Hemant Mehta's Blog, page 1839

Catholic Journalist Paints a Bleak Picture of the Church’s Decline in Popularity, but Knows Just How To Fix It

For years now, Catholic conservative journalist and former Fox producer Michael Voris has been fighting for a purer, holier, less inclusive Church – urging his fellow believers to identify

“… a heretical nun or a traitorous priest or bishop when they see one – not so they can vote them out of office, but so they can pray for them, one, and alert as many other Catholics as possible to their treachery.”

By traitors and heretics, Voris seems to mean people who don’t agree with his fundamentalist views of Catholic doctrine.

But when you narrow the definition of what it means to be a Catholic, guess what you get? Fewer Catholics, that’s what.

So it’s kinda funny to listen to Voris give a talk at the Canadian Christian College in Toronto, and hear him sound the alarm over how Catholics, in countries where they once wielded real power by numbers, are abandoning the pews in droves. He never seems to connect the holier-than-thou activism of hardliners like himself to that steady exodus.

The fun starts at 42:40, when he talks about parish closures.

“Everywhere we see shrinking. Everywhere we see retreat. … These are horrible, critical situations. Crisis times!”

Or times for rejoicing, if you’re an atheist. Excuse the Schadenfreude.

“These things are happening all over the world. A kind of heartstopping smack-across-the-face statistic is that in the Netherlands, there are 16 million people. 4.1 million are Catholic, baptized Catholic, so roughly 25 percent of the population (500 years ago it was 100% of the population, thank you Protestant Reformation or Protestant revolt). So you have 25 percent that’s Catholic. Four million, one hundred thousand baptized Catholics on the rolls. Of the four million one hundred thousand, one hundred thousand go to mass. Two percent. And most of that two percent — ’cause we’ve been there, sat in the churches and looked — either have white hair or no hair.

What will that be in 10 years?”

Voris no doubt suspects the answer (“On the grand scale, humanly speaking, it can’t be fixed”), but of course he must put a rah-rah spin on things. So we hear that, to turn the tide, God is in need of Catholics who will go out and proselytize. Remember, says Voris: What’s at stake is “an eternity in hell.” So it’s Catholics’ holy duty to tell others about what awaits them, all the more because

“Every single person we talk to has within themselves, even if it’s just the smallest measure possible, they have within themselves the truth, because they come from God, they were created from the hand of God, and they have that spark of the divine light within them. However much it’s besmirched, and smudged over, and unrecognizable, it’s there and you never know what you say, how that may correspond to them.”

Now how’s this for a sales pitch?

“This is going to cost you. You all know it. You open your mouth and the Human Rights Commission, right [sneering, mimicking] ‘Well, they don’t like people who are gay, so we’re going to take away their house.’ You don’t need a house in heaven, you’ve got a mansion waiting for you. Maybe they’ll put you in jail. Well, St. Paul was in jail, you got good company.”

Wait… So being a moralizing Catholic might mean the government will seize your home and imprison you? For real?

Apart from this always unattractive fetishization of Christians’ own imagined future suffering, what’s bizarre is how unsuccessful badgering other people with one’s faith will most likely be. Proselytizers must find that for every person who shows a glimmer of interest in their bleatings, there are many more who are thoroughly put off by self-styled freelance preachers. Pester non-Catholics enough, and their attitudes towards the Church will only harden.

Voris asks where the Church will be in ten years. I have a decent hunch. The Catholic faith may grow in African countries and some other places, but it should be impossible to restore to its former glory in the nations whose ostensible spiritual decline he cites — the United States and the Netherlands.

And on the off-chance that Catholicism does make something of a comeback, it will probably be thanks to Pope Francis’ exemplary PR offensive, and despite hotheads like Voris who like to point fingers and yell “Heretic!” and “Sinner!” at Catholics and heathens alike.

Atheist Sues Arkansas County and Judge After Courthouse Creche Approved (Again) but Humanist Banner Rejected

This was the scene in front of the Baxter County Courthouse in Mountain Home, Arkansas last year:

It’s a giant Nativity display, with what appears to be Santa Claus and a Christmas tree thrown in for good measure.

By now, we all know the rules for how this works: You can’t *just* promote Christianity with your holiday displays on government property. Either other groups can put up displays or no one gets to. And that’s exactly what the Appignani Humanist Legal Center said to County Judge Mickey Pendergrass in a letter sent last year:

… the elaborate courthouse display amounts to a monument to Christianity, and is therefore a clear violation of the Establishment Clause. We hereby demand that the county promptly remove it and provide assurances that no similar display will be erected in the future.

There was another alternative, though. A local resident asked to put up a “Happy Winter Solstice” banner, which you’d think would be allowed provided that person went through the proper channels… but it was rejected by the judge:

The judge said he rejected a citizen request for the display of a “Happy Winter Solstice” banner on the courthouse grounds because he believed making the courthouse available for any and all requests for occasional exhibits would result in “hundreds” of displays.

Yes… Yes it would. That’s exactly how this works.

But Pendergrass wasn’t having any of it:

Pendergrass said… he will take no action in response to the letter without consultation from legal representatives for the county and the Association of Arkansas Counties. He said Baxter County is apparently among a declining number of counties that permit nativity scene displays on publicly-owned property.

He said that last part as if it were a bad thing… and what does he think the lawyers are going to tell him? To ignore the Constitution? To give them a high-five in the name of Jesus?

He never responded to the AHA’s letter.

But last month, Baxter County decided to lease out the “North West Corner of Baxter County Courthouse” to the Mountain Home Chamber of Commerce for a buck. And guess what? On that corner, there’s another Nativity scene. And the lease only lasts two months, through January 15.

Isn’t that convenient…?

JT Eberhard also points out that there have indeed been other banners on the courthouse lawn over the past year:

So when County Judge Pendergrass said “no banners”, what he meant was no banners for those wishing people a happy something that isn’t Christmas.

Now, the American Humanist Association has filed a lawsuit against the judge and the county. Dessa Blackthorn is the local plaintiff:

“I’ve been asked by a group of people, who wish to remain anonymous, to represent them in trying to fight for equality on this courthouse property,” Blackthorn told The Bulletin.

…

“Now, people are getting involved in trying to take care of this matter and, hopefully, you know, maybe next year we’ll be able to see the Happy Winter Solstice banner on this corner,” Blackthorn said. “Maybe not this corner, but perhaps that corner. There are four corners, and everybody can share this.”

She contends the issue is about equality. “Nobody wants to take anything away from anybody,” Blackthorn said. “We want everybody to be able to represent themselves and show what they believe during this holiday season, because December has a lot of different holidays. … Let’s all show what we believe here.”

That’s a damn brave thing to do, representing other atheists who may not want to go public about this issue out of fear of retaliation.

Pendergrass has no business being a judge when his own judgment is so impaired by his faith. This whole case is just proof of that.

The lawsuit won’t be resolved in the next day or two, but a victory could set the stage for future displays. It’s just unfortunate it takes this much work to convince government officials to do the right thing. We can’t trust them to do it on their own.

(via WWJTD. Portions of this post were published earlier)

It’s the Action-Packed Nativity Scene You’ve Been Waiting For

Hope you all got that Nativity Battle Force kit you wanted for Christmas!

This sketch was cut from the most recent episode of Saturday Night live because of time constraints. They’ve been leaving some good material on the cutting room floor lately…

A Secular Song for Christmas

“White Wine in the Sun” is one of Tim Minchin‘s best songs and there’s no better time to post it than today:

There’s Now Footage of the “Catholic Warrior” Walking Off With The Satanic Temple’s Display in the Florida Capitol

The other day, we learned that The Satanic Temple’s display in the Florida State Capitol Building had been vandalized.

We now know it was Susan Hemeryck, a 54-year-old Tea Party activist who wore a shirt with the phrase “Catholic Warrior” on it.

Susan Hemeryck (via Leon County Sheriff’s Office)

[Hemeryck] had only one regret about Tuesday’s incident.

‘I just yanked that little devil off the fishing line,’ she said. ‘I should have just done a better job and finished it off for good.’

Security camera footage of Hemeryck walking out with the display is now available online:

You can see her literally trying to take the destroyed display out of the building until security guards stop her near the exit. It’s a fairly calm video, but a disturbing one nonetheless because it suggests the ease of which these displays can be destroyed.

No word yet on what her punishment will be.

Franklin County (Indiana) Officials Will Take Down Courthouse Nativity Scene Sooner Than Expected

A couple of weeks ago, I mentioned that there was a Nativity Scene in Brookville, Indiana that had been up for over 50 years, despite warning letters (over the course of several years) from the Freedom From Religion Foundation to take it down.

But what you need to know is that the display is owned by the Town of Brookville and sits on the grounds of the Franklin County Courthouse.

Last week, after years of politely asking local officials to take care of this matter and nothing changing, FFRF filed a federal lawsuit against the county:

After receiving complaints by local residents, FFRF first contacted Franklin County about its unconstitutional nativity in 2010. That year the nativity scene was erected at the foot of the flag pole. FFRF renewed complaints in 2011 and 2013. The county refused to take down the religious scene, moving it closer to the courthouse entrance in 2011. Community members have held annual rallies around it, where a commissioner was quoted this year as saying, “The atheists and the liberals are taking over our country.”

…

“There are ample private and church grounds where religious displays may be freely placed, said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “Once Franklin County enters into the religion business, conferring endorsement and preference for one religion over others, it strikes a blow at religious liberty, forcing citizens of all faiths and of no religion to support a particular expression of religion.”

It appears to have already had an effect on the county. They’ll be taking down the display the day after Christmas:

The devotional Christian nativity scene on the Franklin County, Ind., courthouse lawn will come down this Friday, Dec. 26, instead of staying up through at least mid-January as it typically has for 50 previous years. The early removal comes pursuant to an agreement between the Freedom From Religion Foundation and the county, which it is suing. The county added a disclaimer to the nativity display for what appears to be the first time in the nativity scene’s 50-year history.

…

Given the short deadline before Christmas, it seemed unlikely FFRF could have gotten a ruling on its preliminary injunction motion for immediate removal of the nativity scene, so FFRF agreed to drop the injunction motion in exchange for the nativity’s prompt removal.

The lawsuit, of course, is still is motion.

(Portions of this article were posted earlier)

If Christmas Cheer Isn’t Your Thing, You’ll Love This Song

During last week’s Christmas Compendium of Reason in London, Monty Python’s Eric Idle gave a stirring rendition of his classic song “Fuck Christmas” (completely NSFW language… which is kind of the point):

TLC to Debut Show About Gay Mormon Men Married to Women

The Learning Channel, which has already brought us such gems as the homophobic Duggars (of 19 Kids and Counting), is set to debut another show about religious folks who think homosexuality is a grave sin. The twist? The stars are gay.

At least, “gay” in the usual sense of the word — being naturally attracted to members of the same sex.

But since they follow Mormon teaching on the topic, the men believe that they must marry women and live as straight men. Which, they acknowledge, doesn’t remove same sex attraction.

The preview is short, but troubling, as it depicts a group of people forcing themselves to conform to someone else’s ideals of what their lives should be, despite their feelings to the contrary. The presentation in the trailer seems to go for a humorous, light-hearted vibe, with lines like the following (from one of the wives):

I get a little defensive when someone calls my husband gay.

Another participant notes that

I like to say I’ve chosen an alternative to an alternative lifestyle.

But there’s only one quick mention of the damaging theology beneath this, and it’s just a passing reference:

The whole act is against the teachings of the gospel.

The reality is that teaching people to loathe themselves, and guilt-tripping them into living a life that likely isn’t their first choice, is downright harmful. And there’s nothing funny about that.

(via Jezebel)

When an Engagement Ring Goes Missing, an Atheist Comes to the Rescue

Last week, Hayley Plack realizes her 1.1-carat engagement ring was no longer on her finger and (as you can imagine) began freaking out. Her fiancé, Andrew Frank, didn’t have any leads. So they began retracing her steps:

Desperate, he and Plack searched their trash, picking through wet coffee filters and rotten lettuce. They re-rode her bus route and got a number for the people who clean the vehicles. At the metro station, they found the manager.

As riders walked past, Plack broke down.

“I’ll pray for you. Keep your faith in God,” the manager told them. “Let’s hope a godly person finds it.”

A godly person didn’t find it.

But it turns out an atheist did:

[Siranjan] Kulatilake, who describes himself as an atheist, returned to his apartment and examined the ring.

“What do I do with this?” he wondered. “It’s obviously precious to someone.”

How he found the ring’s owner, and how they dealt with the reward money, just makes for a wonderful story. Read the whole thing here.

Makes your heart grow three sizes bigger, doesn’t it?

(Image via Shutterstock)

Atheist Banner in Front of Georgia Courthouse Gets Torn Down

Yesterday, I posted about the Nativity scene in front of the Bulloch County Courthouse in Statesboro, Georgia. The Freedom From Religion Foundation had successfully put up a non-religious banner next to it a few days ago:

It didn’t take long for that banner to be torn down:

“It seems there is no peace, good will to all in Bulloch County,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor. “This is not just a heckler’s veto, it’s an attack on free speech in a public forum that is supposed to be open to all. This vandalism says the courthouse belongs only to Christians — everyone else is an outsider.”

There’s no sign of who did this, but the banner is back up now thanks to a local FFRF member.