Much Ado Part II

On Friday Mayor Michael Bloomberg made the decision to not have clergy in official capacity during the 9/11 memorial services because it would be like the government "shoving religion down peoples throats". There was an uproar from the evangelicals because they insisted that God be present, well, guess what...God was present anyways....

Former mayor Rudy Giuliani read from Ecclesiastes, G.W. Bush read a letter from Abraham Lincoln infused with Godly language and the One, President Obama read from Psalm 46. A couple of words here...government, God...throats. It reminds me of graduating ceremonies at some rural high school last year where a student complained that to have an official prayer during graduation would violate church and state stuffs. The loophole was that they prayed individually and not in official capacity. It looks like the adults took a page outta the high school kids book.

Believers are pissed and they want their country back (as if). It is similar to white males and feminism. If back in the day 9-10, or 10-10 jobs went to white males and now, because of the women's rights movement, it is more like 7-10, or 8-10. Certainly that is not fair or equal, so what are they complaining about? The secularists gain a metric inch but in order to be fair and equal, a mile needed to be achieved. So evangelicals, the very intolerant and extreme splinter cell of Christianity, did not get invited to speak at the 9/11 ceremony, so what, God was so totally present anyways. Sheez.

Look at today's Sac Bee, one of the headlines is about religion. In fact everyday in mainstream newspapers across the country, there are articles about religion...everyday. but we can't even speak up, is that what is going on (yes). We get one little bone thrown to us (Bloomberg's decision), then there is a backlash and outrage, and then they get their way anyways.

No one ever said don't believe or don't pray. By all means believe what you want to believe and do what you want to do. But don't complain because in the interest of fairness that you had to give an inch, when to be fair....miles and miles are needed.

Sheez.

Snubgate

Read in your best imitation of the President voice, "Gee, everyone, where are the evangelicals."

I think that to put the word "gate" at the end of a word for journalists, is like the words "tour de force" for someone that reviews movies for a living, in that you probably don't want to use it all the time, but...if the shoe fits.

This is so awesome...Sikhs, Hindus and Muslims all got the invite to the 9/11 thingy but evangelicals/southern baptists got the shaft; and they are butt hurt about it (and I am that German word that I don't know how to spell or say). It must be Gawds way of punishing them for hating on the GLBT community, feminists and science in general (or not). Or it could be a very human and reasonable response, based here on erffs mind you, to all the hatey hate that they spew (can I sway 'spew' here) as well as all their other nonsense (controlling women, anti science, rewrite history etc...)

So I'll go out on a limb and I'll say that all the cool liberal religions that do not take their holy books literally (ie age of the erffs is 6-10 thousand for Christians called young Erffs Creationists), the ones that do not subscribe to world domination and the ones that are so comfortable in and with their beliefs that they could actually be able to go to an event like this and not make it all about them. Sheez, why didn't anyone invite evangelicals to this. Is it...

...they are adamant about their Jesus coming back and being the only road to salvation . The only way.
...they are not tolerant of other monotheistic Gods. One true God. One...and it's theirs, not yours.
...even in 2011, with the Michele Bachmann's and Palin's...women must still submit to the men folk. "That's just the wayyyyyy."
...their holy book is called bronze age by the New Atheist in a derogatory way because, it was plagiarized, interpolated, copied and miscopied over and over again, by anonymous  authors in the 100's of 1,000's, at a time when (perhaps) 90% of the population was illiterate, most people believed in miracles, there was no scientific method, or germ theory, the people didn't know what caused weather, they thought 'sacrifices' could make rain, or a girl prego...and that is just off the top of my head.

American has a world wide identity problem...the world identifies us as ass hole-e-'o's'. The world see's Team USA as fat, loud and super Christian religious to the extreme, and if you don't believe us, we will shoot you because, of course, we have guns-we're American after all.

To me it looks like Mikey Bloomberg made the correct decision on such an important day.

* Good Faith and Reason today. It's not my favorite.

* How American Evangelicals Are Killing Gays In Africa

The title of the article that goes w/this photo is  "How American Evangelicals Are Killing Gay People In Africa.

Many Ways To Win

There are many ways to win a war besides the obvious. There is a mental battle going on also, a battle of spirit. If two ultimate fighters are going at it in the ring, both dudes get beat up and do some beating, one wins on points, thus winning the match, but he also dies at the hospital later; a loser to attrition. Win the match but you lose your life...who is the winner then.

I just read the CNN article Heavy Security...and thought, "Are they winning?" Sure Seal Team 6 just executed dude and news reports, seemingly, update the public weekly on the next in command and the next in command getting whomped on. But are things getting better or are they getting worse (haven't done this one in a while)? Supposedly, we are scaling back on the occupation thingy (good), but are we really going to leave (bad). When I read articles like this...I think for the worse.

"A heavy security presence permeated lower Manhattan on Sunday, the 10th anniversary of the 9/11 attacks, as authorities continued their search for possible plotters of another terrorist strike.

Information considered credible but unconfirmed indicated up to three attackers could be trying to use an explosives-laden vehicle for an attack in New York or Washington, according to various sources. Authorities stressed that while they were taking information of a possible attack plot seriously, there was no evidence so far that an actual terrorist operation was underway.

"Again, it's not confirmed yet, but we're not relaxing at all."

 federal security agents -- some wearing body armor -- deployed in the area.

Roads were blocked and police checkpoints for both vehicles and pedestrians surrounded the memorial, with backpacks checked by bomb-sniffing dogs and put through x-ray machines.

Two of the three individuals believed to be involved in the potential plot on the 9/11 anniversary are Americans of Arab descent who traveled to the United States last week, 

However, another law enforcement official said there is no evidence so far that any of the three individuals came to the United States or are here now.

No other corroborating evidence of an attack has been uncovered, 

Three stolen trucks were added to a New York Police Department database because of the threat, said Deputy Police Commissione

Two of the trucks were owned by a construction company that operates at the World Trade Center site. They were reported stolen over a week ago and had about $70,000 worth of tools on them, Kelly noted.

A Transportation Security Administration statement said the security steps were taken "out of an abundance of caution."

Police also were sweeping parking garages for explosives and using digital license plate readers to check for stolen vehicles, officials said (CNN)."

Paranoid much. Sure we have been safe since the attacks (and I totally appreciate that)...but at what price. The simultaneous wars on foreign soil has depleted money that could have gone to other endeavors, the country is polarized and, seemingly, growing further and further apart. The war on terror is so far reaching that it can be associated with many issues, everything from gun control to immigration. Are we living in fear or is fear a fabrication of the media, or is it a little bit of both. Regardless, there is palatable tension in the air.

The only thing we can do, both individually and collectively, is have hope. The terrorist, the government and the media...they can't take away hope. 

* CNN article

How To honor 9/11 Victims and Survivors

If you want to be a total dookie head and dishonor all those who have died in 9/11, the survivors, and all the family and friends affected, then promote pseudoscience, conspiracy theories and extremist religion. For those that want to inject more religion into this, when Mayor Bloomberg correctly did not include religious speakers in official capacity for today's 10 year anniversary, they just don't get it-religion is the cause of 9/11.

There are many many resources to debunk the 9/11 conspiracy theories. It has been years since I have read up on that stuffs (I can't believe that people still debate this), but that Popular Mechanics article, from what I recall, is the best. There are so many points that I could go over...fo sho I will not do that here (there are much better places for that). But...

I will mention the explosive devices thingy. So the claim is that the government planted explosive devices all over the buildings, so much so that when they pressed the button, the buildings fell in such a manner that it looked almost exactly as if it were a controlled demolition (weird and paranoid much).

Reall...really. So we are to believe that the government planted hella bombs all up and down and thru two buildings that are full of workers (50,000 plus), when there is 24-7 security and surveillance and no one noticed. Of all the peeps that did the planting, not one of them talked. It must have taken tens if not hundreds of workers planting bombs to accomplish a job like that. So none of them talked and not one person working in the building noticed. This is just one example of many that does not make sense and quite frankly...I'm too smart to believe that.

For those that believe that more religion will make this better I say...WTF. Religion is the reason why 9/11 happened. Like I said the other day, Islam and Christianity are like cats and dogs. They might lick each others butts some times, but given the chance...they will eat each other. What does it take to encourage a peep to, I dunno know, let's say hijack a plane, crash it and kill everyone on board including themselves...religion, the promise of an afterlife where one reaps heavenly rewards that pales life here on suffering erffs, an eternal awesomeness promised from Gawd himself that says, "Yea bro dude, your life is dookie, but if you blow up stuff and yourself...I'll take care of you in cloudville...and don't forget all those virgins that peeps keep talking about." But why did Islam go all Islam on NY City buildings.

One of the best and most important thingies about the battle and desire for secular society is that it is fair and equal for everyone. There is not one dominate religion, or belief, over another. And that is why all the forms of Christianity, whether it be Catholicism or any of the million gazillion evangelicals, are against secularism-they want to dominate. It is not enuff that American Christianity dominates the landscape here in the states, it has to spread...even in the nonChristian countries like the Asias and the Middle Easts.

Look at Egypt and Israel right now. The peace that has prevailed since, is it 67', is being replaced with protests and embassy bombings. Israel is loosing friends and people are looking at Palestine the way we used to look at S.Africa and apartheid. China and N. Korea are very wary of the spreading of American Christianity (and I'm not taking their side, just making a point), but S. America, Africa and S. E. Asia are experiencing growing numbers of American evangelical believers. Dontcha think that the indigenous religions will feel that their culture is being whitewashed, that there is a very real takeover happening. I think so.

The way to honor all those f-ed up by the terrorist attacks of 9/11 is to put extremist religion in it's proper place (nonexistence) and stop fueling stupid conspiracy theories. This is why The Mighty New Atheist are so important. If everyone, not just Team Atheist, knew that humans wrote the bible and Qu'ran and that they are not of divine origin, then would people be so eager to kill themselves and others, or be in a hurry to go to cloudville to collect the very overrated gaggle of virgins.

If the aggressive factions of extremist and literal religions could be transformed to symbolic and liberal religions, then we wouldn't have people that believe Gawd told them to kill, take over and dominate others. If we can win this very important battle for a godless public square, a place where everyone has freedom and equality and one religion does not dominate over others...then wouldn't we have world peace.

Honestly, we don't know...but we should at least try.

* Good hub page for everything that debunks 9/11 conspiracies at the awesome eSkeptic.

* Review of Forged the B. Erhmann book by the awesome Tim Callahan. Hint, the bible is fakey fake.

* Popular Mechanics

Much Ado About Bloomberg

Wow. WTF! The secularist get an inch, we get thrown one bone and then there is outcry from them. Say it isn't so. The mayor of New York, Michael Bloomberg, has correctly decided that there will be no clergy  in official capacity at the 10th anniversary of 9/11 at ground zero and they are pissed. Again, WTF.

All the cool kids know that religion is the reason why 9/11 happened in the first place. The cool kids know that the government cannot promote one religion over another. That is why when the peeps like American Atheist and FFRF sue cities and counties that have prayers before official functions...they win. Often times, and it is the case with 9/11 anniversary, religious folk seem to think that more religion is the answer to the problem. They believe "why not invite a diverse array of religions (and that only means Christianity and maybe, maybe another one) because that will make it equal." Ugh...fuckin' stupid much.

Mayor Bloomberg is right on the money in his decision to not have clergy of any participating in any official capacity for the ceremonies (he never said they couldn't go). He is correct in that this tremendous and solemn event should and must focused on the families of 9/11.

As one Christian pastor said of the complainers, this is the reason why you were not invited in the first place. And as Nu Kriss 2011 Summer/Fall edition says, "Religion caused 9/11 so...Shut the fuck up, losers. "

Have a nice day everyone (and my twitter is working again, c'ya in the twitterverse).

* CNN Belief Blog