I thought it was a typo when I read that a Pike County (Kentucky) church had “taken a stand” against interracial couples. What?! They mean the church is taking a stand for interracial couples, right? Nope. Prompted by the attendance of the couple above, Gulnare Freewill Baptist Church in Pike County, Kentucky has voted to deny church membership to interracial couples, forbidding them from taking part in certain “worship activities.” It sounds to me like they’re doing those couples a… Read more
Colgate University is home to a brand new atheist group — Colgate Secular Association of Skeptical Students — and their first meeting is this Saturday! Gotta love the last line of their description 🙂 If you’re in the Hamilton, New York area, go check them out! For what it’s worth, the group is not yet officially recognized by the school — but the leaders tell me they don’t foresee any problems with that. (***Edit***: The Office of the Chaplains at… Read more
Rhode Island’s Governor Lincoln Chafee is getting criticized for not excluding non-Christian citizens this holiday season: … lawmakers [are] upset with his decision to call the blue spruce erected in the Statehouse a “holiday tree” instead of a “Christmas tree” … Chafee insists he’s just respecting the state’s history as a place respectful of all religions. In a state home to the nation’s “oldest surviving Jewish synagogue,” you would think that state politicians could at least pay some lip service… Read more
***Update***: The sign will also be going up this Monday in the Mississippi State Capitol in Jackson! … In a year when we’ve seen so many atheist billboards, it’s hard to believe that the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s Winter Solstice message, currently sitting in the Wisconsin Capitol building through the end of December, might not be the most controversial sign we’ve talked about this year: “At this season of the Winter Solstice, may reason prevail. There are no gods, no… Read more
Mindy Kaling is best known as a writer, producer, and co-star of The Office. She plays Kelly Kapoor, the bubbly and vacuous customer service rep, and has written some of my favorite episodes of the show (“The Dundies,” “The Injury, “Ben Franklin”). She also gave a clutch supporting performance in the otherwise mediocre No Strings Attached. I expected her new book, Is Everyone Hanging Out Without Me? (And Other Concerns) to be light and funny, and I was not disappointed…. Read more
For the past couple of years, there has been a battle in Loudoun County, Virginia over which displays, if any, should be allowed in front of the county courthouse. Last year, the courthouse Grounds and Facilities Committee wanted to ban all displays, while the county Supervisor and other community members wanted to continue to allow all displays — including atheist ones. (Both options would’ve been legal.) Even the state’s notoriously conservative Attorney General Ken Cuccinelli weighed in on the matter… Read more
Remember when Deepak Chopra appeared on Bill O’Reilly’s show last month? O’Reilly had previously invited Richard Dawkins on his show to discuss his book The Magic of Reality. Now, it was Chopra’s turn to refute what Dawkins had said. Even though Dawkins wasn’t present to defend himself, Chopra took the bait from O’Reilly and went off on the famous atheist and author. Among the things Chopra complained about was an interview that Dawkins had with him for a documentary called… Read more
Thank you, ChristWire, for educating me on Christ-like ways to talk about… um… fecal jousting. (via Christian Nightmares) Read more
I was worried when I started reading this post by (Christian) Jennifer McGrail about a recent shopping experience and the cashier who assisted her family: And then, he said it. The thing that would cause me to roll my eyes and hurry home to write the store a scathing letter detailing exactly why I would be hereby boycotting their store forever. He said, “Happy Holidays.” In front of my children. How dare he say such a thing to me? How… Read more
