There doesn’t have to be a lawsuit over this. Money that should be spent on the children can still be spent on the children. Instead of thinking about them, though, the board members are selfishly putting up a fight about something that has nothing to do with education just so they can show everyone they’re True ChristiansTM. Read more
I loved it only in part because of the premise: A man spills salsa on his Jersey to reveal an outline of Hall of Fame quarterback Joe Montana. People come from miles around to see the “Miracle Stain”… until the man’s wife (a Baltimore Ravens fan) washes it away with Tide detergent: Read more
In an interview airing at halftime of the Super Bowl, President Obama tells Scott Pelley that he thinks gays should be allowed in the Boy Scouts of America: In general, he says the Scouts are a great group and there’s no reason to deny gay scouts (or troop leaders) access to the opportunities the BSA provides: It’s the last line that gets me: The Scouts are a great institution that are promoting young people and… exposing them to opportunities and leadership that will serve people for the rest of their lives, and I think that nobody should be barred from that. Read more
In many countries around the world, religious groups are pushing for conservative social policies and retaining their grip on society by dominating the public discourse and provision of social services. In Uganda, an extraordinarily religious country, the small but vocal atheist movement is pushing back — hard. Although Ugandan law guarantees religious freedom, the reality is more complex. A 2010 Pew survey found that 99% of survey respondents in Uganda identified as religious, with 86% of them identifying as Christian and 13% as Muslim. That leaves 1% of the population to represent minority faiths (including Hinduism, African traditional belief systems, Baha’i, etc) — and the non-religious. It’s worth noting that the religious population in Uganda is also, well, religious, with 86% of respondents indicating that religion is “very important” in their lives, 82% attending religious services weekly, and 71% of Christians and 74% of Muslims stating that their holy books are the literal word of God. This is no mere Sunday Christianity: it infuses every aspect of people’s lives. Read more
Last Sunday, Katherine Ozment, a Boston-based freelance writer, spoke to the Humanist Community at Harvard about how to raise Humanist children: I haven’t had a chance to watch this yet, so if any parts really stand out to you, please leave the timestamp and summary in the comments! Read more
Simply mentioning near-death experiences now have publishers salivating at the mouth like Pavlov’s dog. A USA Today piece by Craig Wilson begs the question: Are publishers now in Seventh Heaven with these near-death memoirs? Read more
In light of this Sunday’s Super Bowl match-up, the Public Religion Research Institute polled over 1,000 Americans on their feelings on the entanglement of sports and religion. (Note: The survey is limited to sects of Christianity and a broad “unaffiliated” group. I wish they had included other groups, but so it goes.) As it turns out, 27% of those surveyed think that God plays a role in determining which team will win a sporting event. A majority of those surveyed (53%) also think that God rewards faithful athletes with “good health and success.” Read more
The University of Saskatchewan Freethought Alliance recently raised over $1,000 for Doctors Without Borders by selling hugs: I would’ve gotten the one with the awkward silence bonus. Read more
I’ve been waiting a long time for rapper Ensomniak to release a new song. Like, at least a week. But he just released a new digital track called “He’s Coming Back” and the song is just as amazing as his first one. Read more
