Poppycock.

The framers were Masonic Deists. This belief system seeks knowledge of God through the application of reason and meditation on natural laws. God here is the Great Architect, not a “life coach in the sky.”

So the next time you hear someone like Michelle Bachmann or Rick Santorum prattling on about America being a Christian nation, keep the following quotes in mind.

John Adams
“This would be the best of all possible worlds, if there were no religion in it.”

“The doctrine of the divinity of Jesus is made a convenient cover for absurdity.”

Adams also signed the Treaty of Tripoli. Article 11 states:
“The Government of the United States is not in any sense founded on the Christian religion.”

Thomas Jefferson
“I have examined all the known superstitions of the world and I do not find in our particular superstition of Christianity one redeeming feature. They are all alike founded on fables and mythology. Millions of innocent men, women, and children, since the introduction of Christianity, have been burnt, tortured, fined, and imprisoned. What has been the effect of this coercion? To make one half the world fools and the other half hypocrites; to support roguery and error all over the earth.”

“Christianity…(has become) the most perverted system that ever shone on man… rogueries, absurdities and untruths were perpetrated upon the teachings of Jesus by a large band of dupes and imposters led by Paul, the first great corruptor of the teachings of Jesus.”

“The clergy converted the simple teachings of Jesus into an engine for enslaving mankind and adulturated by artificial constructions into a contrivance to filch wealth and power to themselves…these clergy in fact, constitute the real Anti-Christ.”

“And the day will come when the mystical generation of Jesus, by the supreme being as his father in the womb of a virgin will be classed with the fable of the generation of Minerve in the brain of Jupiter.”

“Shake off all the fears of servile prejudices, under which weak minds are servilely crouched. Fix reason firmly in her seat, and call on her tribunal for every fact, every opinion. Question with boldness even the existence of a God; because, if there be one, he must more approve of the homage of reason than that of blindfolded fear.”

Thomas Paine
“It is the duty of every true Deist to vindicate the moral justice of God against the evils of the Bible.”

“I do not believe in the creed professed by the Jewish church, by the Roman church, by the Greek church, by the Turkish church, by the Protestant church, nor by any church that I know of… each of those churches accuse the other of unbelief; and for my own part, I disbelieve them all… of all the systems of religion that ever were invented, there is no more derogatory to the Almighty, more unedifying to man, more repugnant to reason, and more contradictory to itself than this thing called Christianity.”

“The Christian church has set up a religion of pomp and revenue in pretend imitation of a person (Jesus) who lived a life of poverty.”

James Madison
“What influence in fact have Christian ecclesiastical establishments had on civil society? In many instances they have been upholding the thrones of political tyrrany. In no instance have they been seen as the guardians of the liberties of the people. Rulers who wished to subvert the public liberty have found in the clergy convenient auxiliaries. A just government, instituted to secure and perpetuate liberty, does not need the clergy.”

“During almost fifteen centuries has the legal establishment of Christianity been on trial. What have been its fruits? More or less in all places, pride and indolence in the Clergy, ignorance and servility in the laity, in both, superstition, bigotry and persecution.”

Madison was also against tax exemption for churches.

Another fun fact: a mere 7 percent of dwellers in the original 13 colonies belonged to a church at the time of the signing of the Declaration of Independence.

Separation of Church and State
“Believing with you that religion is a matter which lies solely between man and his God, that he owes account to none other for his faith or his worship, that the legitimate powers of government reach actions only, and not opinions, I contemplate with sovereign reverence that act of the whole American people which declared that their legislature should ‘make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof,’ thus building a wall of separation between Church and State.” —Thomas Jefferson, Letter to the Danbury (Conn.) Baptist Association, January 1, 1802

And here’s one last quote, but not from a framer:

“Hence today I believe I am acting in accordance with the will of the Almighty Creator.” —Adolph Hitler

Check out Lux Eterna Records for more sonic goodness…

Then he looked up at his disciples and said: “Blessed are you who are poor, for yours is the kingdom of God.” – Luke, 20-21

I have a cousin who is a born-again Christian. I haven’t seen her in years, but she is, of course, on Facebook. Recently, I came across one of her status updates, compelling the OWS protesters to “occupy a job,” and poking fun at the mass arrests. Now, this sentiment doesn’t seem particularly Jesus-like to me, but then again, I am entirely confused by contemporary interpretations of the New Testament.

I’m also fascinated by the shift from the social gospel and its emphasis on community and cooperation to the me-first, “Jesus-as-life-coach” culture of modern evangelicals. And I’m scared shitless by their political influence. (There is some great literature on the subject, including a book I’ve recommended before, The Family, by Jeff Sharlet.)

Even more mind-boggling to me is that another Facebook acquaintance, a self-professed LaVeyan Satanist, made a comment on my wall in defense of my cousin’s initial statement. He used five economical words: “She’s right. Deal with it.” Then he proceeded to unfriend me.

Isn’t it interesting that the contemporary evangelical movement espouses the same moral perspective as a religion whose express purpose is to eliminate Christianity? Both groups owe a tremendous amount to Ayn Rand, and preach individuality above self-sacrifice. That’s fine for Satanists, as their beliefs reflect no internal contradictions. But how does any of this jive with the Gospel of Christ?

Clearly, it doesn’t.

The Jesus of the Bible railed against money-lenders and “redistributed” loaves and fish to the hungry. He tended to the needy and sick. Moreover, he encouraged others to do the same.

Compare that to the sweeping push by those aligned with the evangelical movement to eliminate social programs meant to aid our society’s most needy. These are the same folks who loudly and proudly tout their so-called “Christian values” and claim a moral high ground.

Jesus looked at him and loved him. “One thing you lack,” he said. “Go, sell everything you have and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me.” At this the man’s face fell. He went away sad, because he had great wealth. Jesus looked around and said to his disciples, “How hard it is for the rich to enter the kingdom of God!” The disciples were amazed at his words. But Jesus said again, “Children, how hard it is to enter the kingdom of God! It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle than for a rich man to enter the kingdom of God.” – Mark, 10:21-25

Let’s see here… Jesus instructed his disciples to redistribute their personal, material wealth to the poor as a key means to entering the Kingdom of God. It’s right there in the Bible. I hope I don’t need to mention that Jesus freely healed the sick with no regard to “pre-existing conditions” like leprosy.

These teachings were carried on by the disciples after Jesus’ crucifixion. It would be amazing if the Christians of today were to take them to heart instead of celebrating the suppression of speech and liberty.

My brothers, as believers in our glorious Lord Jesus Christ, don’t show favoritism. Suppose a man comes into your meeting wearing a gold ring and fine clothes, and a poor man in shabby clothes also comes in. If you show special attention to the man wearing fine clothes and say, “Here’s a good seat for you,” but say to the poor man, “You stand there” or “Sit on the floor by my feet,” have you not discriminated among yourselves and become judges with evil thoughts? Listen, my dear brothers: Has not God chosen those who are poor in the eyes of the world to be rich in faith and to inherit the kingdom he promised those who love him? Are they not the ones who are slandering the noble name of him to whom you belong? – James, 2:1-7

To me, the more frustrating thing than the outright hypocrisy is the unwillingness to engage in even moderate self-reflection. No need to account for your actions, no reason to adjust your personal behavior to be more in line with the articles of your supposed faith. The act of becoming “born-again” simply guarantees your place at the Lord’s table. I can see why this belief system is attractive, as it requires practically zero effort. But it is absolutely not in keeping with Jesus’ actual teachings.

And anyone who tells you otherwise is deluded or disingenuous.

Look, I have some sympathies with the OWS movement. I certainly think that my cousin’s statement is ignorant, and that there are hundreds of reasons why people in an economic depression (when one in 16 are below the poverty line, that’s what it is) may want to publicly demonstrate their dissatisfaction with wealth inequality in the United States. But this isn’t about my political views. It’s about the tendency of the modern evangelical movement to mask their disgust for their brothers and sisters behind a veneer of faith.

I don’t care if you happen to be related to me. I’m calling bullshit.

• Serial Killer of the Week. There is a series about female serial killers called “Lady Killers” airing on BBC Knowledge right now. But BBC Knowledge doesn’t air in the U.S. so I’ll just have to wait for it to show up elsewhere. In the meantime, I can feature one of the murderesses from the show, Myra Hindley, England’s first convicted female serial killer. You might recognize Hindley’s photo, as it has been used in many forms of popular art, from t-shirts to album covers.

Maybe you’ve wondered who those people were on this Sonic Youth record?

It is an artist’s rendering of a photo of the two key witness in Hindley’s trial. The woman is Myra’s younger sister Maureen Hindley with her first husband David Smith. Smith was friends with Myra’s boyfriend and co-murderer Ian Brady. He was actually somewhat complicit in one of the murders, but shortly after the act he freaked out and confessed to the police. It’s a good thing he had this attack of conscience because it resulted in the arrest and conviction of Hindley and Brady.

• Fetish of the Week. Vorarephilia aka “vore.” A vore fetishist is sexually aroused by the idea of humans eating and being eaten by each other. Not every vore fetishist likes the same stuff, though. There are distinct subcategories. It would be very interesting to me to find out what your first thoughts or mental images were upon reading the first sentence of this fetish entry! If you are willing to share, please post in the comments. I was imagining cannibalism like Hannibal Lecter or that time Moss tried to take a German cooking class.

www.youtube.com/watch?v=ij0d0t1fDv0

Here are the two main vore types — there are more out there. Human deviance is so gloriously abundant and diverse.

Soft vore: Being swallowed alive and whole, orally. Sometimes they get digested, rescued, suffocated, vomited back up, or survive a trip through the entire digestive tract (called “full tour”), but as far as I can tell the fantasy most often ends with the subject being warm and moist, happily nestled inside a stomach. Like most vore, this is purely fantasy and exists only in art, fiction and animation because it is not practically possible. A form of soft vore is a fetish I’ve covered before, macrophilia, but a lot of the artwork seems to depict cartoon creatures and furries, not humans. Here’s a collection of soft vore furry art:

www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r83TtcfRKc

Hard vore: In hard vore fantasy the idea of consumption is the same, but the tone is very different. The prey is not swallowed whole but rather violently eaten. There is typically a great deal of blood — biting, tearing, slashing, etc.. This seems to show up in human more than furry forms.

• Religion of the Week. Iglesia Maradoniana: the Maradonian Church. This a relatively small religion in Argentina which reveres former Argentine footballer Diego Maradona as a deity on earth. They have their own commandments and use his autobiography as their Bible!
• Links!

Trepanning is an ancient and obsolete… or is it?

I posted a list of improbable deaths, now here’s the Tudor version.

FOX News might have run a phony story about poop burgers? Here’s one more humble contribution to Rupert Murdoch‘s troubles. Ha ha haaaa evil fucker! I hope he dies broke and alone of slow, wasting stomach cancer.

We recently got cable and it’s the first time in my life I’ve ever had it. I’ve come to the conclusion that SpongeBob Squarepants is the best role model on television.

Cool art thingy wow!

There is a guy who lives near us who painted in huge letters across the front of his house “Cut consumption not foreskins.” No, really! Lookit:

I bring this up because I wonder if he’s heard of Foreskin Man.

HAPPY RAPTURE!

The Contrarian Media and LUX ETERNA wanted to take this moment to celebrate your imminent ascendancy to His Kingdom.

What’s that? Not getting Raptured? Well we’ve got the perfect consolation prize.

Here’s a brand new track from Strange Angels just in time for End Times:

In a story that has electrified Christians worldwide, an image that appears to be the face of Jesus Christ has been discovered within another image of the face of Jesus Christ.

Believers and reporters alike have begun flocking to the Cathedral of St. Genesius in Colorado Springs, CO — specifically to the northeastern corner of the church, which features a small enclosed altar for private worship before an icon of Jesus. It is within the details of this icon’s face that another, smaller image of Jesus has been discovered.

“I’ve been coming here for years,” says Sabrina Thwaite, 78, who first recognized the image late Sunday afternoon. “After mass, I always go to brunch. Then after brunch, I come back to the church to say my rosary at the little altar.” Staring into the icon, she began to feel “possessed by the holy spirit” and started studying a detail she had never paid attention to in the shading just under the left eye. “And then it just sort of appeared to me, clear as day. I can’t believe I hadn’t seen it for all these years!”

“It is certainly a blessing we are proud to have in our church,” says Fr. James Bellamy, who has led mass at St. Genesius for 23 years. “That being said, it has caused certain, er… logistical difficulties, so to speak.”

The difficulties that Fr. Bellamy so delicately refers to are the non-stop stream of visitors and worshipers who now crowd the the northeastern corner of the church at all hours, making regular church business all but impossible. As of last week, regular services at St. Genesius have been indefinitely postponed, and the congregation now meets in the basement of the much smaller St. Alban’s, three blocks away.

Back at St. Genesius, the church has made changes to accommodate the crowds. Portable toilets have been placed in the opposite corner of the cathedral to accommodate worshipers who wait up to four hours in a long line that snakes around pillars and pews. Within the tiny dark enclosure, which holds up to four people, a special new kneeling bench has been placed so that one visitor at a time can sit just inches from the painting, whose newly discovered detail is featured by a narrow spotlight.

“It was amazing,” says Linda Carter of Birmingham, England after emerging from the tiny enclosure. “I’ve been a Christian all my life, but I suppose in a way I’ve been waiting for a confirmation of my beliefs. And this is it, undoubtedly. They say you find things where you least expect them, but that’s not always true. It’s as though he’s just popped out and said ‘It’s me!’”

Four years ago today, I got married in a small and lovely ceremony in our old apartment in a sleepy northern burg. Shortly after that, my bride and I pulled up stakes for Washington, DC — the city that never… something.

It was probably the smartest thing I’ve ever done in my entire life. My wife is truly an incredible person, and she has assisted my personal and professional development in ways I could have never imagined. Plus she’s quite the looker.

Getting hitched was not necessarily in our grand plans. Neither of us are inclined to follow traditional footpaths, and marriage wasn’t an institution we felt any particular identification with. I certainly understand it better now, but it’s none of my business if people wed or not. I do, however, think the option should exist for all consenting adults, regardless of sexual orientation.

“Traditional” marriage is often touted as a fundamental component of a civilized society in which people adhere to organized religion and fend off taxes, unions and immigrants. Which is why I find this New York Times story about the rising divorce rate in rural America so interesting.

Yes, I am making the grand generalization that those in rural parts of the country are more likely to be socially conservative and religious. I can do this, because I’ve lived there (granted, it was not the Midwest.)

You might think the rising divorce rate can be pegged to economic stresses. That’s surely part of it, but the article shines light on another factor: education.

Just one in six rural residents have college degrees, far fewer than in cities, where one in three do. Nationally, there were about 121 million married adults and 26 million divorced people in 2009, compared with about 100 million married and 11 million divorced people in 1980.

Education drew a dividing line for Nancy Vermeer, a 52-year-old resident of Sioux County, Iowa. She had married her high school sweetheart, a young man from a farming family. He never went further than high school, but she went on to college, and later earned a master’s degree. He worked in a window factory. She became a music teacher. He gambled. They grew apart. Eventually, he asked for a divorce.

“I grew more confident,” Ms. Vermeer said. “We were totally different people.”

Lurking in this story is the subtext that the only way to “keep yer woman on the farm” is to deny her information about the outside world. There’s also a bit of race-baiting in its suggestion that rural white folk are experiencing a culture-crippling epidemic of babies born out-of-wedlock.

Maria Kefalas, a sociology professor at St. Joseph’s University in Philadelphia and co-author of “Hollowing Out the Middle,” a 2009 book about the migration of the educated class from rural Iowa, said that changes in families have been profound. She noted that the alarm sounded by Daniel Patrick Moynihan in 1965 about the rise of out-of-wedlock births among African-Americans applies to the country as a whole today: One in three babies is born to unmarried parents.

“It has hit the whitest, most married, most idyllic heart of America — Iowa,” Professor Kefalas said.

O NOES! THE WHITE CHRISTIANS ARE BESIEGED BY MORAL TURPITUDE! Gimmie a break.

Look, marriage can be difficult. And, like raising a child, it’s not something to be entered into on a lark (or because Pastor McBigot told you to). But it can be a truly blessed thing, even outside the auspices of religion and societal convention. My wife and I are proof. Marriage is about a mutual contribution of love, tenderness and commitment. If White Christian America can’t live up to those ideals, it’s nobody’s fault but their own.

Many conservatives want people to believe that kids can “catch the gay” from homosexual educators or that gay matrimony will somehow destroy the institution of marriage. Yet these same folks are denying that the violent rhetoric spouted by their ilk has any impact on the behaviors of borderline individuals in our society.

Hypocrisy and selective logic.

There’s also a big difference between putting political figures in crosshairs and Marylin Manson, who never recorded any music urging teenagers to assassinate their fellow students.

Those who point to Tea Party vitriol are criticizing their rhetoric, not embracing the politicization of the argument. We did so before the Gabrielle Giffords shooting, and we’ll continue to do so. Why? Because it’s reprehensible, ignorant and dangerous.

Sharia, or Islamic law, is not new in the Indonesian province of Banda Aceh. Yet, precious little has been written about it in the American Press. Surprise! It disproportionately affects women!

In a photo montage from the Los Angeles Times, photographer Luis Sinco describes the morality police: “Mostly they stop and lecture women for not being modestly covered up in public and scold unmarried couples for improper contact with members of the opposite sex.” In another photo, police officers chastise such modestly clad teenage girls for the great sin of wearing tights at a beach. These wanton hussies were told to go home and change.

Aw, nothing indicates a flourishing democracy like women being told how to dress. I think there’s another country out there like that… I’ll take Iran for $200.

Now, the last thing I want is to come off as a female Terry Jones. Certainly Muslims are anything but monolithic in their thinking, as Iran’s Green Revolution of 2009 demonstrates. Still, laws based on any ancient text are bound to come off as a thousand or so years out-of-date.

Consider how Sinco describes this scene: “The Sharia police prepare to patrol the streets of Banda Aceh, the capital of Indonesia’s Aceh province. The force is known as ‘the vice and virtue patrol.’ In Aceh, these officers consider themselves the community’s public conscience. And they take their role of enforcing the religious strictures seriously.”

Such an approach bears a striking similarity to Saudi Arabia’s religious police, known as Members of the Commission for the Promotion of Virtue and Prevention of Vice. Both share eerily Orwellian names. But in Saudi Arabia, one Syrian-born woman fought back against these watchmen, shooting at officers in patrol cars after she was caught in “illegal seclusion” with an unrelated man in May of 2010.

This is not the first incident of the fairer sex taking justice into their own hands in the Kingdom. Prior to the shooting, one religious police officer was taken to the hospital after being punched by a woman in her twenties.

The Syrian woman’s actions have been lauded by Saudi human rights activist Wajiha Huwaidar. “People are so fed up with these religious police, and now they have to pay the price for the humiliation they put people through for years and years,” she said. “This is just the beginning and there will be more resistance.”

Saudi sisters are doin’ it for themselves. Let’s hope the women of Banda Aceh follow in their footsteps.

This is the second video from the album, “Tea for None.” It should be pretty easy to suss out its deeper meaning (well, unless you’re a certain breed of conservative):

www.youtube.com/watch?v=-xOz7FrohcY

There are lots more videos on The Contrarian YouTube channel, which the Power of Christ compels you to subscribe to!