All right, Massachusetts! Yesterday, the MA Supremes ruled that gay marriage is protected by the state constitution. (OK, so they’re a commonwealth.) Here’s the NYTimes report: Marriage by Gays Gains Big Victory in Massachusetts. I’ve said it plenty before: Overwhelmingly, resistance to gay rights, like that of marriage, is religiously-defended (and sometimes religiously motivated). And W the Burning Shrub, true to form, rejects this ruling for its violation of the sacred:

“Marriage is a sacred institution between a man and a woman. Today’s decision of the Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court violates this important principle. I will work with Congressional leaders and others to do what is legally necessary to defend the sanctity of marriage.”

The Dems are scrambling, of course — they can’t embrace gay marriage or they lose the significant god-fearing gay-hater votes (some of whom still vote Dem), so they’re hemming and hawing about civil unions and the like. You know, “build them their own schools, bathrooms, train cars — separate, but equal.” And then, some folks get it right: Here’s the right-on press release about this from The American Humanist Association.

I occasionally Google “God is for Suckers” to see who’s mentioned us. One of the hits the other day from a young Xian woman’s blog (that’s mostly devoted to her diesire for a gratifying love life, it seems) was this:

Is it just me, or am I getting more and more aware of God-haters who are appearing in all forms? I just got back from a blog written by such a person … at first I didn’t want to go there bcuz the tite was “God is for Suckers” but curiosity got the better of me and I went. Should stop going to such sites because it doesn’t do me any good.

Maybe it does do her good, but that’s not my point. It just reminded me of how we’re always the haters, and they’re the ones who love everyone. But of course I don’t hate them as a group. (Individuals, like W the Shrub, sure; but that’s for other reasons.) I just think their views are stupid, oppressive, and often the source of evil (but to be fair, occasionally the source of good). I think they deserve ridicule and come-uppance. But they think — or at least their religion claims that — I should (a) be killed for my blasphemy and heresy, and (b) should suffer eternal damnation in the afterlife after being so killed.

I know, I’ve said it before. But every time we’re the “haters”, it wells up again. I wouldn’t kill them or eternally punish and damn them for their views — just humiliate them. But they would kill me and burn me in hell.

A nice piece from the other side: Erasing God at Our Peril.

There seem to be two arguments, and people keep switching between the two (something Ron brought up a while ago, right after the pledge stuff first hit the fan): (a) “The reference to God is not religious but historical,” and (b) “Oh sure, the reference is religious, but this country is a xian nation, so get used to it.” This article mostly concentrates on (b), and justifably so (all the more reason to kill it). Some highlights:

One defense for these historic references, successfully used in earlier court cases, is that they’re just innocuous mentions of God in the public square — mere mumbles, you might say, that have lost religious meaning.

This defense has been christened “ceremonial deism.” The idea is that when I look at a dime, I’m not really experiencing the religious weight of “In God We Trust.” I’m experiencing religion fossilized into patriotism.

This is an ingenious defense — way too clever, in fact, because references to God really do ring with a small charge of religious meaning for Americans who love such references. And they sting atheists and others who loathe them.

Oh, I agree, Mary — which is why you need to get rid of this bullshit…

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Speculation is that al-Qaida is behind the horrible car bombings at at Turkish synagogues that killed at least 20 (and injured over 300) people yesterday. (Blasts at Turkish synagogues kill at least 20) Allthough a local Turkish militant group reportedly claimed responsibility, the Turkish police said the attack was too sophisticated for such a small group and said they were looking into al-Qaida links.

I don’t know whether they’re right, or whether this is more crap to try to make everything terrible thing that happens in the world part of the bolsterting of the “War against terror”. We’ll have to wait and see. But from the vantage point of this blog, what’s interesting is W the Shrub’s comment:

President Bush condemned yesterday’s attack in the “strongest terms,” saying its choice of targets “reminds us that our enemy in the war against terror is without conscience or faith.”

Man, does the smirking chimp just not get it. Without faith? Their faith is deep and strong — so much so that they are willing to kill and die for it. Read Dawkins’ “Religion’s misguided missiles“, Dubya, you moron.

(Thanks to reader/commenter Bryce for catching and pointing out the Bush quote.)

Today’s words from Invisible Daddy are from 2 Corinthians 6:14-17. We’ve been visited by some Krazy Kristians in the comments recently; and let me say, we welcome those visitors with open arms and blasphemous tongues. But I thought I’d pass along what the Big Guy thinks about hanging with the infidels:

Be ye not unequally yoked together with unbelievers: for what fellowship hath righteousness with unrighteousness? and what communion hath light with darkness? And what concord hath Christ with Belial? or what part hath he that believeth with an infidel? And what agreement hath the temple of God with idols? for ye are the temple of the living God; as God hath said, I will dwell in them, and walk in them; and I will be their God, and they shall be my people. Wherefore come out from among them, and be ye separate, saith the Lord, and touch not the unclean thing; and I will receive you.

I mean, not that I was asking any of you to actually touch it, or anything.

And of course, there’s always the risk that you might like some of them, and then when it comes time to kill them (see our bible passage from two weeks ago), it might not be as gratifying.

If you’ve never visited Normal Bob Smith, you should. And make a point of checking out his excellent comic strip, “Satan’s Salvation”. Here’s one, just for a taste:

An exchange that took place after Judge Moore was canned:

In the marbled corridors outside, shouting matches broke out between friends of the ousted judge and a handful of atheists.

“Thanks for destroying our country,” one man said to Larry Darby, president of the Atheist Law Center in Montgomery.

“Go to hell!” another man told Mr. Darby, bumping him.

“I can’t,” Mr. Darby said, straightening himself. “Hell doesn’t exist.” (Alabama Panel Ousts Judge Over Ten Commandments Monument)

Way to go, Larry.

Call him “Former Judge Roy Moore” now — or “Bible thumping asshole cracker” if you prefer: Judge Ousted Over Ten Commandments. Alabama’s Court of the Judiciary sweeps Cracker Roy out on a 9-0 vote. Moore, for his part, “promised to make an announcement next week that ‘would alter the course of this country and the course of our state and nation.’” Oooh. I’m shaking, Roy. I got your 10 commandments right here, buddy.