Anti-atheist bigots have unfortunately succeeded in forcing the removal of The Freedom from Religion Foundation’s “Imagine No Religion” billboard in Ontario, Canada.  Of course, the FFRF has something to say about it.  Once again we see the mindset of those who believe that atheists do not deserve the same rights as everyone else:

Judy Rooze, administrator of First Baptist Church of Rancho Cucamonga, which is two blocks from the billboard, was relieved it was coming down.

Rooze said it was unsettling.

“I understand people have freedom of speech, but this is taking it too far,” she said. “It’s very jarring.”

Despite her claim, Rooze clearly does not understand the concept of freedom of speech.  Simply because a religious person is “unsettled” by an opinion on religion in Ontario their rights trump those of atheists?  Does this extend to all of Canada?

From the FFRF’s response:

Foundation co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor called such censorship “unprofessional and cavalier.”

“Are religionists so thin-skinned they must squelch free debate? One small freethought billboard in the immense state of California is such a threat to insecure religious egos that it must be censored?”

[sic]

“There is nothing insulting in our message. We simply invite the public to think, to imagine a world free from religion. Think of the history of believers warring over their imaginary gods, the fact that more people have been killed in the name of religion than for any other reason! The human race needs to grow up. We should concentrate on improving this world, and stop worrying about the next,” Gaylor added.

Are you from Ontario or any other part of Canada and have you been discriminated against for your lack of religion?  Comment here or, if you want to share a longer story for me to post, email me sdreport [at] bunda.org.

I was just reading biologist (and infamous atheist) P.Z. Myer’s blog “Pharyngula,” which brought this column in The Times-Herald to my attention. Purporting to be “A few religious thoughts to ponder,” it is in fact clearly a thinly veiled bigoted screed against the nonreligious.  This is notwithstanding that Thanksgiving is a wholly secular holiday, so I don’t see what religion has to do with it.

At the risk of being unoriginal, I am including the same selection from the beginning of the column as Professor Myers.  It displays best how obviously hateful and mean-spirited the writer must be.  As one commenter (comments are now closed) said best: “Shameful…”

Thanksgiving must be a terrible time for atheists. They have no God to thank.

They do not have the privilege of gathering with family and friends to express gratitude by saying: “Praise God from whom all blessings flow.” An atheist on his deathbed faces serious uncertainties. Gazing upward, he pleads: “Oh God, if there is a God, please save my soul — if I have one.”

I’m still here, SDR will be updated very soon and continue to be updated regularly as long as there is something to write about (a problem I don’t expect).  Between my obligations in the “real world” and short notice canceling of my previous (and free) web hosting, I have clearly not been updating.

In short, updates will resume soon.  There is, unfortunately, a lot to talk about.