Of Abortion and Women

Just imagine that those cuffs are made of coat-hangers and fear

 I have recently come to the assertion that one of the key aspects of fundamental Christian behavior (and often all patriarchal religions in general) is an inherent dislike for females; so much so that it has become a cultural facet of Christina life. Women are not to be trusted, or given power, especially over their own bodies. This belief is taken to the extreme in fundamental Islam, but that's another post. Women in Christian societies are not equal citizens, as indicated by their position in that society, and can be easily illustrated in American society. Women still earn only about 82% (granted, it's a significant increase from what it used to be, but only because of legislation) of what men do, and often because they are relegated to low-paying jobs in the service industry. This is well-known and has been discussed for decades, and is getting better. However, there are still several strong indicators for the supposed inferiority of women in our (mostly) Christian American culture.

The big one is the recent spate of legislation concerning the reproductive rights of females. Despite the complete lack of anything in the Bible regarding the immorality of abortion (though apologist do work hard at nit-picking verses to show that God theoretically disproves of abortions), Christians have gone to great lengths to make it as difficult as possible for women to control their pregnancies, even through rape. Some of these laws require invasive (and unnecessary)  procedures before an abortion will even be considered, and even banning before a women might even know she's pregnant. Not only is this a ridiculous and unconstitutional invasion of a woman's vagina rights, it's it's hypocritical and a huge double standard.
The Bible DOES specifically look down on men "wasting their seed" either through pulling-out or masturbation, but when is the last time you heard of a law that bans or restricts either one of those activities in America? Of course there have been things said about masturbation over the years, and a few sickening contraptions aimed to keep the penis at bay, but much of that thinking went away with the Victorian era. Men have been freed to do with their sexual organs as they please, as long as it's with a woman and she (mostly) consents, and no one can say anything as long as no one sees you. My Penis, My Decision.

The Christian capacity for denying women rights is not constricted to Catholicism and Evangelicalism, I see plenty of it right here in Utah, the center of Mormonism and the Mormon population. At BYU, women are constantly shamed, confronted, and turned in to the Honor Code office for dressing inappropriately, i.e. creating the potential for enthralling the male imagination. This is blatant sexual harassment. I have read and heard countless complaints from people who have seen or women who have been treated like scum for filling out a pair of pants a little too well, or wearing a skirt so disturbingly high that it reveals that salacious "dark hollow" at the--back of the knee. I suppose that these things are bound to happen when you put 30,000 sexually repressed students on the same campus, no matter their level of religious commitment. But the problems are much worse than simple sexual harassment. Rape has been a notorious problem near and on the campus, a problem that is often quietly swept under the rug; Honor Code violations are routinely ignored for male athletes unless it is made public, and women are generally treated as second-class citizens within the church structure as a whole. The wearing pants by women in church has caused scandal enough, but if you start talking about women having the priesthood, the rhetoric gets prickly.
The position of women in the LDS religion is somewhere below men and somewhere above eternal brood mare, granted that woman actually gets into A #1 heaven, the only place you can still be married and have eternal life with your husband--and all his other wives, while he can go off and make planets for you to populate with his other wives' children. Sounds like a good deal to me, but I'm male. Being male in the Mormon church means wielding the power and authority of the priesthood, the control of the organization, and eternal polygamy. Being a woman in the church means getting the right to marry a man in the church and have his children. Yippee.

Now, I wouldn't consider myself a women's-rights activist, but I do believe that a lot of lines have been crossed by the Christian philosophy concerning a woman's body. It seems to me that via the Christian world view, a woman's body is not their own, but rather an object or device for creating children to further God's glory, especially if that woman is poor, ethnic, or conservative. It appears that anything regarding sex is int he hands of a group of old white men and a couple bitter old biddies that don't want people to enjoy the freedom of sexuality, it's expression or ramifications. This is utterly wrong in every way I can imagine, and will eventually cause social stagnation or upheaval. Women need to be treated as equal citizens, and I don't care how much these pasty old misogynists don't like it.
 As for my own views on the subject of abortion: I do not advocate taking lightly such a difficult decision; however, it is not my body, therefore not my decision to make. It's that simple to me.

Intelligence - 1, Ignorance - 0 (This time)

Thankfully, another ignorant, self-righteous prick has been forced out of power in the Texas education system. Although their Board of Education Chairman is still in power as far I can tell, this man is far worse, saying horrendously ignorant things like, "Is understanding of evolution 'vital' to the understanding of biology? No." This man has helped in trying to change the Texas textbook standards that could effect the rest of the nation, with a religious, Christian-centric bent. He truly believes the earth is only a few thousand years old, contrary to well-established scientific knowledge, and apparently believes children should be taught that in their schools.
He also believes that minorities should be thankful to the majority (read the white, Christian/Evangelical male subtext) for getting them their rights. Because, of course, they had no hand in it, like the civil rights movement or female suffrage. It's just too bad that he'll still be in his position until the end of the year, he may still be able to affect other people's lives with his close-minded and egotistical ramblings.

With Love, From Alaska

Palin supporters are out in force this week due her book tour, which had inexplicably made its way to No.1 bestseller on Amazon--before it came out in print. This butterfly effect of blind allegiance and patriotism is being seen everywhere, most specifically in any city the Holy Palin touched down in to do a book signing. Although not sure why they support her, you betcha, they do. In droves.



My favorite line is from the guy in the beanie at about 1:48 who says, "I don't know what she knows or doesn't know." Can ignorant Republicans always be so predictable? It would seem so. But what would happen if she really ran for the presidency and won? SNL gives us a possible look into the future. Thanks HuffPost.

LDS WTF

As someone who grew up religiously, I learned all the cute, kitschy little catch phrases and mnemonic devices that helped you remember certain things about your faith, and being Mormon, we have our fair share. Latter Day Saints is LDS. Choose The Right, CTR. YM/YW, PEC, the Y, NCMO . Trials and Tribulations. The Word of Wisdom. Hold to the Rod. Articles of Faith. Bear your Testimony. Families are Forever. Called to Serve. Milk before meat. Isn't it about . . . time? They go on and on.
I have come to see my former faith, Mormonism, turned into easily repeatable bumper-sticker quotes. I saw one car just the other day with at least three. One CTR sticker, one R U LDS ? sticker, and those goddamn omnipresent stick figure people, used by Mormon soccer-moms to proclaim their penchant and proclivity for procreation, which is apparently their only other purpose after gossiping about other church members behind their backs and taking anti-depressants by the handful. I saw one minivan with eleven people on the back window. That means nine kids. NINE. From one woman. Why would anyone put themselves through that? If you asked Mrs. Duggar, she would probably give you some bullshit answer about them being gifts from God, when in reality, she just can't seem to keep her legs closed. But I digress.
You know that your religion has become mainstreamed when you have stores dedicated to selling accessories and other crap specifically for your religion. I always thought that CTR rings had a purpose, to be an ever present reminder for you to 'choose the right.' It's more of a useless symbol to me now, just a sign to inform potential suitors that you still think you're twelve and believe a ring will keep you from doing something you aren't supposed to. Purity rings? Wedding rings? Never mind.
All the religious paraphernalia I see just comes off as an attempt at trying to disguise a love of material things behind the mask of faith. Certain clothes are required for a person to enter the Mormon temples, and to be seen as true, faithful members. You have to buy stuff to prove your faithfulness. Sounds more like brand loyalty than faith to me. "Yes, I have my quad and my brand-new leather carrying case, with my gold-embossed name on both of them. I just bought this new church-bag for my mom with Relief Society Mom embroidered on it, and a Christus replica for dad. Isn't that so fetchin' awesome?"
There is an entire bookstore chain dedicated to selling literature to Mormons, covering all genres, including fiction, ironically. Living in Utah Valley as I do, I get to see a local culture that is so saturated with religion that it cannot separate itself from consumerism. Most business is geared toward serving those individuals who love to proclaim their religious status while proclaiming their financial one as well. "Yes, I have Lexus and I drive like a sleepy, drunk, angry twelve-year-old, but I'm LDS and God has blessed me so it's okay." So NOT okay. There is a very bold and obvious contradiction here, where members of a religion that seems to motivate frugality and humility breeds a society of zealous, prideful, want-driven hypocrites who desire to make every effort the show that they are better than--whoever. Add young marriage and rabbit-like breeding to the equation and it's no surprise that Utah consistently leads the nation in bankruptcy filings.
Think about it. Utah is about 50% Mormon, give or take. Mormons are required to give 10% of their gross income to their church to remain in good standing. Then there is the American desire to display your social rank with 'things.' New cars, big house with a maintained lawn, and any combination of 4-wheelers, dirt-bikes, jet-skies and snowmobiles. Then, fill that hole in your soul with more, religious goods, like multiple pictures of a very white Jesus, prophets living and dead, and temples you've seen either never or dozens of times; religious jewelry, books, crafts, and oh-my-god Christmas decorations. That's one for another post.
What it all comes down to in my angry little mind is that Mormons don't really feel fulfilled by their religion, they need stuff to fill that hole, be it religious or otherwise. What would Jesus do? Buy more! I can walk through my neighborhood and count SUV's that cost more than 30K and run out of fingers before I circle the block, and this is a very religious neighborhood. I'm no different, when it comes to wanting. I'd like a nice big house and a new car and all the toys, but I know I can't afford them. And I don't try and hide me desires behind my bumper-sticker religion, they're my selfish desires to have things. But I don't really feel it necessary to try and keep up with the Johnson's. I have my shitty apartment, my cars, paid off, and my motorcycle, not paid off, and that's enough for me right now. God wont provide more for me if I start believing in him again, just the banks and the credit card companies with their cash advances and Annual Percentage Rates. Thanks, but no thanks.
Well, maybe just a few small things. Could I possibly get a set of those blood-red undergarments and a Jupiter talisman so I can be more like Joseph Smith? A couple young wives would be nice too.

Next: Identification Papers, Armbands and Relocation Camps

When you hear of a government coming out against its citizens intermarrying with certain groups, you might think of pre-1900's America, or maybe 1935 Germany, when the Nazi regime banned all marriages to Jews and nullified any current ones. But, no, this is from a modern democratic country, one supported both monetarily and ideologically by America. This country is, of course, Israel, who recently pushed their support behind a policy to report any Jew marrying a non-Jew, or 'in danger' of doing so. It is already forbidden to do so in the country, and only outside intermarriages are recognized. The purpose for this policy may be an effort to keep their bloodlines clean, a startlingly familiar tone coming from a certain piece of history called the Holocaust. The Israeli government's open disdain for the Palestinians is already well known, but now they are trying to push for a worldwide abhorrence of anyone marrying outside their faith. This falls right in line with some Nazi beliefs, and is frightening to me. I'm already pissed that millions of our taxpayer dollars are sent over there every year so they can buy more guns, jets and badass tanks with which they oppress the Palestinians. And kill them by the dozens. So I'm guessing the next step will be to move them out of Gaza and into some sort of internment camps in the desert, and tattoo numbers on them, but just to keep track. And those big ovens? They're just for flatbread.

Daily Douchebaggery

Once again religion has found a way to creep into another aspect of life and ruin band t-shirts. That's right, t-shirts. Thanks to the over-zealous heart palpitations of parents like Sherry Melby, a symbol of evolution used in a humorous way was seen as a 'religious matter.' Despite the fact that evolution is a scientific theory, not a religion, Melby was quoted showing her endless douchebaggery with the statement: "I don't think evolution should be associated with our school." That is correct. This mother does not want a bit of science to be associated with her child's school. Brad Pollitt, the moronic assistant superintendent at the school compared the image to Christ on the cross. And they wonder why Jesus wept.
They made the children return the shirts, by the way. Every single parent that complained, and the petty-authority (assistant to the) superintendent can all rot in a pit of their own doucheness. Please stop ruining children's minds with your intolerant religious ideals.

Death Panels and Demagogues

The debate on the health care issue has gotten pretty nasty as of late, with fights breaking out in town halls, prominent politicians spreading misinformation, and lobbyists trying to force their hands on an already destabilized Congress.
Reforming health care in this country is as important as an issue can be right now, especially for the future of this country. We trail most industrialized nations in many aspects regarding health and health care, including our dismal 29th place in infant mortality.
But never has the opposition been stronger and more uninformed than it is now, regurgitating fears about 'death panels' and rationed health care. The fear is the main problem, people are scared and ignorant of what is really going on with a huge bill that is hard to grasp the complexity of. The government has set up a site to set the facts straight about this bill, but I doubt many check it before they head out to a town meeting filled with anger and false facts supplied to them by conservative mouthpieces like Hannity and Limbaugh.
Former Vice Pres. nominee Sarah Palin (involuntary shudder) decided to add some unneeded fuel to the fire when she shot off her mouth about 'death panels' checking off the elderly and mentally handicapped for death since they had no more use in society, when the bill actually sets up nothing of the sort, and intends to change the current practice. She then backpedaled a few days later, calling for civility in the matter, but she might as well have put the shotgun down after the wolves were already dead.
This type of thing already goes on behind the gleaming glass facades of many insurance companies, who routinely deny coverage, often on necessary or critical things, just to save a few bucks just because they can, and it increases their profits at the expense of the health and lives of their customers.
If all this seems pretty obvious to the rational American, then from whence comes all this misinformation and for what purpose? Don't the Republicans want to stay healthy too? Yes, but their religious integrity always comes first. Groups like the Liberty Counsel are leading the fight against this bill, setting up a list of talking points that sounds like something criticizing Nazi Germany or Communist Russia, not America. But these conservative tools seem to read from it almost verbatim.
Far-Right groups like this seem to have a lot of sway in the fearful, more ignorant parts of our society, leading them about by the nose like a horse to water. But why? What benefit from this could religious groups receive from a lack in proper health care? My working theory is that they want to keep these people poor, sick and generally unhealthy, such miserable states make for better flocks looking for something better. Healthy, happy people don't make for better flocks, as demonstrated by the fact that the healthiest, most peaceful countries are also the most atheistic.
Case in point: one of our one American astronauts declines to participate in scientific experiments while in space, fearful that it will jeopardize his health insurance standing. Meanwhile, English scientist and famous physicist Stephen Hawking declared that the 'socialist' medicine of England actually saved his life, much to the annoyance of the conservative Right, I'm sure. A scientist and proof that public health care works? Must piss Jerry Falwell right the hell off.

Darwin vs. Republicans, the Battle Continues

HuffPost reports in a new and wholly unsurprising study that only 6% of 'scientists' label themselves as republicans, in contrast to 55% identifying with Dem's. Bwaaa?? Yes, apparently republican mindsets either do not last long in the scientific community or is just not inclined to search out theory and facts backed up by verifiable, repeatable data. But this is just America, only a small percentage of the world's population and scientists, what do the rest of them think?
Well, a poll by the British Council shows a broad international acceptance (even factoring in God) of evolution. And while we're sixth down on the list, and tied with Russia, more Americans accept it than do not. But then, enter Texas.
I mentioned earlier the Director of the Board of Education of this notoriously conservative state is a rather obdurate evolution-denier, which has since cost him his job. But, another denier, although less boisterous, has been appointed in his place. I find it quite possible that the appointed Texas legislature hates science, and is determined to wipe if from its state.
Maybe they should have seceded, it would have given all these logic-hating Christians a comfortable, beef- and oil-filled refuge from reality.

Can you say 'Christian Science' without smirking?

After watching another person in a position of power proudly show off their unfaltering ignorance, I got a little more depressed. This has been happening more often with this waning generation of religiously-raised baby-boomers, trying to get the message across before they all retire and move to various warmer climes. A few months ago a video surfaced of Texas' Board of Education Chairman vehemently dissuading the teaching of evolution to Texas' precious children. He even went as far as to attack (in the nicest way possible) the very 'experts' who support the verifiable and heavily researched theory. Damn experts, think they know everything.
I see the root of the problem as science in general, which time and again has gone against Christina beliefs in God and the Bible. Evolution is just one of several thorns in the side of Biblical 'truth.' Science, archeology and a thorough study of history have all cast heaps of doubt on many things in the Bible, including the very existence of Jesus, not to mention God. No one likes it when their erroneously held beliefs get smashed to bits by facts and logic, and I'm no exception.
But the theory of evolution has been around a while, right? Shouldn't Christians have gotten over it by now and accepted what all other rational beings have come to understand? I don't think it's going to be easy. Because if the earth really wasn't created in six days, and the earth wasn't covered in water, what else could be wrong in the Bible? Scary thought for a True Believer. So the hatred will continue, but the idea of Christian Science will never hold water. There is no way to prove the earth is six-thousand years old, especially given the fact that the very uranium that Senator Allen wants to be mined has a half-life of 4.46 billion years. Ironic, isn't it? I love science.

Tales of Bible Thumping

The Road to Hell . . .
I've had a few experiences this past week relating to religious parenting of varying degrees. I was lucky enough to have parents that respect my intelligence enough to not constantly question my lifestyle and lack of 'spirituality.' Some of my friends, however, weren't so lucky.
I went to dinner with my family last week, because my grandparents were in town. It was a nice, uneventful dinner, the only 'incident' occurred behind my back. But, I can handle my mother asking my girlfriend if she can get me to go back to church, since the idea is laughable even to her. This kind of covert soul-saving is much more subtle and easy to shrug off than some of the things I have seen recently. One of my longtime friends just had his first child, and him and his wife have chosen to raise their child without religion. Neither of his parents are religious, and hers don't seem like it, but apparently there are some underlying roots in Christianity. When his father-in-law found out that my friend was not keen on having his baby blessed, be flipped out, accusing him of 'keeping God from his child' and of 'taking his daughter away from the church.' Even after explaining his personal wishes to let the child decide on his own if he wants to be religious or not without forcing it on him, her dad still raised hell about it, causing the mother-in-law to plead for them to have it done, just to shut him up. You cannot bully someone into following your wishes, no matter your intentions. This kind of outright disrespect would not stand in my family, but I have no children yet, so I don't have a basis of experience. Still, I have known this person for nearly sixteen years, and I know him to be a good person, with just some bad habits. His lack of religion not being one of them. He never really believed that unbaptized babies go to hell. He has common sense.
The Toll to Get to Heaven . . .
The second experience is a tale of guilt-vampires and Calvinist hypocrisy, culminating in free food and the need to drink. My roommate, who also happens to be my girlfriend's uncle (long story), is the kind of guy who grew up rebellious due to overly-religious parenting; impelling him to commit acts that would get a child locked away these days. His dubious past notwithstanding, he turned out to be a pretty good guy, who takes care of his children and leads a quiet, sex-filled life. His parents just happened to be in town this week, and I was invited to the 'big' family dinner since I'm dating one of the grand-daughters. Free food from Mimi's Cafe was all I needed to be goaded into it. Over the years, I have heard plenty of stories and complaints filled with rolled-eyes and shaken heads from the brothers about their father and stepmother, and I was slightly nervous to be attending. The evil-stepmother was not in attendance, who is apparently the source of much of the problems, so papa turned out to be relatively harmless and uninterested in me over the course of the dinner. The real fireworks came today. Whilst I was slaving away at work, the parents showed up unannounced at our place and used the following four hours to dissect my roommate's life and explain to him why he was living such a terrible life and how he could fix it. The kicker? He could improve his life easiest by leaving his kids and moving across the country to work and earn a decent living, which is, apparently, the only way you can be a good person. If you have lots of money, you can get away with anything, it seems, even being a terrible parent. You will earn respect and gain contacts for 'network marketing,' ad you can participate in the occasional animal sacrifice on your lawn, but only if you're wealthy. This kind of thinking, especially from uber-religious people, reeks of hypocrisy and seems to me to be a sign of really fucked up priorities. If that is what it takes to get into heaven, I'd much rather join the eternal barbecue in hell, and retain my respect for myself.

Want peace? Get rid of religion.

In a wholly un-shocking look at some facts, numbers and statistics, countries that have a higher percentage of atheists tend to be more peaceful. Numbers can be twisted to tell you just about anything, but it is hard to argue with these. The most peaceful country, New Zealand, is considered quite secular. The U. S. of A.? We're 83rd. More murders, prisoners, foreign wars and internal conflicts per capita than eighty-two other countries. And many people pride themselves on living in a 'Christian nation,' which isn't even entirely true. It's Judeo-Christian nation.
Countries with better health-care, lifespan and infant mortality rates are also less religious than we are. Is this a trend we can reverse? Fundamentalist Christianity and Evangelicalism want to drag us, kicking and screaming if necessary, back to the middle-ages where intolerance, ignorance and hatred ruled, to bring us right alongside backwards Islam nations that still build houses out of mud and sticks they are so poor.
Christianity is having a hard time absorbing Calvinism and Capitalism into it's world view, since money makes the world run but is also the root (love of money) of all evil. Power and money in the name of God is an enticing idea, but it corrupts far too easily, just as I too easily digress.
Instead of trying to incorporate modernity into religion and vice versa, we need to drive the wedge of secular society in-between them. Science, business, and government do not mix with religion, as should be abundantly clear by now. The powerful religious leaders do not want that wedge to be there, because it means that they will lose power over society as a whole. This is a good thing, and it is the only way that our country is going to survive as a power and remain competitive in the future, not to mention becoming a more peaceful place. The only way for our society to begin healing its festering wounds is to remove religion as a prominent player in creating social norms.
I know most of this seems like rambling, but I think that I'm on to something here.

Scare Tactics . . . For God

I watched Jesus Camp recently, and it sent my head spinning with trepidation for all the poor children who have their innocence stolen from them and have it replaced with fear and a blinding faith, when they should be acting like kids, not preparing to be martyrs. This kind of sick perversion of faith is everywhere these days, as radical and fundamental Christians tighten the nooses around their children's neck and continually force society to live by its rules.
I understand completely why there is such an increase in atheism in the US; people are getting sick and tired of these bullshit scare tactics used to lure the fearful and weak into the bonds of religious fanaticism. Organizations like this one use ignorance against people, claiming ancient parables as fact and using a cohesive religious pride to keep people scoffing at reason and reasonable people.
There was another murder of a doctor who performed abortions this weekend, by some fanatical, hate-filled chickenshit who shot him IN CHURCH as he was performing his duties as an usher while his wife was in the choir. I can only assume that they had mentally prepared for this moment, and that his wife can take some consolation in the fact that her husband stood by his beliefs and that they caught the bastard about three hours later.
Why do people who believe themselves to be the righteous, moral authority in our country end up being the ones who murder doctors, protest their hatred for homosexuals, and slur anyone else that doesn't agree with them? Not very Christlike. Not at all.

Atheism, Skepticism and Me

Reading through some quotes, I was struck with one about skepticism that sums up, for me, why religion hates science. "Education has failed in a very serious way to convey the most important lesson science can teach: skepticism." - David Suzuki. Skepticism and rational, non-emotional thinking are the enemies of an institution that expects you to believe everything you are told about or read in 'divine works.' I don't think that 'atheism' as defined by the religious, is on the rise, I think that skepticism is increasing. People are getting fed up with hollow authority figures telling them what to believe and how to behave, and then becoming something else entirely themselves. Those that are able to think for themselves seem to be doing so more openly now.
Atheism (the lack of a belief in a god) and those groups lumped with them are the fastest growing ideological faction in America, and we are behind the curve compared to European countries. Atheism and agnosticism are very misunderstood terms and those who label themselves as such are often vilified by the religious, claiming they 'hate God' or 'have no morals,' among other ignorant and horrible accusations.
First, one cannot hate something they do not believe in. Second, morality and religion are mutually exclusive, as shown by the hateful and violent nature of many religious groups, those that bomb buildings, soldiers and abortion clinics, and those that claim that homosexuals, atheists and foreigners are destroying our 'Christian Nation.'
There cannot be such a title as 'Christian' for a country that truly believes in freedom of religion, for we are much more than that. We have Judaism, Islam, Mormonism, Wicca, atheism/agnosticism, and dozens of other ideologies. Yet the only one that has experienced growth is the one that disbelieves in a Creator.
In my own circles, I have seen this growth, and the reasons are as varied as the people that express them. Many are tired of religion and its hypocrisy. Others do not care for religious structuring in their lives. A large number have seen the lack of cohesion and rationality in religion and looked into what they once believed, only to find that the foundation was weak and full of holes, and the structure itself collapsed. I am one of these latter, having had doubts surface in my mind, and instead of trying to pray it away like I was instructed, decided to look into what my life was built around. And guess what I found? It didn't hold up.
I wanted so much to believe that what I had been told since I was a child was true, that I fought against myself for years. This led to anxiety and depression, medication and finally, a search for answers. The double-bind in my mind had reached a critical point, and I began to research, study and reflect upon everything I had been taught. Things didn't add up, I began to find rampant contradictions and buried facts. I learned things they did not want teach me in Sunday school or seminary, and all the negative history and lies about my religion I had never known about. I started to 'not-believe.'
I can remember the exact moment when everything finally clicked in my head and I realized I was a non-believer, a heathen, a non-religious person. I was exhilarated--and terrified. My family, many friends and others I associated with were religious to differing degrees, and I was suddenly very different from them. I had a secret, but many doors suddenly opened for me. Things in my life that had been blocked to me by my own conflicted mind were suddenly free, and I felt I could breathe easier--that is, if I hadn't been in one of the most suffocatingly religious areas of our country. I could consume alcohol, but I felt the weight society had placed on such a practice settling on my shoulders. I could enjoy my life without fearing heavenly wrath, but the condescending, scrutinizing eye of religion was now watching me, I had become a minority. This freeing of my mind from the shackles of religion had placed me under the servitude of social pressure.
But I found others. I gained some of my security back from reading others' stories, experiences and opinions, and the few friends I have that felt similarly about religion. Recovery From Mormonism was a wonderful find, helping me through the anguish, dismal rage and fear I felt at finding out I had been lied to my entire life. As far as I have come in nearly two years, I still feel anxiety about even thinking about discussing it with my family. It's hard enough with my religious friends. Often they just do not-or cannot-understand. But I know enough like minded people to keep me sane in this irrational world, and I know that I am far happier now than I have ever been, I am no longer lying to myself or trying to hold faith over knowledge. If religion is the opiate of the masses, I'm totally clean.

Daily Douchebaggery

And on the eighth day, God created jackasses. People like this are why religion scares me. The fundamentalist Christian and Evangelical movements have high-jacked the Republican party, and their ideals have infiltrated our government and its policies. He is using bible verses as a reason to not have to worry about climate change and environmental impacts of our actions, and most Repub's follow this line. Since God 'decides' when and how our world will end, it's okay to pollute, dig up, and lay bare our planet, since it'll all be destroyed eventually anyway. This attitude infuriates me and should infuriate any other reasonable creature.
It is NOT okay to just throw environmental concern out the window just because you think some invisible man is going to come down and scoop your righteous ass up onto his shoulder and then lay everything else to waste. And the religious nutjobs aren't the only reason they do this. They are pandering to their corporate and CEO buddies, making sure they don't need to environmentally responsible and can pad each others pockets with bills of a monetary and big-business protection kind.
I'm more afraid of what people like this can and will do to our country than I ever have been or will be about any boogey-man terrorist/dictator/communist threat. These people can immediately affect our lives through legislation like this. As mush I feel sorry for coal miners losing their jobs, we need to stop raping the earth to completely dry up our limited coal and oil reserves so greedy oilmen, speculators and refining companies can make a few dozen more billion dollars. I truly despise this douchebag and all of his ilk.

"It's got a curse on it!!" "What, Provo?"

I was disturbed and not all that surprised to find out that I previously lived in and still work in the most conservative city (over 100,000) in the United States. Provo, Utah was ranked number one in a recent study on the political leanings of American cities. Detroit, oddly, is the most liberal. It surmises a direct correlation found by the study on African American population density and political leaning. Liberal cities have the highest number of black residents, and the conservative . . . well, this photo pretty much sums up Provo. Residents often speak of an invisible 'bubble' over the valley, curiously known as Happy Valley (those sky-high anti-depressant use numbers help, I'm sure). The Conservative sway is easily evident, as many Utahn's do exactly as they are expected to do and vote consistently for Republicans, making it the 'reddest' state in the Union.
The encapsulated lifestyle of this city, for social and geographical reasons, has kept it a haven for white, conservative Christians and maintains the school of thought from being easily altered by, say, unbiased information, reason, science and partisanship. There are still Democrats and Independents in Provo, they just rarely make themselves known, and together number about 14%.
At the center of this town is the Brigham Young University, the most sober (and annoying) university in the country, and the third most conservative, above two military academies and the College of the Ozarks. The 'zoobies' follow an indoctrinating religion, social life, and educational forum where they must follow an Honor Code (unless they're really good at sports) and often go only for the purpose of finding a proper spouse.
After living in this valley for nearly two decades, I have seen every shade and color of hypocrisy, cheating, dishonesty, pride, horrendous judgement and every other form of social disease and neurosis there is, all from the good citizens of this Righteous Valley. Why am I still here? I ask myself that every once in a while. I still have my family here and several good, die-for-them friends. And honestly, there are a lot of smokin' hot babes in the UC. Too bad most of them are relious or religious hypocrites.

Wait, wait . . . ok, NOW we support equal rights.

Welcome to the 21st century, America! The Obama administration just recently formally endorsed a UN resolution that Bush and his cronies opposed that calls for "worldwide decriminalization of homosexuality" that is already supported by 66 other countries. Not surprisingly, all European UN members endorse it, and many other countries that outlaw homosexuality opposed it, including Islamic nations and the Vatican.
A non-binding resolution may seem like nothing more than another hollow gesture from the UN, this is still important in an ideological way, showing that America is willing to move away from a religiously imposing society that condemns anyone outside of the 'norm,' to a one where people are accepted for all aspects of their character, physical makeup and origin.
This is sure to get the panties of the evangelicals and the Hannity's of the world into a bunch, straying from the belief that anything against what they believe is a sin and will destroy our country. No one has as of yet shown definitive evidence that homosexuals directly harm society, at least as an organized entity. Christianity on the other hand, well, we just wont get into that again.
Studies (scientific, not ones organized by religious groups) have shown time and time again that homosexuality is not just 'in your head,' it is actually in your brain. It is a natural, genetic aberration, occurring in many animal species as well, including primates, birds and fishes.
Despite the fears of detractors, this is not going to lead the open acceptance of pedophilia, incest or bestiality. Two mutually consenting, non-related adults can and should be allowed to have whatever relationship they want, without the government or some religion stepping in and saying whoa, no you don't. This type of thinking will go away just like racial segregation, laws against interracial marriage, women being considered as property and human slavery. It may take some time, coinciding with the death of the last two homophobic generations, to really see us progress to the point where we consider everyone as equals.
Jefferson may have never foreseen the power of his words when he was crafting the Declaration of Independence and wrote 'all men are created equal,' but the full potential of that statement is just beginning to be realized, and all Americans, and hopefully all people of this world, can look at each other equally.

Tradition Over Science, the Catholic Way

It seems like every time the world tries to take a step forward, the Catholic church wants us to take two steps back. During a recent trip to Africa, his 'Holiness' commented that condoms to do prevent AID/HIV but rather exacerbates the problem. This is, of course, contradictory to every study done on AIDS transmission and condom use increasing sexual promiscuity.
While studies ( not to mention logic) have shown that condom use prevents the spread of sexually transmitted diseases, even AIDS, Pope Benedict has decided that he and the church know better than anyone how to stop the rapid spread of the deadly virus through Africa, possibly offering this (satirical) resolution.

The RC church has a history of defying science, and consistently decries any method of birth control other than the 'rhythm method.' Since the world is no longer flat, not the center of the universe, I think that they need to just take a cue from more modern religions and keep their goddamn noses out of people's bedrooms.
It takes some massively sexually frustrated individuals to deny the right to adults to plan their family structure and enjoy intercourse and call such an activity a sin, and then sweep homosexual priests under the rug. The only reason that they are against homosexuality openly is because it denies them new members to crush under their oppressive boot and pinch for cash to keep the pope in funny hats. But hey, if you don't use a condom, there's no possibility of having children, so you can sure keep trying.

If you're happy and you know it it's a sin *clap clap* if you're happy and you know it it's a sin *clap clap* -- Simpsons "Gone Maggie Gone"

I . . . AM . . . OUTRAGED!

Outside of the cultural vacuum that is Utah, this probably barely made a ripple in the news, but inside, it made waves. Tidal waves. The HBO series Big Love decided to recreate a Mormon temple ceremony in an episode, much to the consternation of LDS members. Local news channels cut into their vital Idol recaps to talk about it, fueling fires that were already spreading from social circles. Local radio comedian talk show host Doug Wright spent a great deal of time over at least two days talking about it, freely admitting he had not seen it and most likely never intends to, inviting others to call in their own uneducated opinions on something they would not look at objectively.
What these people did, the news personalities and radio hosts, did exactly what the shows producers/writers/advertisers wanted them to do, create a buzz so people would watch it. It was just a ratings ploy, and they played right into it. But aside from this, the big argument is whether or not this is disrespectful to the church for showing their sacred ceremonies on television for anyone who wants to see. American culture has a history of depicting others sacred ceremonies as entertainment, or merely novelty.
As for this instance in particular, no one needed to get their feelings hurt or be 'outraged' as Mr. Wright was, because of several reasons. One: you do not watch and will not watch a show that is on a channel that is paid for, so the audience is limited. Boycotts and threats to change cable services are not necessary, these providers are not responsible for the content of individual shows on pay channels, particularly one that shows R-rated movies and shows on a regular basis. Two: this was a beautiful, integral part of the story that was woven in without making it a circus, like the media does. It was not disrespectful in any way, I personally watched it. In fact it was quite respectful of the ceremony itself and was depicted accurately as possible. Three: you show none of the same discomfort at the depiction of other religions and their ceremonies on television or in movies, because YOU don't believe in their faith. And if you do find it sacred in some ideological, obligatory way, congratulations.
The last point is the most important. Remember this the next time you see a Native American ritual acted out, or you watch a communion ceremony, or a confession scene, remember that what is sacred to you is not necessarily sacred to everyone else, and vice versa. So unless you ban all private religious ceremonies from the media, don't start getting all deeply offended. This brief blip on the entertainment time line is nothing compared to the problems Mormonism is currently facing, or will see in the future.

*Note: I was going to post a link to the scene, but HBO had YouTube remove all of them due to copyright issues. Sorry.*

What if. . . Conservatism ran our country?

The Conservatism movement has swept our country, pushing liberals into their dark, New York Times padded dens, quietly sipping their mochachino's and freeing the country to live under religiously based idealism and fear of unknown, indescribable enemies. The importation of soy and expensive coffee is banned, cutting off liberals main food sources. Many wither and die, curled up in their hybrid cars and energy efficient houses. Conservatives are free to wage wars unfettered by conscience, and create the laws they have always wanted.

Evolution Revolution!

In a brilliant move, leading conservatists have finally banned the teaching of evolution, forcing this evil, scientifically based modern idea out of our schools and back into Europe, where it belongs. the name of Darwin is no longer allowed to be used in public, and he will be burned in effigy along with all likenesses and copied of The Origin of Species. Anyone expostulating upon the idea of 'evolution' will be tried for treason and ejected from this country if found guilty. In a further move, any animal species found to be showing signs of evolution will be exterminated for disobeying the Word of God, and the Conservatist party. DNA will also no longer be admissible in court.

Corporate Responsibilty

Corporate responsibility covers more ares than just choosing what goes into your product, which is mainly what I expound on here. It also has a lot to do with what you do with your profits. Many companies reward their CEO's, managers, and often their employees. Many also donate to various charities and causes. Why would they do such a thing? Tax write-offs, mainly. Occasionally, there is some altruistic motive behind these donations, but I believe that is consistently rare. What do you do when you find out a company you purchase goods from supports causes that you don't? What would you do, ignore this indirect funding or stop purchasing? Companies pay taxes. Should they be able to support whatever causes, ideas or legislation they want? Should these causes, politics or religion color their business?

This post began about a year ago when, in the midst of reviewing a product by Bolthouse Farms, I ran across some information that disturbed me. Apparently, the former owner donated money to causes support fundamental Christianity and hinder or fight against gay rights. In fact, their mission statement used to mirror the beliefs of the Bolthouse Foundation, which was founded and is currently run by William Bolthouse, former owner of BF. The company itself was not necessarily directly supporting causes like the National Christian Foundation and the Alliance Defense Fund, but William owned the company and donated much of his money to these causes. And although the company was bought out in 2005 by an investment firm, it still remains partially family owned. William's son-in-law is currently the chairman of the board.

The company seems to want us to believe that they no longer have anything to do with William Bolthouse of the Bolthouse foundation. The current CEO of Bolthouse Farms released a letter that says:

The Bolthouse Foundation is a private foundation funded by some of the former owners of Wm. Bolthouse Farms, Inc. The foundation is a separate entity and is not connected to Bolthouse Farms in any way. Furthermore, they do not receive financial support or benefit from the profits of Bolthouse Farms. We appreciate your concern and apologize for the confusion.

The bulk of the scandal surrounding this company erupted in June of last year, but has since then tapered off quite a bit. Even the boycott that was sparked by the actions of William was called off in October. However, Alex Blaze of Bilerico dug up a lot of information that seems a bit contrary, to put it lightly. But I could find no articles or blogs about William or the Farms published this year. So maybe they have taken up some responsibility and cast off the weight of the homophobic former owner, and are striving to remain an unbiased company, or maybe the higher-ups are still covertly funding there negative causes through William. Until I see proof either way, I'm going to hold off judgement, but I'm also going to hold off purchasing any Bolthouse or Bom Dia products, aside from my latest review. Consider it me being fair-and-balanced (Oh please, don't sue me, FOX!).

Whether or not what a company supports is a 'good cause' in your eyes, think about it this way. Business, religion and politics are three things that need to to stay as far away form each other as possible. When one begins to taint the other, nothing but problems arise. I hope Bolthouse Farms and all the other companies whose products we review try to maintain some level of corporate responsibility, both with their products and their profits.

*Note: This post was borrowed from my other blog contribution at Better Libations.*