Walking the walk…

Submitted without comment:

The more often Americans go to church, the more likely they are to support the torture of suspected terrorists, according to a new survey.

More than half of people who attend services at least once a week — 54 percent — said the use of torture against suspected terrorists is “often” or “sometimes” justified. Only 42 percent of people who “seldom or never” go to services agreed, according to the analysis released Wednesday by the Pew Forum on Religion & Public Life.

Seriously? That’s it?

I was ready to get all worked up when I read the headline to this article by Sam Harris. I deeply dislike Harris’ brand of “athiesm”. (note: I myself am an atheist)

The headline, “When Atheism Attacks”, and the sub-headline, “A noted provocateur rips Sarah Palin—and defends elitism” were just begging to set me off.

After reading the article… I was left trying to figure out exactly what “atheism” was attacking. Harris certain “rips” into Palin but I’m not exactly sure what sort of “elitism” Harris is “defending”.

To wit, here are the two basic arguments of Harris’ piece:

1. It is bad to have a presidential – vice or not – candidate who is a millennialist.
2. A candidate for high office should have a basic competence in governance.

There is nothing paticularly “atheisistic” about the above; I have heard people of many differing religious/anti-religious stripes make the same sort of  statements. There is nothing particularly “elitist” about them either.

In his article Harris is perfectly moderate in his statements. Though he certainly mentions his personal atheism in the article none of his arguements are grounded in it and the reader is not expected to agree with Harris metaphysics to accept the validity of his arguements.  Similar propositions – with little modification of their basic grounding – could easily be offered by someone with a different religious/anti-religious bent than Harris.

This was not what I was expecting from Harris, either from his reputation – as the athiest equivelent of a rhetotical bomb throwning Leninist - or from the impression the headline left on me.

Newsweek’s headline is deeply troubling; atheists are constantly treated as either the theologically court jesters of the mainstream media (Christopher Hitchens?) or as deluded fools. If an admitted atheist – like Harris – makes argument the media naturally spins it as a byproduct of their atheism. People of faith are not treated the same.

If “Ben Smith”, a devout member of – I don’t know – the United Church of Christ, wrote a roughly similar article about Palin would it have been headlined “When the UCC Attacks?”. Certainly not.

In our religious and political discourse atheists and other non-religious types are constantly diminished into a sort of intellectual ghetto or carnival of mutal insults and recrimination with religious believers. Until atheists are treated with a modicum of actual respect, there can not be a real debate about the nature of faith or the lack thereof in our politics.

I’m only saved because I’m tired of sin…

Submitted without comment:

A perfect portrait of tolerance

Crossing the Line – The Last Temptation of Christ

Time to look at a film made by a Catholic (Martin Scorsese) about Jesus that pissed off every God fearing man woman and child on earth, or near enough. “The Last Temptation of Christ” was made in 1988 and based on a book by Nikos Kazantzakis, and is the closest you’ll see in this column of a review of “Passion of the Christ”.

Tagline: The life of Jesus Christ, his journey through life as he faces the temptations that all humans face during their lives, and his final temptation upon the cross.

Synopsis: You know that basic story of Jesus, let’s not waste time on that. A few things that Last Temptation supposes: That Jesus had made crosses for the Roman crucifixions of Jews; that Mary Magdalene was a whore; that Judas was Jesus’ best friend and a militant Jewish freedom fighter; that Jesus was confused and occasionally terrified of God’s actions in his life; that Jewish freedom fighters killed Lazarus to remove any evidence of Jesus’ powers; that Pontius Pilate was David Bowie; that Jesus asked Judas to betray him because it was God’s will. The movie attempts to reconcile the discrepancies in tone of the various stories of God, some of which are violent and some of which are all forgiving and loving. The film’s ending, which sparked the most controversy, has an angel (Satan in disguise!) appearing and allowing Jesus to escape crucifixion. He then goes on to live a normal life first with Mary, then with two other women he met in his ministry, bearing many children with them and dying an old and happy man. On his death bed some of his disciples appeal to him and Judas shows him that the angel is Satan, Jesus realizes it’s a trap (!) and returns to die on the cross. Fade to white.

Interesting Fact: On October 22, 1988, a French Catholic fundamentalist group launched molotov cocktails inside the Parisian Saint Michel movie theater to protest against the film. This attack injured thirteen people, four of whom were severely burned.

Objectionable material: Nudity, Crucifixion, Blaspheme, Depictions of Jesus kissing a man, depictions of Jesus as a polygamist, depictions of Jesus as a white guy, depictions of Jesus questioning God, depictions of Jesus having children, depictions of Jesus not dying for anyone’s sins, misogyny, murder, some of that good old time religion

Disturbing Quote: “I created the truth out of what people needed and what they believed. If I have to crucify you to save the world, then I’ll crucify you.”

Crossing the Line – Freaks

A second column without any sex, rape, or murder! Freaks is a 1932 classic by Tod Browning, and features a collection of real freak show members. Let’s have some fun at the expense of the handicapped shall we?

Tagline: Can a full grown woman truly love a MIDGET ?

Interesting Fact: F.Scott Fitzgerald was a member of the MGM writing department at the time the movie was in production. He never felt quite at home with all the movie stars and powerful moguls, and so he often dined in the commissary at the table of the sideshow attractions (freaks) during his lunch hour.

Objectionable material: Evidence against a loving God, A woman with no arms, a man with no legs, a man with no arms and no legs, conjoined twins, a half-man/half-woman, short people, A BIG IMPORTANT MORAL MESSAGE, bearded lady baby, microcephalics, a bird man (or woman?), Man’s Inhumanity to Man, Germans

Disturbing Quote: “We accept you, one of us! Gooble Gobble!”

“I don’t think it is futile.”

Submitted without comment…

When Specialist Jeremy Hall held a meeting last July for atheists and freethinkers at Camp Speicher in Iraq, he was excited, he said, to see an officer attending.

But minutes into the talk, the officer, Maj. Freddy J. Welborn, began to berate Specialist Hall and another soldier about atheism, Specialist Hall wrote in a sworn statement. “People like you are not holding up the Constitution and are going against what the founding fathers, who were Christians, wanted for America!” Major Welborn said, according to the statement.

Major Welborn told the soldiers he might bar them from re-enlistment and bring charges against them, according to the statement.

Last month, Specialist Hall and the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, an advocacy group, filed suit in federal court in Kansas, alleging that Specialist Hall’s right to be free from state endorsement of religion under the First Amendment had been violated and that he had faced retaliation for his views. In November, he was sent home early from Iraq because of threats from fellow soldiers.

…

To Specialist Hall and other critics of the military, the guidelines have done little to change a culture they say tilts heavily toward evangelical Christianity. Controversies have continued to flare, largely over tactics used by evangelicals to promote their faith. Perhaps the most high-profile incident involved seven officers, including four generals, who appeared, in uniform and in violation of military regulations, in a 2006 fund-raising video for the Christian Embassy, an evangelical Bible study group.

…

In the summer of 2005, after his first deployment to Iraq, Specialist Hall became friends with soldiers with atheist leanings. Their questions about faith prompted him to read the Bible more closely, which bred doubts that deepened over time.

“There are so many religions in the world,” he said. “Everyone thinks he’s right. Who is right? Even people who are Christians think other Christians are wrong.”

Specialist Hall said he did not advertise his atheism. But his views became apparent during his second deployment in 2006. At a Thanksgiving meal, someone at his table asked everyone to pray. Specialist Hall did not join in, explaining to a sergeant that he did not believe in God. The sergeant got angry, he said, and told him to go to another table.

…

“Even if it doesn’t go through, I stood up,” Specialist Hall said. “I don’t think it is futile.”