Billy Graham's Daughter, Ann Graham, Says it's O.K. To Discriminate Against Atheists.

The daughter of televangelist Rev. Billy Graham, Ann Graham says that it’s important to discriminate against candidates who are atheists because politicians “should have a fear for almighty God.”

Green Man: I heard her say this live, and my jaw dropped wide open. This bigoted comment came just seconds after she said people who are considering whether to vote for a Mormon or not should look at the candidates "policies" rather than their religious beliefs. I guess that only applies to believers in "God." The constitution states that no religious testshould be given as a criteria for public office. Yet that is exactly what Ms. Graham and others like her do every election toward non-Christians.

She was way out of line and not engendering the spirit of brotherhood that Jesus taught about. How are we supposed to work together if Christians dismiss atheists out of hand? As an atheist, I have voted for no one butChristians, and it never kept me from voting based on their policies. Christians dismiss atheists and non-Christians as untrustworthy and evil but then Christians wonder why non-believers feel so discriminated against??? Wake up America -- this is supposed to be a religious free country!! Freedom of religion and freedom from religion. Can you imagine the outrage if President Obama was an atheist and said he wouldn't vote for a Christian?!! And the outrage would be justified. What she said was extremely irresponsible and bitterly divisive.

Speaking of President Obama, it seems that plenty of religious conservatives (thought not all, thankfully) want to have it both ways. They want to be able to falsely label President Obama as a "Muslim" (as if there is anything wrong with being Muslim in the first place). However, when a Democrat or Liberal dares question their insertion of religion into politics, they cry like a baby that their first amendment rights of freedom of religion are being attacked!! They have rigged the system where they are right when they are right, and right when they are wrong. No wonder they don't want the status quo to change, they have a very effective scam going on.

The silence from Christians after Ms. Graham's ugly statements speak volumes toward their hypocrisy on freedom of religious expression. If they truly stood for religious freedom in America then they would be demanding that Ms. Graham apologize for such polarizing, disrespectful remarks. The irony is that most atheists would love to not have to talk religion, but Christians refuse to acknowledge the secular nature of American government. So, to not defend oneself is such an environment is akin to dropping your weapons in the midst of a battle.

I don't have a problem with people voting against atheist candidates based on their policies, but not based on their atheistic beliefs. Being an ex-Mormon, I have plenty of disagreements with that religion, but I would never not vote for Mitt Romney because of his religion. I don't even need to consider such a factor because his policies are plenty enough information for me not vote for him. I really am concerned about the level of religious discrimination toward non-believers and believers of non Judeo-Christians beliefs. I'm even more concerned about how much religion has been inserted into politics over the past 20-30 years. Let's keep our elections based on policies, please.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Of Christians and Pagans: Yule Tide, Not Christmas.

After breaking the Christan shackles of my youth, I gorged myself on the spiritual feast that was forbidden in my brainwashed youth. They took advantage of a naive and sensitive child to program with their narrow-minded views. When someone wakes up from that kind of delusional reality, it tends to cause some anger and resentment. It's baggage that I'm still sorting out. 

So, I strongly protest making children adopt a spiritual belief system that they are too young yet to understand. I feel that way with any belief system -- including Buddhism and Paganism, which are my two shared belief systems. But, I've rudely drawn us off course from the core of what I wished to share with you good people.

So, it's Yule!! Otherwise known as Winter Solstice, but I call it Yule being of Scandinavian heritage. Like so much of Pagan spirituality, it was forcibly assimilated into the Christian celebrations of Christmas. Typical of Christianity, they stole a lot from the Pagans (the tree and Santa Claus to name a few of the big ones). Yeah, you heard that right. Did you honestly buy that story that Santa Claus was a Christian "Saint?" Uh, no.

Again, typical of Christians, they replaced the Pagan Odin with one of the their Saints, Saint Nicholas or Sinterklaas. The character and mythology of Sinterklaass was a major influence for the development of Saint Nicholas. Santa is an old man with a long, white, beard? Odin, was an old man with a long, white, beard. Santa Claus wears a cloak? Odin wore a cloak, too. Santa Claus flies through the sky with his 8 reindeer. Oden, flies through the sky on a horse with 8 legs. Santa delivers gifts through the chimney to the children. Children in the some Pagan regions would leave their boots (Christmas stockings) by the chimney filled with sugar or carrots to feed Odin's horse. Then came the "Christmas" tradition of hanging the stocking by the chimney hoping for gifts from Santa. Along with the "Christmas" tradition of leaving cookies for Santa and his reindeer. Santa Claus is said to mysteriously know whether you're been bad or good. Odin, the supreme god of Norse Pagan mythology had this same magical ability.

As for the tree, in Pagan times, evergreen trees and plants were brought into homes during Winter Solstice (Yule). They helped remind them that some life (evergreens) continues to live, even in the dark of winter, and that spring's life will soon arrive!! Yule was unceremoniously changed to Christmas and some bullshit about the star being the star the shepherds saw when Jesus was born. Yeah, well, that may be their story but originally it represented the stars in the universe, along with the candles attached to the tree. The star on top of the tree was originally a pentagram representing the five seasons with spirit being the fifth element. I wanted to write this all out so you know where I am coming from when I saw I made a star for our tree!! The star I made is the star in this post's picture at the top!!

I collected the twigs from one of my favorite nature areas here in the Colorado mountains. As I chose them carefully, I thanked Mother Earth for her bounty. When I came home, I glued the pentagram together and wrapped it in raffia twine. Thus, our Yule Tree is complete!! To combine it with my Buddhist tradition of celebrating Buddha's enlightenment under the Pipal tree on December 8th, a Buddha statue sits under the tree, at the base. May you all have a very find holiday season whether that be Yule, Christmas, Hanukkah or Bodhi Day!!

~The Green Man Has Spoken~

God Allows Jesus to be Stuck by Lightening.

Monroe, Ohio

A six-story-tall statue of Jesus Christ with his arms raised along a highway was struck by lightning in a thunderstorm Monday night and burned to the ground, police said.

Green Man: Where was "God" on this one?!! The method of destruction is deliciously ironic. Especially for those of us who have to put up with fundamentalist, loud-mouth Christians given that being struck by lightening is often seen amongst many fundamentalist Christians as "God" punishing you for saying something blasphemous, or other "sin." I get annoyed with Christians who claim everything is a sign from "God" but when their church gets flooded or this statue burns to the ground it was just a natural accident. Well, that's convenient isn't it? Maybe "God" and Jesus got into a bit of an argument up within the boardroom of Heaven Inc., and "God" took out the statue to remind the kid who was still in charge.

Maybe the churchgoers weren't praying enough, so "God" nuked the Jesus statue, which brings up another Christian conundrum that I often stump people on. I stole this from the late, great, favorite comedian of mine, George Carlin. When loved ones die despite their relatives praying fervently to save them they often say, "Well, it was 'God's' will that they died. He must have needed them up in heaven." To, which I say, "Well, if 'God' is going to do whatever he wants anyway then why pray in the first place?" It seems pointless, illogical and disrespectful to that very "God" toward whom Christians usually say, "Thy will be done." In praying are you questioning his authority to decide what is best for everyone. These are obvious questions to me and I can't understand why Christians can't see the paradoxes within their own religion such as these. Especially coming from the many well-educated ones.

~The Green Man has Spoken~

Spring Equinox in Colorado.

This past Saturday was the Spring Equinox. Eostre is a Pagan goddess of Spring, and despite her youthful nature it takes her a bit longer to reach our high mountain region of Colorado.

As the sun rose in the East (the direction named after Eostre) on Saturday, it was overshadowed once again by the tenacious bite of Old Man Winter.

The mountains are the last refuge for him as slowly but surely Eostre's warm, sunny smiles force him to retreat higher and higher until his influence is only seen on the tops of the tallest peaks. Yet even there his size and power is much subdued.

So, Saturday when it snowed we took heart in knowing it was the last gasps of a dying tyrant because then Sunday it warmed up nicely as Eostre charged forward. We must endure one last battle it appears tomorrow and on Wednesday but after that I think Eostre will finally reign supreme.

Speaking of Eostre, the name of the "Christian" holiday of Easter comes from her name!! Do the Christians have any holidays that they haven't stolen and from the Pagan peoples?

PHOTO CREDIT: Doscaras

How Can You Deny the Weather and Its Scientific Properties?

It's scary how many people deny and outright HATE science!! I'm thinking most recently of the many climate change deniers. It's like shaking your fist and denying the sun!! Especially when they benefit in SO many ways from science. The really frustrating part is that some (if not many) of the benefits they experience from scientific research they probably aren't even aware of. Ignorance is a weapon of mass destruction. They love our modern medicine but when science shows that our use of fossil fuels is eroding our very thin but critical for life ozone layer, that's going too far? And I always say to them, "Isn't it better to be safe than sorry? What's the worst that happens? We free ourselves from foreign oil with green energy and in so doing create an industry that re-energizes our economy??? Sounds likes a win-win scenario to me!!

And I would venture to say that a sizable portion of the climate change deniers are conservative Christians who believe there is a man in the sky who talks to them. But climate change is where they draw the line? Seriously? Something that has been scientifically proven by the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change (IPCC) is more illogical to you than the man in the sky theory??? The IPCC is a WORLD scientific body sponsored by the United Nations to study climate change. This aren't just "liberal" scientists from America but from across the globe, o.k.? Most industrialized countries (and others) see the IPCC as authoritative.

You'd think that the American, conservative, Christian tendency of worshiping giant families would be enough to trigger them to action for the sake of their grandchildren. I guess they're willing to gamble their lives too. Family values my ass. Whatever happened to conservatives who believed in protecting nature like Teddy Roosevelt? You know, conserving our natural museums and churches? Would your belch black smoke into your sacred church or temple? Of course not, so don't belch pollution into nature's sacred temple loft, which is our atmosphere.

So either the entire world, whole nations and all its scientists are together in on some uber-conspiracy of epic proportions, (which would arguably be the biggest conspiracy of all time) or the science is right and your an asshole moron. I'm betting on the latter. Thanks climate change deniers for doing the global, climate equivalent of pissing in the public pool.

I'm Reclaiming the Pagan Wreath from Christians.

One thing I do to help remind me that life will return despite the freezing depths of winter is by bringing a wreath into the house. It is a nice splash of green life amidst all the lifeless snow and the scent of pine is so relaxing and invigorating. I choose wreaths in part because Christmas trees have become synonymous with Christianity. And while wreaths are still used by Christians they seem less polluted by Christian tradition. I want to reclaim the wreath for Pagans. I know that part of these Christian Christmas traditions were stolen from the Pagans to assimilate Pagans into Christianity but that makes me wonder even more about the supposed "peaceful message" of Christianity. They sure don't like it when someone mocks their traditions but it's o.k. to maintain the Christian mockery of Pagan, yule-tide celebrations by stealing our symbols and supplanting the Pagan meanings behind them with Christian ones?

No, I'm done with sharing. So I'm reclaiming the wreath, the "Christmas tree" and all the other Pagan traditions that Christians enjoy but probably have no idea of their origin. Imagine the outrage they'd feel if we took the cross and said it was now a symbol of Pagan resistance to Christianity as carried out by the Romans. They'd be furious and rightly so but they don't give a shit about stealing someone else's traditions. You'd think they'd want to purge those elements from their supposed, "pure" religion like some have tried to do recently with Halloween celebrations, which stem from the fall, Pagan celebration of Samhain. What these Christians don't realize is that they'd not have much left to celebrate the season except the cross and the manger. They love to have it both ways -- They don't want anyone to call this holiday season anything but Christmas but they'll keep using Pagan oriented traditions? Then again, since when did many (not all but many) Christians worry about double standards?

Plus the circle represents the cycle of life, death and rebirth -- rebirth being a the key to emotional survival in the winter months. The empty hole in the center of a wreath reminds me of all that is yet to be known such as the great mysteries of our existence. It is also a symbol of our homes (the center space in the wreath) being surrounded and protected from the elements by nature such as big pine trees that withstand and blowing winter winds. I have considered ordering a wreath made specifically for Pagans but we'll probably just get one at the grocery store because of a tight budget. We, like a lot of people don't have a lot of money to spend this time of year.

~Be well~