Sex Scandal Rocks the Duggars' Christian Patriarchy Movement

The far-right Christian Patriarchy--brought to American audiences by the Duggar family--is on the verge of collapse after a series of alleged sex scandals involving the movement's leaders.

MORE: http://www.thedailybeast.com/articles/2014/04/16/sex-scandal-rocks-the-duggars-christian-patriarchy-movement.html

Daviess Co. clerk denies licenses, citing religion

She told one disgruntled license seeker that the U.S. "was founded on the biblical principle of one man and one woman in marriage." She says that's what she'll follow until she hears otherwise.

MORE: http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Daviess-Co-clerk-denies-licenses-citing-religion-5582566.php

Muslim Parents Rightfully Upset When Church's Flyers Are Distributed at Dearborn Elementary Schools

Normally, when we hear about Christian groups pushing faith in public schools, it's always atheists who push back against it. So I'm glad to finally see Muslim parents complaining about an Easter event flyer.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/04/04/muslim-parents-rightfully-upset-when-churchs-flyers-are-distributed-at-dearborn-elementary-schools/

Casey County children miss school as parents protest free books

"We're here to defend God and his glory," said one woman, who declined to be named. A male companion muttered to himself as he scanned the parking lot for their car.

MORE: http://m.centralkynews.com/amnews/news/casey-county-children-miss-school-as-parents-protest-free-books/article_eaba5902-b91a-11e3-a216-001a4bcf6878.html?mode=jqm

Judge strikes down Wisconsin same-sex marriage ban

U.S. District Judge Barbara Crabb struck down the ban, making Wisconsin the 27th state where same-sex couples can marry under law or where a judge has ruled they ought to be allowed to wed.

MORE: http://www.freep.com/article/20140606/NEWS07/306060168/wisconsin-same-sex-marriage

Justices won't stop gay marriages in Oregon

In a one-line ruling without explanation, the Supreme Court refused to stay a district judge's ruling from last month that cleared the way for same-sex weddings there.

MORE: http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2014/06/04/supreme-court-gay-lesbian-marriage-oregon/9974419/

Pennsylvania's gay marriage ban is struck down

U.S. District Judge John E. Jones III called the plaintiffs -- a widow, 11 couples and one couple's teenage daughters -- courageous for challenging the constitutionality of the ban passed by lawmakers in 1996.

MORE: http://bostonherald.com/news_opinion/national/northeast/2014/05/pennsylvanias_gay_marriage_ban_is_struck_down

Federal judge declares Idaho's gay marriage ban unconstitutional

U.S. Magistrate Judge Candy Wagahoff Dale issued her sweeping opinion knocking down Idaho state laws and a state constitutional amendment, passed in 2006, as failing to live up to the U.S. Constitution's 14th Amendment guarantee no "state deprive any person of life, liberty, or property, without due process of law; nor deny to any person within its jurisdiction the equal protection of the laws."

MORE: http://www.ketknbc.com/news/federal-judge-declares-idahos-gay-marriage-ban-unc

Wedding Bells in Little Rock: Arkansas Becomes First Southern State to Legalize Gay Marriage

Since Piazza did not stay his ruling, it opened the door for same-sex couples to marry in all 75 counties in the state.

MORE: http://news.yahoo.com/wedding-bells-little-rock-arkansas-becomes-first-southern-221046772.html

Todd Starnes Has Another Story of Christian Persecution; Doesn't Say That Victim's Father is Promoting His Book

Todd Starnes of Fox News Radio has this nasty habit of creating material for Snopes to debunk. He takes misunderstandings, slaps a "Christian persecution" tag on them, and fails to apologize when his story turns out to be wrong.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/04/02/todd-starnes-has-another-story-of-christian-persecution-doesnt-say-that-victims-father-is-promoting-his-book/

Why so many Christians still believe in demons and Satan

Harvard's black mass controversy is far from an anomaly, and reveals how unreformed the Catholic Church remains.

MORE: http://www.salon.com/2014/05/29/why_so_many_christians_still_literally_believe_in_demons_and_satan_partner/

1500 years old Bible found that says Jesus was not crucified

Religious authorities in Tehran insist that the text shows that Jesus was not crucified, was not the Son of God, but a prophet, and called Paul, the "impostor".

MORE: http://www.indocanadians.ca/indo-canadian-news/world-news/1500-years-old-bible-found-says-jesus-crucified/

In very first law passed by Congress the founding fathers took god out

God was proposed and they intentionally took it out.  This is very strange if our founding fathers intended us to be a Christian nation.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2014/06/in-very-first-law-passed-by-congress-the-founding-fathers-took-god-out/

Founding Father enthusiast Allen West's book filled with fake Founding Father quotes

A review of former congressman and Founding Father enthusiast Allen West's new book has turned up a wide assortment of fake quotes attributed to Thomas Jefferson, George Washington, Abraham Lincoln and other famous historical figures.

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2014/04/04/founding-father-enthusiast-allen-wests-book-filled-with-fake-founding-father-quotes/?onswipe_redirect=no

In U.S., 42% Believe Creationist View of Human Origins

More than four in 10 Americans continue to believe that God created humans in their present form 10,000 years ago, a view that has changed little over the past three decades. Half of Americans believe humans evolved, with the majority of these saying God guided the evolutionary process. However, the percentage who say God was not involved is rising.

MORE: http://www.gallup.com/poll/170822/believe-creationist-view-human-origins.aspx?utm_source=WWW&utm_medium=csm&utm_campaign=syndication

Ken Ham's Ignorance is Exposed (Again) in a Rant Against UK Schools Banning the Teaching of Creationism as Science

Creationist Ken Ham just found out that the UK government has told all publicly-funded schools that they cannot teach Creationism as valid science and he's furious.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/06/20/ken-hams-ignorance-is-exposed-again-in-a-rant-against-uk-schools-banning-the-teaching-of-creationism-as-science/

Ken Ham's Ark Is Going Down, Going Down, Going Down...

The crazy story of Ken Ham's Answers in Genesis organization and their ambitious plans keeps getting stranger and stranger.

MORE: http://www.skepticblog.org/2014/06/17/ken-hams-ark-is-going-down/

See also...

Sinking Ship?: Creationist Ministry Continues To Over-Promise On Ky. 'Ark Park'
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/sinking-ship-creationist-ministry-continues-to-over-promise-on-ky-ark-park

Creationists Say Smithsonian Is Pushing "Religion of Naturalism"

Young-Earth creationist Ken Ham—whose non-profit organization has benefited from millions of dollars in subsidies and tax breaks—says that the Smithsonian's recent acquisition of a nearly complete T-Rex fossil is an egregious use of American tax dollars to fund "the religion of naturalism."

MORE: http://io9.com/creationists-say-smithsonian-is-pushing-religion-of-na-1566137794/+Mark-Strauss

13 ways Neil deGrasse Tyson's "Cosmos" sent the religious right off the deep end

One of the most anticipated shows of 2014 was Fox's "Cosmos: A Spacetime Odyssey," hosted by notable astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson and produced by Seth McFarlane and Ann Druyan, the widow of Carl Sagan, the host of the original "Cosmos" series. The new "Cosmos" had the largest worldwide debut of a mini-series, capturing an audience of over 8 million viewers in the U.S. Controversy surrounded the show immediately, thrusting Tyson into the spotlight of religious fundamentalists and science deniers on the extreme right. How did each episode upset the religious fundamentalists and call out scientific denialism?

MORE: http://www.salon.com/2014/06/14/13_ways_neil_degrasse_tysons_cosmos_sent_the_religious_right_off_the_deep_end_partner/

Spark of life: Metabolism appears in lab without cells

Metabolic processes that underpin life on Earth have arisen spontaneously outside of cells. The serendipitous finding that metabolism -- the cascade of reactions in all cells that provides them with the raw materials they need to survive -- can happen in such simple conditions provides fresh insights into how the first life formed. It also suggests that the complex processes needed for life may have surprisingly humble origins.

MORE: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn25471-spark-of-life-metabolism-appears-in-lab-without-cells.html#.U1_nuvldV8H