Not So Polite Dinner Conversation – More TrueChristian antics in Pennsylvania, ten commandments, mottos, etc

Here in PA, we have the usual nonsense. In one more instance of trying to pander to the theocrats, we have one of the usual state legislators again trying to get his particular religion forced on everyone in the public schools; now it’s “optional”.  We also have the usual attempts by TrueChristians trying to keep one of those Ten Commandments monuments from the Ten Commandments movie(made in 1956 – which will be notable later) on public school grounds. Funny how Hollywood is usually attacked by TrueChristians, but when it’s on their side, what good friends they are!

In a telling instance, the folks who are trying to keep a lump of rock with the first ten commandments on it have to claim that they had a “good number” of people come to their gathering. Hmmm, seems that citing actual numbers might be a tad embarrassing for groups like “Thou Shalt Not Move” when they tout just how effective they are. Of course, we have the usual attempts to claim that the monument isn’t religious and how dare someone think that it’s only for one religion. ““Even if you don’t believe in Jesus Christ, even if you don’t believe in the Lord God, it’s freedom for all. It’s a standard of respect to everyone.” Well, except for that first and foremost commandment, “Thou Shalt Have No Other Gods Before Me.” And all of those other commandments that came right after those first ten, still all supposedly straight from this god, and so very inconvenient for modern Americans. And shucks, if one has to allow anyone’s opinion to remain unchallenged as a “standard of respect”, then surely no one needed to go to Europe in the 1940s or to the US south in the 50s and 60s because t’s just “respect” to allow such nonsense like concentration camps and keeping people from voting to exist. Sorry, no need to respect things that are baseless and cause harm.

It’s also wonderful to see that the TrueChristians who support these commandments, ignore one really big one, though shalt not bear false witness, e.g. Don’t lie. We have this lovely quote from Rev. Marietta ““This is our heritage. When our ancestors landed in Jamestown in 1607, the first thing that they did was to enact the Ten Commandments as law.” – Pgh Tribune, May 14, 2014 It seems that the reverend needs to attend the school that he wants to force religion on, since he’s failed in history. Nope, the first ten commandments were not enacted as “law”. What was enacted as law was English Common Law as it was under James I. (a sidebar: the first chaplain of the Jamestown colony was a minister, Robert Hunt, who had to leave his last posting because of an adulterous relationship. We can also see religious intolerance from the beginning where this man is declared “a man not in any way to be touched with the rebellious humours of a popish spirit”.) One can see how religious laws were enacted and again more anti-Catholic nonsense here.

In other news, Rep. Saccone, a serial theocrat, wants “In God We Trust” to be able to be placed in schools (HB 1728). Again, we have the problem of the majority forcing their baseless beliefs on the minority, even if they claim that it is “optional”.

“In God We Trust” is indeed the US National Motto. It has been since 1956, and what was going on then? Yep, the Cold War, where people were stupid and scared (and putting up useless images of the first ten commandments from a movie). Apparently thinking that saying “god” would cause those “commies” to burst into flame, US legislators added such nonsense as a “motto” (it has been on the currency for quite a long time, also with no effect whatsoever, other than to amuse non-Christians because of how money is decried by the supposed Christian savior). Now, this seems to be believing in magic, that if we appease some magical being by mentioning it all of the time, then it’ll have good thoughts about us and nothing bad will happen to the US.   Of course, this can’t be shown to be true at all, that prayer or mentioning any god helps anyone, much less a country.

We did get to see how the “poor children” of Pennsylvania are claimed to not have any possible way to know our national motto, by of course a Republican legislator, Rep. John Maher. Hmmm, now didn’t we just see that this motto is on every piece of currency in the US? Finally, in this case, we have one more example of how TrueChristians depend on lies to get their nonsense forced on everyone. An amendment to the bill that would require local governments and school districts to inform their residents that having such a phrase on their public school wall could engender expensive lawsuits was rejected. Add to this the rejection of an amendment that would have transferred the responsibility of legal fees to the state shows just how much these people want to defend their nonsense. They want to agitate but not to support people who will follow them.

And gee, Rep. Saccone lied about how atheists “supported” his bill when it was trotted out the first time.

“Saccone: Atheists, you know, they look at things their own way, also. They can either interpret that as whatever God that they worship, in the form of, maybe it’s materialism, or something else in life that they look at. I actually talked with the head of the Pennsylvania Atheists who came to me after my last rally and said, “You know what, Rick? I support the bill. I see that it’s historic. And I don’t really have a problem [with it]. I don’t believe in God,” he said, “but I support the bill. It’s a good thing.”

Of course, it wasn’t true (I have contacted Rep. Saccone’s office to give him a chance to apologize or explain and have not heard back yet). What a good TrueChristian. Again, we see that religion needs lies, fear and ignorance to exist.

Next up, an anonymous ad in the local paper that does an excellent job of showing even more antics of Pennsylvanian TrueChristians in regards to the recent approval of same sex marriage (still no “wrath of God” a month after the approval. God approves? God doesn’t exist?). It’s always great to see someone who is so ashamed of his/her own opinion that they won’t even own up to it.