Parent-Teacher conferences last night, today all day, and tonight. Weekly Speech Team/Forensics tournaments… and almost-daily practices. (But the kids are sooooo freaking talented.) Foundation Beyond Belief board meeting last weekend (Lots of amazing ideas came from it, though… can’t wait to share them all with you soon!) *cough cough hack snot asthma wheeze* Grandfather’s 90th (!!!) birthday party. One day, I will steal his genes. Weekly classes I’m taking as I work toward becoming a “Nationally Board Certified” teacher… a… Read more
Laura Beck gave birth to her first child Truman back in August… but he died just three days later. As hard as it was to cope with the loss, it didn’t help that so many of the people around her were using the phrase “angel baby,” or telling her he was in a “better place,” or that it was all part of “God’s plan.” As all of us who have dealt with the death of a loved one know it’s… Read more
Don’t have any big plans for the weekend? Live in Portland? Then the Portland Humanist Film Festival is where you’re going: The event is sponsored by the Center for Inquiry–Portland and it’ll feature film producer Roger Nygard, Skeptoid host Brian Dunning, and Free Inquiry editor Tom Flynn. A preview of the films is below: Monty Python and Jennifer Garner? Say no more. If I wasn’t 9342342 miles away, I’d be there in a heartbeat. Read more
The Baltimore Sun has a wonderful editorial in support of “humanist lay leaders in the military, a position Capt. Ryan Jean is trying to obtain: What’s certain, however, is that the military needs to be accepting of those who do not believe, and that apparently hasn’t always been the case at Fort Meade and other military bases. Chaplains and religious lay leaders have been accused of treating atheists either as moral pariahs unfit to wear the uniform or trying to… Read more
After the pathetic response atheists got to the White House petition to remove “Under God” from Pledge of Allegiance, you have to ask yourself, “Why even bother?” If you feel the same way, I’ve got a new petition for you: WE PETITION THE OBAMA ADMINISTRATION TO: Actually take these petitions seriously instead of just using them as an excuse to pretend you are listening Although the ability to submit petitions directly to the White House is a noble and welcome… Read more
When the University of Georgia in Athens holds its graduations (about three a year), they have someone recite a prayer at the ceremony. It’s always a “sectarian” prayer that leans Christian — kind of like all those “non-denominational” prayers people recite before so many city council meetings… The UGAtheists are trying to put a stop to that. They’d rather see a secular observation that is far more inclusive than what they currently hear. Already, though, they’ve hit a standstill. They… Read more
The Public Religion Research Institute just released the 2011 American Values Survey — “a large annual survey exploring important issues at the intersection of religion, values and politics.” The headlines are focusing on how only 42% of Americans know Mitt Romney is a Mormon and how most Americans want to see a redistribution of wealth, but I’m most interested in the questions that involve people without faith… Only one piece of information stands out and it’s in response to the… Read more
Hallelujah… Via Joe. My. God. who adds: This is a HUGE loss for the Family Research Council, which lobbied fiercely to essentially outlaw abortion in Mississippi. The bill, as written, would have also outlawed some methods of birth control. Read more
If all the gods people have ever believed in no longer exist, the least we could do is hold a funeral for all of them. Thankfully, Mike Lee, Mikey Pullman, and Ashley Paramore put one of those together: Who knew you could have a funeral with a happy ending? (via Religious Antagonist) Read more
A few years ago, the Rational Response Squad was getting a *lot* of press, stemming from their “Blasphemy Challenge” project on YouTube and their debate against Kirk Cameron and Ray Comfort on Nightline. (That debate was the first time we all saw the infamous Crocoduck. As we now know, that image disproved all of evolution…) Years went by, the original group members went their own ways, and the website essentially went defunct (though it’s starting to pick back up). Now,… Read more
