Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Hello, I have read some of your advice letters and they have been really helpful, however I still need help! I am seeking advice about my relationship. I am 18 years old and turning 19 in August, I will be going to college in August also. I am financially dependent on my parents as well as my boyfriend who will be attending the same college as me. My bf and… Read more
For a while now, the editors of Woroni, a student newspaper at Australian National University (ANU), have run a satirical series called “Advice from Religion.” The articles have so far made light of Catholicism, Scientology, Mormonism, Judaism, and — finally — Islam. Predictably enough, perhaps, the piece on Islam was the only one that caused immediate paroxysms of fear and cowardice, resulting in the university chancellor’s successful demands for a retraction and an apology. The Woroni article, presented as an infographic, asked “How should I value women?” It answered with references to Aisha, the nine-year wife of the prophet Muhammad (PBJLOL) and to the 72 big-bosomed virgins who, according to the Koran, will be awaiting the male faithful after death. The Woroni editors observed that the Koranic passages read like “a rape fantasy.” I was hoping it didn’t need to be said, but the normal give-and-take in an advanced democratic country (let’s say Australia rather than Saudi Arabia) calls for anyone who doesn’t like an editorial piece to respond in ways that contribute to the discussion, rather than shut the author up. If something sufficiently offends you, you may start a Facebook page or protest website, send requests for a rebuttal piece, fire off letters-to-the-editor, stage a demonstration, and so on. Welcome to the marketplace of ideas. [Click headline for more…] Read more
This past week, the Iowa legislature passed House File 215, a bill that changes the way homeschooling is regulated. In short, it removes a good chunk of state oversight, leaving the education of homeschooled children completely in the hands of their parents — and Christian homeschooling families couldn’t be more thrilled (emphasis theirs): HF 215 is truly a gift from God for homeschool families. [Network of Iowa Christian Home Educators] deserves a huge “THANK YOU” from the entire Iowa homeschool community for their awesome work spanning many years on [Independent Private Instruction]. So what are the big changes for homeschooling parents because of this bill? [Click headline for more…] Read more
After the All-Star Celebrity Apprentice finale aired last week, the conversation on this site was about how eventual winner Trace Adkins called runner-up Penn Jillette the “most ethical atheist I’ve ever met” and how that wasn’t really a compliment. It turns out Penn tried really hard to get positive atheism on the air — multiple times — only to have his efforts squashed by the editing crew. It’s not that he’s mad or upset about that — most of what happens on any “reality” show gets cut and speaking about atheism positively might stir up a different kind of controversy than the kind the producers want to see — and Penn hasn’t spoken out about his behind-the-scenes efforts. [Click headline for more…] Read more
If you have to resort to making stuff up in order to “prove” that secular Americans are out to attack Christianity, your case is probably pretty weak. Take this recent headline from Catholic Online: That’s the website’s take on American Atheists president David Silverman offering non-theist literature to be placed in Georgia state park cabins. Silverman did so after Governor Nathan Deal said that the Gideon Bibles are fine and that “in fact, any group is free to donate literature.” [Click headline for more…] Read more
In the wake of the Boy Scouts of America’s decision to allow gay members, we have basically seen reactions from three different groups of people: 1) You have the people (like me) who are disappointed that the BSA still bans gay scout leaders and atheists. The group took a nice baby step in the right direction, but they are still a bigoted organization as far as we’re concerned. 2) You have the people — relatively few of them, I would think — who are just proud that the BSA finally let in gay scouts. They’re less concerned about the other bans and are just celebrating what they consider a huge step forward. 3) You have the religious conservatives, who think the BSA has stained its reputation by caving in to the public outcry and gave up one of the best things it had going for it. Regarding this last group… what exactly are they worried about? [Click headline for more…] Read more
I appeared on a HuffPost Live segment yesterday in which Ron Lindsay and I (and two Christians) spoke about the #PrayForOklahoma hashtag. [Click headline for more…] Read more
Anyone who has a cursory understanding of America’s laws regarding church/state separation should be familiar with certain landmark Supreme Court cases. Cases like Engel v. Vitale and Abington School District v. Schempp and Lemon v. Kurtzman. That last one in particular is important not necessarily for its immediate ruling (does anyone even remember what the case was about?) but for the legacy it left behind: The Lemon Test. The Lemon Test said that there were three rules that legislators had to follow when it came to laws concerning religion: The government’s action must have a secular legislative purpose; The government’s action must not have the primary effect of either advancing or inhibiting religion; The government’s action must not result in an “excessive government entanglement” with religion. Break any of these rules and the whole law becomes unconstitutional. It’s a precedence that has been used for decades and its namesake was Alton Toussaint Lemon: [Click headline for more…] Read more
On Friday night, Lincoln County High School held its graduation. If the school’s name rings a bell, it’s because the administration had traditionally allowed (the obviously-mostly-Christian) students to vote on whether or not they wanted to say a prayer at the event, and — can you believe it?! — they always voted yes! But this year, that changed when a group of atheist students spoke with the principal: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Those of us who live in America know how crazy religious some parts of the country can be, but what do we look like to an outsider? Ben Knight, a Washington D.C.-based correspondent for ABC News in Australia, did a radio piece on America’s religiosity — something strange to him because, in his home country, a lot of people don’t attend church and that’s not considered weird at all: [Click headline for more…] Read more
