The collapse of the religious left

Many of the great leftist movements in our country were explicitly religious in nature. The American Experience series is showing the Abolitionists for the next couple of Tuesdays. Episode 1 was last Tuesday. It is clear that those abolitionists were exceptionally religious bordering on fanatical. The entire purpose of the movement was to cleanse the US of the original sin of slavery. A hundred years later the Civil Rights movement was every bit as religiously motivated. It was from the inside of temples, mosques, and churches that the foot soldiers of the Civil Rights movement arose. In the 1980's the nuclear freeze movement was another religiously driven movement as was the anti death penalty movement. Now, here we are at the second Inaguration in a row where we can't seem to find even one famous pastor of the religious left to lead a closing prayer. Maybe one of the nuns on the bus.

http://www.democraticunderground.com/10022177862

I was raised Catholic, and like most people my age who were raised Catholic I no longer attend church on Sundays. We’re “recovering Catholics.” That’s what so many of us call ourselves. We’re still disgusted with the Church for the way it covered up the sex abuse perpetrated against my generation and roll our eyes at the Church’s stance on things like abortion, gay marriage and women’s rights. And yet, like so many of my generation, my Catholic upbringing formed so much of who I am and was such a huge part of my young life, I find it difficult to entirely eschew that part of my identity.

When asked if we’re religious, we say, automatically, “I was raised Catholic.” Everybody knows what that means: I no longer believe the way that I once did, but being raised Catholic is like having been in ‘nam. It’s something that never leaves you, no matter how hard you try. Those memories of old men blowing incense in your face while wearing gold dresses and touching little boys on the side are hard to shake. The stained glass windows, the sound of the organ, sitting in the wooden pews, standing, kneeling. It never really goes away. It’s inside you somewhere. The sacred heart of Jesus, the Christmas play, Mary. The Eucharist. It’s all there, inside you. But not the crucifix. Because Jesus that thing is gross.

And yet – in spite of the way I feel about Vatican doctrine and the ridiculousness of single, out-of-touch old men trying to tell young women what to do with their bodies and how to make marriage work, I don’t begrudge having been raised Catholic. I learned a lot about being a Good Person from the things I heard in church, even though the priest espousing the Gospel to us was later defrocked (disrobed? stripped of his position?) for improper touch. I wanted to be a Good Person, not just because only Good People go to Heaven. I just liked the idea. The meek shall inherit the Earth. It sounded right. Somehow all this shit I’m swallowing now, it’s gonna pay off later.

--snip--

My daughter, on the other hand, at the ripe old age of 7, is convinced that there is no God. Not even a god. Yup, my kid’s an atheist. And she pretty much has been since she was 5. It’s not for lack of exposure to God or god or even gods and spirituality, because she has attended Church and church and a UU “church” and it has made no impact. We’ve prayed together. I talk about God sometimes, in a good way. When I asked her recently why she doesn’t believe in God she told me, succinctly, “Because I know too much about science!”

And there you have it – an evangelical’s worst nightmare. Science trumps God. My daughter is like a mini-Darwin who had a spiritual awakening before she was old enough to stop having potty accidents. And she was able to do so not because she was indoctrinated by the Church of the Holy Dissected Frog, but because she wasn’t fully indoctrinated by the Father, Son and Holy Ghost. Because the idea that a man lives in the sky who can see everything you do hasn’t been pounded into her head since birth, she thinks the whole concept is just silly.

http://www.babble.com/mom/why-my-7-year-old-is-an-atheist-and-why-im-okay-with-that/

A new study by Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London Medical School says, spiritual people are more likely to develop a mental disorder, become dependent on drugs and have eating disorders.

It says, spiritual but not religious people are more likely to suffer from “any neurotic disorder,” “mixed anxiety/depressive disorders” or “depression” than their religious counterparts. Overall, 19% of spiritual respondents said they suffered from a neurotic disorder, while 15% of religious respondents responded the same way.

We should not forget about another study that says, intelligent people less likely to believe in God.

So, the conclusion is, intelligent people do not believe in God and non-religious and non-spiritual people are having better mental health than religious and spiritual people.

http://freethoughtblogs.com/taslima/2013/01/11/study-religious-peoples-mental-health-is-better-than-spiritual-people-but-not-better-than-atheists/?utm_source=dlvr.it&utm_medium=facebook

Kyrsten Sinema was sworn into Congress Monday, but with a twist: She didn’t swear on a Bible. The newly elected representative for Arizona’s 9th district swore her oath of office on a copy of the Constitution instead. Sinema refuses to confirm she is an atheist, as many believe, saying merely that she is “not a member of a faith community” and that all Americans deserve both “freedom of religion and freedom from religion.” Keith Ellison of Minnesota also bucked the Bible trend in 2007 when he decided, as the first Muslim elected a member of the House, to swear on Thomas Jefferson’s personal copy of the Quran.

http://m.now.msn.com/kyrsten-sinema-sworn-into-congress-without-a-bible

In this review of “Mom, Dad, I’m an Atheist: The Guide to Coming Out as a Non-believer” by David G. McAfee, I should start with what brought this book to my attention in the first place.

On December 28, 2012 we received the following distraught message in the inbox of the Better Off Damned facebook page:

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This message was troubling, to say the least. In addition to a personal response, we forwarded this to our community via the screen-capture above, which lead to an overwhelming outpouring of support for this girl. It was with these comforting and supportive comments and messages that several people recommended to Michelle a new book aimed at helping people in coming out as an atheist.
It was this which prompted me to contact the author and check out this book for myself, in the hopes that it could be a valuable resource I could suggest to others struggling with the difficulties of being open about their non-belief.

The very first thing I can attribute to it’s author, David G. McAfee, before having read a single page of his work, is his absolute sincerity in making a genuine attempt to help guide fellow non-believers through this process. I mentioned Michelle and what she was going through, and without hesitation he reached out to her by generously allowing us to send her a free copy of his book, which she was overjoyed and very appreciative to receive. David also shared Michelle’s ordeal on his own pages, bringing even more community support in her direction. This sense of community is one of the notions stressed in the book.

From the back of the book:

“This essential guide to coming-out as a non-believer has been written to make it easier for atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, and non-believers of all ages and backgrounds to be open about their non-religiosity while minimizing the negative interactions in familial, social, and professional circles.

As a survival guide for non-believers who wish to come out, this book provides advice and resources for those interested in publically rejecting religious dogma as well as real stories from non-believers who have experienced coming-out to less-than-supportive family or friends.

Whether you’re new to disbelief and looking for the cleanest possible break from your former faith or you’re a lifelong atheist who wants to establish a sense of community with like-minded people, this guide provides useful resources including: tips for handling potential conflicts with believers, the author’s answers to some of the most frequently asked questions on behalf of believers, and numerous references to support groups, services, and advocacy organizations dedicated to non-theists.

From dealing with grief from a secular perspective to handling potential clashes in religious worldviews between significant others, this book offers multiple perspectives from non-religious individuals who have generously shared their experiences to help those atheists who may find themselves in similar situations.”

http://betteroffdamned.wordpress.com/2013/01/06/review-mom-dad-im-an-atheist-the-guide-to-coming-out-as-a-non-believer/

DEFENDING a decision to appoint Claude Gilliland III, 54, to the post of senior pastor at the New Heart Family Worship Center in Cleburne, Texas, the retiring head of the church, Carl Roye, pointed out great men of God in the Bible who had sinned too.

David was an adulterer and a murderer, Roye said. He added:

Paul the apostle, he was a murderer and God forgave them and used them in a great way. I think He loves Claude Gilliland just like He loves Carl Roye and just like He loves you or whoever.

Though the church board knew about Gilliland’s past, the congregation didn’t find out Gilliland was a registered sex offender until after the vote.

Gilliland was convicted in 1993 of sexual assault.

--snip--

According to this report, Texas Department of Public Safety records show that Gilliland was convicted of sexual assault on a 35-year-old woman. He is required to annually re-register with the state. PublicData.com records show Gilliand was also convicted of theft and driving while intoxicated.

Cleburne Deputy Police Chief Amy Knoll said there are no laws, at least locally, that govern how Gilliland chooses to live or work. And because his offence was against an adult, there would have been no laws about his interaction with children.

He was, however, listed among all sex offenders residing in Johnson County in an October Times-Review story that warned parents about trick-or-treating at offenders’ homes.

http://freethinker.co.uk/2013/01/05/registered-sex-offender-chosen-head-pastor-at-a-church-in-texas/

A gagged priest at Springfield’s St. Aloysius church called 911 late last year and asked them for help because he had been “playing” with handcuffs and he got stuck.

Audio of Father Tom Donovan’s Nov. 28 911 call was published by the Illinois Times on Thursday.

“I’m stuck in a pair of handcuffs and I’m going to need help getting out before it becomes a medical emergency,” Donovan tells the dispatcher in a muffled voice.

“You’re stuck in a pair of handcuffs?” the dispatcher replies.

“Yes,” Donovan admits. “I was playing with them so I need some help getting out.”

When police arrived at the church, they discovered that the priest’s voice had sounded garbled because he was also wearing a gag, according to the Illinois Times.

Although the Diocese of Springfield had been provided with a police report and a audio of the 911 call, they had refused to comment on the incident.

“I wouldn’t be able to tell you where Father Donovan is,” diocese spokesperson Kathie Sass said. “There’s a matter of privacy there.”

Sass told The State Journal-Register that Donovan had been granted a leave of absence in December for “personal reasons.”

Raw Story (http://s.tt/1xYnM)

More than 600 guitarists in Darjeeling performed a singalong of John Lennon's Imagine in tribute to the gang rape victim whose death has stirred the nation.

Male and female students and activists played the song simultaneously in what was a planned world record attempt.

It was performed at the Darjeeling Tea and Tourism Festival, originally intended to pay tribute to 50 years of the Liverpool band, according to the Times of India.

?5

http://www.huffingtonpost.co.uk/2013/01/03/india-gang-rape-victim-john-lennon_n_2402287.html