There are so many high school and college atheist groups forming out there but no one place to gather leaders together so they can discuss relevant issues. (Conferences are nice, but not everyone can attend those. Facebook is nice, but it can get overwhelming.) So we’ve started up a Student Leaders section in the Friendly Atheist Forums. Consider it a place to ask questions about how to start a group, run a group, and deal with problems in your group…. Read more
Richard, I’ve been out as gay and atheist for quite a while now. I have a steady relationship with someone, and almost my entire family, which is entirely Catholic, has taken it in stride very well. However, my oldest sister and her husband and my grandfather are the complete opposite. They refuse to acknowledge my boyfriend as my boyfriend (calling him instead that friend I’m always hanging out with), and have both deleted me off facebook. At holidays when I… Read more
Last month, at the Northwest Freethought Conference at Portland State University, one of the speakers was Anu Garg, the founder of Wordsmith.org and A Word a Day. Anu was raised in Hinduism and his (really enjoyable) talk was titled “330,000,000 Gods, and You Can’t Find One to Suit You?” I wasn’t raised in Hinduism, but I could relate to a *lot* of he was talking about. I’ve been involved in this movement for years and, even though we always talk… Read more
Chad at No Gods Allowed reminds us that the whole “Zombie Jesus” thing isn’t just a joke — the Bible testifies to it in Matthew 27:51-53: 51At that moment the curtain of the temple was torn in two from top to bottom. The earth shook, the rocks split 52 and the tombs broke open. The bodies of many holy people who had died were raised to life. 53 They came out of the tombs after Jesus’ resurrection and went into… Read more
Reader Brandon tells me there are Scripture-based Jelly Beans for sale at his local Drug Warehouse store. They come in the usual colors but each color represents something Jesus-y. Thank you, Lord, for these jelly beans that remind me of your love. Black represents my sinful heart, keeping from you above. Red represents the blood you shed to provide salvation free. White shows the cleansing of my sin as I put my faith in Thee. Yellow is for heaven above,… Read more
Last time I wrote about the lack of secular education in Morinville (in Alberta, Canada), parent Donna Hunter was on a mission to get at least one secular school in the area to combat the four Catholic schools. The school board rejected her request in January, but they were conducting a survey (read: stalling) to see how many other parents felt the way Hunter did. There’s an update to this story, but it’s not a great one. Hunter is selling… Read more
How well do you know Easter? David Fitzgerald, author of Nailed: Ten Christian Myths That Show Jesus Never Existed at All, made a quiz to test your knowledge. The answers themselves are relatively easy to figure out, but the explanations are worth the read! Were there any surprises for you? (via Skeptic Money) Read more
I guess one Christian parody of Rebecca Black’s “Friday” wasn’t enough. At least this one wasn’t made by a church: Thirty-three A.D.; time for the passion Get Ciaiphas, Get Pontius Pilate Gotta get a whip, gotta take some lashes. King of the Jews, my time is coming A crucifixion, everybody’s yelling Got a big cross; damn its heavy. Gotta crown of thorns, where are my friends? Judas he deceived me Peter he denied me Gotta tell my father I need… Read more
Click the image to enlarge: Thanks to everyone who’s been reading this site, whether you’ve been around since the beginning or just started recently. Special thanks to those of you who comment. You make this all worthwhile. (via Pearls Before Swine) Read more
These billboards weren’t put up by atheists. In fact, they don’t even exist. But I wish they did… (Thanks to Dylan for the link!) Read more