To All My Christian Friends and Family.

Yesterday, there just wasn't anything that leapt out and grabbed me, so I posted a bunch of cool pictures.  It was a nice break.  I hope you enjoyed it!

Today, however, I am angry.  It isn't often I get this angry, so if I get a bit testy and even offensive, please understand my emotional state.

First, understand something.  I was born and educated in Texas.  In spite of its proud tradition of individualism, it is one of the more patriotic States in the union.  Yes, in spite of our obnoxious boasts about having been the only State in the union which was its own independent country (which, damn it, IS true...), we are also very proud of having willingly given up that independence in order to join the US.  Yes, and we also obnoxiously believe you guys got the better end of the deal, having obtained our beautiful State and our unswerving loyalty!  Ahem, sorry, got the better of me...

Part of that was a firm education in what this country was founded to mean:  religious freedom.

Read that again.  RELIGIOUS FREEDOM.

That was NOT a lesson in Christian majority privilege, it was taught to every school child that the US was founded for the purpose of allowing Americans the right to their own brand of religion.  This crap about the US being a "christian nation" is a modern FICTION, and numerous quotes from the Founding Fathers proves that they also meant people of other religions besides Christianity, as well as Atheists too.

It is, in short, a tactic of modern fundamentalists to twist the conversation to assume something that isn't true.

What set me off?

This story, in Addicting Info, which talks about a story out of Tennessee.  It is a perfect illustration of what Christians, and not just fundies, will do once they get the political power to shut down the opposition, even if they have to do it illegally and ignore the basic rules of the game.

It is, in fact, an illustration of HOW they will ignore the basic rules and run roughshod over anybody who gets in their way.

"“This is people standing up for what they believe in,” said Steve McDonald, pastor of the Calvary Baptist Church. “We have a right to the democratic process and majority rule.”"

Yeah, and his message is that majority rule means that they can then manipulate the democratic process to ignore fairness and the basic Constitutional rules that are supposed to govern this country.

And this isn't even about anything really IMPORTANT.  This is just symbolism.  Just how bad would it get when they really get serious about something?

Really?  Since when is forcing your beliefs down everybody else's throat ok?

Why am I this angry?

Because these idiots have been spouting this shit for years now, and NONE of the people in this country who count themselves as Christian have yet to stand up and shout the bastards down.

I mean that.  When was the last time a man such as that Baptist minister, after having stood up and spouted such obviously unAmerican bullshit, got his ass handed to him by his congregation?

When was the last time someone like Pat Robertson, who spews such bullshit on a regular basis, lost viewers?

When was the last time that a man like that was admonished by the OTHER ministers in his town and told he was wrong?

Never, that's when.  Not only never, but the other good Christians in that town stood by and actually cheered and supported them as they willingly spent PUBLIC MONEY to violate the Constitution.

So, I will say this again:  What is wrong with you people?  Don't you know a violation of the Constitution when you see one?  Don't you see a violation of the very democratic process itself occurring, or is it ok because the guys doing it believe the same stuff you do?

THAT'S whey I am angry, because so many of you stand up on Facebook and tell me that these people are not being Christian and are acting unAmerican, but you never DO anything about it.  I don't see many stories about this being posted by the Christians I know.  They get posted either by me or other atheistic pages or groups, with little comment or support, mostly.

It is time, indeed, PAST time, for the moderate Christians in the US to stand up and put these fundamentalist bullies back in their place.  Take your conservative party back, throw the bums out and stop swallowing their bullshit.

Because, if you don't, once they take power, they will lump YOU in with ME.  Because you won't be conservative enough, you will end up being given the same choice I will.  Either worship in a fundie church or take the consequences.

Then you can see how it feels to be religiously oppressed.  Like atheists really are, not the fake oppression they like to whine about.

So, in the final analysis, what I mean to say is this.  If you don't have the will to stand up and MAKE THIS STOP, then you agree with it.

Really, that IS what it means.