Author Archive for Hemant MehtaPage 3 of 89

When the Second Child is Only the Beginning…

Published

Hemant Mehta

on February 1, 2012

Suppose you’re pregnant.

Suppose it’s your second child.

Suppose you tell a friend about it.

It’s going to be a boy. You already have a girl.

What’s the appropriate reaction from your friend?

Perhaps, “Congratulations! You have one of each now!”

Libby Anne comes from a Quiverfull family, though, and that reaction is far from normal in her world:

The assumption, of course, is that I’m done. I can’t tell you how often I get this. People find out I’m expecting, find out it’s a boy and that I already have a girl in preschool, and they assume I’m done. Two kids, one of each, the perfect American family. It’s not that I’m necessarily not done, it’s just that having been raised in a family influenced by the ideals of the Quiverfull movement, it’s hard to imagine actually thinking that way.
In a Quiverfull family, the second child is simply the second of many. The idea that it might be the last is laughable. That second child will be the second in a stair step line of children lined up to show off, the second in command when you leave the kids to run an errand, the second helper when new children arrive, and the second to use each homeschool textbook.

*Shudder*

At least Libby Anne is now out of the lifestyle. After the child is born, she can take all the maternity clothes and give them away, knowing this child will likely be her last. She’s broken the chain. It’s a happy ending.

Bible Man Better Be Able to Deflect Lawsuits

Published

Hemant Mehta

on February 1, 2012

For decades now, Horace Turner (a.k.a. “Bible Man”) has been making appearances in Jackson County elementary schools in Alabama. When the Freedom From Religion Foundation received a complaint from a local parent, they sent the school district a letter informing them of the problem and asking that they put a stop to the in-school proselytizing.

The FFRF complaint said that during the month of December an assembly held by “Bible Man” included a display with baby Jesus on it and that a talk was given regarding “Jesus’s birthday,” and that “Jesus died on the the cross for our sins.”

On Monday night, the Jackson County Board of Education discussed the FFRF letter. In the audience were over 100 churchgoers — and one state senator! — who didn’t even pretend to buy into church/state separation:

Pastor Brad Bridges [said], “We’re here today to make a show, say ‘hey Christianity is in and we love it. And our nation was founded on it.’”
…
While the complaint before the board cited violations of the constitution, State Senator Shadrack McGill says he doesn’t believe in separation of church and state.
“I don’t believe you keep God out of state. Church represents the body of Christ, Christ being the head of that body. No, I don’t believe in that separation,” said Sen. McGill.

Even the Superintendent joined in, admitting that Bible Man activities took place during the school day:

“The ‘Bible Man’ was part of my school time and my children’s school time,” said [Superintendent Ken] Harding.

So what did the school board do?

They look like a fair-minded, Constitution-savvy group...

They caved in to the will of the mob:

Once the board returned from executive session and announced that “Bible Man” would not be taken out of the schools, crowd members stood up and cheered.

Members of the church and school board say the assemblies are a choice, but when an assembly takes place during the school day — at an elementary schools, no less — kids are hardly aware of any other options they have. The school board made the wrong decision and they fully deserve any lawsuit coming their way.

(Thanks to Brian for the link)

Cranston School District Owes ACLU $173,000

Published

Hemant Mehta

on February 1, 2012

That’s the amount of money the Rhode Island ACLU has billed the Cranston School District for their court costs. And they’re being generous:

In a release, Steve Brown, executive director of the RIACLU, said the amount includes major discounts for hours of work by volunteer attorneys Lynette Labinger and Thomas Bender. He also said the amount is mindful of the school district’s budget woes in recent years.
“In terms of its complexity, the ACLU noted that the school district initially raised ten affirmative defenses when it filed its answer to the lawsuit. The amount sought by the ACLU attorneys pales in comparison to the attorneys’ fees that lawyers working with the Becket Fund, the national group that assisted the school district in defending the case, obtained in a church-state lawsuit two years ago. In that case from Colorado, dealing with a church zoning dispute, attorneys working with the Becket Fund were awarded over $1.25 million in attorneys’ fees for their work handling the case in the district court.”
…
“The Cranston School Committee was fully informed from the beginning that a decision to move forward with this case would likely result in the payment of attorney’s fees if they were not successful,” Brown said. “In fact, in an attempt to avoid the costs of litigation and spare the taxpayers, we waited eight months before filing suit in the hope that this matter could be informally resolved. Despite those efforts, the school committee voted to mount a vigorous defense of the prayer in court, leading to today’s filing.”

As a teacher, part of me feels bad that this money is being taken away from the students… but the school district brought this upon themselves. They wanted to fight to keep an illegal Christian banner in their auditorium. They wanted to push religion onto all students. They could’ve just taken down the banner right up front and put that money toward more teachers and more resources, but they chose not to.

The adminstrators in that district cared more about their public display of religion than the education of the children. They deserve to pay a penalty for that. Too bad the taxpayers have to foot the bill.

(via WWJTD)

New York Times Editorial Supports Jessica Ahlquist

Published

Hemant Mehta

on February 1, 2012

Today’s edition of the New York Times includes an editorial that defends Jessica Ahlquist‘s lawsuit:

The anger and hatred directed at Ms. Ahlquist — she was called “an evil little thing” on talk radio by a Cranston state representative — helps explain why the judge, responding to her brave lawsuit, did his duty under the Constitution and ordered immediate removal of the prayer, which begins “Our Heavenly Father” and concludes “Amen” and was visible throughout the auditorium.
…
… Recent meetings in Cranston about the prayer involved the kind of “excessive entanglement with religion” the court has warned against, with prayer backers reading from the Bible. The meetings showed why what believers consider a harmless request to respect a prayer can feel like coercion to nonbelievers.
… The kindness, friendship and other values the prayer champions are universal, but a statement of religious belief has no place in a public high school auditorium.

The fact that her story is getting such coverage on a national scale shows that this isn’t just about some local banner. It’s symbolic of how Christians love to force their views on everyone else, sometimes in illegal ways, and then cry foul when someone calls them out on it.

Jessica’s scholarship fund, by the way, has raised over $36,000 on her behalf. Some college atheist groups have told me they’re raising funds for her, some donations have been made directly to the American Humanist Association, and t-shirt sales still need to be included in the total amount. What you’re all doing for her is truly amazing.

African Americans for Humanism Reboots with a Huge Ad Campaign

Published

Hemant Mehta

on February 1, 2012

Hats off to Debbie Goddard at the Center For Inquiry for rebooting African Americans for Humanism — just in time for Black History Month — with a new, welcoming website and an introductory video that just makes you want to hear more from the people speaking:

The press release (PDF) explains the need for the campaign:

African Americans may be the most religious minority in the United States, but many feel that the churches don’t speak for them. AAH hopes that the campaign will bring attention to the presence of and increase in religious skepticism within the black community, encourage those who have doubts about religion to share their concerns and join other freethinkers in their local communities, and educate many about the history of black freethought.
…
“African Americans who question religion often feel rejected by religious family and friends, and by the greater black community,” said Debbie Goddard, director of AAH. “But there is a rich heritage of religious skepticism and humanism in black history. By featuring the historical faces as well as the modern in our ad campaign, we show people that questioning religion is not new and that there are many of us here.”

How often have we talked about the special need for outreach to minorities so that they feel welcome in our movement? This is a wonderful step toward fulfilling that promise. In the process, it may even help educate people about the abundant secularism possessed by the leaders of the Harlem Renaissance.

There will also be billboards and bus ads promoting “religious skepticism in the African American community” across the country beginning this week. Check out the ads below:

In Atlanta, Georgia:

In Chicago, Illinois:

In Dallas, Texas:

In Washington, D.C.:

In Durham, North Carolina:

In Los Angeles, California:

In New York City, New York:

AAH owes a debt of gratitude to the Stiefel Freethought Foundation, which provided “substantial creative and financial support for the campaign.”

The Folks at Liberty Counsel Are Either Completely Oblivious or Awful Spin Doctors

Published

Hemant Mehta

on February 1, 2012

By now, you’ve probably seen this hilarious attempt to preach abstinence… by way of a bear:

That video, intended to promote the Day of Purity, was all over the blogosphere a couple of weeks ago. Everyone was mocking it. Even the Tosh.0 bloggers got in on the action:

Taking stuffed animals on a date is a great way to stay a virgin whether you want to or not.
But it’s especially effective if your stuffed animals sound like they drive a windowless van.

So, if you’re the über-conservative Liberty Counsel, and you support the Day of Purity, what do you do about all the attention?

You pretend everyone’s watching the video because they support abstinence:

Day of Purity Gains International Attention with Video Clip
A short video promoting sexual purity hit a quarter of a million views today. People from more than 175 different countries and regions have watched the student-produced video that was designed to spark interest and start conversations promoting sexual purity. The number of views reached over a quarter of a million in just the past 10 days. It is the goal of the Day of Purity to equip teens, youth, parents, friends, and individuals with the facts to encourage sexual purity until, and loyalty within, marriage.
…
We are thrilled that the message of waiting for marriage is reaching so many people! We are excited to spark a conversation about the physical, emotional, physiological and even financial benefits of waiting for marriage.

Umm… do they really not get it?! (I know, I know… they totally get it. They’re just trying to manipulate their gullible members.)

Here’s the truth: We’re laughing at you. We don’t support you. We’re not watching the video because we approve of your message. Abstinence is a personal decision, not an Order From Above.

I know these people deny reality on a regular basis, but c’mon, this is pushing it… don’t believe me? Just read the comments underneath the video. And if they know people are watching the video because it’s just that bad, then admit it or ignore it. Don’t spin it to suggest otherwise. Didn’t the Bible say something about liars…?

JT Eberhard Fires Up Activists in Alabama

Published

Hemant Mehta

on February 1, 2012

I posted last week about an event hosted by the Southeastern Collegiate Atheist Alliance (SECAA) and Alabama Atheists & Agnostics (AAA), but the video of JT Eberhard‘s talk hadn’t gone up yet.

Now, it’s up and you should watch it. If nothing else, listen to the first four minutes. JT makes some great points about the Jessica Ahlquist saga.

Young activists FTW.

If you liked any particular portion of the video, please leave the timestamp in the comments!

Former Survivor Contestant Rupert Speaks Out in Favor of Marriage Equality During Gubernatorial Bid

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 31, 2012

I feel like such a fair-weather Survivor fan for saying this, but I had no idea popular contestant Rupert Boneham was running to become the Governor of Indiana (as a Libertarian):

He recently released this video promising to fight against House Joint Resolution No. 6, which would limit marriage to that between a man and woman only:

As if I needed another reason to love Rupert…

His campaign site is here, in case you’d like to bask in his awesomeness.

(Thanks to Ron for the link!)

More Trouble in Morinville Schools

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 31, 2012

Donna Hunter is a fighter. She’s been fighting for years now to get just one secular school in Morinville, Alberta (Canada) — and she’s only one of several mothers fighting for that cause. Right now, the Greater St. Albert Catholic Schools manages all four of the schools in the area, leaving non-religious parents with no alternatives.

Chris Colbourne - St. Albert Gazette

‘
Last I heard, there was actually going to be a secular alternative, but it doesn’t look like that’s panning out. They just got denied by — of all places — the Alberta Human Rights Commission.

The Alberta Human Rights Commission has refused to deal with two complaints filed by parents who are fighting for a non-religious schooling option in Morinville.
Donna Hunter and Marjorie Kirsop received letters from the commission Thursday telling them to take their complaints to “another forum” such as the province’s School Act.
…
Kirsop and Hunter filed their human-rights complaints late last year, alleging their non-Catholic children were discriminated against because they have not been allowed to opt out of religious instruction in a system where Catholic doctrine permeates the school day.

Kirsop isn’t sure how to proceed anymore since she’s just going around in circles:

“I’m extremely disappointed as my complaint to the Human Rights Commission was made after many failed attempts to obtain a genuine public education in Morinville,” she said. “After our request for a secular education was denied by our school board in mid-January of 2011, we appealed to the Minister of Education. As of today, we still have not received a response from the Minister of Education in regards to our appeal. And now, we are told by the Human Rights Commission that our complaint is best dealt with by the school board — the very school board who denied our rights in the first place. It’s ironic. It seems we are just going in circles again. Should I be making another appeal to the Minister of Education?”

It’s a little hard for me to wrap my mind around what’s happening since I haven’t followed this story too closely and I’m not very clear on Canadian laws regarding education and religion. Some of the Canadian readers out there might be able to help us understand the issues a bit more — what happened in Morinville and what courses of action are left to take?

Reader Edwin adds this bit of relevant information via email:

… there was a provincial law enacted in 1905 that guarantees the reciting of the Lord’s Prayer and only recognizes the Roman Catholic and Church of England teachings in public schools… It was a condition of the provinces of Alberta and Saskatchewan joining Canada. It actually overrides our Canadian Charter of Rights and Freedoms (our Constitution).

On a side note, there’s a nice interview with Donna Hunter here.

Alexander Aan, Under Attack for Blasphemy, Suddenly Converts to Islam

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 31, 2012

We haven’t heard much from Alexander Aan since he “blasphemed” on a Facebook group for the Minang Atheists and stated that God didn’t exist. The authorities in Indonesia took him into custody and he faces up to five years in prison for speaking the truth.

Several groups have tried to step up in his defense, to no avail…

The newly-formed Malaysian Atheists put out this support statement/open letter:

We declare that the continued incarceration of Alexander Aan and the threat of bringing the force of a blasphemy law upon this person for the crime of expressing a disbelief in the religion of Islam to be an unacceptable violation of his freedom of expression as well as his freedom of belief.
We hope you, as the leader/representative of Indonesia, a country that is quickly developing into one of the most successful nations in the world, will take steps leading to concrete action that will show the world that Indonesia has truly become a developed and civilised country where a person may be free to believe and disbelieve as they please as well as the freedom to express their opinion without the fear of incarceration, violence, and any other repercussions that would impede a person’s right to speak freely.
We suggest the immediate actions as follows:
1. Dismiss any and all charges of blasphemy against Alexander.
2. To charge his assailants in the court of law for violent behaviour.

Is It all a moot point if new reports are true that Aan is now converting to Islam…?

An Indonesian atheist who was detained after declaring God did not exist on Facebook was considering abandoning his lack of religious faith and embracing Islam, police said Monday.
…
‘His parents came and told us that he wanted to repent,’ Dharmasraya police chief Chairul Aziz said by telephone.

First of all, it seems obvious that Aan may have said something to that extent to get the authorities off his back. He doesn’t have to mean it. He just doesn’t have any other choice, and it’s not in his best interests to stand by his convictions.

Second, even if he repented, the charges would still proceed (blasphemy charges don’t get overturned because you suddenly, magically “found god”).

So what is there to do at this point? There’s a petition you can sign, though it may not do anything. There’s a Facebook group here and here, though those are often a dime-a-dozen. But I’m not saying that to be dismissive. Each of those things may not be helpful by themselves, but together, they raise awareness of the issue and bring Aan’s story to a wider audience.

Alonzo Fyfe offers a solution along those lines, lest the entire story be forgotten:

Has anything been done to identify, arrest, and convict those who are guilty of assault against Mr. Aan? Or is the message being spread throughout Indonesia that acts of violence against theists are acceptable and shall not be punished?
We should be demanding that action be taken of those guilty of assaulting Aan, at the very least to establish a precedent and to give a warning, for the sake of all atheists, that these forms of violent response to atheist beliefs are to be shunned.…

Finally, Atheist Alliance International has launched an appeal in Aan’s defense and they’re also collecting money to “help pay for Aan’s legal costs and to support the Aan family’s living expenses while he is in jail.”

Whatever you do, don’t ignore this story. Keep him in your thoughts and let that inspire you to take some sort of action.

An Inoffensive Atheist Ad Could Appear on Pennsylvania Buses

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 31, 2012

Richard Wade must be on to something. After posting about the potential reactions to inoffensive atheist billboards, people are starting to run with the idea.

When Justin Vacula recently saw “God Bless America” scrolling across the outside buses in Lackawanna County, Pennsylvania, he didn’t just want to complain. He wanted to respond to that message — and test the “how little does it take to offend someone?” hypothesis — by proposing the following ad:

The idea, as seen above — for the advertisement — is quite simple, effective, and interesting. In the past few years, atheist billboards — no matter how inoffensive they may seem — have been met with utter contempt from theists leading atheists to wonder, “Is the fact that we exist and want to advertise ourselves offensive to theists or is it something else?” In order to test this… I want to place a king-size… advertisement on the same buses which host the “God Bless America” messages with a blue sky/white cloud background with the word “atheists” and the URL for the organization for which I am a co-organizer, spokesperson, podcast host, and board member of: the NEPA Freethought Society.

He’s waiting for a response from the advertising company — and if they reject him, they could be facing a potential lawsuit.

If he gets the green light, this could be a really fun billboard campaign…

Women for Rick Santorum

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 31, 2012

Remember how Rick Santorum said that a pregnancy resulting from rape is a “gift from god”?

This new video is a perfect response

I loved the line, “Don’t look a rape-horse in the mouth.”

(via Christian Nightmares)

For Those of You Who Don’t Think You Can Be Activists…

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 30, 2012

Kate at Suburban Sweetheart has an awesome story of why she supports LGBT rights and how her support inspired her to act when an injustice took place in her hometown:

As easily as that, I began to identify as an ally. I went on to intern at the Family Equality Council & worked a legislative assistant on civil rights, including LGBT equality, during my time at the Religious Action Center after college. I’ve served as managing editor of Fusion, an LGBT issues magazine, marched in a pride parade, & have just generally done my best to work for equality whenever possible. I have a really difficult time respecting differences of opinion when it comes to civil rights. I do my best to be respectful of other people’s views, but it’s really hard for me to see any other side here. As I see it, it’s as basic as treating people fairly, & I just can’t see any other side to that.
When I learned this month that my hometown gym, the city-owned Natatorium, is discriminating against same-sex couples in their membership options, I quickly signed onto a petition asking them to change their policies. Then, I shot off a Facebook message to Shane, the guy behind the petition, asking how I could help. Shane attempted to get a couples pass for himself & his new husband & was turned away, told their marriage “isn’t real” despite the fact that they were legally married four months ago in Washington, D.C. His husband, Coty, is a disabled Iraq Wat veteran who uses the Natatorium for water therapy; Shane is his caretaker.

Kate got word out about the discrimination and the story began popping up on some major websites. Thousands of people signed the online petition and you should, too. Many have written messages of disappointment on the Natatorium’s Facebook page. There are also plans to call the Mayor’s Office en masse this Tuesday and 200+ people have already signed up to do that.

All this because Kate had the inspiration to do something about a troubling situation and she took advantage of the tools at her disposal to share her message with a wider audience. She also had the courage to publicly speak out on a potentially controversial subject — but she didn’t care because civil rights for all people shouldn’t be an issue.

We love praising activists. But let’s be clear: Anyone can do what they do. It takes a lot of courage and a little bit of knowledge about how to get your message out. But if you’re sure you’re doing the right thing, it’s not as hard as it seems.

This is why projects like the OUT Campaign, atheist bloggers/writers/speakers — hell, anyone who lists their religion on Facebook as “Atheist” — are so important in our movement. If you can be open and comfortable about your (non-)religious beliefs, it won’t be as hard to take the next step and speak out when a politician says we’re a “Christian nation” or there’s an injustice regarding church/state separation.

Darwin Day 2012 Celebrations

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 29, 2012

A lot of atheist groups around the country are planning Darwin Day activities, and the lineup for the University of Northern Iowa Freethinkers and Inquirers‘ celebration looks terrific:

They have Joe Nickell (skeptical investigator of the paranormal), Jamila Bey (secular activist), Clint Kelly (biology professor) and Lawrence Krauss (theoretical physicist) speaking at their school, and those are just the keynotes.

What are all of you planning?

…

Incidentally, ~GeneticMishap created a publicity poster anyone can use:

To personalize it, just go here.

But Physics Is Toooo Haaaard…

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 28, 2012

This is only the first of three panels but the last one is more of a sad reality than a hilarious punchline:

(via Calamities of Nature)

It’s the ‘Year of the Bible’ in Pennsylvania

Published

Hemant Mehta

on January 28, 2012

House Resolution 535 in Pennsylvania, sponsored by Rep. Rick Saccone (R-obviously), declares:

That the House of Representatives declare 2012 as the “Year of the Bible” in Pennsylvania in recognition of both the formative influence of the Bible on our Commonwealth and nation and our national need to study and apply the teachings of the holy scriptures.

Right… because we have a “national need” to understand Genesis, genocide, and all the other bullshit in the Bible.

Saccone doesn’t even try to take a secular route in explaining it:

“As not only Pennsylvania, but the United States, continues to face great tests and challenges, House Resolution 535 serves as a reminder that we must look to our faith in God and the Holy Scripture to provide us with the strength, wisdom and courage to conquer these great trials,” said Saccone. “All over the Pennsylvania Capitol, one can easily see the tremendous influence that Christianity and the Bible have had over our founders and predecessors. These images and quotes illustrating the beliefs and morals that have shaped our great Commonwealth must never be forgotten.”

You know, if 2012 is the Year of the Bible, what the hell was every single year before this? It’s not like 2011 was the Koran’s year. (And when do atheists get a year?! I WANT A YEAR, DAMMIT!)

The worst part isn’t that the Resolution passed. It’s that it passed 193-0. Not a single voice of dissent.

Maybe that’s why they called it a “Noncontroversial Resolution”:

The Freedom From Religion Foundation can’t believe it:

“Our constitution grants sovereignty not to a deity or a ‘holy book,’ but to ‘We, the People.’ There is no reference to God, the bible, the Ten Commandments or Jesus in the U.S. Constitution, just as there are no references to ‘consent of the governed,’ ‘civil liberties’ or ‘democracy’ in the bible. Those who have truly studied the bible realize that it is a moral quagmire, a behavioral grab bag, which has been used to justify automatic rule, tyranny, slavery, the degradation of women and gays, child abuse, war, atrocity and mayhem,” noted FFRF.

They also offer a sample letter (PDF) for Pennsylvanians to use when contacting their representatives.

If you don’t live in PA, though, you can always let Rep. Saccone know what you think directly on his Facebook page.