Sons are a heritage from the LORD, children a reward from him.
Like arrows in the hands of a warrior are sons born in one’s youth.
Blessed is the man whose quiver is full of them.
They will not be put to shame when they contend with their enemies in the gate. – Psalms 127 3-5

One of the scarier movements is the Quiverfull movement. These people truly frighten me. If you watch the video from this article, you’d think, “Oh wait – but they seem to be such nice, religious people”.  (Yeah, right, as if religion improves people.)

Families with more than 10 children are becoming the norm among a group of traditionalist US Christians. The so-called Quiverfull families believe they are carrying out God’s work, and providing a new generation of moral leaders. .

The way Psalm 127 talks about children has an almost military sound.

It describes them as "an inheritance, and arrows in the hands of a mighty warrior," adding, "happy is he whose quiver is full of them".

The standard apologist’s excuse would likely be, that this is in a ‘metaphorical sense’.

Many Quiverfull families do indeed sense looming battles for Christians, and often see their children as potential future leaders in fighting them.

Or potential cannon fodder. Remember, the religion is hierarchal by nature?

Rev James McDonald has 10 children, aged between four and 26 – an extraordinary fertility motivated by obedience to the Bible.

So, my question is – if this clown McDonald were infertile, would they be hitting the fertility clinic?  Would that make any kids conceived in that manner the ‘Snowflake Brigade’? “All in the valley of death rode the in vitro six hundred”?

"We believe that they are blessings… to be raised up in the worship of the Lord and they will be used by him in whatever way God will call them, to fulfill the Great Commission which we find in Matthew Chapter 28," he said.

And all it takes is one loon who knows how to re-interpret the wholly bibble to suit his/her ‘needs’ to turn the sheep into ravening wolves.

I’ll skip to the bottom:

Quiverfull families insist that the government cannot fix America’s problems, but that their children could.

And to illustrate this with a proper counterpoint, here’s a review of Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, of which I will quote selected highlights:

I can’t forgive the Christian patriarchy movement subjects of this superbly crafted and deeply troubling new book, for their bad faith, cognitive dissonance, and behavioral misdeeds carry heavy consequences. Whether or not they know what they’re doing remains an open question. Kathryn Joyce’s gripping new account, Quiverfull: Inside the Christian Patriarchy Movement, is about Christians who want literally to take over and remake the world by outbreeding everyone else, warping the minds of school-children, justifying bigotry with transparent illogic, and systematically denying civil rights. That most of the violence is committed quietly and privately against women and girls, most of whom accede to it with joy and penitence, will give even the most devoutly and egalitarian Christian reader pause. “Forgive them for they know not what they do.” Christian patriarchy movement members who feel imperiled by Jews, lesbians, Muslims, atheists, gay males, feminists, foreigners, and the less fecund seem conveniently to have forgotten these words.

A nice big heaping helping of xenophobia. Why am I not surprised in the least?

The book’s twenty chapters are divided into three gendered parts—“Wives,” “Mothers,” and “Daughters”—in each of which Joyce deftly explores the bizarre ideology and political-economy of feminine subservience. The resulting dystopian communities in real-time and on-line in cyber-space rival those depicted in novels such as Margaret Atwood’s The Handmaid’s Tale, George Orwell’s 1984, and Sinclair Lewis’s It Can’t Happen Here. This ain’t fiction, however. As befitting their understanding and practice of “complementarian theology,” as opposed to the alleged unnaturalness and godlessness of egalitarian gender relations, men and women in the Christian patriarchy movement believe equally (but differently) in the inherent inferiority of Eve (the Original Sin), females (on biological and spiritual grounds), Jezebel (in terms of sex) and women (who have hearts and minds). Sisters are in the process brainwashed into becoming meek and quiet supporters of their brothers, wives are instructed to remain sexually available to their husbands 24/7 (and forego any contraception), and mothers who don’t home-school their children commit them to Satan. Insofar as submissive females require degradation—the more public, the better—virtually every page is painful to read.

And gender biased – even gender bashing. ‘Unconditional love’ my homesick ass.

From another review:

Knowing that exposure to the wider world will be a serious temptation toward apostasy, Quiverfull families have crafted a totalistic environment that completely cocoons their kids off from influences their parents deem harmful.  This cocooning, for the girls at least, lasts a lifetime.  As children they are taught to shun the “feminist” message of self-actualization and instead, in the words of the Botkin sisters, to recognize that “we have no selves that are worth being loyal to.”  Girls are the property of their fathers until their fathers pass them to their husbands, sometimes even with a bridal price involved.

In my opinion, this is exemplary of the inherent problems of the obtuse and anachronistic religion called Christianity. It stimulates what I term a ‘servant culture’ – everyone’s a servant of some invisible patriarch, and being a hierarchy, and seeing as there are no instructions forthcoming from said mythological hierarch, it falls to whoever is viewed to be next in line. And usually it’s male, and whoever shouts the loudest, the most coherently (subjectively speaking), and the most enthusiastic, usually gets the vote. Let’s not forget the mob rule.

And the scariest point? Is that they intend to outnumber us – because in war, it’s hard to beat interlocked mass waves of infantry. Harder still when they’re loaded to the gills with endorphins.

The better question is, how to fight this? Education, of course. But then, there are some folks who refuse to learn different.

Scary thought, that.

Till the next post, then.

Atheism: Bringing the Sexy Back

It would be amusing to just have a contest asking people to guess what the vertical axis on this chart is supposed to represent. The answer is, “reply rate to first-contact messages on an online dating site, as a function of words appearing in the message.” In particular, the site OkCupid, which has a handy rundown of which words and phrases are most likely to garner a reply to an initial contact. (Via FlowingData.) The average response rate is 32%, so you can see how using some specific word increases or decreases your chances of success. Apparently mentioning “God” is a big turn-off, although calling Him by a proper name is slightly helpful. But nothing works at turning a stranger’s head quite like bringing up His complete lack of existence.

Yes, that’s right, kids: If you want to date online, start with you you really are (i.e., atheist), don’t be a jerk when you meet them, and they’ll be nothing to worry about.

By the way, for face-to-face dating, I’d suggest the same thing. Saves a lot of time and aggravation…

Virtus in media stat.

Pursuant to an ongoing online conversation at Pharyngula, it turns out that some groups have declared a War On Porn. This is no surprise: not since Edwin Meese issued that ridiculous report fatwa in 1986, and guess who was on that allegedly ‘objective’ commission? Why, none other than our old buddy James Dobson, a diehard ‘family values’ fanatic. Guess who else was on it? Why, none other than Rev. Bruce Ritter (and what a surprise! Turns out old Brucie had a Haggard style relationship with a male hooker! What is with these guys anyways?)

And of course, they were able to spin up some evidence via a fellow named Victor Cline. In fact, he released this report, outlining his findings on the matter of porn addiction. However, while his credentials look sound, when someone actually starts pulling out the ‘serial-killer-inspired-by-porn’ credo, my eyebrows narrow with suspicion (because I’ve heard this nonsense before, only it was blamed on evolution).

And sure as shitting, this guy obviously has an agenda to promote:

The Church views sexuality positively-as a sacred gift from God with the primary purposes of reproducing life upon the earth and bonding the husband and wife together in an eternal, affectionate, committed relationship. High standards of personal morality and sexual conduct, including chastity before marriage and fidelity in marriage, are taught as norms for Church members. These standards are perceived as reflecting God’s will and counsel for his earthly children.

Not to mention his signature on this little ditty that he signed with NARTH to the APA. Also, he’s a member of the Lighted Candle Society, which claims to be non-religious, but in a newsletter dated May of 2003 quotes “For those whose religious tenants regard the human body as sacred, or in the words of the Apostle Paul, as “…the temple of God, which temple ye are,” any presentation of willful violence against another human being is obscene.” And among the Genitalia Police is one Judith Reisman who is a raging anti-Kinsey anti-porn advocate, who has formulated a most…interesting theory (definition #6):

Reisman says that there are chemicals in the brain, which she has dubbed "erototoxins," that are produced by watching pornography and that have toxic influences on the brain. Reisman lists these "erototoxins" as testosterone, adrenaline, oxytocin, glucose, dopamine, serotonin, and phenylethylamine. While some of these chemicals are related to arousal or orgasm, none are specifically associated with toxicity or the viewing of erotic images.

Anyone surprised that the backbone of the anti-porn movement is religious? No? Me neither.

This perturbs me on multiple levels. Firstly, that this particular crusade is spilling well into the realm of thought control. That a group of people would subject millions of people to their draconian criteria is very much Orwellian by any definition.  Also that it would deprive people of the right to choose what they do with their time as well as their bodies – something that never ever works in realtime.

It is no secret to the observant, that this is payback for centuries of tight-fisted religious control of human sex drives. When an inhibition (individually or collectively) is broken, the floodgates open and the instinct is to wallow. 

Is the sex worker industry in serious need of reform? Of course it is – but it needs to be regulated, not driven further underground, not relegated to the sewers. These are human beings that are supplying a demand – and while it is image-driven, there are indeed folks out there who cannot make a living outside their good looks. And it’s a 200 million a year industry, so I think the likelihood is slim that those self-perceived guardians of our genitalia are going to have any luck in this endeavor at all, unless they impose a theocracy.

The major problem is sex, and our perception of it. The American culture is still burdened with overtones that vacillate between Puritan, Victorian and Dorian Gray. Sex is many, many things. It is dangerous; it is fun; it is something to be approached with some sanity; it is exceptionally messy; but it is something integral to our fundamental nature, something to be accepted and not stigmatized. An expression of ourselves in our individual glory.

But as long as we have these self-appointed privates-police, there’s always going to be some crazed contingent that fears the power and mystery and majesty of our most primal drive, who are more than willing to substitute the chains of behavior for the clear light of reason, these are the people we must guard against, speak against, shout down and marginalize, otherwise, we will be marching lockstep back into the Dark Ages.

Till the next post then.

Thanks to Jesse Galef over at the Friendly Atheist blog for bringing this to our attention. This is the stuff that doesn’t seem to make it to the forefront of the news media. The Secular Coalition for America has sent out letters “to members of the Senate Finance Committee urging them to oppose two proposed amendments to the healthcare reform bill” says Galef.

The Secular Coalition for America states:

Senator Orrin Hatch has submitted amendment #C10 requesting that funding for Title V abstinence-only-until-marriage be restored. Senator Michael Enzi has submitted amendment #C15 to ensure that conscience protections are applied in the healthcare reform bill. Please oppose these two amendments. Both of these amendments privilege religious values over patients’ and students’ rights to ethical treatment and medically-accurate information.

Galef at Friendly Atheist writes:

President Obama’s proposed budget earlier this year removed funding for abstinence-only education, mostly because studies shown they hadn’t worked — some studies even found that the programs made things worse, discouraging contraception without actually reducing sex. And Senator Hatch wants to spend $50 million a year on these programs.

I thought that Rethuglicans were against “evil socialist programs”?

There was public outcry over a so-called ‘conscience protection’ clause the Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) was pushing right before Bush’s term ended. When Obama took office, he prevented it from taking effect. And now Senator Enzi wants to slip a similar clause into the healthcare reform bill.

It never ends with these sneaky fundie bastards. Gotta keep our eyes and ears on them every minute.

While there’s some debate on how to view the recent murder of an anti-abortion protester, the guy’s son actually had some interesting things to say about him:

“It will be impossible for some to believe, but my dad really didn’t care about abortion. He did this to stalk, harass, terrorize, scream at, threaten, frighten, and verbally abuse women. He had a pathologic hatred of women: his mom, my mom, everyone. After my mom finally left him and he lost his favorite punching bag the violence and abuse that was always contained within our 4 walls was unleased on the people of Owosso. My dad used the pro-life movement and 1st Amendments foundations to defend him, support him, and enable him. He fooled them all. He was at the high school because my niece was there, and female family members were always his favorite targets. Again, my dad didn’t care about abortion. He wanted to hurt people, upset people. He enjoyed making people suffer. His goal was to be shot on a sidewalk. His goal was to make someone so angry, to make them feel so terrorized, to make them feel the only way they could make him stop was to kill him. His pro-life stance was the most perfect crime I personally know of. He hid behind the 1st Amendment and was allowed to stalk, terrorise, harass, be obsene, ect. These things are crimes. Offending people isn’t a crime, and having different political views isn’t a crime, but he committed several crimes over the last 20 years and got away with it. Yes I really am his oldest son. Owosso is now rid of a mad man.”

Even though the paper confirmed the source, it could still be the case that his son is lying, or has a beef with him pertaining to something else. But if he’s telling the truth — man! — what a fucking misogynist.

Xianity can lead to misogyny? What are the odds?…

Here’s a story I ran across on LiveScience.com

Teen Birth Rates Higher in Highly Religious States

U.S. states whose residents have more conservative religious beliefs on average tend to have higher rates of teenagers giving birth, a new study suggests.

The relationship could be due to the fact that communities with such religious beliefs (a literal interpretation of the Bible, for instance) may frown upon contraception, researchers say. If that same culture isn’t successfully discouraging teen sex, the pregnancy and birth rates rise.

And while the religious might point out that the study didn’t take into account those evil young women having abortions, the article states that the study did consider abortion rates:

They found a strong correlation between statewide conservative religiousness and statewide teen birth rate even when they accounted for income and abortion rates.

For instance, the results showed more abortions among teenagers in the less religious states, which would skew the findings since fewer teens in these states would have births. But even after accounting for the abortions, the study team still found a state’s level of religiosity could predict their teen birth rate. The higher the religiosity, the higher was the teen birth rate on average.

I would agree that high teen pregnancy rates may be due to separate factors like poverty, or poor education. However, when a young girl is taught that her godly purpose in life is to have children and raise a family, combined with lack of sex education and discouraged contraceptive practices, these higher numbers are going to be the result.

Usually shit rolls downhill, and took awhile to come out but finally cases of sexual abuse by priests in the Pope’s own backyard are now emerging “in a country where reports of clerical sex abuse were virtually unknown a decade ago.”

Italy grapples with priest sex abuse accusations

A yearlong Associated Press tally has documented 73 cases with allegations of sexual abuse by priests against minors over the past decade in Italy, with more than 235 victims. The tally was compiled from local media reports, linked to by Web sites of victims groups and blogs. Almost all the cases have come out in the seven years since the scandal about Roman Catholic priest abuse broke in the United States.

One man’s disturbing personal account:

VERONA, Italy – It happened night after night, the deaf man said, sometimes in the priest’s bedroom, sometimes in the bathroom, even in the confessional.

When he was a young boy at a Catholic-run institute for the deaf, Alessandro Vantini said, priests sodomized him so relentlessly he came to feel “as if I were dead.” This year, he and dozens of other former students did something highly unusual for Italy: They went public with claims they were forced to perform sex acts with priests.

For decades, a culture of silence has surrounded priest abuse in Italy, where surveys show the church is considered one of the country’s most respected institutions. Now, in the Vatican’s backyard, a movement to air and root out abusive priests is slowly and fitfully taking hold.

It’s about time. The Catholic church must be held accountable (any other organization would be shut down for this sort of organized crime). The “culture of silence” must end.

Full sickening story here

H/T to ChuckA once again…

Anti-abortion group wants to make birth-control illegal in Florida

TALLAHASSEE — A nationwide anti-abortion group launched an effort in Florida Friday to outlaw all abortions and certain types of birth control, including oral contraceptives and the morning-after pill. The religion-infused movement, called “Personhood Florida,” would define conception in Florida’s constitution at the “biological beginnings,” supporters said — when the sperm meets the egg. The group filed its amendment today but the exact ballot language is still being worked out, said Secretary of State Spokeswoman Jennifer Krell-Davis. The amendment seeks to outlaw all abortions, even in cases of rape and incest. Also criminalized: the morning-after pill and oral contraceptives taken by women, known as the pill. “There are some (birth control) methods that kill a child,” said Pat McEwan, who is leading the Personhood Florida group. [...] At a press conference in Tallahassee, speakers blamed abortion for the financial insolvency of Social Security and the bankruptcy of American auto manufacturers, citing the millions of terminated pregnancies since Roe. v. Wade as costing the nation citizens and customers. They also said that a fetus is a person and should be given protections of law. “It is obvious in our ultrasounds that that little baby, even at just eight weeks old, is a person,” said Brenda MacMenamin, a Personhood Florida organizer. “Their rights our self-evident and they are inalienable. We want to give the voters of the state of Florida the right to vote on personhood.”

Wow…social security, the automobile industry, both negatively impacted through abortion. What else can we blame on abortion?

And it’s obvious at eight weeks that it’s a person? Are you high?

Oh, that’s right, you’re a xian — of course you’re high…