Hemant Mehta's Blog, page 1963

David Barton Says It’s Almost Impossible to Find Atheist Farmers Because They’re Around God’s Creation All Day

Christian Pseudohistorian David Barton recently spoke to the Romeo Area Tea Party (in Michigan) and explained how it’s almost impossible to find an atheist farmer because they’re around “God’s Creation” every day (42:45 mark):

… Paul said that everything that can be known about God… including the intricacies of the Godhead, have been revealed through what He has created… Now Paul says everything you can possibly know about God, you can get by studying Creation. The problem we have today is we don’t study Creation. We don’t understand how it works. We don’t know a lot about it. It’s an interesting thing: folks who grew up on farming and ranching [communities] know a lot more about Creation than folks in the city, which is why it’s almost impossible to find an atheist among farmers and ranchers, and it’s very easy to find among people who work in skyscrapers their whole life. If you’re in urban areas, it’s a whole lot easier to not believe in God than people who get out and have their hands in the middle of it.

That’s quite the reach. Barton thinks when you’re around the natural Earth, you’re more likely to believe in his God. By that logic, you’d think people who study living organisms (biologists), or the properties of those organisms (chemists), or the stars (astronomers) would also be able to see evidence of “God’s Creation”… but we know those fields are full of atheists.

Here’s an alternative theory: When you’re more isolated, as farmers tend to be, you’re much less likely to encounter people whose different ideas may challenge you. That’s not true in the city where, for example, it’s a lot harder to be anti-gay because you’ll inevitably meet and know gay people and realize there’s nothing to worry about. People who work in skyscrapers likely work with other people with different beliefs and their thinking is tested regularly.

There’s no reason to think farmers are more likely to be religious just because they’re around “God’s Creation” all day. That’s evidence of evolution as much as anything else. Barton never explains where he’s getting this information from, anyway, probably because, like so many of his other claims, he just pulled it out of his ass.

(Thanks to Kyle for the link)

Please Support the Work I Do Through This Site

I’ve posted this in the past. If you’ve already responded, there’s no need to do it again. Thanks!

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Over the past couple of years, what began as a personal blog has turned into a hub with several contributors and multiple posts per day. As always, I’d like to continue expanding the reach of this site. That entails bringing on additional contributors with different voices, creating more YouTube videos, and making the podcasts sound more professional.

(There’s also another project I hope to launch very soon.)

In order to facilitate all of this, I’ve created a page at Patreon.

If you’d like to help out, you can pledge a certain amount every month (with rewards along the way!) from $1 to $100.

As always, I’m grateful for the kind words and support you all send my way. I don’t usually post about them, but trust me: they never go unnoticed. Many of you have emailed me asking if there’s any way to donate to this page, and I always say no, but I think Patreon offers a really incredible approach to reach out to more people in different ways. Thanks in advance for your help.

Catholic Priest Accused of Sexual Abuse Still Heads up a Church in Lafayette, Louisiana

We usually complain when a Catholic priest accused of sexual abuse is transferred to a different church or quietly hidden out of sight.

But in the case of Rev. Gilbert Dutel (below), he is still the pastor of St. Edmond Catholic Church in Lafayette, Louisiana and no one there seems to care.

In the case of Dutel, the documents show, the allegations weren’t limited to young adults. Dutel had also been accused of sexually abusing a child. In an interview with a lawyer in 1992, the alleged victim said Dutel had abused him in the 1970s, starting when he was 9 years old.

Still, Flynn kept Dutel in ministry. No records exist of any reports to police.

Dutel, 69, now serves as the pastor of St. Edmond Catholic Church in Lafayette. Over the 22 years since his accuser came forward, Dutel has worked in elementary and high schools and served in several parishes. There’s even a playground named after him.

After Minnesota Public Radio exposed allegations against Dutel, the Survivors Network of those Abused by Priests (SNAP) asked the Diocese of Lafayette to suspend him. Of course, they didn’t do that, saying Dutel was still a priest in “good standing.”

Dutel maintains his innocence and argues that an investigation — conducted by the Catholic diocese — found the allegations to be “not credible.” The diocese refused to release details of that investigation (including the final report) to The Daily Advertiser.

Despite what Dutel says, the same victim accused two other priests of also molesting him. One of them was found guilty and convicted of statutory rape. Another left the priesthood, got married, and committed suicide after his other victims confronted his wife about his past.

If you read the comments on the Advertiser‘s website, people are criticizing the journalist for making a big deal out of this. They maintain that Dutel is a great guy… which obviously has nothing to do with what he may or may not have done decades ago.

This North Carolina Diner Gives a 15% Discount to Customers Who Pray Before a Meal

When Jordan Smith visited Mary’s Gourmet Diner in Winston-Salem, North Carolina, she made sure to pray before her meal as she always did. Nothing special there. But when the waitress brought her the receipt, there was a surprise on it: a 15% prayer discount:

Some people wondered if it was just another social media hoax, but Shama Blalock, a co-owner of the diner, confirmed to NPR that “It’s for real, it does exist.”

Blalock says it’s something that she was moved to implement about three and a half years ago. “We’re very thankful for the attention we’ve received, but that’s not what we were aiming at,” she says.

Blalock says the discount is given to customers at the discretion of the wait staff.

The owners say that the discount is available to non-Christians, too, but usually Christians are the only ones who want to pray in public for everyone to see. Just like the Bible tells them to.

In response to the reaction, one of the owners posted this on the diner’s Facebook page this afternoon:

There’s a lot of craziness going on in regard to the 15% discount. I will not respond to all the posts. I will say that it is not a “policy”, it’s a gift we give at random to customers who take a moment before their meal. This could be prayer or just a moment to breathe & push the busyness of the world away. Who you talk to or meditate on etc. is your business. I have lived in a 3rd world country, there are people starving. We live in a country with an abundance of beautiful food. I NEVER take that for granted. It warms my heart to see people with an attitude of gratitude. Prayer, meditation or just breathing while being grateful opens the heart chakra. It’s good for everyone!!!! Thanks to my local community for your support…you know who I am. As for all the people posting negative comments about me & my restaurant who have never met me or been to the restaurant, thanks for sharing, it’s your right to speak out, just as it is mine. Peace, love & happy eating!!!!

The big question is: Is this illegal?

There are laws against religious discrimination in public places, but the owners are trying to get around that by saying the discount is available to everyone who prays.

But that’s not good enough.

We’ve seen this sort of thing before, with restaurants giving discounts to people who bring in church bulletins. To avoid lawsuits, they usually just have to give the same discount to anyone who brings in, say, a document from a local atheist Meetup group.

(At least they’re not as bad as the pizza place that gave you a $2.00 discount for saying “Jesus died for me.”)

So if people want to test the unstated policy at Mary’s Gourmet Diner, I suppose they’d just have to take a moment to stare into space silently before a meal and then request the discount. I’m not saying it’s an automatic legal victory, but this sort of Christian-privilege discount is just asking for trouble, even if the owners say it’s not just benefitting Christians.

By the way, if you do decide to test it, I suggest ordering $44.40 worth of food first.

Even Though the IRS Will Now Investigate Politicking Churches, a Christian Group is Claiming Victory Over FFRF

In 2012, the Freedom From Religion Foundation sued the IRS because of the government agency’s “failure to enforce electioneering restrictions against churches and religious organizations.” Basically, churches were endorsing political candidates from the pulpit and the IRS wasn’t doing anything to stop it. Part of the problem was that there was a vacancy in the position which normally handled those issues.

Why is the IRS giving preferential treatment to churches?

A couple of weeks ago, FFRF announced that it had reached a settlement with the IRS.

“This is a victory, and we’re pleased with this development in which the IRS has proved to our satisfaction that it now has in place a protocol to enforce its own anti-electioneering provisions,” said FFRF Co-President Annie Laurie Gaylor.

“Of course, we have the complication of a moratorium currently in place on any IRS investigations of any tax-exempt entities, church or otherwise, due to the congressional probe of the IRS. FFRF could refile the suit if anti-electioneering provisions are not enforced in the future against rogue political churches.”

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The IRS has now resolved the signature authority issue necessary to initiate church examinations. The IRS also has adopted procedures for reviewing, evaluating and determining whether to initiate church investigations. While the IRS retains “prosecutorial” discretion with regard to any individual case, the IRS no longer has a blanket policy or practice of non-enforcement of political activity restrictions as to churches.

Just to be clear, the IRS said, “Okay, we’ll monitor these churches like we’re supposed to and take action when necessary.” In return, FFRF withdrew its lawsuit voluntarily with the understanding that they could file it again if the IRS didn’t enforce its own policies.

Total victory all around, right?!

Not if you read the Christian publication Charisma, which for some reason is parroting the idea that this is a defeat for FFRF:

After almost two years of litigation, FFRF asked the court to dismiss its own lawsuit once the Becket Fund stepped in to defend the rights of a small Wisconsin church and its pastor…

“This lawsuit was a bad idea from the beginning. Who thinks the IRS should be deciding what a preacher says in a sermon?” said Daniel Blomberg, legal counsel for the Becket Fund. 

“Fortunately for the First Amendment, once FFRF encountered an actual opponent they — as Monty Python might say — gallantly chickened out. Today’s win shuts down FFRF’s first-of-its-kind attempt to make the tax man into a sermon-censorship board. Whatever people think about religion or politics, we all can agree that deciding what clergy say to their congregations should be a private religious decision, not one for bureaucrats or militant atheists.”

The “small Wisconsin church” in question was arguing that if the IRS wasn’t going after churches, it was because they had a policy of protecting pastors’ “religious liberty.” But since the IRS said there was no such policy, the FFRF backed off, and the judge allowed them to do so with the possibility of refiling the suit if there were problems in the future.

Oh. And if we’re going with Monty Python references, the Becket Fund sounds more like the Black Knight who gets all of his limbs cut off but still thinks he won the battle:

But this isn’t just a flesh wound. FFRF got exactly what it wanted, and all those pastors participating in Pulpit Freedom Sunday stand to lose their churches’ non-profit status if they endorse candidates this year.

There’s no collusion between the IRS and FFRF. No hidden documents, regardless of what the Becket Fund claims. It’s just enforcement of a law that was being ignored for too long.

(Portions of this article were posted earlier. Thanks to Brian for the link)

During a Forum for This Florida County School Board, Candidates Were Grilled on Their Religious Beliefs

There’s an election coming up for seats on the School Board of Highlands County (in Florida) and the five candidates for District 5 all answered questions Wednesday night… at the Avon Park Lakes Baptist Church.

Okay, maybe that’s just a central location. Not the end of the world. The forum was sponsored by the church, after all.

So what did they ask the candidates during this forum?

The round-robin questioning started with an identification of each candidate’s denomination and church attendance.

Jill Compton said she had grown up in Lake Placid’s Memorial United Methodist Church but currently attends sporadically; Clinton Culverhouse identified himself as a Baptist, saying he now serves as a deacon at Grace Bible Church; William “Pep” Hutchison declared himself a lifelong Episcopalian and attendee at St. Agnes Episcopal Church in Sebring; Trevor Murphy indicated he was raised in and actively attends Our Lady of Grace Catholic Church in Avon Park; while William “Tres” Stephenson identified himself simply as a Christian, who attends the Bible Fellowship Church in Sebring.

Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus, Jesus.

Got it.

What else?

All five candidates agreed on some of the questions, including a query on whether they believe the United States was founded in Christian values and should be identified as a Christian nation.

You’ve got to be shitting me…

If we were founded on Christian values, they must have included slavery and the disenfranchisement of women. And what does “Christian nation” even mean these days?

Whoops. Silly me. Gotta learn to just stick to buzzwords.

Jesus. Christian. 9/11.

I would love to have heard the audience reaction if anyone had the guts to say we’re a pluralistic nation and Christians are no more special than every other group. But it’s obvious no candidate had the courage to say as much.

Wait! There’s more:

To the question of prayer in schools, Murphy, Stephenson, Culverhouse and Compton expressed support of the practice.

I don’t know what the other candidate Hutchison said, but just so we’re clear, prayer is already allowed in schools. What’s not allowed is teacher-led prayer, and if that’s what the four candidates supported, then they were openly saying we should defy the Constitution.

Why the hell did these candidates think it was appropriate to be grilled on their religious credentials? Mind you, they were even asked about their religious beliefs in terms of how it would impact their decision making! They were just asked: What God do you worship? Is it the right one? Do you trust pseudohistorian David Barton‘s revisionist history?

Un-fucking-believable.

Candidates running for District 1 will have a similar forum at the church Wednesday night. There’s no indication any of them have the audacity to say, “This venue is inappropriate and these questions are irrelevant, so I will not participate.”

(Thanks to Brian for the link)

Chico City Council Won’t Respond to Atheist Group’s Request to Deliver Invocation

Before the Greece v Galloway Supreme Court ruling earlier this year, the Atheists of Butte County (in California) sent a letter to the Chico City Council urging them to put a stop to their invocation prayers.

In light of the ruling, they revised their suggestion: Okay, keep the invocations, but we want to start making them, too. And that should be a perfectly legal move. The City Council isn’t legally allowed to deny them that opportunity!

So instead, the council’s just ignoring them.

Here’s the atheist group’s leader George Gold:

The mayor has yet to respond to our repeated requests to be included in the invocation rotation so we can remind people that what makes our government blossom is our ability to negotiate and discuss practical and societal issues in an open environment free of religious doctrine.

If our local elected officials wish to continue praying before meetings, we expect them to abide by the law as defined by the Supreme Court and provide the Atheists of Butte County an opportunity to deliver a nontheist unifying message that embraces all citizens as equal participants in the process of local government.

I sent an email to City Council leaders last night asking how they plan to response. I’ll post an update if/when I hear back from them.

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***Update***: I received an email from Dani Brinkley, the Deputy City Clerk (which was CC’ed to the council members). It said the following:

As the staff member responsible for the annual invocation recruitment and scheduling the invocations, I would like to inform you of the process the City uses.

The process used is to do a yellowpages.com search for churches or religious organizations. The City previously used the actual phone book, but has for the past 3 years used the online search. The criteria used is it has to have a Chico address and a building location of meetings. A search of yellowpages.com and a search through the phone book could not produce a listing for Atheists of Butte County. We do not perform individual searches for individual groups, organizations, or churches. However, if this group had come up during the search, they absolutely would have been included in the recruitment mailing.

Prior to the most recent communication from the group requesting to be included in the rotation, the last communication we received was in July 2013 from an attorney representing some members of the group objecting to the invocations and requesting the City to discontinue the invocations.

Brinkley also added another correction to something mentioned in Gold’s piece:

I would finally like to correct that the City DID NOT reach out to Rajan Zed, who is based in Reno, NV. Mr. Zed has been contacting the City for a number of years requesting to attend specific Council meetings. His requests, which were received by email, letter or phone call, were denied because the invocations are scheduled in September for one year out and because he is not representing a local Chico organization or group. It so happened that Mr. Zed called requesting to provide the invocation on a date specific and the person who had been scheduled had just canceled. With the permission of the Mayor, Mr. Zed filled in for the person who canceled. The City did not reach out to Mr. Zed and we do not include him in the recruitment mailing.

***Update 2***: The phone book idea is an awful one. It effectively discriminates against minority religious groups that don’t have the money for a physical space (or even a phone number). This seems like a lawsuit waiting to happen.

Don’t Let This Sassy Angel Be Your Wingman

See, this is why you need to stop believing in angels. If you believe in them, sassy fundamentalist ones will demand that you do unethical things.

In a new web series called Wingman, Scott buys contraception for his girlfriend Becky. This upsets a sassy angel (below), who says they’ve (*gasp*) ended a potential life. The only way Scott can make up for it is to try and impregnate seven other women in a week.

Possibly NSFW language in the clips below:

Episode 3, in which Scott manages to seduce a Catholic, is especially blasphemous:

The full series is online here.

(via Spaceboy Productions, the team that also made the fantastic “Don’t Not Have Sex” video last year)

Catholic Church Employee Fired After Getting Engaged to His Boyfriend… Is Anyone Really Surprised By This?

At some point, the Catholic Church needs to figure out where it stands on various issues. Does it have a problem with homosexuality or not? Does it support marriage or not? Because the way they’re handling these situations is just reeking of hypocrisy.

Colin Collette was an openly gay director of worship at Holy Family Parish in Inverness, Illinois. There was no problem with that. He served in that position for 17 years.

But this week, just days after he got engaged to his long-term boyfriend, the pastor of his church told him to come in for a meeting:

“He said, ‘I know this is something you’ve longed for your entire life.’ I said yes. He said ‘in light of that, I’d be happy to accept your resignation,’” said Collette.

Collette refused and says he was fired the next day. He had worked at Holy Family as director of worship for nearly 17 years and he says his sexuality was no secret. His partner has been to mass at the church, and even read scripture on special occasions. What changed was his intent to get married.

To be sure, there’s nothing illegal going on here. That’s not the point. The point is that the Catholic Church continues to punish gay people for the crime of wanting to commit themselves to another person for the rest of their lives. The Church, you’d think, would want to bless than union, not use it as a cause for termination.

But that’s how backwards they are.

Joe Offenburger is a mass coordinator at Holy Family, a place many describe as a progressive parish.

“It’s like a dagger in your heart for this parish,” said Offenburger. “To me, I think the Church needs to step into the 21st century, not stay back and I think the hierarchy is the last do that.”

“It’s a place for Catholics where we had hope, until now,” said Collette.

The problem is that people like Offenburger and Collette, who know the Church’s position on this is wrong, never walk out. They continue defending the Church, working for it, giving money to it. They say, “Yep, this ain’t right,” but refuse to do the one thing that might actually cause that change to happen.

I feel bad for Collette, since this incredibly happy moment in his life is now tainted by his firing, but he knew it was coming. He had plenty of time to find another job, but stayed at the church out of… obligation, I guess.

Did he really think the Church would do the sensible thing? It’s not like they have before, so why would they start now?

Atheist Philanthropist Makes $10,000 Donation to Support Right Wing Watch Blog

I said a couple of years ago that atheist philanthropist Todd Stiefel‘s most effective donation may have been the one he made to Religion News Service to hire a journalist to focus on atheism-related issues.

But his latest gift, to the tune of $10,000, is going to an equally-worthy cause.

Stiefel is giving the money to People For the American Way in order to support their brilliant Right Wing Watch blog:

“The work of exposing the Right Wing’s extremism is critical to having a transparent conversation about the direction of our country,” said PFAW President Michael Keegan. “Journalists, bloggers and thought leaders rely on Right Wing Watch for trustworthy, authoritative information on what’s going on within the far right movement. We are grateful for the support of individuals like Todd Stiefel in helping us to expose the Right Wing’s incendiary rhetoric and extreme agenda.”

“People For the American Way and Right Wing Watch do critical work uncovering the vicious language the Right uses to attack anyone whose religious beliefs differ from their own — especially those with no religious belief at all, particularly atheists,” said Stiefel. “This gift is an opportunity to show gratitude to an organization that does critical work to protect and bolster the rights of both religious and secular Americans, and to help make sure they can continue this work in the future.”

I rely on Right Wing Watch every day and I can’t think of a more effective watchdog group in the country. To pull audio and video clips from as many sources as they do, every single day, is work I wouldn’t wish on anybody — but they’re incredible at it. (By the way, we have a really fascinating interview with one of their contributors coming up on the podcast!)