OVO

Trevor Blake: U. S. Senator David Vitter [LINK-ZUM]

2000: Asked by an interviewer [...] whether she could forgive her husband if she learned he'd had an extramarital affair, as Hillary Clinton and Bob Livingston's wife had done, Wendy Vitter told the Times-Picayune: "I'm a lot more like Lorena Bobbitt than Hillary. If he does something like that, I'm walking away with one thing, and it's not alimony, trust me."

2004: "This is a real outrage. The Hollywood left is redefining the most basic institution in human history, and our two U.S. Senators won't do anything about it. We need a U.S. Senator who will stand up for Louisiana values, not Massachusetts' values. I am the only Senate Candidate to coauthor the Federal Marriage Amendment; the only one fighting for its passage. I am the only candidate proposing changes to the senate rules to stop liberal obstructionists from preventing an up or down vote on issues like this, judges, energy, and on and on." - Vitter Statement on Protecting the Sanctity of Marriage.

2004: On WSMB radio last Saturday, a caller who identified himself as Elwood asked Vitter about charges, made by a member of the Louisiana Republican State Central Committee in the Weekly that the then-State Representative, had had an affair with a known prostitute in the French Quarter. Elwood continued, "Would you be willing to sign an affidavit that you have ever known, met or had relations with one Wendy Cortez." Vitter responded, "I think you know that that allegation is absolutely and completely untrue... I have said that on numerous occasions... I'll say that in any forum... Unfortunately, that's just crass Louisiana politics, now that I am running for the Senate. I have made that clear that it is all completely untrue... And, it's obviously politically motivated."

June 25, 2007: U.S. Sen. David Vitter last week authored a letter to the chairman and ranking member of the U.S. Senate Finance Committee expressing support for reauthorization of the Title V Abstinence Education Program of the Social Security Act. Twelve senators joined Vitter in writing in support of the program. "This a valuable program with proven results, but it is nearing its expiration. We must reauthorize this program so we can continue the incredible strides we have made in teaching teens about both risk avoidance and protecting themselves from potential abuse," Vitter said.

July 9, 2007: Sen. David Vitter, R-La., apologized Monday night for "a very serious sin in my past" after his telephone number appeared among those associated with an escort service operated by the so-called "D.C. Madam.'' Vitter's spokesman, Joel Digrado, confirmed the statement in an email sent to The Associated Press. "This was a very serious sin in my past for which I am, of course, completely responsible," Vitter said in the statement. "Several years ago, I asked for and received forgiveness from God and my wife in confession and marriage counselling. Out of respect for my family, I will keep my discussion of the matter there – with God and them. But I certainly offer my deep and sincere apologies to all I have disappointed and let down in any way.''

Deuteronomy 23:1 "He that is wounded in the stones, or hath his privy member cut off, shall not enter into the congregation of the LORD."

July 10, 2007: All of the above posted to American Samizdat, with thanks to Metafilter for the heavy lifting. At the time I also wrote: "Unlike Sen. Vitter, I consider consenting sexual relations to be a private affair among adults and not something the government should regulate. I also support sex education, unlike Sen. Vitter. Sen. Vitter hides behind the Bible both in his lies and in his laws. I, an atheist, have never had an affair (unlike Sen. Vitter, I'm not lying when I say that). I wish Sen. Vitter and his family the best in what I'm sure will be hard times ahead. But I hope that they re-consider the virtues of a religion that neither prevents nor heals wounds such as this. I also hope his voters won't be so easily tricked next time someone waves a cross at them come election time."

September 22, 2007: Sen. David Vitter, R-La., earmarked $100,000 in a spending bill for a Louisiana Christian group that has challenged the teaching of Darwinian evolution in the public school system and to which he has political ties. The money is included in the labor, health and education financing bill for fiscal 2008 and specifies payment to the Louisiana Family Forum "to develop a plan to promote better science education."

[I guess the voters of Louisiana haven't learned anything yet about Sen. Vitter. They might do well to read the ongoing reporting at Your Right Hand Thief and Daily Kingfish. - Trevor Blake]

Labels: christianity, creationism, sex, theocracy

Albert Mohler: Is Your Baby Gay? What If You Could Know? What If You Could Do Something About It? [LINK-ZUM]

What if you could know that your unborn baby boy is likely to be sexually attracted to other boys? Beyond that, what if hormonal treatments could change the baby's orientation to heterosexual? Would you do it? Some scientists believe that such developments are just around the corner. [...] If a biological basis is found, and if a prenatal test is then developed, and if a successful treatment to reverse the sexual orientation to heterosexual is ever developed, we would support its use as we should unapologetically support the use of any appropriate means to avoid sexual temptation and the inevitable effects of sin.

[Article continues at link. Let's consider Dr. Mohler's claims. He claims Hinuism, Buddhism and Marxism are satanic (Catholics, too), and he claims that atheism is a religion. He claims "intelligent design" is a scientific theory. Dr. Mohler claims the North won the US Civil War because they were Christians (but, uh, weren't the South Christians too? And isn't the Bible just queer for slavery?) He is also way against torture except sometimes. So for sure and for real this guy has the high ground when it comes to morals and facts, and oh thank heaven he and his kind have the ear of the Bush administration. American Samizdat, March 9 2007 - Trevor Blake]

Labels: buddhism, christianity, creationism, fascism, hindu, sex, slavery, socialism

Trevor Blake: What We're Up Against [LINK-ZUM]

Between February 6-10, 2004, ABC News polled 1,011 people (yielding a margin of error of 3). Sixty percent of those asked believed that the story of Noah and the ark literally occurred word for word as described in the Bible. Sixty one percent believed that the Earth came into existence in six literal days. Sixty four percent believed that the Red Sea parted upon the command of Moses. People apparently believe all kinds of lies as long as they are packaged in the name of religion. The level of basic monkey common sense that must be cast aside to hold these beliefs is unfathomable. Believe those whoppers and you'll believe anything. How did it happen that most people in the United States supported the war in Iraq? Because most people, God bless their souls, believe stupid shit that isn't even worthy of fairy tale status.

[American Samizdat, September 9 2004. - Trevor Blake]

Labels: christianity, creationism

Trevor Blake: Evolution and Those Who Prefer Not to Evolve [LINK-ZUM]

From Gallup: "Only about a third of Americans believe that Charles Darwin's theory of evolution is a scientific theory that has been well supported by the evidence, while just as many say that it is just one of many theories and has not been supported by the evidence. The rest say they don't know enough to say. Forty-five percent of Americans also believe that God created human beings pretty much in their present form about 10,000 years ago. A third of Americans are biblical literalists who believe that the Bible is the actual word of God and is to be taken literally, word for word."

If you are inspired to change these sad statistics, here's a tool box for you: Talk Origins, Skeptics Annotated Bible, Raving Atheist, Religious News Blog, American Samizdat, Internet Infidels, God is for Suckers, James Randi Educational Foundation, Free Inquiry, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. This atheist hopes to see you down here in the foxholes soon, tovarish.

[American Samizdat, November 27 2004. - Trevor Blake]

Labels: atheist, creationism, science

John Allen Paulos: Math: Gift from God or Work of Man? [LINK-ZUM]

School begins again, and we read more about the intrusion of pseudoscience into school science curricula in this country, particularly into the study of biology and evolution. [...] Consider first a Baptist school in Texas whose description of a geometry course begins:

"Students will examine the nature of God as they progress in their understanding of mathematics. Students will understand the absolute consistency of mathematical principles and know that God was the inventor of that consistency. They will see God's nature revealed in the order and precision they review foundational concepts while being able to demonstrate geometric thinking and spatial reasoning. The study of the basics of geometry through making and testing conjectures regarding mathematical and real-world patterns will allow the students to understand the absolute consistency of God as seen in the geometric principles he created."

[I suggest this is not a credible school and no child should go there. This seems to be the same church that WorldWide Religious News claimed bought six residential properties to demolish for more parking for their 17,000 members. When the city prevented their plans, the Church claimed the city was waging a "campaign against places of worship." It is progress that divine right is now largely manifested in court rooms and parking lots rather than fields of war. I encourage more progress, namely abandoning any claims to divine right by any person or group. - Trevor Blake]

Labels: christianity, creationism

unreason tags 1 [LINK-ZUM]

B12 aa anarchism creationism eugenics fascism fight homeopathy landmark luddite

Labels: aa, anarchism, B12, creationism, eugenics, fascism, fight, homeopathy, landmark, luddite

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