Author: Podunk Polymath

A leftist that's sick of your liberal sh*t.

Harris, Christina, and the Need for Atheist Unity

Initially, this post was going to be about the recent Twitter feud between Greta Christina and Sam Harris (You can find a recap of that battle at Greta’s blog here.) However, after listening to the Noah Lugeons’ diatribe on the latest episode of The Scathing Atheist, I had a change of heart, and have decided to instead expound on the need for some strain of unity in the “Atheist Movement”.
Noah’s main point was that despite any differences Atheists have among themselves, these are nothing compared to the to the actual, demonstrable damage caused by the words and actions of religious nutjobs on a regular basis, and that Atheists are shooting themselves in the foot by airing our dirty laundry on Twitter for all the world to see.
Obviously, I’m not implying that these disagreements are not substantive or important. Misogyny is a real problem not only in the movement, but in society as a whole. I absolutely agree with Greta on this issue, and I thought Harris’ defensiveness on the issue to be another example of his aversion to criticism, even when he is mentioned only indirectly (Take a look at his feud with Glenn Greenwald if you want to see another example of this). Atheists need to take a hard look at themselves and figure out how to confront this issue honestly, and we need to come up with concrete solutions.
We must, however, put our internecine conflicts aside when faced with the larger goal of confronting the destructive influence of religion in our world, and the best way to achieve this is for all of us to concentrate our efforts on exposing religion and its dangerous dogma for all to see. I see this as one of the most important battles we can engage in, and I honestly fear for our species if we fail.
So, in the spirit of reconciliation, Sam Harris should write a blog post apologizing to Greta for his overreaction and thoroughly lambaste those misogynists in our ranks (He actually did tweet and apology, which to me was tepid and forced. Greta, however, thanked him for even that acknowledgement.) We then need to get back to the important work of educating people, each in his or her own way, on the pitfalls of religion and the importance of maintaining a impenetrable wall between Church and State. This is our duty to our fellow man, regardless of whatever disagreements we may have among ourselves.

Victory In Pennsylvania/Scathing Awesomeness!

I came across an article from the Richard Dawkins Foundation in my Facebook news feed that made my day. Apparently, the Allegheny County, Pennsylvania, Council voted down a proposal to have “In God We Trust” posted in the courthouse where the council convenes. I rubbed my eyes to make sure I read that correctly, and went to the link to the original article from the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette to confirm the information I had just read. Sure enough :

The phrase ‘‘In God We Trust’’ will not be displayed within the Allegheny County Courthouse, Downtown. Members of county council voted down the proposal Tuesday night, with some members saying they believed church must be kept separate from state.

Needless to say, I was rather stunned. I don’t think I’ve heard a case where posting the motto was voted against, although, to be fair, I live in the South.
That’s not to say there wasn’t opposition. The vote by the council was 8-6 against the measure. One of those voting for the measure was Sue Means, the Republican who was the greatest proponent of the bill:

Ms. Means called the motto inclusive, and said that two groups had pledged to defend the county pro bono if the display were challenged.

“I don’t understand what the big deal is,” she said during the meeting. “This is our national motto.”

The County Executive even lobbied against it, telling council members he would veto the measure it passed.
This was a ray of sunshine breaking through the dark clouds of Christian privilege. Of course, this is only an isolated instance, and it occurred in the county where the relatively liberal metropolis of Pittsburgh is the seat. It still warms the cockles of my heart to see a blatantly Christian motto not displayed in a government building. It is sad that this is even an issue, but Christianity has thrust itself into the government sphere, and every victory, however small, should be savored.

In totally unrelated news, I am going to permit myself a little bit of pride in announcing that my Farnsworth quote made it on to Episode 83 of The Scathing Atheist! For those of you not familiar with the show, The Scathing Atheist is a weekly hour-long podcast hosted by Noah Lugeons and Heath Enright, with contributions by Noah’s lovely wife Lucinda. As the title suggests, it’s an incisive and hillarious look at the stupidity and downright evil perpetrated by the religious nutjobs of the world. There are also interviews with notable Atheists; a segment on misogyny by Lucinda, who somehow makes even the worst vulgarities sound hot; top ten lists; the 30 seconds on the clock segment; and so much more! It is at the beginning of the show where the quote from Farnsworth, a character from Futurama, makes its appearance. Noah enlists different people to do the quotes, and I was fortunate enough to be selected on this episode. My blog was also mentioned at the end of the show. I am very grateful to Mr. Lugeons for the honor. Go check out his show on iTunes, Spreaker, Stitcher, or search for it on your preferred podcatcher. All of his episodes can also be accessed at his website.
And what is the quote? “We did, in fact, evolve from filthy monkey men”. Hell yeah!

Can’t A Guy Get A Blowjob From Jesus Anymore?

I read yesterday a story about a 14-Year-Old boy being charged with “desecration of a venerated object” in Pennsylvania. What was the horrible act he committed to elicit this charge? He pretended a Jesus Statue was sucking his dick. He didn’t damage the statue in any way. He simply climbed on top of it and shoved his crotch into the mouth of our Savior.
A picture of his unholy act was posted on his Facebook page, where he received many comments, both humored and horrified. The cops found out about the picture and decided to charge him with the aforementioned crime. It should be noted that the owner of the statue, a local Christian organization by the name Love In The Name Of Christ, declined to press charges. So, basically, we have an overzealous local law enforcement agency bringing these charges of their own accord. If convicted, the charges could land this kid in Juvenile Detention for up to two years.
This is the kind of bullshit that seriously pisses me off about the primacy of Christianity in this country. As I mentioned before, there was absolutely NO PHYSICAL DAMAGE to this statue. All he did was climb on it, which is probably ill-advised, but not necessarily illegal. As for the act itself, I think it’s fucking hilarious. I myself would have probably done a similar thing if I saw that statue. I love spitting in the eye (or coming in the mouth of) religious taboos, especially those of Christianity. I’d buy the kid a drink if he was old enough. And to think he could get TWO YEARS in Juvy for this “crime” just makes my blood boil.
One more thing : This didn’t happen in the South. It happened in Pennsylvania. Granted, I have heard that the Keystone State is “Philadelphia and Pittsburgh with Alabama in between”, but this should be a reminder that these sort of religiously inspired laws are not just in Mississippi or Louisiana, but also in other parts of the country. Thankfully, the FFRF has taken notice of the incident, and has published a blog post about it, at the end of which they state:

If the attorney or public defender wishes to consult FFRF’s legal staff on the unconstitutional nature of the desecration statute, he or she may get in touch with us by filling out this form: http://ffrf.org/legal/report

Hopefully, if it does go to court, the FFRF can bring the pain and show these fucking yokels that you can’t convict somebody just because they dissed a replica of your skydaddy’s son.

The Taylor Scholarship and My Book of Mormon

I wanted to do a quick post (I don’t have much time left on lunch) about The Taylor Scholarship, which I mentioned in a previous post. From the website:

This unique scholarship will cover the cost of counseling and group therapy services for people who are experiencing a disruption of faith or faith identity.

 

White Fields provides specialized counseling and group therapy sessions to those struggling with religious transition or marital issues related to the loss of faith. Although we work hard to provide services for as low cost as possible, these services are not free. Your generous donation will help to cover the cost of highly trained therapists and facility maintenance. Many people who are experiencing these disruptive and challenging transitions do not have the means to pay—even at the low cost of the services we provide.

 In the most recent episode of his podcast, My Book of Mormon, David Michael stated that he received a letter from the White Fields Educational Foundation saying that thanks to the donations given to the Foundation by David and his listeners, two people were able to take advantage of the scholarship, and further that if it wasn’t for this assistance they might have committed suicide. This is not hyperbole: these two people explicitly stated this. David said that this “took his breath away”, and that he was now redoubling his efforts to contribute to the Foundation. So he decided to put more of his Patreon money towards funding the Scholarship. Anything over $50 of each episode goes directly to this fund. Previously it had been $100, but this letter moved him to want to do more.

Needless to say, when I heard this driving home from my second job, I decided that when I got home I was going to become a patron of the show. It is only $1 per episode, since I work two jobs because I’ve gotten myself into some financial difficulties, so I’m putting out this call to hopefully amplify my impact by inspiring anyone else who feels this is a worthy endeavor, as do I and many others.

I know not many people visit my humble blog, which is ok, but if even ONE person contributes to the fund as a result of this post, I will feel like I have helped someone who is in need. So, please, if you spare $1 an episode, go the Patreon page for My Book of Mormon and become a patron. Or, if you prefer, make a one-time donation to the The Taylor Scholarship, go to the White Fields Educational Foundation page and contribute that way. If you prefer, you may remain anonymous whichever way you choose to give. Either way, you will be helping someone out who is going through a difficult time, and might even be saving a life.

Sarah Silverman : Atheism Icon?

   I heard about Sarah Silverman’s speech in acceptance of her Emmy for Outstanding Writing for a Variety Special, and I immediately had to go watch it for myself on YouTube. After being rather agnostic on her previous comedy shows and her show on Comedy Central, I really enjoyed her latest HBO special, We Are Miracles. Of course, who could forget her innocent little girl take on the most disgusting and hilarious joke for The Aristocrats? When I saw her latest special, however, I knew she really was hitting on all cylinders. Her rise has been ongoing for a while, of course, as I’ve known about her since the ’90’s, but I think she really came through to the mainstream with her appearance in a mainstream movie, “A Million Ways To Die In The West”, directed by Mr. Family Guy himself, Seth MacFarlane, whose visibility has increased considerably with his directorial debut in the movie “Ted”, as well as being the driving force behind getting a new Cosmos series aired on Fox.

 I’m not going to lie, I find Ms. Silverman not only to be hilarious, but also sexy as hell to boot; and seeing her in that low-cut dress at the Emmy’s definitely increased my pulse considerably. But it was she said at the very end of the speech that really impressed me. After thanking all the people who made her win possible, which is standard fare (apart for making a reference to “Mr. Fancy Pants Sheen”, which had me scratching my head a bit), instead of thanking God, or Jesus, or fill in the blank with a divinity, she instead said “… And we’re all just made of molecules, and we’re hurling through space right now.  Thank you.”

  Simple, eloquent, but completely expressive of who and what Atheists really are. The great majority of Atheists who live the same lives as other people. We eat. We sleep. We scream at drivers who cut us off. The only difference is, we just happen to not believe in a Supreme Being. And like Ms. Silverman, most of us aren’t in-your-face about it, unlike so many Christian Evangelists who love to try to shove their religion down our throats with huge billboards and nationally broadcast, well-produced television shows in massive mega-churches, funded by tax-free cash that rolls in by the bucket-load.

 Sarah is the perfect icon for Atheism in today’s world. She’s funny, telegenic, and brutally honest about who she is and what she’s about. She is not the type of person to instigate a confrontation, but she sure as hell won’t back down if someone gets in her face. Yeah, she’s hot, but that is only the icing on the cake. So, thanks Sarah for showing America the true face of Atheism. I sincerely hope you keep up the good work of being yourself.

Robin Williams and the Stigma of Depression

 I generally don’t get too worked up when a celebrity dies. My attitude is, unless you know him or her personally, it’s hard to have any sort of attachment one way or another. But as I sat there in the break room of my second job and finding out from Facebook that Robin Williams had dies, I immediately felt a twinge of horror and disbelief. When I later found out that he committed suicide, it deepened my sadness, for I had heard that he had struggled with addiction and depression throughout his life. A post Lewis Black put up on his Facebook page summed it up for me:

Fuck the demons that took Robin from us. His generosity of spirit was as boundless as his comedy. I will miss him terribly.

 I have suffered from depression and anxiety in my life, especially when I was younger. I remember the sense of hopelessness and the inability to feel happiness no matter what I did. I also know that most of the time it is often a biological phenomenon, when our neurotransmitters are out of whack and wreak havoc on our mental well-being. Certainly, these effects can be exacerbated by drug or alcohol abuse, which affected individuals usually take to forget the pain and darkness they feel, but in the end make the depression even worse, and makes one feel even more hopeless. Many times those suffering from this horrible disease think suicide is the only way to escape from the living hell they are going through. Some are able to fight the battle against this evil chimera and win. Unfortunately, Robin lost that battle, though he fought valiantly for most of his adult life to overcome it.

 So when I hear people calling Mr. Williams a “coward”, or say that he should just have “snapped out of it”, it makes me want to throat-punch the ignorant fucks. “He was rich and famous, what did he have to be depressed about?” is another common refrain. I realize not all of the people spouting this crap are trying to be malicious; some have simply never experienced depression and don’t understand the sort of grey pall it casts over one’s life, no matter how great that life appears to the outside world. They don’t understand that the sort of depression that Mr. Williams suffered from was not what is commonly referred to “feeling down”, which is usually brought on by some external factors such as losing one’s job or close family member. This disease is one which comes seemingly from nowhere, with nothing to presage its onset many times, independent of anything that may be occurring in one’s life, and this is what makes it so frightening and debilitating. For if one doesn’t know what the cause of a condition is, how does one fight it? You may feel alone and terrified to reveal your problem, because you think you might end up in a mental institution. It is under these circumstances that many people feel they have no recourse but to take their own life, because the pain is too much to bear.

 This is not the “coward’s way out”. Unless you know the true horror of deep depression, you don’t get to say a god damn word about the proper way to deal with the disease. You don’t get to sit in high judgment on someone when you have no idea what is going on in someone else’s internal world. I was fortunate enough to emerge from my depression with the help of medication and family support, but not everyone has that, or they may be too proud to ask for it. And I certainly didn’t have it chronically like Mr. Williams seems to have had. He probably got tired of fighting those demons Mr. Black spoke of, since he had been doing it his whole life. So I will not judge him. Neither should anyone else. The most we can do is try to increase our understanding as a society so people won’t say the ignorant shit that seems to spew forth like a geyser of sewage every time something like this happens. We must also, finally, treat mental illness seriously and stop sweeping it under the rug. We’ve seen the mentally ill take the lives of children at an elementary school, as well as patrons in a theater. And we’ve seen take one of the funniest, most generous, and most kind-hearted human ever to roam this planet. Let’s try our damnedest to make sure that it doesn’t take any more precious lives.

Atheism Finds a New Frontier in Atheist TV

I was pretty excited to hear that a channel dedicated solely to Atheist-related programming debuted on July 29th, 2014. I had heard some rumblings about it for a couple of weeks before, but I don’t think I really paid any attention to it until I heard about its impending launch on a podcast I listen to, Atheists on Air.

For those who have no idea what the fuck I’m talking about, Atheist TV is a channel sponsored American Atheists, the organization started by the controversial Atheist figure Madalyn Murray O’Hair. Right now, it’s only available on the Roku streaming video device and through a live feed at the Atheist TV website. As for their programming, the statement on the website explains:

Featuring content from the Richard Dawkins Foundation (including interviews, speeches, and educational programming), the Atheist Community of Austin (producers of The Atheist Experience), American Atheists, the Reason Rally, and stand up comedians, AtheistTV brings hundreds of hours of programming to one place. As the channel matures, AtheistTV will begin producing and airing original content exclusive to AtheistTV. We are already working with Emmy-nominated producer Liz Bronstein, executive producer of Whale Wars, and Paul Provenza, executive producer of The Aristocrats and Showtime’s The Green Room with Paul Provenza.

I loved The Aristocrats, and I’m hoping Provenza can bring some of that magic to this endeavor as well. So while the content is a bit thin right now, I’m hoping that this will catch on with Atheists, and those curious about Atheism, and that they will be able to broaden their palate of Atheist content. The reach of the network concerns me, as it is only available online and on the Roku. If they produce quality programming, however, there is no reason they can’t succeed. Hell, The Young Turks is an online news show, and it’s gotten millions of hits on its YouTube Channel.

Even more important, however, is the door this could open to Atheism education in the larger American culture. People generally fear what they don’t understand, and this could show the population that Atheists don’t eat babies, and that we’re a bunch immoral misanthropes. We could follow the LGBTQ model and really show people that we’re normal individuals just trying to live our lives. Just look at the progress this country has made in the marriage equality arena if you want to see how quickly attitudes can change.

I am generally a skeptical person, so I’m not going to predict some massive sea change overnight; but if this channel does even moderately well, we may see other outlets for Atheism in the media, and perhaps one day even have a presence in the vaunted heights of cable and satellite lineups.

Help Iman Get To Legoland

I first heard Iman‘s story on the Quranify Me podcast, and continued to hear of updates to her fortunes on the Herd Mentality podcast with that comic genius Adam Reakes. Her story, briefly, is that of a woman born in England, but raised in an abusive household in the repressive regime of Saudi Arabia. Her tale is a horror show of physical and mental abuse by her parents, as well as persecution by the religious police. She tells of one instance of getting 80 lashes just for letting a male friend take her home from school when her driver did not show up. In Saudi Arabia, women are not allowed to be with men who are not male relatives.

Finally, she was awarded a scholarship from a college in Nova Scotia, Canada, and was able to escape her life of torment and repression. Even this did not happen, because her brother actively tried to keep her from going in every way he could.

But her troubles were not over. She arrived in Canada and felt extreme culture shock, to the point she almost considered going back to Saudi Arabia because of it. She eventually adapted, but still had much anger and resentment from years of mistreatment by family and country.

To make things even worse, she was sexually assaulted by a male colleague. She was afraid she would lose her scholarship, so she didn’t report it, which angered the school and made her even more of an outcast. Eventually, she did take him to trial, but not before she lost her scholarship and quit her job. And the assailant (I believe) returned to Saudi Arabia and will probably never face justice.

Despite all of this, she started a new career as a massage therapist, married a wonderful man, and had children. She has become a budding activist for women in Muslim countries who were trapped like she was and who want to escape their situations. She has endured name calling and death threats, but has persevered despite all of these obstacles. Of course she tells her story better than I ever could. Go to her blog at xsaudi.blogspot.ca to hear about her harrowing journey in her own words.

Some time ago, Adam Reakes of the Herd Mentality started a fund-raising campaign via Indiegogo to raise money so she could take a vacation. Apparently, this did not turn out so well, because I guess Indiegogo sucks, and they aborted the campaign with only $300 collected. However, being that Mr. Reakes is a man of honor and genuine kindness, he has started another campaign via his website, with the goal of raising $6000 to give Iman the vacation and respite she so richly deserves. Iman has expressed a desire to take her entire family to the LEGOLAND Resort in Florida, where apparently everything is made out of, you guessed it, lego’s!

So, on behalf of Iman and all she has endured and all she has done, and I’m sure will do, for those who are truly suffering under unbearable repression, I humbly ask that you go to The Herd Mentality’s support page at herdmentalitypodcast.com/support.php and contribute whatever you can to the fund. It’s through PayPal, so you can be assured it is a secure transaction. I thank you, and Iman does as well.

A Long Overdue Invocation

 I was on my little vacation last week, so I missed the story on the FFRF’s podcast Freethought Radio regarding Dan Courtney, an Atheist activist from Rochester, NY, who gave the first secular invocation at the opening of Greece, NY’s town hall meeting. As you might recall, this is the town at the center of the Supreme Court’s recent 5-4 decision allowing sectarian prayer at government meetings. The ruling also stated, however, that the government had to allow equal access to others who wanted to give non-Christian invocations, which also includes non-believers as well.

 On the show, Mr. Courtney was interviewed, and he stated that he came up with the idea of writing a specifically secular invocation when he realized there really wasn’t one, and that it was a “blind spot” for Secularists in their fight for equal access. There are links to the full text of the invocation and a video of him reciting it over at the Friendly Atheist blog.

 The Supreme Court decision was obviously complete bullshit, as anything religious has absolutely no place in any government setting. Since, however, it is a fait accompli, Atheists, Secularists, and anyone who believes in the separation of Church and State should do whatever they can to make sure they really push for getting these sort of invocation presented in all government meetings to counteract the religious influence in civil life. This is something on which individuals can take action, without the need of a big organization. Go to your local meeting and state that you would like to give an invocation. You could use Mr. Courtney’s, or you could craft your own statement which would include people of ALL beliefs, including the 20 percent of the population who don’t identify with any religion. If people really get behind this sort of movement, they could turn a negative into a positive, and actually increase the visibility of Secularism in this country.

My Recent Southern Sojourn

 I made my annual migration to the Redneck Riviera all of last week. For those unfamiliar with the affectionate(?) appellation “Redneck Riviera”, it is generally used to refer to the beaches of the Florida Panhandle, where Bubbas and Bubbettes go to bask in the sun and drink copiously. I am not really a huge beach fan per se, but it is an opportunity to relax and take my mind off of things.

 The specific destination I visited for my peregrination was Panama City Beach, which arguably might be said to be the capital of the aforementioned Riviera. This place is the quintessence of a tourist trap. Every chain store known to mankind graces the strip malls. Souvenir shops crowd the sidewalks like seagulls to bread crusts. Bars, nightclubs, and liquor stores are EVERYWHERE. Hell, alcohol might as well be the official beverage of the city. There really isn’t much that stands out in this sandy oasis of gilded Southern decadence, but one place I can mention as being rather interesting is Pier Park, an outdoor mall that encompasses an impressive array of boutiques and restaurants. I always stop by the Pepper Palace to pick up a bottle of hot sauce and to sample the latest Hottest of the Hot, which I unadvisedly always do, which sets me running to the frozen yogurt joint across the way (Bippy’s) to soothe my flaming oral soft tissues. But the paramount attraction is the Miracle Strip, which boasts carnival rides for the whole family, including a new roller coaster, which I will never get on, because I am deathly afraid of any of that sort of attraction. And it’s still under construction, so there’s more fun to come. Besides Pier Park and the beach itself, it’s mostly overpriced food and trinkets, which I try to stay away from generally, but am obliged to purchase occasionally.

 The trip down to PCB from Nashville includes the usual religious billboards (which I unfortunately forgot to take pictures of), and the road also goes through Montgomery, AL. I lived in this former Confederate capital in my younger days, as my father was stationed at Maxwell AFB in his last PCS. The place doesn’t bring back particulalry fond memories, as the weather was for shit, the people were 100 kinds of stupid, and it was the location of my first panic attack and my descent into my first bout of depression (to be fair, it was more a biochemical issue than situational). Anyhow, when I drive through that way, I am struck by how much of a rundown ghost town it currently resembles. To be sure, it was no urban utopia when I resided there some 20 years ago, but now it resemble some post-apocalyptic hellscape. There are more vacant then occupied businesses; the infrastructure is falling apart; and everything has a dingy, decrepit appearance. Is this what being a Christian region in America gets you? Shouldn’t all that praying and churching get you something other than dire poverty? Well, as they say, God works in mysterious (read: sadistic) ways.

  If you or someone you know is thinking of going down to Florida, don’t go to PCB. Do your research and find some other not-so-crowded destinations. It’s good for the redneck young adults who like to party and destroy their skin and livers with sun and liquor, as well as old, drunken, leather-skinned rednecks with faded tattoos, who kick back cheap domestic beer in coozies in the ocean and pine for more youthful days when hope was a burning flame rather than a weak ember. It’s not so good for someone with half a brain who wants something rather less commercial and more unique. Hell, go to California if you can afford it. At least it’s a blue state.