Andrew O’Hehir at Salon wonders why Christian movies like the recent “Soul Surfer” are incredibly lame: But do Christian-themed movies really have to be so bad?… Believe me, I have learned, over and over again, that ordinary moviegoers, a lot of the time, want to see a story that’s positive, predictable and not all that challenging, but even measured on that yardstick this one is pretty awful. Even [Carolyn] Arends of Christianity Today, who is eager to praise the film… Read more
You knew it was too good to last. Last year, the Freedom From Religion Foundation won a lawsuit which declared the National Day of Prayer unconstitutional. It was the correct decision, but a surprising one, nonetheless. U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb wrote in her decision: … the government has taken sides on a matter that must be left to individual conscience. When the government associates one set of religious beliefs with the state and identifies nonadherents as outsiders, it encroaches… Read more
For those of you in Madison, WI who still listen to the radio, I’ll be appearing on Freethought Radio (The Mic 92.1) Saturday morning at 11:00a! For those of you who prefer podcasts, it’ll be up at the Freedom From Religion Foundation’s website sometime this weekend. I spoke with Dan Barker and Annie Laurie Gaylor about this website, Foundation Beyond Belief, and my Jain upbringing, among other things. If you hear it, feedback is always appreciated! Read more
In case you missed This American Life this week, there was a really interesting story by David Ellis Dickerson. (It begins around the 8:38 mark.) David had “rejected the evangelical Christianity of his family” but was now coming home to see them again, ready to fight back against their religious arguments, expecting to win that battle easily. After a conversation with his father, though, he ended up coming down a notch or two. There’s one passage worth noting even though… Read more
The Rapides Parish Police Jury did something right this week when they voted against putting the Ten Commandments in the parish courthouse. The motion failed Monday by a 6-3 vote… “I’m comfortable with what we did,” said District F Juror Oliver “Ollie” Overton. “Like I said, when I was sworn in, I took an oath to uphold the Constitution of the United States and Louisiana. I will not make a decision to knowingly violate the law.” “I have lived by… Read more
