Our comic books too?

Is nothing safe? Apparently Indonesian artist Adrian Syaf snuck some anti-Christian and Jew messages into X-Men Gold #1.

According the the Independent, the comic book contains numerous reference to Indonesian protests against the Christian governor of Jakarta, Basuki Tjahaja Purnama.

I think the Independent got it wrong though. They characterize the protests as Indonesian when they should say Indonesian hard-line muslim protests. They don’t like the mayor because he’s a Christian. Seems a little bigoted and anti-democratic to me.

CAIR offers reward for Jewish Community Center bomb threats

CAIR offered a reward of $5,000 for information leading to the arrest and conviction of the person or persons who threatened to bomb at least 10 Jewish Community Centers around the nation on President’s Day holiday.

I’m an incrementalist. A small step in the right direction should be acknowledged, no matter who or what takes the step. Now, how about evangelicals putting up a reward?

When bad people die - Omar Abdel-Rahman

I must be getting old. I can remember when there was more compassion in my heart. Lately, when I hear that a religious nutball or terrorist has died, I feel nothing. Omar Abdel-Rahman died in prison. I smiled when I read the real news CCN headline. He cause the deaths of six people and injured a thousand other people. Now he passes from history as a pathetic figure who died in prison. I feel nothing. Should I?

Did we really send bibles?

I’ve been reading a few books about the War in Iraq these past few months. One thing I find mentioned over and over, is that after taking Baghdad, we allowed Christian missionaries into the country to hand out bibles and to proselytize to Muslims. What the hell were we thinking? Did we really fight a war to encourage Christian proselytizing? Did we think of Iraqis as subjects to convert? We failed them in so many ways.

We did over and over. Shame on us.

A call for Dan Patrick to resign

The photo, tweeted by the Lieutenant Governor of Texas Dan Patrick, in response to an act of terrorism at an Orlando nightclub, says it all.

Dan Patrick should resign. At least 50 of our citizens were murdered. It’s not the their fault they were gunned down. People do not deserve to die because they are gay.

Dan Patrick sounds like he belongs to the Christian version ISIS. He is saying that the those who were murdered derived to die. How is he different from ISIS?

His words encourage violence. He should be held accountable, but he’s from Texas, so they will probably throw him a parade.

Why Omar Mateen? Why?

I am tired of waking up to news of gun violence, murder and terrorism. Singer Christina Grime gunned down, the weekend Chicago shooting tally, an Orlando nightclub mass murder… It never stoops. I don’t understand it. Why take a gun and turn it on innocents? Why?

They’ve identified the Pulse nightclub shooter as Omar Mateen (OMAR MIR SEDDIQUE MATEEN). He’s dead. Shot by a police SWAT unit. I want to ask Mateen why. It’s too late now, but I still want to know, so I watch the news and despair.

I’ve heard the words, ISIS, ISLAM and ACT of TERROR used in connection to Mateen’s murder spree. Damn it. That’s a reason, but it points to a corrupt religious motivation. The why will get lost behind rhetoric.

What I don’t want to know is what some media outlets insist on showing us; like a grieving mother who obviously thinks her son is dead. Or, the same scene of a wounded man being carried down the street by others. I think I’ve seen it 30 times already. Hey look! A wounded and bleeding victim! This is news!

If this were true…

If what this Muslim cleric says is true, California would have vanished beneath the waves of the Pacific a long time ago.

Malay Abass Mahmud said in an interview: “Allah gets annoyed when males engage in sexual encounter and such disgusting encounter causes earthquake.”

Via - The Independent

Very similar to our own Christian pastors who claim hurricanes are the result of various sins. Only, Christian pastors like to place blame after the event.

Does the bible have a place in Congress?

Every time I read a story about a Congressman or Senator using the bible to justify a moral position before a vote, I cringe. How are we different then an Islamic theocracy? Muslims use the Koran to deny progress and rights. We use the bible to the same end. It happened again just this week. Rep. Rick Allen (R-GA), a Methodist, read a passage from the bible during a Republican caucus meeting.

Rep. Rick Allen, a Georgia freshman, launched the GOP’s regular policy meeting in the Capitol basement by reading a Bible passage condemning homosexuality and suggesting that supporters of the LGBT provision, which passed the House the night before, were defying Christian tenets, attendees said. - via TPM GOPers Leave Meeting when Member Reads Bible Verse on Homosexuality.

The article goes on to state that some House members became upset and left the meeting, which I take as an encouraging sing, but the LGPT amendment was still voted down.

How is this different from a religious leader in Saudi Arabia issuing a fatwa against the morally reprehensible practice of taking photos with cats? Nothing really, and that’s why is so sad.

I smell propaganda

I read, Courageous Christian on death bed asks mother to forgive Isis thugs who burned her alive via IBT.

A Christian child on her death bed used her final words to ask her mother to forgive the Islamic State (Isis) thugs who burned her alive in her home. The courageous child, believed to be around 12-years-old, was burned in the Daesh (Isis) stronghold of Mosul, in northern Iraq, after her family were shaken down by the jihadists for Jaziya — a religious tax.

I smell propaganda. The author, one William Watkinson, is reporting hearsay as fact and then goes on to describe how horrible it is to be a Christian in Iraq. He feeds the Christian forgiveness trope. The bias is obvious.

To be clear, I believe that Christians are persecuted in Iraq because there is ample evidence. Do I believe the burn victim used her last words to forgive ISIS? Not at all.

What the hell is Ashley Madison

What the hell is Ashley Madison and why should I care? I started seeing the news and originally thought it was a shopping site that had been hacked. My wife had to explain it to me. Now I find out it’s an unknown (to me anyway) way for married adults to hook up for extra marital affairs. Again, why should I care? Adults are free to do as they please.

I turns out that pious Christian and Muslim moralists like and use the site. Well, I’m not surprised nor should any reader of this blog be surprised. These people are liars and worse, forgiven liars.

We have Josh Duggar, who by now should not be able to show his face in any church in America. He is repentant and forgiven. Heck, he cheated because his wife did not service his needs. It’s really not even his fault.

Then there is the totally obnoxious Christian Lifestyle blogger,
who had an Ashley Madison account. He only admits to having the account. God forgave him too, so please continue watching his videos to he can make a living telling you how to live.

Islamist Hamza Tzortzis had an account that he denies was his. He just wanted a female for cuddling, blowjobs and hand jobs. It’s all good though, the paid account using his address and email was obviously an fraud. You can go on believing his hate speech. It’s all good.

None of us believe that the Executive Director of the Louisana Republican party, Jason Doré, did “opposition research” with his paid account. Has he been fired yet? I was doing research… right.

People are killing themselves over the scandal. No pastors yet, but I’m sure its just a matter of time. Don’t kill yourselves people. It’s just adultery. God will forgive you. Just pray it away.

CAIR Invests in your children

CAIR Ahmad Saleem was arrested for trying to have sex with a child.

CAIR leader Ahmad Saleem, a Muslim youth coordinator, was also one of the men arrested. Investigators said the men all went to a home in Clermont with the hopes of having sex with a child. The car Saleem traveled in had a license plate that said, "Invest in children," according to investigators.
- via Freedom Outpost

I don’t know what to say besides, “That’s gross.”

More to follow…

This ain’t right

In Arizona, Atheist and Christian nutballs organized a protest outside of the Islamic Community Center in Phoenix. The protesters, some visibly armed with guns, used graphic language, signs and flags to express their hatred for Islam and its adherents. The protesters, numbering in the hundreds, were there to make a point, but I’m not sure it is the point they wanted to make. American “patriots” are assholes. America is based on the principle that its citizens can worship who and what they please. How can one be a patriot and miss that?

A counter-protester, an atheist named Alex Lofgren, said it best, “Nobody deserves to be to scared to pray in this country. Even as an atheist I support peoples right to pray freely…”

Local Christians held signs reading “Love your neighbor” (Mark 12:31)

"The second is this, 'YOU SHALL LOVE YOUR NEIGHBOR AS YOURSELF.' There is no other commandment greater than these."
- via biblehub.com

As I watched the news, I yelled at the TV. This event is wrong for the same reason that I don’t protest the folly of belief in front of Christian churches. What people believe is none of my business. What people do, like attempting to stop me from drawing Muhammed or tying to stop me from buying booze on Sunday, is another matter. I’ll protest the hell out of that, but you won’t catch me standing outside your church with an assault rifle yelling, “Fuck Christianity!”

Edit: I just found out that the organizer, Jon Ritzheimer, is an atheist. I think I’m even more upset know. He reminds me of a few anti-religion nutballs I know.

Salman Rushdie: ‘I Stand With Charlie Hebdo, as We All Must’

Salman Rushdie, a personal hero, expressed my thoughts at the Paris office of Charlie Hebdo today when he said,”I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as We All Must…” His full statement is shown below:

“Religion, a mediaeval form of unreason, when combined with modern weaponry becomes a real threat to our freedoms. This religious totalitarianism has caused a deadly mutation in the heart of Islam and we see the tragic consequences in Paris today. I stand with Charlie Hebdo, as we all must, to defend the art of satire, which has always been a force for liberty and against tyranny, dishonesty and stupidity. ‘Respect for religion’ has become a code phrase meaning ‘fear of religion.’ Religions, like all other ideas, deserve criticism, satire, and, yes, our fearless disrespect.” –Salman Rushdie

I fear no religion. Fuck you Islam. Pictures tell a more powerful story than my simple words:

Via Reddit

From Paris, via Reddit.

Via Cyprien on Twitter

Via J.K. Rowling on Twitter.

Via Banksy on Instagram - this gives me hope.

The Taliban and pigeons

I live in a small part of a big world. Where I live, if someone want to raise pigeons, they do, if doing so is permissible by local zoning ordinances. Religion, or politicized religion cannot forbid us the joy of pigeons. I enjoy watching the birds race around and around. Pigeons bring a small measure of joy to our lives. When I read that the Taliban banned raising pigeons while ruling Afghanistan, I was baffled. Why would the Taliban do something so pointless? What possible reason could be offered to justify banning raising pigeons? Does it offend Allah?

I got here today via a photo and it's small blurb.

In this photograph taken on October 22, 2014, Afghan pigeon fancier Habibullah looks on as his birds take flight at his home on the outskirts of Jalalabad. Habibullah has a flock of fifty-five pigeons which he releases daily from the roof of his home for recreation, a practice which was banned during Taliban rule.

Politics and religion are an evil combination. Why is this so hard to see? I’ve always felt that we can detect intent by looking at the small things like hat does religion attempts to control or ban, or how religion trys to control our behavior. I ask a lot of questions as I read the news.  Why is it wrong for me to buy alcohol on a Sunday morning? Why can’t our children learn the facts about birth control? Why must we pray before city council meetings? Why must we accommodate religions traditions? These questions weigh on my mind.

The enemy within is often a goofy student

Least we forget that Islam has an agenda...

Muslim Student Challenges Jewish Professor, He Shuts Her Up On The Spot

A Muslim Jew-hater and supporter of genocide is flushed out by David Horowitz at a speech during "Israel Apartheid Week at the University of California San Diego. Horowitz was hosted by Young Americans for Freedom. Visit the Horowitz Freedom Center Website at www.frontpagemag.com.

Is it really okay for a member of the MSA to call for another genocide against all Jews? No reasonable person would agree. I say hell no. So should our universities. Defund,.Disband. Expel. Some ideas are just bad.

(Via Qpolitical.com)

Islam is inconsistent with bacon

Don't tell me what I can't eat.

Child brides in Australia

I remember growing up with tales of child brides from the backwoods of Kentucky or out in the Ozark's. The joke was that if you did not behave yourself, you would be married off to cousin Lew. We all laughed about it because child marriages only happened in third-world countries. Heck, we were kids and we knew that.

I recently read a story about a child marriage in Australia. A 12-year-old girl was living with her 26-year-old husband. They were caught when they applied for spousal benefits. To be clear - the marriage happened in Australia and was facilitated by the local Islamic culture and mosque. 

I hate to say it, but the problem is both religious and cultural. I think religion, in this case Islam, reinforces the cultural aspects of the problem. Plus, Muslims feel the right to practice their religion by marrying child brides, even though the culture in Australia forbids it. In America, anyone involved would end up in prison, in Australia, I have no feel for how they would handle it. My fear is that Australia will mishandle it and we will start to think of them in third world terms. Immigration and religion caused Australia to regress. How sad is that? I don't know how Australia will fix this mess, but they must.

The problem with blasphemy laws

The problem with blasphemy laws is that the religious majority uses them as weapons of oppression against religious minorities. 

At the moment, there are more and more pending blasphemy cases,’ said I.A. Rahman, one of Pakistan’s leading human rights activists. ‘Extremist organizations demonstrate and raise slogans, and judges are afraid. They agitate all the time, creating hatred, and the government is not doing anything. Successive governments have failed.’"

Source: Pakistan: vigilantes use blasphemy law to target religious minorities | Toronto Star:

Every time I think of blasphemy laws I think of innocent men and women being imprisoned. 

Do atheists have the right to offend Muslims?

I don't remember how I landed on this article. It’s been an open tab on Chrome for a few days. It is something I do when I want to let a story percolate. It was written for The Muslim Times and titled, "Do Atheists have the right to offend Muslims?"

The article talks about atheists being asked to remove "Jesus and Mo" t-shirts depicting carton caricatures of Jesus and Muhammad sharing a beer together.

The image is satirical and funny too some. I am not offended. I could understand how Muslims would be offended, but I do not care. It’s humor and a fitting part of western culture. On the other hand, I am offend by the question implied by The Muslim Times’ headline, “Do Atheist have the right to offend Muslims?”

The headline and the article implies that our right to free expression is something that can be removed simply because what we might say, write or do, offends people. It implies that we should be silenced. The best way to fight back is to keep doing what we do best. I want to see more of this, lots more. 

Arifa Bibi stoned to death

I'll just file this under my list of reasons that Islam is horrible.

Arifa Bibi was sentenced to death by stoning by a Pakistani tribal court, and was executed on July 11 at the hands of her family. Her uncle, cousins and other family members threw stones at the woman until she died, all because she had a mobile phone. She was buried in the desert far away from her home village, and according to reports, her family was not permitted to be involved in her funeral.

Source: Arifa Bibi Stone to death in Pakistan for possessing a cell phone

It's barbaric and senseless.