Image by Spring Dew via FlickrUnlike government entities, private businesses have the right to promote religion as they see fit. Short of discriminatory practices (e.g., erecting "Christians only" signs), businesses do not need to worry about church-state violations. If a company such as Wal-Mart wants to give money to local churches or even to Republican theocrats, they may do so. Of course, that is not to say that we consumers are powerless to do anything about it. As private citizens, we... Read Full Story
Image via WikipediaI always look forward to Oliver's posts on Mississippi Atheists about visiting various Christian churches in Mississippi. It often seems that he is an anthropologist of sorts entering a very strange environment and emerging to tell us about it. I couldn't do it, but I'm glad he does. For the latest post in his "Nonbeliever in church" series, Oliver accepted an e-mailed invitation from one of the pastors at First Baptist Church in Oxford, MS. He had visited this particular... Read Full Story
After several recent bouts of extreme frustration, I've removed Haloscan from this blog. This was not an easy decision because it meant that all previous comments were lost and unrecoverable. But after agonizing over it for months, I simply had to proceed. Comments made from this point on will not be lost even though I will soon be moving from Blogger's native commenting system to an alternative. I know this sucks for all who have commented here over the past couple years, and I'm not happy... Read Full Story
Image via WikipediaIn addition to being a bastion of Christian extremism and a frequently hostile place for atheists to live, what else is Mississippi known for around the rest of the country? Racism, of course, but this seems to be mostly based on our history rather than current differences from other regions. How about corruption? I've always associated Mississippi with the political cronyism no evident in everything from no-bid contracts to good-ole-boy networks of power. Sadly, it appears... Read Full Story
Image via WikipediaLong-time readers will undoubtedly remember the plight of Spc. Jeremy Hall, the atheist soldier who filed suit against the Department of Defense and various military personnel for systematic violations of his religious freedom. Now another brave atheist soldier from the same base in Fort Riley, KS, is suing Secretary of Defense Robert Gates and making eerily similar allegations. According to the Associated Press, Spc. Dustin Chalker has filed suit alleging violations of... Read Full Story
Image by earthpro via FlickrSarah Palin headed into last night's debate hoping to prevent a disaster. The debate came on the heels of several awful performances during various interviews, many of which made her appear moronic - far worse than simply unqualified. The number of American voters who believe she is qualified for the presidency is in decline, and many prominent conservatives are calling for her removal from the GOP ticket. More and more people are convinced that she has become a... Read Full Story
Image via WikipediaI don't get to say this very often, but thanks to Sen. Thad Cochran for voting against the Wall Street bailout. I may not often agree with Cochran's politics, but it is nice to see that at least some senators are willing to do what their constituency wants. I am not opposed to government intervention in response to this economic mess, but I want a bottom-up approach rather than a top-down model. I hope the House can block this bill and replace it with a superior one. Tags... Read Full Story
I am disappointed but not overly surprised that Barack Obama has decided to support the likely bailout of Wall Street. I do believe that some sort of government intervention is needed, but I would like to see a bottom-up approach that helps homeowners pay their mortgages rather than the top-down approach being pushed so far which simply pours taxpayer money into the financial sector. The current plan is simply unacceptable. What may be even worse is that it now appears those in Congress who... Read Full Story
Image by earthpro via FlickrIt is difficult to accept the fact that 40% of American voters believe that Sarah Palin is qualified to serve as President of the United States. Regardless of one's political leanings and whether one finds her charismatic in some way, her lack of qualifications have been so apparent during her few interviews as to be beyond question. This point is hammered home by the growing number of conservatives denouncing her. So who exactly are these 40% who have convinced... Read Full Story
