Yesterday, Rhode Island Governor Lincoln Chafee issued a proclamation marking May 1 as the Day of Reason: Read more
Here’s an opportunity to help a Secular Student Alliance affiliate raise some money while getting a reward of your own 🙂 The Secular Student Alliance at Old Dominion University (in Virginia) is fundraising by selling t-shirts online. The front of the shirt has a phrase that we all know and love… … but I think that SSAODU gets a pass on using this decade’s most cringeworthy catchphrase because the back of the shirt is just so darn clever! Read more
What’s it like to grow up in a cult? Flor Edwards (below), over at the website Narratively, sheds some light with a long personal story that is both fascinating and tonally flat — as if her childhood, overshadowed by apocalyptic messages that forced her to constantly think about her own impending death, left her emotionally and artistically closed off. But perhaps this apparent stuntedness conveys more about the realities of such an upbringing than reams of deeply reflective prose could. Edwards’ parents had fallen under the sway of a charismatic hippie preacher from California named David Brandt Berg, who founded the Jesus-inspired Children of God (later called the Family of Love or simply the Family). Read more
Inflict some gruesome wounds on a guy and publicly hang him from a gallows — or roast him over a fire in a park — and hardly anyone will think that’s bring-the-family fare. But put a crown of thorns on his head and nail him to a cross on public land (next to a busy multi-lane street, no less) and folks will line up to have their little kids pose with the torture victim. This has to be the best still from the Fox 4 local news video that aired on Friday: Read more
According to a story at Yahoo Sports, yesterday’s Boston Bruins playoff game featured a fan who came out of hiding just for the occasion — and appeared on the Jumbotron: That would be Jesus, a.k.a. “Thor,” who supposedly attended the game at TD Garden after asking around for a ticket… and getting an offer on the condition that he come dressed as the Savior. Read more
Twice over the past two weeks, British Prime Minister David Cameron has made statements that, while strange to hear overseas, wouldn’t be out of place in the Tea Party: Read more
You saw it, right? What? That doesn’t look anti-Christian? Well, tell that to the people who posted on a Google forum yesterday about how their holiday was being ignored by the Powers That Be: Read more
Chicago doesn’t host all that many atheism-related national events, but I’m excited that Foundation Beyond Belief’s first ever conference will take place here July 18-20 at the Hilton Rosemont/O’Hare. Why would you want to go? Because you’ll get to hear from inspirational atheists who are putting their Humanism in action. Read more
The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series, discusses 6 things atheists should stop saying to Christians: This video was inspired by Ed Brayton’s excellent post. We’d love to hear your thoughts on the project — more videos will be posted soon — and we’d also appreciate your suggestions as to which questions we ought to tackle next! And if you like what you’re seeing, please consider supporting this site on Patreon. Read more
What better way to celebrate Easter than by listening to Bill Maher mock religion for an hour? Read more
