God in Schools

My very religious aunt/cousin (don't get me started on this disaster) just posted an oldie but goodie picture:

 

 Sorry Aunt/Cousin 'Pat', I wont be 'sharing' this on my Facebook page.  Let me rant a bit and tell you why:

 Children's personal beliefs are allowed in schools. They can pray when they feel they need to (so long as it doesn't interrupt class), they can wear crosses, hell they can even say 'bless you' when someone sneezes.

Your god is NOT ALLOWED to be pushed onto students by the school.

Why do Christians not understand the First Amendment? 'Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion.' A PUBLIC school CANNOT make mention of, or show favor to, one particular religion. Your child can bring their personal imaginary friend with them wherever they go.

Don't blame bad things happening in school on the government's lack of religion. Bad things happen to Christian all day, every day, everywhere, of all ages. It's either a 'test' from god or he's not allowed- pick an excuse. But stick with the damn excuse you pick.

Your god seems to be the master at hide and seek. If your god is so powerful why does he not just place himself in our schools? Don't give me that horseshit about free will. The entire population must rely on our own 'feelings', trust, and faith to believe in something. If I use that argument literally anywhere else it would fail miserably. Your god, instead of providing a smidgen of evidence to his existence, chooses to sit back and allow murderous bickering among his creations. And all for the sick pleasure of 'free will' glorification. Disgusting.

Lastly,  your god doesn't belong in school curriculum. Seriously, unless there is a social studies class that teaches comparative religion, any god or deity does not belong in schools. Period. End of story.
I'm always confused as to why Christians don't understand this. Your god is not THE god. And how DARE you try to force your god onto other people. In my experience it is the Christians who end up being the ones who lack the most empathy in this world.

I'll tell you why that is: Christians are so brainwashed during childhood (and sometimes at a person's weakest times) into thinking that their (Christian) way of life is the best and ONLY way to live. Everyone else has their world views wrong. Hindus, Muslims, Jews, hell, even Catholics, are so wrong about God that they must be taught by the holiest of holy Christians. Who are the holy Christians? Why, any one of them. (Sidebar: After re-reading this paragraph this statement can be true about literally any religion. Brainwashing is prevalent in most major religions. It has to be- it's the only thing that works. Don't want anyone to think I just pick on the poor poor Christians. Carry on)

When I was religious I was taught that I was the worst scum on Earth. I was a worm compared to the greatness that is the Almighty. There was nothing I could do that was worthy of Him. I ONLY had a chance at everlasting life because of Jesus. I was a horrible, miserable, sinner. But, compared to all the heathens in the world I was a damn angel saint come to rescue the masses with my infinite Bible knowledge (consisting of the few passages I was taught in Sunday School). Every one else was in desperate need of my help.

Proselytizing is a HUGE part of Christian teachings.  We were taught that this was a necessary thing because EVERYONE needed to know Christ. Heathens were unhappy and miserable- they just didn't know it. Luckily I was there to tell them. Or, at least, I was taught to tell them. I never did.

My oldest sister explained to me why she didn't agree with proselytizing: would you want someone to try to turn you away from what you believe was right? How would I feel if a Mormon started to tell me how wrong my life was and that I needed to follow their way? My sister's philosophy was that she won't try to convert you if you don't try to convert her. It keeps the peace that way.

I was a pretty chill atheist for a few years. I didn't argue back with religious people. I let things slide. I thought 'Hey, it's just the way they feel about their religion. No big deal.' Well, it is a big deal. And now whenever I say something back to them I'm 'persecuting' them.

Calling you out on your privileged status is not persecution. It's me not taking any more of your bullshit.

16/20

I'm really disgusted with the comments I'm hearing from my friends and family since the SCOTUS verdict earlier this week. My entire family is religious. All of them- okay with the exception of my 'pastafarian' cousin, but, he's also a libertarian so he doesn't really count. So SCOTUS sided with Hobby Lobby stating that the 'closely-held' corporation has its own religious ideas about the mandated provided healthcare. It's absurd.

http://www.politico.com/story/2014/06/supreme-court-hobby-lobby-decision-contraception-mandate-108429.html

What irks me more is that many of the comments in support of this ruling are from the women in my social group.  Religious friends and family, whom I love and respect, are praising this court decision and commenting on my annoyed posts against the decision. Some of the things they are saying are the classic arguments I've been hearing for the past few days. I'd like to address them here:

1) The Hobby Lobby health plan is still going to be covering 16 out of the 20 FDA approved contraceptives.

Are you fracking kidding me? All I'm hearing from you is that there are 20 options to choose from and your employer is telling you that 4 of those options they don't agree with so you can't have them. And you are basically replying to this nonsense 'WOW look at what they are still letting me choose from!'  Let's do a little role playing:

Suzy works at Hobby Lobby. Suzy is a customer service manager making $11 per hour. If Suzy works full time, annually she would earn $22,880- before taxes of course. Suzy is not married, but has a boyfriend, is sexually active, and decided that she doesn't want kids.  Suzy also has endometriosis. He physician has prescribed an IUD that her employer does not approve of. Not only do they not approve of this medication they don't approve of any medical visits where the physician would council Suzy about said medication. Not only can you not have the medication but the office visit where you would talk about the medication with the physician won't be covered. Un-fracking-believable. We'll come back to Suzy.


2) No one is saying that a woman can't have access to these other 4 medications. They have to pay for it or get them from somewhere else. 

 Let's be sure that we all keep in mind that we do pay for our health insurance. I get deducted a certain amount from each paycheck that pays for my health insurance through my employer. My employer also pays some for the insurance but I'm not getting anything for free. I've chosen my physicians carefully. I like my gynecologist.  I really don't want to have to go to a Planned Parenthood clinic or some discounted free-clinic for my regular health care. I'm not putting those places down.  Places like that are for the people who have NO healthcare whatsoever. I'd be really annoyed at having to go there because the health insurance I already pay for is being blocked by my employer's religion and nothing more. Let's keep on with the role playing:

Suzy must now either pay for her IUD of out pocket OR she can go to an unknown clinic where they have this medication at a discounted rate.  IUD's can range from $500-$2,000 once you include the cost of the medication and the cost of having the device inserted by a physician. Sure, Suzy will be saving money in the long run by not having to pay for monthly birth control pills and feminine hygiene products (as most IUDs stop menstrual cycles). But, as any person living on a shoestring budget- and someone who lives on $22k a year is on a tight budget- coming up with upfront costs is difficult.

So Suzy decides she can't afford the IUD and goes without that form of birth control. She and her boyfriend use other forms of contraception, like condoms. Suzy becomes pregnant. Her employer won't pay for an abortion. Suzy develops an ectopic pregnancy. Now her employer has to pay for her surgery to save her life. Or not, because they can use this situation to say that it would kill the potential child in her womb. Suzy is S.O.L.

3) The government will just pay for it anyway. 

Sure. It's not like ANYONE is UPSET over the rising COSTS of government assistance that people receive...

Title X is a good example here. Title X is a family-planning program for low-income women. Nearly ALL House Republicans have already voted to cut funding to this program. In his 2012 campaign, Mitt Romney swore that he would kill the program altogether. (Dodged that bullet)

Title X funding has gone down more than two-thirds since 1980, after adjusting for inflation. It has less funding than what is already needed to help the amount of low-income and uninsured women in this country. Adding all of these privately insured people would overload it even more and make it even more vulnerable to political attacks.

Funding to Planned Parenthood is also under attack largely due to conservative politicians looking to punish the organization for access to separately provided abortions.  'You do something that we don't like so we're going to punish EVERYTHING you do.'

More with Suzy: What if Suzy had a normal pregnancy? Now her employer will lose out on her birthing costs,  her maternity leave, any time off she will need to care for her child, etc. Suzy would probably add her child to her health insurance increasing the long-term cost of care for both her and her child. On $22,880 a year- before taxes- Suzy will now need to be on WIC and/or food stamps. These are government funded nutrition plans for children and low income families. Congrats! You've now just made your own taxes pay for not only Suzy, who was making it on her own with no government supplemental support, but for Suzy and her child. Good job.

4) Those pills caused abortions anyway. Women don't NEED abortion pills if they would just keep their legs together.

False. There are two kinds of emergency contraception on the market: an over-the-counter one generally known as Plan B and a prescription-only one known as Ella. There is no scientific evidence that emergency contraceptives available in the United States and approved by the FDA affect an existing pregnancy. These medications prevent ovulation, so there is no egg to fertilize. Mirena, a form of IUD, includes hormones that prevent ovulation. Other IUDs prevent implantation. That’s not the medical definition of abortion, which is ending a pregnancy. This is preventing one to 'take', which happens within a woman's body frequently and naturally.

"The Centers for Disease Control and Prevention identified family planning as one of the greatest public health achievements of the twentieth century, finding that smaller families and longer birth intervals contribute to the better health of infants, children, and women, as well as improving the social and economic roles of women.”

“Contraception also helps to protect the health of those women for whom pregnancy can be hazardous, or even life-threatening.”
 
Hormonal birth control: “helps address several menstrual disorders, helps prevent menstrual migraines, treats pelvic pain from endometriosis, and treats bleeding from uterine fibroids.”  

 http://www.msnbc.com/msnbc/hobby-lobby-case-myths-debunked

 5)  If they don't like it they can just get a job somewhere else!

Deal. Let's just send Suzy and everyone else who opposes this to Jobland where they will be able to choose a job with an employer who maybe doesn't have a religious issue with birth control. Our job market is PACKED with employers just waiting to hire as many people as possible. In fact, I don't like the color on the walls of my office. I'm going down to Jobland this afternoon for a new career.

What a joke.

6) This is about businesses being run the way the owner intends it to be run! Government can't just step in and take over my business!

You're right. The government can't just take over your business. They can enforce regulations. Child labor laws, Americans with Disabilities Act, discrimination laws, etc. I only took one course of business law in college. I'm no business law expert. But, and correct me if I'm wrong, I think I remember my professor, who was a practicing lawyer at the time, explaining to the class that once a company gets to a certain size they need to abide by slightly different rules. Regulations can also vary depending on the state. 

Here, with Hobby Lobby, we have a business that employs 13,000 people across the country. They are a national retail chain. This company is owned by a five-member family who, apparently, are religious enough to oppose certain types of birth control that 'cause abortions' but, just corporate minded enough to invest in these forms of birth control. So they will make money off the medications, they just don't want to have to pay a portion of the cost of it for their employees.

"Hobby Lobby's founders have made it clear that any abortion and certain contraceptives are unacceptable in their eyes, yet the company's 401(k) plan has millions of dollars invested in funds that own the companies that make birth control methods including Plan B, the so-called "morning after" drug."

http://money.cnn.com/2014/07/01/investing/hobby-lobby-401k-contraception/

Awesome.  So this company has won the legal right to have a religious view. And the company's religious view trumps women's rights.

7) 'Why should I be upset about this? Just because I'm a woman doesn't mean that I can't tell right from wrong!'

This one scares me the most. I good friend of mine from college actually said this one. It's on Facebook. We all can read it. What scares me about it is that she doesn't see what's wrong about this ruling. If fact, she doesn't think anything is wrong about it at all.  She sees this solely as a business rights ruling. This is where women screw themselves over. We miss the little things. This one company has an issue with certain types of birth control. So we let it slide. After all, it's their business. The next company in line has a problem with ALL FORMS of birth control. After all, it's their business and now we have a supreme court ruling that says they have a right to enforce their beliefs. The next company has an issue with blood transfusions. Then the next company has a problem with ANY medical treatment. They believe that prayer is the only form of help you need. Where does this stop?

One of this woman's friends had the audacity to compare that slippery slope argument with the slippery slope argument against gay marriage. 'If you let gay couples marry what's stopping people from marrying children and animals?' If you can't see the difference between consensual adults, pedophiles, bestiality, religious views, women's rights, and general scientific healthcare then get the hell away from me.

I think I may have lost a friend over a craft store.

8) This is about how Obamacare is crushing businesses!

Here's a point: If Hobby Lobby had brought this case to the courts under that idea that paying for medications is a costly burden on them though the Affordable Care Act we would be having a completely different discussion. But they didn't do that. They brought this case saying that these medications go against their religious rights.

A craft store's religious views trumps women's health care. And solely women's care. Vasectomies and male enhancement pills (Viagra) are still covered. This is a clear sign that our health system and country are taking monumental steps backward.  My health could take a back seat to someone's ancient, backward, unscientific, and outdated traditions.This court case has already led to other businesses filing suites to deny coverage due to their own personal beliefs. And they are going beyond just 4 out of 20 contraceptives.

I will NEVER again require a cheaply made, imported from China, piece of crap THING from Hobby Lobby.

SSA Conference

This past weekend I was honored to be able to speak at the Secular Student Alliance leadership conference in Phoenix, AZ. I was excited for the opportunity to give back to the foundation that helped me and my group out so much in college. My secular group in college may have trickled out some but when I ran it it was a fun and well-known group on campus-- at least I like to think of it that way.

The SSA is a great resource for college and high school aged kids who are wanting to start and run a successful group. They send materials, are there with an answer to a legal question, will send someone to your area to help with tabling, presentations, and demonstrations. They even set up a nation-wide speakers bureau and will give assistance to groups wanting to bring a bigger name to their campus.

Having a group in southern Louisiana was a bit of a challenge for me but with the SSA's help and support I feel that we were pretty successful. As long as there are group members willing to keep the group going once the leaders move on the group will survive.

I was asked to give a presentation on social media. At first I was excited because social media is a big part of my everyday life. But, honestly, what could I teach college age students about social media that they don't already know?? They could pull me into the audience and teach me things about Twitter and Snapchat that I'd never heard of, I'm sure. But, I wasn't there to teach them how to use the tools- just how to utilize them to their maximum potential. (God that sounded 'teachy')

You know how you plan for weeks what you are going to talk about? You write out an outline, take notes, practice for hours?  I did all that. I got to the podium and totally forgot about half of what I wanted to say. It happens. Was it my best speaking gig? Nope. Did I get my point across? I think so.

As my boyfriend said, "if they didn't run screaming then everything was fine."

I was able to put faces and personalities to people with whom I had spoken online for years. I was about to answer questions of students about running a group and what to do afterward. I was able to network on my own. All around, it was a good experience and I'd be happy to do it again.

Maybe not in Phoenix where it was 106 degrees at 8pm and I burned my feet on the ground while wearing shoes but, yeah, I'd do it again.

Say Something...ANYTHING

The song 'Say Something" by A Great Big World has struck a chord with me. Perhaps if I were ending a relationship or going through something terrible it would make me cry. The video for it sure made me shed a tear. (The elderly couple-- I mean come on!) But, what this song made me think of is how I initially felt when I was coming to terms with my atheism. 

I feel as if this song closely represents how I was thinking when I was just about to let go. I WANTED God to say something. I wanted there to be an eternal reward for me and my loved ones. I wanted there to be justice for all the wrong doings that laws of man could not provide. It broke my heart to know that the thing that was supposed to be protecting me my entire life was not really there.

I'm not sure if people who have been secular their entire life can understand this. Initially, I felt alone. I felt guilty. I felt scared, confused, and bamboozled. I'd been lied to my whole life.  I felt as if by turning away from religion I was turning my back on my entire life. I felt scared because...what was I going to do now? What does one do when they find out their entire thought process was based on someone else's opinion?

That's why this song touched me. Not because I was loosing a boy but because I was losing a relationship with my life.

I've worked hard to overcome the initial feelings I had. I'm still overcoming many of them. It has been a long and ongoing process for me. I feel that, with my new friends and community, I'm making great strides on becoming the person I should have been all along.

Less of an American

I'm really tired of being made to feel like less of an American due to my lack of belief.

No, there wasn't some new media-grabbing news that made me feel this way that is compelling me to write this post. It's the overwhelming stream of consciousness I get from my southern friends and family via social media.

Moving 2,000 miles away from everyone made it easier for me to live everyday life as an open atheist. Social media tends to bring me home in a philosophical way.  I am constantly bombarded with images of Jesus on a cross, scripture, and political agendas about how school shootings happen b/c God isn't allowed in schools anymore. Ugh!

Growing up, atheists were the scary people who were just outside of civilized society. These were the ones with no morals, bad attitudes, and a general disrespect for authority and American in general.

After all, God is the highest authority and America was blessed by God so...it's a Christian nation for sure. To be against God is to be unAmerican.

 I love my country. I've traveled outside of it and have learned that America may not be the best at a great many things but, when I came home, I was never more happy to be back. I had many friends in college who were so eager to leave the US for England. They couldn't wait to graduate and leave.  This country has it's problems but I want to be one of the few that stays because I want to help fix it.

 I vote in EVERY election. I pay my taxes. I buy American when possible. I volunteer time and money to social causes. I eat apple pie. I obey the speed limit- mostly. Hell, I've even watched football on occasion.

This is NOT A CHRISTIAN COUNTRY. You can read it anywhere. Our founding fathers said as much. I'm sick and tired of being called unAmerican because I happen to not believe in your particular fairy tale.

Rant over.

Women in Secularism Conference

I few weeks ago I was privileged enough to be able to attend the 3rd annual Women in Secularism Conference in DC. The list of speakers was awesome (as they were last year).

The conference seemed to have a bit more of a theme this year than they last one I attended. They focused a bit more on online feminism. Many of the speakers spoke of their own experiences with negativity while being a blogger/vlogger/writer. I knew trolls were out there but I never thought that women online were attacked in such hurtful ways so frequently. 

Women being called bitches, being threatened with rape and violence, and, of course, the general all-American name calling based on physical features. It's amazing that when someone is upset with  another person we attack each other with verbal assaults based on weight/face shape/clothes/etc. I can only imagine that when someone stoops that low they must not be very intelligent. Thus, not worth the effort.

'Not worth the effort' is the philosophy many of the speakers carried with them through their travels via the interwebs. Luckily, I have not personally encountered any vicious comments. I hope that I can react with the same grace and poise these women seemed to have. Or just weep silently in the shower.

Besides the troll conversations there was plenty to learn from these women. Many seemed to have wisdom and fearlessness beyond any Canadian lumberjack. Their confidence on stage and in person was like a breath of fresh air to me.  It gave me hope about my role as a leader in my Denver community.

Even tough I didn't feel as if I meshed well with the 'cool feminist atheists', I did feel an overall sense of comradery with the conference as a whole. The main purpose of the conference is to give women a chance to learn about all the wonderful things women are capable of- not just in the world but within the secular world. "Boy's club" is the term mostly given to atheism. Women are there but we are few and far between. Leader women are even harder to find. But at a conference such as this, it was oozing confidence, leadership, and focus. 

One of the speakers, Amy Davis Roth, mentioned that she wanted to start a women's secular group in her community in Los Angeles.  I can only wish her good things. The endeavor of having a women only secular group here in Denver proved difficult. It was appalling to find out how many people opposed such a thing. While the women's conference is open to anyone who wishes to go I feel that, within smaller communities, women may feel more comfortable with only other women. I know. I know. 'It hinders women from becoming leaders and omits men who want to help with the issues we face." Our own women's group here in Denver is women only due to a vote among the women. We partner with Denver Atheists (men and women) on some occasions to do just that. I'm all for equality within the secular community but we're not quite there yet. Many women are coming out of an oppressive religion and our voices tend to be drowned out. I feel that a women's group is a stepping stone in the path toward stronger secular women.

Growing up in a southern church I was more used to seeing women silently standing behind their husbands or tucked away in the church kitchen. They were never center stage in the pulpit. Even in women's church groups it was seen as more of a secret meeting were we were all quietly listening to the one women in charge- usually appointed by a man. In these meetings we were taught how to be good wives and nurturers. We were taught to remain pure and how to listen to our husbands. We learned how to be good women of Christ- ones who never caused a fuss and were the keepers of the household.

I hated those meetings.

With the CFI adding the Women's Conference to their mix I believe it has given women a place to be able to be more outspoken, to be able to find other powerful women, and to learn that it is A-OK to have a strong, full voice in the secular world, their own secular community, and the world. I'm glad I went and I can't wait for next year!

No True Scotsman

In college I took a philosophy class lead by a woman who made herself known within the secular community during the Dover trials. I loved learning from her and hope that I carry many of her lessons throughout my life.

One thing she wanted our class to be able to recognize and call out were the logical fallacies that surround us on a daily basis. I got pretty good at seeing them in everyday life on campus. I once had an argument with a open-air preacher about his use of circular fallacy. He didn't seem to care that his logic was flawed.

But here is where I feel that my professor missed a good opportunity: No True Scotsman. It's true that this particular fallacy can really fall under the ad hoc rule. But I feel it has it's own merits. Especially within the secular community.

Here's an example: Let's say that a man killed his wife. The police go to his friends and they say that the man was a good Christian and can't understand how this has happened. The report hits the news that a Christian man has killed his wife. My mother, sister or aunt may look over at me and say 'He wasn't really a true Christian then.'

When someone professes to be something, like a Christian, and other Christians think he has done something outside of the realm of Christianity then the person 'wasn't really a Christian'.  Happens all the time.

When a group of radical Muslims flew planes into a building or when individuals perform a suicide bombing, sure, they were extremist. This doesn't mean they weren't Muslim. The same goes for when Christians in this country kill people because of their skin color or sexual preference. They are still Christians.

The truth is that human nature sometimes rears it's not-so-civilized head and people do things that are deemed uncivilized or anti-social.  When someone who has been a devout Christian their entire life and they snap and commit a horrible act...it just proves to me all the more that there is no god.

Human nature is what it is. Some people have the ability to live normally in their society and follow the social rules. Others don't. Stating that because someone hasn't followed the rules they are no longer one of you is not helping.  Accepting that humans are, in fact, animals who have been able to MOSTLY control our animalistic needs and wants is helpful in being able to help one another and understand the need for medical and psychological help.

Praying to a god does not immediately resolve you of your basic needs.