It has been many months since the last update of Secular Discrimination Report.  I have had to focus on other things in my life and SDR fell by the wayside.  Most recently, I was going through New Jersey Emergency Medical Technician (EMT) school and riding as a first aider on my local first aid squad.  EMT school is now finished and I am soon taking the test for state certification.  The end of class leaves me more time for other things, such as this.  Bigotry and discrimination against the nonreligious certainly has not gone away, and I have continued to monitor it as best I can.

To tell you the truth, it’s getting harder to deal with the horrible things said about us, though.  This is especially true as the attacks against us have been growing steadily in the past few years.  It’s frankly infuriating, but I will do my best to continue to monitor religious bigotry, especially against the nonreligious, and present it to you.  There is a bright side: the bigots are more vocal against us because we are being more vocal.  That is bound to happen.  Many nonreligious are no longer scared to speak out, nor are we scared to simply acknowledge that we exist.  In that sense, we are continuing to gain ground.

To those of you who have written to me during this absence, I have not ignored you.  Expect responses soon.

Now on to the promised links:

Christian Bus Ads Fire Back (KCCI.com)

Christian ministry “Covenant of Love” is has their own pro-Christian ads on buses on Des Moines Area Regional Transit Authority buses this month.  It is reportedly in response to the recent atheist ads that have been on buses throughout the country.  From what I have seen, the article title seems misleading.  The ads don’t appear confrontational in any way; I would hardly say that they “fire back.”  They simply express their own positive view of Christianity, and that’s a great thing.  This is what we need, dialogue, which we have been essentially excluded from for too long.  We get our say and the religious get theirs.  Religious ads have existed since long before the atheist ads, though.  One could argue the religious already more than had their chance, and in fact dominated the discussion.  This is more confirmation that we are making headway.  We are a threat.  Despite the long history of unopposed religiosity, they feel that they need to respond to us.

Atheist group takes message to Lakeland via billboard (Tampa Bay Online – TBO.com)

Talking about ads, another atheist group has put up a billboard, this time by the Atheists of Florida.  As with the rest, there is nothing offensive unless one chooses to be offended.  It’s a message to other like-minded people that they are not alone, just as with other billboards that have gone up: “Don’t Believe in God?  You are not alone.”

Of course, the website’s comments display the same bigotry and irrational thought we have come to expect from bigots whenever atheists dare even display that we exist.  For example:

Posted by ( zgolf1 ) on 11/02/2009 at 01:53 pm.

I think that the people behind this billboard should stand on a street corner in Polk county and spread their word directly to the people. I am fairly certain that before the day was out that their beliefs would change once that were loaded onto bayflight.

Threatening members of the Atheists of Florida with physical violence because they state that atheists exist?  That’s not very Christian.

…it was just on a haitus for a bit while my other responsibilities caught up with me, and I attempted to catch up with them.  Updates will be coming again soon!

I almost forgot about Blog Against Theocracy!  This is the last day of it, so at least I noticed before it was too late.  From my earlier post announcing my participation:

“Blog Against Theocracy” is an event happening on blogs of those who understand the importance of defending our constitutionally required separation of church and state.  From April 10-12, look out for posts all over the blogosphere, including here on SDR, concerning varied issues relating to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.  This is not an atheist blogswarm, per se, but is open all who support Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation.”

The Establishment Clause: It Applies to the Nonreligious Too!

There is a bigoted and invalid criticism some religious bigots levy against the nonreligious.  It isn’t a criticism of the lack of religion or belief in a god, which is, true or false, a completely valid intellectual argument to make in good faith.  No idea is beyond criticism.   This specific claim is different; it is not in good faith.  Some claim that the nonreligious are not protected under the United States Constitution’s freedom of religion as religious citizens are!  This is so unbelievably disgusting I must repeat it: they claim that atheists and others with no religion do not have one of the most basic rights that our country was founded upon.

Read the rest of this entry »

“Blog Against Theocracy” is an event happening on blogs of those who understand the importance of defending our constitutionally required separation of church and state.  From April 10-12, look out for posts all over the blogosphere, including here on SDR, concerning varied issues relating to the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment.  This is not an atheist blogswarm, per se, but is open all who support Thomas Jefferson’s “wall of separation.”

I just got this email from the Secular Coalition for America [secular.org].  Any of you activists who answered their call to write your senators and say that you don’t want your tax money going towards religious groups should be proud of yourselves.  Let’s use this success, and every future success, as a springboard to future victories for our constitutional rights.

February 18, 2009

Dear Supporter,

Congratulations! Yesterday, President Obama signed into law an economic stimulus package that DID NOT include funding for the Compassion Capital Fund.

Because you took a few minutes out of your day and wrote to your Senators, you helped to stop $100 million from being funneled to religious organizations that otherwise would have been permitted to engage in discriminatory hiring practices.

The Secular Coalition for America is proud of you and the U.S. Senators who worked on the conference report for making sure that faith-based funding was not included in the stimulus package.

We have had several great victories so far this year: an attempt to use taxpayer dollars for divinity schools and other religious buildings on college campuses was rejected, as was an attempt to re-instate the Global Gag Rule that President Obama had overturned a week earlier.

Please continue to support the work that we do by taking action and by supporting us financially.

Congratulations again!

The Secular Coalition for America

My second article since I became a writer for Suite101.com has just been published.  Like the last one, it has to do with skepticism – evidence based critical thinking, a form of epistemology many nonreligious ascribe to.  This article is about Skepticism and the Art of Magic.  I have been interested in the art of magic since I was little.  I have also practiced the art as an amateur magician throughout my life, as well as performing here and there professionally.  Through my study of magic I have found that the knowledge of how to fool and skepticism go hand in hand.  This new article discusses that link.

Like many atheists, I am a skeptic – one who accepts of rejects factual claims by evidence based critical reasoning.  I recently became a writer for Suite101.com.  My first article is a short primer on some basics of skepticism.  Although not inclusive of every single important aspect of skepticism, it is a good primer for those interested in either what skepticism is or starting the road towards becoming a skeptic.  If you’re interested, check it out.

February 2, 2009

EVENT NOTICE

WHO:   Mary Bellamy, Assistant Director for Programs, and Woody Kaplan, Advisory Board Chair, Secular Coalition for America
WHAT:  Ethical Culture Society of Rockland County
WHEN:   Sun., Feb. 8, 10:45 a.m.
WHERE:  Peace Through Play Nursery School, 8 Amber Ridge Road, Chestnut Ridge, New York

Mary and Woody hope to meet you in Chestnut Ridge where they will be speaking to the Ethical Culture Society of Rockland County at 10:45 am on Sunday, February 8, concerning “More Than A Presidential Shout-out:  How the nation’s first lobbying organization for nontheists is working to remove the theocratic yoke from our federal government.”

Recently there has been such a huge influx in events that are related to atheist rights that I, between work and recent medical issues, don’t have anywhere near the time or energy to get to all of them.  In short, I need help, so I’m looking for one or two volunteers.  I originally envisioned Secular Discrimination Report as a collaborative site anyway, so I’d be happy to have anyone who would fit well.

Are you a good writer with an interest in helping bring attention to discrimination against the nonreligious?  Can you post at least one short to medium length (of course longer is always welcome too) analysis of recent related news or events a week?  Send me an email at sdreport [at] bunda.org including a sample article about a relevant topic or news article.  If you seem right for Secular Discrimination Report, it might end up as your first post.

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.