Mister Deity says of course you can: Relax, he says, there are Catholics who use birth control, too. Here’s the more entertaining question: Are there more skeptics who believe in some higher power, or more atheists who are poor skeptics? *Hemant walks away slowly* Read more
Skeptical Scope and Mission Panelists: Barbara Drescher, Daniel Loxton, Steven Novella and Jamy Ian Swiss Moderator: Sharon Hill The panel talked about the skeptical movement and community, and where skepticism is going. Is skepticism going to become an academic movement? It seems to be a complicated issue- it sparked a bit of debate. Apparently, the UK has a field of study regarding the public understanding of science, which Novella said he would love to bring stateside. Loxton specified the difference between… Read more
A few months ago, I interviewed Lauren Drain, a former member of Westboro Baptist Church (a.k.a. The “God Hates Fags” people). Drain had just written a book about her time in the hate group called Banished: Surviving My Years in the Westboro Baptist Church: Now, Drain has a new mission: Helping others escape the church just like she did. She started a GoFundMe campaign aiming to raise $20,000 for the project (emphasis hers): [Click headline for more…] Read more
The Christian website LifeSiteNews has discovered a fascinating breed of Redditors who have sworn off masturbation (as long as they can, anyway), They do it (or don’t, I should say) for a variety of reasons, including religious beliefs, getting higher testosterone counts, and fighting back against the business of pornography: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Small-town Christians across the world have found a new way to lash out against same-sex couples whose “lifestyles” they don’t agree with: banning them from their motels and Bed-and-breakfasts (B&Bs). It’s an issue that has come up several times in the U.S. and it’s also making headlines overseas. A decision has been issued in a major British case determining the legality of discriminating against same-sex couples in businesses (as if it were ever up for discussion). According to Law and Religion U.K., back in March 2010, Michael Black and John Morgan made a reservation and paid a deposit for a room at the Swiss Bed and Breakfast in Cookham. When they arrived, the owner, Suzanne Wilkinson, said she couldn’t let them stay in a room with a double bed because of her religious beliefs. [Click headline for more…] Read more
Greetings from TAM2013! Currently, it is a little before 11:00 AM on Friday- I’m getting a later-than-expected start due to some interviews that were scheduled this morning, so I missed a couple of the speakers. Sex-therapist Marty Klein just wrapped up his talk called “Junk Science, Moral Panic and Sex.” I missed most of it because I was interviewing the remarkable Susan Jacoby (all of my interviews will be available soon!) While I’m waiting for the next panel to get… Read more
I suppose someone who’s gullible enough to believe the stories in the Bible can’t be blamed for believing that magic is real… But screw it: Pastor Dan Delzell thinks magic is real. First, take a look at this video featuring the magician Dynamo: Cool trick. I couldn’t tell you exactly how he did it, but that’s precisely what makes it a neat illusion. Here’s Delzell’s take on it: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Out of all the wrongs that need addressing in the world, what single cause should Christians give their priority? Is it curbing hunger? Helping the sick? Rooting out the cabal of clergy pedophiles? Wrong, wrong, and wrong. It’s getting women to cover their heads during worship. That’s what the Christians behind the head covering movement (HCM) believe, anyway. They follow the Calvinist theologian John Murray: [Click headline for more…] Read more
The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series discusses why I’m so excited about this weekend’s Secular Student Alliance conference: 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
