Voluntary 'De-Baptism' Rising in Europe

Sunday evening youth mass in Saint-Germain-des-Pres is overflowing with parishioners. People stand in aisles or sit cross-legged in corners of the cavernous, sixth century Paris church. Father Benoist de Sinety, parish priest at Saint Germain for the past three years, says he has always had the good fortune of seeing crowds of young people seeking their bearings or rediscovering faith. But he knows it is not the same everywhere.

Churches in France and elsewhere in Europe have been battling falling numbers, a trend evident not only in the empty pews, but in the sharp fall in baptisms. But "de-baptisms", a church's deletion of one's name from the official baptismal registry at a parishioner's request, are a recent phenomenon, and they are taking place in both Protestant and Catholic communities.

There are no official statistics, but experts and activists count the numbers of those seeking de-baptism in the tens of thousands, and websites offering informal "de-baptism" certificates have mushroomed. Anne Morelli, who heads a center for religion and secularity studies at the Free University of Brussels, says de-baptisms, both official and unofficial, increased in 2011, particularly in the Netherlands, Germany, Belgium and Austria. The numbers, she said, reflect public anger at the church pedophilia scandals.

Terry Sanderson, head of the National Secular Society in Britain, agrees. "I think what sparked the real desire of people to leave the church, particularly the Catholic church, were the huge child-abuse scandals that revolted so many people [that] they no longer wanted to be associated with it," he said. "That's when people started to leave in large numbers."

http://www.voanews.com/english/news/religion/Voluntary-De-Baptism-Rising-in-Europe-137592823.html

Americans United Hails Supreme Court Refusal To Intervene In North Carolina Prayer Case

Virginia lawmaker: Children with disabilities are God’s punishment to women who previously had abort

YEs, this is an old article, but its worth revisiting.

How are people like this electable? I think THAT is the real problem with religion in this country, it is keeping people ignorant and voting for idiots like this. THIS is the fight that progressive believers should be fighting, IMO. They should be fighting the institutionalized willful ignorance forced upon members of the congregations.

But I am afraid that it will never happen, as doing so only exposes the absurdity of it all.

There is No Atheist Community, No Atheist Movement

I want to briefly make the case that there is no atheist community. There are only atheist communities. There is likewise no atheist movement. There is only an atheist momentum. Atheists do not even share the same goals. Again, briefly, because my time is limited, here goes.

A community must have agreed upon leaders but atheists do not have any universally recognized leaders. If you think otherwise then name one. Sam Harris is an agnostic who has been criticized by atheists for his defense of a science based morality and for defending torturing Muslim militants. Christopher Hitchens unfortunately, is dead. But he was criticized by atheists for his defense of Israel. Dawkins is being boycotted by some atheists for a really insensitive and sexist comment. Michael Shermer is criticized for defending capitalism and being somewhat supportive of Ayn Rand. We all know about Paul Kurtz’s unfortunate ousting from CFI (something I don’t care to take sides on). We choose our leaders and we don’t always agree on who they are. We belong to atheist groups and there are many to choose from. A community must have shared understandings, shared goals, and a shared focus, but we do not all share these things. We don’t even agree on whether there should be a secular society, as evidenced by Bruce Sheiman’s book An Atheist Defends Religion: Why Humanity is Better Off with Religion Than Without It.

We are split into accomodationists and confrontationists, activists and academics, politically minded and scientifically minded atheists, debunkers and those who are largely apathetic. Most atheists don’t even bother with atheist communities at all. Others choose their particular communities and support the ones thought of as doing what is important, and they are different for each one of us. Unfortunately, atheist communities act much like churches do, with a struggle for power and influence.

There is no atheist community and no atheist movement. We only have a momentum. This means no one speaks for all atheists. I personally find it appalling when one particular community of atheists think that THEY represent all atheists in a movement that does not exist behind a chosen leader that not all atheists accept and use that power to ostracize and demean other atheists outside that particular community. I am all about treating other atheists as human beings respectfully as much as possible. I can be and am a conciliator who hopes we can all work together when we share the same goals. I embrace all approaches. We need each other and every perspective. When an atheist outside of our chosen community is ignorant there is no reason to blast him into oblivion. We should merely inform him. We need to treat others with respect and dignity as much as possible.

I have already experienced church in my life and it’s not pretty.

The Messiah's face appears on slice of toast!

When Christians thanks Jesus for their food at mealtimes...

Religious Right Should Move On After Supreme Court Refuses To Hear School-Use Case

Even though the Supreme Court has declined to hear a case about churches using public schools for worship services, the Religious Right just can’t seem to move on. Last year, the 2nd U.S. Court of Appeals said a congregation, Bronx Household of Faith, could no longer use a New York City public school to hold worship services. The congregation of about 50 had been using a public school, rent free, for almost 10 years. In its ruling, the appeals court said New York officials had raised reasonable objections to church use of the schools for worship, noting, “The place has, at least for a time, become the church.”

--snip--

New York’s Department of Education, which announced recently that churches could no longer use public schools for worship services, is being fair. The department said that any groups (including churches!) can hold events in those schools as long as the events are open to everyone. Churches can even hold certain types of religious events, provided they are not during school hours. This is a completely reasonable policy, which is of course why the Religious Right doesn’t like it.

The bottom line is that the Religious Right needs to get over this. Bronx Household of Faith used the school for 10 years rent free. It had a good run and now it’s time to move on.

--snip--

There is no “viewpoint discrimination” here because the policy doesn’t hinder one religious group more than others; it just happens that the majority of groups affected by the court decision are churches. Would the Family Research Council be petitioning Mayor Bloomberg if numerous Muslim congregations were told they could no longer have services in a public school?

Not likely.

http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/nothing-to-see-here-religious-right-should-move-on-after-supreme-court

-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------

Why do I keep getting told that the Obama Administration supports medical cannabis...

when this keeps happening? Somebody, anybody, please help me understand how THIS is supporting medical cannabis?????

U.S. attorney threatens to seize 23 Colorado marijuana dispensaries


U.S. Attorney John Walsh sent letters to 23 medical marijuana dispensaries in Colorado on Thursday, warning them that they faced legal repercussions if they did not close down within 45 days.

“This letter constitutes formal notification that a marijuana dispensary is operating on the above described property in violation of federal law,” the letter states. “You are further advised that the real property is subject to forfeiture, and any money you receive, or have received, from the dispensary owner may also be subject to seizure and forfeiture.”

The 23 dispensaries were specifically targeted because they were each within 1,000 feet of a school.

“When the voters of Colorado passed the limited medical marijuana amendment in 2000, they could not have anticipated that their vote would be used to justify large marijuana stores located within blocks of our schools,” Walsh said in a statement.

http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/01/12/u-s-attorney-threatens-to-seize-23-colorado-marijuana-dispensaries/

Best take on the Right-Wing Christian view of abortion I have ever seen

Gay marriage a threat to humanity's future: Pope (yeah, he DID say that)

War? Nope.
Famine? Nope
Greed? Nope
Genocide? Nope
Overpopulation? Nope
Pedophile Priests? Nope

Apparently, nothing is more of a threat to Humanity than Gays getting married.

Tell me again why the Catholic Church is relevant and has some 1.3 BILLION followers?


---------------------------------------------------------------------------------


Pope Benedict said Monday that gay marriage was one of several threats to the traditional family that undermined "the future of humanity itself."

The pope made some of his strongest comments against gay marriage in a new year address to the diplomatic corps accredited to the Vatican in which he touched on some economic and social issues facing the world today.

He told diplomats from nearly 180 countries that the education of children needed proper "settings" and that "pride of place goes to the family, based on the marriage of a man and a woman."

"This is not a simple social convention, but rather the fundamental cell of every society. Consequently, policies which undermine the family threaten human dignity and the future of humanity itself," he said.

http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/01/09/us-pope-gay-idUSTRE8081RM20120109