God And The Constitution
On Sept. 17, 1787, after a long summer of argument and compromise, the Founders completed and signed what would become the U.S. Constitution. And despite popular misconception, it didn't include a word about the USA being a "Christian nation."

In fact, the Constitution doesn't mention Christianity, or God, at all. It is a secular document outlining the structure of what would become the new government of this nation.
-June 4 2008
Shas Announce Settlement Expansion
Just hours before US President George W. Bush's arrival Wednesday in Israel, Shas Chairman Eli Yishai made a point of announcing that building beyond the Green Line would continue.
-May 16 2008
the Shas is a religious fundamentalist group, and they are about to ruin it for all of israel!

Allying With Christian Zionists Is Bad For Israel
"No, we cannot." We cannot cooperate with the Christian Zionists, Rabbi Eric H. Yoffie, President of the Union for Reform Judaism, told the annual conference of the movement's rabbis Wednesday night in Cincinnati, Ohio, according to copies of the speech distributed ahead of time to the press.

Not an easy thing to say, considering their powerful numbers and the depth of the Evangelicals' support for Israel. But Yoffie thinks it is important - not because of their stance on abortion, their policies against homosexuals or the fact they do not respect members of other religions.

These elements certainly add to the argument, particularly the last factor, but they are not the main reasons. "What they mean by support of Israel and what we mean by support of Israel are two very different things," Yoffie says, highlighting the real reason.

In his speech Wednesday night, however, Yoffie declared that an alliance with Christian Zionists must be rejected for the sake of Israel. Christian Zionist support for Israel is harmful, he said. It's not "unconditional support for the Jewish state," but rather support for certain leaders, certain parties, for a political agenda that is unacceptable to Yoffie and, he believes, to a majority of Israelis. The Evangelicals reject a two-state solution and oppose Israeli territorial concessions, and for that reason the Reform Movement cannot cooperate with them.
-April 9 2008
allying with ANY religious extremist is bad for anyone!

Haredim May Boycot El Al
Haredi leader calls for boycott of airline after flights continued on Shabbat. Talks in progress with rival company, haredim press for commitment not to fly on Shabbat. United Torah Judaism to propose no-confidence motion against gov't
-April 8 2008
then i call on all the seculars to do anything they can to make sure to use El Al for all their flying needs.

Scuffle Ensues On El Al Flight After Movie Angers Haredi Passengers
A small group of haredi passengers interrupted an El Al flight to Kiev on Sunday morning with a loud protest against the showing of movies on the flight.

The movies in question were nature shows, but the passengers in question demanded that no movies be shown on the flight.

"We usually put nature shows on during these flights in order to be sensitive to the passengers' sensibilities," said an airline spokesperson of the incident. "There were some haredi passengers that didn't approve of this, but there were also other non-haredi passengers on the flight."
-April 8 2008
off all my understasnding of jewish culture, i cannot understand what would set off haredi this much to "nature shows".

Assisted Suicide Doctor Jack Kevorkian Plans To Run For Congress
Kevorkian was released from prison last year and remains on parole. But the 79-year-old told The Oakland Press for an article published Wednesday that he plans to run for office as a candidate with no party affiliation.

"We need some honesty and sincerity instead of corrupt government in Washington," Kevorkian said.
-March 12 2008
jack kevorkian is a hero, and he would definity had my vote if i lived in his district!

Shas MK Says Homosexuals Caused Last Earthquake
Homosexuals caused Israel's last earthquake, Shas MK Shlomo Benizri said Wednesday.

During a special Knesset session on earthquakes, Benizri said he proposed that the Knesset "find a way to prevent mishkav zachar [sexual relations between men], and thus save [us] a lot of earthquakes."
-February 20 2008
wheather they are jewish christian or muslim, one thing that all religious fundamentalists have in common is they a re all delusional psychopaths. MK Benizri is the jewish equivilent of ahmadinejad (no gays in iran) and Jerry Falwell

Shas To Quit Government If Peace Talks Continue Amid Kassam Fire
Shas chairman Eli Yishai said Monday his party would resign from the coalition "if the current negotiations (with the Palestinians) progress beyond the current point while Israel  continues to sustain Qassam rocket attacks".
-February 11 2008
is that supposed to be a punishment?

Huge Pro-Secular Protest In Turkey
More than 100,000 Turks took to the streets on Saturday to protest against government plans to lift an Islamic headscarf ban at universities and to defend the country's strong secular tradition.

"I am very angry -- not against veiled women but against those who want to cover the republic's values with a veil," said novelist Sevgi Ozel, who was among the protesters.
-February 4 2008

Secular Coalition For America Responds To Mike Huchabee's Proposal To Amend The Constiution
On the eve of the Michigan primary, Gov. Mike Huckabee, Republican candidate for president, told his supporters in Warren, MI that what America needs to do is "amend the Constitution so it's in God's standards." He was referring to his support for a constitutional amendment defining marriage as between a man and a woman, and another protecting life.
-February 4 2008
its really sad that if the republican party excludes everyone like ron paul, voters will have to choose a warmonger or a religious fundamentalist for the republican candidate.

Turks Protest Over Headscarf Plan
Thousands of Turks have rallied in Ankara to protest against a government plan to allow women to wear the Islamic headscarf in Turkish universities.
-February 3 2008

Secular Cemetary Set For Jerusalem
The Jerusalem Municipality has approved plans to establish a secular cemetery that will allow for civil burial, the city said Thursday.
-February 3 2008

Seculars Not Going Anywhere
About a week after Ynet reported about a study by the Israel Democracy Institute claiming that the secular sector in Israel has been declining over time, Yair Lapid responds to the findings in an article to be published this Saturday in the “Olam Katan” (small world) weekly.

“The figures regarding the change in the ratio of seculars in the country are simply false,” Lapid says. “The study did not ask people how they define themselves, which is the main question in my view, but rather, it asked about their way of life. If they would ask me, for example, whether I go to synagogue on occasion, I would say I do. Yet nobody would ask if I go to a Reform or Orthodox synagogue, or whether I go because I want my kids to see Jewish tradition and feel the atmosphere. So saying that I’m a religious Jew based on this is unthinkable!”
-December 31 2007

Evangelicals Blast Any Jerusalem Division
The heads of three major evangelical Christian organizations based in Jerusalem on Tuesday criticized the proposed division of Jerusalem as part of a peace treaty between Israel and the Palestinians, saying such a move would severely restrict freedom of worship in the holy city.

"We view any attempt to divide the city as a tragic wedge that is unacceptable," said Rev. Malcolm Hedding, the executive director of the International Christian Embassy in Jerusalem.
-December 19 2007
even if its going to save thousands of lives? its interesting how the evangelicals claim to care so much about an unborn baby, yet they seek a foreign policy which will cause perpetual war and deaths in the middle east.

A Strange Struggle For Jerusalem
Jerusalem as a whole is losing its productive backbone and is deepening its dependence on state handouts. Young, secular, educated people able to earn a wage are leaving it in droves, followed by their parents. The city leadership is in the hands of ultra-Orthodox elected officials who imbue their managerial style with concepts derived from their world and priorities. This process stems from demographics whose significance is highlighted by the following projection: In about eight years the number of students in Jerusalem's ultra-Orthodox elementary schools will be more than three times the number of students in secular and religious public schools.

That is the backdrop against which we should judge recent statements by groups that call on the public to keep Jerusalem united. A ludicrous gap exists between the organizations' rhetoric and the forces shaping the city. The fiery slogans the heads of these organizations spout, the noisy rallies they initiate, the poetic declarations by Knesset members when they try to hold the state to its obligation to keep Jerusalem unified are about a city looking more and more like Safed (with all due respect to that city). Some areas of Jerusalem are increasingly more reminiscent of Umm al-Fahm (with all due respect to that city).
-December 9 2007

Why Do Jews And Muslims Hate Each Other
-November 15 2007
this basically comes down to "my god is better than your god". what a great reason to hate someone!

State Senator Sues God
State Sen. Ernie Chambers sued God last week. Angered by another lawsuit he considers frivolous, Chambers says he’s trying to make the point that anybody can file a lawsuit against anybody.

Chambers says in his lawsuit that God has made terrorist threats against the senator and his constituents, inspired fear and caused “widespread death, destruction and terrorization of millions upon millions of the Earth’s inhabitants.”
-November 7 2007
the senator will lose, because you can't sue something that doesn't exist. :)

Division of Jerusalem Raised At Talks
Senior Israeli officials expressed support Monday for the transfer of Arab parts of Jerusalem to Palestinian control, offering a concession on one of the most contentious issues in the Mideast conflict. The offer appeared to fall short of Palestinian calls for a full Israeli withdrawal from key areas of the holy city.
-October 8 2007

Ultra-Orthodox Jews On A Mission to Save Jerusalem From Secularism
Posters on the walls attest to years of campaigning and his files are stuffed with the many thousands of letters, rulings and pamphlets issued in challenge to secularism in Israel. In recent years Mr Krausz, 35, who is married with 10 children, has campaigned against Jerusalem's gay community, roads dug near ancient Jewish graves, shops, restaurants, cinemas and even airlines which operate on the sabbath, and against buses that do not segregate male and female passengers.

Israel's ultra-Orthodox community is a growing minority, around 13% of the total population, but it is particularly strong in Jerusalem and is popularly perceived as having an increasing influence throughout the country. In part this is down to an electoral system that can produce coalition governments in which the smaller religious parties have an influential role. Elsewhere, religious politicians have taken major positions on their own: Jerusalem's mayor, Uri Lupolianski, is the first ultra-Orthodox in the job.

The community is also very vocal and can quickly bring large numbers of young men on to the street. Protests against a gay pride march in Jerusalem this year and last sparked riots that left several police officers injured.
-August 11 2007
now i urge all secular jews to band together to save their country from theocracy.

U.S. Evangelical Support For Iraq War Slipping
A new poll shows support for the war in Iraq is slipping among white evangelical Protestants, previously a key pillar of support for President George W. Bush's conduct of the conflict.

Conducted by the PEW Research Center, it found that 58 percent of white evangelical Protestants surveyed felt the United States made the right decision in using force in Iraq to oust Saddam Hussein, below the 71 percent in a previous poll in September.
-August 5 2007
58%?????? this article might be from last october, but it brings up a little known truth: the evangelicals are half responsible for the war. they are the christian al qaeda. they believe that before the resurection, a new world order will begin in babylon (presen day iraq) and nothing thrilled them more than then iraq war, which they believe will put us one step closer to the reserection. this war was done in the name f god. likewise, al qaeda's jihad was also done in the name of god. i urge all patriotic americans to show the evangelicals their discontent with the war, and make sure their religious dogma never is used to decide our foreign policy

Pork-Selling Deli Set On Fire
The store has been under attack since its opening about one month ago, and was protested against several times, despite the fact that other pork-selling stores operate in the city.
-August 5 2007
Israel's religious elite are very similar to our evangelicals. they will stop a nothing to fight secularism. they will stop at nothing to deprive the secular jews' right t choose what they want to eat.

Christian Group Warns U.S. Against Pressuring Israel
"I don't believe Israel should give up any piece of their land. I think they've given up too much of their land," said Michelle Stephens, one of 50 million Evangelicals who are said to be "waking up" to the idea that Israel's existence is integrally tied to their own religious outlook.

"Would somebody else, another country, coming in to America say, 'You need to give up Florida'? I live in Southern California, 'You need to give up San Diego to Mexico.' That's not going to happen. Why should we do that with Israel?" Stephens asked.

"Our personal position: don't give away a square inch. ... The Israeli government is a sovereign nation and what they choose to do concerning land for peace, they have the right to do. ... They are a sovereign nation we respect that," he said. On the other hand, as far as the U.S. Congress is concerned, "I will pressure my congressman. (If) my congressman is encouraging it, I am telling him, 'It's your last term.' My guys, oh, I am on my guys."

While strong supporters of Israel may take comfort in the headstrong backing, Rafi Dajani of the American Task Force on Palestine said the problem with Stephens' position is in "its very essence it doesn't allow or recognize any Palestinian claim to land."

"The people that still don't recognize the land is occupied ... are a minority on both sides," said Dajani, whose group advocates a Palestine and Israel living peacefully side-by-side. "That interpretation is not accepted by anybody in the international community, and most ironic, it's a position that runs counter to U.S., Israeli and Palestinian interests and consensus across the board. Those who still don't believe in that are not part of mainstream discourse even though they can bring together 5,000 people."
-July 31 2007
i side with the palestinians on this one. christian support for israel scares me. it is based on god, not on fact. they will support israel unconditionally just because god said so. gaza and the west bank are NOT israel's land. these lands belong to the future nation of Palestine. Americans are right to support Israel, but it must be conditional upon their loyalty to the US, their willingness to make peace with the Palestinians, and their being the middle eas's only secular democracy. see: using religion to justify Israel.

Israel's Secular Democracy at Risk
Last week the Knesset decided to extend the Tal Law. Few opposed this move. This is in fact an admission that the secular public has tired of convincing the strictly Orthodox community that it should prepare itself for a working life and that it should contribute in some way to the security of the State.

It appears that the secular public has retreated from the campaign over the soul of the republic and has come to terms with its defeat. Even now, about a sixth of Knesset members come from political movements that strive to forfeit the people's sovereignty and to transfer the regime to the hands of a religious council. Members of the strictly Orthodox parties do not deny that this is their vision; however, they explain, it should not be viewed as a political plan.

When the time comes, this is how they respond to debates on this matter, the Jews will bend in favor of the rule of the Torah, and the contradiction between democracy and theocracy will disappear anyway.
-July 29 2007

Rep. Pete Stark First Openly Nontheistic Member of Congress
There is only one member of Congress who is on record as not holding a god-belief.

Rep. Pete Stark (D-Calif.), a member of Congress since 1973, acknowledged his nontheism in response to an inquiry by the Secular Coalition for America. Rep. Stark is a senior member of the powerful House Ways and Means Committee and is Chair of the Health Subcommittee.

Although the Constitution prohibits religious tests for public office, the Coalition's research reveals that Rep. Stark is the first open nontheist in the history of the Congress. Recent polls show that Americans without a god-belief are, as a group, more distrusted than any other minority in America. Surveys show that the majority of Americans would not vote for an atheist for president even if he or she were the most qualified for the office.
-July 2 2007
only one atheist out of 535 congressman??!?!?! thats an outrage. the atheists are the least represented group of all our lawmakers. no wonder atheists are not considered a protected religious group, like jews and muslims. i wonder if there are any other "in the closet" atheists in congress which are scared to death of the theocrats to admit their religious beliefs.

Kevorkian's Cause Founders As He's Freed
But as he prepares to leave prison June 1 after serving more than eight years of a 10- to 25-year sentence in the death of a Michigan man, Kevorkian will find that there's still only one state that has a law allowing physician-assisted suicide — Oregon.

Experts say that's because abortion opponents, Catholic leaders, advocates for the disabled and often doctors have fought the efforts of other states to follow the lead of Oregon, where the law took effect in late 1997.
-May 30 2007
mr. kevorkian is a heor. he has put many terminally-ill patients out of their misery. the theocrats are trying to shut him down for one simple reason: THEY DONT CARE ABOUT THE SUFFERING OF THE TERMINALLY-ILL. The bible is more important to them than civil liberties. i honestly hope that every evangelical in this country falls sick with a terminal illness and endlessly suffer. maybe that will change their views.

Can Secular Turkey Survive Democracy?
SECULAR AND LIBERAL Turks have had a rude awakening from years of deep slumber. Kemal Ataturk's heritage is about to be destroyed — not by an invading power but from within, by fellow Turks who yearn for an Islamic state.

The proponents of Islam in government, such as Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul and their Justice and Development Party, have been remarkably successful. They have exploited the fact that you can use democratic means to erode democracy, employing a powerful strategy.
-May 18 2007
judging what has happened with recent elections in Lebanon, Iran, Iraq, Egypt, and the Palestinian territories, i say no.

Big List of Jerry Falwell Quotations
-May 17 2007
i'm very careful not to unnecesarily bad-mouth anyone. find one time in which i openly badmouthed a memebr of Hamas or Hezbollah or even al qaeda. but i have to say, Falwell was an awful man, worse than osama, and the world is better off without him.

Jerry Falwell Has Died and Gone to Hell
When we consider what it was Jesus himself had to say about those who lead others astray into darkness–that ‘a millstone should be tied around their necks and be cast into the sea’ we should take heed. Falwell, by his lying, thieving, murderous words was personally responsible for mobilizing tens of millions of American Christians into launching the present war in Iraq that has resulted in the deaths of 2 million innocent people, not to mention the Americans who paid the ultimate sacrifice with their own lives.
-May 16 2007
that is IF hell actually exists. good riddens to Falwell, and may all evangelical theocrats endure the same fate.

Turkish Secularists in New Rally
At least one million Turks have rallied in the city of Izmir to protest against any government plans to undermine Turkish secularism.

"The AK Party will most likely win the elections but they will have to take into account these demonstrations and what people are saying," said Haluk Berk, a doctor and university teacher.

"These rallies have been useful in forcing the government to take a step back," protester Neslihan Erkan told the Reuters news agency. "The danger is still not over. These rallies must continue until there is no longer a threat."
-May 16 2007

Atheists Identified as America's Most Distrusted Minority
American’s increasing acceptance of religious diversity doesn’t extend to those who don’t believe in a god, according to a national survey by researchers in the University of Minnesota’s department of sociology.

From a telephone sampling of more than 2,000 households, university researchers found that Americans rate atheists below Muslims, recent immigrants, gays and lesbians and other minority groups in “sharing their vision of American society.” Atheists are also the minority group most Americans are least willing to allow their children to marry.

Even though atheists are few in number, not formally organized and relatively hard to publicly identify, they are seen as a threat to the American way of life by a large portion of the American public. “Atheists, who account for about 3 percent of the U.S. population, offer a glaring exception to the rule of increasing social tolerance over the last 30 years,” says Penny Edgell, associate sociology professor and the study’s lead researcher.

Edgell also argues that today’s atheists play the role that Catholics, Jews and communists have played in the past—they offer a symbolic moral boundary to membership in American society. “It seems most Americans believe that diversity is fine, as long as every one shares a common ‘core’ of values that make them trustworthy—and in America, that ‘core’ has historically been religious,” says Edgell. Many of the study’s respondents associated atheism with an array of moral indiscretions ranging from criminal behavior to rampant materialism and cultural elitism.
-May 15 2007
move over jews, there is a new persecuted religious group in town. the fact that us atheists keep to ourselves and do nothing to impose our will on the rest of society. The evanglicals, on the other hand, believe it is their duty to impose the will of Jesus Christ on the rest of societ (and eventually the rest of the world) by force if necessary. it is partly because of them we are in Iraq.  the most despised religious group should be the evangelicals, not the atheists.

Pope Criticizes Age of 'Hedonism'
Pope Benedict XVI castigated popular culture for promoting sexual immorality Friday as he canonized Brazil’s first native-born saint before hundreds of thousands of faithful and a sea of flags in the world’s largest Roman Catholic nation.

Benedict didn’t elaborate, but his message for Brazilian Catholics reflected his uneasiness with the impact of popular culture on young people.
-May 14 2007
is it any of the pope's business to define another nation's culture? the pope has no right to impose his views on others. It looks like the pope has learned nothing from last year when the Muslim world was telling him what he could and could not say.

Turks Hold Second Pro-Secular Rally
More than a million Turks rallied here today in support of secular democracy amid an unprecedented stand-off between the Islamist-rooted government and the army over presidential elections.

As calls for calm mounted, Foreign Minister Abdullah Gul, a former Islamist and the sole candidate in the race to become president, ruled out withdrawing his bid, defying the army's threat of intervention in politics.
-April 30 2007

Gul: President Must Be Loyal to Secular Principles
Turkey's FM Abdullah Gul stated on tuesday that the President had to be loyal to the principles of secularism, democracy and social state and said, "If I get elected I will act accordingly."
-April 26 2007
just a reminder, tomorrow is the first day of elections in turkey

US Evangelicals Aim to Influence European Law
• In Britain, the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF), an organization founded by American evangelical leaders, is funding a lawsuit brought by a Christian man who was fired for refusing to work on Sunday. It is also helping to develop the legal strategy.

• In Sweden, ADF played a key role in persuading the Supreme Court to dismiss charges against Ake Green, a pastor who was convicted of hate-crime charges after he delivered a sermon in which he called gays a "deep cancerous tumor in the entire society."

• In Aruba and the Czech Republic, Pat Robertson's legal organization, the American Center for Law and Justice (ACLJ), helped defeat bills that would have legalized same-sex unions.

• In France, ACLJ affiliate ECLJ (the European Center for Law and Justice), is staging a legal challenge against an antisect law that it says is being used to clamp down on evangelical Christian churches.

•And on the European Union level, ECLJ is lobbying to block funding for embryonic stem-cell research.
-April 19 2007
trying to impose the will of Jesus Christ on the world... doesn't this sound like another group from a rivaling religion trying to impose their religious views on the world? a group that attacked the world trade center a few years back? maybe thats a little extreme. or maybe not...
Huge Rally in Turkey Against Possible Islamist President
Chanting secularist slogans and waving Turkish flags, more than 300,000 people from all over Turkey rallied Saturday to discourage Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan, a conservative with an Islamist political past, from running for the presidency.

"Turkey is secular, it will remain secular", "The presidency's roads are closed to Sharia (Islamic law)", "An imam cannot become a president", they chanted, reflecting concerns that Erdogan and his Justice and Devlopment Party (AKP) are not truly committed to the mainly Muslim nation's secular system.

"They want to slowly transform Turkey into Iran or Saudi Arabia," retired teacher Mehlika Erecekler, 44, told AFP at Tandogan Square, "but they can't because they're afraid of the army. We support the army."

Another demonstrator, Ayla Aysel, 66, said: "I've seen my share of coups in Turkey and every coup put Turkey back by 10 years. But if Erdogan becomes president, it will put Turkey back by 100 years." "God preserve us from Sharia," she added.
-April 16 2007
the Turks are fighting for their fundamental right to secularism. i hope this sets an example for the rest of the world. I wish Americans would show such courage against the evangelical Christians. If the Turkish parliament knows whats good for them, they will not elect Erdogan as President.

Turkey's Secular System in Great Danger
Turkey’s president said on Friday that the country’s secular system of government faced its gravest danger since the founding of the republic in 1923.

The stark warning from Ahmet Necdet Sezer, ahead of elections next month that could give Turkey its first head of state with Islamist roots, came on the heels of similar remarks by the powerful army chief on Thursday. “The activities aimed against the secular order and efforts to bring religion into politics are raising social tensions,” he added.

Turkey’s secular elite, including generals and judges, are worried that Prime Minister Tayyip Erdogan, a former Islamist, will take the top job and chip away at the strict division between state and religion established by Mustafa Kemal Ataturk.

Erdogan’s ruling AK Party is expected to name its candidate for president next Wednesday. Since the party has a big majority in parliament, its candidate is virtually certain to replace the staunchly secularist Sezer, whose term expires on May 16.
-April 15 2007
it would really be a shame if Turkey falls into the hands of fundamentalist theocrats.

If Don Imus Had Offended Atheists, Would Anyone Care?
If Don Imus had made an "atheist slur" (which, I suspect, he has at least one time in his career), would anyone care? I vividly remember the Paula Zahn show from several weeks ago where two guests, both African Americans (see, I am being "politically correct" here!), said that "atheists should just shut-up!" What if Imus had said that blacks should just "shut-up"?? Would the uproar be greater than it is now? What if the same comment were made about atheists?
-April 13 2007
you dont see me starting riots, demanding people lose their jobs, or trying to criminalize "atheist denial"...

A Crime to Be An Atheist in America?
-April 12 2007
I know first-hand how intolerant our country can be towards atheists and non-believers. We have done an excellent job building a society which protects freedom of religion, however, we have not done enough to protect people's freedom FROM religion.

Israel Movement For Progressive Judaism
Progressive Judaism opposes any form of coercion on obeying mitzvot. The individual is expected - and obligated - to determine in a sovereign and intelligent manner his or her spiritual life. This means that Progressive Jews are not monolithic in their ways: some, for example, will emphasize the laws of kashrut (dietary laws) while others might see these as being outdated. Some Progressive Jews observe strict laws concerning Sabbath observance, while others create new ways to celebrate this day.
-March 23 2007
the majority of Israel's Jews are secular, but they are bombarded by Jewish theocrats in the highest level of government. while Israel is a mostly secular country (compared to its neighbors), Israel's system of government gives the theocrats too much power in determining its citizens' way of life. the biggest example is marriage rights. the theocratical rabbis can decide who gets married and who can't. Many Israelis are forced to marry outside of Israel. In Israel, there is big battle over how much religion should be imposed on people. As an antheist, i fully support the plight of the secular jews in determining how much religion they want in their lives.

Religion should be a perrsonal thing. some may choose to be strictly observant of any given faith, and that should should be 100% respected by the given society (otherwise an atheist theocray would form). likewise, if one chooses to be secular, or a non-beliver in any given society,this should be respected as well. In Israel and even America, the theocrats are trying to rob people of their right to practice any amount of religion that they wish, and both Americans and Israelis need to stand up and fight against this
Religion and Secularism in Israel
The majority of Israelis are secular Jews, but the religious Jews in the country wield enormous influence. David Ben-Gurion, Israel's first prime minister, designed it that way, inadvertently blueprinting a conflict that has yet to be resolved.

A journalist, Herzl dreamed of a secular state in which religion would have no influence whatsoever. "We shall keep our priests within the confines of their temples," he wrote in his visionary 1896 work, The Jewish State.

But David Ben-Gurion, who ultimately proclaimed the state of Israel 50 years later, ignored this advice. To attract devout Jews to the newly-founded country, the first premier included religious leaders alongside secular Jews in his government. Moreover, he granted rabbis a powerful role in society: a monopoly on performing marriages and divorces.

For almost 60 years now, the secular and the religious have been at war over what defines a good Jew. Is it someone who follows God's commandments meticulously and adheres as far as conceivably possible to religious traditions? Or, alternatively, someone who serves the state of Israel, but almost never sets foot in a synagogue, and only wears the yarmulke - the skullcap mandatory for religious Jews - in exceptional circumstances? The clash of cultures over national identity is omnipresent in Israeli society, and there seems to be no consensus in sight.

"While radical secularists want to detach society from its traditional Jewish roots, radical traditionalists want to eradicate its modern, western values," says Aviezer Ravitzky, professor of Jewish philosophy at the Hebrew University of Jerusalem. This unresolved tension also explains Israelis' inability to agree on a constitution 58 years into the country's history.

In contrast, western, more individualistically minded Israelis feel severely constrained by religious strictures. They see freedom as one of the Jewish state's key achievements. They aspire to the kind of lifestyle people enjoy in industrial countries; for instance, being allowed to drive cars, eat in restaurants or go to the movies on Shabbat, the Jewish day of rest.
-March 9 2007
VIDEO: Christian Facism VS. Islamic Facism
-March 8 2007
the Evangelical movement in America is as much of a threat to our way of life as Al Qaeda
El Al Faces Renewed Boycott Threats
A renewed haredi boycott of El Al appeared imminent Sunday night after the national carrier flew a group of secular Israeli travelers from London to Israel, thus violating an agreement not to fly on Shabbat.

The Council of Rabbis for the Holiness of the Shabbat, a haredi group, met Sunday to determine what steps would be taken against El Al.

El Al provided religious travelers with a hotel in London for Shabbat. However, secular travelers were flown to Ben-Gurion.
-February 25 2007
this group sounds a lot like the Christian Coalition; trying to impose their religious beliefs on the whole country. how does it affect their life if El Al chooses to fly on Shabbat? Why should secular Israelis be burdened by the will of these Rabbis? I urge all Israelis, religious and secular, to oppose these Haredi Rabbis and their attempts at theocracy. One of Israel's best qualities is that it is a secular nation. No religious beliefs are imposed on anyone. The Council of Rabbis for the Holiness of Shabbat is a group trying to take away the right of freedom of religion (and freedom from religion) from Israelis. I urge El Al to tell this group to F*** Off and mind their own business.
El Al Lays Off Its Chief Rabbi
Just two weeks after El Al placated haredi rancor over Shabbat desecration, the nation's airline fired its veteran chief rabbi, Avshalom Katzir, over the weekend.

El Al said the layoff of Lt.-Col. (res) Katzir, former deputy chief rabbi of the IDF, was part of streamlining measures. However, haredi sources in El Al said that Katzir was superfluous.

"He did not help El Al in the recent negotiations with the haredim because he is a religious Zionist," said the source. "And kosher supervision of food is already taken care of by the caterers."
-January 17 2007
i'm still very dissapointed that El Al gave in to the theocrats. This contradicts Israel's secular nature. American airlines can travel on Sundays, why can't Israeli airlines travel on Saturdays?
Rabbis Urge Boycott of Israeli Airline, El Al
El Al, known throughout the world as Israel’s national carrier, flew on the Sabbath last week after a workers’ strike at Ben Gurion Airport paralyzed the airline industry.

Rabbinical leaders from all sectors of the religious population responded immediately by calling for a boycott of the airline. Hareidi religious rabbis overseas also ordered their population to cancel pre-existing tickets, leading to a steep drop in flight bookings.
-December 6 2006
Israel, like America, faces challenges from theocrats who want to impose their religion on everyone else. what Israel will be judged on is how the moderates in the country handle the theocrats. It is none of the rabbis' buisness if the airline wants to fly during the Jewish sabbath, or if El Al wants to serve non-kosher foods. it is up to the fliers what day they want to fly or what food they want to eat.  Mind your own buisness theocrats!

Missouri Voters Narrowly Approve Stem Cell Ballot Measure
Strong support in urban areas of a state constitutional amendment protecting stem cell research offset widespread opposition in rural counties as the measure narrowly passed with just over 51 percent of the vote.

The amendment, known as the Missouri Stem Cell Research and Cures Initiative, guarantees that any federally allowed stem cell research and treatments can occur in Missouri, including research using human embryos.
-November 9 2006
thank you missourians! our society cannot be held back by religious hang-ups. embryonic stem-cell research has the potential to cure many diseases including parkinsons. it is a shame if we miss out on these advancments just because "the bible said no"

Americans Divided on Existence of God
Nearly half of Americans are not sure God exists, according to a poll released today that also found divisions among the public on whether God is male or female or whether God has a human form and has control over events.
-November 3 2006
people ask me, as an atheist, how i believe the world was created if there is no such thing as god. i answer them: my theory is that we DONT KNOW how the world was created and we are only using the idea of "god" to explain things we can't understand. people believe in god because it is easier for them, then to accept that there are some things we just dont know. I dont know how the world was created, and neither does any priest, rabbi, or pastor, or anyone else for that matter, and it doesn't do us any good to make up some un-provable theory, because that will stop us from looking for the real answers.

Stem Cell Amendment Would Place Criminal Penalties in Constitution
Missourians will be deciding a virtually unprecedented issue next week when they vote on a proposed constitutional amendment ensuring that all federally allowed stem cell research can occur in Missouri.

If approved, the proposal apparently would mark only the second case where precise prison sentences and fines for crimes are included in Missouri's 132-page Constitution. Such details typically are left for laws.

It imposes a prison sentence of up to 15 years and/or a fine of up to $200,000 for anyone who attempts to implant a scientifically cloned embryo into a woman's uterus for the purpose of creating a cloned baby.

It also imposes prison sentences of up to 10 years and/or fines of up to $100,000 for anyone who removes stem cells from a human embryo more than 14 days after its cell division begins, or who uses a sperm and egg to create a human embryo solely for the purpose of stem cell research.

Another provision allows the attorney general to seek a civil penalty of up to $50,000 for any of those crimes plus several other newly created ones, such as the failure of embryonic stem cell researchers to gain approval of their projects from an oversight committee.
-October 30 2006
there you go theocrats. the stem cell research amendment has strict safeguards to avoid any abuses. now please step aside and allow our society to progress.

Missouri to Vote on Stem Cell Issue
Although Missouri is the only state with such a question on the Nov. 7 ballot, it is the first time voters are being asked to decide whether to proceed with developing potentially life-saving cures despite the moral concerns of some over the destruction of human embryos, Stateline.org reported.

Although it's the only such referendum on any November ballot, the embryonic stem cell research issue has come up during campaigning across the U.S., with some Republican bucking the Bush administration by supporting the controversial research.

Political observers say the outcome of the Missouri ballot question might influence future federal and state efforts to either block or support the science, Stateline.org said.
-October 29 2006
to all my readers in Missouri, VOTE YES ON AMENDMENT 2. the people who oppose it are theocrats who want a "Christian America". America should maintain its Christian heritage, but we should NOT allow the theocrats to hold our society back because of religious hang ups. Stem cell research has the potential to do so much good for our society, but the Christian theocrats are holding us back. there is no legitamte secular reason why we should not allow stem cell research, even if it turns out not to work. if we allow the theocrats to win on this one we will be no better then the Muslim world, who have remained backwards for generations due to religious hang-ups. RELIGION SHOULD BE KEPT OUT OF POLITICS AT ALL COSTS!!!!

Turkish President and Military Warn of Increasing Islamism in Turkey
Addresses by Turkish President Ahmet Necdet Sezer at the opening of the new session of the Turkish parliament and by the Turkish Chief of General Staff at the opening of the academic year at the Turkish War Academy had a common theme: the growing threat of Islamism to Turkey as a secular state.Tension and concern among Turkey’s secular circles are on the rise because of numerous phenomena: the Islamization of national education and of state institutions such as Turkish radio and television and Turkey’s national airlines; the appointment of imams and other Islamists to government positions, including in the security forces; the increasing number of religious schools and of once-banned Koran courses; the government’s preoccupation with Islamic issues (such as the Islamic headscarf); and the rift between the government and the universities.(1) Turkish Prime Minister Recep Tayyip Erdogan and members of the AKP government have denied that any such threat to Turkey’s secularism exists.The warnings expressed by President Sezer and by Chief of Staff Gen. Buyukanit in their addresses – which came during an official visit by PM Erdogan to the U.S. – seemed to draw the lines between the sides in the controversy about the upcoming election by parliament of a new Turkish president, slated for May 2007. It is expected that PM Erdogan, an Islamist and a former member of the banned Islamist party Erbakan,(2) will be elected – and this would mean the AKP’s capture of the presidency. Secular circles in Turkey fear that if the AKP has both a majority in parliament and the presidency, it will then have the power to change the country’s constitution.
-October 10 2006
an islamic state cant stay secular forever

Muslim Fanatics Hate Us Because of Atheists
One of the most common critiques that Muslim fanatics have about the West generally and America in particular is that they are "godless." This conflicts with many Americans' self-image as a godly nation, so they are forced to seek scapegoats elsewhere: the atheist minority.
-July 13 2006
Bin Laden and Zarqawi always refer to their opponents as "atheists" as if its a bad word. The fact is most of the west does not believe in atheism, it is only that the west is more tolerant (and not by much) towards those who choose to believe in no god than most other places around the world.

Thousands of Turks Rally For Secularism
Some 40,000 people marched Thursday, many chanting Turkey "will remain secular," a day after a suspected Islamist militant shot dead a judge, while Turkey's president, in an apparent warning to the Islamic-rooted government, cautioned that "no one will be able to overthrow the (secular) regime."

The entire leadership of the Turkish military, which has led three coups in the past and regards itself as the guardians of secularism, lined up besides the flag draped coffin of Judge Mustafa Yucel Ozbilgin, a clear message that they will defend the secular system.

On Wednesday, a militant burst into Turkey's highest administrative court and shouting "I am a soldier of God" shot five judges, fatally wounding Ozbilgin. The suspect said the attack was in retaliation for the court's recent ruling against promoting a teacher who wore an Islamic-style head scarf outside of work, authorities said.

The head scarf has long been a flashpoint between Islamists and secularists. Turkey bans wearing head scarves in universities, in state offices and at state functions, fearing that the headgear symbolizes a desire to weaken the secular identity of the state.
-May 19 2006

Using Religion to Justify Israel
-March 23 2006

Evangelicals to launch 'Christian AIPAC'
A leading US evangelist is forming an umbrella organization under which all pro-Israel Christians in America can speak as one in support of the Jewish state.
Pastor John C. Hagee of San Antonio, Texas, is to launch Christians United for Israel (CUFI) at an invitation-only "Summit on Israel" next Tuesday at his Cornerstone Church.
"Think of CUFI as a Christian version of AIPAC [the American Israel Public Affairs Committee]," Hagee told The Jerusalem Post. "We need to be able to respond instantly to Washington with our concerns about Israel. We must join forces to speak as one group and move as one body to [respond to] the crisis Israel will be facing in the near future."
....
Accordingly, Hagee says, CUFI intends to "interact with the government in Washington" and persuade it "to stop pressuring Israel to give up land for peace. Besides the fact that this does not work, Israel has a Bible mandate for the land. Now that Gaza has been given to Hamas, it has a military foothold a thousand yards from Jerusalem."
-February 3 2006
I support any group that stands up for the middle east's only democracy, however as an atheist i am kind of concerned about the so-called 'bible mandate'. This sounds like a breach of seperation of church and state.