As I write this, the New York state Senate is about to vote just voted to make same-sex marriage legal 33-29. (Hallelujah!) To ensure the passage of the bill, though, a “religious exemption” amendment had to be passed first. I’ve boldfaced what I consider to be the important parts: Religious Exception. 1. Notwithstanding any state, local or municipal law, rule, regulation, ordinance, or other provision of law to the contrary, a religious entity as defined under the education law or… Read more
For atheists who need some support after experienced the death of a loved one, there’s a new Facebook group that could offer some help: Grief Beyond Belief. Grief Beyond Belief provides a safe space for atheists and other non-religious people to share and process the death of a loved one. Because bereavement is sometimes the catalyst for questioning or letting go of religious beliefs, people who are still struggling with these issues are encouraged to join. However, the page is… Read more
The parents of Alayna May Wyland had a sentencing hearing this morning in Oregon City. In case you don’t remember, Rebecca and Timothy Wyland are the people who, when their daughter had an “abnormal growth of blood vessels that covered her left eye,” decided to pray for her instead of taking her to the nearest doctor. This was the result: For letting that happen, and because they have no prior convictions, they’re getting the maximum allowable punishment: [They] were sentenced… Read more
44 years after Loving v. Virginia ended interracial marriages bans across the country, there are still people who think marrying someone of a different race is a bad idea. And you’ll *never* guess which group is most against it: Christianity Today remarks on a Pew poll from February that shows White Evangelical Christians are the group most opposed to interracial marriage: Evangelicals may have the most negative view of interracial marriage, but there is also opposition among white mainline Protestants… Read more
Even in Manitoba, Canada, public schools are expected to be secular. (Though, for some reason, if 75% of parents sign a petition to have religious exercises in school, they can have them.) The department of education has guidelines that schools are supposed to follow. However, lawyer Chris Tait has found violations all over the place: The Lord’s Prayer is being read over the intercom by the principal or in classrooms by teachers. Schools allow parent councils to organize petitions for… Read more
Last year in Holland, Michigan, a pastor suggested that the city council add sexual orientation and gender identification to the non-discrimination policy. Last week, the City Council shot down the proposal on a 5-4 vote. And now, conservative groups are trying to bring down the candidates who voted to expand the anti-discrimination laws. Not surprisingly they’re all “family” groups, the Christian codeword for “prejudiced jerks”: … Michigan anti-gay rights crusader Gary Glenn has called the proposal “dangerous.” Glenn is the… Read more
Reader Amélie stopped by a McDonald’s recently. When she drove up to pay, the cashier told to put her money back. The person in front of her had paid for her meal… and passed along this card: Since Amélie is an “agnostic who leans towards atheism,” this posed a dilemma. She wasn’t sure what to do: I can’t accept this. I prefer science-based thinking and ideology to be promoted and spread throughout the world. I don’t feel right — won’t… Read more
What would a movie look like if it was directed by an atheist? If it had characters who were atheists? If it included conversations we’ve had with religious people? Here’s an idea: That’s a clip from The Ledge, a movie that premiered at the Sundance Film Festival and is slated for a test run in two theaters next month. If it does well there, we could be seeing the movie open nationwide. The movie is written and directed by Matthew… Read more
The Humanist Association of Manitoba is hosting the Second Annual Manitoban Atheists, Skeptics and Humanists (MASH) film festival on August 14th! Here’s a trailer: More information about the event — location, movies, times — can be found here. (Thanks to Dorothy for the link!) Read more
A couple weeks ago, I had a really nice time taping an interview with Jeremy Beahan and Dave Fletcher for their Reasonable Doubts podcast. The interview is now up on their site — Check it out 🙂 Read more
