Republicans in Iowa want to ban gay marriage in the state: An Iowa House panel will begin hearings Monday on a bill that would repeal gay marriage in the state. The Iowa Marriage Amendment (IMA) seeks to put a question on the 2013 ballot that would define marriage in the Iowa constitution as a heterosexual union –- and thereby reverse the 2009 Iowa Supreme Court ruling that brought gay marriage to the Midwest. That’s not the reason I’m posting this,… Read more
Normally, the way people link their vehicle with religion is by putting a few bumper stickers on it: I know atheists who have done that, too. Some atheists have taken a different path by purchasing their state’s ATHEIST license plate: Since his state’s ATHEIST plate is already taken (by August Berkshire, above), Minnesotan Bjorn decided he wanted something far more overt. When he purchased a used smart car in 2009, he turned it into a driving advertisement for the OUT… Read more
Note: Letter writers’ names are changed to protect their privacy. I do not believe in God — any god. I strive to be a good atheist and person by setting an example of decency to all and service to my community. The whole “good without god” thing. In raising my 6 and 7 year old sons, I’ve always responded to the rare god/heaven/religion questions with “That’s what some people believe, but lots of people including me don’t.” That’s always felt… Read more
If you like going to basketball games or watching them on TV, you’re used to hearing the national anthem. But if you’re a fan of the New Orleans Hornets, are you aware of what happens before the anthem is sung? According to Joe Gerrity at Hornets247 (an unofficial fan site): Before each and every Hornets game for as long as the team has been in existence, a Christian invocation is done at half court before the national anthem, in which… Read more
The Hawaii state Senate has voted to no longer hold a daily prayer. What’s amazing is how Hawaii is only the first state to do this. And what prompted this decision? One person’s complaint about how this was a Christian-specific prayer, not an “all-inclusive” prayer like so many city councils and state legislatures pretend to use. A citizen’s complaint had prompted the American Civil Liberties Union last summer to send the Senate a letter noting that its invocations often referenced… Read more
In Bedford, Texas, atheists and Christians will be gathering next month to discuss religion and where their beliefs come from: This informal gathering of atheists and Christians started as a dialogue between Metroplex Atheist member Julio Rosario and 1st Baptist Church Pastor Marty Atkins. The purpose of the gathering is for members of each group to talk to each other about belief in God or the lack of belief in God. People from both groups will have the opportunity to… Read more
That’s it. I’m done with the vegetarianism thing. After seeing this Flying Spaghetti Monster burger, how I can I not eat it? Apparently, it comes from a place called Gecko’s Bar & Tapas in Albuquerque, NM. As far as I can tell from their menu, they have no idea what they’ve created. (Thanks to Andrew for the link!) Read more
Stephen Hawking + Richard Dawkins + Carl Sagan + Tara Shears + Neil deGrasse Tyson + Auto-Tune = the latest Symphony of Science! I’m sure these videos reach an audience that wouldn’t normally listen to scientists, but I would watch this even without the auto-tune. These are some of the finest science communicators in recent history and their words stand on their own, no soundtrack needed. I’m not complaining though. These videos are fantastic. Keep them coming! (via melodysheep) Read more
The “Outstanding Lifetime Achievement Award in Cultural Humanism” is given out by the Harvard Secular Society on behalf of the Humanist Chaplaincy at Harvard and the American Humanist Association. The first year, the award went to Salman Rushdie. The second award went to lead singer of Bad Religion, Greg Graffin. The next went to Joss Whedon. Last year, it went to Mythbusters’ Adam Savage and Jamie Hyneman. And this year, the award will be going to actor and comedian Stephen… Read more
