yersinia pestis bacterium.

Devastation on this scale brought out the worst in people. Often, it was not the movement of stars that was blamed for the disease, but the minorities in the community. Witches and gypsies were frequent targets. Jewish people were tortured and burned to death by the thousands for supposedly causing the Black Death. Preachers claimed that the disease was God’s punishment for immorality.

Alternatively, some resorted to useless home cures to try to avoid the disease, bathing in urine or menstrual blood in an attempt to deter it.

Tags: religion, medicine, health, superstition

Religious Buffoonery

Thu, 13 Mar 2008 16:13:08 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Just when you think that people can't get any stupider you're again proven wrong.

Clip Source: www.upi.com

Indians blinded looking for vision of Mary

KOTTAYAM, India, March 11 (UPI) --

Reports in India of a miraculous image of the Virgin Mary in the sky have led about 50 people to blind themselves by staring at the sun.

The visions are said to appear over the former home of a hotel owner in the Kottayam area in southeast India, The Daily Telegraph reported. One hospital in the district reported 48 patients had been admitted with burned retinas since last week, the British newspaper reported.

Churches have warned their congregations that looking at the sun will cause permanent blindness and have told them the supposed miracle is not one.

Before moving out, the hotel owner reportedly had also claimed to have statues of the Virgin Mary that cried honey and bled oils and perfumes.

Tags: religion, christianity, weird

Religion and Abortion

Sun, 09 Mar 2008 18:47:20 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: This article makes a cogent argument that religion actually promotes abortions rather than diminishes them. Link to full article for more info.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

Abortions Highest Where Religion is Highest

Given how opposition to legal abortion is almost entirely based on religious dogma, one might think that areas where belief in religious dogma is highest will be areas where abortion is lowest. That, however, is incorrect - abortion rates are highest in places where religiosity is highest but lowest in more secular areas. This is not an incidental correlation: not only does it disprove the popular idea that secularism destroys the moral values which oppose abortion, but it points to how religion itself can make demand for abortion higher.

It's not secularism, secular ethics, or atheism which causes increases in abortion rates; instead, it's the heavy hand of puritanical, patriarchal religion in a society where women are gaining power, equality, and wealth. Regardless of how religious a society is or what the religion is, increasing affluence and increasing female equality leads to desires for lower families.

Tags: abortion, choice, health, women, religion

Burnt Offerings are Next!

Tue, 04 Mar 2008 16:24:08 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: I've included the date in the clip to show that this is really a news story from this century! I love the ending of the clip where the good pastor calls forth Elijah's prayer for rain and asks why can't we do the same? Because we understand what causes rain? Just a thought.

Also of note is the governor's spokesman saying that "I think it always works, even if there's not the desired outcome," To the more erudite readers out there this of course is the "Flip a Coin" defense of prayer. No matter what the outcome - claim it worked. Anyone care for a case of snake oil with that?

Clip Source: www.ajc.com

Perdue's prayers answered? Rainfall heavier

The Atlanta Journal-Constitution

Published on: 03/04/08

For two weeks before Gov. Sonny Perdue's prayer for rain on a November morning outside the state Capitol, nary a drop had dripped.

Rain the rest of that month barely wet the pavement. But as the governor said at the time, "God can make it rain tomorrow. He can make it rain next week or next month."

Perdue's spokesman Bert Brantley said he doubted the governor would get into a discussion of whether his prayer worked. "I think it always works, even if there's not the desired outcome," Brantley said.

Perdue's prayer garnered national attention and some ridicule. It set off debate about the appropriate place for prayer.

George B. Wirth, pastor of First Presbyterian Church of Atlanta, said Friday that praying for rain is "not a bad idea. It's biblical. Elijah prayed for rain ... so why can't we do the same today?"

Tags: religion, politics, news, prayer

Religious Dogma Invades Healthcare

Sun, 02 Mar 2008 16:16:42 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Cline makes a good point that professionals like doctors and pharmacists knowingly enter professions that could compromise their religious beliefs. What could be their justification for then using these religious beliefs to refuse services to certain individuals?

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

Doctors Refuse Pap Test to Unmarried Women, Cite Religious Beliefs

First they came to demand exemptions from abortions, and the government relented. The men in government didn't get abortions and didn't want to make an issue out of it. Then they came to demand exemptions from providing women with contraceptives, and the government relented again. Only unmarried sluts need contraceptives, right? Now doctors want exemptions from providing basic medical tests like pap smears.

Have we finally had enough? Can we finally call a halt to so-called medical "professionals" who are trying to undermine women's health care on the basis of ancient religious dogma? No one is conscripted into the ranks of pharmacists, physicians, or nurses, and those who voluntarily join these professions are not forced into the specialties where they might become involved with women who might annoyingly exercise reproductive autonomy.

Tags: religion, science, prejudice, bigotry, healthcare, dogma

Gimme That Ole Time Religion

Sat, 01 Mar 2008 17:13:08 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Some of us look back on this tragedy and discount it as due to ignorance. Yet it is more than that. Think of the present day belief in satanic possession that exists 316 years after this hysteria overtook the town of Salem. As far as I'm concerned they have much in common and display a disappointing lack of rationality in a large segment of the population.

Clip Source: www.history.com

March 1, 1692

Salem Witch Hunt begins

In Salem Village in the Massachusetts Bay Colony, Sarah Goode, Sarah Osborne, and Tituba, an Indian slave from Barbados, are charged with the illegal practice of witchcraft. Later that day, Tituba, possibly under coercion, confessed to the crime, encouraging the authorities to seek out more Salem witches.

In June 1692, the special Court of Oyer, "to hear," and Terminer, "to decide," convened in Salem under Chief Justice William Stoughton to judge the accused. The first to be tried was Bridget Bishop of Salem, who was found guilty and executed by hanging on June 10. Thirteen more women and four men from all stations of life followed her to the gallows, and one man, Giles Corey, was executed by crushing. Most of those tried were condemned on the basis of the witnesses' behavior during the actual proceedings, characterized by fits and hallucinations that were argued to be caused by the defendants on trial.

Tags: religion, witch, saten, devil, superstition, history

Huckabee Supporters

Tue, 19 Feb 2008 05:29:38 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: I'm fairly certain these are good people but they surely have some strange ideas.

Clip Source: www.youtube.com

God and Politics in Lynchburg, Tennessee

[Video]

Tags: religion, politics, huckabee, christian

Florida Creationist Shows Off

Sat, 16 Feb 2008 16:21:11 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Of course not all Floridians are this abjectly stupid. Although recent polls indicate that close to 50% prefer creationism over evolution. Take a peek at what a lack of science education can accomplish.

Clip Source: scienceblogs.com

[Video]

Tags: creationism, christianity, religion, evolution

Religions "Tolerance"

Thu, 14 Feb 2008 03:25:37 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal

Clip Source: www.hubhive.com

Tags: cartoon, religious, christian

Jesus in My Oatmeal

Tue, 12 Feb 2008 17:53:01 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: For those of you out there who have recently been awed by the appearance of Jesus or Mary in your marmalade here's a more rational explanation for you to try on.

Rationality. It's really a good thing.

Clip Source: atheism.about.com

Where is the Virgin Mary Today? Pareidolia: Seeing Religious Faces Everywhere

Why Do People Think They See Mary or Jesus on Windows and Toast?

Sometimes it seems that every other week, someone is claiming to see images of religious figures (Mary and Jesus are the most common) on walls, in windows, or in their breakfast foods. What prompts these visions? Why would Jesus or Mary wish to make an appearance on someone's toast some morning? There's a curious disconnect with such incidents because the people can believe in them fervently, but religious authorities and institutions tend to be much more skeptical and critical. What's really going on here?

There is a name for this phenomenon: pareidolia. It's not limited to religious figures, either. Humans are pattern-seeking animals and sometimes we see patterns that we think are real objects when, in fact, they are not patterns at all.

Tags: religion, rationalism, science, christian

Crosses - Rub 'Em on the Forehead

Mon, 11 Feb 2008 19:29:23 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Luckily this is not a problem in my neck of the woods cause the local population of trolls keeps the demons in check.

Clip Source: www.msnbc.msn.com

Exorcism undergoes a revival across Europe

Citing modern ills, hundreds of priests have trained to expel the devil

POCZERNIN, Poland - This wind-swept village is bracing for an invasion of demons, thanks to a priest who believes he can defeat Satan.

The Rev. Andrzej Trojanowski, a soft-spoken Pole, plans to build a "spiritual oasis" that will serve as Europe's only center dedicated to performing exorcisms. With the blessing of the local Catholic archbishop and theological support from the Vatican, the center will aid a growing number of Poles possessed by evil forces or the devil himself, he said.

"This is my task, this is my purpose -- I want to help these people," said Trojanowski, who has worked as an exorcist for four years. "There is a group of people who cannot get relief through any other practices and who need peace."

Exorcism -- the church rite of expelling evil spirits from tortured souls -- is making a comeback

Tags: religion

Predictable Huckabee Win

Sat, 09 Feb 2008 22:14:00 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: Frankly, I'm not surprised in the least. The state that tried to set back the teaching of biology 150 years has given a rousing endorsement to the most biblical candidate in quite a while. How does commander and preacher sound? The inauguration should be fun. I'm all set to watch Dino, the Jesus Horse, leading the parade down Pennsylvania Ave.

Clip Source: www.newsday.com

Huckabee wins Kansas

Mike Huckabee will win the Kansas Republican presidential caucuses with more than 60 percent support, CNN projected Saturday.

The former Arkansas governor's victory comes as he continued to vow to remain in the GOP race for the White House despite the large delegate lead held bv Arizona Sen. John McCain, who scored 22 percent of the Kansas vote.

"I didn't major in math," Huckabee told the Conservative Political Action Conference in Washington. "I majored in miracles, and I still believe in them, too."

Tags: religion, politics, christian

Muslim Bullying

Fri, 08 Feb 2008 14:10:14 GMT

clipped by: AtlLiberal
clipper's remarks: How absurd for any religious group to expect for persons of differing faiths or no faith at all to adhere to their quaint religious practices. It reminds me of the resistance to teach evolution in public schools or the attempts to force religion into the public arena. Both spheres have a similar lack of credibility and rationale. Kudos to Wikipedia for not kowtowing to religious fanatics.

Clip Source: www.nytimes.com

Wikipedia Islam Entry Is Criticized

An article about the Prophet Muhammad in the English-language Wikipedia has become the subject of an online protest in the last few weeks because of its representations of Muhammad, taken from medieval manuscripts.

In addition to numerous e-mail messages sent to Wikipedia.org, an online petition cites a prohibition in Islam on images of people.

A Frequently Asked Questions page explains the site’s polite but firm refusal to remove the images: “Since Wikipedia is an encyclopedia with the goal of representing all topics from a neutral point of view, Wikipedia is not censored for the benefit of any particular group.”

The notes left on the petition site come from all over the world. “It’s totally unacceptable to print the Prophet’s picture,” Saadia Bukhari from Pakistan wrote in a message. “It shows insensitivity towards Muslim feelings and should be removed immediately.”

Tags: atheism, religion, muslim, christian