Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Richard, I am 16 years old and an atheist. I was raised Catholic, my father is a Catholic, my mother a Lutheran, and I went to Sunday School, all of that, for quite some time. My great-uncle is even a Catholic priest. For a time, I was happy being Catholic. My brother always enjoyed it, and it’s just the religion most of the people in our small town practice. But,… Read more
If you’re part of a marginalized group in America, it means you probably have no one in Congress to represent you and fight for you. In the Philippines, there’s a way to combat this: It’s called the Party-List Systems Act: The State shall promote proportional representation in the election of representatives to the House of Representatives through a party-list system of registered national, regional and sectoral parties or organizations or coalitions thereof, which will enable Filipino citizens belonging to marginalized… Read more
Leah Libresco, who also blogs on Patheos’ Atheism channel and had put together the Ideological Turing Test, made a bit of a surprise announcement this morning: She’s converting to Catholicism. I believed that the Moral Law wasn’t just a Platonic truth, abstract and distant. It turns out I actually believed it was some kind of Person, as well as Truth. And there was one religion that seemed like the most promising way to reach back to that living Truth… I… Read more
Ten days before his twins were born, he attempted suicide for a fourth time and was referred to the unit’s chaplain. He wanted more help but the unit was not taking him seriously enough. After his fourth attempt, “he lost all hope and faith in the system to care for him.” The head of psychiatry told his wife they were so overrun with mental illness that they could not possibly accommodate all the soldiers that needed help. He died by… Read more
Bill Donohue of the Catholic League has a new book out — Why Catholicism Matters — and Bill Keller of the New York Times agrees with him (!!!) when it comes to how to handle the Catholics who don’t buy into everything the Church hierarchy dictates: Let them go: Donohue notes that roughly a quarter of Americans identify themselves as Catholic. He reckons maybe half of those, the more conservative half, attend church regularly and contribute. “They’re the ones who… Read more
Fight Church: A documentary about… um… when Jesus beat up the bad guys: Related: Last year, a man died in an unsanctioned boxing match sponsored by an Oklahoma church. The same church gives out weekly awards for the high school football player who has the biggest hit of the game. For Jesus. (via Christian Nightmares) Read more
Definitely a concern for atheist parents. Julia Galef, co-host of the Rationally Speaking podcast, talks about what parents can do to raise children who ask questions and think critically: Got any additional advice to add? Read more
Chelsea Stanton is the student from Collingswood High School (New Jersey) who didn’t stand for the Pledge of Allegiance. Her district’s code of conduct required all students to stand during the Pledge, but because of Chelsea’s activism, they’re going to change that. Now, Chelsea has put up a YouTube video explaining her side of the story. The good stuff really begins at the 5:50 mark: My favorite part: Where she goes to her teacher and administrator with the law that… Read more
Here’s why I love watching Dave Silverman appear on TV: He knows exactly what message he wants to get across. You might argue that he speaks in absolutes — there’s no nuance in any of his answers — but when you’re on camera for something like this, you don’t know if you will have 30 seconds to speak or a few minutes. So Dave gets right to the point, even if it is a bit exaggerated. Your call whether that’s… Read more
It’s hard enough dealing with all the grief surrounding anyone’s funeral. But there’s also the unique challenge of keeping religion out of it, if that’s what the family (or deceased) wants. Jane Wynne Willson’s book Funerals Without God has been around since 1989, but if you haven’t read it before, a new edition is now available on Kindle (with a snazzy new cover… which doesn’t really matter since it’s on the Kindle). It’s perfect for Humanists who might become officiants… Read more
