by Jesse Galef – I like to give credit where credit is due. And this Doritos Superbowl commercial created by the Mosaic megachurch is funny: The Christian Post gives a strangely detailed blow-by-blow: Mosaic’s 30-second commercial is called “Casket” and is about a man whose last wish is to be buried in “a giant casket with Doritos [chips].” The man, however, is only pretending to be dead and is shown enjoying Doritos chips in his coffin and watching a football… Read more
Stephan Baldwin channels Ray Comfort and other evolution-deniers by asking a question that displays ignorance right off the bat. Richard Dawkins answers it (and wins): It’s both funny and sad when you realize the person who is the most ignorant about evolution is the person who appears to be the most confident in his knowledge of it. (via Atheist Media Blog) Read more
How can Iowa be so good on gay rights and so bad on religious freedom? Mount Auburn Rep. Dawn Pettengill (R) is trying to get a law passed that would force new congresspersons to say “so help me God” when being sworn into office. Pettengill dismisses concerns her proposal would offend lawmakers who may not believe in God. She said it’s potentially offensive to her not to have the phrase in the oath. *facepalm* If she wants to say it,… Read more
An essay in defense of “The Magnetic Poetry of Fred Phelps,” by Josh Garrett-Davis: … it’s hard not to be drawn in by [Westboro Baptist Church’s] language, both as shocking, stifled-laugh comedy and as fight-picking. I can’t deny the appeal of a line like “For all eternity, Liz Taylor will be tormented with fire and brimstone, everlasting fire, eternal punishment, shame and everlasting contempt, the resurrection of damnation, tribulation, wrath, indignation, anguish…” Or the elegant Calvinist antimetabole of “God does… Read more
Finally, a fatwa I can actually get behind! The 20 imams associated with the Islamic Supreme Council of Canada said this marked the first fatwa by the Muslim clergy declaring attacks on Canada and the U.S. to be attacks on Muslims. “In our view, these attacks are evil, and Islam requires Muslims to stand up against this evil,” the imams said in their fatwa. They *would* be Canadian… 🙂 Good for them. I’ll take this anytime. I wanted to call… Read more
Joe Zemecki and several atheists in Austin, Texas helped the homeless (again) over the past weekend — it’s their 7th such giveaway: What a wonderful project. So easy to put together, relatively cheap compared to other events, and well-appreciated by the people receiving the goods. I hope their giveaways continue. On another note, I had a chance to meet Noelle George over the weekend. Noelle runs the SECULAR Center in Houston, Texas — another group that focuses on volunteering and… 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. Hello Richard, I found your site while looking for help for my daughter, and you seem to be an expert. My sixteen year old daughter just told me she was an atheist. I do not know what to do or who to turn to. Other than this, she is a very good girl. Is this a phase… Read more
A little over a year ago, 16-year-old Neil Beagley was suffering from an inflammation of his urethra. He was unable to pee as a result of this. His kidneys and bladder stopped working, he had heart failure, and he died a painful death. This was all treatable. So why didn’t his parents help him? Why did Neil refuse any medical help? How could presumably sane parents watch their child die slowly and not get any actual medical help? Police said… Read more
Bradley Byrne, a Republican candidate for governor in Alabama, made a mistake in November. He said this in a Mobile Press-Register interview: “I believe there are parts of the Bible that are meant to be literally true and parts that are not.” That made the whole world mad, apparently. How *dare* he not take the whole Bible literally?! Last week, he made amends… by standing outside a Piggly Wiggly grocery store and announcing: “I believe the Bible is true… Every… Read more
