Hey, local people, this one’s for you. The Southside of Chicago Atheists are planning to meet at Jenny’s Steakhouse in Frankfort on Friday, July 9th at 6:00 p.m. More details can be found here. If you’re in the area, think about making your way there — it’s a great group of people! Read more
I think this ending is *way* more interesting than the current version (subtitles are in the video): (Thanks to Sandro for the link!) Read more
Jon Acuff explains what we all know to be true: Christians don’t use Snopes or Google when sending email. He writes about how to tell when an email from a Christian is worth deleting: 2. Crazy subject line. If you see the word, “Horrible” or the phrases, “If you’re a Christian, you must read this,” or “Fourth horseman spotted outside Cleveland,” go ahead and delete that email immediately. … 6. The claim is gigantic. The bigger the claim, the greater… Read more
You know those Christians who preach love by showing off their bigotry? The kind of people who fight against tolerance for gay people? The ones who demonize everyone who doesn’t worship the same god they do? One PostSecret reader discovered that by letting go of god, it’s possible to become a more decent human being: Read more
During the recent graduation ceremony at Montana State University – Northern, a pastor walked on stage and made several references to Jesus Christ. Elizabeth Griffing, Legal Director at the ACLU of Montana, sent school officials a letter (PDF) explaining what they needed to do: Makes sense, considering it was obviously illegal. So what did the (Christian) Alliance Defense Fund do? They sent school officials a letter essentially saying, “Don’t worry about the ACLU. They’re just making everything up. Go ahead… Read more
Remember the billboard that the North Carolina Secular Association put up along the Billy Graham Parkway this past week? Yeah… well, it’s already been vandalized: That was fast. What are they trying to do? Imitate Congress from 1954? (*cue rim shot*) As one blogger writes: I can’t wrap my head around this. What is so horrible about the billboard; the unity part or the patriotism part? Neither is good enough for the vandal(s) if God isn’t mentioned in the phrase…. Read more
Remember the billboard that recently went up on Bill Graham Parkway, courtesy of the North Carolina Secular Association? Five similar versions are also going up in Lakeland, Florida, courtesy of the Atheists of Florida: They got some press from the local FOX affiliate: Kieffer and EllenBeth Wachs, director of the organization’s Lakeland chapter, say the point is not to convert Christians to atheism, but rather to send a message this Fourth of July that atheists are Americans too. “We want… Read more
The Columbus Dispatch has an excellent article about Camp Quest, the summer camp for children of atheist parents: The camp director’s housekeeping lecture met the usual disinterest from the dining hall full of sweaty, bug-bitten kids. … But August Brunsman finished his cleaning directive with a so-subtle-the-kids-probably-missed-it pun that made clear that Camp Quest is not the usual summer offering. “Remember,” he said, a slight grin crossing his face, “cleanliness is next to godlessness.” … Started in 1996, Camp Quest… Read more
We’ve heard all sorts of stories about city council meetings that begin with a Christian prayer. Finally, one mayor has put a stop to them! Announcing the decision in a secularist group’s monthly newsletter, Mr [Colin] Hall said prayers were ‘outdated, unnecessary and intrusive’ and added they would no longer be said before meetings… Wow… that’s awesome. What’s the catch? There has to be a catch. There’s a catch. He’s from the United Kingdom. Writing in the Leicester Secularist Society’s… Read more
The British government has introduced plans to change how schools are run in the country: Under plans disclosed by the Coalition [government] last week, parents, charities and voluntary groups will be able to set up “free schools” funded by public money but independent from state control. According to New Humanist, “a worrying aspect of the… proposal… is that it is likely that many of the new schools will be faith schools, with greater freedom to set their own curricula than… Read more