“A group of 36 lawmakers, led by Rep. Randy Forbes (R-Va.), wrote a letter to Air Force Secretary Michael Donley and Chief of Staff Gen. Norton Schwartz demanding the unit changes the logo back, restoring the reference to God.

“The action taken by the RCO suggests that all references to God, regardless of their context, must be removed from the military,” he wrote in the congressional letter. “As we are confident that your legal advisors would not suggest that censorship is required for compliance with the First Amendment, we ask that you reverse this perplexing decision.”

I know that its pointless to point out the fact that the Air Force isn’t a private organization it is in fact a US government organization. Meaning that whole First Amendment thingy comes into play. I know Christians don’t care about the First Amendment until government starts defending the filthy, evil Mooslims.

Personally, I don’t think that most politicians that are overtly religious are all that religious. They use religion and the religious right to sway votes, raise campaign cash, and stay in office where they sell out the people of this country to the gigantic corporations and banks who own their whorish asses. That these congressmen find the time to get all huffy and puffy about this non-event when this country is completely bankrupt and declaring the entire planet a war-zone, even America, isn’t surprising. If they, rather loudly, get the Christians all riled up and self-righteous then they can ignore the nearly un-fixable financial situation that these fuckers created.

The Christians for the most part who comment on this decision are the most intolerant of idiots but then again they aren’t really Christians because they seem to ignore everything that Jesus taught. These folks are Christian fascists but Christian in name only. But all of their complaints about this and other events like the Jessica Alquist law suit and seeking the removal of overtly religious displays on public property are devoid of any understanding what the First Amendment was and why it was written. The separation of church and state is for their benefit they’re just too stupid, intolerant, and stupid to understand that. I mentioned stupid twice didn’t I? Well that’s because they are doubly stupid on this issue (and many more). What would happen if the Department of Education wanted to implement some kind of mandatory prayer places and daily times for Muslim students in public schools? They would go apeshit and demand that government not show support for a religion. And they would be correct. When I said that Christians were doubly stupid I was referring to the fact that not only do they understand the intent of the First Amendment they also have no understanding of the founding of this country. It was founded as a Republic and in a Republic the majority does not have the right to force its will on the minority. Period.

It’s a patch on a uniform. It has nothing to do with the founding or history of this country and it surely has no impact on ones ability to believe in what ever deity they choose and to worship how they choose. But it does give republican politicians cover from the damage they have done to the taxpayers and it gives the perennially persecuted Christians something to bitch about.

Now, I’m not surprised by the threats of violence or other hateful comments directed at her because of the law suit or the judges decision that the school must remove it. This is just how Christians, at least those in America, behave. They talk about tolerance and loving Jesus, but like Tim Tebow, they continue to ignore the actual teachings of Christ. I have no reason to believe that Jesus was a historical figure but I really admire who the guy was and much of what he had to say. Then again, having been raised a Christian I’ve actually read the Bible, unlike most of the self-described Christians in today’s United Fascist States of America.

What strikes me the most here is how many of these haters claim that this is impacting their rights. I’ll assume here they are speaking of their right to believe in God(s). Its a funny word isn’t it? Rights. What exactly are they? Well many people ignorantly believe that the Bill of Rights in the Constitution grants us rights but that isn’t the case. The Constitution clearly states the 20 enumerated powers of the Federal Government. The Bill of Rights merely reiterates what was clearly stated in the Declaration of Independence. Our rights are not granted by the State they are (according to the founders) granted by our creator. Religious folk say this is God. Fine by me, I say we have these rights because we are sentient human beings. But what exactly are rights? Lets be clear, anything the government grants you isn’t a right it is a privilege. A government granted privilege is something that the government can take away. A right is something that is inherent to our humanity yet costs no one anything. I have a right to bear arms yet I have no right to force a gunsmith to give me a gun. I have a right to medical care but I have no right to demand, free of charge, medical service from a trained MD. I have the right to purchase a gun from a gunsmith just as I have a right to purchase (including bartering – think Doc Hollywood) medical care from the trained MD.

So now that we understand what rights are how can Christians claim that the removal of this prayer infringes on their rights? They can’t because they don’t understand what rights are. That, or they don’t care and just want to bitch. I however believe this is more than just mere bitching. They conflate the freedom of religion as a government sanctioned privilege. A belief in a deity and a personal relationship with Jesus, which is what Christianity is supposed to be, has nothing to do with government. Government cannot grant us a right to believe in that for which there is no proof. Government grants only privileges and can only force us to practice the privilege it grants. Since the U.S. isn’t a theocracy and is bound by established Constitutional law, it would therefore stand that government has no say or sway on what religious beliefs we do or do not have.

This claim that Christians rights are being trampled by the removal of this prayer banner as well as the increasing practice of referring to Christmas trees as Holiday trees and the like is a wholly contrived argument. More and more often Christians are complaining that the minority (atheists) are having too much influence and that majority (Christians) rules. This misunderstanding is based on the misconception that the U.S. is a democracy. Democracy is, as has been stated before, mob rule. This country was founded as a Constitutional Republic. There is a difference. Most Christians would disagree with this because they believe in majority rule. Just as many people on the political left believe in majority rule. They don’t really respect the rights of the minority until they are in the minority. Or at least until the Constitution begins to be enforced.

This being said, Christians should expect more and more of this from non-believers. The more you engage in name calling, and threats against people like Jessica Alquist the more frequently and loudly we are going to shove your hypocrisy in your face. We do not care if or what you believe. We care when you force it on us, and a prayer hanging on a wall in a public school for forty or so years may be a part of school history but that doesn’t mean it isn’t unconstitutional. You Christians remember the Constitution don’t you? Its that prop you keep saying Obama is urinating on. And he does. Just like you.

There are so many to choose from but this one from Donna368 is appropriate:
“Jessica’s parents say they are proud of their daughter’s accomplishments. I’d like to ask them exactly what is it that their daughter accomplished? Did she do something to make her school safer? Did she fight to raise money for seriously underfunded programs? Did she stand up for a student who is being bullied? By taking down a banner, written with sincerity by a man who just wanted to leave behind an uplifting message, the only thing she accomplished was wasting hers, as well as others, time”

You see, Donna368 here is completely oblivious to the obvious importance of this decision. Sorry Donna368, it was the school board that wasted everyone’s time as well as taxpayer money. Jessica has forced you Christian fascists to remember that the protections in the Constitution apply to all citizens, not just the majority. Her parent’s should be proud of her because she did accomplish something, you just don’t like what she accomplished.

This case was another great example of the blatant hypocrisy of Christian fascists. They always complain that they are being persecuted when they are asked to comply with the law. No “Christmas tree” on the courthouse lawn, well that’s an attack on Christmas. -Psst. Retarded Christians, please tell me just what the tree has to do with the birth of your savior? I’ll give you a hint, nothing, you fuckers stole the tree of life thingy from pagans just like most of the rest of the shit in your Bible.- Christians, just like Jews, Muslims, Hindu’s, Wiccan’s, et. all, are free to bow to any deity you like. We atheists are not stopping you from believing or praying. You cannot use taxpayer money or use government property to display a preference for any particular religion. Period. How would you feel if your child, in public school, was taken to a Islamic Mosque on a social studies class field trip? Oh, wait. We already know.

Of course, the Christian fascists who comment about this case always make the same comments regarding other cases. “The First Amendment is the freedom of religion, not freedom from religion, you don’t have a right to not be offended. Yada, yada, yada”. Bullshit. This has nothing to do with being offended by your asinine beliefs. We aren’t offended by what you believe, we do take offense to you using public property to promote your beliefs. We understand that we are going to be surrounded by ignorant, science hating, nut jobs for the foreseeable future but we’re not willing to let you illegally use government to force your beliefs on us.

Congratulations to Jessica, another victory for the Bill of Rights!

“Hispanic fans also feel that a holy power is helping the Broncos quarterback as 81 percent of those polled believe God is behind Tebow, compared to 59.5 percent among blacks and 38 percent among whites.”

81 percent of hispanics and nearly 60 percent of blacks believe the young quarterbacks success is because of divine intervention while 38 percent of whites believe. So it breaks down like this:

57 percent of Americans overall, according to this poll, are not superstitious morons.
19 percent of hispanic Americans, according to this poll, are not superstitious morons.
40.5 percent of black Americans, according to this poll, are not superstitious morons.
62 percent of white Americans, according to this poll, are not superstitious morons.

Granted this poll surveyed only 1,076 people but still. Are religious people so arrogant as to believe that their God gives a rats ass about American Football? Don’t these people read their own damn Bible? According to the Bible everything was planned and known ahead of time so why would God intervene? Do they not realize that if God intervenes he’s intervening in his own grand design. So if he’s intervening I guess his design isn’t so perfect is it? And if his design isn’t perfect he’s not perfect, therefore he can’t exist.

As a Denver fan I couldn’t care less what invisible cloud man Tebow offers his prayers to but I do find him, typically, to be a hypocrite. Yes, Jesus was quite clear about making a spectacle of your prayer, Matthew 6:5-6:

“And when thou prayest, thou shalt not be as the hypocrites are: for they love to pray standing in the synagogues and in the corners of the streets, that they may be seen of men. Verily I say unto you, They have their reward.
But thou, when thou prayest, enter into thy closet, and when thou has t shut thy door, pray to thy Father which is in secret: and thy Father which seeth in secret shall reward thee openly.”

Sorry Timmy, you’re a typical Christian hypocrite.

“The question for Christians is a simple one: Do they have what it takes to take America back?”

Sorry Pat but America doesn’t “belong” to Christians. Or Jews. Or Muslims. Or Hindus. Or Atheists. It belongs to every American. Perhaps people have grown tired (I know I have) of having Christians pretend that they are the only ones who celebrate something this time of year. Perhaps people have grown tired of Christians shoving their holiday down everyone’s throats this time of year. Perhaps people have grown tired of Christian hypocrisy regarding the message of the Prince of Peace -which they clearly haven’t bothered to study- and have cheered on ten years of war and are bloodthirsty for more. Perhaps people have grown tired of a bunch of self-righteous bigots who talk about limited government then try to force that same government into everyone’s bedroom by denying gays the right to marry while hiding their bigotry behind their Christian faith. Perhaps people have grown tired of Christians shoving their religion down our throats every time they get a chance and our resentment is manifesting itself during this time of year when the shoving of your religion is strongest.

“Even if a man disbelieves this, why would he interfere with or deny his fellow countrymen, three in four of whom still profess to be Christians, their right to celebrate in public this joyous occasion?”

Frankly, I don’t care if you “celebrate in public” although I don’t really understand what that is supposed to mean. I don’t want any religion using public property for their celebration. But what exactly is celebrating in public? Using public land such as the courthouse? Public schools? Why do Christians think its ok for them to shove their religion onto everyone in public schools yet bemoan the horrors of any other religion being recognized at the same public schools? How would Christians feel if Muslims wanted to place a monument to Allah on the courthouse lawn? We already know the answer don’t we? If you folks want to stick a nativity scene on your front lawn, go ahead just stop thinking you have a right to use public property because you are a majority.

“They are partly right. The First Amendment does protect what they are doing. But what they are doing is engaging in hate speech and anti-Christian bigotry. For what is the purpose of what they are about, if not to wound, offend, insult and mock fellow Americans celebrating the happiest day of their calendar year?”

I’d like to thank you for acknowledging that people other than Christians have a right to free speech. That is something many Christians don’t seem to recognize. As for the hate speech? Bullshit. People are just saying things you don’t agree with. That makes it uncomfortable perhaps but it doesn’t make it hateful. I really don’t care if Christians get wounded, insulted, or offended with our mockery of your asinine beliefs. You Christians have done far worse things (as have Jews and Muslims and most every other religion) to us non-believers than we have ever done to you. Would you prefer we cut out your tongue and burn you at the stake or make fun of you? That’s what I thought. For the record. I am an “anti-Christian” bigot because people like yourself made me one. If you’d simply practice your religion and keep it to yourself, fine. But you don’t. And you won’t.

“Consider what this day means to a believing Christian.

It is a time and a day set aside to celebrate the nativity, the birth of Christ, whom Christians believe to be the Son of God and their Savior who gave his life on the cross to redeem mankind and open the gates of heaven.”

Sorry Pat but that’s not what this time of year means to the “believing Christian”. This time of year is a time when Christians, once again pretend they are the only people that matter and shove their religion down other people’s throats. This is a time of year when “believing Christians” are outraged that Obama didn’t have a Christmas tree on his Christmas card, as if the tree of life had anything to do with the birth of Christ. This is the time of year when “believing Christians” conveniently forget about separation of church and state (‘cuz it doesn’t exist you know) and put up their holiday decorations on public property.

“Was it a manifestation of tolerance and maturity, or pusillanimity, that Christians allowed themselves to be robbed of their inheritance to a point where Barack Obama could assert without contradiction that we Americans “do not consider ourselves to be a Christian nation”?

I assure you it wasn’t Christian tolerance or maturity. Christians, at least in this country, are anything but tolerant or mature. I doubt it was pusillanimity either. It may have more to do with the fact that we non-believers are tired of being treated like shit by you believers. And if you want to talk about the “culture war” you should start being honest with yourselves.

I may say “merry Christmas” to my parents who I know to be the young Earth creationist, war mongering, fear mongering, Fox News watching, fascist, brand of evangelical Christians. But I resent walking into a Rite Aid to buy deodorant and Ibuprofen and be told “merry Christmas” by the people there who assume that I am a Christian and that they are the only ones celebrating something during the winter solstice. There is nothing special about the Christmas story. It is the same story that was told for thousands of years before the alleged birth or your alleged savior. Jesus is not the first, nor only, deity that was born miraculously this month. Hopefully though he will be the last. Hopefully the scourge that is Christianity will fade away forever taking with it Islam, Judaism, Hinduism, and all the other nonsense.

It’s so hard,’ Courtney, who was a nurse until her son’s birth, told ABC. ‘Obviously he can’t speak. He can communicate well, but we have a hard time and from what I can see in his mannerisms, he definitely looks in pain all the time.’

Now, I haven’t seen this show for two reasons. One, I don’t watch reality tv because its stupid. Two, actually knowing some American Muslims I already know they are just regular folks. But you see, Christian fundamentalists such as those from the FFA don’t accept that American Muslims are just as American (actually they are often more American than fundy Christians) because their hate filled preaching tells them that just as Jesus crafted the land of America for Christians, Muslims are all told by their Koran to kill or convert. To say that all Muslims take every word of their holy doctrine literally ignores the fact that for centuries Christians took their bible literally. You know what happened when Christians took their book literally? Untold numbers of people were murdered. Thankfully, society in general told the Christian church to fuck off and stop murdering people. Now they just vote in blocks to deny the people they don’t like the same rights afforded to them.

So to the cowards at Lowes I say, if I ever need something from the home improvement center, I’ll now drive past your store to Ace Hardware. And to the bigoted Christian fascists I say again, fuck you morons.

I liked this article over at Ethics Alarms.