What would the state be like if governed according to the Texas Republican Party’s 2008 platform?

· Calling separation of church and state a “myth,” the party platform would sweep away a key protection that has allowed faith to thrive in this country and permit government to promote favored religious practices over all others.

· Courts would be stripped of their authority to uphold the First Amendment’s prohibition against government officials promoting and endorsing religion.

· Government would become a powerful weapon in renewed attacks on sound science and medical research. Public schools would be required to teach religious doctrine, such as “intelligent design”/creationism, in science classes. Medical research involving embryonic stem cells, which scientists believe offers real promise for treating patients with medical conditions like cancer and Parkinson’s disease, would be criminalized.

· Public schools would be forbidden from teaching medically accurate information about contraception and the prevention of sexually transmitted diseases. Instruction on only “abstinence until heterosexual marriage” would be required.

· Content in public school textbooks would be based on the personal beliefs of whatever majority controlled the heavily politicized State Board of Education. By removing prudent limits on the board’s authority, the state would reopen the door to censorship.

· The public treasury would be raided to subsidize private and religious schools through vouchers and tax deductions. Even worse, government would be forbidden from requiring that private and religious schools getting taxpayer dollars meet the same oversight and education standards that public schools must meet.

· Government would strip women of their right to make decisions regarding their reproductive health. Abortion services, with no exceptions, would be criminalized. Even access to various forms of contraception would be barred or restricted. In addition, the government would make it harder for women to divorce and escape abusive relationships.

· Legalized discrimination against gay and lesbian Texans would escalate. Government would be empowered to imprison and/or fine adults who engage in even private, consensual sexual intimacy with other adults of the same gender. Moreover, the government would not just bar adoption by gay and lesbian parents. It would also strip them of any right to custody of their own children and would restrict visitation rights.

How much longer are the good people that live in Texas and other so-called “red” states going to allow these treasonous savages to subvert our government and other cherished institutions?  How much longer before the only conclusion is that the “good” people are in league with these hate-mongers?

As religion continues to have a waning influence in our society, expect these people to grow more violent and oppressive.  Be prepared to stand up to them, using every legal means at our disposal.  Do not expect the religious moderates to help - they have been silent before and are silent now.

I would like to think that seeing this is kind of a positive thing - this is the death throes of a worldview slowing going extinct.  While I hope this is true, without a doubt they will not go away quietly, and will do everything they can to harm their perceived enemies.

“Atheism is a religion.”

Translation: “Atheism is a religion because everyone believes there is a god, right?”
Acceptable Response: “They know there is a God and they reject him and hate him! They will burn in hell forever!”
Unacceptable Response: “Calling ‘atheism’ a religion is like calling ‘bald’ a hair color.”
Link

A wonderful illustration of the Christian god’s Perfect Love!  I’m tempted to put this in the humor category, but it isn’t really funny…actually it is quite sad.  You don’t really hear about this story from the Christians much for some reason…hmmm.  I’ll have to go get the children’s illustrated bible that my grandmother has and see how this story is told.

Source:  http://www.angryflower.com/bibbal.html

Thanks to Pharyngula 

A Christian group out of San Diego has found grounds for outrage over the new retro-style logo for Starbucks Coffee.The Resistance says the new image “has a naked woman on it with her legs spread like a prostitute,” Mark Dice, founder of the group, said in a news release. “Need I say more? It’s extremely poor taste, and the company might as well call themselves Slutbucks.”

What’s so offensive?

Looks pretty cool to me, but I’m going to hell, so what do I know?  Besides, what legs are they talking about?  Methinks they are seeing something which isn’t there.  Calling Dr. Freud…

For the most current information on the propaganda film “Expelled”:

Expelled

Source

A trade association and a tourism group came up with the Alabama Wine Trail to lure visitors to the state’s eight wineries, which produce everything from fruity muscadine and peach wines to more traditional varieties such as merlot and chardonnay.

A Baptist leader in neighboring Chilton County said his group opposed plans for a winery there and doesn’t like the idea of luring tourists to his home turf or anywhere else in Alabama to imbibe.

“We are on record as being opposed to any kind of alcohol-related industry,” said the Rev. Robert Griffin, moderator of the Chilton Baptist Association and pastor of Highland Baptist Church in Clanton. “I would support visiting old, historic churches, but as far as visiting wineries…”

Alabama law limits home wine production to five gallons at a time, and Beadles said his Alabama Wineries and Grape Growers Association hasn’t been able to get much support for increasing the cap for hobbyists.

“We have such a Bible Belt population that when you say you’re going to increase production … in this state they think there will be a drunk in every house,” Beadles said. “There are a lot of people in this state with wine in their closets.”

I love wine (not a fan of muscadine, though - too sweet for me). I hate the fact that I cannot have decent wine from outside the state shipped to my house. The last time I checked, wine is a legal product in the US, but in “Talibama” I cannot buy it from another state.

And now it appears I, as a citizen of this state, will have a hard time even visiting the few wineries that are trying to cultivate just a little bit of culture.

Of course, this boils down to power and money, not religion. The delusional like Robert Griffen may like to think they are obeying their version of god, but what they are really obeying is the real version of god in America: power and money. He and his ilk are nothing more than tools of the rich and powerful.

And the (mostly silent) majority suffer because of it.

Saw this on Fark.com

At first glance the sign looked like a children’s cartoon, but the message next to the fairy princess stirred emotions.

“When you condemn all religions and say they are a fairytale that is wrong,” said Rich Stormes, a nearby business owner.

Too bad we don’t see more of this, because we certainly are drowned in pro-religious billboards all the time. Funny how people got angry with this billboard, yet could care less how others feel about pro-Christian billboards. Congrats on whoever put the billboard up!