This weekend is the annual Blog Against Theocracy. Write your Constitution-defending, separation-of-church-and-state-promoting, non-religion-bashing post and submit it here The compilation of all the postings will be made after the weekend. [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags] Read more
The Pennsylvania state senate begins each day with a religious prayer, usually from a Christian pastor. Americans United for Separation of Church and State requested that the “prayer policy” be amended — they they should use a non-sectarian prayer so people of other faiths or no faiths were not excluded and state/church separation was not violated. While the non-sectarian prayer idea hasn’t made much headway, one senator is at least taking a step forward: Paul Carpenter, a columnist for the… Read more
Comedian (and star of Britain’s The Office) Ricky Gervais discusses “How I went from Jesus-loving Christian to fun-loving infidel… in one afternoon”: But anyway, there I was, happily drawing my hero when my big brother Bob asked, “Why do you believe in God?” Just a simple question. But my mum panicked. “Bob,” she said, in a tone that I knew meant “shut up.” Why was that a bad thing to ask? If there was a God and my faith was… Read more
In case you didn’t want to read the few paragraphs of PZ Myers’ story, you can see him discuss the incident with Richard Dawkins: (via RichardDawkins.net) [tags]atheist, atheism[/tags] Read more
In an article for the Huffington Post, Sam Harris writes about what Barack Obama “Could Not (and Should Not) Say” during his speech about race. He did not say that the mess he is in has as much to do with religion as with racism–and, indeed, religion is the reason why our political discourse in this country is so scandalously stupid. … The problem of religious fatalism, ignorance, and false hope, while plain to see in most religious contexts, is… Read more
Deborah made some hot atheist buns for the holiday weekend. Instead of piping macabre crosses on each one, I made atheist “A”s, ‘though not in scarlet. I didn’t think the food colouring would survive the baking process. The sharp-eyed reader will notice that the buns are in a checker pattern, half with currants and sultanas and glace (candied) peel, and half without; the little godless heathens in my house don’t like dried fruit. The finished product looks athelicious: Yummers. We… Read more
After PZ Myers’ Expelled experience, even The New York Times is getting in on the action. And the film’s producer, Mark Mathis, comes off looking ignorant as usual. When asked why PZ was kicked out of the screening, but Richard Dawkins was not, Mathis said this: Mark Mathis, a producer of the film who attended the screening, said that “of course” he had recognized Dr. Dawkins, but allowed him to attend because “he has handled himself fairly honorably, he is… Read more
Quick question: What did former NY governor Eliot Spitzer do that was so wrong? An article by Ruth N. Geller in Humanist Network News tackles the “Client 9” scandal with a focus on Humanist ethics. One person cited in the story is Lewis Vaughn, author of the Institute for Humanist Studies’ Continuum of Humanist Education Ethics curriculum: Vaughn feels that most humanists will separate the Spitzer scandal into several discrete issues: the hypocrisy unveiled is one thing; the illegalities are… Read more
Well, at least 32% of them: Report: 32% Of Prayers Deflected Off Passing SatellitesHOUSTON—According to an official NASA report released Saturday, nearly 32 percent of all prayers exiting Earth are deflected off satellites orbiting the planet—ultimately preventing the discharged requests for divine intervention from ever making it to the Gates of Heaven. “After impact with the satellite, these diverted prayers typically plummet back into the atmosphere, where they either burn up or eventually land, unanswered, in a body of water,”… Read more
Tell me this picture isn’t the most disturbing thing you’ve seen all day: That’s Creation Museum founder and Answers in Genesis president Ken Ham and six of his young fans wearing “I ♥ Ham” shirts. He must be stopped. I mean, we all know children should only be allowed to wear clothing with my likeness on it! Bjorn created just the thing to do it a little while back: It’s hip and disturbing at the same time! And from what… Read more
