Obama’s nod to non-believers

Obama’s comment on religion

If you google Barack Obama non-believers you will find many blogs commenting on Obama’s inaugural inclusion of non-believers. AOL, a conservative and right-leaning website, also talked about the displeasure by some African American preachers with Obama’s comment, while we rejoiced. Many progressive blogs were excited about it. I myself jumped up when I heard it, and immediately thought to myself: “boy, what a relief he is the president now”.

 

Some time ago I made a post where I stated that I suspect Obama is not religious at all, and was just pandering to the masses (mainly the African American community) when he included god talk or church visits to his campaign. My observation was based on comments made by him in the past and in his family history: his mother. As a Sociologist with a Antropology base as well, I know PhD’s in Antropology are usually secular and liberal. Obama’s mother was an intelectual, a non-conformist, and I doubt she raised her son with any Christian brainwash. She also valued education a lot, and these are also the values I was raised with. I too was exposed to a different culture at an early age, and my parents were also PhD’s. I grew up in an intellectual and cultured family, so I can relate to his upbringing.

 

African Americans who voted on Obama exclusively for the color of his skin (although I want to believe they voted primarily for the competence and intelligence he showed during his campaign) are in for major disappointment. Barack is liberal about many positions that the African American churches are not, and Obama does not have anything in common with the African American slavery and exploitation history. Furthermore, he is half Irish, making him mixed race instead of solely African American.

 

When I hear comments about how only in this country a man like Obama could be president I have to laugh at the lack of knowledge about other countries. The Brazilian president is a man who has only 4th grade education and worked in a factory and came from a very working class background. Obama’s mother was a PhD and so was his father (from Harvard!). That is not an unprivileged background.

 

Here is a comment from an April 2008 Time article which reinforces my belief that deep down Obama is an atheist and he is just pretending he is a Xtian to get elected (he knew the African Americans were his largest supporters):

 

“Indonesia has the world’s largest Muslim population, but Obama’s household was not religious. “My mother, whose parents were nonpracticing Baptists and Methodists, was one of the most spiritual souls I ever knew,” Obama said in a 2007 speech. “But she had a healthy skepticism of religion as an institution. And as a consequence, so did I.”

 

Link: http://www.time.com/time/nation/article/0,8599,1729524-5,00.html

 

Atheists vs. Innauguration commitee

Many might think this lawsuit is frivolous. I say not. It is a question of principle. This is a diverse country. There are people from every religion as well as many people with no religion. By swearing in on the bible, invocating the name of god and inviting a minister to the inauguration, the separation of Church and State is being violated.  The constitution is secular and does not include terms like “In god we trust” or “and help me god”. If an official wants to use those terms because he is a Christian, so be it, but it must be his individual choice. I prefer not to hear though, in an official ceremony, any mention to god. There is nothing more ludicrous to me than seeing the god word tossed around constantly in politics. Why can’t this country keep the god talk inside churches? Don’t pray in my school or office and I won’t think in your church!! (actuallly this is a button I have).

Like Rosa Parks sitting in the front of the bus to make a strong statement, so should atheists with this lawsuit. We need to be respected. We are not telling believers to shut down their churches (although they should pay taxes and should also be investigated on how their funds that come from working class folks are used) or to stop praying their homes. We are not telling parents to stop lying to their children about Jesus and the Tooth Fairy and Santa. Believe in what you want, but keep religion out of governance.

By the way..why is that whenever you see right wing or ultra conservative religious people attacking atheists and any secular thought in message boards (especially AOL’s), they invariably do not know how to write or write in caps (screaming). Just asking….

Read more about it here:

http://www.dailykos.com/story/2008/12/31/3146/1541/832/678518

Atheists and Humanists

 

I am an atheist AND a secular humanist. I am an atheist in the sense that I do not believe in god or anything supernatural (spirits, ghosts, etc).  And I am a humanist in the sense that I have and admire all the values that emphasize morality, ethics, human rights, justice and family. Not every atheist is a humanist (although most share those values) and not every humanist is an atheist (but most are, since secular humanisn rejects the idea of a god and is for Scientific development).

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Humanism

 

The Washington Post just published an article about Humanist families which shows us in a good light:

 

http://www.washingtonpost.com/wp-dyn/content/article/2008/12/20/AR2008122001896.html?hpid=topnews

 

By the way, in our 2008 Beltway Atheists Festivus celebration, we amassed a sizable amount of donations which are being distributed to the homeless in the DC/MD/VA area.  Atheists do charity too, for those who don’t know that :)

 

 More on Humanism:

Secular Humanism

Humanism is “a modern, nontheistic, rationalist movement that holds that man is capable of self-fulfillment, ethical conduct, etc., without recourse to supernaturalism” (Webster’s New World Dictionary). By the term secular this stream distinguishes itself from theistic (Christian) humanism. Secular humanism evolved out of 18th-century rejection of revealed Christianity and the emergence of modern science and free thought. Modern secular humanists condemn and refute all assertions of divine or paranormal phenomena.

SECULAR HUMANIST BELIEFS

1. I believe in nontheism, as there is no rational proof for the existence of God, and do not delude myself with thoughts of a Supreme Being.
2. I believe that traditional religions and faiths preach false doctrines, are oppressive and lead their followers toward ignorance, bigotry and dogmatism, and that it is my duty to be actively skeptical of and challenge the illusions of orthodox religions and all attempts to explain the world in supernatural terms.
3. I believe in the preservation and enhancement of the human species as my ultimate concern, and in the global human family, which must preserve the Earth for future generations through developing a secular, planetary morality and system of law.
4. I believe that living a good, moral life is the best means for individual and collective happiness and that morality has a rational, secular basis.
5. I believe in expanding human rights and intellectual and moral freedom, and in secular democracy, with strict separation of church and state, as the means of eliminating discrimination and attaining equality and justice for all.
6. I believe in the development of the creative human potential through education in the arts and sciences and in the paramount importance of free inquiry in an open, pluralistic, universalist society.
7. I believe in the application and development of reason and modern science as the highest means to understanding the universe, solving human problems and enabling each individual to realize his greatest potential.
8. I believe in striving for fulfillment and happiness in this life and reject all notions of reincarnation and afterlife as false and baseless, seeking my fullest capacity as a human being here and now, serving others and creating a better, more just world.
9. I believe in Darwin’s theory of evolution as scientific fact, and in naturalism, holding that the known world is all that exists, and that it has no supernatural or spiritual creation, control or significance.

 

Is Obama really religious?

This link from YouTube was posted on the Beltway Atheists meetup site.  Take a look:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=hbwho6Lnd3k#t=6m00s

In this video you can see that Obama is very respectful of other people’s beliefs, and is for separation of Church and State (as it should be), but I have a feeling that it goes beyond that: I think Obama has doubts. I think Obama is a closeted agnostic. I think his “God bless you” and other (few) references to god are a political move. I also think Bill Clinton is not very religious either.  It is gut feeling. If I am right, I am even more pleased Obama will be our president. Having someone so open minded and with a questioning mind in office, promoting Scientific advances, will be good for all. Obama is not the kind of person who will persecute this or that religious group, or any segment of society for that matter. I also think he really IS for gay marriage. Obama is a modern man. He was raised in a non-typical household. He learned tolerance. But he could not come out and say he is for gay marriage because many close minded folks would simply not vote for him.

So there you go.

“Are you a hardcore atheist” test

I loved this post on the www.friendlyatheist.com website. It is one of my favorite atheist websites, along with www.flamewarrior.com

 

Are You a Hardcore Atheist?

How serious do you take your atheism?

Let’s find out.

Copy and paste the list below on your own site, boldfacing the things you’ve done. (Feel free to add your own elaboration and commentary to each item!)

1. Participated in the Blasphemy Challenge.
2. Met at least one of the “Four Horsemen” (Richard Dawkins, Daniel Dennett, Christopher Hitchens, Sam Harris) in person.
3. Created an atheist blog.
4. Used the Flying Spaghetti Monster in a religious debate with someone.
5. Gotten offended when someone called you an agnostic.
6. Been unable to watch Growing Pains reruns because of Kirk Cameron.
7. Own more Bibles than most Christians you know. I do not want to read fairy tales anymore. I did when I was young.
8. Have at least one Bible with your personal annotations regarding contradictions, disturbing parts, etc.
9. Have come out as an atheist to your family.
10. Attended a campus or off-campus atheist gathering.
11. Are a member of an organized atheist/Humanist/etc. organization.
12. Had a Humanist wedding ceremony.
13. Donated money to an atheist organization.
14. Have a bookshelf dedicated solely to Richard Dawkins.
15. Lost the friendship of someone you know because of your non-theism.  Maybe, who knows, and I sincerely don’t care. The person is probably not worth being friends with anyway.
16. Tried to argue or have a discussion with someone who stopped you on the street to proselytize.
17. Hid your atheist beliefs on a first date because you didn’t want to scare him/her away. 
18. Own a stockpile of atheist paraphernalia (bumper stickers, buttons, shirts, etc).
19. Attended a protest that involved religion.
20. Attended an atheist conference.
21. Subscribe to Pat Condell’s YouTube channel.
22. Started an atheist group in your area or school.
23. Successfully “de-converted” someone to atheism.
24. Have already made plans to donate your body to science after you die.
25. Told someone you’re an atheist only because you wanted to see the person’s reaction.
26. Had to think twice before screaming “Oh God!” during sex. Or you said something else in its place.  I still say “Oh my god!” a lot, it is just a bad and difficult habit to shake.
27. Lost a job because of your atheism.
28. Formed a bond with someone specifically because of your mutual atheism (meeting this person at a local gathering or conference doesn’t count).
29. Have crossed “In God We Trust” off of — or put a pro-church-state-separation stamp on — dollar bills.  Need to get a stamp….
30. Refused to recite the Pledge of Allegiance. (Not yet, but will if needed)
31. Said “Gesundheit!” (or nothing at all) after someone sneezed because you didn’t want to say “Bless you!”  I say “Health!”, like in Portuguese.
32. Have ever chosen not to clasp your hands together out of fear someone might think you’re praying.
33. Have turned on Christian TV because you need something entertaining to watch.  They are all mad….
34. Are a 2^nd or 3^rd (or more) generation atheist.

Maybe. Grandfathers did not care for religion and one grandmother did not like priests. Maybe they were smart for their times. Wish I had had that discussion with them before they died.

35.Have “atheism” listed on your Facebook or dating profile — and not a euphemistic variant.

36. Attended an atheist’s funeral (i.e. a non-religious service).

37. Subscribe to an freethought magazine (e.g. Free Inquiry, Skeptic)

38. Have been interviewed by a reporter because of your atheism. Would love to.

39. Written a letter-to-the-editor about an issue related to your non-belief in God.

40. Gave a friend or acquaintance a New Atheist book as a gift. To my brother.

41. Wear pro-atheist clothing in public.

42. Have invited Mormons/Jehovah’s Witnesses into your house specifically because you wanted to argue with them.

43. Have been physically threatened (or beaten up) because you didn’t believe in God.

44. Receive Google Alerts on “atheism” (or variants).

45. Received fewer Christmas presents than expected because people assumed you didn’t celebrate it.

46. Visited The Creation Museum or saw Ben Stein’s Expelled just so you could keep tabs on the “enemy.”

47. Refuse to tell anyone what your “sign” is… because it doesn’t matter at all.

48. Are on a mailing list for a Christian organization just so you can see what they’re up to…

49. Have kept your eyes open while you watched others around you pray.

50. Avoid even Unitarian churches because they’re too close to religion for you.

You’ve been lied to

http://www.flamewarrior.com/

This is one of the clearest websites to enlighten those whose grey cells allow them to start questioning religious dogmas. I know the guy and he is not only smart but very personable.

You are religious because you have been lied to by your parents, your teachers, your neighbors, your friends and by the media. I know it is very hard to admit that you were wrong. It is also hard to consider the possibility that god does not exist when you have heard-for decades- so many nice things about this “guy”. And not only that, you heard bad things about those who don’t believe in “him”: they are immoral, unstable, rowdy, amoral, evil, drug addicts, promiscuous, dangerous, wild and crazy.  

But if you use your logical, analitical and critical skills, you will see that what this website is saying makes A LOT of sense, and that it is OK, a privilege even, to be an atheist! A great sense of freedom will involve you, knowing that there is no figure in the sky watching your every move. How liberating! Make the most of life now, because this is all we got.

Hope you too will be able to see the light and get rid of years of brainwash and conditioning.

The Atheist bus sign

http://newsweek.washingtonpost.com/onfaith/undergod/2008/10/signs_wonders_the_atheist_bus.html

Needless to say, I loved this. Wish we had more license plates and signs like these over in America.  My signature phrase is: “In Reason we Trust”.  I have the sticker on my car, and not many people get it…

Atheists on TV

It is very easy to see who is a liberal and who is a conservative, left wing or right wing on TV. Newscasters, commentators and interviewers clearly state their political preferences. When it comes to religion, however, that is less clear.

Journalists learn in school that they have to be impartial. They are news-casters, not news makers. But even though they are outspoken when it comes to politics, they are timid about expressing their lack of religious beliefs. Blatantly advertising your lack of religion hasn’t been popular in this country. 

But this is changing. Since discussing and questioning religion in this country has become more and more acceptable (think Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens and Sam Harris who all helped disseminate this debate), journalists have been more openly taking sides. The most outspoken one is Bill Maher. Bill makes no qualms in declaring religion a fantasy. He even made a documentary about it.

Others are less obvious, but they skillfully manage to defend the separation of Church and State (so abused during the Bush administration) and to show that believing in God is optional, and it is ok to be an atheist. These TV personalities are Larry King,  Keith Olberman, Barbara Walters, Jon Stewart, Whoopi Goldberg, amongst others. I applaud them for slowly coming out of their closets

How I became an activist atheist

 

I call myself an activist atheist not because I take part in street protests or carry banners (well, I used to have a “In Reason we Trust” bumper sticker on my car…)

But I do talk about it whenever the subject of religion comes up, and I do frequent some atheist meetings, conventions and parties. I am out of the closet and I openly tell people I am atheist. I don’t go saying it out of the blue, but within context and if I am asked about my religion. And I don’t care what people will think of that. If they are ignorant enough to judge me because of that, or think I am evil encarnate, than I don’t really think I want to be associated with such a small minded and unintelligent person.  If people don’t understand what being an atheist means then they are probably not very well read…..

For many many years I was skeptical and questioning many things I was told about heaven, hell, angels,etc. My logical mind could not fathom such stories. You could call me skeptical. Later, I  called myself agnostic because it sounded better than atheist,  more than a passive atheist. I did not believe in god nor did I like the rituals of the Catholic church;  I just didn’t care. I had never stopped to think about it.

I can say that it was 9/11 that prompted me to be more outspoken about this. If you have watched United 93, you will remember the scene where the attacker was trying to fly the plane and talking to “god”. Things like that make my blood boil. Because of the belief in a fantastic creature people can do things like that. How can my god be better than your god if there it is supposed to be one god? And who is right? Christians, Catholics, Muslims or Jews? Whose god is better? What if there is NO god?

Some time ago there was the case of the Westboro Baptist church that protested at a soldier’s funeral. That clearly shows the dangers of religious extremists. It is stuff like that that make me want to educate children and society that even though some of the religious stories are very nice, they are folklore. And when you want everyone believing in your fantasy (and if they don’t agree with you, you will murder them) then atheists need to speak up. 

Atheism is not a religion folks, as some theists have accused it of being. We are non religious. We don’t mind you going to church and praying to your statues but we don’t want you to teach our children creationism, we don’t want them scared of devils or a wrathful and revengeful god, we don’t want your fairy tales influencing government decisions and we don’t want the intolerance (such as the prejudice against gays} that some churches spread.

We are for freedom of religion. Believe in what you want. If going to church provides you with some entertainment, some sort of social life and purpose, some sense of hope for your difficult life and some sense of belonging all is fine and dandy. You can worship the Flying Spaghetti Monster (Dawkins ) if that makes you happy. Again, keep it out of government and schools.

Atheists and Morals

One of my major gripes about the way atheists are viewed is the belief that morality is exclusive to and attached only to religion.

Nothing can be further from the truth.

Religions have grown from a set of rules usually determined by a “holy” man-made book written thousands of years ago, or even decades ago (such as Scientology).

Like the 10 comandments, religions advocate moral behavior which is inherent for human survival. Without those behaviors, society as we know it would not be viable. Stealing from your neighbor, killing your neighbor or sleeping with your neighbor’s wife will only provoke considerable conflict which ultimately can wipe mankind. So it is a question of survival to behave in what we call a moral way. 

That said, I have no problem with commandments number 6-10. Honoring your mother and your father who raised you and fed you and gave you love is just the right thing to do, and you also want your kids to do the same. Finally, the Do Not Covet commandment just saves you from being eternally unhappy and frustrated because someone will always have more than you. Commandments 1-5 just don’t make any sense.

Morals are passed from parents to children. Children observe how their parents treat others and how they behave. Values are passed on from parents and educators as well. People with higher IQ tend to make better decisions. People who are emotionally healthy and grew up surrounded by love, attention and discipline are less impulsive, therefore making better decisions in life.

Parents do not need religion to raise thoughtful, respectful, polite and emotionally healthy kids. This is the great fallacy that so many people in this country and in other religious countries still believe in.  Delinquent behavior, drug and alcohol abuse and teenage pregnancy are found amongst the less educated and are very frequent in religious communities.

Family is the key. Divorce is negative for kids. If it can be avoided, it should. A strong and stable family is the still the best foundation for a kid to progress. You can be an atheist (a sign of higher intelligence in itself ) and raise your children to be very moral kids without creating in them the fear of god’s wrath, the belief in supernatural beings and the damnation from hell. You can teach them respect, kindness, honesty and generosity. You can tell them about the dangers of drugs and the emotional consequences of promiscuous behavior. You can teach them about STD’s and the damage that chemical recreational drugs do to your brain and body.  You will provide love and understanding in their difficult moments. You will encourage them to be responsible and considerate with others.

They will become well rounded and stable adults without ever setting foot in a church or a synagogue or attending mass.

Call me a Moral Atheist. I conduct myself in a moral way and I raised my children that way as well. Believing in heaven and hell, angels and a man called Jesus whose existence we are not sure about is not going to make me a better human being.  Treats others as you would like to be treated. That usually is a golden formula. Empathy is a quality that not everyone has but helps you be the kind of person who conducts a moral life. Without religion nonsense.