Wired For Noise

I wrote on Sunday about Sally Kern’s hate speech against homosexuals. Well she’s issued a response to the criticisms of her words, and in typical fashion thinks calling an entire group of people “cancer’, “deadly”, and claiming that they are trying to recruit the two-year olds of the world isn’t really hateful. I guess because it’s not directed towards her that means it’s not really hate?

Of course she has the benefit of hiding behind her religion to say whatever she wants. Sadly too many people go to the church of “Jesus told me to hate you”. Hate is an easier thing to do than love, and makes a person feel so much better-than rather than equal to the person they are hating. Because isn’t that what Jesus said, “whatever you do to the lesser of man gets you a bigger house in the heaven and a high-five from God for being so super cool”?

Rev. Russell Mark, involved in the Association of Welcoming and Affirming Baptists, issued his own statement about her comments. Now here’s a little piece of real Christianity in action. Read the rest of this entry »

 It seems that I overlooked the year listed on this article. Time has it dated as Dec. 07, 1970. Researching has found some that say this was from the 70’s, and some that say it is an error on Time and is current. As it’s nearly midnight and I’m ready for bed I’m not digging any further. However, despite when this case happened there are still people today who would applaud this kind of hatred.   

I found a link over at momolague to a news story that made my blood boil. Can Atheists Be Parents?

Here’s the short and skinny. A couple want to adopt. Father is athiest mother is pantheist. They adopted one child, got a little grief over religion, started a court action because of the grief and got waved through to adopt their son. Now they are adopting a little girl. Second verse, same as the first. Except this time it is a judge saying they are unfit parents because they aren’t religious. Or, specifically aren’t religious in a way that he deems acceptable.

In an extraordinary decision, Judge Camarata denied the Burkes’ right to the child because of their lack of belief in a Supreme Being. Despite the Burkes’ “high moral and ethical standards,” he said, the New Jersey state constitution declares that “no person shall be deprived of the inestimable privilege of worshiping Almighty God in a manner agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience.” Despite Eleanor Katherine’s tender years, he continued, “the child should have the freedom to worship as she sees fit, and not be influenced by prospective parents who do not believe in a Supreme Being.”

Right, because parents who are religious (read: Christian) always let their children worship “in a manner agreeable to the dictates of his own conscience” or ever influence their children. Oh no, it’s only those dirty athiests who would ever force their children into a single religion. And never mind the fact that the mother is a panthiest and so the children would get some sort of religious influence there. Nope, that doesn’t count.

If I roll my eyes any harder they may pop out of my skull. Read the rest of this entry »

To celebrate the dark and the coming of the light we spent the day wrapped in a freezing snowstorm with high winds that knocked out power in the evening. Sure Mother Nature was a day late, but I figure she has that right. If she says we’re plunging into cold and darkness for a few hours on the 22nd I’m not going to argue. I did celebrate extra when Evan woke me screaming excitedly that the lights were back on.

Light, heat, the internet. And the sun is reborn.

Tags: winter solstice, paganism, winter

Tomorrow is the first day of Winter. Since the boys are young, and Trey likes to destroy everything he sees, celebrations are still really light. Today we went to the park and hiked up and down the trails and through the trees for an hour. Evan picked out a tiny pine tree that I carefully dug up and brought home. Along with a large heap of that thick, black dirt. I wish I could bring home a couple buckets of the stuff. All the leaves, worms, bugs, animals, and every thing else that has been naturally composting in that soil. It’s probably some of the richest dirt around.

Tomorrow morning we’re going to get up and plant our little tree in the yard. We’ve got a huge collection of fallen leaves piled up and ready to protect the tiny thing. Though the forecast is calling for snow, in which case I’ve got a large plant pot that will be the tree’s new home for a while.

There are a lot of fun crafts that I’ve wanted to do this week, but they haven’t happened. Partly because I’ve had my nieces all this week and partly because I’ve worried about what Trey will do to anything we put up. I couldn’t even put up the greenery over the fireplace this year because he’s tall enough to rip it down. I’m holding out hope that next year he’ll be calmer and we’ll be able to do more. Like a spiral walk.

Tags: Winter Solstice, kids, celebration