Mississippi Atheists

Mississippi Governor Endorses School Prayer

2012-06-01T11:22:00.001-05:00

Prior to 1962, it was fairly common for public schools in the United States to begin the school day with a prayer or reading from the Christian bible. Religious minorities, including Catholics, Jehovah's Witnesses, and atheists, often objected and even won some legal cases at the state level.

Relief finally came in the form of three landmark cases decided by the U.S. Supreme court in 1962, 1963, and 1971. First, Engel v. Vitale held that the use of official state-sponsored prayers violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. This was in direct response to efforts by New York to develop an official state prayer to be used in schools throughout the state. According to Justice Hugo Black:

[W]e think that the constitutional prohibition against laws respecting an establishment of religion must at least mean that in this country it is no part of the business of government to compose official prayers for any group of the American people to recite as a part of a religious program carried on by government.

The second and most widely known of these cases was Abington School District v. Schempp. This was the big one, the case most often credited with finally ending the practice of bible readings and state-sponsored religious activities in public schools. Finally, in Lemon v. Kurtzman, the Court attempted to spell out what would constitute a violation of the law when it came to religion in public schools. The so-called Lemon test specified three criteria that must be met for a state-sponsored practice to be permissible:

Have a secular purpose;
Neither advance nor inhibit religion; and
Not lead to excessive entanglement between government and religion.

Just because the law is fairly clear when it comes to state-sponsored prayer does not mean that the issue is no longer controversial for some misinformed Christians. And here in Mississippi, we have plenty of misinformed Christians.

The Associated Press reported this week that Gov. Phil Bryant (R-MS) told a group of high school students that he favors schools opening the day with prayer.

While speaking to approximately 300 students at American Legion Boys State on Tuesday, Bryant said that he grew up with school prayer and considers it a positive influence.

After the speech, Bryant told reporters:

I know it's difficult when you start talking about denominations and different beliefs, but I think there is a way for us to have a nondenominational opening prayer when the opportunity is available to let people know there is a God. Those children should know that he does care about them, particularly within their classroom.

Bryant does not seem to realize that the state is not supposed to be in the business of promoting the idea that there is any sort of god. Deep-Fried Freethinkers provided a great response to Bryant's speech in which they explain why his proposal violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment. Of particular note, they also examine why what Bryant is suggesting should be anathema not only to atheists but to religious believers, including many Christians.

The good news is that Gov. Bryant stated that he is not prepared to take any sort of action to enact state-sponsored school prayer in Mississippi. They bad news is that he clearly thinks it is a good idea and something he would like to see. Hopefully, he's just pandering to religious extremists who despise the Constitution and not seriously considering this as a future agenda item.

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Mississippi Law Prohibits Atheists From Holding Office

2012-05-28T14:10:00.001-05:00

How many times have you heard some version of the argument that atheists, while disliked, are not actually being discriminated against? I have heard this from a number of Christians and more than a few atheists. It makes sense that Christians would claim this; it is in their self interest to deny it. What about the atheists? What they seem to be saying is that because they have not personally experienced discrimination, nobody else does either. This bit of irrationally occurs too frequently and should be exposed for what it is.

Mississippi Code, Article 14, Section 265:

No person who denies the existence of a Supreme Being shall hold any office in this state.

This is what discrimination looks like, and it is right there in our state law for all to see.

I'm not sure if this section of our state law would be enforced if an atheist could somehow be elected. That really isn't the point. The point is that it is part of our state law today, and that is unacceptable.

This is a church-state issue, but it is also a fundamental civil rights issue. Atheists do not have equal rights under the law in Mississippi today.

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American Humanist Association Conference in New Orleans

2012-05-25T07:52:00.001-05:00

The American Humanist Association will be holding their 71st annual conference in New Orleans June 7-10. This could be a great opportunity for Mississippi atheists to attend a relevant conference without having to endure significant travel.

They have posted the conference schedule on their website so you can see who is expected and determine whether the topics are of interest.

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Sex Education Must Provide More Than Abstinence

2012-05-22T20:01:00.001-05:00

Here in Mississippi, public school children receive one of two forms of sex education: abstinence only or abstinence plus. Those are the only two options, and they are implemented district-by-district. Abstinence only is exactly what it sounds like; the "plus" in abstinence plus refers to the addition of information on contraceptives. State law explicitly prohibits any instruction about abortion as an option for ending an unwanted pregnancy.

I heard on the radio recently that the county in which I live recently decided to provide abstinence-only sex education to children in junior high and abstinence plus to children in high school. This sounds like a positive development for high school kids because it means that they will receive at least some reality-based sex education. But it is naive to think that the kids in junior high do not need access to the same information.

According to a new study of sexually active Americans between the ages of 18 and 29 by the Guttmacher Institute, knowledge of contraception is inversely related to risky sexual behavior. That is, the more information young adults receive about contraception, the less likely they are to engage in risky sexual behavior. Makes sense, doesn't it?

An obvious implication, at least to most of us in the reality-based community, is that we should do a better job of providing effective information to those in the highest risk groups. And that means those of us here in Mississippi. Teen pregnancy and sexually transmitted diseases are important problems here, problems which do not magically begin when someone reaches high school.

I am encouraged to see that high school kids in my county are going to receive at least some information on contraception, but I think that a mistake is being made with regard to the younger kids. They need access to this information too.

H/T to Think Progress

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Mississippi Lawmaker Condemns Gays to Death

2012-05-19T10:29:00.001-05:00

When hatred surfaces in Mississippi, it frequently seems to have roots in the evangelical fundamentalist Christianity that afflicts much of our state. But religiously-motivated hate is still hate. It cannot in any way be excused by cherry picking passages from an ancient book.

State Rep. Andy Gipson (R-77th District) made news this week with Facebook post and a follow-up comment in which he revealed a disturbing degree of religiously-motivated bigotry. Unity MS provided screen captures of Rep. Gipson's Facebook page on which he posted the following status update:

Been a lot of press on Obama’s opinion on “homosexual marriage.” The only opinion that counts is God’s: see Romans 1:26-28 and Leviticus 20:13. Anyway you slice it, it is sin. Not to mention horrific social policy.

In case it is not clear what Rep. Gipson is saying, read Leviticus 20:13 for yourself. I wonder if Rep. Gipson pays attention to the rest of Leviticus and refrains from using yeast or wearing blended fabrics? Does he advocate the murder of blasphemers too?

After receiving some criticism of this post, he expanded his thoughts with the following comment:

Sorry I’ve been busy and not had a chance to reply. David, in addition to the basic principal that it is morally wrong, here are three social reasons it’s horrific social policy: 1) Unnatural behavior which results in disease, not the least of which is its high association with the development and spread of HIV/AIDS; 2) Confusing behavior which is harmful to children who have a deep need to understand the proper role of men and women in society and the important differences between men and women, and fathers and mothers; and 3) Undermines the longstanding definition of marriage as between one man and one woman, a definition which has been key to all aspects of social order and prosperity. Anytime that definition is weakened our culture is also weakened. And yes, that is also true for other conduct which weakens marriage’s importance in society.

Unity MS did a great job responding to each of Rep. Gipson's points and suggesting that residents of Rankin, Smith, or Simpson counties remind him that he is expected to represent all of his constituents and not just the Christian ones. They provided his phone numbers and email addresses.

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Meet a Mississippi Atheist

2012-05-17T11:39:00.001-05:00

We've got a new author in Brandon, MS, and this is his introductory post.

A brief history of me…

I am 29 years old. I was born in Jackson, MS. I now live in Brandon, MS, with my wife and three children. I graduated from Northwest Rankin in Dec of 2000 and was off to bootcamp by the 29th of March the following year. I met my wife at the end of my time first enlistment, and I decided that it would be best to get out. Since then, we have started our family and we are trying to make the best of living here. While I am a atheist, my wife is a deist. Before moving here she was a Christian. Due to the down-your-throat attitude of Rankin County, they have stolen beliefs away from one of their own. We try to keep our children away from the bible and all religious propaganda as much as possible, at least until they are old enough to ask questions on their own and believe what they like instead of what they are told. In the meantime, we teach them to respect all people - no matter what race, sex, or religion. My oldest child is about to turn six. My middle child is four, and my youngest it fifteen months old.

The Southern Baptist Church has claimed my entire family. Most still go to them, while a few have been sucked into "Six Flags Over Jesus" (Pine Lake). I honestly do not know what Pine Lake is classified as, and I do not feel it is worth my time to find out. I started questioning my faith in eight grade while attending Oakdale Baptist Church. Seeing how the members acted toward people of other races and beliefs bothered me enough to plant the seed of questioning what had been fed to me. Once that seed was planted, it only took three years for me to realize that I did not believe in that "God," at least not in the same sense as I was brought up. It took almost ten years, and the death of my nephew, for me to finally say out loud to my wife the I am an atheist, and that I am completely finished with placating everyone.

He was born with a rare genetic disorder called Zellweger Syndrome. It was terrible seeing this happen to my brother and his wife. My wife was pregnant at the same time, and I was honestly felled with an enormous anticipation to see the two boys grow up together. Needless to say that did not happen. He died about 12 days after he was born.

What brought the hammer down was people saying, "This was God's will," or "He did this to bring you closer to him." That very moment I could not bring myself to believe in an higher power. I could not imagine how any person, much less an all powerful being, would take that life and make loved ones suffer through something like this. A perfectly innocent human was born to Christian God-fearing parents. To me, it just did not make sense.

My search for a religious awaking was over, and to say the least, I was greatly disappointed. It has sparked a fire in me that I did not know I had - one that looks for answers in science and reason. I have found Sagan, Hitchens, Dawkins, Darwin and Tyson. I started looking at people as humans, instead of by their religion or race. The sky turned into the cosmos. The vastness of the universe aided me. Empowered me.

Through my short time on the Earth, even when I believed in a spiritual deity, I have learned that people do not give themselves enough credit. I made it through the Navy. I saved myself from alcoholism. I made bad choices, and I have made good choices. I have learned to respect others' rights to believe what they want as long as they give me, my family, and any other human beings the same respect in return. I do not believe in "Marine Atheism" because I despise how the religious fling their beliefs around with their "in your face & I am better than you" garbage. I do not think it is a productive practice to combat their ignorance of the cosmos or lack of faith in themselves and the human race in that manner. I only want people to know you can be happy without god.

- Mike Bennett

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Women in Secularism Conference

2012-05-16T06:51:00.001-05:00

From PK ATHEIST:

For those of you interested in traveling to Virginia for this conference (or perhaps checking to see if they will have it next year), I have included the url below. If you travel by car please note the warnings that someone in North Miss. has been impersonating law enforcement and has shot two people to death. The advice ABC radio news gave was if you see the lights that seem to be law enforcement, put your blinkers on and proceed to a safe and lighted area. I would think you would want to call the Miss. Highway Patrol from a cell phone and take the number with you if traveling. Per their web site it is (601) 987-1212. (I could not find the listing of what you dial from a cell phone, but trust you will take that with you.)

http://womeninsecularism.org/index.html

Join us on May 18-20, 2012, for the “Women in Secularism” conference, sponsored by the Center for Inquiry. This historic conference will discuss and celebrate the many contributions women have made to the secular movement, while critically examining both the successes and failures of secularism in addressing women’s concerns.

May 18–20, 2012

Crystal City Marriott
Reagan National Airport
Arlington, Virginia

I am sorry I won't be able to make this meeting or the one in Jackson but appreciated hearing about both and thought you might like to at least know about this one.

--PK ATHEIST

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Central Mississippi Atheist Meetup on Sunday

2012-05-15T05:57:00.001-05:00

For those of you in the Jackson area, the Central Mississippi Atheist Meetup Group is planning their May meeting for this Sunday at the Unitarian Universalist Church in Jackson. For details and to RSVP, join the group at their Meetup.com page.

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As Atheists in Mississippi, We Understand the Absurdity of Voting on Rights

2012-05-13T09:18:00.001-05:00

Atheists in the U.S. know what it means to be a member of a tiny minority group. Atheists in Mississippi know this particularly well. In this context, I think we can all understand perfectly well why it makes no sense to put minority rights in the hands of the majority. Allowing residents of a state to vote on whether some of their neighbors are allowed to marry is ridiculous. Nobody voted on whether I could marry; why on earth would it make sense to do so for someone else?

Here in Mississippi, I have met many decent Christians. But I've also encountered some who would be perfectly thrilled with voting away our ability to marry simply because we are atheists. I've met some who would readily deny us custody of our own children for the same reason. And of course, there are plenty of employers in Mississippi who would not mind firing us if they learned of our atheism.

I don't support same-sex marriagebecause I'm an atheist; I support it because I am for equality. But I will say that my experience as an atheist in Mississippi makes me appreciate the absurdity of submitting minority rights to a public vote.

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Mississippi Gulf Coast Atheist and Freethinking Meetup Tomorrow

2012-05-12T10:31:00.001-05:00

The Mississippi Gulf Coast Atheist and Freethinking Association is having their monthly meetup tomorrow in Gulfport. The group plans to meet at 3:00pm in Harmony Hall. For more information or to RSVP, check out the group's page on Meetup.com.

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Mississippi Atheists: Returning to Our Roots

2012-05-11T07:46:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I've changed my mind about closing the blog and renewed the domain. Why? Three reasons. First, it occurred to me that letting the domain expire meant that I'd probably never get it back again if I were to change my mind in the future. I've seen too many people trying to buy back domains they used to own at outrageous prices, and I don't want to find myself in that position. Second, even though the traffic has never been great (and will never be great), we do have steady search engine traffic. That suggests that there just might be a need out there. Third and most importantly, I think that my initial vision for Mississippi Atheists may have been the right one, even if it was not the one I ended up pursuing.

Initially, I hoped that this blog would serve as a hub for information relevant to atheists in Mississippi. I imagined people searching for information or news and ending up here. For better or worse, I quickly lost sight of this goal and instead pursued the goal of making this blog into a collection of atheist voices from around Mississippi. I still like that idea, but it never really took off. We've never had more than a few co-authors. None of those we had were very prolific, and none stuck around for very long. Fair enough. While I'm still very interested in publishing guest posts from atheists in our state, that does not have to my sole focus.

My new vision isn't really all that new but represents a return to where I started: I want Mississippi Atheists to become the first page anybody lands when searching for information about atheism in Mississippi. That's it. In addition to not getting overly sidetracked again, there are a few necessary changes I need to make:

I am going to have to learn something about search engine optimization (SEO) and implement these techniques far more deliberately than I have previously.
I need to write more about topics of interest to Mississippi atheists and not simply atheists in general (although there can certainly still be some of that).
I am going to do some restructuring of the blog's layout, both for SEO purposes and to make it easier to find relevant information.
I am going to need to encourage anyone who finds this blog worthwhile to help out, even if it is in small ways like promoting us on social media, submitting an occasional post or picture, or simply letting me know about an issue you think I should write about.

I don't know in advance if I'll get it right this time, but I am committed to trying. If you have ideas, want to contribute content, or want to let people who aren't on Facebook know about something happening in Mississippi, please contact me at atheistrevolution [at] gmail.com.

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Second Thoughts About Closing

2012-05-10T14:56:00.001-05:00

Okay, so I've taken down the post about Mississippi Atheists closing. After much consideration, I've renewed the domain and plan to have another go at this. I'm going to be making some changes around here, as I have realized that there may be a somewhat different way we can use this space to make a contribution to atheists in our state. I'll be writing more about what I have in mind soon.

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MS Gov. Bryant Thinks Liberals' 'One Mission in Life is to Abort Children'

2012-04-25T05:49:00.001-05:00

This is our governor, insisting that liberals' "one mission in life is to abort children:"

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Faith is Not a Valid Reason

2012-04-07T11:07:00.001-05:00

We were referenced in the Hattiesburg American yesterday. It seems that columnist Rodney Sessions wrote an article, "Who Was This Man Called Jesus?" that I had criticized. A friend told him about it, and he responded in yesterday's paper. Based on how Sessions described our post, I assumed that it must have been something we wrote last Easter. It turns out the post to which Sessions responded in yesterday's paper was from 2009! It does not appear that Sessions' original article, which was referenced in a 2009 post, is even available online anymore.

Here is how Sessions characterized my 2009 post:

The writer of the article called me a very naive person because of my faith and beliefs.

Actually, my post called Sessions no such thing. My points regarding his article were as follows:

Sessions assumes, without sufficient basis, that the claims about Jesus in the Christian bible (many of which are inconsistent) are factual.
Sessions probably realizes that the relevance of Jesus in his life depends on faith.
Sessions is correct that each of us has the right to believe as we wish.

In Sessions' current article, he again makes the point that one's faith is a personal matter and each of us must figure out what we believe. Again, I agree. The problem isn't with what we choose to believe but how we choose what to believe. Sessions wants to do that based on faith, and this amounts to believing what one wants to believe because it is what one wants to believe. I'd rather base my beliefs on real-world evidence. I'm wary of the errors made by the human mind, and I'd like to guard against believing things with no basis in reality just because they make me feel good. Those are false beliefs, and I'd want to reject them.

I cannot evaluate Sessions' claim that his faith makes his life better. Maybe it does. This is not the point. How one's beliefs make one feel is not a valid index of the beliefs' veracity. There are plenty of false beliefs that make people feel good, and some of these can be quite destructive (e.g., I am morally superior to everyone around me).

My issue with Sessions' most recent article is that he seems to think that a profession that faith is the source of his beliefs should end the discussion. I'd argue that such a profession should only be the beginning.

In every other sphere of human existence, we respond to belief claims with requests for evidence. "I believe X" prompts requests for evidence to support belief in X. And if X is quite extraordinary, we rightfully expect that the evidence to support it will be similarly extraordinary. Moreover, we do not accept "because that's what I believe" or "because I have faith" as valid explanations for anything. Many religious people think that religious beliefs should be treated differently from all other beliefs; most atheists disagree.

Sessions' latest article is filled with little more than professions of his faith. If the Hattiesburg American sees fit to give him a pulpit from which to preach generalities, that is their call. My point is simply that Sessions has not provided us with any evidence to support his claims. He has not even attempted to do so. Instead, he simply repeats Christianspeak and says that he believes it because he believes it and because it makes him feel good. It is awfully difficult to take that seriously.

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Mississippi Still Most Religious State

2012-04-02T18:47:00.001-05:00

This isn't exactly news for those of us who live here, but a recent Gallup Poll shows that Mississippi remains the most religious state in the U.S. This is the same result Gallup reported in 2009 and to which I referred in a previous post.

What I find encouraging is that atheists can be found right here in Mississippi. Not only that, but growing numbers of us are organizing and speaking out. We still have an incredibly long way to go, but I think that more of us are becoming less patient with the status quo.

At the very least, we can provide those among us who are questioning their faith with a place to begin exploring alternatives. We can show them that there are atheists in Mississippi and that people right here get by quite well without religion.

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Mississippi Atheists at the Reason Rally

2012-03-31T07:38:00.001-05:00

There are great written and video accounts of the Reason Rally appearing on many atheist blogs, but I had hoped to hear from as many Mississippi atheists as possible about the event. Deep-Fried Freethinkers has obliged and provided a multi-part series of posts about the rally. Not surprisingly, there were Christians at the rally hoping to convert the attendees. Boy, were they in the wrong place!

If you went to the rally and would be interested in sharing your impressions here, I'd be happy to post your account.

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Have a Blast at the Reason Rally!

2012-03-23T15:19:00.002-05:00

I learned recently that approximately 50-60 Mississippians will be taking a bus from Starkville to the Reason Rally in Washington DC. Members of Freethinkers, Agnostics, and Atheists of Mississippi State University will be joined by members of the following groups for the trip:

MS Gulfport Humanists
Alabama Atheists and Agnostics
Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics at LSU
Millsaps Secular Society
Northeast Mississippi Atheists, Agnostics, and Freethinkers
New Orleans Secular Humanists Association
University of Mississippi Secular Student Alliance
University of Southern Mississippi Secular Student Alliance

Pretty cool, huh? Have fun at the rally and be safe.

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Tennessee Student Speaks Out Against Anti-Atheist Bigotry

2012-02-26T11:06:00.001-06:00

What do we want of our children during their high school years? How about excellent grades, athletic prowess, and leadership in extracurricular activities? Krystal Myers is a high school student at Lenoir City High School in Tennessee who has these attributes. She is an honors student, captain of the swim team, and editor of the school newspaper. What parent wouldn't be proud of that? There's just one little problem: Krystal is also an atheist who dares to speak out against the bigotry and discrimination she faces in her predominately Christian public school.

Krystal recently wrote an editorial for her school paper, "No Rights: The Life of an Atheist," in which she questioned the negative views many hold toward atheists and suggested that the promotion of Christianity by personnel at her school may be unconstitutional. Not surprisingly, the school refused to publish her editorial in the paper.

Schools Director Wayne Miller said it was the decision of the school authorities not to allow publication of Myers' editorial because of the potential for disruption in the school.

Right. Because blind acceptance of the status quo, a religious status quo with no place in our public schools, is superior to critical thinking and debate any day. Is that really the lesson we want our nation's children to take away from their education? Ignore what you know to be unjust because failing to do so could be disruptive. So what if the rights of a minority are being trampled! Don't rock the boat. Nothing to see here. Move along.

I applaud Krystal's efforts. You can read her editorial here, and I encourage you to do so. Fortunately, the Knoxville News Sentinel was not afraid to publish it.

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Secular Movie Night in Hattiesburg

2012-02-19T13:25:00.001-06:00

The Secular Student Alliance at Southern Miss (Hattiesburg, MS) plans to hold their first movie night on Feb. 23 in the Liberal Arts Building on the University of Southern Mississippi's campus in Hattiesburg.

For more information, check out the group's page on Facebook.

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MS Gulf Coast Atheist and Freethinking Association to Celebrate Darwin Day

2012-02-04T09:40:00.002-06:00

Posted at the request of the Mississippi Gulf Coast Atheist and Freethinking Association

We will celebrate DARWIN DAY - with guest speaker Brian Axsmith, Professor of Biology at U of South Alabama. His research interest, local fossil plants from the Pliocene (~ 3 million years ago, a time of extreme global warmth,) is relevant to the prospect that humanity will cause such global climate, irretrievably, for millions of years.

See: http://www.southalabama.edu/biology/faculty/axsmith/axsmithresearch.html

Please come and meet with us, Sunday, 12 February, 2012,
3:00 PM Meeting, 5:00 PM Potluck
At Harmony Hall, 2514 19th Avenue, Gulfport MS,
North off Pass Road (25th St.)
1/3 mile East of Hwy.49 (25th Ave.)
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MS Fares Poorly on Secular Coalition's Congressional Report Card

2012-01-27T08:14:00.001-06:00

The Secular Coalition for America recently released their 2011 Congressional Report Card based on how our representatives have voted on legislation of relevance to the secular community.

Not surprisingly, our elected representatives in Mississippi did not score particularly well. Of the four representatives scored, Rep. Thompson earned a B grade while Harper, Nunnelee, and Palazzo all earned Fs.

Is there anything we can do about this? I think it would be nice to thank Rep. Thompson. Sure, he could do better. But he's still far ahead of the others. By thanking him, we also let him know that we are paying attention.

As far as the others, Secular News Daily has some great ideas about how we can hold them accountable. To contact your representative, begin here.

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Jessica Ahlquist and Christian Hate

2012-01-13T10:10:00.012-06:00

Tayler Crocker, True Christian

Hi everyone. I've been out of pocket for the holidays, gleefully celebrating with family and doing my best to just let the world spin, but bringing me out of my cocoon is the news about Jessica Ahlquist winning her court case against her high school concerning its posting of prayer on the school's walls. I applaud her for the courage it must have taken to go against the dominant will of not only her school, but probably her community. We need more atheists like her.

Of particular interest to me is the reaction of Christians to this decision. Yet again, the courts have reaffirmed yet that the State cannot endorse religion. One would think that, by now, the Christian majority would get it. One would think that by now they would understand that they can't put their religious nonsense on public grounds, but no. And what we see is exactly what we have come to expect: The Christians, who routinely tout themselves as the highly moral (and atheists as the supremely amoral) among us, the true arbiters of goodness and decency, show themselves for what they really are: Hate mongers, simpletons, fantasy-addicts, among other descriptors I could have chosen.

Observe from Jessica's twitter feed:

"I hope there's lots of banners in hell when your rotting in there you atheist fuck"

"gods going to fuck your ass with that banner scumbag"

For an extensive catalog of the harassment Jessica has endured, follow this link.

One might cut these kids some slack because, well, they are stupid kids, but then there's this piece that has not only emphatically called Jessica a "bigot", but has posted a photoshopped photo to hammer home the point.

I can only conclude that these people, these so-called highly moral Christians, the ones with the one-way pre-punched ticket to Heaven, not only fundamentally misunderstand the constitution of the United States, but are fundamentally abhorrent, despicable people. Jessisca is a sixteen-year-old high school student, for crying out loud. Presumably grown adults attacking her in such a way is beyond the pale. So much for Christian morality.

But all of this highlights another problem: Christians, or the sort of amoral Christians highlighted in this thread, lack critical thinking skills. It demonstrates what Christianity does to the human mind. In their hateful screeds, they do what none of us atheists could possibly do with such effectiveness and clarity: They expose Christianity for what it really is. They highlight, beyond a doubt, that the moral system taught in Christianity is utterly bankrupt.

One might think they would realize the mockery they make of their own religions before they post the hate. But no, they don't, because they don't have to. That is the position of privilege Christians are afforded in the U.S. Their arrogance, their utter disregard and inability to respect a fellow human being says it all.

The hate monger who called Jessica a bigot seems to have no understanding whatsoever that the State cannot endorse religion. Further, in this laughable assertion, he writes:

"In fact, students could challenge this court case, simply based on the First Ammendment: “Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, OR prohibiting the free exercise thereof.”

Yeah, good luck with that one.

This stuff demonstrates, with unusual clarity, that in the Christian mindset it is A-okay to demonize an atheist, to dehumanize her. Most atheists, the reasonable lot we tend to be, tend to forget this indisputable fact: If you are an atheist, Christians hate you.

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Letter on MS Senate Concurrent Res. 505

2012-01-09T05:53:00.001-06:00

In the interest of doing what we can to stop our state's Senate Concurrent Resolution 505, Mims has shared a letter he wrote to his representative and a few key senators. With his permission, I am posting the letter below. Hopefully, it will serve as a model for additional letters.

Dear Senators Brown, Moran, and Fillingane, and Representative Crawford:

As the Chair of the Senate Rules Committee, as my State Senator, as the author of CR 505, and as my State Representative, I want to express my opposition to Senate Concurrent Resolution No. 505.

This Resolution establishes a government committee aimed at forwarding a Judeo-Christian prayer and ministry. This is a direct violation of the U.S. Constitution's Establishment Clause as elucidated in the First Amendment. It is an affront to all non-Judeo-Christian residents of this State. It is an affront to rigorous social science research, all of which shows a negative correlation between the depth of a society's religious beliefs and the health of that society. Mississippi is the most pious of the fifty United States, and also leads in almost every negative social parameter, from teen pregnancy rates to crime rates to mortality rates to high school drop out rates to violence against women rates to divorce rates to poverty rates to obesity rates...I could go on and on.

Meanwhile, the only parameter which correlates positively with a healthy, prosperous, happy community - a high level of education - is ignored as we cut our education budget. Recent studies have shown that early education, specifically pre-K education, has a tremendous influence on positive social outcomes. I suggest that you do not spend a dime of state money or a moment of legislative time on activities which do not have a positive influence on Mississippi citizens, and do everything you can to promote education, from early education through university studies.

I know Jackson. You can walk easily to a venue from the state capitol to any number of religious institutions that can assuage any spiritual travails you may be feeling. You can also easily walk to an educational institution in need of help from the state in providing a good education for its young citizens. The same is true for almost every municipal or county seat of government in our state. I ask you to get your priorities straight and do what will really move our state forward.

Sincerely yours,

Mims H. Carter

Pass Christian

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MS Senate Concurrent Resolution 505

2012-01-07T10:46:00.001-06:00

Mississippi atheists, please check out Senate Concurrent Resolution 505. This was just brought to my attention by a reader, and I think you will find it worth a look. It would establish a "prayer and ministry caucus" in our state legislature in order to "encourage, train and support legislative leaders in every field who believe in the power of prayer and ministry…"

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Happy Holidays, Mississippi Atheists

2011-12-22T08:44:00.001-06:00

When someone says "happy holidays" this time of year, I always smile and think to myself, "Now here's someone who respects the fact that there are many holidays in December and that people celebrate different holidays." I take it as evidence the speaker is seeking to be inclusive rather than trying to impose his or her religious values on me. It strikes me as a sign of progress in a society with entirely too much religious conflict.

That some conservative Christians believe the Fox "News" hype that this is part of some war on Christmas is unfortunate. They are being used to raise money for right-wing politicians and probably don't even realize it. They've managed to ruin their own holidays.

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