Stupid Is As Stupid Does: Santorum Suggests Abortion Causes Breast Cancer

February 6, 2012 by Doug

As the old proverb goes “Better to remain silent and be thought a fool, than to open your mouth and remove all doubt.” On Sunday 02/05/2012, GOP presidential sideshow Rick Santorum removed all doubt that his extreme religious views make him an idiot when it comes to science. He told his friends on FOX “news” that abortion causes breast cancer. Current science and public health policy has shot that kind of “scientific” thinking down. It only proves that Santorum should stick to his frothy day job.
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Columnist Says President Sold Out His Faith On Birth Control Coverage Rules

January 31, 2012 by Doug

A Washington Post columnist, E.J. Dionne Jr., who I generally agree with most times, wrote in a recent column that President Obama’s administration messed up twice in drafting Department of Health and Human Services rules requiring insurance coverage of birth control under the health care reform law passed in 2010. It seems Dionne feels that since the President is a believer, he threw his liberal Catholic supporters under a bus by not allowing a exemption for Catholic hospitals, universities, and social-services. Dionne’s column was disturbing and yet educational as to why we must all play by the same rules.
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An Example Of Christian Privilege And Persecution Complex

January 19, 2012 by Doug

screencap from a newsreport I was doing some “spring” cleaning by finally digitizing some old VHS tapes I had. These contained TV show clips and news stories I saved over the years. One of the news stories was about a controversy over a Nativity scene in Lancaster Ohio back in 1999. I wrote about it for my website back then but had no way of embedding a video clip. I watched it again and found a perfect example of Christian privilege and persecution complex in the space of a short 15 second comment from someone interviewed by the reporter. I now have a short clip I can show people who don’t know what Christian privilege is or don’t understand their expressed irrational persecution complex.
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Ohio State Senators Returning Teddy Bears Used In Anti-Abortion Stunt

January 16, 2012 by Doug

image of a Teddy Bear Last week I posted about the publicity stunt anti-abortion group Faith2Action pulled at the state house. Surrounded by children some state senators were given Teddy Bears that made a heartbeat sound to try and convince them to pass HB 125. The ‘heartbeat’ bill would prohibit any abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected. Now it seems senators are giving back the toys because they cost more than $25 and would have to be reported on financial-disclosure forms.
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Ohio Anti-Abortion ‘Heartbeat Bill’ Is About Ending Legal Abortion Not Saving Lives

January 15, 2012 by Doug

Linda Theis
co-author of Ohio’s ‘Heartbeat’ Bill

The recent Ohio House Bill 125, aka the “Heartbeat” Bill, would prohibit an abortion if a fetal heartbeat is detected. This usually happens as early as six weeks into a pregnancy. One common argument anti-abortionists use for needing such laws is to save the lives of unborn children. In a recent newspaper interview, one of the authors of the bill stated the real reason anti-abortionists want the ‘heartbeat’ bill passed. It’s all about ending legal abortion not saving lives.
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Anti-Abortion Supporters Use Ohio State Senators, Children, And Teddy Bears As Props

January 11, 2012 by Doug

“Every time there is an abortion a Teddy Bear dies…”

You have to give supporters of the so-called Ohio “Heartbeat” bill credit, they sure know how to promote their bill with the subtlety of PT Barnum. Tuesday afternoon I watched another circus filmed at the Ohio State House. In a room full of children, Ohio state Senators were given toy Teddy Bears that made a heartbeat sounds when squeezed. The tacky photo-op still doesn’t hide the glaring wrongness of the newest attempt to force women not to have abortions. HB 125 is hands down the worst of the worst. Using children as props show how classy the bill supporters really are.
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What Does Religious Freedom Day Really Mean?

January 10, 2012 by Doug

image of the logo for Religious Freedom Day January 16th is National Religious Freedom Day. The day commemorates the Virginia General Assembly’s adoption of Thomas Jefferson’s landmark Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom on January 16, 1786. The Virginia Statute was the basis of the 1st Amendment of the US Constitution and also can be used to support Jefferson’s idea of the separation of church and state. The Religious Right have of course co-opted the day by mass marketing misleading information about what real religious freedom means in this country. Luckily, Americans United for Separation of Church and State (AU) has some help available to tell the truth.
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Member Of Congress Upset She Can’t Spend Taxpayer Money To Proselytize

December 30, 2011 by Doug

image of Rep. Diane Black R-TN Rep. Diane Black R-Tenn. sent a letter to her 6th Congressional District constituents that ranted about not being able to wish them a “Merry Christmas” and spouting some false ideas about the role of government and religion. The problem is she knew she was breaking Congressional rules in sending out the letter. Like other theists, Black is upset if she can’t tell you how religious she is and she really wants you to pay for the privilege.
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War On Christmas? Not Really…

December 9, 2011 by Doug

image of FOX news graphic Like the ubiquitous terror warnings we all enjoyed during the Bush administration, the “War on Christmas” is another conservative dog whistle meant to piss off conservatives and other believers who fall for the false warnings from conservative propaganda machines like FOX “news”. The latest “fire storm” was the lighting of the holiday tree in the capital building in Providence, Rhode Island. The incident shows that efforts to be inclusive in what is a religious holiday, is shouted down by conservative bigots trying to protect Christians privilege.
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Handling of Child abuse cases may have led to Ireland closing embassy at the Vatican

November 4, 2011 by Doug

image of a Celtic Cross Ireland announced on Thursday that is was closing its embassy at the Vatican – headquarters of the Catholic Church – due to economic reasons. However some believe it was the result of strained relations between the majority Catholic Ireland and the Church over a bad report about the handling of child abuse cases involving the Church.
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