Reader Amy was in an Italian restaurant in Summerville, South Carolina last week, saw this ad in the bathroom, and took a picture because she figured I’d appreciate it: (I love how she saw this ad and immediately thought of me…) It seems only natural that they would put babies in spaghetti sauce. All the better to appease the FSM. Out of sheer curiosity, I called Stanislaus Food Products to see if they had a better image of the ad… Read more
I don’t do pets. I dislike animals. Especially cats (I’m horribly allergic). And supposedly “cute” dogs, too: Even I would agree, though, they have a right to be cared for properly. In Texas, they have animal cruelty laws that say (among other things) if you don’t take care of your pet, you’ll be subject to punishment/penalties. Just the way it should be. That includes taking your pet to the vet when it needs treatment. Who in the world would be… Read more
When QualiaSoup talks about morality, it’s hard not to pay attention: The first video in the Morality series was equally terrific. Read more
Wanna know the difference between the USA and Brazil? Our atheist billboards read things like “We can be good without god” and “Have doubts? So do we.” Harmless. A gentle ribbing. Somehow, still a cause for a lot of controversy, but not offensive at all. In Porto Alegre, Brazil, they go right for the knockout punch. Check out the ads that went up on buses and billboards last month, courtesy of the Associação Brasileira de Ateus e Agnósticos (Brazilian Association… Read more
For a while now, we’ve known about how Ohio’s Secretary of State Jon Husted is holding an online poll to select the “I voted” sticker that will be offered this November. Two of those stickers feature the state’s motto “With God, All Things Are Possible.” With only a week left until voting closes, one of those godly stickers has taken over the lead by a pretty large margin. This is your last chance to put a stop to that. How… Read more
For some reason, ABC News invited Father Edward Beck and Rabbi David Wolpe to comment on the World Trade Center Cross controversy and Texas Governor Rick Perry’s Prayer Rally. In other words, they brought on two religious people to debate the lawsuits… and not a single atheist was there to counter them. That’s ABC News’ idea of a balanced news segment? The line you need to hear comes from Beck, who argues that the WTC cross is “more than a… Read more
This letter is from the Philippines, but it is worthwhile reading for anyone because the issues apply almost anywhere. Whether they live in the South or Midwest United States, the Philippines, Brazil, Ghana, or Iran, young people living wherever religion has an iron grip on the minds of the general populace will recognize the challenges facing this young woman. In our struggle for acceptance, respect and justice, we have brothers and sisters around the world. Letter writers’ names are changed… Read more
Starting today, PZ Myers is no longer part of ScienceBlogs, the company that had hosted Pharyngula over the past few years. (***Edit***: My mistake. According to PZ, he’s not leaving ScienceBlogs entirely, but basically, all the fun/interesting posts about religion will be at FreethoughtBlogs: As an outlet for self-expression, this move was necessary. National Geographic will be taking a more active role in hosting the ScienceBlogs stable, which is a good thing, since they’ll be bringing their prestige, better support,… Read more
Usually, when city councils want to pray before a meeting, they’ll get around the legal problem by having an “invocation.” It may be “non-denominational,” but usually, you know it’s the Christian god being referred to. It’s a loophole in the system and some city councils love to exploit it. In Sand Springs, Oklahoma, however, they’re not even bothering with the subtleties. Forget non-denominational prayers. Their invocation prayers are directly to Jesus. Beau McElhattan not only attended a meeting to witness… Read more
God created the world in six days and then blogged about it. Paul Simms at the New Yorker lets us in on the comments people left for God on his day of rest: Going carbon-based for the life-forms seems a tad obvious, no? … Why are the creatures more or less symmetrical on a vertical axis but completely asymmetrical on a horizontal axis? It’s almost like You had a great idea but You didn’t have the balls to go all… Read more
