Zack Kopplin Gets It

When you see a stand you know needs to be taken, you have two options.  You can wait and hope someone does something.  Or you can do something yourself.  The first option is by far the easier one.  Doing something yourself is much harder, but it's also what gets results.

I would much rather not have to fight with religious people.  My preference would be to not counter protest anti-choice people^[1].  I would rather not constantly fight for science to be taught in science class instead of Creationism.  It's exhausting.

But the alternative is letting them win.  The alternative is giving (more) power to people like Rick Santorum & Pat Robertson.  The alternative is letting terrible laws like the Louisiana Science Education Act stand.

Zack Kopplin chose to do something about it.  However, that wasn't his first choice.

No one was more surprised of his becoming a science advocate than Kopplin himself. In fact, after writing his English paper in 2008 — when he was just 14-years-old — he assumed that someone else would publicly take on the law. But no one did.

Now the law has a chance to be repealed, thanks in large part to Kopplin's efforts.  Like other young atheist activists, he stood up for what was right.  And like the others, Christians have tried to vilify him for it.

His efforts, needless to say, have not gone unnoticed — particularly by his opponents. He's been called the Anti-Christ, a stooge of "godless liberal college professors," and was even accused of causing Hurricane Katrina. Kopplin cooly brushes these incidents aside, saying they're just silly distractions.

They are indeed silly distractions.  It's meant to distract from the real issue, their blatant violations of the Constitution.  It's meant to intimidate us into silence.  Good for Kopplin for recognizing this and keeping up the good fight.

Unfortunately, Texas might need even more of a fight.

(Found via @rdfrs)

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1.  They call themselves "Pro-Life", but we all know that's a canard, so I call them what they really are.  Anti-choice.

Twelve Apostates - Michael Newdow

Somehow, I made it to over 30 before I met another atheist (who I knew was atheist) in person.  I'm not sure how long I made it before discovering another person who was openly atheist at all, but I do know it was a very long time.  I later learned that one my closest friends since junior high was an atheist but hadn't said anything to me about until 18 years later, but that's a story for another day.

Even by the time I learned about the lawsuits Michael Newdow was filing  I didn't know about many atheists.  I had been an atheist my entire life, and the word atheist was still quite foreign to me.  I was barely even really that aware of the existence of other atheists.

I had long since stopped saying the Pledge, for two different reasons.  I didn't know the term "nationalism" then, but I apparently could recognize it when I saw it, and, to me, t felt creepy   

My other problem with the Pledge was the same problem most atheists have with it.  The phrase "under God".  Having learned about the Freedom of Religion, I knew religion and government were supposed to stay out of each other's business.  It bothered me, but I never did anything about it.

Michael Newdow did.  He sued to try force his daughter's school to do the right thing.  

He gave rational reasons for why he thought this fight was worth fighting and why he was on the right side of it.  But, like everyone else on the right side of this fight, he was vilified for it. 

He hasn't won the overall fight, but he hasn't stopped fighting it.  Among his other activities, he is currently on the Advisory Board for the Secular Coalition for America.  The Secular Coalition for America is fighting a fight that shouldn't even need to be fought, considering the answer is in the Constitution our opposition pretends to revere.  But I'm sure glad they're fighting it.

Their Religion Is Discrimination

Earlier this year, the Omaha City Council passed an ordinance to add sexual orientation and gender identity to the list of reasons people cannot legally be fired by their employers.  I was there that day, in support of the ordinance, because I happen to think discrimination is a bad thing.  Some Omaha Christians disagree.

Since it was passed, they've been working to undo it.  One of the groups behind this called the Nebraska Heritage Coalition.  They oppose these basic civil rights and have even succeeded in getting it reviewed by the Nebraska Legislature.

This is exactly what I meant when I said opposition to marriage equality is almost entirely religious.  Their very first  instruction on their page on the hearing tomorrow is to pray.

1.   Pray NOW – also about joining us at City Hall to “Watch & Pray”

• Pray for Divine intervention.

• Pray for God’s people to repent of apathy and our sins then rise up and publicly stand for righteousness.

• Pray that our leaders hear our testimony and fear God.

They go on to claim the ordinance's prohibition of discrimination is itself discrimination against their religious freedom.

Testimony should focus on: "Sexual orientation and gender identity are not civil rights issues." and/or that it that it also threatens our religious freedoms.

...

 2.   This type of legislation, wherever passed, discriminates against many people of faith and threatens our religious liberties. 

• The First Amendment guarantees the free exercise of religion to individuals, not just to religious organizations. 

• This type of legislation violates separation of church and state as the state rules that selected aspects our faith to be “Hate Speech,” a violation of diversity, promoting a hostile environment, or in this case a violation of civil rights.

Apparently, creating a law that entirely ignores their religion is a violation of the Separation of Church and State.  Apparently, it's a violation of the Separation of Church to see hate speech and call it hate speech, even if someone wants to use their religion to justify it and pretend it's not hate speech.  Apparently, the rights of Christians are being violated unless we all conform to how they say we should live.

So remember, don't do what you think is right or what works for you.  Do exactly what these Christians say you should do.  Otherwise, you're an oppressive bigot who hates freedom.

Credit:  Progressive Oasis

Atheists Are Blockheads

Atheists are blockheads.  At least, we are according to Liberty Counsel.  Apparently only a blockhead would choose to uphold the Constitution, in their view.

Liberty Counsel has offered pro bono legal counsel and, if needed, legal defense to the Little Rock Superintendent of Schools and Agape Church to defend the right of students to attend the “Merry Christmas Charlie Brown” play at a local church.

Isn't that nice of them.  The organization who's goal is to push their religion wherever they can is being generous enough to defend the people who were pushing their religion.

 “Neither the school nor the church should back down. There is no constitutional violation when the Charlie Brown Christmas play is held off campus with parental consent. ‘Good grief,’ as Lucy would say. These atheists are ‘blockheads,’” said Mat Staver, Founder and Chairman of Liberty Counsel.

Except that it is a Constitutional violation.  It's a public school sending kids to a blatantly Christian event at a Christian church.  The notion that some kids could opt out doesn't make it any less unconstitutional.  It's still the government giving tacit endorsement of a religion.  I think we all know how the defenders of this transgression would react if they had instead gone to a Muslim or atheist event.

All the opt-out does is give them a way to pretend they're not actually in violation, while still being able to push their religion even more effectively as they could if it were mandatory.  With the opt-out, they get the added bonus of peer pressure and shame.  From the article about the incident:

While district officials tell Fox News that they don't see any controversy since trip attendance is voluntary, one displeased mother took the issue to the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, saying that she is reluctantly allowing her child to attend the performance for fear of being ridiculed or bullied otherwise.

It's not much of a freedom of choice when there's only one choice that won't result in negative consequences.  Although, I think everyone involved already knows that.  It's a pity that they care so little about the Constitution, that gives them the right practice to their religion as they please, that they are unwilling to respect the rights of the rest of us.  Luckily, atheists still give a damn about defending freedom.

Credit:  @americnhumanist

Heroes Take Many Forms

For years, I've heard hints of religious fundamentalism running rampant in the American military.  Beyond the forced prayer, I've seen accusations of promotions being withheld, less favored duties assigned, requests for help stonewalled.  This week, we got a solid example of this being highlighted by (former) West Point Cadet Blake Page, who has left West Point because of this discrimination and written about it on Huffington Post.

The core of his complaint comes down to this:

While there are certainly numerous problems with the developmental program at West Point and all service academies, the tipping point of my decision to resign was the realization that countless officers here and throughout the military are guilty of blatantly violating the oaths they swore to defend the Constitution. These men and women are criminals, complicit in light of day defiance of the Uniform Code of Military Justice through unconstitutional proselytism, discrimination against the non-religious and establishing formal policies to reward, encourage and even at times require sectarian religious participation. These transgressions are nearly always committed in the name of fundamentalist evangelical Christianity. The sparse leaders who object to these egregious violations are relegated to the position of silent bystanders, because they understand all too well the potential ramifications of publicly expressing their loyalty to the laws of our country. These are strong words that I do not use lightly, but after years of clear personal observation I am certain that they are true.

And he's right.  Putting religion into our military in such a manner is unconstitutional.  But the people doing it don't care.  I'm not sure even the ones who understand that they're violating the Constitution actually care that they are.  Good for Page for making such a big sacrifice in order to take a stand and call attention to such an egregious desecration of our Constitution and accompanying freedoms, by the very people who get the most credit for defending it, mostly because they are literally sworn to defend it.

And shame on every single member of our Armed Forces who cares more about pushing their religion than respecting the religion, or lack thereof, of their fellow soldiers.  They should be ashamed of themselves, and do not deserve the honor that normally, and otherwise deservedly, comes with their service to our country.

Credit:  @HuffPostRelig: & @ThinkAtheist