Nine times out of ten, the religious shenanigans that take place in the United States make Canadian non-theists look across the border, skeptical eyebrows cocked, and say, “For real, you guys?” But every now and again, there will be a religious brouhaha here in Canada that keeps us Canucks aware of the need for vigilance against the encroachment of religion into governance. Here’s an example: Our House of Commons recently passed a bill declaring April 2 “Pope John Paul II Day.” (The date was chosen based on the anniversary of the pontiff’s death in 2005, and not for its proximity to April Fools’ Day.) It’s no joke; Canada’s parliament is serious about honoring this longtime leader of the Catholic Church. The bill received support from all parties, with only 42 Members of Parliament voting against it, compared to 217 for it. (All 42 opponents were members of the New Democratic Party; you may wish to remember that come election time.) The bill was proposed by Wladislaw Lizon, MP for Mississauga East-Cooksville, who argued that the bill was not religious in nature, but aimed at recognizing all the good acts of the late pontiff: [Click headline for more…] Read more
The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series discusses Agnosticism (without getting overly philosophical): 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! Read more
George Zimmerman, who was found not guilty of the manslaughter of Trayvon Martin earlier tonight, said in an 2012 interview with Sean Hannity that killing Trayvon was part of God’s plan. He’s not going to argue with the Big Guy — and, apparently, neither did the jury: Read more
The Foundation Beyond Belief is looking for a few interns for the fall: Experience in the nonprofit sector is not a requirement, but is certainly a plus, as is experience in grant writing or other development capacities. Although interns will do work in several areas of Foundation operations, each internship includes a primary focus area, special project, and cause area vetting assignment. It’s a great organization and our volunteers do a wonderful job. More information is right here. The deadline is July 20th, so apply soon! Read more
Buzzfeed’s Natasha Vargas-Cooper has compiled a listicle of 21 Things Atheist Girls Love. What’s on the list? Here’s a glimpse: [Click headline for more…] Read more
After Penn Jillette’s amazing doughnut and bacon party last night (Yes, I did eat two Krispy Kremes and about three pounds of bacon, thanks for asking) and some technical issues this morning, we’re back on track! As always, thanks to Michael Greiff for all of the great photos! You can follow him at Instagram at mr_mikeyg. While we’re at it, you can follow me on twitter @blueburie Sanal Edamaruku I’m just catching the tail-end of his talk, but I made… Read more
On May 23rd, the organizers of the FreeOK Oklahoma Freethought Convention decided to hold a fundraiser for Rebecca Vitsmun. Vitsmun, as you might recall, was the woman who famously told CNN’s Wolf Blitzer that she was an atheist when he asked her if she was thanking the Lord following the tornado: The fundraiser put Vitsmun’s phrase, “I’m actually an atheist,” on t-shirts: These shirts will be sold online and at the FreeOK Convention in June for a $25 donation to a relief fund designated to help our heroine and her son get through this very difficult time. All tees are black, 100% cotton with “I’m actually an atheist” screen printed in white with the scarlet letter A that has come to be associated with atheism. Ladies cuts are available. When ordering, you may choose to have your tee shipped or have it waiting for you at the convention on June 22nd. As always, your support is appreciated. Awesome, right? You got a shirt and Vitsmun’s family received some money to help them out through their difficult time. In fact, FreeOK sold over 1,000 shirts — they’re still fulfilling orders as we speak, but we’ll know very soon how much money will be given to the Vitsmuns. Here’s where things get weird. [Click headline for more…] Read more
According to “King of Queens” star Leah Remini, the latest celebrity to leave the Church of Scientology, millions of Scientologists have it wrong. Anonymous sources for the New York Post had plenty to say about Remini’s departure. They claimed that she suffered through years of “interrogations” and “thought modification” after she allowed herself to engage in a bit of freethinking and then — gasp! — question the church leadership about their policies and practices. (Questioning the leader, David Miscavige, is simply not allowed.) Remini didn’t stop there; she went a step further and spoke up about the abuses at Sea Org. [Click headline for more…] Read more
