At yesterday’s Papal Protest (sponsored by American Atheists), several people gathered to hold “peaceful demonstrations… to protest the papal agenda for cultural, social and political hegemony.” Herb Silverman, the president of the Secular Coalition for America, was one of the attendees and speakers. These were his remarks (reprinted with permission): A Catholic News Service article mentioned that Pope Benedict XVI will be paying close attention to what people have to say in the United States. “This pope is a great… Read more
… from the end. But we’re not last! (Thank you, Scientologists.) Maybe one day, we’ll be as popular as Muslims… We can dream, can’t we? On a side note, who are these 36% of people giving neutral ratings to Fundamentalist Christians? How can one be neutral when it comes to literal belief in the Bible and people who want to turn this country into a Christocracy? (via Sandwalk) [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags] Read more
Ouch. The ignorance. It reeks. Of spoiled bananas. Ray Comfort says it “May Become the World’s 2nd Most Hated Book.” 2nd most hated?! Really? No, no, no… a book has to be read in order to be hated. And a book with no substance doesn’t deserve to be read. Unless, if by “hated,” he means “found in the Wal-Mart bargain bin.” Then I suppose he has a point… All this from the guy who believes our inability to find a… Read more
Sondra, an 18-year-old college student, posted this comment on the Friendly Atheist Forums: I was raised Catholic. Very Catholic. You’re-going-to-hell-if-you’re-not-Catholic-Catholic. I was also homeschooled, and didn’t really have much social interaction as a kid. I spent a lot of time in the library, and I liked it that way. My parents decision to homeschool was partly due to my older sister getting picked on by some of the girls in her grade — my dad stated often that he wanted… Read more
Rudis Muiznieks is the creator of Cectic, the webcomic with an atheist/skeptical bent. I have some favorites… like this one. And that one. This was good, too. Don’t forget this one. Or the topical ones. Cectic is quickly growing in popularity, with each new comic now immediately followed by a flurry of links to it from the atheist blogosphere and beyond. At least that what it seems like in my feed reader. Rudis graciously answered some of my questions about… Read more
But it’s still good to know what a few non-religious college students are up to. At Minnesota State University, Mankato, the Campus Atheists and Agnostics are hosting an Ask an Atheist event this Thursday evening: I’d love to know what the religious students ask them… If you had the chance, what questions would you ask these young atheists? … A little closer to my neck of the woods, Chris Olson, the president of the UIC Rationalists and Freethinkers (RAFT), is… Read more
Yep, Ray Comfort was right. You know you won’t be able to sleep tonight. [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags] Read more
Eric Zorn, talking about atheist Rob Sherman and his recent remarks about Illinois state Rep. Monique Davis: If he were the type to back down every time someone criticized him or claimed hurt feelings, he never would have made the mark he’s made. But every effective crusader needs to be able to tell the difference between when he’s fighting the good fight and when he finds himself where Sherman finds himself today, on the wrong side of a bad fight…. Read more
Take a guess: What percent of all adults tithe? What percent of all adults give 10% or more of their income to a church or non-profit group? It’s not a huge amount. Just 5%, according to the latest research by the Barna Group. Who gives more to churches and/or non-profits? Among the most generous segments were evangelicals (24% of whom tithed); conservatives (12%); people who had prayed, read the Bible and attended a church service during the past week (12%);… Read more
In high school, I wanted a high GPA. At first, like everyone else, it was because I wanted to get into a good college. Very quickly, that reason changed… College became a secondary goal. I just wanted a high GPA so I could be ranked higher than my classmates. At some point during my freshman year, I realized I could manipulate the system to inflate my class ranking. At my high school, getting an A in “regular” classes earned you… Read more
