This post is by Jesse Galef, who works for the Secular Coalition for America. He also blogs at Rant & Reason … My organization, the Secular Coalition for America, is sending me to Netroots Nation this weekend in Pittsburgh. I have to miss the first day – it starts on a Thursday – but it should be an exciting trip. I just had to change to an earlier flight for tomorrow because otherwise I would miss an interesting panel: A… Read more
You may have already heard that atheist Derek Rodgers was expelled from the Creation Museum after wearing a shirt reading the bus campaign slogan, “There’s probably no god. Now stop worrying and enjoy your life.” The words “No God” were large, front and center. (pic via Young Australian Skeptics) Derek was told by museum staff to turn his shirt inside-out, and he did. Later, he was telling some friends in the museum gift shop that he wouldn’t buy anything because… Read more
***Update***: There’s a Facebook event for this party! … To the Chicagoans: Save the date of Saturday, September 5th. We’ll be having an atheist party (with British guests) at Matisse that evening! It begins at 7:30 p.m. More information to come. Skepchick Elyse will be there. Me too. And did I mention the British people? How can you resist?! Read more
Almost four years ago, these cartoons of Muhammad appeared in the Danish newspaper Jyllands-Posten and created an uproar: Many fundamentalist Muslims took to violence because of the depictions, which they felt were forbidden according to the Koran. (Though there’s more to that explanation.) Of course, their religious beliefs have no bearing on how the rest of us use our right to free speech. We don’t have to respect or abide by their silly rules. But due to fear, most major… Read more
Tulsa, Oklahoma mayorial candidate Anna Falling is running on a platform of Christianity. And nothing else, it seems. The least of her problems is that she wants the Tulsa Zoo to include an exhibit on Creationism. More importantly, look who she wants running the city: “We will also look for people who want to characterize the origins of both man and animals in a way that honors Judeo-Christian science that proves God as the creator,” she said. When asked whether… Read more
Is this every atheist parent’s worst nightmare? Imagine your child grows up to be an evangelical Christian or Scientologist! Dale McGowan explains how to handle this situation: As usual, Dale holds a view that I would hope others do, too. There’s a difference between fundamentalist faith and an intelligent theist who accepts the world (and evolution and geology) as it is but also thinks a God could have a role in developing and guiding that world. If you raise your… Read more
The other person is bound to say something you find irrational: Artist Cody Cobb writes this in an email: I can’t help but think I’m going about this wrong. I wish I could overlook the absurdities, but I can’t. It seems my one simple deal-breaker — looking at the world honestly — is too much. (via 90% True) Read more
Because when they’re not, even atheists don’t want to show up. Chris explains what would have to happen before he attended one: … I think perhaps if my wife was out of town, my friends all died, my cat had really bad diarrhea while all the electricity went out leaving my tv and computer useless… and if all my musical instruments were broken along with the disappearance of every writing instrument and paper product and the closing of all music… Read more
The only study I’ve ever seen of atheists in jail is from 1997 and it shows that we make up only 0.2% of the U.S. prison population. Some more recent statistics about prisoners were just released in England. Religion Population No religion 26,626 Church of England 23,039 Roman Catholic 14,296 Muslim 9,795 Buddhist 1,737 Sikh 648 Atheist 570 Agnostic 514 Hindu 434 Pagan 366 Rastafarian 340 Jehovah’s Witness 230 Jewish 220 Scientology 3 Here’s how Martin Beckford of the Telegraph… Read more
The American Psychological Association has stated what most of us have known for quite some time: your sexuality doesn’t change and gay-to-straight therapies are useless at best and harmful at worst. The American Psychological Association adopted a resolution Wednesday stating that mental health professionals should avoid telling clients that they can change their sexual orientation through therapy or other treatments. … Based on this review, the task force recommended that mental health professionals avoid misrepresenting the efficacy of sexual orientation… Read more
