I would laugh but...

The other day I posted a link to some information on National Darwin Day.
http://freedomofnonbelief.blogspot.com/2013/01/darwin-day-2-12-2013.html

I think it is a neat idea, but it doesn't have much of a chance of getting through.  Our Government can't even pass a budget or immigration reform.

But that doesn't mean the crazy Christian right is going to take this one sitting down! No. This is 'Merica damn it!

So check out this petition:  http://questionevolution.blogspot.com/2013/01/stop-darwin-day-in-usa-petition-our.html

Sure. Cause their little petition, under a hundred signatures, will have any bearing at all.
I would say it is like they don't understand how governments work, but that is obvious.

Reading over the blog (which to be fair is like mine in some weird, evil parallel mirror/mirror universe) would be funny, except that I fear too many people read it and take it seriously.

I particularly love how the makes claims and then uses his own blog to support those claims.  Or uses such websites as Creation.com.  Sure. What ever you need to do to convince yourself your are right.

I spent a little time on the site, but frankly the circular logic made me dizzy.
Go there if you must. But don't expect anything like rational arguments or intellectual discourse.

Boy Scouts. Too Little, Too Late?

I have had a complicated relationship with the Boy Scouts of America.

I would like to like them more, what they mean for boys and young men.  The trouble is I just can't.

The times I was in the Cub Scouts and briefly the Boy Scouts were great.  I will say I learned a lot of things that I find useful today and want to pass on to my own boys.   But the truth is I can't get past a few things.

First is the whole God thing.  I never liked it then, I don't like it now.
That's fine though. The Boy Scouts NEVER have to change that.  I never expected them too, even when I knew the only thing for me to do was to quit.

The other thing is different.
The exclusion of gay Scouts is not ok. It's not ok for an organization like the Scouts to say they are there for all boys, and then turn around and tell a few that they didn't mean them.

Well the Scouts maybe changing this, but I wonder if it will be enough to save them.
http://www.scouting.org/MembershipPolicy.aspx

I think this is a good move on the part of the Boy Scouts and one I hope brings them into the 21st Century.
Sure there is much less need to know which knot to use where than there is on how to perform a good web search, but baby steps I guess.

I just hope it isn't too little, too late.

Darwin Day 2-12-2013

There is some momentum growing for a national Darwin Day on February 12, 2013.

• http://darwinday.org/
• http://action.americanhumanist.org/p/dia/action/public/?action_KEY=12299
• http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/01/23/darwin-day-resolution-introduced-in-congress/

I think this is a great idea, but I have my doubts we will see it.    There are still too many members of Congress that freak out over the slightest mention of Darwin or Evolution.  Like he was some bogey man.

Still.  I have a book on Darwin coming up and this would be some good PR!

Losing Religion

I never had any religion myself to lose.  Like I have mentioned before I always considered myself a nonbeliever so admitting my atheism (at age 10) was really nothing big.

Yet it is always interesting when a very high profile religious person rejects all or some of their belief.

Case in point, Former President Jimmy Carter.
Carter has been well known for his less that stellar Presidential term, his highly successful role in world peace and his deep religious convictions.   Well...scratch one of those.

http://www.theage.com.au/opinion/losing-my-religion-for-equality-20090714-dk0v.html

In brief Carter can no longer justify how religions treat women.
The article itself is an interesting read and fascinating not just what it says, but who is saying it.

 I doubt it will have any impact whatsoever on the people that need to hear it the most. But I am glad he said it.

The Kids are Alright

When ever people go on about the "youth of today" I do have to laugh.
It wasn't that long ago when they were the  "youth of today" and yesterday's adults were complaining about them.

While I do acknowledge that there are some serious issues out there I am mostly confident about the youth and tomorrow.

Case in point Zack Kopplin.  He is a 19 year old activist try to repeal Louisiana's biggest anti-science law.
You can read more here.
http://io9.com/5976112/how-19+year+old-activist-zack-kopplin-is-making-life-hell-for-louisianas-creationists

We live in a world that is full of really wonderful things and science is doing it's best job of helping explain those things.  Cut kids off from science and I really will worry about the youth of today.

EDITED TO ADD: Even Hemant Mehta agrees.
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/01/16/io9-profiles-teen-atheist-and-science-advocate-zack-kopplin/

Beginnings Blogfest

I am participating in the Beginnings Blogfest hosted by L.G. Keltner over at Writing Off the Edge.

The theme of this blogfest is to talk about why you started blogging in the first place.

If you go to my other blog, The Other Side, you can read why I started blogging to begin with.

This blog had a clearer focus. It even had a mission statement as it's first post.

The Freedom of Nonbelief is my self-journey, in front of everyone, of my atheism.  I have been an atheist since well forever really.  I didn't self-identify myself as such till age 10.

I detailed my story of this in three posts back when I started this blog (all the way back in March 2012!)

• How I Discovered I was an Atheist, Part 1
• How I Discovered I was an Atheist, Part 2
• How I Discovered I was an Atheist, Part 3

The purpose of this blog was to talk about what I go through as an atheist and what others are saying.

I also delve into the worlds of religion, politics, social justice (or lack-thereof) and of course science and skepticism.

The other difference between this blog and my first one is that with this one I started out knowing what I was doing.

I don't post here as often as I would like. But I think I can improve on that a bit.

Rape Culture

I am so angry at this I can't even put together a paragraph on it.  So I am info dumping.

Asshole High School football "stars" drug an rape a 15 year old girl.  They drag her from house to house to keep doing it.  Now the school officials, the police and the town are trying to cover it up in the name of All Mighty Fucking Football.

There is video of one of these assholes bragging about it.

• http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/01/03/hackers-produce-disturbing-video-evidence-in-ohio-gang-rape-case/
• http://www.theatlanticwire.com/national/2013/01/inside-anonymous-hacking-file-steubenville-rape-crew/60502/
• http://www.cnn.com/2013/01/03/justice/ohio-rape-online-video/index.html?hpt=us_c2
• http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/01/02/steubenville-high-school-joke-rape-targeted-anonymous-video_n_2398479.html?ncid=edlinkusaolp00000003

KnightSec which is connected to Anonymous is on it.
https://twitter.com/KYAnonymous
http://localleaks.blogs.ru/

PZ Myers is talking about it, but he is as disgusted as I am.
His site though will fill up with links.
http://freethoughtblogs.com/pharyngula/2013/01/03/i-hope-this-haunts-michael-nodianos-for-the-rest-of-his-life/

A local crime blogger, Alexandria Goddard, is also talking about it.
http://prinniefied.com/wp/
She had been sued by the parents of one of those little assholes, but have since dropped the suit.  I guess they realized they are going to need the money.
CORRECTION:  The lawsuit was "Dismissed with Prejudice".
http://www.wtov9.com/news/news/local/civil-suit-against-blogger-and-several-john-does-d/nTgnH/

There is another site that is collecting stories and items as well.
http://bustedbitchesandinternetstalkers.com/tag/big-red-rape-case/
http://bustedbitchesandinternetstalkers.com/tag/steubenville-ohio/

Frankly someone needs to be on OHSAA about this and getting those oh-so-fucking-important Football trophies taken away from them.
Maybe contact their board of directors. http://www.ohsaa.org/general/biographies/board_bios.htm

And the obligatory petition.  It's to the White House and has little chance of having the outcome they want, but more media on this can never hurt.