Hemant Mehta's Blog, page 1891

On The Good Wife, an Atheist Running for Political Office Tries to Shy Away from the Label

Early last year, on The Good Wife, Julianna Margulies‘ character Alicia Florrick outed herself as an atheist.

That’s coming back to bite her in the ass now that she’s running for State’s Attorney. On last night’s episode, her campaign manager, who knows how much atheism is a political liability, urged her to walk it back… it led to some all-too-real conversations about the difficulties of being openly non-theistic while running for public office.

Two scenes in particular stood out: One, when Florrick was trying to prepare for an interview with a popular pastor and asked her (religious) daughter Grace for advice on what to do:

Julianna Margulies (left) and Makenzie Vega

Grace: Are you gonna say that you believe in God?

Alicia: No.

Grace: Are you gonna say that you’re an atheist?

Alicia: No…

Grace: What are you gonna say?

Alicia: I don’t know. That I think I’m struggling with it?

Grace: Are you?

Alicia: No… Maybe. I don’t know.

Grace: [Laughs] Need some help with that?

Alicia: I can’t believe in God, Grace.

Grace: I know… why not?

Alicia: I don’t feel it the way you do. I don’t feel the need.

Grace: Then what’s the struggle?

Alicia: … Politics.

Grace: … K.

The second scene was the actual interview. Turns out the ambiguity of her answers did her wonders:

Pastor Jeremiah: And now, turning to God.

Alicia: [Laughs] Uh-oh…

Pastor Jeremiah: Why do you say uh-oh?

Alicia: I think you’re preparing to pull a quote from my past…?

…

Pastor Jeremiah: Well, [as] a matter of fact, two years ago, you went on the record and declared that you were an atheist. Now, do you still believe that?

Alicia: Do I believe that I’m an atheist?

Pastor Jeremiah: Well, you were quite insistent at the time…

Alicia: [Laughs] That sounds like me. My life has gone through a lot of changes over the years.

Pastor Jeremiah: You’re speaking of the scandal?

Alicia: Yes, and everything. If you had asked me six years ago where I would be today, it would not be running for State’s Attorney.

Pastor Jeremiah: Yes, life is humbling.

Alicia: It is that. And with each passing month, I find my dogmatism decreasing.

Pastor Jeremiah: I don’t understand.

Alicia: Well, I can’t say for certain that God doesn’t exist.

…

Pastor Jeremiah: So you’re not not an atheist?

Alicia: Sorry, that’s my inner lawyer coming out. I’m listening. If it’s one thing I hate, it’s when people don’t listen. So I’m open.

Pastor Jeremiah: … to people who talk about God?

Alicia: Yes. Recently, I have looked for answers outside of myself.

It’s a lot of circling around the truth to make herself more acceptable to the public — and it worked. The reaction to her interview was pretty positive, though as the episode progressed, you could sense that this wasn’t the last time her religious beliefs would be brought up.

Alex Kritselis at Bustle writes about how Florrick is trying her best to be honest about her beliefs… but not completely honest:

… Being honest about her atheism might not be a “smart” political move, but in some ways, Alicia really is “St. Alicia” — she’s just not comfortable lying about this sort of thing. Well, not yet, anyway. Maybe that will change if she ends up winning the election and spends a couple of years immersed in the corrupt Chicago political scene…

Scripted television or not, it’s nice to see a character who admits to being an atheist and knows damn well she’s not going to “find God” anytime soon. Though I wish she didn’t equate atheism with dogmatism in her interview, it wasn’t exactly unexpected. It’d be fascinating to see her character get elected as a prelude to her coming clean about what she really thinks about faith.

Lay Off on the Sikh Student Allowed to Bring a Knife Into His School

It’s always interesting to see how quickly religious rights go out the window when we’re talking about people who aren’t in the majority.

Those in the Sikh faith must carry a Kirpan (below), a small knife, at all times. In some school districts, they’ve made exceptions for these potential weapons by saying they had to be sewn into the clothes in an inaccessible way. But since it’s part of the faith, if they were to be banned, that would likely mean an end to all religious symbols (including cross necklaces), so most districts have had to figure out a way to toe the line between respecting religious symbols and defending zero-tolerance policies against weapons.

That’s the basis for a controversy in Auburn, Washington, where district officials have given an elementary school student from a Sikh family the green light to wear a Kirpan in the classroom:

District administrators are citing state and federal guidelines that allow certain exceptions to Washington’s “zero tolerance” for weapons policy.

They say there are plenty of Sikhs, both students and staff, who have carried Kirpans to school for years without incident.

In this case, the knife is to be kept under the child’s clothes at all times.

“The knife can’t come out. It can’t be shown around. It needs to be underneath their clothing,” said Auburn Assistant Superintendent of Schools Ryan Foster. “That allows them to express their religion without jeopardizing anyone’s feeling of safety. If there are any problems, we will take it to the family, but we don’t expect any.”

Just to reiterate, the Kirpan is never to be used as a weapon. In fact, it’s offensive to Sikhs to refer to it as such. If they ever hurt someone with it, they would likely be ostracized from the community and be considered an apostate.

It’s one of those religious privileges that scares people who don’t understand it. Outsiders see the Kirpan as a weapon while the Sikh faithful see it as a symbol of their faith and no more. When one person in the district says her safety is compromised, it’s because she thinks of it as a tool to hurt people, first and foremost, and that’s where her ignorance comes into play.

If anyone is scared, not of the Sikhs, but of the weapons being stolen and used to hurt people, keep in mind that there are plenty of potential weapons in schools that no one worries about because they expect them to be used properly — compasses, scissors, knives in art classes, etc. I don’t see why this would be any different. There are no instances, as far as I can tell, of school stabbings by Sikhs; if there was one, we’d be having a very different conversation.

Plus, the district would likely lose a lawsuit if they banned the Kirpan. So from their perspective, this seems like the best move.

Jerry Coyne disagrees, but he falls into the same trap as the others who don’t understand the symbol’s purpose:

Once again religion gets unwarranted privileges. Sikhs get to carry weapons in schools; members of other faiths can’t. The school district should enforce its regulation for everyone.

…

What makes this especially galling to nonbelievers (besides the failure of the government to treat people equitably) is that this dagger is being carried in the name of false beliefs. Regardless, even if, as some Sikhs maintain, “we are a peace-loving people,” those daggers can be taken and used by other people, too.

No, they can’t, if they’re properly hidden underneath the clothes and never taken out. The problem with Coyne saying the same rule must apply to everyone is that wearing the Kirpan is an explicit requirement of the Sikh faith (as is the requirement not to use it to hurt people). No other faith treats a knife as merely a symbol. (The ACLU, incidentally, has defended Sikhs who were punished for wearing a Kirpan.)

I do agree with Coyne on one point: I don’t see why the Kirpan has to be, for example, a stainless steel symbol and not a more harmless wooden one with a blunt tip. The faith calls for a Kirpan without going into specific makes and models. The school could easily create a compromise around that.

I know it seems illogical to defend anyone bringing a knife to school for any reason, much less a religious one, but I’m just not convinced by anyone who fears for their safety because of this. They’re showing incredible ignorance of what the Sikh faith is calling for here.

Not to mention that, for strategic reasons, I’d much rather be on the side of individual religious rights. It makes our side much stronger, then, when we go after actual cases of religious overreach.

(Thanks to Brendan for the link)

Westboro Baptist Church Seeks to Intervene in Kansas Marriage Equality Case

Kansas is currently in the midst of a lawsuit seeking the legality of same-sex marriage, and Westboro Baptist Church is jumping into the fray:

Although Kansas Gov. Sam Brownback and Attorney General Derek Schmidt have pledged to defend the state’s ban on same-sex marriage, the Westboro Baptist Church insists it must intervene because, among other reasons, political pressure for state officials to disagree with the church and their inability to invoke religion in the arguments.

“The Kansas Attorney General is unable to adequately represent WBC because to do so would cause the Attorney General to assert religious viewpoints and constitutionally protected religious rights, which is arguably contrary to the duty of the government to remain neutral on matters of religion, and would constitute a breach of the separation of church and state doctrine,” the brief says.

The 22-page brief has some nuggets of gold contained in it. There’s very little reference to precedent or explanations of why their case has legal merit. But it has a hell of a lot of biblical references:

When this nation tampers with marriage as properly defined in the Scriptures, it is tampering with the very symbol of Christ and His Bride, the Church. It is a very serious matter; same-sex marriage is totally contrary to the standard of God. Unquestionably it is best for the health, safety and welfare to follow God’s standard on marriage, and the benefits of a proper scriptural opposite-sex, one-man-one-woman-for-life marriage are enumerable, that being a lovely symbol of Christ and His Bride, and being a great blessing from God.

…

Same-sex marriage will destroy Kansas. If this Court requires Kansas officials to treat what God has called abominable as something to be respected, revered, and blessed with the seal-of-approval of the government, that will cross a final line with God. The harm that will befall this state, when the condign destructive wrath of God pours out on Kansans is the ultimate harm to the health, welfare and safety of the people. Kansas voters, in some recognition of the harm that would befall a people who would so flagrantly disobey God voted against same sex marriage. What a horrible disservice to the citizens to ignore that vote and impose sin on the people to their great harm. What interest could be more compelling for the government than to seek the blessings of God on this nation, by obeying His commandments and following His standards?

For even more fun, read the addenda at the end…

The court will likely just reject WBC’s request to intervene in the case.

“Other courts have denied similar requests in various same-sex marriage litigations, concluding that groups that oppose same-sex marriage do not have a legally-protectable interest in the litigation and should not otherwise be permitted to formally join the case,” [federal legal director for the Williams Institute at the University of California Los Angeles Adam] Romero said. “The Kansas District Court might permit Westboro Baptist Church to file an amicus brief, so that the church can be heard, but I do not think the Court will permit the church to formally intervene in the case.”

In case you’re wondering, nowhere in the brief do you see the word “fag.” Even WBC seems to know some statements won’t win them any favors in court.

(Image via Samuel Perry / Shutterstock.com)

She Should’ve Said She Was a Methodist

Lori Potarf (below) and Richard Lee Henderson were pulled over earlier this month because of a defective tail light on their car… but cops noticed there were other reasons to have them arrested.

And Potarf was ready with a defense:

A woman arrested for possessing drugs and drug paraphernalia told a Duncan police officer it wasn’t against the law because of her religion.

Lori Potarf identified herself as a “Wiccan”…

Both suspects had separate Crown Royal bags that contained drug paraphernalia on which there was methamphetamine residue, police said.

The cops seemed to be aware that being a Wiccan wasn’t an excuse for possessing those drugs.

Thankfully, Henderson didn’t offer the same excuse:

Henderson didn’t claim a religious right to his belongings, which included a metal spoon with white residue and two syringes containing a small amount of clear liquid, reports said.

It’s nice to see religion not used as a Get Out of Jail Free card. And I’m glad that a couple of people who had no business driving were taken off the road.

(Image via Facebook)

The Problem with Tradition

The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series, discusses the problem with tradition.

A rough transcript of the video can be found on the YouTube page in the “About” section.

We’d love to hear your thoughts on the project — more videos will be posted soon — and we’d also appreciate your suggestions as to which questions we ought to tackle next!

And if you like what you’re seeing, please consider supporting this site on Patreon.

A Skeptic is Born

Lexi is 9. She wrote her parents a little note:

Dear “Tooth Fairy”:

I don’t believe in the tooth fairy Any more. I know it’s you who gets the money and puts it under my pillow, mom and dad. I know this hard for you, but I am 9 now. (P.S) – I don’t belive in santa Claus either. -)

Love,

Lexi

P.S  Daddy, I knew it was you last easter, hiding my easter eggs!

This kid’ll go far.

(via the Huffington Post)

Ignorant Christian Parent Furious Because His Son’s School Tried to Educate Students About Islam

It should go without saying that students need a working knowledge of the world’s major religions to understand the motivations of billions of people and the source of who-knows-how-many conflicts. That’s why the Revere Public Schools in Massachusetts make sure they teach about Christianity and Islam and other faiths.

So why is a parent in the district furious?

Because a history textbook said that Muslims believe there is no God but Allah. Which is true. And that, of course, means his son is being indoctrinated into Islam:

A portion of the history textbook explaining Muslim beliefs

“No religion should be taught at school. In their paper it says Allah is their only God. That’s insulting to me as a Christian who believes in just Jesus only,” said Anthony Giannino.

…

Giannino immediately pulled his son out of the classroom.

“We don’t believe in Allah. I don’t believe in my son learning about this here,” he said. “If my son was from another country and came here, he would have been catered to. But where he’s not being catered to, they give him an F.”

In other words, Giannino wants his son to remain ignorant about the beliefs of more than a billion people worldwide. Because Jesus. You can hear his inner voice now… How dare these schools try to educate my child?!

(Here’s some mind-blowing news for him: Even halfway-decent Christian schools teach students about the beliefs of Islam.)

The superintendent of Revere Public Schools wrote the parents a letter explaining that it is simply part of the history in that section of the curriculum, and stated, “I want to be very clear that no religion is taught with the purpose of converting students to that religion…”

I wish I could see the look on that superintendent’s face when he realized this was a “controversy” that needed addressing…

This is obvious, but the district did nothing wrong. This parent is just an idiot. Let’s hope his son fares better in school than he did.

(Thanks to William for the link)

This is How Much Damage Anti-Vaxxers Have Caused Around the World

Are you having a good day today? Let’s fix that.

The Council on Foreign Relations has put together a map showing where all the vaccine-preventable diseases are all over the world. The fact that there are large circles *anywhere* should be horrifying.

Whooping cough, people. Whooping cough.

Michael Hiltzik of the LA Times can’t believe it:

… the United States and Great Britain deserve badges of shame for the resurgence of measles and whooping cough, which are almost entirely due to the ignorance and fear spread by the anti-vaccine movements in those countries.

Hiltzik blames not just the person who claimed a link between vaccines and autism that doesn’t exist, but also the “journalists” who gave anti-vaxxers a platform:

Outbreaks of measles and whooping cough, or pertussis, in the U.S. and Britain are inexcusable. They reflect the dangerous and discreditable influence of Andrew Wakefield, a former British doctor whose study purporting to show a relationship between the measles/mumps/rubella vaccine and autism has been exposed as a fraud…

…

The surge of measles and whooping cough cases underscore the irresponsibility of opinion leaders like Katie Couric in giving anti-vaxxers a popular platform. Too many figures in the entertainment business (Dr. Oz, I’m looking at you) don’t care about making sure their audiences get information tested by science, as long as they can rake in the big bucks. They have a lot to answer for.

It’s fascinating how much panic there is over Ebola, while these diseases — far more dangerous and entirely preventable — just get a pass. And nothing will convince the science-deniers that they’re the problem.

Alabama School District: We Totally Want to Keep Christian Prayers Before Football Games, but the Law Says We Can’t

It’s hard to believe that some public high schools still have explicitly Christian prayers before football games… and even harder to believe that no one has the knowledge or courage to report it.

But that’s what was happening in Alabama’s Piedmont City School District until the Freedom From Religion Foundation stepped in this past March:

Piedmont’s schools have put a stop to the practice of public prayers at the games, after receiving letters from a group that advocates strict separation of church and state. Now the school holds a moment of silence in place of the student-led prayer that had become customary to the crowd that fills the stadium on Thomas Bible Highway.

The new, no-prayer policy has been in force for the entire school year, but Piedmont High’s principal this week, after receiving a number of questions about the lack of prayer before football games, posted about the policy on the school’s Facebook page.

That Facebook post is hardly apologetic, though. It boils down to: We really wish we didn’t have to do this, but the law says we have to and our attorney is making us… so blame them:

While the personal opinions of the administration and employees of the system may differ with the opinions of the Court and the author of the letter sent to the system, the school system’s attorneys advised that we consent since there is established case law regarding this issue.

Residents are complaining (surprise) because how dare the majority not get its way?! To hell with the Establishment Clause! Prayers don’t count unless everyone can see us doing it!

The team won its game pretty handily Friday night, so I’d say Jesus doesn’t mind the silence.

(Image via Shutterstock. Thanks to Brian for the link)

Editor at Charisma News Thinks “Atheists” Are Trying to “Stir Up Witches” Against Her

Over at Charisma News, editor Jennifer LeClaire (whom we met previously here and here) outdoes herself with a piece entitled “When Atheists Try to Stir Up Witches Against You.”

Some unbeliever — or perhaps someone who has been hurt deeply by the church — launched a miniature Twitter campaign trying to stir up witches against me.

Oh. So it’s just one person, despite what her headline says. And it may not be an atheist, she acknowledges: it could just be someone who was hurt by the church. Huh.

I’d add that the fact that someone believes in the efficacy of witchcraft puts him or her at a rather significant distance from the skeptical mindset that defines most atheists.

Fibbing about all that stuff with a spooky headline draws extra eye-balls, I guess.

Anyway, LeClaire, who is the author of Satan’s Deadly Trio: Defeating the Deceptions of Jezebel, Religion and Witchcraft, wrote recently that October is the season in which spirits come out to wage spiritual warfare on believers. That earned her the enmity of a fellow Twitterer who, LeCaire says (oblivious to the likelihood that she was the deserving target of a wind-up)

accused me of accusing witches of cursing me. I never suggested witches were cursing me. The point of the article is that the spiritual climate in a region is affected by the spiritual activity in a region.

But LeClaire isn’t afraid! She has the Lawd!

I have been freed to worship God without fear of curses or atheists who try to stir up witches against me (see John 8:36).

Even after twenty-plus years in these pious United States, I’m incredulous that a person who is, I assume, an otherwise functioning adult, can go through life — and achieve a measure of success — pushing these larger-than-usual delusions.

Yes, Jennifer, it’s true: (Some) people would like to halt your special brand of derangement. The thing is, we don’t need curses for that any more than we need magic unicorn powder. All we need to defeat hobgoblins and flimflam is science, observable facts, and logic. If those tools are not too scary for you, we invite you to give them a try.