Author Archives: Jacob Fortin

Catholic School kicks out student for having gay parents

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It still amazes me gays and lesbians can still cling to their bigoted religion, even when these institutions have made it quite clear they aren’t welcomed. In Boulder, Colorado, a preschooler was booted from a private Catholic school because his/her parents were lesbians, and this violates the Church’s firm belief homosexuality is an abomination.

Now, due to the fact they are a private school, they can pretty much do whatever they like, and that means there are no reprisals for what essentially amounts to some pretty serious discrimination. If you think that’s acceptable, how would people react if the kid was kicked out of the school because her parents were black? We surely wouldn’t take it as lightly, and we’d be calling them on their racist shit. But because it’s just homos here, we barely skip a beat. It’s just sad how quick people are to defend the rights of a private institution and so slow to defend the rights of individuals not to be discriminated against. Sad, just sad…

America: land of the free, unless you’re pregnant

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A few days ago, Carisa and I recorded a podcast about a rather disturbing law being proposed in Utah that would make “recklessness” during pregnancy a criminal offense, with a possibility of life imprisonment for feticide. Imagine my surprise to find these kinds of laws actually exist in 35 different states in the US.

Recently, a woman named Christine Taylor was arrested in Iowa for falling down a flight of stairs in her own home, and during her hospital visit, she confiding with her doctor that she had serious reservations about keeping the child. This sent alarm bells for the medical staff, who contacted the authorities.

Prosecutors chose not to go to trial because the fetus was still in the second trimester, and the draconian feticide law applies only in the final stages of pregnancy. If you don’t think this is outrageous, I don’t know what to tell you.

You can thank religious wackos for enacting these kinds of insane laws. The recognition of a fetus as a living entity entitled to the same rights as a sentient human being is a pretty spurious idea; how can an abortion be legal, but an illegal one be considered murder? These laws were originally intended to prosecute offenders (typically men who had no desire to become fathers) who would attempt to terminate pregnancies by assaulting women, but it’s now being used against women themselves. The religious right is working diligently to make all abortion illegal, but in the meantime, overzealous religious prosecutors (for these people are always motivated by their ridiculous religious convictions) with a distaste for abortion are using feticide laws to punish women who wish to terminate their pregnancies or have serious reservations about78jm being pregnant. This whole thing feels a lot like 1984, and any American even slightly interested in their personal freedom should be concerned.

(Update: Luckily the state did not pursue legal action)

Religious conservatives angry over atheist White House visit

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For the first time in the history of unbelief, atheists are starting to have a voice. Recently, a coalition of secularists and atheists met with the Obama Administration to talk about three pressing issues: the death of kids due to “faith healing”, the increased presence of religion in the military, and faith based initiatives.

Although details of what was discussed are piecemeal at best, that didn’t stop religious leaders from complaining the Administration was essentially meeting with “hate groups”. Religious jackass Bill Donohue couldn’t stop himself from opening his ignorant mouth:

People of faith, especially Christians, have good reason to wonder exactly where their interests lie with the Obama administration. Now we have the definitive answer. In an unprecedented move, leaders of a presidential administration are hosting some of the biggest anti-religious zealots in the nation.

This from the same man who said the victims of child abuse who sued the Catholic Church were “gold diggers“. Yeah, he’s a real swell guy.

Apparently, it’s ok for scumbags like Jerry Falwell and James Dobson to visit the White House, but as soon as atheists try to seek some form of representation in government, we’re instantly labelled as anti-religious zealots. Don’t you just love religion?

Higher IQ linked with atheism

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I took a few days off in light of my recent birthday, and while I was away, I received a ton of email concerning a study done by evolutionary psychologist Satoshi Kanazawa that linked IQ with atheism, liberalism, and monogamy. I figured I should probably talk about it a bit.

Kanazawa believes the reason this is true is human beings are designed by natural selection to be more conservative (and therefore more religious) and care only for our kin. Intelligence itself was a fairly recent development meant to help us solve complex problems, but because the changes happen gradually over time, there were some who possessed more raw brain power than others, who tend to take on values such as liberalism, atheism, and monogamy (which actually might explain why religious folks have a higher divorce rate than atheists).

I read his book: “Why Beautiful People Leave More Daughters“, and although it was interesting and offered some pretty unique explanations to human behavior through the lens of evolutionary psychology, it’s important to note this is also the same man who believed that poor health was the result of lower IQ. This study was criticized for failing to take into account the fact people with lower IQs also tend to live in poorer neighborhoods, and their intelligence is more a sign of poor education rather than anything inherent about their brain power.

If you want to cling to the study to make yourself feel good, I’m not going to stop you. Intelligence is notoriously hard to measure, but as far as I’m concerned, the correlation is a lot simpler; atheists, agnostics and non-theists are more likely to have been exposed to a larger variety of ideas in the course of their lives (since they aren’t afraid to read religious and philosophical materials of other cultures), and that in itself may account for the difference in intelligence Kanazawa measured.  Let’s not all pat ourselves on the backs just yet; one study doesn’t prove shit; besides, do you really need some excuse to feel smarter than your religious counterpart?

Philippine Catholics lambaste government for condoms

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I love condoms. They’ve been around since ancient times; Egyptians would make theirs out of ceramic (ribbed for her pleasure I hope), while in the 16th century Europeans made theirs out of sheep intestines. Although their primary use is contraceptive, these useful little devices are used for all kinds of purposes, from makeshift waterproof containers to improvised explosive devices. Apparently, having a rubber tube like structure is convenient for a number of reasons.

Almost everyone loves condoms, except for the Roman Catholic Church, who feels every sexual encounter needs to result in pregnancy. Not only is this view insanely impractical and dangerous (how are we supposed to support a geometrically expanding population?), it puts people’s lives at risk. By telling people condom use is forbidden, how many believers contract deadly diseases? How many women have unwanted pregnancies that put their own lives in jeopardy?

The reason the church hates condom use is almost entirely because of the story of Onan. It goes something like this: God tells Onan to impregnate his brother’s widow, but at the last minute he pulls out, spilling his “seed” on the ground (hey, sometimes you just slip out, you know?). God gets angry and strikes him dead. From this nonsense, the Church has decided God disapproves of contraception. Yep, that’s pretty much the only reason (other than their “be fruitful and multiply passage they like so much).

In the Philippines, ignorant and annoying Catholic leaders are actively killing the government’s plan to encourage its citizens to practice safer sex to prevent the spread of HIV. They incorrectly and deviously proclaim condoms are ineffective, saying the only real way to prevent AIDS is abstinence and forcing fidelity in marriage. Yeah, those values are really realistic, aren’t they?

It’s just another example of how out of touch with reality these assholes are. They would gladly let people die of AIDS and other diseases if it meant following the insane edicts of sexually repressed clergymen. Do yourself a service people; don’t take advice on sex from guys who have never actually HAD it. These are the same fuck-faces who can’t seem to stop molesting little kids. Why is anyone listening to these guys again?

Winnipeg gives millions to evangelical youth group

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Ever heard of an organization called “Youth for Christ”? It’s an evangelical youth group that seeks to convert people to Jesus, and like any evangelizing organization, it isn’t content to sit by and let people live their own lives. Recently, the city of Winnipeg, Manitoba voted to contribute 2.5 million dollars towards a faith-based recreation center. This hasn’t sat well with some of the locals who are upset that the city, which is broke, is giving money to a private religious organization that sets out to convert people.

The Mayor, Sam Katz, isn’t sure why everyone thinks it’s a big deal:

My understanding is the majority of our youth who attend those facilities are not Christian — anybody can go there.

Luckily, some people actually have their heads screwed on right; local MP Pat Martin has argued that their mandate to convert young people makes “Youth for Christ” ineligible for public monies. How would people react, he argues, if the money been given to a group called “Youth for Allah” instead? Not too well I assume.

These kinds of organizations always bill themselves as open to everyone, and for good reason; they are on a mission to convert fertile young minds to their insane doctrine. The fact that the city is actively helping them accomplish this goal is totally unacceptable, especially in light of the fact that other more worthy organizations have been denied funding. It’s quite obviously religious pandering, and Winnipeggers (I think that’s what they call themselves) should be outraged.

Larry David on Religion

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Oh Larry, if religious people DID keep their insane opinions to themselves, then I’d be out of a job, and the world would be a very different place. I guess instead of making fun of religionists, I would have to get out in the real world and get a 9-5 job…oh the horror!

Religious parents beat adopted child to death

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You know, in life, you have to appreciate the little things; a nice sunset, a good meal, and the subtle joys of disciplining your children with large plastic tubes. About 3 years ago, Kevin and Elizabeth Schatz were punishing their adopted daughter for being silly, and because their religion puts heavy emphasis on using physical domination to make children more obedient to God, they decided it was time to really teach her a lesson. They held her down for hours, and beat her with a plastic tube. She died from internal injuries.

If you’re a parent and want a little glimpse into their fucked up belief system, visit the site of their religious guru, Michael Pearl, who states the foolishness of children (you know, when they act silly and shit, like most kids do) needs to be beaten out of them so they can be more obedient to God. The site loves quoting the Bible as proof of their claim, and as you might guess, it’s some pretty scary stuff:

You must also condition their bodies to obedience by seizing many opportunities throughout the day to walk them through acts of obedience. As the military drills their soldiers, you must drill your children.

As a rule, do not use your hand. Hands are for loving and helping. If an adult swings his or her hand fast enough to cause pain to the surface of the skin, there is a danger of damaging bones and joints. The most painful nerves are just under the surface of the skin. A swift swat with a light, flexible instrument will sting without bruising or causing internal damage. Many people are using a section of ¼ inch plumber’s supply line as a spanking instrument.

That’s exactly what 7 year old Lydia was beaten with, and so was her 11 year old brother for supposedly being a bad influence.

I hate this kind of sadistic shit. It reminds me of the Protestant edict that children “should be seen and not heard”, as though the laughter and exuberance of children is an annoyance rather than a blessing (I’m taking that word back). If you can’t let kids be kids, opting instead to beat the “silliness” out of them, you deserve the fucking beating.

Read your damn Bible, atheists!

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It’s not often I’m in agreement with believers regarding religious education, but I have to admit that I found myself partial to the arguments of one William Ingram. In this article, he argues atheist should be carefully studying the Bible. It’s also extremely necessarily to have Bible literacy, as Ingram points out, to understand the narratives fundamentalists subscribe to.

So much of our society is awash in Biblical parables and metaphors that a proper scholarly pursuit of the Bible is highly desirable. The difference between Ingram and I, obviously, is I approach this book the same way I do the Iliad, or the Koran. All of these texts are nothing more than mythological and allegorical, and many of their moral tales are antiquated and even cruel by today’s standards. It does not mean, however, they have no value. They are a window into a different world, and the very fact the Bible still has so much sway in society is a testament (pun intended) to the reverence we place on traditions or anything that’s “really old”.

So if you haven’t yet read your Bible, but want to have a great analysis along the way, try reading the Skeptic’s Annotated Bible. It almost makes the job bearable.

Hasidic Jews want to ban Internet for believers

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It can’t be a normal day without some religious organization trying to censor the materials their flock is exposed to. Today’s unreasonable ban comes from Hasidic Jews in Israel who want to ban or heavily restrict the Internet for their congregation.

Although I’m not surprised these religious idiots would be so scared by the information super highway (remember when we all called it that?), I do find it telling they apparently think their own members aren’t mature and disciplined enough to control their own consumption. Do they not trust their own fellow Jews NOT to visit licentious sites on the World Wide Web? I think it’s telling just how paranoid and distrustful the religious sect is of their own flock. Better in their view to outright ban anything that might open up their eyes to the wider world; it’s sad, really.

Morality without God

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Man, I hate the accusation that just because I don’t believe in a sky-deity I suddenly don’t possess any morals whatsoever. Who decided the only way to “be good” was by blindly accepting the moral edicts of a 6000 year old manuscript? Did everyone suddenly forget the fact things were pretty fucked up back then? What parts of the Bible are still moral by today’s standards? How about selling your daughter into slavery, or murdering your family members if they didn’t believe in the same God as you? Talk about a great moral tome!

Party Jesus causes stir in India

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I need to get my hands on this book: Apparently a publishing company in India released a book with a picture of Jesus holding a beer and a cigarette in the state of Meghalaya in India. Government officials have been busy confiscating all the textbooks, and making sure everyone know just how offensive this is.

Personally I want to ask why they included this awesome image. Was this an accident, or a hilarious jab intended for Christians? Either way, I suddenly wish I had a few more fans in India so I could get my hands on it. They’ll probably destroy them all and punish the publisher for their blasphemy.

Now I know for a fact few Christians have much of a sense of humor when it comes to their Messiah (probably also because their own religion suggests blasphemy is a sin), but why would God punish you for having a good laugh? Lighten up, God!

Belief in God makes you more racist

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Perhaps it can be said at one particular time (although I’m unaware of exactly when), religion offered a way for individuals to feel some degree of community with others who did not share any direct family lineage. Whatever advantage religion conferred to our ancient ancestors, the inevitable tendency for religionists to favor only those with precisely the same belief as them has fostered some of the most genocidal racism and xenophobia. For proof of this, look no further than the Old Testament, which proudly boasts the genocide of the Canaanites and other small tribes unfortunate enough to live in the land of the “chosen” people.

A new study recently found a person’s religiosity is often a very good indicator of their racism. Both conservatives and fundamentalists tend to share the same degree of prejudice, although the orthodox are usually far better at trying to mask it.

All this is nothing new for the rest of us rational enough to have long ago abandoned the divisive clutches of religion. The fact that this same study found those with no religious affiliation tended to be less racist does not surprise us, for we know full well the acidic rhetoric of the faithful. How hollow is the accusation of moral failure on the part of atheists? Shallow and uninformed indeed!

Young Americans are less religious than their parents

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Religionists are going to lose their shit when they read this: a new Pew poll conducted recently found today’s younger generation isn’t as religious as their parents, and a full 1/4 of those interviewed identified themselves as either atheist, agnostic, or simply “non-religious”.

I’m not entirely surprised by these results, although I did like how the CNN article tries to reassure readers by saying people tend to become more religious with age. It kind of sends the message that “well, they’ll wise up eventually and embrace God”, but I think they underestimate just how non-religious we really are. The reality is without religion being shoved down our throats, fewer and fewer individuals are subscribing to it. If it’s up to 25% now, what happens when these young people have kids? I’m not suggesting it’ll mean the end of religion, but it’s interesting to consider just how fast people are jumping off the religious bandwagon.

Does that mean that within my lifetime a significant portion of the population will cease to believe in fairy tales? Probably not, but it’s good to know we’re all getting a little bit wiser.