Gay Marriage Legal - So What's YOUR problem?

First and foremost, congratulations to the LGBTQ community in this landmark victory. It is not the final battle, but it is an important win in a tumultuous era of bigotry and intense political lobbying.

Let me start off with the ever-so-awful Mike Huckabee. Here are his pre-SCOTUS decision remarks on the matter of same-sex marriage (the law of the land now you uppity bitch!):

"For a lot of believers, the question comes, do we have civil disobedience, or do we have Biblical disobedience? For many of us, civil disobedience—when we believe that the civil government has acted outside of nature, and nature's god, outside of the bounds of the law, outside of the bounds of the Constitution—we believe that it's the right and the moral thing to do. Now I understand that's a very controversial thing to say. But Todd, what if no one had acted in disobedience to the Dred Scott decision of 1857? What if the entire country had capitulated to judicial tyranny and we just said that because the Supreme Court said in 1857 said that a black person wasn’t fully human—suppose we had accepted that, suppose Abraham Lincoln, our president, had accepted that, would that have been the right course of action? And I don't know of anyone, I mean seriously, I don't know of anyone who believes that the Supreme Court made the right decision in Dred Scott." - Mike Huckabee, June 2016

Yes, he went there. To slavery. To Dred Scott, which has part of it's opinion on the decision reading as such: 

"It would give to persons of the negro race, ...the right to enter every other State whenever they pleased, ...to sojourn there as long as they pleased, to go where they pleased ...the full liberty of speech in public and in private upon all subjects upon which its own citizens might speak; to hold public meetings upon political affairs, and to keep and carry arms wherever they went."

I actually am familiar with the case, and this was one in a slew where even the phrase "Separate but Equal" (Plessy v. Ferguson) were common.



Shuddering yet? Now, this is one of the main contentions I have with the average Christian. And no, I don't find Huckabee to be an exceptional one, he's rather awful and pious in his devotion.  The propensity to resort to other awful periods of American history to try to draw a parallel where one clearly does not exist. It's a common practice, deflection.

Now, onto the dissent of the average Christian. I know, you've all heard it by now but let's just have it in print here. This is crazy-ass Leviticus (the Book of) and his bat shit rationalization condemning same sex "relations".

"Leviticus 18:21 -22"- "And thou shalt not let any of thy seed pass through [the fire] to Molech, neither shalt thou profane the name of thy God: I [am] the LORD. Thou shalt not lie with mankind, as with womankind: it [is] abomination."



Molech (Moloch) worship was actually a relatively insane, child sacrifice by fire practice in African tribal practices,  as well as used by the Caananites, and Phoeinicians. So ok, no burning kids. How thoughtful of you there, Levi. Now the other half of this verse is the basis, whether they know it or not for the Christian outrage and counter-argument. Jesus Christ himself never mentions anything regarding homosexuality. This is the old Testament where presumably God is just yelling shit from the sky and hoping the one literate guy is taking dictation and take it well. God's secretaries were not allowed room for error. Oh wait, that free will thing would allow for it. Aww, fuck it.


Now, what the hell is the specific need for concern here? The logical fallacies, the simplistic and obvious to ones are likely related to procreation, piety and purity.

At the end of the day, same-sex marriage is now the law of the land. The whines, cries, and wails of the evangelical community, the average dissenter and the vehemently venomous will all wain into history no different than those who opposed de-segregation in schools in the South.


I want to thank all of my friends, readers and family who are on the right side of history. And I want to an extend an olive branch of diplomacy, tolerance and agreement to those who are, or were on the wrong side of it. There is no line in the sand to stand across any longer. We're now all on the same beach, and if you still have quarrel with that then your faith, as I always say, is a toxic one and no one has any good reason other than to justify hate to cling to this principle of it. Let the tide take you then. Progress does not look backward to see whom was left behind. But it travels at a pace that allows you to join it at your will, should you rescind your former biased and cherry-picked from the Bible feelings on this LAW you had.

Rationalizing the irrational

These were some of my replies to a Facebook conversation (obviously where the greatest minds meet for discourse) this morning, I had to share my replies to the claims of finding God a self-made journey as well as the validity of the Holy Bible (lulz) and other amazingly self-deceiving rebuttals. Below are my replies to the stronger of the believers replying:

 I don't understand how you find truth in something (Islam is a bigger offender) in a religion that subjugates women and condones slavery. Ignore the Old Testament all you want, it's there and if you don't follow the Bible you're simply a diet-Christian looking to cut and paste the parts of the Bible you find unsettling. 

And what 'truth' and 'way' were the half million people who died in the storm in the Philippines missing out on? I see only a planet Earth with two major plagues : humans, and their concocted beliefs to rationalize their fear of death. 

Then you believers say that you'll "pray for the victims" as if that is of ANY benefit. It's just a lazy way of showing little compassion. I'm sorry but the only real Christians in this world do good without expectations for eternal reward and go get their fucking hands dirty instead of preaching to their own choirs of the even less intelligent who rely on more formulated opinions of this perpetuated 2000 year old myth.

 It's a tax exempt, woman hating and oppressing male dominated scam. The answer to the creation of the universe is in a book written by sheep herders from 2000 years ago when only 2 percent of the population could read or write? There are currently over 5,700 religions or gods but Yea, the one Americans believe is the truth. Bullshit.

 I won't accept any of this spiritual journey self redemption nonsense on behalf of my dear friend Hannah who died from stage IV soft cell sarcoma within 3 months of diagnosis, the millions of children who starve daily and the Joel Osteen evangelical scum avoiding taxes and stealing from the poor under the guise of prosperity through prayer. Human action, not telepathy is the only way to take care of one another.


When implied that I am not "enlightened" -


 I have quite easily the most formulated and well-thought responses so to imply that I am less enlightened than someone who is again, using a book written by sheep-herding peasants who knew nothing of the world outside their tiny village as the reason for existing is utterly, utterly absurd and I doubt you'd listen to a sheep-herder nowadays give you very much advice on anything beyond sheep-herding. We all grew up in a DOMINANTLY Catholic neighorhood, dissent of the church is really something some of you have read for the frst time from me, and I know that for a fact. You were born into it no different than I was. Indoctrination in itself is evil and abusive. By the time I was reading at a 10th grade level in 4th grade I already knew there was no coherency and an abundance of similarity to the previous civilizations gods and goddesses. 

So tell me this, south side oppressed Catholics..what makes your religion different from the Mythology of the Greeks and Romans early on? As one of my favorite quotes says, 

"The religion of one age is the literary entertainment of the next". To imply that Christianity, Jesus Christ, Holy Spirit, God are all one and that every other religion is wrong and will have to answer to your god is 100% completely a SUPREMACIST attitude.

The Amazing Racists, coincidentally, also Conservative

I came across this amazing racist blog that ties the African-American urban community's struggle with violence as somehow to atheism. Yes, I can recall all the wailing family members shouting "oh Satan, why?!" and "Life has no meaning anyhow!" at crime scenes as family members are held back by police officers and tape amidst the flashes of sirens and the sight of blood stained pavement.

http://nikitas3.com/5164/atheist-monument-quotes-a-shocking-source/?utm_source=rss&utm_medium=rss&utm_campaign=atheist-monument-quotes-a-shocking-source

"And the more they love Obama and reject Christianity – in the black inner cities – the more murderous is the neighborhood"

Yes, this person actually said that.

My reply went something like this,

"Yes, all the Baptist Churches in the Englewood neighborhood here in Chicago are atheist covens, as well as all the Christian burials for the slain sons and daughters of economic oppression. We have a Jewish mayor, you know. If you rode through these areas you'd see there ARE NO JOBS, NO PLACES TO WORK, a broken transit system and an overall societal view that black people are lesser than we white folks.

I am going to post this, and expose you and I hope that you're flooded with black, white, latino Christians as well as the growing number of atheists out there to let you know you are a blatant racist, probably toiling in a haze of Rush Limbaugh soundbites in your heavily-armed fortress to keep out Obama's Gun Collection Agency. You are a blind, racist bigot using an errant pile of Iron Age literary garbage (Holy Bible) as a shield to protect you from those you are FORBIDDEN TO JUDGE ACCORDING TO THE SAME BOOK."

Scott Duke
(because Hajduk would be too hard to pronounce or read, I'm sure)

Other gems from this post include assertions like "Atheism is a rejection of any type of spiritual life in favor of only a material existence. Atheists are the ultimate materialists and they tout this, that we must live only for today and to heck with tomorrow. That is why atheism thrives in the world’s socialistic cities, which are the global home of unfettered materialism – jewelry, clothes, expensive cars, sumptuous residences, luxurious living, love of money etc. Atheist materialists are perpetually obsessed with more “things” and having more fun and pleasure."
I'm sorry but, if you even at a quick glance observe the super-rich of the Conservative, say, the Koch Bros. for instance, would they not be the absolute most gluttonous, materialistic scum of the Earth? That question is of course easily answered with a resounding "Yes.", just by their assumption that their wealth was so vast and powerful they could buy a campaign with Grover Norquist at the helm. But to further my counter-point I point you to another interesting fact about these uber-wealthy domineering maniacs, below.



"His collection of maritime memorabilia includes model ships, antique nautical instruments, and paintings of ships and seascapes.[7] A 2005 show at the Museum of Fine Arts in Boston featured his various collections, including both the America³ and the ship it defeated, Il Moro di Venezia, displayed on the front lawn. (Koch had bought Il Moro after the competition.) The show was also criticized, however, for glamorizing Koch at the expense of the museum's educational function. Koch had helped finance the show, including paying the cost to move the boats from Rhode Island.[15] He previously owned the former French Class America F1 - IACC F1 renamed later USA-2.


The boats were in Rhode Island because Koch had placed them with a small maritime museum there. Despite the considerable expense of building them, he said "they have absolutely no value" once their racing life is over.[16] Koch, a native of Wichita, Kansas, donated the ship he used in qualifying for the America's Cup races, The Jayhawk, to the Wichita Boathouse. He also supplied money for the city to use in repairing the yacht.[17]


On June 26, 2011, he purchased a 130-year-old photo of the legendary outlaw Billy the Kid for the amount of $2.1 million at a Denver auction. It is currently the only authenticated photo of the outlaw known to exist.[18]


At his Colorado ranch, Koch has a collection of military vehicles, including a M42 Duster antiaircraft gun."

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bill_Koch_(businessman)

Are any of you Conservatives reading wonder why you're ostensibly racist, bible-and-gun clinging hate-mongering, anti-choice, anti-gay, anti-science Fundamentalists? I find it strange that this collage of the rich and the "pulled up by the boot-straps" party has among it such insane writers. At the bottom of the blog there is a request for donation as well as a hope to making the blog the "#1 Conservative Blog" in the sphere.

Now, if this is just a very edgy staff member at The Onion toiling in ghost blogging as a Conservative racist demon then I will just ask that you read it objectively without judgement and again, assume safely this is a widespread mentality. Still reading out there, Oregon Paramilitary?

God, the Output Machine

A question I often pose to Christians is, why does this particular type of God have such an evident inability to  intervene in the matters of atrocity? I say "particular type" because it's easily observed such a God carries very specific traits. Pantheists are quick to point out it is only, and wholly love but if you examine the vengeful, and somewhat needy God of the Holy Bible you'll find outright anger, brutal punishment for seemingly benign activity and a blatant disregard for the suffering of children in particular.

This particular line of questioning and my own answers to said questions creates an interestingly-patterned God that is mostly capable of the materialization of something from nothing, creating intricate biological organisms (whether they function properly is of an entirely different line of discussion) and having a few instructions for the conveniently placed infamous couple Adam and Eve. It (I find calling god a "he" to be an absurd practice and incorrect term, strictly reserved for biological gender distinction) decides then in an entirely arbitrary manner, to then give birth to a son (that following this pattern of creation and logic, is also Adam and Eve's darker-skinned cousin) and send him off to eventually be killed for political reasons. Oh, and the very sin we were created with inherently. Why not just leave that part out and need cleansing? The world would probably be a better place if by this theological standard, there were no original sin. If you're reading by the way, God, please, impose your will somewhere on this madness in the Middle East, eh?

God then, after this wonderful line of miracles, psychotic and irreverent babbling, rampant disease, famine, superstition and fear, more or less disappears from the equation after the death of the Christ. Kind of God's way of saying "hey man, he said a few things here and there, that's allllll you on the listening department to catch that. I mean, I gotta listen to you guys all the time!" Well sure then, we'll go along with that line of thinking as absurd as that is for the moment being as some several million people do regularly in practice.

After the time of Christ then and the story of him becoming widespread through totally non-violent, polite, non-invasive, TOTALLY NO CRUSADING HERE INVOLVED we are left with a story about a God who created everything, including creation itself (I include that often to try to draw out someone who can explain why God is all output, with no reciprocation or further involvement) and then more or less stood back and watched his own creations do what they do, and still do to this day, based on literary instructions in a far, far less advanced times. Imagine going to read a wall in a cave in Peru to figure out how to get your espresso maker to work. That's it on, or around the area that the Christian-understood God that he operates. Non-interventionist, despite his most professed creations such as Israel and the United States are complete interventionists.

I am honestly left with again, no other conclusion other than there is no such being that exists, and the above example is just yet another reason the story and method of operation this particular god (of thousands) tends to express it's own existence.

The 12 year old atheist, or, how I became.

First, I'd like to apologize to absolutely no one for not writing in here for a while. I DO enjoy the medium of Facebook to express my views on atheism much better. For one, it allows me to address the theistic demographic more easily. Or as my younger brother so eloquently put it "marginalize my friends and family with a liberal atheist rant.", which I found to be a quite magical summary of my preferred tactic. Bravo, Mark.

I was raised on the south side of Chicago in what is considered the "East Side" neighborhood. To pinpoint an ethnic makeup in the late 80's would be difficult as the neighborhood had integrated to include Irish, Italian, Polish to Mexican, and Puerto Rican alongside the families that had originally settled in the area. The area was rife with Catholic churches. My brother, sister and I were raised geographically-conveniently Catholic. I was baptized at St. Francis DeSales, and confirmed at Annunciata. Now, before I proceed I want to point out that as a personality trait (or perhaps, flaw) I have inattentive-typed attention deficit disorder. Which quite obviously makes sitting through the unbearably lengthy and ritualistic ceremonies Catholics so seemingly adore that much more excruciating. It was in those pews that I began to understand that the sitting, standing, kneeling all felt relatively absurd when examined by even a 9 year old's curiosity. When I would actually pay attention long enough to the more critical and darker tones of some of the sermons such as immorality it shook deeply within me that this was yet another figure of authority with absolutely no terms of negotiation. All, or nothing. Believe, or burn. I went to CCD there, and at some point for whatever ever expense related reason, ended up at Annunciata about a mile and a half away around 6th grade.

It was in this CCD class that something happened for the first time - a usually annoying, inane question that children spew with shameless frivolity was absolute truth to me. It went something like this.

Student - "Teacher, what happens to babies who die before they are baptized?"(Perfectly logical line of questioning)

Teacher - LITERAL ANSWER - "They go to a place like purgatory, or limbo."



I cannot remember my specific line of inquiry following what turned out to be nearly the most insane thing I have ever heard a religious person say. Needless to say, my already deeply-seeded annoyance and lack of respect for absolute authority had shattered into absolute nothingness. The concept that not only such a God would have such systems in place, but that they had been taught for so long, to so many...and those beside me as well stood united in that belief.

I had already been quite fascinated by the mythology of Greece as a young child (thanks CPS for your limited library budget!), and always wondered to myself why their gods were no longer worshiped. After drawing the parallel between the cruelty of all of the considered gods in question it was just simple logical deduction, even at my age, that no such god could exist. The god we seem to all speak of, and know of seems to sound a LOT like the male authority figures who have shaped civilizations and destroyed them alike. There is no god, only us and our gods we need to hope for more than what we already have.

I prefer to enjoy exactly the here and now, hard as that may be sometimes. I'll get more into how heaven and hell are impractical and impossible in my next post, as well as the notion that dead souls would have to exist outside space and time and therefore technically not "waiting" for us anywhere.

Your quote of the post?

""We cannot say we know with certainty what will happen" to unbaptized babies, Father McPartlan said, "but we have good grounds to hope that God in his mercy and love looks after these children and brings them to salvation.""

http://www.catholic.org/international/international_story.php?id=21542

You aren't really Christian

Brief, but to the point.

No one in their right mind would believe that the "Rapture" is coming tomorrow, Family Radio/Mr. Camping is a fraudulent organization and he should be jailed for bilking his followers of so much money for such a horrendous message. That is logical enough, hopefully even for Christians.

I notice that Christians however, are quick to say that "only God knows when" the Rapture will occur. Does that not sound awfully convenient? Is that not phrased in such a manner that one will always be left guessing, trying to be on their best behavior for the ol' man in the sky and his "wrath"? I logically conclude this is but a means of control. I am going to enjoy my weekend, each day of it. I suggest you do too, and perhaps in the space below you can elaborate as to how your particular religion is any different from the previous civilizations and their absolute, living entities they worshiped, killed, and died for.