GOD'S GREATEST

"When Americans worship god, then god will bless America" That's the mantra that millions hear, and believe. It is the reason that the culture debates exist, and why they're not leaving anytime soon. The con men will continue to deceive, the marks will continue to believe, and the money will keep flowing. How should secular Americans respond?

Christian law will rule in Alabama's highest court. Roy Moore is once again the chief justice, and god will reign down his judgements on thee. If you don't remember, Moore was the gentleman who had a 5,000 plus pound granite ten commandments monument in the lobby of the courthouse. He was removed from office because of his refusal to remove the monument. He will not put the monument back in the lobby, but god's will shall rule. "Go home with the knowledge that we are going to stand for the acknowledgement of god," Moore told an audience of admirers who responded with cheers of "amen!"

Not much more should be expected from the evangelical bible belt. But even more moderate cults are waging a battle against freedom. Catholics have gone after the Affordable Care Act over contraceptives, and the Pope recently released a statement proclaiming that "Any tendency to treat religion as a private matter must be resisted." That and laws being passed to allow people to die with dignity is pissing the old guy off to no end. Good.

Odd, I always thought religion was a private matter.

In Minnesota, a "pray away the gay" pastor was arrested for a sexual assault that took place during a session of ex-gay therapy. It never fails, whether holier than thou conservatives are getting blow jobs in public bathrooms, or preachers are engaging in same gender sex while high as a kite, they're all hypocrites. Yet every week the faithful come to pay their tithes and have their morals corrupted in the name of god; amen.

Lets face it, religion is not going quietly into the good night, but will resist all moves towards a civilization based in reality. Even with the continued corruption like what has been mentioned, they survive. They desire the past and future to be the same; no progress please. They proclaim that god is the only reality.

They are attention whores, no doubt about it.

We all know the spiel. We've heard it throughout the election year; old news. But weekly, if not daily, pastors and preachers are ranting and raving. Fleecing with tithes the fools and cowards who happily donate to the cause. Their rants and ravings fool the masses; conning the marks is all in a days work. Entertainers, decent orators, all the sheep think they have a special link to the creator. Fixating on the weak has its perks. Watching the bound fools twist and writhe, what joy. Fish on a hook listening to the spiel, filleting their minds with a well turned lie. Gutting the fools wallets is a holy task. Yea, fishermen they are.

A massive organization to take to task.

Secularists, if they have a cohesive plan, seem to be satisfied with nipping at religion's heels. Chipping away here and there at the behemoth that religion has become. The problem would seem the monotony that goes with the task. Like working on a chain gang. Swinging that pick, taking another lick, hoping to chip and crack that mountain. Gets old after awhile but here we go again.

Once again "under god" is being challenged at the state level. Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court will hear from a non-religious family that doesn't care for the mandatory recitation of the pledge in classrooms. In Georgia, Darwin garnered 4,000 votes in what was a rebuke to Paul Broun, the Representative from Athens-Clarke County. Broun has stated that life sciences are "lies straight from the pit of hell." He had no challenger, so the votes weren't wasted.

Take another swing.

The National Atheist Party was formed in March of 2011. I don't know how everyone feels about that name, but as far as I'm concerned it's a loser. With atheists holding the high ground in public disdain, what the heck were they thinking? These gentlemen decided that the "Freethought Party" or the "Secular Party" didn't represent who they are. Members decided the terms were vague, dishonest and accommodating. I'm not sure what's wrong with accommodation in a political party, and maybe here I'm in the minority, but I mark this as one big fail.

So what have secularists won lately? If you peruse the usual atheist blogs they rave about how atheists are kicking ass. Same sex marriage; approved. Openly gay Senator Tammy Baldwin; win. Marijuana; good to go. Anti-women elected officials; mostly ousted. The list goes on, but sorry, not buying it.

The happily gay community has fought for the right, with support from secularists, but it was still their win, not ours. Sure, you can say that evangelicals lost the culture battle, but did we really have that much to do with it? Tammy Baldwin beat Tommy Thompson. Mr. Thompson wanted to end funding for planned parenthood, was anti-abortion and anti-healthcare. You really think it was secularists who won this battle? It is easier to see that this was a women's rights issue, and women won. Marijuana reform we're claiming as a victory? Heck, that battle has been going on for decades and has nothing to do with the secular movement.

Secularists claiming wins on these issues strikes me as more wishful thinking than reality. The forays against religion by secularists only are minimal at best. Jumping on the bandwagon of others seems nothing more than futile attempts at claiming victory where none really exists. I guess victory by association is better than nothing.

Pure success by secularists resides in educating the masses. The big war will be won by swinging that pick over and over again, chipping at the mountain until all that is left is rubble. Little by little we crack the charade that religion is. Nipping at the heels of intolerance, bigotry and misogyny until we draw blood.

In the current climate of this country, no major victory can yet be claimed by the atheist community as their own. Maybe one day we will gather by the river and set the fish free, but that path will be long.