Islam's Continued Violation of Women's Rights

A person being of sound mind could, by use of reason, submit the position that a misogynistic mentality, coupled with intellectual vacancy, are  fuels by which Islamic fundamentalism draws its breath. The ethical and scientific illiteracy of its adherents alone can be viewed as a natural dispersant to humankind’s noesis. Such a diminished capacity invariably leads to the subjugation of the people within its sphere. Authoritarianism is all but guaranteed to manifest, and it tends to be decisive and brutal. Islamic fundamentalism is a testament to, among many other things,  the mistreatment of women. Its self-imposed nescience and their sophomoric views on the sexuality of women have led to torture, disfigurement, and murder.

Let us consider a recent article wherein an Islamic cleric in Europe proposes that women be disallowed from observing, touching, or purchasing specific food because of its erotic nature. Bananas, cucumbers, carrots and zucchini (to name a few) somehow have the ability to cause women to think about sex. The suggestion is made that a male relative slice up the food in private prior to serving them (wife, daughter, sister), thus stifling the provocativeness of what Allah, being all-powerful, created. I must state that there are claims that question the validity of his report. What cannot be questioned is the level of barbarism that women incur on a daily basis within Muhammad’s theocratic bastille.

Volume 1, Book 2, Number 29

Narrated Ibn 'Abbas:

The Prophet said: "I was shown the Hell-fire and that the majority of its dwellers were women who were ungrateful." It was asked, "Do they disbelieve in Allah?" (or are they ungrateful to Allah?) He replied, "They are ungrateful to their husbands and are ungrateful for the favors and good (charitable deeds) done to them."

Thirty-year-old, Rafiqul Islam, severed the fingers of his wife’s (Hawa Akther Jui) right hand for pursuing higher education. Apparently Mr. Islam, armed only with an 8th grade education, felt threatened and went so far as to cite, “severe consequences,” if she persisted with her college studies. The following is an excerpt from a BBC article;

“He also taped my mouth saying that he would give me some surprise gifts. But, instead he cut off my fingers.”

 “Doctors said my fingers could be re-attached within six hours but he refused to give them. After that time, another relative of my husband threw the fingers in a dustbin.” 

“Her permanent disfigurement will forever be a reminder of the crudity and unlearned nature of blind faith.”

Surely Islam must provide some insight with regards to the treatment of the fairer sex.

“Good women are obedient…As for those from whom you fear disobedience, admonish them and send them to beds apart and beat them.” Quran 4:34

The idea that women maintain an equal standing with their male counterparts is fallacious, unless of course you mean death sentencing:

 

I will concede that women have some rights – although I would counter that they are simply minor concessions in a (male) chauvinistically driven system. Consider if you will Dr. Ajeel Al-Nashmi's (a Kuwaiti Islamic scholar) position that Islam prohibits women from running in elections. Although he magnanimously approves of allowing women the “right to vote” in said elections, he contends that, “Women from the physical point of view are not fit to practice politics that requires debating, staying awake for long hours at night, appearing before men and mingling with them.” Erudite indeed, and his cognitive dissonance is completely stifling. This, of course, is to be expected from such fossilized mentalities that draw their rationale - if it can be called that - from primitive devices. One such device (also cited above) is the Translation of Sahih Bukhari, Book 48:

Volume 3, Book 48, Number 826

Narrated Abu Said Al-Khudri:

The Prophet said, "Isn't the witness of a woman equal to half of that of the man? The women said, "Yes." He said, "This is because of the deficiency of a woman's mind."

So here is their logic: Men are both physically and intellectually (used loosely here) superior to women; thus positions of authority and expressions of power are left to the bipedal Y-chromosomes of society. And how has that worked out so far? Tribal conflict, torture, famine, illiteracy on a grand scale, no significant infrastructure to speak of, high murder rate, virtually no scientific understanding, and no artistic expression. The postulation that women are inferior and incapable of "practicing politics" is utterly absurd. They maintain this view primarily because of their deluded religiosity; which in and of itself has no logical basis to stand on, nor can it provide proof sets that irrefutably show women to be substandard. No scientific narrative exists which illustrates the cerebral faculties of a female to be exiguous, relative to a man's, and unable to effect logic, reason, and sound judgment. Yet this sickening myth goes on and women continue to suffer at the hands of Allah, the All Merciful.

Examine the following statements that I extracted from another website - they're in response to a post discussing the dangerous aspects of Islam.

"You simply are not looking for the value and beauty of Islam, and hence you miss the point altogether."

"I am an adult revert to Islam from Christianity, and it is my personal experience that Islam is, indeed, a religion of peace and tolerance."

Individuals of this sort tend to have a kaleidoscopic reality; constantly fabricating phase changes in order to make their own world view more palatable. Regardless of logic, reason, and evidence to the contrary. Islam, which means submission or surrender to Allah,  is a reciprocal relationship where people of said faith "surrender" their will to the All-Powerful. And what do they get for such an act? Allah provides them with peace and safety. One could argue that such a deal is one-sided; certainly the women presented in this post would affirm that no such provision was provided for them.  

If one needs other examples to illustrate the innate barbarity of the faithful, consider the following story. Ghulam Qadir, a 22-year-old Pakistani male who took to beating his 17-year-old wife, Salma Bibi. After that he then bound her hands and feet with a rope. Allah's reciprocal covenant could not shelter her from what would happen next; Mr. Qadir took a razor and proceeded to cut pieces from Salma's face. From the article:

The pictures do not depict Salma Bibi 

"He repeatedly slapped my face and then went into the room and brought with him a locally made, sharp razor," she told AFP, speaking Baluchi in remarks translated by her uncle from a hospital bed in central Mulan City.   

"I started shouting in panic. He tied my hands and foot with a rope and chopped off my nose and lips," she added.

The teenager said police refused to register a case when her family complained about the attack, and threatened to kill herself without justice. 

"I want justice and if it is not delivered to me, I will immolate myself in front of the Supreme Court."  

The ensuing postulate is widely asserted by the adherents of Islam.

• Islam is a religion with many followers
• Islam is a religion of peace and non-violence
• Therefore; Followers of Islam are peaceful and nonviolent

This is a specious argument and a logical fallacy. While it is true that Islam has many followers, several passages within the Quran and the Hadith can be shown to advocate and justify violence. This violence can be seen time and time again and it cannot be refuted - their faith is their standard. 

 "Fight them, Allah will punish them by your hands and bring them to disgrace..." Quran 9:14

Women are just as intelligent and just as capable as any man; respect and consideration should be equally afforded with an emphasis on individual liberty. Chauvinism backed by religious dogma destroys a society and keeps their citizens in chains. The lack of intellectual progress keeps the quality of life, if it even exists, stagnant - with each successive generation mired in hardship. Women will continue to suffer at the hands of Islam, unless of course, it can be replaced with enlightenment and justice for all.

A Christopher Hitchens Obituary

Peter Wibly has done an insightful story on the late Christopher Hitchens - discussing (among other things) his political views, literary work, and a few of his many interpersonal relationships. While I may not have agreed with Mr. Hitchens on every issue, I will always remember him for his powerful intellect, and his mastery of the written word. May you rest in peace.

     

More Christian Hypocrisy

TPMMuckraker

Anti-Gay Alabama GOPer Secretly Donated Sperm To Lesbian Couples In New Zealand

By Jillian Rayfield | December 12, 2011

We feel safe in saying this is probably the weirdest story you’ll read all day…

An anti-gay Alabama Republican was reportedly making secret sperm donations to at least nine New Zealand women he met over the internet, unbeknownst to his wife back in America.

Bill Johnson, who made a failed bid for governor of Alabama in 2010, anonymously donated sperm to lesbian couples in New Zealand, according to a report by the New Zealand Herald.

Johnson has spent much of the last year in Christchurch, where he moved without his wife and her three kids (from a previous marriage), in order to help the country’s recovery from the February earthquake.

All the while Johnson was reportedly trolling the internet under the username “chchbill” for women who needed help getting pregnant. He reportedly had exchanges with at least nine women — among them several lesbians — at least three of whom are now pregnant.

From the Herald:

The Herald on Sunday approached Johnson on Thursday at a restaurant in Christchurch where he had just finished dining with one of the women he had successfully impregnated.

He said the urge to become a biological father was “a need that I have”.

“I am married to the most beautiful woman in the world. When I married her I knew we couldn’t have any more children. She had a hysterectomy 10 years ago,” he said. “There is nothing my wife would want to give me more in the world than a child of my own.”

“Reproduction and having children is as basic a human need as eating,” he told the Herald.

His wife, Kathy Johnson, said the revelations were “the utmost of betrayal.”

“This is a really, really difficult time for our family,” Kathy Johnson said in an email to the Mobile Press-Register. “I’m still in disbelief and very hurt, and our family has a lot of healing to do.”

Johnson ran as a Christian conservative in his 2010 bid for governor, during which he said he was against gay marriage. He finished fifth out of seven Republican primary candidates.

Read the full, bizarre report here.

Was Jesus a Commando?

TPMMuckraker

Members Of Christian Paramilitary ‘Savior Unit’ Charged For Home Invasion

By Jillian Rayfield | December 9, 2011

Two members of a Christian paramilitary group called “The Savior Unit” were charged with kidnapping and burglary for allegedly conducting a home invasion while clad in ski-masks, military garb and bullet-proof vests.


Michael Shaun Schaffran, 32, and Cody Jacob Rogers, 18, were arrested after allegedly breaking into a home on Tuesday night in Gautier, Mississippi. They were each charged with three counts of kidnapping and burglary of an occupied house, the Sun-Herald reports.

According to police, Schaffran and Rogers dressed up in military gear, ski masks and bullet-proof vests, broke into the house, and attacked the three people who lived there. At the time of the arrest, Schaffran had a knife, though Rogers was unarmed.

Authorities say Schaffran is the “commander” of a paramilitary group of teenagers called “The Savior Unit” or “The Tactical Support Unit,” and Rogers is the “captain.” According to an operations manual allegedly confiscated from Schaffran and Rogers, the goal of the group is to “promote Christ, obtain offenders who are a danger to society, do community service work for churches and halfway houses, and do security for different functions.”

From the Mississippi Press, Captain Kenny McMellon said in a press conference that Schaffran and Rogers led four other teens, ages 16-18, in “training” that took place in the woods, including “hand-to-hand combat, reconnaissance, paramilitary operations and Bible scripture reading.”

Schaffran is from Arizona, where he has felony convictions for theft, forgery and aggravated assault, according to Detective Matt Hoggatt. “So far, it looks like a 32-year-old guy who recruited people half his age for a vigilante group,” he said. “We’re hoping as the investigation progresses, as we uncover more, there will be less to worry about.”

Hoggatt also said there was no clear connection between Schaffran and Rogers and the victims: “Last night, there was no record of any police responses to their house in the past and there is no indication that they were doing anything illegal. So, that’s part of what this investigation is, to determine why they were targeted.”

Schaffran and Rogers are being held on a $225,000 bond.

 

Aida Hillen: Lobbed Christian Pamphlet at Kid She Ran Over, Then Drove Away (Allegedly)

By John Nova Lomax Tue., Dec. 6 2011 | Houston Press

What would Jesus do if he hit a youth with His car, asked the kid if he was okay and got "no" for an answer?

If you answered, "Toss him a book about Himself, peel out and haul ass like the Dukes of Hazzard," you are cut from the same religious cloth police say Aida Hillen comes from.

According to court documents, the victim, a Milby High School student, told police he was crossing Broadway near the school on October 14 at around 5:15 p.m. when he was struck by the 58-year-old Hillen's 1996 Honda Accord.

As he struggled to his feet, Hillen, of League City, is alleged to have stopped and asked if he was okay. According to the complaint, when the victim said "No," Hillen tossed him a religious pamphlet and attempted to flee, much like her operatic namesake, albeit in her case toward the swamps of Galveston County and not the Egyptian desert.

Another Milby student tried to wave her down, the complaint states, but Hillen only waved "Bye" and kept on driving.

Fortunately this heroic witness was able to scrawl Hillen's license plate number on his arm and waited with the injured victim for police and paramedics to arrive.

The victim was treated by firemen at the scene and released, but suffered chest pains several days later and visited an emergency room, where he was diagnosed with a bruised rib cage and handed a bill for $730.50.

Meanwhile, using the license plate number, cops tracked down Hillen. The victim later picked her picture out of a photo array. Hillen admits to driving her car down Broadway that day but denies hitting anyone. A felony warrant for her arrest -- for accident causing injury -- has been issued.

A month after the incident, but before police issued the warrant, she posted a sermonette, "To Christian Buddy Warriors," on the "I Love Jesus My Savior" Facebook page.

The gist of her testimony? That worry is the enemy of faith.

"Worry is the Opposite of Faith! You must understand, we all endure challenges. We all face mountains in our lives. Knowing this, it is very important that we live our lives knowing God can and He will. Thought to Ponder: When was the last time your worrying helped you?"

Um, maybe when our conscience bothered us and we admitted some wrong and asked for forgiveness. Perhaps Hillen would do well to set aside her Good Book for however long it takes her to read Crime and Punishment.

And perhaps instead of absolving herself, Aida Hillen should study up on how faith also involves action and an (alleged) sin of this magnitude requires the sort of redemption you can't bestow on yourself.

Police don't think she can redeem herself. If you see her 1996 Honda Accord with Texas license plate number 012-RTH, they urge you to call Crime Stoppers at 713-222-TIPS. Your call can remain anonymous.

Mysogyny, Suppression, & Ignorance in Islam

Islamic cleric bans women from touching bananas, cucumbers for sexual resemblance 

Manar Ammar | 6 December 2011 | bikyamasr.com

CAIRO: An Islamic cleric residing in Europe said that women should not be close to bananas or cucumbers, in order to avoid any “sexual thoughts.”

The unnamed sheikh, who was featured in an article on el-Senousa news, was quoted saying that if women wish to eat these food items, a third party, preferably a male related to them such as their a father or husband, should cut the items into small pieces and serve.

He said that these fruits and vegetables “resemble the male penis” and hence could arouse women or “make them think of sex.”

He also added carrots and zucchini to the list of forbidden foods for women.

The sheikh was asked how to “control” women when they are out shopping for groceries and if holding these items at the market would be bad for them. The cleric answered saying this matter is between them and God.

Answering another question about what to do if women in the family like these foods, the sheikh advised the interviewer to take the food and cut it for them in a hidden place so they cannot see it.

The opinion has stirred a storm of irony and denouncement among Muslims online, with hundreds of comments mocking the cleric.

One reader said that these religious “leaders” give Islam “a bad name” and another commented said that he is a “retarded” person and he must quite his post immediately.

Others called him a seeker of fame, but no official responses from renowned Islamic scholars have been published on the statements.

 

Barbarism Has Never Left Religion

Australian sentenced to 500 lashes in Saudi Arabia

 

SYDNEY (AP) — An Australian man has been sentenced to 500 lashes and a year in a Saudi Arabian jail after being convicted of blasphemy, officials said Wednesday.

The 45-year-old man, identified by family members as Mansor Almaribe of southern Victoria state, was detained in the holy city of Medina last month while making the Muslim pilgrimage of hajj.

Family members told Australian media that Saudi officials accused him of insulting the companions of the Prophet Muhammad, a violation of Saudi Arabia's strict blasphemy laws.

Australia's ambassador in Saudi Arabia has contacted Saudi authorities in a bid for leniency, the Department of Foreign Affairs said. Consular officials are providing support for the man and his family in Australia.

"The Australian government is universally opposed to corporal punishment," the department said in a statement.

Almaribe was convicted of blasphemy on Tuesday and initially sentenced to two years in jail and 500 lashes. The court later reduced his jail sentence.

Almaribe's son Jamal told The Age newspaper that his father was reading and praying as part of a group when he was arrested.

Almaribe's son Mohammed said he feared for his father's well-being. "Five hundred slashes on his back, and he has back problems. I wouldn't think he'd survive 50," he told Australian Broadcasting Corp.

An Atheist Libertarian on God and Government part 2

“When fascism comes to America, it will be wrapped in the flag and carrying the cross.” Sinclair Lewis

One can, without any difficulty, find obtuse statements from various politicians that invoke the name of God. Very often, the substance of these statements endorse a legislative policy and or a military course of action. Said to be mandated by an insubstantial architect is a typical strategy employed to garner support from the body politic, and it has an appreciable success rate. George W. Bush has utilized this very tactic.

“God told me to strike Al Qaida and I struck them, and then he instructed me to strike Saddam, which I did, and now I am determined to solve the problem in the Middle East.”

So here we have an individual that admittedly states that God spoke to him and instructed him to bomb ‘non-Christian’ terrorists. If the average person were to have stated the same, and tried to enact the same, this person would have been jailed and forced to undergo psychiatric therapy. A rational thinking individual could conclude that politicians are exempt from such penalization.

Of course it doesn’t hurt to have Christian militarism to help implement divine policy as well; take for example the Christian Fundamentalist, Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin. A quote from the Los Angeles Times:

“He went on CNN and he laughed at us, and he said, 'They'll never get me because Allah will protect me. Allah will protect me.' Well, you know what? I knew that my God was bigger than his. I knew that my God was a real God and his was an idol."

Then there are these insightful words:

"As a Christian I believe that there is a spiritual war that is continuous as articulated in the Bible. It is not confined to the war of terrorism."

Lt. Gen. William G. Boykin

On September 26, 2009, Boykin gave an address at a How to Take Back America Conference in St. Louis, Missouri  - hosted by the Eagle Forum. According to the Canada Free Press, General Boykin asked the audience. "What are you prepared to give up for America? Are you willing to pay the ultimate price?" He followed up with warning, "there is no greater threat to America than Islam.”

 “Here is the way I want to enter the gates of Heaven. I want to come skidding in there on all fours. I want to be slipping and sliding and I want to hit the gates of heaven with a bang. And when I stand up and I stand before Christ, I want there to be blood on my knees and my elbows. I want to be covered with mud. And I want to be standing there with a ragged breast plate of righteousness. And a spear in my hand. And I want to say, "Look at me, Jesus. I've been in the battle. I've been fighting for you." Ladies and gentlemen, put your armor on and get into battle. God bless you.”

When God-inspired politicians and militarists aren’t itching to bomb impecunious and necessitous foreigners, they focus their noisome rhetoric at home. Rick Santorum states it quite succinctly;

“Unlike Islam, where the higher law and the civil law are the same, in our case, we have civil laws. But our civil laws have to comport with the higher law. … As long as abortion is legal—at least according to the Supreme Court—legal in this country, we will never have rest, because that law does not comport with God’s law.”

What other laws are considered by the religious aristos to be contrary to divine law? In a similar vein, what laws must be enacted to facilitate a transformation from secular law and order to a quasi-theocratic model? If God’s laws are to replace society’s laws you will inevitably have the usurpation of individual liberties; "you may not believe in our god, but you damn well will follow his laws. We, the anointed of course, will make sure that said laws are followed or we’ll pray you to jail." How beneficent indeed. Try to imagine what form our country will take if this manifests; we’ll have the egocentric trappings of political power interlocked with archaic religiosity. This form of politico-religious inertia needs to be stifled at all costs. The moral and ethical values within a society can evolve without the injection of pseudo-Christianic virtues. Watch the proceeding video and draw your own conclusion.

We are led to believe, to the point of inculcation, that we are a Judeo-Christian nation. All objective morality is derived from this source. If this true and thus becomes the standard, what are we to expect from individuals that embody this principle? Let me provide for you a few specimens that are a suitable reflection of this moral system.       

Former Governor of South Carolina, Mark Sanford, is a ‘practicing’ Episcopalian that showed us the measure of his faith. Mr. Sanford was found to be having an affair with an Argentinean woman named, Maria Belen Chapur. To his credit, if such can be extended, Sanford stated that he sought counsel from a fanatical religious organization called, The Family (also The Fellowship); apparently it provided little assistance in this matter. One can’t help but remember Sanford’s devotional statement, “It is my personal view that the largest proclamation of one’s faith ought to be in how one lives his life.” Indeed Sir.

Next on our list is John Edwards, former U.S. Senator of North Carolina. Mr. Edwards was indicted on June 3, 2011 by a North Carolina grand jury on six felony charges; four counts of collecting illegal campaign contributions, one count of conspiracy and one count of making false statements. The trial date for this United Methodist is set for January 30, 2012. A man, who opposes gay marriage due to his religion, cheated on his wife – a brave woman that died of metastatic breast cancer in December of 2010. “My faith informs everything I think and do. It’s part of my value system.” Interesting isn’t it, a religious man that wants to preserve the sanctity of marriage, yet he himself is a philanderer.  

      

"I have two grandchildren — Maggie is 11, Robert is 9, I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time they're my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists and with no understanding of what it once meant to be an American."

Finally there is Newt Gingrich, the former Speaker of the House, and probably the closest representation of politico-religious duplicity. Gingrich, a Roman Catholic, also had extra-marital affairs and has been married three times. His first affair was with Marianne Ginther, and the second was with Callista Bisek – his current wife. What can be considered the vertex of his hypocrisy, Gingrich was leading the Congressional investigation into the allegations that President Bill Clinton lied under oath with regards to his affair with Monica Lewinsky. I guess he forgot the idiom, “people who live in glass houses shouldn’t throw stones.” Among his other lurid details were his eighty-four ethics charges that were filed against him during his term - Gingrich was ultimately sanctioned $300,000 by the House Ethics Committee.

Electing politicians that believe in god is one of the primary vehicles used to manifest a Judeo-Christian nation. Do you believe that it is even remotely possible that an outspoken atheist could be elected to public office? Pick any position in any field for that matter. It is true that religiously infused policies aren’t necessarily the norm; points, however, can be made to illustrate the attempts to make it so. The collusion between politics and religious institutions are plainly evident. Prayer needs to be brought back in school, intelligent design must be taught, homosexuality is ruining the American family and society – so don’t teach this aberrant behavior in schools, and abortion must be stopped for fear of incurring god’s wrath.

   

Arguments abound whether this country was specially constructed to be a Judeo-Christian Nation; I personally believe that we were not promulgated with such intent. While it is true the Declaration of Independence references “Creator,” “Nature’s God,” and “Divine Providence,” one must specifically understand that said declaration is not a governing mechanism. To extend further, “governments are instituted among men, deriving their just powers from the consent of the governed,” clearly indicates that the Bible’s standard of divine authority is irrelevant with respect to government. What must also be acknowledged is the conspicuous absence of God from the Constitution. Why is that I wonder? From a personal perspective, God is not a necessary utility.

The faithful are vehement about injecting their religiosity within the various macro and microcosms of society. If one will not convert and become a proselyte, you'll be forced to conform by way of legislative mechanisms. Be a heathen if you wish, but you will follow God’s laws one way or another. I recall one conversation with a person that reiterated this very sentiment. How quaint it is to hear the acerbic tone of the faithful. In part 3, I will provide more insight into the American public's perspective to the atheist/secularist view. At the end my elenchus will be provided.

   

 

Belief Can Kill

Six dead in Britain after church ‘heals’ HIV

By Eric W. Dolan at The Raw Story
Monday, November 28, 2011

 

At least six people have died in Britain after evangelical churches told them to stop taking their medication because they had been healed of HIV, medical professionals have revealed to Sky News.

To investigate the claim, Sky News sent three undercover reporter to one of the churches, the Synagogue Church of All Nations (SCOAN) in Southwark, south London. The wealthy church was founded by Pastor T.B. Joshua, who claims to be a prophet, and has branches in Ghana, the United Kingdom, South Africa, and Greece.

All three of the undercover reporters told church officials they were suffering from HIV, and all three undercover reporters were told they could be cured.

The reporters were also told they could discard their potentially life-saving antiviral medications.

On their website, the church claims to have healed everything from HIV to Crohn’s disease to mental disorders.

“It is foolish advice and it is tragic advice because the consequences of this kind of advice can only be that people pass on HIV and can only be seriously bad for the individual concerned — including death,” said former health secretary Lord Fowler.
 

Stupidity Still Pervades Religion

Kentucky church bans interracial couples

By David Edwards
Wednesday, November 30, 2011

 

 

A small church in Pike County, Kentucky has voted to ban interracial couples from most church activities “to promote greater unity among the church body.”

Stella Harville & her fiance Ticha Chikuni

Melvin Thompson, former pastor of Gulnare Freewill Baptist church, proposed the ban after Stella Harville brought her fiance, Ticha Chikuni, to services in June. Harville, who goes by the name Suzie, played the piano while Chikuni sang.

Before stepping down as pastor in August, Thompson told Harville that her fiance could not sing at the church again. Harville is white and Chikuni, a native of Zimbabwe, is black.

Last Sunday, church members voted 9-6 in favor of Thompson’s proposed ban. Others attending the church business meeting declined to take a stand on the issue.

“That the Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church does not condone interracial marriage,” the resolution states, according to WKYT.

“Parties of such marriages will not be received as members, nor will they be used in worship services and other church functions, with the exception being funerals. All are welcome to our public worship services. This recommendation is not intended to judge the salvation of anyone, but is intended to promote greater unity 

among the church body and the community we serve.”

To read the entire story click here.

An Atheist Libertarian on God and Government part 1

It can be argued that some people who create personal websites do so as a means to engage in self-aggrandizement.  I suppose such an argument can be equally applied to mine, although I tend to refer to it as a cathartic mechanism. My blog is designed to discuss atheism, critical thinking, science, secular humanism, and skepticism. I think what distinguishes my position from most of my atheistic brethren is the infusion of libertarian thought within my own stream of intellection. These two components, lack of belief and libertarianism, have assigned me a persona non grata status within my own sphere of professional relationships. Hence my need for the abreaction you see before you. 

The specific tenet of libertarianism, that I feel is congruent to my view, is the non-aggression axiom. This principle, deontological in form, states that utilizing aggression is both unethical and inherently illegitimate. Aggression, as utilized within the preceding reference, is the initiation of physical force against another or another’s property. As libertarian writer David Boaz has stated;

“Libertarianism is the view that each person has the right to live his life in any way he chooses so long as he respects the equal rights of others.”

To extend further;

“Libertarians defend each person's right to life, liberty, and property--rights that people have naturally, before governments are created.”

If I were to add a proviso to the aforesaid statement it would be, “…before governments and religions are created.” It is necessary to have this addition since religion seeks to usurp individual sovereignty and replace it with sanctimonious ideology. Detractors might say that religion does not forcibly restrict an individual’s liberty and certainly respects and observes the equal rights of others. This of course, is a fallacy. One simply has to hear our elected officials refer to god in their speeches, or see its infection within the political process. Proposition 8 (in California) eliminated the rights of same-sex couples to marry; this, as you know, was heavily backed by the Mormon Church in Utah (a thuggery-based construct to be sure). Mormons (and other denominations) see their religious tenets as a necessary element of socio-political dynamics - after all, they think it’s what’s best for society. 

As we all know theocratic movements are not isolated to Mormonism - other agencies such as Pastor Steven Andrew’s, USA Christian Ministries, illustrate just how important religion is to them within the political spectrum.

“Elect God Fearing Governments (2 Samuel 23:3, Exodus 18:21, Matthew 6:33)

"Obeying God as a nation brings God’s blessings to Americans. 2 Samuel 23:3 says, “‘He who rules over men must be just, ruling in the fear of God.” Jesus says in Matthew 6:33 to “… seek first the kingdom of God and His righteousness, and all these things [economy] shall be added to you.” Will you seek..”

“When the righteous are in authority, the people rejoice.”  (Proverbs 29:2)

"Why should the 80 percent Christian majority pay for public schools if Jesus and our Founding Fathers' Christian faith isn't taught? Our Founding Fathers fought for God's unalienable rights of Christian life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness. Freedom comes from obeying God,” Andrew says. “Let's get active to bring back the Holy Bible and Christian prayer to schools.”

"We cry out to You for the USA to be likeminded, united in You. Jesus said, “If a kingdom is divided against itself, that kingdom cannot stand. And if a house is divided against itself, that house cannot stand.” We confess the sin of being divided as nation, and we repent."  (Mark 3:24-25)

"We ask You to help the USA remember that the only division is the division You say, which is between the righteous and the wicked and the one who serves You and the one who doesn’t. We pray for “liberals” who are anti-God and anti-USA to be convicted of their sin, and to take up their cross and follow You."

Even the Catholic Church, with all of its antiquated sensibilities, acknowledges the church-state separation while tactfully making the qualification that politics and religion are mutually inclusive. Who else would guide the moral values of the citizenry? I find this to be vulgar and hypocritical; the Church’s history of pedophilia should disallow them from even uttering the words moral authority.

The Mormon Church, Pastor Andrew’s Christian Ministries, as well as the Catholic Church (there are more), are doing their best to utilize the machinations of the state to enforce their artificial prerogative – thereby abrogating individual sovereignty. How does one exercise exclusive authority over one’s mind and body if zealots continue to maintain that a god dictates all of mankind’s rights? Presupposing that god’s purview is absolute, and therefore invalidates secularism, is nothing more than tyranny cloaked in ignorance. Liberty is confined, and defined, by those that believe that they are terrestrial emissaries – working on behalf of a god they’ve never met in person, but nevertheless believe that they have intimate knowledge of his ‘will.’

In part two I will show how politicians express their desire to utilize religion to alter the fabric of this nation.  

Religion and Delusion

Yoga is the work of the devil, says Vatican's chief exorcist (and he doesn't like Harry Potter much either)

• And you'll never guess what his favourite film is...

By Nick Pisa  at Mail Online.com

Father Gabriel Amorth

Father Gabriel Amorth has carried out more than 70,000 exorcisms in his capacity as Chief Exorcist at the Vatican.

The 85-year-old can boast 25 years in the post after being appointed by the late Pope John Paul II.

At a conference today, he surprised the delegates by revealing some of his greatest dislikes - yoga and Harry Potter.

Father Amorth, a colourful and often outspoken personality, said:'Practising yoga brings evil as does reading Harry Potter. They may both seem innocuous but they both deal with magic and that leads to evil.'

He added:'Yoga is the Devil's work. You thing you are doing it for stretching your mind and body but it leads to Hinduism. All these oriental religions are based on the false belief of reincarnation.'

Father Amorth, speaking on the subject of People And Religion at a fringe event at the Umbria Film Festival in Terni, spoke of his distaste for JK Rowling's young wizard.

He said:'People think it is an innocuous book for children but it's about magic and that leads to evil. In Harry Potter the Devil is at work in a cunning and crafty way, he is using his extraordinary powers of magic and evil.

"Satan is always hidden and the thing he desires more than anything is for people to believe he does not exist. He studies each and everyone of us and our tendencies towards good and evil and then he tempts us.

My advice to young people would be to watch out for nightclubs because the path is always the same: alcohol, sex, drugs and Satanic sects."

To read the entire article click here.  

Robertson: Is Mac and Cheese a "Black Thing"?

Pat Robertson seems to be afflicted with outright stupidity; its virulency equally visible in his multitude of followers. To this day I have yet to hear him utter an intelligent word, and I sincerely doubt he has the requisite faculties to do so.   

Self-righteousness and Parsimony

Waiter's Phony $10 Tip Includes Religious Lesson

By Claire Gordon at Daily Finance     

A $10 bill is a joyful sight for a server. But when one waiter went to retrieve such a note out from under a diner's plate recently, he reportedly noticed something curious. The tip it provided wasn't monetary, but took the form of advice. "SOME THINGS ARE BETTER THAN MONEY," it said on the back, "like your eternal salvation, that was brought and paid for by Jesus going to the cross."

The waiter, who makes $2.65 base pay an hour, didn't take well to getting so self-righteously stiffed. He posted photographs of the scene to the social newspaper Reddit, and wrote: "P.S. I have never been more atheist." "That's not very christian like behavior..." wrote one commentator.

But while that behavior certainly isn't the rule among Christians, it also isn't necessarily an exception. One waiter complained about the proffering of fake scripture-laden bills as tips on the "Friendly Atheist" blog in January 2009.

These phony bills appeared at least as far back as the summer of 2006, at the Southern Baptist Convention Annual Meeting in Greensboro, N.C. One blogger tells of going to a restaurant then and speaking to a waitress who was on the verge of tears. The convention attendees had been atrocious with their tipping, she said, but very generous with Bible verses and phony money.

"She asked us if we knew what it felt like to pick up what you thought was a great tip, only to find out that it was not real, and that the patron had actually been a cheapskate, after she served them well?"

The read the entire article click here.

When a Culture is Void of Morality and Ethics

Afghan woman's choice: 12 years in jail or marry her rapist and risk death

By Nick Paton Walsh and Masoud Popalza, CNN

Kabul (CNN) -- The ordeal of Gulnaz did not simply begin and end with the physical attack of her rape. The rape began a years-long nightmare of further pain, culminating in an awful choice she must now make.

Even two years later, Gulnaz remembers the smell and state of her rapist's clothes when he came into the house when her mother left for a brief visit to the hospital.

"He had filthy clothes on as he does metal and construction work. When my mother went out, he came into my house and he closed doors and windows. I started screaming, but he shut me up by putting his hands on my mouth," she said.

The rapist was her cousin's husband.

"I started screaming, but he shut me up by putting his hands on my mouth." Gulnaz 

After the attack, she hid what happened as long as she could. But soon she began vomiting in the mornings and showing signs of pregnancy. It was her attacker's child.

In Afghanistan, this brought her not sympathy, but prosecution. Aged just 19, she was found guilty by the courts of sex outside of marriage -- adultery -- and sentenced to twelve years in jail.

Now inside Kabul's Badam Bagh jail, she and her child are serving her sentence together.

Sitting with the baby in her lap, her face carefully covered, she explains the only choice she has that would end her incarceration.

The only way around the dishonor of rape, or adultery in the eyes of Afghans, is to marry her attacker. This will, in the eyes of some, give her child a family and restore her honor.

To read the entire story click here.  

The Politics of Religion

Religious Lobbying Groups Have Dramatically Increased In Washington: Study

by Jaweed Kaleem

With heated nation-wide arguments in recent years over issues ranging from same-sex marriage to abortion rights, it's no secret that religious organizations play a significant role in influencing the nation's policies.

Now, a new study shows just how big and expansive the "religious lobby" has become.

According to a study released Monday by the Pew Research Center's Forum on Religion & Public Life, religious lobbying and religion-related advocacy organizations have grown fivefold, from less than 40 in 1970 to more than 200 today. The organizations, which range from the influential United States Conference of Catholic Bishops to smaller Hindu and Sikh organizations, together spend $390 million per year advocating on about 300 domestic and international issues, from bioethics and moral issues to economic and poverty concerns.

Lobbying for the Faithful: Religious Advocacy Groups in Washington, D.C. looked at 212 religion-related organizations that work in the nation's capital and collectively employ 1,000 people in the Washington, D.C. area. The study used tax and nonprofit filings by the organizations, some of which are registered as lobbying groups and others which do broader advocacy efforts, to come to its findings.

Click here to read the entire article.