Remember those Islamic protesters at the Global Atheist Convention? I neglected to mention this excellent response to their gibberish, courtesy of Gregory Storer: My partner Michael and I took advantage of the moment to kiss in front of the group. We understand that in some Islamic States gay people are persecuted and executed for their sexuality. It was an ideal opportunity to challenge the notion of acceptance and tolerance. As we began kissing, the muslims began chanting, burn in hell…. Read more
Back in February, I mentioned how skeptic Carrie Poppy purchased a drug called ColdCalm to help her with her sickness. Turns out ColdCalm was homeopathic and had no actual potency to it. Carrie called Boiron Laboratories, the company that makes ColdCalm, and this is what happened: Now, there’s at least a slightly happy ending. Carrie got a refund from the company: There’s even better news: Due to an uproar from customers tired of getting hoodwinked, Boiron will “set aside $5… Read more
The group Atheists Helping the Homeless based in Austin, Texas just held their 37th giveaway — over 100 people went through their line: If you’d like to donate a little something to help them continue events like this in the future, you can do that here. And I’m thrilled to report AHH will soon be opening up a chapter in Dallas! So more people will be helped thanks to atheist generosity 🙂 Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard This is probably a little bit different than what you are used to answering, but this seems to be a sensible place to ask for advice. Recently, I’ve been facing some religious discrimination at the hands of my Atheist friends. I went to a very liberal Christian high school that accepted people of all religious beliefs, and generally, people were open and accepting of what others thought. There,… Read more
What would happen if atheists started talking like Christians? I made a suggestion on Twitter… … and other responded back with their own: What would you add to the list? 🙂 Let us know in the comments! One random entry will win an awesome atheist t-shirt from Compass 120 Apparel, a new company that will go live next month. If you want to be considered for the prize, just include the word “Compass” at the end of your comment. They… Read more
In the video below, The Young Turks dissect the recent Arizona bill that would allow the Bible to be taught in public schools as an elective. Sounds legal and harmless — and it can be in some cases — but depending on who’s teaching it and how it’s being taught, it could also be a Trojan Horse for getting more religious indoctrination into public schools: So, to paraphrase what Cara Santa Maria says in the clip, we can now go… Read more
During the Global Atheist Convention in Australia this week, there were a handful of Islamic demonstrators: Obviously, I wasn’t there and I don’t know what happened beyond what you see in that clip. But I think there’s still something to learn from it. I love that it looks to be a completely peaceful demonstration (perhaps thanks to the security detail there). I love that the atheists are just standing around the Muslim protesters, taking pictures, hurling words right back at… Read more
The Oklahoma Freethought Convention is taking place on June 23rd at the Tulsa Convention Center Assembly Hall and, after watching The Thinking Atheist’s promo video, I’m getting excited about it already: An event like this takes a lot of time, effort, and money to run smoothly, so if you’d like to donate something to help defray the organizers’ costs, you can do that here. Tickets for the event are $10 and you can see the roster of speakers here. (via… Read more
The Army is planning some new ultra-conservative appearance regulations that might have more to do with traditional values than the needs of the Army. There are approximately 17 proposed changes that will severely limit tattoos, nail polish, and facial-hair regulations, even during off-duty time. Changes may have the effect of increasing pressure on gay and lesbian service members who may not dress according to traditional gender expectations. Many of the new regulations are slated to apply off duty as well… Read more
Richard Dawkins will receive the 2012 “Services to Humanism” award from the British Humanist Association: BHA Chief Executive Andrew Copson said, ‘Richard Dawkins is known for his brilliant and accessible writing on science and evolution and for his consistent and courageous defence of truth, science, and scientific method against superstition and unreason. His clear and rational arguments have been the catalyst for many people embracing humanist beliefs and values, and supporting the campaigns of the BHA. Richard’s has been one… Read more
