After Exposing a Proselytizing Teacher, an Atheist and His Child Are on the Run | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos
Category: Religion & Ethics
Via: hal-a-lujah • 2 years ago • 75 commentsBy: Hemant Mehta (Friendly Atheist)
See video at the link.
S E E D E D C O N T E N T
By Hemant Mehta March 26, 2021
I posted last week about a disturbing recording that a West Virginia middle school student had made of her health teacher. The teacher told kids they should avoid sex before marriage because the Bible said so, that students needed to believe in God, that God would help them "make better decisions" about how to handle their hormones, etc.
It was proselytizing. It's illegal. And because the student recorded it, the Freedom From Religion Foundation was able to step in and send the school district a letter warning them about the problem.
That student's father happens to be Owen Morgan, who goes by the name Telltale on YouTube, and he just posted an update that you should hear.
After spending a few minutes recapping the article I wrote about the situation, Morgan explains (around the 3:40 mark) how he and his daughter have basically been run out of town after a (now-deleted) private Facebook group with over 1,500 members doxxed him and revealed his personal information to a crowd of people out to get him.
At one point in the video, Morgan says, "I can't go [out] in public, I can't go to the grocery store, I can't go to the bank, I can't go take out the fucking trash because I will be recognized and… killed? Or at least beaten."
As he makes clear, though, he's not currently in West Virginia. He's somewhere else. He told me he's safe. He has long term plans to move out of state. But all of this is happening — at a speed he never expected — because he dared to publicize how a Christian teacher working at a public school decided that preaching about Jesus was more important than doing her job. And now the same Christians who worship someone who talked about turning the other cheek are forcing Morgan and his daughter to fear for their lives.
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Christian ISIS strikes again. This is how Christians in the south define morality and values.
That is a bit of a stretch, don't ya think?
This is ONE teacher!
Lol. I subscribe to Hemant Mehta’s Friendly Atheist site on Patheos. My inbox is always filled with articles about the religious trying to muscle their way into the public square. You may think you’re sick of me now, but you’d probably deathwish me if I posted even 10% of it. If you don’t believe me then feel free to sign yourself up for a free membership. It’s not just the south, but it is flagrant down there.
Yes, it is. My kids' school actually had a Bible set up in the lobby.
Wonderful for you.
An arrogant, unfounded, false presumption on your part then.
Still isolated incidents, yet you paint every Christian the same.
That isn't smart.
Every incident is isolated until a pattern emerges. If you can’t see a pattern, and waive away the source that chronicles it, then you are actively trying to not find it.
yet you paint every Christian the same.
Where did I say all Christians are the same? I didn’t even come close to that.
So EVERY Democrat is just like AOC or Omar, according to your "impeccable" "logic".
Dude, you are HARDLY the member to make a comment like that and expect to be taken seriously. You paint Democrats with an extremely wide brush with nearly every comment you make here.
Do you think it fair to paint with a broad brush?
Or are you just tired of ME doing it while it is apparently okay for you and yours?
Hypocritical..
You should remember what YOU write.
Post 1
Genius, if were to define all Christians in the south in this manner, I would need to include the word “all” somewhere.
Walk it back, man, walk it BACK!!!
LOL!
Have you been taking cues from Jen Psaki?
Oh, so your panties are in a wad because I didn’t include the word “some” in my statement. You are the most notorious semantic school marm on this site. Unfortunately for you, members talk like normal human beings here and we all know what the intention is in the statement. You must be a real hit at parties.
Keep walking it back and deflecting.
Jen may even give you a gold star for your Herculean efforts!
I see a pattern. A pattern of the FFRF buts it's nose in where it is not only it need but not wanted either.
Lol. Like when those pesky cops stick their noses in the business of robbers. What a stupid comment.
You don't need to use the word "all". Just by saying "This is how Christians in the south define morality and values" shows you really meant "all".
I am a Christian in the south. I believe you lumped me in this statement, in which you have zero proof.
Your comment is a SG violation, and any conservative using leftist atheist in place of Christian would have gotten the ticket by now.
Another stupid comment. You guys are on a roll.
So tell me, if I say that cops have a hard job and deserve respect, does that mean I think there’s no such thing as a bad cop?
Well that was a stupid analogy and made zero sense.
And yes, by not saying "some" shows you meant "all".
Stop being Biden and walking back everything you post when you are called out.
Yup comment 1.1.16 was pretty stupid wasn't it.
You guys continually show the weakness of your arguments when you dwell in semantics and minutiae like this. I am curious about one thing though - is “walking back” the conservative gotcha zinger of the day? Who is directing your talking points? You should fire them.
Walking back is what you are doing, so it is appropriate in this sense.
No talking points required.
This is how Christians in the south define morality and values.
The South isn't a region, but an attitude. WV broke off from VA in 1863 to join the Union, and they abolished slavery before the Civil War ended. They were part of the North when it was a Dem state with lots of Union workers. It became a Southern state when it went Red several decades ago.
The largest city in West Virginia is 51,000 people, Charleston, which barely makes the list of the 500 largest US cities. West Virginia is a rural and small town state , which I think explains why it is a red state.
So what explains WV being a Democratic trifecta for 19 YEARS since 1992 and only 5 years of Republican trifectas in the same timespan?
Party control of West Virginia state government - Ballotpedia
It used to be the most reliably Blue state.
Must have had MUCH larger cities back then, huh?
Snicker.
West Virginia hasn't voted majority or plurality for the Democratic presidential candidate since 1996. In each of the last six presidential elections it has gone Republican. Currently all three US Representatives from West Virginia are Republican. One senator is Republican and the other is a conservative Democrat (Manchin).
And THAT ONE Republican Senator is the ONLY one in the last 60 YEARS, JR.
It is simply indisputable that WV has been a blue state for the vast majority of time since at least 1933.
And Democrats were the majority of the state legislature for MOST of the time since at least 1933.
Were WV cities much larger while Democrats were in control?
And THAT is because of the size of the cities there?????
West Virginia has not been a liberal state for a long time.
And that is because of the size of the cities there?
Up until 2014, it sure voted Democratic in state elections.
I am sure you are aware of the fact that some Democrats are conservatives.
At least you're admitting that when a State turns "red" aka majority Republican, they become a "Southern" State where right wing white religious conservatives reign, the same right wing white religious conservatives and their descendants that have always maintained control of the South since before the civil war.
Spin it some more!
Gasp...democrat conservatives...
Holy hell, Batman
By liberal logic, if you are a conservative in the south, you are automatically a racist.
That means there sure are a lot of democrat racists.....
but we already knew that
Where?
Why?
If the Democratic party of today embraces liberal and progressive policies as they do, and are open to new ideas and aren't afraid of change, wouldn't that mean their members likely share the same ideals?
Why would a conservative stay in a party that, as their platform says, want to " right the wrongs in our democracy, redress the systemic injustices that have long plagued our society, throw open the doors of opportunity for all Americans, and reinvent our institutions at home and our leadership abroad"?
If that's the kind of party a conservative embraces, perhaps they're confused as to what the term "conservative" means.
Liberal: adjective - willing to respect or accept behavior or opinions different from one's own; open to new ideas.
Conservative: adjective - averse to change or innovation and holding traditional values.
Now, back when a section of the Democratic party held to right wing white conservative Christian ideals and resisted change and fought the civil rights act and supported the status quo of slavery and then segregation and Jim Crow laws the South was full of conservative Southern Democrats. But that segment of the party no longer exists, there is no "Southern Conservative Democrat" or "Dixiecrat" party anymore, so why would those white Southern conservatives vote for Joe Biden, Kamala Harris, Nancy Pelosi or any modern liberal Democrat? It simply makes no sense. The last vestiges of conservatism in the Democratic party evaporated in the early 1990's when the conservative Republicans took over governing just about every former confederate State. Of course, those in control didn't change much, just the (D) to an (R) on their voter registration.
The final straw was November 9, 1994, the day after the election, Senator Richard Shelby of Alabama, the last of the conservative Democrats in the South , changed parties, becoming a Republican giving Republicans a majority in the Senate, what some have called the 'Gingrich revolution' or the 'Revolution of '94'.
"From 1933 into the early 1970s, most white conservatives in the South belonged to the Democratic Party, and created the Solid South bloc in Congress. Most African Americans in the South were disenfranchised in those years, based on laws and subjective administration of voter registration practices.
By the mid-1990s, white conservatives from the South joined Republicans in other parts of the country, leading to the change in Congress. Large Republican gains were made in state houses as well when the GOP picked up twelve gubernatorial seats and 472 legislative seats. In so doing, it took control of 20 state legislatures from the Democrats. Prior to this, Republicans had not held the majority of governorships since 1972. In addition, this was the first time in 50 years that the GOP controlled a majority of state legislatures."
If you're referring to the less than handful of Democrats like Joe Manchin who is desperately trying to cling to his seat in West Virginia, that as mentioned above has gone red, by often voting with the Republicans, then that's just semantics, his true party is the party he votes with more often. Clearly Joe has been a Democrat in name only for a while now, though I'm still grateful that his staying in the party has given Democrats the thinnest of majorities in the Senate.
But really, why would any true conservative today choose to be part of the Democratic party that is synonymous with progressive/liberal policies and a stated desire to change the conservative status quo?
Oh, for God's sake, follow the damn conversation!
Unions. Until recently, WV was strongly pro-union, and at the same time was very socially conservative. West Virginians voted for "blue dog" Democrats because of union influence.
WV Democrats elected to office tend to be socially conservative.
Then why are there liberal and progressive Republicans? While they haven't gone completely insane like their democrat counterparts, they do exist.
of course, incest and pedophilia in the south is a religious cornerstone among thumpers there.
A childish, immature, false, stupid (monumentally!) comment.
incest and pedophilia in the south is a religious cornerstone
Exactly, you don't see Northern Catholics involved in pedophilia.
ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
That's fucking hilarious.
The vast majority of sex abuse of minors in the Catholic church came from large northern diocese.
The vast majority of sex abuse of minors in the Catholic church came from large northern diocese.
Oh, never mind.
“ROFLMAO!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!”
Celebratory laugher? Just what ‘victory’ brings you such side-splitting glee?
Vacuous.
If you can't tell all on your own, I doubt I have the ability to explain it in terms you would understand.
Guess that leaves you in the dark again.
“…I doubt I have the ability to explain it in terms you would understand…”
That may be the most honest thing you have ever uttered.
Sorry, but I am not responsible for what you do or do not understand.
I think your comment in 1.3.7 went right over his head .
I think you are correct.
The teacher told kids they should avoid sex before marriage because the Bible said so, that students needed to believe in God, that God would help them "make better decisions" about how to handle their hormones, etc.
Of course, that is paraphrasing. I listened to what she said. She told them that the decisions belong to them. That she looks to the Bible for help in making decisions and that it could be of help to them as well. As far as sex before marriage, she made a reference to another group of kids and if you pay attention, she is talking about promiscuity in young children. Listening to the tape is crucial.
At one point in the video, Morgan says, "I can't go [out] in public, I can't go to the grocery store, I can't go to the bank, I can't go take out the fucking trash because I will be recognized and… killed? Or at least beaten."
I seriously doubt that.
She should save that garbage for church, since it has no place in public schools. If she doesn’t like it, there are parochial schools that would love to hire her. This is entirely indefensible, so it comes as no surprise that you jumped right in to defend her.
You sticking up for someone doing something illegal, Vic?
I guess an honest history lesson, or an inclusive curriculum is forbidden and being made illegal in red states, but prolestizing - actual brainwashing of children is a-ok with the MAGA crowd.
I'm thankful that thumpers are on the same side as the autocratic scum in america.
CRT, or lessons based on CRT teachings are not honest history. Not even close.
Inclusive curriculum? You mean left wing indoctrination dogma. Sorry, public schools can't become left wing indoctrination centers. No matter how badly Democrats and teachers unions want it.
Again, you don't think Democrats aren't trying to brainwash kids with their BS in public schools?
Again, you don't think Democrats aren't trying to brainwash kids with their BS in public schools?
Dont you have enough of those garbage articles to go and pollute with your garbage opinions? It doesn’t have anything to do with this one and doesn’t belong here.
CRT is the newest boogieman for the alt+right.
No, I mean like putting "vacation" on a school schedule instead of "Christmas" because some Americans don't celebrate Christmas. You don't like public schools then you have the option of home schooling or taking your brats to a private school on your own dime.
NOPE.... I think the alt+right is trying to kill public schools because they can't control it. They can't legally insert their religious bullshit that even they don't follow.
Truer words never spoken.
If you believe in the other CRT: Christian Radical Theory.
... or christian regression theory.
People who believe in the Bible know that their God is a homicidal maniac who committed the worst genocide in history. He killed everyone except Noah and his family. He even killed most of the animals.
I'm glad God doesn't exist because He would be a fucking gigantic asshole.
No!No!No! You've gotten it all wrong!
At first, he only seemed like an angry asshole because he had to kill or command to be killed all of those sinners and blasphemers. He really is a kind and benevolent God.
That is why we at the Image Management Agency™ developed the plan to start the Christian Church™ and developed the idea of the Holy Trinity™. We told him that if he sent down Jesus Christ™ and sold him as his only begotten son, Jesus™ could and would change his old man's aproval ratings. I must admit it was a hard sell and he wasn't on board at first, but when an associate came up with Immaculate Conception™, well, he warmed up right away!
God was a bit perplexed at how killing Jesus™ was going to help. He had worked very hard and dilligently to hone his image through Jesus™ for the prior 33 years. At first we thought he was going to revert, because we saw him inching towards his lightning bolts, but then he let us finish the presentation and found out he wasn't really going to have to knock him off for good and that there was a Resurrection™ to top off all of his miracles.
The really confusing part is why natives in the jungles of Africa had to be drowned. How would they even know about Jesus? I mean we know that the power to strategically hold back a flood existed, right?
Very clever! I especially like your judicious use of trademarks
Oh my God! (I'm going to telled at for using the word God). She said the word Bible. How terrible!/s
And exactly where in the Bible does it say no to pre-marital sex? It may be inferred, but so is raping women being ok as long as the man marries her.
In reality that is actually pretty mild compared with the straight up Christian prostheatizing that goes on in multitudes of rural backwater school districts all across America. Speaking out there will accomplishe nothing except getting whole families, especially the children, ridiculed, shunned and bullied by teachers, students and especially everyone in their school's administration...
This should increase the hits to his Telltale YouTube channel.
They were probably hoping that the doxxing would end his YouTube channel. Dead people can’t create content. I’m sure the doxxers think they are doing God’s work.
Perhaps he doxxed himself as he responded to the audio recording on his YouTube channel, TellTale, which includes several videos criticizing evangelical culture. In the profanity-laced video, Morgan made several threats to ruin Ashworth’s career.
He didn’t doxx anyone, most notably himself. The teacher was called out for ignoring the law, then SHE ENDORSED the doxxing a 12 year old student of hers. It really sounds like you are on the wrong side of this. How does anyone defend this type of behavior from a public school employee?
I'm not on any side here. If you listen to his podcasts, you know his name and after he posted the one with this recording, you know where his daughter goes to school.
How does anyone defend this type of behavior from a public school employee?
This agnostic is the wrong one to ask.