Humanism – Page 3 – Doug's Views

October 11, 2017April 18, 2020

The Bill Of Rights Says No One Has To Stand For The Anthem

image of students giving Bellamy salute in 1941

Forced Patriotism circa 1941

I never liked being forced to do something especially if I had major moral issues about it. I had a telemarketing job where I had to sell stuff I knew people didn’t need to buy. As a kid, I hated having to recite the pledge of allegiance and as an adult I refuse to recite it and I don’t stand the for the national anthem. It isn’t because I hate my country, it’s because I love my country and want it to do better. If the pledge and anthem mean anything it’s my right to address my grievances with my government like not standing for the national anthem.

July 31, 2017April 18, 2020

Center For Inquiry Uses Manufactured Outrage For A Payday

Richard Dawkins

Richard Dawkins, an evolutionary biologist, had a recent book tour appearance in California canceled because of past insensitive remarks about Muslims. It fanned the flames of misunderstanding about ‘free speech’ as a concept. No matter how many times it’s explained, some people refuse to understand. It also doesn’t help when a freethought group tries to make some money on that misunderstanding.

I thought it was cute to get a fundraising email from the Center for Inquiry (CFI) last week complaining about Dawkins having his free speech blocked by a California radio station. It seems that the station came across some abusive comments Dawkins has made over the years about Islam. The weird neo-con/alt-right/Christian conservative/angry atheist intersection showed how easy it’s for people, including those who should know better, to get the “free speech” concept wrong.

October 7, 2016April 18, 2020

Richard Carrier Ironically Sues A Woman To Silence Her

Dr. Richard Carrier

Dr. Richard Carrier, an atheist known on the chicken dinner circuit and professor of Ancient History, who helped get the social justice group Atheism+ started several years ago, now ironically finds himself on ‘the other side’ of the fence, as it were, by suing several people and blogs in the freethought community, including a woman who went public with a claim of sexual harassment, for $2 million.

June 3, 2016April 18, 2020

The Reason Rally Downplays The Reason For The Rally

The Reason Rally is being held on Saturday. It will be a great opportunity for Nontheists need to show our growing numbers, on a public stage, as a counter to the religious privilege we have to deal with every day in our local, state, and national government. However in a big write up on the event at CNN, the organizers seemed to be diluting the chief idea behind the rally – celebrating our nontheism. It seems like they missed an opportunity to be more direct in, I guess, a futile effort to change the minds of people who hate us anyway.

I support the rally 100% and even donated to it even if I couldn’t attend myself. I love the idea of the rally and the reasons behind it.

March 12, 2016April 18, 2020

Story Behind ‘Miracles From Heaven’ Show No Miracles

Queen Latifah, Kylie Rogers. and Jennifer Garner in scene from Miracles From Heaven

The film ‘Miracles From Heaven‘, which debuts in theaters next week, is getting the heavy Hollywood promotional campaign. Stars of the film include Jennifer Garner and Queen Latifah so it isn’t a ‘straight to video’ movie. Looking at the real story the film is based on shows that once again a faith-based movie isn’t what it seems.

The movie is based on the book about Annabel Beam, a young Texas girl who had two incurable illnesses but then one day didn’t have them and the Doctors were stumped.