Independence Pastor Ain't Got Time to "Love Thy Neighbor," Goes On Ignorant Rant Against Atheists at City Council Meeting
What do April Fool's, Friday the 13th and Halloween have in common?
According to one Pentecostal Minister in the small Eastern Iowa town of Independence, Iowa, those are the only days that a celebration for and by atheists should be celebrated.
Speaking during the public comment section of Monday's regular city council meeting, Richard Wearmouth, a minister at a Pentecostal Church in Independence, decided to speak his mind about atheists, atheism, science and what holidays we deserve to have a holiday recognize because, as you probably expected, we atheists are "fools" for not believing in his gawd. He made sure to remind those in attendance that his good book says so.
He decided to kick things off by saying that he had seen in the local newspapers that there was talks about having a proclamation "on reason and science and whatever" thanks to "some atheistic organization". (It's the Eastern Iowa Atheists for the record Mr. Wearmouth.)
He proceeded to say that the Day of Reason isn't an "honest proclamation" because as he describes, "reason is not a conclusion" but rather "an active verb, it's a process".
Um, okay?!
Don't let me stop the fun there. He continues rambling on about it.
"Also, science, if you add in to science -- not all science is empirical, not all science is right, not all science is true, not all science is honest. You can buy whatever science you want to buy if you have the money for it."
MOVE OVER BILL NYE! NETFLIX HAS ITS NEWEST SCIENTIST!
What a joke.
Nothing in his rant against the proclamation provides a valid reason for Mayor Davis to not issue the proclamation. Does Mr. Wearmouth's misunderstanding of what science is and how it works is enough justification for Mayor Davis to not represent all of her constituents? Not at all.
Oh, but it gets better.
"I look at this (Day of Reason proclamation) as an affront against Christianity."
Here we go....
"The reasoning I say that is because they suggest that it has to be done on the National Day of Prayer. What another slap to Christianity."
So the Day of Prayer has ownership of a day now? That argument makes no sense. And to say that it's a "slap to Christianity," what a stretch. (If you have "Christian Privilege" on your Atheist Bingo card, please check it off now!) Is the Day of Reason on the same day as the Day of Prayer? Yes. But that doesn't mean that two proclamations can't co-exist on the same day. Isn't co-existing a bedrock principle of a civilized society?!
If you didn't think this trainwreck of an incoherent rant against atheists wasn't a burning garbage can of Christian arrogance, just wait, the worst is yet to come.
When the EIA approached Mayor Davis recently seeking clarification on where she stood on the proclamation--after refusing to respond to emails for weeks after receiving the request for the proclamation--one thing we had pointed out was that the mayor had previously issued proclamations for churches and other religious reasons. I'm no Government professor but it doesn't take a political scientist to understand (and appreciate) that the government on all levels should be neutral in issues of religion, not play favorites. This is how the Founding Fathers demanded our government be.
Apparently Pastor Wearmouth has a different understanding of what they wanted.
"St. John’s has been an institution in Independence for many, many, many years, many decades. And they have contributed to this community in many different ways and they have a school, they are teaching, training children, with a Christian education with no tax dollar money. They’re supporting it. The parents are supporting it. Tell me what atheist group has built a hospital? What atheist group has come and done great, wonderful works in our community--as an organization, now I’m not saying that as individuals, they may be atheists and do wonderful works, that’s fine. But I’m talking about organized work so therefore it’s not a fair comparison, apples to apples, oranges to oranges, in my opinion on this."
Believe it or not, that's a real quote. According to Pastor Wearmouth, citizens are to be recognized by their local government not simply because that's how a democracy works but based on how influential their specific religious group has been within their city.
You can't make this shit up. But it's as if he thought to himself "just because the dumpster is on fire, let's not stop there. Let's tip it over and really make a mess."
"So if there needs to be a date set for this type of godless proclamation I would suggest, well unfortunately it’s already passed this year, would have to do it next year, April 1st, because the Bible says “Only the fool says in his heart that there is no god”. Or we could do October 13th, which happens to be Friday the 13th, or we could do Halloween, the 31st of October."
Were you born an asshole or did you allow religion to do that to you? Good science man, I can't help laugh at how painfully bad your worldview and perspective on those that are different than you are. And to think that you're actually paid to influence the minds of those in your city? It's a good thing you're not mayor.
This is the bullshit that we're up against my atheist friends. Not only do we have mayors and city council members in various communities scoffing at us but we have religious leaders in these towns and cities spewing their hatred and bigoted worldviews to residents. It's one thing to make these comments inside the walls of their churches but the audacity to do it on camera during a governmental event just helps perpetuate the distrust and prejudices against atheists...even in 2017.
For the love of all things unholy, someone please get this guy a copy of "god is Not Great" so that he can understand how religion poisons everything.
by Justin Scott, founder and director of the Eastern Iowa Atheists
According to one Pentecostal Minister in the small Eastern Iowa town of Independence, Iowa, those are the only days that a celebration for and by atheists should be celebrated.
 |
| Pastor Wearmouth addresses the Independence City Council on April 20, 2017. (Screengrab from City of Independence's YouTube Channel) |
Speaking during the public comment section of Monday's regular city council meeting, Richard Wearmouth, a minister at a Pentecostal Church in Independence, decided to speak his mind about atheists, atheism, science and what holidays we deserve to have a holiday recognize because, as you probably expected, we atheists are "fools" for not believing in his gawd. He made sure to remind those in attendance that his good book says so.
He decided to kick things off by saying that he had seen in the local newspapers that there was talks about having a proclamation "on reason and science and whatever" thanks to "some atheistic organization". (It's the Eastern Iowa Atheists for the record Mr. Wearmouth.)
He proceeded to say that the Day of Reason isn't an "honest proclamation" because as he describes, "reason is not a conclusion" but rather "an active verb, it's a process".
Um, okay?!
Don't let me stop the fun there. He continues rambling on about it.
"Also, science, if you add in to science -- not all science is empirical, not all science is right, not all science is true, not all science is honest. You can buy whatever science you want to buy if you have the money for it."
MOVE OVER BILL NYE! NETFLIX HAS ITS NEWEST SCIENTIST!
What a joke.
Nothing in his rant against the proclamation provides a valid reason for Mayor Davis to not issue the proclamation. Does Mr. Wearmouth's misunderstanding of what science is and how it works is enough justification for Mayor Davis to not represent all of her constituents? Not at all.
Oh, but it gets better.
"I look at this (Day of Reason proclamation) as an affront against Christianity."
Here we go....
"The reasoning I say that is because they suggest that it has to be done on the National Day of Prayer. What another slap to Christianity."
So the Day of Prayer has ownership of a day now? That argument makes no sense. And to say that it's a "slap to Christianity," what a stretch. (If you have "Christian Privilege" on your Atheist Bingo card, please check it off now!) Is the Day of Reason on the same day as the Day of Prayer? Yes. But that doesn't mean that two proclamations can't co-exist on the same day. Isn't co-existing a bedrock principle of a civilized society?!
If you didn't think this trainwreck of an incoherent rant against atheists wasn't a burning garbage can of Christian arrogance, just wait, the worst is yet to come.
When the EIA approached Mayor Davis recently seeking clarification on where she stood on the proclamation--after refusing to respond to emails for weeks after receiving the request for the proclamation--one thing we had pointed out was that the mayor had previously issued proclamations for churches and other religious reasons. I'm no Government professor but it doesn't take a political scientist to understand (and appreciate) that the government on all levels should be neutral in issues of religion, not play favorites. This is how the Founding Fathers demanded our government be.
Apparently Pastor Wearmouth has a different understanding of what they wanted.
"St. John’s has been an institution in Independence for many, many, many years, many decades. And they have contributed to this community in many different ways and they have a school, they are teaching, training children, with a Christian education with no tax dollar money. They’re supporting it. The parents are supporting it. Tell me what atheist group has built a hospital? What atheist group has come and done great, wonderful works in our community--as an organization, now I’m not saying that as individuals, they may be atheists and do wonderful works, that’s fine. But I’m talking about organized work so therefore it’s not a fair comparison, apples to apples, oranges to oranges, in my opinion on this."
Believe it or not, that's a real quote. According to Pastor Wearmouth, citizens are to be recognized by their local government not simply because that's how a democracy works but based on how influential their specific religious group has been within their city.
You can't make this shit up. But it's as if he thought to himself "just because the dumpster is on fire, let's not stop there. Let's tip it over and really make a mess."
 |
| What I pictured as I listened to this guy rail against atheists and anyone different than him. |
"So if there needs to be a date set for this type of godless proclamation I would suggest, well unfortunately it’s already passed this year, would have to do it next year, April 1st, because the Bible says “Only the fool says in his heart that there is no god”. Or we could do October 13th, which happens to be Friday the 13th, or we could do Halloween, the 31st of October."
Were you born an asshole or did you allow religion to do that to you? Good science man, I can't help laugh at how painfully bad your worldview and perspective on those that are different than you are. And to think that you're actually paid to influence the minds of those in your city? It's a good thing you're not mayor.
This is the bullshit that we're up against my atheist friends. Not only do we have mayors and city council members in various communities scoffing at us but we have religious leaders in these towns and cities spewing their hatred and bigoted worldviews to residents. It's one thing to make these comments inside the walls of their churches but the audacity to do it on camera during a governmental event just helps perpetuate the distrust and prejudices against atheists...even in 2017.
For the love of all things unholy, someone please get this guy a copy of "god is Not Great" so that he can understand how religion poisons everything.
by Justin Scott, founder and director of the Eastern Iowa Atheists
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