In recognition of upcoming Mother’s Day, this is the second in a trio of letters I received from three young men who come from Muslim, Jewish and Hindu backgrounds respectively. Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Hi Richard, Writing to you here as someone who grew up strictly orthodox. Not only that, but was born in New York, also went to yeshiva for a full year in Israel. I also went to Yeshiva University where I… Read more
There’s finally some resolution in the case of the Kountze High School cheerleaders. And it’s not a good one. The backstory, as you may recall, is that the cheerleaders held up banners with Bible verses on them to pump up the football team: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Cardinal Timothy Dolan is leading the charge against Obama’s HHS Mandate, which requires all employers — even Catholic ones — to provide health plans that cover “preventive health services” for women. Listening to him speak on the subject, you’d think a mandate that businesses must pay for employees’ contraceptives and abortions would utterly and absolutely destroy the Catholic Church — and America! — as we know it. It’s about religious freedom, he insists, and it’s a slippery slope towards the removal of that freedom: [Click headline for more…] Read more
The middle schools in Washington County (in Maryland) took a field trip to Antietam Recreation last year. Sounds like a fun place — horseback riding, swimming pool, a petting zoo, etc. — but I guess no one in charge took a look at the self-provided description on their website: The family-owned and operated facility is designed to provide active, exciting, and unique activities in a friendly, Christian atmosphere. They’re sneaky about this, though. In the field trip packet (PDF) they presumably give to schools, the agenda for students looks like this: No Jesus in sight. What they don’t tell you is that during lunch, the performers in the “show” talk about God. At least that’s what happened last year (and who knows what others sorts of proselytization took place). [Click headline for more…] Read more
Yesterday, I posted about Lumpkin County High School (Georgia) and how 50 students there prayed together (with an adult coach) for two hours at the beginning of the school day, causing them to miss class. Superintendent Dewey Moye decided he wouldn’t punish anybody over the incident. Well, I have to apologize. I apparently got a very important detail of the story wrong and I need to take this moment to correct my mistake. The prayer wasn’t two hours long. [Click headline for more…] Read more
Born and raised in Atlanta, Georgia, Traci-Lynne Harden grew up in the affluent black community of Cascade Heights in southwest Atlanta. Her parents and family were educators and business owners. As a baby, Traci-Lynne was baptized in the Roman Catholic Church and attended a Catholic school until she was in eighth grade at which point her parents allowed her to attend a magnet high school. [Click headline for more…] Read more
Governor Chris Christie’s administration in New Jersey recently proposed how to spend more than $1,300,000,000 in “construction projects at colleges and universities.” What’s not up for debate is the amount of money — the voters approved funding the state’s institutions of higher learning for most of this amount (later combined with other technology and infrastructure funds) back in November. What is up for debate is how all that money should be doled out — which schools should get how much? That’s a conversation the people of New Jersey need to have with their representatives and it’s one that state representatives are having with the Governor’s administration. What’s particularly noteworthy to those of us who support church/state separation are two of the 46 proposed recipients. They’re both religious schools: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Last fall, the Minnesota Atheists and American Atheists teamed up to sponsor a minor league baseball team for a day. Seemed like the worst promotion ever, given that it’s a team not even affiliated with Major League Baseball, but the beauty came from the name-change. For one evening, the St. Paul Saints became the Mr. Paul Aints 🙂 [Click headline for more…] Read more
Last year, young science advocate and activist Zack Kopplin was honored with one of four “Hugh M. Hefner First Amendment” awards (named after the Playboy founder) and accepted it at the famed mansion… They just announced one of this year’s winners and she, like Zack, is well known to the atheist community and very deserving of the honor. So congratulations to Jessica Ahlquist 🙂 [Click headline for more…] Read more
