Things you can already do in the state of Missouri: Privately read a Bible in school Privately pray before a City Council meeting Privately pray in public spaces Things a newly proposed Constitutional Amendment (sponsored by Republican Rep. Mike McGhee of Odessa) would allow people in Missouri to do: Privately read a Bible in school Privately pray before a City Council meeting Privately pray in public spaces So why even bother with the legislation? McGhee said he sponsored the legislation… Read more
You have to feel bad for a college student who goes through this: In October, his wallet, student ID and room key were stolen. Then, he said, he received a death threat on Facebook. A few weeks ago, he found his replacement ID cut into pieces and covered in urine. And it all happened at Messiah College, a private Christian school in Grantham, Pennsylvania. What did Isaiah Thomas do to deserve that kind of treatment? Here’s a hint: “I’ve had… Read more
***Update***: Since the posting, I’ve learned that this study was funded by the Templeton Foundation. Also, check out Paul’s comment below, where he notes this was not peer-reviewed in a scientific journal, nor was it vetted by science journalists. … A new study co-directed by Oxford University professor Roger Trigg says that “Religion comes naturally, even instinctively, to human beings.” Trigg is co-director of the three-year Oxford-based project, which incorporated more than 40 different studies by dozens of researchers looking… Read more
I don’t really understand how the acceptance of GLBT people can be such a controversial position in the Christian world. It seems like such an obvious answer to me — of course, gay people should be allowed to get married. Of course, gay people should have the same rights as straight people. Leave it to religion to make a “debate” out of something so obvious to everyone else. It happened again just a few weeks ago, when Christians were taking… Read more
Illinois already has a broken school system, but our legislators took time yesterday to hear a curriculum suggestion from a celebrity Scientologist: Nancy Cartwright, the voice of Bart Simpson. Why her? Well, first, you have to understand that the Illinois School Code currently mandates that public schools teach character education: “which includes the teaching of respect, responsibility, fairness, caring, trustworthiness, and citizenship, in order to raise pupils’ honesty, kindness, justice, discipline, respect for others, and moral courage for the purpose… Read more
