Atheists who love Science!

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Comment by Tom Sarbeck yesterday

"WTF is wrong with the VA legislature. electorate?"

Little is seriously wrong with the VA electorate unless they let that whacko remain in the legislature.

After all, voting doesn't guarantee that we get good leaders; it guarantees only that we can get rid of them without assassination.

Comment by Tom Sarbeck yesterday

Here is that amendment to the Oklahoma personhood bill:

"...provided, however, any action in which a man ejaculates or otherwise deposits semen anywhere but in a woman's vagina shall be interpreted and construed as an action against an unborn child."

Comment by Chris G yesterday

WTF is wrong with the VA legislature. electorate?

Everybody who isn't a right wing religious wacko should vote.

 

The Oklahoma personhood bill is intentional humor. 

About My 'Spilled Semen' Amendment to Oklahoma's Personhood Bill

By Constance Johnson, Guardian UK

10 February 12

 

s a woman and a 31-year veteran of the legislative process in Oklahoma, I am increasingly offended by state law trends that solely focus on the female's role in the reproductive process. With Oklahoma's new, never-before-experienced Republican majority, we are seeing enactment of more and more measures that adversely affect women and their rights to access safe medical procedures when making reproductive healthcare decisions.

My action to amend the so-called "Personhood" bill – SB 1433, introduced by Senator Brian Crain (Republican, Tulsa) – represents the culmination of my and many other Oklahomans' frustration regarding the ridiculousness of our reproductive policy initiatives in Oklahoma. I have received overwhelmingly positive responses from men and women in Oklahoma – and worldwide. The Personhood bill would potentially allow governmental intrusion into families' personal lives by policing what happens to a woman's eggs without any similar thought to what happens to a man's sperm.

More here

Comment by Tom Sarbeck yesterday

Have fun with the idea of VA adopting the determined ignorance of fundamentalist xianity, but someone will do the arithmetic and realize that if the bill becomes law the state will go broke.

Let's have a contest: ask people to describe the strangest law a fundamentalist-influenced state legislature could pass.

Or, there being a number of strangely-named communities in America (like Intercourse Pennsylvania), we can identify a community and describe the strangest law their council could pass.

You perhaps heard of what an Oklahoma legislator did when a member introduced a personhood amendment (a just-fertilized egg is a legal person and entitled to the law's protections). She introduced a bill that would make male masturbation a crime because it would waste potential life.

Comment by matthew greenberg on Saturday

Wow, what a Bill! Much worse than I was even anticipating.

Julie, I love your second paragraph.

Comment by Julie Carter on Saturday

Well, I have a degree in Biology (from U. Texas), and there's no requirement to take a class on Evolution (though I did, cuz I'm nerdy like that). It is covered some in any general biology class (for freshmen), so I don't see how they'd get away with it completely. But then again, it could also be used to refuse to take some stupid religion class (though those are usually only required at private universities, I know).

But really, it's stupid. Your religious belief is so strong that you can't even learn about evolution (we all know that's what this bill is about)? "I have a sincerely held religious belief that learning may show me that my religious beliefs are nonsense, so I refuse to learn. I would prefer to stay in my hidey-hole and pretend that god made us in his image, but I want you to give me a degree anyway!"

Comment by Boothby171 on Saturday

Here it is: HB1207:

http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+sum+HB1207

Right of students to assert conscientious objection to any requirement of an academic degree program in an institution of higher education; liability.  Provides that no public or private institution of higher learning may penalize or deny academic credit to a student because he refuses to perform academic coursework because it would force him to violate a sincerely held religious belief. The bill also provides that the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia shall not recognize any accrediting agency that takes any adverse action against an institution of higher learning that exempts students from academic coursework for such reason. The Attorney General or any student, prospective student, or former student aggrieved under the bill may bring a civil action against the institution of higher learning, the State Council of Higher Education for Virginia, or the relevant accrediting agency for damages, injunctive and declaratory relief, and any other relief authorized by law and may be entitled to reasonable attorney fees.

Comment by Boothby171 on Saturday

Matt,

Which bill?

Here's the listing: http://lis.virginia.gov/cgi-bin/legp604.exe?121+sbj+022

Comment by matthew greenberg on Friday

with all the wacky bills being proposed around the US, this one somehow slipped past me:

 

— A bill in Virginia would make it illegal for state colleges to require a class that conflicts with a student’s religious views. Critics say that would enable a student to receive a biology degree, for example, without studying evolution if he or she objected to it.

 

so a student could become a Biologist without having studied Biology's foundational tenant?  good grief.

Comment by Ruth Anthony-Gardner on Friday

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