Blog Post

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.

 

A Shameless Plug for the Freedom From Religion Foundation and Atheists on Air

  As I stated in an earlier blog post, I have recently started listening to a podcast entitled Atheists on Air, which is livecast and also a podcast. I love this show because the host Cash is an unabashed Godless heathen redneck, and he cusses up a whirlwind when he gets pissed. The latest episode has the Cashster going off on a profanity-laden tirade about the Hobby Lobby decision, and implores his listeners and viewers to get a membership to the Freedom From Religion Foundation, or FFRF. He is even giving memberships away to the first 20 people that email him and state that they can’t afford the membership fee, which is $40. I thought this was a great gesture, and I think it’s going to a great cause.

 In case you don’t know about the FFRF, it’s a non-profit organization that was established in 1978. On its website, it states its main goal thusly : “The Foundation works as an umbrella for those who are free from religion and are committed to the cherished principle of separation of state and church.” I would say, from an Atheist perspective, this is a laudable goal.

  I am often leery to give my money to anything, mostly because I’m broke and part with my hard-earned cash only reluctantly, but the Foundation plays a very active role in bringing suits against entities both private and public which have violated in some way the principle of the separation of Church and State. A feature on their website even allows individuals to inform the Foundation of a potential violation. Cash has stated on the show that the Foundation is very quick to reply to all correspondence, and will send out letters to violators in a matter of weeks.

  I forgot to mention that Cash even had Annie Laurie Gaylor on the show who, along her husband Dan Barker are co-Presidents of the FFRF. After hearing the interview (which you can listen to or download here), I realized just what an important role the Foundation plays in the maintenance of the wall that separates Church and State, even if currently in seems to be in a terrible state of disrepair. I will admit I have not gotten a membership yet, because as I said I am broke and working two jobs just to have a little bit extra, but I encourage my fellow Atheists to consider donating to this organization. It may be one of the only bulwarks against further encroachment by religion on our rights. And by all means check out Atheists on Air, an excellent show that all vulgar heathens should listen to. You can either see or listen live, as well as download the podcast. Cash has guests, a segment with his co-host Professor Stephen on woo and pseudo-science, callers, and lots of down home Southern charm. And cussing. Lots of cussing. So don’t just sit there, git to listenin’ and donatin’!

Fuck you, Hobby Lobby and Supreme Majority!

 This whole Hobby Lobby ruling has got me rather pissed. The majority says this is a narrow decision, in that it only applies to “closely held companies”, defined by the IRS as corporations with 5 or fewer shareholders who own more than half the stock; also, it only applies to not providing contraception if it’s a “sincerely held belief”. Well, it’s my sincerely held belief that this argument is absolute bullshit. In Ginsburg’s fairly pointed dissent, she points out that this decision could open the door to any number of corporations claiming exemptions based on their “beliefs”, although I suspect it has more to do with them not wanting to pay for the shit to begin with.

 At first blush I thought, “Well, at least it’s only ‘closely held companies’. I mean, how many of those can there be?”, until I realized they make up 90 FUCKING PERCENT of corporations in the country! That blew my mind.

 Oh, and the claim that these forms of birth control are essentially abortifacients have been disproven by the medical community. So, yeah, you guys are full of shit. Not to mention these guys invest in companies that produce birth control, as well as selling products made in China, where abortion and contraception is state-funded. Hypocritical, much?

 All in all, this was an atrocious decision by what can only be described as an out-of-touch Conservative White Male Majority, who never have had to worry about buying birth control, which is pretty expensive without insurance. So, on behalf of all of us who care about women’s right to access affordable health care, FUCK YOU!

My Atheist/Secular Podcast Playlist Part 3

On to part 3 of my in-depth series on my favorite Atheist podcasts! Please, keep the excitement down to a minimum…

The Imaginary Friends Show

This podcast is controlled comedic chaos, presided over by one Jake Farr-Wharton, an Australian Atheist Superman. He gets some people on there he knows, and some guests, and they just basically riff off of each other and discuss whatever stories interest them, from an Atheist viewpoint. One of the regular bits done on the show are fill-in-the-blank questions presented to whatever coterie of fine people are on the show at the time. These questions are based on current news stories, and the objective is to come up the funniest shit you can think of. Giving the ACTUAL answer to the heretofore mentioned question is frowned upon, and is considered bad form. An awesome show, and fun listen.

The Scathing Atheist

This is one the big daddies of the Atheist podcasting community. The podcast is headed by the redoubtable Noah Lugeons, a wordsmith par excellence, who can spout more cool, cogent, and germane commentary in one minute than I can even think of in twice that time. He is accompanied by Heath Enright, an intrepid New Yorker who is fucking hilarious and crude as shit (like yours truly), and his honey-voiced wife Lucinda, who makes an appearance all too rarely for my taste. Together, this team offers up, dare I say, scathing and insightful commentary on the news of the day. They do the “30 seconds”, in which, in what is often over a minute, come up with clever answers to whatever topic they have a mind to concoct, such as “names of a strip club/convent co-op”. This is some high-quality shit, my friends. And, thanks to the generous support of their Patreon, err, patrons, they have just extended the show to an hour! So now you quite twice the awesomeness, which means more times for interviews and feedback. Hell yeah!

Atheists on Air

This is a podcast I have just recently come across, thanks to hearing about it from Paul over at Quranify Me. This is the first Atheist podcast I have heard that features the lilting drawl of my native land, that being the American South. Hailing from the Appalachian hills of North Carolina, Cash and his friend Professor Stephen give a Southern perspective on Atheism, and the unique place Christianity holds in Dixie. As a Southerner living in Tennessee, I can relate to the stories of outright hate directed at anything that even smells like Secularism or free thought. And Cash is the perfect guy for the job, a hard drinking, heavy smoking redneck (in the best possible sense) who isn’t afraid to tell these religious fucksticks just where they can go, and where precisely they can place their hypocrisy and bullshit. Along with periodic asides from the hilarious parody of a churchman, one Pastor Roy of The Catfish Creek Trailer Park, this show is the best thing to come out of the South since The Allman Brothers.

Well, that does it for my playlist as of right now. There are a couple of more that I have heard of that I would like to listen to, such as Prophetcast and Irreligiosophy, but frankly I only have limited time to listen to podcasts with two jobs: one job which I listen to the podcasts, as well as driving between jobs and home. The Atheist Podcasting Community as a whole is awesome, though, and I have found there to be great co-operation and camaraderie among the podcasters, especially when there is a cause close to their hearts. To me, this goes to show that one does not need to be religious to do good works, which religious fucktards would do well to remember the next time that want to call Atheists baby eaters with no morals.

My Atheist/Secular Podcast Playlist Part 2

As promised (and I know the wait has been excruciatingly difficult!), here is the second part of podcast playlist! :

Cognitive Dissonance

  If you like laughter, cursing, and disdain mixed in with your Atheism, you’ve come to the right place! Tom and Cecil present us with news stories, while mercilessly attacking the idiocy of those who they despise, which is mostly stupid right-wing religious types. I myself enjoy this sort of wilting sarcasm and copious fuckery, since I am a sarcastic asshole. Throw in some interviews with interesting guests, and Leviticus Mad Libs, and you have all the ingredients of a long-lasting podcast.

Skeptically Challenged

  While technically not an Atheist podcast, the host Ross Balch appears on Atheist podcasts occasionally, and has professed Atheist leanings. Nevertheless, if the subject of pseudo-science in all of its incarnations interest you, this is a great podcast. He has covered topics such as the anti-vaccine campaign, homeopathy, and self-proclaimed psychics. He also sometimes has guests to clarify and expand upon these topics further. If you’re a hardcore skeptic, or just curious about skepticism in general, it’s worth a listen.

The Herd Mentality

 This show, hosted by the irrepressible Adam Reakes, sees the intrepid host people he has only just met on twitter to get their views on subjects mostly to Atheism and Secularism, but sometimes other topics that interest him. He has also started doing skits such as “interviews” with various people, generally ignorant religious windbags, where he takes snippets from interviews the subjects have done in other settings to make hilarious answers to the questions he asks. Another one of his running gags is his portrayal of Ray Comfort, an Australian douchebag evangelist (did I mention Adam was based in Australia?), wherein we find out his love gold-plated buttplugs and his hatred of Atheists. Ray is joined in these skits by his assistant Raylene, portrayed by that saucy temptress Rah. Her voice and laugh are enough to make me spew milk through my nose. The production is top-notch, and I highly recommend it.

  Well, looks like I have run out of time again! Since I work two jobs, the only time I have to do these blog entries is at lunch at my main job, which is a measly one hour. Ah well, guess you’ll just have to come back to see the next part in this ongoing investigative series! Until next time, fuck God (figuratively of course. Don’t go around fucking statues of Jesus or anything)!

 

 

 

My Atheist/Secular Podcast Playlist Part 1

 I only got into listening to Atheist podcasts fairly recently, but I’ve got some favorites that I listen to on a regular basis. Being how I don’t have any money to give them through Patreon (which allows you to contribute so much money per episode), I thought I would do the next best thing and plug it on here. Granted, only me and a couple of others even know of this blog’s existence, but, hey, maybe one day it will big and influential! Yeah, I doubt it. Anyhow, here are some of my favorites:

 My Book of Mormon Podcast

  Ever wanted to read the Book of Mormon (and who doesn’t?), but you didn’t want to actually go through all the work of actually reading it on your own? Then this podcast is the one for you! Listen to the dulcet tones of David Michael guide you through the LDS holy book with a unique brand of humor, wit, and insight, all while not saying one fuck or shit! I don’t know how he does it, honestly. He also does special shows where he interviews people, which, so far, have included ex-Mormons and the head of an organization that helps out ex-Mormons who are trapped in their situation and need help to get out. You can donate to this organization, called the Taylor Scholarship, by going here. Did I mention David is super nice? Great show.

Quranify Me

  Another podcast that also reads through a holy book, but this one concentrates on the Quran. Paul Q. has expanded his show to include interviews with Atheists who have had harrowing experiences trying to escape Islam, as well as doing various skits on some his shows. Paul has taken the cause of the harm Islam does to everyday people and has made it his own.He doesn’t shy away from using blistering criticism to get his point across, and his righteous anger shines through like fire in the night. Not for the easily offended, but definitely for those who believe in freedom from Islam’s damage to the human condition.

Thomas and the Bible / Atheistically Speaking

  Completing my “holy trinity” of holy book podcasts comes Thomas and the Bible, which, strangely enough, goes through the Bible! Imagine that! Thomas has been doing this for a while now, but I just now picked up on recently. I’m only on Exodus right now, and he is all the way up to Proverbs I believe right now. I find his constant incredulity at the absurdity of the claims the Bible makes a constant source of hilarity. Recently, he has said he may stop doing it if he doesn’t receive more pledges through Patreon, simply because he is concentrating his time mostly on another podcast he does, called Atheistically Speaking. This show is more of a general show concentrating on Atheism. He offers “Tomentary” (sp?) on Atheist/Secular issues, and also does interviews with various guests, including some rather prominent names in the Atheist community. Both of these podcasts are well worth a listen.

  There are more podcasts, but you’ll have to wait with bated breath for the next installment of my playlist! 

 

   

  

No Secular Humanists Allowed!

 From The Friendly Atheist blog (via The Nashville Scene) comes this story, which piqued my interest because it’s from my neck of the woods, so to speak. Oak Hill, TN, a snug, wealthy satellite city in Metropolitan Nashville, TN, held an election for city commissioner recently, and one of the candidates was a lady named Heidi Campbell. The main issue she ran on was stopping commercial development in the “wooded hills” of her environs. Apparently, this was a rather controversial issue, because some dirty tricks were used to try to defame her, in the form of anonymous fliers sent out to area residents. Steven Cavendish of the Nashville Scene posted pictures of these fliers, and they would be funny if they weren’t so pathetic. On one flier, we are informed that Mrs. Campbell “liked” a secular humanist group on Facebook. Horrible! But as if they weren’t enough, we flip to the other side and see that Secular Humanists want to drive all the churches out of Oak Hill! Say it ain’t so!

 Well, these tactics were for naught, because she ended up getting a seat on the commission when the election was held a few weeks later. The drama is not over, however, because Mrs. Campbell has vowed to find out who was responsible for smearing her (you know, because it’s horrible to be a secular humanist!), and has filed a John Doe defamation suit to find out the culprit.

 Now, I think it’s worth mentioning that she un-“liked” the Secular Humanist group on Facebook, but she still likes a “Free Thinkers” group. Aside from any of that, though, is the fact that it is fucking ridiculous that this is even an issue. It’s not like she said she was a raging Atheist, and that she masturbates to Richard Dawkins photos every night. She simply liked a Facebook page! I guess it just goes to show, even in a relatively blue county like Metropolitan Nashville – Davidson, this type of stereotyping and loathing of anything that even has a whiff of free thought is dismissed summarily.