Happy Blasphemy Day International

Blasphemy Day International was created in 2009 to coincide with the anniversary of the publication of satirical cartoons of the prophet Muhammad by a Denmark newspaper in 2005, and the furor those cartoons later sparked within the international Islamic community.  Seriously.  137 people were killed in protests around the world.  The original cartoonists had bounties placed upon their heads.

Even within the United States, six states (Massachusetts, Wyoming, Michigan, South Carolina, Oklahoma and Pennsylvania) still have anti-blasphemy laws on the books.  While blasphemy is punishable by death in most Middle Eastern countries, many Western nations still have anti-blasphemy laws.  21 other European nations have "religious insult" laws in place.

Let me just say, I am 100% for blasphemy.  If someone can tell my kid that the Easter Bunny doesn't exist, then I should be able to say that neither does your imaginary friend that controls the weather.  You know, there's a term for someone that has conversations with somebody that doesn't exist.  I believe it's called schizophrenic.

And in 2011, when people blame everything on god, from their stance on gay marriage, to their decision on running for President, they're not Christian.  They're mental.  They should not be applauded.  They should be put in a straight jacket and locked away.

OK.  Stepping down from my soapbox, now.  Sorry.  Here is a photo to celebrate the day.

Best.  Photo.  EVER.

I also wanted to include a video of one of my favorite songs.  As I left the church, this song became more meaningful to me growing up.  It's blasphemous as all hell (no pun intended), but as someone who later in life started to identify themselves as an atheist, it really spoke volumes as to the way I felt about god.

Twenty-some-odd years after hearing it for the first time, and I still get goosebumps.  

So, that's my take on blasphemy.  Really?  Did you expect anything less?  Was is Thomas Jefferson that said, "Dissent is the highest form of patriotism"?  If that's the case, then consider me a religious patriot.

Now, if you'll excuse me, I have to consult my daughter's sock monkey on some important, life changing decisions that need to be made in upcoming days.

Soundtrack of My Life 12/13/09 - XTC 'Dear God'

Sometimes when you've had something force fed to you for so long, you become so repulsed by it that you'll never try it again. It sort of reminds me of the stories you hear of people that get caught smoking as a kid. Their father makes them smoke the rest of the pack until they puke. They never smoke again. Even in adulthood, the thought of smoking physically makes them ill. I have the same reaction to religion.

I was raised in a very strict, religious family. I was giving public sermons in front of my local congregation at the age of four. I was knocking on doors, preaching the "good news of God's kingdom" on Saturday mornings soon thereafter. I knew the Bible, inside and out, and could quote hundreds of verses by the time I entered grade school. I was brainwashed.

It only got worse as I grew older. My sermons became more complex and more in depth. I was offering prayer before the congregation, which was a pretty big deal.

As I grew older, and wiser, I started to realize that everything I was taught and everything I was teaching others was a lie. I just couldn't do it anymore. I couldn't keep preaching the "God loves you" line when I looked around the world and evidence told me that not only did he/she not love us, but he/she likely didn't exist.

I remember seeing this video on MTV when the song originally came out decades ago, and, after severing ties with the church in the mid 90s, I heard this song again on the radio. Since then, it has become one of my favorites. Caution to those that are light of heart: it is quite blasphemous, but it sums up quite a lot of my thoughts on God and religion. The video has the lyrics subtitled at the bottom of the screen as well. Some pretty powerful stuff.