Many on the religious right have complained about how "liberals" are unjustly "punishing" a "good Christian" company for believing in biblical principles, particularly as related to marriage.
As anyone who reads my blog often will know, I am a gay man. I've been in a committed, loving relationship with another man for 9 years. As a gay man, the "biblical marriage" issue is more than just an abstract political question, as it is for most people. For me, this is a serious issue. It's far more than the extra $5000 in federal taxes we had to pay for my health insurance provided by my partner. It's about my personal dignity as a person, and our ability to live our life together with legal protections.
It amazes me to hear "Christians" complain about this boycott. This is no different than the "One Million Moms" group boycotting Starbucks when the company came out in favor of keeping the Washington state gay marriage law (opposing the ballot initiative that would overturn the law). The fact is, these politically motivated boycotts only serve to boost business from the opposing side. I usually don't drink coffee, but I bought a Starbucks caramel malchiado the day I heard of the OMM boycott. The same is true for Chick-Fil-A.
I only went to Chick-Fil-A twice when I lived in Atlanta. I was a little surprised to find them closed one Sunday, so I looked them up online. I found that their "closed sundays" policy is motivated by the owner's strong Christian convictions. Being a respectful Atheist, I thought: Good for you! I then moved on with my business. I later heard stories in Atlanta of Chick-Fil-A harassing and firing "homosexuals" who were "discovered". I also heard of them firing single women who were pregnant out of wedlock. I called their corporate office and spoke with their PR guy. When asked about firing gay people, he told me there are no laws against that in the state of Georgia. When I pointed out the gender discrimination of firing pregnant women, he abruptly ended the conversation and hung up. Regardless of your "convictions", firing people for being gay or pregnant is absolutely unacceptable in my book.
That's why I've had a boycott against Chick-Fil-A since 2006. It has nothing to do with the owner's "religious convictions", or discriminating against "Christian values". It has everything to do with their discriminatory employment practices.
I also have a standing boycott of Walmart over their employment practices and the fact that they push manufacturers to move manufacturing jobs oversees. It also has to do with the devastation left behind in local retail when the company moves into an area. My mother also works for Walmart, and there's a horrible incident that demonstrates the evil of that company. Again, it has nothing to do with the Walton's religious views.
For those of you who believe that I choose to be this way, consider this: I was born to a conservative religious family in a very religious part of the country. I prayed and fasted for years, begging god to relieve me of the burden of the "unholy urges". The church told me that if god didn't change me, this was my burden in life. They told me celibacy was my only option. When I was 18, they wanted to put me into an electro-shock therapy program (evergreen international), but I refused. I tried for years to change. My self loathing led me to very bad places. The hurt didn't heal until I accepted that I was born this way. It took years for me to re-tune my life, but I am happy now. I would probably be dead if I hadn't changed my outlook and stopped the self loathing. I don't expect you to understand. Afterall, you haven't had this struggle. I only ask you to respect the massive effort I put forward, and respect my personal conclusion that I was born this way.
Now, let's move on to the grievances we gays have been complaining about for decades.
Here is a list of higher taxes gay and lesbian couples have to pay:
Health Insurance (if provided by same sex partner's employer)
Gift Tax
Inheritance Exemption
Dependent Credit (if one partner is dependent on the other)
Married vs. Single Tax Differences
Many others, depending on the state.
In the event of hospitalization, a host of paperwork must be filled out for "visitation rights" which married couples have automatically. Even if your paperwork is in order, the hospital can still deny visitation.
In the event of death and inheritance by the surviving same-sex partner, there is no exemption on the inheritance tax. Married couples have a very large exemption which eliminates the vast majority of inheritance taxes. We have half of our estate taken away by the government when one of us dies.
In the event of death the deceased's family can (and often does) sue the surviving partner for their relative's assets. Even if they have all the legal maneuvering completed to form trusts and wills, the deceased family can hire a good lawyer and take everything the couple spent their lives building. Even if the family does not prevail, it is a massive expense to defend your property against homophobic family members who didn't care enough to come around when your partner was alive!
My partner is a brown person. As such, he is always stopped by TSA and searched. Invariably, I stop and wait for the unconstitutional search to finish. The TSA agent (seeing my size and annoyance) orders me to "move along", and they hassle and threaten us with detention when I refuse. I'm not about to leave my beloved at the hands of the TSA thugs. I will always observe their mistreatment of him, even if I am powerless to stop it. We can't even fill out the same customs form when we enter the country.
These are just a few examples of how same-sex couples are mistreated and our dignity violated. These examples show why we need legal protections far beyond contracts, wills, and trusts. We need legal equality with married straight couples. If that equality can be brought about by having a "separate but equal" institution, I am fine with that. The problem is, there are organizations who are so opposed to our very existence that they work tirelessly to hollow out the equality in civil unions and domestic partner registries. An "unintended consequence" of many of these "marriage amendments" is to eliminate civil unions and domestic partner registries that have nothing to do with marriage. That's why we push for full marriage.
We aren't trying to take away from the institution of marriage. We are seeking legal protections and equality. We seek human dignity. Nothing less will be acceptable, nothing more is expected.
Monday, August 6, 2012
Monday, April 16, 2012
How I Survived a Septoplasty & Turbinate Reduction
It all started in 1996 when I broke my nose in a "confidence building" exercise. I was on the state SCHIP type health program at the time, and they absolutely refused to pay to fix my nose. So I went through the rest of high school with a crooked nose. Then in 2000, I slipped in the shower and broke my nose again, thus increasing the damage. I had employer sponsored health insurance, so I was able to get a rhinoplasty done. I was told they couldn't do anything about the previous damage until the rhinoplasty healed. My nose was still a little crooked, but I still couldn't breath well through it. By the time the rhinoplasty healed, I had lost my insurance again.
Fast forward 12 years, and I have decent insurance again. So I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction done 11 days ago. I will share my experience with you. This if for informational purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. Consult your physician about these ideas before you put them into practice.
Weeks Before Surgery:
The ENT surgeon told me to avoid "blood thinning" medications, foods, beverages, and herbs for two weeks before the surgery. I found this list online, but your doctor may have other restrictions.
The Night Before Surgery:
I was advised not to eat anything after midnight, only clear liquids 4 hours before the surgery, and nothing (not even water) 2 hours before the surgery. I was told that jello would be ok up to 4 hours before surgery. This is all to make sure your stomach is completely empty when they give you anesthesia. If your stomach is not empty, there is a possibility that your stomach contents could regurgitate while you are unconscious. It could end up in your lungs, and cause life threatening problems. So follow pre-operative instructions exactly.
The Day of the Surgery:
I arrived at the hospital at my "report time", and they took me to a hospital room to await surgery. The surgeon was behind, so it ended up being 3 hours before they came to get me. The nurse was certain it would be at least 2 hours, so she gave me some water.
When they told me they were ready, the asked me to empty my bladder. If possible, try to empty your bladder before going to the operating room. It makes your time in the "recovery room" far more difficult if you have a full bladder on top of everything else.
I hopped on the gurney, and they wheeled me into a prep room (not the operating room). I answered a few questions, and a nurse got an IV inserted in my arm. After a few minutes of waiting, they wheeled me into the operating room.
Operating Room:
In the operating room, they asked me a few questions about reactions to anesthesia. Then I moved onto the operating table. I was asked to put my head on a support that was uncomfortable, but it opened my airway. They started the anesthesia in the IV, and put the gas mask over my face. The nurse asked me to think of a happy place. I was out cold in about 5 seconds.
Recovery Room:
I regained consciousness in the recovery room. The first thing I remembered was feeling extremely hot. Apparently that isn't unusual after anesthesia. I also noticed the roll of gauze taped against my nostrils. The nurse gave me some ice chips to suck on, but told me not to crunch them between my teeth. She removed the blanket, and I started to cool down. The nurse asked if I felt any nausea, and I said no. After I cooled down a bit, they wheeled me back to my room.
Hospital Room:
After I got back to my room, they took my temperature and blood pressure. They also gave me some ice water. After about 20 minutes they gave me some apple sauce, and made sure I could keep it down. It took me another 20-30 minutes before I felt stable enough to stand up. They removed the IV, checked my temperature and blood pressure again. The surgeon came in to let me know everything went well, and that I had very little bleeding. Then the nurse took me for a walk to make sure I could walk without trouble. When I got back to my room, I got dressed and they wheeled me out to the lobby. You probably shouldn't drive, so have someone pick you up. I was told I would need to come back in a week to have the stents removed.
Prescriptions:
The surgeon prescribed pain medication and an antibiotic. He told me to take the pain medication as sparingly as possible because it is a narcotic (addicting). He told me to take the antibiotic exactly as prescribed, and to take it until it was gone. That is to keep the bacteria from developing resistance to the antibiotic.
Nasal Irrigation:
I was also instructed to do 3 saline nasal irrigations every day for 4 weeks. The hospital gave me a "NeilMed Sinus Rinse" starter kit with a plastic irrigation bottle and 5 solution packets. I went to Walgreens and got a 100 pack of solution packets. Follow the instructions from the "starter kit" exactly. Your first irrigation isn't going to be painful (if you followed the instructions), but it isn't a natural feeling. You will get used to it. If you start to squirt the solution and it's feels cold, try microwaving the bottle at 5-10 second intervals until it reaches the right temperature. If it feels like it's burning, stop, dump out the solution, and try again. This time follow the instructions! It should not burn. It will be uncomfortable, it will make your eyes water, but it should not burn. Keep some kleenex tissues nearby. You will need them when you're finished.
Other Supplies to Consider (talk to your doctor):
Recovery Day of Surgery:
When I got home, I was hungry. I was told to avoid hot foods, so I had yogurt and a piece of bread with butter. I couldn't open my mouth very far, so I had to break up the bread into small pieces. After dinner I took a pain pill and went to bed. My pain wasn't much, but I wanted to sleep well without being awoken by pain. I put some pillows under the head of my mattress, and slept on my back.
Day 1:
Because of the angle needed to keep my airway open, my neck was at a funny angle during surgery. The morning after surgery, I woke up with some pain and weakness in my neck. My throat was a little sore because of the breathing tube used during surgery. Other than that, my nose was only a little sore. Tylenol worked great for the pain. I had to change the drainage/gauze/tape thing 15 times on the first day. I felt a little dizzy, so I didn't drive anywhere. I took 2 naps, sleeping a total of 14 hours. When I went to bed the first day, I had a hard time staying asleep. The gauze on my face was uncomfortable, but I had to wear it.
Day 2:
I called my doctor and asked what I could do to sleep. I told him I didn't need the pain medicine for pain, and I was worried about taking it just to sleep. He told me to buy some benadryl, which would make me drowsy enough to sleep. I woke up on day two with very little pain, except my neck pain. The sore throat was gone. I tried using a massager to relieve the neck pain, but it caused vibrations in my nose that hurt. I took sudafed to clear up congestion, then did my irrigation. From then on irrigation was not a problem. I was still not able to open my mouth very much, and I didn't have much of an appetite. But I forced myself to eat a popsicle, and some buttered bread. I changed the gauze/tape thing about 10 times on day 2. I took a nap in the afternoon. Tylenol relieved the small amount of pain. I took benadryl to help me sleep, and I slept through the night.
Day 3:
I could open my mouth a little more. I could eat milk and cereal for breakfast. I changed the gauze / tape thing 5 times this day. Tylenol relieved my pain, and benadryl helped me sleep. After this day, I rarely needed tylenol. I didn't need the gauze / drainage thing after day 3.
Days 4 - 7:
My nose was a little sore, but I had no pain. I could open my mouth fairly well, and I was able to eat most foods. My appetite came back, and I ate well. On day 5 I was able to eat some warm foods. I didn't need Tylenol, as I had no pain. My irrigation schedule and antibiotics were on schedule. My surgeon wasn't available to remove the stents on day 7, so I had to wait over the weekend. It was actually a good thing because I had a few more days to heal.
Days 7 - 10:
Everything continued to heal. I didn't need Tylenol at all. After day 8 I didn't need sudafed to allow me to do the irrigations. On day 9 I was able to return to the gym to use the elliptical machine, but I had to be careful not to get my heart rate up too much. Just enough to break a sweat. I was able to eat anything. I still avoided hot drinks, but that was my choice.
Day 11:
The surgeon removed the stents today. I did two saline rinses before my 1PM appointment, just to be sure everything was clean. The surgeon snipped the stitch, and pulled each one out. It didn't hurt at all. Because I had done such a good job of irrigating, he said my healing was going very well. He cleaned out my nose with a "booger sucker", and I was on my way. He requested a follow up visit in 6 weeks. I noticed on my way home that the air felt very cold in my nostrils. I used a tissue to keep it all warm until I got home. After a few hours, the cold nostril feeling has gone away. The surgeon said I would have a little swelling for about a week after the stents were removed. He also said I shouldn't lift anything more than 15 pounds for another 3 weeks. I have to continue the irrigations 3 times a day for 3 more weeks.
It's now day 11, and I am breathing extremely well. I can fill my lungs in less than two seconds, where it used to take 7 breathing through my nose.
I was very anxious about the surgery. But now that it's done, I am thrilled! I only wish I had been able to do this years before.
Obviously, I am not a doctor. If you find any of this useful, talk to your doctor before you implement any of it. When it doubt, ask your doctor. This is not medical advice.
Fast forward 12 years, and I have decent insurance again. So I had a septoplasty and turbinate reduction done 11 days ago. I will share my experience with you. This if for informational purposes only, and should not be considered medical advice. Consult your physician about these ideas before you put them into practice.
Weeks Before Surgery:
The ENT surgeon told me to avoid "blood thinning" medications, foods, beverages, and herbs for two weeks before the surgery. I found this list online, but your doctor may have other restrictions.
The Night Before Surgery:
I was advised not to eat anything after midnight, only clear liquids 4 hours before the surgery, and nothing (not even water) 2 hours before the surgery. I was told that jello would be ok up to 4 hours before surgery. This is all to make sure your stomach is completely empty when they give you anesthesia. If your stomach is not empty, there is a possibility that your stomach contents could regurgitate while you are unconscious. It could end up in your lungs, and cause life threatening problems. So follow pre-operative instructions exactly.
The Day of the Surgery:
I arrived at the hospital at my "report time", and they took me to a hospital room to await surgery. The surgeon was behind, so it ended up being 3 hours before they came to get me. The nurse was certain it would be at least 2 hours, so she gave me some water.
When they told me they were ready, the asked me to empty my bladder. If possible, try to empty your bladder before going to the operating room. It makes your time in the "recovery room" far more difficult if you have a full bladder on top of everything else.
I hopped on the gurney, and they wheeled me into a prep room (not the operating room). I answered a few questions, and a nurse got an IV inserted in my arm. After a few minutes of waiting, they wheeled me into the operating room.
Operating Room:
In the operating room, they asked me a few questions about reactions to anesthesia. Then I moved onto the operating table. I was asked to put my head on a support that was uncomfortable, but it opened my airway. They started the anesthesia in the IV, and put the gas mask over my face. The nurse asked me to think of a happy place. I was out cold in about 5 seconds.
Recovery Room:
I regained consciousness in the recovery room. The first thing I remembered was feeling extremely hot. Apparently that isn't unusual after anesthesia. I also noticed the roll of gauze taped against my nostrils. The nurse gave me some ice chips to suck on, but told me not to crunch them between my teeth. She removed the blanket, and I started to cool down. The nurse asked if I felt any nausea, and I said no. After I cooled down a bit, they wheeled me back to my room.
Hospital Room:
After I got back to my room, they took my temperature and blood pressure. They also gave me some ice water. After about 20 minutes they gave me some apple sauce, and made sure I could keep it down. It took me another 20-30 minutes before I felt stable enough to stand up. They removed the IV, checked my temperature and blood pressure again. The surgeon came in to let me know everything went well, and that I had very little bleeding. Then the nurse took me for a walk to make sure I could walk without trouble. When I got back to my room, I got dressed and they wheeled me out to the lobby. You probably shouldn't drive, so have someone pick you up. I was told I would need to come back in a week to have the stents removed.
Prescriptions:
The surgeon prescribed pain medication and an antibiotic. He told me to take the pain medication as sparingly as possible because it is a narcotic (addicting). He told me to take the antibiotic exactly as prescribed, and to take it until it was gone. That is to keep the bacteria from developing resistance to the antibiotic.
Nasal Irrigation:
I was also instructed to do 3 saline nasal irrigations every day for 4 weeks. The hospital gave me a "NeilMed Sinus Rinse" starter kit with a plastic irrigation bottle and 5 solution packets. I went to Walgreens and got a 100 pack of solution packets. Follow the instructions from the "starter kit" exactly. Your first irrigation isn't going to be painful (if you followed the instructions), but it isn't a natural feeling. You will get used to it. If you start to squirt the solution and it's feels cold, try microwaving the bottle at 5-10 second intervals until it reaches the right temperature. If it feels like it's burning, stop, dump out the solution, and try again. This time follow the instructions! It should not burn. It will be uncomfortable, it will make your eyes water, but it should not burn. Keep some kleenex tissues nearby. You will need them when you're finished.
Other Supplies to Consider (talk to your doctor):
- A humidifier - I used a warm mist in the bedroom, and a cool mist in the office. I personally prefer the warm mist, but it's really your preference.
- Chap stick - you will be doing lots of mouth breathing, especially at night. Use chapstick to keep your lips from cracking and hurting.
- Neosporin - or any of the antibacterial petroleum ointments will work. Put it around the outside of your nostrils to reduce crusting. It also helps to keep your nose from chafing from the wet gauze.
- Tylenol - At some point you won't need the pain medicine anymore, so Tylenol will work for lower amounts of pain.
- Benadryl - I had trouble sleeping the first few nights. I didn't need the pain medicine for pain, and I was worried about taking it just to sleep. So my doctor told me to get benadryl, which made me drowsy. Some doctors say don't use benadryl, some say to use it. Ask your doctor to be sure.
- Sudafed - The first time I tried to do the irrigation, it only went a little up one nostril. I was swollen and congested, so the solution wasn't able to get into the back of my nasal pasage (where it is needed to keep it clean). My doctor told me to try sudafed to reduce the swelling and congestion. It worked like a charm! It cleared up the congestion, and I was able to do the irrigation properly. I got the 12 hour version so I didn't have to remember to take it 2 hours before irrigation, but that's just my preference. I've never had any luck with the "PE" version of sudafed. I always have to get the "original" version that they keep behind the pharmacy counter. Obviously you need to make sure your doctor approves use of sudafed. It really made a difference for me.
- Saline nasal spray - the kind that does a mist up your nose. Just get the plain saline version. Doing this a few times in each nostril helps keep everything moist and keeps the mucous moving between irrigations. Again, check with your doctor first.
- Popsicles - Basically anything cold will help reduce swelling.
- Cold, Soft Foods - anything cold that doesn't require you to open your mouth much will be very helpful. Yogurt worked well for a few days.
Recovery Day of Surgery:
When I got home, I was hungry. I was told to avoid hot foods, so I had yogurt and a piece of bread with butter. I couldn't open my mouth very far, so I had to break up the bread into small pieces. After dinner I took a pain pill and went to bed. My pain wasn't much, but I wanted to sleep well without being awoken by pain. I put some pillows under the head of my mattress, and slept on my back.
Day 1:
Because of the angle needed to keep my airway open, my neck was at a funny angle during surgery. The morning after surgery, I woke up with some pain and weakness in my neck. My throat was a little sore because of the breathing tube used during surgery. Other than that, my nose was only a little sore. Tylenol worked great for the pain. I had to change the drainage/gauze/tape thing 15 times on the first day. I felt a little dizzy, so I didn't drive anywhere. I took 2 naps, sleeping a total of 14 hours. When I went to bed the first day, I had a hard time staying asleep. The gauze on my face was uncomfortable, but I had to wear it.
Day 2:
I called my doctor and asked what I could do to sleep. I told him I didn't need the pain medicine for pain, and I was worried about taking it just to sleep. He told me to buy some benadryl, which would make me drowsy enough to sleep. I woke up on day two with very little pain, except my neck pain. The sore throat was gone. I tried using a massager to relieve the neck pain, but it caused vibrations in my nose that hurt. I took sudafed to clear up congestion, then did my irrigation. From then on irrigation was not a problem. I was still not able to open my mouth very much, and I didn't have much of an appetite. But I forced myself to eat a popsicle, and some buttered bread. I changed the gauze/tape thing about 10 times on day 2. I took a nap in the afternoon. Tylenol relieved the small amount of pain. I took benadryl to help me sleep, and I slept through the night.
Day 3:
I could open my mouth a little more. I could eat milk and cereal for breakfast. I changed the gauze / tape thing 5 times this day. Tylenol relieved my pain, and benadryl helped me sleep. After this day, I rarely needed tylenol. I didn't need the gauze / drainage thing after day 3.
Days 4 - 7:
My nose was a little sore, but I had no pain. I could open my mouth fairly well, and I was able to eat most foods. My appetite came back, and I ate well. On day 5 I was able to eat some warm foods. I didn't need Tylenol, as I had no pain. My irrigation schedule and antibiotics were on schedule. My surgeon wasn't available to remove the stents on day 7, so I had to wait over the weekend. It was actually a good thing because I had a few more days to heal.
Days 7 - 10:
Everything continued to heal. I didn't need Tylenol at all. After day 8 I didn't need sudafed to allow me to do the irrigations. On day 9 I was able to return to the gym to use the elliptical machine, but I had to be careful not to get my heart rate up too much. Just enough to break a sweat. I was able to eat anything. I still avoided hot drinks, but that was my choice.
Day 11:
The surgeon removed the stents today. I did two saline rinses before my 1PM appointment, just to be sure everything was clean. The surgeon snipped the stitch, and pulled each one out. It didn't hurt at all. Because I had done such a good job of irrigating, he said my healing was going very well. He cleaned out my nose with a "booger sucker", and I was on my way. He requested a follow up visit in 6 weeks. I noticed on my way home that the air felt very cold in my nostrils. I used a tissue to keep it all warm until I got home. After a few hours, the cold nostril feeling has gone away. The surgeon said I would have a little swelling for about a week after the stents were removed. He also said I shouldn't lift anything more than 15 pounds for another 3 weeks. I have to continue the irrigations 3 times a day for 3 more weeks.
It's now day 11, and I am breathing extremely well. I can fill my lungs in less than two seconds, where it used to take 7 breathing through my nose.
I was very anxious about the surgery. But now that it's done, I am thrilled! I only wish I had been able to do this years before.
Obviously, I am not a doctor. If you find any of this useful, talk to your doctor before you implement any of it. When it doubt, ask your doctor. This is not medical advice.
Tuesday, April 3, 2012
Atheists and Morality - Are Atheists evil because they reject God?
I am often asked this question: Are Atheists evil / immoral because they reject God?
There seem to be two possible sources for morality, depending on your personal beliefs. Morality either comes from deity, or is a matter of social norms reinforced by emotion and instinct.
Deity is claimed to be omnipotent, benevolent, and unchanging. If morality comes from deity, you would expect the morality to be unchanging throughout human history.
The bible provides a snapshot of morality at two distinct times in history. In the old testament morality included specific diet, observance of animal sacrifice, and a rigid social hierarchy. Slavery, child labor, and child marriage were all encouraged and tolerated to different degrees. The old testament also precluded all non-Hebrews from salvation. In the new testament the strict diet is different, animal sacrifice is gone, and Christ himself exemplified dissolution of the social hierarchy. In the new testament, the "Hebrews only" policy is overturned.
Recent Christian history is replete with examples of changed morality: Conquest, forced conversion, killing of "heathens", slavery and indebted servitude are just a few examples.
All of these activities are currently considered evil, immoral actions. Yet, these actions were considered morally acceptable at some point in the past.
The fact that morality changes over time suggests that it is a purely human phenomenon. Religion can have positive and negative effects on the prevalent morality of a culture.
The basic sources of morality as a human phenomenon are sympathy, empathy, and self reflection. Think of it this way: If you see another person being stabbed, you have a physical and emotional empathetic response. You know what pain feels like, so you empathize with the stabbed person. If you have an emotional attachment to the stabbed person, your empathy is even stronger.
The same holds true for most evils. Empathy and sympathy inform morality, thus keeping rape, murder, theft and infidelity in check. Babies are born with the basic emotional framework for empathy and sympathy. These qualities slowly emerge as the baby grows and experiences life. As the child grows, self-reflection comes into play. As the child experiences their environment, they use their empathy/sympathy system to judge actions and circumstances around them. As they mature they begin to reflect on how their actions effect others, modifying their behavior accordingly.
The empathy / sympathy / self reflection system is a balance between basic human emotions and the rational mind. If you look at it from this perspective, you can understand why this system is easily overloaded by powerful emotions elicited by things like: greed, racism, nationalism, and even religion.
As you can see, Atheists are just as capable of morality and kindness as believers. The difference is: Atheists have no "sin / repentance / forgiveness" belief. From the moment an immoral deed is done, we own it. We have to wrestle with it in our own conscience, make appropriate amends, and forgive ourselves.
As you are probably aware, it is often more difficult to forgive yourself than to accept forgiveness from another.
I hope this helps set the record straight.
There seem to be two possible sources for morality, depending on your personal beliefs. Morality either comes from deity, or is a matter of social norms reinforced by emotion and instinct.
Deity is claimed to be omnipotent, benevolent, and unchanging. If morality comes from deity, you would expect the morality to be unchanging throughout human history.
The bible provides a snapshot of morality at two distinct times in history. In the old testament morality included specific diet, observance of animal sacrifice, and a rigid social hierarchy. Slavery, child labor, and child marriage were all encouraged and tolerated to different degrees. The old testament also precluded all non-Hebrews from salvation. In the new testament the strict diet is different, animal sacrifice is gone, and Christ himself exemplified dissolution of the social hierarchy. In the new testament, the "Hebrews only" policy is overturned.
Recent Christian history is replete with examples of changed morality: Conquest, forced conversion, killing of "heathens", slavery and indebted servitude are just a few examples.
All of these activities are currently considered evil, immoral actions. Yet, these actions were considered morally acceptable at some point in the past.
The fact that morality changes over time suggests that it is a purely human phenomenon. Religion can have positive and negative effects on the prevalent morality of a culture.
The basic sources of morality as a human phenomenon are sympathy, empathy, and self reflection. Think of it this way: If you see another person being stabbed, you have a physical and emotional empathetic response. You know what pain feels like, so you empathize with the stabbed person. If you have an emotional attachment to the stabbed person, your empathy is even stronger.
The same holds true for most evils. Empathy and sympathy inform morality, thus keeping rape, murder, theft and infidelity in check. Babies are born with the basic emotional framework for empathy and sympathy. These qualities slowly emerge as the baby grows and experiences life. As the child grows, self-reflection comes into play. As the child experiences their environment, they use their empathy/sympathy system to judge actions and circumstances around them. As they mature they begin to reflect on how their actions effect others, modifying their behavior accordingly.
The empathy / sympathy / self reflection system is a balance between basic human emotions and the rational mind. If you look at it from this perspective, you can understand why this system is easily overloaded by powerful emotions elicited by things like: greed, racism, nationalism, and even religion.
As you can see, Atheists are just as capable of morality and kindness as believers. The difference is: Atheists have no "sin / repentance / forgiveness" belief. From the moment an immoral deed is done, we own it. We have to wrestle with it in our own conscience, make appropriate amends, and forgive ourselves.
As you are probably aware, it is often more difficult to forgive yourself than to accept forgiveness from another.
I hope this helps set the record straight.
Saturday, March 17, 2012
Some facts about war...
1. The stated purpose is seldom the outcome.
2. Politicians who start them rarely fight them.
3. Although disguised as defending liberty, they are often at the expense of liberty.
4. Civilian populations are rarely exempted from the killing.
5. Governments sensor media reporting to hide the "realities of war".
6. The soldiers return traumatized, if they return at all.
7. Soldiers who survive come back to a ruined country and/or unemployment.
8. The treasury is opened to "contractors" who raid with impunity.
9. Social and legal pressure is used to silence dissent.
10. Dissent is either labelled as "treason" or "sedition".
11. Religion endorses killing, and is silent on civilian deaths.
12. Conscription is often necessary to avoid defeat.
13. Lies, half truths, and distraction are employed to motivate support for war.
14. Habeas Corpus is often suspended.
15. The victors are left with debt, which is passed to future generations.
16. The losers are left with broken families and a devastated country.
17. Most nations have nuclear weapons, or have strong allies who have them.
18. Rape is a weapon of war.
19. Genocide is war's constant companion.
20. War can come to American soil.
I'm not a pacifist. I understand that war is necessary under certain narrow circumstances. I would fight to DEFEND my country. The problem is that our leaders frame everything in terms of national defense. Before we're aware of the deception, war hysteria has gripped the country.
I hope that we will all realize the true horrors of war, and the fact that it could come home to roost, before we participate in the patriotic fervor of war hysteria.
2. Politicians who start them rarely fight them.
3. Although disguised as defending liberty, they are often at the expense of liberty.
4. Civilian populations are rarely exempted from the killing.
5. Governments sensor media reporting to hide the "realities of war".
6. The soldiers return traumatized, if they return at all.
7. Soldiers who survive come back to a ruined country and/or unemployment.
8. The treasury is opened to "contractors" who raid with impunity.
9. Social and legal pressure is used to silence dissent.
10. Dissent is either labelled as "treason" or "sedition".
11. Religion endorses killing, and is silent on civilian deaths.
12. Conscription is often necessary to avoid defeat.
13. Lies, half truths, and distraction are employed to motivate support for war.
14. Habeas Corpus is often suspended.
15. The victors are left with debt, which is passed to future generations.
16. The losers are left with broken families and a devastated country.
17. Most nations have nuclear weapons, or have strong allies who have them.
18. Rape is a weapon of war.
19. Genocide is war's constant companion.
20. War can come to American soil.
I'm not a pacifist. I understand that war is necessary under certain narrow circumstances. I would fight to DEFEND my country. The problem is that our leaders frame everything in terms of national defense. Before we're aware of the deception, war hysteria has gripped the country.
I hope that we will all realize the true horrors of war, and the fact that it could come home to roost, before we participate in the patriotic fervor of war hysteria.
Saturday, January 14, 2012
The Way to Peace
To look at Christian history, it is hardly conceivable that modern, prosperous, relatively peaceful nations would exist today. Christians "evolved" from brutal zealots to modern, peace-loving people.
You also can't look to the Bible for the source of this peace. The Bible is filled with social rules, prohibitions, and punishments that are barbaric by modern standards. If Christians don't judge the Bible with modern sensibilities, why do they judge the Quran with modern sensibilities?
If we judge the Quran to be more violent, you have to consider the times in which it was written. The Quran was written in the 7th century, which was an extremely violent time in human history. It was written down as events unfolded.
On the other hand, the old testament came from oral tradition passed down for thousands of years, and finally written down when writing became possible. Before it was written down, the stories likely changed. Over the course of thousands of years, much of the violence was probably lost in the oral transmission. The new testament was written during the time and geography of "Pax Romana", a time of relative peace in human history.
One of the most peaceful religions on the planet has holy books that are much more violent than the bible or the quran. The Hindus have the mahabharata and the ramayana. The Hindus have managed to become quite peaceful. Perhaps they take lessons on the evils of violence from these books. Is it so inconceivable that Muslims could do the same from the Quran? Many do, actually.
Christians have modernized and moderated through education, prosperity, and learning from the mistakes of their ancestors. Christianity has gone through enlightened / peaceful periods, and fell into violent periods of regress. Islam has enjoyed many enlightened /peaceful periods.
Islam is emerging from a violent period of regress. Just look at the progress of women's suffrage in the middle east to see how rapid this emergence is happening. Christians live in a nascent period of enlightenment. It wasn't so long ago that Christians were violent and aggressive toward "pagans", "heathens", and "savages".
If history has any lesson for the modern world it is this:
Enlightenment, prosperity and peace are fleeting and fragile. These ideal states of human existence are easily disrupted by violence, aggression, and war. If we wish to live our lives in, and pass on to our children this ideal state, we must stop vilifying each other. It is imperative that we start building cultural bridges and break down the barriers that divide us. We can pass on to our children a culture of enlightenment and peace. We just have to set aside our hatred and mistrust.
You also can't look to the Bible for the source of this peace. The Bible is filled with social rules, prohibitions, and punishments that are barbaric by modern standards. If Christians don't judge the Bible with modern sensibilities, why do they judge the Quran with modern sensibilities?
If we judge the Quran to be more violent, you have to consider the times in which it was written. The Quran was written in the 7th century, which was an extremely violent time in human history. It was written down as events unfolded.
On the other hand, the old testament came from oral tradition passed down for thousands of years, and finally written down when writing became possible. Before it was written down, the stories likely changed. Over the course of thousands of years, much of the violence was probably lost in the oral transmission. The new testament was written during the time and geography of "Pax Romana", a time of relative peace in human history.
One of the most peaceful religions on the planet has holy books that are much more violent than the bible or the quran. The Hindus have the mahabharata and the ramayana. The Hindus have managed to become quite peaceful. Perhaps they take lessons on the evils of violence from these books. Is it so inconceivable that Muslims could do the same from the Quran? Many do, actually.
Christians have modernized and moderated through education, prosperity, and learning from the mistakes of their ancestors. Christianity has gone through enlightened / peaceful periods, and fell into violent periods of regress. Islam has enjoyed many enlightened /peaceful periods.
Islam is emerging from a violent period of regress. Just look at the progress of women's suffrage in the middle east to see how rapid this emergence is happening. Christians live in a nascent period of enlightenment. It wasn't so long ago that Christians were violent and aggressive toward "pagans", "heathens", and "savages".
If history has any lesson for the modern world it is this:
Enlightenment, prosperity and peace are fleeting and fragile. These ideal states of human existence are easily disrupted by violence, aggression, and war. If we wish to live our lives in, and pass on to our children this ideal state, we must stop vilifying each other. It is imperative that we start building cultural bridges and break down the barriers that divide us. We can pass on to our children a culture of enlightenment and peace. We just have to set aside our hatred and mistrust.
Thursday, December 8, 2011
National Defense Authorization Act of 2012
Traditionally, the National Defense Authorization Act is a yearly spending bill that allows the military to operate for the year covered by the bill. The yearly renewal of this bill has traditionally been quick and non-controversial.
However...
This year the NDAA has provisions that basically allows for two things:
However...
This year the NDAA has provisions that basically allows for two things:
- Military detention (without trial) of those suspected of links to al qaeda, taliban, or of planning or carrying out attacks against the U.S. and coalition partners. It states that this detention will be continuous until the "end of hostilities".
- "Transfer of custody" of "covered persons" to any foreign entity.
These two sections are troubling to me.
The "military detention" provision has a "waiver for national security" which applies to "paragraph 1", which allows for the military detention. "Paragraph 1" refers to paragraph two, which contains the specific limitation to suspected terrorists.
My concern is that this waiver could be interpreted to allow the Secretary of Defense to "waive" the limitation to suspected terrorists. The bill only requires a written "certification" be sent to congress that the "wiaver" is necessary for "national security". If such a waiver to submitted, it is conceivable that this could allow the indefinite military detention of individuals that have no association with terrorist groups.
The "transfer of custody" section is worrisome because it allows the military to skirt U.S. laws pertaining to treatment of prisoners (specifically those prohibiting torture) by sending "covered persons" abroad for "detention". This practice, known as "extraordinary rendition", has been in practice for years. However the authority to do this is pieced together from pieces of different laws and disparate provisions of the "Patriot Act". Since this authority is piecemeal, the legality of that authority has been questionable. If this law passes, "extraordinary rendition" will be codified in law.
There is a provision that supposedly exempts U.S. citizens from military detention. There is another provision that supposedly exempts "lawful resident aliens" (green card holders) and their activities within the United States. I struggle with these exemptions because most lawmakers specifically state that this applies "American citizen or not" (quoted from Lindsey Graham and verified by calling his office in DC).
There is legal ambiguity as to whether or not current law allows for the indefinite detention of U.S. citizens and "resident aliens". The only institution that could clear up this ambiguity is the Judicial branch. However, the bill specifically removes judicial oversight by moving the entire process to military tribunals. The Supreme Court could take the extraordinary step of declaring that citizens are "resident aliens" are NOT subject to this law. However, considering the current makeup of the court, and the fact that the entire process will be outside their jurisdiction, that possibility seems quite slim.
When I called Senator Graham's office to inquire about this, his staff seemed unaware of the provisions exempting U.S. Citizens and "resident aliens". I asked about the constitutionality of this bill, I was told that is the job of the Supreme Court.
This bill passed the House of Representatives, but that version didn't have these troubling provisions. Now that the bill passed the Senate, it must be "reconciled" with the House version, then the "reconciled" bill must be passed by both houses.
Even if you agree with the indefinite detention provisions, the legal ambiguity of existing detention laws makes this very dangerous. Please contact your representative in the House of Representatives and ask them to vote against any "reconciled" bill that includes these harmful provisions. These provisions were slipped into a spending bill to force it through congress. Afterall, any representative who votes against it will be labelled "unamerican" and "against the troops". Our representatives need to know that we will support them if they vote this bill down because of these provisions.
Use the following link to contact your representative:
https://writerep.house.gov/writerep/welcome.shtml
You can also call the white house and ask the President to veto such a bill if it reaches his desk.
White House Comment Line: 202-456-1111
Tuesday, December 6, 2011
Response to Tony Perkins - Jesus Was a Free Marketer
My Take: Jesus was a free marketer, not an Occupier
To use the parable of the minas to claim that Jesus was a free marketer is simply political spin. Keep in mind that Mr. Perkins is the leader of the "Family Research Council", which is one of the most vile homophobic organizations around. The FRC has made it their mission to malign single mothers, poor people, and gay people.
When I read the parable of the Minas, I see industriousness being rewarded and sloth being punished. I see nothing of "free markets".
The reason I doubt Mr. Perkin's "free market" comparison is because of what Jesus actually said (not in a parable) to a wealthy young man who asked what he should do to inherit eternal life:
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21
The boy went away sad, unwilling to give up his vast wealth to help the poor. Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said:
"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24
So, Jesus seems to deplore greedy people who horde wealth and do nothing for the poor. Keeping that in mind, the parable of the Minas (Luke 19) seems to be about rewarding industriousness and punishing sloth.
I would like to point out some fallacies that Mr. Perkins also attempts to pass in his article:
1. He states that "each of us is given the same opportunity to build our lives", which is demonstrably false. The child of an auto mechanic doesn't have the same opportunities as the child of a doctor. The child of a welfare mother does not have the same opportunities as the child of an auto mechanic.
2. He talks about "occupiers" who trash public property, and engage in anti-social behavior. I don't believe the intent of OWS is to "trash" anything. Many of the nasty pictures people see are AFTER the encampment has been trashed by the police. The OWS camps that I visited (in Seattle and Minneapolis) were clean and well organized. I'm not sure what anti-social behavior he is referring to. OWS is collaborative and sociable by it's very nature. Rioting is anti-social, but it seems to have only happened in Oakland. Oakland has a history of rioting, which cannot be associated with OWS.
3. He states that "wins and losses are determined by the diligence and determination of the individual". If our "free market" system were truly merit / results based, there would be no reason for OWS to exist. OWS exists because of a peculiar blend of "laissez faire" / crony capitalism, and merit / results NOT being rewarded. OWS exists because the economic and political systems have been corrupted by power, influence and money.
4. He states that "[abuses] are not inevitable or intrinsic to free enterprise". I tend to disagree! Totally free markets are prone to consolidation and manipulation. Mr. Perkins must be living on a planet inhabited by a species much more noble and honest than homo sapiens. Free markets can be beneficial until they are consolidated and manipulated by powerful players. Once that happens the entire system is liable to crash. There are few forces on earth that can challenge the powerful players that manipulate markets, and government regulation is one of them. The fact is that Mr. Perkin's political party has meticulously gutted every state and federal financial regulatory agency.
He closes by saying: "our free market system works when bridled by morality. Not arbitrary morality that changes with political parties, but transcendent moral principles."
Mr. Perkins is again talking about his fantasy planet.
Perhaps on Kolob (planet where God lives according to Mormons), Mr. Perkins morality guides the markets. I suspect that morality guides those markets because Jesus is standing near the opening bell with a whip!
On the planet Earth, the morality of homo sapiens is easily over-run by greed when "no one is watching". Since Jesus isn't standing on Wall Street with a whip, we need some way of controlling the greed, consolidation, and manipulation.
Republicans like to champion the "self regulation" doctrine, while ignoring the complete and repeated failure of that doctrine.
I personally don't support overbearing regulations. But I support regulations that ensure the safety, sustainability, and fairness of industry and markets. Based on results, industry and markets are unable to properly enforce rules even if they make the rules.
I also don't support the idea that OWS should be sleeping in parks. Not only is it an eyesore, it tends to lead to unhygienic conditions. It also has a tendency to attract elements that most Americans would consider deplorable (drugs, prostitution, etc.). People will pay more attention to clean, organized, peaceful protesters than they will dingy, chaotic, rowdy protesters.
IMHO
To use the parable of the minas to claim that Jesus was a free marketer is simply political spin. Keep in mind that Mr. Perkins is the leader of the "Family Research Council", which is one of the most vile homophobic organizations around. The FRC has made it their mission to malign single mothers, poor people, and gay people.
When I read the parable of the Minas, I see industriousness being rewarded and sloth being punished. I see nothing of "free markets".
The reason I doubt Mr. Perkin's "free market" comparison is because of what Jesus actually said (not in a parable) to a wealthy young man who asked what he should do to inherit eternal life:
"If you want to be perfect, go, sell your possessions and give to the poor, and you will have treasure in heaven. Then come, follow me." Matthew 19:21
The boy went away sad, unwilling to give up his vast wealth to help the poor. Then Jesus turned to his disciples and said:
"And again I say unto you, It is easier for a camel to go through the eye of a needle, than for a rich man to enter into the kingdom of God." Matthew 19:24
So, Jesus seems to deplore greedy people who horde wealth and do nothing for the poor. Keeping that in mind, the parable of the Minas (Luke 19) seems to be about rewarding industriousness and punishing sloth.
I would like to point out some fallacies that Mr. Perkins also attempts to pass in his article:
1. He states that "each of us is given the same opportunity to build our lives", which is demonstrably false. The child of an auto mechanic doesn't have the same opportunities as the child of a doctor. The child of a welfare mother does not have the same opportunities as the child of an auto mechanic.
2. He talks about "occupiers" who trash public property, and engage in anti-social behavior. I don't believe the intent of OWS is to "trash" anything. Many of the nasty pictures people see are AFTER the encampment has been trashed by the police. The OWS camps that I visited (in Seattle and Minneapolis) were clean and well organized. I'm not sure what anti-social behavior he is referring to. OWS is collaborative and sociable by it's very nature. Rioting is anti-social, but it seems to have only happened in Oakland. Oakland has a history of rioting, which cannot be associated with OWS.
3. He states that "wins and losses are determined by the diligence and determination of the individual". If our "free market" system were truly merit / results based, there would be no reason for OWS to exist. OWS exists because of a peculiar blend of "laissez faire" / crony capitalism, and merit / results NOT being rewarded. OWS exists because the economic and political systems have been corrupted by power, influence and money.
4. He states that "[abuses] are not inevitable or intrinsic to free enterprise". I tend to disagree! Totally free markets are prone to consolidation and manipulation. Mr. Perkins must be living on a planet inhabited by a species much more noble and honest than homo sapiens. Free markets can be beneficial until they are consolidated and manipulated by powerful players. Once that happens the entire system is liable to crash. There are few forces on earth that can challenge the powerful players that manipulate markets, and government regulation is one of them. The fact is that Mr. Perkin's political party has meticulously gutted every state and federal financial regulatory agency.
He closes by saying: "our free market system works when bridled by morality. Not arbitrary morality that changes with political parties, but transcendent moral principles."
Mr. Perkins is again talking about his fantasy planet.
Perhaps on Kolob (planet where God lives according to Mormons), Mr. Perkins morality guides the markets. I suspect that morality guides those markets because Jesus is standing near the opening bell with a whip!
On the planet Earth, the morality of homo sapiens is easily over-run by greed when "no one is watching". Since Jesus isn't standing on Wall Street with a whip, we need some way of controlling the greed, consolidation, and manipulation.
Republicans like to champion the "self regulation" doctrine, while ignoring the complete and repeated failure of that doctrine.
I personally don't support overbearing regulations. But I support regulations that ensure the safety, sustainability, and fairness of industry and markets. Based on results, industry and markets are unable to properly enforce rules even if they make the rules.
I also don't support the idea that OWS should be sleeping in parks. Not only is it an eyesore, it tends to lead to unhygienic conditions. It also has a tendency to attract elements that most Americans would consider deplorable (drugs, prostitution, etc.). People will pay more attention to clean, organized, peaceful protesters than they will dingy, chaotic, rowdy protesters.
IMHO
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