Headline Muse, 1/26

For three decades, aboard Alaska Airlines
You got food trays that featured some prayer-lines
But the passengers spoke
And the owners awoke,
And the Psalms become no-longer-there-lines

Headline: Alaska Airlines Ends Prayer Cards On Flights

The idea to distribute the cards in the first place came from a marketing executive who borrowed the idea from another carrier as a way to differentiate Alaska’s service, according to the airline’s statement.

But that view has now changed. “A business that aspires to be diverse and inclusive shouldn’t have a religious agenda. Religious beliefs are deeply personal and vary greatly among our customers” Egan said in an emailed statement.

Praise The Lord, And Start The Persecution

Down went the banner; the judge had sealed its fate
Down went the banner; the protests were too late
Up jumped the students, the godly, Christian squad
And when they pledged allegiance, they shouted UNDER GOD!, saying

Praise the Lord, and start the persecution
Praise the Lord, and start the persecution
Praise the Lord, and start the persecution
And we’ll all* stay free!

Praise the Lord, protect our institution
Praise the Lord, and find us a solution
Praise the Lord, and down with evolution
Cos the Lord made me!

Yes, the Cranston people yelled it
The learned judge beheld it
He saw what he was not supposed to see!

Praise the Lord, let’s start a revolution
All aboard, and fuck the constitution
Praise the Lord, we’re after restitution
So we all* stay free

Praise the Lord, and start the persecution
Praise the Lord, and start the persecution
(Can’t afford, without your contribution
Cos it’s far from free!)

*all Christians, that is.

My version is based on the original Frank Loesser song, but I couldn’t find a video that contained it. Video, for those who don’t know the song, after the jump: [Read more…]

Cranston T-Shirt Video

No, not “Evil Little Thing”. This is the pro-banner T-shirt. It’s actually a nicely produced bit of video reporting from the Providence Journal, in my opinion–a low-key portrait of perfectly nice people who think their rights are being trampled on, because their privilege is being reeled in.

I assume that proceeds are going toward court costs, but I haven’t been able to confirm it.

RI Clergy Group Defends Jessica Ahlquist

The Christians in Cranston, I’m pleased to report,
Are not all the threatening, violent sort.
Some are the meanies we rightly belabor
But some, strangely, follow the creed “love thy neighbor”
They gathered together to make us aware
There are Christians in Cranston who really do care
They look on their peers in dismay and in shock
At the sort of behavior that came from that flock—
The threats and the taunting, the language, the signs,
The bile that the radio DJ opines,
And to top it all off, all this loathsome behavior
Is done in the guise of protecting their Savior
Or really, a message to Him, on a banner,
Which bids them behave in a Christian-like manner.

So now that the word has come down from the top
Will we witness the good Christian bullying stop?
Will the Christians remember that Judgment is God’s?
….I saw the town meeting. I don’t like the odds.

Religious group defends Ahlquist: wpri.com

[Read more…]

H.R. 290

H.R. 290 has just passed the House;
Now it looks for the Senate’s approval.
It’s meant to address the debate on the cross
And prevent its untimely removal

A memorial site is a wonderful thing;
It reminds us of terrible losses
Defenders of freedom who lay down their lives
And all of them, big fans of crosses

(Now, the Jewish, the Muslim, the atheist troops—
Shall we see that their rights are protected?
That’s not the intent of this bill; what it does
Is get Hunter, its scribe, re-elected.)

[Read more…]

Christian Jailed (5 Years) For Blasphemy

When the faith of the majority
Abuses its authority
They ought to take a breath and look around
We could point to an example
(Cos, believe me, they are ample)
Where a different pecking order can be found
When you’re on the top and winning
It’s the furthest thing from sinning
To bring praying to the courthouse or the schools
But when big and small trade places
See the anger on their faces
When they hear it’s the majority that rules

Context, after the jump: [Read more…]

An Atheist Is A Man Who Believes Himself To Be An Accident

My apologies for repeating myself, but when the foes of atheism repeat themselves, what am I to do? This past week, I have seen the phrase which is this post’s headline in several different places.

In a South African billboard, on a thread arguing about a Denver billboard, a thread about gay marriage in Washington State, and a couple more I can’t be bothered with chasing down.

More, after jump: [Read more…]

On (Mutual) Respect

I’m striving to not be offensive
To respect every person’s belief
Though the effort is pretty intensive
And it’s giving me nothing but grief
No coffee or booze am I drinking;
I’ve given up shellfish and pork
I’ve given up beef, and I’m thinking
There is little that’s left for my fork

I’ve given up mocking the prophet
I’ve given up teasing the pope
I’ve told all my friends to get off it,
If we all have respect, there is hope;
Changed my clothes, my behavior, my diet
And I’ve given up shaving my beard
If they say it’s respectful, I’ll try it,
But I’ve noticed one thing, and it’s weird:

When I look at the faithful, my brothers,
There are times it’s not easy to see
They’ll insist I’m respectful of others
But they’re never respectful to me
I’ll give them respect when they earn it
It’s a matter of live and let live
And I’ll hope they’ll eventually learn it:
You only get back what you give

More, after the jump: [Read more…]