This sounds like exciting news from the Boy Scouts of America: “Currently, the BSA is discussing potentially removing the national membership restriction regarding sexual orientation. This would mean there would no longer be any national policy regarding sexual orientation, and the chartered organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting would accept membership and select leaders consistent with each organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs. BSA members and parents would be able to choose a local unit that best meets the needs of their families. “The policy change under discussion would allow the religious, civic, or educational organizations that oversee and deliver Scouting to determine how to address this issue. The Boy Scouts would not, under any circumstances, dictate a position to units, members, or parents. Under this proposed policy, the BSA would not require any chartered organization to act in ways inconsistent with that organization’s mission, principles, or religious beliefs.” In some ways, it’s about damn time. For too long, the BSA has kicked out excellent scouts and troop leaders because of their sexual orientation, an issue that had no bearing on anything. But… Read more
Alber Saber, the Egyptian atheist blogger and activist who was recently convicted of blasphemy and released on bail, has left the country, for his own safety as well as that of his family. Where he’s gone has not been revealed (and that’s a good thing). Read more
Over the weekend, Pastor Will Coats at Newberry Christian Ministries (in South Carolina) gave his second sermon in two weeks about the problems with homosexuality. Sure, pastors give anti-gay sermons all the time, but rarely do they have powerpoint presentations to go along with them. And even more rarely do they get uploaded online for the world to see… Read more
For more than a decade now, the members of the Irvine City Council (in California) have started meetings by doing what they were elected to do: The work of the residents. Now, after a 3-2 vote, they have decided to put God on their agenda: Read more
It’s amazing that a campus atheist group can organize one of the best free freethought conferences around. It’s even more amazing when they have the leadership, motivation, and support from the school to do it all again. The Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics at UW-Madison are hosting Freethought Festival 2 from March 8th-10th and, if you’re able to, you’ll want to attend this. Lots of great speakers over the course of the weekend. Read more
Boyle County, Kentucky used to be one of those places where an Christian invocation was delivered at public meetings. That came to a stop after resident Ricky Smith spoke out against it. Now, the county has a moment of silence instead. Read more
Remember when an 11-year-old boy outwitted Young Earth Creationist Eric Hovind during a debate against atheist (and the boy’s father) Bernie Dehler? The boy is back. Read more
Just when you thought a Boy Scout troop had come to its senses and stopped discriminating against gay people, it reverted back to its discriminatory ways. Read more
Here’s a nifty idea: What if churches volunteered to interview an atheist for a church service as part of a mutually beneficial dialogue? You’d need atheists willing to be interviewed and pastors willing to challenge their congregations — and both sides would have to respect the fact that this would be a dialogue and not a debate. Kile Jones, a student at Claremont Lincoln University (in California), is trying to make that happen: Read more
