Indian Missionaries Target Brazil's Amerindians

Written by Alexandre F. Shimono, News Team | 14 August 2012

“In each people, a GENUINELY INDIGENOUS church” - image of the Conplei website[1] - missionaries have no limits for cynicism.

Despite efforts from the Brazilian National Amerindian Foundation (known by its Portuguese acronym, FUNAI) prohibiting the presence of missionaries in areas populated by natives, the creeping influence of missionary groups has found new ways to infiltrate indigenous territory.

According to the 2010 Brazilian national census, the number of evangelical Amerindians grew 42% during the last 10 years, equivalent to 25% of the Amerindian population. This follows the overall growth of the evangelical church in Brazil: between 2000 and 2010, the number of evangelical believers grew 61%, to 22% of the Brazilian population. [2] The prohibition on the creation of new Missionary fronts in 1994 and the expulsion of all Missions from indigenous areas in 1991 stated by FUNAI did not convince evangelical churches to give up, instead they found a new way to accomplish their “holy” duty. [3]

Evangelical churches have begun training Amerindians to be preachers. “The state cannot stop one Amerindian from meeting another Amerindian,” said Edward Luz, president of the “Missão Novas Tribos do Brasil” (New Tribal Mission of Brazil). “Half the Amerindians do not live in native villages. A huge number go to universities. And the majority say: I will go back to my people and bring the gospel to them. Against this force there is no resistance.” This strategy was defined at the 6th Congress of Missions, and missionaries intend to summon legal power in case the government tries to forbid it.

Márcio Meira, president of FUNAI, said the motivation of the Missions is ideological. “It is the duty of a secular state to protect and avoid any contact between missionaries and isolated Amerindians,” Meira said. The National Council of Indian Preachers and Evangelical Leaders (Conplei) states on their website their objective is “the fulfilment of the biblical commandment to preach the gospel to all peoples, nations or languages.”

Davi Kopenawa Yanomami, an indigenous leader, described how he chose to be a non-believer regarding missionary teachings. The reason was sexual misbehaviour. “A missionary is ... another kind of politician,” Kopenawa said. “They do not invade our land, but our culture, our tradition, our knowledge. They ... take our thoughts and then put their thoughts in their place -- their wisdom, their religion. I, Davi, was a believer before, like them. I wanted to meet Jesus, but it didn't work out. Then a missionary had relations with a Yanomami girl, and it didn't work out. I found out nothing was true, and I stopped believing. They are all false believers, and I don´t believe anymore.”

Sources for this article are the blog by Paulo Lopes and an article by Felipe Milanez for Rolling Stone Brasil. [3]

[1] Conplei - Conselho nacional de pastores e líderes evangélicos indígenas (Portuguese) - accessed on 3 August 2012

[2] Folha Online (Portuguese) - accessed on 3 August 2012

[3] Rolling Stone Brasil (Portuguese) - accessed on 3 August 2012

Thank you eBay Giving Works donors!

Written by administrator | 14 August 2012

Atheist Alliance International thanks the donors who have used eBay Giving Works to donate a proportion of their sale proceeds to AAI! We appreciate the support.

Items for sale that support AAI are listed here and you can find more information about eBay Giving Works here.

Hands of Putin and Orthodox Church pulling strings in Pussy Riot arrests

Written by Zach L., News Team | 31 July 2012

Accused of a kind of psychological vandalism, three members of the Russian punk collective Pussy Riot face up to seven years in prison after a protest at Christ the Savior Cathedral in Moscow. On Monday, Nadezhda Tolokonnikova, Maria Alyokhina and Yekaterina Samutsevich all pleaded not guilty to charges of hooliganism stemming from the February protest.

Pussy Riot's song at the event described an institutionalized corruption in the Russian Orthodox Church, and savaged President Vladimir Putin. Lyrics included, "Virgin Mary, mother of god, drive Putin out.” A video of the event shows nothing expressly violent in their actions. Mostly, they just danced the can-can. Nothing they did damaged the facade of the cathedral. They didn't even play loud music; they mimed a concert and later dubbed in the music. The cathedral, completed in 2000 as a glitzy recreation of the pre-revolutionary cathedral razed by the Soviets, represents, to many, the increased influence of the church in the nation's political hierarchy. Patriarch Kirill I, head of the church, once described Putin as "a miracle from God."

Pussy Riot has previously been critical of Putin's links to the church and its influence on his political decisions. Their history of very public criticism could make the situation all the more difficult for the three imprisoned women, who claim not to have been involved in the February protest. Putin himself may have a direct impact in the course of the trial, according to the BBC News.

AAI launches scholarship fund for jailed Indonesian atheist Alexander Aan

Written by administrator | 30 July 2012

MEDIA RELEASE

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) has launched a scholarship fund for imprisoned atheist Alexander Aan to support his intention to study outside Indonesia after his eventual release. Aan was attacked and arrested in January 2012 after posting 'God does not exist' and articles and cartoons about Islam on Facebook. He was convicted by an Indonesian court on 14 June 2012, sentenced to two years and six months jail and fined Rp100 million (c.US$10,600).

“Alexander is a prisoner of conscience who has lost his job and been taken away from his friends and family simply for stating his views.” said AAI President Carlos A. Diaz. “Through thisscholarship fund, we wish to support Alexander's quest to broaden his mind, in an environment that values freedom of thought and expression. We call on the Indonesian government to promptly free Alexander and ensure that freedom of expression and freedom of religion - including the freedom to be non-religious - are supported in Indonesia.”

Indonesia currently requires that all citizens identify themselves as belonging to one of six state-recognized religions: Islam, Protestantism, Catholicism, Hinduism, Buddhism and Confucianism. In addition to prosecuting Aan, the government has cracked down on minority sects and on religions seen as ‘apostates’ of Islam.

Atheist Alliance International is continuing its appeal for funds to assist with Alexander Aan's legal expenses and support his family while he is in jail. Donations for the legal defense fundand scholarship fund can be made at www.atheistalliance.org/ support-aai/donate.

AAI Seeks Magazine Editor

Atheist Alliance International (AAI) is seeking a new Editor to plan and implement a fresh layout and format for its flagship magazine Secular World.

This is a contract, self-managed position that involves securing content for each issue, cover design and management of advertising and production.

The magazine is currently published quarterly and available to AAI Members only, but AAI would like to consider broadening publication options to a range of electronic media. Based on quarterly publication the Editor will be paid US$1,250 per issue plus a share of any advertising revenue secured by the Editor and a share of external sales revenue. AAI is willing to discuss the elements of the payment package with applicants, however as AAI is a volunteer-run, not-for-profit group this position involves a degree of volunteer contribution for "the cause".

For further information and application details please click here.

The Crime of Debunking in Delhi, India

25 July 2012

Rationalist International president Sanal Edamaruku of Delhi, India is now a fugitive from the law for daring to expose a ‘miracle’ of the local Catholic church.

On 10 March, Sanal Edamaruku flew to Mumbai where a local TV channel had invited him to investigate a “miracle” that caused local excitement. He went with the TV team to Irla in Vile Parle to inspect the crucifix standing there in front of the Church of Our Lady of Velankanni. For some days, there were little droplets of water trickling from Jesus’ feet. The news of the miracle spread like wild fire. Hundreds of people came every day to pray and collect some of the “holy water” in bottles and vessels.

But within minutes of arrival, Sanal Edamaruku quickly and clearly identified the source of the water (a drainage near a washing room) and the mechanism how it reached Jesus’ feet via capillary action.

Women raped, tortured and hanged to save son of Imam in Iran, may have been innocent

Written by A. M., News Team | 22 July 2012

On July 12, word spread that Safiyeh "Maryam" Gafuri had been hanged in a prison in Shiraz, Iran. Prior to her death, prominent human rights lawyer Mohammad Mostafaie publicly called her innocent, but he and international human rights groups could not halt her execution. Maryam was sentenced to death under tribal law issued by judiciary authorities in Iran based on the Iranian Islamic Law. Below is Mostafaie's July 14 article about the incident, first posted by the Universal Tolerance Institute here.

ACLU decision means schools must hold graduations in non-denominational locations

Written by Zach L., News Team | 21 July 2012

The Enfield Board of Education in Connecticut, USA announced on July 18 it will no longer hold graduation ceremonies at First Cathedral Church in nearby Bloomfield, Connecticut, after a federal judge granted an injunction against holding the ceremony at the church in May, 2010.

Public high schools in the district had hosted graduations at the site for many years, according to an American Civil Liberties news release. The ceremony at the church took place near a stained glass cross and beneath banners reading "Jesus Christ is Lord" and "I am God," according to the ACLU release.

"Attending graduation meant going to church," the ACLU stated in the release.

"Without this I feel alone" - Alex Aan

Written by administrator | 18 July 2012

Atheist Alliance International thanks everyone who has supported Alex Aan, the Indonesian atheist assaulted and arrested after posting 'God does not exist' and cartoons and articles about Islam on Facebook. In June 2012 Alex was jailed for 2 1/2 years and fined Rp 100 million (c. US$10,600).

A friend of Alex in Indonesia was able to visit Alex in jail in early July and provide him with all the messages of support AAI has received from around the world - including from Russia, Mauritius, Australia, Colombia, the United States of America, Brazil, Germany, Japan, Denmark, Scotland, Sweden, Canada, India and the Philippines. Alex greatly appreciates the support he continues to receive, saying in his note "Thanks for support and love, without this I feel alone."

Please support Alex by:

sending a message of support to Alex - email info [at] atheistalliance [dot] org with "Message for Alex" in the subject line
sharing this page and posting "God Does Not Exist" on your Facebook wall
tweeting a message of support with hashtag #goddoesnotexist
signing this petition to urge US President Obama to call on the Indonesian government to release Alex
writing to the Indonesian authorities to condemn Alex's jail sentence and calling for a repeal of
Indonesia's blasphemy laws so this does not happen to anyone else

American Baseball Team Goes Atheist for an Evening

Written by Zach L., News Team | 18 July 2012

A Minnesota-based minor-league baseball team, the St. Paul Saints, will host a "night of unbelievable fun" Aug. 10 -- and change their name to the Mr. Paul Aints for the evening.

The Saints, co-owned by actor Bill Murray, accept sponsorships from a number of sources, including religious groups. As a nod to atheist groups, they've accepted sponsorship from the Minnesota Atheists. The team will even sell shirts with the re-branded logo that night.

American Atheists President David Silverman will deliver the game's ceremonial pitch. Money raised will go to Volunteer Without Belief, according to the Minnesota Atheists website.

More information about the event can be found here.

Woman Sentenced to Death by Stoning for Adultery in Sudan

Written by Ebou Sohna, News Team | 17 July 2012

Activist groups such as the African Centre for Justice and Peace Studies are calling for the release of a 23-year-old Sudanese woman who was sentenced to death by stoning for adultery July 10.

While in the Sudan, no government-sanctioned stonings have been carried out, the sentence is a fact of life for people in countries that practice Sharia, or Islamic, law. Sudan, Saudi Arabia, Pakistan, Yemen, some parts of Nigeria and other a handful of others all have laws allowing stoning for adultery on the books. In the past, human rights groups have used political pressure to get all sentences of stoning in Sudan and some other countries with Sharia law to commute the sentence. However, some cases of stoning without legal backing have been reported in Sudan.

School Vouchers v. Establishment Clause

Written by Josh M, News Team | 14 July 2012

Recently — and somewhat humorously — legislators in Louisiana walked back their support of an educational voucher program that allows parents to use public money to send their children to a number of private institutions, including religious schools. For years, atheists, agnostics and other non-Christians in the US have decried the voucher system as a backdoor to institutionalized Christianity; at first blush, what happened in Louisiana might be thought a small victory for freethinkers.

However, with an apparent blindness for irony, legislators such as state Rep. Valarie Hodges (R-Watson) withdrew their support of the bill only after learning that religions other than Christianity would be included in the program. After withdrawing her support, Hodges told the Livingston Parish News, “We need to ensure that [the voucher program] does not open the door to fund radical Islam schools … I do not support using public funds for teaching Islam anywhere here in Louisiana….I actually support funding for teaching the fundamentals of America’s Founding Fathers’ religion, which is Christianity, in public schools or private schools.”

So as not to confuse an international audience, allow me to say the idea that “America’s Founding Fathers’ religion” was Christianity doesn’t hold up to scrutiny. Some were inarguably devout and outspoken Christians, but others were deists, and some were outspokenly agnostic/atheistic. Moreover, regardless of what their religion may have been, the Constitution they framed — by way of the First Amendment — clearly bars Congress from making any law “respecting an establishment of religion” — Christian or otherwise. And that is the legacy the Founding Fathers gave us to work with — not their beliefs, but our Constitution.