Blogroll Update: A new Wiki

The big new this week is that Larro created the Atheist Blogroll Wiki. We are trying to figure out how to use it to help build an effective atheist blogging community. Your comments and participation are welcomed.

Joiners! (up to 874)

• The Atheist Missionary
• No Guy in the Sky
• Proud Atheists
• PollyThesim
• Chimerolog
• a different part of the cow
• The Angry Philistine
• Holy Blasphemy

Quitters (down to 869)

• Freethought Weekly:  No new posts since 6/18/08
• Freethought by a Freethinker:  No new posts since 6/19/08
• Free and Wandering Thought:  No new posts since 5/21/08
• Flumadiddle:  Died and moved, did not leave a forwarding address that is public.
• Flex Your Head:  No new posts since 2007
• Feersum Endjinn:  No new posts since January 2008

Thanks as usual to Crystal for the help with dead links.

If you would like to join the blogroll, click here.

Technorati tags: The Atheist Blogroll, Atheism, Blogging

Killer-turned-pastor preaches redemption

Pastor Maury Davis brings out the most cynical side of my personality. I look at Davis at the perfect con man. He is a convicted murderer who understands the road to privilege is paved by religion. As the cult leader of the Nashville based Cornerstone Mega-Church, he is a wealthy and influential man. But does he deserve it? I don’t think so.

"I did something heinous, not just awful," says Davis, who slit the throat of 54-year-old Jo Ella Liles in broad daylight in a peaceful middle-class Irving neighborhood in 1975. "Unless you go to a Charles Manson level, it's out there."

Source: Killer-turned-pastor preaches redemption

It comes down to trust. I can forgive a man for murder if he is repentant and serves his time in prison. Trusting him is another matter altogether. My religious friends will tell me I am broken. That I should trust people like Davis. I know better. Trust is hard to earn, but once lost even more difficult to recapture. Simply giving trust to a man because of a religious conversion is too convenient. It rewards the act of becoming a Christian instead of the act of becoming a good man. When becoming a Christian includes taking the helm of a large and powerful church, with the financial rewards of running a wildly successful religious business, one must ask, “Does Maury Davis disserve it?” No. Davis deserves a job cutting the bushes, not leading a church.

In 1975 Maury Davis slit the throat of a 54-year-old Irving Texas woman named Jo Ella Liles. The crime was brutal and senseless. Davis was upset about spilling paint on his boots so somebody had to die. He admitted his guilt but claimed demonic possession during his insanity defense. He did not apologize to the family of his victim.

Prison officials let him out of church on a weekly furlong to attend church services with his family. Davis recognized a scam when he saw one. He stepped up his efforts to convert his fellow inmates. When his 20-year sentence was cut short by prison overcrowding, he tasted freedom as a free man at age 27. He did not pay his debt to society, he benefited from a scam instead. Eight years in no payment for murder.

His only marketable skill was retelling a sanitized version of his prison conversion. I’ve seen it on TV. It makes me wonder aloud about the gullibility of Christians. Um… pass that collection plate please.

Davis became an evangelist. Which is to say, he started selling his testimony for personal profit under the guise of working to convert people for Jesus. He polished his apple, and Cornerstone took a bite. Now Davis is rich, powerful, influential, and still unapologetic. He claims the successful conversion of many people as proof that his slate is clean. Only, he is still a murderer, and a loving mother is still dead. And her son is still bitter. Tell me, who benefited here?

Technorati tags: Christians, Scams, Religion

I sat under a Bodhi tree

I prefer my own magnolia; there is more shade. This is photo of a Bodhi leaf. I love the long tale. It is unique.

I did not find enlightenment under the Bodhi tree. I kept wondering why the arboretum would dedicate the tree to the 14th Dalai Lama. I’m pretty sure he never visited.

My wife and I visited the Fullerton Arboretum. Gardeners packed the place to attend the annual Green Scene Plant & Garden show. It was full of 40 to 6o year old women wearing big floppy hats. I managed to find one young girl who looked out of  place.

I’ll visit again when fewer people are around. It was zoo today. I took two good photo’s. This shot of a red flower, and this shot of thorns.

Technorati tags: Photography, Flowers

What is a hate crime?

Image via Wikipedia

I often consider the question, “What is a hate crime?” My confusion stems from the unending stream of new stories I read while researching posts for my blog. One story caught my attention this week and rekindled an examination of the term. In the beautiful California city of Santa Monica, somebody vandalized a statue of the Virgin Mary on Easter Sunday. By vandalized I mean beheaded.

Local news followed the story. It did not make the mainstream media outlets. The Santa Monica Daily Press reported “Virgin Mary statue found without head.” The first sentence characterizes the incident as a hate crime. “Santa Monica Police are investigating an alleged hate crime after officials with St. Monica Catholic Church discovered a statue of the Virgin Mary beheaded shortly before Easter services commenced.” Is this act of vandalism a hate crime? Is it fitting for the press to label it as a hate crime without understanding the context? I have reservations.

Motivation must be a reason when deciding if a crime is a hate crime. Yet besides the obvious loss of a religious icon’s head, we know nothing about those who perpetrated the crime. It is within the range of likely possibilities that a wayward parish prankster knocked the head off the statue. Or, the head fell off because of damage or through problems with the quality of manufacture; perhaps the structure weakened and the head simply fell off? The new story does not give us enough information to draw our own conclusions, yet they report an alleged hate crime. I don’t get it.

I understand the likelihood of an accidental beheading are small. Discovering the damage on Easter represents some intent by those who perpetrated this crime, but this does not prove hate as the motive. Calling vandalism a hate crime is an unnecessary escalation. What is the societal harm? If no person or group claims responsibility, then who would Catholics retaliate against if they sought to balance the scales? Would nonCatholics bear the weight of Catholic rage? Who is the specific victim? Is it Catholics, Catholics who worship the Virgin Mary or perhaps Catholics who like art? Who knows? Spokesperson Jason Farmer said it best, “Even though it was a sad event, it didn't take away from the joy of Easter and celebrating Christ's resurrection.” I do not see a reference to hate or to Catholics feeling victimized. The police have a different interpretation.

"Anytime a church or school is targeted, we look at it as a possible hate crime," SMPD Lt. Darrell Lowe said. "In this case, since the vandalism was of a very important figure within the Catholic religion, we're classifying it and investigating it as a hate crime."

I think the police department’s orientation is the problem. By using preconditions as a basis for starting an investigation, the police close off possible avenues of investigation. They develop a bias against the crime being anything other than a hate crime. They set up an expectation with the public that an evil actor is targeting Catholics. Framing the crime inaccurately perpetuates an inaccurate characterization of the crime. Their statements are political rather than practical. The police should explore property crime without attaching significance to the crime because the target is an inanimate object representing a supernatural religious icon. How many other works of public art are vandalized in Santa Monica each year? My guess is the number is high. Have you been to Santa Monica lately? Removing graffiti alone employs a small army of city workers. Without evidence to the contrary, the police are fear mongering. Their words are irresponsible and intensify the hate.

Don’t get me wrong. If there is evidence the crime is part of a larger effort to target a group of people because they worship the Virgin Mary, and the crimes include threats, violence, or further acts of destruction, I would join the security patrols which protect them. I hate bullies with a passion. Bigots are bullies in bedsheets. They deserve contempt while their victims deserve protection and justice.

The problem with classifying all acts of vandalism against a church as a hate crime is that it decreases the meaning of term. If Joe Blow, the neighborhood crackhead, beheads the statue in a drug fuels orgy gone wrong. Charging him with a hate crime weakens the term to the point where it undermine the intent of the law.

We know the murder of Matthew Sheppard is a hate crime. We feel it at the core of our humanity. Mathew Sheppard died for being gay. The crime is hate. We know when we see a swastika on a synagogue the intent behind the act has roots in hate. We know this because we know the context of the crime. Context is everything. Beheading the Virgin Mary is a hate crime if for example, the intent was to drive Catholics from the predominantly protestant city of Santa Monica. Is beheading the Virgin Mary a crime if the intent was to express outrage over an unanswered prayer? Context is everything. Without a proper understanding of context, calling and act a hate crime is irresponsible.

Even when we understand the context, mislabeling it as a hate crime because of the atrocious nature of the violence involved, further weakens the term. The most notable case, and the case which started me down this intellectual road, is the notorious Wichita Massacre. Two black men, brothers Reginald and Jonathan Carr, murdered 5 people, all white. Conservative commentators tried to characterize the crime as racially motivated despite evidence to the contrary. They ignored the context of the crime by trying to broaden the definition of a hate crime to include people of one race committing crimes against people of another race. Sanity prevailed. The motivation was clearly self-enrichment by morally bankrupt thugs.

I am sure my bias as a libertarian has some influence on my thinking. Hate crime penalty enhancements for example, these seem wrongheaded. Beheading the Virgin Mary as vandalism earns you a light sentence. I might pass you picking up cans on the freeway. If you include hate crime penalty enhancements, community service turns to prison time. I do not see it. It does not make sense. Why not reserve justice for those who earn stern punishment by their evil acts? Even then, the punishment must fit the crime, not an arbitrary additional assessment based on a hard to define standard which is used as a weapon in the hands of unscrupulous district attorneys.

I know I am fighting windmills here. Asking the press to show restraint is like asking a teen to stop texting. It will not happen. The inaction of the press will not stop me from an occasional rant though. I mean, that is our role as bloggers, right?

Technorati tags: Hate Crime, Virgin Mary, Vandalism

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Top 10 Christians in Hollywood

People send me the oddest things. Like this list of the Top 10 Christians in Hollywood. I am not a celebrity watcher, but I find it interesting to find out what motivates people. Enjoy.

Technorati tags: Christians, Celebrities, Lists

Where is the love?

Do you know how I spot posers? I look for love in their words. When I find a man who speaks for Jesus but spouts words devoid of love, my mind screams “poser”, and by poser I mean hypocrite.

First Baptist Church Pastor Mac Brunson has no love for bloggers. Especially those who dare to criticize his $300K salary, the $300K church land grant, or his lavish office. After all, he’s a mega church pastor and deserves the riches that come with the title.

Brunson declined to discuss his home and salary but maintained he is one of the lowest-paid mega-church pastors in the Southern Baptist Convention. He said people are welcome to criticize his preaching style and ministry goals, including the school, but usually do so openly, not anonymously.

But the love does not stop at criticism, it extends to abuse of power. If you dare to blog about his excesses, then he will use every means available to track you down and expose you in the church. Of course, we all know this is a Machiavellian move to silence his critics, his followers think he’s trying to protect Jesus.

The story makes an interesting read. Apparently a member of Brunso’s security detail is a detective on the local police force. He used his access to get a subpoena  from the Florida State Attorney’s office compelling Google Inc. to give up the blog’s author. After learning the author was a member of the pastor’s church, the detective turned over the bloggers name despite there being any evidence of a crime. The abuse of power is epic in this case. Somebody must pay (are you listening DOJ?).

The blogger, Thomas A. Rich, runs FBC JAX Watchdog, a blog relentlessly critical of pastor Brunson. I spent an hour reading it this afternoon. Ho-hum – I thought legal standards for subpoenas were higher. This blog should have prompted no investigation at all. Rich posted anonymously.

Why anonymous blogging? I preferred to blog anonymously so as not to draw attention to myself, or make the discussion about me personally. I decided to focus on what I saw and heard, and to give a voice to those things I considered abusive. I never wanted the blog to be distracted by who I was, or make myself the issue. And of course self-preservation played a role…

I post anonymously  for the same reasons really, plus the death threats. One must not forget the death threats. Rich only need fear expulsion for his community. He knew they would come for him, and they did eventually.

In a church where the pastor can do no wrong he often does.

Technorati tags: Baptists, Abuse of Power

New book: Walking the Black Cat

I find that books of poems are more difficult to read than works of fiction. A thin volume, like Charles Simic's Walking the Black Cat, will take months before I feel sated. Poetry is like that.

I don’t know Simic’s work. I picked up his book because of an old man’s recommended. We were browsing the photography section together. He asked me what I was hoping to find. When I told him poetry, he laughed and told me I was in the wrong section.

I explained that I always start my journeys through a bookstore in the photography section. I find the works inspiring. Plus, they help my mood. I held a Minor White book in my hand at the time. The old man said, “Well, if you like White, then I think Simic is the man for you.” I don’t get the connection.

Technorati tags: Books, Poetry, Literature

What did you do this Easter?

What did you do this Easter? I played disc golf with my friend Mark. I took along my Camera so that I could try to take a few shots of him. He felt like I was stalking him, but I did get a good shot. I did some blogging, some reading, some shopping, and then wasted an hour or two playing TF2. I also spent some quality time with the wife. It was a fun day, but it’s not over yet. I’m off to the park to walk the dog and take a few pictures of the natives. When we drove by earlier in the day, there were so many people, we did not want to stop.

So what did you do this Easter?

Technorati tags: photography, blogging

The pastor Robert Black paranoia spreads

Two stories that complicate the case for Baptist pastor Robert Black have hit the news. First, parents of 20 children have come forward claiming their young daughters may have communicated with Robert Black as John Still on Facebook. And second, it appears that Robert Black also coached a young girls basketball team.

I expect more of these stories to hit the news over the next few weeks. I have no doubt that some of them will uncover additional questionable activity. What bother me is the damage caused to the young girls in Missouri. At least 20 girls from Facebook and another dozen from a youth basketball league are answering some difficult questions. I count these girls as victims too, even if they were not directly involved.

Technorati tags: Baptists, Clergy Sexual Misconduct, Pedophiles, Facebook, Clergy Abuse

Baptist youth pastor charged with sexual assault

I swear, the Baptist are going friggen nuts. This must be the 10th case I've written about in the last 60 days. Jason Beck was the youth pastor at Pauline Baptist Church, now he's sitting in a jail cell for sleeping with a 16-year-old girl under his pastoral care.

While the age of 16 is accepted as the legal age of consent, the “position of trust” that he was in made the act a felony, such as would be the case with a teacher, coach, or other position of responsibility.

And let’s not get this Jason Beck confused with Coach Jason Beck. That’s a different case altogether. Jason Beck must be a popular name among pedophiles.

It’s so easy to blame Satan – Kasey Earl did.

We are all disappointed with this situation and feel somewhat betrayed, but the fact of the matter is Jason is our brother and we should have been more accountable to him. He is one of my closest friends. He is NOT a predator. If you knew the story of Jason’s past, you’d know that God has done mighty things in his life and has brought him out of darkness. But Satan never forgot the things from Jason’s past and used them to tempt him. I hate that this had to happen for everyone involved, and yes what he did was stupid, but now it’s time for the Church (and I’m not just talking about Pauline, but all of us who are his brothers and sisters in Christ) to reconcile him and lift him high. Join me in prayer for the girl and the parents involved, and the rest of Pauline and the staff there, AND Jason. The fellowship of the mat: a man who was crippled was carried to Jesus by his friends for healing. Don’t let Satan win!!

And while we are at it, why not give him hope.

I think this young man got caught up in something bigger and stronger than him. I’m sure he loves God and is a christian but a young christian. He should not have been in the position he was in at the church because of his young chistianity. He is human and a young man who is not much older than the young girl. Had he been in a different occupation, this would be only a concern with him and the young girl and her family. Remember not to throw stones until you look at your own life. This young girl is not the first 16 year old who has had sex with an older boy and she will not be the last. To the girl’s close friends, this is your chance to prove you are not shallow and will always be there for her. To the young man, this to shall pass and use this experience as a stepping stone to what God’s plan is for you.

Oh, and don’t worry about telling people about your prison hitch or the fact that you will be labeled a sex offender. Nope, being a Baptist, you will find the world is your oyster and the youth group your peals.

Technorati tags: Baptists, Rape, Clergy Sexual Abuse

Sunday school teacher arrested for murder

Sandra Cantu may have been murdered by a trusted Sunday school teacher and single mother. The police say Melissa Huckaby killed Sandra Cantu in a church and then stuffed her body into a suitcase and dumping it into a farm pond. People who know her are shocked.

"She must have had a double life, because she seemed sweet and the Bible study kids love her," said Carlos Martinez, who lives in the Orchard Estates Mobile Home Park near Huckaby. "This is a total shock."

Huckaby's relatives said they were bewildered at the concept that the churchgoing woman they've seen get down on her knees to play with children and lead them in singing religious songs such as "Deep and Wide" would do what police say she has.

By now I know that people often mistake going through the motions at church as signs of living a moral lifestyle. I have little patience for this assumption. I think it clouds the issue, one must examine how she lived her life in full before one judges her ability to commit a murder.

I must admit a certain bias. I have trouble believing a mother could commit a crime like this. Since the news broke I’ve held back writing about the murder because I thought maybe it was an accidental death that had spiraled out of control. I had no facts to support this. In fact, it now seems unlikely given the lengths Huckaby went to hid her actions. I eventually realized that I held the same type basis as people who think being a Christian makes one less likely to kill.

The real story will be told over the weeks and months ahead. I may follow story it if continues to weave in the tale of religion. A Sunday school teacher killing an innocent young girl in a church sounds like good fodder for Hypocrisy Watch to me. Time will tell though.

Technorati tags: Murder, Christians, Morality, Cantu

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Oakland anarchy

Sometimes the ugliness of our urban landscape blows me away.

Technorati tags: Photography, Oakland, Graffiti

Baptist pastor convicted of Child Molestation

Former Fresno area Baptist pastor John Bonine was sentenced to 36 years in prison for child molestation.

Investigators arrested Bonine and charged him with 107 child molestation counts. He plead guilty to 16 counts. Prosecutor Marlea Dell'Anno said the former pastor misled his congregation, "A supposed man of god, your honor he has been shown all mercy that he should be shown."

Bonine was the Pastor of Sierra Heights Baptist Chruch in Fresno California. Bill Steele is the new pastor. There is no mention of John Bonine or his crimes on the church website. There rarely is in cases like this. I think that’s a mistake. Telling the truth is a good first step towards building the transparency needed to operate in a spirit of trust. Why they decided to act as if nothing ever happened is something I will never understand. Baptist are so screwed up.

Bonine is 44. He’ll never make 80 in state prison. I predict that the next time we hear from John Bonine it will be in his obituary.

Technorati tags: Baptist, Clergy Sexual Abuse, Child Molestation, rape

Our new robot overloads will be cute

Via Gizmodo, NYU Student Conducts Most Adorable Robot Experiment Ever. I watched the video and laughed. We need more of this, much more.

Technorati tags: Humor, robots

The Annenberg Space for Photography

I had a chance to visit the new Annenberg Space for Photography today. My wife and I made the 40 mile trip across LA, well... it's 40 miles if you count getting lost in Beverly Hills and North Hollywood. The gallery is located  at 2000 Avenue of the Stars in Century City. It is on the former site of the Shubert theater (I saw Cats there way back in the day). The gallery is a little difficult to find as there is no signage, so look for the two towers, it is located at their base.

The Gallery is free, they even discount parking. My trip cost $1. The gallery space is not large. Our visit was all of a lingering hour, which included viewing several multi-media presentations. I enjoyed the visit. The place is an unpretentious exhibit space for lovingly displayed photography. I’m proud to have it in my city.

The inaugural exhibit celebrates contemporary photography through the works of eight local photographers of considerable talent. Photographers Douglas Kirkland, Greg Gorman, Lauren Greenfield, Carolyn Cole, Lawrence Ho, Kirk McKoy, Genaro Molina, Catherine Opie, and artist John Baldessari all contribute works to the exhibit. 

I know the work of Catherine Opie. I’ve followed her for years. I’ve had her on my list of people to meet for years. I love what she does with her images. But photography can be a source of repulsion too. Today I saw a photo that moved Opie to my list of people to keep at a distance. It’s her self portrait called cutting. the photo and the words that accompanied it in the Annenberg’s IRIS digital Gallery, gave me the shivers. I said to myself, “Well, that’s a little to real for me.”

The Annenberg Space for Photography is on my list for a visit each time the exhibits changes. As a free art venue in Los Angeles, It is worth an hour of my day and should be worth an hour of your day too. Plus, North Hollywood, with all its great food, is just down the road.

Technorati tags: Art, Photography, Los Angeles

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