FreeThoughtAction

ARONRA, TF00T n ZOMGitsCRISS, doin the REASON RALLY!

2012-02-23T23:28:00.001-08:00

Do You Believe in a Secular America? Ten Point Vision contest Winner

2012-02-23T23:22:00.001-08:00

Coalition of Organizations Submits Comments on Proposed Faith-Based Regulations

2012-02-23T23:21:00.001-08:00

The regulations proposed by the Department of Commerce would remove current restrictions that bar the federal government from releasing federally funded property to private organizations if it will, at any point, be used for inherently religious activities. Our comments urged the Commerce Department to reject the proposed rule. The comments focused on the fact that the current restrictions on using federally funded property for religious purposes are mandated by Supreme Court precedent (both Tilton and Nyquist). And, we expressed our disappointment that the current Administration would propose abolishing constitutional protections that even the Bush Administration deemed necessary. In addition, we objected to the proposed rule because it conflicts with the process and "fundamental principles" established by Obama's Executive Order 13,559. In particular, the proposed rule would ignore the mandate to "promote uniformity in agencies' policies that have implications for faith-based and other neighborhoods organizations and in related guidance."

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/legislative/coalition-of-organizations-submits-comments-on-proposed-faith-based-regulations

Muslim Admits to Attacking Atheist; Muslim Judge Dismisses Case

2012-02-23T23:19:00.000-08:00

The Pennsylvania State Director of American Atheists, Inc., Mr. Ernest Perce V., was assaulted by a Muslim while participating in a Halloween parade. Along with a Zombie Pope, Ernest was costumed as Zombie Muhammad. The assault was caught on video, the Muslim man admitted to his crime and charges were filed in what should have been an open-and-shut case. That's not what happened, though.

MORE: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/society/crime/muslim-admits-attacking-atheist-muslim-judge-dismisses-case

See also...

Atheist Gets Trial By Quasi-Sharia From American Muslim Judge (with video coverage)
http://amyalkon.mensnewsdaily.com/2012/02/23/atheist-gets-trial-by-quasi-sharia-from-american-muslim-judge/

Muslim Admits to Attacking Atheist; Muslim Judge Dismisses Case
http://www.aina.org/news/20120223134846.htm

Atheist Leader Cites Founding Fathers While Defending Demand for Removal of 10 Commandments in N.C.

2012-02-23T23:15:00.001-08:00

Earlier this month, The Blaze told you about a drama unfolding between the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an atheist and freethinking group based in Wisconsin, and a local government in North Carolina. The non-believing group is demanding that officials remove a Ten Commandments plaque that is hanging in the Newland Town Hall.

MORE: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/atheist-leader-cites-founding-fathers-while-defending-demand-for-removal-of-10-commandments-in-n-c/

Groups on the Left and Right Agree: Florida School Prayer Bill is Unconstitutional

2012-02-23T23:14:00.002-08:00

Florida's public school prayer bill, SB 98, has passed the full Senate and the House Judiciary Committee and moves to the House floor for a vote as soon as today.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/legislative/groups-on-the-left-and-right-agree-florida-school-prayer-bill-is-unconstitutional

Creationism Kicked: Indiana Bill Killed Over Fears Of Costly Litigation

2012-02-23T23:12:00.001-08:00

Indiana House Speaker Brian Bosma has decided to table legislation that would have mandated the teaching of “creation science” in public schools. The bill had passed the Indiana Senate, albeit with a modification requiring the teaching of other theories on the origins of life on Earth from several religions, including Christianity, Judaism, Islam, Hinduism, Buddhism and Scientology.

The problem was that no matter how Indiana lawmakers tried to modify the bill, there was no getting around the fact that it was blatantly unconstitutional.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/creationism-kicked-indiana-bill-killed-over-fears-of-costly-litigation

Atheist student's editorial pulled from paper

2012-02-23T23:10:00.001-08:00

The editorial titled "No Rights: The Life of an Atheist" accuses administrators, teachers and coaches of promoting their Christian beliefs with students.

Krystal Myers told the Knoxville News Sentinel that as captain of the swim team she felt compelled to participate in Christian prayers before swim meets (http://bit.ly/xqEXP6 ). She also complained that school board meetings begin with prayers and that teachers often use Bible verses for a "Quote of the day" they write on classroom boards.

MORE: http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Atheist-student-s-editorial-pulled-from-paper-3355802.php

See also...

Atheist Teen Discriminated Against by Tennessee High School
http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981137754

Atheist student's editorial pulled from paper
http://www.knoxnews.com/news/2012/feb/23/atheist-students-editorial-pulled-from-paper/

Prayer banner: Atheist teen speaks out, lands $44,000 scholarship

2012-02-23T23:08:00.001-08:00

A Rhode Island teen is learning that it pays to deny the existence of God: Prominent atheists plan to present Jessica Ahlquist with a scholarship of at least $44,000 -- and possibly more.

MORE: http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-nn-na-jessica-ahlquist-atheist-teen-wins-40000-scholarship-20120222,0,6201324.story

See also...

Teen atheist gets $40K scholarship (with short video)
http://www.wpri.com/dpp/news/local_news/west_bay/teen-atheist-jessica-ahlquist-gets-40k-scholarship

Blacks say atheists were unseen civil rights heroes

2012-02-23T23:05:00.004-08:00

"So often you hear about religious people involved in the civil rights movement, and as well you should, but there were also humanists," said Norm R. Allen Jr. of the Institute for Science and Human Values, a humanist organization based in Tampa, Fla.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/blacks-say-atheists-were-unseen-civil-rights-heroes/2012/02/22/gIQAfLklTR_story.html

See also...

For atheists of color, 'coming out' can be painful
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/for-atheists-of-color-coming-out-can-be-painful/2012/02/23/gIQAVXqHWR_story.html

The Journey to Unbelief

2012-02-23T23:03:00.003-08:00

Science is not about absolute immutable truth but is all about building levels of confidence in ideas and expressing them in terms of theories or laws. Quite literally, science asks and answers what you can bet on a theory. A few dollars? Human lives? Every day, we bet thousands of lives on the laws of aerodynamics and we have bet the existence of our society on the theory of electromagnetism. How did we come to have such towering confidence in a theory that was developed purely from human curiosity and is only slightly older than the theory of evolution?

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/nicholas-warner/atheism-deepak-chopra_b_1296771.html

See also...

How To Have An Atheist Wedding Ceremony
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/anne-naylor/how-to-have-an-atheist-we_b_1285840.html

Wasn’t Atheism Responsible for Most 20th Century Atrocities?
http://www.dailynexus.com/2012-02-22/wasnt-atheism-responsible-20th-century-atrocities/

Earlier...

What Nonbelievers Believe
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201202/what-nonbelievers-believe

Mormons baptize Holocaust victim Anne Frank posthumously, says report

2012-02-23T23:00:00.002-08:00

Huffington Post report follows revelation that parents of Holocaust survivor and Jewish rights advocate Simon Wiesenthal were posthumously baptized, along with Mitt Romney's atheist father-in-law Edward Davies.

MORE: http://www.haaretz.com/jewish-world/mormons-baptize-holocaust-victim-anne-frank-posthumously-says-report-1.414269

Seven states sue government over contraceptives mandate

2012-02-23T22:56:00.001-08:00

Washington (CNN) -- Seven states on Thursday filed a lawsuit against the federal government requirement that religious employers offer health insurance coverage that includes contraceptives and other birth control services.

The issue has become a political flashpoint in a presidential election year, and the lawsuit by attorneys general from Nebraska, Michigan, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Carolina, Florida and Texas was certain to keep it prominent.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/23/us/contraceptives-lawsuit/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Federal judge rules pharmacists cannot be forced to sell 'Plan B' morning-after pill

2012-02-23T22:54:00.001-08:00

TACOMA-- A federal judge ruled Wednesday that pharmacists cannot be forced by state rules to sell "morning-after" contraceptives, also known as Plan B.

MORE: http://www.q13fox.com/news/kcpq-plan-b-case-20111128,0,2657907.story?hpt=us_bn7

Virginia lawmakers halt anti-abortion 'personhood' bill

2012-02-23T22:53:00.002-08:00

PORTSMOUTH, Virginia -- Virginia lawmakers on Thursday shelved until next year a measure ultimately aimed at outlawing abortion by granting individual rights to an embryo from the moment of conception.

MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46504390/ns/us_news/

Maryland Senate approves same-sex marriage bill

2012-02-23T22:51:00.002-08:00

(CNN) -- The Maryland Senate voted Thursday evening to legalize same-sex marriage, the latest sign of growing national recognition of such unions among gay and lesbian couples.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/23/us/maryland-same-sex-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Amol Rajan: A brutal price still paid for daring to challenge faith

2012-02-23T22:50:00.002-08:00

Proof, if proof were needed, that "militant secularism" isn't having such a great time of it in modern Britain has been in plentiful supply over the past week, during which there has been a sustained and vicious assault in our media on one of our most distinguished academics. Professor Richard Dawkins (FRS, FRSL) presumably personifies militant secularism, and has been made to suffer for it.

MORE: http://www.independent.co.uk/hei-fi/views/amol-rajan-a-brutal-price-still-paid-for-daring-to-challenge-faith-7240100.html

Dozens killed in wave of attacks across Iraq

2012-02-23T22:48:00.002-08:00

(CNN) -- A series of explosions and shootings killed 44 people and injured more than 200 in Baghdad and elsewhere Thursday morning, Iraqi police said.

--snip--

Iraq's Sunni, Shiite and Kurdish leaders have squared off in recent months after an arrest warrant was issued for Tariq al-Hashimi, the country's Sunni vice president.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/23/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Obama apologizes to Afghanistan for Quran burning

2012-02-23T22:47:00.001-08:00

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan rage over the burning of Qurans by NATO troops continued Thursday even after a President Barack Obama apologized for the "error."

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/23/world/asia/afghanistan-burned-qurans/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

See also...

2 U.S. troops killed in Koran backlash
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-505263_162-57383420/2-u.s-troops-killed-in-koran-backlash/?tag=stack

Afghan's Karzai demands public trial for Quran burners
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/23/10488437-afghans-karzai-demands-public-trial-for-quran-burners

Venus, Jupiter, moon offer show for skywatchers

2012-02-23T22:44:00.002-08:00

(Space.com) Anyone out under the stars in the early evening lately likely cannot help but notice two brilliant objects dominating the western sky: the planets Venus and Jupiter.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57383925/venus-jupiter-moon-offer-show-for-skywatchers/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.10

BREAKING NEWS: Error Undoes Faster-Than-Light Neutrino Results

2012-02-23T22:43:00.003-08:00

According to sources familiar with the experiment, the 60 nanoseconds discrepancy appears to come from a bad connection between a fiber optic cable that connects to the GPS receiver used to correct the timing of the neutrinos' flight and an electronic card in a computer. After tightening the connection and then measuring the time it takes data to travel the length of the fiber, researchers found that the data arrive 60 nanoseconds earlier than assumed. Since this time is subtracted from the overall time of flight, it appears to explain the early arrival of the neutrinos. New data, however, will be needed to confirm this hypothesis.

MORE: http://news.sciencemag.org/scienceinsider/2012/02/breaking-news-error-undoes-faster.html?ref=hp

See also...

OPERA Experiment Reports Anomaly in Flight Time of Neutrinos from CERN to Gran Sasso
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120223081231.htm

New tests will tell the tale on faster-than-light neutrinos
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46495869/ns/technology_and_science-science/

On Scientology (As Told By an Ex-Scientologist)

2012-02-23T22:41:00.002-08:00

I sought out Scientology not to completely step away from my fundamentalist past, but to add to it. It started with a personality test. I then made an error that many people make when they are about to step into Scamville: I distrusted my intuition, and the facts, and believed the test, a test that showed I needed help. Scientology help.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-02-on-scientology-as-told-by-an-ex-scientologist

Brother Sam: The Reason Rally

2012-02-21T20:39:00.001-08:00

Catholic Diocese weighs in on Banner decision and atheism

2012-02-21T20:37:00.002-08:00

In an Op. Ed printed by the Rhode Island Catholic Newspaper Bishop Tobin questioned what it was like to be an atheist. He questioned what it would be like to live without faith in God, "I said it must be a very sad, in some ways a sterile joyless kind of existence." Tobin said he is not going after the atheist he just "doesn't understand it."

MORE: http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2399121&spid=37719

Midstate judge rules against atheist attacked in costume

2012-02-21T20:35:00.000-08:00

It almost sounds like the makings of a joke - an atheist, a muslim and the Mechanicsburg Halloween parade. But non-believers aren't laughing about an attack and insist what's really frightening is the way a midstate judge ruled on it.

MORE: http://www.abc27.com/story/16986440/midstate-judge-rules-against-attack-on-atheist-in-costume

Texas Toast: El Paso Church Loses Legal Case Over Political Intervention

2012-02-21T20:33:00.002-08:00

Brown's church and ministry essentially organized and coordinated the recall campaign, taking the lead role in circulating petitions. The church gathered enough signatures to put the matter on the ballot, but Brown overlooked one thing: Texas election laws prohibit corporations (which includes non-profit groups) from intervening in elections.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/texas-toast-el-paso-church-loses-legal-case-over-political-intervention

Acton Family Sues Over 'Under God' In Pledge

2012-02-21T20:31:00.002-08:00

This issue has come up before in other courts around the country. Attorney David Niose, who is representing the Acton family, is taking a new legal approach that could change the way the pledge is recited across Massachusetts.

MORE: http://radioboston.wbur.org/2012/02/20/acton-pledge-lawsuit

Gay-marriage opponents seek Prop. 8 review

2012-02-21T20:30:00.001-08:00

SAN FRANCISCO - Backers of California's same-sex marriage ban said Tuesday they will ask a federal appeals court in San Francisco to review the split decision by three of its judges that struck down the voter-approved law.

--snip--

The move means same-sex marriages will remain on hold at least until the 9th Circuit decides to accept or reject the rehearing petition.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57382065/gay-marriage-opponents-seek-prop-8-review/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.1

Mynga Futrell: The Reason Rally

2012-02-19T18:57:00.002-08:00

Babies Know What's Fair

2012-02-19T18:56:00.002-08:00

ScienceDaily -- "That's not fair!" It's a common playground complaint.

But how early do children acquire this sense of fairness? Before they're 2, says a new study. "We found that 19- and 21-month-old infants have a general expectation of fairness, and they can apply it appropriately to different situations," says University of Illinois psychology graduate student Stephanie Sloane, who conducted the study with UI's Renée Baillargeon and David Premack of the University of Pennsylvania.

--snip--

This innate moral sense might also explain the power of early trauma, Sloane says. Aside from fairness, research has shown that small children expect people not to harm others and to help others in distress. "If they witness events that violate those expectations in extreme ways, it could explain why these events have such negative and enduring consequences."

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120218134639.htm

Earlier...

The Moral Life of Babies

A growing body of evidence, though, suggests that humans do have a rudimentary moral sense from the very start of life. With the help of well-designed experiments, you can see glimmers of moral thought, moral judgment and moral feeling even in the first year of life. Some sense of good and evil seems to be bred in the bone. Which is not to say that parents are wrong to concern themselves with moral development or that their interactions with their children are a waste of time. Socialization is critically important. But this is not because babies and young children lack a sense of right and wrong; it’s because the sense of right and wrong that they naturally possess diverges in important ways from what we adults would want it to be.

MORE: http://www.nytimes.com/2010/05/09/magazine/09babies-t.html?pagewanted=all

Atheists raise $40,000 for scholarship fund for student in RI school prayer banner dispute

2012-02-19T18:53:00.000-08:00

CRANSTON, R.I. -- A national association that says there's no proof for the existence of God is managing a scholarship fund set up for a teenage atheist at the center of a dispute over a prayer banner at a Rhode Island school.

The American Humanist Association says 16-year-old Jessica Ahlquist was targeted with online threats after she challenged the constitutionality of the display at Cranston High School West. It says she stood up against her critics "with class and style."

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/education/atheists-raise-40000-for-scholarship-fund-for-student-in-ri-school-prayer-banner-dispute/2012/02/18/gIQAS665LR_story.html

Virginia's "personhood" bill is latest front in the culture war

2012-02-19T18:49:00.001-08:00

Richmond, Virginia (CNN) -- In the Virginia House of Delegates, Republican Robert Marshall is a longtime abortion opponent who has tried repeatedly to pass legislation in his state that would give rights to the unborn.

This year, on his third try, Marshall just might get his wish, and that has advocates for women's reproductive rights concerned.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/19/politics/virginia-personhood-bill/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Nepalese woman accused of witchcraft and burned alive

2012-02-19T18:47:00.001-08:00

Kathmandu, Nepal (CNN) -- A 40-year-old mother of two was burned alive in central Nepal after she was accused of being a witch, police said Saturday.

--snip--

She was beaten with sticks and rocks before being doused with kerosene and set afire, an attack witnessed by her 9-year-old daughter, according to the local police report.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/18/world/asia/nepal-witchcraft-burning/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

15 killed in suicide blast targeting Baghdad police academy

2012-02-19T18:46:00.001-08:00

Baghdad (CNN) -- Violent overnight attacks in Iraq killed nearly two dozen people Sunday.

--snip--

While nobody claimed responsibility, officials said they believed al Qaeda in Iraq was behind the attack.

--snip--

Among the victims were members of awakening councils -- groups mainly made up of Sunni Arab fighters who turned against al Qaeda.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/19/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

See also...

Official: Death toll climbs to 34 in Pakistan blast
http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/17/world/asia/pakistan-attack/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Sarah Moglia: The Reason Rally

2012-02-17T23:54:00.002-08:00

The Reason Rally Is Only Six Weeks Away!

2012-02-17T23:51:00.001-08:00

This event is for the movement, for our country, and quite literally, for our freedom. It's getting exciting! Thank you ALL for your help in making this epic event a success for all involved.

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/644990-the-reason-rally-is-only-six-weeks-away

'We Are Stronger': Atheists To Hold Massive Rally On National Mall Next Month

2012-02-17T23:50:00.002-08:00

WASHINGTON, D.C. (CBSDC) – Thousands of atheists are expected to attend the Reason Rally next month in Washington, D.C., an event that organizers hope will unify a large part of the secular community.

MORE: http://washington.cbslocal.com/2012/02/17/we-are-stronger-atheists-to-hold-massive-rally-on-national-mall-next-month/

Freethought Movement Raising $1 Million to Fight Cancer

2012-02-17T23:49:00.001-08:00

ATLANTA, Ga. (2/16/2012) -- Foundation Beyond Belief, a nontheist charity, aims to raise $1 million for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS) this year through its popular Light The Night Walk fundraising program.

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/644992-freethought-movement-raising-1-million-to-fight-cancer

Utah pays $388,000 to atheist group lawyer to resolve trooper memorial cross case

2012-02-17T23:48:00.000-08:00

Utah paid $1 to settle the case, but the Utah Attorney General’s office confirmed Friday it is paying about $388,000 in fees to a Salt Lake City lawyer who filed the case for the atheists.

MORE: http://www.rgj.com/article/20120217/NEWS13/302170052/Utah-pays-388-000-atheist-group-lawyer-resolve-trooper-memorial-cross-case

Rhode Island public school agrees to remove prayer

2012-02-17T23:46:00.000-08:00

(Reuters) - A Rhode Island school board voted on Thursday to comply with a federal court order to remove a prayer banner that has been displayed in a public high school for nearly a half century, saying the cash-strapped district cannot face a costly appeal.

MORE: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/02/17/us-prayer-banner-rhodeisland-idUSTRE81G07U20120217

See also...

Rhode Island public school committee votes not to appeal prayer banner case
http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/02/16/rhode-island-public-school-committee-votes-not-to-appeal-prayer-banner-case/

Teen Atheist 'Thrilled' RI School Won't Appeal Decision To Remove Prayer Banner
http://connecticut.cbslocal.com/2012/02/17/teen-atheist-thrilled-ri-school-wont-appeal-decision-to-remove-prayer-banner/

Rash Of Reasonableness: R.I. School Board Ends Legal Fight Over Prayer Banner
http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/rash-of-reasonableness-ri-school-board-ends-legal-fight-over-prayer-banner

ACLU, atheist teen cheer decision to remove school prayer banner
http://dailycaller.com/2012/02/17/aclu-atheist-teen-cheer-decision-to-remove-school-prayer-banner/

Earlier...

Humanists Applaud Cranston School Banner Decision To Not Appeal Federal Court Ruling
http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/02/humanists-applaud-cranston-school.html

Answers ahead for physics' puzzles

2012-02-17T23:44:00.000-08:00

This year, particle physicists are aiming to get definitive answers to the questions that consumed them last year: Does the Higgs boson, potentially the final fundamental piece of the Standard Model puzzle, actually exist? Could there be new physics beyond the Standard Model, which is arguably the most successful scientific theory of the 20th century?

And just as importantly, can neutrinos really fly faster than light, as findings from Italian lab suggested last year?

MORE: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/17/10436808-answers-ahead-for-physics-puzzles

See also...

Science Nation Army
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=NoLdL1YtRlc&feature=player_embedded#!

Grief without God is a challenge for nonbelievers

2012-02-17T23:41:00.001-08:00

Hensler is an atheist, so when people described her three-month-old son Jude as being an angel, or part of God's plan, or "in a better place" than in his mother's arms, the pain sometimes overwhelmed her.

"We are facing an absolute loss, so when someone projects onto that the idea that we are going to be able to hold our children again or communicate with them, it is essentially dismissing the magnitude of that loss."

MORE: http://www.usatoday.com/news/religion/story/2012-02-17/grief-mourning-religion-god-atheists/53136258/1

See also...

How religious are you? (WSJ Online Poll)
http://online.wsj.com/community/groups/question-day-229/topics/how-religious-you

Maryland House passes gay marriage bill

2012-02-17T23:40:00.001-08:00

(AP) ANNAPOLIS, Md. - Maryland appears ready to become one of a handful of states in the U.S. to legalize gay marriage after the bill to allow it passed a long-standing hurdle in the Maryland House of Delegates on Friday.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57380677/maryland-house-passes-gay-marriage-bill/?tag=stack

N.J. governor vetoes same-sex marriage bill

2012-02-17T23:39:00.001-08:00

(CNN) -- New Jersey Gov. Chris Christie on Friday vetoed a bill that would allow same-sex couples to wed, setting up a confrontation with a Democrat-controlled legislature that has vowed to eventually get the bill into law.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/17/us/new-jersey-same-sex-veto/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

See also...

Contentious "Don't Say Gay" bill passes subcommittee
http://www.wmctv.com/story/16953494/contentious-dont-say-gay-bill-passes-subcommittee?hpt=us_bn5

Authorities: Suicide attack on U.S. Capitol foiled

2012-02-17T23:37:00.001-08:00

Washington (CNN) -- A 29-year-old man from Morocco was arrested Friday and charged with attempting to bomb the U.S. Capitol building in a suicide attack, authorities said.

--snip--

In January 2011, a confidential source reported to the FBI that El Khalifi met with other individuals at a residence in Arlington, Virginia. A person there produced what appeared to be weapons and El Khalifi "expressed agreement with a statement by this individual that the 'war on terrorism' was a 'war on Muslim,' and said that the group needed to be ready for war," the affidavit read.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/17/justice/us-dc-security-threat-arrest/index.html?hpt=hp_bn3

Councils win prayer 'rights' as ministers fast track Localism Act powers

2012-02-17T23:36:00.000-08:00

The government is activating a power it says will allow councils in England to hold prayers at meetings.

Communities secretary Eric Pickles says he is "effectively reversing" the High Court's "illiberal ruling" that a Devon council's prayers were unlawful.

MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17082136

See also...

Atheist's complaint led to a clarification of law
http://www.thisiskent.co.uk/Atheist-s-complaint-led-clarification-law/story-15255752-detail/story.html

Appeal over council prayers ruling
http://www.ilkestonadvertiser.co.uk/news/national/appeal_over_council_prayers_ruling_1_4257422

Council chairman 'disgusted' by ban on prayers at meetings
http://www.granthamjournal.co.uk/news/local/council_chairman_disgusted_by_ban_on_prayers_at_meetings_1_3531949

Christians should unite with atheists to defend secularism
http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/the-lay-scientist/2012/feb/17/1

Faith rules 'end at temple door', equalities chief says
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-politics-17074114

Civic life and law must bind us, not ritual and religion
http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/16/civic-life-law-ritual-religion?INTCMP=SRCH

Atheist Ricky Gervais would fight for people's right to have religion, even though their beliefs are wrong

2012-02-17T23:32:00.001-08:00

Actor and comedian Ricky Gervais was interviewed this month on CNN's Piers Morgan Show about his atheism and views on religion.

"When someone's arguing with me that the earth is 5,000 years old, yes, I'm smiling," he told Morgan about his Twitter debates. "Of course, I'm smiling. The fundamentalist view of the creation of the earth is rather like an episode of the Flinstones, so I have to laugh."

MORE: http://www.goddiscussion.com/92178/atheist-ricky-gervais-would-fight-for-peoples-right-to-have-religion-even-though-their-beliefs-are-wrong/

August Brunsman: Reason Rally

2012-02-16T20:30:00.002-08:00

Atheists bill big names for 'coming out' party in Capitol

2012-02-16T20:22:00.001-08:00

The National Mall in Washington has hosted its share of rallies -- some massive and iconic, like the famed civil rights march of 1963, which featured Martin Luther King's "I Have a Dream" speech. Nonetheless, a scrappy coalition of atheists say they will make history on the Mall next month by pulling together what they say is the first nationwide celebration of secular values -- what one of the organizers called a "Woodstock for non-belief."

MORE: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/16/10429346-atheists-bill-big-names-for-coming-out-party-in-capitol

Dawkins Foundation care packages go to atheists in foxholes

2012-02-16T20:20:00.001-08:00

Over the past several months, the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science has partnered with the Military Association of Atheists & Freethinkers (MAAF) to send over 150 care packages to military personnel around the world. These packages have gone from Japan to Afghanistan and Iraq. The Richard Dawkins Foundation, through its existing store has provided increased efficiencies to allow more packages to be sent out with the same level of funding.

MORE: http://blog.militaryatheists.org/2012/02/dawkins-foundation-care-packages-go-to-atheists-in-foxholes/

Humanists Applaud Cranston School Banner Decision To Not Appeal Federal Court Ruling

2012-02-16T20:19:00.002-08:00

(Washington, DC -- Feb. 16, 2012) -- Humanists are applauding the 5-2 decision tonight by the Cranston School Committee in Rhode Island to not pursue an appeal of a federal judge’s ruling to immediately remove a prayer banner from the Cranston West High School auditorium wall.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-02-humanists-applaud-cranston-school-banner-decision-to

See also...

Cranston votes not to appeal prayer banner case
http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/nationworld/2017527881_apusschoolprayerbanner.html

Rhode Island school braces for prayer banner debate
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-prayer-banner-rhodeislandtre81f1x4-20120216,0,3365256.story

Rhode Island school panel to consider appeal of prayer banner
http://www.chicagotribune.com/news/sns-rt-us-prayer-banner-rhodeislandtre81f1f4-20120216,0,6389096.story

Brown County Board prayer will continue

2012-02-16T20:17:00.001-08:00

GREEN BAY -- Acknowledging its opposition, heads were bowed and hands were together as Brown County supervisors opened their Wednesday night meeting as they always do.

"We're not going to end the prayer at the beginning of the meeting," said chairman Guy Zima.

MORE: http://www.fox11online.com/dpp/news/local/green_bay/brown-county-board-prayer-will-continue?hpt=us_bn6

Veto promised on same-sex marriage bill in NJ

2012-02-16T20:16:00.000-08:00

(CNN) - New Jersey lawmakers have passed a bill that would provide same-sex couples the right to wed - a move put forth in defiance of the state's Republican governor, who's vowed to veto the measure and has instead called for a referendum to settle the issue.

MORE: http://inamerica.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/16/new-jersey-to-vote-on-same-sex-marriage/?hpt=us_c2

See also...

NJ lawmakers pass gay marriage bill
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46411935/ns/us_news-life/

Study: Interracial marriage, acceptance growing

2012-02-16T20:14:00.002-08:00

(CNN) -- Forty-five years after the U.S. Supreme Court struck down a ban on interracial marriage, the rate of marriage across racial and ethnic lines in the United States is on the rise, according to a new study released Thursday.

And while such "intermarriages" continue to grow, so too does public acceptance of such unions, according to the study by the Pew Research Center's Social and Demographic Trends project.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/16/us/interracial-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

Atheists Claim They Make Better Lovers

2012-02-16T20:12:00.001-08:00

A new billboard unveiled this week by an atheist activist group in Orange County, Calif. makes the claim that "Atheists make better lovers."

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheists-claim-they-make-better-lovers-69612/

New Theory of Moral Behavior May Explain Recent Ethical Lapses in Banking Industry

2012-02-16T20:11:00.002-08:00

For decades, sociologists have posited that individual behavior results from cultural expectations in the situation about how to act. In a study, "A Theory of the Self for the Sociology of Morality," published in the current issue of the journal American Sociological Review, Jan E. Stets of UC Riverside and Michael J. Carter of CSU Northridge found that how individuals see themselves in moral terms is also an important motivator of behavior.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120216094730.htm

Underwear Bomber Abdulmutallab: "Proud to Kill in the Name of God"

2012-02-16T20:09:00.001-08:00

Umar Farouk Abdulmutallab, who tried to bring down Northwest flight 253 over Detroit on Christmas Day 2009 with an underwear bomb, said he was was "proud to kill in the name of God" before he was sentenced to multiple life sentences today in a Detroit courtroom.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/underwear-bomber-abdulmutallab-sentenced-life-prison/story?id=15681576

Where data meet diction: Science and sci-fi's dialogue

2012-02-16T20:08:00.002-08:00

When the U.S.S. Enterprise or Millennium Falcon glides by the camera, we take an odd comfort in the signature "whoosh" sound that follows.

Our friend, the stickler for scientific fact, usually points out that sound can never be possible in space. But don't let the same be said for warp drive and tricorders, or even Starfleet Academy and the "Force." Science and science fiction follow an intricate dance that toes the line between fantasy and fact. It is, in fact, a love story -- a partnership full of symbiosis and reciprocity.

MORE: http://geekout.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/15/where-data-meet-diction-science-and-sci-fis-dialogue/?hpt=hp_bn8

Secularism v Religion in national affairs - post-Warsi discussion on BBC Newsnight 14/2/12

2012-02-16T20:05:00.001-08:00

Richard Dawkins, Bishop Michael Nazir-Ali and Ruth Gledhill discuss secularism in the UK.

VIDEO: http://richarddawkins.net/videos/644963-secularism-v-religion-in-national-affairs-post-warsi-discussion-on-bbc-newsnight-14-2-12

Pastor, wife accused of killing 'possessed' children

2012-02-16T20:03:00.001-08:00

Seoul (CNN) -- A pastor and his wife are in custody accused of killing three of their children by starving them to ward off evil spirits, police in South Korea said Wednesday.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/15/world/asia/south-korea-pastor-killings/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

PZ Myers: Reason Rally

2012-02-14T21:42:00.001-08:00

Oral Arguments Presented in Massachusetts Case Challenging "Under God" in Pledge of Allegiance

2012-02-14T21:36:00.002-08:00

(Washington, DC, February 14, 2012)--Yesterday afternoon the American Humanist Association argued in Massachusetts Superior Court that the state's constitutional equal rights amendment should bar the practice of public schools conducting a daily flag-salute exercise that utilizes the version of the Pledge of Allegiance that includes the phrase "under God."

This case, Jane Doe, et. als. v. Acton-Boxborough Regional School District et al, is particularly unique and important because the state's constitutional equal protection guarantees are the basis of the suit, not the Establishment Clause of the U.S. Constitution's First Amendment. This same strategy could be replicated in other jurisdictions.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-02-oral-arguments-presented-in-massachusetts-case-chall

Physicists find dark matter: It's everywhere

2012-02-14T21:32:00.003-08:00

A group of Japanese physicists has revealed where dark matter is -- though not what it is -- for the first time. As it turns out, the mysterious substance is almost everywhere, drooping throughout intergalactic space to form an all-encompassing web of matter.

MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46387769/ns/technology_and_science-space/

See also...

The sun sends Earth a valentine
http://photoblog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/14/10409895-the-sun-sends-earth-a-valentine

Atheists Unveil Valentine's Day-Tinged Billboard

2012-02-14T21:30:00.001-08:00

You don't really need an occasion for Backyard Skeptics to unveil a provocative billboard, but the Fountain Valley-based group of atheists and assorted non-believers does have a special Valentine's Day version going up in Westminster with this message:

"Atheists make better lovers--after all, no one is watching."

MORE: http://blogs.ocweekly.com/navelgazing/2012/02/valentines_day_atheist_billboa.php

Va. House passes "personhood" abortion bill

2012-02-14T21:28:00.001-08:00

(AP) RICHMOND, Va. - A Republican supermajority has muscled two of the most restrictive anti-abortion bills in years through the Virginia House, including one that would all but outlaw the procedure in the state by declaring that the rights of persons apply from the moment sperm and egg unite.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57378006/va-house-passes-personhood-abortion-bill/?tag=stack

Atheist students celebrate Darwin Day, answer questions

2012-02-14T21:27:00.001-08:00

The students who form Atheists for Science and Reason celebrated Darwin Day by handing out Darwin valentines and engaging the Ball State community in spirited discussion.

MORE: http://www.bsudailynews.com/atheist-students-celebrate-darwin-day-answer-questions-1.2699973

Mormons apologize for baptizing of dead Jews

2012-02-14T21:25:00.001-08:00

(AP) SALT LAKE CITY - Mormon church leaders apologized to the family of Holocaust survivor and Jewish rights advocate Simon Wiesenthal after his parents were posthumously baptized, a controversial ritual that Mormons believe allows deceased people a way to the afterlife but offends members of many other religions.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57377969/mormons-apologize-for-baptizing-of-dead-jews/?tag=stack

Creationism in the classroom? It's a fact

2012-02-14T21:24:00.003-08:00

As a bill allowing the teaching of creationism moves from the Indiana Senate to House, this column in the Ball State Daily News reveals a dirty little secret -- it's already happening.

MORE: http://www.journalgazette.net/article/20120213/BLOGS13/120219780/1002/LOCAL

See also...

Creationism was taught in my classroom ... twice
http://www.bsudailynews.com/living-and-learning-creationism-was-taught-in-my-classroom-twice-1.2696887#.TzmCVMivkjk

Devan's Dilemma: When Bothered By Church-State Violations, Call Americans United
http://blog.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/devan%E2%80%99s-dilemma-when-bothered-by-church-state-violations-call-americans?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+AUblog+%28The+Wall+of+Separation%29

It's A Bird, It's A Plane, It's 'Bible Man': Alabama School Board Makes Super-Bad Decision

2012-02-14T21:22:00.001-08:00

Bible Man, also known as Horace Turner, Jr., leads monthly assemblies in public schools in which he tells biblical stories to elementary children. The original Bible Man, Horace Turner Sr., started this program at least 35 years ago.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/it%E2%80%99s-a-bird-it%E2%80%99s-a-plane-it%E2%80%99s-%E2%80%98bible-man%E2%80%99-alabama-school-board-makes-super

See also...

Buncombe's Bible Battle: Time For Change At A N.C. Public School
http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/buncombe%E2%80%99s-bible-battle-time-for-change-at-a-nc-public-school

Left-Handed? Different Bodies, Different Minds

2012-02-14T21:20:00.000-08:00

One way our bodies appear to shape our decision-making is through handedness. Casasanto and his colleagues explored whether being right-handed or left-handed might influence our judgments about abstract ideas like value, intelligence, and honesty.

Through a series of experiments, they found that, in general, people tend to prefer the things that they encounter on the same side as their dominant hand. When participants were asked which of two products to buy, which of two job applicants to hire, or which of two alien creatures looked more trustworthy, right-handers routinely chose the product, person, or creature they saw on the right side of the page, while left-handers preferred the one on the left. These kinds of preferences have been found in children as young as 5 years old.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214171121.htm

See also...

People Forage for Memories in the Same Way Birds Forage for Berries
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214134809.htm

Fragmented Sleep, Fragmented Mind: A New Theory of Sleep Disruption and Dissociation
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214122035.htm

Cellphone Use Linked to Selfish Behavior
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120214122038.htm

Can al Qaeda tap into Syria rage?

2012-02-14T21:17:00.001-08:00

Last week, al Qaeda leader Ayman al-Zawahiri added to his ever-growing video collection, with an eight-minute lecture supporting the Syrian opposition against President Bashar al-Assad.

It was the latest example of al-Zawahiri's growing focus on opportunities for al Qaeda amid the upheavals in the Arab world, from Iraq to Egypt to Yemen, Libya and now Syria. The video that appeared on jihadist forums Friday damned Syria's "sectarian, secular regime."

MORE: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/14/can-al-qaeda-tap-into-syria-rage/?hpt=hp_bn2

Ten-year-old suicide bombers arrested

2012-02-14T21:16:00.001-08:00

The children are "instructed" in suicide bomb vests and indoctrinated, according to a senior ISAF official.

Depending on "how impressionable they are based on their age, they are told they will survive the attack" and "they are told they will be fine," the official explained.

MORE: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/14/ten-year-old-suicide-bombers-arrested/?hpt=hp_t3

Israel blames Iran for Thai bombings

2012-02-14T21:15:00.001-08:00

(CNN) -- Israel's defense minister blamed Iran for a series of bombings in the Thai capital of Bangkok Tuesday, a day after attacks against the country's diplomats in India and Georgia.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/14/world/asia/thailand-explosion/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

3 dead, two dozen wounded in Iraq explosions

2012-02-14T21:14:00.001-08:00

Baghdad (CNN) -- Gunmen assassinated an Iraqi army general on Tuesday in one of several incidents that left at least four people dead and 28 wounded, according to government officials.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/14/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Richard Dawkins: The Reason Rally

2012-02-13T22:03:00.001-08:00

Love, Chocolate Good for the Heart, Says Cardiologist

2012-02-13T21:59:00.003-08:00

ScienceDaily -- Being involved in a healthy, loving relationship is good for the heart, says Vanderbilt Heart and Vascular Institute cardiologist Julie Damp, M.D. "There are a couple of different theories behind why that might be," Damp said. People who are married or who are in close, healthy relationships tend to be less likely to smoke, are more physically active and are more likely to have a well-developed social structure, she said. They are also more likely to have lower levels of stress and anxiety in their day-to-day lives.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213153957.htm

See also...

Seniors Show Greater Life Satisfaction Than Young People, Study Suggests
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213084204.htm

Overeating May Double Risk of Memory Loss
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213083717.htm

And...

Six to Nine-Month-Olds Understand the Meaning of Many Spoken Words
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154057.htm

Explosive Evolution Need Not Follow Mass Extinctions, Study of Ancient Zooplankton Finds

2012-02-13T21:57:00.001-08:00

The discovery challenges the idea that explosive evolution quickly follows mass extinctions. In the absence of competition, the common theory goes, surviving species hurry to adapt, evolving new physical attributes to take advantage of newly opened niches in the ecosystem. But that's not what researchers found in the fossil record of graptoloid evolution.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120213154055.htm

See also...

Ancient Seagrass Holds Secrets of the Oldest Living Organism On Earth
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120207152545.htm

Planetary exploration hit in NASA budget

2012-02-13T21:51:00.001-08:00

For many in the science community, this is a terrible development. In a statement, the Planetary Society wrote, "this would strike at the heart of one of NASA's most productive and successful programs over the past decade." It continued,

"If Congress enacts the proposed budget there will be no flagship missions of any kind, killing the tradition of great missions of exploration."

MORE: http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/02/13/planetary-exploration-hit-in-nasa-budget/?hpt=us_c2

Washington, New Jersey move toward same-sex marriage

2012-02-13T21:48:00.001-08:00

(CNN) -- Proponents of same-sex marriage got a boost on two fronts Monday, when the governor of Washington signed a bill legalizing marriage for gay and lesbian couples and the New Jersey state Senate voted 24-16 in favor of a similar bill.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/13/us/same-sex-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Family asks judge to order Massachusetts school district to remove 'under God' from Pledge of Allegiance

2012-02-13T21:47:00.001-08:00

Interestingly enough, the plaintiffs, who are atheists and call themselves the "Does" to protect their identity, are not citing the establishment clause of the First Amendment in making their case. Instead, they are challenging the Pledge on the basis of the Massachusetts Constitution's guarantee of "equal protection."

--snip--

In another challenge against saying the Pledge of Allegiance in Brookline Mass., a group called "Brookline Pax" had asked the town to vote in favor of a resolution calling for the school committee to rescind its Pledge of Allegiance policy and stop the Pledge from being recited in the schools.

MORE: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/13/family-asks-judge-to-order-massachusetts-school-district-to-remove-under-god/?test=latestnews

How religious are UK Christians?

2012-02-13T21:43:00.001-08:00

Not only has the number of UK adults calling themselves Christian dropped dramatically since the 2001 Census -- our research suggests that it is now only 54% – even those who still think of themselves as Christian show very low levels of religious commitment.

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/644941-rdfrs-uk-ipsos-mori-poll-1-how-religious-are-uk-christians

Britain being overtaken by 'militant secularists', says Baroness Warsi

2012-02-13T21:41:00.001-08:00

In an historic visit to the Vatican, Baroness Warsi will express her "fear" about the marginalisation of religion throughout Britain and Europe, saying that faith needs "a seat at the table in public life".

MORE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/politics/9080452/Britain-being-overtaken-by-militant-secularists-says-Baroness-Warsi.html

Council prayers ruling starts national debate

2012-02-13T21:40:00.002-08:00

Media reaction to the judgement on council prayers last week has inevitably been mixed while the public reaction has been strongly supportive of the National Secular Society.

MORE: http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/02/council-prayers-ruling-starts-national-debate

Writer extradited over tweets on Prophet Mohammed

2012-02-13T21:39:00.001-08:00

(CNN) -- Malaysian authorities extradited Saudi writer Hamza Kashgari back to Saudi Arabia Sunday on a warrant for his arrest over statements he made on Twitter.

"Saudi media said Hamza made a posting on the Prophet Mohammed's birthday celebration last week, implying that he was interacting with the prophet, as if they were equal status," Malaysia's state news agency said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/12/world/asia/malaysia-saudi-tweets/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Trial of Bali bombing suspect begins in Indonesia

2012-02-13T21:38:00.002-08:00

Jakarta, Indonesia (CNN) -- A high-profile terrorism trial for an Indonesian man accused of assembling the bombs used in the 2002 Bali attack got under way Monday in Jakarta.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/12/world/asia/indonesia-terror-trial/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Al Qaeda executes 3 in Yemen, witnesses say

2012-02-13T21:37:00.001-08:00

SANAA, Yemen (CNN) -- Death sentences were carried out Sunday by al Qaeda members against three people after al Qaeda-run courts convicted them of spying for the Yemeni government, the United States and Saudi Arabia, according to numerous sources and eyewitnesses.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/12/world/meast/yemen-al-qaeda-executions/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Happy Darwin Day!

2012-02-12T20:19:00.001-08:00

203 years ago today, Charles Darwin was born in a manger in Shrewsbury, England, the son of a wealthy doctor and an heiress from the Wedgewood china firm. Although he's most famous for On the Origin of Species--and let's recall the full title, On the Origin of Species by Means of Natural Selection, or the Preservation of Favoured Races in the Struggle for Life--Darwin wrote about a dozen other books, covering subjects as diverse as earthworms, orchids, climbing plants, sexual selection, and, of course, the evolution of humans and our emotions.

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/644929-happy-darwin-day

See also...

Darwin's Papers Show the Evolution of His Ideas
http://artsbeat.blogs.nytimes.com/2012/02/10/darwins-documents-show-not-so-careful-evolution-of-his-methods/

The new anti-science assault on US schools

2012-02-12T20:17:00.001-08:00

In a disturbing trend, anti-evolution campaigners are combining with climate change deniers to undermine public education.

MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/cifamerica/2012/feb/12/new-anti-science-assault-us-schools

But you cannot shut us up

2012-02-12T20:16:00.001-08:00

It was a good day for free expression. Hundreds turned up in the freezing cold in London to defend it and there were solidarity rallies and actions in various parts of the world.

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/644928-but-you-cannot-shut-us-up

12 Visualizations That Will Change the Way You View Scale in Your World

2012-02-12T20:15:00.001-08:00

Scale is a simple concept. From a very early age, children know about big and small, heavy and light, more and less. Extreme scales, however, are another story.

Try to imagine, for example, the size of the universe… or $1 trillion made up entirely of dollar bills. Exactly. Grasping the actual quantities involved in extreme scales can be difficult, which makes managing scale in visualizations an interesting problem.

MORE: http://blog.visual.ly/12-visualizations-that-will-change-the-way-you-view-scale-in-your-world/

Krauss and Dawkins discuss Something From Nothing

2012-02-12T20:13:00.001-08:00

Lawrence Krauss and Richard Dawkins in discussion.

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/videos/644930-krauss-and-dawkins-discuss-something-from-nothing

Controlling Parents More Likely to Have Delinquent Children

2012-02-12T20:11:00.001-08:00

ScienceDaily -- Authoritarian parents whose child-rearing style can be summed up as "it's my way or the highway" are more likely to raise disrespectful, delinquent children who do not see them as legitimate authority figures than authoritative parents who listen to their children and gain their respect and trust, according to new research from the University of New Hampshire.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/02/120210105901.htm

Tourists blocked from Jerusalem holy sites after leaflets call for disturbances

2012-02-12T20:10:00.001-08:00

Jerusalem (CNN) -- Israeli authorities temporarily blocked Jews and foreign tourists from entering some of Jerusalem's most visited holy sites Sunday after leaflets called for causing disturbances there, police said.

The plaza known to Jews as the Temple Mount and to Muslims as the Noble Sanctuary was temporarily closed after leaflets called on the public to "purify the site from enemies of Israel."

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/02/12/world/meast/israel-holy-sites-closed/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

'Don't depend on the West': Al-Qaida urges Muslims to help Syrian rebels

2012-02-12T20:08:00.001-08:00

Al-Qaida's chief Ayman al-Zawahri has called on Muslims from other countries to support rebels in Syria seeking to overthrow President Bashar Assad, saying they cannot depend on the West for help.

MORE: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/02/12/10388016-dont-depend-on-the-west-al-qaida-urges-muslims-to-help-syrian-rebels

Honoring Darwin Day

2012-02-11T23:52:00.000-08:00

On Feb. 12 we'll commemorate the anniversary of Charles Darwin's birth, a celebration around the world known as Darwin Day, to appreciate the advancement of human knowledge and the achievements of science and reason. It must also be a day when we push back against the politicization and undermining of science by ideologues and zealots.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roy-speckhardt/darwin-day_b_1260590.html

See also...

Humanists Join with Rep. Pete Stark in Honoring Darwin Day
http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-02-humanists-join-with-rep-pete-stark-in-honoring-darwi

And...

Send a Darwin Day E-Card
https://secure.americanhumanist.org/darwinday/ecards?erid=1433428&trid=8d98c6f2-869c-4d04-a76b-495ef48e66dc

Army officer wants humanism officially recognized

2012-02-11T23:49:00.001-08:00

RALEIGH, N.C. - Soldiers who don't believe in God can go to war with "Atheist" stamped on their dog tags, but humanists and others with various secular beliefs are still officially invisible in the Army.

Maj. Ray Bradley is applying to be the first humanist recognized as a "distinctive faith group leader" by the Army. In the meantime, he can't be designated as a humanist on his official records or dog tags, although he can be classified as an atheist.

MORE: http://auburnpub.com/lifestyles/army-officer-wants-humanism-officially-recognized/article_64c0cdfa-5462-11e1-9c19-0019bb2963f4.html

Appignani Humanist Legal Center Wins Appeal in FOIA Request on Atheist Bus Ads in Utah

2012-02-11T23:48:00.000-08:00

In Salt Lake City, Utah, the AHA’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center has been involved in defending the freedom of speech of the United Coalition of Reason. The Utah Transit Authority refused to allow UnitedCoR to run advertisements on its trains promoting a new local nontheist group, the Utah Coalition of Reason. UTA cited its policy that prohibits all non-governmental, noncommercial ads. In order to determine whether UTA is following its policy or is selectively enforcing it against UnitedCoR in violation of the First Amendment, the legal center submitted a request under Utah’s Government Records Management and Access Act (which is similar to the federal Freedom of Information Act) for copies of all of the ads that UTA had accepted or rejected over the past year. UTA refused to provide the copies, claiming that doing so would violate copyright law. The Utah State Records Committee heard the legal center’s appeal of this decision and ordered UTA to provide access to copies of the ads, agreeing that such access amounts to “fair use” rather than illegal copyright infringement. The legal center will soon be able to review the records and determine whether UTA complied with the First Amendment, and, if not, will bring suit.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-02-appignani-humanist-legal-center-wins-appeal-in-foia

Atheists sue to remove Jesus statue

2012-02-11T23:46:00.001-08:00

WHITEFISH, Mont.-- A national atheist organization has filed a lawsuit to remove a statue of Jesus from federal land on the Whitefish Mountain Ski Resort in Whitefish, Mont.

MORE: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/02/09/Atheists-sue-to-remove-Jesus-statue/UPI-23751328814000/

Rhode Island town readies for 'boisterous' hearing on now-covered prayer banner

2012-02-11T23:45:00.001-08:00

A Rhode Island town is bracing for a potentially "boisterous" public hearing next week where officials will vote on whether to fight a court order to take down a prayer banner that has hung for decades in a high school.

MORE: http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/02/09/rhode-island-town-readies-for-boisterous-hearing-on-now-covered-prayer-banner/

Newland under fire for Ten Commandments in town hall

2012-02-11T23:43:00.001-08:00

A battle is brewing in the North Carolina mountains over the Ten Commandments.

The town of Newland has them displayed inside the town hall, but a group from Wisconsin is asking town leaders to take them down.

MORE: http://www.wsoctv.com/news/news/local/newland-under-fire-ten-commandments-town-hall/nHYwZ/?hpt=us_bn5