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Soldier shot and killed for being an Atheist →
I don’t know the details of this situation beyond what this article provides but I hope that it is charged as a hate crime. If he targeted this individual specifically because of his Atheism it fits the qualification of being a hate crime and as a result will likely carry a stiffer penalty. Atheists do face real discrimination in their lives. It is simply so much easier for people to marginalize discrimination against Atheist because it is “not as bad” as what other groups receive. This is clearly dismissive, justifying, and helps to perpetuate the existence of discrimination against Atheists. No group should be discriminated, it’s not a contest of who has it worse, it simply shouldn’t happen.
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Vatican becomes latest Anonymous hacking victim →
Apparently the article from yesterday was only the tip of the iceberg so to speak. The more I consider this the more I am thinking that a direct confrontation like this is not going to work in the way Anonymous most likely intends. If anything it is going to rally the “soldier of Christianity” when they perceive an actual attack going on against them. We will not move people away from religion through force, it must be something people come to on their own and that is the trend we are showing. Yet a call for an “attack” against Christianity may make many people dig in even deeper to prepare for the upcoming “war”. I absolutely appreciate what Anonymous is attempting to do but I honestly don’t think it is the best way to approach the topic.
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Atheist Temple Being Built In London →
I am not entirely sure yet how I feel about this news, but felt I should share it for those interested.
Atheists have long criticised devout followers of faith. But now it seems Atheism is stealing from that very religious tradition by erecting a temple of worship.
Author Alain de Botton announced plans to build an Atheist temple in the U.K., reports DeZeen magazine.
A collaboration with Tom Greenall Architects, the structure will be built in the City of London.
Dedicated to the idea of perspective, the black tower will scale 46 meters (150 ft), with each centimeter honoring earth’s age of 4.6 billion years, notes Wired.
But a place of worship isn’t the only attribute from organized religion that Atheists can benefit from, says de Botton. In his newly released book “Religion For Atheists,” the author points to design, art and community to inspire and attract a following.
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If man is god than an Atheist state is as brutal as the thesis that it rests upon and there is no longer any reason for us to gather in this place. We should just let anarchy prevail because, after all, we are just worm food.
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The Catholic Church is disgusting…
So a new story breaks this week that in Spain around 300,000 babies have been taken away from their families and put up for adoption to families that the Catholic church considered to be more “devout”. This amount could represent up to 15% of all adoptions that take place in Spain. This is a horrible outrage, the kind that someone can not read and not feel hurt by. For more info check this article here: http://www.newsytype.com/12834-catholic-church-stole-babies/
You know what really has the Catholic church up in arms this week though? Susan Sarandon refered to the Pope as a “Nazi”. Which, since he was part of the Hitler youth, is technically true and should not be cause for a great amount of alarm. Catholic U.S. representative Bill Donahue (a complete piece of trash in his own right) said that her comments are “ignorant” and “obscene”. This story seems to be posted up on nearly all of the tabloid sites currently. (Story link: http://www.tmz.com/2011/10/17/the-catholic-league-susan-sarandon-pope-benedict-nazi/)
Here is to hoping that we see the first story pick up a good amount of media coverage. It is something absolutely unconscionable and reaches the highest levels of appalling tactics. Chances are though if you see one Catholic story in the media this week, it’s going to be about Susan Sarandon calling the Pope a Nazi. The Catholic church should be crumbling, people should be turning away en masse and denouncing them for their horrific and often entirely illegal actions, yet they are still hanging on. How could someone possibly be proud to call themselves a Catholic?
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Amish Hair-Cutting Gang Terrorizing Communities →
File this under shit that is hard to believe it is real but is, apparently there is a group of Amish men in Ohio that is “allegedly” breaking into houses to cut the hair and beards of other Amish men. It started about three weeks ago and involves one particular Amish group targeting others in the area. Amish beards are serious business.
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Christian Pastor Attacks Gay Couple To Keep Them From Church - Tennesse →
The real kicker? The pastor who helped orchestrate the attack on the couple is the father of one of the men assaulted. That’s right pastor Jerry Pittman Sr. called upon his deacons to help assault his own son and partner to keep them from entering the church. Around 20 member of the congregation stood around and watched as the deacons assaulted the young men and yelled homophobic slurs at them. Initially when the police showed up they were not even going to allow the two young men who were assaulted to even press charges. Check out the link for more information and a video of the local news cast.
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Mother Kills Daughter, Four, For Sacrifice To Allah →
Ali told her husband: “Suddenly it came into my mind that I should correct my behaviour towards Allah.
“Then a voice told me ‘if you love Allah you should sacrifice your daughter.”’
She told a doctor she strangled the child and when she was unconscious, she carried her on to the kitchen table where she used the knife to ensure the spirits were exorcised.
As she stabbed the girl, Koranic verses were played in the background on an electronic device, the court heard.
Just in case you missed it, this week we also had the heart breaking story of a 13 year old girl suffocated during an “exorcism”.
Fifty-six-year-old monk Kazuaki Kinoshita and the girl’s 50-year-old father Atsushi Maishigi were accused of what police described as “waterfall service”: strapping the victim Tomomi Maishigi to a chair and dousing her face with water.
News reports said the two men poured water over her as an “exorcism” with the father holding the girl down while the monk chanted sutras.
Miss Maishigi’s mother called an ambulance after her daughter fell unconscious, but it was too late. She was confirmed dead early the next morning.
Anyone want to be next on my list of ridiculous people that say religion doesn’t harm anyone? Sure hope not.
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Alabama Town Gives Criminals a Choice: Church or Jail? →
Seriously Alabama? Now I know that being stuck in church every Sunday morning for many feels like jail but how can they really be allowed to do something like this? What’s the alternative for anyone of no faith or with a religion that doesn’t use a traditional church or one that you can’t find in a small town in Alabama? This makes absolutely no sense to me, but that’s probably because I’m trying to look at it from the logical, reasonable, realistic side of things.
The city judge in Bay Minette (AL) will let misdemeanor offenders choose to work off their sentences in jail and pay a fine; or go to church every Sunday for a year.
If offenders select church, they’ll be allowed to pick the place of worship but must check in weekly with the pastor and police.
If the one-year church attendance program is completed, the offender’s case will be dismissed.
Bay Minette Police Chief Mike Rowland says the program could change the lives of people heading down the wrong path. So far, 56 churches are participating.
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Child Molesting Religious Leader Gets Life In Prison →
Polygamist leader Warren Jeffs was sentenced to life in prison on Tuesday for sexually assaulting an underage follower he took as a bride in what his church deemed a “spiritual marriage.”
The head of the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints also received a 20-year sentence for the sexual assault of a 15-year-old girl.
Click on the link for the full article. No additional commentary needed, this was absolutely deserved.
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