Category Archives: Atheist

June 13, 2021

Tennessee's Constitution includes a provision that bars three groups from holding office: atheists, ministers and those engaging in duels. Efforts are under way in the state legislature to remove this exclusion for ministers, but not for duelists or atheists.

In January 2021, Republican Tennessee State Senator Mark Pody, R-Lebanon, proposed Senate Joint Resolution 55 to amend Article IX of the Constitution of Tennessee to rid it of a clause that states "no minister of the Gospel, or priest of any denomination whatever, shall be eligible to a seat in either House of the Legislature." No mention is made in Pody's resolution about Section 2 of the same article: "No person who denies the being of God shall hold any office in the civil department of this state." Nor for that matter does the current bill mention Section 3's objection to those who participate, aid or abet a duel.

When Pody was asked why his resolution removes only the ban on ministers, his response was that it is best to clean up the constitution "one simple step at a time."

Tennessee is one of seven states that has an unconstitutional ban on atheists holding public office. Although superseded by Supreme Court rulings, such bans are important. As a scholar of religious and political rhetoric who focuses on the marginalization of U.S. atheists, I believe they reflect the normalization of anti-atheism that has yet to be truly dealt with, or rarely acknowledged, in the United States.

Atheists 'not to be tolerated'

Numerous state constitutions established laws banning both ministers and atheists when they were ratified.

The bans on ministers were framed as necessary to protect their "sacred calling." The prohibitions on atheists were installed for a different reason. Atheists, it was claimed, could not be trusted to be good citizens in a democracy.

This sentiment was expressed by early enlightenment thinkers such as Jean-Jacques Rousseau and John Locke both of whom influenced early American politicians. Locke argued in his 1689 "Letter Concerning Toleration" that "those are not at all to be tolerated who deny the being of a God. Promises, covenants, and oaths, which are the bonds of human society, can have no hold upon an atheist."

Bans on atheists and ministers are now unconstitutional due to Supreme Court rulings in 1961 and 1978. Tennessee is the last state to maintain an unenforceable ban on ministers in their Constitutions, while seven states still have their unconstitutional bans on atheists.

Although unenforceable, the bans periodically impede atheists wanting to hold public office. In 1992, Herb Silverman, an atheist activist and math professor, was denied a position as a notary public because of a ban in South Carolina. He had to sue the state before he could hold the position.Meanwhile in 2009, Cecil Bothwell, a local Democratic candidate, won his city counsel race in Asheville, North Carolina but had to fight critics who claimed he was ineligible on account of his atheism.

These attacks continued for years after Bothwell was elected. H.K. Edgerton, a Black Confederate activist and one of Bothwell's staunchest critics, complained in 2014 that the council had "placed itself above the law for two terms with Cecil Bothwell sitting there passing rules and regulations and dictating law unlawfully."

David Morgan, editor of the Asheville Tribune, claimed his criticism of Bothwell was about upholding the state constitution, arguing "If you don't like it, amend it and take out that clause."

Atheists have tried to do just that. But politicians show little interest in removing the bans on atheists that exist in state constitutions. As Todd Stiefel, an atheist activist, notes: "If it was on the books that Jews couldn't hold public office, or that African Americans or women couldn't vote, that would be a no-brainer. You'd have politicians falling all over themselves to try to get it repealed. Even if it was still unenforceable, it would still be disgraceful and be removed. So why are we different?"

These anti-atheist clauses and the failure to remove them reflect a phenomenon I call "theistnormativity," which is the normalization of the belief in God as being tied to good and moral citizenship.

To many Americans, beliefs in God and Americanism has become synonymous. A 2015 survey found that 69% of respondents thought it was important to believe in God to be "truly American." And Americans are expected to embrace national slogans such as "In God We Trust" and "one nation, under God." Politicians are regularly asked to participate in public prayers to God before official meetings. And while they can request otherwise, the default assumption is that Americans will make an oath to God when taking public office or testifying in court.

While there is no ban on being an atheist in the United States, atheists have long been framed as un-American. When Democratic Representative Louis Rabaut proposed adding "under God" to the Pledge of Allegiance in 1954, he argued that an "atheistic American" is a "contradiction in terms."

Even President Barack Obama simply acknowledging the existence of "nonbelievers" in his 2009 inaugural address led critics to question whether the acknowledgment was "offensive" and could lead to dangerous misunderstandings about "our true nature as a nation."

And it isn't just the political right. When Bernie Sanders was running for president in 2016, leaked emails from Democratic National Committee leadership revealed a plot to try to out him as an atheist to negatively influence perceptions of him.Impediment to power

This political environment makes it difficult for open atheists to gain much political power. In a 2021 survey of Congress' religious identity, only one person, Senator Kyrsten Sinema, identified as "religiously unaffiliated." Eighteen members replied "don't know" or refused to answer the question.

Polling shows 4% of Americans identify as atheists, and about 23% identify more broadly as nonreligious. While identifying as "nonreligious" does not necessarily mean not believing in God, research suggests that as many as 1 in 4 Americans is atheist, but that most are unwilling to reveal this, even in anonymous polls.

As such, there are likely more atheists in Congress they're just not open about their beliefs. In fact, in 2014, the American Humanist Association claimed that 24 members of Congress privately stated they did not believe in God but would deny it if outed.

Political analysts have long wondered if an atheist could become president. It would take a brave one to try, given that polls indicate that only 60% of Americans would be willing to contemplate voting for one.

Click here to read the complete story.

Tennessee Lookout is part of States Newsroom, a nonprofit network of state government news sites supported by grants and a coalition of donors.

See the article here:

Seven States Still Have Bans On Atheists Holding Office - Patch.com

In our latest podcast, Jessica and I discussed the past week in politics and atheism.

We talked about:

A number of well-known New Atheists have drifted to the right but to varying degrees. Heres a great episode of Serious Inquiries Only with more nuance! (2:45)

Conservatives are very upset that a graduation speaker said the Pledge of Allegiance Under Allah. (21:08)

Does it matter that Christian denominations are fading away? (28:02)

Even a majority of Republicans support marriage equality now. (36:45)

The GOP chairwoman wished people a Happy Pride Month. It didnt end well. (45:04)

How much credit does Burger King deserve for this Chick-fil-A shade? (53:40)

A Christian group wants body cams on teachers to make sure theyre not teaching about race. (1:02:36)

A(nother) Noahs Ark replica is creating all kinds of chaos. (1:10:30)

Wed love to hear your thoughts on the podcast. If you have any suggestions for people we should chat with, please leave them in the comments, too.

You can subscribe to the podcast on iTunes or Google Play, stream all the episodes on SoundCloud or Stitcher, or just listen to the whole thing below. Our RSS feed is here. And if you like what youre hearing, please consider supporting this site on Patreon and leaving us a positive rating!

(Image via Shutterstock)

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Podcast Ep. 378: Have the New Atheists Drifted to the Right? - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

Everything Wrong With Exodus 6 in the Bible | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | PatheosEverything Wrong With Exodus 6 in the BibleJune 13, 2021Hemant Mehta

The video below, from my YouTube channel (please subscribe!), discusses all the problems with Exodus 6.

The Bible needs to rehash a story weve heard before and throw in a family tree just to annoy us.

If you like what youre seeing, please consider supporting my work on Patreon.

(Original image via Shutterstock)

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Everything Wrong With Exodus 6 in the Bible | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

Published: 6/13/2021 6:55:18 AM

In 1897, Dr. Philip OHanlon, a coroners assistant on Manhattans Upper West Side, was asked by his then 8-year-old daughter, Virginia, whether Santa Claus really existed. OHanlon suggested she write to The Sun, a then prominent New York City newspaper.

Heres what Virginia wrote: Dear Editor: I am 8 years old. Some of my little friends say there is no Santa Claus. Papa says, If you see it in The Sun its so. Please tell me the truth; is there a Santa Claus?

Francis Church, one of The Suns editors, was a war correspondent during the American Civil War, a time that saw great suffering and a lack of hope and faith in much of society. Not unlike how we feel in todays uncivil war of words. Although The Sun buried Churchs editorial below one about the newly invented chainless bicycle, it was noticed and well received by readers. According to an anecdote on the radio program The Rest of the Story, Church was a hardened cynic and an atheist who had little patience for superstitious beliefs, did not want to write the editorial, and refused to allow his name to be attached to the piece. More than a century later it is the most reprinted editorial in any newspaper in the English language.

Virginia, Churchs editorial began, your little friends are wrong. They have been affected by the skepticism of a skeptical age. They do not believe anything except [what] they see. They think that nothing can be which is not comprehensible by their little minds. All minds, Virginia, whether they be mens or childrens, are little. In this great universe of ours man is a mere insect, an ant, in his intellect, as compared with the boundless world about him, as measured by the intelligence capable of grasping the whole of truth and knowledge.

Was the Santa story simply a well-meaning myth? Or was it a charming folk tale with variations in different cultures such as in my Dutch parents home country tradition where Sinterklaas has a helper named Zwarte Piet (Black Pete). Piet usually appears as a blackface character with large gold earrings and exaggerated lips. In the weeks leading up to Kerstmis, cities and towns host parades featuring hundreds of white people dressed as Piet who is tasked with handing out presents to the good children and punishing the naughty.

Today, as the anti-racist movement against the Zwarte Piet has grown, so too has organized white supremacy in favor of him. Journalists have received death threats for writing about Piet and anti-blackface activists have survived violent attacks.

We are living in a tsunami of conspiracy theories in todays America. Though there are no known dates for the earliest recorded conspiracy theories according to Conspiracy Theories in American History: An Encyclopedia, evidence suggests that they have been around since as early as the Roman Empire. conspiracy theories are almost always present in the fabric of society, societal upheaval and traumatic events that call into question established power structures, norms of conduct, or even the existence of specific people or groups, tend to stimulate belief in conspiracy theories.

Enter the Internet that has made it possible for an exponentially exacerbated spread of conspiracy theories at a pace we have never before known. Internet-based media outlets such as the late Rush Limbaughs radio program, the Alec Jones Show on InfoWars, news programs on Fox News, One America News Network, Newsmax TV, the large Sinclair Broadcasting Group of radio stations, and many other conservative media, attract audiences which already have a predisposition to believe in such theories before they begin to believe in them.

How, otherwise, could one possibly believe that the first moon landing was a hoax staged by NASA? Or that the 9/11 attacks on the World Trade Center were not (exclusively) conducted by al-Qaeda, but a U.S. government conspiracy to let these attacks succeed? Or that the 2020 election was stolen? Or that Jan. 6 was a typical tourist day at the capital? And that Donald Trump will be reinstated as president come August?

No Santa Claus!, Frances Church ended his 1897 editorial with; Thank God! he lives, and he lives forever. A thousand years from now, Virginia, nay, ten times ten thousand years from now, he will continue to make glad the heart of childhood.

If planet Earth is still supporting human life a thousand years from now, nay, 10,000 years from now, I wonder what the history of the 21st century will look like?

John Bos wrote a bi-weekly column entitled Connecting the Dots for seven years in the West County Independent. Having moved to Greenfield last year he is more than pleased to continue his column in the Recorder. Questions and comments are always invited. Readers who would like a copy of the original Sun editorial or Tips on Countering Conspiracy Theories and Misinformation may request a PDF copy at john01370@gmail.com.

Visit link:

Columnist John Bos: Living in a tsunami of conspiracy theories - The Recorder

On the outside of a parking structure at the University Medical Center in Lubbock, Texas, theres this giant religious banner:

Gracious Lord, for all of UMC I pray Your divine protection over them, guidance within them & provision for them, daily. Reverend Wendell Davis.

Firm, not fearful.

Why is a public university promoting religion? Why is a hospital full of medical professionals who spent years getting trained in precise surgical methods suggesting that prayer will make the difference? While doctors and patients are free to pray if theyd like, this banner is out of place at a public hospital just like it would be at a public school.

Thats why the Freedom From Religion Foundation called for it to be taken down last month.

The University Medical Center serves all citizens regardless of belief or nonbelief. This message alienates the 24% of Americans who are non-religious. We urge UMC to recognize its obligation to provide all citizens with an environment free from religious endorsement by removing this exclusionary display

FFRF also noted that the medical center created religious videos endorsing Christianity, like one that featured a chaplain urging people to trust Jesus with the UMC logo at the end:

While patients are trying to receive care and employees are trying to work, many are forced to listen to preaching by someone who does not share their deeply held religious or nonreligious views. You can imagine how people would react if they were forced to listen to an Imam deliver a prayer to Allah. It is also bad medicine subjecting an ill, captive audience to unwanted proselytizing, adding to stress.

We ask that you discontinue UMCs chaplaincy and cease creating and promoting religious videos. UMC should focus on providing secular care and support services to its patients and employees and leave determinations on religious support to individuals. UMC must also remove the religious banner from its parking structure. Please reply in writing outlining the steps that you are taking to address these constitutional concerns so that we may inform our complainants.

It worked. Kind of. The hospital now says the banner is coming down but theyre not quite ready to eliminate the chaplains videos.

The hospital says it plans to remove the banner as part of its original plan, saying it was only supposed to be displayed temporarily during the pandemic.

Regarding the chaplain program and its practices, [UMC President and CEO Mark] Funderburk stated that before and since the first COVID-19 patient was admitted to UMC, no patient, employee or visitor has been compelled to participate in any expression or practice of faith.

Like many hospitals, University Medical Center has a chaplain program designed to improve patients health and well-being, he continued.

These professionals skillfully and compassionately attend the spiritual and emotional needs, and support the health and welfare of UMCs patients, staff, and visitors.

Funderburk is missing the point. Theres nothing wrong with having a chaplaincy program as long as those chaplains can help all patients and, in effect, speak their language. Thats a far cry from making videos with the hospitals stamp of approval promoting a Christian-specific message. (Wheres the Islamic version of that video? The Humanist version?)

Its not clear yet how FFRF will respond.

Read the original post:

Texas Public Hospital Will Take Down Pro-Religion Banner at Urging of Atheists - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

Adrianne Curry, a former contestant on Americas Next Top Model and an actor, took to Facebook this week to admit she was taught by godless people in Hollywood to judge Kirk Cameron simply because he found God.

I sneered at the mention of his name,she wrote, because my agnostic beliefs set me above all others in my infinite godless greatness. When I really ask myself why I did so, my only truthful answer is that I was surrounded by godless people who fancied themselves better than anyone and everyone who had faith in anything besides their own selfish selves.

She went on to write that Tinseltown told me that anyone who was anything besides Muslim, atheist, agnostic, gay, etc., was very bad and stupid.

***As the number of voices facing big-tech censorship continues to grow, please sign up forFaithwires daily newsletterand download theCBN News app, developed by our parent company, to stay up-to-date with the latest news from a distinctly Christian perspective.***

She coasted for quite a while on the assumptions about Cameron put in place for her. But then she watched an interview with the Growing Pains star, and her perspective changed.

Recently, Curry wrote, I watched an interview with the guy. He came off as very humble and incredibly likable. I watched a few more. Loyal to his wife, a family man, a former atheist who found some meaning in life. He just comes off as a good dude.

The retired actor said she immediately felt like a jerk for holding such unfair opinions about Cameron, admitting she used to be intolerable of those who held different worldviews and beliefs.

Sorry, dude, she wrote in her apology to Cameron. I walked with the flock of sheep who told me what to hate and what to like without question.

Cameron, for his part, actually responded in the comments section of Currys Facebook post, telling the fellow actor a friend of his texted him about her apology.

The 50-year-old Christian celebrity said he is genuinely grateful for her kind words.

He went on to share a bit of his testimony with her.

After losing my faith in atheism at 18, Cameron wrote, I asked the maker of all the beautiful and purposeful things I saw in the world (stars, galaxies, sunrises, purple hydrangeas, children, laughter, deep grief, good food, love, loyalty, courage, honor) to help me understand the truth about it all. And I started to say, Thank you.

I too, as a young man on top of all the Teen-Beat world in Hollywood, thought I was bigger and better than a made-up god-crutch, he continued. But I too was just following the herd of sheep, running with those who wanted to see themselves as too smart to believe or trust in God. I kept denying Gods existence But then, thankfully, I ran out of excuses. I didnt find God in Babylon; He wasnt lost. I was lost, and He found me. Blessing to you on your journey.

In 2017, Camerondefended the rights of atheiststo disbelieve in God, arguing religious liberty is just as critical to agnostics as it is to believers.

He said at the time a person wouldnt want to be an atheist in a certain kind of country that insists on only one religion.

If you have religious liberty, which allows you to be here in the U.S. and practice your faith according to the dictates of your conscience under law, you can be an atheist without worrying that youre going to be thrown in prison for that.

Read more:

Actress Admits She Used to Judge Kirk Cameron 'Simply Because He Found God,' Offers Apology - CBN News

Photo credit: Fronteiras do Pensamento [CC BY-SA 2.0], via Wikimedia Commons.

Our colleague Andrew McDiarmid found a pretty stunning tweet from an unlikely person. Atheist biologist Richard Dawkins is [knocked] sideways with wonder at the miniaturized intricacy of the data-processing machinery in the living cell. Yes, he doesnt call it intelligent design, of course, and Im confident he would deny the cell is designed. But thats the kind of thing ID proponents say all the time. In fact, if I didnt know the source, I would guess it might be someone writing at Evolution News. I am knocked sideways at hearing it from Dawkins.

Andrew asks why the technology we use every day naturally prompts a design inference, but the far more fantastically advanced biological machinery in the cell does not.

These days, we surround ourselves with technology to stay in touch, to keep ourselves informed, and to manage the challenges of our daily lives. We also recognize in our devices and machines all the hallmarks of design, understanding reflexively that they express the ingenuity of engineers or software developers. Our appreciation for applied intelligence comes as second nature to us we intuitively recognize the work of other minds.

But what happens when we look up from our technology and survey the world of nature? When we look up at the movement of the planets, or into the eyes of our children, or when we peer through a microscope into a living cell? Do we see signs of minds in those places? Do we sense intelligence and forethought? Or does our intuition of design stop at the iPhone and the jet airplane?

In a recenttweet, the worlds most famous scientific atheist, evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins, confessed to being knocked sideways with wonder at the miniaturized intricacy of the data-processing machinery in the living cell.

Dawkins wrote the tweet after watching ananimationproduced by an Australian medical institute showing how cells store and copy the vast amounts of digital information present in DNA.

The digital information technology found in living cells (as depicted in this andotheranimations) has raised profound questions about an enduring scientific mystery: how did the very first life begin? And did a mind or intelligent designer play a role?

Dawkins, for his part, has steadfastly maintained that living organisms exhibit only the appearance or illusion of design, not evidence of actual design despite being knocked sideways with wonder at the information technology at work in living cells.

As he put it in his most famous bookThe Blind Watchmaker,[b]iology is the study of complicated things that givethe appearanceof having been designed for a purpose.

The claim that life was not designed, even though it looks designed, may seem contradictory.

Contradictory is right. Watch the video highlighted by Dawkins. It gives chills:

Read the rest here:

Dawkins Is Knocked Sideways with Wonder by Cell's Design - Discovery Institute

Speaking on the show FlashPoint, which is part of Kenneth Copelands ministry, actress Sam Sorbo (a Christian Nationalist and wife of Hercules actor Kevin Sorbo) claimed that atheists were just making it all up.

Atheists do believe in God, she insisted, because they think they are God. Checkmate! And somehow, this is evidence of Christian persecution.

The greatest trick the Devil ever played was to convince the world that he didnt exist, right?

The greatest trick that the atheists ever played was to convince us that they dont believe in God. They do! They believe in God. They believe they are God. And guess what? Theyre a jealous God. Thats why you cant go to church.

I cant tell if Im more annoyed by the lie or the non sequitur at the end

Even if atheists accept theres no higher power, it doesnt mean were the equivalent of the myth. We dont have super powers. We dont perform miracles. To say thats treating ourselves as God requires redefining that word to the point of uselessness.

By the way if you listen to those remarks in context, around the 29:00 mark of this video, you can hear the other show guests as well as the host nodding in agreement to that last sentence about not being able to go to church because atheist-gods are stopping them.

You cant fix brainwashing that deep. You just have to hope some of the viewers recognize how idiotic her statements are.

(via Christian Nightmares)

Excerpt from:

Sam Sorbo: Atheists Think They're Gods and That's Why You Can't Go to Church - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

After a multi-year battle, the Freedom From Religion Foundation has successfully won its case against a Texas judge who opened each session with prayer.

To make sense of this story, it helps to realize that the one thing a judge should never do is make one side feel like its not getting a fair shake in the courtroom. Both sides should expect a fair hearing and anything that detracts from that is a problem. Obviously.

And yet that was precisely what Montgomery County Justice of the Peace Wayne Mack was doing for years. In 2014, FFRF even wrote him a letter condemning his actions when he opened a court session with a five-minute Bible reading followed by a formal prayer.

We understand that in August you opened one of your court sessions with the Christian prayer. We believe that this is regular practice in your courtroom. A concerned Montgomery County resident who had business before you contacted us to report that after you entered the courtroom you stated, We are going to say a prayer. If any of you are offended by that you can leave into the hallway and your case will not be affected. After that announcement, we understand that you introduced a pastor who read from the bible for more than five minutes. While the pastor was reading, our complainant says, I felt that the Judge was watching for reactions from the courtroom; bowed heads, indifference, etc. I definitely felt that our cases would be affected by our reactions [to the bible reading]. Our complainant further says, Once the Bible reading was over we were then asked to bow our heads to pray. I was very uncomfortable and certainly felt that I was being coerced into following this ritual and that the outcome of my case depended upon my body language.

It was meaningless that Mack said your case will not be affected when all of his other actions indicated otherwise. Mack never responded to that letter, but a month later, promoting a prayer breakfast he was speaking at, he sent an email to supporters saying this:

I will be addressing [FFRFs] demand that we immediately end the practice of court prayer at the Oct 23rd Prayer Breakfast. I am not seeking the potential controversy, as I will have to respond to these groups as well. We are on strong moral and legal ground.

I want to make a statement to show those that feel what we are doing is unacceptable, that not only is it acceptable to our community, but show them that God has a place in all aspects of our lives and public service, during times of tragedy and conflict, when we as a community need to bring peace to the storm. That it is reflected in how we as a community respond and treat each other during these times of tragedy.

In short, Mack is a judge who doesnt understand the First Amendment. He doesnt get to ignore separation of church and state just because the majority of the community shares his faith. Its the sort of thinking that ought to disqualify him as a judge and probably would if we were talking about any religion other than Christianity.

The State Commission on Judicial Conduct was eventually tasked with investigating Mack but they eventually did nothing. They just asked him to fall in line with the practices of other courtrooms without telling him explicitly to stop praying.

By 2015, Mack had changed his ways. Kind of.

After the introduction by the bailiff, Judge Mack enters the courtroom. While everyone remains standing, Judge Mack talks briefly about his chaplaincy program and introduces a religious leader from the program, who wears an official badge issued by Judge Mack.

After Judge Macks introduction, the chaplain leads a prayer, sometimes preceded by a short sermon. The prayers and sermons are directed to those in attendance in the courtroom and everyone present is asked to participate, or show obeisance, by bowing their heads.

During the bailiffs introduction, the chaplain-led prayer, and the courtroom business that follows, the courtroom doors remain magnetically locked. To exit, a person must push a button and reentry can only be granted by someone already inside the courtroom. Those seeking reentry after the prayers would need to draw attention to themselves by knocking on the courtroom doors.

So it wasnt really any better than before. Even with the revision, non-Christians were still made to feel like outcasts in the courtroom.

Thats when FFRF decided to sue Mack on behalf of several clients who had appeared in front of him. That case was dismissed on a technicality, but FFRF filed another lawsuit correcting that issue; they went after Mack both as an individual and in his official judicial capacity on behalf of the State of Texas.

And now, two years after that lawsuit was filed, theres a resolution. U.S. District Judge Kenneth M. Hoyt ruled that Mack was out of bounds by foisting his religion upon everyone.

The Court is of the view that the defendant [Mack] violates the Establishment Clause when, before a captured audience of litigants and their counsel, he presents himself as theopneustically-inspired, enabling him to advance, through the Chaplaincy Program, Gods larger purpose. Such a magnanimous goal flies in the face of historical tradition, and makes a mockery of both, religion and law. Accordingly, the plaintiffs are entitled to a summary judgment. Therefore, the Court declares that the defendants practice of opening regular court proceedings with religious prayers is unconstitutional Should the defendant violate this Courts declaratory decree, an injunction will issue.

In plain English, that means Mack must stop turning his courtroom into a church. And if he refuses to do so, the consequences will be much more severe.

FFRF celebrated the decision:

In a time where the wall of separation between state and church is continually chipped away, this decision is welcomed for its straightforward and accurate interpretation of the Establishment Clause, noting the prayer practice flies in the face of our traditions, comments FFRF Legal Director Rebecca Markert.

As always, it shouldnt take a lawsuit for a judge to follow the damn law. But if thats what it takes, so be it. Mack can be a pastor. He can be a judge. He cannot be both at the same time. He can whine about this ruling all he wants, but nothing about the decision should come as a surprise to him.

(Screenshot via YouTube. Large portions of this article were published earlier)

Continued here:

Atheists Win Case Against Texas Judge and His Coercive Christian Prayers - Friendly Atheist - Patheos

This content was published on May 22, 2021 - 07:35May 22, 2021 - 07:35

BEIJING (Reuters) - China will uphold the leadership of the Communist Party in Tibet to further its economic development, and guide Tibetan society in accordance to socialism, the region's top official said on Saturday.

Chinese troops entered Tibet in 1950, and a year later, the Chinese government formally gained control over the region and its devoutly Buddhist Tibetans. The Dalai Lama fled Tibet in 1959 following a failed uprising against Chinese rule.

"First and foremost we must uphold the leadership of the Communist Party of China," said Tibet's Party Secretary Wu Yingjie at a news conference in Beijing.

"Since the peaceful liberation of Tibet in 1951, everyone has discovered that only with party leadership can Tibet continue on this road of prosperous development," Wu said.

International support for the Tibetan community has surged in the past year with renewed support from rights groups and international governments, led by the United States.

In December, Congress passed the Tibet Policy and Support Act, which calls for the right of the Tibetans to select the next Dalai Lama, as well as for the establishment of a consulate in the Tibetan city of Lhasa.

China has strongly condemned the act, saying it is an effort to meddle in the country's internal affairs.

China, which is officially atheist, also maintains it has the right to select the Dalai Lama's successor according to Chinese law.

"Tibet has been a part of China since ancient times. The Chinese nation must always maintain this," Wu said.

Officials did not take questions from Western news outlets at the press conference.

The Dalai Lama and the exiled government, also known as the Central Tibetan Administration (CTA), have proposed what they call a "middle way" approach that would allow the exiled Tibetans to return to China on the condition of "genuine autonomy" for Tibet, though not full independence.

China has rebuffed attempts by the CTA to reopen a dialogue since 2010, and Beijing maintains that the Dalai Lama is a separatist.

There are as many as 150,000 Tibetans living in exile.

Penpa Tsering, who was this month elected president of CTA, told Reuters on Friday that they are committed to a peaceful resolution with China, but Beijing's current policies threaten the future of Tibetan culture.

"When it comes to religion we must adapt it to the Chinese context and also make clear that Tibetan Buddhism has always been inherently a part of Chinese culture," Wu said.

"Also, we need to maintain freedom of religious belief and worship and manage religion according to the law and guide society according to socialism."

(Reporting by Cate Cadell and Martin Pollard; Editing by Lincoln Feast.)

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China says to uphold leadership of Communist Party in Tibet - swissinfo.ch