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Obama is not a brown-skinned anti-war socialist who gives away free healthcare… You’re thinking of Jesus.

Approximately 30,000 protesters marched in Tel Aviv last night, with social justice activists blocking central streets and chants of “Mubarak. Assad. Netanyahu” filling the air.

Tel Aviv police arrested 42 activists, which is an extremely rare number, “if not unprecedented,” according to +972 Magazine, which has been closely following the circumstances surrounding the sudden rise of Israel’s progressive left.

…

These protests, which began as explicit anger at the rising rental prices in cities across the country, have been fueled by the response of Netanyahu’s government, which initially, with hostile rhetoric, dismissed them as being part of a large, leftwing movement being funded by outfits such as the New Israel Fund. The initial rhetoric, which claimed that the protests were not about anything other than the “Zionist Left’s” political agenda, only served to increase protesters’ anger and resolve.

These reactions from Netanyahu and other government officials have served to broaden the protests, which have now moved from rent prices to a host of social justice issues: women’s rights, union rights and education reform, among other things, with general chants of “revolution” heard on the streets last night.

…

What has yet to be heard, in the protests, are calls for more democracy in the wake of the anti-democratic laws that have recently been passed. Also absent has been the Israeli-Palestinian conflict.

Wow. Read the entire article.

The man gives a shout out to atheists. It’s quite moving. Now, if only he also mentioned Jews, then I’d have real hope for that region.

NEW YORK — Bicyclists planning a protest ride through New York City are calling it their “Freedom Ride” – free of clothing, that is. The removal of clothing during Saturday’s ride is meant as a protest over the removal of a bike lane in the Williamsburg section of Brooklyn.

Bicycling advocates say the city erased the bike lane from the Orthodox Jewish neighborhood because some conservative residents were upset about seeing women in skimpy clothing ride by every day.

The conservative Jewish faithful say that’s not the issue. They say it’s about safety. A Bloomberg spokesman notes that there is another bike lane nearby that is separated from car traffic.

The naked protesters, meanwhile, will face some fierce weather Saturday: Forecasters are predicting snow and brisk winds.

[Read more.]

Well, if it’s all about safety, I get it. But really?

Via

Vjack writes an important and moving post concerning the implications for atheists from the Proposition 8 California Supreme Court Ruling.

Proposition 8 should be a nightmare scenario for any atheist because it shows us that well-funded religious groups can essentially mold the law to enforce their bigotry. They believed that same-sex marriage is immoral on the basis of their religion, and they effectively banned it.

History provides numerous examples of where privileged Christians have legislated their view of morality. Whether we think of prohibition, anti-miscegenation laws, or efforts to censor certain forms of music in the 1980s and 1990s, we see a common theme emerging. These groups want to force their religion on others through theocratic means. They threaten everything that makes America worthwhile.

We have recently learned that at least one high-profile Christian extremist opposes marriage between atheists and Christians. Who is to say that this will not be the next measure to appear on the ballot? And who is to say that they might not achieve their desired outcome by pouring enough money into it?

Perhaps having a ballot measure that opposes an atheist and a theist is a bit dramatic, but its a fair implication. The fact that the Christian majority continues to impose it’s Church into our State can be scary. Will it get worse before it gets better?

Vjack is (especially) right on target here:

I have recently grown frustrated with some heterosexual atheists talking about how they oppose Proposition 8 as some sort of gift to their gay friends even though it is “irrelevant” to them. If you are truly convinced that gay rights is irrelevant to those of us who are not gay, then I’m not sure why you would expect anyone to give a damn about our rights as atheists. How can the civil rights of any group be irrelevant?

This reminds me of a postcard I got from the United States Holocaust Memorial Museum (in D.C.) that hit me hard then (at age 17) and still strikes the same chord:

The moment I read this phrase, something stuck. The desire for equal rights was already in me but it deepened the need to fight for equal civil rights, consideration, and respect. Sure this phrase speaks to a much larger event that some may argue nothing can never be compared to (even though there have been – sadly – countless genocides), but I’m not writing to scale.

All in all, if you care at all (for your gay friends, in this case), then it also matters to you. I see this as a personal issue, though it doesn’t affect me personally. This is about equality across the board, not just some issue for someone else to worry about. This is what happens when Church nuzzles up to State. Church does not mix well with State; it’s not chocolate and peanut butter!

As you may or may not be aware, I do have some issues with actual religions but I do have respect for them at the same time. That is to say, I respect that no one’s reputation is ruined for dissenting from other churches, except for (at most) being ostracized from that particular community. Even the Catholic church doesn’t have lawyers and people watching you. Sure they’ll do there own version of “brain washing”, or whatever you’d like to call it, but not the sort of preying on the emotionally weak as these Scientologists like to do. Sure, many of them are trying to help and just can’t see from outside the box.

So, taking a walk in Hollywood the other day, I came across one of the protests and got some shaky shots on my small handheld camera:

One of my biggest issues with this “church” is that you have to pay for the knowledge. Imagine a Christian going through his/her life not knowing about Jesus. At least true believers of religions, know what and why they believe. There’s a sort of logic within the suspension of disbelief. I figure with this post on Scientology, I’ll give actual religions a break. Sure, they’ll look at you funny if you don’t donate, but it’s generally acceptable to be a Christian/Jew (or any believer) and never attend religious services, and therefore, never spending a dime. At least you can get a Bible for free. But don’t get me started on how awfully Scientologists portray psychology and psychiatry. If it were to remain as a government taxed private group, then fine. They have that right (as long as nobody gets hurt….anymore – See Lisa McPherson).

I’ll leave you with the tease for Jason Beghe’s big interview. Go here for the full interview.

Knowledge is free!