Blame Godlessness

An editorial today in The Oregonian:

Blame godlessness

I could not help but notice all the coverage about the downtown shooting. All this coverage got me thinking -- the shooting was just a symptom of a much bigger problem. America lacks God.
America was once a godly nation. Times were better. People were safer. However, we have stepped away from God. We have let humanist views slip into our lifestyles. This absence of God was one cause of the downtown shooting.
The young shooter did not know the God that I know. He was probably taught about evolution. He was probably influenced by atheism. This lack of God leads to dangerous things that even the strictest laws cannot prevent.
More gun laws may be a result of the shooting. Fewer gun laws may be a result. Whatever happens, we should consider adding God back to our lives.
RUSSELL MATHEWS Milwaukie

My editorial response sent to The Oregonian:

This is a response to the editorial Blame Godlessness written by Russell Matthews.It's easy to make accusations such as that which Mr. Matthews has made, blaming humanists, atheists, and evolution for violence. However, I notice that Mr. Matthews cites no proven correlation between violence and any of these. The fact is that the USA is the most religious industrialized nation in the world, with the highest rate of violent crime. In my opinion, too many people assume they have brought their children up with morals because they have raised them on religion. The problem is that these people don't teach children to THINK and evaluate the real human consequences of their actions, but focus more on how displeasing things are to God. Instead of focusing on the Golden Rule, which is universal, religions get caught up in petty issues such as gay marriage, pre-marital sex, and "dangerous" movies, books, and music. Where are the lessons on valuing human worth for the inherent dignity of being human? Where is the lesson that hurting people is just wrong, not something one can just confess, be forgiven of, and walk away with a clean slate? Mr. Matthews, I am an atheist and a humanist, who supports evolution, and I am raising thinking, feeling children, who instills morals and ethics in her children, and teaches them not to make generalizations and look for scape-goats, but to make the world a better place from having them in it.

Blame the Atheist Part 1 The Pledge of Allegiance

Lately it seems that some in this country want to engage in a game of "blame the atheist". I will be writing a series of blogs examining some hot issues in this country concerning religious and political issues, starting with the Pledge of Allegiance.

The claim
Atheists are making a big deal out of nothing. They want the Pledge of Allegiance banned because it says "under God".

1916
In Chicago, 11 year old Hubert Eaves, a black student refused to recite the pledge as a protest to Jim Crow laws, and state-approved lynchings. He stated, “I am willing to salute the flag as the flag salutes me,” Hubert was arrested for not showing respect to the flag.
1943
During WWII, in The West Virginia State Board of Education v. Barnette, the Supreme Court held that students were protected from being forced to salute the American Flag and say the Pledge of Allegiance in school. The students involved in that case were Jehovah's Witnesses, fighting for their freedom of religion.
1954
At the height of the cold war, and American paranoia over Communism, the Knights of Columbus fought to have the words "under God" added to the Pledge of Allegiance. President Dwight Eisenhower signed the bill adding the words "under God" stating,
In this way we are reaffirming the transcendence of religious faith in America's heritage and future; in this way we shall constantly strengthen those spiritual weapons which forever will be our country’s most powerful resource in peace and war.
1987
The following exchange takes place between reporter Robert I. Sherman & George H. W. Bush during a press conference:
Sherman: What will you do to win the votes of the Americans who are atheists?
Bush: I guess I'm pretty weak in the atheist community. Faith in God is important to me.
Sherman: Surely you recognize the equal citizenship and patriotism of Americans who are atheists?
Bush: No, I don't know that atheists should be considered as citizens, nor should they be considered patriots. This is one nation under God.
Sherman (somewhat taken aback): Do you support as a sound constitutional principle the separation of state and church?
Bush: Yes, I support the separation of church and state. I'm just not very high on atheists.2000
Two students are punished for refusing to say the Pledge of Allegiance or salute the American flag. Two atheist students? No, one Baptist student said his faith prohibits idol worship. The other student refused to recite the pledge, raising a fist of defiance in support of his friend, and was paddled for his actions.
2001
In reaction to the September 11th terrorist attacks, Wisconsin passed a law requiring all schools to offer the Pledge or National Anthem daily. The Madison School Board voted to use only an instrumental version of the national anthem so that no student would feel pressured to vocalize the words of the pledge or anthem. Wisconsin Governor Scott McCallum responded to this in a press release:
Most Wisconsinites are looking for ways to enhance our armed forces and support our country; some people are looking for ways to diminish our belief in God and country. It is disheartening, but in a free country you have patriots and you have the freedom for a few oddballs who place politics above patriotism.2001
Virginia state Senator Warren E. Barry tries to have school children forced into reciting the Pledge When other Senators object, Barry calls them “spineless pinkos.”2005
17-year-old Cameron Frazier is harassed and punished when he expressed his First Amendment right to not participate in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Still think people are making a big deal out of nothing when it comes to reciting the Pledge of Allegiance?

I Am a Proud Atheist

I am not an atheist because I am mad at God.
To be mad, I'd have to believe first.
Just because I am an atheist doesn't mean I'm immoral.
I just don't have your morals, or feel the need to push mine on anyone else.
I'm not an atheist because I am too lazy to go to church.
That's just one of the perks.
I will not stop being an atheist because you show me pictures of babies, flowers, and rainbows,
any more than you will stop being a believer if I show you a picture of a rabid dog, a bunch of thistles, or a massive flood that's killed thousands.
You do not need to feel sorry for me because I am an atheist.
I do not feel sorry for you for fearing God.
My life is not empty because I don't have faith.
My life is full because I have knowledge.
I do not have to prove that there is no God.
The burden of proof should lie on the one claiming something she can't see exists.

I should not believe in God, just in case...
There is a lot to lose if one puts faith in false hope.
I will not waste time waiting for heaven.
I will live my life to the fullest here and now, and try to make the world a better place.
When I say I respect your beliefs, and your right to practice them, I really mean it,
unlike some believers who will always think of people like me as doomed.
If you ask me why I do not believe in God,
I will ask you why you only believe in one god, and not all the others that could exist.
When you say there are no atheists in foxholes,
I say there are, and they're wishing that people could stop using faith as a reason to hate each other.
When you say "Only God can judge.",
I find it convienient that you and God always agree with each other.
When you use isolated Bible verses to prove your points,
I wonder why when I take isolated verses out of the Bible to prove mine, they're meaningless because they're "out of context"
When you ignore past atrocities in the name of the Bible as being the result of misinterpretation,
then I have to wonder how do you know it's not being misinterpreted now?
If you think I'll enjoy all your faith filled journal messages,
then please enjoy my message.

Introduction-edited on 8/29/07

Hi, my name is Lori-Ann. I am what I consider to be an unusual person. Here are 10 factoids about me.

I am:

1. 39 years old, married 18 years &
the mother of 3 teenage children, and one preteen

2. a "stay at home mom" I hate that phrase, but for simplicty's sake, I will use it here

3. a homeschooling mom

4. an atheist

5. an adult with ADHD

6. a "middle child"

7. a "soccer mom", but my kids don't play soccer

8. a nanny

9. a "non-practicing" bisexual

10. a hopeless romantic