Last night, I got an email about Chris Howell, a member of the Gaston County School Board in North Carolina. Howell is raising a fuss because a bunch of high school students in his district want to cause divisiveness among the students and distract them from learning… Wait. No. That’s not true. Actually, members of Highland School of Technology’s Gay-Straight Alliance club want to celebrate a “week promoting tolerance between gay and straight teenagers.” But Howell is opposed to it: [More…] Read more
This time they’ve gone too far. A much-loved and large part of my childhood is under attack from crazy theocrats. “They” are Austria’s Turkish Cultural Association. (I know, I know, the very name strikes terror into the hearts of decent folk across the land.) And the fond childhood memories of which I speak? Lego. I love Lego. I always have and always will. Despite being the grand old age of 27, I still own a few sets and always enjoy seeing younger members of my family play with them, as it provides a welcome opportunity to build something new. I have a certificate I once got for entering a Lego building competition — not winning anything mind you; merely entering. Yet it still hangs proudly on my wall. Okay, so we get it — I love Lego and my bias has been declared. How has the world of this beloved toymaker collided with Turkish cultural sensibilities? Because it’s racist, that’s why. [More…] Read more
A quick note that I’ll be at SkepTech conference at University of Minnesota: Twin Cities this weekend! It’s free, the focus will be on the intersection of technology and skepticism and innovation and critical thinking, and the lineup is pretty damn impressive. While the event is free all weekend, you still have to register. Hope to see you there. Read more
I’ve never had this sort of conversation with my parents… mostly because we don’t discuss religion anymore. I don’t know if silence is better than an ongoing, constantly-frustrating dialogue that at least has a chance of persuading them I might have a point about this whole religion thing, but it may be the best I can hope for: (via The Thinking Atheist) Read more
Just days after two North Carolina Republican legislators (Rep. Harry Warren and Rep. Carl Ford) filed a bill that would establish an “official religion” (thereby letting the Rowan County Board of Commissioners open their meetings with specifically-Christian prayers), the Speaker of the House’s office is reporting that the bill will thankfully not be voted on: [More…] Read more
Roger Ebert passed away today at the age of 70 after a long battle with cancer. I can’t begin to express how disappointed I was to hear the news… besides being a hometown legend, he was someone whose perspective I only began to appreciate a few years ago when he began writing essays on his website. After that, I wouldn’t watch a movie without following it up by seeing what Ebert had written about it. Ebert grew up a Roman Catholic — he was even an altar boy — but he later stopped believing in God. Still, he never used the label “atheist” to describe himself: [More…] Read more
This isn’t a joke. Well, it is a joke, but it’s a completely serious joke. You know how Creationists often complain they can’t get published in peer-reviewed journals? Well, Answers in Genesis (the Creation Museum people) began their own “journal” a while back so they could say, “Creationists get published, too!” The idea is that if it looks professional, gullible children (and adults) will think AiG does real science! And the latest published, peer-reviewed paper is a perfect example of how Creationists approach big questions. Simon Turpin tackles the question we’ve all been wondering: “Did death of any kind exist before the Fall?” (PDF) Read more
Oh, Pat Robertson, you delightfully misogynistic old coot. You are always good for a chuckle. (Unless you say something that is actually deeply terrifying. In which case, you’re always good for a shudder.) On Monday, Robertson was hosting The 700 Club as usual when he got the following email: Why do amazing miracles (people raised from the dead, blind eyes open, lame people walking) happen with great frequency in places like Africa, and not here in the USA? What can we do to encourage those things to happen here? Is America too gone for miracles like this? — Ken It’s remarkable how a letter can be at once naive and simultaneously so close to being reasonable. Now, if I were to answer this question, I would do so in one simple sentence: [More…] Read more
