Sunday, 17 April 2011

• Live-blogging Nick News

  On Nick News right now is a segment that will include a clip from Alabama student Duncan Henderson, who is an atheist.  The segment is on religion.

  Opening right now.  Christian kids throwing out cliches about this being a Christian nation.

  1.  Most Americans are Christian. 

  Big deal.  Most Americans are women.  We're not a female nation.  Read the treaty of Tripoli of Barbary.  Read the fucking constitution (which lacks any mention of god).

  2.  Our values are based on Christianity.

  Horseshit.  Only two of the ten commandments are enshrined in our laws.

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  Here's Pat Robertson throwing out the same bullshit.  Majority are Christians.  Hi, I'm a system in place to protect the minority from the tyranny of the majority.

  Barry Lynn and the show's host called them on their bullshit.  Also the first atheist student rocked it out: it's stupid to imply that someone is not a part of the country because they're not Christian.

  ---

  Oh boy...onward to Christians.

  First two have deep Southern accents.  Hello stereotypes.

  Aaaaaand here's a bunch of irrelevancies.  "I think the cross is what Christianity is all about".  That's pretty empty.

  Now they're bitching about their community taking the ten commandments out of the school.  They got the school to put the commandments back up and then the FFRF and the ACLU bitch-slapped the school back into compliance with the law.  I suspect a bunch of whining is incoming.

  Oooooooooooooh, there was a walk-out after the school decided they didn't want to get sued into oblivion.

  "The pledge has 'one nation under god' so we should be able to have the ten commandments in a public school."  'God' is a neutral word, but the ten commandments are specific to a single religion.  Get your nose out of the bible and into a book on government.

  "It's a fight for our Christian heritage."  If that was the case you'd be crusading against Muslims.

  "Most of the students want the ten commandments up and majority rules."  Tyranny of the majority.  Read about our nation's history.  Your government/history teachers have failed you.  Either that or your faith has prompted you to ignore your education.  Certainly wouldn't be the first time religion kept people ignorant even with an education readily available to them.

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  Duncan is up now.  He's rocking.  Atheists aren't anti-god - we just want evidence.  Fuck yes!

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  Duncan and Greg rocked faces.  Question everything!

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  Interfaith is up now.  Interfaith: let's all get along by not criticizing anybody.

  Horseshit, says I!  Criticize the atheists.  We welcome it.  You know why?  We can defend our position!  I could give a shit less if you try to poke holes in my world view.  As such, I'm going to proceed to poke holes in your world view, expecting you to be able to defend it.  I don't care if it makes you uncomfortable or offended.

  ---

  Linda Ellerbee closes with the old "my beliefs are my business" line.

  Again, I say horseshit!

  Beliefs determine actions.  They also determine what is morally right.  If a god exists who will raze our country if we allow gays to marry, then we shouldn't let them marry.  We need to hammer out that fact first.

  And since beliefs are the arbiters of our actions, and we're all playing on the same team down here, we all have an obligation to one another to make sure our beliefs make sense.  That means my reasoning is your business (you don't need to wait until I fly a plane into a building or something before you examine my beliefs critically) and your reasoning is my business.  If we are to cohabitate effectively on this rock, we must treat our ideas like their accuracy matters, and we need to be accountable to one another on that subject.

  ---

  All in all it was pretty good.  The theme of the piece is that our nation is a religious melting pot where you are able to believe whatever you want.  This is very true.  My only gripe with the way the segment was put together was Ellerbee's bit at the end about beliefs being the individual's business.

   

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