Life – Page 3 – Doug's Views

January 19, 2014April 18, 2020

Before Obamacare The Health Care System Worked?

One of the old tropes used by the GOP and their complaint corporate media drones is that the Affordable Care Act (ACA) will ‘destroy’ a health care system that we were told wasn’t that bad. Opponents to the ACA want us to forget why the ACA was proposed and passed in 2010. Even with the ACA taking full effect there are still examples where the health care system needs further reform for the poor due to lack of funding, red tape, and yes even high costs. Bob’s story shows why this particular conservative argument against the ACA is full of crap.

Watching someone without dental insurance trying to get emergency care is exactly what it was like for all people without health care insurance before the ACA.

January 7, 2014April 18, 2020

Of Course Creating A Church Would Create A Schism Between Atheists

In November, I wrote a post concerning the growing popularity of the Sunday Assembly events for atheists and complaints about the media labeling these events, that happen on Sundays, as a church. To go along with the church motif now a disagreement about the direction of the Assemblies have lead to the press labeling it a schism. It just goes back to my concern about Sunday Assemblies creating confusion and diluting our positive secular message by wrapping it up in warmed over religious packaging.

December 4, 2013April 18, 2020

I really wish saying ‘Happy Holidays’ would in fact make Christianity disappear.

This about sums up my views on the so-called ‘War on Christmas’

November 15, 2013April 18, 2020

Atheists Don’t Be Upset When You Act Like A Church And The Religious Call You A Church

The Associated Press had a wire story on November 10th about the rising popularity of an atheist gathering called the Sunday Assembly. The AP report referred to it as a “mega-church”. A collective panic in the atheist movement screeched about how it wasn’t a church and how dare anyone call it that. However, If you look like a church, act like a church, and meet on a Sunday then don’t get upset when the religious majority think you are a church. This is a prime example of why using warmed over religious terms or activities and in the case of the Sunday Assembly, avoiding talking about atheism can cause confusion and hurt the atheist movement in the long term.

From the AP report:

September 23, 2013April 18, 2020

‘Last Man Standing’ Tells You To Break The Law And Read The Bible All In One Episode

Kristin (Amanda Fuller) arguing with her father Mike (Tim Allen) on the ABC show Last Man Standing

This past Friday was the season premiere of the sitcom ‘Last Man Standing’ starring Tim Allen on ABC. He plays Mike Baxter. His character reminds me of a tamer Archie Bunker where he believes and says some ignorant and/or bigoted things but by the end of the 30 minutes it shows his views were wrong and he changes his views or he comes to understand the “other side”. But in the episode ‘Back to School’, one character is told to break the law so her child can go to a ‘good’ school and another character agrees that only god can give one a purpose in life. Did I just watch a Kirk Cameron movie? I need a shower now.

If you aren’t familiar with the show here is a blurb: