Friday, November 30, 2012Pastafarian Holiday Tree rejected!
Chester County Pennsylvania commissioners rejected arguments this morning (Nov. 29) to rescind Resolution 58-10, which was enacted to exclude non-Judeo-Christian winter displays from the county courthouse lawn during the winter season. The resolution was originally intended to kick out the Freethought Society’s Tree of Knowledge from sharing equal space with the Jesus crèche and a Hanukkah menorah. This year, the Evangelical Pastafarian Church also requested a space on the courthouse lawn.
MORE: http://www.examiner.com/article/pastafarian-holiday-tree-rejected See also... Bizarre Vid: 'Pastafarian' Reads Atheist Scriptures, Begs Politicians to Have Pasta-Decorated Pine Tree Included in PA Christmas Display http://www.theblaze.com/stories/bizarre-vid-pastafarian-reads-atheist-scriptures-begs-politicians-to-have-pasta-decorated-pine-tree-included-in-pa-christmas-display/ 
Virginia official labels atheists as 'fanatical terrorists'
A Virginia official referred to a group of atheists as ‘terrorists’ after one of the group’s members criticized a local courthouse for putting up religious holiday decorations.
MORE: http://rt.com/usa/news/terrorists-courthouse-athiests-group-011/ See also... Display Drama: Virginia Official Calls Nonbelievers 'Terrorists' https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/display-drama-virginia-official-calls-nonbelievers-terrorists Controversy escalates after Loudoun supervisor calls atheists 'terrorists' http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/virginia-politics/post/controversy-escalates-after-loudoun-supervisor-calls-atheists-terrorists/2012/11/29/9f4787e6-3a55-11e2-b01f-5f55b193f58f_blog.html
Pat Robertson challenges creationism
Washington (CNN) – Televangelist Pat Robertson challenged the idea that Earth is 6,000 years old this week, saying the man who many credit with conceiving the idea, former Archbishop of Ireland James Ussher, "wasn't inspired by the Lord when he said that it all took 6,000 years."
MORE: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/29/pat-robertson-challenges-creationism/?hpt=hp_c2 Earlier... Pat Robertson: 'Miserable' Atheists Are Trying to 'Steal' Christmas (VIDEO) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/pat-robertson-miserable-atheists-trying-to-steal-christmas_n_2159844.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
Atheists oppose 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' (Video)
The Arkansas Society of Freethinkinkers, an atheist group, is now fighting Charlie Brown. In a report date Nov. 28, the group believes that an elementary school should not take a field trip to see “A Charlie Brown Christmas.”
MORE: http://www.examiner.com/article/atheists-oppose-a-charlie-brown-christmas See also... AHA Legal Center Objects to Charlie Brown Church Trip for School Kids http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-11-aha-legal-center-objects-to-charlie-brown-church-tri
Santa Monica Nativity Scene Lawsuit Dismissed, Judge Urges Churches To Consider Other Options
LOS ANGELES -- A Los Angeles federal judge on Thursday dismissed a Christian group's lawsuit to force suburban Santa Monica to reopen spaces in a city park to private displays, including Christmas Nativity scenes.
MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/30/santa-monica-nativity-scene-lawsuit_n_2218540.html See also... Charles C. Haynes: In Christmas wars, court has said it’s all or nothing http://lacrossetribune.com/news/opinion/charles-c-haynes-in-christmas-wars-court-has-said-it/article_0b8be032-3a79-11e2-ac1f-0019bb2963f4.html?comment_form=true
Lawsuit by atheists to remove Jesus from a Montana mountain
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has filed a suit that seeks the removal of a statue of Jesus from the Whitefish ski resort in Montana. The suit was filed on behalf of William Cox, a local resident and atheist. Cox states he frequently visits the resort, and considers the statue offensive.
MORE: http://www.goddiscussion.com/104766/lawsuit-by-atheists-to-remove-jesus-from-a-montana-mountain/ See also... Atheist wants Jesus statue removed from ski resort (video) http://video.foxnews.com/v/2000687832001/ Jesus Statue Lawsuit: Atheist Group Seeks Removal of Statue from Montana Mountain http://www.travelerstoday.com/articles/3774/20121130/jesus-statue-lawsuit-atheist-group-seeks-removal-of-statue-from-montana-mountain-whitefish-mountain-resort-religious-freedom-from-religion-foundation-atheism.htm Jesus statue: Lawsuit filed by atheists to remove it from Montana mountain http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/1130/Jesus-statue-Lawsuit-filed-by-atheists-to-remove-it-from-Montana-mountain
Restaurant Agrees to Offer Church Bulletin Discount for Atheist Publications After Investigation
Following a discrimination investigation by the Pennsylvania Human Relations Commission, a Cajun restaurant in the state has agreed to accept atheist publications toward its Sunday church bulletin discount.
MORE: http://christiannews.net/2012/11/30/restaurant-agrees-to-offer-church-bulletin-discount-for-atheist-publications-after-investigation/ See also... Gov’t Gives PA Restaurant a Choice: Give 10% Sunday Church Bulletin Discount to Atheists Too or Discontinue it Entirely http://www.theblaze.com/stories/govt-gives-pa-restaurant-a-choice-give-10-sunday-church-bulletin-discount-to-atheists-too-or-discontinue-it-entirely/ Pa. Restaurant Forced to Open 'Church Bulletin' Discount to Atheists http://www.christianpost.com/news/pa-restaurant-forced-to-open-church-bulletin-discount-to-atheists-85830/
Religious Right Role Model: Why Can't America Be More Like Uganda?
Not for nothing has the Southern Poverty Law Center designated the Family Research Council a hate group.
MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/religious-right-role-model-why-can-t-america-be-more-like-uganda
Florida Cop-out: Lawsuit Settlement Allows Christian College Students To Get State Grants
We often say that the Religious Right and its allies don’t give up easily, now here’s some proof. Less than one month after the overwhelming defeat of Florida’s Amendment 8, which would have allowed taxpayer money to flow to religious institutions, students attending a fundamentalist Christian college have been made eligible to participate in a state-funded grant program.
MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/florida-cop-out-lawsuit-settlement-allows-christian-college-students-to-get
Short-Sighted Sentence: Okla. Judge's Church-Attendance Mandate Is Wrong
On Dec. 4, 2011, Tyler Alred, an Oklahoma teenager who had been drinking, ran a truck into a tree. His passenger and friend, 16-year-old John Dum, was killed.
That's tragic. I doubt anyone would argue that Alred doesn't deserve to be punished. But an Oklahoma judge's response to the matter has been curious, to say the least: District Judge Mike Norman has sentenced Alred to attend church weekly for the next 10 years. MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/short-sighted-sentence-okla-judge-s-church-attendance-mandate-is-wrong
Poll: 51 percent support same-sex marriage
Following an election that saw voters in three states -- Maine, Maryland, and Washington -- approve measures to legalize same-sex marriage, a new CBS News Poll finds 51 percent of Americans nationwide think same-sex marriage should be legal, while four in 10 do not.
--snip-- There is a generational divide on this issue. Young Americans (those ages 18-29) are some of the strongest proponents of allowing gay and lesbian couples to marry. Seventy-two percent of them support it, as do a majority --albeit a smaller one-- of Americans ages 30-44. However, support for same-sex marriage drops to 44 percent among those who are age 45-64 and even further to just a third of Americans age 65 and over. In fact, 56 percent of seniors oppose permitting same-sex couples to marry. MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-250_162-57556481/poll-51-percent-support-same-sex-marriage/
Supreme Court Takes No Action on Gay Marriage
When the nine Supreme Court justices retreated behind closed doors today for their regularly scheduled conference, they considered the issue of gay marriage and were widely expected to decide whether to take up a case that could ultimately determine whether there is a fundamental right to same-sex marriage.
But the justices surprised court watchers when they took no action at all. MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/supreme-court-takes-action-gay-marriage/story?id=17815437
Marriage Mischief: Religious Right Lawyers Give States Bad Advice
Government employees are expected to serve everyone who comes through the door without bias. The law in Maryland, Maine and Washington now permits same-sex couples to wed. Any government official who does not want to provide the necessary paperwork to make it possible for people to exercise their legal rights needs to find another job now.
MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/marriage-mischief-religious-right-lawyers-give-states-bad-advice
Court: Boy Scouts can keep new abuse files private
The Boy Scouts of America will not immediately have to turn over 27 years of so-called "perversion files" the group keeps on sexual abuse complaints against adults involved in the organization, a Texas appeal court has ruled.
MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57556508/court-boy-scouts-can-keep-new-abuse-files-private/
Playing Dead
What Todd does in this heady hour and ten minute stew of ghostly tales and Grand Guignol revivalism is something totally ignored in main stream theater these days and an almost thankless task to sell to today's sophisticated audiences so used to overblown CGI effects and slasher gore. He manages to create genuine warmth subtly mixed with dark humor in the Hitchcockian mode. How I miss this brand of glorious entertainment!
MORE: http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/11/29/playing-dead/
BOOK REVIEW: The resurrection as a case study in evidence versus faith
A philosopher argues against the main belief of Christianity in Atheism and the Case Against Christ.
MORE: http://tech.mit.edu/V132/N57/atheism.html
The Flat Earth and Pseudoskepticism
Flat Earthers have, for as long as they've been a movement, been of two basic varieties. There are the Biblical literalists who interpret certain Bible passages to mean the Earth is flat, and consider science to the contrary to be blasphemous. The second type consists of alternate science conspiracy theorists, cranks who think they've overturned Newton's laws, and who point to the United Nations flag as a hint from the Illuminati as to the true shape of our world.
MORE: http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/11/29/the-flat-earth-and-pseudoskepticism/
The Beginning of Everything: New Paradigm Shift for the Infant Universe
ScienceDaily -- A new paradigm for understanding the earliest eras in the history of the universe has been developed by scientists at Penn State University. Using techniques from an area of modern physics called loop quantum cosmology, developed at Penn State, the scientists now have extended analyses that include quantum physics farther back in time than ever before -- all the way to the beginning. The new paradigm of loop quantum origins shows, for the first time, that the large-scale structures we now see in the universe evolved from fundamental fluctuations in the essential quantum nature of "space-time," which existed even at the very beginning of the universe over 14 billion years ago. The achievement also provides new opportunities for testing competing theories of modern cosmology against breakthrough observations expected from next-generation telescopes.
--snip-- In this bizarre quantum-mechanical environment -- where one can speak only of probabilities of events rather than certainties -- physical properties naturally would be vastly different from the way we experience them today. Among these differences, Ashtekar said, are the concept of "time," as well as the changing dynamics of various systems over time as they experience the fabric of quantum geometry itself. --snip-- Earlier work with loop quantum cosmology in Ashtekar's group had updated the concept of the Big Bang with the intriguing concept of a Big Bounce, which allows the possibility that our universe emerged not from nothing but from a super-compressed mass of matter that previously may have had a history of its own. --snip-- Nelson said. "We now have narrowed down the initial conditions that could exist at the Big Bounce, plus we find that the evolution of those initial conditions agrees with observations of the cosmic background radiation." The team's results also identify a narrower range of parameters for which the new paradigm predicts novel effects, distinguishing it from standard inflation. Ashtekar said, "It is exciting that we soon may be able to test different predictions from these two theories against future discoveries with next-generation observational missions. Such experiments will help us to continue gaining a deeper understanding of the very, very early universe." MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121129143452.htm
Scientists Discover Water Ice On Mercury: Ice and Organic Material May Have Been Carried to the Planet by Passing Comets
ScienceDaily -- Mercury, the smallest and innermost planet in our solar system, revolves around the sun in a mere 88 days, making a tight orbit that keeps the planet incredibly toasty. Surface temperatures on Mercury can reach a blistering 800 degrees Fahrenheit -- hot enough to liquefy lead.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121129151336.htm See also... There's Water on Mercury, and EVERY World Like it! http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2012/11/30/theres-water-on-mercury-and-every-world-like-it/ And... Black Hole Found, 17 Billion Times as Massive as Sun http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/technology/2012/11/black-hole-found-17-billion-times-as-massive-as-sun/ North star closer to Earth than previously thought http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57556534/north-star-closer-to-earth-than-previously-thought/
Grand Canyon as Old as the Dinosaurs: Dates for Carving of Western Grand Canyon Pushed Back 60 Million Years
ScienceDaily -- An analysis of mineral grains from the bottom of the western Grand Canyon indicates it was largely carved out by about 70 million years ago -- a time when dinosaurs were around and may have even peeked over the rim, says a study led by the University of Colorado Boulder.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121129143301.htm
DNA imaged with electron microscope for the first time
It's the most famous corkscrew in history. Now an electron microscope has captured the famous Watson-Crick double helix in all its glory, by imaging threads of DNA resting on a silicon bed of nails. The technique will let researchers see how proteins, RNA and other biomolecules interact with DNA.
MORE: http://www.newscientist.com/article/dn22545-dna-imaged-with-electron-microscope-for-the-first-time.html
Native Americans and Northern Europeans More Closely Related Than Previously Thought
ScienceDaily -- Using genetic analyses, scientists have discovered that Northern European populations -- including British, Scandinavians, French, and some Eastern Europeans -- descend from a mixture of two very different ancestral populations, and one of these populations is related to Native Americans. This discovery helps fill gaps in scientific understanding of both Native American and Northern European ancestry, while providing an explanation for some genetic similarities among what would otherwise seem to be very divergent groups.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121130151606.htm See also... Human Genetic Variation Recent, Varies Among Populations http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121128132259.htm
Body Language, Not Facial Expressions, Broadcasts What's Happening to Us
To pinpoint how people recognize such images, Aviezer and his colleagues showed different versions of the pictures to three groups of participants: 1) the full picture with the face and body; 2) the body with the face removed; and 3) the face with the body removed. Remarkably, participants could easily tell apart the losers from winners when they rated the full picture or the body alone, but they were at chance level when rating the face alone.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121129143314.htm See also... Men and Women Explore the Visual World Differently http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121130222243.htm
Husband refuses to cooperate in Ireland abortion case inquiry
Two state investigations have been called, but Halappanavar had said he has no faith in them, claiming some of his wife's medical records have disappeared.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/29/world/europe/ireland-abortion-controversy/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2
Saudi Arabia's unsolicited monitoring of women's travels draws activists' outrage
(CNN) -- When word started spreading last week that Saudi women -- already some of the most oppressed and restricted in the world -- were being monitored electronically as they left the country, activists were quick to express their outrage.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/25/world/meast/saudi-arabia-women/index.html
Women's equality absent from Egyptian constitution
(CBS News) CAIRO -- The fledgling Egyptian democracy just got its first draft constitution, but a lot of Egyptians aren't happy about it. It is the work of religiously conservative supporters of President Mohammed Morsi. Protesters had already filled the streets of Cairo, angry because Morsi had granted himself near absolute powers last week. They fear that the new constitution will take away many of their rights.
MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-18563_162-57556568/womens-equality-absent-from-egyptian-constitution/ See also... Islamists unilaterally pass draft constitution in Egypt http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/30/world/meast/egypt-protests/index.html
Egyptian court orders death sentences over anti-Islam film
Cairo (CNN) -- Seven Coptic Egyptians living abroad were sentenced to death Wednesday by a court in Cairo for their connection to an inflammatory anti-Islam film, the prosecutor's office said.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/28/world/meast/egypt-anti-islam-film/index.html
Taliban claim responsibility for bomb plot against Pakistan TV anchor
"We will continue targeting journalists who propagate a secular agenda and side with the government," Ihsanullah Ihsan, a spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban, said by telephone Tuesday.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/27/world/asia/pakistan-journalist-bomb-attempt/index.html
Conflict continues to displace Afghans, study finds
The report adds that more than half of the people surveyed identified the Taliban and other anti-government groups as the key causes of insecurity in their homes communities and the primary drivers of their displacement.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/29/world/asia/afghanistan-displaced-people/index.html
Deadly bomb attacks rock Iraq for a third day
Baghdad (CNN) -- At least 43 people were killed and more than 120 injured Thursday in Iraq as a series of bomb attacks ripped through the country for a third day running.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/29/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_bn8 See also... Nine dead in Iraq violence http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/28/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html 29 killed, 126 wounded in Iraq car bombings http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/27/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html
US slams Israel's decision to expand settlements
Israel plans to build thousands of new homes for its settlers in the occupied West Bank and East Jerusalem, an Israeli official said earlier, defying a U.N. vote that implicitly recognized Palestinian statehood there.
MORE: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/30/15573067-us-slams-israels-decision-to-expand-settlements?lite See also... U.N. Recognition of Palestine: What Does It Mean for the Peace Process? http://world.time.com/2012/11/28/palestinians-seek-u-n-recognition-the-peace-process-is-dead-long-live-the-peace-process/?hpt=hp_bn16 U.N. approves Palestinian 'observer state' bid http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/29/world/meast/palestinian-united-nations/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
Sunday, November 25, 2012Thanks to humanity!
Humanists are thankful to humanity and even the natural world for providing us the food and resources before us, the means to enjoy them, and the scientific advances and technology that help us better ourselves and our experience here on this planet. For humanists, it’s not a supernatural being that made their families, their communities, their countries, and this world a better place, but instead, it is generations of people in an unending pursuit of progress. Humanists are thankful for the great thinkers and courageous activists who risked their lives to bring us freedoms to think and believe and be who we are. And as we approach a season marked by giving and togetherness, humanists are thankful for the opportunity to learn, teach, and help others.
MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/guest-voices/post/thanks-to-humanity/2012/11/21/4d9b0316-340e-11e2-9cfa-e41bac906cc9_blog.html See also... Thanks Be to Humanists http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roy-speckhardt/thanks-be-to-humanists_b_2170724.html What Humanists Are Thankful For http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-11-what-humanists-are-thankful-for A Thanksgiving Grace for Humanists http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-11-a-thanksgiving-grace-for-humanists
At public meetings, fights over prayer drag on
WASHINGTON (AP) -- It happens every week at meetings in towns, counties and cities nationwide. A lawmaker or religious leader leads a prayer before officials begin the business of zoning changes, contract approvals and trash pickup.
But citizens are increasingly taking issue with these prayers, some of which have been in place for decades. At least five lawsuits around the country -- in California, Florida, Missouri, New York, and Tennessee -- are actively challenging pre-meeting prayers. MORE: http://entertainment.verizon.com/news/read.php?id=19300158&ps=1011&cat=&cps=0&lang=en See also... Atheist Groups Suing Cities Nationwide to Stop Prayer at City Hall Meetings http://christiannews.net/2012/11/23/atheist-groups-suing-cities-nationwide-to-stop-prayer-at-city-hall-meetings/
Atheist group attacks elementary school over field trip to see 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' at local church claiming it 'violates religious freedoms'
An atheist group has been accused of waging war with Christmas after attacking an Arkansas elementary school over a field trip to see 'A Charlie Brown Christmas' at a local church.
MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2238396/Charlie-Brown-Christmas-play-Atheist-group-attacks-elementary-school-field-trip-A-Charlie-Brown-Christmas-local-church-claiming-violates-religious-freedoms.html See also... Charlie Brown Christmas show at center of church vs. state fight http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/11/25/charlie-brown-christmas-show-at-center-church-vs-state-fight/ Atheist Group Backs Parents Against A 'Charlie Brown Christmas' http://www.inquisitr.com/408277/atheist-group-backs-parents-against-a-charlie-brown-christmas/
Atheist billboard, promoting Freedom From Religion Foundation, defaced with devil's horns
A billboard meant to "introduce Portlanders to friendly neighborhood atheists" has been defaced with devil's horns.
MORE: http://www.oregonlive.com/portland/index.ssf/2012/11/atheist_billboard_sponsored_by.html See also... Atheists Argue Billboard Vandalism 'Demonizes' Them http://global.christianpost.com/news/atheists-argue-billboard-vandalism-demonizes-them-85467/
John Maddox prize
Two strong-minded individuals are the first winners of an award for standing up for science.
MORE: http://www.nature.com/news/john-maddox-prize-1.11750
New Evidence On Dinosaurs' Role in Evolution of Bird Flight
ScienceDaily -- A new study looking at the structure of feathers in bird-like dinosaurs has shed light on one of nature's most remarkable inventions -- how flight might have evolved.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130817.htm
Key Events Early in Process of Cellular Aging Defined
ScienceDaily -- For the first time, scientists at Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center have defined key events that take place early in the process of cellular aging. Together the discoveries, made through a series of experiments in yeast, bring unprecedented clarity to the complex cascade of events that comprise the aging process and pave the way to understanding how genetics and environmental factors like diet interact to influence lifespan, aging and age-related diseases such as cancer and neurodegenerative disorders.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121145404.htm See also... Aging: Scientists Further Unravel Telomere Biology http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121121130933.htm
Atheist Ireland call for separation between church and state following Savita death
Michael Nugent of Atheist Ireland says in light of the death of Savita Halappanavar, the need for a separation between church and state in Ireland has never been more significant.
MORE: http://www.irishexaminer.com/breakingnews/ireland/atheist-ireland-call-for-separation-between-church-and-state-following-savita-death-575534.html See also... Husband wants answers over wife whose death sparked abortion debate http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/23/world/europe/ireland-abortion-controversy/index.html
Video: Topless 'Femen' Activists Clash with Catholic Protesters over Gay Marriage
At one point, police and LGBT activists had to surround the Femen women to protect them from the Catholic demonstrators, whose number was estimated to be 100,000. The topless activists were later taken to a police station, reports Russia Today.
MORE: http://www.opposingviews.com/i/religion/christianity/catholicism/video-topless-femen-actvists-clash-catholic-protesters-over-gay
Uganda lawmakers to vote on anti-gay law
(CNN) -- Lawmakers in Uganda are preparing to vote on a new anti-homosexuality bill that proposes tough jail sentences for consensual same-sex behavior.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/23/world/africa/uganda-anti-gay-vote/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2
No God, not even Allah
Ex-Muslim atheists are becoming more outspoken, but tolerance is still rare.
MORE: http://www.economist.com/news/international/21567059-ex-muslim-atheists-are-becoming-more-outspoken-tolerance-still-rare-no-god-not See also... 'Fighting Reality': Life as an atheist in Saudi Arabia http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/worldviews/wp/2012/11/21/fighting-reality-life-as-an-atheist-in-saudi-arabia/
At least 11 killed in suicide attacks on church at Nigerian military base
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, but the militant Islamist group Boko Haram has frequently carried out suicide bombings in churches in northeastern Nigeria.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/25/world/africa/nigeria-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
As worshippers gather, Pakistani city endures second deadly blast in two days
A spokesman for the Pakistani Taliban said the group was behind Sunday's bombing on the procession and warned of more attacks.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/25/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
Car bomb in Afghan town kills 3, wounds 90
The Taliban claimed responsibility for the morning attack in Maidan Shahr town.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/23/world/asia/afghanistan-car-bomb/index.html See also... Suicide bombing kills 3 near U.S. embassy in Afghan capital http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/21/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html
Tuesday, November 20, 2012Kids Without God Ads Appear on DC Buses
New Ads featuring teenagers and a statement that reads "I'm getting a bit too old for imaginary friends," have been appearing on D.C. buses.
MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-11-kids-without-god-ads-appear-on-dc-busses
UW-Madison panel approves funding for atheist group
MADISON, Wis. (AP) -- An atheist group at the University of Wisconsin-Madison could receive almost $70,000 in student fees for programming costs, an apparent first for the college and student atheist groups nationwide.
MORE: http://minnesota.publicradio.org/display/web/2012/11/17/education/uw-atheist-group/ See also... University Atheist Group to Receive $70,000 of Student Fees to Promote Humanism on Campus http://christiannews.net/2012/11/19/university-atheist-group-to-receive-70000-of-student-fees-to-promote-humanism-on-campus/
Pat Robertson: 'Miserable' Atheists Are Trying to 'Steal' Christmas (VIDEO)
The "War on Christmas" has already begun.
At least, this seems to be true for "700 Club" host Pat Robertson, who recently warned his viewers that "the Grinch" is attempting to ruin the impending holiday. As Right Wing Watch notes, Robertson used the iconic Seussian anti-holiday deviant as a metaphor for those "miserable atheists" who "want to steal [Christmas] away from you." "Atheists don't like our happiness, they don't want you to be happy, they want you to be miserable," Robertson says in the video. "They're miserable so they want you to be miserable." MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/19/pat-robertson-miserable-atheists-trying-to-steal-christmas_n_2159844.html?utm_hp_ref=religion
Judge Rejects Nativity Displays in Santa Monica
U.S. District Judge Audrey B. Collins rejected a motion from the Santa Monica Nativity Scenes Committee to allow the religious display this season while their lawsuit plays out against the city.
MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/judge-denies-bid-park-nativity-displays-17762364 See also... U.S. judge blocks Nativity displays in Santa Monica http://www.usatoday.com/story/news/nation/2012/11/19/santa-monica-atheists-nativity-scenes-christmas/1714007/ Nativity display lawsuit: Atheists vs. Christians in Santa Monica (+video) http://www.csmonitor.com/USA/Latest-News-Wires/2012/1119/Nativity-display-lawsuit-Atheists-vs.-Christians-in-Santa-Monica-video Judge denies churches' bid to regain access to city park for Nativity scenes in Calif. http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/atheists-move-halts-christmas-tradition-in-santa-monica-churches-go-to-court-to-get-it-back/2012/11/19/36a96a62-3229-11e2-92f0-496af208bf23_story.html
Water Tower Christmas Cross to Be Replaced With 'Holiday Tree' in IL Town After Atheists Threaten Suit
The village of Alsip, Illinois, is discontinuing its annual holiday tradition after facing threats of a lawsuit from the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), an atheist activist non-profit. Every year, the community erects a 19-foot cross on its local water tower to commemorate the holiday season -- a tradition that has been in place since the 1970s.
MORE: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/water-tower-christmas-cross-to-be-replaced-with-holiday-tree-in-il-town-after-atheists-threaten-suit/
Atheist Group Backs Parents Who Are Upset School Wants To Take Kids To See 'Charlie Brown Christmas' At Church
KARK-TV reports that some parents were upset that Terry Elementary School in Little Rock wanted to take children to go see a play of "A Charlie Brown Christmas" at a local church.
MORE: http://atlanta.cbslocal.com/2012/11/20/atheist-group-backs-parents-who-are-upset-school-wants-to-take-kids-to-see-charlie-brown-christmas-at-church/
SJC to hear case from atheist family
The Massachusetts Supreme Judicial Court is gearing up to hear a court case that could permanently strike the phrase "under God" from the Pledge of Allegiance recited by schoolchildren.
MORE: http://www.lowellsun.com/todaysheadlines/ci_22021579/sjc-hear-case-from-atheist-family
Wisconsin-based atheists foundation answers citizens' calls to defend First Amendment
Residents rallying to keep Ten Commandments tablets posted on school property in Connellsville and New Kensington are going up against the Freedom From Religion Foundation, a Wisconsin-based atheist group with a growing presence in the state.
MORE: http://triblive.com/state/pennsylvania/2865832-74/foundation-2012-gaylor-religion-district-freedom-members-challenges-lawsuit-october#axzz2Cj2ePhI9
FFRF Sues IRS for Failure to Prosecute Churches, Christian Groups
According to the FFRF, its lawsuit, filed November 14 in a Madison, Wisconsin, U.S. District Court, "argues that the IRS is not enforcing the federal tax code, which prohibits tax-exempt religious organizations from electioneering." The FFRF insists that the IRS' lack of enforcement "is a violation of the establishment clause of the First Amendment and a violation of equal protection rights because the same preferential treatment is not provided to other tax-exempt organizations" -- such as the FFRF. The group complained that churches and other Christian groups have taken to "blatantly and deliberately flaunting the electioneering restrictions" set up by the IRS back in the 1950s.
MORE: http://www.thenewamerican.com/culture/faith-and-morals/item/13687-atheists-sue-irs-for-failure-to-prosecute-churches-christian-groups See also... Atheist group sues over political speech by bishops, churches http://marquettetribune.org/2012/11/20/news/atheists-atheist-group-sues-over-political-speech-by-bishops-churches-jk1-ab2-ap3/
The Bishops Strike Back: Catholic Hierarchy Promises Renewed Contraceptive Fight
The Catholic hierarchy is far too invested in fighting the contraceptive mandate to give up now.
MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-bishops-strike-back-catholic-hierarchy-promises-renewed-contraceptive
Quadrennial Question: Is The Religious Right Positively, Absolutely Dead?
According to Religion News Service, the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI) has concluded that relying on white Christian voters will never again spell national electoral success -- especially for the GOP. PRRI released a survey yesterday about religion's role in the presidential race.
MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/quadrennial-question-is-the-religious-right-positively-absolutely-dead See also... 2012 Post-Election American Values Survey & 2012 Ohio Values Survey http://publicreligion.org/research/2012/11/american-values-post-election-survey-2012/
Representatives And Religion: Slowly But Surely, Congress Is Becoming More Diverse
It wasn’t that long ago that the religious make-up of the U.S. Congress consisted of just three groups: Protestants, Catholics and a small number of Jews.
MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/representatives-and-religion-slowly-but-surely-congress-is-becoming-more
Fundamentalist Football: Liberty University 'Champions' Have A Game Plan To Run Your Life
"We think there would be a vast, committed fan base of conservative, evangelical Christians around the country and maybe even folks who are conservative politically who would rally behind Liberty football," Falwell said, "They would identify with our philosophy."
MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/fundamentalist-football-liberty-university-champions-have-a-game-plan-to See also... In Virginia’s Hills, a Football Crusade http://www.nytimes.com/2012/11/11/sports/ncaafootball/in-virginias-hills-a-football-crusade.html?_r=0
Lexington church responds to atheist group
"The new billboard comes across as judgment when ours did not," Maney said. "We're trying to be welcoming, while they're trying to be judgmental."
MORE: http://www.bgdailynews.com/news/state/lexington-church-responds-to-atheist-group/article_ce6f4f46-91d9-535e-bf31-fa865dd5aac6.html
School For Scandal: D.C. Voucher Program Plows Taxpayer Money Into Unaccredited Institutions, Newspaper Reports
The D.C. voucher program has become a type of bailout for Catholic schools.
MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-for-scandal-dc-voucher-program-plows-taxpayer-money-into
Voucher Vortex: Tenn. Officials Being Sucked Into Controversy Over Private School Aid
Voucher schemes force the government to wade into religious matters, where the state has no business being.
MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/voucher-vortex-tenn-officials-being-sucked-into-controversy-over-private
Book Review: 'Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday!' by Penn Jillette
Penn Jillette of the comedy-magic duo of Penn & Teller follows up last year's "God, No!" with "Every Day Is an Atheist Holiday!" (Blue Rider Press), filled with humorous essays that provide new perspectives on familiar life struggles.
MORE: http://www.lehighvalleylive.com/entertainment-general/index.ssf/2012/11/book_review_every_day_is_an_at.html See also... Penn Jillette Dishes On Donald Trump's Hair, Atheism, And His 'Rape & Kill List' (VIDEO) http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/17/penn-jillette-donald-trump-atheism_n_2151055.html
Studying the Brains of Mediums
What is happening when a medium claims to be channeling or speaking to spirits? Believers claim that they are actually contacting non-physical entities, and that their channeled words and actions come from a place other than their brain. The skeptical interpretation is that the mediumship, of whatever flavor, is nothing more than a performance. The truth lies in the brain of the medium, and since we cannot read minds it seems there will always be room for interpretation.
This may be changing, however, as we develop the technology to peek directly at brain activity. MORE: http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/11/19/studying-the-brains-of-mediums/
Telomere Lengths Predict Life Expectancy in the Wild, Research Shows
ScienceDaily -- Researchers at the University of East Anglia have found that biological age and life expectancy can be predicted by measuring an individual's DNA.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119213144.htm
Chimpanzees and Bonobos May Reveal Clues to Evolution of Favor Exchange in Humans
Jaeggi suggests we should take seriously this evidence of long-term reciprocity in animals. "It's really not qualitatively different from what people do," he said. "They establish these lasting relationships, and within them, services are exchanged without the participants keeping close track of who's doing what for whom."
However, humans also have the capacity for more contingent reciprocity, which raises questions about its purpose, and how it developed. "Maybe that's something that's more culturally learned," said Jaeggi. MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121120132908.htm
We're in This Together: A Pathbreaking Investigation Into the Evolution of Cooperative Behavior
ScienceDaily -- Humans are much more inclined to cooperate than are their closest evolutionary relatives. The prevailing wisdom about why this is true has long been focused on the idea of altruism: we go out of our way to do nice things for other people, sometimes even sacrificing personal success for the good of others. Modern theories of cooperative behavior suggest that acting selflessly in the moment provides a selective advantage to the altruist in the form of some kind of return benefit.
A new study published by Current Anthropology offers another explanation for our unusual aptitude for collaboration. The authors of the study argue that humans developed cooperative skills because it was in their mutual interest to work well with others -- indeed ecological circumstances forced them to cooperate with others to obtain food. In other words, altruism isn't the reason we cooperate; we must cooperate in order to survive, and we are altruistic to others because we need them. MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119094629.htm
Born good? Babies help unlock the origins of morality
Can infants tell right from wrong? And if so, how would you know?
MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/video/watch/?id=50135408n
A More Peaceful World Awaits, Statistical Analysis Suggests
ScienceDaily -- Statistical analyses show that the world will be more peaceful in the future. In about 40 years only half as many countries will be in conflict. The decrease will be greatest in the Middle East.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121119093846.htm
Mars Mystery: Has Curiosity rover made big discovery?
NASA's Mars rover Curiosity has apparently made a discovery "for the history books," but we'll have to wait a few weeks to learn what the new Red Planet find may be, media reports suggest.
MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-205_162-57552759/mars-mystery-has-curiosity-rover-made-big-discovery/
Crank who harasses science writers (including Ars) resurfaces, rearrested
His latest threats violated conditions of his parole.
MORE: http://arstechnica.com/science/2012/11/crank-who-harasses-science-writers-including-ars-resurfaces-rearrested/
Church of England votes against allowing women bishops
"It was carried in the house of bishops and clergy, but lost in the house of laity. The motion having been lost ... we do not proceed any further," said Archbishop of York John Sentamu.
MORE: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/11/20/15310643-church-of-england-votes-against-allowing-women-bishops?lite
Protesters in Ireland rally for abortion rights
Dublin, Ireland (CNN) -- Thousands of protesters marched through the streets of Dublin on Saturday to remember a woman who died after being refused an abortion and to demand a change to the country's laws.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/17/world/europe/ireland-abortion-controversy/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2
Kenya grenade blast kills 7, hurts 24
Such attacks have escalated since Kenyan forces invaded neighboring Somalia last year to battle the Islamist militant group Al-Shabaab, blaming it for kidnappings of foreigners in the nation.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/18/world/africa/kenya-grenade-attack/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2
Winning the censorship battle, Egyptian movie 'The Atheist' is set for release
Despite its approval by authorities, the team behind the film has been receiving death threats from radicals in the country, they claim.
MORE: http://www.albawaba.com/entertainment/the-atheist-film-egypt--451435
Paris Hilton whips up a storm in holy Mecca
"In the end, it's made a lot of people think about the bigger issue of the commercialization of Mecca where historic sites have been demolished to make way for modern malls and international brands.
"There's no particular reason to be outraged about Paris Hilton when we already have Gucci and Christian Dior. But for many it's further evidence of how the character of Mecca is being lost." He added: "It's the combination of the location of the store, who Paris Hilton is and what she stands for." MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/20/world/meast/paris-hilton-store-mecca/index.html
Pakistani court throws out blasphemy charges against Christian girl
Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- A Pakistani court on Tuesday dismissed blasphemy charges against Rimsha Masih, a Christian teenager whose case prompted international outrage.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/20/world/asia/pakistan-blasphemy-girl/index.html?hpt=wo_c2
Timeline of recent Israel-Gaza violence
While violence between Israel and the Gaza Strip has escalated in recent days, tensions between the Jewish State and the Palestinian territories have long existed. The Israel Ministry of Foreign Affairs says that over 830 rockets launched into southern Israel from Jan. 2011 - Nov. 2012. According to the Israeli human rights organization B'tselem, 319 Palestinians were killed between January 2009 (the conclusion of Israel's last major operation, "Cast Lead") and October 2012. Fifteen Israeli civilians and 5 security forces were killed by Palestinians in the same time period, the organization reports.
MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-202_162-57552203/timeline-of-recent-israel-gaza-violence/
Wednesday, November 14, 2012National Ad Campaign to Promote KidsWithoutGod.com on Buses and Online
In an effort to strengthen and support kids and teenagers who don’t happen to believe in a god, the American Humanist Association is promoting its newly created website: KidsWithoutGod.com. This engaging resource offers a welcoming home for humanist, atheist and other non-traditionally religious kids where they can find information untainted by supernaturalism on a wide range of topics, including religion in public schools, science, discrimination, sexuality, and reading suggestions.
MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-11-national-ad-campaign-to-promote-kidswithoutgodcom-on-2 See also... Atheist Activists Targeting Children With 'Good Without God' Campaign http://christiannews.net/2012/11/14/atheist-activists-targeting-children-with-good-without-god-campaign/ And... Evolution Made Clear for Kids in "Pepper's Special Wings" http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-11-evolution-made-clear-for-kids-in-peppers-special-win
What's a Freethought Action Hero Award? Part of the rising atheism in the Carolinas
The Freethinking, Humanist and Atheist communities across the East Coast have entered a powerful new era of coordination, cooperation and action.
MORE: http://wilmingtonfavs.com/faith/leaders-and-institutions/whats-a-freethought-action-hero-award-part-of-the-rising-atheism-in-the-car
Church responds to controversial billboard with one of their own
In September a Kentucky atheist group paid to have a billboard put up on New Circle Road for about a month. That billboard read "Don't Believe in God? Join the club."
On Friday a church announced they plan to respond by putting up a sign near the previous location to steer drivers in another direction. MORE: http://www.wkyt.com/news/headlines/Church-responds-to-controversial-billboard-with-one-of-their-own-177036511.html See also... Lexington church responds to non-believers with new billboard http://www.kentucky.com/2012/11/07/2399316/lexington-church-responds-to-non.html Atheist Billboard - Lexington, KY - Bluegrass Coalition of Reason - Local news http://www.thegodlessheathen.com/post/2012/11/atheist-billboard-lexington-ky-bluegrass-coalition-of-reason-local-news
The 'nones' say 2012 election proves they are a political force
Some nontheistic groups have already moved to make their wants known. On Wednesday (Nov. 7), the American Humanist Association sent all newly elected members of Congress a request "not to join the Congressional Prayer Caucus and to actively work to ensure that the wall of separation between church and state is strengthened and maintained."
MORE: http://www.religionnews.com/politics/election/the-nones-say-2012-election-proves-they-are-a-political-force See also... Post-Election Analysis: What Does It All Mean for Humanists? http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-11-post-election-analysis-what-does-it-all-mean-for-hum Will atheists decide the next election? http://www.examiner.com/article/will-atheists-decide-the-next-election Weak Reed: Religious Right Operative Fails To Deliver On Grandiose Election Promises http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/weak-reed-religious-right-operative-fails-to-deliver-on-grandiose-election Liberal Catholics use election results to battle bishops http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/11/13/liberal-catholics-use-election-results-to-battle-bishops/
AHA to Newly Elected Congress: Don't Join Prayer Caucus
The American Humanist Association sent letters to all 435 newly elected Representatives asking them not to join the Congressional Prayer Caucus when they begin office.
MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-11-aha-to-newly-elected-congress-dont-join-prayer-caucu See also... Atheists Claim Congressional Prayer Caucus Treats Them Like 'Second Hand Citizens' http://global.christianpost.com/news/atheists-claim-congressional-prayer-caucus-treats-them-like-second-hand-citizens-84719/
FFRF asks Obama to drop religion in presidential oath
The Freedom From Religion Foundation has sent a letter to President Obama asking him to reject the way this country politicizes religion. The Constitution, which prescribes the oath in Art. 2, Sect. 1, does not contain the “so help me God” language or require use of a bible. As FFRF has always done before presidential inaugurations, we are asking President Obama to honor the Constitution on Jan. 21 by omitting that religious verbiage from the Oath of Office.
MORE: http://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/16074-ffrf-asks-obama-to-drop-religion-in-presidential-oath
'Secular' Ariz. Democrat to replace sole atheist in Congress
Rep. Pete Stark, D-Calif., the only openly atheist member of Congress, lost his race for another term on Tuesday (Nov. 6).
But secularists will not remain unrepresented in the Capitol. Democrat Kyrsten Sinema, a former Arizona state senator who was raised Mormon and is a bisexual, has narrowly won her pitch for a House seat by 2,000 votes. MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/secular-ariz-democrat-to-replace-sole-atheist-in-congress/2012/11/09/a91885fa-2ab4-11e2-aaa5-ac786110c486_story.html See also... Rep. Pete Stark Was One of Us http://secular.org/blogs/chris-lombardi/rep-pete-stark-was-one-us Would You Vote For An Atheist? Tell The Truth http://www.northcountrypublicradio.org/news/npr/164963163/would-you-vote-for-an-atheist-tell-the-truth
Job Well Done: Florida’s Awful Amendment 8 Defeated By Wide Margin
In case the post-election fog has left your memory shaky, this amendment would have allowed taxpayer money to flow directly to religious schools, ministries and houses of worship. Passage would have stripped the religious freedom protections currently enshrined in the Florida Constitution, thus allowing for direct funding of religious organizations and opening the door to taxpayer-funded vouchers for religious schools.
MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/job-well-done-florida-s-awful-amendment-8-defeated-by-wide-margin
The IRS And Church Electioneering: Enforce The Law Already!
The IRS needs to do its duty and enforce the law.
MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-irs-and-church-electioneering-enforce-the-law-already See also... Keeping politics out of the pulpit http://www.latimes.com/news/opinion/editorials/la-ed-religion-and-elections-20121105,0,3229658.story Religion And Politics: IRS Not Enforcing Rules On Separation Of Church And State http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/11/04/irs-church-state_n_2069009.html Election Blurring of Church, State Separation Draws Complaints http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/14519-election-blurring-of-church-state-separation-draws-complaints Earlier... Bad Actor: Presumptuous Prelate Hopes His Partisan Ploy Plays In Peoria -- And Elsewhere http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bad-actor-presumptuous-prelate-hopes-his-partisan-ploy-plays-in-peoria-and
Stanford’s Atheist Chaplain Launches 150+ Student Community
Atheists, Humanists, Agnostics, at Stanford Finally Given a Voice: New Humanist Chaplain Creates Community for the Faithless.
MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-11-stanfords-atheist-chaplain-launches-150+-student-com
Fundamentalist Football: Liberty University 'Champions' Have A Game Plan To Run Your Life
Liberty University has become a major base of operations for opponents of the church-state wall.
MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/fundamentalist-football-liberty-university-champions-have-a-game-plan-to
Lone Star Law Breakers: Texas School Officials Think They Can Ignore Supreme Court Prayer Rulings
For advice on school prayer, check with the U.S. Supreme Court, not a pack of bloviating politicians whose goal is to win the next election, not uphold the Constitution.
MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/lone-star-law-breakers-texas-school-officials-think-they-can-ignore-supreme
Virginia Victory: Wiccan Priestess Wins Right To Perform Weddings
This is a small but important victory for the religious liberty rights of minority faiths.
MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/virginia-victory-wiccan-priestess-wins-right-to-perform-weddings
LAKE ELSINORE: Military atheists complain about cross
After a group of local artists complained about the design at a recent council meeting, the group reconvened to reconsider the monument last week.The committee decided to keep the cross, but to add a Star of David to the design because World War II-era U.S. military gravestones used both symbols.
MORE: http://www.pe.com/local-news/riverside-county/lake-elsinore/lake-elsinore-headlines-index/20121108-lake-elsinore-military-atheists-complain-about-cross.ece
Moore Trouble: 'Commandments' Judge Chosen Chief Justice In Alabama
Judges are put in office to uphold the Constitution, not undermine it. If Roy Moore doesn't understand that fact, we may be headed for another showdown in federal court. And the poor taxpayers of Alabama will be picking up the tab for another needless lawsuit.
MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/moore-trouble-commandments-judge-chosen-chief-justice-in-alabama
At OKcupid, being an atheist is a date-maker, not a deal-breaker
In 2009, the site's founders analyzed responses from more than 500,000 users and discovered that including the word "atheist" in a first message to another user was more likely to garner a reply than any other religious descriptor except Christian.
MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/at-okcupid-being-an-atheist-is-a-date-maker-not-a-deal-breaker/2012/11/13/7d246d82-2dcb-11e2-b631-2aad9d9c73ac_story.html
Greydon Square Is the Atheist Rapper
Now known as the atheist rapper, he makes a living performing at conferences and conventions espousing his belief in the separation of church and state. His lyrics are incisive: Speaking on the Biblical fall of man, he raps, "I'm dreaming of world without a religion that tells me ... that I need to pay for a piece of fruit that I never ate."
MORE: http://blogs.laweekly.com/westcoastsound/2012/11/greydon_square_atheist_rapper.php See also... Review: Jacob Garchik's 'The Heavens: The Atheist Gospel Trombone Album' http://www.latimes.com/entertainment/music/posts/la-et-ms-review-jacob-garchiks-heavens-atheist-gospel-20121113,0,2845639.story
Former pastor faces more prostitution charges
GASTONIA, N.C. -- A former pastor and theology professor arrested during a Charlotte prostitution sting last year has again been charged with solicitation, according to the Gaston County Sheriff’s Office.
MORE: http://www.nbcnews.com/id/49818670/ns/local_news-charlotte_nc/
A surreal journey among the creationists
None of them could give coherent answers to the scientific evidence, yet nonetheless were determined to stick with their beliefs. This was no surprise to any of us, since evidence doesn’t matter to creationists. They have an entire worldview which is wrapped about the salvation of their immortal soul and the fear of rejecting the literal interpretation of the Bible, so that comes first and everything else is unimportant. They reject evolution only because they’ve been told to do so by religious leaders, even though they have no clue what it’s about; what they think they know about it is wrong.
MORE: http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/11/07/a-surreal-journey/ See also... Conspiracy road trip with creationists: Noah’s Ark and other LOLz http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/10/10/conspiracy-road-trip-with-creationists-noahs-ark-and-other-lolz/
Superman gets help from Neil deGrasse Tyson
The appointment that Superman would drop everything to attend is with astrophysicist and science educator Dr. Neil deGrasse Tyson. Tyson is currently the Frederick P. Rose Director of the Hayden Planetarium at the American Museum of Natural History in New York. As it turns out, he is also the only man on Earth who can help Superman find the location where his home planet of Krypton was located.
MORE: http://www.examiner.com/article/superman-gets-help-from-neil-degrasse-tyson
16 Eagle Scouts Returning Their Pins
These Scouts penned open letters to the Boy Scouts of America to explain why they can no longer be affiliated with an organization they dedicated years of their childhood to be a part of.
MORE: http://www.buzzfeed.com/stacylambe/16-eagle-scouts-returning-their-pins
Scientists Discover Possible Building Blocks of Ancient Genetic Systems in Earth's Most Primitive Organisms
ScienceDaily -- Scientists believe that prior to the advent of DNA as Earth's primary genetic material, early forms of life used RNA to encode genetic instructions. What sort of genetic molecules did life rely on before RNA?
The answer may be AEG, a small molecule that when linked into chains forms a hypothetical backbone for peptide nucleic acids, which have been hypothesized as the first genetic molecules. Synthetic AEG has been studied by the pharmaceutical industry as a possible gene silencer to stop or slow certain genetic diseases. The only problem with the theory is that up to now, AEG has been unknown in nature. A team of scientists from the United States and Sweden announced that they have discovered AEG within cyanobacteria which are believed to be some of the most primitive organisms on Earth. Cyanobacteria sometimes appear as mats or scums on the surface of reservoirs and lakes during hot summer months. Their tolerance for extreme habitats is remarkable, ranging from the hot springs of Yellowstone to the tundra of the Arctic. MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121110093550.htm
Clever cockatoo caught using tools
The researchers were impressed by not only his ability to use tools, but also to make them.
MORE: http://scienceblogs.com/lifelines/2012/11/10/clever-cockatoo-caught-using-tools/
BOSS Quasars Unveil a New Era in the Expansion History of the Universe
"We are seeing back to the matter-dominated universe, when expansion was decelerating and dark energy was hard to see. The transition from decelerating expansion to accelerating expansion was a sharp one, and now we live in a universe dominated by dark energy. The biggest puzzle in cosmology is, why now?"
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121112224343.htm See also... Particle change hailed as major find by CERN http://www.newsdaily.com/stories/bre8ab1b0-us-cern/
Van Allen Probes: NASA Renames Radiation Belt Mission to Honor Pioneering Scientist
ScienceDaily -- NASA has renamed a recently launched mission that studies Earth's radiation belts as the Van Allen Probes in honor of the late James Van Allen. Van Allen was the head of the physics department at the University of Iowa who discovered the radiation belts encircling Earth in 1958.
MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/11/121111101748.htm See also... NASA May Unveil New Manned Moon Missions Soon http://www.space.com/18380-nasa-moon-missions-obama-election.html
Famous atheist's ungodly guide -- interview with Alom Shaha
The Hackney Citizen catches up with Alom Shaha, author of The Young Atheist's Handbook.
MORE: http://hackneycitizen.co.uk/2012/11/13/young-atheists-handbook-alom-shaha-interview/
Bishop's arrest part of broad inquiry into Chichester diocese child abuse
Ball is the highest-profile church figure yet to be arrested, but the attention the scandal is likely to receive is only set to rise. Between now and next April, three separate child abuse cases against priests in the diocese of Chichester will be heard at Lewes crown court.
MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/world/2012/nov/13/bishops-peter-ball-arrest-chichester-child-abuse
Victims welcome Australian child sex abuse investigation
In Australia, Prime Minister Julia Gillard has put no time limit on what will be the most wide-ranging inquiry into child sex abuse in the nation's history -- one that will not be confined to the Catholic Church.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/12/world/asia/australia-abuse-scandal-attard/index.html
Ireland Probes Death of Ill Abortion-Seeker
Her husband says doctors diagnosed she was miscarrying one week before her death, then diagnosed blood poisoning, but repeatedly refused their pleas for a termination because the fetus still had a heartbeat. She died three days after the fetus died and its remains were surgically removed.
MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/ireland-probes-death-ill-abortion-seeker-17714568
French ministers back draft bill on same-sex marriage
The bill is expected to go before the National Assembly and Senate in January, and is likely to be voted on in February or March. If passed, it would mark the biggest step forward for French gay rights advocates in more than a decade.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/world/europe/france-marriage-rights/index.html
Computer expert sentenced over Vatican leaks
The suspended sentence means Sciarpelletti won't serve time in prison unless he reoffends within five years, the Vatican said. He had denied wrongdoing.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/10/world/europe/vatican-leaks-trial/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2
Troops could be headed to Mali to fight Islamist extremists
LAGOS, Nigeria (CNN) -- A summit of African leaders approved a proposal Sunday to send 3,300 troops to Mali to help evict Islamist radicals who have taken control of that country's northern territory. But a spokesman for the Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS) says more steps are needed before any troops are deployed.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/11/world/africa/mali-international-troops/index.html
Gunmen attack Nigerian police station; kill 2 cops
The attackers, believed to be connected to the militant Islamist group Boko Haram, fired a rocket into the police station near the state capital, said police Commissioner Patrick Egbuniwe. One of the officers was killed by the blast, the other came under fire while responding to the attack.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/04/world/africa/nigeria-violence/index.html
Growing ties between Egypt, Turkey may signal new regional order
The emerging alliance between Egypt's Mohamed Morsi and Turkey's Recep Tayyip Erdogan reflects two Islamist leaders maneuvering to reshape the Middle East.
MORE: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-egypt-turkey-20121113,0,7665554.story
Egypt's Coptic Christians pick new pope
Cairo (CNN) -- Egypt's Coptic Christians picked a new leader Sunday, a process that involved a blindfolded boy choosing one of three names in a crystal chalice.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/04/world/africa/egypt-coptic-pope/index.html
Al-Azhar's sanctioning of 'The Athiest' film triggers Islamists' anger
A new Egyptian film 'Al-Molhid' (The Atheist) has won the approval of Al-Azhar, yet its team face death threats.
MORE: http://english.ahram.org.eg/NewsContent/5/32/57891/Arts--Culture/Film/AlAzhars-sanctioning-of-The-Athiest-film-triggers-.aspx
'Destroy the idols,' Egyptian jihadist calls for removal of Sphinx, Pyramids
An Egyptian jihad leader, with self-professed links to the Taliban, called for the "destruction of the Sphinx and the Giza Pyramids in Egypt," drawing ties between the Egyptian relics and Buddha statues, local media reported this week.
MORE: http://english.alarabiya.net/articles/2012/11/12/249092.html See also... Salafis call for Islamic law in Egypt protest http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/09/world/africa/egypt-protests/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2
Suicide bombing kills 5 in northwestern Pakistan
For more than a decade, Peshawar has been on the front line for the Pakistani government's fight with militant groups such as the Taliban. A major terrorist attack near the U.S. Consulate in Peshawar in April 2010 killed at least 25 people.
MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/07/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html See also... Car bomb injures 21 outside Pakistani paramilitary building http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/08/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html Pakistani Taliban target female students with acid attack http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/03/world/asia/pakistan-acid-attack/index.html Pakistan to honor girls injured in Malala attack http://www.cnn.com/2012/11/03/world/asia/pakistan-schoolgirls-honor/index.html
Wave of Bombings Kills 17 People Across Iraq
There was no immediate claim of responsibility, though suicide car bombings are a favorite tactic of Sunni militant groups such as al-Qaida.
Violence has ebbed in Iraq, but insurgent attacks, often aimed at undermining the stability of the Shiite-led government, are still frequent. MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/wave-bombings-kills-17-people-iraq-17713779
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