Perverting Precedence, by Ken Burrows: Freethought Views, August 2022

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Perverting Precedence

By Ken Burrows

Much has been written about how the conservative majority on the Supreme Court has lately paid little heed to respecting precedent, despite its three newest appointees having pledged in their hearings to do so. Instead the Court in Dobbs v. Jackson overturned 1973’s Roe v. Wade, which had protected autonomy regarding abortion decisions for almost 50 years. Days later, in Kennedy v. Bremerton School District, the Court re-opened the door to public school prayer, undermining precedents dating back to the early 60s. This ruling also gutted the Lemon Test, which arose from 1971’s Lemon v. Kurtzman case. The Lemon Test was a judicial “screening” measure used to keep church and state from getting overly entangled. It had repeatedly been cited through the years as precedent to follow.

"Christian" "patriots?" by Groff Schroeder: Freethought Views, July 2022

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”Christian?” “Patriots?”

by Groff Schroeder

Between years 0 and 33, true non-violent revolutionary Jesus Christ rejected greed, selfishness, self-righteousness, and violence, teaching us to treat others as you would have them treat you (aka the golden rule), and to “render to Caesar that which is Caesar’s” (aka pay your taxes and avoid politics). Between 1776 and 1783, true American patriots fought the Revolutionary War, and freed themselves from the deeply entwined King and Church of England. In 1789, America’s patriots ratified the United States Constitution (aka established a secular government based upon Enlightenment principles, legal precedent, and the rule of law). And in 1791, America’s patriots ratified the Bill of Rights (aka Constitutional guarantees of human freedoms and civil rights).

Religion's Monopolies, by Ken Burrows: Freethought Views, June 2022

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Religion’s Monopolies

By Ken Burrows

A spokesman from Colorado Christian University was recently quoted as saying the crux of the abortion debate is how to handle the “competing interests” of pregnant women and fetuses. Which sounds reasonable except that such competing interests are too often not that competitive. With abortion, when religious fervor leads to outlawing what should be a woman’s right to a critical health care choice, the interest of the woman no longer competes.

Governor Jared Polis Signs Law Defending Reproductive Rights in Colorado

Governor Jared Polis Signs Law Defending Reproductive Rights in Colorado

April 5, 2022

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, front, signs into law the Reproductive Health Equity Act during a ceremony outside the governor's mansion on Monday, April 4, 2022, in Denver.

Colorado Gov. Jared Polis, front, signs into law the Reproductive Health Equity Act during a ceremony outside the governor's mansion on Monday, April 4, 2022, in Denver.
 

David Zalubowski/AP

Washington CNN  — 

Colorado Democratic Gov. Jared Polis signed a bill into law on Monday [April 4, 2022] that codifies the right to an abortion in the state.

House Bill 1279, the Reproductive Health Equity Act, states that “every individual has a fundamental right to make decisions about the individual’s reproductive health care, including the fundamental right to use or refuse contraception; a pregnant individual has a fundamental right to continue a pregnancy and give birth or to have an abortion and to make decisions about how to exercise that right; and a fertilized egg, embryo, or fetus does not have independent or derivative rights under the laws of the state.”

Here Comes Sharia Law, By Groff Schroeder: Freethought Views, April 2022

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Here Comes Sharia Law

by Groff Schroeder

In 2013, notoriously partisan and often ridiculously contrarian Opus Dei Catholic Supreme Court Justice Antonin Scalia answered a question about his controversial and illogical “originalist” interpretation of the US Constitution by saying, “Words have meaning. And their meaning doesn’t change.” The original United States Constitution allowed only white male landowners to vote, many people were counted as 3/5th of a person, and men, women, and children in America were bought and sold like cattle - while imprisoned from birth until death in deadly, extrajudicial, violence-enforced, inter-generational slavery. The Civil War led directly to the United States Constitution’s 13th Amendment prohibiting involuntary servitude (1865), and the 15th Amendment granting former slaves the right to vote (1868) - and women finally won the right to vote with the 19th Amendment (1919).

Black Humanist Experience, Alternative to Religion

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Event by Freethinkers and Humanists of Colorado Springs

Public  · Anyone on or off Facebook

NOTE: This event will be a hybrid format, that is, we will have an in-person location (TBD) and Mr. Allen will speak to us virtually, which will enable virtual attendance as well. More information on location and virtual platform will follow.

The Worship of Power, by Ken Burrows: Freethought Views March 2022

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The Worship of Power

By Ken Burrows

 

For years religionists who oppose church-state separation have enjoyed pointing out that the Russian constitution calls for such separation whereas the U.S. Constitution does not, at least not literally. So they’ve claimed it’s un-American to emulate Russia in matters of religion and government.

December 21, by Groff Schroeder: Freethought Views, December 2021

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December 21

by Groff Schroeder

We humans have long gazed into the night sky at beautiful objects we, at first, did not understand. Late at night and far from artificial light, you can still see them. The inky black sky, split by a diagonal, thickened band of seemingly infinite, shimmering points of light we called stars. Fleeting streaks of light. Rarely, a star grows suddenly very bright, then fades away. The moon, first full bright, then cyclically darkening, as if being eaten by an impossibly large mouth. Several lights were especially bright and moved faster than the others - sometimes in inexplicable ways. We called them planets - and thought them gods. And every day, the bright, warming sun seems to rise in the east, arcs across the sky, then sets in the west. The seasons came and went. The flowering of spring, the growth of summer, the chilling fall, the cold of winter. Time after time. Year after year. When the food moved or the climate changed, so did we. And from the beginning, many of our lives depended upon predicting the changing of the seasons.

Thwarted Freedoms, by Groff Schroeder: Freethought Views, September October 2021

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Thwarted Freedoms

By Groff Schroeder

The American College of Obstetrics and Gynecology recommends that adolescent girls visit a gynecologist by age thirteen. In Texas today, this medically important and once deeply private coming of age event for adolescent girls and their families presents significant financial and personal risk. In apparent violation of their oaths of office under the United States Constitution, on September 1, 2021, conservative fundamentalist Texas politicians advanced Law SB 8 into force. On the same day, also in apparent violation of their oaths of office, five justices of the United States Supreme Court allowed SB 8 to become law, ignoring the fact that SB 8 uses circuitous means to thwart many civil rights and human freedoms enumerated in the Bill of Rights. Specifically, SB 8 makes most abortions illegal, enlists “any person” to enforce Texas law (aka vigilantes) through civil suit, pays court fees and at least $10,000 if they prevail, eliminates double jeopardy protection and most legal defenses for the accused, and establishes state law enforced, de facto reproductive enslavement of women and girls to rapists. SB 8 grants sweeping new powers over the lives, bodies, and reproductive processes of women and girls to state government, vigilantes, rapists, and basically anyone and everyone - except women and girls.

Religious Exemptions: An Excess of Privilege, by Ken Burrows: Freethought Views, November 2021

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Religious Exemptions: An Excess of Privilege

By Ken Burrows

More than a century ago, in Jacobson v. Massachusetts, the U.S. Supreme Court (SCOTUS) upheld a state’s mandatory smallpox vaccination law over the objection of a pastor who claimed the law violated his religious freedom. The Court stated: “Upon the principle of self-defense, of paramount necessity, a community has the right to protect itself against an epidemic of disease which threatens the safety of its members.”

Freethinkers Women's group meeting

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It is great to see the enthusiasm! At our FIRST TWO meetings we have seen dozens of new members step forward to get active with this group.   Today there are some concerns about the COVID rise in our area and others who are finding it challenging to get out in the evening, so we are going to try a hybrid model for this month's meeting.
Those who want to meet in person, show up as usual. Those who would rather not meet in person, please join us Join Zoom Meeting :

Another Religion, by Groff Schroeder: Freethought Views, October 2020

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Another Religion

by Groff Schroeder

Since the dawn of time, spontaneous abortion (“miscarriage”), defects, illness, inadequate finances or support etc. have created life and death medical necessities related to problem and unintended pregnancies. Today, numerous effective forms of birth control help to reduce both pregnancy and abortion. Planned Parenthood and other medical care providers provide not only various forms of low cost preventative health care, but also free and reduced cost birth control, and between 2009 and 2017, participation in Colorado's pioneering LARC (long acting reversible contraception) experiment yielded a 35% decrease in birth rate and a 41% decrease in abortion for women ages 20 and 24 years, and a 50% decrease in birth rate and a 60% decrease in abortion for women between 16 and 19.

The Limits to Religious Freedom, by Ken Burrows: Freethought Views, September 2020

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The Limits to Religious Freedom

By Ken Burrows

 

The novel coronavirus pandemic has told us a lot about the origins of disease agents, infection risks, society’s response to an outbreak, and more. Less prominent in the headlines has been a separate but pivotal COVID-19 risk issue: the danger of allowing “religious freedom” claims to pose virus-related harm to others.

Goodbye Jan Brazill

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Goodbye Jan Brazill

Jan Brazill, a lifelong voice for women’s rights and for separation of church and state passed away on May 15th 2020 at the age of 93. Jan was a long-time member and enthusiastic supporter of the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs.

TAKING ACTION by Jim "Hawk" Hawkins

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TAKING ACTION

by Jim "Hawk" Hawkins

 

We are aware of the urgencies facing our nation and the world. The American Humanist Association publishes resolutions on key issuesi which address the critical issues of climate change, affirming human rights, fighting for voting rights and the equal rights amendment for women’s equality, and protecting ourselves (especially our children) from gun violence. Such urgencies cause a variety of responses from each of us, from indifference to protest to outright civic disobedience, and the activity of the people will range from apathy to activism.

A Thought-Provoking Evening with Rob Rogers: Social, Political, and Religious Insights

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Join us for an engaging and informative evening with Rob Rogers, a prominent local activist, and political candidate, as he shares his insights and concerns about the current social, political, and religious landscape in the United States. The event will commence with a 20-30 minute presentation by Mr. Rogers, followed by a moderated discussion in which all attendees are encouraged to participate.

Date & Time: May 10th, 6:00 PMLocation: Ruth Holley Library, 685 N Murray Blvd, near Platte.

March Freethinker Social and Dinner 5pm

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Our March 11th Freethinkers Social will be Saturday from 5 to 8ish pm at a member's home near Academy Blvd and Austin Bluffs. We ask everyone to bring a food dish or drink to share, but if you would rather NOT join that practice, feel free to eat before you come and just enjoy the conversation. Wine and beer are always popular. The house usually provides coffee and water. For those who enjoy a true potluck, you'll find an amazing selection of casseroles, meat dishes, vegetable only dishes, salads, deserts, sliced veggies, and Dave's reliable Costco Pizza.

Women's rally and March, Sat. Jan 21 at 11 am

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Bigger Than Roe Colorado Springs

We are ALL born free and equal in dignity and rights. The Supreme Court of the U.S. and the United States Congress have failed in their obligation to protect, respect, and uphold our human rights. The women's wave delivered a blow to anti-freedom politicians in the 2022 midterms, and now we are taking the fight out of D.C. and into every single state in this country.

Triumph of Reason: The Scientific Method by Groff Schroeder: Freethought Views, March 31, 2021

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Triumph of Reason: The Scientific Method

by Groff Schroeder

All modern technology stems from the scientific method. Misrepresented by detractors as everything from fraud to religion, the scientific method defines a group of repeatable, verifiable and predictive practices that have led humans to the pinnacle of technology upon which we now stand. From its first inception in the work of Archimedes, the use of measurement and experiment to unlock the secrets of nature has resulted in some of the most important advancements in history.

Religion’s limits, by Ken Burrows: Freethought Views, November 2020

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Religion’s limits

By Ken Burrows

 

While the Constitution guarantees rights such as free speech, gun ownership, peaceable assembly, and free exercise of religion, these and most other rights have limits. Supreme Court Justice Oliver Wendell Holmes notably said in 1919 that it is not permissible to yell “fire!” in a crowded theater and cause a panic—a now popularly quoted limit on free speech. When the Supreme Court in 2008 broadened the individual’s right to bear arms, Justice Antonin Scalia noted: “Like most rights, the right secured by the Second Amendment is not unlimited. [It is] not a right to keep and carry any weapon whatsoever in any manner whatsoever.” Courts have ruled that the right to peaceably assemble can be limited if it can be demonstrated that a gathering raises a clear and present danger of violence or similar threat to public safety.

 

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Join the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs, support the publication of the Freethought Views column in the Colorado Springs Independent, participate in Freethinkers of Colorado Springs events (most are free anyway), and receive a monthly newsletter.

 

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Propaganda Techniques

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Propaganda Techniques

Organized techniques of propaganda (a.k.a. weaponized deception) have been successfully applied in politics and war since at least World War One - and probably since the dawn of war.  Although few people understand propaganda today, books on propaganda and were best sellers in the 1920's.  Propaganda is so powerful it was used to trick the educated and egalitarian people of Germany into a disastrous Second World War some 20 years later after their disastrous participation in the First World War. 

Thank you

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Thank You

The Freethinkers of Colorado Springs is a 100% volunteer Colorado nonprofit charitable organization and a US IRS 501c3 non-profit organization founded in 1993 in response to Colorado's infamous "Amendment 2," which amended the Colorado Constitution to prohibit "any statute, regulation, ordinance or policy" through which gays, lesbians, or bisexuals could "have or claim any minority status, quota preferences, protected status or claim of discrimination." Amendment 2 (also known as "Initiative 2") was adopted after a voter referendum, and remains a part of the Colorado Constitution to this day as Section 30b. However, Amendment 2 never became law in Colorado because an emergency injunction prevented it from being enacted initially, and Section 30b of the Colorado Constitution was declared unconstitutional by the United States Supreme Court. The 1996 Romer vs. Evans Supreme Court Decision ruled (6-3) that Amendment 2 violated the Equal Protection Clause of the United States Constitution because it explicit[ly] "prohibits all legislative, executive or judicial action at any level of state or local government designed to protect the named class."

God's Words?

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God’s Words?

by David Eckert

     Many religious belief systems represent their gods as benevolent, omniscient, and omnipotent, and their religion's holy texts as "the word of God."

Goodbye Jan Brazill

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Goodbye Jan Brazill

Jan Brazill, a lifelong voice for women’s rights and for separation of church and state passed away on May 15th 2020 at the age of 93. Jan was a long-time member and enthusiastic supporter of the Freethinkers of Colorado Springs.

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