Excellent viral video about the prop 8 trial censorship.

Aggressive atheism

One of my favorites, Pat Condell brings the house down.

Pascal’s wager: Seriously?

Another great video from @zjemptv decimating pascal’s wager.

As an atheist, I have completely lost count of how many times some theist has pulled Pascal’s wager on me. In fact, I refuse to even debate it anymore. It has been debunked so many times, that anyone who still thinks it makes a valid argument is just wilfully ignorant. Now, I can just send them to this video.

For all of the ex-catholics out there, @zjemptv also has a video on how to officially leave the catholic church. Until you do this, they will still count you as a catholic.

If someone else is not like you, so what? Let them be who they are too. How do we expect the straight world to learn tolerance if we cannot even show it to one another.

Gay people who hate gay people

Once again, the ever fabulous @ZJemptv lays it down.

Self Loathing Gay Guys: a response

An excellent response by @ExplorationB to a video about self loathing gay guys.

Now, let us all give one another a big hug, and try not to be a jackass.

Of course, many atheists actually are angry. Many horrible things have been done in the name of religion, and some of us have been the victims. Anger also comes from seeing the injustice and cruelty that others have suffered. In the history of religion, there is plenty to be angry about.

I was born into a fifth generation mormon family, and I left when I was eighteen. I spent a few years as a catholic, and a few years studying buddhism and practicing meditation. In each case, I can honestly say that I did not leave out of anger. I left because I learned too much to believe in it. In my case, a background in science and skepticism coupled with a strong interest in the study of religion provided the fertile ground for my non-belief.

Despite the fact that I did not leave out of anger, I am extremely angry. Of course, my anger has nothing to do with an imaginary god, and everything to do with the evil actions of various religious institutions. Even so, my anger coupled with an outspoken atheism tend to put me on the receiving end of the popular theist assumption that I am really a believer who is just angry at god. Add to these characteristics, the fact that I am queer, and all of the pieces fall into place.

I am mad at god for making me gay. Now it all makes sense, at least to the theists. At this point, though, they tend to divide into two main camps. The more conservative theists offer to cure me through all of the usual means: prayer, aversion therapy, brainwashing, and torture. The more liberal theists tell me that god loves me for who I am, and that homosexuality is not a sin. It is from the latter group, that I tend to receive articles stressing the need for reconciliation and forgiveness.

Building Bridges

Recently, I received such an article entitled Building Bridges from the Dancing With Crazy blog. I think it was sent with the intention of soothing my intense hatred of the mormon church.

Oh, well. The article actually had the opposite effect. The rest of this post is very much a rant. As such, it contains a great many angry words. Now would be a good time to stop reading if you are not comfortable with that.

The article is about an LDS stake in California that is trying to repair a rift caused by Prop 8. The author, Emily Pearson, is also an ex-mormon whose mother belongs to that very stake, and much of the post comes from stories that were related by her mother. In addition, the post also contains a link to an article in the Salt Lake Tribune which provides a somewhat different viewpoint.

For those people fortunate enough to have little contact with mormons, here are some comparisons that may help. A stake in the mormon church is roughly the equivalent of a catholic diocese, and a ward would be the equivalent of a parish. A stake is made up of multiple wards like a diocese is made up of multiple parishes. To confuse matters though, a mormon bishop presides over a ward whereas a catholic bishop presides over a diocese. The man who presides over a mormon stake is called a stake president. And, yes, only men get to be in these positions, so they do have that in common with the catholics.

Also, I should say that my anger has nothing to do with Emily Pearson’s article, and everything to do with the event she describes. With that, let the ranting begin.

Rant 1 – Shut the fuck up already

Part of my anger with this entire event may be due to some bad timing as I have spent the past few weeks listening to the various debates about “Don’t Ask, Don’t Tell. As such, I was already in a bad mood.

I have spent my entire life listening to straight people talk about “the gays“. What makes people gay? Is it a lifestyle choice? Can they be cured? Should they be allowed to get married? Should they be allowed to raise kids? Should they be allowed to join the military? How should I act around them? What if they hit on me? If I’m nice to them, will people think I’m gay? Will they destroy my marriage? Will they molest my kids? Will they destroy the very fabric of creation? Should they be arrested? Should they be executed?

For each of these questions, I have a few of my own. What the fuck is the straight worlds utter obsession with gay people about? Straight people talk about gay people way more than gay people ever talk about gay people. Do you people not have a life of your own? Do you secretly wish you were gay? Jesus tap dancing christ, whatever it is, would you please get over it and shut the fuck up?

So, here we have yet another meeting by a group of mostly straight people to discuss “the gays“. I was annoyed before the article even started.

Rant 2 – The ugly kid at the party

The other thing that annoys me about all of this talk is the utter condescension involved. Many of these people act like a spoiled teenager who is about to throw a party, and gay people are the ugly kid who lives down the block. They don’t really want the ugly kid at their party, but they feel guilty about not inviting him.

To alleviate their guilt, they go ahead and send the invitation, and golly gee it makes them feel swell. It’s so nice that the poor ugly kid gets to hang out with all the cool kids. I bet he’s just so grateful.

Well, sorry, cool kids. I already throw much better parties with people who can actually dance. How about taking that invitation and fucking the hell off?

Which is worse, the assholes who hate you for being gay, or the people who try to stop them from being assholes by telling them how horrible it is to be gay?

Those poor gay people. They are just so sad and pathetic. How can you not feel sorry for them?

Rant 3 – We really really love you

The next person who tells me how much they love me after voting to take away my rights is liable to get smacked upside the head. This kind of drivel has been coming from various christian groups for a while now, so I’m already sick of it.

You know who I love? I love the Westboro Baptist Church because they don’t pretend to love me. They tell me right up front that they hate me, their god hates me, and the bible says to hate me. Personally, I can live with that. Hell, I can even respect it.

What I cannot respect, though, are the people who tell me how much they love me while they stab me in the back. It’s underhanded and despicable. I’ll take a few “god hates fags” signs any day of the week over the atrocities committed by the mormon church.

Rant 4 – Who cares if you’re sorry

Despite the actions of this one stake, the mormon church still continues along it’s bloody sadistic path of hatred.

But, what if that changed? If we all woke up tomorrow to find the mormon church apologizing for the harm they have caused, would it matter?

How many people were driven to an outright suicide because of the mormon church? How many others were driven to suicide indirectly through addictions to drugs, alcohol, etc. because of the mormon church?

How many lives have been utterly destroyed?

Does it matter if they’re sorry? None of those people can ever be brought back. None of the hurt can ever be repaired. There has simply been too much pain, too much death, too much sadness, and all of this blood is on their hands.

I guess some mormons want to build a bridge over the rotting corpses of the people they have destroyed. If they build it high enough, they may not have to smell the horrible stench any longer.

I don’t want an apology. I don’t want their approval, their acceptance, or their love. I want them gone.

I hate the mormon church, and I always will. My greatest desire is to see it wiped from the face of the planet. To every mormon, I have this to say:

The mormon church is my enemy. If you feel guilty for what it has done, then leave. If you want reconciliation, then leave. If you want forgiveness, then leave. As long as you remain a member of the mormon church, you are also my enemy, and I hope it brings you nothing but misery.

Did I mention I was angry?

And, that concludes the angry vitriol part of our show. How about a sprinkling of truth to round things out.

Whenever someone makes an extraordinary claim, it is perfectly reasonable to ask what evidence exists to support such a claim. In the case of Joseph Smith, there is none. There is no evidence to support any of his outlandish stories or his prophetic claims. In addition, there is no historical or archaeological evidence to support the claims made by the book of mormon.

There is, however, a great deal of evidence against him. Evidence that Joseph Smith was a liar, a swindler, a scoundrel, a child molester, a destroyer of families, a bully, and possibly an accomplice to the murder of a government official. All of these allegations are well documented in many books and countless web sites.

In addition, “the pearl of great price” which holds a place in the mormon canon of scripture is such an obvious fabrication as to eliminate any doubt that Joseph Smith was a complete and utter fraud. All of the evidence points clearly to a very obvious conclusion: mormonism is a lie.

Any person who believes in the mormon church has chosen to deliberately ignore the truth. Prefering, instead, the horrid fantasy of an evil man.

It’s time to wake up.

P.S. If any person reads this rant, and has the gall to leave a comment about how god can heal my anger, I will personally reach through this monitor and throttle you.

The Abominable and Detestable Crime Against Nature

Here are some examples that demonstrate the extreme levels of assholeness to which the mormon church has descended in their dealings with gay people.

Go away, but pay your tithing

In 1975, Air Force Sgt. Leonard Phillip Matlovich Jr. appeared on the cover of Time magazine with a caption that read “I Am a Homosexual“. He also happened to be a mormon, but not for long. They threw him out, of course, with an excommunication.

He was welcome to attend public meetings as a guest but he was “not to pay tithes or other contributions, but [was] encouraged to keep them on deposit until such time as [he] might be readmitted to the Church.”

Remember, ex-mormons, just because you don’t belong to the church anymore, don’t forget about tithing. Just put it in a bank account in case you ever change your mind. I guess that is the price of re-admission?

Here is another article on Sgt. Matlovich: Sgt. Leonard P. Matlovich:
Patriot, Mormon, and Activist

Spencer W. Kimball, Apostle, Prophet, Total Fuckwad

I never knew about the massive efforts by Spencer W. Kimball to eradicate homosexuals. He was the mormon Grand Poobah when I was a kid. More than anyone, it seems like he was the major influence behind the church’s hatred of gay people that exists to this day. He also instituted “counseling” to help people overcome their sinful nature; one of the first ex-gay programs. Here is a lovely quote:

Homosexuality is an ugly sin, but because of its prevalence, the need to warn the uninitiated, and the desire to help those who may already be involved with it, it must be brought into the open. It is the sin of the ages….There is today a strong clamor to make such practices legal by passing legislation….We do not hesitate to tell the world that the cure for these evils is not in surrender….As we think back upon the experiences of Nineveh, Babylon, Sodom and Gomorrah, we wonder – will history repeat itself?

Kimball also participated in the gay witch hunts at BYU which contributed to the suicides of five young men who were rejected by the church.

Two of the students committed suicide by over-dosing on drugs, one hung himself, another blew his own head apart with a gun, and the last jumped seven storeys to his death.

Mormon history is certainly a sick and twisted affair. A long history of misogyny, racism, and homophobia dominates the mormon story. Connell O’Donovan has done an excellent job providing the details in the history of the mormon church’s hatred of gay people.

I found The Abominable and Detestable Crime Against Nature from a link in this post Thomas S. Monson: New President detailing Monson’s involvement with The Values Institute.

Much thanks to @Utahnite for posting this link on twitter.

The pope claims that gay marriage is an attack on creation. As for covering up massive pedophilia and child abuse, well, that was just an oversight.

No, seriously. Why can’t people just let them move on? They said they were sorry, and the pope has promised to write a strongly worded pastoral letter about it. He almost shed a tear about it one day. Give the guy in a funny hat a break, okay?

So, anyway, let’s get the focus back to where it really belongs instead. Let’s focus on those evil gay people who want to commit the abominable act of making a lifetime commitment to one another out of love. Now, that is some twisted shit.

I, for one, am really glad the pope has his priorities straight.

Pope says gay marriage an ‘attack’ on creation

Then, there are the muslims. Once again, they manage to make christianity look almost civilized by comparison.

Gay Muslims made homeless by family violence

How about we start to consider religion to be an attack on reason, human decency, and civilization?

Thanks to @ZJemptv for the links.

A most blessed hymn

Finally, this completely unrelated video has to be the best christian hymn ever written. I just had to include it here.

Like everyone else, though, I do have a term which I prefer over the others, and that term is “atheist”. For me, the choice to use this term happened in a single week, and the choice was caused by a news story on television. To be accurate though, I should say that the news of that day was really the final straw in a long sequence of events. At that point, I was already a non-believer having left the religion of mormonism into which I was born. I simply could not bring myself to refer to this state of non-belief as atheism.

Evacuate the Earth

Then, around March 26, 1997, I heard the news. A cult in California had committed group suicide: Heaven’s Gate. For many people, this was the first time that they had heard of the group. Not for me though. I have always had a strong interest in religion and, in particular, how religions develop. This interest had led me to a study of various cult groups such as heaven’s gate.

I watched the news pundits discuss the beliefs of this group with a look of incredulity on their faces. The group’s belief in UFOs, their communal lifestyle, and lurid details of some member’s castrations were paraded around by the media. Some questioned their sanity. Others wondered how people with enough intelligence to run a successful web company could believe such nonsense.

Nonsense was the word of the day. In any conversation about the cult, the words stupidity, insanity, and nonsense would be used over and over again. People made jokes about it, laughed about it, declared it a tragedy, asked if cults should be illegal, wrote articles on how to prevent your children from joining a cult, etc.

All of these activities were carried out with a smug self-confidence, and the majority of people who performed these activities were not atheists but christians. Within one week of this event, I was calling myself an atheist.

Nonsense is relative

As I said, I have spent time studying various cults. In doing so, I often noticed the way in which people made a sharp distinction between cults and religions. In conversing with religious people this distinction was often a source of confusion because, for me, it did not exist.

Religions start out as cults. In the beginning, they often hold radical beliefs. In fact, religions only become more mainstream after they gain a significant number of followers. To me, it seems like early christianity exhibited all of the characteristics of the other cults I studied. Certainly, my own childhood religion, mormonism, was like that. Some cults, like heaven’s gate, never last long enough to move beyond this extremism. Other cults become full grown religions by jettisoning the more extreme beliefs.

Before the suicides, I had preferred the term agnostic. Atheist seemed too dogmatic, and a childhood filled with indoctrination had left me wary of any dogmatic stance. Atheists seemed just as dogmatic in asserting that there was no god as theists were in asserting god’s existence. I had always felt it better to take the middle ground.

When the reports on the suicide came out, it caused me to take an entirely different view. I realized that I could go pretty much anywhere in America, find a large group of people, stand up, and proclaim that the heaven’s gate followers were idiots for believing such nonsense. I also realized what would happen to me if I did: nothing.

I would not be ostracized, I would not be looked at with anger, I would not be accosted, I would not be yelled at, and I would not be called upon to justify my opinion. People would simply nod their heads in agreement, and move on. It was this realization that was key to my adoption of the atheist moniker.

When I had first learned about this cult, I did not join up with them. I did not join up because there was no evidence to support their claims, and I did not join up because their view of the world was not reasonable. However, I could make these same statements about any of the cults I have studied. Even more, I could make them about any religion including christianity.

The only difference between the claims of christianity and the claims of heaven’s gate is the number of people who believe in them. Both claims are unreasonable and without evidence. However, denying the claims of christianity can have all sorts of negative social consequences if you happen to live in America.

Atheism is political

I do not need a special term to designate myself as someone who does not believe in the truth of heaven’s gate. My status as a non-believer with respect to them is simply taken for granted.

In addition, no one declares me to be in any way dogmatic for saying directly and without qualification that the followers of heaven’s gate were wrong, that their religion is not true, or that their claims are false. No one looks down on me for demanding hard evidence of a spacecraft or alien life. In addition, I have never been accused of being angry for simply denying the truth of their religion.

No one declares that my refusal to live by the arbitrary constraints of that religion is because I prefer a life of immorality or hedonism. And, no one suggests that I am being selfish for my unwillingness to submit myself to a communal life under the complete control of that cult even though it is true. If I were less selfish, maybe I would have been willing to give all of my money to them. Maybe I would have submitted to their total control. Maybe I would have undergone voluntary castration for the greater good, and maybe I would be dead right now.

Despite the fact that I do not believe in heaven’s gate, or the fact that I chose the path of selfishness in not converting, no one declares me to be the least bit immoral for either of these. When it comes to christianity in America, however, the situation is very different.

In the week after the suicide, I came to realize that my refusal to call myself an atheist had more to do with fear than anything else. I was simply afraid of the way many people would view me for making such a declaration. Not declaring myself an atheist was due to the social constraints of living in America, but agnostic was not an accurate way to describe myself. The fact was, I did not believe in god in the exact same way I did not believe in heaven’s gate. I was simply an atheist by definition. As time moved on though, it became much more than that.

Unlike the terms humanist or free-thinker, the term atheist comes with a great deal of baggage. There are certainly stereotypes to overcome. Some people prefer a term without all of this baggage. Others prefer a more positive term instead of a negative word like atheism which expresses an opposition to something. Atheist is an “in your face” type of word, and some people do not like this confrontational aspect. I have come to prefer it. Why? Because I am in opposition to religion.

It is no longer a matter of simple non-belief. I am opposed to the ignorance, the blind stupidity, and the evil carried out in the name of religion. I am tired of the privilege assigned to religion, and I am angry at the way religions use that privilege to trample on the rights of others while escaping prosecution for their own evil actions.

In a non-religious world, I would not need a word to designate me as a non-believer. It would simply be assumed. Instead, such a word is a necessity. It is a necessity for simple practicality. For me, it is also necessary as a political means to speak out against the evils of religion.

The word atheist is subversive in a way that those other terms are not, and I think I will keep it.

This article was first posted at Think Atheist. If you are an atheist, agnostic, skeptic, or free thinker, you should join. It’s a really great place.

Instruction Manual for Life

Transition to atheism

Atheism as congruence

25 Questions for Bible Literalists

For those of you who prefer to get your information the old fashioned way, i.e. reading. Here is an excellent post from @Petursey in much the same vein.

When nasty fundies strike….

Oral Roberts Dies

Yep. The fundie with a funny name is dead. In celebration of one less asshole in the world, allow me to post an article on one of Oral’s less lucid moments.

Oral Roberts tells of talking to 900-foot Jesus

You know, the people who wrote that article have no idea how to create a newspaper headline. Mine would have been the following.

“900 Foot Jesus Wants Oral to build a new hospital”

I bet that would have sold more newspapers.

The pope is pissed off and he’s not gonna take it anymore

The pope finally heard about all of the horrible child abuse in Ireland. You know, the abuse that was committed by catholic clergy? The abuse that was covered up for years as the catholic church intimidated families into being silent, interfered with police investigations, and constantly moved pedophile priests to new parishes where they failed to warn the parishioners.

Let me tell you, the pope is REALLY angry about it too. He just promised to write a strongly worded letter about it.

Outraged by Dublin revelations, Pope plans pastoral letter on abuse scandal

Don’t fuck with the pope, people. He is scary mad.

Once again, I will post it here in case it does not get accepted.

The article encourages people to stop supporting the catholic church until it stops discriminating against gay people, women, and, OMG I don’t care, married men. Here is my response.

If you really want to do the world a favor, stop supporting them altogether. Forever.

How many atrocities does the catholic church need to commit before the world demands justice?

Does the church hate gay people? Yes, it always has. Does the church discriminate against women? Once again, yes, it always has.

But suddenly all is forgiven if the church simply lets gay people, women, and married men in the door?

Why?

Just this year, the Irish government published the ‘Ryan Report’ which documents the sexual, physical, and emotional abuse of tens of thousands of children.

‘Endemic’ rape and abuse of Irish children in Catholic care, inquiry finds

The report says the abuse was endemic in church run schools and orphanages. Another report uncovering more abuse was issued in November.

Irish Catholic Church hid sex abuse for decades: official

In both cases, the catholic church protected the abusers, intimidated families into silence, unduly influenced police investigations, and did everything in it’s power to cover it up.

When the Ryan report was issued, the Archbishop of Westminster said that the abusers showed courage in facing the allegations.

All of these scandals are in addition to earlier scandals involving child abuse, and the scandal of the horrible “Magdalene Houses” for girls.

And this is just one country. America has a great many catholic scandals of their own.

The church has barely acknowledged any responsibility in these cases, and the American church has the audacity to sign the Manhattan Declaration. Nice.

But, I guess if they let gay people and women in the door, everything will be okay though.

All is forgiven.

Do the world a favor, and let the church die the death it deserves.

I would post his response here, but I am not sure about copyright issues. You can find a link to his site in the Original post

Actually, that’s a logical fallacy.

The truth of the following statement

if religious then hate filled

does not imply the truth of the converse statement

if hate filled then religious

There are other causes for hatred besides religion. Religion is simply the most prevalent. Another cause is having to live with oppression.

Is it really a surprise that people who have been oppressed might develop a hatred for the people oppressing them? To me, that hatred seems much more understandable and human than the hatred which results from the arbitrary dehumanization of an entire group of people.

Do I hate religious people for what they have done to me and people I care about? Well, yes, actually. I have finally reached that point.

If you are a christian, which religious reasons do you have for opposing this bill? Would it be the verses in the old testament which say that homosexuals should be killed? Would it be the writings of St. Paul which also condemn homosexuality?

Or do you simply ignore those passages along with the ones that justify slavery, or the ones that justify misogyny?

I would argue that you support social justice only insofar as you ignore whole parts of the bible, and what gives you the authority to do that? Why do you get to decide which parts to believe in?

Religion has stood in the way of every major social development since the beginning of time. You may not be advocating for this law in Uganda. However, by calling yourself a christian, you provide legitimacy for those who do.

i could understand why someone might want to hang on to this religion if there was even some bit of truth in it, but even that is lacking. People don’t rise from the dead, donkeys don’t talk, manna doesn’t fall from the sky.

The fact that such a book of fables is being used as a basis for a just society is ridiculous beyond imagining. The fact that it contains a brutal stone age morality is even more unimaginable,

It is simply time for religion to be relegated to a blind and ignorant past.

Sorry to break it to you.

Dear God by XTC

Terrible Lie by Nine Inch Nails

Heresy (live) by Nine Inch Nails

Opiate by Tool

Is Uganda’s Anti-Homosexuality Bill part of reclaiming the 7 mountains of culture? – Part One.

Not sure that it will be posted, so I am reposting it here.

How many innocent people have to die before the world recognizes the sickness of religion? Religion is sick and twisted, and the situation in Uganda is just one more example.

Concerned about child molestation. How about we make the catholic church illegal?

Concerned about violence? How about Northern Ireland or Serbia? Countries where violence was the direct result of religious differences.

” It is good to fully understand why Uganda hates homosexuality. Study their cultures before rising up to condemn an innocent nation.”

I know what makes them hate: religion. Religion is the greatest evil to ever be created by mankind.

And, you know what, religious people? I really really hate all of you.

While I am at it, allow me to repeat my tweets from earlier this evening.

It all started from reading the text of the nazi anti-gay bill being put forth in Uganda: Uganda Antigay Bil. It is sick, and twisted, and disgusting.

Fuck Uganda. Assholes. “provides for protection, assistance and support for victims of homosexuality”

Fuck christianity. Fuck islam. Fuck judaism. I’ve had it with all of them. Fuck jesus Fuck muhammad and Fuck moses. Assholes all.

I hope every last person who supports “traditional family values” will fucking rot from the inside. And take Uganda with you.

“increasing attempts by homosexuals to raise children in homosexual relationships through adoption, foster care, or otherwise”

“Aggravated homosexuality” What the fuck is that Uganda ? “Procuring homosexuality by threats” You insane fucking assholes.

Fuck you Rick Warren, Fuck your fascist imaginary deity, and Fuck your silly ass religion. You and Uganda can both rot.

I am really too pissed off to even say anything else right now.

In case you miss the good old days of the bible, you can always become a muslim.

If you were to take all of the really nasty parts of the old testament to create a living history museum, you would have islam.

Case in point, this article about a 20 year old woman who was stoned to death for adultery in Somalia.

Somali woman stoned for adultery

Once again, muslims are far ahead of all other religions in the worlds biggest assholes competition.

Another honor killing

Still have some doubts, how about this article about a father who murdered his own son for being gay.

Soul-Searching in Turkey After a Gay Man Is Killed

Lying in the name of allah

And finally, a video. Apparently, it is okay to lie if you do it for the glory of islam.

And now for some crazy

Sure, the bible is full of all kinds of bullshit stories: talking donkeys, the sun standing still in the sky, people rising from the dead, etc. However, christians are not the only inmates in the loony bin.

I just found out that devout muslims actually believe in a “miracle” where the moon was split in two for a few seconds and then put back together.

Check it out.

Splitting of the moon

Now, once again, I stand in awe of the utter lunacy of religion.

So thank you, islam, for all of the insanity, violence, and hatred that only you can bring.

I think I’m going to be sick.

I know what you’re thinking, most of the things christians do are pretty stupid, and you would be correct. However, some of things they do are so mind numbingly ridiculous as to merit special mention.

As proof of this assertion, I now offer up “the christian side hug“. Apparently, hugging someone from the front can open you up to all sorts of sexual temptations that will lead you straight to hell. Fortunately, a christian rap group has found the answer: side hugging.

Despite the fact that christians are my mortal enemy, this video is so insanely ridiculous that I actually feel a tad bit embarrassed for them.

Update: Here is an interview with one of the creators:
Interview: Christian Side Hug Creator/Rapper

The catholic cross clap

We all know that catholics spend much of their day oppressing gay people, restricting a woman’s right to choose, covering up child abuse, and protecting pedophiles, but even catholics have some free time occasionally.

You may have wondered what a catholic does with their free time now that roasting heretics is no longer allowed.

Well, wonder no more. Apparently, some catholics spend their time doing the “cross clap“. Sure, it sounds like a christian STD, but it’s not.

Other catholics have decided to stand against this exercise in liturgical dance. You can see more at their web site, End the Cross Clap

Whatever your position on this issue, I am sure we can all agree that it is an issue of the utmost importance.

Just watch.

After tweeting about both of these videos on twitter, I received the following response from @ToddMT a most excellent twitterati.

I guess to avoid the Cross Clap you need to do the side hug?

To which I can only reply:

Amen.