***Update***: I’m being told that the new quarters do, in fact, have “In God We Trust” written on them even though it’s nowhere in the description. I’ll leave the post up, but please keep in mind the information may be inaccurate. Thanks! Sorry for any confusion! … Check out the new coins issued by the U.S. Mint as part of the America the Beautiful Quarters program. Guess what they all have in common? No mention whatsoever of “In God We… Read more
After hearing all those horrific stories of Christian Science-practicing parents willing to let their children die rather than abandon their destructive and absurd beliefs, I’m glad to hear the church is taking one step forward by allowing followers to see doctors. It’s not saying much, considering they’ve spent decades walking backwards… But it’s a start. … faced with dwindling membership and blows to their church’s reputation caused by its intransigence concerning medical treatment, even for children with grave illnesses, Christian… Read more
President of the Secular Coalition for America, Herb Silverman, has a great response for people who ask him — an atheist — about the afterlife: I do know what will happen to me when I die. I’m going to medical school, just like my Jewish mother always wanted me to do. I’ll use my body parts to their fullest when I’m alive, but I hope others will be able to take advantage of them when I die. I love that…. Read more
This is a guest posting by Julie Cowe, an American currently living in Melbourne, Australia. She recently emigrated there from Scotland. She’s been blogging for five years and became active in secular issues after learning there are organizations trying get God into American public schools. … Unlike America, Australia has no separation of church and state. Our version of America’s First Amendment is called section 116 which states: Commonwealth not to legislate in respect of religion: The Commonwealth shall not… Read more
Before you read the headline and the article, realize a few things: This took place yesterday. In Wisconsin. In a Lutheran church. So much for a “harmless” Christian sect. The headline: Baraboo church doesn’t let women speak or vote as school principal is fired Here’s the story in a nutshell: Women from St. John’s Lutheran Church said they want basic rights and that the lack of those rights is what led to the firing of the school’s principal. The Lutheran… Read more
There are times when working with people who are religious is the best way to go. And there are times when sarcasm is so much more entertaining… In Australia, public school chaplains don’t exist but “Christian volunteers” are permissible. It’s a loophole. Still, Darryl Robinson identified himself as a “school chaplain” and sent home this letter to a student’s father, David Thorne: Thorne had a very amusing, snark-laden exchange with Robinson — it’s several emails long, but well worth the… Read more
Sam Harris’ talk at TED was just released and you can see some of the material he’ll be writing about in his new book — The Moral Landscape: How science can determine human values, which will be released October 5th. The thesis is that science can indeed answer moral questions. I wasn’t really into it for the first half, but it got good (for me) around the 9:48 mark. There are some really fascinating things he discusses, such as the… Read more
Thunderf00t has an excellent video in which he talks about the need to criticize Islam and why certain beliefs held by many Muslims can constitute hate crimes if acted upon — hell, any religion that punishes apostasy by death is hardly one of peace. After seeing that, I’m just glad I live in a country that allows for freedom of religion as well as freedom from religion. People in Islamic nations don’t get that choice. Watch the video before YouTube… Read more
I have a problem about my grandchildren that is similar to ct with the nephew who is being brainwashed by his Christian mother. I’m 68 years old, and have at last returned to the position I held as a teenager: atheism. I spent two decades as a conservative Christian and went to seminary for three years in my late 30’s. I served about as long as a pastor in a conservative Lutheran synod. Having to study the Bible intensely, I… Read more
Paul Kurtz, the founder of the Center for Inquiry and Prometheus Books and overall “godfather” of the Secular Humanist movement, has drafted “The Neo-Humanist Statement of Secular Principles and Values.” Neo-Humanist? Do we really need another label in our community? It’s a term Kurtz coined to encapsulate the following traits: Neo-Humanists: aspire to be more inclusive by appealing to both non-religious and religious humanists and to religious believers who share common goals; are critical of theism; are best defined by… Read more
