I’d never seen the show enough to make the connection but Chris Sims makes a strong case that Scooby-Doo is like a morality tale for Secular Humanists (emphases his): Because that’s the thing about Scooby-Doo: The bad guys in every episode aren’t monsters, they’re liars. I can’t imagine how scandalized those critics who were relieved to have something that was mild enough to not excite their kids would’ve been if they’d stopped for a second and realized what was actually… Read more
Johnny Depp is hell bound, according to the Christian Coalition. His new song with indie band Babybird, “Jesus Stag Night Club,” has the extreme religious group full of righteous indignation. Lee Douglas, spokesman for the religious pressure group The Christian Coalition, lashed Depp for his “blasphemy.” He said: “I’m sure he thinks he’s being very funny but he’s simply a disgrace. “One day, Johnny Depp and his cronies will face the judgment of our Lord and they will burn in… Read more
There’s a new secular group at Midwood High School at Brooklyn College in New York and they recently got coverage in their school newspaper! Hooray! They’re known as the Midwood Freethinkers Club, and their three meetings (thus far) have been characterized as ‘lovely’. Mr. Joseph Peters, the club adviser, said that the goal of the club is to give back to the Midwood community and to prove that non-religious people do not “eat babies.” They are often wrongfully stereotyped as… Read more
Getting into the giving spirit of the holidays, the Illini SSA at University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign teamed up with some of their friends to brighten up some families’ day for the second year in a row! They participated with Interfaith in Action, the Jain Student Association, the Navigators, and the Newman Catholic Center to participate in The Giving Tree, a holiday charity where groups can adopt families for the holidays and then donate gifts for that person or family. … Read more
Gary Mortara, pastor at the Faith Fellowship Church in San Leandro, CA, wanted to move his congregation into a bigger building (PDF). The plans he submitted to the city, though, called for use of a building located in an area of town that was zoned for a job promotion initiative and did not permit religious assembly, so Mortara’s plans were rejected. Done deal, right? Not so fast. This is where the Religious Land Use and Institutionalized Persons Act comes in…. Read more
The Root, a site with articles from an African-American perspective, is in the middle of a fantastic and fascinating series called “On Black Atheism.” Jenée Desmond-Harris has interviewed several black atheists and their responses are must-reads for everyone interested in how our community can become more inclusive to minorities. Rice University professor Anthony Pinn: TR: Could the civil rights movement have happened without Christianity? ABP: We give Christianity too much credit. Like Martin Luther King Jr. argued, the vast majority… Read more
On Monday morning, the Baseball Hall of Fame’s Veterans Committee confirmed what Chicago Cubs fans have known for a long time: Ron Santo, legendary third baseman, belongs in Cooperstown. Ronnie was an elite player in his own era, despite a career cut short by juvenile diabetes (for which there were no reliable treatments at the time). But he cemented his place in Cubs fans’ hearts by returning to the organization, this time as a color commentator for WGN Radio’s game… Read more
Tiffany, a young leader in the secular community in Michigan, could use some help right now. Her mother has cancer but no health insurance. Tiffany is trying to raise money to help cover some medical costs and explains the situation here (PDF): My mother has cancer. She is 500 miles away from me (Northern VA and I’m in Michigan) and I feel helpless and hopeless. The prognosis is 2-3 more years, but I fear it won’t be that long. It’s… Read more
Just turn on the closed captioning, go to the 0:24 mark, and hear what little Elijah says to Republican presidential hopeful Michele Bachmann: (via Joe. My. God.) … ***Update***: Many of you are wondering whether the child was coerced into saying this by his mother. I direct you to this screengrab from YouTube (Thanks to Drew): Read more
As it turns out, stores that accept food stamps can be disqualified from participating in the food stamp program if they violate certain regulations, such as accepting food stamps as payment for ineligible goods like cigarettes. If this disqualification would cause “hardship” to the food stamp customers, however, store owners might be charged a fine rather than be disqualified. In a recently-filed lawsuit, Mehrab #1 Corp. v. United States, a Chicago grocer who sold Zabiha-Halal meats was disqualified from the… Read more
