Category / Politics
After 4 years of harassment, Strippers fight back – Protest church
Source: Kyle Robertson - Dispatch
In one of those stories that just makes me smile, a group of strip-club dancers have turned the tides on church-goers bent on imposing their own morality on others.
For four years now, Pastor Bill Dunfee of New Beginnings Ministries and his congregation have been trying to shut down Ohio’s Foxhole strip-club by staging disruptive protests and generally harassing the establishment’s patrons.
Every weekend for the last four years, Dunfee and members of his ministry have stood watch over George’s joint, taking up residence in the right of way with signs, video cameras and bullhorns in hand. They videotape customers’ license plates and post them online, and they try to save the souls of anyone who comes and goes.
Now, fed up with the tactics of Dunfee and his flock, Foxhole employees are ready to accept the invitation to come to church… Dressed in their Sunday best skimpiness, the Foxhole dancers have started showing up every Sunday to do a little protesting themselves.
Via: Atheist Revolution
Neil deGrasse Tyson – What NASA Means to America’s Future
Neil deGrasse Tyson is one of my favorite speakers. The amount of passion he puts into his work in inspiration enough… then you actually listen to what he’s got to say. Here, Tyson speaks out about why NASA and space funding/research is so important to America’s future.
Via: Bad Astronomy Blog
Surrounded by ignorance
Just watch this… as the video progresses, try to NOT let your mouth hang open in disbelief.
Oh… My… God! Now, I know many people are genuinely ignorant of things that don’t really affect them in their day-to-day lives. But really, America? This level of ignorance is just absurd. Apparently there are people living among us who don’t know how many sides a triangle has and don’t see something wrong on a map where the entire country of Australia is labeled “Iran” or “North Korea”.We also seem to have had THREE world wars and Hiroshima and Nagasaki are only famous for sumo wrestling.
Wow.
Via: Unrelated TechCrunch post.
Bill Maher: Biblically Incorrect (Audio)
What constitutes a Bible-based marriage?
Mrs. Betty Bowers makes it easy.
Via: Atheist Media Blog
Isaac Asimov – The Answer for Humanity (1989)
Isaac Asimov delivers a keynote speech for the Humanist Institute’s 1st Annual Meeting on January 14, 1989. The topics lay an interesting parallel with current events. It’s almost like nothing’s happened in all this time.
Science flies you to the moon…
Science flies you to the moon. Religion flies you into buildings. – Victor Stenger
Obama’s Weekly Address of hope
This week’s ‘weekly address’ from President-elect Obama has a message of real change. Not in government, but in how humans work together to better each other instead of focussing on our own wants and needs alone.
President-elect Obama and Secular America
One of the many reasons I voted for President-elect Obama (I love saying that). I wanted a president that understands secularism and its importance in American government.
President-elect Obama’s full ‘Call to Renewal’ speech.
An Open Letter to Senator Obama by Kate
I read this moving letter by Kate at The Radula and felt it needed to be shared. Remember, It’s not just election day that’s important but everyday after that matters too. Holding our politicians accountable to their word and promises is our responsibility.
Dear Senator Obama,
In a few hours I will be seeing you in Albuquerque NM. I have no hope what-so-ever that you will see me among the crowd of thousands, or that I will have the honor and privilege of speaking with you in person, but there are a few things I want you to know.
Now I’m no Joe the Plumber, and I don’t even hope to suddenly start earning a quarter of a million dollars and buy my own business. I’m a mom, and what I want is to be able to work, to keep a roof over my head, and clothes on my children’s back and food in their bellies. I want them to have a future they can be proud of.
It’s not the economy, sir. Or not just the economy. I’ve been working at odd jobs since I was five, been saving money, been paying taxes and had farm employment at the age of 11. I’ve gone to college, got a few degrees, and had a profession before chronic illness put an end to all that. And in all that time I’ve never begrudged a single tax penny that was spent on educating others and giving hope to the poor and disadvantaged, for the promotion of science and technology, and for keeping green spaces in America.
It’ isn’t just the economy. It’s education and health care. Without those, people like me cannot re-enter the job force, and the hope for the future of American economy is dim. Education, especially in the sciences, will allow our country to once again become competitive in the world market, create jobs, clean our environment, and provide needed advances in health care.
My daughter is a marine biologist in California, but her employment is in limbo because of the city hiring freeze. Her job is to provide educational opportunities for young children. The aquarium where she works will be cutting programs, freezing new requests for field trips, and has frozen hiring because of lack of funding. Not only does this mean that my daughter is not getting a paycheck, but it means that all of those children who go through that aquarium are not getting the exposure to marine biology and the positive encouragement and experiences in the sciences that our children need to keep them interested in their educations and engage them in science as a possible career path.
Sir, when I heard Senator McCain make that comment not once but repeatedly about the ‘overhead projector’, I nearly fell out of my seat laughing. Then I realized that there were so many people out there who did not understand what he was talking about, and perhaps had never had the opportunity or experience of visiting a quality planetarium as I had when I was younger. I remember the awe and excitement of seeing the night sky in the middle of the day, of seeing the stars and planets in their motion speeded up on the dome of the planetarium. It made such a profound impact on my life that I stayed with the planetarium astronomy club, then went on to college to pursue a degree in astrophysics.
If only other children could have the wonderful experience I have had!
I did go into the sciences as a career, and worked in engineering during the difficult economy of the 80s, then, when I became too ill to work, once again returned to college, got a degree in teaching, then got off social security until my illness progressed to the stage where I could no longer work. One of the problems I encountered in getting off social security and returning to the work force was that my health insurance would not cover existing conditions, and since my diagnosis is Lupus, that included an awful lot.
Now I hope to get into remission long enough to once again return to the work force, but in order to do so I will have to have an opportunity to have adequate health care. It’s my hope that I will be able to work long enough to pay my student loans, buy a home for myself and my children, and to put some money and security away for the day I am no longer able to work. Without adequate health care, that will be an impossibility.
Senator Obama, tonight I’ll be cheering for you, and having the audacity to hope that you will not only ascend to the presidency, but will make good on your promises to America, promises that will continue to give hope not only to myself, but to the millions of Americans who have lost hope, who have lost the opportunities to work, to provide for their families, to become educated, and to maintain their health.
Sincerely,
Kate
Wassup Obama!
True dat.
You F*cking GO GIRL!
*Swoon*
Oh, Hellzzz Yeah!
So, now that you have some proper motivation. Go! Post a blog entry, comment on one (or more), make a video or whatever you can. Make your voice heard. Stand up for your secular American rights.
Happy Freethought Day!
From FreethoughtDay.org:
Over 300 years ago, on October 12, 1692, Governor William Phipps of the Colony of Massachusetts made a decision that brought to an end the horrendous Salem Witch trials.
A Christian, nevertheless he declared that spectral evidence (supernaturalism) would no longer be admissible in court, and so the trials, due to lack of appropriate evidence, came to an end. The governor’s decision was a distinct departure from the general community’s extant thinking and a giant step on the path toward the principle of legal neutrality that would, when the United States incorporated into its brand new Constitution a Bill of Rights, assure each U.S. citizen the freedom to follow his/her conscience regarding matters of ultimate belief.
Spread the joy of being a freethinker and support these fine organizations that fight to uphold these American secular rights we all enjoy.
American Humanist Association
Secular Coalition for America
You know who I’m voting for? ‘That One’
Palin on ‘Pyramid’
Be sure to check out all of Edward Current’s videos on YouTube.
