When Jesus appears, the children suffer

Jesus appeared to Baptist pastor Bawa Madaki and told him to go kidnap kids from neighboring cities and put them to work funding his ministry. Jesus also gave him the power to cure witchcraft attacks. Of course, the children are the witches and their parents the victims. Once pastor Madaki “cures” the parents, the children are declared witches and given to the pastor. Nice scam. It’s God’s work.

"I did not steal them for trafficking or any child labour, I was only doing the work God called me to do", he added.

No, when God asks you to do something, child labor is A-OK.

Speaking on the arrest, the NAPTIP boss, Mr. Simon Egede called on Christian Association of Nigeria (CAN) to develop a mechanism of monitoring their members whom he said in the guise of spiritual welfare of faithful engage in other criminal activities.

I’m sure self-monitoring will help. Baptists, police yourself! It works so well here in the states, just as Christa Brown.

Technorati Tags: Baptists,Witchcraft,Africa

I love bad propaganda

Especially when it comes from an inept propagandist. Atheists Want Leadership Positions in Christian Organizations. Do we? Do I? No! I don’t want to lead any kind of Christian organization. However, I am concerned about the rights of Atheists in the workplace and public sector. Should I lose my job because I’m an Atheist, should I be excluded from activities based on my lack of faith? I don’t think so.

The U.S. Supreme Court is confronted with atheists that want to have "equal opportunity" in Christian organizations. The apparent reason that atheists want to be a part of such religious establishments is so they can control them. Christians are countering the atheists and want the freedom to choose their own leaders on religious grounds. What will the Supreme Court decide?

What will the Supreme Court decide?  That will depend on facts rather than hyperbole. The facts… Atheists have nothing to do with this. The case stems from a UC Hastings College of the Law rule stating that organizations charted by the school must be open to all students to receive school funding. The Christian Legal Society wants to exclude homosexuals. How does this translate to Atheists running ministries?

NPR did a story on April 19, 2010. Court Weighs Rights of Campus Religious Groups.

In 2004, the Christian Legal Society chapter on campus changed its bylaws to exclude gays and lesbians from membership. That meant the group was no longer entitled to a subsidy and preferred use of campus facilities. The group went to court claiming that the school's rule violated its constitutional right to freedom of association and speech.

Another case of Christian hate. It gets old…

Technorati Tags: Christians,Politics,US Supreme Court,Gay Rights

Virgin Mary in a pot

This story was all over the news in LA today. Oxnard woman discovers possible Virgin Mary Image.

Maria Froilana Esquivel of Oxnard was emptying a large silver pot filled with corn that she had prepared for her family last week when she noticed a bronze-colored image.

Family and friends were quick to weigh in, saying the mark resembled iconic depictions of the Virgin Mary with sloped shoulders, tilted head and draped clothing. They declared it a holy image.

Translation: Maria tempered part of a pot while cooking corn causing it to discolor. Her overactive imagination and religious predisposition to accept the incredible as plausible lead her to imagine a resemblance to the Virgin Mary. See for yourself.

Good grief, she built a friggen shrine to it. What idiots.

Technorati Tags: Virgin Mary,Catholics

Bruges – truffles, beer, and pedophiles

I remember Bruges. I visited once for three days about 10-year ago. I drank my weight in good beer, tried to work through the hangovers by eating truffles… and stayed away from the local Catholic church. It seems my beer addled brain’s craving for more beer (and sausages!) steered me to a tavern instead of the cathedral tour. Later that night I dimly remember carrying a female friend back to the hotel while holding her boy friend steady with my free hand, and this after pulling him out of the bushes near the same church. Oh… and the nice police man who helped me find my hotel. Ah Bruges… good times, except for the whole pedophile priest thing.

The longest-serving Roman Catholic bishop in Belgium has resigned after admitting sexually abusing a boy for years. Roger Vangheluwe, 73, said that he was “enormously sorry” for molesting the boy from before he was made Bishop of Bruges in 1985.

The Vatican accepted his resignation only a day after a lawsuit was filed in the US against Pope Benedict XVI over sex abuse committed by an American priest.

One other thing about Bruges… I was living in France at the time and Jonesing for a real steak. I found a dinner-plate-sized steak called the Big Nebraskan next to a pub (everything is next to a pub). Bruges delivered!

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Catholics,Bruges

Priest’s molestation of boy caught on video

The Catholic child molestation stories keep getting worse and worse. Now from Brazil comes the story of Monsignor Luiz Marques Barbosa’s alleged sexual abuse of young boys. The worst part… street vendors are selling video of one boy’s molestation.

For $5 to $10, vendors here will sell you the video, downloading it directly into your cellphone via Bluetooth. The price depends on the quality and length of the footage. According to one street vendor, the most popular download is the “complete” version. Buyers, he says, are “almost everybody—not just the curious.”

Read more at the Daily Beast.

I’ll pass on watching the evidence. I suppose here in the states it could land you in prison for child porn.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Catholics,Pedophiles

Youth director Julian Heyman guilty

Catholic youth director and school teacher Julian Heyman pleaded guilty to child molestation charges.

Julian S. Heyman III struggled to hold back tears as he was led from court after being sentenced to 20 years on three counts of child molestation as part of his negotiated guilty plea.

Judge John R. Turner sentenced Heyman to serve 10 years in prison and 10 years on probation and said he would receive credit for time served. Heyman has been incarcerated in the Effingham County jail since his arrest Nov. 30.

The poor guy was crying. That will play well in prison.

Heyman was a Catholic youth leader. I’m sure in the eyes of Catholic apologist Bill Donahue, Heyman’s not a pedophile because the girls were… no wait, the girls were under 10. Sorry Bill, he’s a catholic pedophile. How does that fit into your asinine theories?

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Catholics,Pedophiles

Youth pastor Jeff Waisner convicted

Youth pastor Jeffery Allen Waisner is now a convicted sex offender. He raped a 14-year-old girl who still thinks they are in love.

Jeffery Allen Waisner, 33, of Lincoln, was handed a three-year prison term for a charge of lewd and lascivious acts with a child stemming from an estimated six-month relationship with a female youth.

The then-14-year-old Rocklin victim and Waisner met at a youth group he led as part of the Crossroads Community Church in Rocklin.

We put an extraordinary amount of trust in the position of youth pastor. I think we need less trust and more vigilance.

I love this part… pastor Allen must pay $200 in restitution. That’s pretty cool. His victim can buy a pretty new dress or something.

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Rape,Pedophiles

Youth Pastor Michael Anthony arrested

Another youth pastor has been arrested for sex with an underage girl. Youth Pastor Michael Louis Anthony turned himself in Friday.

Michael Louis Anthony was booked into the Cowlitz County Jail Friday for investigation of child molestation, child rape and sexual misconduct with a minor.

The Daily News of Longview reports Anthony told police he and the girl, now 17, had consensual sex too many times to count - in churches, a park and his home.

Pastor Anthony was caught in the act.

Anthony was caught at Gerhart Gardens Park in Longview when a police officer walked up on him and the victim in a parked car. She was partially unclothed and Anthony had no shirt on.

One of the place pastor Anthony allegedly like to rape his 15-year-old victim was the chapel at Calvary Chapel. He apparently took his faith and duties very seriously.

Calvary Chapel fired pastor Anthony back in September so he could work on his marriage. Does that sound suspicious to anyone else?

Technorati Tags: Clergy Sexual Abuse,Youth Pastors,Rape

Introducing the Secular Writings of David G. McAfee

Please join me in welcoming our newest Atheist Blogroll member, the Secular Writings of David G. McAfee.

Hello everyone! And welcome to the Secular Writings of David G. McAfee-

My name is David G. McAfee and I am an atheistic author, journalist, and student of Religious Studies in Santa Barbara, California. On my blog, I post weekly stories, articles, and ideas relating to atheism, science, and general skepticism- along with the occasional interview with a relevant author in the field. Hundreds of fellow non-theists have subscribed and leave comments, but www.davidgmcafee.com is not without an outlet for the opposition; I also have a “Mail from Religious People” section on the site which includes hate (and pity) mail from various religious people responding to my essays.

I spend my time studying Holy Scriptures of many religious traditions and I felt like this website would be the best way to help share this knowledge with other atheists- because, in a debate, it always helps to know more about the topic than your opponent. I will continue posting weekly in anticipation of my first book, which will be featured on the site and should release this summer- So be sure to subscribe!

Are you interested in becoming a member? Visit the Atheist Blogroll resource blog for more information.

Technorati Tags: Atheism,The Atheist Blogroll

Introducing The TOTAL Book

Please join me in welcoming our newest Atheist Blogroll member, The TOTAL Book.

Imagine a world where the words Christian or Muslim are as much relics of history as Docetic or Montanism. Imagine a world awash with enlightenment.

The calendar on the wall looks radically different, and there are three times more parks in the city that there are high-rise buildings, none of which is a cathedral or a minaret. Imagine a world in which we can bend space-time to fetch the neural information of our forefathers.

Imagine that at weddings and funerals, this book - one that began as a humble attempt to overhaul this superstitious age - is the book the minister quotes from, not as some sort of inspired or heaven-sent treaties but as a guidebook tested and retested over many a lifetime for its clarity and insight. What would we tell their generation?

How do we lay out the path that we ourselves will begin to tread today as a lifestyle that many others after us can be inspired to follow?

Be one of the millions who it is hoped will help craft this book into a repository document worthy of a future rational age.

Are you interested in becoming a member? Visit the Atheist Blogroll resource blog for more information.

Technorati Tags: Atheism,The Atheist Blogroll

No seriously, get out of my face

It started with the church lady trying to get my attention in the driver’s side mirror. She was bobbing back and forth, hopping from foot-to-foot. It reminded me of my dog. I ignored her.

My boss asked another question, I could barely hear his voice. I replied while cupping my ear. It was hard to hear. My connection was bad.

I was concentrating intently, the call was important. I sensed movement to my left. I looked up and saw the church lady smiling outside my driver’s widow. She was all of a foot away. I mouthed the words “Piss off.” She stayed. I ignored her.

My call ended 3-minutes later. She was still there. I removed my ear buds and started the truck. She knocked on the window….

I must admit counting to ten crossed my mind. It was 8:45 am and I was already 6 calls into my day. I was sitting in the parking lot of a 7/11 after driving 2 hours across LA for a 9:00 am meeting. My coffee was cold, I was hungry, and I wanted nothing more than to turn on the tunes and get my head together before my first meeting of the day started. But no.. She knocked on my window again.

I rolled down my window. She immediately asked if I was OK. She was concerned. she said I looked like I was in pain, or in trouble, or in need of somebody to talk to. I asked, “What do you want?”

“I want to share to love of Jesus with you. With Jesus, all your pain will be…” I stopped her. “Unless he can make a crapload of work go away, I’m not interested.”

She tried to hand me a pamphlet.  I stopped her again. She started talking again, this time more urgently, “Sir, you need to hear this. It could change your life!” My response was terse, “No Seriously, get out of my face.”

I backed out of the parking stall. She walked along beside me while trying to hand me a bible tract. I rolled up my window before she could drop it on me. As I pull away, I see her approach another loner in the parking lot. I watch as she starts to hop from foot-to-foot, her dance of seduction rebooting for another try. I sigh.

This was my second run-in with a proselytizing Christian in 24-hours. The day before a man had tried to tell me God had arranged for him to talk to me because I was obviously in pain. I’m not even going into that one. It was insane.

I’m sick of this shit.

Technorati Tags: Religion,Christians

Let’s end the day with a flower

Today was bad, to much bureaucracy, to much work, to much gloom, to tedious, to blue, to much religion talk too. Dinner with the extended family helped, so did young Liana, but I want this day to end.

It’s time for a flower and maybe a little Bob Marley and the Skatalites to lighten my mood… Thanks Imogen!

Deep inside
When i hear music
Life comes running after me
Music is the only reason
Why i can stand on earth

Naani Aslam

Photography, music, poetry and dinner with the family. That’s the way to shake off a bad day.

Technorati Tags: Photography,Poetry,Music,Moods

At the end of the day, God will get us out

I don’t think so. No, in fact I think these two loose screws are going spend some time in prison.

Self-appointed Baptist pastor Colin Haag Jr. along with his wife were arrested for kidnapping. It’s a long complicated story clouded by idiocy.

Amanda Haag’s two daughters, ages 7 and 12, were found on April 18 by themselves in a room at the Eagle’s Lodge motel in Ellsworth after Colin Haag’s father, Colin Haag Sr., told police that he had been held a virtual prisoner in the family’s cellar and that Amanda Haag was hiding her two daughters from her ex-partner, who police said had legal custody.

After the Haags were arrested, the girls were reunited with their biological father who has returned with them to Florida, according to police. The man had been searching for his daughters for more than two years.

“I’m sitting here, facing 30 years in jail, for something I didn’t do,” Haag Jr. said Monday, tears springing to his eyes.

Here is what you need to know. Pastor Haag never finished high school, could not get into the Marines, got ordained as a minister from the Universal Life Church of Modesto and found a job as a pastor via www.pastorfinder.com… without any qualifications. I mean, what the hell?  Oh wait, he was fired after two months for allegedly stealing from the Church. Of course, now that he has experience, he just started his own church.

Why do people trust these people?

Technorati Tags: Clergy Misconduct,Kidnapping,Baptists

Pastor resigns after police search

Pastor David Love resigned as pastor of New Hope Baptist Church. I guess the pressure of a murder investigation was too much for him.

Police searched the church in connection with the March 31 killing of insurance agent Randy Stone, 42, in his office at 13912 E. Noland Court. He had been an active member of the church, at one time operating one of its Sunday school bus routes. He left a wife and two children.

Let’s see how this one works out. It’s kind of creepy.

Technorati Tags: Murder,Baptists,Clergy Misconduct

8: The Mormon Proposition opens in June

8: The Mormon Proposition is an important documentary about California’s Proposition 8 and the LDS hate machine that funded the it.

The Mormon Proposition exposes the Mormon Church's historic involvement in the promotion and passage of California's Proposition 8 and the religion's secretive, decades—long campaign against gay rights. The film takes place in California and Utah as Mormons, following their prophet’s call to action, wage spiritual warfare with money and misinformation against gay citizens, doing everything they can to deny them of marriage and the rights that come with it. 8: The Mormon Proposition opens in theaters on June 18th, 2010, two years after the first gay marriages took place in California (June 17th, 2008).

I plan on going out of my way to see this even if I must stand in line at a art house movie theater to watch it.

Technorati Tags: LDS,Prop 8,Mormons,Gay Rights,Gay Marriage