Robert Brockway at Cracked has an entertaining review of this book he just read. It’s called The Holy Bible: As readers we’re enthralled by the mystic action; wondering exactly what kind of creature this God is, why he has these powers and what on earth he’s going to do with them, and then all of a sudden we’re pulled out of the action and forced to sit idly while the author describes an entire week (day by day) in God’s… Read more
By Ellie Levenson’s logic, many atheists spring from fundamentalist religious families. Therefore, if you’re taught fundamentalist atheism (i.e. at Camp Quest UK), you will become religious! So Richard Dawkins’ five-day atheist summer camp in Somerset this week, in which all the children will be taught about rational scepticism, moral philosophy and evolutionary biology, is bound ultimately to disappoint them when they realise that most people they will come across in life are rationality-challenged. What’s more, it may well teach children… Read more
Atheist Eoban Binder appeared on Fox & Friends this morning to talk about the Indiana Atheist Bus Campaign’s recent victory! Eoban handled himself well, especially considering I wanted to scream when either Steve Doocy or Pastor Tony Taylor said anything. Recall the ad in question: What was Taylor’s response to it? “I feel it’s an outright attack on Christianity. I feel like the language of it is inflammatory… I think that this is just an agenda trying to get passed… Read more
A few weeks ago, the New Brunswick Telegraph-Journal reported that Canadian Prime Minister Stephen Harper had pocketed a communion wafer he was offered at a funeral. Video of the incident is below: The video shows him taking the wafer but it doesn’t show what he does with it. Rob Linke and Adam Huras reported the story for the paper and their article began like this: A senior New Brunswick Roman Catholic priest is demanding the Prime Minister’s Office explain what… Read more
This is the Jubilee Market in Chicago (pics courtesy of Rob Sherman): (You can see the fine print on that second pic — “Serving You with the Care of Christ” and “Believe in Jesus Christ and Be Saved… Acts 16:31”) If you look at other pics of the place, it only gets more Jesufied. Not surprising since it is basically a Christian convenience store. Jubilee Market is going to receive $1,000,000 in taxpayer money “for costs associated with capital improvements”… Read more
Dale McGowan makes a case for why parents should (in moderation and for a purpose) lie to their children in his latest column for Humanist Network News: When my youngest asked, “How far away is the Sun?”, I said, “Twenty feet,” precisely so she would look at me and say, “Dad, you dork!!” When my kids ask what’s for dinner, I often say, “Monkey lungs, go wash up.” When the fifth grader doing her homework asks what seven times seven… Read more
If you’re a Chicagoan and you’ve gone through a “debaptism” ceremony, a reporter would like to speak with you. Please let me know ASAP if you’re willing to talk to her. Read more
When I think of Cobb County in Georgia, the first thing that comes to mind is the fact that, in 2005, school officials put stickers inside the Biology textbooks that read, “evolution is only a theory.” But now I can think of something more pleasant. On Tuesday night, American Atheists President Ed Buckner delivered the invocation in front of the Board of Commissioners. But first, the Board Chairman Sam Olens issued a disclaimer basically saying Buckner was only allowed to… Read more
I mentioned a 7-year-old kid who stole his parents car so he wouldn’t have to go to church. Now, we have police video of the incident! It’s funny to watch (knowing the kid wasn’t injured)… the highlight comes at the 45-second mark. (Thanks to Dan for the link!) Read more
The Evangel Cathedral has one freaky little website. It gets very loud after you get through the intro. You may want some gauze close by so you can wrap some around your ears after they start bleeding. You’ve been warned. … I do enjoy the pastor’s facial expressions in the upper left. I also like that when I click on “Prayer Requests,” it sounds like a porno is about to begin. What type of person does all this appeal to,… Read more