Yes, says derrida114, but we never hear about it, because the Bible only tells us the highlights of Jesus’ life, not the mundane/boring stuff. That’s one of many things he says about Jesus in his most recent (and very entertaining) video… which also covers Tom Hanks and potato chips. Check it out! Read more
Jehovah’s Witnesses famously refuse blood transfusions — an irrational demand that has led to uncountable numbers of sad-but-preventable deaths. At Cedars-Sinai hospital in Los Angeles, though, one doctor — an atheist — is determined to help JWs suffering from advanced leukemia live, even though a blood transfusion is a common way to treat the problem. Dr. Michael Lill, head of the blood and marrow transplant program at Cedars-Sinai’s Samuel Oschin Comprehensive Cancer Institute, is a last recourse for Jehovah’s Witnesses… Read more
It used to be that only the national atheist groups (or large donors) had the ability to do something as big as an advertising campaign or a matching donation… but now, local groups are showing they are just as capable of making big moves. After Camp Quest Northwest (in Washington state) raised $10,000 in 2011 to support their inaugural camp taking place later this year, the Humanists of North Puget Sound just doubled their funds by giving them a matching… Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, I am an atheist secular humanist. I am also a physician in my last year of residency in a “Bible Belt” area and, while I have gotten a fantastic medical education, I have not found any good role models to help me address the myriad of difficulties surrounding being an atheist doctor. I suspect that some of my attending physicians also are atheist or agnostic, but it’s not… Read more
In anticipation of the Rock Beyond Belief event taking place at the end of March at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, Sgt Justin Griffith is in the spotlight as the organizer. Thankfully, he’s an excellent spokesperson, too: an activist who risks his life for our country, knowing that there’s no afterlife awaiting him: Scheduled for 31 March, Rock Beyond Belief comes two years after another controversial concert at Fort Bragg, “Rock The Fort”. Sponsored by the Billy Graham Evangelical Association, Rock… Read more
The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors in Virginia has a nasty habit of beginning meetings with prayers explicitly referencing Jesus Christ. (That’s even worse than the typical non-denominational prayers local government officials often get away with…) So one local resident filed a lawsuit against the city with the help of the ACLU. The city tried to have the lawsuit dismissed, but Judge Michael F. Urbanski has denied that dismissal. The case has merit, he says. “Every time the plaintiff attends… Read more
Park Romney is Mitt Romney’s second cousin. They’re not close (Mitt claims not to know Park, which is entirely possible when you come from freakishly large families), but what’s really interesting is that Park is an ex-Mormon: Mitt Romney’s religion, Mormonism, which is my former religion, having been a Mormon High Priest, like Mitt still is, is a far bigger issue than most people realize and understand. In our rush to avoid being accused of being bigoted, in America, we… Read more
Here’s a terrific music video with an even better message: Support marriage equality. The band, Bye June, conveys the message via shadow puppets and swans. The obstacle to the swans’ love? Not a surprise… The lead singer/songwriter, Gil Kline, said this about the video: “I wrote this song because my cousin is in 10 year relationship and he can’t marry his partner. They are so in love, and it angers me that politicians try to tell other people who to… Read more
Julian Baggini, writing for the Financial Times, has a fascinating article on how hard atheists have it in certain parts of the country. Besides being unable to go public about their beliefs out of fear of losing their job or their relationships with family members, running for public office and finding a counselor when you’re in the military is also (essentially) out of the question. I know, I know, you’ve heard all of this before. But a lot of people… Read more
