According to the A Week website:

You take part by changing your Facebook profile picture or cover image to an ‘A’ for one week. You’ll be joining thousands of people from all over the world in a global shared experience. If just a handful of people were to change their profile pictures almost no one would notice – but with many thousands taking part it gets noticed all over the world.

 

‘A’ Week is not about being disrespectful to religions or people who have religious views, it’s about quietly showing there are many people who are ‘Good without Gods’ and don’t need religions to influence their lives.

Tim LaCroix & Gene Barfield…happily married in MI!

According to Michigan Newspaper, Detroit Free Press:

Last year, the Odawa tribal council debated a resolution to recognize gay marriage, but the measure failed by one vote. When it was reintroduced, the language was changed to require at least one spouse be a tribal citizen, and that swayed support. On March 2, it passed by a 5-4 vote.

All that was needed was the signature of tribal Chairman Dexter McNamara, whose veto would have required a difficult 7-2 council majority to override.

McNamara not only signed it, but also asked to perform the wedding ceremony.

“I’ve always felt that either you believe in equal rights or you are prejudiced,” McNamara said. “We don’t have a dividing line in this tribe. Everyone deserves to live the lives of their choice.”

Out of 500 federally recognized tribes in the country, and a dozen in Michigan, the Odawa tribe became the first to legalize gay marriage in the state and only the third in the nation.

And because of tribal sovereignty, neither the state’s constitutional amendment prohibiting gay marriage nor the federal Defense of Marriage Act can stop them.

“This is their turf,” Barfield said, standing in the tribal offices. “They have their own government, they have their own police force, they have their own rules and regulations. They’re very big on respect, and for them to say to us, ‘We respect your relationship and your prerogative to define it as you choose,’ is really special.”

“I’m so proud of my tribe for doing this,” LaCroix added. “I just can’t say enough.”

The couple met in 1983 while both were on active duty in the Navy. They live in northern Michigan, where they garden, assemble model railroads and share two dogs and a cat.

“We’ve been partners for 30 years in the way people use the word ‘partner’ for a same-sex couples,” Barfield said. “Now, we’re not going to be partners anymore. We’re going to be spouses.”

We, the people of the State of Michigan, grateful to Almighty God for the blessings of freedom, and earnestly desiring to secure these blessings undiminished to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this constitution.

To secure and preserve the benefits of marriage for our society and for future generations of children, the union of one man and one woman in marriage shall be the only agreement recognized as a marriage or similar union for any purpose.

Unfortunately once Wyndgate’s owner, Larry Winget, got wind of Dawkins’ appearance on O’Reilly Factor, Dawkins’ event was cancelled.  Country Club got wind of Dawkins’ appearance, Local Atheists who plopped down $95 per plate to hear Dawkins speak looked forward to the event.

Fast forward to today-Wyndgate Country Club has settled the lawsuit and has agreed to pay CFI an undisclosed amount.

“We are very pleased with the outcome of this case, which we regard as an unqualified vindication of the rights of nonbelievers,” said Ronald A. Lindsay, president and CEO of Center for Inquiry. “We are confident it will send a strong message that as much as this country now rejects discrimination based on race, sexual orientation and religion, so must we reject just as strongly discrimination against those with no religion.” source

CONGRATULATIONS, CFI!!

The dinner starts off well enough-after the family prays over their dinner,  Jill’s father Big Bill compliments Jack on his accomplishments as a War Correspondent for Associated Press and adds his parents must be proud.  And the conversation takes a nosedive after that:

Jack:  I wouldn’t know.

Big Bill: (looks confused) What do you mean you wouldn’t know?

Jack:  We haven’t talked in 10 years.

Aunt Gladys: Are they in some kind of a coma?

Jack: We had a falling out.

Big Bill:  What kind of falling out?

Jack: Over religion.

Big Bill: Yours or theirs?

Jack: Both in fact.

Big Bill: What are they?

Jack:  They’re baptist.

Aunt Gladys: (nodding in agreement) Alright.

Big Bill:  And what are you?

Jack:  I’m an Atheist.

**cue typical reaction from church community**

Everyone stops eating and all heads turn towards Jack.  Jill is very surprised to learn of this fact for the first time, especially in front of family during dinner.

Check out the video below, coversation picks up at 11:58

While I give credit to TV One for  featuring an Atheist character, I take issue with how the character played out.  Jack a seemingly good guy-  professionally employed, monogamous (a plus for most heterosexual women),  Jill’s daughter accepted him etc. , the character was made out to seem disingenuous because he kept his Atheism under wraps for two months.

Being an out of the closet Atheist myself and thinking of others who are out of the closet as Atheists…who’d keep their Atheist position under wraps for two months?  It’s agreed by myself and others when you’re an out Atheist,  that information is brought to the forefront  from the outset as being an Atheist can be a deal breaker.

It was also a disappointment that the family didn’t attempt to learn why he became an Atheist but instead condescended to Jack.  What happened to Jill’s love?

What are your thoughts?  Do you believe Belle’s accurately portrayed an Atheist?

Four per cent listed practising a religion as the most important moral issue, the same percentage as said paying taxes.

When asked for the least important issue, religion came out on top with a third of respondents citing it.

New figures from the British Social Attitudes survey – published alongside the poll – suggest that about half of Britons as a whole have a religious affiliation, sharply down from 20 years ago when it was two-thirds.

Barely a quarter of young people now identify themselves as religious.

Of the eight moral issues, the poll found:

• 59% of those questioned said looking after their family was most important
• 12% said it was putting others first
• 8% cited being faithful to a partner
• 5% listed caring for the environment
• 4% cited having religious faith
• 4% felt paying taxes was most important
• 4% said playing a part in the local community
• 1% listed buying ethical products

Had this poll been conducted in the U.S., I wonder how the results would’ve compared.  America is considered one of (if not THE) most religious industrialized country.  The christian holy book, the bible, says according to book of Matthew:

Matthew 10:37 “Anyone who loves his father or mother more than me is not worthy of me; anyone who loves his son or daughter more than me is not worthy of me;

Well Jesus, the youth of Britain has said differently and we agree!!

What are your thoughts on this poll?

I know what its like to be confined to an inpatient facility (mental ward), I’ve been there twice. I know what its like to have extensive outpatient treatment. I got more crap for all of that than I ever have for my outspoken atheism. This was also years ago so I know we can and do recover. I lost a friend with depression not to a gun, but of all things a train. I have had several friends with severe bipolar and schizophrenic illnesses and they are decent people. Many people have mental illnesses and you wouldn’t be able to tell unless they informed you. I can also empathize with the bewilderment shared by all when someone goes on a shooting rampage anywhere, let along a grade school. We’re left wondering why this happened and whether anything could have been done about it beforehand. We often ask what the killer was thinking. A better question in my opinion would be to ask what they were feeling.
I don’t know what Adam Lanza was thinking on that day, but I do know some things about what he was feeling. He apparently had enough hate for his mother to shoot her in the face and he apparently wanted everyone in the country to know that. Angry emotions and xenophobia can and do cause all sorts of violent and murderous behaviors. Here in the states white people used to bring their families to lynchings and the children would cheer for them. They were on average, sane. German officers in WWII put very large numbers of people in gas chambers. They were on average, sane. Angry and hateful maybe, but surely sane.

If people want to reduce violence of all kinds, including gun violence then they should start talking about fighting this xenophobic other-izing of people. Economic inequalities and intolerant tribalism cause more violence everyday but there’s less discussion of these root causes and more distraction. It certaintly can’t help by stigmatizing mental illness by using it as a scapegoat when these shootings happen.

“Hello. My name is Inigo Montoya. You killed my father. You must be mentally ill.”

“STOP SAYING THAT.”

According to the Pew Forum’s latest study,  ‘Nones’ or non religious people are on the rise.  One in five Americans are not religious.  When it comes to adults under the age of 30,  1/3 of them are not religiously affiliated.   Keep in mind, USA is very much STILL a religious country.  However, young people aren’t so quick to pick up, read and accept their family’s holy book as truth.

Pew Senior researcher Carey Funk says, people aren’t ‘looking for religion.’  With the media highlighting pedophile cases, embezzlement, sex scandals, and other forms of corruption…within the church, it’s no wonder religion isn’t being sought out.

According to the website The Week, there are three top reasons young people are moving away from religion:

1. Fundamentalists are turning off some young people
Blame it on the Religious Right, says Stephanie Mencimer at Mother Jones. “Younger Christians are turned off by attacks on gays and lesbians.” Baby boomers and older Americans have believed in God for so long, says James Joyner at Outside the Beltway, that their religious beliefs don’t falter as our society rapidly evolves toward greater acceptance of divorce, premarital sex, women’s equality, and gay rights. “Younger folks are simply more likely to figure that, if their religion is teaching them things that they believe to be silly — such as that homosexuality is wrong — then their religion must be silly, too.”

2. Atheists and agnostic role models are getting more vocal
Older Americans are holding fast to their beliefs, says Sahil Kapur at Talking Points Memo, with 80 percent to 90 percent saying that they never doubt God’s existence. But younger Americans have been exposed to “a new movement of atheist or agnostic thinking during the last decade — spearheaded by high-profile authors like Richard Dawkins, Christopher Hitchens, and Sam Harris.” This poll appears to confirm that these influential intellectuals are “steering younger people away from traditional beliefs long held by their parents.” With greater acceptance, says Ronald A. Lindsay at The Huffington Post, young atheists are finding it safe to “come out.”

3. Liberal attacks on religion are to blame
Christianity is “the one religion left that can be hated without running afoul of political correctness,” says Drew Belsky at The American Thinker. In an era when the federal government is forcing religious institutions, contrary to their religious beliefs, to give people insurance coverage for contraception, says Bishop Edward Burns at The Southeast Alaska Catholic Online, it’s pretty undeniable that religion, and religious freedom, are under siege. Most Americans still believe in God, but they have to defend their faith or the attacks will take a toll.

Do you agree with The Week’s reasons?

I remember in the past during times of crisis, I’ve wished I could pray and magically do away with whatever ills in the world were highlighted in the media that week.  But that’s not reality.

Take a listen to NPR’s  David Greene, as he discusses why young people are moving away from religion.  Your thoughts?

The show’s topic was, Is Religion on Its Way Out?  I tried to find a copy of the entire episode but those that I came across were of poor viewing quality.  Thoughts?