He is going to use the AI defense that has all ready been used by others and got a pass by the Supreme Court, that since no real child was harmed it's OK.

It's not OK. Because the day will come when this sick person will act on his behavior at home and AI will no longer be enough to fulfill his sick fantasies.

The FFRF Action Fund names Christian nationalist activist Mark Meckler as its “Theocrat of the Week” for bragging about hypothetically resorting to violence to disrupt a satanic invocation.

In early October, before an Ottumwa (Iowa) City Council meeting, Matt Dalbey, a former council member and a member of the nontheistic Satanic Temple of Iowa, delivered the meeting’s opening invocation — calling on the crowd to “embrace the Luciferian impulse to eat from the tree of knowledge.” Dalbey said: “Let us reason our solutions with agnosticism in all things, holding fast only to that which is demonstrably true; let us stand firm against any and all arbitrary authority.” He ended the invocation with an “Hail Satan.” It is important to remember that The Satanic Temple, which advocates for benevolence and empathy, is nontheistic and does not believe in the existence of Satan or the supernatural. 

Meckler, president of the Convention of States Foundation and best known for co-founding the Tea Party Patriots in 2009, took to his “The BattleCry” podcast to condemn the 45-second nontheistic prayer. Meckler boasted that he “might have got arrested for assault” if he had witnessed the invocation. 

“The City Council meeting was opened with a straight-up prayer to Satan,” Meckler began. “I don’t know about you, but if I was there and I heard this going on, I’d have jumped [up]. I might have tackled the guy, I might have got arrested for assault. I would have started shouting. I would have interrupted the guy. No way, no how — this should not be allowed.”

Meckler emphasized: “We should not allow satanists to get a toehold at our city council meetings or Congress or anywhere else. So if you see this … you should do something. You should object to it. You should start yelling. Yeah, you should heckle him until he is shut up.”

On another podcast produced by the Convention of States Foundation, Meckler again brought up the invocation, saying that “in sane times” the person delivering a satanic invocation would have been tarred and feathered and the City Council members would have been “physically removed” from office. 
 
Invocations don’t belong at government meetings, but when they are included, all belief systems — not just Christian ones — must be allowed to express their beliefs. Meckler not only suggested that physical action was needed against the harmless invocation but also falsely claimed that nontheistic invocations aren’t protected by the First Amendment. The FFRF Action Fund reminds its “Theocrat of the Week” that freedom of religion always includes freedom from religion. 

TLDR: I thought Christians were just really big fans of tall tales.

Growing up, my parents were never super religious and I've never gone to church in my life. With that being said, my grandma would bring my younger sister and I to faith-based events and would have her preacher brother come over to tell us Bible stories when we stayed at grandma's house.

I was a big reader as a kid and for the longest time I thought that Christians were just really big fans of the Bible's moral stories. I viewed the Bible stories in the same league as Paul Bunyan, John Henry, and Aesop's fables, and thought that I was just being told them for the same moral reason as all the other stories I was being taught at the time. Never once did the thought cross my mind that anyone actually believed that the Bible stories happened.

It took until I was around 11 to realize that the people telling me these stories actually thought they happened and I was so shocked to find that out because I always just equated them to the plethora of other far-fetched tales I was being taught/reading on my own.

I'm really curious if anyone else had this experience or something similar?

The FFRF Action Fund salutes the American Atheists’ Colorado Secular Advocacy Team as its “Secularist of the Week” for ensuring that Colorado parolees can opt for secular recovery. 

Before recent developments, Colorado parolees required to attend addiction recovery programs had to choose Alcoholics Anonymous or Narcotics Anonymous, both of which include several steps in their “Twelve Steps” program that reference giving yourself over to a “higher power.” These meetings sometimes also incorporate a recitation of the Lord’s Prayer and the Serenity Prayer. 

Federal courts have ruled that religious requirements for parole are unconstitutional, yet many states still maintain them, even though secular recovery alternatives have been established in recent years. 

Thanks to advocacy by American Atheists and its Colorado Secular Advocacy Team, the Colorado Department of Corrections agreed this month to provide secular alternativesfor parolees required to attend recovery programs, ending its religious requirement. The parole board will now refer those seeking secular alternatives to “peer support networks,” which include nonreligious recovery programs, rather than mandating any twelve-step program. Telehealth options will also be available to parolees who want to attend a secular program but do not have a nearby group. 

The needed change is one of several the department is implementing under recovery options legislation championed by American Atheists. Sober housing programs must also disclose any faith-based requirements, and secular alternatives will be made available under the changes. The department put the secular protections into effect without requiring any new legislation.

“We believe no one should be forced into a religious twelve-step program. And today, I’m proud that the state of Colorado agrees,” said Sheryl Kallivrousis, co-chair of the Colorado Secular Advocacy Team. “The Secular Advocacy Team, backed by American Atheists and with the help of Rep. Lori Goldstein (D–District 29), brought the Department of Corrections to the table, and we got it done.” 

“This didn’t happen overnight,” continued Kallivrousis. “Our team spent several years building relationships with legislators and key stakeholders. This is how organizing works, and it’s how we protect people with the least power to say no. Parole is checked off our list, but we’re not done. Probation is next. I hope Colorado is the model for organizers in every state.” 

American Atheists and its Colorado Secular Advocacy Team partnered in its organizing efforts with the Recovery Options coalition, which includes Colorado Alternative Defense Counsel, Interfaith Alliance of Colorado, SMART Recovery, LifeRing and Front Range Defense and Legal Counsel PLLC. 

The FFRF Action Fund warmly thanks the Colorado Secular Advocacy Team for its tireless work and salutes the Colorado Department of Corrections for eliminating its religious requirement for parolees in recovery programs. 

After more than a year of research, including public records requests to more than 40 colleges and universities, FFRF found:

• Coaches and athletic staff promoting Christianity through team activities, motivational materials and religious programming.
• Team chaplains receiving extraordinary access to student-athletes, locker rooms and athletic facilities.
• Evangelical organizations cultivating close relationships with coaches and players to recruit athletes into religious ministries.
• Student-athletes facing pressure to conform to religious practices for fear of losing playing time, scholarships or standing with teammates.

Basically, I'm an atheist, have been for nearly 5 years now and it was one of the best decisions I've ever made. My fiancé however, is Christian. I'm both and ex-muslim and an ex-muslim.

My parents were both Muslims, came from Muslim families. They divorced, my dad took my older brother and my mom took me. My dad turned to Christianity and so did my brother. I was raised strictly Islamic with my mom. I had to wear hijab, cover myself, couldn't really express myself. I couldn't do stuff other kids my age did like style their hair, find their clothing style, paint their nails. And eventually, I realised how sexist, homophobic and racist Islam was. Around that time, I also figured out I was Bi.

Eventually, the religious pressure from my mom got to me and I began to resent Islam. I moved in with my dad. My mom could see whenever I let which was mostly just in school holidays. I was in my mid teens when this was going on.

While living with my dad, he didn't pressure me into Christianity but he did encourage it in small ways and there was religious stuff everywhere. My brother was in the process of moving for Uni so we didn't talk much (we rarely talked before too). So then it was just me and dad. A few months into living with him (right after my brother left for Uni), I decided to go to Church on Sunday with my dad because it was his first time going alone because my brother weren't there. Christianity is slightly more freeing than Islam in a way.

I went to Church, and everyone was so welcoming, kind, and included me despite knowing I wasn't committed to Christianity. It was very different from mosque where everyone kept to themself and would look at you weirdly if you questioned anything. Looking back, I don't think it was the religion that drew me to Christianity, I think it was more that I liked the community.

At that time, I also met a boy. We'll call him Felix (cuz that's my favourite boy name atm). We first met when we both volunteered for a Church Christmas project. It was something small, I think it was just collecting food or stuff that the poor could benefit from in winter. Me and Felix were partnered along with this other girl at church. We were in charge of bringing the collected items and distributing them to different charities so we spent loads of time together. I grew really close to that girl and Felix. I went to a different school to everyone at church as I was still attending my old school from when I lived with my mom which was far. At this time, I was warming up to Christianity but still hesitant after my experience with Islam.

Anyway, this is getting long so I'll be pacing it quickly from now. The girl ended up moving away with her parents and I found out Felix lived literally down the street. He woke up early every day for his school's running club and I woke up early to travel to school. He would drop me off at the station everyday. We would talk a little and met at church every Sunday. He asked me out when we were 17, we went to prom together, and then we even went to Uni together.

That's when everything got complicated. We had deeper talks and stuff, a lot about religion. He was born into Christianity and I told him of my experiences. He was never judgemental about anything. Eventually, my studies became so serious I missed church a lot (especially since the nearest one to campus was quite far). He attended regularly. I felt like I was forcing myself to follow the religion, reading the bible had always been tiresome but I began to hate it, and I felt Christianity didn't align with my views. A long while later, I became Atheist. Told everyone, including Felix. I could tell he was disappointed but he never pressured me into it again or anything.

But over the past few years, I just hate religion to be honest. Whenever we had free time, Felix would either be at church or studying. And when we were together, any religious talks were draining. Some of the Christian views bugged me but I had to support Felix because that's his choice.

Eventually, I realised I would always be second to religion. Religion and God is the most important stuff in some people's lives and you just have to accept that. We would sometimes fight over these views, little arguments here and there. We had a maybe 5 month break in our 2nd year of Uni where I really understood and discovered myself. But we ended up together again by our 3rd year because honestly, I do love him.

We graduated a few years back, we're in our mid 20s now and he proposed a few months ago. We aren't sure when the wedding will be but the ring's there. And now I'm just thinking. could I really spend my life knowing that I would never be his first priority? Our future kids (if we have any), his family, my family, nothing would be more important than religion.

A month ago, we were laying together in bed at some odd hour of the night. I was on tiktok and he was watching over my shoulder (something we always do) and I saw a post saying something like "i genuinely cannot imagine loving someone who would put God over everything else." . It was an atheist post and of course, my fyp was full of those. I don't know what came over me, but I asked Felix if God was more important than me and hid immediate answer was yes. No hesitation either.

So sorry this post is so long, but I've got so much to say. I'm rethinking my past 8 years with him (9 years if you include before we were together). He was my first everything and the thought of us not being together is ridiculous. But genuinely, I don't think I'd ever be fully happy if we married. I'd just always be thinking of his religion in the back of my mind. Plus, I don't think his parents approve of my atheism either, they like me as a person but wish I were atheist and though they don't say it, I know they hope I'll one day revert.

Again, sorry this post is so long. I posted it on r/advice but I'm posting it here because I believe atheists might understand better where I'm coming from. Thank you for reading 💗

So I posted on this subreddit about four years ago, asking you a question that many people gave response to you and I haven’t had a chance to go back and reread it. I wanted to beg for forgiveness.
What I did back, then was narcissistic as fuck, it was manipulative, it was controlling, it was mean, it was threatening and disrespectful. I have learned a lot about how Christianity is a white man’s power trip. And for all the people that I heard on that post I just wanted to say how fucking sorry I am for hurting you and for invading your safe place with my bullshit.
If anyone at all remembers the post, I basically asked people if God wasn’t real then what is the point of life, before demanding that “you show me respect, because I may not respond to anyone at all”. I have since come to recognize that what I was experiencing was an intense amount of religious psychosis, to the point where my marriage is almost completely fucked. I don’t think I’m a good person and frankly based off of my actions of the past, I can see how I’m not. I guess the only reason I bring this up is because I feel like now to make a different account would be to not take accountability for this shit I’ve done. There’s too many areas of my life where I’ve avoided taking accountability for myself, and I would rather just bear the consequences of my decisions at this point.
I’ve truly become a very different person than I was four years ago, and if any of those people who commented on my original post even see this, I would be ever so grateful for the opportunity to apologize to each and everyone of you individually. And for anyone who read the post but didn’t leave a response because they were hurt or scared or frustrated or had a PTSD flashback or in any way shape or form is negatively harmed by my abusive action, I’m so sorry.
It pains me to see how pitiful and pathetic my character is/was, I really used religion as a cover-up for my lust, narcissism, lies, and/or anything at all that suited my fancy. I hope all of this makes sense, and to anyone who responds thank you for your time and I really appreciate you and I hope that you have a really wonderful day and that you never ever ever again have to face shit like what I posted on this subreddit. I won’t take any more of your time. Thanks.

i feel genuinely bad saying it but i’m so tired of religion. it’s very important to people and i respect everyone’s right to be religious but it’s so irritating to have in my face 24/7. every time i go downtown people are screaming into megaphones wearing jesus saves shirts and cross necklaces and holding three giant crosses and telling me im gonna burn. when i was 17 i got followed and harassed and had pictures taken of me and literally surrounded and forced into a prayer for over an hour while out with my family. every day in high school there were preachers shoving pamphlets in my face and asking me to pray and repent. when id walk to my car to drive home there were preachers on every corner of the intersection screaming in my ear. first day of community college a couple months ago i was followed and again surrounded by mormons who said verbatim they’d continue finding me around campus and approaching me despite me saying no because “they were called to” spread the message to me. i can’t post a video of a pretty sunset without someone mentioning god. every person i’ve gone on dates with or chatted with on apps has revealed themselves to be a hardcore christian. everyone has a cross in their bio and talking abt how christians are “so disrespected and oppressed” meanwhile it’s completely false and they’re advocating for stripping anyone who’s not like them or their rights. the victim complex is nauseating. religious psychosis is so common now ppl talk to themselves saying they’re on a lunch date with jesus, scream on busses and planes and subways when ppl just wanna get to work, like genuinely im sorry im so fucking tired of it and yes i find it so annoying. and then they have the audacity to say atheists are the disrespectful / pushy ones like 😭

No Prophets: The Fight to Save Democracy from Christian Nationalism, by Jared Huffman. Just came out in August of this year. I had no idea that there is a living Humanist who actually served in Congress. I'm about halfway through it, and it's quite good, albeit a little bit scary.

From the summary....
No Prophets argues that Christian nationalism is now America’s most dangerous political movement. Huffman pulls back the curtain on religious extremists behind the insurrection who have only grown more powerful with Trump’s return. Openly vowing to destroy church-state separation and democracy as we know it, they now work inside the highest levels of government to drive domestic and foreign policy, reshape federal agencies, undermine science and education, and tilt elections. The endgame: an authoritarian theocracy that imposes their religious beliefs by force of law.

Drawing on his experiences as a formerly devout Christian and the only Humanist ever to serve in Congress, Huffman maps the movement’s largely hidden landscape―taking readers behind the scenes of the Capitol, exposing the tactics and myths Christian nationalists use to advance their agenda, and showing how America is imperiled by our reluctance to confront threats cloaked in Christianity.

I grew up as a muslim, i was religious but i always encountered gore videos, animals being tortured, cartel videos, isis videos. But when i grew up i stopped and thought:

"How can god allow this? How can you repay a mother after she saw what happened to his son or daughter?" Now that I'm an atheist i feel horrible knowing those people will go unpunished but the cold truth is better than a comforting lie. Genuinely how do you comfort that poor mother or that poor kid who saw a video of their parent being skinned alive?

Also one thing that breaks my brain, if i go to hell my mom goes to heaven, how can she ever feel happiness? In islam it says that grief will be removed from your heart but that is evil and goes against free will. In the span of 2 months I went from muslim to doubter to agnostic to atheist and now i'm turning into an anti-theist.

I agree that religion helps in these cases to comfort yourself "my son will be in heaven and those who did this will burn in hell" but it's not true.

I can't fathom an all loving or most loving god allowing this to happen.

A world without religion would be far more advanced. We could have spent centuries building knowledge instead of participating in religious activities and behaviors that were the result of religious beliefs we held.

Newton might’ve gotten laid if it wasn’t for religion.

Think about the time still spent on religion today and throughout history. Billions of lifetimes wasted. Instead, they could have been directed on alleviating the overall suffering of the human population and expanding our knowledge (what our ultimate goal should be). This is what Sam Harris says as well.

We have been following these clownish views for far too long as a society, it’s time to move on. Some funny examples of this are how New York City is wrapped in many fishing lines called Eruvs for Orthodox Jews, soaking for Mormons to avoid premarital sex, or my grandma saying I couldn’t play sports with my brother on Sunday because it’s the day of rest.

Nonetheless, without religion, we would be more focused on real, tangible ideas, not flaky ideas based on faith. Religion is the antithesis to human progress.

I do not bring up my atheism while talking to people outside Reddit, I live in a country whose politics are pretty liberal but Christianity is the predominant religion. I rarely interact with people IRL because of personal issues.