NEON GODS

Catholic Church threatens to stop helping DC's poor unless they get their way

In a surprisingly bold and seemingly unbiblical move, the Catholic Archdiocese of Washington is threatening to discontinue its social support for nearly 70,000 people -- including a third of Washington's homeless -- because of its opposition to a proposed same-sex marriage bill.

They claim it's because if the bill passes they will be required to treat gay employees the same as strait employees.

Way to go Catholic Church!  Even though the Bible is far clearer about the evils of divorce than being gay, the Catholics are willing to jettison 70,000 poor people to show their displeasure at the DC government.

Tell me again why we exempt this church from taxes?

--Trakker

Fear Alert: Cultural nihilists are sabotaging America!!

This religious/cultural rant is probably the stupidest and most offensive I've seen posted on a supposedly respected news outlet (Washington Post/Newsweek) in the past few years.  This man (Bill Donohue) has clearly lost it!

Take a look at his first few sentences:

There are many ways cultural nihilists are busy trying to sabotage America these days: multiculturalism is used as a club to beat down Western civilization in the classroom; sexual libertines seek to upend the cultural order by attacking religion; artists use their artistic freedoms to mock Christianity; Hollywood relentlessly insults people of faith; activist left-wing legal groups try to scrub society free of the public expression of religion; ...

I bolded some words to emphasize Donohue's technique.  Christian fundamentalists can't win with logic so they must use bombastic tactics to frighten the ignorant.

Also check out the way he describes the people he is warning about.  He calls them nihilists.  Nihilism is defined as 1) the belief that nothing has any meaning or value, and 2) the idea that all social and political institutions should be destroyed.  Take your pick, but he's clearly over the top here.

I wish he would explain how is America in any way threatened with destruction if multiculturalism is taught in the classroom?  I suspect Donohue doesn't even know what multiculturalism is (or, more likely assumes his readers don't know).  I assume what he means is that school kids should ONLY be taught about white Christian European cultures and how they influenced America.  Evidently every other culture in the world is crap and should be ignored because they might pollute little kids minds.

I'm also confused how America is "sabotaged" by "sexual libertines" (if only!) attacking religion or artists mocking Christianity?  If Donohue believes all Americans are required to adhere to a religion and that mocking Christianity is illegal, he should come right out and say it, and quote the appropriate sections of the Constitution and/or laws to support it.

Lets face it.  Christian fundamentalists live in perpetual fear that sentient beings with IQs exceeding 90 will realize what they are selling is nothing more than a massive hoax and they will be laughed at.  If there is a real Jesus/God, and he is all powerful, as they try to convince us, why should they worry about atheists, communists, socialists, sexual libertines or whatnot?  Really, why?

I love the way Donohue ends his rant:

The culture war is up for grabs. The good news is that religious conservatives continue to breed like rabbits, while secular saboteurs have shut down: they're too busy walking their dogs, going to bathhouses and aborting their kids. Time, it seems, is on the side of the angels.

Ha,ha.  Christians will win this fight, not because their God is supreme, but because they breed like rabbits.  Ya' gotta' love them religious nuts!  They never disappoint...

--Trakker

"The God to whom they devoted such a large portion of their lives could do nothing to prevent it..."

"When faith serves no practical purpose, when even those with the most faith are at risk of being slapped down like this, I see no reason for faith. A greater purpose? Bullshit. For this man, there was no greater purpose than his children; now they are fatherless. The God to whom they devoted such a large portion of their lives could do nothing to prevent it; their personal relationship with Jesus Christ afforded them no protections. Perhaps they are wiser. But all I can think about is: There is no justice in the world. And how, then, can I believe in a just God?"

A dissenting email to blogger Andrew Sullivan, who is a devout Catholic.  For context read the entire email.

These are the things our clergy cannot answer satisfactorily.  They say God moves in mysterious ways.  Why would he do that?  Killing a devout believer and leaving his children fatherless, and somehow we're supposed to continue to trust him and continue worshiping him.  Isn't this a bit ridiculous?

This is just one of many aspects of Christianity that just don't make sense, many are even perverse (bountiful records of priest buggering kids and nuns abusing orphans and others placed in their care - this has been going on for centuries and yet God does nothing to protect those poor children).

--Trakker

Life isn't supposed to be easy and if God wants us to suffer, well , it's for a good reason.

[Recently on the]Rachel Maddow Show, Maddow took viewers through what she called a "magic map trick," in which she crunched the numbers on a handful of health-care statistics, such as teenage pregnancy rates, infant birth weight, premature births and infant mortality.

Her findings? At the tail end of all of these quality-of-life measures are various Southern states. And the worst among them? Mississippi and South Carolina!

Okay, no big surprise, right?  The South has a reputation for poor services for their citizens.  They also happen to be the states whose members of Congress fight hardest to defeat any government program that would benefit their citizens.

Why? Why would people in the South vehemently oppose government programs that would help themselves and their children live a better life?  It seems pretty stupid, doesn't it?  But I suspect this is a result of complicated mix of a) mistrust of government, b) a feeling that we are responsible for ourselves and no one else, and c) a feeling that God is in control of our lives and if he wants you to be sick or to suffer it is for a good reason.

I'm reading Rick Perlstein's book about Barry Goldwater ("Before the Storm") and I was struck by something Goldwater once said to his conservative audience.  He said 'life isn't supposed to be easy'.  I think that a lot of conservatives still think that way.  It's the old pioneer spirit: packing up and going west wasn't easy but our ancestors didn't let that stop them and look at what a great country we are because of their gutsy determination.  That's a myth of course.  Pioneers didn't go west to make this a great country, most went west for personal gain.  Many were failures at home and thought that moving to a new location would solve their problems.  Many were lured west by misleading information or even outright lies.  Back then men made those kind of decisions for the family and women and children were obliged to follow.  Many died.

Who decreed that life isn't supposed to be easy?  Life isn't easy for most of us.  It seems only logical that we should try to make it easier when we can.  Granted, hardships do encourage creativity and new ideas, and even build our confidence, but there are other endeavors that also encourage creativity and build confidence: music, sports, writing, etc.  It makes me cringe when I hear people say life isn't supposed to be easy and use their personal belief to block bills that would help others who are truly suffering,

--Trakker

This is what we fought for in Iraq?

Religion is SO uplifting, isn't it?  And yes, many Christians have the same feelings towards these victims and if we were a Christian theocracy, as many on the right desire, we might see scenes like this too.

--Trakker

Christians Want to Defeat Health Care Reform?

Surprise, Surprise!  Christians hate health care reform.  They oppose it and want it defeated.

Actually they are just too stupid to realize that their "leaders" are just using this issue as a way to revive the religious right movement and pick the pockets of the faithful. 

"Nancy Pelosi and Harry Reid and Henry Waxman have done more to energize Christian conservatives than any conservative leader could have done with this health-care package," said Richard Land, president of the Southern Baptist's Ethics and Religious Liberty Commission.

Yeah, the Southern Baptists, which probably have more uninsured members than most religious groups, oppose health care reform.  With so many people working so hard to turn this country into an impoverished third world nation, it's just a matter of time...

--Trakker

Should churches be exempt from taxes? Why?

When my son, Jeff, and I go out for pizza we often follow it up with a ride up New Hampshire Ave. from the pizza parlor in Colesville.  New Hampshire Avenue, from the Beltway into the outer suburbs probably has more churches per mile than almost any street in America.  Many are quite large and beautiful, like Our Lady of Vietnam Catholic Church, the Cambodian Bhuddhist Society temple, St. Andrews Ukrainian Orthodox church, and the picturesque Holy Trinity Ukrainian Catholic Church built in the style of churches in the Hutzul region of the Carpathian Mountains, not to mention scores of large and small more traditional churches.  Most of these churches are built on large tracts of land, and all of them are exempt from property taxes.

Jeff and I often talk about the property tax exemption for religious property as we drive by these huge, expensive (and expansive) properties, and the effect it has on the property taxes the rest of us pay.  It seems to me this is a clear example of government support of religion.  What is the logic behind exempting religious groups who can afford to buy large plots of land and build huge, ornate buildings, many of which are used for only a few hours a week? 

The Rochester (NY) Democrat and Chronicle did an in-depth study of the tax exemptions for churches in surrounding Monroe County.

At 5,400 square feet with meticulously manicured grounds, a three-car garage and four soaring white pillars gracing its porch, the house on D'Angelo Drive is remarkable even by the standards of its affluent Penfield neighborhood.

But it also stands out because it is exempt from property taxes as the parsonage for a church nearly 12 miles away in an impoverished section of northeast Rochester. Owned by New Born Fellowship Church, the parsonage is valued at $595,000 and is the residence of the church's husband-and-wife founders and pastors, the Rev. Warren and Perdita Meeks, who bought it in 2006 for $542,550 and deeded it to the church for $1 nine months later.

This is an example of what can happen.

The property transfer saved the Meekses, who records show still hold the mortgage on the house, $19,670 in taxes annually, and the legal settlement between the church and town made the parsonage by far the most expensive in the county.

More,

In Monroe County, the value of properties exempted from taxes for religious purposes totaled nearly $756 million in 2008, the last year for which complete data is available. While most are traditional houses of worship, the tax-free properties included vacant land held for years by churches miles away and houses considered parsonages for churches that hold no other property, a Democrat and Chronicle examination of tax rolls found.

This represents nearly 2% of Monroe County's total property tax base.  While 2% doesn't sound like much, it totaled up to about $6,800,000 in lost tax revenue for the County last year.  Why?

--Trakker

Defacing the United States Capitol Visitor Center

This news item really pisses me off!

A California Republican congressman wants to do a little writing on the walls of Washington's newest federal building. If Rep. Dan Lungren gets his way, Congress will spend nearly $100,000 to engrave the words "In God We Trust" and the Pledge of Allegiance in prominent spots at the Capitol Visitor Center. [...]

Lungren said that the phrase "In God We Trust" had a long history and was consistent with the beliefs of America's founding fathers. He also said that the Declaration of Independence referred to rights given by a creator..."What we're doing is making a specific historical reference to the beginnings of this republic," he said. "To ignore this or to forbid this statement or something like it to appear is to distort history. . . . We're not trying to change history. We're trying to enshrine history in the Capitol Visitor Center."

Lungren cleverly omits the fact that "In God We Trust" didn't become our national motto until 1956!  Some history.

Okay, if we're enshrining "history" in the Visitor's Center regardless of who it offends then let's also engrave an encapsulation of Article 1, Section 2, Paragraph 3 of the United States Constitution:

Black African slaves are to be considered 3/5 of a person.

At the very least, if the courts find that "In God We Trust" is historical, not religious, then it's important that the preamble to Article 11 of the 1796 Treaty of Tripoli be engraved just below it in the same size type:

As the Government of the United States of America is not, in any sense, founded on the Christian religion...

Fortunately, the Freedom From Religion Foundation is suing to prevent "In God We Trust" from being added to the Visitor's Center.

The Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation Inc. sued this week to stop the engraving, accusing Lungren of trying to force his religious beliefs on as many as 15 percent of all U.S. adults. That comprises "atheists, agnostics, skeptics and freethinkers, none of whom possess a belief in a god," according to the lawsuit.

"It really is a Judeo-Christian endorsement by our government, and so Lungren is wrong," said Dan Barker of Madison, Wis., a co-president of the foundation. "Lungren and others are pro-religious, and they want to actually use the machinery of government to promote their particular private religious views. That is unconstitutional, and that's what we're asking the court to decide."

Please consider contributing to the Freedom From Religion Foundation to help them fund this important lawsuit.  I think this even has a chance of being successful.

--Trakker

The Weirdness on the Right

The thing that really annoys me about fundamentalist Christians is their persecution complex.  They love feeling persecuted, they revel in it, they use it to turn religion into a us vs. them battle with anyone who criticizes them.

Even though 80% of the people in the U.S. identify themselves as Christian, they constantly whine about how persecuted they are whenever they don't get their way.

Then they make these outrageous claims, like the earth is only 6,000 years old, that humans and all the animals were made by God instantly 6,000 or so years ago, and that dinosaurs and humans were alive at the same time.  These claims have been disproved so often and with so much certainty that the only thing we can do is laugh at them.  We react to them the same way we would react to someone who claims the moon is hollow and has a light inside which is what makes it glow at night.

But when we laugh at the fundamentalists they respond that we are anti-Christian, anti-God, and anti-American, and that we are persecuting them.

The same thing is happening in the Republican party.  Sarah Palin is now the most popular politician in the party today.  Anyone with a lick of sense knows she is shallow, that she constantly lies and distorts the truth,  that she is poorly educated, can't string coherent sentences together, knows very little about foreign policy, and knows very little about the organization of the federal government or how it works.  In short, she would be a disastrous President, and yet the stupider she acts the more the base of the Republican party loves her.

I've been wanting to write about this weirdness, but today Franck Rich beat me to it and did it so much better than I.  To get a sense of today's Republican party, be sure to read his column.  He nails it!

Bottom line:

[Sarah Palin] stands for a genuine movement: a dwindling white nonurban America that is aflame with grievances and awash in self-pity as the country hurtles into the 21st century and leaves it behind.

This is today's Republican party.  It is in full self-destruct mode, but don't laugh, these people are not only angry and well armed, they are absolutely convinced that they are the only true Americans left and that they have a duty to save this country from the secular, brown-skinned, socialist interlopers who are stealing their heritage.  In other words, they are potentially dangerous.  Hopefully they will release much their anger and frustration in demonstrations like the tea parties, but it's also possible that the tea parties will act as catalysts to turn anger into action, possibly violence.

--Trakker

"The only source of love on earth is human empathy."

In 2006 an off-duty NYPD officer with a gun was mistakenly shot by another officer.  His fellow officers were devestated and some kept a vigil at the hospital where the wounder officer had been taken.

As the New York Daily news wrote at the time,

On learning that [Officer Eric] Hernandez had been shot, the entire [precinct] football team assembled at St. Barnabas Hospital. They kept a vigil day after day, but all their prayers could not save him.

Recently Secular Right, a conservative atheist, wrote about the phrase, "but all their prayers could not save him."

Isn’t it the least bit puzzling to believers why some prayers get answered and others don’t?

...who can possibly imagine a reason why God wouldn’t respond to prayers to save an officer’s life, but would respond to the petitions that we are regularly told have produced a divine affirmative—to get someone out of debt, say, or to cure someone of illness?

This has always bothered me, even back when I was still a believer.   Why were some people's prayer's answered and others, good people praying for the same thing, weren't.  I believe even the most ardent believer would admit that there is no consistancy in the way God answers prayer.  Why?

I take it that believers do not ascribe such inconsistent results to capriciousness on God’s part, but rather to their own limited capacities to understand God’s ways:  “Thy Will be done.”  But why continue directing any psychic energy to a being so lacking in sympathetic correspondence to human needs and values.  It will not do to say: “God does respond to our prayers, but in ways that we cannot fathom.”  Saving a child from cancer and letting a child die from cancer cannot both be a sympathetic response to prayer; if we had wanted a stricken child to die in order to secure an earlier entry to heaven, we would have said so.  And if premature death from cancer is such a boon, why doesn’t a loving God provide it to one and all?

It is humans who work with passion and commitment every day to try to save their fellows (and a range of other creatures)  from suffering and sorrow.  Emergency room medicine is constantly evolving to try to ensure that gun shot victims and people crushed by cars survive.  Doctors and hospital staff work frantically throughout the night to try to revive a failing heart or a shattered brain.  They do so out of love and compassion, while God, who could restart an exhausted heart in an instant, demurs.  The only source of love on earth is human empathy.  Transferring our own admirable traits onto a constructed deity just obscures the real human condition: we are all we have, but that is saying a lot.

Pastors and other religious leaders can't answer this obvious discrepancy so they have devised various strategies to deflect people's normal tendency to question inconsistencies, "We cannnot question God" or "God works in mysterious ways."  My question is, why would God work in a mysterious way? 

What would you call a father who could save a daughter from drowning but doesn't, or who gives one pre-teen child a generous weekly allowance but makes his other pre-teen children work for their meals?  We all know that one important key to being a good parent is consistency.  Would such a father be worthy of praise, much less worship?

[h/t Daily Dish]

--Trakker