Recently, the Huffington Post reported that hundreds
of clubs for young atheists have opened up in schools around the country. “Some clubs
exist in states that have large numbers of people who claim no religious
affiliation, such as New York, Washington and California. Others are located in
more religion-centered states,” including North Carolina, Alabama, Louisiana
and Texas, the site reported.
The trend is reminiscent of the 1960s when the God
is Dead movement appeared. That was in
response to the Vietnam War. This loss
of faith these days seems to be a reaction to the news radiating from the religious sector
of society.
In addition to the on-going abuse of children
covered up for years by the Roman Catholic Church and in other faiths, there are
plenty of other shenanigans to raise questions about any beliefs:
For example:
A pastor in Winfield, Alabama used religious reasoning to explain why he
created a conference called his “Annual Pastors Conference All White Christians
Invited." The title didn't sit well with everyone. "Business people are
upset. The city is upset. The city of Winfield does not condone this,"
Mayor Wayne Silas said.
 |
| Pastor William Collier |
Pastor William J. Collier’s explanation was that "we
don't have the facilities to accommodate other people. We haven't got any
invitations to black, Muslim events. Of course we are not invited to Jewish
events and stuff." Maybe that’s
because his conference featured symbols of the Ku Klux Klan, Confederate flags
and white supremacy slogans.
"We are not breaking any laws, we are not
violating any ordinances, we are bringing the word of God to people who want it
... who are part of the chosen race," he told the news outlet.
No question: religion, the exclusive society. By the way, Collier is not saying anything
new. The Bible was an important buttress
for slavery in the pre-Civil War days.
 |
| Michael; Salman |
Then there’s a Phoenix man who wanted to hold Bible
study classes in his home and didn’t care about zoning laws. "Any time you are holding a gathering of
people continuously, as he does – we have concerns about people being able to
exit the facility properly in case there is a fire," Phoenix's chief
assistant city prosecutor Vicki Hill told Fox News Radio. "It came down to
zoning and proper permitting."
Michael Salman (left) naturally saw this as religious
persecution. “They're cracking down on
religious activities and religious use," Salman told Fox News Radio.
"They're attacking what I as a Christian do in the privacy of my home."
 |
| Abdus Salam |
That's right: religion is above the law.
Then, in Pakistan, officials there have removed the
name of Abdus Salam, Pakistan's only Nobel laureate, from textbooks. Why? His
research into how fundamental forces govern the overall dynamics of the
universe. The recent discovery of the
Higgs boson, also known as the "God particle" is helping scientists
understand the early evolution of the universe.
Unfortunately and inconveniently, his work also
undermines Islamic teaching.
So, Pakistani officials made a choice: the heck with
facts. Let’s make sure the kids remain
dumb and faithful.
Where does lack of education lead to? To Georgia – the country near Russia – which
was forced to issue a statement that the country’s new electronic identity
cards do not bear Satan’s mark. Residents thought ID cards were encrypted with
the 666, “the mark of the beast” in the biblical book of Revelation. The reality that the number 666 in that "holy" text actually refers to Emperor
Nero, who died about 1,940 years ago, didn’t occur to the well-educated
Orthodox believers.
To cap off this unholy run, the Roman Catholic
Church reported losing 14.9 million euros, the fourth annual loss in the last
five years. Not to worry: donations were
up. Those pesky payments to people
abused as children have cut into the bottom line, along with a downturn in the
financial markets.
Fortunately, the Church, as all religions, can count
on the faithful to chip in and make up the difference. Everyone, that is, except for the growing
number of young people joining atheist clubs.
Long-time religious historian Bill Lazarus regularly
writes about religion and religious history.
He also speaks at various religious organizations throughout
Florida. You can reach him at www.williamplazarus.com. He is the author of the famed Unauthorized
Biography of Nostradamus; The Last Testament of Simon Peter; The Gospel Truth:
Where Did the Gospel Writers Get Their Information; Noel: The Lore and
Tradition of Christmas Carols; and Dummies Guide to Comparative Religion. His books are available on Amazon.com,
Kindle, bookstores and via various publishers.
He can also be followed on Twitter.
You can enroll in his on-line class, Comparative
Religion for Dummies, at http://www.udemy.com/comparative-religion-for-dummies/?promote=1
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