I just saw a Daily Show sketch of an atheist who is upset because a restaurant is giving a discount to patrons who pray before meals. They give the same discount for meditating for a brief moment, saying thank you to the chef/cook and other non-religious acts of kindness. This guy is pissed because  - - - - why? Can’t figure that one out. He can get the discount any number of ways. He is being an asshole here.

I ran into a secular humanist decades ago who was equally militant and an asshole as well. He would DEMAND that no one say grace over a meal or pray in any venue at all. He would assert loudly that any such activity offended him and should stop at once. I gave up on secular humanists not long after that encounter.

What is it with these people? I get that the imposition of religious activity in a State setting is a violation of the settled law of separation of church and state. But that doesn’t hold in private settings. I have held hands around a table while a prayer was offered. Sang carols in the street in Italy. Attended Seders, in fact led a couple, helped to baptize my god son (and was told by the Priest that I was also “born again”) and had no second thoughts. Others religious practices do not offend me when I chose to be part of them, or when they are private affairs. I do draw the line at publicly supported religion.

So anyway, these guys are just as obnoxious as the preachers who rail against all kinds of perceived “sin” according to their narrow view of their bible. And they credit Jesus or Allah or Muhammad for the source. They are all assholes. All shapes, colors, sizes, religions, sexes, persuasions,  and any other modifier you can think of. All assholes.

We should all hold hands and be thankful for our lives, friends and the good of the world. We should hold hands and pledge to fight intolerance and bigotry. We should all hold hands and just marvel at the companionship we feel in special gatherings.

After all, that is exactly WJWD. And he seems to be the yardstick we use to measure these things.

Image: http://thumbs.dreamstime.com/z/group-people-holding-hands-around-globe-27405660.jpg