A year after the horrific shootings at Sandy Hook elementary, let’s take a trip down memory lane and recall what certain Christian leaders said about the tragedy, if for no other reason than to remind people that they should never take these despicable people seriously. James Dobson blamed the event on society turning its back on Scripture: Read more
Comedian/songwriter Bo Burnham’s new special what. premieres on YouTube this Tuesday and the song he’s released as a trailer, “From God’s Perspective,” is just awesome: Read more
Yeah, sure you’ll get my attention with a line like this: Parents met with church leaders to discuss criminal charges they were considering filing against the church for child endangerment, neglect and torture. But it’s not a news account. It’s part of the fake story behind a new Christian horror film, The Lock In, that purports to show how watching porn is a danger to one’s mortal soul. The working premise seems to be that Beelzebub lurks inside lady parts. Or maybe that’s chlamydia. (See? I’m already confused.) Anyway, I know I had you at “Christian horror film,” so without further ado, here’s the trailer: Read more
Here’s a beautiful essay by astronomer Phil Plait made even more accessible through Zen Pencils artwork: Read more
Twenty-seven newlywed couples in Australia will have their marriages annulled just days after tying the knot, thanks to a recent decision by Australia’s High Court. For five days beginning last weekend, same-sex couples could marry in Canberra after the city’s legislative assembly, called the Australian Capital Territory, passed a law in November legalizing marriage equality. But on Thursday, the Australian High Court ruled that the locally-passed law did not comply with the Federal Marriage Act — which doesn’t recognize same-sex marriages — and deemed the ACT law unconstitutional. “The Court held that the Federal Parliament has power under the Australian Constitution to legislate with respect to same-sex marriage, and that under the Constitution and federal law as it now stands, whether same-sex marriage should be provided for by law is a matter for the Federal Parliament,” the court said in a summary of its judgement. “The Marriage Act does not now provide for the formation or recognition of marriage between same-sex couples. Not at all surprisingly, the Australian Christian Lobby and other Christian groups are at the center of the movement to take down marriage equality. Lobby member Lyle Shelton told Australia’s ABC1 that same-sex marriage is essentially a lost cause and he wants a referendum to take it completely off the table. Read more
Martin S. Pribble, a long-time atheist blogger, says he’s calling it quits and “no longer want[s] to be part of the online atheist ‘community’.” Well, shit. What did we do now? And what does it even mean to you say you’re leaving us? What this means is that I will no longer be dragged into debates with theists who make a ludicrous claim, then base their evidence on the very book from which their ludicrous claim originates. There is no point in it… … … It doesn’t mean I will be leaving the social networks, or even changing the style of my tweets and Facebook posts. I’ve been moving in this direction for some time now, and I think I’ve come to a point where I am only injuring myself if I were to continue engaging on a level of theistic debating… So… you’re gonna ignore the trolls? Read more
Irony, thy name is Reverend Simon Tatton-Brown. The Anglican vicar, ad-libbing to a student assembly of children ages five to eleven, told his shocked audience that God isn’t real, and that the Bible is full of child murder and perversion. No wait, my bad. I’ll try again: A vicar has been forced to apologise after claiming at a primary school assembly that Father Christmas does not exist and recounting the gruesome story of Saint Nicholas. Reverend Simon Tatton-Brown infuriated parents of youngsters at Charter Primary by questioning the existence of Santa. Read more
It’s been the longest-running Establishment Clause case in American history and it’s still being debated more than 23 years later. It involves the Mount Soledad cross in San Diego — a huge cross on public land erected in 1954. After the now-deceased Philip Paulson challenged the cross’ constitutionality more than two decades ago and after atheist Steve Trunk took up the case a few years ago, atheists have generally prevailed in the court system. Last year, the Supreme Court declined to hear any more challenges from Christian groups, putting the future of the cross back in the hands of lower courts. Yesterday, U.S. District Judge Larry Burns ordered the cross to come down from the mountain within 90 days… which sounds great until you realize the Christian side will appeal, further delaying the inevitable. Burns actually ruled in 2008 that the cross should stay put, but the Appeals court above him overturned his decision. With that in mind, Burns said there was no way the cross could still stay: Read more
The 500 people who live in Awra Amba, Ethiopia, do things a little differently, by design. The village has a mill, where grain is crushed into flour. There is a textile factory, where villagers make clothes for themselves and to sell. You will also find a café, a tourist hostel, and two stores that cater to people from outside the village. With all of these businesses, Awra Amba has managed to pull itself out of poverty. Compared with the rest of the region, the average income here is more than twice as high. Literacy rates are higher than in neighboring villages. Mortality rates are lower. What’s the key difference between this town and others, according to Public Radio International reporter Don Duncan? One reason the people of Awra Amba are able to work so hard is that they do not follow organized religion. In neighboring Christian and Muslim villages, residents respect the Sabbath and holidays. “They have quite frequent religious days, so on those days, they don’t go to [do] farming work,” says sociologist Ashenafi Alemu of Ethiopia’s University of Gondar. “But for Awra Amba, this is not the case. They work every day.” Read more
Master Jukka Lampila is a Finnish con artist who claims to be able to teach you a form of karate that requires no kicks or punches. All you need is your mind and your opponents will be defeated. It’s called “EFO” or Empty Force and it’s all a trick. Last week, Lampila was giving a demonstration of the technique in Spain (you bet your ass there was a pricey entrance fee) and a few skeptics decided to pay him a visit. I seriously don’t know why Lampila allowed cameras to be there… While he “demonstrates the power” for the first couple of minutes, the fun begins at 2:28 when the skeptics decide to allow Lampila to use his powers on them: Read more
