Discrimination against nonbelievers in America is so overt and widespread that most of us are completely desensitized to it.

If you’re a rational American – religious or nonreligious – you probably roll your eyes when you hear fundamentalist preachers and right-wing politicians rant in the name of God whenever a major tragedy occurs. But do you stop to consider that their comments directly disparage nonbelievers? If these preachers and politicians directly attacked Hindus, Jews, or Muslims the way they attack atheists-humanists, they would be quickly called out for their hateful prejudice. So why should their anti-secular venom be tolerated?

These statements outrage most rational Americans, both religious and nonreligious, but many still overlook the blatant prejudice.

Atheists and humanists find it frustrating that statements such as those of Huckabee, Dobson, and Gingrich are almost never criticized by religious liberals for promoting a hateful prejudice against nonbelievers (who are already the most disliked and distrusted minority in the country).

Let’s be clear about something: Huckabee and company, with very little ambiguity, are claiming that those who live without God-belief are directly or indirectly responsible for violence and moral decline. This is discriminatory, contrary to the pluralistic values of modern society, and provably false.

It’s great that many Americans, even those who are religious, find the statements of Huckabee and company objectionable, but it’s unfortunate that the objections focus on the wrong issue. Rather than argue about whether God is jealous and vindictive or loving and compassionate (or at least in addition to that argument), Americans should be calling out fundamentalists for depicting nonbelievers as agents of evil.

David Niose - Psychology Today - From the article: Would You Know Atheist Discrimination If You Saw It? (via hatefulatheist)
confrontingbabble-on: Proof that Concealed Carry permit holders live in a dream world, Part One Watch  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8QjZY3WiO9s#! The controlled study documented in these videos show that concealed carry permit holders are fooling themselves if they think they will be able to react effectively to armed aggressors. Most CCW holders won’t even be able to un-holster their gun. They will more likely be killed themselves or kill innocent bystanders than stop the aggressor. For more details, see “Unintended Consequences: Pro-Handgun Experts Prove That Handguns Are a Dangerous Choice for Self-Defense.” http://www.vpc.org/studies/unincont.htm.CCW permit holders don’t protect innocent people. They kill them.
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confrontingbabble-on:

Proof that Concealed Carry permit holders live in a dream world, Part One

Watch  http://www.youtube.com/watch?feature=player_embedded&v=8QjZY3WiO9s#!

The controlled study documented in these videos show that concealed carry permit holders are fooling themselves if they think they will be able to react effectively to armed aggressors. Most CCW holders won’t even be able to un-holster their gun. They will more likely be killed themselves or kill innocent bystanders than stop the aggressor. For more details, see “Unintended Consequences: Pro-Handgun Experts Prove That Handguns Are a Dangerous Choice for Self-Defense.” http://www.vpc.org/studies/unincont.htm.

CCW permit holders don’t protect innocent people. They kill them.

(via skepticalavenger)

Source: confrontingbabble-on

skepticalavenger: Nate Phelps Issues Statement Condemning His Family’s Upcoming Protests in Newtown “My heart goes out to the grieving families as well as the rest of the surrounding community during this time of unthinkable mourning & tremendous loss. The news that my sister & the rest of my family intend to protest the funerals of those lost in this national tragedy is, to me, a stark reminder that anyone’s interpretation of religious texts serve more as a reflection to the character of those reading it than whatever the author intended in the first place. My sincere hope is that the Sandy Hook community is able to grieve & mourn privately, & with whatever peace can be had in knowing the rest of the world mourns with you. “To those considering offering WBC an alternative to protesting these funerals, I say, ‘let them show up’. WBC is running out of money & their leader is a frail old man whose power & reach is tremendously limited to those who provide them an audience. Their recent tactic has been accepting media air time in lieu of protesting high profile funerals. By allowing them this luxury, they get free publicity with no effort or expense on their part, while potentially traumatizing a much wider audience than those strong enough to stand against them in silent but effective counter-protest. These counter-protests have, many times, prevented the grieving mourners from being impacted by WBC’s childish, attention seeking behavior. Please do not allow WBC the option of a less costly alternative. By calling their bluff, they will either ask for police protection, which allows police to control where they are located, or not request police protection, which would clearly be an unwise decision considering the emotionally charged environment they will be entering. Either way they alone will bear their costs, along with sole responsibility for harassing the community, without the benefit of a national platform in which to do it.”
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skepticalavenger:

Nate Phelps Issues Statement Condemning His Family’s Upcoming Protests in Newtown

“My heart goes out to the grieving families as well as the rest of the surrounding community during this time of unthinkable mourning & tremendous loss. The news that my sister & the rest of my family intend to protest the funerals of those lost in this national tragedy is, to me, a stark reminder that anyone’s interpretation of religious texts serve more as a reflection to the character of those reading it than whatever the author intended in the first place. My sincere hope is that the Sandy Hook community is able to grieve & mourn privately, & with whatever peace can be had in knowing the rest of the world mourns with you.

“To those considering offering WBC an alternative to protesting these funerals, I say, ‘let them show up’. WBC is running out of money & their leader is a frail old man whose power & reach is tremendously limited to those who provide them an audience. Their recent tactic has been accepting media air time in lieu of protesting high profile funerals. By allowing them this luxury, they get free publicity with no effort or expense on their part, while potentially traumatizing a much wider audience than those strong enough to stand against them in silent but effective counter-protest. These counter-protests have, many times, prevented the grieving mourners from being impacted by WBC’s childish, attention seeking behavior. Please do not allow WBC the option of a less costly alternative. By calling their bluff, they will either ask for police protection, which allows police to control where they are located, or not request police protection, which would clearly be an unwise decision considering the emotionally charged environment they will be entering. Either way they alone will bear their costs, along with sole responsibility for harassing the community, without the benefit of a national platform in which to do it.”

skepticalavenger: teachthemhowtothink: skepticalavenger: Kids Without God I explored this site for a bit yesterday and there is some pretty good stuff on it.  BUT I HATE THE NAME! When you use the word “without” it immediately conveys a lack of something.  And most of us don’t want to lack something.  Think “Kids Without Unicorns,” for example.  Obviously, unicorns don’t exist (sorry… maybe I should have used a Spoiler Alert there?), but don’t you still feel a little sad for those Kids Without Unicorns?   I don’t want, even for one second, to have these children who are questioning god’s existence to think that they might be missing out on something by embracing atheism. What about… KidsForReason KidsForRationality KidsFreeFromReligion KidsThatLikeFairyTalesButDon’tBelieveTheyAreTrue KidsThatAppreciateTheUniverseJustTheWayItIs KidsThatWillChangeTheWorldForTheBetter Let me be really clear here.  Kiddos…you lack NOTHING.  Religion is the bug guts and dirt and bird poop on your windshield - you clear all that off and your sight is clear.  You see the world exactly as it is.  And that’s beautiful.  Unicorns or not.  ~JJ Well said, except for the unicorn part.  Unicorns are totally real.
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skepticalavenger:

teachthemhowtothink:

skepticalavenger:

Kids Without God

I explored this site for a bit yesterday and there is some pretty good stuff on it.  BUT I HATE THE NAME!

When you use the word “without” it immediately conveys a lack of something.  And most of us don’t want to lack something.  Think “Kids Without Unicorns,” for example.  Obviously, unicorns don’t exist (sorry… maybe I should have used a Spoiler Alert there?), but don’t you still feel a little sad for those Kids Without Unicorns?   I don’t want, even for one second, to have these children who are questioning god’s existence to think that they might be missing out on something by embracing atheism.

What about…

KidsForReason

KidsForRationality

KidsFreeFromReligion

KidsThatLikeFairyTalesButDon’tBelieveTheyAreTrue

KidsThatAppreciateTheUniverseJustTheWayItIs

KidsThatWillChangeTheWorldForTheBetter

Let me be really clear here.  Kiddos…you lack NOTHING.  Religion is the bug guts and dirt and bird poop on your windshield - you clear all that off and your sight is clear.  You see the world exactly as it is.  And that’s beautiful.  Unicorns or not.  ~JJ

Well said, except for the unicorn part.  Unicorns are totally real.

Source: brucefairbanks

Scandal in Ireland as woman dies in Galway 'after being denied abortion'

atheismfuckyeah:

Further details on the Galway death.

Savita Halappanavar, who was 17 weeks pregnant, died of septicaemia a week after presenting with back pain on 21 October at University hospital in Galway, where she was found to be miscarrying.

After the 31-year-old dentist was told that she was miscarrying, her husband reportedly said that she had asked for a medical termination a number of times over a three day period, during which she was in severe pain.

But he said these requests were denied because a foetal heartbeat was still present and they were told at one point: “This is a Catholic country.”

confrontingbabble-on: While prayer fails and religion is completely ineffectual, science gave us Plumpy’nut…Thank you caring scientists! Plumpy’nut has a two year shelf life and requires no water, preparation, or refrigeration.[1] Its ease of use has made mass treatment of malnutrition in famine situations more efficient than in the past.[3] Severe acute malnutrition has traditionally been treated with therapeutic milk and required hospitalization.[4] Unlike milk, Plumpy’nut can be administered at home and without medical supervision.[1] This utility has been recognized by the United Nations, which stated in 2007, “new evidence suggests… that large numbers of children with severe acute malnutrition can be treated in their communities without being admitted to a health facility or a therapeutic feeding centre.”[5] Plumpy’nut conforms to the UN definition of a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).[1][5] http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy%27nut
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confrontingbabble-on:

While prayer fails and religion is completely ineffectual, science gave us Plumpy’nut…Thank you caring scientists!

Plumpy’nut has a two year shelf life and requires no water, preparation, or refrigeration.[1] Its ease of use has made mass treatment of malnutrition in famine situations more efficient than in the past.[3] Severe acute malnutrition has traditionally been treated with therapeutic milk and required hospitalization.[4] Unlike milk, Plumpy’nut can be administered at home and without medical supervision.[1] This utility has been recognized by the United Nations, which stated in 2007, “new evidence suggests… that large numbers of children with severe acute malnutrition can be treated in their communities without being admitted to a health facility or a therapeutic feeding centre.”[5] Plumpy’nut conforms to the UN definition of a Ready-to-Use Therapeutic Food (RUTF).[1][5]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Plumpy%27nut

(via skepticalavenger)

Source: confrontingbabble-on

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