Three Republican state senators in Indiana have a plan to fix public education in the state: Have someone recite the Lord’s Prayer at the beginning of every school day. Really. It’s Senate Bill No. 25 (PDF): In order that each student recognize the importance of spiritual development in establishing character and becoming a good citizen, the governing body of a school corporation or the equivalent authority of a charter school may require the recitation of the Lord’s Prayer at the… Read more
***Update 2***: Additional updates can be found here. … ***Update 1***: The 40-page decision from U.S. District Court Judge Ronald R. Lagueux can be read here (PDF). Highlights: The Court rules that Plaintiff [Ahlquist] has standing in this matter and rules in her favor on the merits of this dispute. The Court also orders the immediate removal of the Prayer Mural from the auditorium at Cranston West. … The Court refrains from second-guessing the expressed motives of the Committee members,… Read more
Jo Piazza at FOX News wonders: are prominent, outspoken Christians like Tim Tebow and Justin Bieber making Christianity more appealing to kids? It’s no great leap to say that children and teens admire and emulate figures like Bieber, fellow musician Demi Lovato, and Tebow. In a culture that values piety as a signifier of moral character, outspoken Christianity both brands these figures as safe role models and cushions them from criticism: “It’s not bad brand marketing,” explains Ann Neuman, the… Read more
Vi Hart’s math videos just keep getting better. In case you missed Part 1 of her Fibonacci series (Ha! Math humor!), check this out. Part 2 is here and it’s even better than the first: My jaw dropped around the 4:00 mark. Read more
I didn’t know about this until yesterday. And now that I know it, I’m angry I didn’t know about it sooner. For decades now, when the government compiled national crime statistics, the number of sexual assaults reported was lower than it should’ve been. That’s because the FBI’s definition of rape — “the carnal knowledge of a female, forcibly and against her will” — didn’t include penetration with an object, instances when someone was roofied, cases with male victims, the rape… Read more
Well, this is different: One man says he’s an atheist who supports Tim Tebow: Unlike so many athletes, Tebow will not let you down. He will not be caught in a bizarre incident at a night club at 3:00 in the morning. He will not father illegitimate kids, test positive for drugs, or defile his skin with ridiculous tattoos. Funny thing is, he COULD do all these things, then simply ask for forgiveness. His ticket to heaven would remain valid…. Read more
The main reason I began blogging was that, more than five years ago, a Christian named Jim Henderson “bought my soul on eBay.” He asked me to visit a number of churches and write about my experiences on his ministry’s website. That ministry was called Off The Map — unofficial slogan: “Helping Christians be normal” — and they’re finally calling it quits: We wanted a conference that was sponsored by followers of Jesus that was also an event where non-believers… Read more
There’s a controversy looming in Tippecanoe County, Indiana over whether or not the city council should give their approval for the building of an Islamic center. In response to that, Steve Viars offers his support: Some residents from our community expressed concern over this decision, essentially suggesting that the approval was un-American. I think the polar opposite is true. Refusing to grant this request simply because the petitioners are followers of Islam would be contrary to our country’s cherished ideals… Read more
