No one’s advocating vandalism against billboards, but this particular example on a Christian billboard in New York City puts things into perspective… The 50,000 number refers to “the estimated number of people who attended the last Prayer in the Square [In Times Square] in September, 2009.” (via Mad Art Lab — a really excellent new blog) ***Update***: I put this up a bit too hastily and didn’t even crunch the number. If 50,000 is supposed to be 0.125% of New… Read more
The Lake Superior Freethinkers in Duluth, Minnesota just put up an atheist billboard! The billboard, which costs $800 for one month, was sponsored by the United Coalition of Reason — as have all the other billboards with this particular image/slogan. Reaching out to the like minded isn’t the only goal of the effort: “We want people to know you can be good without God,” said Bill van Druten, founder of Lake Superior Freethinkers. “We’re your friends, neighbors and family members…. Read more
Facepsalm. Definition: The act of face-palming while reading scripture. Origin: BionicDance Now… can you use it in a sentence? Read more
For the second time, a lawsuit brought by Michael Newdow has made its way to the Supreme Court… only to be dismissed. Newdow famously tried to remove “Under God” from the Pledge of Allegiance in 2002, but the Supreme Court said in 2007 that he “lacking standing” to bring the case to them and dismissed it. More recently, the 9th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals in San Francisco ruled against him in his attempt to get “In God We Trust”… Read more
Everyone loves a good matching offer and here’s another one that will benefit young skeptics! Polaris Financial Planning will give the organizers of Skepticon 4 $2,800 for the October event in Missouri… but only if they raise $2,800 in the month of March. It’s all or nothing! I gave $10. This is an incredible student-run event that has only gotten bigger over the years. I have no idea what they have in store for Skepticon 4 but no doubt it’ll… Read more
The most amusing thing you’ll see all day — a mashup of Carl Sagan’s Pale Blue Dot and the Old Spice commercial: (via @rebeccawatson) Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. Dear Richard, I never thought I’d have reason to contact you. My family is well aware of my atheistic leanings, and up until recently it caused me no harm. I live in Australia, and everyone else (mom, dad, two sisters) in the midwestern USA. Yes, there’s a time difference, but despite that I made it my duty to contact my mom and dad at least weekly, on my dime, at… Read more
As a guy who once lived with his girlfriend, I know I learned things about her (and vice-versa) that several more years of dating probably wouldn’t have brought to light. I say we were both better off because of that. Had we gotten married, I don’t think there would have been as many major “surprises” along the way. (We eventually broke up for personal reasons, but our living together had nothing to do with that.) Cohabitation has historically been frowned… Read more
After hearing that some of the British billboards urging people to mark “no religion” on the Census were censored, Crispian Jago came up with his own ad mockup that might actually warrant that treatment… Catchy slogan, though! Read more
A week after anonymous gay and lesbian students at Harding University (a private, Christian school) put out an online magazine sharing their personal stories, the president of the university, David Burks, has issued a statement against it: He finds the website so “offensive and degrading,” he can’t even say the site’s name because the word “queer” offends him. Because I guess stories about love are degrading. Because I guess stories that bring light to the harsh truth about “Christian values”… Read more
