Category Archives: Social

Can’t Get No No Respect

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US comedian Rodney Dangerfield had a routine where he told outlandish stories that invariably ended with his catch-phrase: ‘just can’t get no respect.’

Religion, it seems, has the same problem: it tells outlandish stories that get no respect. At least that’s what I’m reminded of whenever someone tells me that religion should be more respected, or that I, in particular, should pay more respect to religion. Why do believers assert that religion is entitled to deep respect, or that we should respect people simply for being pious?

I think that it is natural not to respect religions:

Respect isn’t something owed.

It has to be earned.

Religious Danegeld

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In the 12th century the Northmen (also called Danes or Vikings) took to the sea and plundered all over Europe. In England and France, some monarchs thought it prudent to pay a tribute instead of being plundered. This tribute was called Danegeld. Needless to say, it didn’t work well, and only served to prolong the problem. In the end, they had to fight a larger, vastly richer, better equipped, and deadlier enemy.

Today the press censors itself in the hopes of not arousing the ire of muslims. People are denied freedom of speech for the same reason. Governments look the other way when religious people ignore human rights and shadow law is practiced. Those responsible once again believe that they are being prudent, that they are taking the safe approach.

They are not.

Instead of drawing a line in the sand, they try to placate the barbarians at the gate. This will not work. Whenever governments curtail fundamental rights in the ‘interest’ of peace with an aggressive, hostile, morally retarded religion, they are repeating past mistakes.

They are paying religious Danegeld.

Legislator tragically misspells ‘Underdog’

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Senator in hot water over misspelling ‘Underdog’

Tragically dyslexic Pennsylvania legislator John McGinnis has accidentally landed himself in hot water when he suggested that a touch of reality was added to the ‘Pledge of Alliance’. Intended as a tongue in cheek comment on the fact that the US is currently the Underdog in the world, he texted his assistant to draft a memo to this effect.

Unfortunately, and due to his spelling disability, this was misinterpreted as an endorsement for keeping ‘Under God’ in the Pledge.

His personal aide also pointed to the republican auto-correcting feature in the Senator’s smartphone as a contributing factor.

Operation Christmas Grinch

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Showing an innate aptitude for picking lose-lose situations, the American Humanist Association (AHA) has threatened legal action against public schools that participate in an evangelical Christian charity called ‘Operation Christmas Child’ that delivers Christmas toys to poor children.

Unfortunately, everyone involved looks stupid or loses:

  • The AHA (who usually inspires me) looks like a cross (ha!) between Ebenezer Scrooge and The Grinch, wanting to spoil a child’s Christmas on a technicality. 
  • The people collecting gifts look stupid because they allow themselves be roped into a missionary drive. 
  • The missionaries are exposed for using Christmas to force children into a superstition. 
  • World-class Stoopid: The parent who “was not aware of the Christian nature (of Operation Christmas Child)” — I mean come on! What do they think ‘Operation Christmas Child’ is? A pregnancy drive? 
  • Most of all: the impoverished children.

Of course AHA has an important point:

“The toys collected by Operation Christmas Child come with pledges to Christianity for its recipients to sign.”

This is the most reprehensible (albeit common) form of proselytizing: taking advantage of another person’s plight. How charitable is that? So AHA’s cause is just. It’s just that – like so often – I see fellow atheists wielding a broadsword where a scalpel should have sufficed. 

If I were of a superstitious belief, I’d now spout some metaphors about roads to unpleasantness being greased with goodwill.

Alas, I don’t want to come off as an ass myself.

At least no more than AHA.

Absurd

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Human Rights are universal. Unless, of course, they don’t fit your agenda. At the U.N. Third Millennium Summit, King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz defended Saudi Arabia’s position on human rights. To quote the King: “It is absurd to impose on an individual or a society rights that are alien to its beliefs or principles.”

He is talking about the right to live, freedom of speech, religion, and the right not be tortured or enslaved. It makes my skin crawl when a human being tells me that these rights are alien to him.

This is the Saudi version of ‘stop making so much noise about your innocence’ from Kafka’s The Trial. 

Absurd has reached a new level in Saudi Arabia.

Is Humor a Human Right?

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The United Nations have added new members to the Human Rights Council. Among them are China, Russia and Saudi Arabia. This is noteworthy because a) these countries have refused UNHR inspections, and b) Tibet, treatment of homosexuals, systematic subjugation of women – and frigging Tiananmen Square???

Regrettably, neither the EU nor the US have so much as raised an eyebrow at the new elections.

It’s therefore probably just a matter of time until North Korea will also take their ‘well deserved’ seat at the same table.

This leaves only one conclusion: Making cruel jokes on the backs of the weak and defenseless is also a Human Right.

Schooling a Bus Driver

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A School Bus driver was allegedly fired for leading the kids he transported into prayer.

After receiving a complaint from the district about the prayers, the bus company, Durham School Services, gave Nathaniel a warning and assigned him two new bus routes serving Edward D. Neill Elementary School and Metcalf Junior High School in Burnsville, he said.

That didn’t dissuade Nathaniel. “I let them know I am a pastor and I am going to pray,” he said.

Quite. He wasn’t fired for leading the kids into prayer. He was fired for being an idiot.

Chutzpah

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In Unseen Academicals, Terry Pratchett writes

“Juliet’s version of cleanliness was next to godliness, which was to say it was erratic, past all understanding and was seldom seen.”

It’s difficult to describe how funny I think this quote is. It’s even more difficult to describe how funny I think it is that believers can laugh along with me.

Chutzpah, I guess.

Another Bishop, another Stupidity

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In the tranquil valley of Erschmatt in Switzerland, a storm is brewing. The predominantly christian community has to deal with a shocking development that threatens the very fabric of their existence.

What has happened? In Switzerland religion is a subject that is taught in all schools. Presumably, the curriculum contains information about the world’s major religions. Edith Inderkummen, a catholic, has a degree in religious pedagogy from the University of Lucern, and was teaching religion and ethics at a local state school. Then she decided to convert to judaism. She was fired for this (warning: article in german).

The Bishop of Sitten revoked her license. He seems to believe that someone who has a degree in ethics and religion is unfit for teaching after committing the vile act of converting to a different religion.

This opens a couple of questions:

  • What exactly is taught in these religion classes? More importantly: what does the Bishop think is taught in these classes? Information about religions, or catholic indoctrination?
  • Officially the stance is that only someone who believes in gods can teach religion. Isn’t that like saying only someone who is a child can be a pediatrician? Or that only blind people can become ophthalmologists? But even if – the woman still believes in essentially the same god; it’s just that the belief is sold by a competitor.
  • Why does the Bishop think that converting to judaism makes someone unfit to teach Ethics? I agree that religion makes a bad ethical foundation, but does this Bishop really believe that his own bronze-age morals are better? I’m sure that – unlike the Bishop – someone with a degree in Ethics can differentiate between religious ‘morals’ and truly ethical behavior. All the Bishop has proven here is that he is unfit to teach ethics.

A lot went wrong here. But what went wrong most of all:

How the hell can a Bishop fire a teacher employed by a secular school?