The Sagan Series - End of an Era

Do kids have to be taught about the supernatural?

One of the big questions about our supernatural instincts is to what degree they are innate, and to what degree they are learned. While there is some evidence that kids are born with a instinctive belief in omniscience beings, other evidence suggests the exact opposite.

Here's a new study by Ashley King, a grad student at the University of Arizona. She ran a group of 124 children aged 4-8 through a carefully designed study designed to see whether they understood what supernatural omniscience is.

--snip, snip--

So this supports the earlier studies by Jonathan Lane, which found that only older kids really get the idea of omniscience. Younger kids assume that supernatural beings have more ordinary mental capabilities.

In other words, it seems that this aspect, at least, of our beliefs about gods does not come naturally. It has to be learned.

MORE: http://epiphenom.fieldofscience.com/

Beyond the Sacred

I gave a talk called 'Beyond the sacred', on the changing character of ideas of the sacred and of blasphemy, at a conference on blasphemy organised this weekend by the Centre for Inquiry at London's Conway Hall on Saturday. Here is a transcript.

MORE: http://kenanmalik.wordpress.com/2012/01/29/beyond-the-sacred/

Catholic clergymen come out swinging against HHS regulation

Washington (CNN) -- Catholics around the country got an earful on Sunday from the pulpit over a new health insurance policy by the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services that forces employers to cover contraception and abortion as part of preventative care regardless of religious beliefs. The use of abortion and contraceptives violates Catholic teachings.

MORE: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/30/catholic-clergymen-come-out-swinging-against-hhs-regulation/?hpt=hp_t3

Family convicted in Canada 'honor murders'

Kingston, Ontario (CNN) -- A Canadian jury Sunday convicted three members of a family of Afghan immigrants of the "honor" murders of four female relatives whose bodies were found in an Ontario canal.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/29/world/americas/canada-honor-murder/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Norwegian court convicts three in attack plot connected to Mohammed cartoons

(CNN) -- A Norwegian court sentenced three people Monday for their roles in a plot to attack a Danish newspaper that published cartoons depicting the Muslim prophet Mohammed.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/30/world/europe/norway-terror-sentence/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2

Indonesian atheist might embrace Islam after arrest, police say

Jakarta - An Indonesian atheist who was detained after declaring God did not exist on Facebook was considering abandoning his lack of religious faith and embracing Islam, police said Monday.

MORE: http://news.monstersandcritics.com/asiapacific/news/article_1688076.php/Indonesian-atheist-might-embrace-Islam-after-arrest-police-say

See also...

Who Are the Atheists in Indonesia?
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/opinion/who-are-the-atheists-in-indonesia/494741

Iraqi vice president predicts return to sectarian violence

Irbil, Iraq (CNN) -- Vice President Tariq al-Hashimi has lashed out at Iraqi Prime Minister Nuri al-Maliki, predicting that Iraq could soon return to widespread sectarian violence that could require the return of U.S. forces.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/30/world/meast/iraq-al-hashimi/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

See also...

Al Qaeda benefits from Yemen turmoil
http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/30/aqap-benefits-from-turmoil-in-yemen/?hpt=hp_bn2

Police: Blast kills suspected militant leader in Pakistan
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/30/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Militants hit police station in Nigeria's north
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/30/world/africa/nigeria-violence/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

The Sagan Series - Decide To Listen

OSU grads fight for troops' religious freedom

Two of the most-prominent national organizations fighting for religious freedom in the U.S. military have roots at Ohio State University. Retired Army Capt. Jason Torpy incorporated the nonprofit Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers while getting a master's in business administration at Ohio State in 2006. Air Force Reserve Capt. Casey Weinstein, whose experiences at the Air Force Academy helped lead his father to begin the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, also has an MBA from Ohio State. His wife, Reserve Capt. Amanda Weinstein, is working toward a doctorate in economics there now.

MORE: http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/01/29/osu-grads-fight-for-troops-religious-freedom.html

Climate of Intolerance in West Bank, Activists Say

A Palestinian atheist who was jailed and beaten last year for expressing anti-Muslim views on Facebook and in blogs says Palestinian security forces are harassing him again, despite government pledges to respect human rights.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/climate-intolerance-west-bank-activists-15467696

The Sagan Series - Per Aspera Ad Astra

Moon cozies up to Jupiter in night sky Sunday

For the second time this month, the moon is going to pay a visit to Jupiter, the largest planet in our solar system.

On Sunday and Monday evenings, a fat, waxing crescent moon will appear to slide past the planet Jupiter. Of course, the moon is much closer to Earth than Jupiter and as such, can change its position against the background stars rather quickly.

MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46174615/ns/technology_and_science-space/

"Adam"-Telling God Goodbye

The Agnostic Pastor is honored to share the following 'letter', Telling God Goodbye, written by Adam.  Adam is a fellow member of The Clergy Project and fellow pastor who is in the closet.  Adam currently serves in the music ministry of a large church and is a gifted songwriter.

Adam was one of the original five pastors in the Dennett/LaScola study on Clergy who've lost their faith.  (http://www.epjournal.net/wp-content/uploads/EP08122150.pdf) Adam has also been a pivotal part of the design and launch of The Clergy Project support site for agnostic/atheist clergy.  His work with TCP has affected many pastors, like myself, offering a safe place for us to share with others walking the same path.

MORE: http://agnosticpastor.wordpress.com/guest-writers/adam-telling-god-goodbye/

Ind. Senate panel votes to let schools teach creationism

INDIANAPOLIS | An Indiana Senate committee on Wednesday endorsed teaching creationism in public schools, despite pleas from scientists and religious leaders to keep religion out of science classrooms.

MORE: http://www.nwitimes.com/news/state-and-regional/indiana/ind-senate-panel-votes-to-let-schools-teach-creationism/article_34ac1278-099e-5445-901e-7bcf743b2598.html?oCampaign=email

Same-sex marriage debate flares up in New Jersey

(CNN) -- A political battle is shaping up in the Garden State about whether to give gay and lesbian couples the right to wed -- a move that, if approved, would make New Jersey the seventh state in the nation to legalize same-sex marriage.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/28/us/new-jersey-same-sex-marriage/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

'Not a pretty scenario' in Iraq, analyst says

(CNN) -- A suicide car bomber targeting a Shiite funeral procession in Baghdad killed dozens Friday, the latest attack in a country engulfed by political crisis and an uptick in violence.
 
At least 31 people died and 60 others were wounded, two police officials said. The bombing occurred as mourners were heading toward a hospital in Baghdad's Zafarniya district to recover the bodies of relatives shot the night before, officials said.
 
The blast is the latest in a series of attacks, raising fears of a return to the sectarian violence of the previous decade when the Sunni-Shiite hostilities engulfed Iraq at the height of the war.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/27/world/meast/iraq-bombing-attack/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

See also...

Nigeria on edge as Islamist group extends campaign of violence
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/27/world/africa/analysis-nigeria-violence/index.html?hpt=iaf_t2

The Sagan Series - A Reassuring Fable

Student Faces Town's Wrath in Protest Against a Prayer

CRANSTON, R.I. -- She is 16, the daughter of a firefighter and a nurse, a self-proclaimed nerd who loves Harry Potter and Facebook. But Jessica Ahlquist is also an outspoken atheist who has incensed this heavily Roman Catholic city with a successful lawsuit to get a prayer removed from the wall of her high school auditorium, where it has hung for 49 years.

MORE: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/27/us/rhode-island-city-enraged-over-school-prayer-lawsuit.html?_r=1

See also...

Atheist Student Harassed by Groups of Christians
http://theminaretonline.com/2012/01/25/article20757

Teen atheist stops attending school, considers transfer
http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2381209&spid=37719

Faith leaders urge kindness, compassion toward Ahlquist
http://www.cranstononline.com/stories/Faith-leaders-urge-kindness-compassion-toward-Ahlquist,67071

School comm. refuses prayer banner debate, arguments erupt
http://www.630wpro.com/article.asp?id=2380826&spid=37719

Religious leaders in show of support for Jessica Ahlquist
http://630wpro.com/article.asp?id=2379699

Atheist teen still getting threats over campaign to remove prayer banner while vowing she will not leave school
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2093136/Atheist-teen-getting-threats-campaign-remove-prayer-banner-vowing-leave-school.html?ito=feeds-newsxml

What's your view on school prayer in Rhode Island school?
http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/27/10249624-whats-your-view-on-school-prayer-in-rhode-island-school 

Alaska Airlines removing prayer cards from meal trays after 30 years as complaints increase

SEATTLE -- Alaska Airlines is ending decades of giving passengers prayer cards with their meals, saying Wednesday the decision was made out of respect for all passengers.

Airline spokeswoman Bobbie Egan said the airline heard from customers who preferred not to mix religion with transportation. The decision reflects respect for the diverse religious beliefs and cultural attitudes of Alaska Airlines’ customers and employees, the company said in announcing the change.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/alaska-airlines-removing-prayer-cards-from-meal-trays-after-30-years-as-complaints-increase/2012/01/25/gIQAZRUuQQ_story.html

UTA, atheists battle over ads

Ads on buses and trains are seen by thousands of people a day. But the Utah Transit Authority tried to deny an open-records law request by an atheist group for a copy of all such ads accepted by the agency, arguing that might violate copyright laws.

But when the State Records Committee heard an appeal by the American Humanist Association, the AHA agreed to an offer by UTA to let it view the ads in its offices instead of providing copies. "It's not like those ads are secret. People see them on buses every day," said William Burgess, attorney for the AHA.

He said his group wants to see the ads because it questions whether UTA violated its own policies when it denied an ad proposed by the Utah Coalition of Reason that would have said, "Don't believe in God? You're not alone," and listed its Web page.

MORE: http://www.sltrib.com/sltrib/politics/53384899-90/accepted-ads-agency-aha.html.csp

See also...

Atheist group claims discrimination from UTA
http://www.fox13now.com/news/local/kstu-atheist-ad-uta-atheist-group-claims-discrimination-from-uta-20120127,0,5237544.story

If Minnesota atheists believe in anything, it's smiling babies

Minnesota atheists are using an image of a cute baby - in an imitation of an anti-abortion billboard campaign - for its new billboards in the Twin Cities promoting godlessness.

"We are all born without belief in gods. Learn how to be a born-again atheist," reads the billboard near the corner of University and Lexington avenues in St. Paul.

"Please don't indoctrinate me with religion. Teach me to think for myself," reads the billboard at 725 Washington Ave. N. in Minneapolis.

Both feature the picture of a smiling baby.

MORE: http://www.twincities.com/ci_19827758?source=most_viewed

See also...

Minn. Atheists Promote Message With Babies on Billboards
http://kstp.com/news/stories/S2472468.shtml?cat=1

Minnesota atheist group sponsors Twin Cities billboards featuring babies
http://www.startribune.com/local/blogs/138207759.html

Alain de Botton wants 'temples for atheists'

Philosopher and author Alain de Botton has called for a series of "temples for atheists" to be built around Britain, allowing the non-religious to have impressive buildings to call their own.

MORE: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-01/25/alain-de-botton-atheist-temples

See also...

Author Alain de Botton Plans to Build Temples for Godless Londoners
http://artinfo.com/news/story/757687/author-alain-de-botton-plans-to-build-temples-for-godless-londoners

Alain de Botton's 'temples for atheists' have a foundational flaw
http://www.guardian.co.uk/artanddesign/2012/jan/26/alain-de-botton-temple-atheists?newsfeed=true

Science TV "network decay"

It happens with disgusting regularity. You will flip through the various basic cable channels which are nominally "science oriented" (often grouped together on the dial if they feature scientific topics) and come up with nothing but junk, pseudoscience, and worse. "Reality shows" about subjects with little or no science content, tons of paranormal and pseudoscientific shows promoting ghosts, UFOs, Bigfoot, and creationism--all fill the airwaves for channels like Discovery, The  Learning Channel, History Channel, and even the Science Channel and National Geographic Channel. We watch a few minutes of these with complaints to anyone within earshot, then (usually) move on--or occasionally we get sucked in to watch the whole thing, like gawkers at a car crash. The cartoon at the top (from the great website PhdComics) says it all: four channels that used to be largely documentaries on science and history are now dominated  by guns, explosions, dangerous occupations and other "reality" TV. Their shows have  buzz words in the titles like "biggest", "wildest", "monsters" or "killers", and plain old junk fill up most of their air time.

MORE: http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/01/25/science-tv-sell-out/

Dawn of Social Networks: Ancestors May Have Formed Ties With Both Kin and Non-Kin Based On Shared Attributes

ScienceDaily -- Ancient humans may not have had the luxury of updating their Facebook status, but social networks were nevertheless an essential component of their lives, a new study suggests.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125132610.htm

NASA's Kepler Announces 11 New Planetary Systems Hosting 26 Planets

ScienceDaily -- NASA's Kepler mission has discovered 11 new planetary systems hosting 26 confirmed planets. These discoveries nearly double the number of verified Kepler planets and triple

the number of stars known to have more than one planet that transits, or passes in front of, the star. Such systems will help astronomers better understand how planets form.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120126155915.htm

See also...

New Satellite Takes Spectacular High-Res Image of Earth
http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/01/blue-planet/

Clues into moon's magnetic mystery revealed
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46156573/ns/technology_and_science-space/

VARIOUS OTHER SCIENCE NEWS:

Scientists Create First Free-Standing 3-D Cloak
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120125195535.htm

Lab Mimics Jupiter's Trojan Asteroids Inside a Single Atom
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124162351.htm

New Breed of Electron Interactions in Quantum Systems
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123094804.htm

Baby steps versus long jumps: The "size" of evolutionary change, and why it matters
http://www.denimandtweed.com/2012/01/baby-steps-versus-long-jumps-size-of.html

Militants target Pakistani troops

More than 3,000 Pakistani soldiers have been in killed in the fight against Islamist militants over the past decade, the Pakistani Army says.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/25/world/asia/pakistan-attack/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

See also...

3 killed in suicide explosion in Afghanistan
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/26/world/asia/afghainstan-attack/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Iraq bomb attacks kill at least 17
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/26/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Suspected al-Qaeda militants leave town in Yemen they had taken over
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/25/world/meast/yemen-al-qaeda/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

The Sagan Series - Life Looks for Life

Suit challenging Nevada marriage religious test to continue after surviving dismissal motion

A federal judge has refused to dismiss an American Civil Liberties Union lawsuit challenging Nevada’s "religious test" for officials to perform marriage ceremonies.

MORE: http://www.lasvegassun.com/news/2012/jan/23/suit-challenging-nevada-marriage-religious-test-co/

New atheist billboard raising eyebrows

The Boulder Atheists have created three billboards - two in Denver and one in Colorado Springs -  they hope to emphasize the separation of church and state.
 
The billboard reads "God is an imaginary friend. Choose reality, it will be better for all of us." Below the main message, it attributes the sentiment to the Colorado Coalition of Reason.

MORE: http://www.9news.com/news/local/article/244639/222/New-atheist-billboard-raising-eyebrows

See also...

Atheists rejoin billboard battle in Colorado
http://coloradoindependent.com/110749/atheists-rejoin-billboard-battle-in-colorado

Atheist billboard sparks debate in Denver
http://www.washingtonpost.com/local/atheist-billboard-sparks-debate-in-denver/2012/01/24/gIQARuHjNQ_video.html

New Billboard In Springs Calling God An Imaginary Friend
http://www.krdo.com/news/30279411/detail.html

Upcoming Atheist Billboard Draws Large Response
http://denver.cbslocal.com/2012/01/24/upcoming-atheist-billboard-draws-large-response/

Atheist Group Pays For Billboards That Read: 'God Is An Imaginary Friend'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/01/23/atheist-group-pays-for-bi_n_1224500.html

Atheist billboard causes stir in CO
http://www.wivb.com/dpp/news/local/atheist-billboard-causes-stir-in-co

Boulder atheists buy Springs, Denver billboards
http://www.gazette.com/articles/springs-132204-colorado-boulder.html

Billboard: God Is An Imaginary Friend
http://www.kktv.com/home/headlines/Billboard_God_Is_An_Imaginary_Friend_137941593.html

Atheist billboard raising hackles among conservatives in Colorado Springs
http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/af0c600529a14909b679c9347e488c66/CO--Atheist-Billboard/

COCORE Colorado billboards, "GOD IS AN IMAGINARY FRIEND."
http://unitedcor.org/national/news/cocore-colorado-billboards-god-imaginary-friend

Scientists Discover New Clue to Chemical Origins of Life

ScienceDaily -- Organic chemists at the University of York have made a significant advance towards establishing the origin of the carbohydrates (sugars) that form the building blocks of life.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124092930.htm

See also...

New Study Sheds Light On Evolutionary Origin of Oxygen-Based Cellular Respiration
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122152445.htm

Cohabitating Valentines Are Happier Than Wedded Couples

"We found that differences between marriage and cohabitation tend to be small and dissipate after a honeymoon period. Also while married couples experienced health gains -- likely linked to the formal benefits of marriage such as shared health care plans -- cohabiting couples experienced greater gains in happiness and self-esteem. For some, cohabitation may come with fewer unwanted obligations than marriage and allow for more flexibility, autonomy and personal growth," said Kelly Musick, associate professor of policy analysis and management at Cornell's College of Human Ecology, who co-authored the study with sociologist Larry Bumpass of the University of Wisconsin-Madison.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124183755.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed28ScienceDaily29

It's Evolution: Nature of Prejudice, Aggression Different for Men and Women

ScienceDaily -- Prejudice against people from groups different than their own is linked to aggression for men and fear for women, suggests new research led by Michigan State University scholars.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124113053.htm

See also...

Women Report Feeling Pain More Intensely Than Men, Says Study of Electronic Medical Records
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120123115517.htm

How Longstanding Conflict Influences Empathy for Others

In a study published Dec. 1 in Neuropsychologia, Saxe and Bruneau scanned people's brains as they read stories in which the protagonist experienced either physical or emotional pain. The brain regions that responded uniquely to emotional suffering overlapped with areas known to be involved in the ability to perceive what another person is thinking or feeling.

Hoping to see a correlation between empathy levels and amount of activity in those brain regions, the researchers then recruited Israelis and Arabs for a study in which subjects read stories about the suffering of members of their own groups or that of conflict-group members. The study participants also read stories about a distant, neutral group -- South Americans.
 
As expected, Israelis and Arabs reported feeling much more compassion in response to the suffering of their own group members than that of members of the conflict group. However, the brain scans revealed something surprising: Brain activity in the areas that respond to emotional pain was identical when reading about suffering by one's own group or the conflict group. Also, those activity levels were lower when Arabs or Israelis read about the suffering of South Americans, even though Arabs and Israelis expressed more compassion for South Americans' suffering than for that of the conflict group.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120124113047.htm

Colorado Man Arrested on Terror Charges

Federal agents from the Denver and Chicago Joint Terrorism Task Forces have arrested an Uzbek man living in Aurora, Colorado, on charges of "providing and attempting to provide material support to a designated foreign terrorist organization" known as the Islamic Jihad Union.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/colorado-man-jamshid-muhtorov-arrested-terror-charges/story?id=15422186

Al Qaeda Affiliate Targets US Ships: Report

Algerian authorities have foiled a plot by an al Qaeda affiliate to ram U.S. or European ships in the Mediterranean with an explosive-laden boat, according to an Algerian report.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/al-qaeda-affiliate-targets-us-ships-report/story?id=15432482

9 dead, 72 wounded after bombings in Iraq, police say

Baghdad (CNN) -- At least nine people were killed and at least 72 others wounded Tuesday when four car bombs and a roadside bomb exploded in mostly Shiite neighborhoods in Baghdad, police officials said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/24/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Violence spikes in key Afghan regions

Attacks by the Taliban in southern and eastern Afghanistan have risen sharply in recent months, according to figures released by the U.S.-led coalition, a sign that the allied offensive against the insurgency is yet to blunt its potency.

MORE: http://security.blogs.cnn.com/2012/01/24/violence-spikes-in-key-afghan-regions/?hpt=hp_bn2

Nigerians arrest Islamist militant suspects, sources say

Lagos, Nigeria (CNN) -- A joint military task force in Nigeria arrested 158 suspected members of the Islamist militant group Boko Haram, security sources told CNN Tuesday, three days after a spate of bombings and shootings left more than 200 people dead in Nigeria's second-largest city.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/24/world/africa/nigeria-attacks/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2

The Sagan Series - The Frontier Is Everywhere

50 Famous Academics & Scientists Talk About God

Jonathan Pararajasingham has pulled together a montage of 50 renowned academics, mostly all scientists, talking about their thoughts on the existence of God. The list includes includes 16 Nobel prize winners, and a bundle of recognizable names, including Richard Feynman, Steven Pinker, Oliver Sacks, Bertrand Russell, Stephen Hawking, and Leonard Susskind.

MORE: http://www.openculture.com/2011/07/50_famous_academics_talk_about_god.html

See also...

125 Great Science Videos: From Astronomy to Physics & Psychology
http://www.openculture.com/science_videos

30 famous writers talk about God
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/01/22/30-famous-writers-talk-about-god/

News flash: American Protestant ministers overwhelmingly reject evolution, are split on Earth's age

A survey conducted by the Christian polling organization LifeWay Research, and released on January 9, shows that Protestant pastors as a group are not only antievolution, but pretty much split on how old the Earth is. 1,000 pastors were polled, randomly selected from a list of all Protestant churches. This means that there is a mixture of liberal and conservative faiths here.

MORE: http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/01/20/news-flash-american-protestant-ministers-overwhelmingly-reject-evolution-are-split-on-earths-age/

See also...

Rethinking "Out of Africa"
http://edge.org/conversation/rethinking-out-of-africa

Advantages of Living in the Dark: Multiple Evolution Events of 'Blind' Cavefish
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120122201209.htm?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+sciencedaily+%28ScienceDaily%3A+Latest+Science+News%29

Are Religious People Better Adjusted Psychologically?

On average, believers only got the psychological benefits of being religious if they lived in a country that values religiosity. In countries where most people aren't religious, religious people didn't have higher self-esteem. "We think you only pat yourself on the back for being religious if you live in a social system that values religiosity," Gebauer says. So a very religious person might have high social self esteem in religious Poland, but not in non-religious Sweden.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120120010447.htm

Salman Rushdie: Police lied to me about threat to my life

Jaipur, India (CNN) -- Author Salman Rushdie now believes police lied to him about a threat to his life to keep him away from India's largest literary festival.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/22/world/asia/india-rushdie-threats/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Two Islamist parties win big in Egypt election

Cairo, Egypt (CNN) -- Two Islamist parties won about 70% of the seats in the Egyptian election for the lower house of parliament, according to electoral commission figures released Saturday.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/21/world/africa/egypt-elections/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Nigeria's president visits city where bombings killed at least 157

Islamist group Boko Haram -- whose name means "western education is sacrilege" -- claimed responsibility for the blast in a phone call to the Daily Trust, according to journalists at the newspaper.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/22/world/africa/nigeria-attacks/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Violence leaves at least 6 dead in Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/22/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

We Are Atheism Campaign Continues to Grow

The We Are Atheism campaign started last summer shows no signs of losing steam.
 
Centered on a website where atheists are encouraged to openly share their stories through videos and essays, Amanda and Adam Brown have seen their project continue to garner support since its August 2011 launch. In less than six months, the site has had 85,000 visitors from 151 countries, according to Amanda, and she continues to get daily submissions of both essays and videos in their effort to let other atheists know "there are other people out there that are nonbelievers just like them."
 
"It's okay to be an atheist" is a slogan used on the website. "We want the world to know we exist and we will not be ignored," the About Us page adds. "We will stand up, speak out, and be counted."

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-01-we-are-atheism-campaign-continues-to-grow

Feds: Religious employers must cover the pill

WASHINGTON -- Many church-affiliated institutions will have to cover free birth control for employees, the Obama administration announced Friday in an election-year move that outraged religious groups, fueling a national debate about the reach of government.

MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46076912/ns/health-womens_health/

Microsoft calls for same-sex marriage in Washington State

(CBS) - Microsoft announced today that it supports legislation in Washington State that would legalize same-sex marriage.

Five other companies stand with Microsoft in backing Senate Bill 6239 and House Bill 2516 - Concur, Group Health, Nike, RealNetworks and Vulcan Inc.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-501465_162-57363121-501465/microsoft-calls-for-same-sex-marriage-in-washington-state/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.10

When It Comes to Accepting Evolution, Gut Feelings Trump Facts

ScienceDaily -- For students to accept the theory of evolution, an intuitive "gut feeling" may be just as important as understanding the facts, according to a new study.

--snip--

Haury and his colleagues tapped into cognitive science research showing that our brains don't just process ideas logically -- we also rely on how true something feels when judging an idea. "Research in neuroscience has shown that when there's a conflict between facts and feeling in the brain, feeling wins," he says.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119133926.htm

See also...

Why Do So Many Have Trouble Believing In Evolution?
http://www.npr.org/blogs/13.7/2012/01/18/145338804/why-do-so-many-have-trouble-with-evolution

And...

Hearty Bacteria Help Make Case for Life in the Extreme
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120119143338.htm

Student Dies In Class On 21st Birthday After Thanking God For 'Another Year Of Life'

BOILING SPRINGS, N.C. (CBS Charlotte/AP) -- A student at Gardner-Webb University collapsed in class and died on her 21st birthday after thanking God on Twitter for living another year.

A spokesman says Ariane Noelle Patterson was in a religion class at the Boiling Springs school when she collapsed Tuesday afternoon.

Patterson tweeted that day, "Thank you God for a nother year of life."

MORE: http://charlotte.cbslocal.com/2012/01/18/student-dies-in-class-on-21st-birthday-after-thanking-god-for-another-year-of-life/

Atheist faces jail after Facebook remark

An Indonesian civil servant who declared himself an atheist on Facebook was arrested and is now facing jail for blasphemy after being attacked by an angry mob, police said on Friday.

MORE: http://news.ninemsn.com.au/world/8406581/atheist-faces-jail-after-facebook-remark

See also...

Atheist Indonesian in protective custody after being beaten by mob
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/worldnews/asia/indonesia/9027145/Atheist-Indonesian-in-protective-custody-after-being-beaten-by-mob.html

Dismay After Indonesian Atheist Charged With Blasphemy
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/news/dismay-after-indonesian-atheist-charged-with-blasphemy/492622

Breaking News: Indonesian Atheist Officially Arrested
http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/home/breaking-news-indonesian-atheist-officially-arrested/492612

Row over Indonesia atheist Facebook post
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-asia-16644141

Muhammad cartoon row leads to resignation

The president of a London university atheist society has resigned over a row about an image of the Prophet Muhammad.

MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-london-16615312

See also...

The latest from Jesus and Mo and Ape Not Monkey!
http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-01-the-comics-section

A Writer Under Threat, Again

In the past few days, there had been reports in the Times of India and elsewhere that Rushdie's life was being threatened--hard evidence that a fatwa the Ayatollah Khomeini issued more than two decades ago, ordering Rushdie's death, has hardly burned itself out.

MORE: http://www.newyorker.com/online/blogs/newsdesk/2012/01/a-writer-under-threat-again.html#ixzz1k3yRiqi4

See also...

Salman Rushdie cancels trip to India after death threat
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/20/world/asia/india-rushdie-threats/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Asia braces for Year of Dragon baby boom

This Monday marks the beginning of the Year of the Dragon. In Chinese culture, babies born this iteration of the 12-year Zodiac cycle - which alternates between other animals like rats, horses, and goats - are gifted with prodigious quantities of luck and strength. In ancient times the dragon was a symbol reserved for the Chinese emperor, and it is considered to be an extremely auspicious sign.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504763_162-57362878-10391704/asia-braces-for-year-of-dragon-baby-boom/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.8

Gunmen killed local Iraqi leader, his 3 sons

Council members have become targets for jihadists.
 
Over the past two weeks, hundreds of Iraqis have been killed and wounded in violence across the country, raising concerns about the ability of security forces to do their job.
 
Despite a decrease in overall violence in Iraq, it still touches Iraqis almost every day. Ordinary Iraqis say the violence is largely sectarian, with the once-dominant Sunni Muslims believing Shiites are responsible, and the majority Shiites blaming Sunni insurgents.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/18/world/meast/iraq-unrest/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Cameroon region concerned about Islamist militants

Maroua, Cameroon (CNN) -- The governor of Cameroon's Far North Region on Thursday said threats posed by militant Islamist group Boko Haram were "very critical."

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/world/africa/cameroon-boko-haram/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Group says RI florists won't deliver to atheist

PROVIDENCE, R.I.--A secular foundation in Wisconsin says it's filing a civil rights complaint against a Rhode Island florist for refusing to deliver flowers to a 16-year-old atheist.

--snip--

Gaylor says two other Cranston florists and one in Warwick also refused to deliver flowers to Ahlquist. She says Twins refused by writing, "I will not deliver to this person."

MORE: http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2012/01/19/group_says_ri_florists_wont_deliver_to_atheist/

See also...

Atheist Teen Getting Flowers, But Not From Rhode Island

http://www.abc6.com/story/16555006/atheist-teen-getting-flowers-but-not-from-rhode-island

Earlier...

Banner author calls Judge a "Cracker Jack" appointment

http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/banner-author-calls-judge-cracker-jack.html

R.I. State Rep calls teen atheist 'evil little thing' - secular America responds

http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/ri-state-rep-calls-teen-atheist-evil.html

Threats against RI atheist teen being investigated

http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/threats-against-ri-atheist-teen-being.html

Federal court sides with RI atheist student and orders public school to remove prayer mural

http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/federal-court-sides-with-ri-atheist.html

Solar blast heading our way

The sun has unleashed a blast in Earth's direction, and that should cause brighter-than-normal auroral displays this weekend. Skywatchers won't be the only ones monitoring the storm: The folks in charge of power grids and orbiting satellites will also be on guard to make sure the disturbance in the (geomagnetic) force won't be disruptive.

MORE: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/19/10192639-solar-blast-heading-our-way

See also...

NASA SDO - M2.6 Solar Flare on January 19, 2012

Unsafe abortions rise as contraceptive funding is cut

Global abortion rates have stopped falling, ending a period of rapid decline that began in 1995. However, the proportion of abortions that are dangerous continues to rise. Paradoxically, morally conservative US restrictions on foreign aid may have promoted the abortions they sought to restrict.

MORE: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn21372-unsafe-abortions-rise-as-contraceptive-funding-is-cut.html

Gay Olivehurst Teen Named High School Homecoming Princess

OLIVEHURST (CBS13) – At a time when gay teenagers are too often bullied by their classmates, an entirely different story is playing out at a high school in Olivehurst.

MORE: http://sacramento.cbslocal.com/2012/01/18/gay-teen-in-olivehurst-named-high-school-homecoming-princess/?hpt=us_bn7

Indonesian atheist could be jailed

JAKARTA, Jan. 19 (UPI) -- An Indonesian civil servant who moderates a Facebook page for atheists says he has been beaten and could face dismissal and even jail for blasphemy.

MORE: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/World-News/2012/01/19/Indonesian-atheist-could-be-jailed/UPI-22311327010953/?spt=hs&or=tn

Iranian Actress Banned For Nude Photo

"I was told by a Ministry of Culture and Islamic Guide official that Iran does not need any actors or artists. You may offer your artistic services somewhere else", Farahani told The Telegraph after the photograph was published in France's Madame Le Figaro magazine.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/entertainment/2012/01/iranian-actress-banned-for-nude-photo/

Suicide bomber kills seven near Afghan airport

A Taliban spokesman said the militant group is responsible for the attack and was targeting a convoy of foreigners nearby.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

See also...

Afghanistan investigates NATO bombing
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/19/world/asia/afghanistan-bombing-investigation/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

High court rejects appeals on public prayers, student speech

Washington (CNN) -- The Supreme Court on Tuesday rejected an appeal from a North Carolina county that had regularly opened its public meetings with Christian prayers.
 
The church-state dispute is a victory for two Forsyth County residents who brought suit against the Board of Commissioners. Janet Joyner and Constance Lynn Blackmon were represented in their court challenge by the American Civil Liberties Union and Americans United for Separation of Church and State.
 
"When government meetings are opened regularly with Christian prayer, it sends the unmistakable message that non-Christians are second-class citizens in their own community," said the Rev. Barry Lynn, who heads Americans United, a Washington-based group. "The Constitution clearly forbids government to play favorites when it comes to religion."
 
Court records show that 26 of 33 invocations given at the council meetings in 2007 and 2008 contained references to Jesus Christ, the Trinity, or other Christian symbols or names. Clergy members from the community often delivered the sectarian invocations. The county seat is Winston-Salem, one the largest cities in the state.
 
A federal appeals court last year found the prayers to be an unconstitutional violation of the Constitution's Establishment Clause, which forbids any government endorsement of one religion over another.
 
The case is Forsyth County, N.C., v. Joyner (11-546).

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/17/us/scotus-appeals/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Banner author calls Judge a "Cracker Jack" appointment

"It's a shame that some judge with an appointment out of a Cracker Jack box can make a ruling like that," said Bradley.

-snip--

Bradley said that Ahlquist is just a pawn in the fight against the banner. "I believe she is just a trained seal," said Bradley.

MORE: http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2371161&spid=37719

Uncle of athiest speaks out, says Fung should apologize

Steve Ahlquist, the uncle of Jessica Ahlquist, the teenage atheist that prevailed when she challenged the prayer banner that hangs in the auditorium of Cranston West High School said his niece was not a pawn of the ACLU.

MORE: http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2374288&spid=37719

Cranston West heightens security as school resumes

Tonight, the school committee will meet and in a private executive session and discuss the prayer banner. Peter Nero, the Cranston School Superintendent, said there are no plans to make public a decision on whether or not to appeal the banner decision tonight.

MORE: http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2374121&spid=37719

Senate candidate uses prayer banner to call for school choice

Hinckley said it is unfortunate to see the banner taken down because "in these very trying times, many families are relying more than ever on their faith to get them by."

MORE: http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2373655&spid=37719

See also...

'An Evil Little Thing': Atheists Slam RI State Rep's Comments About Teen Behind Prayer Mural Ban
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/an-evil-little-thing-atheists-slam-ri-state-reps-comments-about-teen-behind-prayer-mural-ban/

Teen atheist releases a YouTube response to decision
http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2374356&spid=37719


Earlier...

R.I. State Rep calls teen atheist 'evil little thing' - secular America responds
http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/ri-state-rep-calls-teen-atheist-evil.html

Threats against RI atheist teen being investigated
http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/threats-against-ri-atheist-teen-being.html

Federal court sides with RI atheist student and orders public school to remove prayer mural
http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/01/federal-court-sides-with-ri-atheist.html

People Behave Socially and 'Well' Even Without Rules

ScienceDaily -- Millions of human interactions were assessed during the study which included actions such as communication, founding and ending friendships, trading goods, sleeping, moving, however also starting hostilities, attacks and punishment. The game does not suggest any rules and everyone can live with their avatar (i.e. with their "game character" in the virtual world) as they choose. "And the result of this is not anarchy," says Thurner. "The participants organise themselves as a social group with good intents. Almost all the actions are positive."

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120116095821.htm

See also...

Gossip Can Have Social and Psychological Benefits
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117145103.htm

Biologists Replicate Key Evolutionary Step

ScienceDaily -- More than 500 million years ago, single-celled organisms on Earth's surface began forming multicellular clusters that ultimately became plants and animals. Just how that happened is a question that has eluded evolutionary biologists.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117144330.htm

See also...

A First: Brain Support Cells from Umbilical Cord Stem Cells
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/01/120117144332.htm

Lost Charles Darwin fossils rediscovered in cabinet
http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16578330

Volunteers wanted for planet hunt

Members of the public are being asked to join the hunt for nearby planets that could support life.

MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-16512017

See also...

Scientists Confirm Rocks Fell From Mars
http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/wireStory/apnewsbreak-mars-rocks-fell-africa-july-15377699

Church's 'offensive' anti-atheist billboard is banned by advertising watchdog

A church advertising campaign that depicted atheists as stupid has been banned by a watchdog in South Africa.

MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2087778/Churchs-anti-atheist-billboard-banned-advertising-watchdog.html

See also...

Ban for billboard that riled atheists
http://www.iol.co.za/news/south-africa/western-cape/ban-for-billboard-that-riled-atheists-1.1214632

UK cannot deport radical cleric, European Court rules

London (CNN) -- The United Kingdom cannot deport a radical cleric linked to al Qaeda to Jordan because evidence obtained by torture could be used against him there, the European Court of Human Rights ruled in a landmark case Tuesday.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/17/world/europe/uk-abuqatada-deportation/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2

Israeli embassy, U.S. tourists among likely targets of Bangkok bomb plot

Police raids in Bangkok, Thailand, which netted a suspected Hezbollah operative Thursday and the makings of bomb-making materials Saturday, represent "one of the most credible Israel-focused threats overseas in a long time," said NBC News analyst Roger Cressey, and "very much the real deal" adds NBC News analyst Mike Leiter.

MORE: http://openchannel.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/01/17/10176623-israeli-embassy-us-tourists-among-likely-targets-of-bangkok-bomb-plot

Hackers attack two Israeli websites

Israeli Deputy Foreign Minister Danny Ayalon, speaking at a public event, called the Saudi hackers attack "a breach of sovereignty comparable to a terrorist operation and (it) must be treated as such." A few days later his own website was targeted in a cyber attack. In a statement on his Facebook page, Ayalon wrote that "Muslim extremists" hacked into his website "to try and prevent me from continuing to do my work on behalf of the State of Israel, especially my online public diplomacy.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/16/world/meast/israel-hacking-attack/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

See also...

Iraqi checkpoint attack kills 5 policemen
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/17/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

R.I. State Rep calls teen atheist 'evil little thing' - secular America responds

In what many find to be an open display of bigotry, Rhode Island State Representative Peter Palumbo recently referred to teen atheist Jessica Ahlquist as "an evil little thing."

MORE: http://www.examiner.com/humanist-in-national/r-i-state-rep-calls-teen-atheist-evil-little-thing-secular-america-responds

See also...

Student disciplined in school prayer banner spat
http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2012/01/16/student_disciplined_in_school_prayer_banner_spat/

Deep thinkers list science's 'most beautiful theories'

NEW YORK -- From Darwinian evolution to the idea that personality is largely shaped by chance, the favorite theories of the world's most eminent thinkers are as eclectic as science itself.

Every January, John Brockman, the impresario and literary agent who presides over the online salon Edge.org, asks his circle of scientists, digerati and humanities scholars to tackle one question.
 
In previous years, they have included "How is the Internet changing the way you think?" and "What is the most important invention in the last 2,000 years?"
 
This year, he posed the open-ended question "What is your favorite deep, elegant or beautiful explanation?"

MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/46005937/ns/technology_and_science-science/

Atheist group spends weekends helping Austin's homeless

Every Sunday, much of Austin's homeless community gathers in Downtown Austin under Interstate 35 at Seventh Street to receive offered help.

Among the several religious and nonprofit groups beneath the overpass are Joe Zamecki and his group Atheists Helping the Homeless.

MORE: http://austin.ynn.com/content/top_stories/282489/atheist-group-spends-weekends-helping-austin-s-homeless

Richard Dawkins celebrates a victory over creationists

Leading scientists and naturalists, including Professor Richard Dawkins and Sir David Attenborough, are claiming a victory over the creationist movement after the government ratified measures that will bar anti-evolution groups from teaching creationism in science classes.

MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/education/2012/jan/15/free-schools-creationism-intelligent-design

Atheists have no right to decide what is, or what is not offensive to believers

THE University College London Union Jesus & Mo controversy rumbles on. Latest to join the fray is S M Tahir Nasser, Treasurer of UCLU Ahmadiyya Muslim Students Association (AMSA), who declared:

"It is not for Atheists to decide what will or will not offend believers of different religions."

MORE: http://freethinker.co.uk/2012/01/12/atheists-have-no-right-to-decide-what-is-or-what-is-not-offensive-to-believers/

See also...

Subscribers to Reddit's atheist community approach the number of signatories to the religious right's Manhattan Declaration
http://www.goddiscussion.com/88782/subscribers-to-reddits-atheist-community-approach-the-number-of-signatories-to-the-religious-rights-manhattan-declaration/

Atheism under wraps in Egypt

"Psst, we couldn’t help overhearing you talking to that Muslim Brother," Sophia says, pushing aside her laptop. "But we just want you to know that in this '100 percent religious' country, we belong to that non-percent."

MORE: http://bikyamasr.com/53676/atheism-under-wraps-in-egypt/

Israelis Facing a Seismic Rift Over Role of Women

The list of controversies grows weekly: Organizers of a conference last week on women's health and Jewish law barred women from speaking from the podium, leading at least eight speakers to cancel; ultra-Orthodox men spit on an 8-year-old girl whom they deemed immodestly dressed; the chief rabbi of the air force resigned his post because the army declined to excuse ultra-Orthodox soldiers from attending events where female singers perform; protesters depicted the Jerusalem police commander as Hitler on posters because he instructed public bus lines with mixed-sex seating to drive through ultra-Orthodox neighborhoods; vandals blacked out women’s faces on Jerusalem billboards.

Public discourse in Israel is suddenly dominated by a new, high-toned Hebrew phrase, "hadarat nashim," or the exclusion of women. The term is everywhere in recent weeks, rather like the way the phrase "male chauvinism" emerged decades ago in the United States.

MORE: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/01/15/world/middleeast/israel-faces-crisis-over-role-of-ultra-orthodox-in-society.html?_r=2&pagewanted=all%3Fsrc%3Dtp&smid=fb-share

Hackers attack two Israeli websites

The "cyber war" started at the beginning of the month when a group claiming to be Saudi Arabian hackers posted the credit card information and other identifying data of thousands of Israelis on line, prompting an international investigation.
 
"Hi, It's Ox Omar from the group xp, largest Wahhabi group of Saudi Arabia" read a statement posted on an Israeli sports web site the group hacked into. "We are anonymous Saudi Arabian hackers. We decided to release (the) first part of our data about Israel." Wahhabism is an Islamic religious movement.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/16/world/meast/israel-hacking-attack/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2

Al Qaeda Fighters Grab More of Yemen

Al Qaeda's Yemeni affiliate has taken control of a city just 100 miles south of the capital, after militants led by the brother-in-law of the late U.S.-born cleric Anwar al-Awlaki stormed the police station and the prison in Rada'a Saturday.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/al-qaeda-fighters-grab-yemen/story?id=15371836

Explosion kills many Shiites in Pakistan, police say

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- At least 14 people were killed and 20 injured in a bomb blast in the Pakistani town of Khan Pur, a police official said Sunday.

--snip--

Shiite processions on religious holidays are regularly targeted by Sunni militants.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/15/world/asia/pakistan-blast/index.html?hpt=wo_bn4

Suicide bomber kills more than 50 in Iraq

Baghdad, Iraq (CNN) -- A suicide bomber disguised as a policeman targeted Shiite pilgrims Saturday outside the southern Iraqi city of Basra, killing at least 53 people and wounding 137, the Interior Ministry said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/14/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

See also...

Blasts kill 12 in Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/16/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Iraqi police: 15 killed in attacks on stations
http://www.cnn.com/2012/01/15/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2