From Nathan Black of the Christian Post reports (emphasis added):
Nontheists Hold 'Historic' Meeting with White House Officials
Obama administration officials met with a group of nontheists Friday morning.
The meeting has been labeled "historic" as it marked "the first time in history a presidential administration has met for a policy briefing with the American nontheist community."
"We are very pleased that the Obama administration is affording us this opportunity to present our positions on issues of high importance, issues of freedom and fairness that affect every American, regardless of belief," said Secular Coalition for America Executive Director Sean Faircloth in a statement Thursday. "Our Founders knew that there was no place in American government for the privileging of religion, or of one belief over another, and that will be a central theme in our interaction with the White House."
Details of what transpired during the private meeting were not revealed. Paul Fidalgo, spokesman for the Secular Coalition for America, however, told McClatchy Newspapers that it went "very, very well" and they hope to be invited back for follow-up discussions.
President Obama did not attend.
The Secular Coalition for America is an advocacy organization whose purpose is "to amplify the diverse and growing voice of the nontheistic community in the United States." The group represents atheists, agnostics, humanists and freethinkers.
Faircloth stated, "There has been a movement toward theocracy in America that is too often overlooked. As a result, good Americans, including children, have been harmed, and men and women in uniform denied their rights. This strikes at the very core of American values. The Secular Coalition for America seeks justice for every citizen, regardless of creed."
A religious advocacy group, In God We Trust, blasted the meeting and accused the Obama administration of meeting with a "hate-filled" coalition.
"It is one thing for Administration to meet with groups of varying viewpoints, but it is quite another for a senior official to sit down with activists representing some of the most hate-filled, anti-religious groups in the nation," said In God We Trust's Chairman Bishop Council Nedd in a statement Friday.
Nedd pointed to one of the coalition's member organizations, Freedom from Religion Foundation, to illustrate his point. The foundation's president, Dan Barker, has stated in his book Losing Faith in Faith, "Christianity is an enemy to humanity, and the antithesis of freedom" and "Religion also poses a danger to mental health, damaging self-respect, personal responsibility, and clarity of thought."
"President Obama seems to believe that it is a good idea to have a key senior aide plan political strategy with people who believe faith in God is a disease," Nedd stated. "Some of the people in this coalition believe the world would be better off with no Christians and no Jews and they aren't shy about it. The fact that this meeting is happening at all is an affront to the vast majority of people of all faiths who believe in God."
The Secular Coalition for America says that a "constructive and meaningful relationship" between the administration and American nontheists began when President Obama acknowledged nonbelievers in his inaugural address, which no other U.S. president has done, the group noted.
In his 2009 address, Obama described – and continues to describe – the country as "a nation of Christians and Muslims, Jews and Hindus, and non-believers."
Though what was said during the meeting is being kept private, the coalition said in its announcement Thursday that it planned to address such issues as protecting children from neglect and abuse, ending "military proselytizing," and "fixing faith-based initiatives."
I checked out the Securlar Coalition for America's website and found it amusing that they had this picture of a soldier. I chuckled when I recognized the man's face -- he appears on a poster in the ladies' locker room at the Young Men's CHRISTIAN Association. (Either the guy really is a soldier and is unaware of how his image is being cast about, or it's just a stock photo.)Gee, I guess Dan Barker doesn't like that two studies released the other day from two very reputable medical institutions showed that faith in a caring God eases depression. I wonder how much hatred, playing the victim and demanding one's "rights" diminishes the quality and length of one's life.
5 comments:
OK, then. So "faith in a caring God eases depression." Can you define "placebo effect" for me?
Just curious.
Oh, and incidentally, " recognized the man's face -- he appears on a poster in the ladies' locker room at the Young Men's CHRISTIAN Association."
All right then. That would be the YMCA, right? Have you heard of the Village People? Is that the message you're spreading?
And why, in fact, would you be "relieved" that Obama didn’t attend this meeting.
Again, just curious.
"Placebo effect?" Like patient A gets God X and patient B gets God Z but neither patient knows which god he got? ... Your arrow hits off the mark, Nameless Cynic.
I don't believe the YMCA ever endorsed the Village People's values. And, since the YMCA was founded in 1844 and the song was written in 1979, you fail to make a good point.
Admitting that Wikipedia truly cannot be cited as authoritative, its information, however, regarding the song and its controversy makes for interesting reading:
Taking the song at face value, its lyrics extol the virtues of the Young Men's Christian Association. In the gay culture from which the group sprang, the song was implicitly understood as celebrating the YMCA's reputation as a popular cruising and hookup spot, particularly for the younger gay men to whom it was addressed.[1] However, Victor Willis, Village People lead singer of the song, as well as writer of the lyrics, has clarified the record and insist that he did not write YMCA as a gay anthem (Willis was one of the few members of the group that was straight). Rather, Willis said he wrote YMCA as a reflection of young urban black youth's fun at the YMCA such as basketball and swimming, etc. That said, Willis has also acknowledged his knack for double entendre writings. Willis also revealed that he wrote the song in Vancouver, British Columbia.[2]
[source: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Y.M.C.A._%28song%29]
Why am I relieved that Obama didn't appear at the meeting? I would question his alliances if he had otherwise.
OK. YMCA = "context" vs "subtext." No worries. Just thought I'd point it out.
Patient A is worried or depressed (a mental condition). Patient A gets religion (a mental condition), and believes God will fix all his problems. The problems themself don't go away. God does nothing. But the patient is less depressed.
Placebo effect. This says nothing re: the validity of religion. Just how the patient reacts. It's patient A seeing a potential positive outcome; it does not say that the outcome is valid. It also doesn't say that Christianity is better than Buddhism or Scientology.
In fact, other studies have shown that Buddhists are happier than other people. So, you should probably figure that into your studies as well.
However, here's the line I find troubling:
"Why am I relieved that Obama didn't appear at the meeting? I would question his alliances if he had otherwise."
Really? Why? The man goes to every Prayer Breakfast within a thousand miles of the White House. He has kept the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives going. I know you probably don't approve of the Rev. Wright, but Obama has been faithfully attending a Christian service for his entire adult life. What "alliances" do you find troubling?
Are you saying that, by talking to a group of Americans, some of the atheism might rub off? It's infectious?
By your logic, we must also keep the president from talking to Jewish groups, Mormons - God forbid he shake the hand of the Dalai Lama...
Oops. Too late. I guess he's a Buddhist now. (Of course, you should probably note that, on that same page, we have proof that Nixon was an atheist.)
I guess our disagreement continues, since I do not see religion as a "mental condition" like depression. There is a physical, emotional and spiritual side to humans -- 3 realms addressed by medicine.
"The validity of religion." Perhaps you and I define this word differently. Many people of faith see "religion" as being the rituals, whereas "faith" is a relationship. Just as my parents didn't always "answer my prayers", God will not always answer all either. However, my relationship can still grow. That has validity for me.
Buddhism is frequently considered a "religion", but it is more a philosophy in that it has no absolute creator god. Buddha might be venerated by some Buddhist traditions, but he is not seen as god. Hence, there is no personal god in Buddhism and would not really pertain to the Tuft study.
By the way, interesting article about Buddhists being happier. I do note that the study focused specifically on its meditative practices and those subjects that were particularly skilled at it. I imagine simlar results could be replicated in studies with those from other religions who are skilled at similar forms of meditation.
Scientology ... well, what can we say? A rather bizarre cult ... much like L. Ron Hubbard's novels. (Oddly, Hubbard hated Freud ... remember Tom Cruse's outburst on the Today Show when he made those snarky comments about Brooke Shields seeking help for depression? Hubbard's religion has many parallels to Freudian psychology.)
Given that I already question some of Obama's political alliances, if he had met with the nontheists, that would have added one more question. I guess I see the nontheist group as being another entity wishing to "overthrow the system" -- like some of Obama's other alliances. So, when he did not meet with them, I was relieved. (I don't want to add any more strikes against Obama than I already have.)
My logic has no problem with Jews or Mormons -- they are theists .... and monotheists at that.
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