A Poop-Free Post...

My newer readers may find it hard to believe, but from time to time I used to write serious posts that didn't involve cheap toilet humor. I'm warning you now that this will be one of them. It will be longer than the posts I usually do and will require that you watch a few videos and read a post from my archives for context. So, having said that, I invite you to set aside some time, make yourselves some cocoa, and curl up with something that has become a rarity at "Some Guy's Blog" - a thoughtful post.

Today is a fitting day for a post that deals with religion. Thirty-six years ago on this day, All Saint's Day, I was baptized into the Lutheran Church. Before you all go heading for the hills, this will not be a post in which I try to convert or evangelize. Quite the contrary. In fact, now would be a good time for you to revisit a POST I did a long time ago that summarizes my spiritual beliefs. The long and short of it is I no longer attend church and consider myself an agnostic.

Those of you who follow politics may be aware of the nasty Senate race taking place in North Carolina between republican incumbent Elizabeth Dole and democratic challenger Kay Hagen. Currently, Kay Hagen is ahead and Dole is getting desperate as you will see in the following ad:



This is Ms. Hagen's response:



And here is a talking head discussion on Wolf Blitzer's show with democrat Donna Brazile and republican Bill Bennett:



Let's start with Dole's original ad. Surprisingly, this is the part of the equation I find least offensive. I mean, sure, it's deceptive, dishonest, and stupid, but I wouldn't expect anything less from a desperate republican. Clearly she is in the shit-tossing phase of her campaign, hoping beyond hope that something might stick.

As far as Ms. Hagen's response, I can understand the desire to set the record straight and correct the lies that have been levied against her, but she misses the larger point which is that there is absolutely NOTHING shameful about or wrong with associating with atheists, agnostics, or any other non-believer, assuming for the moment they are acting within the law. After looking at the website for "Godless Americans" (GAMPAC), the group referenced in the ads, I can find nothing to suggest they are anything but a political action committee trying to PEACEFULLY participate in our American "democracy". These are not dangerous people from what I can tell. They aren't doing anything scary. According to their WEBSITE:

GAMPAC endorses candidates for public office who support the First Amendment separation of church and state; defend equal rights and protections for our nation's godless Americans; inform our community of the voting records of their elected representatives on issues of concern; and support our goal of having "a place at the table" in formulating public policy.

In addition, GAMPAC will facilitate the training and development of those godless Americans seeking to bring their organizations talents to the field of electoral politics

This brings me to the final video. Bill Bennett predictably questions why anyone would attend a function with people like these. He is a putz, but we all knew that. Donna Brazile saddens me. Her defense of GAMPAC is half-hearted at best. She even claims there is "strong evidence there is a god" and that people like these need to be converted. I'd be interested in seeing this strong evidence. Anyway, fuck you and your condescension, Donna.

Let me be clear. I do not begrudge anyone the right to believe whatever they want provided they will respect my right to do the same AND their beliefs IN NO WAY affect the laws that our nation enacts. Those of us who are non-believers are entitled to the same rights as any American. We are not inherently bad. We certainly don't kill others in the name of our god. It fucking offends me. I am a good person. I try to always treat others fairly and with compassion. I do nice things for others. Yet, for some crazy fucking reason, we are, with the exception of our right to vote, shut out of the democratic process. We have no voice, as far as I can tell, in terms of elected officials. Any suggestion that we are inferior or not to be associated with is bigotry, plain and simple, and runs counter to the tenets of Christianity and other major world religions. I spent many years attending Sunday School, so I am well aware of this.