#the friendly atheist

[theshedding]

The Power of Black Dissent

For years I have talked about the “power of dissent” and the act of speaking truth to power. Over the years a large part of my speaking out has specifically been through the lens of religious dissent. For this is an under-appreciated legacy that has animated Civil Rights and social justice movements all over the African Diaspora for generations and (at least) hundreds of years following enslavement of African and indigenous peoples. It is not lost to irony that I write this entry on the day after Martin Luther King, Jr.’s federal holiday; himself an activist who’s greatest known speech was due in large part to the work of A. Phillip Randolph, a Black secularist. For all that Black religion has been said to offer we would likewise be nowhere, if not for the dissenting power of non-religious, Black, secular, doubting people and their activism.

I talk about this in detail on a new podcast and since the 2010′s I have enjoyed a kind of ‘wind at my back’ through Black Nonbelievers, a leading “non-profit” social justice organization that works to reframe culture, identity and Black advocacy through the lens of religious dissent, education and representation. Since 2011 it has been a thrilling ride; one that initially gave me “a place to land” as I transitioned out of a faith tradition that demonstrably caused harm and no longer served me socially, ethically or logically. Later, after years of fellowship and feeling like Black Nonbelievers (BN) was a place of refuge and strength-I sought to lead the local group in Washington, DC with the hopes of amplifying our visibility, legislative advocacy and community outreach. 

I am an activist. And I have worked in Black empowerment spaces, groups and non-profit organizations for most of my life; from being an actor in Black community theater (DC); to being a Treasurer and later President of the Black Student Union at Berklee College of Music in my undergrad years; to working at the “College Path” non-profit org at the YMCA helping Black and Latinx youth prepare for college and professional careers; to being a professional music educator and even  Minister of Music for 20+ years working with-and mentoring young people all over the East Coast...working and “holding space” for community, education, enlightenment and Black uplift has been a lifestyle throughout my life. Therefore, being the Director of Black Nonbelievers of DC was a natural outgrowth of previous work and identity. And it felt authentic...especially as a nonbeliever.

I had heard some “things” here and there; gripes from some people who came and went from the org. Most of those gripes did not check-out and were often framed and viewed as in-fighting by incredible people; other gripes were at worst, unresolved or un-investigable. I focused on my local group and the people within it, and we were good. Overall, I genuinely felt comfortable with the BN landscape and justified my continued work in the org. We did good work I thought; liberation work, Black empowerment work, educational work. That said, I quietly stopped donating to the org around 2019/20-partly because my “donation” was already paid for with my labor (e.g. time, volunteering, attending legislative and interfaith events on Capitol Hill, public organizing, marching in the streets, etc.), but also because deep down inside I started to feel something wasn’t quite right with the management and transparency of the org’s resources. Looking back, that was my mistake. 

Still, I continued to work for my local group. Because I took that work SERIOUSLY. I still enjoy(ed) our fellowship, the “work” and the overall sense of affirmation, belonging and “wind at my back” that came from an established platform like BN. Our work was noble, empowering and it made my own conversations about non-belief with my family and outsiders easier to have than they would have been if I were just a lone Black atheist ranting about atheism and church/state separation. 

So I stayed. 

_____

Given all that, one could understand why after over 10 years of membership and 5 years of being an “Affiliate Director” within this organization, I was devastated to learn that people were in fact, demonstrably being harmed within the fellowship. Black Nonbelievers, it came to my attention this December by Mandisa Thomas herself, was actively being corrupted by its own head of leadership-in a deliberate and unconscionable way-routinely, for personal gain.

As I have learned from December 2022 until (literally) yesterday (1/16/23), the “goings-on” behind the scenes with BN founder and president Mrs. Thomas are of an unacceptable nature and magnitude. They are not merely incidental or “personal”. They are systemic and they are long-standing. 

Excerpted from the preliminary findings of the BNDC Incident Report (Dec 2022):

I attest to the following:

That all six (6) organizers during our initial investigative process agreed Mrs. Mandisa Thomas’s alleged behaviors were credible in their claims, and valid and unacceptable for the organization going forward. To varying degrees, myself along with all six organizers were witnesses-to these behaviors and/or personally informed of them by Mrs. Thomas herself. Furthermore, that following the departure of five (5) organizers, I continued our investigation of Mrs. Mandisa Thomas to verify warrant for our decision(s).

Regarding Black Nonbelievers of DC (BNDC), these and other related claims, the following actions are credible and made demonstrable. That Mrs. Mandisa Thomas:

Routinely blurred personal and professional lines with both organizers and members concerning detailed sexual histories.

Promoted consensual sexual interaction(s) of two or more members at official events (e.g. BNSeaCon).

Misappropriated organizational resources to facilitate or engage in consensual interactions with BN member(s).

Manipulated key narratives to gain loyalties and leverage collegial support for desired personal outcome(s) among members and organizers.

Arbitrarily expelled members from the organization and its events without board or leadership review.

Arbitrarily expelled members from the organization and events without board or leadership review due to private sexual and/or romantic dynamics.

Provided “a safe and nurturing space for Black people without faith and leaving religion” contingent upon adherence to romantic dynamics favorable to Mrs. Thomas.

Neglected to publish or implement quarterly reviews of organizational health and sustainability for BNDC affiliate members and organizers.

Neglected publishing or implementing method(s) of impartial review for grievances among leaders and members.

Neglected publishing or implementing means of financial transparency and review to board or organizers.

Failing to heed advice from organizers regarding public confrontation of BN member(s) and associates on private relationships between Mrs. Thomas and a BN member.

Regarding acts, these conclusions implicate Mrs. Thomas’ indiscretions of a personal or intimate nature with (1) members (2) organizers and (3) associates, regarding (4) multiple incidents of mismanagement. These conclusions also suggest a convergence of these relationships with official BN resources used to facilitate them. In other instances, a separate but not necessarily unrelated pattern of secret expulsion from BN portrays a (5) lack of institutional safeguards and review processes for Black Nonbelievers and by extension, Black Nonbelievers of DC. These incidents-combined with an absence of transparency of resources and financial reporting for the organization and/or its affiliates merit both my departure and this report.

-Danile (”Ro”) // BNDC Affiliate Director 2017-2022 // BN Member 2011-2022

___________

There are receipts. Sadly, they keep coming.

Also excerpted from the BNDC Incident Report (re: “Supporting Documents, Item No.4″)

I will not stand by -nor- stand for an organization with this brand of leadership and abuse of power. And any movement of fellow advocates, personalities and organizations that would platform or, stand-by a leader like this and deliberately choose not to publicly scrutinize these claims with haste is highly suspect of perpetuating the exact same type of malfeasance, hypocrisy and systemic rot that it seeks to publicly oppose in churches, mosques and other problematic institutions.

_________

I like ‘people work’. And as noted, my professional history of working-with and helping people dates back over thirty years. Surely, people will make mistakes; institutions will have to be checked; programs need to be evaluated and systems need regulation. But to write off these claims, as many have done (and others seem to be doing) is more than troubling inside a movement self-identified by “humanism” and higher ethics...which is what the atheist movement at large proudly claims to be doing. Furthermore, shrugging off these accounts in service of ((__insert favorite celebrity here__)) for fear of dissent, cult following and public regard, racial scarcity or “cultural diversity” bona fides is well...gross and disgusting. 

Most importantly, to assemble unassuming people and White allies around you as a defense shield against claims by fellow Black people in a credible, ongoing ethics investigation whilst Black people are left victimized by your trauma is to do the exact opposite of the “Black liberation” and “empowerment” work Black Nonbelievers was founded to perform.

But...it is exactly the reason why I, and nearly all other BN affiliate directors resigned and wrote this incident report(s). Even as atheists. Especially as Black Atheists.

We dissent.

[lenbryant]

Freedom of (and from) religion is so American.

[atheostic]

Viced Rhino from YouTube was doing that with his daughter as a podcast and it was a riot. The Friendly Atheist YT channel is also doing something similar (he has playlists for different books in the Bible).

I personally really enjoy listeningto people's reactions to religious texts. :)

What if I streamed me reading the Bible with my own commentary on it. Like “yeah this passage in Matthew makes no sense why is he mad at the money changers”

[niiwa-angel]

TRAs to Radfems: telling young women who are concerned about doing risky sex acts like anal or oral is grooming. Talking to 15 year olds who asked how to properly enforce boundaries when it comes to sex or even just relationships in general is the exact same as being a pedophile. Telling Lesbians that they don't have to date trans women is dangerous. You're basically Hitler.

Also TRAs: posts shit like this

[batri-jopa]

Warmest Wishes to YOU ALL:

above all - to believe that there is always more good than evil in this world. The world is a bit like a cat: sometimes behaves incomprehensibly, but we can still be sure that we are loved❤️

May we manage to spend this special time together in a warm and friendly atmosphere without unnecessary quarrels and tensions, Let's try to forget about what divides us and rediscover everything that connects us.

Everything that seems so ordinary that we no longer value it - turns out to be priceless the moment we lose it.

So let's hope that we can learn already to enjoy every little thing, every tiniest joyful moment and each and every person around us❤️

[thatstormygeek]

It’s the state’s obligation to make sure children in the foster care system are placed with families that will love and care for them unconditionally, and the Wuotis and Gantts were adamant that they were not going to be good parents to certain kids. The Wuotis said they would refuse to affirm trans identities or attend pride parades and gave themselves a “3” on a scale of 1-5 when it came to accepting and supporting an LGBTQ foster child. Katy said she understood what they were going through because she used to have “same-sex attraction and gender dysphoria'“ but “eventually grew out of her discomfort.” (It’s not clearly if she’s confusing that with being a proverbial “tomboy.” She didn’t elaborate in the lawsuit.) The Gantts openly said they don’t think trans people exist: They don’t believe “that gender identity can diverge from a person’s biological sex.” They added that they won’t attend pride parades or use someone’s pronouns if they don’t align with their biological sex. (Why the mention of the pride parades? Because Vermont says caregivers must facilitate access to “LGBTQ organizations and events in the community” if the children request it. It’s telling, though, that these couples think pride parades are the only examples of such gatherings.) Even if the couples are fine in other areas, and they certainly appear to be, the state can’t knowingly place children in homes where they would suffer even more.

ADF’s lawsuit against Vermont paints the two couples as sympathetic figures—the men are both pastors and the couples, we’re told, just hold “traditional religious beliefs about human sexuality”… which is a euphemism for being anti-trans. The same Christians said they wouldn’t stand for kids questioning their biological gender or even adopting hairstyles that didn’t conform to gender stereotypes. Even beyond that, the couples say “they are religiously motivated to share their beliefs about our God-given human nature with their future foster or adopted children—so long as their children are willing to listen.” (Emphasis mine.) While that caveat is important, it still suggests that children who aren’t Christian would be subject to their proselytizing, at least to a point. They’re taking in potential targets, not children who simply need a safe home.

[joe-england]

Florida district rejects school chaplains (for now) after Satanists pledge to participate

[atheostic]

Atheist YouTube Masterpost (Update 1)

Apostate Aladdin - A look at Islam from an atheist perspective by a former Muslim.

Aron Ra - Mostly posts of his speeches at atheist conferences, responses to religious nonsense, and educational content relating to where the Bible gets science wrong as well as an awesome breakdown of major taxonomic sections.

Atheist Experience - A call-in show where anyone can call in to discuss religion. They prefer theist callers, but atheists who need advice on issues regarding being atheist (e.g. family conflict because of one’s atheism, how/if to come out, etc) are welcome to call in too.

Atheist Lowdown - Atheist Lowdown is a weekly secular news aggregate vlog intended for busy freethinkers, humanists, atheists, agnostics, and any combination thereof who want the latest coverage of religious violence and oppression, the efforts of likeminded nonbelievers, and other related stories. 

Cosmic Skeptic - A place for the discussion of philosophical topics ranging from the crucially important to the trivially interesting.

Dallas Wade – A channel with mostly video essays and reaction videos regarding Christianity.

Forrest Valkai – A channel by an evolutionary biologist where he talks about evolution and science as well as reacts to creationist videos. He’s very funny and friendly and his explanations are very approachable for laypeople of all levels.

Friendly Atheist - The YouTube channel of Hemant Mehta, a former member of the board of directors for Foundation Beyond Belief. He mostly discusses news and has a playlist where he discusses “Everything Wrong In Genesis in the Bible”. He also runs a website, friendlyatheist.com in case you prefer reading to viewing or listening.

Genetically Modified Skeptic - An atheist look at various issues relating to religion.

Godless Bitches - The Godless Bitches is a podcast focusing on atheist issues from a feminist perspective featuring Vi La Bianca, Jenna Belk, Jen Aldrich, & guests. The show streams every 2nd & 4th Sundays of the month at 6pm directly after The Atheist Experience.

Godless Engineer - Focuses on response to religious videos. Also has a “Bible Study” series.

Godless Granny – “Atheist commentary on the Bible, women’s issues, LGBTQ issues, legal/ political and other current events. Intent is to invite discussion leading to critical thinking about religion and it’s effects on people.” If you’re interested in hearing from an older atheist who deconverted later in life,this is the channel for you.

Gutsick Gibbon – She’s a PhD student in Biological Anthropology, so her main area of interest is human evolution and debunking creationist misinformation. According to her, in her channel you can find content  “concerning primates, general zoology, paleontology, anthropology, and evolutionary biology.”

Holy Koolaid - A channel by Thomas Westbrook (a former Jehovah’s Witness) that features news, discussions about the Bible, discussions about the historicity of events in the Bible, and more. He has a playlist for “Nothing Fails Like Bible History” and also often looks at religious cults.

JaclynGlenn -  An atheist who talks about a variety of topics.

JeGaysus – I’m not really sure if he’s atheist (sometimes I think he might be, other times I’m not sure), but his gay Jesus persona is too funny not to share.

Jimmy Snow - A show with a mix of subject material, typically dealing with atheism and LGBT+-related stuff.

John Cedars - A range of videos aimed at dissecting the various teachings of Jehovah's Witnesses, as well as new developments in the religion. In particular, he tries to keep on top of the latest propaganda released by Watchtower by way of video rebuttals as much as possible.

The Line - A call-in show similar to Atheist Experience started by Jimmy Snow.

Logicked – “Entertaining responses to bad arguments, with a focus on atheism and debunking religion.”

Matt Dillahunty - Matt Dillahunty’s personal YT channel.

Non-Prophets - The Non-Prophets focuses on atheism and the separation of church and state.

NonStampCollector - Lots of fantastic little animations regarding atheism.

Parenting Beyond Belief - Parenting Beyond Belief is a live call-in show every 2nd and 4th Saturday at 1pm Central dedicated to peer support and guidance for secular parents and those wanting to learn more about non-religious families.

Paulogia -  A former Christian takes a look at the claims of Christians, wherever science is being denied in the name of ancient books.

Professor Stick - Mostly does reply videos to debunk pseudoscience on the internet.

Prophet of Zod - Everything from satirical atheist cartoons to a guy with a static head and no discernible facial features talking about atheism-related stuff. His most popular section is a series on “Dumb Things People Say to Atheists”, where he very calmly and respectfully explains why what the thing is dumb and how best to respond.

Rachel Oates - A channel which deals with a variety of sujects, from poetry to atheist news to book reviews of religious books and more. 

Secular Sexuality -  Secular Sexuality is a weekly call-in show live from Austin, Texas every Thursday at 7pm CT where they talk about sex from a secular perspective.

Shannon Q - An atheist who talks about a variety of topics.

Sir Sic – A reaction video channel where the host is a cartoon knight.

Skeptics & Scoundrels – A very new channel by an atheist ex-JW. I personally like him already. Before talking about why he disagrees with the paster he’s responding to, he makes a point of finding something nice to say about the person (“Your beard is cool – baby birds could nest in that thing!”), which I think it’s a neat and unique approach. He doesn’t have a lot of videos yet but give it time. :)

The SkepTick – A pretty fun channel of mostly reaction vids reacting to religious videos.

Sound of Science – Mostly a reaction video blog regarding unscientific beliefs.

Suris the Skeptic - He tackle issues of religion, morality, philosophy, and a touch of science.

Talk Heathen - Talk Heathen is a weekly call-in television show in Austin, Texas geared toward long-form and on-going dialogue with theists & atheists about religion, theism, & secularism.

Telltale - Typically looks at cults and religion-related news.

The Thinking Atheist – Typically video essays and the visual version of a podcast by the same name. The host’s voice sounds exactly like an old-timey radio announcer. lol

TMM – A channel mostly featuring reactions to Christian content.

Truth Wanted - A show similar to Atheist Experience and Talk Heathen, it focuses on how and why people believe what they believe, and how you can talk about beliefs in more effective ways.

Viced Rhino - Response videos to pseudo-scientific nonsense on YouTube.

[chemicalarospec]

I spent a lot of time thinking about religion 5-6 years ago because I was trying to figure out what I did(n't) believe in, and then after I settled on fully atheist (but a higher power could exist but I think it's far too unlikely for me to call myself agnostic), I spent like 4 years barely thinking about religion, occasionally using it for imagery in fanfic but very content with my own religious situation. very peaceful years. I enjoyed living like that.

Anyways religion (in real life)/atheism has been on my mind a lot lately, and well. it's definitely not an internal drive to return to thinking about it lol. There's not one big reason why, but I have noticed many small factors building up. so message to the world at large: stop assuming 1. i'm religious 2. if i'm not religious, i'm evil 3. if i'm not religious, I don't matter (I don't need community, it doesn't matter if you act like i'm invisible, etc) or else! I'm going to have to get louder about my atheism!! :)

[mikelogan]

So I’m a left wing Jew with left wing progressive family in Israel who routinely protest against the government there & help Palestinians and I’m also pro Ukraine…. I feel so depressed by world events lately and can’t find anything that isn’t biased or sensationalist online. I’m pro Palestine, I’m pro Ukraine, pro a better Israel but I’m pro human rights too?

yeah i mean obviously there are horrible things going on in the world right now and it's easy to feel disheartened, depressed, discouraged, etc. when every day seems to bring a new horror to our attention. and i know it can be so hard to remember this, but there is also so much good in the world. beautiful things happen everyday. people are unfathomably kind to perfect strangers. even little gestures can have big impacts. i think all we can do as just average, everyday people is try our best to make the world a better place. there are so many ways to do that and it doesn't have to mean huge, spectacular gestures, especially if that's outside your means. i certainly don't have all the answers -- hardly any of them tbh -- but it costs nothing to be a good person, to be kind, to love one another. and the more people that make that part of their lives, the better the world can become. it doesn't stop war or genocide or hate crimes, but it's a start.

[fauvester]

stuck between my senior resident (the most beautiful woman known to man) and my fellow (most beautiful man created by a loving god)

[jaxyscreams]

blessed be to the friendly helpful retail workers

I love all of you

[some-teeth-in-a-trench-coat]

note to self: checking the notes of a post that says "please don't add anything anti-theistic" to block everyone proving they either can't or won't follow that simple instruction, as well as any Christians who can't help proselytizing when reminded atheists exist, is not a good and encouraging way to start your day

[puppyluver256]

[Image Description: Two screenshots of an article from friendlyatheist.com.

The first image is the header of the article. The headline reads "WV prison finally releases atheist inmate denied parole for refusing to profess Christianity." The subheader reads "It's a massive victory for an atheist prisoner taking on the West Virginia Division of Corrections and Rehabilitation." Smaller text lists the author as Hemant Mehta and the article's posting date of November 15, 2023. A small picture of Mehta is placed beside his name and the date, showing he is a man with brown skin and short black hair, wearing a blue plaid button-up and giving the camera a friendly smile.

The second image is a paragraph from the article reading as follows: "In an incredible victory for (non-)religious freedom, a prisoner who was forced to participate in religious activities in order to be eligible for parole has won his case and been released from jail. Even better, the prison has changed its policies so no future inmate is placed in a similar situation."

End ID.]

Source

This should never have been a thing

[thatstormygeek]

Speaker Mike Johnson, one of the most powerful Christians in the country, ran with the lie, proclaiming, “Banning sacred truth and tradition—while at the same time proclaiming Easter Sunday as “Transgender Day”—is outrageous and abhorrent.” Johnson also posted an image claiming the White House banned religious Easter eggs, as if Biden implemented that rule�� even though that rule has been in effect for nearly five decades. The American Egg Board, which sponsors the event, says it has always been religiously neutral despite the Easter connection and it’s merely a way to promote their product. That was true when Trump was in the White House, too. (FOX updated its own misleading article to point that out, but only after initially spreading the lie. It did not update its headline.) Which is all to say the most powerful conservative Christian in America would rather spread lies that serve a political purpose than tell a truth that undercuts GOP talking points. Either he and his staffers don’t know how to do basic research or don’t care. It says a lot about his supposed faith-based values.