I was just watching this interview with Maryam Namazie, whom I respect a great deal and strongly hope you will all pay attention to her blog and her message, and it got me thinking about the repression of women in Islam, which led me to the bigger picture, which is the pass that we give to the faithful for bad behavior.

This is hardly isolated to the treatment of women, nor do I intend on discussing all religions and all issues, but it’s as good a place as any to start. We often shake our heads and tut to ourselves at the horendous record that Islam has towards the women in its fold. This behavior starts at birth and continues throughout the lives of the faithful, and it frightens me.

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I am an atheist. I’m an anti-theist, though I’m not really a huge jerk about it. According to Fox News, I should be on the Front Lines of the War On Christmas®, eating babies dressed like saviors and forcing sad children to Never Ever Say Merry Christmas. Fortunately, Fox News is about as ridiculous as it gets, and their War On Christmas® manufactroversy is just that.

I do have Christmas plans. Unfortunately, I can’t spend Christmas with my children, but I will get to have a web chat with them and watch them open their presents at 2400 baud. I will have a bunch of time with The Demon and The Lovely Lady and her nuclear family opening gifts and all that jazz. That night, she and I will slip away to the BDFM house for my buddy Mark’s nineteenth annual (okay, I actually don’t know how many years he’s been doing it) Christmas Party. My buddy Keith and I will be playing a set, and the fine folks at Jack Daniels and Highwood Liquor will be helping make sure that we celebrate in style.

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I’ve learned a lot of lessons in life. I have not, however, had the chance to learn any from a length of pipe liberally applied to my body. I’m happy about this fact. I also choose to not use lengths of pipe to discipline my children, or any weapons, for that matter. I know, spare the rod and you spoil the child, but I’m just weird that way.

Not so lucky is a young boy from Irvine, California, whose story I just read about on Butterflies and Wheels. When his parents found a lighter in his jeans and suspected he was smoking, they did what any good parent would do; they got the local Minister of Savage Beatings from their local church to lay a good old fashioned Christian whupping on the boy.

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What the bloody blue fuck is wrong with some people? I had never heard of the celebration of Ashura, but I saw a post on Maryam Namazie’s blog about it and was treated to one of the most disgusting things I’ve ever seen. She included this link to photos of the event, and it’s stomach-turning.

The Day of Ashura remembers the death of Husayn ibn Ali, who was grandbaby of Muhammad. I guess Husayn was the third Imam, at least if you’re a Shi’a Muslim. Fine, remember his death, but THIS? If you want to see a few of the reasons why, taken from that above photos link, along with my comments, continue after the fold. But it’s yucky.

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Now, I’m not a fan of Harry Potter. I liked the movies and have watched all but the last one, but I watched them with kids who were more of the age to enjoy them. That said, I get that lots of my friends totally loved the books and care very much about the imaginary world of Hogwarts. Fine. I don’t hate Harry Potter.

But Father Gabriele Amorth, the Vatican’s Chief Exorcist? That guy has a hate on for Harry Potter because it’s E-V-I-L. And who would know the face of evil better than the guy who’s in charge of all of the exorcists working in the Catholic Church? That guy has come face to face with demons from Hell. He’s like John Constantine, but real! And… y’know… dangerously misguided.

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A friend of mine told me I might find Rex Murphy’s latest article in the National Post to be an interesting read, so I thought I’d give it a read. I like Rex Murphy, and I enjoy pictures of his hair from days gone by. I’m not sure if my friend, a very devout Christian, sent me this to shame me or to actually start a conversation, but I figured the conversation was more interesting.

Murphy’s article talks about how it’s easy to pick on the Christians, and that they are supposed to just sit there and take it. I disagree with the latter and mildly disagree with the former. The reality is that the examples he cites are valid examples that should make anyone annoyed.

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