Faith and Politics

I'm marking myself with a Scarlet A. (How deliciously Hawthorne-ish!)

On the verge of the presidential primary season, when we've got the twin Republican horrors of Mitt Romney and Mike Huckabee, it's important that everyone realize the catastrophic potential these two represent if elected. We've got a Mormon, who's faith has a history of exclusion and discrimination; and a Baptist minister who feels that it his solemn duty to turn America into a Christian-only theocracy.

Think about it. We've barely survived the last 8 years under a grotesque buffoon who found God after climbing out of a bottle. Bush was responsible for essentialy crippling stem cell research in the US, appointing conservative Supreme Court justices with an eye on overturning Roe v. Wade, all but banning anything but abstinence-only doctrine in sex ed. classes, and giving millions upon millions of federal dollars to faith based organizations. Never mind his Christian-fueled, vengeance-based Crusade in the Middle East.

Can you imagine what would happen if we got some religious zealots who had themselves some real Christian fire?!?

Now - I'm not advocating that the current crop of Democrats are any less the political douchebags than their Republican counterparts are. Hell - I'm as afraid of the liberals' negative views on the constitutionally protected right of gun possesion as I am of the conservatives' intolerance of anyone who doesn't subscribe to their particular brand of bible thumping. (although I do have to say - - Go Obama!!!)

But, the thing is that it's important to realize that religious true believers feel that they are somehow marginalized and discriminated against - they're deluded and act as though there is some vast left wing conspiracy that plans to somehow burn down their churches and violate their women. And yet they are the majority in this country. Something doesn't add up there.

What's funny is that these paragons of virtue and religious tolerance, these disciples of Jeebus, hate anyone who isn't Christian as much as the islamic Fundamentalist hate anyone who isn't Muslim. Oddly, or perhaps ironically, Christians and Islamics believe in the same God and BOTH feel that it is their duty to covert the non-believers.

So where does that leave those who don't believe in god?(and I used a little "g" on purpose, fuckers!)Polls show that the majority of Americans distrust Atheists more than any other social group out there. Somehow, a lack of religiosity is more terrifying to the Christians than gays, liberals, feminists, and people who abuse animals and talk at the theater (for whom there is a very special hell reserved!).

So that leaves us with the Hester Prynn-like Scarlet A I'm emblazoning my blog with. I'm coming out as an Atheist. Of course, my long time readers know that I'm an Atheist already, but I really believe that Richard Dawkins Out Campaign is brilliant and I'm proudly coming out of the closet for all to see.

Visit the Out Campaign site - - Richard Dawkins does a much better job of eloquently explaining what the campaign is about. I encourage anybody who is in the closet to follow mine and his lead and COME OUT OF THE CLOSET!

Freedom from religion is as sacred as freedom of religion.