The Native Americans, not the bear hunt folks. 

Remember, kids, religious freedom in America is only for Christians. Not for Muslims. Not for atheists. And especially not for actual Americans, or actual American religions.

Full story:

RENO — Following their appearance at the March Wildlife Commission meeting, where they stated their opposition to the bear hunt on religious grounds, Native Americans from various Paiute Tribes the Pyramid Lake Paiute Band were recently questioned by FBI and U.S. Marshalls.

FBI Agent, George Chillito (cell 775-741-9429), an FBI agent with the Task Force on Counter-Terrorism in Reno, reportedly stated that he was investigating the Native Americans at the request of Nevada Department of Wildlife game wardens because the “game wardens” and the “audience felt threatened” by the presence of the Native Americans at the March Wildlife Commission meeting. 

Several Native Americans appeared at the Wildlife Commission meeting held on March 23 and March 24 (“meetings”), and at the Washoe County Advisory Board Meeting held on March 15, to oppose the bear hunt, adopted in December 2010. Shortly after the Commission meeting, FBI agents and U.S. Federal Marshals began appearing at the homes and places of work of the Native Americans, and questioning them about why they opposed the bear hunt, and what were they going to do if the bear hunt continued, etc.

At the meetings, several Native Americans from various Paiute Tribes were present and spoke on the record in opposition to the Bear Hunt for religious reasons, stating that the black bear was a sacred animal to them, and that to kill one for sport was the same as burning a Bible would be to a Christian.

Shortly thereafter, during the period April 2-4, FBI agents visited and questioned two of the Native Americans who spoke at the open public meetings, by arriving at their homes and places of work. On April 2, up to six (6) FBI agents and Federal Marshals came to Lisa Bonta’s home in Sparks, NV, stating that the Nevada Department of Wildlife “game wardens felt threatened” by her presence at the meetings, and specifically questioned why she was opposed to the Bear hunt, and what was she going to do if the bear hunt continued. 

Another Native American, Daniel Thayer, was visited by federal agents at his place of work on April 3, and was told that the Nevada Department of Wildlife had requested an investigation because the “audience felt threatened” by his presence, and was similarly questioned. On April 4, another Native American, Raquela Arthur, saw federal agents watching and carrying out surveillance on her private residence. 

When independently contacted, one Nevada Department of Wildlife staff member stated that he had no knowledge of any request by the Nevada Department of Wildlife for the FBI to investigate Native American opponents of the Bear hunt.

Mr. Chilito is reported to have said that he was also investigating members of www.NoBearHuntNV.org who were present at the meetings, and who have been peacefully and professionally opposing the bear hunt since December 2010 by working within the NDOW public process without incident. Many members of the press from TV and newspapers were also present at the meetings, and were interviewing both Native Americans and members of NoBearHuntNV.org throughout the day. A video of the Commission meeting, and the testimony of the Native Americans, is posted on the Nevada Departmen of Wildlife website.

This FBI intimidation comes on the heels of alleged racial slurs directed at the Native Americans when they spoke at the Washoe County Advisory Board held on March 15th.

All of the Native Americans questioned are members of the American Indian Movement (AIM) of Northern Nevada, a recently registered 501(c)(3) non-profit organization. AIM members call for NDOW to conduct an internal investigation and to make public who made the request to the FBI, on what grounds it was made, and why the Director of Nevada Department of Wildlife supported such a request. 

exposingthetruths:

As much as we want to say this nation accepts all religions, let’s face it - that isn’t the truth. Christian holidays such as Christmas are recognized nationally, but since when did the entire nation get a day off from work for a Muslim holiday such as Eid-Al-Fitr?

Religious mandates against birth control are:

• A violation of equal rights for males and females (treating pregnancy like a special condition is treating females unequally, as the vast majority of females have a reproductive system for pregnancy)
• A violation of the mandates disallowing the government to endorse any particular religion (anti-birth control attitudes are religious)
• Terribly burdensome and viciously punishing to those who have done nothing but have ovaries and uteruses

think-progress:

• Oral contraceptives, or “the pill,” can cost $1,210 per year without health insurance. 
• Women of reproductive age spend 68 percent more on out-of-pocket health care costs than do men, in part because of contraceptive costs.
• Surveys show that nearly one in four women with household incomes of less than $75,000 have put off a doctor’s visit for birth control to save money in the past year.
• Twenty-nine percent of women report that they have tried to save money by using their method inconsistently.
• More than half of young adult women say they have not used their method as directed because it was cost-prohibitive.
• Nearly half of women ages 18–34 with household incomes less than $75,000 report they need to delay or limit their childbearing because of economic hardships they’ve experienced in recent years.

thoughtsofalivingatheist:

Hmm, fascinating…

Well shit

The shit that truly blows is the unwarranted perception of Atheism/Atheists. I lost my ‘faith’ in humanity years ago and I am not even old enough to legally drink. I see what is posted on the internet and I am appalled by human behavior (I do not want to target a certain religion). I see messages that Atheists should be killed, crucified, arrested, deported, even made to wear arm bands as if we should be treated as cattle. I, like many people, wake up every morning to the realization that my own personal choice to deny someone else’s god has made me hated by millions who do not even know I exist.

Doors are closed to us. Relationships that could be, cannot. Though our actions as a group have done little, if anything, to disrupt the goings on of the world, we are the ones who cannot be trusted. The shit that blows is simply everything. But I for one will not be made to hide nor be ashamed of who I am. I hope that everyone, Atheist or no, can do the same one day.

Even if we do not see each other, or even know each other we are united. As Atheists we share a common belief, if you will, that religions with multiple sects and denominations do not. We are more unified by not having a place to be or a code to follow than those who do.

eximago:

I’ve grown really tired of seeing the argument that most of the school wanted to keep the prayer, so it should have stayed.

This isn’t about a majority. This is about what the Constitution says.

When we’re talking about civil liberties, the majority is the last group you should ask.

Brb doing this

theneighborhoodatheist:

A loving, committed couple consisting of conscious, legal adults want the same rights and opportunities as other couples. They are of the same gender.

“NO!” cry the Christians, “They will defile the sanctity of our institutions!”

A young woman, knowing that giving birth to the fetus in her will surely result in her death, leaving the child orphaned and without hope for a future decides to terminate the pregnancy.

“NO!” cry the Christians, “you must adhere to the rules set down by our holy book, regardless of the risks it carries to the well-being of the mother and child.”

A small religious group wants to put up a display in the public square for their holiday celebration.

“NO!” scream the Christians, “there must be a clear delineation between church and state!”

The same group petitions the government to have statues of the Ten Commandments removed from the courthouse.

“NO!” yell the Christians, “We were founded as a Christian Nation, and those Commandments have every right to be—

“NO!!!!!” says a lone voice. “I’m tired of the religious majority telling us what we can and cannot do based on their personal beliefs, even when we cause no harm to anyone else!!!”

There is a long, pregnant pause as the Christians consider what has just been presented to them.

“Help!” scream the Christians, “we’re being oppressed!”

…really?

A St. Paul Public School substitute teacher was disciplined after asking a Pagan elementary student to tuck her pentacle necklace into her shirt, a request not made to other students wearing religious necklaces.

Tasha-Rose Mirick’s daughter, Grace, is a 4th grader at Galtier Magnet School in St. Paul.   Ms. Mirick says Grace proudly wears a pentacle necklace every day as a sign of her inner held beliefs, much like a Christian wears a cross or crucifix.  Grace says the necklace has a special meaning to her in addition to it being an outward sign of her faith, “I told my friends a story about a Goddess and my mom heard me thought I was ready for the necklace.  I was old enough to wear a sign of my faith.  I was so excited that I was jumping around.  It means a lot to me.”

She had worn the necklace to school everyday since the start of the school year.  It wasn’t until she had a substitute teacher that Grace  experienced any problems,  “After lunch we went back to our room and our substitute teacher said I needed to put my necklace in my shirt.” Grace says she complied, but asked the teacher why she needed to do this.  She says he told her, “because things like that should be kept to yourself.”  Other children in the class had necklaces on, some of them with religious symbols, yet no request was made of them that they hide their necklace.  Grace continued to keep her necklace hidden but was upset at being singled out.  When she got home, she talked to her mother.

Mirick says she contacted Deborah McCain, Principal of Galtier, and the Minnesota Dept of Human Rights.  Mirick said that Principal McCain took fast action, “She let me know that the substitute teacher will not be teaching at Galtier any longer and the likelihood exists that he will no longer be teaching in the St. Paul Public Schools.”   McCain also gave Grace’s mom the phone number for the districts ombudsman to contact for followup.  “This was same day action,” Mirick said, “I wasn’t expecting that.”

Grace and her mother feel good about the prompt action taken by the school to guarantee equal treatment of all students.  Mirick feels this could have been a misunderstanding or something that could have been corrected with education.  Likewise, Grace said, “I feel bad for him that he has a bad record, but I feel my principal did the right thing and showed that she really cares about us.”

pagannews:

Helen Ukpabio is a “Christian” preacher from Nigeria who has been spreading the fear of child witches in Nigeria. She uses her sermons, teachings and prophetic declarations to incite hatred, intolerance and persecution of alleged witches and wizards, usually children. Thousands of children have been killed, tortured, or maimed by acid, fire, or other acts of senseless violence. The surviving children are usually left homeless and are preyed upon by others.

She has a simple diagnostic tools that can detect a witch: 
“A child under two years of age that cries at night or deteriorates in health is an agent of Satan.”

These condemned children are regularly subjected to:

Abandonment, isolation, discrimination, and ostracization from the community.

They are often disgraced publicly, usually by being chained and tortured in churches in order to extract confessions.

Many are murdered in horribly cruel ways: burned alive, bathed in acid, fatally poisoned (usually with a local toxic berry).

Exploiting local superstitious beliefs, particularly those related to spiritual or demonic possession or witchcraft, Helen Ukpabio’s organization has grown exponentially throughout Nigeria and West Africa since its foundation.

In March 2012, Helen Ukpabio is scheduled to hold a 12 day “revival” in Houston, Texas at the invitation of Glorious Praise Ministries.

The US Department of State needs to be urged to do the right thing and deny Helen Ukpabio’s entry into the United States on grounds of her human rights violations.

Please go sign the petition!

Please sign this and get it out to others, yall

eximago:

howimetyourpadre:

msnbc:

NYT: 

CRANSTON, R.I. — She is 16, the daughter of a firefighter and a nurse, a self-proclaimed nerd who loves Harry Potter and Facebook. But Jessica Ahlquist is also an outspoken atheist who has incensed this heavily Roman Catholic city with a successful lawsuit to get a prayer removed from the wall of her high school auditorium, where it has hung for 49 years.

Image: Gretchen Ertl / The New York Times

People like her annoy the shit out of me. They weren’t forcing her to pray, she didn’t even have to acknowlege it was there but she goes and gets her panties up her ass and ruins a school tradition and takes away something that the people it was directed to found comfort and solace in. Same with the people who want to take “in god we trust” off the money, leave it alone, no ones forcing you to look at it. Leave it alone, I am so sick of hearing about stupid lawsuits like this. 

Heavy sigh…

As Jessica has stated, anyone who goes to that school and has to see that prayer everyday and isn’t a Christian gets to see that her school is a Christian one. The administration are Christians. Her fellow students are Christians. They get to see the prayer and be reminded constantly that they’re not the same as the rest of the school and that they’re ideas, beliefs, and passions aren’t welcome there— they’re not welcome there. It is her school too. A public school. That is, a school that’s funded by the government. By tax payers. The school broke the law when it put it up 49 years ago, and the “tradition” should never have started. It’s unconstitutional to have the prayer up which is exactly why she won the case.

Public schools are not the places for religious ritual in any form. If those kids who are heartbroken to see a prayer go, then they can go to a religious private school that doesn’t use tax payer dollars and have all the prayer they want.

inmydreamsihaveaplan:

So last year in sex-ed, a lady came in from Planned Parenthood, did the usual sex education thing, gave us the PP #, and address, etc. etc. She did the whole putting the condom on the banana demonstration, and what not.

Well, apparently, some little brat (out of about 400 kids) got ~*upset*~ about the lady putting the condom on the banana, and complained to his mommy, who was ~*offended*~. She then got her fucking-church involved and to back her up, and complained to the school about the “immorality” of it, and how it was “offensive”.

Now, said lady from Planned Parenthood isn’t allowed to teach in my school anymore. All because of one little brat. And it’s a damned shame, because I know for a fact there are quite a few kids in my school who could use the sex-education, and she was a VERY nice lady, and VERY professional.

The school board; allowing one stuck up Christian prick to ruin sex-education for the next 400+ kids, and the next 400+ kids after them, and after them, and so on, and so on.

feministhistorian:

lipstickmark:

A worried woman went to her gynecologist and said:

‘Doctor, I have a serious problem and desperately need your help! My baby is not even 1 year old and I’m pregnant again. I don’t want kids so close together.

So the doctor said: ‘Ok and what do you want me to do?’

She said: ‘I want you to end my pregnancy, and I’m counting on your help with this.’

The doctor thought for a little, and after some silence he said to the lady: ‘I think I have a better solution for your problem. It’s less dangerous for you too.’

She smiled, thinking that the doctor was going to accept her request.

Then he continued: ‘You see, in order for you not to have to take care 2 babies at the same time, let’s kill the one in your arms. This way, you could rest some before the other one is born. If we’re going to kill one of them, it doesn’t matter which one it is. There would be no risk for your body if you chose the one in your arms.

The lady was horrified and said: ‘No doctor! How terrible! It’s a crime to kill a child!

‘I agree’, the doctor replied. ‘But you seemed to be OK with it, so I thought maybe that was the best solution.’

The doctor smiled, realizing that he had made his point.

He convinced the mom that there is no difference in killing a child that’s already been born and one that’s still in the womb.

The crime is the same!

If you agree, please SHARE. Together we can help save precious lives!

“Love says I sacrifice myself for the good of the other person. Abortion says I sacrifice the other person for the good of myself…”

Jesus sacrificed Himself for the good of sinners! That’s perfect love!

-Unkown

I am sure there was a doctor who pulled shit like this and I hope they got their ass sued with a malpractice suit. This is absolutely disgusting that someone would think this story is okay. This is a story of how a doctor coerced a woman to continue a pregnancy instead of referring her to someone who would help her. That is sick and disgusting. I fucking hate this story. I have seen it a couple times by now. If anyone actually agrees with this story, they are also sick and disgusting.