Bob's Notes: Matthew 10

NC gay marriage ban gets Sunday push in churches

RALEIGH, N.C. (AP) -- People who favor adding a ban against gay marriage to North Carolina's constitution are hoping for a big push from churches statewide.

The group Vote For Marriage NC is urging church leaders to preach a marriage-themed sermon on Sunday and encourage congregants to vote early on Monday. North Carolina's early-voting period runs through next week ahead of primary election day on May 8.
 
MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47222764/ns/local_news-charlotte_nc/

National Day of Prayer Task Force claims that atheists are awakening a 'sleeping giant'

According to the National Day of Prayer Task Force, a non-governmental organization headed by Shirley Dobson (whose husband is conservative evangelist James Dobson), more Americans than ever will be participating in the National Day of Prayer on May 3 because of atheists who are "assaulting" religious liberty.

MORE: http://www.goddiscussion.com/96008/national-day-of-prayer-task-force-claims-that-atheists-are-awakening-a-sleeping-giant/

Faithless thinking - Non-believer groups grow on campus

There is no data showing how many college students have turned a cold shoulder toward religion, but clubs and associations catering to non-believers have been steadily springing up on American campuses.
 
MORE: http://www.telegram.com/article/20120429/NEWS/104299772/1116

Dueling in Dearborn over murder of a 20-year-old woman

In Dearborn Mich., a Detroit suburb known for its concentration of Muslim Americans, anti-Islam leaders from around the country are gathering to discuss how to rescue women from that faith. The "Jessica Mokdad Human Rights Conference on Honor Killings" on Sunday is named for a local Muslim woman murdered one year ago.

But Muslims, civil rights groups and other religious leaders say the conference is merely another event put on by well-known bigots to attack the minority religion. Their response was to schedule a town hall meeting just a few miles away on Sunday called "Rejecting Islamophobia: A Community Stand Against Hate."

The honor killing conference, organized by Pamela Geller, who became nationally famous for her vocal opposition to the Ground Zero Mosque, aka Park 51 in Manhattan, is based on the premise that Mokdad, 20 years old when she died in April 2011, was the victim of an honor killing justified by Islam.

MORE: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/29/11461385-dueling-in-dearborn-over-murder-of-a-20-year-old-woman

With shuttle Enterprise in NY, Endeavour is next to move

Shuttle Atlantis, too, is set for a museum delivery sometime soon.

MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47224063/ns/technology_and_science-space/

Atheist scouts told to "keep quiet" or lie about their beliefs

The SA, which has more than 525,000 members in Britain does not officially accept atheists into its ranks.

MORE: http://www.deadlinenews.co.uk/2012/04/29/atheist-scouts-told-to-keep-quiet-or-lie-about-their-beliefs/

Priest in gay porn probe leaves parish

Belfast, Northern Ireland (CNN) -- An Irish priest at the center of a gay porn controversy has asked to leave his parish and take sabbatical leave from the priesthood, he said Sunday.
 
Father Martin McVeigh has admitted he destroyed a memory stick containing "inappropriate imagery" ahead of a church investigation into reports he accidentally showed pictures of naked men to parents of children preparing for their First Holy Communion.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/29/world/europe/ireland-priest-gay-porn/index.html?hpt=hp_t3

Australia's blurred separation between church and state

Constitutional ambiguity has allowed religion an excessive influence in schools, and Australia is not alone in this respect.

MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/apr/29/australia-blurred-separation-church-state

Clash between Egypt's Islamists, military grows

CAIRO -- Egypt's Islamist-dominated parliament said Sunday it was suspending sessions for a week to protest the ruling military's failure to heed repeated calls for the dismissal of the government.

MORE: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/29/11459070-clash-between-egypts-islamists-military-grows?lite

Witness: Attack on Christians in Nigeria kills at least 15

KANO, Nigeria -- Gunmen killed at least 15 people and wounded many more in an attack on a university theater being used by Christian worshippers in Nigeria's northern city of Kano on Sunday, a witness aid.

--snip--

Radical Islamist sect Boko Haram, which wants to carve out an Islamic state in northern Nigeria, has killed hundreds in bomb and gun attacks this year. It mainly targets police and authority figures but has also attacked churches.

MORE: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/29/11456299-witness-attack-on-christians-in-nigeria-kills-at-least-15?lite

See also...

Witness: Gunmen attack Nigeria university campus
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/29/world/africa/nigeria-kano-attack/index.html?hpt=iaf_c1

Bob's Notes: Matthew 9

Theater Denies Atheists Their Advertisement Time

Moore says he was told, "there were Christians in the community that were upset that atheists were able to advertise in the movie theaters and the business decided to cancel our contract simply on the basis of our religious beliefs."

MORE: http://dfw.cbslocal.com/2012/04/28/atheist-group-says-they-face-discrimination-at-movie-theater/

Center for Inquiry Michigan atheist group sues Wyndgate Country Club for canceling speech by Richard Dawkins

The Kentwood-based Center for Inquiry-Michigan, a chapter of the nationwide atheist group, filed suit in federal district court Friday against the Wyndgate Country Club for allegedly denying use of the facilities to the public based on religious beliefs.

MORE: http://www.mlive.com/news/index.ssf/2012/04/center_for_inquiry_michigan_at.html

Teacher who was fired after fertility treatments sues diocese

(CNN) - A teacher at a Catholic school in Indiana is suing the diocese where she worked after being fired because the in vitro fertilization treatments she received were considered against church teachings.

MORE: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/27/teacher-who-was-fired-after-fertility-treatments-sues-diocese/

Bob's Notes: Matthew 8

Wisconsin conference to unite atheists, skeptics

MILWAUKEE -- Hundreds of atheists, freethinkers and other nonbelievers from around the Midwest will gather in Madison, Wis., this weekend for a conference marking the launch of a new umbrella group aimed at pulling together many of the area's so-called "Nones."

MORE: http://www.kansascity.com/2012/04/27/3579291/wisconsin-conference-to-unite.html

See also...

Wisconsin conference to unite atheists, skeptics
http://www.sacbee.com/2012/04/27/4447153/wisconsin-conference-to-unite.html

Wisconsin conference to unite atheists, skeptics
http://www.myrtlebeachonline.com/2012/04/27/2797074/wisconsin-conference-to-unite.html

Madison making way for the 'Nones'
http://freethoughtactionblog.blogspot.com/2012/04/madison-making-way-for-nones.html

As politicians talk more about faith, voters seem to want less

Washington (CNN) -- Is Washington a holy city? It might seem that way, with all the talk about religion and morality in the 2012 election.
 
But all that God talk may be rubbing voters the wrong way.

MORE: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/27/as-politicians-talk-more-about-faith-voters-seem-to-want-less/comment-page-5/

Atheist group sues Rochester Hills country club over canceled speech

Detroit -- A Rochester Hills country club that canceled an appearance last fall by an internationally known atheist was sued in federal court Friday.
 
The Center for Inquiry-Michigan, an organization dedicated to secularism and science, sued Wyndgate Country Club for allegedly denying use of its facilities to the public based upon religious beliefs.
 
The center wants unspecified damages and to block the country club from discriminating against others for religious reasons, according to the lawsuit.

MORE: http://www.detroitnews.com/article/20120427/METRO02/204270403/1361/Atheist-group-sues-Rochester-Hills-country-club-over-canceled-speech

Thug Life: TV Preacher Pat Robertson Hangs With A Bad Crowd

The Charles Taylor episode, of course, isn't Pat Robertson's only dalliance with despicable dictators.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/thug-life-tv-preacher-pat-robertson-hangs-with-a-bad-crowd

Oakland Catholic Policy Aims To Curb 'Anti-Prom' Attendance

The school enacted a policy intended to cut down on attendance of "anti-prom" -- a non-school related event that was created in 2008 due to what some call overly strict rules regarding dress code and dancing for the school-sponsored prom.
 
An article on the school's website explains the policy this way. If a student requests a letter of recommendation from a teacher for a college application, that student has to sign a memorandum of understanding, meaning no cheating, plagiarism and no "anti-prom."

MORE: http://pittsburgh.cbslocal.com/2012/04/27/oakland-catholic-policy-aims-to-curb-anti-prom-attendance/?hpt=us_bn4

Principal speaks out after school rejects speaker because he's gay

MOUNT PLEASANT, MI (WNEM) - A story of rejection is generating a lot of emotions in Mid-Michigan after a local Catholic school went back on its offer to have a former student give a speech during graduation.

MORE: http://www.wnem.com/story/17804511/graduation-speaker-rejected-because-hes-gay?hpt=us_bn6

The Consolation of Philosophy

An update by the author of "A Universe from Nothing" on his thoughts, as a theoretical physicist, about the value of the discipline of philosophy.

MORE: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=the-consolation-of-philos

New Particle Discovered at CERN

ScienceDaily -- Physicists from the University of Zurich have discovered a previously unknown particle composed of three quarks in the Large Hadron Collider (LHC) particle accelerator. A new baryon could thus be detected for the first time at the LHC.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427095621.htm

Rare Protozoan from Sludge in Norwegian Lake Does Not Fit On Main Branches of Tree of Life

Biologists all over the world have been eagerly awaiting the results of the genetic analysis of one of the world's smallest known species, hereafter called the protozoan, from a little lake 30 kilometer south of Oslo in Norway.
 
When researchers from the University of Oslo, Norway compared its genes with all other known species in the world, they saw that the protozoan did not fit on any of the main branches of the tree of life. The protozoan is not a fungus, alga, parasite, plant or animal.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426104853.htm

Novel Regulatory Molecules Called Mirror-microRNAs Control Multiple Aspects of Brain Function

The research, led by academics from the University of Bristol's Schools of Clinical Sciences, Biochemistry and Physiology & Pharmacology and published in the Journal of Biological Chemistry, has revealed a new group of molecules, called mirror-microRNAs.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427100122.htm

See also...

Maintain Your Brain: The Secrets to Aging Success
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427163335.htm

Hubble Images Searchlight Beams from a Preplanetary Nebula

ScienceDaily -- The NASA/ESA Hubble Space Telescope has been at the cutting edge of research into what happens to stars like our sun at the ends of their lives. One stage that stars pass through as they run out of nuclear fuel is called the preplanetary or protoplanetary nebula stage. A new Hubble image of the Egg Nebula shows one of the best views to date of this brief but dramatic phase in a star's life.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427142644.htm

See also...

Cassini Finds Saturn Moon Has Planet-Like Qualities
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427142212.htm

100 Days and Counting to NASA's Curiosity Mars Rover Landing
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120427142017.htm

Space shuttle Enterprise flies again
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/27/us/new-york-space-shuttle/index.html?hpt=us_c2

Bob's Notes: Matthew 7

Madison making way for the 'Nones'

Madison Area Coalition of Reason's Freethought Festival unites atheists, agnostics and other skeptics.

MORE: http://www.jsonline.com/features/religion/madison-making-way-for-the-nones-5g564n0-149161655.html

See also...

Atheists, skeptics gather in Wisconsin
http://www.heraldnet.com/article/20120426/NEWS02/704269795

Losing Your Religion: Analytic Thinking Can Undermine Belief

A series of new experiments shows that analytic thinking can override intuitive assumptions, including those that underlie religious belief.

--snip--

"Obviously, this study doesn't prove the nonexistence of God. But it poses a challenge to believers: If God exists, and if believing in God is perfectly rational, then why does increasing rational thinking tend to decrease belief in God?"

MORE: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=losing-your-religion-analytic-thinking-can-undermine-belief

See also...

Atheism: Analytical Thought Diminishes Religious Belief
http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981295819

Study: Analytic thinking can decrease religious belief
http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/27/study-analytic-thinking-can-decrease-religious-belief/comment-page-2/

Analytic Thinking Can Decrease Religious Belief, Study Shows
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120426143856.htm

Tenn. student dressed as Jesus earns atheist scholarship

SPRING HILL - Summit High School sophomore Jeff Shott has been awarded a $1,000 scholarship by an atheist group for dressing like Jesus Christ on the school's "fictional character day."

MORE: http://www.wbir.com/news/article/218062/2/Tenn-student-dressed-as-Jesus-earns-atheist-scholarship-

See also...

Student dressed as Jesus wins atheist award
http://www.azcentral.com/offbeat/articles/2012/04/26/20120426student-dressed-jesus-earns-atheist-award.html

Atheist group gives Tennessee student scholarship for Jesus costume
http://www.suntimes.com/news/nation/12173977-418/atheist-group-gives-tennessee-student-scholarship-for-jesus-costume.html

Student dressed as Jesus earns atheist scholarship
http://www.tennessean.com/article/20120426/WILLIAMSON04/304260114/Atheist-group-honors-Spring-Hill-student-who-dressed-as-Jesus

You Can Take that Bible and Shove It, Air Force Hospitality

While the Bibles are being scrubbed from the checklist, the Air Force isn't going to remove the Bibles in the lodgings available. This has upset the atheist group who is demanding the investigation of Michael B. Donley, the Air Force secretary, for religious bias.

MORE: http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981291269

See also...

Air Force Caves to Atheists
http://nation.foxnews.com/atheists/2012/04/26/air-force-caves-atheists

Religious Right Wages War on Women

Legislatures across the nation are taking up issues that many thought were settled decades ago, such as reproductive rights and equal access to comprehensive health care in the workplace.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/Atheist/Religious-Right-Wages-War-on-Women-Roy-Speckhardt-04-23-2012.html

Help Wanted (Christians Only): Taxpayer-Funded 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers' Proselytize And Discriminate In Hiring

Fundamentalist Christian "crisis pregnancy centers" are receiving tax aid in some states.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/help-wanted-christians-only-taxpayer-funded-%E2%80%98crisis-pregnancy-centers%E2%80%99

Vouchers For This?: Catholic School Teacher In Indiana Fired For Using IVF

In what looks like another example of the Roman Catholic hierarchy's "war against women," an Indiana teacher said she was fired by the Diocese of Fort Wayne-South Bend (Ind.) because she received in vitro fertilization.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/vouchers-for-this-catholic-school-teacher-in-indiana-fired-for-using-ivf

Atheist group seeks removal of RI war memorial cross; cash-strapped city likely to back down

PROVIDENCE, R.I. -- The Wisconsin group challenging the constitutionality of a cross on a war memorial in Rhode Island says it expects to prevail without the type of long legal battle that unfolded over a prayer banner ordered removed this year from a public high school.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/atheist-group-seeks-removal-of-ri-war-memorial-cross-cash-strapped-city-likely-to-back-down/2012/04/26/gIQAllAMjT_story.html

See also...

Atheist Group Targets Christian Cross in Rhode Island
http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981290518

Atheists Target WWI Cross Memorial at Rhode Island Fire Department
http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/11658-atheists-target-wwi-cross-memorial-at-rhode-island-fire-department

Atheist group demands Rhode Island city remove cross from atop war memorial
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/04/25/atheist-group-wants-cross-from-rhode-island-war-memorial-removed/

Atheists Want RI Firehouse Cross Removed
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2012/April/Atheists-Want-RI-Firehouse-Cross-Removed/

Mayor keeping options open, calls atheists 'knuckleheads'
http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2443164&spid=37719

Landmark church sex abuse case ends testimony

It's the first time in the U.S. that a senior official with the Catholic Church has faced charges in the church's child sexual abuse crisis.

CBS News correspondent Elaine Quijano reports that Monsignor William Lynn is accused of endangering children by helping reassign priests suspected of child sex abuse to jobs where they continued to prey on boys and girls. Lynn was in charge of Philadelphia's priests from 1992 to 2004.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57422539/landmark-church-sex-abuse-case-ends-testimony/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.1

Lesbian Scout leader ousted; parents upset

(AP) The first-graders in Ohio Pack 109's Tiger Scouts didn't know or care their den mother was a lesbian -- at least not until the Boy Scouts of America threw her out over the organization's ban on gays.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57422643/lesbian-scout-leader-ousted-parents-upset/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.1

Vast Structure of Satellite Galaxies & Star Clusters Discovered Surrounding Milky Way -- Nixes Existence of Dark Matter in Universe

Astronomers from the University of Bonn in Germany have discovered a vast structure of satellite galaxies and clusters of stars surrounding our Galaxy, stretching out across a million light years. The work challenges the existence of dark matter, part of the standard model for the evolution of the universe.

MORE: http://www.dailygalaxy.com/my_weblog/2012/04/-vast-structure-of-satellite-galaxies-star-clusters-discovered-surrounding-milky-way-nixes-the-exist.html?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=email&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+TheDailyGalaxyNewsFromPlanetEarthBeyond+%28The+Daily+Galaxy+--Great+Discoveries+Channel%3A+Sci%2C+Space%2C+Tech.%29

See also...

Spectacular Star Cluster a Wing-Span Away from Eagle Nebula
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425094601.htm

Star may have more planets than our solar system
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47198131/ns/technology_and_science-space/

NASA's Dawn Spacecraft Reveals Secrets of Giant Asteroid Vesta
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425130344.htm

Splatters of Molten Rock Signal Period of Intense Asteroid Impacts On Earth
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120425140312.htm

Is Egypt headed for Islamist rule?

In this sense, the presidential election will be an important indicator of how much weight Egyptians give to Islam as a factor in their political life. It will not be the only factor in their decision, which will no doubt turn on questions of personality and name recognition as much as anything. But a vote for a candidate with more conservative Islamist leanings -- and there is evidence of strong support for such candidates -- will likely influence the writing of the constitution, with potential for a long-lasting impact on the rights of minorities and women in particular.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/26/opinion/coleman-egypt-islam/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7

Bob's Notes: Matthew 6

Coming out atheist -- former pastor speaks at Humanist of Florida Association conference

Teresa Macbain led a double life -- as the minister of three years at the Lake Jackson United Methodist Church in Tallahassee, Florida, and as an atheist.

MORE: http://www.goddiscussion.com/95755/coming-out-atheist-former-pastor-speaks-at-humanist-of-florida-association-conference/

Shrine Settlement: NY Religious Site Won't Take Taxpayer Aid

Churches are not the same as museums, sports stadiums and amusement parks. They are centers of worship. As such, they don't qualify for taxpayer-funded bailouts.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/shrine-settlement-ny-religious-site-won%E2%80%99t-take-taxpayer-aid

Cranston schools boss wants to split legal bill

CRANSTON, R.I.-- Cranston's school committee has approved a proposal that calls for the school district and the city to split $150,000 in legal fees owed in a lawsuit over a school prayer banner.

MORE: http://www.boston.com/news/local/rhode_island/articles/2012/04/23/cranston_schools_boss_wants_to_split_legal_bill/

Atheist group wants cross removed from city war memorial

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is threatening legal action against the City of Woonsocket for a Christian Cross displayed on public property in front of Firestation 2. The cross is part of a World Ward 1 memorial erected in the city in 1921. In 1952 the monument was rededicated in honor of three Woonsocket brothers Alexandre, Henri, and Louis Gagne that were all killed in World War II.

MORE: http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2442316&spid=37719

Henderson County delays ruling on atheist sign display

ATHENS, Texas -- Henderson County has delayed a decision on a request to post an atheist sign on public grounds during the holiday season.

MORE: http://www.wfaa.com/news/texas-news/Henderson-County-postpones-a-148762705.html

Has Physics Made Philosophy and Religion Obsolete?

It is hard to know how our future descendants will regard the little sliver of history that we live in. It is hard to know what events will seem important to them, what the narrative of now will look like to the twenty-fifth century mind. We tend to think of our time as one uniquely shaped by the advance of technology, but more and more I suspect that this will be remembered as an age of cosmology---as the moment when the human mind first internalized the cosmos that gave rise to it. Over the past century, since the discovery that our universe is expanding, science has quietly begun to sketch the structure of the entire cosmos, extending its explanatory powers across a hundred billion galaxies, to the dawn of space and time itself. It is breathtaking to consider how quickly we have come to understand the basics of everything from star formation to galaxy formation to universe formation. And now, equipped with the predictive power of quantum physics, theoretical physicists are beginning to push even further, into new universes and new physics, into controversies once thought to be squarely within the domain of theology or philosophy.

MORE: http://www.theatlantic.com/technology/archive/2012/04/has-physics-made-philosophy-and-religion-obsolete/256203/

See also...

Who matters (or should) when scientists engage in ethical decision-making?
http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/doing-good-science/2012/04/23/who-matters-or-should-when-scientists-engage-in-ethical-decision-making/

Following Life's Chemistry to the Earliest Branches On the Tree of Life

ScienceDaily -- In a study published in PLoS Computational Biology, the Santa Fe Institute's Rogier Braakman and D. Eric Smith map the development of life-sustaining chemistry to the history of early life and trace six methods of carbon fixation seen in modern life back to a single ancestral form.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120424142145.htm

Town councils opt for silence instead of Lord's Prayer, while GTA sticks to tradition

In the past year, a number of councils a stone's throw from the GTA have opted to replace the Lord's Prayer with a moment of silence, with the intent of being more inclusive and respectful of changing demographics.
 
But in multicultural GTA, the Lord's Prayer is still recited in Oshawa, Durham Region, Mississauga and Brampton. In Richmond Hill and Oakville, councils recite a non-denominational prayer. All others simply begin with a moment of silence.

MORE: http://www.thestar.com/news/article/1166731--town-councils-opt-for-silence-instead-of-lord-s-prayer-while-gta-sticks-to-tradition?bn=1

Atheists Searching For Their Place in Heavily Catholic Philippines

Manila. Marie Kristine Gumapac used to fight with her family because they could not even set aside one hour each week to attend Mass.

Now, the 29-year-old engineering student fights with her family because she no longer believes in God.

MORE: http://www.thejakartaglobe.com/seasia/atheists-searching-for-their-place-in-heavily-catholic-philippines/513812

Pianist's 'atheist' Tweet could spell jail

Award-winning Turkish pianist and composer Fazil Say says he is forced to flee his native country to avoid jail after Tweeting that he is an atheist. Say has been accused of "insulting religious values" -- an offense which can mean a year in jail.

MORE: http://rt.com/art-and-culture/news/fazil-say-atheist-twitter-871/

2 NATO service members die in Afghanistan blast

With Monday's deaths, the number of service members who died in attacks this month in Afghanistan has risen to at least 25.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/23/world/asia/afghanistan-troops-killed/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

See also...

Railway station bomb kills 2 in Pakistan
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/24/world/asia/pakistan-blast/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Bob's Notes: Matthew 5

Rekindle Reason offers cookies in exchange for souls on Locust Walk

With a table and whiteboard on the Walk, group members claimed 13 souls in half an hour. Individuals “sold” their souls by signing a contract on a small piece of paper. In three hours, the group owned 79 souls.

MORE: http://thedp.com/index.php/article/2012/04/rekindle_reason_offers_cookies_in_exchange_for_souls_on_locust_walk

See also...

Atheists Trade Cookies for Souls
http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981282175

And...

Group for Non-Theists Forming on Campus (Quinnipiac University)
http://www.quadnews.net/lifestyles/group-for-non-theists-forming-on-campus-1.2733303

Group blasts Marine Corps for reviving 'Crusaders' name and symbols

A recent decision by the Marine Corps to reinstate "Crusaders" as the name of its Fighter Attack Squadron 122 -- replacing "Werewolves" -- and adopting the red cross of the medieval Knights Templar was blasted as unconstitutional and willfully ignorant by a civil rights group....

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/645695-group-blasts-marine-corps-for-reviving-crusaders-name-and-symbols

Neurons Mirror the Diametric Mind

One of the most important findings of modern brain research was the discovery of mirror neurons. First observed in monkeys, these are neurons in the motor cortex which fire to produce an action but which are also seen to fire at a much lower level when the subject observes the action carried out by another actor. In people as in monkeys, it seems that seeing someone else perform an act is reflected in the mirror neurons of the cortex.

Empathy is another type of mirroring, and has been linked with mirror neuron activity. Indeed, here there is a difference between the sexes: women averagely show greater mirror neuron response than men in accordance with their overall tendency to be more empathic. Deficits in mirror neuron activity have also been found in autism, in line with the parallel finding that autistics have deficits in empathy.

MORE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/the-imprinted-brain/201204/neurons-mirror-the-diametric-mind

See also...

Influencing Others Through Gestures: Pitfalls for Eyewitnesses
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120420105537.htm

Did Humans Invent Music?
http://www.theatlantic.com/entertainment/archive/2012/04/did-humans-invent-music/255945/#

Synthetic Genetic Evolution

Scientists show that manmade nucleic acids can replicate and evolve, ushering in a new era in synthetic biology.

MORE: http://the-scientist.com/2012/04/19/synthetic-genetic-evolution/

Hinode and SOHO Paint an Asymmetrical Picture of the Sun

ScienceDaily -- Approximately every 11 years the magnetic field on the sun reverses completely -- the north magnetic pole switches to south, and vice versa. It's as if a bar magnet slowly lost its magnetic field and regained it in the opposite direction, so the positive side becomes the negative side. But, of course, the sun is not a simple bar magnet and the causes of the switch, not to mention the complex tracery of moving magnetic fields throughout the eleven-year cycle, are not easy to map out.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120421203959.htm

See also...

'A ship flying in space:' Earth seen through the eyes of an astronaut
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/21/world/europe/earth-nespoli-space-photos/index.html?hpt=ieu_t2

Bob's Notes: Matthew 4

Survey: Millennials' Religious Unaffiliation Similar at Faith-Based and Public Colleges

Overall, college-age Millennials are more likely than the general population to be religiously unaffiliated. They also hold less orthodox religious beliefs, with less than one-quarter (23 percent) believing that the Bible is the word of God and should be understood literally, and about one-quarter (26 percent) believing the Bible is the word of God, but not everything should be taken literally. And 37 percent of college-age Millennials believe the Bible is written by men and not the word of God.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/survey-millennials-at-faith-based-public-colleges-similarly-likely-to-become-religiously-unaffiliated-73563/

Why More Nonbelievers Are Openly Identifying

"Coming out" is a means of empowerment.

MORE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201204/why-more-nonbelievers-are-openly-identifying

See also...

Atheists: A misunderstood minority
http://www.northern-iowan.org/opinion/atheists-a-misunderstood-minority-1.2732482

New Atheism values intellectual honesty
http://www.centralfloridafuture.com/opinion/new-atheism-values-intellectual-honesty-1.2731589

Poll: Do You Believe in God?
http://www.lifeslittlemysteries.com/2364-god.html

Secularism in America: Growing American movement raises concerns

The poll numbers revealing growing atheist numbers and events like the "Reason Rally" have theology scholars focusing on what they believe is driving the secularism movement.

MORE: http://www.catholicnews.com/data/stories/cns/1201629.htm

See also...

The sound of sin
http://www.salon.com/2012/04/19/the_sound_of_sin/singleton/

AHA Calls on Obama Administration to End Special Treatment for Religion

The American Humanist Association recently signed on to a letter as an active member of the Coalition Against Religious Discrimination to Cecilia Munoz, the new Director of the Domestic Policy Council in the Obama Administration. The Coalition Against Religious Discrimination (CARD) was formed to oppose efforts, such as the Bush Administration's Faith-Based Initiative, that further entrench and expand policies that favor involvement by religious organizations in federal programs. This letter asked that Ms. Munoz meet with members of the coalition to discuss the state of secularism in the federal government and the ongoing issue of government sponsored religious discrimination carried out by faith-based aid organizations. We expect to hear from Ms. Munoz in the near future about meeting with the coalition and will continue to oppose faith-based initiatives.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-04-aha-calls-on-obama-administration-to-end-special-tre

See also...

National Day of Reason Petition to President Obama
http://nationaldayofreason.org/2012/sign-the-petition/

Silent Treatment: Obama Faith-Based Official Meets With Bible Society Rep, But Ignores Civil Rights Advocates
http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/silent-treatment-obama-faith-based-official-meets-with-bible-society-rep

Godless Chaplains

It was only fitting that the first parachutist out of the plane at this festival for atheists and non-believers at Fort Bragg is herself an atheist--Sargent Rachel Medley.

MORE: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/episodes/april-20-2012/godless-chaplains/10814/

"Why Are You Atheists So Angry?" To Be Published By Pitchstone!

The print edition of Why Are You Atheists So Angry? 99 Things That Piss Off the Godless is going to be published by Pitchstone Publishing!

MORE: http://freethoughtblogs.com/greta/2012/04/19/why-are-you-atheists-so-angry-to-be-published-by-pitchstone/

Hundreds gather for Hitchens memorial

Hitchens, who died last year at age 62 after an 18-month battle with cancer, lived as richly as he wrote. The ceremony included readings by actor Sean Penn, actress Olivia Wilde, scientist Lawrence Krauss and authors Salman Rushdie and Ian McEwan.

MORE: http://online.wsj.com/article/APaa7df083adde4ca1b705cd4db36596cd.html

Faith: A Barrier to Rational Thought (Podcast)

This inaugural podcast from The Malcontent's Gambit discusses the inadequacy of faith and strategies toward living in world without faith with Philosopher Peter Boghossian, who lives in Oregon and teaches at Portland State University. Boghossian has been called the Richard Dawkins of Portland. If we relieve people of their faith, and convince people to be truly honest and humble about what they know, religion will fall, says Boghossian. This is a frank and honest discussion with a bold, outspoken philosopher.

MORE: http://www.malcontentsgambit.com/2012/04/18/faith-a-barrier-to-rational-thought-2/

Of Grudem, Green Dragons And Dr. Seuss: The Religious Right's War On Environmentalism

The Cornwall Alliance was founded by a man named Calvin Beisner. He's not a scientist (though he does hold an advanced degree in Scottish history). Beisner, whose group has produced a DVD series attacking environmentalism called "Resisting the Green Dragon," recently got all bothered over the new film adaption of Dr, Seuss' book The Lorax. Beisner claimed that the Environmental Protection Agency's endorsement of the film was a violation of church-state separation because environmentalism is a religion.

MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/of-grudem-green-dragons-and-dr-seuss-the-religious-right%E2%80%99s-war-on

Catholic nuns group 'stunned' by Vatican scolding for 'radical feminist' ideas

A prominent U.S. Catholic nuns group said it was "stunned" that the Vatican reprimanded it for spending too much time on poverty and social justice concerns and not enough on abortion and gay marriage.

MORE: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/20/11306372-catholic-nuns-group-stunned-by-vatican-scolding-for-radical-feminist-ideas?lite

Distinct 'God Spot' in the Brain Does Not Exist, Study Shows

In the most recent study, Johnstone studied 20 people with traumatic brain injuries affecting the right parietal lobe, the area of the brain situated a few inches above the right ear. He surveyed participants on characteristics of spirituality, such as how close they felt to a higher power and if they felt their lives were part of a divine plan. He found that the participants with more significant injury to their right parietal lobe showed an increased feeling of closeness to a higher power.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120419091223.htm

How Social Interaction and Teamwork Led to Human Intelligence

ScienceDaily -- Scientists have discovered proof that the evolution of intelligence and larger brain sizes can be driven by cooperation and teamwork, shedding new light on the origins of what it means to be human. The study appears online in the journal Proceedings of the Royal Society B and was led by scientists at Trinity College Dublin: PhD student, Luke McNally and Assistant Professor Dr Andrew Jackson at the School of Natural Sciences in collaboration with Dr Sam Brown of the University of Edinburgh.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120419132556.htm

See also...

It's the Network: Ever Wonder Why Your Friends Have More Friends Than You or Diamond Is Harder Than Graphite?
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120419091225.htm

Following the Crowd Isn't Just for Teenagers
http://www.nytimes.com/2012/04/17/science/following-the-crowd-isnt-just-for-teenagers.html?_r=1&partner=rss&emc=rss

Strange Cousins: Molecular Alternatives to DNA, RNA Offer New Insight Into Life's Origins

ScienceDaily -- Living systems owe their existence to a pair of information-carrying molecules: DNA and RNA. These fundamental chemical forms possess two features essential for life: they display heredity -- meaning they can encode and pass on genetic information, and they can adapt over time, through processes of Darwinian evolution.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120419143117.htm

Cassini Finds Titan Lake Is Like a Namibia Mudflat

ScienceDaily -- A new study analyzing data from NASA's Cassini spacecraft suggests that the lake, known as Ontario Lacus, behaves most similarly to what we call a salt pan on Earth.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120420094045.htm

See also...

Dawn Gets Extra Time to Explore Vesta
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120420094358.htm

Sri Lankan held for "witchcraft" in Saudi Arabia

(Reuters) - A Sri Lankan woman has been arrested on suspicion of casting a spell on a 13-year-old girl during a Saudi family's shopping trip, a police spokesman said on Wednesday, and may face death in a country where convicted sorcerers are beheaded.

MORE: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/18/us-saudi-witchcraft-rights-idUSBRE83H0UM20120418

Taliban claim responsibility for downing helicopter in Afghanistan

The helicopter's four crew members, all of them American, are believed to be dead, a U.S. military official said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/20/world/asia/us-afghanistan-helicopter-crash/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Explosions rock Baghdad, killing dozens

At least 31 are killed in Iraq's capital.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/19/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Bob's Notes: Matthew 3

Belief in God found in decline

CHICAGO, April 18 (UPI) -- Belief in God is declining gradually worldwide, with faith highest among older people, a report released by the University of Chicago Wednesday found.

MORE: http://www.upi.com/Top_News/US/2012/04/18/Belief-in-God-found-in-decline/UPI-91231334722560/#ixzz1sQF3DgYS

See also...

Beliefs about God across Time and Countries
http://www.norc.org/PDFs/Beliefs_about_God_Report.pdf

Reminders of secular authority reduce believers' distrust of atheists

The results of this new series of experiments are published in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. Distrust among believers declined when people were reminded that God isn't the only authority that keeps people in line--the government is, too.

MORE: http://medicalxpress.com/news/2012-04-secular-authority-believers-distrust-atheists.html

Atheists sue Pennsylvania for declaring 2012 'Year of the Bible'

Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF) filed a federal lawsuit on Monday arguing that the Pennsylvania House's declaration is unconstitutional.

MORE: http://www.foxnews.com/politics/2012/03/27/atheists-sue-pennsylvania-for-declaring-2012-year-bible/

Genetic Similarity Promotes Cooperation

A tendency for similar individuals to cooperate selectively with one another, even if they are not close relatives, can evolve spontaneously in simple organisms. This may help to explain why cooperation is so widespread in nature, the study suggests.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120418204358.htm

New Study Finds Mysterious Lack of Dark Matter in Sun's Neighborhood

ScienceDaily -- The most accurate study so far of the motions of stars in the Milky Way has found no evidence for dark matter in a large volume around the Sun. According to widely accepted theories, the solar neighbourhood was expected to be filled with dark matter, a mysterious invisible substance that can only be detected indirectly by the gravitational force it exerts. But a new study by a team of astronomers in Chile has found that these theories just do not fit the observational facts. This may mean that attempts to directly detect dark matter particles on Earth are unlikely to be successful.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120418111923.htm

See also...

Cassini Successfully Flies Over Enceladus
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120416111111.htm

1,000 Days of Infrared Wonders
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120416113111.htm

Rights group urges Indonesia to drop atheist case

JAKARTA: A human rights group called on Indonesia to drop a case against a civil servant charged for declaring himself an atheist on Facebook, while urging Jakarta to repeal discriminatory laws.

MORE: http://www.thesundaily.my/news/353523

See also...

An atheist on trial for religious defamation in Padang, West Sumatra
http://www.humanrights.asia/news/urgent-appeals/AHRC-UAC-063-2012

My People! My People!! This Witch Hunting Must Stop

The potentially dangerous activities of a new local church in Cross River-Akwa Ibom states axis of the country should be of concern to all people of conscience in Nigeria and beyond. This church, which habitually starts the themes of its crusade with "My Father! My Father!!..." appears to be on a fast track to causing a new wave of witchcraft related abuse, torture and killings in the region.

MORE: http://saharareporters.com/article/my-people-my-people-witch-hunting-must-stop-leo-igwe

Bob's Notes: Matthew 2

Godless Festival and Ad Campaign Coming to Madison

(Madison, Wisconsin, April 17, 2012) "Freethought Festival 2012: Reason to Celebrate"

These words are starting to pop up on the screens of Madison-area computer users. They are part of an internet ad campaign aimed at letting more area atheists know they aren't alone, and that like-minded community groups exist for them to join. The ads are being placed by the newly launched Madison Area Coalition of Reason (MadCoR), an alliance of seven freethought organizations in the city and surrounding areas.

--snip--

The MadCoR launch also heralds the upcoming Freethought Festival, the coalition's inaugural conference. This free, three-day event will run from April 27-29th in the Humanities Building on the University of Wisconsin campus. Prominent atheist blogger P.Z. Myers and Freedom From Religion Foundation Co-president Annie Laurie Gaylor are among the 21 scientists, authors and atheist activists who will be speaking. It has already drawn hundreds of online registrations from across the Midwest.

The conference is being hosted by the Atheists, Humanists, & Agnostics, a student organization at UW–Madison. "It's unprecedented for students to organize a conference of this magnitude," explains Festival Event Organizer and graduate student Chris Calvey. "It's really a testament to the fact that young people are living happy, productive and fulfilling lives without God. My generation is the least religious in American history, and our numbers are growing every year."

MORE: http://unitedcor.org/mad/news/godless-festival-and-ad-campaign-coming-madison

Atheism conventions all the rage in 2012

Nearly half a millennium ago during the Spanish Inquisition, a person professing a lack of faith was declared a heretic and either jailed, tortured (back into the faith), excommunicated or executed. The best tactic was to make outward expressions of faith, but privately (that is, in one’s mind or amongst likeminded friends and family) challenge the status quo. Such were the times. But the times have certainly changed, so much so that atheists are now cultural forces and celebrities, making speeches at an increasing number of conventions and debating clerics on television.

MORE: http://www.deathandtaxesmag.com/181915/atheism-conventions-all-the-rage-in-2012/

Air Force apparently will remove Bibles from on-base lodging rooms

The decision follows a recent Air Force move to delete suggestions contained in Squadron Officer School reading material that young officers attend chapel regularly.

MORE: http://warnerrobinspatriot.com/bookmark/18261791-Air-Force-apparently-will-remove-Bibles-from-on-base-lodging-rooms

5 Countries That Do It Better: How Sexual Prudery Makes America a Less Healthy and Happy Place

The Christian Right would consider the following five European countries to be quite "permissive" when compared to the United States. All of them make a strong case for social liberalism and sexual openness.

MORE: http://www.alternet.org/story/154970/5_countries_that_do_it_better:_how_sexual_prudery_makes_america_a_less_healthy_and_happy_place?page=entire

Ex-priest testifies to alleged abuse by pastor

PHILADELPHIA (AP) - A college administrator testified Monday that a Philadelphia priest sexually assaulted him several times a week throughout high school.

The witness, a one-time priest, said he told church supervisors in the early 1990s that the Rev. Stanley Gana had abused him from 1980 to 1984. Yet Gana was not defrocked until 2006.

MORE: http://www.buffalonews.com/wire-feeds/24-hour-national-news/article813395.ece

See also...

Belief in a god has nothing to do with morals
http://www.examiner.com/atheism-in-buffalo/former-priest-testifies-against-his-abuser

Bully Pulpit: Religious Right Howls Over Student 'Day Of Silence'

This Friday, students all over America will choose to remain quiet in school. They'll be participating in the Day of Silence, an annual event designed to protest the bias and bullying that often silences gay, lesbian, bisexual and transgendered students.

MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bully-pulpit-religious-right-howls-over-student-%E2%80%98day-of-silence%E2%80%99

Another Blunder In Buncombe?: Schools Considering 'Passive Distribution' Policy For Religious Literature

Public schools in Buncombe County, N.C., are considering a policy that would permit religious groups to drop off literature for students to read at their leisure.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/another-blunder-in-buncombe-schools-considering-%E2%80%98passive-distribution%E2%80%99

Catholics Believe In Shadow of Jesus On Pillar In Uptown Church

Shea explained when the lights are out the shadows and sunlight filters through a chandelier hanging on the roof, a shadow of Jesus with a crown of thorns appears.

MORE: http://www.abc26.com/news/local/wgno-catholics-believe-in-shadow-of-jesus-on-pillar-in-uptown-new-orleans-church-20120408,0,1228304.story

Group Protesting Ale Mary's Tavern In Fells Point Over Catholic Relics At The Bar

BALTIMORE (WJZ)-- Sacred or decoration? That's the question surrounding a Baltimore bar. Inside the tavern are old Catholic relics that are causing the owners to receive death threats.

MORE: http://baltimore.cbslocal.com/2012/04/13/group-protesting-ale-marys-tavern-in-fells-point-over-catholic-relics-at-the-bar/?hpt=us_bn4

Pro-choice, anti-abortion groups clash at UConn; 2 arrested

The pro-choice activists said they wanted to contribute to the national debate surrounding women's reproductive rights in light of the passage of the "Women's Health and Safety Act," which was recently signed into law by Arizona Gov. Jan Brewer, which states that pregnancy begins two weeks prior to conception.

MORE: http://www.wfsb.com/story/17510507/pro-choice-anti-abortion-groups-clash-at-uconn?hpt=us_bn4

See also...

Controversial 'I Had an Abortion' t-shirts at UNCW start protest
http://www.wect.com/story/17464375/controversial-i-had-an-abortion-t-shirts-at-uncw-start-protest?hpt=us_bn5

The Molecule That Made the Universe

In a study that pushed quantum mechanical theory and research capabilities to the limit, UA researchers have found a way to see the molecule that likely made the Universe -- or at least the hot and fiery bits of it. Studying the origin and evolution of the Universe could be helpful in understanding how the first stars and planets formed, and could shed light on the best locations in which to search for habitable, extrasolar worlds.
 
MORE: http://www.astrobio.net/pressrelease/4695/the-molecule-that-made-the-universe

See also...

"Outer Space" is a work of art using NASA footage
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-504784_162-57414855-10391705/outer-space-is-a-work-of-art-using-nasa-footage/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.11

Space Shuttle Discovery arrives in Washington
http://lightyears.blogs.cnn.com/2012/04/17/space-shuttle-headed-for-museum/?hpt=us_c2

Afghan schoolgirls poisoned in anti-education attack

(Reuters) - About 150 Afghan schoolgirls were poisoned on Tuesday after drinking contaminated water at a high school in the country's north, officials said, blaming it on conservative radicals opposed to female education.

MORE: http://www.reuters.com/article/2012/04/17/us-afghanistan-women-idUSBRE83G0PZ20120417

See also...

Pakistan school grenade attack kills 6 year old boy
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/16/world/asia/pakistan-attack/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Bob's Notes: Matthew 1

The atheist jamboree

The place was packed to the gunwales, with 4000 paying $400 to attend. The overwhelming impression was the youth of the audience. Battalions of bright-eyed, bushy-tailed twentysomethings crowded the place, queueing breathlessly for the signatures of the new deities.

MORE: http://www.smh.com.au/opinion/blogs/godless-gross/the-atheist-jamboree-20120416-1x2lw.html

See also...

Kissing protest at AtheistConvention
http://www.samesame.com.au/news/local/8274/Kissing-protest-at-Atheist-Convention.htm#

Gay kiss at Atheist Convention
http://gaynewsnetwork.com.au/news/national/5904-gay-kiss-at-atheist-convention.html

Brazilian police arrest 3 on suspicion of murder, cannibalism

Sao Paolo, Brazil (CNN) -- Brazilian police have arrested three people suspected of killing at least two women, eating parts of their bodies and using their remains to make stuffed meat pies sold in the northeastern town of Garanhuns.

--snip--

Interviewed behind bars, Negroponte told SBT Television that he followed the instructions of voices in his head.
 
"I did certain things for purification, to protect people and deliver them to God," he told SBT on Sunday.
 
He confirmed that he and his two companions ate the flesh of the women "to purify them."

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/15/world/americas/brazil-cannibalism/index.html

Australia's most senior-ranked Catholic says Jews 'intellectually and morally inferior'

Australia's most senior-ranked Catholic, Cardinal George Pell, has apologised for comments during a debate with Richard Dawkins in which he claimed the Jews were an intellectually and morally inferior people.

MORE: http://www.telegraph.co.uk/news/religion/9199453/Australias-most-senior-ranked-Catholic-says-Jews-intellectually-and-morally-inferior.html

Afghan-Led Forces Beat Back Brazen Taliban Attack

A brazen, 18-hour Taliban attack on the Afghan capital ended early Monday when insurgents who had holed up overnight in two buildings were overcome by heavy gunfire from Afghan-led forces and pre-dawn air assaults from U.S.-led coalition helicopters.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/afghan-police-killed-bomb-attack-16142330

See also...

Kabul fighting ends after 18 hours of intense gunfire
http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/04/15/11207702-kabul-fighting-ends-after-18-hours-of-intense-gunfire?lite

New explosions rock Kabul after Afghan forces repel earlier attacks
http://www.cnn.com/2012/04/15/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?hpt=ias_c1

Eyewitness Accounts of Miracles (Sam Harris)

Do Monkeys Know What Others Need?

The study provides the first tentative evidence for "empathetic perspective-taking" in primates.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120412105554.htm

See also...

Dog braves traffic to stick by fatally struck pal
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57414213/dog-braves-traffic-to-stick-by-fatally-struck-pal/?tag=cbsnewsTwoColLowerPromoArea;fd.morenews

NASA Reevaluates Mars Program After Budget Cuts

While sci-fi movie junkies are reeling over the recent NASA image in which a structure that resembles the monolith seen in the movie "2001: A Space Odyssey," protrudes off the surface of Mars, NASA announced today its search for alternative, cheaper ways to continue Mars exploration after it was rocked by recent budget cuts.

--snip--

As for the so-called monolith, experts say it's likely a rock that fell from the face of a nearby cliff.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/04/nasa-reevaluates-mars-program-after-budget-cuts/

See also...

Shuttle Discovery nears trek to Smithsonian
http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-775162?hpt=hp_bn1

Astronomer Finds Evidence for Record-Breaking Nine Planet System
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120412105531.htm

Workings of Nearby Planetary System Revealed
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/04/120412105533.htm

Komen quietly resumes Planned Parenthood funding

WASHINGTON -- Susan G. Komen for the Cure has quietly resumed funding for Planned Parenthood, two months after the leading U.S. breast cancer charity set off an angry and debilitating debate about abortion rights by cutting off funds to the prominent women's health network.

MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/47045338/ns/health-cancer/

'Gay cure' Christian charity funded 20 MPs' interns

"It's a complete disgrace that any elected representative would have associations with an organisation that promotes a 'gay cure' in the 21st century," said Phillip Dawson, who launched a campaign when he discovered his local MP, David Burrowes had an intern sponsored by Care. "The Royal College of Psychiatrists has explicitly stated that discussions of a 'gay cure' fuel discrimination and prejudice. MPs should be fighting homophobia wherever it occurs but by associating themselves with Care they are actually helping to fuel it. We have to be clear that there is no place for groups that promote a 'gay cure' in the corridors of power."

MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/apr/13/gay-cure-christian-charity-mps-interns