Watch the trailer for this new movie and try not to get angry: The movie is “8: The Mormon Proposition” and it’s playing in select cities over the next few weeks. Looks like one worth checking out if you get a chance. (Thanks to Katie for the link!) Read more
The city of Philadelphia no longer wants to give rent-free space to the local Boy Scouts of America chapter because they are a discriminatory organization — No gays or atheists are allowed to join the BSA. So the city wants the local BSA chapter to pay the $200,000 in annual rental fees from here on out. The local group is suing… because… well, I don’t know why. They claim they’re just following orders from the national BSA and they themselves… Read more
What’s with prayer being forced into public places all of a sudden? The North Dakota Parks and Recreation Department runs the 500-mile Cycling Around North Dakota in Sakakawea Country (CANDISC) tour. One Minnesota man has a problem with it, though: Morgan Christian, 54, of St. Paul, rode the 500-mile CANDISC tour three consecutive years. He objected last summer to a prayer said before a meal at a public high school gym in Turtle Lake, one of several host communities along… Read more
While some teachers are getting in trouble for what they say or do in their personal lives while teaching at private religious schools, here’s a story of a teacher who barely gets a slap on the wrist for bringing religion directly into the public school classroom. Alice Hawley teaches math at Franklin County High School in Mississippi. For 17 years now, she’s been leading students in prayer in class. The superintendent recently met with her and told her to stop…. Read more
According to an American Humanist Association press release, Michael Newdow filed a petition with the U.S. Court of Appeals for the District of Columbia Circuit requesting a panel rehearing or for rehearing en banc in the case of Newdow v. Roberts. The case challenges the oath administrator’s addition of the phrase “so help me God” to the constitutionally prescribed presidential oath and the inclusion of sectarian prayers in the invocation and benediction of the 2009 inauguration of President Obama and… Read more
You know how judges are supposed to be impartial? It looks like a slate of candidates for San Diego Superior Court ran as “Judges for God”: Craig Candelore, Larry “Jake” Kincaid, Bill Trask and Harold J. Coleman Jr…. were backed by pastors, gun enthusiasts, and opponents of abortion and same-sex marriages. Say goodbye to fairness for non-Christians in the courtroom and church/state separation, right? Not so. All four of them lost the race. (The incumbents won.) Hallelujah. The incumbents, especially… Read more
A few months ago, Stephen Prothero wrote an article for USA Today stating that atheists would be better off without some of our more “aggressive” voices. (Disclosure: he mentioned me as an example of a “gentler” atheist.) I felt there was much more overlap between the two sides than Prothero was giving us credit for. Now, Prothero is out with a new book God Is Not One: The Eight Rival Religions That Run the World — and Why Their Differences… Read more
Aww… isn’t this cute? Peter LaBarbera, president of the group Americans for Truth about Homosexuality — a group that spreads lies about homosexuality — is announcing a seminar for young people who want to become little homophobes like him. Joe. My. God. perfectly captures the essence of the “Americans For Truth Academy”: [It] will train young people how to properly hate faggots and dykes and foster violent crimes against them. For a mere $99 donation, you can buy a budding… Read more
Note: When letter writers sign with their first names instead of a pseudonym or nickname, I randomly change their name for added anonymity. Dear Richard, I have been seeing an Egyptian girl of the Baha’i faith for about one year. It has gotten serious enough that she decided to tell her father that she was dating me. He started to ask her questions about me and the “what religion is he” question came up. She was honest and told him… Read more
It’s hard enough being a teacher when your private life can come back to haunt you. It’s happened to me before and I wouldn’t be surprised if it happened again in the future. Take a look at these recent stories: … Jarretta Hamilton was a teacher at Southland Christian School in St. Cloud, Florida. She requested a future maternity leave from her administrators. This was shortly after getting married. They did the math, realized she must have had premarital sex,… Read more
