Did anyone else know there’s a public access show in Georgia called “Black Atheists of Atlanta”? Sounds freaking awesome, right? We always talk about the need for atheists to come out of the closet partly because it makes it easier for others to follow. That’s even more true for minority atheists. So I was excited just hearing the title of the show. But look at the company it keeps on this network… It airs on this channel that touts itself… Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Richard, I am an open and outgoing atheist. Years ago, as a joke, I got an online ordainment just to be able to tell people I can perform weddings. — but now one of my friends is taking me up on that claim. She and her husband-to-be are only moderately religious and are fully aware of my religious status — but they have one request: in order to avoid as… Read more
When I heard that the Illinois Christian Home Educators’ annual convention was coming to town, I knew I wanted a first-hand account of what happens there — partly because I’m not Christian, and partly because I teach at a public school. Would it fit my stereotypes or would it defy them? When I saw that the Creation Museum’s founder Ken Ham was a speaker, that clinched the deal. But… since the bulk of the conference happened on a Thursday and… Read more
Con artist and “faith healer” Peter Popoff has been debunked by James Randi before: Popoff is one of those guys who disappears for a little while after an incident like that — when he’s called out on his bullshit — and then comes right back to pick up where he left off. (There’s money to be had! Why leave for good?) So when the folks at Centre for Inquiry Canada got 4 tickets from a secret source to an invite-only… Read more
Last year, Kate Holden of Cuddly Atheism had a stroke. That’s a scary thing to happen to anyone, but perhaps even more so for Kate because she’s only 30. She just updated her blog with a message indicating she’s back and she’s on the road to recovery — there are some stumbling blocks, of course, but overall, she’s doing better: I was kicked out of speech therapy for speaking too well. But then I fell a few pegs and now… Read more
A lot of atheist groups have done it. Religious groups do it all the time. Why not the Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster? Prophet Bobby Henderson is considering putting up a billboard of the FSM! He’s taking submissions right now… paying for it will be Phase 2. My vote currently goes to this one: Wouldn’t you love to see that in your city? 🙂 Read more
A new survey conducted by Pew Research for the People & the Press indicates that 61% of Americans would be less likely to vote for a candidate if that person didn’t believe in a god. Goddammit… Among these options, anyway, that makes us the least electable group of people. Americans are more likely to vote for someone who is Mormon, gay, divorced, or had an affair… Being rational is still a liability in America. (via Why Evolution Is True) Read more
According to Stars and Stripes, Pratima Dharm has just been named “the first Hindu chaplain to serve the Department of Defense.” She’s trained to help everyone, of course, but she knows the Hindu traditions better than anyone else out there and can be there for those soldiers specifically. But having a Hindu chaplain available, even if only by email, will make one important group very happy — military mothers who want to make sure their children can practice their faith… Read more
This is just a reminder that I’ll be giving a talk in Grand Rapids tomorrow night! Where: Women’s City Club, 254 E. Fulton Street, Grand Rapids, MI When: Wednesday, June 8th, at 7:00p. Cost: $6.00 for general admission and free for Friends of the Center. More information can be found here. Read more
Vjack wrote a beautiful post the other day about a high school teacher of his who recently passed away: I learned that my favorite high school teacher died recently. I regret that I didn’t make more of an effort to keep in touch with him over the years. The last time I saw him was probably when I returned home after my first year of graduate school. That was a lifetime ago. I could have at least written or something…. Read more
