Daily Blend: 04/15/13

Gitmo

My thoughts and hopes go to Boston, MA today. How utterly senseless.

Alternate lede: “Sure, Gitmo detainees ^[pictured] were captured without charges and illegally imprisoned far away from home for many years with zero due process … but hey, they get to enjoy books and videogames (in between all that sleep deprivation and waterboarding)!”
(via @ggreenwald)

In response to UK’s current measles epidemic, The Independent gives platform to discredited quack responsible for modern anti-vaccination movement. (They later retracted the article.)

Canadian feminist becomes latest target of those compassionate, “human rights”-oriented Men’s Rights Activists.

And finally, here’s what religion has done for us this month:

Transcript: (click the [+/-] to open/close →)

[−]

Massive Islamic protests in Bangladesh calling for the hanging of “blasphemous” bloggers;

The New Zealand Herald: “Beheadings in Papua New Guinea for sorcery”;

Five Jerusalem women arrested for violating Israeli law by praying out loud in public, which ultra-orthodox men find “provocative”;

The Guardian: “Muslim Brotherhood backlash against UN declaration on women rights”;

Hamas in Gaza Strip orders genderal segregation in all schools;

BBC News: “Kenya condom advert pulled after religious complaints”;

French man Wilfred de Bruijn assaulted and beaten for walking with his boyfriend in public;

Large anti-gay protests in Paris, France against pending same-sex marriage legislation;

Gay Star News: “Gay man ‘stoned to death’ in Somalia”;

Senior pastor Bertheophilus M. Bailey Sr. at Claremore, OK’s Mount Zion Baptist Church charged with punching his son in the face;

WHNT.com: “Former Franklin County Pastor Charged With Sexual Torture, Abuse”;

Teacher at Pleasanton, CA’s Centerpointe Christian Preschool ties up two-year-old girl for refusing to nap;

The Times: “Priest accused of sexual abuse at West Sussex children’s home”;

Indiana megachurch pastor Jack Schapp fired and jailed for molesting troubled 16-year-old girl across state lines;

BBC News: “Ex-priest Patrick McCabe sentenced for child abuse”;

Pastor Artelino Vallada at Toronto, CA’s Jesus Christ the Open Door Church charged with sexually assaulting four girls and women;

Irish Central: “Irish Priest accused of sexual abuse pleads with Pope Francis not to be dismissed from Church”;

Police confiscate computers from priest’s home after tracing downloads of child porn to his parish offices;

RTE News: “South African cardinal says paedophilia 'not a criminal condition'” [Which it isn’t. Child molestation is. Get it right, people. —JM]

Priest Angel Perez of Woodburn, OR’s Saint Luke Catholic Church accused of molesting 12-year-old boy;

al.com: “Former Wetumpka youth pastor sentenced to 10 years in prison in sexual abuse of child”;

Rev. David Kramer jailed for molesting young boys in US and Australia;

PostBulletin.com: “Oregon priest gets 6 years for child sex abuse”;

Associate pastor Darin Evans at Elmhurst, IL’s West Suburban Community Church imprisoned for having sex with an underaged girl in public spaces;

PressTV: “Austrian former priest charged with sexual abuse of minors”;

Rev. James Burnett of Mokena, IL’s Saint Mary’s Parish accused of molesting several young boys in his care; diocese accused of knowingly sheltering crooked priests;

Pink News: “Cardinal O’Brien alleged to have been in long-standing physical relationship with male priest”;

North Carolina Republican lawmakers propose bill to establish state religion (bill has since failed);

Oneindia: “Rajasthan: Video reveals family commits suicide to meet god”; and

Woman at church asks worshipers give “$100”, “$1,000” or “$150,000” if they can.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: 04/12/13

Audrie Pott (15)

Understatement of the Day: “It turns out that the Obama administration has not been honest about who the CIA has been targeting with drones in Pakistan.”
(via @ggreenwald)

I just don’t have the patience (or stomach) today to write about the horrific Kermit Gosnell case, other than to affirm how it’s the perfect argument for why abortion should be fully legalized and easily accessible to ensure women never need to resort to such barbarity out of desperation.

Ditto with Vox Day’s predictably pathetic rant about how pro-choicers are all worse than Nazis and so on.

Another teenaged girl ^[pictured] commits suicide to escape persecution resulting from the publicization of her student gang-rape. Now to watch the rape-culture-soaked media fret over those poor arrested rapists. (Again.)
(via Pharyngula)

Appeals court denies Virginia AG Ken Cuccinelli’s petition to bring back anti-sodomy law.
(via Joe. My. God.)

Uruguay becomes latest country to legalize same-sex marriage.

And finally, Cracked presents some popular online myths, revised for accuracy.

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: 03/31/13 – Happy Zombie Jesus Day

There’s something especially hideous about sentencing someone to complete surgical paralysis for a crime they committed as a juvenile a decade ago. (From a US-supported “allied” country, no less.)
(via @tomgara; RT: @ggreenwald)

Cracked has a very solid and informative piece explaining how the causes and nature of gun violence are never as simple as we make them out to be.

I am shocked, just as I assume you will be, to learn that the much-ballyhooed “college student suspended for refusing to stomp on Jesus!” story isn’t actually what the wingnuts claim it is.

And finally, while I find it odd that Google chose to celebrate Cesar Chavez over Easter, it’s hilarious how utterly incensed the Christianist-Right is getting over it. Gawd forbid a secular company not celebrate their cherished religious holiday!

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Daily Blend: Friday, December 14, 2012

Laurie Penny

My sincerest wishes for any Connecticut readers and their families’ safety.

The Onion voices my thoughts on today’s horrors. (But remember, folks: NOW IS TOTALLY NOT THE TIME TO TALK ABOUT GUNS NO NEVER.)

Meanwhile, noted policy expert Vox Day proposes the “meaningful action” of banning public schools. And movie theaters, shopping centers and public rallies, of course.

I’m sure Laurie Penny ^[pictured] is just making it all up, too, ’cause we all know misogyny isn’t a real problem on the Internets. (Oldie but goodie.)
(via @BadAstronomer)

And finally, here’s a much-needed chaser for the day:

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Uganda plans to pass “kill the gays” bill as “Christmas gift”

Rebecca Kadaga

After three years of periodic delays over international outcry, it looks like Uganda’s proposed Anti-Homosexuality (“Kill the Gays”) Bill is finally on the threshold of passage thanks to mob rule:

Ugandans "are demanding it," [Speaker Rebecca Kadaga] said, reiterating a promise she made before a meeting on Friday of anti-gay activists who spoke of "the serious threat" posed by homosexuals to Uganda's children. Some Christian clerics at the meeting in the Ugandan capital, Kampala, asked the speaker to pass the law as "a Christmas gift."

"Speaker, we cannot sit back while such (a) destructive phenomenon is taking place in our nation," the activists said in a petition. "We therefore, as responsible citizens, feel duty-bound to bring this matter to your attention as the leader of Parliament ... so that lawmakers can do something to quickly address the deteriorating situation in our nation."

The anti-gay activists paraded in front of Kadaga, with parents and schoolchildren holding up signs saying homosexuality is "an abomination." The speaker then promised to consider the bill within two weeks, declaring that "the power is in our hands."

"Who are we not to do what they have told us? These people should not be begging us," Kadaga said of activists who want the bill to become law.

And before anyone asks (or believes whatever defensive spin anti-gay groups may put on their prior support for the bill), contrary to the above article’s claim, the legislation does still include the notorious “aggravated homosexuality” clause which does still guarantee that virtually anyone, gay or straight, who commits any number of “offense[s]” ranging from “living with HIV” to being the parent, guardian or caretaker of anyone accused of being gay, “shall be liable on conviction to suffer death”. Just so we’re clear.

Meanwhile, the European Parliament and several U.S. leaders have threatened to cut all aid to Uganda should the bill pass. It’s a rather deplorable state of affairs when the only conceivable way to force a regime not to murder its own people is to further starve said people.

♪ Hang the gays ’n’ suffer pridely / Falalalala la-la la la … ♫

(via Joe. My. God.)

Daily Blend: Monday, November 05, 2012

Karen Castor Dentel

New blog policy! For the sake of convenience, I henceforth reserve the right to fix any broken links in reader comments (leaving an admin’s note whenever I do so, of course). That is all.

It still bewilders me how some cultures perceive teenaged girls showing the slightest interest in boys as a greater “dishonor” than burning them to death with acid.
(via Friendly Atheist)

Stunningly hideous Republican attack ad compares Florida elementary schoolteacher and Democratic House candidate ^[pictured] to Jerry Sandusky for supporting teachers’ unions.

Shorter buzz-killing scientists: Not only is light-speed space travel impossible, it would also irradiate us to death in minutes. (Stupid hydrogen.)
(via The Daily Grail)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Ex-White House spox: Murdered teen should’ve had better father

Abdulrahman al-Awlaki

I first read this tweet about “justif[ying] killing a child by saying he should have had a better father” thinking it was a reiteration of the common anti-abortion canard that terminating a rape pregnancy meant “punishing” the child-to-be for the father’s crime. Thankfully, it was about something completely different.

Something much worse:

How does Team Obama justify killing [16-year-old U.S. citizen Abdulrahman al-Awlaki, son of deceased accused terrorist Anwar al-Awlaki]?

The answer [Robert] Gibbs gave is chilling:

ADAMSON: ...It's an American citizen that is being targeted without due process, without trial. And, he's underage. He's a minor.

GIBBS: I would suggest that you should have a far more responsible father if they are truly concerned about the well being of their children. I don't think becoming an al Qaeda jihadist terrorist is the best way to go about doing your business.

Again, note that this kid wasn't killed in the same drone strike as his father. He was hit by a drone strike elsewhere, and by the time he was killed, his father had already been dead for two weeks. Gibbs nevertheless defends the strike, not by arguing that the kid was a threat, or that killing him was an accident, but by saying that his late father irresponsibly joined al Qaeda terrorists.

Abdulrahman wasn’t a terrorist, or even an alleged sympathizer. He wasn’t on any “kill list”, nor was he accused of anything beyond setting out to find his father after having not seen him in the years since the latter went into hiding. His sole crime was that his parent had aligned himself with al-Qaeda, indicating no misbehavior or ill will on the kid’s part. He was essentially murdered because of his father’s alleged misdeeds.

And according to the former White House Press Secretary and current senior advisor to the Obama campaign, that rationale is just peachy.

At least one possible silver lining to such a staggeringly amoral pronouncement is that it’s likely to shed more public light on the story of the President’s extrajudicial murder spree, including of innocent and otherwise non-convicted U.S. citizens.

(via RT: @radleybalko)

Fail Tweets: Stupidest reactions to Colorado shooting

With a fresh tragedy on the news, you had to know it would only take so long before some idiot said something vile and baseless. We’ve already had several wingnuts make the Colorado theater shooting about the U.S.’s supposed lack of Jesus, but supposed conservative comedian Patrick Schroeder on Twitter is the (un)lucky asshole who makes today’s Fail Quote installment:

All those people that died were probably atheists. #NeedJesus

— Patrick Schroeder (@Schrotime) July 20, 2012

Ha-ha-ha! It’s funny ’cause it’s … it’s … Wait, it’s actually not funny at all. It’s fucking demented.

And upon being called out:

All these atheists on my timeline make me #smdh... some of the ppl in that theater were too young for a PG13 movie anyway. #StillNeedJesus

— Patrick Schroeder (@Schrotime) July 20, 2012

“No, no, dig up, stupid!”

Not content with limiting himself to being a slimy bigoted asshole, he’s also offensively stupid:

Libtards already using tragedy to push anti-gun agenda. Never hear them say anything when it's our troops getting shot by guns overseas.

— Patrick Schroeder (@Schrotime) July 20, 2012

Because gun violence between civilians and armed conflicts between military troops = totally the same thing. Duh.

But hey, half-bit comics aren’t the only ones making asses of themselves:

#Aurora is trending, clearly about our Kim K inspired #Aurora dress ;) Shop: celebboutique.com/aurora-white-p…

— Celeb Boutique (@celebboutique) July 20, 2012

I think my brain just squeezed out through my ear and is hiding under the couch.

---

UPDATE: 07/20/12 3:00 PM ET —

Just as I post this, Celeb Boutique retracts their tweet and apologizes for “misunderstanding” the “#Aurora” trending topic. Benefit of the doubt?

(via @VeritasKnight)

Tags: Patrick Schroeder • Celeb Boutique • Twitter • atheists • mass shootings • Aurora, CO • Aurora, CO shooting

Fundamentalist Mormons combat apostasy with animal cruelty

[source]

What happens when you take the already deranged Mormon Church, splinter off a group of hardliners who think the official LDS Church is too mainstream, place it under the leadership of a man now rotting in jail after making the FBI’s Ten Most Wanted List for serial child molestation (among other crimes), and infuse it with the characteristic fundamentalist hatred of apostasy? Pure amoral monstrosity:

A live cat was found recently half-buried in concrete, and the man who rescued the kitten believes it was a message from a pro-polygamy religious group.

The incident happened recently in Colorado City, Ariz., a major center for the Fundamentalist Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, a Mormon sect that split off in the early 20th century in order to continue the controversial practice of plural marriage.

The kitten was discovered at the home of Isaac Wyler, a former church member, who has spoken out against the church and its controversial former leader Warren Jeffs, according to AzFamily.com.

[…]

Andrew Chatwin, who, like Wyler, is a former member of the FDLS, found the cat inside one of a metal tube used to construct cement posts, according to RightThisMinute.com.

In order to rescue the cat, Chatwin had to cut the post and dig out the footing. He took the feline to an animal sanctuary in Kanab, Utah, where it died a few days later.

Chatwin, who left the FLDS 13 years ago, believes the cruel act was done by members of his former church. He claims both the threats and the animal killings have been going on for years.

And local police are undoubtedly about to appreciate the full power of the Internet’s wrath machine:

Chatwin also claims that when he reported the cruel act to Colorado City sheriffs, they didn't seem too concerned.

"[The officer] kind of chuckled and laughed a little bit and then he said that if it was up to him, he'd just throw dirt on [the cat]," Chatwin said. "And this is coming from a city marshal who's a member of the FLDS Church."

Why are polygamous groups always the ones who give the fundamentally harmless practice of polyamory such a horrible name? Talk about bullshit representation.

Oh, and there’s video of the kitten’s temporary rescue, below the fold. I’m not transcribing it.

Catholic clergy bribed accused clerical child molesters to go away

Card. Timothy Dolan

It’s just more of the same (not that it’s any less revolting):

Cardinal Timothy M. Dolan of New York authorized payments of as much as $20,000 to sexually abusive priests as an incentive for them to agree to dismissal from the priesthood when he was the archbishop of Milwaukee.

Questioned at the time about the news that one particularly notorious pedophile cleric had been given a “payoff” to leave the priesthood, Cardinal Dolan, then the archbishop, responded that such an inference was “false, preposterous and unjust.”

But a document unearthed during bankruptcy proceedings for the Archdiocese of Milwaukee and made public by victims’ advocates reveals that the archdiocese did make such payments to multiple accused priests to encourage them to seek dismissal, thereby allowing the church to remove them from the payroll.

A spokesman for the archdiocese confirmed on Wednesday that payments of as much as $20,000 were made to “a handful” of accused priests “as a motivation” not to contest being defrocked. The process, known as “laicization,” is a formal church juridical procedure that requires Vatican approval, and can take far longer if the priest objects.

I wonder, does any other organization on the planet reward members accused of raping children with cash bribes?

At any rate, that makes two scandalized squawks I’m awaiting from Bill Donohue, especially now that his BFF Dolan is under attack. Actually, I wonder whether he’s ill; it’s been nearly a whole week since Catholic groups were oppressed shown their place in Ontario, Canada and he hasn’t yet said one word about how it’s symptomatic of ever-growing anti-Catholic prejudice and whatnot.

(via Joe. My. God.)

Tags: Timothy Dolan • clerical child abuse • child molestation • Catholic Church • bribery

Daily Blend: Tuesday, May 29, 2012

Pres. Barack Obama

Nobel Peace Prize laureate and “leader of the free world” ^[pictured] declares that “all military-age males in a strike zone” are “militants” and can be slaughtered with impunity. I’ve been gradually souring on the President for a long time, but this is just sick. Even Bush & Cheney were never this brazen about their bloodlust.

Ed Brayton provides some clarification – and mild reassurance – about the recent Gallup poll about abortion rights attitudes.

Some hope for Oklahoma as the state legislature shitcans three Creationist and anti-global warming education bills.
(via @BadAstronomer)

WorldNetDaily “exclusive”: Kooks declare that “miracles” in Men in Black 3 make the case for Creationism!
(via Joe. My. God.)

Great write-up about the decline and refitting of churches in Québec, Canada.

Hannibal Lecter and Will Graham to star in upcoming TV series, while Clarice Starling gets slotted on Lifetime (blech). I am perplexed.
(via Fark)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Barack Obama • Obama administration • militants • terrorists • Gallup • pro-choice • pro-choicers • pro-abortion • anti-choice • anti-choicers • anti-abortion • anti-abortionists • pro-life • pro-lifers • Oklahoma • SB 1742 • HB 1551 • HB 2341 • Men in Black 3 • Intelligent Design • Creationism • WorldNetDaily • WND • Drew Zahn • Quebec, CA • Quiet Revolution • churches • Christianity • Catholicism • Hannibal Lecter • Will Graham • Clarice Starling • Hannibal • Clarice • Lifetime • TV series

Daily Blend: Wednesday, March 21, 2012

Trayvon “little thug ghetto monkey” Martin

Administrative: Kontactr has apparently gone belly-up, so I’ve installed a new contact form system on my Contact Me page. Also, the ever-awesome Blogger team has finally given we bloggers the ability to customize our own 404 pages, so check mine out. (I am almost unreasonably excited about it.)

European Court of Human Rights declares that gays and lesbians have no inherent right to same-sex marriage. This could spell trouble.

New Hampshire (Republican) lawmakers try – and fail – to overturn the state’s 2-year-old gay marriage law and return to civil unions.
(via @BreakingNews)

Anonymous doctor shares some rightful outrage over mandated transvaginal ultrasounds to intimidate abortion-seeking women.
(via @BadAstronomer)

The Catholic Church castrated a number of young abused Dutch boys to “help” their “homosexual tendencies”. But it happened years ago, so who cares, right, Bill?
(via @jamesmoran)

Least controversial “Atheists” bus ad ever gets rejected … again. Our mere existence really is that offensive. And hopefully, lawsuit-inspiring.

“[L]ittle thug ghetto monkey”: Fox News commenters react to Trayvon Martin ^[pictured] case. Beware.
(via ThinkProgress)

Lawmakers follow the Jack Thompson school of (stupid and irrational) thought in trying to place vague warning labels on videogames touting a bullshit “link to aggressive behavior”.

48 minutes of Itchy & Scratchy.
(via @emeraldcitycon)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: European Court of Human Rights • gay marriage • same-sex marriage • marriage equality • Europe • civil marriage • New Hampshire • David Bates • N.H. House of Representatives • transvaginal ultrasounds • rape • civil disobedience • Catholic Church • Catholicism • clerical child abuse • Netherlands • atheists • County of Lackawanna Transit System • COLTS • Justin Vacula • NEPA Freethought Society • atheist ads • Trayvon Martin • George Zimmerman • Fox News • racism • Charles Johnson • Joe Baca • Frank Wolf • violence • Itchy & Scratchy • The Simpsons

Daily Blend: Thursday, February 23, 2012

Helen Ukpabio

ImageShack has decided to stop being cool and now demands a paid subscription to remove its new limit of 500 images. As a result, some older images on this blog may go dark on March 01, but given that I use Imgur by default, things should work out smoothly anyway. Stay tuned.

Nigerian child-witch-hunter and all-around deranged monster Helen Ukpabio ^[pictured] is coming to Texas.

Judge to atheist attacked for wearing Muhammad costume: “You were being offensive, even though you fully have the right to do so, and so you deserved to be assaulted, you doofus.”

Scientific American debunks more marijuana myths: “[M]ost people suffer no ill effects from a single or occasional use of the drug.”

Don’t call out reprehensible CNN commentator Dana Loesch with her own quotes, or she might call you a child-molesting sex offender.
(via Dispatches from the Culture Wars)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Helen Ukpabio • witch-hunters • witchcraft • Marathon Deliverance • Parading Atheists of Central PA • Ernest Perce • Muhammad • Talaag Elbayomy • assault • Scientific American • marijuana • pot • Dana Loesch • Charles Johnson • defamation

Daily Blend: Friday, February 10, 2012

Hamza Kashgari

My views on the birth control mandate are simple: Religious freedom is crucial, but allowing people to seek and obtain the help they need still trumps it anyday.

The importance of free speech laws: Saudi writer ^[pictured] arrested & faces execution for benign tweets about Muhammad.
(via @radleybalko)

Surprise, surprise: Obama partially caves in to Catholic leaders over contraception rules.

Also surprising: Bill Donohue and other Christian-Rightists still aren’t happy.

Related: Jen McCreight explains why this “Catholic outrage” is complete bullshit.

Arizona does stupid again, now wants to ban educators who ever say bad words (including outside of school).
(via The Agitator)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Hamza Kashgari • Saudi Arabia • Sharia Law • blasphemy laws • blasphemy • Nasser al Omar • Catholics • Catholicism • contraception • birth control • Obama administration • Bill Donohue • Catholic League • Christian-Right • Donald Wuerl • William Lori • Anthony Picarello • US Conference of Catholic Bishops • USCCB • CPAC • Jordan Sekulow • American Center for Law and Justice • ACLJ • Jennifer McCreight • Blag Hag • Arizona • Arizona Senate • teachers • professors • bad language

Wisconsin archdiocese hearing uncovers 8,000 abuse cases

Eight-fucking-thousand:

Sealed documents filed in the Archdiocese of Milwaukee bankruptcy identify at least 8,000 instances of child sexual abuse and 100 alleged offenders - 75 of them priests - who have not previously been named by the archdiocese, a victims' attorney said Thursday.

Archdiocese spokeswoman Julie Wolf said she did not have enough information to respond to the assertion, made by attorney Jeffrey Anderson during a pivotal hearing before U.S. Bankruptcy Judge Susan V. Kelley. Anderson represents about 350 of the 570 victim-survivors who have filed claims in the case.

But Peter Isely of the Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests speculated that some are likely members of religious orders, such as Capuchins or Franciscans. Order officials do not typically make public the names of their accused members, and the archdiocese claims it is not responsible for them, though they have historically helped to staff its parishes and schools.

"This is a public safety crisis, a child safety crisis that needs to be investigated," Isely said at a news conference on the federal courthouse steps, surrounded by fellow survivors and reporters.

"We need to know who they are and where they are. How can there be 8,000 crimes committed by over 100 offenders and there be no accountability?" he said.

Well, it certainly helps when you’ve got a bunch of blowhards like Bill Donohue braying about how this is all teh gheys’ fault and happened years ago so it doesn’t even matter anymore, anyway. Speaking of which, how come we haven’t heard his excuses yet? He’s usually on these stories faster than a priest on altar boys.

(via Joe. My. God.)

Tags: Archdiocese of Milwaukee • clerical child abuse • Survivors Network of Those Abused by Priests • SNAP • Bill Donohue • Catholic League • child molestation

Daily Blend: Sunday, February 05, 2012

Saeed Malekpour

1) Canadian-born man develops photo uploading software. 2) Porn site uses said software without man’s knowledge. 3) Iran accuses man of making porn sites and sentences him to death. 4) Iran court quashes execution after human rights outrage. 5) Iranian supreme court reinstates death sentence.
(via The Agitator)

War on Terror arrives in Canada: Québec Muslim accused of terrorism after encouraging work colleagues to “blow away” the competition.
(via @radleybalko)

I somehow neglected to link to this lengthy, detailed and utterly heartbreaking exposé on the war waged by Rep. Michele Bachmann’s (R-MN) district of Anoka, MN against gay teens, who are killing themselves in droves amidst endless fundagelical-fueled homophobia.

Money-charging French mapmaker has court fine Google for “anti-competitive” Google Maps (ie. because it’s free).
(via The Agitator)

Awesomely awesome interactive map of the entire known universe. (Includes Minecraft for extra geek cred.)
(via @jooon)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Saeed Malekpour • Iran • War on Terror • Muslims • Canada • Quebec, CA • gay teens • gays • homophobia • teen suicides • Anoka, MN • Anoka-Hennepin school district • Michele Bachmann • Christians • Evangelical Christians • Evangelicals • France • Bottin Cartographes • Google • Google Maps • universe • Minecraft

Pastor destroys children’s belief in Heaven through kittycide

Moody the cat

Pastor Rick Bartlett of the Bastrop Christian Church in Texas is in a spot of trouble. It all started when he caught what he believed was one of those feral cats he’d been having problems with:

Rick Bartlett, pastor of the Bastrop Christian Church, is facing animal cruelty charges. Bastrop Police Chief Michael Black said Bartlett admitted that he caught the cat, named Moody, in a trap on Sunday, Jan. 15. Bartlett told them that he was having a problem with feral cats in his garden.

Moody ^[sic] also told police that he had the cat in a cage in the back of his pick-up truck for three days and forgot about him until Tuesday, Jan. 17., when Bartlett brought the cat to police. An animal control officer noticed a name tag including the phone number of Moody’s owners, Sarah and Eddy Bell, on the cat's collar.

Okay, so he was negligent, but he ended up doing the right thing and dropped kitty off with its owners, right? Happy ending?

Oh, wait:

The officer offered to take Moody back to his owners but police said Bartlett told them he’d take the cat back himself since they were his neighbors.

Later on the same day, a park visitor discovered Moody’s near lifeless body on the bank of the Colorado River, some 40-50 feet below a bridge.

[…]

Moody was Sarah and Eddy Bell's cat for 11 years. They are having a difficult time understanding what happened to the beloved member of their family. Trying to explain his death to their five-year old daughter has proved challenging.

“She also asked me where Moody is now and I said, 'Baby he's in Heaven,'" said Sarah. "She knows the man who did this is a pastor at the Bastrop Christian Church and she said, 'I don't believe in Heaven anymore, Moody's just dead.'”

Score another one for that superior, God-given Christian morality we’re always hearing about.

As a grim silver lining, though, we now have a sure-fire way to get young children to stop believing in religious fairy tales: Just show them what these so-called holy leaders are really capable of.

Edit (01/26/12 11:50 PM ET) – Thanks to Skwiver for pointing out something I’d missed. Fixed.

(via Pharyngula)

Tags: Rick Bartlett • Bastrop Christian Church • Moody • Sarah Bell • Eddy Bell • Heaven • pastors

Fail Quote: DEA chief spins hundreds of dead children as sign of victory in Drug War

Michele Leonhart

In case you wanted more proof of the utter amorality that’s leading the endless and entirely pointless bloodbath that is the War on Drugs, look no further than the head of the DEA herself, Michele Leonhart, as she offers this astounding reaction to the news that children are becoming increasingly targeted in the ever-escalating violence between cartels:

U.S. and Mexican officials say the grotesque violence is a symptom the cartels have been wounded by police and soldiers. “It may seem contradictory, but the unfortunate level of violence is a sign of success in the fight against drugs,” said Michele Leonhart, head of the Drug Enforcement Administration. The cartels “are like caged animals, attacking one another,” she added.

In other words: “I know this sounds completely fucking demented, but hundreds of children being butchered actually means we’re winning! For real this time! No, seriously!”

These drug warriors – Leonhart being a stellar example – are always coming up with new ways to spin butchery and inhumanity into a sign that the authorities are getting ever-so-closer to finally winning the Drug War. Of course, the grisly truth, as is obvious to anyone with their head not stuck up their ass, is that there can be no victory in such a barbaric conflict. The reason is abundantly simple: The primary enemy is not so much a clear or singular opponent, such as the cartels in themselves, but rather the desperation and greed that fuel them. In other words, these drug prohibitionists are effectively fighting against human nature in itself. This is why no prohibition has ever worked in the course of human history, and nor will it, no matter how far either side goes in their quest for supremacy.

One of the core lessons in life is never to attack the symptom(s), but the root cause(s) of a problem. Drug prohibitionists, in their mule-headed zeal and ignorance, are apparently content to keep squeezing the cartels, either not knowing or caring that they can never win, that the war will never end, and that the only outcome of increased pressure is increased casualties amongst the innocents. The only way to end the violence is, evidently enough, to end the war. Should that ever happen, the results would undeniably be remarkably similar to what the U.S. experienced soon after the 5^th of December 1933. It’s simple and evident logic, and history is not short on examples that demonstrate this with indisputable clarity.

At the very least, we would do well to prevent abject ghouls such as Michele Leonhart from being placed in charge of anything regarding public policy.

(via @radleybalko)

Tags: Michele Leonhart • War on Drugs • Drug War • DEA • Drug Enforcement Administration • drug cartels

Daily Blend: Thursday, November 17, 2011

Mass Mohawk child grave uncovered in Canada

All the donairs to Veritas for helping me get Freethought Blogs to work for me again. (*shakes fist at hosts file*)

• WTF: Did the Vatican and the Queen of England really condone the torture and murder of Canadian Mohawk children ^[pictured]? Not sure whether to take this report seriously or not.
  (via Diaphanitas)

• Vets petition feds to allow medicinal marijuana for PTSD treatment. If even cancer patients don’t get leniency, what hope do they have?
  (via The Agitator)

• PZ Myers dismantles the notion that science can only explain “how” and religion, “why”.

• Fox News’s take on Occupy Wall Street: “Eww, poor people! Gross! (And could turn violent anytime now!)”
  (via @mmfa)

• Some girl with a blog explains why gay marriage should, like, never be legalized and stuff.
  (via Rob F)

• Bruce Wayne’s annual physical report.
  (via The Agitator)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: Mohawk people • Mohawk Institute • Church of England • Vatican • Queen Elizabeth • Joseph Ratzinger • Benedict XVI • medicinal marijuana • medical pot • Ryan Begin • war veterans • PTSD • Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder • PZ Myers • Michael Voris • Alex Pareene • Fox News • OWS • Occupy Wall Street • thegirlwiththeblog • gay marriage • LGBT marriage • same-sex marriage • Bruce Wayne • Batman • The League of Ordinary Gentlemen

Daily Blend: Tuesday, October 18, 2011

James O’Keefe

• More Christian pastors arrested for being utterly predictable at this point.

• Investigation: California private detective busted men on bogus DUI charges on behest of ex-wives and lawyers.
  (via @radleybalko)

• California Medical Association calls for marijuana legalization while a new Gallup poll indicates a majority of Americans now favor it.
  (via The Agitator)

• Breitbart School of Assclownery alumnus James O’Keefe ^[pictured] is still at it.
  (via @radleybalko)

If you have any story suggestions, feel free to leave them in the comments or send them in.

Tags: child molestation • pastors • Francisco Hernandez • Joe Cheater • Christopher Butler • DUI • California Medical Association • marijuana • pot • Gallup • James O'Keefe • Economic Policy Institute • EPI • Project Veritas