bible belt

Kentucky Calls Upon God to Protect Homeland

A 2006 piece of homeland security legislation passed by the Kentucky legislature stressed God’s role in protecting the state from evil-doers. The legislation contains a clause the dictates that a plaque be posted in the Office of Homeland Security that states that the state’s safety “cannot be achieved apart from reliance upon Almighty God.”

American Atheists has filed a lawsuit seeking to remove the offending verbiage. I don’t really care to discuss the actual legislation. What bothers me more are some of the comments posted by viewers of the WKYT website on this particular story.

Check out some of the bits of wisdom from the loving citizens of Kentucky:

This is Proposition 8 all over again. It isn’t a matter of 10% controlling the laws. It’s about 90% remembering that the 10% does, in fact, EXIST. We’ll work on respect for the 10% later. I’ll be satisfied with a recognition of existence for now. (Odd, huh? An atheist seeking recognition of existence.)

I don’t even have words.

Will it?

That’s interesting. I have a quote from Thomas Jefferson that says, “Shake off all fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God, because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.” What about one by James Madison that asks and answers an important question, “What has been Christianity’s fruits? Superstition, Bigotry and Persecution.”

I’ll leave you with that one. Please visit the site and read some more of the comments. Feel free to post a comment with your favorite reader nonsense.

Sen. Dole (R-NC) Vilifies Atheists in Campaign Ad

UPDATE: Democratic challenger Kay Hagan defeated Libby Dole. Thankfully, the residents of North Carolina saw through the BS and recognized Dole’s ad for what it was: unfounded, bigoted tripe.

George H.W. Bush’s now-infamous quote regarding the patriotism of atheists is old news for most. At a 1987 campaign stop in Chicago, Bush 41 made a disgusting statement that should be offensive not only to atheists, but to theists as well. The shocking amount of judgment that he passed on an entire group of people should have been a career-ending soundbyte. Unfortunately, Americans were more disgusted by Michael Dukakis with a goofy helmet in a tank than this bigoted quote by the (then) Vice President of the United States. Here is the text of the statement:

Sherman: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?

Bush: I guess I’m pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.

Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?

Bush: No, I don’t know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.

Sherman (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?

Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I’m just not very high on atheists.

It’s no secret that atheists are the most reviled minority in the United States. It’s no surprise that there are very few atheist elected officials in this country. So it certainly comes as no surprise when Senator Elizabeth Dole runs an attack ad attempting to draw a connection between her opponent, Kay Hagan, and… dun dun dun… ATHEISTS!! Never mind that the ad is completely false. It is attempting to create guilt by association and make viewers question the judgment of the opposing candidate simply because she may have known some atheists. I thought it was bad that most other attack ads focusing on guilt by association had to do with terrorists; I never thought I would be a member of a group referenced in one.

Check out the ad below before the cease and desist order goes through. While I don’t think that attempting to tie someone to atheists should be considered a defamation of character, insinuating that a candidate makes the quote at the end of the video when she did not, is a misrepresentation of the truth (a.k.a. LIE). If the video is taken down, I’m sure it will pop up somewhere else on YouTube. I’ll fix the link if and when that happens.

Reason to Be Ashamed of the South #23

Walk through the parted waters while following a pillar of fire, just like it never happened in the Bible.As if the Creation Museum didn’t do enough to brand America’s South as a religion-infested fundie haven, the proposed Bible Park USA near Murfreesboro, Tennessee will certainly sway those who have not taken sides.

This fun-filled attraction is currently pending approval by the Rutherford County Board of Commissioners. I can only hope the fun-loving gents and ladies of the board find it within themselves to deny the developer from moving forward with this travesty.

I sometimes question the need for such an attraction. With church camps and vacation bible schools to keep the kiddies in touch with Jeebus, would such a park even be relevant? Do parents realize that they are actively engaging their children in brainwashing activities? How many times must one hear about the parted waters, the pillar of fire, and the burning bush before they internalize it as steadfast truth?

Fundies oppose the presentation of evolution in a classroom because, if the children aren’t shown alternatives, they might accept it as absolute truth. Isn’t that what these people are doing by cramming the Christian belief system down their children’s throats from the earliest possible age?

As reported in the Murfreesboro Post, one of the county commissioners of Rutherford County who lives across from the proposed site said he’d rather have the theme park than 240 houses. Seriously? Think of the added traffic, noise, and local pollution said traffic will produce in your neighborhood. Balance that with the prospect of increased sales tax revenue, and see if you like the location now.

Either way, it’s not the location that bothers me, it’s the very existence of the park. Christians have more than enough things available to brainwash their kids without further muddying the reputation of the Bible Belt.