Sunday, February 24, 2013

The Book of Mormon

I got to go see the Broadway hit "The Book of Mormon" while it was on tour in Minneapolis two weeks ago, and let me tell you - it was hilarious.  It was as good as all the reviews and Tony awards would imply.  Part of the reason I enjoyed it so much was that as an atheist, I am entertained by ridicule of silly religious ideas.  Like a known con-artist convincing a bunch of people that he found ancient golden religious tablets in his backyard, and that Jesus visited America before ascending to Heaven.

But as Bill Maher often likes to point out, is any of this any more or less crazy than the "traditional" religious beliefs of a man born of a virgin and someone cramming two of every species on Earth onto one ship?  People like to make fun of Mormonism or Scientology because they are relatively recently formed "faiths" and the claims they make seem just so obviously insane.  But if you take away the time that has passed since the beginning of any other religion, do their claims actually stand up to scrutiny?

Not really.  And yet it shocks me that people still buy into just about everything religion says without questioning whether or not any of the claims are actually true.  As if simple tradition, oral history and the passage of time make something immune from questioning.

And none of this would bother me except for the damage that religion has caused, and continues to cause, in our modern society.  People are told they can deny basic healthcare to their children as long as they have a "religious belief."  Gay people are excluded from having full, equal rights under the law because some people have a "religious objection" to homosexuality. Science teachers are forced to teach a bogus "controversy" between evolution and creationism.  And now, even access to basic birth control is being threatened because apparently god thinks it's a no-no.  While the population of the planet is surging ever faster towards total unsustainability, people still think they need to "go forth and multiply."

And yet, if you so much as point out any of this, you're failing to properly "respect religious liberty" and are treated as a terrible person for hurting peoples' tender feelings about their religious faith (something they are so certain is the absolute truth, yet can't stand to hear any legitimate criticism of).  I do not have any respect for religion because I think it impedes our progress as a species.  But I do respect people's right to have any old idea they want, whether I think it's crazy or not.  However, when those ideas start to infringe on other people's rights, there needs to be a lot more public scrutiny than, "Well, but that's what people believe."

So in summation, go see the Book of Mormon, or at least buy the soundtrack.  You'll laugh your ass off.

Wednesday, February 6, 2013

Scouting for God

I was blessed on Sunday not only to celebrate my youngest son's 3rd birthday, but also to receive my annual batch of Girl Scout cookies from my niece.  My favorite is the "Lemonades."  Delicious.  I not only enjoy the cookies, but I'm happy to support the Girl Scouts which seems like a tolerant, progressive organization for girls.  Too bad I don't have any girls of my own.

What I do have is boys; two of them, and I would never let them join the Boy Scouts.  Well, unless one of them begged and made me feel bad, in which case I'd probably cave as usual, but that hasn't happened yet so I'm sticking to my guns for now.

You might think my reason for this is their exclusion of gay scouts and troop leaders.  And you'd be right. Somewhat.  I would find it repulsive to support an organization that insists on furthering the myth that all gay men are child molesters, and all gay boys are just "confused" and being influenced by the gay "predators" who are trying to "recruit" them.

But what I would find equally repulsive would be sending my boys into the care of an organization that tells them they are simply not capable of being good, moral citizens without worshipping a god.  In addition to their ban on gay members, the BSA also has a ban on atheist members.  You can be a Boy Scout so long as you acknowledge a god, regardless of who that god is.  But if you don't decide to give the glory to god, it is assumed that you are incapable of being a "good citizen."

My husband and I are trying hard to raise two responsible, compassionate, morally upright, "good" kids, who know that the reason for doing good things is the good they send out into the world; not the fear of spending eternity in hell or the expectation of a reward in heaven.  We teach them that you do the right thing because it's the right thing to do; not because there is an invisible scorekeeper in the sky keeping a tally of their rights and wrongs.

I know that the BSA takes a lot of flack over the gay issue.  And I get why.  It's a big issue.  But to me, unless they are willing to include atheist/secular kids in their ranks, I don't see how my boys would fit in.  Which is sad, because my two adventurous boys would otherwise probably gain a lot of great experience from the program.

But until the scouts realize that any boy; gay, straight, or anywhere in between, can be a great citizen, I remain much more reluctant to purchase Boy Scout popcorn tubs than I am to purchase delicious Girl Scout cookies.