“Militant Secularisation” Lady Warsi

Whilst in hospital I always have my laptop with me.  Firstly it allows me to somehow still be connected to the “outside world,” secondly it keeps me away from boredom watching dvds or listening to music and thirdly, I do not have to spend £10 per day potentially for the tv next to my bed.  Instead I can just watch internet tv.  Notably, the bbc channels online.  So whilst watching bbc news I heard about this Lady Warsi speaking in front of an audience at the Vatican, so I obviously needed to search the internet for more information about this.  And the result:

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/13/militant-secularisation-christianity-lady-warsi

Her whole argument is that religion needs to be central to society and more important central in politics with the way Parliament and the Councils are run.

Religion is already central in society, its dividing us and causing us wars and conflict as we speak.  If British politics were to allow religion to take a central role in their jobs, then this will further fan the flames of religious conflict.  And make no mistake about it, when it comes down to it, religion causes conflict, it does not bring people together.

Let me explain this further, for example when religions fundraise, they do it in such a way that they purposefully exclude those that should not be recipients of their charity simply because of their different religious beliefs.  My school, St Josephs Catholic College, it would not allow us to fundraise for Cancer Research UK because it did not follow strict Catholic guidelines in its research!

As I travel about I find Muslim based charity shops with advertisements asking their community to raise money to help their own Muslim brothers or sisters.

Now do not misunderstand me, charity is right, it should be done.  But religion will only raise money for charity for “their own.”  They will not integrate with other religions to help each other.  They exclude all but their own to help.  It is “religious charity” but with strings attached.  WOW, what a show of love for another human being in need!

Religion is already participating in “militant secularisation” with each other!  Now we all know that politics is in its very nature divided, we add religion to the mix and it will be a tangled mess of epic proportions!  Religion in other words will muddy the waters.  It has no business in politics because it cannot do anything to improve it or bring anything useful to the table.  It will act to polarise opinions.

And I for one do not want religion to be involved in politics when it is based on superstition and a god that they cannot prove exists.  They base their evidence on feelings or faith.  Politics is based on evidence and reasoned arguments to make society a better place to live in.  Religion on the other hand does not make the world a good place to live in.  Where politics tries to bring society together creating laws and public services EVERYONE can use no matter what creed or religion, religion will cherry pick who will receive their charity!  We do not need politics to be such cherry pickers either.

This is what Lady Warsi is ultimately advocating though.  She believes that because England and Europe is founded on the christian religion, that this should be at the forefront of society and in the middle of the nature of politics.  That the christian religion has the right to be in the centre of politics and society.  This divine power that the christian religion claims to have and to be the source of thus dictates that they should have a part to control politics and thus society as a whole.

I will wipe her statement and arguments clean with one simple question, why can’t judaism be in the centre of politics and society?  By only allowing christianity to have control within the sphere of politics, you are yourself participating in your so called “militant secularisation” yourself by excluding other religions!  According to the bible, christianity came from judaism.  So actually it was judaism that was the foundational religion of Europe and England because without judaism, christianity would not have existed!

Furthermore, which branch of Christianity should take such a place in the centre of politics and society, should it be the catholics, protestants, church of england etc?  Lady Warsi has taken such a basic stance on something so complex, by all such appearances how naive!

But how does the Vatican obviously respond to this blatant pandering to their religious desires of dominance and power of politics and society?  Its not really much of a surprise to be honest………below, is a link to the article called “Vatican welcomes Lady Warsi’s comments on ‘intolerant secularisation.’”

http://www.guardian.co.uk/politics/2012/feb/14/vatican-lady-warsi-intolerant-secularisation?intcmp=239

 

Ordinary British Citizens Fighting Against Religion

Seeing that I am currently in hospital (again) I have been on the internet just browsing around, on youtube watching some make up tutorials and reviews and being on Facebook.  But guess what I found along the way, I found two articles on The Guardian website that has made me really proud of the British atheist community.

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/10/christian-lose-appeal-gay-guests

http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/feb/10/prayers-ban-council-meetings-devon?INTCMP=SRCH

The second article does bear striking similarity as such to the Jessica Ahlquist fight against her school in America.  It is nice to know that there are people in England that too will fight for the separation of religion from the state and also fight against religion’s prejudices e.g. homosexuality, sex before marriage etc.

It is very striking that in both articles, the religious community are stating that it is they that are being victimised and sidelined in society, that they are not being treated fairly.  The whole point is that they can believe in whatever/whoever they want, but their religion has no place in British politics.  To be in politics you are representing a plurality of people that believe/not believe in different religions.  What your own personal beliefs are should not have any influence on your decisions in politics.  The decisions made should encompass as much of society as possible.  We all know where Tony Blair and George Bush ended up!

And they have no right to try to change what people want to do just because their actions do not fit in to what the religious believe.  Just like it is the law to not incite religious hatred towards another religion, there is another law that protects homosexuality that should also be observed and followed.  Just because homosexuality is deemed evil and immoral somehow in the bible does not mean that the law should reflect this.  NO!  Who is victimising and sidelining who now!?

No one follows the bible to its exact wording and laws.  The ones that they do not follow or believe in, they say things like, oh its supposed to be a metaphor or it made sense in their time but we have evolved since then.  If this is supposed to be the word of god then how could it be so malleable.

I do not want to come on so strong but I find that people that follow the bible are hypocrites.  The reason I think this is because they seem to cherry pick which ones to follow and which ones to be discarded.  Please see the link below, I was going to give you a list but this person has written it better than me to be fair!

http://www.bspcn.com/2009/06/23/11-things-the-bible-bans-but-you-do-anyway/

Now I have gone onto the Chymorvah Hotel website (the first example at the beginning of this post where the couple did not allow a homosexual couple to stay in the same room together).   I have had a look at their menu and my my my, what good Christians they REALLY are!  If they are a fan of such outdated beliefs as their lawyer’s defence was, then why in their menu do they offer (shock horror) BACON!!??

http://www.chymorvah.co.uk/menu.html

I do find it hypocritical also that they have put at the side of that page “There are no petty restrictions; you can come and go as you like – Chymorvah is your home while you are with us and our aim is to make your holiday one to remember.”  Yeah thats great, unless you are homosexual!

Now for the other story mentioned at the beginning where the prayers have been quite rightly banned from official council meetings here is the following:  (Matthew 22: 17 – 21) “Tell us, then, what you think. Is it lawful to pay taxes to Caesar, or not?” But Jesus, aware of their malice, said, “Why put me to the test, you hypocrites? Show me the coin for the tax.” And they brought him a denarius. And Jesus said to them, “Whose likeness and inscription is this?” They said, “Caesar’s.” Then he said to them, “Therefore render to Caesar the things that are Caesar’s, and to God the things that are God’s.”

The council is there to serve society, not god.  The church is there to serve god.  Jesus was able to distinguish between the two and advocate himself the separation of church from the state.  So these people wanting to have prayers in the council meetings are going against their dear sweet Jesus and his own words!

Both of the religious sides that lost in this case both screamed “discrimination!”  That their freedom of belief is being taken away, that their religion in society is being sidelined.  I say to them this, you want the courts to uphold and back your decisions to be discriminatory against those that do not believe or those that do not act accordingly to your own beliefs because you have some kind of divine backing.  You want the courts to add some legal weight behind your punches so to speak.  But religion will only allow the courts, the law of the land, to intervene when it will only benefit them, when it will only strengthen their own position.  How about letting the law of the land in to investigate and prosecute the priests that are sexually abusing young children!?  How about doing that!?

The religious – they hear what they want to hear, they choose to follow what they want to follow.  On the other hand, the British law does not cherry pick, it is more equal to everyone compared to the bible.  The law of the land is more unbiased than the bible.  Believe what you want to believe, but do not firstly try and force the belief on others and secondly do not try and force that belief on others by trying to infiltrate the state/politics.  If someone is not in the religious eyes a good person or not following the bible then what right do they have to try and force their beliefs, their opinions and their bible on to that person!?  Not only do the religious need to be considered fairly and have the right to believe, but the non-believers/atheists have the right to freedom from your beliefs and to be considered fairly also.

 

The Amazing Atheist Scandal

I have just read about what has happened with The Amazing Atheist!  And yes before you ask, I do live under a rock from time to time, its nice and warm and dark!  Ha ha ha!  Anyways, onto the more important stuff.  It is simple, telling anyone that they hope that they get raped is immoral, stupid and evil.  Being raped is having your freedom taken away from you on a deeply personal and physical level.  Your body has been stolen, it has been violated to its core.  The psychological damage is even worse.  Physical scars heal, the mind never forgets and in that respect, it never heals.  So before you wish such a destruction on someone else, first think if you would want that destruction to happen to you.

I would hope that those outside the atheist community do not look upon this numbskull as a representative of who we are and what we stand for.  For what this person said, he is inhumane and in the end most of all I pity him for his narrow-mindedness and sick mind/behaviour!

For those that do not know what this disgusting human being actually wrote, here is the piece of the most lowlife dialogue you will ever read……….

“Yeah. Well, you deserved it. So, fuck you. I hope it happens again soon. I’m tired of being treated like shit by you mean little cunts and then you using your rape as an excuse. Fuck you. I think we should give the guy who raped you a medal. I hope you fucking drown in rape semen, you ugly, mean-spirited cow. Actually, I don’t believe you were ever raped! What man would be tasteless enough to stick his dick into a human cesspool like you? Nice gif of a turd going into my mouth. Is that kind of like the way that rapists dick went in your pussy? Or did he use your asshole? Or was it both? Maybe you should think about it really hard for the next few hours. Relive it as much as possible. You know? Try to recall: was it my pussy or my ass?”

I cannot believe that this guy was the first person I watched and listened to online about atheism.  I have since “known better” and I unsubscribed from him a LOOOONG time ago.  I encourage everyone to stop watching him or following him on any social media available.  He should not be given then time of day when all he is doing is spreading vicious and nasty filth, and we as atheists are better than that kind of hatred.

Rant over!

 

A Note About Jessica Ahlquist

I received a request to create a post on here dedicated to Jessica Ahlquist.  For those who do not know this courageous lass, she was the girl who took her own school to court to take down a public prayer mureal and WON!  Since then, these “loving” christians have really shown their own brand of love towards her since then.  Please see the link below for more information.

http://hooglyboogly.co/2012/01/14/jessica-alquists-victory-against-christian-fascists/

I would detail the story here but I would just be repeating the hundreds of other blogs and websites that have chronicled Jessica’s fight for freedom from religion within the parameters of the state.  What I do want to comment on though is what can we learn from her positive actions for own own lives wherever we are in the world………..

For me after reading her story, it has taught me to be more fearless with my atheism.  After reading what she had done and what she did to get the end result, compared to her, I am not as fearless.  I sit behind my laptop and I write posts on my blog.  That is a safe path in a way.  And to be honest I thought I was being fearless when I started this blog.  But, I am protected, no one is physically going to jump out of my screen and throttle my throat in disagreement.  But what do I really do within my own community or my own life with my circle of friends or family to promote common sense, science and cold hard evidence?  Very little, only if I am confronted about it would I say anything.  In reflection maybe I am just avoiding having to say anything about my atheism unless I am confronted.  Is that a good thing with me not wanting to cause conflict?  But change is only created through conflict so really in retrospect, is it a bad thing that unless I am confronted my atheism stays quiet?  Either way what am I going to do to improve myself further?

Well knowledge is power, I am certain in my atheism, that I do not doubt.  But perhaps on hindsight, my arguments are weak.  I need to read more, absorb more information so I am armed with a bazooka rather than a pistol!  I would be interested in what you guys could recommend in the comments below

 

A Blatant Example of the Greed Inherent Within the Catholic Church

On Monday I met this little old Italian lady.  She and my mother were talking and she came on to talking about the local Italian club that is still active round here.  To my horror she said that a priest from Italy was coming over to attend this particular function at this Italian club and had instructed all members to donate money to him.  Not the church, but himself.  To make even more inappropriate and monstrous, he stated that he did not want donations in pound coins, 50p’s and what not, no, he went one better, he has demanded that all donations be in note form, so £5 notes, £10 notes so on and so forth.

The local Italian Club is made up of elderly members that do not have enough money as it is in this economic climate!  This Italian priest is literally coming over, taking their money and then going back home!  This is such a blatant act of greed through religious manipulation where not any donation from the goodness of your heart will do, no, they want MONEY!

“If you give me a pound coin, you will go to hell……If you give me a £10 note, you will be welcomed in the kingdom of god!”

Isn’t greed one of the seven acts of sin?  This church is swimming in the stuff!

 

The British Female Atheist Will Be On The Church Podium Tomorrow!

Even though I am a known atheist to my friends and family, it does not end the fact that they try and still include me in religious things.  I am sure there are people out there that may relate to that situation.  Somehow, they will never fully accept my non belief in their invisible god.

I have a funeral to attend tomorrow, it will be Roman Catholic and the best thing…..my uncle has asked me to do the reading at the mass!  Anyone else he could have chosen, but he decided to choose the only atheist in the family that he knows!  I do wonder why though, opinions welcome below in the comments section.

I treat the bible as some kind of storybook fiction, nothing more than that.  No divine truth is in the bible.  It is all false!

Inappropriate does not even cover it, but faced with the situation where he asked me direct, I did not have the heart to say no.  It is his mother’s funeral after all and in my own way, I suppose I have done it out of respect for my aunty and uncle.  They have never discriminated against me for my atheism.

I do find it some what comical that on the podium in “god’s house” there is going to be an atheist reading from his own “holy” book. I know better ways that this book could serve humanity but I will leave that to write about  for some other time!

I wonder if I could use that time to do some de-converting of my own!  Hear me brothers and sisters, walk to the light created by Science, common sense, logic and reason!!  What are your suggestions!?

 

 

Alexander Aan – Brave Atheist Warrior

I feel compelled to a big almighty rant here, just how poisonous does religion have to be until everyone realises that it is a force for evil?  It always has been and always will be.  An instrument of control over the mind and body of human beings.

For simply saying that you do not believe in god, literally uttering those words, does that really justify really having to lose your job and face up to five years in prison!?  Just because you say you do not believe in the invisible man in the sky!?  Can people just start to get real!?

Just because we are atheist, just because we do not submit to your dogma and ridiculous teachings does not mean that we then forgo our right to exist or forfit our basic human rights – freedom of speech and freedom to live our lives according to our own beliefs whether that be belief in god or not.

What, should we start putting people in jail and robbing away their own freedom to exist because they believe in a god!?  How ridiculous and inherently EVIL that sounds!  Now twist that round, how does it sound when I say that we should be putting people in prison because they are atheist?  If you think that atheist people should be locked up then I am happy and honest to state that you are a hypocrite!

I am so angry when I read stories like these when atheists are being persecuted for believing in reason, common sense and science above religion and superstition.  And lets not make any shortcuts here, this is PERSECUTION!

To the Indonesian government who is committing this travesty and endorsing this evil persecution towards atheism, release Alexander Aan immediately, without harm and without charges.  Furthermore, allow him to keep his job should he wish to continue with that job position and let him and other atheists within your country live free without the threat of persecution, job loss and prison sentence looming over them!

To Alexander Aan, you may not be able to read this or even find this post or my blog.  I do live on the other side of the world but I and the whole atheist community (from what I have read so far) are supporting you 100%.  I am outraged at the treatment you are receiving from religious people who claim to love but really do not know ultimately how to show compassion and understanding.  I am encouraged though to see the strength and courage you ultimately possessed when you chose to write those fateful words on Facebook.  ”Allah yoktur!”

 

All substance but no style?

I went to the hairdressers today, they did not ruin my length and my fringe is fine, but the way they blow dried and straightened my hair, literally the way they have styled it is just all wrong.  It got me to wondering, the evidence, our reasoning and common sense is concrete against religion and superstition, but is it the way that we are communicating such evidence, reasoning and common sense in the United Kingdom letting us down?

Listening to The Atheist Experience, they usually at least once each show have a religious fundamentalist on the show, and no matter what the hosts say, the fundamentalist still holds on to their superstitious belief.  The way I see it, what the hosts say should be like a chainsaw to their religion and at least start making them questioning such beliefs.  Why is this not happening more often?  Or is it and I am just not tuned in properly?

I am jealous of the American Atheist community.  They have atheist conventions that I could only dream of attending.  What do we need to do in Britain to ensure we have a once a year at least atheist convention of our own?  There is the British Humanist Association but again, here I feel is an example of all substance but no style.  It was only by accident that I found that this association actually existed.  It is not well known when really it should do in its fight for science and reason.  What can we do in Britain to make this Association more known and more prevalent here?

Yes we have the late Hitchens, Dawkins et al but they are in the corners of society here labelled “highly intelligent and non accessible” for the everyday Briton here.  As such, the lack of an atheist voice in everyday, normal society in Britain is really frustrating to me.

How else can we effectively remove religion’s clutches from society?  Is there anything else differently we can do to make our messages and evidence more effective?

 

The god-mother/god-father Conundrum

At the moment it just seems like I am having a bombardment of babies being thrown at me, just about EVERYONE is either pregnant or have just given birth!

One thing though that I am pondering is “god-fathers/god-mothers.”  Now I am not saying that one day I would definately be asked upon to be a god-mother.  I do not expect it.  But what if someone did ask me!?  Now I know I would say no, I could not be charged with the spiritual/religious upbringing of a child if somehow the parents die, I am a hard core atheist, but how do you say “no?”  How would I explain my reasons as to why I would say no without it being a throat cutting massacre!?

No I do not want to be a god-mother because I do not believe in God?  Is it that simple?  Could there be a kinder way of saying no?

 

 

10 + 1 Questions For You All!

I have eleven questions that I would like to share with everyone if you do not mind……….

If one of the ten commandments is not to worship any other gods, then why in his supposed wisdom did he not create hard, cold, 100% cannot argue against proof that he does exist?

If one of the ten commandments is not to make any idols, then why in his supposed wisdom did he not reveal to us what he looks like so that we know we are creating a statue of god correctly?

If one of the ten commandments is not to use the god name in vain, then why did he create the vocabulary of vain words that can be used against him?

If one of the ten commandments is to keep the sabbath holy, then why do we have more evidence and proof of the big bang theory rather than the creationism story that dictates that we rest on the seventh day?

If one of the ten commandments is to honour your father and mother, then why does it deny god’s other creations of lesbians and gays (adoption for example), why not it say “honour your two mothers/honour your two fathers?”

If one of the ten commandments is not to kill, then why in his supposed wisdom did he create killers with their reason to kill e.g. psycho illnesses?

If one of the ten commandments are to not worship any other god, then why do we not take it seriously when a person states that this god has spoken to them these days……..why consider them crazies?!

If one of the ten commandments are not to commit adultery, then why did god in his wisdom not create us with some kind of a programme to only be with one person for life….like the Emperor Penguins?! (Yes that is true, they only have one mate, look it up on Google!)

If one of the ten commandments are not to covet someone else’s belongings, then why did god in his wisdom create the emotion jealousy?

If one of the ten commandments are not to steal, then why in his supposed wisdom did he create the condition “Kleptomania!?”

And finally as a whole, with these ten commandments in his mind why did he not create us with the necessary programming so that we could follow these commandments without the “flaws” that ultimately he created us with?  Either this god has set us up to fail from the very beginning or this god was very incompetent when he was supposedly creating the human race!  Either way, it does not look or sound good!