Interesting: Deal or No Deal presented as an allegory to explain “why people cling to religion despite it making not a jot of difference to their lives.” At random a contestant is selected – a Chosen One if you will. This Chosen One is convinced he has the best box in the room. He believes that his happiness lies within the box but in reality he won’t find out til the end of the game what exactly it is and… Read more
Ken Ham and the folks from Answers In Genesis (they of the Creation Museum) are hosting a forum called Darwin: His life. His science. His impact. Somehow, I don’t suspect it will be either fair or balanced. They could use your help, though! They need audience members for the show because they’re filming a DVD… (PDF). The event takes place at Cincinnati Christian University next Tuesday night, December 16th. I’m sure they won’t mind if some inquisitive students drop by… Read more
In response to the American Humanist Association’s Atheist Bus Campaign in Washington, D.C., a Christian woman is trying to raise money for a Christian response ad: PhillyChief offers a revised version of that ad on his site that I think is more honest and would probably get *much* more publicity if placed on a D.C. bus… Read more
Benjamin Tupper, an atheist captain in the Army National Guard, recently shared a story about a friend of his from Afghanistan on National Public Radio. It’s a sad story, but two aspects of it stood out to me: There are indeed atheists in foxholes. We need to correct anyone who says otherwise. There can be a powerful bond formed between two people when they realize it’s more important to be kind than to be right. Religious debate was friendly and… Read more
Amy from Alabama is starting an atheist group in Gadsden. But she needs help coming up with a good group name. An acronym would be preferred. Any suggestions? Does it matter to you whether the name is punny or straightforward — For example, would you prefer something like Students For a Nonreligious Ethos (SANE) or the more straightforward and less acronym-friendly Atheist Student Association (ASA)? Read more
At the Greater Grace Pentecostal Temple in Detroit on Sunday, the congregation figured out how to solve the Big Three bailout — praying: They are also fasting. “I don’t know what’s going to happen, but we need prayer,” [Bishop Charles H. Ellis III] said. “When it’s all said and done, we’re all in this thing together.” … “We have done all that we can do in this union, so I turn it over to the Lord,” General Holiefield, a U.A.W…. Read more
happycynic wants to start an atheist group at his college. The atheists he knows are a mixture of militant and not-so-offensive. Some people are agnostics, some are skeptics, some are Pastafarians. Not everyone has the same agenda. Some want to debate. Some want to actively promote non-theism. Some just a group for the social aspects. In an email, he asks the question: Do you have any advice for making a successful atheist student group? How do you get a group… Read more
This comic from Quantz is posing a Venn Diagram challenge: Of course, it would still be based in mythology and faulty reasoning… Clearly, something to strive for. I do like the Venn Diagram idea, though. Jessica Hagy, I’m looking at you. (Thanks to Patrick and Rose for the link!) Read more
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has been taking a lot of criticism recently for placing their pro-atheism signs next to Nativity scenes on public property. Bill O’Reilly is leading the charge. Sandhya Bathija of Americans United for Separation of Church and State makes an important point, though: The irony is that O’Reilly’s fury really should be directed at none other than the Alliance Defense Fund (ADF) — a Religious Right legal group that O’Reilly supports in ideology. The ADF brought… Read more
***Update***: The author has removed her posting and its follow-up. No word on the Nativity scene, though. … I understand public high school classrooms putting up holiday decorations this time of year — lights, ornaments, even small trees. But a Nativity scene? That’s what Crystal, a Christian teacher from Georgia, seems to have done… This week, my 3rd period class decorated my room for Christmas. In a public school. With a tree, ornaments, lights and NATIVITY SCENE! And ya know… Read more
