The Tim Tebow Super Bowl ad hasn’t aired yet, but Jimmy Kimmel shows us the rebuttal ad that CBS will be airing 🙂 (Thanks to Ungullible for the link!) Read more
Atheism is a trending topic in the world and it won’t be long before a politician or celebrity coming out as an atheist just won’t be a big deal anymore. I don’t know how long it’ll be before that happens, but I am optimistic that it could happen in my lifetime. When that happens, atheists will go from having our own unique subculture to being part of the mainstream. I think a lot of us would love for that to… Read more
The Secular Student Alliance is having a Leader Summit in Northern California next weekend at Stanford University, and if you still have registered, it’s not too late to do so! To sweeten the deal, travel grants of $100 are still available for SSA members. Austin Dacey, author of The Secular Conscience, is delivering the keynote address. I’m sad I can’t be there, but it’s only because of work obligations, not because I don’t want to go. These conferences are a… Read more
David Hayward dissects a seemingly innocuous church sign and hits a home run (click on image to enlarge): (via nakedpastor) Read more
The Foundation Beyond Belief is conducting a survey to find out information about non-religious parents: Foundation Beyond Belief has two sides — a humanist charitable giving program, and an education and support program for secular parents. The intrepid and talented Ute Mitchell (of CFI Portland’s outstanding secular parent program) has signed on as our Foundation’s Parent Community Coordinator. Her first task is taking the pulse of the secular parenting world — finding out just who we are and what parents… Read more
Rob Sherman is challenging Illinois legislators over money they’ve earmarked for their own pet projects — many of which enhance their personal faith and are easily a conflict of interest. Here’s just one example: State Representative LaShawn Ford (D-08) voted to send a Grant of $500,000 (see Page 129 of the Details List) to Christ the King Jesuit College Preparatory School, a Roman Catholic parochial high school on the West Side of Chicago, for a new building. LaShawn is a… Read more
Fred Phelps and his crew descended upon Twitter’s offices in San Francisco the other day. Protesters were ready. And hilarious. I love seeing absurd beliefs fought like this. So much better than a shouting match. And there are plenty more examples of fighting crazy with humor when it comes to the Westboro Baptist Church. It’s not the sort of thing you could really pull off at a funeral, but I have to believe people treating them as a joke just… Read more
In Tampa, Florida, the City Council conducts pre-meeting prayers. Not surprisingly, atheists are not happy about this and they want to see the practice stopped. (I’m not sure where non-Christians are, but they have a right to be mad, too. Hell, so do Christians who support church/state separation.) But there’s a right way and a wrong way to persuade people that your argument against the prayers is a good one. Rob Curry, the newly-hired executive director of the Atheists of… Read more
Greetings Richard, My name is Sophie Francoeur (an alias) and I felt inspired to write to you because of your quality responses that appear on Mehta’s blog. I am writing concerning a friend who is debating whether to join the priesthood. My friend and I have long decided that we would pursue doctoral studies, which in my case is happening, and which for him was the plan until this rather disappointing news of a possible career change. My friend is… Read more
84-year-old Milton Christian received a Bronze Star on Tuesday for his “heroic service” in World War II. It’s a belated honor, but a well-deserved one: From 1943 to 1946 Christian served as a machine gunner with the 29th Infantry Division. He doesn’t consider himself a hero, although his collection of medals tells another story — Purple Heart, Good Conduct Medal, European-African Middle Eastern Campaign medal, Victory Medal, Combat Infantryman Badge 1st Award, Honorable Service Lapel Button, Marskman Badge — ribbons… Read more
