 February 22, 2012 at 12:15 pm  Al Stefanelli
Happy shall he be, that taketh and dasheth thy little ones against the stones - Psalm 137:9
 When we hear the words “Child Abuse,” many images come to mind. The Catholic church notwithstanding, most of the time when we hear these words we think of decidedly irreligious motivations. Scenes from popular television programs and public service advertisements play in our head that involve a drunk parent beating on their kids or a depressed parent holing up in a room neglecting their children with terrible results. However, those of us who are well-informed are all too familiar with the widely accepted ideologies and doctrines of Christianity that often justify the abuse, neglect and even the death of children.
This abuse remains prevalent in our societies and will continue to be practiced as long as religion is part of our social construct because so many individuals have been duped into believing that Christian morality is the pinnacle characteristic of goodness and rearing a child according to biblical standards will result in an upstanding and trustworthy adult.
We know different, though…
February 21, 2012 at 10:04 am Al Stefanelli
Feminism directly confronts the idea that one person or set of people has the right to impose definitions of reality on others. - Liz Stanley and Sue Wise
 I got a call the other day from my friend, RJ Evans, who hosts American Heathen Radio, of which I am one of the co-hosts. He told me he was making a video about all the misogynist bullshit that has escalated and continues to escalate within Republican politics. Knowing RJ as I do, I was fairly confident that his video would be one that everyone should watch – complete with his special brand of sarcasm, wit and acerbic disregard for the sacred.
I was not disappointed. So, I ask you to take about ten minutes out of your day, if you would, to watch and listen as RJ Evans skewers those misogynist malcontent men as only RJ Evans can.
Without Further Ado…
February 20, 2012 at 9:17 am Al Stefanelli
It does not profit a man to marry. For what is a woman but an enemy of friendship, an inescapable punishment, a necessary evil, a natural temptation, a domestic danger, delectable mischief, a fault in nature, painted with beautiful colors - St. John Chrysostom (Bishop of Constantinople)
 I’ve written a lot lately about the issues in our media regarding the religious right’s attack on women, their reproductive systems and the misogynist comments made by religious leaders and politicians here in these United States. It’s not difficult at all to find them because misogyny is rampant in our society. Just consider the almost endless coverage of fetal personhood bills, laws restricting abortion and the plethora of other stories we read every day that make us shake our heads.
Misogyny is the sole reason why there exists gender inequality in almost every area of life, and it almost always comes back to Christianity’s doctrines that surround guilt about sex, the insistence on female subjection and the dread of female seduction. I have had many Christian men and women tell me that their religion is not misogynist, and that they revere women and that their religion fosters a respect for the female sex for a variety of reasons.
This, of course, is complete bullshit…
February 19, 2012 at 11:16 am Al Stefanelli
“…no religious test shall ever be required as a qualification to any office or public trust under the United States.” – United States Constitution, Article VI
 This principle has long been interpreted to mean that no elected or appointed federal employee can be required to adhere to any religion or accept any religious belief or doctrine. This is true regardless if their position is a career choice or a political aspiration.
As well, this includes the context of any oath of office, because the United States was founded as a secular nation, and the Constitution that governs us is a secular document. Lately though, the linguistic puke that is being vomited out of the mouths of the Republican Presidential candidates causes one to believe that the person who is to occupy the Oval Office must, without a doubt, be one rung above Betty Bowers on the ladder of America’s best Christians.
A Parody Unto Themselves…
February 18, 2012 at 12:02 pm Al Stefanelli
“Stupid is as stupid does” – Forrest Gump
 Consider ten people in the United States. Any ten people will do. Statistically speaking, almost all of them believe in God. Four of them believe in strict Creationism; that the Christian God created the universe and everything in it within the last ten thousand years.
Most assume, roughly eight of them, that whatever the means of the development of our species, the Christian God was involved. Roughly eight of them believe in angels. Seven of them believe in Satan. Take the same ten people and, statistically speaking again, only four of them acknowledge evolution. Only about half will acknowledge some sort of climate change.
Ignorance Abounds…
February 17, 2012 at 2:39 pm Al Stefanelli
“Anything may happen when womanhood has ceased to be a protected occupation.” ― Virginia Woolf
 At first I thought it was just me, you know? Not that I am unaware of the religious right’s preoccupation with the vagina and women’s bodies in general. Kraken knows I’ve written enough about it. But the rhetoric has gotten uber-rediculous lately, even for an election year. Looking back over the last eighteen months or so, though, I can almost define the turning point where this latest salvo against women started to ramp up.
Basically, the hatred, discrimination, bigotry and misogyny got a boost when all those freshman teabaggers got elected on a jobs platform. No jobs bills, but they did end up sponsoring almost 1000 bills aimed at restricting the individual women with respect to their reproductive system, with added barbs indicating their belief that any women who had sex outside of a heterosexual marriage are whores and sluts.
Her Body, His Choice…
February 16, 2012 at 10:44 am Al Stefanelli
“No sex, no drugs, no wine, no women, no fun, no sin, no you no wonder it’s dark” – The Vapors
 The war on marijuana is an attempt by the religious to control their version of moral behavior. It’s a weed, and it’s one that the United Nations estimated in 2004 is used by about 160 million people, 22 million of which use it every day. And we’ve been smoking it for a long time. Evidence of the inhalation of cannabis smoke goes back to 3000 BCE, according to charred seeds that were found in an ancient Romanian burial site.
It’s only been widely illegal for less than a hundred years. Making marijuana illegal and the costs associated with the war on this harmless drug have totally failed to control use and production, and will continue to fail, without question. The myths that surround pot have been fabricated and are being perpetuated by the religious right.
The Usual Suspects…
February 15, 2012 at 10:27 am Al Stefanelli
“Now faith is being sure of what we hope for and certain of what we do not see” – Hebrews 11:1.
 Let’s examine this little “nugget of wisdom” from the book of Hebrews. It sounds so reassuring, comforting and sensible when read. Things, however, are not always as they appear. There are many believers who have the notion that science operates on principles of faith, and many atheists make the mistake of agreeing with this. Even though the intentions of our unbelieving brothers and sisters might be honorable, scientific principles and the scientific method has very little to do with faith.
We don’t “have faith” that the sun will come up, nor do we have faith that when we get out of bed gravity will keep us planted on terra firma. The faithful may be sure of what they hope for, but in reality, when what they hope for does not materialize, the only other options they have are that either god does not exist, or he has another plan. Almost exclusively, the faithful opt for the latter.
The Best Laid Plans…
February 14, 2012 at 12:02 pm Al Stefanelli
The world is so exquisite, with so much love and moral depth, that there is no reason to deceive ourselves with pretty stories for which there’s little good evidence. – Carl Sagan
 I don’t “do” Valentine’s Day. I haven’t handed out a Valentine in decades. I don’t buy anyone flowers, heart-shaped chocolates, jewelry or anything else that I wouldn’t buy any other day of the year. Call me a killjoy, if you must. I’ve been called worse. Does this make my wife sad, or somehow signify that I do not love my wife, or cause my fellow human beings to think that I am some cold, heartless man? No, not by a long shot. My wife knows very well that I love her dearly, and we choose a day that actually signifies our commitment to each other as occasion to lavish gifts upon each other – our anniversary.
I don’t celebrate Valentines Day for three reasons. One, retailers seem to feel the need to severely jack the price on anything that is even remotely connected to the holiday. Two, I don’t appreciate being forced by the guilt-driven advertising of the retail industry when to show love and affection for someone. Three, pretty much the same reason I don’t observe All Saint’s Day or any other religious holiday.
Who Was Saint Valentine…?
February 13, 2012 at 8:18 am Al Stefanelli
Religion was good for one thing. It provided a reason for humans to have morals, now that we know religion is not that reason, it can go away. – Dustin Rgnonti
 The process that is used to validate or invalidate a religious belief, dogma, doctrine or superstition starts with “reason.” Reason is the faculty of rational argument, the chase for answers to questions that have been chased in response to previous answers. Reason has been the fuel that has propelled our technology from abacus to difference engine, from pictures to word processors and from understanding that inclement weather is not a gesture of an angry god, but the result of atmospheric conditions and patterns.
The single most important aspect of communication that set us apart from all the other animals was, and still is, the ability to question. The ability to ask “why” is what set us at light-speed on an evolutionary ride to becoming what we know as an intelligent, reasoning civilization. Well, a civilization, nonetheless. Reason is not always our strong point, and there are many of us who are rather uncivilized. In fact, reason and civility seem to take a lot of time off together.
But reason has an enemy…
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