The Ethical Humanist Society of Chicago will play host to former preachers Dan Barker and Jerry DeWitt on Saturday, May 11th: Because this event is expected to draw a lot of people, you may want to purchase your tickets early. I’m looking forward to it! Read more
Last Monday, members of the Penn Secular Society gave out freshly-baked chocolate chip cookies to students who passed by their table… but only if the students signed a contract transferring the ownership of their souls: So how many students took them up on the offer? The correct answer should have been “Everybody on campus.” The actual answer was a little less than that, but not too shabby at all: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Last week, we found out that members of Pinelake Baptist Church in Mississippi seemingly extended the boundaries of their church to Northwest Rankin High School, where they hosted a mandatory assembly all about how students need to accept Jesus in their lives. After not receiving a reply from administrators, the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center has filed a lawsuit against the district and the school’s principal Charles Frazier. Even more fascinating is the plaintiff: M.B. is only 16, a junior at the high school. Because she can’t file the lawsuit herself, her 18-year-old friend Alexis Smith, a member of the AHA, is helping her out. [Click headline for more…] Read more
A few weeks ago, college student Dannika Nash wrote an “open letter to the church from my generation” that has since gone viral (the post has nearly 3,000 comments). The gist of it was that the Christian church is pushing young people away due to the way the institution treats gay people. Yesterday, Michael Brown, a Christian author and radio show host, responded to Dannika in an open letter of his own, published at Charisma. The whole thing was just dripping with condescension (“Dear College Kid”) and phrases that were very holier-than-thou (“You can call this ‘BS’ or even ‘holy BS,’ but I call it beautiful truth…”) I was ready to respond to the entire letter myself when I realized there was someone who could do a much better job: Dannika. I asked her what she would say to Brown and her response, much like her original posting, was much more kind and generous than anything I would have written. While I was ready to tear him down, her inclination was anything but that. Read more
Last month, the St. Johns County School Board (Florida) considered adopting a policy that would let high school seniors deliver “inspirational” messages during graduation ceremonies. Inspirational, of course, is just a code word for prayer. Gordon Klingenschmitt, a former U.S. Navy chaplain, has taken a unique approach: He’ll give money to the first student who prays to Jesus during the district’s graduation ceremony: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Yale University may soon get a Humanist Chaplain if the school’s Humanist Community can line all the ducks up in a row: [Click headline for more…] Read more
Dusty goes after Pastor Jack Schaap, the man who said Jesus blessed his affair with an underage girl (lots and lots of hilarious NSFW language): (via CultOfDusty — Thanks to Ed for the link!) Read more
I’m working on a project and I’d like to bounce some ideas off of law school students who are currently in their 1L or 2L year (or anyone starting law school in the fall). I guarantee anonymity. I won’t spam you or give your emails to anyone else. This is purely for me, so I can ask you all some questions. If you wouldn’t mind being my sounding board, just send me an email with your name, year in law school, where you go (or will go), and what you plan on doing when you graduate (if you know). Thanks in advance! Read more
Who’s running your local hospital? There’s been an ongoing — and frightening — trend in health care circles: Catholic organizations are merging with secular hospitals and health-care providers, striking agreements that include strict adherence to Catholic teaching. The implications for patient care can be very serious, especially if you’re a woman or an elderly person… but many people don’t know about the possible ramifications until it’s too late. According to the most recent numbers from the Catholic Health Association of the United States of America (CHAUSA), one-sixth of Americans admitted to hospitals across the country are getting care from Catholic organizations. In some cases, that may not matter. In other situations, it could mean the difference between life and death. [Click headline for more…] Read more
