The Death of Pope Francis

 

Pope Francis has died at the age of 88. Under his leadership there was an attempt at making reforms to the Catholic Church. Pope Francis spoke about the need to take climate change seriously, compassion for refugees, and advocated acceptance of LGBTQ individuals. The question remains whether these were genuine changes in thought or had ulterior motives in mind. The real purpose of these positions and reforms are designed to keep the Catholic Church relevant. The youth are not going to be as religious as older generations. Overtime, organized religion could lose influence. The positions that Pope Francis took were about trying to recruit younger members to the Catholic Church. The problem is that tradition and social conservatism is not appealing to the vast majority of the public. Pope Francis did not approve of same sex marriage, abortion, or ordaining women as priests. Social conservatism remains a part of the papacy's worldview, even though some modest liberal reforms are experimented with. The mythical image of Pope Francis is a champion of leftist thought and humanitarianism. His convictions could not be classified as liberation theology. Just like other popes, Francis did little to stop the extensive sexual abuse of children in the Catholic Church. Failure to acknowledge women's reproductive rights or stopping criminal action undermines the claim of a humanitarian pope. Pope Francis was elected pope in 2013. The 11 years of modest reform could possibly be reversed. The Pope Francis era has come to an end and the Vatican will see a new administration.    

Coretta Scott King Supports Gay Rights

 

Coretta Scott King was a civil rights activist, singer, and author who fought for equality in American society. When her husband was assassinated, she continued his work in the fight for social justice. Gay rights were controversial in American society. Coretta Scott King was an ally of the LGBTQ community at a time when most Americans viewed them as deviants. A portion of homophobic sentiment came from Churches. Coretta Scott King's argument was that discrimination  against gays and lesbians was unjust. A free and democratic society should not discriminate against people based on race, religion, nationality, or sexual orientation. One of the criticisms directed at civil rights leaders was that should focus solely on racial justice. When any group is singled out for discrimination all who are concerned about human rights should come to their aid. Coretta Scott King spent her life fighting for those who could not fight for themselves. By the early 21st century marriage equality was attained. While progress had been made, conservative backlash remained. 

Richard Dawkins Answers A Question About Atheism At Randolph-Macon Women's College (2006)

 

Richard Dawkins presented a lecture on his book  The God Delusion  at Randolph-Macon Women's College. Dawkins is a major figure in evolutionary biology. His studies in zoology made him conclude that God cannot exist. The lecture afterwards had students come and ask questions. One student asked if Richard Dawkins could be wrong. Dawkins responds that your religious beliefs depend on the culture in which you were born. If a person was born in Europe, they most likely would be Christian. If a person was born in West Asia they would probably be Muslim. A combination of history, sociology, and culture explain these convictions. The theory of evolution is working off a fossil record. Religion operates on a person's faith. Religion does not require a system of verification. The scientific method has to be used to discover facts. God as theist state exists, but do not provide evidence. Science has to provide data, observations, and experiments that have to be replicated. Faith is not evidence of the existence of a God. When debating this topic, it favors evolutionary biology. God does not explain why there are so many life forms or why certain organisms go extinct. A God cannot be detected. Genetics, paleontology, and biological research demonstrate evolution explains life on Earth.   

The Masha Amini Protests

 

The death of Masha Amini has sparked protests over Iran. The morality police have been under much criticism for their conduct in Iran. A new attention to women's rights has been the focus. This is different from the 2009 protests. Those were directed at the administration at the  the time. Iranian women have a new desire to have more freedom and access to the public sphere. The protests are indigenous,  meaning that there is no external force attempting destabilization. If Iran wants to change its government, it will have to come from the efforts of the people living there. Exiles and foreign entities are not going to form a genuine revolution. Other social pressures could be driving discord. Sanctions and the war in Yemen are sources of contention. The growing possibility of a conflict with Israel is a concern. Saudi Arabia continues to be a security risk to the Islamic Republic. The economic and social challenges are not being addressed. The theocratic regimes in the Middle East are some of the worst human rights abusers. Iran and Israel demonstrate why theocracy is not preferable form of government. Women are subject to more abuse under theocratic regimes. More restrictions are placed on women  the more religious a society is. The demonstrations are not as massive as the 1979 Iranian Revolution against the monarchy. The reason is because  the issue mostly effects women. Men probably are not going to be supportive of a social  or cultural change related to sex politics. Although the demonstrations might not be successful, a growing number of Iranian women are reaching a new political consciousness.    

The End of Roe v. Wade

 

The Supreme Court has overturned Roe v. Wade. This means women will not have access to safe abortion. The ruling could induce a large public health crisis. Women might seek more dangerous methods to terminate pregnancy. Considering the US healthcare system is of low quality overtime the result of this ruling will overwhelm it. The Democratic Party's failure to codify the law demonstrates it was never a liberal party. Reproductive rights were not defended even when the Democrats had a majority during the Obama administration. Political centrists that dominate the party allowed this to happen. Protests have erupted, but this will not be as effective as legal action. The role of religious fundamentalism in this ruling cannot be underestimated. Organized religion has become so incompatible with a democratic political structure it undermines rights and freedoms. The Republican triumph was engineered by the Federalist Society. The organization was responsible for getting a number of conservatives on the Supreme Court.  Other rulings might be a target regarding voting rights and gay marriage. President Joseph Biden stated he was going to codify Roe v. Wade, but took no measures to make that possible. More legal challenges will be heading to the Supreme Court. Roe v. Wade however seems to have reached its end. 

Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. on Being Maladjusted ( 1967)

 

Maladjusted is a term used by psychology to describe being unable to function in a normal social environment. Martin Luther King stated he was proud to be maladjusted to the ills of society. Racism, economic inequality, religious intolerance,  and war  are not attributes of a normal social environment. American society made these defects  seem like normalcy. Maybe it is not so much about  people having maladjustment,  rather a  sick society. The United States has failed to protect the rights of it citizens or ensure racial equality. Corporate capture of government has disempowered the voters. Martin Luther King had to fight racial discrimination, militarism, and the oppression of the working class. The movement for freedom and rights is a normal response to a country in dysfunction . By the late 1960 civil unrest, racial tension, and aggression in Southeast Asia escalated. The vision of a peaceful America that King wanted has not come to fruition. Being maladjusted is to response  to a nation that creates discord and despair among its population.  

Neil deGrasse Tyson on God

The concept of God seems real to people. However, it has no basis in scientific fact. Neil deGrasse Tyson explains why this is problematic. There is no evidence that such a being exist. God may not be all powerful or all good. The reason religion is referred to faith is because it is conviction without proof. A belief system is not a description of the world rather, a philosophical perspective. A person accumulates ideas through experiences, exposure to different thoughts, or culture. Science gains information through experimentation, observation, and logic. God simply does not fit into our reality as currently perceived. Astronomers and astrophysicists have explored the known universe. Nothing has presented itself as a supernatural being. The challenge is proving an organism does not exist. There is so much humanity does not know. Simply saying there is a divine force behind particular phenomena cannot be a correct answer. Neil deGrasse Tyson wants people to question what is accepted and seek answers. Religion stifles free thought with the idea it knows everything.