Guessed who just raised $52,000 in just under a week? Looks like a lot of people supported the “It’s Time to Quit the Catholic Church” ad from the Freedom From Religion Foundation. Give it a few weeks and you’ll be seeing the following full-page ad appear in the New York Times. (Click to enlarge.) Also, if you haven’t read it already, check out FFRF co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor’s open letter to “liberal” Catholics which prompted the ad’s creation. Read more
Remember this? It has finally been taken down. The Rhode Island chapter of the American Civil Liberties Union says the prayer banner at Cranston West High School has finally been taken down. The action comes seven weeks after a federal judge ruled the banner unconstitutional and ordered its immediate removal. The Cranston School Committee voted not to appeal. … The school district has scheduled a press conference at 4 p.m. today to address the issue and to give media outlets… Read more
This story is really beautiful. Or sad. Or funny. Depends how you look at it. It starts with Jeff throwing a few morsels of dog food, through the space underneath his laundry room, to the dog (Zig) on the other side… This was the greatest thing ever in the history of things to happen to this dog. She went bananas chasing the pieces of food as they skittered across our tile. I’d try to get them past her but she… Read more
Nathalie Rothschild doesn’t get what the Reason Rally is all about. And because she doesn’t get it, she wrongly assumes the rally isn’t worth attending. According to its website, the goal of this gathering is “to encourage attendees … to come out of the closet as secular Americans, or supporters of secular equality”. … … Are atheists really a beleaguered minority in the US? Is it really a great taboo today to profess that you do not believe in God?… Read more
Today marks the release of Sam Harris’ new eBook, Free Will. A couple of exclusive excerpts from the book are below! I had a chance to read the book a couple of weeks ago. As someone who prefers to avoid most philosophical discussions, I found this book easy to understand and quick to read. I’m in no place to argue for or against his thesis, but Harris definitely leaves you with a lot of food for thought and presents some… Read more
Christian pastor John Piper knows exactly why tornadoes recently hit Marysville and Henryville, Indiana. Wanna take a guess…? Oh, you know exactly where this is going, don’t you… We do not ascribe such independent power to Mother Nature or to the devil. God alone has the last say in where and how the wind blows. If a tornado twists at 175 miles an hour and stays on the ground like a massive lawnmower for 50 miles, God gave the command…. Read more
If you live in the Bible Belt, have never been to an atheist event (like a conference or local Meetup) before, and you’re making the trek to Washington, D.C. for the Reason Rally, there’s a reporter who would like to speak with you. (Obviously, you would have to be comfortable with your name being used in print.) If I’m describing you, please contact me ASAP. I need your name, contact information, and basic information about why you fit that description…. Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Hi Richard, My wife and I are atheists, and so is my daughter. She is a graduate of a prestigious university and she is now working as a teacher. I think her students range from very young to pre-teen. Last night, she asked me a question: What should she say when her kids ask her “Do you believe in God?” or “What church do you go to?” It’s important to… Read more
NonStampCollector points out that God screwed up on the simplest of all moral questions: Is slavery ok? You would think it was Satan doing the talking… Way to get it wrong, God. Read more
