Ok, here's the deal. I deface money. I WISH I was creative enough to draw neat faces and turn Lincoln into a Hipster Lincoln....but, I'm not that cool.
No. I deface our currency by marking out 'In God We Trust' on paper money. Believe me, if I could take it off coins easily, I would.
Blogger Hemant Mehta, of the Friendly Atheist, posted a blog post this afternoon on his Facebook page. He has been referencing articles from the past few years. One from 3 years ago was about a person who blacked out our ill-gotten motto then used said currency at a local bakery store in Louisiana. The bakery then gave the defaced currency as change to another customer. The customer who received the 'corrected' currency had a shit-fit online and tried to make others join them in never return to the bakery. This made the bakery have to issue a statement that they had nothing to do with the defacing.
If that made no sense to you here is the story from The Friendly Atheist:
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/12/07/when-godless-money-hurts-a-business/
Anywho, I made a comment on the Facebook page saying that I am originally from Louisiana and I've blacked out 'In God We Trust' on currency for years and this may have accidentally been my doing. (I'm almost positive that it wasn't me as I refuse to schlep all the way to Shreveport- bleh) I commented because I wanted to make a small point that taking the quote off the currency should in no way hurt anyone, it's not illegal, and I feel I'm fixing a wrong by doing so.
Some of the comments on the thread are arguing that blackening out the words is 'childish' of us (atheists). One commenter even called me as much and told me to 'grow some cajones and actually do something about it instead of just breaking out my crayons'. I was even told that, by doing this, I'm 'cowardly'.
Really? Cowardly?
Would they rather me get into a banker's face about it? Yell at the cashier at the grocery line for handing me 'religious money'? The hell?
Wanna know what I really do about it? I vote. I petition my congress people about it. I sign petitions. I get off my ass and try to get this motto changed.
I also take a big black Sharpie and cross off the damn words off currency. I don't need to grow balls. I've got brains, asshat.
Monday, December 7, 2015
Monday, November 23, 2015
I'm the Worst Liberal Ever
So, this week is Thanksgiving and I will be going home to Louisiana for a traditional celebration with family.
Last year I was not able to go home or visit family at all so I hosted a traditional dinner at the Secular Hub. It was such a success we decided to make it a tradition at the center. This year, since I am able to go home, I won't be hosting. I did, however, have a hand in the planning of the event.
I was able to find a few people who are willing to host the dinner for 20 something people. Turkey has been purchased, ham has been ordered, attendees have been given their food assignments. It's going to be a great day at the Secular Hub.
However, last week the Hub MeetUp message board received a message from a new member asking us about the event. They wanted to know if we were going to be hosting an inclusive 'day of mourning' in lieu of the traditional feast. They went on to explain that the day of mourning was to be a protest of the traditional Thanksgiving celebration and commemorate the atrocities of the Native American people at the hands of the white pilgrims.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?
Okay, I get it. We need to remember that the Europeans came here and massacred the Native Americans. They deceived and stole from them. The Native Americans got a raw deal and continue to have hardships from this. I get it. We all get it.
There is no way in fictional hell that we are now going to have a fasting, march to a memorial place, and mourn the shameful acts of others. No.
Just..... No...... (basic white girl moment) Seriously, I can't even.
It's moments like these that remind me that I am, actually, from the south. The land of, "Fuck that. Go cry somewhere else."
I HATE this nonsense. I feel like if I disagree with this person's suggestion of a day of mourning it makes me into a bad progressive. Same as when I disagree with a feminist's idea that it's wrong for a woman to choose to be a stay-at-home mom, it makes me feel like a bad feminist.
The spirit of Thanksgiving was to be a coming together of different cultures to break bread and be mindful of community and what you have. That's what it's all about now. It's one of those special times of year (and sometimes only time) that people are able to come together to be with their friends and/or family. Personally, I only get to see my father maybe once a year. This is that one time for us. I'm going to celebrate it.
Did the pilgrims do a terrible thing against the Native Americans? Yes. Should we remember the past so that we don't repeat it? Absolutely! Am I going to feel shame for the rest of my life for something my ancestors did? Hell no. And how dare you try to make others feel bad for being happy about the holiday.
Thanksgiving is about stuffing your face, watching football, seeing your family, ducking questions about your future marital plans, and figuring out your game plan for Black Friday.
Go be mournful somewhere else. I'm too stoked about turkey to have you be a damn wet-blanket.
Last year I was not able to go home or visit family at all so I hosted a traditional dinner at the Secular Hub. It was such a success we decided to make it a tradition at the center. This year, since I am able to go home, I won't be hosting. I did, however, have a hand in the planning of the event.
I was able to find a few people who are willing to host the dinner for 20 something people. Turkey has been purchased, ham has been ordered, attendees have been given their food assignments. It's going to be a great day at the Secular Hub.
However, last week the Hub MeetUp message board received a message from a new member asking us about the event. They wanted to know if we were going to be hosting an inclusive 'day of mourning' in lieu of the traditional feast. They went on to explain that the day of mourning was to be a protest of the traditional Thanksgiving celebration and commemorate the atrocities of the Native American people at the hands of the white pilgrims.
WHAT THE ACTUAL FUCK?!?
Okay, I get it. We need to remember that the Europeans came here and massacred the Native Americans. They deceived and stole from them. The Native Americans got a raw deal and continue to have hardships from this. I get it. We all get it.
There is no way in fictional hell that we are now going to have a fasting, march to a memorial place, and mourn the shameful acts of others. No.
Just..... No...... (basic white girl moment) Seriously, I can't even.
It's moments like these that remind me that I am, actually, from the south. The land of, "Fuck that. Go cry somewhere else."
I HATE this nonsense. I feel like if I disagree with this person's suggestion of a day of mourning it makes me into a bad progressive. Same as when I disagree with a feminist's idea that it's wrong for a woman to choose to be a stay-at-home mom, it makes me feel like a bad feminist.
The spirit of Thanksgiving was to be a coming together of different cultures to break bread and be mindful of community and what you have. That's what it's all about now. It's one of those special times of year (and sometimes only time) that people are able to come together to be with their friends and/or family. Personally, I only get to see my father maybe once a year. This is that one time for us. I'm going to celebrate it.
Did the pilgrims do a terrible thing against the Native Americans? Yes. Should we remember the past so that we don't repeat it? Absolutely! Am I going to feel shame for the rest of my life for something my ancestors did? Hell no. And how dare you try to make others feel bad for being happy about the holiday.
Thanksgiving is about stuffing your face, watching football, seeing your family, ducking questions about your future marital plans, and figuring out your game plan for Black Friday.
Go be mournful somewhere else. I'm too stoked about turkey to have you be a damn wet-blanket.
Monday, November 2, 2015
Why are you so obsessed with me?
An Arkansas pastor has gained media coverage for something asinine that he said. (big shock) His sermon on Sunday morning revolved around something called 'theological dualism'. A claim that the soul and the body are separated. This allows for religious people to go to church on Sunday and purify their soul but their body is an earthly thing and it does not matter what they do to it.
He referred to 1 Corinthians 6. This chapter says that our bodies are temples and God owns us. He shamed people for overeating, abortion, and pornography. Somehow, doing things like this is 'offending our body'.
He then said that women do not have the right to their own body. He never said that men do not have the right to their body. Sure, it was implied that no one owned their own bodies but, he only deemed it necessary to specifically say that women had no claim to their own body.
Here is the story from Raw Story with a clip of the pastor:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/arizona-pastor-if-a-woman-thinks-she-has-the-right-over-her-own-body-no-thats-not-true/
Why do so many church leaders seem to make sure women know they are less important?
When I was 19 I got a tattoo. It's small and I can hide it easily. Just a simple ankh and a number. Like many people, my tattoo is meaningful to me. I'm proud of it. It's on my foot and kinda ugly but it wasn't meant to be a work of art. I love it.
When I got it I was still hanging on to my religion. Hanging on by a thread but, still, I went to church every week.
The first Sunday after I got my tattoo I went to my church's morning services. I remember a deacon (kind of like an elder but on a lower rung) came over to me to say 'good morning'. He had a son about my age so he felt he had an 'in' with the youths. He looked down at my foot and saw my new ink.
I distinctly remember him telling me that the bible says that our bodies are not ours and that making marks on it is forbidden. He didn't yell at me. He wasn't overtly angry. He sounded disappointed in me. And, for an instant, I was ashamed.
I think back to it every now and then and I'm sad that I didn't say something prolific. I'm annoyed at myself for, once again, being silent in church. I'm disgusted that I was intimidated by the deacon. But, I was a girl. In this church, and many others, it's the men's duty to make sure we stay in line. I deserved that talking to, apparently.
What was I supposed to say? "Some guy assaulted me a year ago and this tattoo was to remind me that I'm, once again, in control of my own life and body"? Maybe. That would have knocked the deacon back for a second. But, I bet I can think of how he would have responded. Something about god testing me. Maybe something about how I was assaulted because I wasn't acting like a christian in the first place. Or, two wrongs...something something something.
The important thing I learned from that experience is that women in the church are always being reminded that our bodies are not ours, we have no choice in anything, and we can do nothing about it.
I became a more empowered woman when I left the church. I became a better, nicer, more loving person when I left religion. I'm still saddened when I see so many women flocking and clinging to their religion. A religion that doesn't respect, empower, or give authority to them.
I won't take away anyone's religion. I can never do that. But, I can be disappointed in it. And, I'll be there for those who choose to leave it behind.
He referred to 1 Corinthians 6. This chapter says that our bodies are temples and God owns us. He shamed people for overeating, abortion, and pornography. Somehow, doing things like this is 'offending our body'.
He then said that women do not have the right to their own body. He never said that men do not have the right to their body. Sure, it was implied that no one owned their own bodies but, he only deemed it necessary to specifically say that women had no claim to their own body.
Here is the story from Raw Story with a clip of the pastor:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/11/arizona-pastor-if-a-woman-thinks-she-has-the-right-over-her-own-body-no-thats-not-true/
Why do so many church leaders seem to make sure women know they are less important?
When I was 19 I got a tattoo. It's small and I can hide it easily. Just a simple ankh and a number. Like many people, my tattoo is meaningful to me. I'm proud of it. It's on my foot and kinda ugly but it wasn't meant to be a work of art. I love it.
When I got it I was still hanging on to my religion. Hanging on by a thread but, still, I went to church every week.
The first Sunday after I got my tattoo I went to my church's morning services. I remember a deacon (kind of like an elder but on a lower rung) came over to me to say 'good morning'. He had a son about my age so he felt he had an 'in' with the youths. He looked down at my foot and saw my new ink.
I distinctly remember him telling me that the bible says that our bodies are not ours and that making marks on it is forbidden. He didn't yell at me. He wasn't overtly angry. He sounded disappointed in me. And, for an instant, I was ashamed.
I think back to it every now and then and I'm sad that I didn't say something prolific. I'm annoyed at myself for, once again, being silent in church. I'm disgusted that I was intimidated by the deacon. But, I was a girl. In this church, and many others, it's the men's duty to make sure we stay in line. I deserved that talking to, apparently.
What was I supposed to say? "Some guy assaulted me a year ago and this tattoo was to remind me that I'm, once again, in control of my own life and body"? Maybe. That would have knocked the deacon back for a second. But, I bet I can think of how he would have responded. Something about god testing me. Maybe something about how I was assaulted because I wasn't acting like a christian in the first place. Or, two wrongs...something something something.
The important thing I learned from that experience is that women in the church are always being reminded that our bodies are not ours, we have no choice in anything, and we can do nothing about it.
I became a more empowered woman when I left the church. I became a better, nicer, more loving person when I left religion. I'm still saddened when I see so many women flocking and clinging to their religion. A religion that doesn't respect, empower, or give authority to them.
I won't take away anyone's religion. I can never do that. But, I can be disappointed in it. And, I'll be there for those who choose to leave it behind.
Thursday, October 29, 2015
And It Starts...
Just a few days before Halloween and I've already started seeing my conservative and religious family members and friends post on their Facebook about how we "can't say Merry Christmas".
Here is the latest one:
Boo-frickin-hoo.
I actually have three issues with this picture. The first being the false statement that the U.S. is the 'largest christian nation in the world'.
When will the conservatives let this idea die the death it deserves? This country never has been nor will it ever be a 'christian nation'. And we should all be thankful of that. If a single religion was in charge of this country it would be a disaster; a travesty; a blood bath. Even the Christians cannot agree on what version of Christianity is correct.
There is a reason we, as a country, do not and should not try to establish a single endorsed religion. It's the same reason our ancestors came over here in the first place. Idiots.
My second issue is that saying 'Happy Holidays' over 'Marry Christmas' is in no way an evil method of the secular people to destroy your religious ceremonies. Your stolen pagan ceremonies....
I worked in retail throughout my high school and college career and then some. Around the HOLIDAYS (including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and now Kwanzaa, as well as New Years) I started wishing EVERYONE a happy holiday because I didn't have the time or patience to ask everyone their personal preferences on how they spend their winter months.
I imagine it would be the same for me to say "Have a nice day!" to someone leaving the store and they getting upset with me because they have to go put their dog down. How in the hell was I supposed to know that? Do I just say "Ok. Leave now. I have your money. Get out!" ?
'Happy Holidays', like 'have a nice day', is a general greeting/goodbye within the retail world. It's the least offensive thing I can possibly say to someone. To become offended because I didn't say exactly the thing that would most comfort you, is not my problem. It's yours. Our society has become so 'trigger-happy'. Your emotions are your own. It's not my responsibility to coddle your feelings.
To help those out who may not get this concept I have listed a handy chart of responses to daily encounters during the HOLIDAYS:
They say-- You say
Have a nice day!-- Thanks, you too!
Merry Christmas!-- Thanks, you too!
Happy Hanukkah!--Thanks, you too!
Happy Holidays!-- Thanks, you too!
Happy Kwanzaa!-- Thanks, you too!
Happy Solstice!-- Thanks, you too!
Happy New Year!-- Thanks, you too!
God Bless You!-- Thanks, you too!
Convert to Satanism!-- NOT TODAY, SATAN!
HA! Just kidding. The answer, of course, is: YES, MASTER...
You see? It's easy. Anyone can do it. Just use that good ol' American passive response etiquette we all use every day. Have a Happy Holiday!
Oh, right, the third issue with the picture. WHY THE HELL ARE THEY CAPITALIZING EVERY OTHER RANDOM WORD?!?!
Here is the latest one:
Boo-frickin-hoo.
I actually have three issues with this picture. The first being the false statement that the U.S. is the 'largest christian nation in the world'.
When will the conservatives let this idea die the death it deserves? This country never has been nor will it ever be a 'christian nation'. And we should all be thankful of that. If a single religion was in charge of this country it would be a disaster; a travesty; a blood bath. Even the Christians cannot agree on what version of Christianity is correct.
There is a reason we, as a country, do not and should not try to establish a single endorsed religion. It's the same reason our ancestors came over here in the first place. Idiots.
My second issue is that saying 'Happy Holidays' over 'Marry Christmas' is in no way an evil method of the secular people to destroy your religious ceremonies. Your stolen pagan ceremonies....
I worked in retail throughout my high school and college career and then some. Around the HOLIDAYS (including Thanksgiving, Christmas, Hanukkah, and now Kwanzaa, as well as New Years) I started wishing EVERYONE a happy holiday because I didn't have the time or patience to ask everyone their personal preferences on how they spend their winter months.
I imagine it would be the same for me to say "Have a nice day!" to someone leaving the store and they getting upset with me because they have to go put their dog down. How in the hell was I supposed to know that? Do I just say "Ok. Leave now. I have your money. Get out!" ?
'Happy Holidays', like 'have a nice day', is a general greeting/goodbye within the retail world. It's the least offensive thing I can possibly say to someone. To become offended because I didn't say exactly the thing that would most comfort you, is not my problem. It's yours. Our society has become so 'trigger-happy'. Your emotions are your own. It's not my responsibility to coddle your feelings.
To help those out who may not get this concept I have listed a handy chart of responses to daily encounters during the HOLIDAYS:
They say-- You say
Have a nice day!-- Thanks, you too!
Merry Christmas!-- Thanks, you too!
Happy Hanukkah!--Thanks, you too!
Happy Holidays!-- Thanks, you too!
Happy Kwanzaa!-- Thanks, you too!
Happy Solstice!-- Thanks, you too!
Happy New Year!-- Thanks, you too!
God Bless You!-- Thanks, you too!
Convert to Satanism!-- NOT TODAY, SATAN!
HA! Just kidding. The answer, of course, is: YES, MASTER...
You see? It's easy. Anyone can do it. Just use that good ol' American passive response etiquette we all use every day. Have a Happy Holiday!
Oh, right, the third issue with the picture. WHY THE HELL ARE THEY CAPITALIZING EVERY OTHER RANDOM WORD?!?!
Wednesday, October 7, 2015
Being the liberal daughter
A few years ago my father hosted a party at his home in southern Louisiana. It was a rare occasion where all of his daughters were in town at once, so he decided to celebrate the only way good southerners know how. Bonfire, beer, crawfish, music, beer, laughter, and, oh yeah, beer.
By about four-ish my father was already happily wasted and telling stories of when his daughters were babies.
However, when he got to me, his youngest daughter, it wasn't a story about when I would hide his boots so he couldn't leave for work, or that time I got into the fridge and threw eggs all over the kitchen. (HA! That's a funny one...) No, no. For me, my father had something special.
"Here's my Ru, my baby! NO ONE TELL ANY RACIST JOKES AROUND HER! She doesn't like it... She's my 'liberal daughter'!"
I was mortified at first. Really, daddy? My sisters get cutesy stories about toddler shenanigans and I get a lecture on how I'm PC?
Not too long later I was dating a jerk of a guy who also would describe me to his friends as the 'girl who doesn't like jokes that make fun of people'. (OK, I may have cleaned up his language...I curse like a sailor but there are certain words that ladies just don't say) Again, I didn't like being singled out as 'that girl'. The girl that was different. The girl that was so PC she was brainless.
It took a while but, I'm happy my father and others see me this way. I proud that I'm known for not being the one to tolerate hurtful jokes and stories.
Can I take a joke? Of course.
Have I laughed at a good, tasteful, religious joke? Hell yes.
Have I made jokes about eating babies as an atheist? You betch'ya.
But, it's kinda different in the south where they regularly make jokes at the expense of others. And, not just jokes. These people make jokes/snide comments/assumptions about anyone different.
And, no, I'm not just talking about old white guys. Everyone down there does. Black, Latino, White, Asian. If you're not one of them....you don't mix. Interracial couples are still pretty taboo down there.
But, at least in a few circles, I'm known as the girl that will ask you to explain that racist joke you just drunkenly uttered. I'm the one who will remind you that rape isn't funny. Sure, I'll be that girl.
But, I'm also the one that will remind you that I'm OK with making a sandwich as long as you get off your ass and fix the damn car. Because I'm the liberal, voting, democrat, atheist you were warned about but, not the raging feminist that gets triggered at everything.
By about four-ish my father was already happily wasted and telling stories of when his daughters were babies.
However, when he got to me, his youngest daughter, it wasn't a story about when I would hide his boots so he couldn't leave for work, or that time I got into the fridge and threw eggs all over the kitchen. (HA! That's a funny one...) No, no. For me, my father had something special.
"Here's my Ru, my baby! NO ONE TELL ANY RACIST JOKES AROUND HER! She doesn't like it... She's my 'liberal daughter'!"
I was mortified at first. Really, daddy? My sisters get cutesy stories about toddler shenanigans and I get a lecture on how I'm PC?
Not too long later I was dating a jerk of a guy who also would describe me to his friends as the 'girl who doesn't like jokes that make fun of people'. (OK, I may have cleaned up his language...I curse like a sailor but there are certain words that ladies just don't say) Again, I didn't like being singled out as 'that girl'. The girl that was different. The girl that was so PC she was brainless.
It took a while but, I'm happy my father and others see me this way. I proud that I'm known for not being the one to tolerate hurtful jokes and stories.
Can I take a joke? Of course.
Have I laughed at a good, tasteful, religious joke? Hell yes.
Have I made jokes about eating babies as an atheist? You betch'ya.
But, it's kinda different in the south where they regularly make jokes at the expense of others. And, not just jokes. These people make jokes/snide comments/assumptions about anyone different.
And, no, I'm not just talking about old white guys. Everyone down there does. Black, Latino, White, Asian. If you're not one of them....you don't mix. Interracial couples are still pretty taboo down there.
But, at least in a few circles, I'm known as the girl that will ask you to explain that racist joke you just drunkenly uttered. I'm the one who will remind you that rape isn't funny. Sure, I'll be that girl.
But, I'm also the one that will remind you that I'm OK with making a sandwich as long as you get off your ass and fix the damn car. Because I'm the liberal, voting, democrat, atheist you were warned about but, not the raging feminist that gets triggered at everything.
Wednesday, September 23, 2015
God Gave Me A Pass
I'm not sure if it's because the internet is allowing me to see it more or just that we've become a self-serving group of people but, I am seeing a LOT of people saying that their actions are OK because 'God forgave them'.
I just watched a segment of Kim Davis on Good Morning America saying that her previous marriages and children via adultery do not make her a hypocrite because she is 'forgiven' and 'washed clean' by her god.
Real life doesn't work like that, lady.
You see, she and many others would not accept me just saying that whatever wrong doing I've done has been forgiven by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. His Holy Noodliness holds no real power over them. It does not mean anything to them. No matter how much I insist that He loves you, wants you to follow Him, and He boiled for your sins (Ramen), they will never buy that nonsense.
Yet, they have this absurd notion that their mythical deity holds power over us. They insist that He loves us, wants us to follow Him, and died for our sins. When we regard that for what it is, nonsense, they still insist that their argument holds more weight.
Religious people refuse to see the correlation between the two stories. Somehow FSM is just made up gibberish while a Bronze-Age man, born of a virgin, walking on water, being pissed at a fig tree, and dying on a cross is gospel truth.
Let's be honest. The Jesus story sounds more real because it's the one most of us grew up with. It doesn't have anything to do with how long it's been around. Hinduism has been around for 5,000 years and sounds like the most ridiculous story ever conjured up. It sounds weird because it wasn't the weird we grew up with.
The Jesus story, the Mohammad story, the Krishna story....all of it is made up and holds no authority over those who have never heard of it. By insisting your actions are forgiven by your particular brand of 'holy truth' holds no water for atheists and people of other religions. Stop using it as an excuse.
As an atheist, I must ask for forgiveness from those I've actually wronged. If I do something illegal, I must pay the secular price. I have the law to answer to. That's the way it works in real life. Imagine if we just allow people to atone for their mistakes via their religion. Nothing would be done.
And, by dismissing your hypocrite actions by saying 'god is OK with it', does not make your actions any less hurtful. Your empty words of salvation mean nothing. You ARE a hypocrite. And we will call you such.
I just watched a segment of Kim Davis on Good Morning America saying that her previous marriages and children via adultery do not make her a hypocrite because she is 'forgiven' and 'washed clean' by her god.
Real life doesn't work like that, lady.
You see, she and many others would not accept me just saying that whatever wrong doing I've done has been forgiven by the Flying Spaghetti Monster. His Holy Noodliness holds no real power over them. It does not mean anything to them. No matter how much I insist that He loves you, wants you to follow Him, and He boiled for your sins (Ramen), they will never buy that nonsense.
Yet, they have this absurd notion that their mythical deity holds power over us. They insist that He loves us, wants us to follow Him, and died for our sins. When we regard that for what it is, nonsense, they still insist that their argument holds more weight.
Religious people refuse to see the correlation between the two stories. Somehow FSM is just made up gibberish while a Bronze-Age man, born of a virgin, walking on water, being pissed at a fig tree, and dying on a cross is gospel truth.
Let's be honest. The Jesus story sounds more real because it's the one most of us grew up with. It doesn't have anything to do with how long it's been around. Hinduism has been around for 5,000 years and sounds like the most ridiculous story ever conjured up. It sounds weird because it wasn't the weird we grew up with.
The Jesus story, the Mohammad story, the Krishna story....all of it is made up and holds no authority over those who have never heard of it. By insisting your actions are forgiven by your particular brand of 'holy truth' holds no water for atheists and people of other religions. Stop using it as an excuse.
As an atheist, I must ask for forgiveness from those I've actually wronged. If I do something illegal, I must pay the secular price. I have the law to answer to. That's the way it works in real life. Imagine if we just allow people to atone for their mistakes via their religion. Nothing would be done.
And, by dismissing your hypocrite actions by saying 'god is OK with it', does not make your actions any less hurtful. Your empty words of salvation mean nothing. You ARE a hypocrite. And we will call you such.
Thursday, September 17, 2015
Monopoly on Comfort
Last week a good friend of mine died. He was young. He was fairly healthy. He died of something that should have been easily preventable...had he only had health insurance. But, like millions of other Americans, he had no way to pay for a regular doctors visit so he could get a simple, generic medication that could have prevented his death. But, that's another rant.
This rant is about all the friends and family of his that sent out dozens of messages of prayers and 'god's love'.
This pissed off ALL of his secular friends.
You see, my friend, his name is Heath (real name), was an atheist. He was a part of my secular community. He had atheist friends. His family disowned him and didn't speak to him for DECADES for various reasons, one of which included his lack of belief. He found a community at the Secular Hub. He walked into our lives one day and nestled there. He was one of us. A part of our 'tribe', as someone put it. He was ours and we were his. We were growing a stronger community together. And we came together as a stronger community because of this tragedy.
His aunt, who had not spoken to him in 3 decades, sent a message to his Facebook saying that he was 'wrapped in God's arms'. His friends, old school friends, army buddies, what-have-you, wrote on his wall about how, even though he didn't believe, it didn't mean that God didn't believe in him. (By the way, lady, it's incredibly classless to call his property manager to ask for all his jewelry or anything of value while he was still breathing by ventilator in the ICU. Bitch)
I was shaking with anger.
These people were so disrespectful of Heath and his opinions they didn't even PRETEND to hide it. "All he did was bash the bible but I'm still praying for him."
Fuck. You.
You do not get to have the moral high ground because you think your religion is the know-all and be-all of life.
You do not get to rub your religion in a dying man's face when he is unable to argue back.
You do not get to tell his friends, the ones who were actually there for him in his hospital room, that you are praying for us and him, even though you KNOW we are atheists.
You do not get to play the jilted Christian when the atheists remind you that we are not comforted by your empty words of prayer.
Your particular brand of false comfort and hope does not help us. It does not make us feel looked-after, comforted, or better. Our friend is dying. We will never again be able to debate with him, take him for a beer, or laugh with him. We will never be able to make new memories with him. Mocking us with false promises of an afterlife with him is just hurtful. Especially since you have condemned us to hell for not believing in the first place.
And, by us pointing that out to you, does not give you the right to pretend that we are everything you imagined we are; angry.
We are able to cope just fine without your mythical sky-daddy, thank you. We will always remember the arguments, debates, funny stories, adventures, and general goofiness of our friend Heath. We will remember him as he was; not just in a hospital bed. We will remember him hiking, shoveling the sidewalk in front of the Hub, eating all the stale popcorn after our movie nights, being there at every lecture just to learn more, and being the greatest reminder of the 90's we never knew we needed.
We will remember because that's all we have. We have our memories. I hope to have half the friends there for me when I'm in need as he did. The best we can do is live this life to the fullest, with the best possible people, and with a love for life that can't be measured in bible quotes. We don't get a second chance. We don't get a reward for being a good person in the afterlife. We don't get to be 'called home' one day.
Our reward is that we have a happy life right now. With friends who support us. By helping our community. By being good people just because we want to make our ONLY home a better place.
We lost our friend. Just like you. However, we loved him no matter what. We accepted him for all his quirks, his ridiculous love of Buffy, his intellect, wit, and, of course, his atheism. Unlike you.
Thursday, August 27, 2015
Do Atheists Grieve?
Over the weekend the Denver secular community lost an ally, a friend, a good man. He was an astonishing man who cared about his wife, his dog, and his friends. I met him too late and only got a small portion of his good nature, humor, and ingenuity. He will be missed.
I got the news of his passing while leaving work Monday afternoon. I happened to look at my email before shutting down my office computer for the night. I had to sit in my office chair and sob for a few minutes before I was able to compose myself and keep it together to walk out and drive myself home. My coworkers did not notice a thing. Which is what I wanted. No one likes to cry at work.
The next day I was speaking with a coworker who has become a close friend. She is a Christian. We have a good friendship in and outside of work. We have a different opinion about religion and that's all. We have always been able to speak about religion without it turning into an argument. Not being familiar with much about religion other than her own, she uses me as a way to understand other religions as well as secularism.
When I told her about losing my secular friend she asked me, "Do atheists hold memorial services? Do they grieve like everyone else?"
My initial response was, "Yes, of course!"
But, now I wonder. Do we really grieve like everyone else? Sure, we become sad. We cry. We celebrate their life. We get mad about the stupid situation of death. But, we don't justify it the way others do.
Many times growing up, I remember being told that people die for God's reasons. He needed another angel, he had a different plan that we did, it was their time to go to heaven....whatever. I heard them all. Christians are able to comfort themselves with all these ideas of their loved one being in a better place. They believe that they will be able to see them again in heaven.
I don't get that luxury anymore. There is no way for me to be able to tell someone after they die how I really feel about them. I won't ever get to see them again.
Since I became an atheist, I feel like my connections with people are more real. I feel more inclined to make genuine friendships. My relationship with my SO is very strong. I feel like I don't have time to make false friendships. I don't have room to spare for feelings of hatred. The connections I have with family and friends must be real.
This short life is all I have. I don't get another chance and I don't get a reward in the afterlife. My reward is what I make of it here and now. I have a great group of friends and we go on adventures together. I have few best friends with whom I can share anything. I have older friends from whom I can gain advice. I have younger friends I can pass guidance on to. I have a wonderful SO with whom I can be challenged by, be encouraged to grow, and be silly in love.
So, yes. We grieve. We feel loss. We feel anger. We rejoice in the brief, but wonderful, time we had with someone. We never forget. But we don't take comfort in fairy tales. We take comfort in each other.
We have to. Now is all we got.
I got the news of his passing while leaving work Monday afternoon. I happened to look at my email before shutting down my office computer for the night. I had to sit in my office chair and sob for a few minutes before I was able to compose myself and keep it together to walk out and drive myself home. My coworkers did not notice a thing. Which is what I wanted. No one likes to cry at work.
The next day I was speaking with a coworker who has become a close friend. She is a Christian. We have a good friendship in and outside of work. We have a different opinion about religion and that's all. We have always been able to speak about religion without it turning into an argument. Not being familiar with much about religion other than her own, she uses me as a way to understand other religions as well as secularism.
When I told her about losing my secular friend she asked me, "Do atheists hold memorial services? Do they grieve like everyone else?"
My initial response was, "Yes, of course!"
But, now I wonder. Do we really grieve like everyone else? Sure, we become sad. We cry. We celebrate their life. We get mad about the stupid situation of death. But, we don't justify it the way others do.
Many times growing up, I remember being told that people die for God's reasons. He needed another angel, he had a different plan that we did, it was their time to go to heaven....whatever. I heard them all. Christians are able to comfort themselves with all these ideas of their loved one being in a better place. They believe that they will be able to see them again in heaven.
I don't get that luxury anymore. There is no way for me to be able to tell someone after they die how I really feel about them. I won't ever get to see them again.
Since I became an atheist, I feel like my connections with people are more real. I feel more inclined to make genuine friendships. My relationship with my SO is very strong. I feel like I don't have time to make false friendships. I don't have room to spare for feelings of hatred. The connections I have with family and friends must be real.
This short life is all I have. I don't get another chance and I don't get a reward in the afterlife. My reward is what I make of it here and now. I have a great group of friends and we go on adventures together. I have few best friends with whom I can share anything. I have older friends from whom I can gain advice. I have younger friends I can pass guidance on to. I have a wonderful SO with whom I can be challenged by, be encouraged to grow, and be silly in love.
So, yes. We grieve. We feel loss. We feel anger. We rejoice in the brief, but wonderful, time we had with someone. We never forget. But we don't take comfort in fairy tales. We take comfort in each other.
We have to. Now is all we got.
Thursday, August 20, 2015
I'm not surprised but I do feel bad.
Weeks ago there was a big scandal about the cheater's website, Ashley Madison, data being hacked. Thousands of names, addresses, emails, and account information for its users were obtained by a group which threatened to release this information to the public.
I found the whole situation funny, yet unsettling. What grown, consenting adults do in their spare time is none of my business. There are lots of things people do that I would never do. Have an affair? Nope. Get drunk in bars and bring home a stranger? Not in a VERY long time. Go to church? Never again.
My only issues were that , one, some people are going to get really hurt with this. For a person in a monogamous relationship to cheat, that's one thing. But, what if the cheater picked up a disease and spread it to their partner? What if they got pregnant or got someone pregnant? That seems like a lot of heartache. Personally, I wouldn't want to go through it nor would I want a loved one to go through it.
My other issue is the whole idea of this website getting breached. It sounds like a scary security issue. We recently had the Home Depot and Target credit card information hack. It seems like it's a rising trend that online security is becoming more of a problem.
Today, however, came the not-so-shocking news that Josh Duggar, from the recently-cancelled TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, had an account on the Ashley Madison website. For years.
Here is the story from Raw Story:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/08/josh-duggar-admits-to-porn-addiction-and-being-unfaithful-to-wife-i-have-been-the-biggest-hypocrite-ever/
I, at first, reserved judgement on this one. The family has had a lot of controversy recently with the learning of Josh's teen molestation scandal. So, I wanted to make sure I heard more information before I wrote about it or took it too seriously.
Josh put out a statement this afternoon addressing it and it seems to be a true story.
All I can say is that I'm not surprised. The church I grew up in always called us hypocrites, undeserving worms, and all other sorts of things a 4th grader shouldn't even be aware of. We were constantly being told that we were sinners, our bodies were not for ourselves, and the devil would try to tempt us into doing wrong things. By being able to call ourselves such hurtful things, we were able to accept Jesus more easily. He was the only one who would truly love us regardless of our sins. To err was to be human. Once we did wrong we were then able to ask for forgiveness.
That's what our church wanted. They wanted us to need Jesus. So they made every natural instinct we had into something vile and dirty. They made us ashamed of ourselves and our natural desires.
I can only assume that Josh was taught nothing about his body. Only that his urges and sexual curiosity were shameful. Am I condoning his actions, both as a teen and now? Of course not. I was taught the same bullshit and I never once tried to molest anyone. Nor am I a cheater. However, I had the advantage of having outside resources and education away from the church.
I'm only trying to say that, once you make something taboo, people have a tendency to be drawn to it. I believe that's what happened to Josh. He became curious, hated himself for it, and tried to condemn it as much as possible publicly. He worked hard to not only make it shameful to himself, but to make it shameful to everyone.
In the end it caught up with him.
I do feel sorry for his family, though. In all honesty, I think the family tried to do the best they could. Isn't that what all families try to do? The best they knew was through their faith. These people truly believe in their god. And they were trying to do the best they could with their holy book. The problem isn't always with the people who believe, it's with the things they believe.
What's made this worse is that Josh and his family will cling tighter to their own personal cross. They will wail harder about how we need Jesus all over because he apparently missed a spot. The Christians will be reminded that even the best of them can be reached by the devil. I guarantee this will somehow become an internet censorship issue. At the very least, it will be traced back to abstinence only sex-ed. Just watch.
We will also get to hear about how this is being blown out of proportion by the liberal media. Fox News won't touch it. I can't wait to hear what my conservative family and friends have to say about it- if anything at all.
My heart hurts for the family but not my head. My head thought, "Well, it's about time!"
I found the whole situation funny, yet unsettling. What grown, consenting adults do in their spare time is none of my business. There are lots of things people do that I would never do. Have an affair? Nope. Get drunk in bars and bring home a stranger? Not in a VERY long time. Go to church? Never again.
My only issues were that , one, some people are going to get really hurt with this. For a person in a monogamous relationship to cheat, that's one thing. But, what if the cheater picked up a disease and spread it to their partner? What if they got pregnant or got someone pregnant? That seems like a lot of heartache. Personally, I wouldn't want to go through it nor would I want a loved one to go through it.
My other issue is the whole idea of this website getting breached. It sounds like a scary security issue. We recently had the Home Depot and Target credit card information hack. It seems like it's a rising trend that online security is becoming more of a problem.
Today, however, came the not-so-shocking news that Josh Duggar, from the recently-cancelled TLC show 19 Kids and Counting, had an account on the Ashley Madison website. For years.
Here is the story from Raw Story:
http://www.rawstory.com/2015/08/josh-duggar-admits-to-porn-addiction-and-being-unfaithful-to-wife-i-have-been-the-biggest-hypocrite-ever/
I, at first, reserved judgement on this one. The family has had a lot of controversy recently with the learning of Josh's teen molestation scandal. So, I wanted to make sure I heard more information before I wrote about it or took it too seriously.
Josh put out a statement this afternoon addressing it and it seems to be a true story.
All I can say is that I'm not surprised. The church I grew up in always called us hypocrites, undeserving worms, and all other sorts of things a 4th grader shouldn't even be aware of. We were constantly being told that we were sinners, our bodies were not for ourselves, and the devil would try to tempt us into doing wrong things. By being able to call ourselves such hurtful things, we were able to accept Jesus more easily. He was the only one who would truly love us regardless of our sins. To err was to be human. Once we did wrong we were then able to ask for forgiveness.
That's what our church wanted. They wanted us to need Jesus. So they made every natural instinct we had into something vile and dirty. They made us ashamed of ourselves and our natural desires.
I can only assume that Josh was taught nothing about his body. Only that his urges and sexual curiosity were shameful. Am I condoning his actions, both as a teen and now? Of course not. I was taught the same bullshit and I never once tried to molest anyone. Nor am I a cheater. However, I had the advantage of having outside resources and education away from the church.
I'm only trying to say that, once you make something taboo, people have a tendency to be drawn to it. I believe that's what happened to Josh. He became curious, hated himself for it, and tried to condemn it as much as possible publicly. He worked hard to not only make it shameful to himself, but to make it shameful to everyone.
In the end it caught up with him.
I do feel sorry for his family, though. In all honesty, I think the family tried to do the best they could. Isn't that what all families try to do? The best they knew was through their faith. These people truly believe in their god. And they were trying to do the best they could with their holy book. The problem isn't always with the people who believe, it's with the things they believe.
What's made this worse is that Josh and his family will cling tighter to their own personal cross. They will wail harder about how we need Jesus all over because he apparently missed a spot. The Christians will be reminded that even the best of them can be reached by the devil. I guarantee this will somehow become an internet censorship issue. At the very least, it will be traced back to abstinence only sex-ed. Just watch.
We will also get to hear about how this is being blown out of proportion by the liberal media. Fox News won't touch it. I can't wait to hear what my conservative family and friends have to say about it- if anything at all.
My heart hurts for the family but not my head. My head thought, "Well, it's about time!"
Thursday, August 13, 2015
Planned Parenthood was there for me
About 12 years ago I walked into a Planned Parenthood in Chicago. I was scarred and slightly annoyed.
I was told that only whores go to Planned Parenthood. Except now I was going.
Maybe I was a whore.
I was told that if you were responsible enough to have sex, you should have been responsible enough to take care of a child.
What horseshit.
I was visiting my then-boyfriend at Loyola University. So, of course, I was staying with him in his dorm room.
The condom broke.
We were both scared. We were 18. Both of us freshmen at our universities. He, in Chicago and I was in NOLA. We had dated throughout high school. This was to be our 'goodbye' trip. I came up to see him once more before we both moved on with our lives. There was no way either of us wanted a pregnancy.
He found a PP location online and off we went. I was scared that there would be protesters screaming at me. I had heard of them being there. I was taught growing up in the church that they were there to protect the unborn babies. They were the ones doing God's work in the trenches.
There was no one. Thank goodness.
We walked into the clinic, filled out some forms, and were quickly taken into an exam room. The doctor who saw me was very helpful and understanding. She asked me questions that I had never been asked before. Allowed me to ask as many questions as I needed. Even my boyfriend had some questions, which she happily answered. She explained basic biology to me that I had never heard before. She wrote me a prescription for Plan B.
And that was it.
I went to a local pharmacy and filled the prescription. No problems whatsoever.
I'm not sure if I would have actually become pregnant or not. But, because of Planned Parenthood, I didn't have to worry about it. So many women don't have to worry about it.
Women and men alike go there for contraceptives, STD checks, education, screenings, assault and rape help, and so much more. And, yes, abortions. 3% of what PP does is abortion services.
In my home state of Louisiana there are currently two PP clinics. Neither of which perform abortions. Another location is under construction in NOLA. It was recently firebombed. Yay for religious nuts!
Governor Jindal is trying his damnest to cut Medicaid funding to PP just so he can stop abortions from happening in his state. Will he also try to cut Medicaid funding to other clinics for some other unpopular reason? I'm sure this is all about 'women's health' and not his presidential campaign. Of course...
Abortions are not popular with certain groups of people but it is legal. And, it's legal for a reason. It's legal to protect women from back-alley abortions with unsanitary tools. It's legal to stop survivors of rape and incest from being continually victimized by being forced to carry an unwanted child. It's legal so that a woman who needs a life saving procedure can do so without being sent to prison.
It's legal because it's my fucking body and I have a right to it.
Corpses have a right to their body parts. No one argues this. I can write in my will that even though there are desperate and dying children who could use my healthy organs, they can go fuck themselves because I'm going to rot in this coffin intact. No one would say a word. In fact, many 'pro-lifers' would fight to the death my right to be able to do that.
But, while alive, I better not get pregnant and try to abort. My body is nothing but a vessel for this little bundle of cells. Once it's born, no one will give a shit about it.
Am I saying that I really want to go out and get pregnant just so I can get an abortion? Of course not! No one WANTS to get an abortion. No one is running around screaming, "YIPPEE! I get to have an abortion today!" That's absurd.
But, please, let's all de-fund an organization that is trying to prevent abortions in the first place. Let's de-fund a group of dedicated doctors and nurses who are trying desperately, with limited resources, to keep poor families' heads afloat. Let's pretend that abstinence only education is actually working.
The more you prevent the less panic we will have in the future. I really wish more people would look past the veil of their religion and see the actual culture. We need Planned Parenthood. Our people cannot afford our expensive medical system. We cannot afford more children on the welfare system. We cannot afford to pretend there isn't a problem.
You want less abortions? Try allowing us to actually prevent pregnancies.
I was told that only whores go to Planned Parenthood. Except now I was going.
Maybe I was a whore.
I was told that if you were responsible enough to have sex, you should have been responsible enough to take care of a child.
What horseshit.
I was visiting my then-boyfriend at Loyola University. So, of course, I was staying with him in his dorm room.
The condom broke.
We were both scared. We were 18. Both of us freshmen at our universities. He, in Chicago and I was in NOLA. We had dated throughout high school. This was to be our 'goodbye' trip. I came up to see him once more before we both moved on with our lives. There was no way either of us wanted a pregnancy.
He found a PP location online and off we went. I was scared that there would be protesters screaming at me. I had heard of them being there. I was taught growing up in the church that they were there to protect the unborn babies. They were the ones doing God's work in the trenches.
There was no one. Thank goodness.
We walked into the clinic, filled out some forms, and were quickly taken into an exam room. The doctor who saw me was very helpful and understanding. She asked me questions that I had never been asked before. Allowed me to ask as many questions as I needed. Even my boyfriend had some questions, which she happily answered. She explained basic biology to me that I had never heard before. She wrote me a prescription for Plan B.
And that was it.
I went to a local pharmacy and filled the prescription. No problems whatsoever.
I'm not sure if I would have actually become pregnant or not. But, because of Planned Parenthood, I didn't have to worry about it. So many women don't have to worry about it.
Women and men alike go there for contraceptives, STD checks, education, screenings, assault and rape help, and so much more. And, yes, abortions. 3% of what PP does is abortion services.
In my home state of Louisiana there are currently two PP clinics. Neither of which perform abortions. Another location is under construction in NOLA. It was recently firebombed. Yay for religious nuts!
Governor Jindal is trying his damnest to cut Medicaid funding to PP just so he can stop abortions from happening in his state. Will he also try to cut Medicaid funding to other clinics for some other unpopular reason? I'm sure this is all about 'women's health' and not his presidential campaign. Of course...
Abortions are not popular with certain groups of people but it is legal. And, it's legal for a reason. It's legal to protect women from back-alley abortions with unsanitary tools. It's legal to stop survivors of rape and incest from being continually victimized by being forced to carry an unwanted child. It's legal so that a woman who needs a life saving procedure can do so without being sent to prison.
It's legal because it's my fucking body and I have a right to it.
Corpses have a right to their body parts. No one argues this. I can write in my will that even though there are desperate and dying children who could use my healthy organs, they can go fuck themselves because I'm going to rot in this coffin intact. No one would say a word. In fact, many 'pro-lifers' would fight to the death my right to be able to do that.
But, while alive, I better not get pregnant and try to abort. My body is nothing but a vessel for this little bundle of cells. Once it's born, no one will give a shit about it.
Am I saying that I really want to go out and get pregnant just so I can get an abortion? Of course not! No one WANTS to get an abortion. No one is running around screaming, "YIPPEE! I get to have an abortion today!" That's absurd.
But, please, let's all de-fund an organization that is trying to prevent abortions in the first place. Let's de-fund a group of dedicated doctors and nurses who are trying desperately, with limited resources, to keep poor families' heads afloat. Let's pretend that abstinence only education is actually working.
The more you prevent the less panic we will have in the future. I really wish more people would look past the veil of their religion and see the actual culture. We need Planned Parenthood. Our people cannot afford our expensive medical system. We cannot afford more children on the welfare system. We cannot afford to pretend there isn't a problem.
You want less abortions? Try allowing us to actually prevent pregnancies.
Friday, May 22, 2015
Hypocritical Duggars
Surprise surprise. One of the Duggar kids is a pervert.
https://celebrity.yahoo.com/blogs/celeb-news/josh-duggar-named-in-underage-sex-abuse-scandal--report-195532368.html
According to the Yahoo story, Josh Duggar, the oldest of the Duggar kids, has been accused of molesting minors, including his own sisters, when he was a teen. He has admitted to it and has stepped down as Executive Director of the Family Research Council.
Here's a short timeline:
March of 2002 : 14 year old Josh is accused of 'fondling...(the) breasts and vaginas' of his victims mostly while the girls slept but, sometimes while they were awake. His father, Jim Bob, knew about it but did nothing.
July 2002: Josh does it again. Tells his father. Jim Bob, again, does nothing.
March 2003: Josh strikes again and Jim Bob consults his church. Josh was placed in a 'Christian program' from March-July. His family claimed that Josh apologized to his victims and they 'forgave him' and the church was aware of his actions.
Michelle, the mother, later learns that her son was not sent for treatment, but was instead sent to work for a family friend in his home remodeling business.
When Josh was sent back home in July 2003 he was taken to see another family friend who was a state trooper. This friend had a 'very stern talk' with Josh about his actions. The friend is now serving a 56 year sentence for child pornography. Nice.
It's not until 2006 that any formal investigation was performed. This was only after a letter was sent to Harpo Studios before the family was to appear on the Oprah show. The studio contacted the Department of Human Services.
This also happened to be just after the statute of limitations had expired on the chance to prosecute the little perv.
The family is only just now publicly talking about this incident because TMZ found the documents through the Freedom of Information Act. The family is claiming that Josh has made himself right with God. God has forgiven him and blessed the family with good fortune. Fantastic.
The rest of the world is now aware that your perverted son got away with it.
Atheists are constantly accused of being able to do anything without having to answer to anyone. I don't know about other atheists, but when I do something wrong I tend to feel guilty about it and apologize to the person I've wronged and try to make amends. I've never done anything that would make me have to go to the authorities. But, if I ever get the urge to molest someone, I'll make sure I turn myself in and get real help.
This family is hiding behind their religion. They answer to no real authority. They allowed their son to not only molest outside girls, but their own daughters. They neither sought help for him or the other children nor did they do anything to rectify the situation in a true legal fashion.
Their son had no real guidance about what was wrong. He was taught no lesson about how to control himself, received no therapy about what he did, and suffered no recourse for his actions. Their daughters were treated like playthings and given no other consideration. The other minors he molested were not treated like human beings. The only thing that mattered to them was their reputation and that their imaginary 'god' forgave them. And, of course he did. He did because they wanted him to.
How dare these people. They are hypocrites. What's worse is that they know they are hypocrites. They constantly say they are. Their religion tells them they are. It's a part of the being 'saved' deal. You are saved because you are wicked, a hypocrite, a worm. They have this guilt in them all the time. They use this as a way to justify their actions. They use it to 'humble themselves in the sight of the Lord'. Everything they do is somehow already wrong. As long as they ask for forgiveness, they will be washed of all sins. Including the perverted ones.
So they need no police authority for when they do something wrong. They wrong you, run to their church, ask for forgiveness, are granted forgiveness (of course), and if you don't believe in their god, oh well.
This is why the Christian way is the cowardly way. They pretend the world is persecuting them when they claim their god has forgiven them. What about the real victims, Duggars? The children that were molested? The son you refused to seek help for? The children of Josh?
But, no. It's you who are the one being hurt here. Cowards.
https://celebrity.yahoo.com/blogs/celeb-news/josh-duggar-named-in-underage-sex-abuse-scandal--report-195532368.html
According to the Yahoo story, Josh Duggar, the oldest of the Duggar kids, has been accused of molesting minors, including his own sisters, when he was a teen. He has admitted to it and has stepped down as Executive Director of the Family Research Council.
Here's a short timeline:
March of 2002 : 14 year old Josh is accused of 'fondling...(the) breasts and vaginas' of his victims mostly while the girls slept but, sometimes while they were awake. His father, Jim Bob, knew about it but did nothing.
July 2002: Josh does it again. Tells his father. Jim Bob, again, does nothing.
March 2003: Josh strikes again and Jim Bob consults his church. Josh was placed in a 'Christian program' from March-July. His family claimed that Josh apologized to his victims and they 'forgave him' and the church was aware of his actions.
Michelle, the mother, later learns that her son was not sent for treatment, but was instead sent to work for a family friend in his home remodeling business.
When Josh was sent back home in July 2003 he was taken to see another family friend who was a state trooper. This friend had a 'very stern talk' with Josh about his actions. The friend is now serving a 56 year sentence for child pornography. Nice.
It's not until 2006 that any formal investigation was performed. This was only after a letter was sent to Harpo Studios before the family was to appear on the Oprah show. The studio contacted the Department of Human Services.
This also happened to be just after the statute of limitations had expired on the chance to prosecute the little perv.
The family is only just now publicly talking about this incident because TMZ found the documents through the Freedom of Information Act. The family is claiming that Josh has made himself right with God. God has forgiven him and blessed the family with good fortune. Fantastic.
The rest of the world is now aware that your perverted son got away with it.
Atheists are constantly accused of being able to do anything without having to answer to anyone. I don't know about other atheists, but when I do something wrong I tend to feel guilty about it and apologize to the person I've wronged and try to make amends. I've never done anything that would make me have to go to the authorities. But, if I ever get the urge to molest someone, I'll make sure I turn myself in and get real help.
This family is hiding behind their religion. They answer to no real authority. They allowed their son to not only molest outside girls, but their own daughters. They neither sought help for him or the other children nor did they do anything to rectify the situation in a true legal fashion.
Their son had no real guidance about what was wrong. He was taught no lesson about how to control himself, received no therapy about what he did, and suffered no recourse for his actions. Their daughters were treated like playthings and given no other consideration. The other minors he molested were not treated like human beings. The only thing that mattered to them was their reputation and that their imaginary 'god' forgave them. And, of course he did. He did because they wanted him to.
How dare these people. They are hypocrites. What's worse is that they know they are hypocrites. They constantly say they are. Their religion tells them they are. It's a part of the being 'saved' deal. You are saved because you are wicked, a hypocrite, a worm. They have this guilt in them all the time. They use this as a way to justify their actions. They use it to 'humble themselves in the sight of the Lord'. Everything they do is somehow already wrong. As long as they ask for forgiveness, they will be washed of all sins. Including the perverted ones.
So they need no police authority for when they do something wrong. They wrong you, run to their church, ask for forgiveness, are granted forgiveness (of course), and if you don't believe in their god, oh well.
This is why the Christian way is the cowardly way. They pretend the world is persecuting them when they claim their god has forgiven them. What about the real victims, Duggars? The children that were molested? The son you refused to seek help for? The children of Josh?
But, no. It's you who are the one being hurt here. Cowards.
Thursday, May 7, 2015
How dare you.
A pharmacist in Georgia has decided that her personal beliefs trump the medical needs of a patron.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/04/walmart-uses-georgia-conscience-clause-to-refuse-womans-miscarriage-treatment/
Sadly, a woman had a miscarriage 5 weeks into her pregnancy. Instead of having a D&C, the woman and her physician decided to try medication and let her body do what it does on its own.
She went to a Wal-Mart (first bad move) to have her prescriptions filled. They pharmacist on duty at the time decided not to fill the prescription because she 'couldn't think of a reason she would need the prescription'.
Excuse me?
Excuse ME??
FUCKING EXCUSE ME?!?
YOU are not a doctor. It is not YOUR place to make medical decisions about ANOTHER person's body. HOW DARE YOU?!?
I cannot believe a WOMAN has decided to make a very personal decision like this for ANOTHER WOMAN'S body. How are we fighting against one another like this?
If you want your religion to rule over your life, fine. Do not bring that shit into my life. How fucking dare you. I'm not even using that as a question anymore. It's a statement. I don't give two shits about your goddamned opinion. If you think giving out medication is going to upset your god then find a new occupation. This isn't difficult, people.
Luckily, the woman was able to go to another pharmacy to get her prescription filled.
Fucking Georgia.
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2015/04/walmart-uses-georgia-conscience-clause-to-refuse-womans-miscarriage-treatment/
Sadly, a woman had a miscarriage 5 weeks into her pregnancy. Instead of having a D&C, the woman and her physician decided to try medication and let her body do what it does on its own.
She went to a Wal-Mart (first bad move) to have her prescriptions filled. They pharmacist on duty at the time decided not to fill the prescription because she 'couldn't think of a reason she would need the prescription'.
Excuse me?
Excuse ME??
FUCKING EXCUSE ME?!?
YOU are not a doctor. It is not YOUR place to make medical decisions about ANOTHER person's body. HOW DARE YOU?!?
I cannot believe a WOMAN has decided to make a very personal decision like this for ANOTHER WOMAN'S body. How are we fighting against one another like this?
If you want your religion to rule over your life, fine. Do not bring that shit into my life. How fucking dare you. I'm not even using that as a question anymore. It's a statement. I don't give two shits about your goddamned opinion. If you think giving out medication is going to upset your god then find a new occupation. This isn't difficult, people.
Luckily, the woman was able to go to another pharmacy to get her prescription filled.
Fucking Georgia.
They're Kinda Adorable...
...in a crazy way.
A man in California, Matt McLaughlin, is trying to pass a law that allows the state to shoot homosexuals in the head. This man is a lawyer. No, really.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/02/lawyer-killing-gays-sodomite-suppression_n_6786776.html
Lovely. How very Christian of him. I'm not kidding. This is exactly what their bible tells them to do.
Leviticus 20:13: "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." New King James
The bible tells religious folks to kill all kinds of people. Unruly kids, heathens, whores, people who eat shellfish, people who work on Sunday...even livestock. Lots of killing.
'MERICA! FUCK YEAH!
Also, a woman named Sylvia Driskell of Nebraska is suing every homosexual in America. All of them. Head for the courthouse, gays.
http://www.newnownext.com/nebraska-woman-sues-all-homosexuals-names-god-and-jesus-as-plaintiffs/05/2015/
She is claiming to be an ambassador for God and his son, Jesus Christ, as the plaintiffs. She handed in a seven page, hand-written complaint to be filed.
Sylvia is 66 years old and believes that the rate that homosexuals are coming out of the closet is 'alarming' and 'ruining this country'. She claims that we all know that children who are raised with liars, deceivers, and thieves will ultimately become, either one, or all three of these things. (I was unaware of the study on this)
I'm not sure exactly why she connects gays and lesbians with liars, deceivers, and thieves but, I bet it has something to do with being a crazy-ass bigot from Nebraska.
She has taken this opportunity to step in on god's behalf and speaking for him. Now, it's been a while since I was religious but, I'm almost positive he's not a fan of women speaking out...
Timothy 1 2:12 " I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." New International Version
Do us a favor and be quiet elsewhere, too.
I would love to have a conversation with these confused people. Sylvia kinda reminds me of a grandmother who may have misplaced her knitting needles and is upset at the dog about it. Matt is the kooky uncle everyone has. We don't talk about him much....except to brag to our friends about how messed up our family is.
They are misplacing their anger. They see the gay community embracing themselves, no longer hiding, and happy and their god isn't doing anything about it. They just can't handle it.
The Christians who come off the most cray-cray are usually the ones who are reading their bibles the hardest. Their devotion to every word is almost child-like. And, like a child, their irrational thoughts can be tolerated for a little while but, they need to eventually have their dose of reality.
So, take a seat, Sylvia. In fact, take several. Calm down, Matt. CALM DOWN, MATT! Drink your tea and watch The 700 Club. Believe what you will but shut the hell up about it. Christians demand atheists, gays, and non-Christians to be silent. Take your own advise. No respectable person wants to hear it.
A man in California, Matt McLaughlin, is trying to pass a law that allows the state to shoot homosexuals in the head. This man is a lawyer. No, really.
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2015/03/02/lawyer-killing-gays-sodomite-suppression_n_6786776.html
Lovely. How very Christian of him. I'm not kidding. This is exactly what their bible tells them to do.
Leviticus 20:13: "If a man lies with a man as one lies with a woman, both of them have done what is detestable. They must be put to death; their blood will be on their own heads." New King James
The bible tells religious folks to kill all kinds of people. Unruly kids, heathens, whores, people who eat shellfish, people who work on Sunday...even livestock. Lots of killing.
Also, a woman named Sylvia Driskell of Nebraska is suing every homosexual in America. All of them. Head for the courthouse, gays.
http://www.newnownext.com/nebraska-woman-sues-all-homosexuals-names-god-and-jesus-as-plaintiffs/05/2015/
She is claiming to be an ambassador for God and his son, Jesus Christ, as the plaintiffs. She handed in a seven page, hand-written complaint to be filed.
Sylvia is 66 years old and believes that the rate that homosexuals are coming out of the closet is 'alarming' and 'ruining this country'. She claims that we all know that children who are raised with liars, deceivers, and thieves will ultimately become, either one, or all three of these things. (I was unaware of the study on this)
I'm not sure exactly why she connects gays and lesbians with liars, deceivers, and thieves but, I bet it has something to do with being a crazy-ass bigot from Nebraska.
She has taken this opportunity to step in on god's behalf and speaking for him. Now, it's been a while since I was religious but, I'm almost positive he's not a fan of women speaking out...
Timothy 1 2:12 " I do not permit a woman to teach or to assume authority over a man; she must be quiet." New International Version
Do us a favor and be quiet elsewhere, too.
I would love to have a conversation with these confused people. Sylvia kinda reminds me of a grandmother who may have misplaced her knitting needles and is upset at the dog about it. Matt is the kooky uncle everyone has. We don't talk about him much....except to brag to our friends about how messed up our family is.
They are misplacing their anger. They see the gay community embracing themselves, no longer hiding, and happy and their god isn't doing anything about it. They just can't handle it.
The Christians who come off the most cray-cray are usually the ones who are reading their bibles the hardest. Their devotion to every word is almost child-like. And, like a child, their irrational thoughts can be tolerated for a little while but, they need to eventually have their dose of reality.
So, take a seat, Sylvia. In fact, take several. Calm down, Matt. CALM DOWN, MATT! Drink your tea and watch The 700 Club. Believe what you will but shut the hell up about it. Christians demand atheists, gays, and non-Christians to be silent. Take your own advise. No respectable person wants to hear it.
Tuesday, March 17, 2015
Seriously, Oklahoma?
Today I read an article about Oklahoma. Instead of being some quaint story about corn or whatever, I got hit with the announcement that House Bill 1125 will ban atheists from marrying. It's already passed their Republican majority House and moving to state Senate for consideration.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/oklahoma-is-banning-atheists-from-getting-married-10110507.html
Am I surprised? Not really. As the article mentions, this is a thinly veiled attempt to make marriage a religious institution in the state so that clergy must sign off on all marriages. This way, gay people can not be approved for a marriage license.
What does surprise me about this article is the author. They claim to be an atheist but then state that they agree with the bill. They say that marriage is very intertwined with religion and secular people should reject it and come up with a new concept.
Are you serious, author? Marriage is such a religious thing that we should still get married but 'call it something else'? This is why so many people across the country are fighting.
Marriage is not a religious institution. It never was. It has been around far longer than any religion. And, in this country, marriage is a government institution. It's a legal contract between two consenting adults that grants certain state and government privileges. Tax breaks, insurance, custodial rights, legal privilege, etc. These all have nothing to do with religion. Marriage may mean different things to different people but, for all intents and purposes, a marriage in the US is a government entity.
I can't see this bill passing in Oklahoma. It's too ludicrous. Then again....it's Oklahoma.
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/americas/oklahoma-is-banning-atheists-from-getting-married-10110507.html
Am I surprised? Not really. As the article mentions, this is a thinly veiled attempt to make marriage a religious institution in the state so that clergy must sign off on all marriages. This way, gay people can not be approved for a marriage license.
What does surprise me about this article is the author. They claim to be an atheist but then state that they agree with the bill. They say that marriage is very intertwined with religion and secular people should reject it and come up with a new concept.
Are you serious, author? Marriage is such a religious thing that we should still get married but 'call it something else'? This is why so many people across the country are fighting.
Marriage is not a religious institution. It never was. It has been around far longer than any religion. And, in this country, marriage is a government institution. It's a legal contract between two consenting adults that grants certain state and government privileges. Tax breaks, insurance, custodial rights, legal privilege, etc. These all have nothing to do with religion. Marriage may mean different things to different people but, for all intents and purposes, a marriage in the US is a government entity.
I can't see this bill passing in Oklahoma. It's too ludicrous. Then again....it's Oklahoma.
Friday, February 27, 2015
Let's just destroy everything
This morning the entire country is arguing over the color of a dress. Here's what the country should be upset about:
http://news.yahoo.com/islamic-state-fighters-destroy-antiquities-iraq-video-124118694.html
ISIS assholes have destroyed ancient artifacts in a museum in Mosul, Iraq. They came into the museum with sledgehammers, drills, and other tools to destroy history. Why? Because they believe that the 2,000 year old statues were idols to gods other than their own. Thus, their god can't have that type of competition.
I feel like I'm going to be physically sick. I'm actually crying.
Is this what religion is? This murdering of culture? Physically wipe out anything that isn't like your own? Seems like it.
And, not just radical Muslims. MANY religions do this. In their history and today. Don't think that Christians don't. Just this morning I have seen 5 news articles about different court systems around the country dealing with religious people trying to ban abortion or gay marriage solely on the idea that it upsets their god.
Your religion makes you happy. Fantastic. I don't want to take that away from you. But, your world view and what makes you happy wont make me happy. Don't force it on me. Your god has a problem with the things I have, the way I live my life, that museums I want to see? He will deal with me eventually, wont he? Isn't that want you believe? Let it go.
If your peaceful and loving god demands that you destroy things, that's the opposite of a peaceful and loving god. That's a monster.
I'm happy to surround myself with rational and thoughtful people. It's unfortunate that we are, in turn, surrounded with delusional and irrational people who believe that their faith trumps everything else. It's a sad day for history. It's a sad day for culture. It's a sad day for humanity.
Especially when most people are still arguing about the dress....
Which is white and gold. Obviously.
http://news.yahoo.com/islamic-state-fighters-destroy-antiquities-iraq-video-124118694.html
ISIS assholes have destroyed ancient artifacts in a museum in Mosul, Iraq. They came into the museum with sledgehammers, drills, and other tools to destroy history. Why? Because they believe that the 2,000 year old statues were idols to gods other than their own. Thus, their god can't have that type of competition.
I feel like I'm going to be physically sick. I'm actually crying.
Is this what religion is? This murdering of culture? Physically wipe out anything that isn't like your own? Seems like it.
And, not just radical Muslims. MANY religions do this. In their history and today. Don't think that Christians don't. Just this morning I have seen 5 news articles about different court systems around the country dealing with religious people trying to ban abortion or gay marriage solely on the idea that it upsets their god.
Your religion makes you happy. Fantastic. I don't want to take that away from you. But, your world view and what makes you happy wont make me happy. Don't force it on me. Your god has a problem with the things I have, the way I live my life, that museums I want to see? He will deal with me eventually, wont he? Isn't that want you believe? Let it go.
If your peaceful and loving god demands that you destroy things, that's the opposite of a peaceful and loving god. That's a monster.
I'm happy to surround myself with rational and thoughtful people. It's unfortunate that we are, in turn, surrounded with delusional and irrational people who believe that their faith trumps everything else. It's a sad day for history. It's a sad day for culture. It's a sad day for humanity.
Especially when most people are still arguing about the dress....
Which is white and gold. Obviously.
Wednesday, February 11, 2015
How do atheists deal with a killer among us?
The answer to that it that we don't have to.
Yesterday a man in North Carolina shot and killed three young people. There is very little information about what actually happened so far. I've read numerous reports about how the young victims were college students. Two of them were married in December. All had bright futures and were well liked and respected in their community.
The main reason this story has become national news is that the victims were Muslim and the man who shot them is an atheist.
I first heard about the shooting this morning. The article I read only mentioned that the victims were Muslim and the man who killed them allegedly did so over a parking space in their apartment complex. The comments from readers made the assumption that the shooter was a Christian upset about Muslims in his town. This is North Carolina after all. NC isn't well known for it's tolerance and acceptance of those other than white, good-ole' boy, Republican, gun-totin', Christians.
But, by this afternoon, my Facebook feed was filled with messages and reports from secular sources that the shooter is an atheist. Every secular/atheist organization that I follow was quick to condemn the actions of the shooter, to explain that atheism isn't about violence, and that they have separated themselves from the actions of this man.
Fine. That's all fine. It's important to make that statement. The fact that I ONLY heard that he was atheist from secular sources tells me that the groups in which I'm involved care about this issue and wish to make it known that atheists aren't like this. But, the thing is, we don't have to.
I don't wish to sound crass. I feel terrible for the awful fate of the innocent lives that were tragically cut short. I did not know them but, they seemed like good people. I can't imagine the horror their friends and families must be going through.
But, I will not defend my lack of belief because I happen to share that one same quality with the shooter. I've known many atheists whom I've only shared the lack of belief with.
Whenever a Muslim terrorist does a horrific act, Christians demand other Muslims speak out against it. Whenever a Christian terrorist does something heinous, Christians immediately deem them as 'not a true Christian'. Atheism is not a doctrine. We do not have a core set of rules. We do not have a leader. Each person within atheism can only be expected to act according to the rules and regulations of their community.
This man does not have respect for life. He does not have respect for his community. He does not have common societal traits. He is sick. He is dangerous. He should not be a part of any community. He is in authority custody, as he should be. He will be given a trail, in accordance with our judicial system. He will be judged and pay for his crime the best way that our system of government can allow.
I don't have to feel like my lack of belief is threatened. It's going to be a pain in the ass, yes. But, atheism did not do this. A sick, deranged man did.
Yesterday a man in North Carolina shot and killed three young people. There is very little information about what actually happened so far. I've read numerous reports about how the young victims were college students. Two of them were married in December. All had bright futures and were well liked and respected in their community.
The main reason this story has become national news is that the victims were Muslim and the man who shot them is an atheist.
I first heard about the shooting this morning. The article I read only mentioned that the victims were Muslim and the man who killed them allegedly did so over a parking space in their apartment complex. The comments from readers made the assumption that the shooter was a Christian upset about Muslims in his town. This is North Carolina after all. NC isn't well known for it's tolerance and acceptance of those other than white, good-ole' boy, Republican, gun-totin', Christians.
But, by this afternoon, my Facebook feed was filled with messages and reports from secular sources that the shooter is an atheist. Every secular/atheist organization that I follow was quick to condemn the actions of the shooter, to explain that atheism isn't about violence, and that they have separated themselves from the actions of this man.
Fine. That's all fine. It's important to make that statement. The fact that I ONLY heard that he was atheist from secular sources tells me that the groups in which I'm involved care about this issue and wish to make it known that atheists aren't like this. But, the thing is, we don't have to.
I don't wish to sound crass. I feel terrible for the awful fate of the innocent lives that were tragically cut short. I did not know them but, they seemed like good people. I can't imagine the horror their friends and families must be going through.
But, I will not defend my lack of belief because I happen to share that one same quality with the shooter. I've known many atheists whom I've only shared the lack of belief with.
Whenever a Muslim terrorist does a horrific act, Christians demand other Muslims speak out against it. Whenever a Christian terrorist does something heinous, Christians immediately deem them as 'not a true Christian'. Atheism is not a doctrine. We do not have a core set of rules. We do not have a leader. Each person within atheism can only be expected to act according to the rules and regulations of their community.
This man does not have respect for life. He does not have respect for his community. He does not have common societal traits. He is sick. He is dangerous. He should not be a part of any community. He is in authority custody, as he should be. He will be given a trail, in accordance with our judicial system. He will be judged and pay for his crime the best way that our system of government can allow.
I don't have to feel like my lack of belief is threatened. It's going to be a pain in the ass, yes. But, atheism did not do this. A sick, deranged man did.
Friday, February 6, 2015
I'm not going to coddle your religion anymore.
Fairly recently I was monitoring the Facebook page of one of my groups. We had posted a link to a charity fundraiser. A secular camp for children was hosting a ticket auction on eBay for camp scholarships. (Remember those words: charity, fundraiser, children, and scholarship) Someone posted a rant underneath this link about how atheists are (and should be) fearful of God and how we need him to be able to understand right from wrong...yadda, yadda, yadda. Basic stuff.
Today, I read a religious article about how the recent vaccine issue of 'herd immunity' can be compared to why atheists and secular humanists have been unaffected by real evil because there are so many people around them who have grown up with Judeo-Christian morals. **If you're unsure of what 'herd immunity' is, think of how very young or very sick children who can't get certain vaccines don't contract a disease. There are plenty of people around them who have had the vaccine for said disease so they are protected from it. Like a bubble.
This article was basically saying that I have not learned true evil from basic human nature because the people around me, who are Christians, are blocking and protecting me from it. They have God's love that teaches them not to kill, rape, or do any other harm. The human race has no morals and is valueless without the teaching of God.
Here is the article: http://www.wnd.com/2015/02/vaccines-values-and-atheist-free-riders/
I'd already stopped pretending that someone who directly insults me is a good person. The charity ranter ans this woman who wrote the article have sealed it for me. I will no longer coddle someone because they are religious.
My response to the man who ranted underneath the fundraiser was one of utter disbelief and pity because he cannot make basic decisions about right and wrong without his imaginary friend. The woman who wrote the article is so disillusioned with reality she cannot see how not killing and injuring her neighbors would be detrimental to the basic fabric of society.
People who believe that they need some sort of constant eye on them to be good people are not good people. They do not belong in the general public. They are sick and they need mental help. I'm weary of them. And I'm going to start telling them so.
As a disclaimer: I'm not going to just walk into churches and scream at everyone. I'm just tired of people recoiling from me or responding with disgust when I mention that I'm an atheist. I'm going to be returning the favor. Otherwise, I assume I can have a polite conversation with anyone of any religion or non-religion.
Today, I read a religious article about how the recent vaccine issue of 'herd immunity' can be compared to why atheists and secular humanists have been unaffected by real evil because there are so many people around them who have grown up with Judeo-Christian morals. **If you're unsure of what 'herd immunity' is, think of how very young or very sick children who can't get certain vaccines don't contract a disease. There are plenty of people around them who have had the vaccine for said disease so they are protected from it. Like a bubble.
This article was basically saying that I have not learned true evil from basic human nature because the people around me, who are Christians, are blocking and protecting me from it. They have God's love that teaches them not to kill, rape, or do any other harm. The human race has no morals and is valueless without the teaching of God.
Here is the article: http://www.wnd.com/2015/02/vaccines-values-and-atheist-free-riders/
I'd already stopped pretending that someone who directly insults me is a good person. The charity ranter ans this woman who wrote the article have sealed it for me. I will no longer coddle someone because they are religious.
My response to the man who ranted underneath the fundraiser was one of utter disbelief and pity because he cannot make basic decisions about right and wrong without his imaginary friend. The woman who wrote the article is so disillusioned with reality she cannot see how not killing and injuring her neighbors would be detrimental to the basic fabric of society.
People who believe that they need some sort of constant eye on them to be good people are not good people. They do not belong in the general public. They are sick and they need mental help. I'm weary of them. And I'm going to start telling them so.
As a disclaimer: I'm not going to just walk into churches and scream at everyone. I'm just tired of people recoiling from me or responding with disgust when I mention that I'm an atheist. I'm going to be returning the favor. Otherwise, I assume I can have a polite conversation with anyone of any religion or non-religion.
Tuesday, February 3, 2015
I've been lazy
Ok, maybe not 'lazy'. I've been BUSY.
November brought about Thanksgiving. And, while many people tend to sit around a gluttonous feast and praise an imaginary being for their wealth, health, and giant bird, I decided to host a Thanksgiving dinner at the Secular Hub. We had a great turn-out. One that I think will carry over to the following years and become a tradition at the Hub. Hopefully. There were so many people who literally had no where else to go. One woman came up to me afterward and thanked me to hosting as she was just going to be home alone as she had been doing every year for the last 15 years.
December brought all sorts of parties and activities. The Hub celebrated Festivus. (Aluminum pole, feats of strength, and airing of grievances and all) They also had a Winter Solstice party. It may not have been as large and as eventful as the one from last year but I think that it was still a very enjoyable time.
I went home to Florida to visit with family. My very religious sister may have pointed out my flaws rather harshly a few times but, it wasn't anything that surprised me. Apparently, I curse like a sailor, I hold grudges against my cousin's husband who tried to sleep with me, and I almost let it slip in front of her precious son that there are people who don't believe in his personal savior. Heaven forbid... But, no one made me go to church, so that's a plus. Plus, no matter what, I enjoy spending time with my family. They love me as the heathen I am and I love them for the bible-thumpers they are.
January...I have no excuse for January. I was just lazy. My mother purchased tickets for me to go to a comedy show for a comedian that I adore. (FLUFFY!!) My boyfriend took me to see Neil deGrasse Tyson. (Who made me laugh harder than the comedian and cry more than once, BTW) There may have been a girls night and few parties for the new year mixed in there as well. But no real excuse for not writing here.
But, I have been writing. I finished the first chapter to my book. I've never been so proud of something. I've never been so terrified of something. My goal had been to finish a chapter every month this year but, the more I look into what needs to be written the more I discover that the research alone is going to take up so much time. Time I'm not sure I have on a month-to-month basis.
I'm attempting to write on something I know very much about (community) from perspectives I don't know very well. I'm hoping the more experiences I have, the more I learn, the more people I talk to, the easier this will get. Here's hoping I can finish this book this year. That, for now, is my only New Year's Resolution, my only major goal...and the thing that will either make my year or kill me.
November brought about Thanksgiving. And, while many people tend to sit around a gluttonous feast and praise an imaginary being for their wealth, health, and giant bird, I decided to host a Thanksgiving dinner at the Secular Hub. We had a great turn-out. One that I think will carry over to the following years and become a tradition at the Hub. Hopefully. There were so many people who literally had no where else to go. One woman came up to me afterward and thanked me to hosting as she was just going to be home alone as she had been doing every year for the last 15 years.
December brought all sorts of parties and activities. The Hub celebrated Festivus. (Aluminum pole, feats of strength, and airing of grievances and all) They also had a Winter Solstice party. It may not have been as large and as eventful as the one from last year but I think that it was still a very enjoyable time.
I went home to Florida to visit with family. My very religious sister may have pointed out my flaws rather harshly a few times but, it wasn't anything that surprised me. Apparently, I curse like a sailor, I hold grudges against my cousin's husband who tried to sleep with me, and I almost let it slip in front of her precious son that there are people who don't believe in his personal savior. Heaven forbid... But, no one made me go to church, so that's a plus. Plus, no matter what, I enjoy spending time with my family. They love me as the heathen I am and I love them for the bible-thumpers they are.
January...I have no excuse for January. I was just lazy. My mother purchased tickets for me to go to a comedy show for a comedian that I adore. (FLUFFY!!) My boyfriend took me to see Neil deGrasse Tyson. (Who made me laugh harder than the comedian and cry more than once, BTW) There may have been a girls night and few parties for the new year mixed in there as well. But no real excuse for not writing here.
But, I have been writing. I finished the first chapter to my book. I've never been so proud of something. I've never been so terrified of something. My goal had been to finish a chapter every month this year but, the more I look into what needs to be written the more I discover that the research alone is going to take up so much time. Time I'm not sure I have on a month-to-month basis.
I'm attempting to write on something I know very much about (community) from perspectives I don't know very well. I'm hoping the more experiences I have, the more I learn, the more people I talk to, the easier this will get. Here's hoping I can finish this book this year. That, for now, is my only New Year's Resolution, my only major goal...and the thing that will either make my year or kill me.
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