I'm a lifelong atheist and a molecular biologist with a passion for science and a passionate opposition to its enemies.
Boston College is a university, and a fairly good one at that. It’s a Catholic institution, stating that it “is committed to maintaining and strengthening the Jesuit, Catholic mission of the University.” Like many Catholic universities, BC has to balance being a religious institution with having a large and diverse student body that is no longer expected to necessarily be of the Catholic mold. BC is very committed to its Catholic mission and, as such, it will not stand idly by as students violate one of its most important and emphasized doctrines. Refusing to help the poor? No, of course not. Not tending to the infirm? Wrong again! The intolerable violation was the distribution of free condoms: [More…] Read more
Missouri state representative Rick Brattin has clearly decided that his state’s ranking as 33rd in science education is far too high. Brattin has re-introduced a bill that is designed to ruin science education for Missouri students. He tried this last year to no avail, so he’s giving it another shot. Read more
There is a certain comfort to the constants in life. Sun comes up, Sun comes down. Tide goes in, tide goes out, never a miscommunication. Pat Robertson says something disgusting. And the folks at 1Flesh are, once again, publishing bad information in pursuit of their religious goals. This time they’ve neatly packaged their fail in an attractive little graphic: Read more
You might think fundamentalist Christians would be satisfied with God on our money, God in the Pledge of Allegiance, influence in the Democratic party, and full ownership of the Republican party. But it’s never enough for people on a “mission from God.” As a part of their ongoing mission to turn the United States into a fundamentalist backwater, they want to ensure that kids become model Christians™. They have done this in part by creating their own parallel Christian Universe, populated by separate TV channels, movies, video games, clothing lines, and, of course, schools. Private Christian schools are an essential part of ensuring proper indoctrination of children. In these schools, Creationism is taught as science, and people actually use terms like “Flood Geology” with a straight face. However it’s not enough that they can submit their own children to this drivel with their own money. Instead, they would like to do it with your tax dollars, Constitution be damned. The scary thing is: It’s actually working. Read more
