The Religion Thread

[Vrede too]

Trump demands states reopen houses of worship 'right now'

PINO is the Dr. Jack Kevorkian of the Christian right.

[O Really]

So what lawful rationale would an objective person have for establishing different "congregating" or "large group" requirements for churches than any other group? Yes, I know ... freedom of religion, yada. Except - a church can't use otherwise illegal drugs in its service even if it's part of it's religion. A church can't abuse the children of congregants even if it's part of their ritual and the parents agree. A church can't dump it's sewage directly into the street, or open a new building with faulty electric wiring. The restrictions on gatherings have nothing - nothing whatsoever with it being a church and only that its a large group of people in close indoor contact.

Not that it would change any evangelical minds, but the media ought to point this out instead of just quoting the blabberings of the most ignorant and prolific liar ever (sort of) elected to office.

[bannination]

[neoplacebo]

This is what I've been trying to get the cat fan to understand. I don't think he's ever gonna get it though.

[1 CAT FAN]

Atheists burn down church in Mississippi, leave image of their hate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/m ... virus.html

[bannination]

Atheists burn down church in Mississippi, leave image of their hate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/m ... virus.html

I hope they catch whoever did it.

I also hope they never rebuild, that church was obviously trying to murder people anyway.

FTA:

First Pentecostal Church had sued the city of Holly Springs, Miss., which is about an hour southeast of Memphis, arguing that its stay-at-home order had violated the church’s right to free speech and interfered with its members’ ability to worship.

[Vrede too]

I hope they catch whoever did it....

Ditto.

I think it's likely that the arson was over the the church's sociopathic opposition to the SIYFH orders. However, there are lots of Christians and people of other faiths that also responsibly oppose large public gatherings. By claiming that it was "Atheists" supposed LEO 1 FAT CAN once again proves what a shitty investigator s/he is. Remember, most of the KKK terrorists were also Christians.

Then, I'm also leaving space for the lesser possibility that this was something more personal with the church and blame is being falsely shifted to SIYFH supporters. For one thing, almost all atheists and lefties that I'm aware of know how to spell 'hypocrites', but I run across lots of right-wingers that are functionally illiterate.

[billy.pilgrim]

Atheists burn down church in Mississippi, leave image of their hate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/m ... virus.html

The article does mention a photo of this "atheist" symbol and the article does include pictures, but I don't see any of this atheist symbol.

Leaves me to wonder what was spray painted on the ground.

[Vrede too]

The article does mention a photo of this "atheist" symbol and the article does include pictures, but I don't see any of this atheist symbol.

Leaves me to wonder what was spray painted on the ground.

My bad, thanks. Sorry, 1 CAT FAN .

I hit the NYT paywall and googled a different article rather than clearing my NYT cookies. This is not the one I saw yesterday, but it also doesn't mention an "atheist" symbol:
https://www.newsweek.com/mississippi-ch ... wn-1505677
Of course, a supposed "atheist" symbol doesn't mean that the perp really is atheist.

It does say:

According to the station, investigators found evidence that the fire was intentionally set, including graffiti in the church parking lot that said "Bet you stay home now you hypokrits (sic)."

I didn't know that atheists had a symbol other than FSM and some of the "Satanists" that are really atheists. Are there t-shirts?

[1 CAT FAN]

Atheists burn down church in Mississippi, leave image of their hate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/m ... virus.html

I didn't know you guys had a symbol.

[O Really]

I didn't know that atheists had a symbol other than FSM and some of the "Satanists" that are really atheists. Are there t-shirts?

I didn't either, but apparently there is, and probably shirts too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_whirl

[billy.pilgrim]

I didn't know that atheists had a symbol other than FSM and some of the "Satanists" that are really atheists. Are there t-shirts?

I didn't either, but apparently there is, and probably shirts too.

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Atomic_whirl

A tad reminiscent of a golden arch painted black

[Vrede too]

O Really's link:

... The lower part of the central loop is left open or "broken" to represent the fact that atheists accept that while they rely on the scientific method, they are in essence, searching for the answers, and in some cases, further questions. This central loop forms an "A" which represents the atheists....

Hmmm, the one in the parking lot is not left open or "broken" and the "A" is angled rather than looped. These failures, along with the misspelled "hypokrits", make me think that it's even less likely to really be an atheist. However, in contrast with 1 FAT CAN's certainty I wouldn't place a bet either way.

I probably won't actually get a t-shirt. Atheist iconography doesn't feel right. Besides, I've got:

[O Really]

Turns out, that symbol belongs to "American Atheists",

which is a non-profit organization in the United States dedicated to defending the civil liberties of atheists and advocating complete separation of church and state.[1] It provides speakers for colleges, universities, clubs, and the news media. It also publishes books and the quarterly American Atheist Magazine, edited by Pamela Whissel.

This is the group founded by Madelyn Murray O'Hair, and focuses largely on legal issues of separation of church and state. And their logo is a little different from the first one I found:


It doesn't seem likely that a semi-literate fire-bombing Mississippi churches has even heard of this group. Either way, his/her religion or lack thereof really isn't the issue. Criminal arson is.

[1 CAT FAN]

Atheists burn down church in Mississippi, leave image of their hate.
https://www.nytimes.com/2020/05/22/us/m ... virus.html

I didn't know you guys had a symbol.

What's the one you atheists have in Canada look like?

[GoCubsGo]

Cat's World......

[1 CAT FAN]

Sheriff: Deputy shot armed man who disrupted church service in Waxhaw
https://www.blueridgenow.com/news/20200 ... -in-waxhaw
WAXHAW — A sheriff’s deputy shot and wounded a man who was armed with a knife when deputies responded to a complaint that he had disrupted an outdoor church service in North Carolina on Sunday, authorities said.

Investigators were trying to determine why the man, whose injuries didn’t appear life-threatening, interrupted the service outside Oak Grove Baptist Church in Waxhaw, said Deputy Tony Underwood, a spokesman for the Union County Sheriff’s Office.

Underwood said the man lives across the road from the church and, from a driveway about 200 yards from the outdoor service, had been shouting obscenities at congregation members on Sunday and on previous occasions.

Investigators suspect the man was upset about the noise from the outdoor service, according to Underwood.

“We don’t know exactly what the gentleman was upset about,” he said. “We think it’s the noise, but we’re not exactly sure.”

Restrictions on indoor and outdoor gatherings in North Carolina during the COVID-19 pandemic don’t apply to churches. Earlier this month, a federal judge struck down Gov. Roy Cooper’s previous limits on indoor worship services. Conservative Christian leaders sued the governor, arguing the limits violated their rights to worship freely. The Waxhaw church’s website says worshippers can participate in its Sunday morning services in person, by Facebook or on a conference call. It planned to resume holding indoor services on May 31.

[GoCubsGo]

Cat is a strange fucking ranger.

[neoplacebo]

Yesterday outside the Wal Mart grocery store near where I live there was a guy out on the sidewalk at the end of the parking lot with a bullhorn who was throwing down a fundamentalist type rant and stomping to a feverish faithful beat as he railed and ranted at all the sinners in sight, urging them to repent and seek the Lord before it's too late. I kind of felt sorry for the poor bastard; it was really hot and humid yesterday, but I quickly got over my empathy and began wondering what he'd do if he had a cross made from hefty railroad ties and a large boulder to roll around......I decided it would make his gig more interesting. I may go down that way again today just to see if he's still at it. I may even take my bullhorn with me in an effort to inject some balance into the scene.

[Vrede too]

Yesterday outside the Wal Mart grocery store near where I live there was a guy out on the sidewalk at the end of the parking lot with a bullhorn who was throwing down a fundamentalist type rant and stomping to a feverish faithful beat as he railed and ranted at all the sinners in sight, urging them to repent and seek the Lord before it's too late. I kind of felt sorry for the poor bastard; it was really hot and humid yesterday, but I quickly got over my empathy and began wondering what he'd do if he had a cross made from hefty railroad ties and a large boulder to roll around......I decided it would make his gig more interesting. I may go down that way again today just to see if he's still at it. I may even take my bullhorn with me in an effort to inject some balance into the scene.

What rant would you throw down?