Ken Bronstein said it. Not me. Bronstein and the New York City Atheists were featured in Gillian Reagan’s article on the “new breed of book clubs” in The New York Observer. The New York City Atheists book club can take six months to get through an assigned reading. “There is an intellectual masturbation going on here,” said Ken Bronstein, the garrulous leader of the NYC Atheists, who hosts the group’s book club at his Upper East Side home at 79th… Read more
Too funny. John Ordover sent this in. He was looking at a picture of Jesus (or rather, an artist’s interpretation of what Jesus might have looked like) when he realized a piece of toast had miraculously appeared on it. I think this must be a message from John’s toaster! But can we be sure that actually is a piece of toast? It kinda looks like a granola bar to me. Thank you, Museum of Hoaxes. (via Bad Astronomy Blog) [tags]atheist,… Read more
Pope Benedict XVI is going to be visiting the United States in a couple weeks. American Atheists have has something to say about that (at least in DC and NYC): AMERICAN ATHEISTS will be hosting peaceful demonstrations in both cities to protest the papal agenda for cultural, social and political hegemony. We invite all Atheist, Freethought, Secular Humanists and other nonbelievers to join us in speaking out. Whatever label you use to describe your nonbelief and opposition to clerical authoritarianism… Read more
An email message I don’t get every day, courtesy of Katie: … I’m sitting at a picnic table right now and a bird pooped about 1/2 a foot away from me and it splattered onto your book… I feel like I should apologize for letting a bird poop on your book. So… Sorry.) You let my book touch a picnic table? That’s just wrong… [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags] Read more
Here’s a long list of questions for God… along with answers that God’s followers have offered for them. (Thanks to Emily for the link!) [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags] Read more
Earmarks are “congressional provisions directing approved funds to be spent on specific projects.” In other words, legislators can direct federal money to pet projects (usually in their cities or states). The Secular Coalition for America reviewed 24 Congressional appropriations committee reports from the fiscal year 2008. They found over 140 earmarks that are “constitutionally suspect.” Those earmarks — set aside for religious activities — total nearly $30,000,000. Among the projects financed by your money? Training programs for evangelical ministers, homeless… Read more
Last week, I ran this contest: If religions were fonts, what fonts would they be and why…? Here are the Top 10 responses (with submitters)! 10| The font for Scientology would be Times Extra New Roman, which they promise is newer and better than all the old fonts, costs $10,000, but ends up looking exactly the same. (Please don’t sue me.) (HM) 9| Times Old Roman – because there’s nothing like some good ol’ fashioned human sacrifice, child boinking and… Read more
I posted this before, but grants are still available. Please consider applying! All the information is below. The Secular Student Alliance is having its annual conference the first weekend in June in conjunction with the American Humanist Association and the International Humanist and Ethical Union. High school and college students (even grad students) who wish to attend the Washington, D.C. conference can still apply for an SSA travel grant! Thanks to generous donations from the Roxbury Foundation, the American Humaniast… Read more
***Update***: Yep. I confused myself. (All fundies and their colleges are interchangeable to me…) Mistakes are fixed below. They are perfect for each other. Chuck Norris will be giving the commencement speech to graduates of Liberty University, founded by the late Jerry Falwell. Funny thing: the Chuck Norris facts probably have more truth in them than the Biology classes at the university. Can’t wait to read that speech. (via Dispatches from the Culture Wars) [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags] Read more
A Russian cult had been living underground for the past six months (sans TV or radio) awaiting the end of the world. Looks like most of them have given up on that idea. 21 out of 35 of them to be exact. They said they received a “sign from God” that they should leave the bunker: it began caving in. Even though they’ve come out of the cave, “the group will remain in a so-called prayer house in the nearby… Read more
