Lauren Nelson is an advocate and aspiring ally focused on intersectional justice. When she's not gabbing on social media or chasing after her precocious seven year old, you'll find her researching and writing extensively on the subjects of politics, policy, culture, neurodiversity, and faith for The Friendly Atheist and Rethink the Rant.
If you’ve ever wondered why survivors of sexual assault so rarely report the crimes, look no further than the quaint little town of Dearborn, Missouri. The tight-knit community of 496 people spread across less than a square mile in many ways brings to mind simpler times. Unfortunately, it seems as though that aura has cultivated a mob of simple minds who believe the faithful are incapable of horrendous acts… even when they’ve admitted to it. Read more
I was raised in the Catholic Church. It’s an experience I wouldn’t wish on anyone. There’s nothing like being told as a ten-year-old that you’re going to hell because your parents don’t take you to Mass every Sunday. It’s a blast going to college and realizing your socialized worldview is inherently toxic. It’s a riot hearing friends deemed as sinners tearfully detail the abuse they suffered at the hands of their church and its community. What fun. I’ve been a lapsed Catholic for a long time, but for years, I clung to this idea that not all Catholics were bad. Most I knew qualified as what’s referred to as “cafeteria Catholics” — clinging to traditions that brought them peace while choosing not to believe some of the Church’s more offensive tenets. I’m sure those justifications make them feel better about claiming their Catholicism. It made me feel better not having to stand at odds with family and friends. I called it tolerance. Read more
There’s not a lot about religion that makes sense to me, but sometimes the antics of believers are so bewildering they make your head hurt. Take for instance the Serbian village where Christians frustrated by the amount of time it’s taking to repair their local church are resorting to extreme measures. Namely: conversion. Read more
