An article at Religion News Service by S.J. Velasquez discussing how atheists are getting our message out via Twitter: Social networking sites and microblog hosts like Twitter are drawing atheists and agnostics out of seclusion and giving them a platform on which they can discuss and debate their religious beliefs — or lack thereof — with the world. The online buzz surrounding the Creation Museum trip is just one example of how atheists are using the Internet to band together… Read more
The Iowa Atheist Bus Campaign went up, down, and back up again. What did we learn from all this? For one, the ads are great for business. It helps the advertising companies: Since [the Iowa ads went back up], DART has received at least five calls from potential new advertisers, said Kirsten Baer-Harding, DART advertising manager. At least one was from a religious group, she said. In many cities there have been counter advertisements to ads like the ones run… Read more
I don’t dance. Ever. It’s for your benefit. But my cousin is getting married in a few weeks and a few of us family friends decided we should do an Indian dance for her. Actually, they decided to do it and said I had to join them or else. The dance is now choreographed. It includes some Michael Jackson moves, the Macarena, and a Charlie’s Angels pose among regular Bollywood-ish moves. We’ll perform it in a few weeks. In full… Read more
A reader (K) recently had a conversation in which Santa Claus came up. K said that Santa Claus wasn’t real. It wasn’t a big deal or anything at the time, but she worries about what would’ve happened if other parents were around, heard it, and complained. What if their children were present? K writes: My husband and I are not yet parents, but we have discussed many points of parenting, the first point being that we will not lie to… Read more
I asked for pictures of you as babies dressed in costumes and you delivered! Reader Lorry’s daughter never needs another pair of clothing. Just wear this nonstop and all will be right with the world: This costume worked for BlagHag Jen as a child, and I will petition for a revival this Halloween: I don’t know reader Tony’s daughter, but she is now the posterchild for what I will do with my child one day. Look at her. She loves… Read more
JulietEcho recently attended the funeral of an acquaintance. The woman had died at a young age, and while the family wasn’t religious, they had a minister speak at the funeral. It’s bad enough that the minister knew nothing about the deceased woman… but he decided to take the opportunity to preach to everyone grieving in the audience: Then he started to preach fire and brimstone. He said that the dead woman had attended church when she was a kid and… Read more
A new charter school is opening in Idaho. It will use the Bible as the primary source for teaching material. It will be introduced to ninth graders in western civilization classes. Officials with the yet-to-open Nampa Classical Academy say the Bible will be taught for its literary and historic qualities, as part of a secular education program. School headmaster Val Bush says students will also explore several versions of creationism as part of their studies. Unless this is part of… Read more
Reader Sarah faces a dilemma: My mother has sent me boxes of books that I collected as a teenager, which she has been storing for me rent-free (thanks, Mom!). One of these boxes contains the first eight or so books from the Left Behind series, of which I was a devoted reader back when I toyed with charismatic evangelicalism. I am simply torn up about what to do with them. I don’t want to keep them around (because on top… Read more
Here in Chicago this Saturday at 1:00 p.m., near the Bean, there will be a lot of PDAs taking place. In fact, people will be kissing all over the country at that time as part of the Great Nationwide Kiss-In. It’s in response to the gay couples who have recently been arrested for kissing their same-sex partners. The purpose is to show that kissing is not a bad thing, so “bring your husband or wife or partner or boyfriend or… Read more
I can’t decide whether or not this is a Poe. If it is, it is very well done. The first few seconds alone are pure gold. Even if it’s a joke, and even though I was never Hindu, I’m pretty sure this is what my high school experience would have been like had I stayed in Tennessee… (via Cynical-C Blog) Read more
