Isn't that fab? Click the image to order. It's from Two Political Junkies' Cafepress store.
And speaking of Cafepress stores, I wanted to let all of you know that thanks to your generosity at the Blue Gal Cafepress Store, I'm sending my first check to the Electronic Frontier Foundation. EFF gets at least 10% of my profits (in this case decidedly more because I'm also joining EFF this first round). Electronic Frontier Foundation is on the front lines in protecting the rights of bloggers. Thank you again.
I've also been giving a lot of thought to the comments at my post on Richard Dawkins. Particularly how can one be "of faith" and still support common sense for the common good. One way, as I've said before, is Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. I actually expect that MOST of their supporters, believe it or not, are church-going Christians who know that government endorsement of one brand of religion is against both the demands of the US Constitution and the teachings of Jesus.
AU is involved in a project which I've also pimped before: First Freedom First. (Don't mis-type it "Frist". That kinda goes against the whole point there.) If you look at the eight little balloons on their website you'll see they include "sound science" and "academic integrity." Stuff I'm sure is in Dawkin's latest book.
I'm all for what it says on the FFF site:
Safeguarding separation of church and state and protecting religious liberty ensures that public tax dollars will not be invested in teaching religion as science or funding private religious education.
Some advocacy groups want to change the science curriculum to reflect their religious beliefs. However, mainstream scientists flatly reject “intelligent design” and other forms of “creationism” as a thinly veiled attempt to bring religion into public schools. The battle here is political, not scientific.
...Sound science has also been limited in other ways. The FDA, for example, has overruled the findings of doctors and scientists and obstructed our ability to obtain emergency contraceptives. This action seems to have been taken based solely on the religious beliefs of political appointees and those who influence them.
Manipulating scientific advancements because of narrow religious beliefs endangers us all.
That said I doubt Dawkins and I would have very much to argue about.
Thanks for the plug! It's one of my favorite designs (along with this one).
ReplyDeleteoh so well said. i hope that AU continues to do some good in this world... it seems like such a simple concept to me, keeping church and state separate. so why does the pledge of allegiance still have "under god" in it!!!
ReplyDeleteThis comment has been removed by a blog administrator.
ReplyDeleteLOVE IT!
ReplyDeleteThanks, bg!!
:)
One of the things we've been struggling with at the Atlanta UU church I now attend is the issue of Christian bashing.
ReplyDeleteTo wit, the senior minister is an unapologetic UU Christian, which is very unusual. A small, but extremely vocal minority hate any and every mention of Christianity in the service.
And while I can understand their point, being that I too came from a negative Christian experience, I have to say that I do not sympathize. Christian-bashing is a phase. It is a progression one goes through before realizing that Jesus was a fabulous person with many wonderful things to say. Whether or not you believe he was God incarnate really should be a matter of personal choice.
I'm sure you and your audience is aware of how much faith, particularly Christian faith, has been utilized by the newest generation of Democrats, particularly Barak Obama and Harold Ford of Tennessee. And while that does make me a bit squeamish, I trust that Dems will not take it to the extremes of the Republicans.
On a totally unrelated note...
ReplyDeleteGuess what tomorrow is?
Surely you haven't forgotten 24 October?
Mr. Blue Gal's birthday.
ReplyDeleteComrade Kevin's birthday.
The Big Bopper's birthday.
Kevin Kline's birthday. (particularly significant because his wife and I were born on the same day, month, and year. Same day. Same. Day. The only women who can put up with October 24 men are July 16 women.) So mark _your_ calendar, Comrade.
i've always believed that the framers of the Constitution fought for a separation of church and state NOT to reduce the corrosive effects that CHURCH has on the GOVERNMENT (although we have plenty of excellent examples of that in Iran and Saudi Arabia)... but to reduce the corrosive effects that GOVERNMENT has on the CHURCH (the Church of England has plenty of excellent examples, but most people aren't aware of those)...
ReplyDeleteWhen democracy works, it works by way of COMPROMISE. Most theologies are about ABSOLUTES, and cannot afford to entertain ideas like "compromise". And that's the way it SHOULD be.
The basic ideas behind Democracy and the Theology really do not get along well together; when they are forced to share the same space, the principles of democratic government really DO corrode the principles of religion... (regardless of how attractive all that money and exposure sound at first).
For example "Do not discriminate on the basis of race, creed or color" (we're workin' on sex) is a VERY good principle behind democracy. But does that mean that a Southern Baptist church cannot refuse the job of "preacher" to an otherwise qualified Rabbi? Go one step further... to an otherwise qualified Wiccan? If the job IS refused to the Wiccan, isn't that exactly discrimination on the basis of creed? So either our demorcratic principles of "no discrimination" get weaker, or the teachings of the Church get "fuzzier".... losing either way unless.... Church and State are kept SEPARATED.
It's civics 101, folks: The Church is separated from the State NOT to "discrimate" against the Church, but to save the Church from the damaging effects of the State. Church folks arguing for greater influence of the Church in the affairs of the State JUST DON'T GET IT....
Thanks so much for the support!
ReplyDelete- From danny at EFF!