In case you haven’t bought it yet — and if so, what the deuce is wrong with you? — Richard Dawkins’ The Greatest Show on Earth: The Evidence for Evolution is now out in paperback! It’s a fantastic introduction to evolution if you’re looking for a gateway into the subject. Read more
So *this* is what we’re supposed to be saying in bed… (probably NSFW): Atheists Having SexUCBcomedy.comWatch more comedy videos from the twisted minds of the UCB Theatre at UCBcomedy.com Video courtesy of the Upright Citizens Brigade. (Thanks to Jeff for the link!) Read more
Last month, Brittany Meyer mentioned a controversy taking place in Loudoun County, Virginia, regarding holiday displays on public property: One side, the Courthouse Grounds and Facilities Committee wants to ban all displays. The other side, including many community members and Supervisor Eugene Delgaudio, thinks all displays should be allowed — apparently even atheist ones. Today, the state’s Attorney General, Ken Cuccinelli, weighed in on the issue (PDF). … it is my opinion that a local governmental entity is never categorically… Read more
Back in December, the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers sued Secretary of State Charlie Daniels “after he refused to grant permission for the group to put up its display, dubbed the Box of Knowledge.” Daniels denied the box despite allowing Christmas decorations. This was the box in question: Well, the two sides have finally settled and the atheists have come out winners! In the settlement, the state agrees to a constitutional violation, says it will provide equal access to the Freethinkers… Read more
In July, the New Zealand Atheist Bus Campaign put up some wonderful billboards: Considering the 1000+ complaints Christian bus ads received in the UK, these billboards surely received just as many, right? Not even close. A play on a controversial ad which drew more than 1,000 complaints in the UK has attracted just one complaint in New Zealand. I love the headline of that article, too: Atheist ad attracts complaint in NZ It doesn’t mean that we should stop running… Read more
Lucy Gubbins, the co-founder of the University of Oregon’s Alliance of Happy Atheists, weighs in on the debate between “friendly” and “aggressive” atheists. … I’m willing to take a leap of faith and concede that yes, if we want a strong, diverse community, we need both sides. But to make this happen, folks: we need to start practicing what we preach. That means that if we want to continue touting the idea that the secular movement is one with diversity… Read more
18,986. That’s how many abortions Anne Nicol Gaylor has funded via her Women’s Medical Fund non-profit group. (Gaylor may be better known for co-founding the Freedom From Religion Foundation in 1976 — her daughter is now one of its co-presidents.) An article in the Wisconsin State Journal profiles her work and her legacy: The fund’s sole purpose is to pay for abortions. Last year, it paid out $162,202, about 75 percent of which came from individual donors, the rest from… Read more
Even in the face of death, he takes the time to remind us all not to “waste our time with prayers” for him. Gotta stick to your principles even when things get rough 🙂 Get well soon, PZ. Read more
Karolina Sygula lives in Toronto and wants the Catholic Church to stop counting her as one of its members… but they refuse to take her off the books: It would be easy to blame various child-abuse scandals within the Church for her decision to leave, but if that were the case, she explained, her inclination would be to stay to work for change. “But the fact that I don’t believe in God clearly is in contravention to the official policy… Read more
Hey Richard, I have been an Atheist for most if not all of my life. My little sister is one, my mother is probably one, and my father, if religious, has never said a word to me about religion. I grew up in a secular humanist Jewish community, too. The idea of a ‘god’ just never made sense to me and I don’t think I could believe even if I wanted to. But here is my problem. I am afraid… Read more
