Atheist Org Recruits Allies in Schools to Prevent Religious Bullying

The Secular Safe Zone program is designed to create knowledgeable and skilled allies across the nation who can recognize and respond to anti-atheist bullying.  Volunteers are given training on subjects including identifying and understanding secular students, speaking up against discrimination, and dealing with resistance from the community.  After completing the training, allies receive signs to designate their classroom or office as a Secular Safe Zone.

MORE: http://secularstudents.org/node/5491

Students find secret solace in atheist-friendly clubs

For members who were formerly involved in religious youth groups or ministries, the group serves as a replacement for the community closeness they may have felt in those organizations.

"In an ideal world, we'd find the courage to tell people what our beliefs really are," Conklin says. "But for now, for some people, this club is the only thing they've got."

MORE: http://www.usatodayeducate.com/staging/index.php/campuslife/students-find-secret-solace-in-atheist-friendly-clubs

Academic administrators: hide your unbelief!

While top administrators wield a considerable amount of power on their campuses, they are also vulnerable (like their counterparts in the world of politics) to people and forces that can undermine their positions and potentially jeopardize their careers.

MORE: http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/08/26/academic-administrators-hide-your-unbelief/

See also...

When Atheist Children Are As Good As Dead To Their Parents
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/25/when-atheist-children-are-as-good-as-dead-to-their-parents/

Prominent organizations partner to support legislation based on reason, science and evidence

The Secular Coalition for America has formed a strategic partnership with the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science U.S. through the remainder of 2013.

The goal of the partnership is to maximize the strengths of both organizations-drawing on the Secular Coalition's strong nonprofit and strategic planning experience and the Dawkins Foundation's strong web and social media savvy, scientific expertise, and broad outreach, the Secular Coalition reports.

MORE: http://www.goddiscussion.com/113991/church-state-news-prominent-organizations-partner-to-support-legislation-based-on-reason-science-and-evidence/

'We're Winning a Lot of Legal Victories': Should Christians Fear This Atheist Group's 130 Percent Membership Growth?

Dubbed the fastest-growing atheist group in the country by the Wisconsin State Journal, the FFRF has reportedly experienced a 130 percent member increase over the past six years.

MORE: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2013/08/27/were-winning-a-lot-of-legal-victories-should-christians-fear-this-atheist-groups-130-percent-membership-growth/

Do Christian conservatives believe in the First Amendment?

Fundamentalists in different religions have a lot in common, usually to the detriment of those who support religious freedom and diversity.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/08/26/do-christian-conservatives-believe-in-the-first-amendment/

Atheists in foxholes are entitled to their own chaplains

Increasingly, atheists are insisting that their message is not just a negative one, and are competing with theist religions for governmental recognition. When an interfaith service was organized to honor the victims of the Boston Marathon bombings, "non-theist" groups complained that not a single speaker reflected their beliefs. Unable to convince the Supreme Court that Ten Commandment monuments on government property are always unconstitutional, atheists are donating their own memorials to stand alongside the Decalogue.

MORE: http://www.latimes.com/opinion/opinion-la/la-ol-atheists-chaplains-religion-20130827,0,4619739.story

Atheist runs for mayor in a city that makes it illegal to laugh near a church

Smith has lived in LaGrange more than 50 years, is married to Sumie Smith, and has three children and one grandchild living in LaGrange. He is president of LaGrange Humanists, Inc. and a member of the NAACP, ACLU, American Humanists Association, Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, Freedom From Religion Foundation, Skeptics Society, and Center For Inquiry.

MORE: http://www.goddiscussion.com/114081/atheist-runs-for-mayor-in-a-city-that-makes-it-illegal-to-laugh-near-a-church/?utm_source=feedburner&utm_medium=feed&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+GodDiscussion+%28God+Discussion%29

Remembering March on Washington Organizer Asa Philip Randolph, 1970 Humanist of the Year

Contrary to popular belief, the march wasn't organized by King. It was the brainchild of a humanist named Asa Philip Randolph.

MORE: http://americanhumanist.org/news/details/2013-08-remembering-march-on-washington-organizer-asa-philip

N.Y. Freethought Trail traces nonbelievers who chartered a historic course

Now, the Council for Secular Humanism, based in nearby Amherst, is seeking to highlight that history with "The Freethought Trail," a self-guided tour through some of the most important historical sites dotting the rolling farmland and glacial lakes of West-Central New York.

MORE: http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/26/trail-traces-nonbelievers-who-chartered-a-historic-course/

Atheist parolee sent back to prison must be compensated, court says

SAN FRANCISCO -- California should compensate an atheist parolee for returning him to prison after he resisted participating in a religious-based drug treatment program, a federal appeals court decided unanimously Friday.

MORE: http://touch.latimes.com/#section/-1/article/p2p-77136574/

Atheist Sent To Jail For Rejecting God, In Blatant Violation Of The Constitution
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2013/08/27/atheist-sent-to-jail-for-rejecting-god-in-blatant-violation-of-the-constitution/

NJ Commission Reverses Decision on Atheist License Plate

Cranford, NJ--As public backlash was growing, the New Jersey Motor Vehicle Commission reversed its decision on Wednesday, approving American Atheists President David Silverman's application for custom license plates reading "ATHE1ST."  American Atheists, which celebrates its 50th anniversary this year, is a national non-profit dedicated to fighting discrimination against atheists.

MORE: http://news.atheists.org/2013/08/28/nj-commission-reverses-decision-on-atheist-license-plate/

See also...

American Atheists President David Silverman files appeal for denied custom New Jersey "ATHE1ST" license plate
http://news.atheists.org/2013/08/28/american-atheists-president-david-silverman-files-appeal-for-denied-custom-new-jersey-athe1st-license-plate/

Texas Pastafarian Wins Battle At DMV, Becomes First In U.S. To Wear Colander In License Photo

Castillo is the first American to successfully have his government-issued photo identification taken while wearing a colander, though DPS officials are reportedly planning to follow up with Castillo in order to "rectify" the situation. Others have tried unsuccessfully, and Castillo told KLBK that he was surprised at his victory, which he called a "political and religious milestone for all atheists everywhere."

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/26/texas-pastafarian-license-photo_n_3816839.html?utm_hp_ref=politics

See also...

Texas Tech student allowed to wear pasta strainer in driver's license photo
http://www.kltv.com/story/23248235/texas-tech-student-allowed-to-wear-pasta-strainer-in-official-dps-photo

Michigan community approves non-discrimination ordinance

The ordinance bans discrimination based on several factors, including race, sex, age, religion, national origin, height, weight, marital status, familial status, citizenship, physical or mental ability, gender identity, sexual orientation or genetic information.

MORE: http://www.freep.com/article/20130828/NEWS06/308280077/Michigan-community-approves-non-discrimination-ordinance

Kentucky Department of Education Reminds Public School Superintendents That Teachers Should Not Proselytize During Work

Earlier this week, the Kentucky Department of Education did something every state's education department should do: They sent an email to every public school district superintendent in the state (173 of them in all) reminding them what the law says about church/state separation.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/30/kentucky-department-of-education-reminds-public-school-superintendents-that-teachers-should-not-proselytize-during-work/

A battle over prayer -- and much more

Congressional Prayer Caucus' influence growing as it walks church-state line under banner of religious freedom.

MORE: http://america.aljazeera.com/articles/2013/8/27/a-battle-over-prayeraandmuchmore.html

Atheists threatening lawsuit over planned 9/11 memorial

The American Atheists, based in New Jersey, told the mayor of Princeton this week that they will take the town to court if the side of a beam recovered from the World Trade Center site was displayed on public property or publicly funded.

MORE: http://www.capitalbay.com/news/376026-atheists-threatening-lawsuit-over-planned-9-11-memorial.html

Parents charged with manslaughter in daughter's death

"They belonged to a belief system called the Church of the First Born," said Capt. Eric Carter of the Albany Police Department. "I'll let you do your own research."

MORE: http://www.katu.com/news/local/Parents-charged-with-manslaughter-in-daughters-death-for-lack-of-medical-care-221686141.html

See also...

Another Set of Faith-Healing Parents Arrested After Allowing Their Daughter to Die of a Treatable Disease
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/30/another-set-of-faith-healing-parents-arrested-after-allowing-their-daughter-to-die-of-a-treatable-disease/

Judge sides with hospital that forced chemotherapy for Amish girl with leukemia

An appeals court has sided with a hospital that wants to force a 10-year-old Amish girl to resume chemotherapy after her parents decided to stop the treatments.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-204_162-57600494/judge-sides-with-hospital-that-forced-chemotherapy-for-amish-girl-with-leukemia/

Measles Cases Put Texas Megachurch Under Scrutiny

The teachings of televangelist Kenneth Copeland and his family focusing on the virtues of trusting God to keep healthy are under scrutiny after a cluster of measles cases linked to his family's North Texas megachurch revealed many congregants hadn't been vaccinated against the highly contagious disease.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/measles-cases-put-texas-megachurch-scrutiny-20126684

Jindal: Education Next Civil Rights Battle

On Meet The Press on August 25, 2013, Governor Jindal blasted the U.S. Department of Justice for filing a petition challenging equal opportunity for education and school choice in Louisiana.

MORE: http://www.breitbart.com/Breitbart-TV/2013/08/25/Jindal-sees-education-as-next-civil-rights-battle

See also...

14 Wacky "Facts" Kids Will Learn in Louisiana's Voucher Schools
http://www.motherjones.com/blue-marble/2012/07/photos-evangelical-curricula-louisiana-tax-dollars

Ten Commandments: The lessons of neutrality

A lawsuit is filed that demands removal of a Ten Commandments monument from the state Capitol grounds. Surely such demands are not representative of good old "conservative" Oklahoma values? Think again.

MORE: http://www.tulsaworld.com/article.aspx/Ten_Commandments_The_lessons_of_neutrality/20130823_65_A15_CUTLIN206670

See also...

Preaching The Gospel Of Separation: Baptist Minister Challenges Ten Commandments Display On Okla. Capitol Grounds
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/preaching-the-gospel-of-separation-baptist-minister-challenges-ten

Jesus Of South Dakota?: Spearfish Man Seeks To Erect Large Statue Of Christ On Public Land

Erecting a 35-foot-tall statue of Jesus on city-owned land would definitely violate the separation of church and state.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/jesus-of-south-dakota-spearfish-man-seeks-to-erect-large-statue-of-christ

Orwellian freedom of religious conscience bill introduced in Wisconsin

Your religion does not give you the freedom to force your beliefs onto others.  You should not have carte blanch to ignore discrimination laws or to otherwise punish others, a privilege rightly afforded to nobody else, simply because of what you believe about god.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/wwjtd/2013/08/orwellian-freedom-of-religious-conscience-bill-introduced-in-wisconsin/

Persecution Or Privilege? The Real Status Of American Houses of Worship

If you believe the fundamentalists, they're merely defending themselves against an overwhelming tide of secularist persecution.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/persecution-or-privilege-the-real-status-of-american-houses-of-worship

Why is religious pandering so prevalent?

In a remarkable book titled "The God Strategy," David Domke and Kevin Coe describe how the infusion of religion into politics surged since the Reagan presidency. While prior presidents regularly made references to God, Reagan made them almost systematically. For instance, Lyndon Johnson invoked God in 61 percent of his national addresses, compared to 26 percent for Richard Nixon and 25 percent for Jimmy Carter. But Reagan did so 96 percent of the time. His successors carried on: Bush I (91 percent), Clinton (93 percent), and Bush II (95 percent). (The study was completed before Obama's presidency.) Reagan was the first president to start emphasizing "God bless America," an expression that all his successors adopted. This chauvinistic slogan had only been used once, by Nixon, in a national presidential speech before Reagan.

MORE: http://www.salon.com/2013/08/23/ruled_by_a_bipartisan_god_religious_pandering_dominates_america/singleton/

Why Is There More Depression Among Clergy Members Than in the General Population?

Recently, researchers from the Clergy Health Initiative at Duke Divinity School decided to look into the mental health of members of the clergy. Using phone surveys and written questionnaires, they interviewed over 1,700 United Methodist pastors, and found that depression is about 1.6 times higher in that group compared to the general population (8.7% versus 5.5%).

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/30/why-is-there-more-depression-among-clergy-members-than-in-the-general-population/

Ginsburg will be first justice to officiate at same-sex wedding

Justice Ruth Bader Ginsburg will become the first Supreme Court member to conduct a same-sex marriage ceremony Saturday when she officiates at the Washington wedding of Kennedy Center President Michael M. Kaiser.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/ginsburg-to-officiate-same-sex-wedding/2013/08/30/4bc09d86-0ff4-11e3-8cdd-bcdc09410972_story.html

IRS shifts to equal tax treatment for same-sex marriages

Same-sex married couples will be allowed to file joint federal tax returns, the same as married heterosexual couples, the Treasury Department and Internal Revenue Service announced Thursday.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/federal_government/irs-shifts-to-equal-tax-treatment-for-same-sex-marriages/2013/08/29/bbdffac4-10dc-11e3-85b6-d27422650fd5_story.html?wprss=rss_politics
See also...

IRS Will Recognize Same-Sex Marriages in States That Don't Allow Same-Sex Marriage
http://www.christianpost.com/news/irs-will-recognize-same-sex-marriages-in-states-that-dont-allow-same-sex-marriage-103338/

Calif. court upholds ban on gay psychotherapy

The U.S. Court of Appeals for the 9th Circuit in San Francisco, in a 3-to-0 decision, ruled that the state's ban on conversion therapy for minors doesn't violate the free speech rights of licensed counselors and patients seeking treatment.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/politics/2013/08/29/a4ef9dce-10e6-11e3-bdf6-e4fc677d94a1_story.html?wprss=rss_politics

N.J. gay conversion therapy ban challenged in federal court

New Jersey is the second state in the nation to ban therapy that purports to change a child's sexual orientation from homosexual to heterosexual. California enacted the first ban, but Liberty Counsel, a national religious-based legal and public policy group, filed an injunction it before it took effect earlier this year. A judge overseeing the case heard arguments in April and has not issued a decision.

MORE: http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/26/n-j-gay-conversion-therapy-ban-challenged-in-federal-court/

Gay marriage legal in New Mexico, sort of

County clerks in New Mexico will begin issuing marriage licenses to same-sex couples after a state judge ruled Monday that the state's marriage law, which uses gender-neutral terms to define domestic relationships, doesn't specifically prohibit gay marriage.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/govbeat/wp/2013/08/28/gay-marriage-legal-in-new-mexico-sort-of/?wprss=rss_politics

Gay rights, civil rights causes converge even if terms don't

When speakers at Wednesday's "Let Freedom Ring" rally listed the social injustices that still need to be addressed, discrimination based on sexual orientation made almost every speech.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/the-fix/wp/2013/08/30/gay-rights-civil-rights-causes-converge-even-if-terms-dont/?wprss=rss_politics

Anti-LGBT columnist warns men: Lesbians will have your children and make you slaves

The Council for Marriage Policy (CMP), a Christian anti-LGBT group that is a division of the right-wing Renew America PAC, issued a frantic warning on Friday that if same sex marriage becomes legal in all 50 states, lesbians will trick gay and straight men into fathering their children and turn them into economic slaves. According to Right Wing Watch, the 37-pragraph column was written by CMP president David R. Usher and was entitled "Our last chance to save traditional marriage."

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/24/anti-lgbt-columnist-warns-men-lesbians-will-have-your-children-and-make-you-slaves/

Robertson: Gay People Deliberately Spread HIV/AIDS By Cutting People With Special Rings

"You know what they do in San Francisco, some in the gay community there they want to get people so if they got the stuff they'll have a ring, you shake hands, and the ring's got a little thing where you cut your finger," Robertson said. "Really. It's that kind of vicious stuff, which would be the equivalent of murder."

MORE: http://www.rightwingwatch.org/content/robertson-gay-people-deliberately-spread-hivaids-cutting-people-special-rings

Hard-Wired for Giving

Contrary to conventional wisdom that humans are essentially selfish, scientists are finding that the brain is built for generosity.

MORE: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324009304579041231971683854.html?mod=e2fb

Just Thinking about Science Triggers Moral Behavior

Across all these different measures, the researchers found consistent results. Simply being primed with science-related thoughts increased a) adherence to moral norms, b) real-life future altruistic intentions, and c) altruistic behavior towards an anonymous other. The conceptual association between science and morality appears strong.

MORE: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=just-thinking-about-science-triggers-moral-behavior

Study offers insight into the origin of the genetic code

An analysis of enzymes that load amino acids onto transfer RNAs--an operation at the heart of protein translation--offers new insights into the evolutionary origins of the modern genetic code, researchers report.

MORE: http://phys.org/news/2013-08-insight-genetic-code.html

Mind control? Brain controls brain in new demonstration

Researchers at the University of Washington have demonstrated what they say is the first example of a noninvasive human-to-human brain interface. In a video posted online, they show how a scientist could control another scientist's hand motions just by using brain signals sent over the Internet.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/28/health/brain-interface/index.html

See also...

Human brains successfully grown in lab
http://www.goddiscussion.com/114089/human-brains-successfully-grown-in-lab/

Scientists confirm new element 115 after atoms collide

Why create elements that disappear in a flash? Scientists hope one day to make one that doesn't, thus creating a brand new lasting element, Popular Science magazine reports.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/28/world/europe/new-chemical-element/

Modified Law of Gravity Predicts Dwarf Galaxy Feature Prior to Observations

"Most scientists are more comfortable with the dark matter interpretation," McGaugh said. "But we need to understand why MOND succeeds with these predictions. We don't even know how to make this prediction with dark matter."

--snip--

"At stake now is whether the universe is predominantly made of an invisible substance that persistently eludes detection in the laboratory, or whether we are obliged to modify one of our most fundamental theories, the law of gravity," McGaugh continued.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130828103446.htm

Atheism a creed that needs the same religious protections of Christianity and Islam: Ontario Human Rights Tribunal

The ruling was spurred by a complaint from self-described secular humanist Rene Chouinard, who was opposing the District School Board of Niagara's policy regarding the distribution of Gideon bibles.

MORE: http://news.nationalpost.com/2013/08/27/atheism-a-creed-that-needs-the-same-religious-protections-of-christianity-and-islam-ontario-human-rights-tribunal/

Christianity is dying in England, and in France Catholic priests are only preaching to pensioners

A WARNING has been sounded by the Catholic Bishop of Shrewsbury that Christians may soon become "strangers in our own land".

--snip--

Meanwhile, the Catholic Church in France also appears to be on its last legs. According to this recent report, more than one-third (35 percent) of France's overll population and almost two-thirds (63 percent) of youth said they belonged to "no religion" and very few people,  just an estimated one in 20, regularly attend Mass.

MORE: http://freethinker.co.uk/2013/08/28/christianity-is-dying-in-england-and-in-france-catholic-priests-are-only-preaching-to-pensioners/

Disgraced Cardinal Keith O'Brien prevented inquiry into sexual abuse

Analysis was halted when he withdrew support - a year before resigning over his own inappropriate sexual conduct.

MORE: http://www.independent.co.uk/news/uk/crime/disgraced-cardinal-keith-obrien-prevented-inquiry-into-sexual-abuse-8781698.html

Guatemalan President Names Jesus Christ Lord of Guatemala

The President of Guatemala, Otto Perez Molina, declared Jesus Christ as the Lord of the country last week during their first national prayer breakfast.

MORE: http://global.christianpost.com/news/guatemalan-president-names-jesus-christ-lord-of-guatemala-103040/

Indians Fight for Recognition of 'No Religion' Category in National Census

Indian atheists are now trying to petition their government for the creation of a "No Religion" category in the Census.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/29/indians-fight-for-recognition-of-no-religion-category-in-national-census/

Months After an Assassination Attempt, a Bangladeshi Atheist Blogger is Still Speaking Out

Earlier this year, Asif Mohiuddin, a 29-year-old Bangladeshi man, was violently attacked for being an outspoken atheist blogger in his country.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/28/months-after-an-assassination-attempt-a-bangladeshi-atheist-blogger-is-still-speaking-out/

Bombings, shootings leave 23 dead in Iraq

The country has endured months of escalating violence stemming from decades-old discord between the nation's Sunnis and Shiites, the two largest branches of Islam. July was the deadliest month in Iraq since the peak of sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007. According to the United Nations, 1,057 Iraqis were killed and another 2,326 were wounded in acts of terrorism and violence last month.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/29/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

See also...

Baghdad bombs: Dozens killed, scores wounded
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/28/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

27 killed in attacks across Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/25/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

Militants in Afghanistan kill at least 12

The Taliban claims responsibility for the attack, Taliban spokesman Zabihullah Mujahid said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/28/world/asia/afghanistan-suicide-attack/index.html

Controversial Billboards Pop Up In SD

The words, "Don't believe in God? Join the Club, "superimposed over an image of the Earth, no doubt catch your eye. But what exactly is the message behind them?

MORE: http://www.kdlt.com/index.php?option=com_content&task=view&id=29224&Itemid=57

See also...

Atheist Billboards Go Up All Across South Dakota
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/20/atheist-billboards-go-up-all-across-south-dakota/

'Don't believe in God?' billboards prompt discussion on state of religion in S.D.
http://siouxfallsbusinessjournal.argusleader.com/article/20130820/UPDATES/308200036/New-billboards-message-Don-t-believe-God-Join-Club-

New billboards' message: 'Don't believe in God? Join the Club'
http://world.topnewstoday.org/world/article/7381787/

Godless SD billboards reach out to non-theistic
http://www.sfgate.com/news/article/Godless-SD-billboards-reach-out-to-non-theistic-4746864.php

Billboard in Vermillion, South Dakota Raises Questions
http://www.kcautv.com/story/23222166/billboard-in-vermillion-south-dakota-raises-questions

SD Anti-God Billboards Reach Out to Non-Theists
http://www.cbn.com/cbnnews/us/2013/August/SD-Anti-God-Billboards-Reach-Out-to-Non-Theists/

Groups place ‘godless’ billboards across SD
http://www.mitchellrepublic.com/node/1574986

Godless Billboards Blanket South Dakota
http://www.unitedcor.org/national/news/godless-billboards-blanket-south-dakota

Mr. Deity and the Hat

See also...

Mormon theology and Mr. Deity
http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2013/08/14/mormon-theology-and-mr-deity/

Religion Becoming Obsolete? It Could Happen!

Religious people could be the minority by the year 2041 according to Biopsychologist Nigel Barber, who says this is the case in well-developed countries as personal wealth increases. In a recent article in Psychology Today," Barber said: "Research has shown that religion declines not just with rising national wealth but also with all plausible measures of the quality of life, including length of life, decline of infectious diseases, education, the rise of the welfare state, and more equal distribution of income.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/steve-siebold/religion-becoming-obsolet_b_3755870.html

Religious people are less intelligent than atheists, study finds

Religious people are less intelligent than non-believers, according to a new review of 63 scientific studies stretching back over decades.

MORE: http://news.yahoo.com/religious-people-are-less-intelligent-than-atheists--study-finds--113350723.html#upCr476

Science could deliver the comforts of religion

Research suggests that a scientific worldview actually helps people cope with anxieties about their own mortality.

MORE: http://www.salon.com/2013/08/12/what_about_evolution_makes_people_so_skeptical_partner/

Letter seeking Christians as employees raises concerns

CHARLESTON, W.Va. -- The director of operations of 20 Subway restaurants across West Virginia may have violated the state Human Rights Act when he sent a letter to several churches and congregations saying his company was "in need of Christian employees."

MORE: http://www.wvgazette.com/Business/201308180023

Everything You Need to Know About Town of Greece v. Galloway, the Supreme Court Case About Government Prayer

This October, the Supreme Court will hear arguments in Town of Greece v. Galloway, a case that could change the way we deal with, among other things, invocation prayers at city council meetings. It's the first time in 30 years that the Supreme Court will consider a case dealing with legislative prayers. There are a lot of details to the case, leading to some underreporting and some misreporting, so I'm hoping this post offers a thorough, easy-to-understand summary of what's going on so we know what's at stake and why this is such an important case.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/16/everything-you-need-to-know-about-town-of-greece-v-galloway-the-supreme-court-case-about-government-prayer/

See also...

GA attorney general joins coalition in support of legislative prayer
http://www.gadailynews.com/news/atlanta/168681-ga-attorney-general-joins-coalition-in-support-of-legislative-prayer.html

Prayer Push: Clergy Demand Sectarian Invocations Before Government Meetings Despite Legal Risks

Cases like Greece v. Galloway, which Americans United will argue before the U.S. Supreme Court this fall, are giving local officials serious pause when they consider allowing official sectarian prayers before public meetings.

MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prayer-push-clergy-demand-sectarian-invocations-before-government-meetings

Back To Prayer?: California Officials Sponsor Religious Event To Kick Off School Year

As public school students head back to class this week in a number of districts nationwide, the Religious Right and its allies wasted no time stirring up trouble with a back-to-school prayer stunt in California. 

MORE: https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/back-to-prayer-california-officials-sponsor-religious-event-to-kick-off

Prayer at Smyrna public high school event stirs debate

Former Riverdale High School teacher Steve Cates says he's a Christian and a member of the First Baptist Church of Murfreesboro, but contends folks, especially elected officials, shouldn't force prayer on anyone.

"I think it was totally out of place," Cates said. "[Sandlin] was using his position as a county commissioner to promote his religion on public property, government property. I don't think that was the time and place to do that."

MORE: http://www.wsmv.com/story/23140417/prayer-at-smyrna-public-high-school-event-stirs-debate

You give religions more than $82.5 billion a year

When people donate to religious groups, it's tax-deductible. Churches don't pay property taxes on their land or buildings. When they buy stuff, they don't pay sales taxes. When they sell stuff at a profit, they don't pay capital gains tax. If they spend less than they take in, they don't pay corporate income taxes. Priests, ministers, rabbis and the like get "parsonage exemptions" that let them deduct mortgage payments, rent and other living expenses when they're doing their income taxes. They also are the only group allowed to opt out of Social Security taxes (and benefits).

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/wonkblog/wp/2013/08/22/you-give-religions-more-than-82-5-billion-a-year/

Green light for FFRF’s anti-church politicking suit

The Freedom From Religion Foundation’s closely watched federal challenge over illegal partisan politicking by churches just got a green light from U.S. District Judge Lynn Adelman of the Western District of Wisconsin.

MORE: http://ffrf.org/news/news-releases/item/18614-green-light-for-ffrf

See also...

Catholic priest emails Rhode Island senators and stated he will actively campaign, from his pulpit, against those who voted for same-sex marriage
http://www.goddiscussion.com/113799/catholic-priest-emails-rhode-island-senators-and-stated-he-will-actively-campaign-from-his-pulpit-against-those-who-voted-for-same-sex-marriage/

We Should Be Taxing Churches
http://www.slate.com/blogs/moneybox/2013/08/22/churches_should_be_taxed_then_everyone_can_speak.html

Staying in a Georgia State Park? Starting Today, You Can Find Atheist Literature in the Cabins

Back in May, former American Atheists president Ed Buckner visited a state park in Georgia and found a Bible in his rented cabin. That wouldn't be unusual in a privately-owned hotel... but a state park?!

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/14/staying-in-a-georgia-state-park-starting-today-you-can-find-atheist-literature-in-the-cabins/

Atheist Prison Group Deserves Reconsideration

A Wisconsin inmate's request to form an atheist study group deserves the same consideration afforded to a recognized "religious" group, the 7th Circuit ruled.

MORE: http://www.courthousenews.com/2013/08/20/60450.htm

ACLU says magistrate can't order 'Messiah' name change

NASHVILLE, Tenn. (RNS) A Tennessee judge should not have barred a couple from naming their child “Messiah,” said the executive director of the American Civil Liberties Union of Tennessee.

MORE: http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/13/aclu-says-magistrate-cant-order-messiah-name-change/

See also...

What's In A Name?: Tenn. Judge Changes Baby's Moniker Because It Could Offend Christians
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-s-in-a-name-tenn-judge-changes-baby-s-moniker-because-it-could-offend

People pray at tree outside St. Johns Cathedral in Fresno, California, say tree weeps God's tears

Experts: Tree drips with bug excrement, not tears.

MORE: http://www.wptv.com//dpp/news/national/People-pray-at-tree-outside-St-Johns-Cathedral-in-Fresno-California-say-tree-weeps-Gods-tears

Due to (Paranoid) Religious Concerns, Christian Family Sails Out of America... and Gets Stranded

Not long ago, Hannah Gastonguay and her husband Sean concluded, for no rational reason, that the government was interfering too much in their religious life.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/10/due-to-paranoid-religious-concerns-christian-family-sails-out-of-america-and-gets-stranded/

'Mystery Priest' Who Appeared at Scene of Accident is Revealed to be... an Actual Priest

So who was that priest?

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/12/mystery-priest-who-appeared-at-scene-of-accident-is-revealed-to-be-an-actual-priest/

See also...

Why Do People See Guardian Angels?
http://news.discovery.com/human/psychology/why-people-see-guardian-angels-130813.htm

'Celebrate Freedom Week' raises cheers and eyebrows

The idea is modeled after a similar law enacted in Texas at the urging of Rick Green, a former state lawmaker and evangelical Christian who travels the country promoting the role of God in the public square.

MORE: http://www.kansascity.com/2013/08/13/4408787/celebrate-freedom-week-raises.html

See also...

A Week Off?: New Religious Right-Inspired Event Promotes Bad History
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/a-week-off-new-religious-right-inspired-event-promotes-bad-history

Oklahoma Can't "Save" Itself from the U.S. Constitution

Last week, a federal court struck down the "Save Our State Amendment," sending an important reminder that "[w]hile the public has an interest in the will of the voters being carried out, ... the public has a more profound and long-term interest in upholding an individual's constitutional rights."

MORE: http://www.aclu.org/blog/national-security-religion-belief/oklahoma-cant-save-itself-us-constitution

Russell Moore: From Moral Majority to 'Prophetic Minority'

The new leader of the Southern Baptist political arm says Christians have lost the culture and need to act accordingly.

MORE: http://online.wsj.com/article/SB10001424127887324769704579010743654111328.html?mod=djemEditorialPage_h

Wichita Elementary School Takes Down Display About Islam After Conservatives Flip Out

When students attended the first day of school at Minneha Core Knowledge Magnet Elementary in Wichita, Kansas last week, they saw a bulletin board displaying the core beliefs of one of the world's largest religions: The Five Pillars of Islam.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/23/wichita-elementary-school-takes-down-display-about-islam-after-conservatives-flip-out/

See also...

Conniption In Kansas: Religious Right Throws Fit Over Muslim Display In Public School
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/conniption-in-kansas-religious-right-throws-fit-over-muslim-display-in

Public School Coalition Welcomes New Poll Showing The Public's Strong Opposition To Taxpayer-Funded Vouchers

The poll, released today by Phi Delta Kappa/Gallup, shows that 70 percent of respondents say they oppose plans to shift public funding into private and religious schools through voucher plans. This is the highest number in the poll's 20-year history.

MORE: http://americanhumanist.org/news/details/2013-08-ncpe-press-release-public-school-coalition-welcomes

Why are almost all Wisconsin voucher schools religious?

The Westside Christian School in Middleton is affiliated with the Wisconsin Evangelical Lutheran Synod. Principal Hank Hoenecke says the school doesn't "shelter kids from evolution at all," but in accordance with WELS doctrine, does teach that Creationism is the true explanation for the Earth's creation.

MORE: http://host.madison.com/news/local/writers/jack_craver/why-are-almost-all-wisconsin-voucher-schools-religious/article_fc89e898-03a1-11e3-896d-001a4bcf887a.html?comment_form=true

See also...

Charter schools in Texas a focus of praise, concerns
http://www.themonitor.com/news/local/article_83e0dae4-03b2-11e3-a04e-0019bb30f31a.html

Churches cheat schools, suit says

Five churches have underpaid the state Department of Education for the use of public school facilities by more than $5.6 million over the past six years, according to a lawsuit unsealed this week in state court.

MORE: http://www.staradvertiser.com/s?action=login&f=y&id=219896801&utm_medium=feed&utm_source=feedburner&utm_campaign=Feed%3A+staradvertiser_rss+%28Staradvertiser+Headlines%29

Virginia's Right-Wing 'Crisis Pregnancy Centers' Caught On Tape Lying To Women

An new undercover investigation into Virginia's right-wing "crisis pregnancy centers" (CPCs) exposes the blatant misinformation about women's health, as well as the shame-based messages surrounding sexuality, that their employees typically impart to patients. NARAL Pro-Choice Virginia -- which has been working for years to expose the dozens of CPCs in the state -- caught the lies on tape and released their findings on Wednesday.

MORE: http://thinkprogress.org/health/2013/08/08/2433511/virginia-cpc-caught-on-tape/

What I Learned Undercover at a Crisis Pregnancy Center

The woman stopped between questions to comment on my answers and lie. "Oh, you've taken birth control. Let me tell you how that causes cancer and is the same a medication abortion." I was told abortion would scar me for the rest of my life -- would damage all of my future relationships and leave me "haunted." I was told the pill could cause breast cancer, that condoms are "naturally porous" and don't protect against STIs, and that IUDs could kill me. She lectured and lied to me for over an hour before I even received the results of my pregnancy test.

--snip--

I think we can all agree that it is wrong to shame someone seeking guidance. It is wrong to lie to someone in order to manipulate her future. It is wrong to treat women like walking wombs. Yet these tactics are core to the mission of Virginia's crisis pregnancy centers. They advertise to scared women who need help, and they claim to offer unbiased information, guidance, and support to those who need it. But instead CPCs treat women the way they treated me -- like disobedient children who need to be schooled in religion and saved from their own decisions. To them a woman is a vessel for a future baby, nothing more.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/caitlin-bancroft/crisis-pregnancy-center_b_3763196.html

Judge: Lawsuit Against Anti-Gay Scott Lively Will Move Forward

Scott Lively is the notorious U.S. anti-gay extremist leader of the Abiding Truth Ministries now living in Springfield who owns the Holy Grounds Coffee House located at 455 State Street. Since 2002, Scott Lively has been partnering with the key political and religious leaders of the anti-gay campaign in Uganda, advising anti-gay parliamentarians on legislation targeting the LGBT community and leading conferences about the supposed threats posed by the gay movement. The Uganda Anti-Homosexuality Bill of 2009 (also know as the "Kill the Gays Bill") was introduced in the Ugandan parliament a month after Lively held meetings and gave a series of lectures asserting that the gay movement in Uganda was "evil" and organized with the purpose of "homosexualizing" children. As in Uganda, Lively has also worked closely with anti-gay leaders and politicians in Russia, Latvia and Moldova, advising them on legislation intended to criminalize any form of LGBT advocacy.

MORE: http://www.therainbowtimesmass.com/2013/08/15/judge-lawsuit-against-anti-gay-scott-lively-will-move-forward/#

See also...

Evangelical pastor to stand trial in Massachusetts for alleged crimes against humanity
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/14/evangelical-pastor-to-stand-trial-in-massachusetts-for-alleged-crimes-against-humanity/

Senator Presses Forward to Take Tax Exemption from Boy Scouts

The bill would revoke the tax-exempt status of any youth group which discriminates based on gender identity, race, sexual orientation, nationality, religion, or religious affiliation.

MORE: http://www.kionrightnow.com/story/23128948/senator-presses-orward-with-bill-to-take-tax-exemption-from-boy-scouts

A Unanimous Decision for Equality

When a business opens its doors to the public it must comply with anti-discrimination laws, even if doing so offends a business owner's religious beliefs. That's the bottom line in today's unanimous decision by the New Mexico Supreme Court holding that a photography business cannot discriminate against a same-sex couple by refusing, because of the owner's faith, to photograph the couple's commitment ceremony.

MORE: https://www.aclu.org/blog/lgbt-rights-religion-belief/unanimous-decision-equality

See also...

Oregon to Probe Baker's Refusal to Make Same-Sex Wedding Cake
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Oregon-Same-Sex-Wedding-Cake/2013/08/14/id/520492

Minnesota vendors queue up for gay-wedding business
http://www.startribune.com/business/219703841.html

COMMENTARY: Refusing service in the name of religion is never acceptable
http://www.religionnews.com/2013/07/17/commentary-refusing-service-in-the-name-of-religion-is-never-acceptable/

Fighting faith-based discrimination
http://www.wisconsingazette.com/national-gaze/fighting-faith-based-discrimination.html

NJ Governor Signs Ban on Gay Conversion Therapy

In a note accompanying the bill, Christie said he believes people are born gay and that homosexuality is not a sin. That view is inconsistent with his Catholic faith, which teaches that homosexual acts are sins.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wireStory/nj-governor-sign-ban-gay-conversion-therapy-19997560

See also...

Liberty Counsel vows to block implementation of NJ bill prohibiting sexual orientation 'conversion therapy'
http://www.goddiscussion.com/113949/liberty-counsel-vows-to-block-implementation-of-nj-bill-prohibiting-sexual-orientation-conversion-therapy/

Pentagon extends military spouse benefits to same-sex married couples

"It is now the Department's policy to treat all married military personnel equally," Defense Secretary Chuck Hagel said in a memo.

MORE: http://www.minnpost.com/christian-science-monitor/2013/08/pentagon-extends-military-spouse-benefits-same-sex-married-couples

FRC Calls on Military to Stop Taxpayer-Funded Bonuses for Same-Sex Weddings

A socially conservative policy organization based in Washington, D.C. is calling on the United States military to stop providing paid leave for personnel to have same-sex weddings.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/frc-calls-on-military-to-stop-taxpayer-funded-bonuses-for-same-sex-weddings-102750/#TAyHfLoHgyRxDRLT.99

Tennessee church bans family after daughter wins same sex benefits from town

After 60 years of attending a Tennessee church, a family in Collegedale has been exiled because they supported their daughter while she fought for same sex benefits from the town where she worked as a police detective.

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/21/tennessee-church-bans-family-after-daughter-wins-same-sex-benefits-from-town/

Bryan Fischer: 'Christians are the new blacks' because of LGBT ‘Jim Crow laws’

American Family Association (AFA) Director of Issues Analysis Bryan Fischer says that a New Mexico Supreme Court unanimous decision finding that a wedding photographer violated the state's Human Rights Act by discriminating against a same sex couple proves that "Christians are the new blacks."

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/23/bryan-fischer-christians-are-the-new-blacks-because-of-lgbt-jim-crow-laws/

Disabled gay veteran booed by anti-LGBT protestors in San Antonio

A crowd led by several pastors rallied in front of City Hall before moving to the City Council chambers, where over 200 people had signed up to speak for and against the proposed changes. At the rally, Pastor Charles Flowers beseeched the Council to "vote 'no' to this ordinance, and 'yes' to the reign of the kingdom of God."

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/16/disabled-gay-veteran-booed-by-anti-lgbt-protestors-in-san-antonio/

Rush Limbaugh: 'If You Believe in God, Then Intellectually You Cannot Believe in Manmade Global Warming'

Rush Limbaugh made the argument on his show yesterday that you can't believe in both God and manmade global warming, an idea many evangelical Christians have long embraced.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/13/rush-limbaugh-if-you-believe-in-god-then-intellectually-you-cannot-believe-in-manmade-global-warming/

Near-death experiences are 'electrical surge in dying brain'

In the 30-second period after the animal's hearts stopped beating, they measured a sharp increase in high-frequency brainwaves called gamma oscillations.

MORE: http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/science-environment-23672150

There's a Measles Outbreak at Vaccine-Denying Pastor Kenneth Copeland's Fort Worth Church

The epicenter of the outbreak is Tarrant County, which has now confirmed 10 cases, and the epicenter of cases in Tarrant County seems to be at Eagle Mountain International Church.

MORE: http://blogs.dallasobserver.com/unfairpark/2013/08/theres_a_measles_outbreak_at_v.php

See also...

More Michigan parents refusing to vaccinate, worrying health officials
http://www.hollandsentinel.com/news/x1592819793/More-Michigan-parents-refusing-to-vaccinate-worrying-health-officials

Vermont ranks high on list of non-medical immunization exemptions
http://www.vermontbiz.com/news/august/vermont-ranks-high-list-non-medical-immunization-exemptions

Ohio the only one of 50 states without immunization law for youngest kids
http://www.wkyc.com/news/article/310234/3/Investigator-Ohio-pre-schoolers-at-special-risk

'Unbelieving' WLC - William Lane Craig exposed by Lawrence Krauss

During his introductory speech, Krauss candidly exposed a number of falsehoods and besmirchments recently propagated by Craig in response to the upcoming film, The Unbelievers. The film (scheduled for release later this year) follows famed scientists Richard Dawkins and Lawrence Krauss as they travel the world promoting science and reason.

MORE: http://www.richarddawkins.net/news_articles/2013/8/13/-unbelieving-wlc-william-lane-craig-exposed-by-lawrence-krauss

Creationist Darek Isaacs Calls Dragons Real, Says They Lived In Biblical Times (VIDEO)

The idea that dragons once walked the earth among humans--or even existed at all--sounds like something from a fairy tale. But Darek Isaacs, a creationist author and filmmaker, is now on record arguing that dragons were real creatures that lived thousands of years ago.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/15/creationist-darek-isaacs-dragons-biblical-times_n_3762395.html

Is Ken Ham's Creation "Museum" Going Broke?

Not only do they not have enough money they don't even have a building permit AND the free money offered by the fools that run Kentucky tourism expires in a few short months (May 2014).

MORE: http://www.skepticmoney.com/is-ken-hams-creation-museum-going-broke/

See also...

Kentucky's Creation Museum aims at wider audience
http://www.thestarpress.com/viewart/20130811/NEWS06/308110044/Creation-Museum

Zip Line Evangelism: Creation Museum Opens ‘Non-Religious’ Exhibits To Expand Audience
https://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/zip-line-evangelism-creation-museum-opens-non-religious-exhibits-to-expand

This Anti-Evolution Video May Be Worse Than the One with Ray Comfort's Banana

Get ready to cringe.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/13/this-anti-evolution-video-may-be-worse-than-the-one-with-ray-comforts-banana/

Evolution May Be Questioned In New Texas Textbooks

A political nonprofit has filed a petition with the state alleging that creationists on the State Board of Education are planning to adopt textbooks that discount the theory of evolution.

MORE: http://www.tpr.org/post/evolution-may-be-questioned-new-texas-textbooks

Anthropologists Study the Genesis of Reciprocity in Food Sharing

"The meta-analysis clearly established that there is reciprocity in sharing both among humans and among other primates that remained significant even after controlling for other factors such as kinship, dominance relationships, and spatial proximity," said Jaeggi, a postdoctoral student in anthropology at UCSB. "Based on our meta-analysis of existing studies, we were able to find no significant differences between humans, monkeys, and apes."

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130820094643.htm

Human Brains Are Hardwired for Empathy, Friendship

Coan and his U.Va. colleagues conducted the study with 22 young adult participants who underwent fMRI scans of their brains during experiments to monitor brain activity while under threat of receiving mild electrical shocks to themselves or to a friend or stranger. The researchers found, as they expected, that regions of the brain responsible for threat response -- the anterior insula, putamen and supramarginal gyrus -- became active under threat of shock to the self. In the case of threat of shock to a stranger, the brain in those regions displayed little activity. However when the threat of shock was to a friend, the brain activity of the participant became essentially identical to the activity displayed under threat to the self.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130822085804.htm

One Mummy, Many Coffins: Egyptians Intended to Transform Deceased from Human to Deity

The Egyptian elite was buried in a coffin placed inside another coffin -- in ensembles of up to eight coffins. This was intended to ensure the transformation of the deceased from human to deity, according to Anders Bettum, Egyptologist.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130823091144.htm

Voyager 1 Has Left the Solar System

Voyager 1 appears to have at long last left our solar system and entered interstellar space, says a University of Maryland-led team of researchers.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130815133726.htm

On the Trail of Dark Energy: Physicists Propose Higgs Boson 'Portal'

One of the biggest mysteries in contemporary particle physics and cosmology is why dark energy, which is observed to dominate energy density of the universe, has a remarkably small (but not zero) value. This value is so small, it is perhaps 120 orders of magnitude less than would be expected based on fundamental physics.

--snip--

"We demonstrate that the simplest small mixing, related to the ratios of the scale at which electroweak physics operates, and a possible Grand Unified Scale, produces a possible contribution to the vacuum energy today of precisely the correct order of magnitude to account for the observed dark energy," Krauss explained. "Our paper demonstrates that a very small energy scale can at least be naturally generated within the context of a very simple extension of the standard model of particle physics."

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2013/08/130810063645.htm

20 percent of Irish college students are atheist, only 37 percent are Catholic

Shockingly, while less than 60% of respondents considered themselves Catholic; the second group to top the scale were Atheists at 20%.

MORE: http://www.irishcentral.com/news/20-percent-of-Irish-college-students-are-atheist-only-37-percent-are-Catholic-219386881.html

Danish Muslim Leader Regrets Role In Cartoon Rage

COPENHAGEN, Denmark (AP) -- A Danish Muslim leader who seven years ago traveled the Muslim world fueling the uproar over newspaper caricatures of the Prophet Muhammad is back in the headlines in Denmark after doing an about-face on the issue.

Once a leading critic of the Danish cartoons, which sparked fiery protests in Muslim countries, Lebanese-born Ahmad Akkari now says the Jyllands-Posten newspaper had the right to print them.

MORE: http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=210481233

American runner criticizes Russia's anti-gay law after winning medal in Moscow

After Nick Symmonds won a silver medal at the World Athletics Championships in Moscow, the American distance runner became the first foreign athlete to openly condemn Russia's anti-gay law on Russian soil.

MORE: http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/gay-in-maryland/gay-matters/bs-gm-american-runner-criticizes-russias-antigay-law-after-winning-medal-in-moscow-20130814,0,6451739.story

See also...

FIFA asks 2018 World Cup host Russia to explain anti-gay law
http://www.baltimoresun.com/features/gay-in-maryland/gay-matters/bs-gm-fifa-asks-2018-world-cup-host-russia-to-explain-antigay-law-20130813,0,3700117.story

Russians launch dedicated center to fight 'atheist extremism'

A group of activists connected with the Russian Orthodox Church are setting up a center against atheist extremism which, according to them, is promoted mainly by foreign-sponsored organizations.

MORE: http://rt.com/politics/atheist-extremism-russia-fight-789/

Icelanders Protest Evangelist Franklin Graham By Reserving Tickets To His Festival With No Intention Of Showing Up

Shortly after tickets became available Wednesday, users on Facebook, Twitter and Reddit began spreading the word that protesters were reserving seats for the event, but not planning to show up. Protesters say the goal is to leave the controversial Graham with an empty venue when he appears at Reykjavík's Laugardalshöll arena next month. One Icelandic software developer, Elvar Thormar, wrote on Facebook that he'd reserved 500 tickets.

MORE: http://www.ibtimes.com/icelanders-protest-evangelist-franklin-graham-reserving-tickets-his-festival-no-intention-showing

Schismatic African priests want a pope to call their own

NAIROBI, KENYA (RNS) Schismatic Roman Catholic priests, who left the church to claim their right to marry, are now asking for an "African pope" to lead them.

MORE: http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/13/schismatic-african-priests-want-a-pope-to-call-their-own/

Cameroon's president orders Pentecostal churches closed

Cameroon's President Paul Biya has ordered the closure of nearly 100 Christian churches in key cities, citing criminal practices organized by Pentecostal pastors that threaten the security of the West African nation.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/14/world/africa/cameroon-churches/index.html

Anti-superstition activist Narendra Dabholkar shot dead

A staunch fighter for the cause of eradication of inhuman rituals and superstitions, Dabholkar was also in the forefront of the campaign to persuade Maharashtra government to pass an anti-superstition and black magic bill — opposed by certain sections of Warkari sect — in the state legislature.

MORE: http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/city/pune/Anti-superstition-activist-Narendra-Dabholkar-shot-dead/articleshow/21930127.cms

Buddhist mob attacks mosque in Sri Lankan capital

The new mosque was just a thousand feet away (300 meters) from a Buddhist temple, and many Buddhist worshipers had objected to the proximity.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/11/world/asia/sri-lanka-violence/index.html

Zanzibar: Acid attack on two British women volunteer teachers

No one has claimed responsibility for the attack but it comes against a backdrop of rising extremist Islamist sentiment in the area.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/08/world/africa/tanzania-uk-acid-attack/index.html

Nigeria mosque attack leaves at least 44 dead, police official says

It's not clear who was behind Sunday's massacre, but the militant Islamist group Boko Haram -- which has staged attacks in the same region before -- issued a video around the same time boasting that it was gaining in strength.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/13/world/africa/nigeria-attacks/index.html

Iranian Politician 'Too Pretty' For Office?

My Two Weeks With the Jihadists

Understanding the path to Islamist militancy.

MORE: http://www.theatlantic.com/international/archive/2013/08/my-two-weeks-with-the-jihadists/278708/

40 die in attacks in Pakistani city on religious holidays

A gun assault and a separate bombing have killed at least 40 people in two days in the city of Quetta in Pakistan.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/09/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html

Twin bombings rock mosques in Tripoli, Lebanon

Lebanon has been the scene of increasing sectarian violence recently, including battles between supporters and opponents of the regime in Lebanon's neighbor to the east, which is currently torn by a bloody civil war.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/23/world/meast/lebanon-tripoli-blast/index.html

Lebanon car bomb death toll rises to 22

Many Lebanese see the attack as another indication that Syria's civil war is spilling over its borders. Lebanon is divided along the same sectarian lines as its neighbor.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/16/world/meast/lebanon-blast/index.html

17 dead in shootings, explosions across Iraq

July was the deadliest month in Iraq in the last five years since the peak of sectarian violence in 2006 and 2007.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/20/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

See also...

Car bombs in Baghdad; 25 dead
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

13 dead, 22 others wounded in Iraq bombings, officials say
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/14/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

Suicide bombing at Iraq coffee shop; 12 dead
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

Iraq's deadliest month: Who's behind the bloodshed?
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/12/world/meast/iraq-deadliest-month-damon/index.html

Bombings, bloodshed mar end of Ramadan in Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/10/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

Suicide Bombing in Park, Attacks Kill 36 in Iraq
http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/officials-26-killed-iraq-suicide-bombing-20051476

'Horrible': Christian churches across Egypt stormed, torched

The night before, a mob -- chanting against Coptic Christians such as El Sayeh and calling for Egypt to become an "Islamic state" -- had torched and looted the Virgin Mary Church.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/15/world/meast/egypt-church-attacks/index.html

See also...

Standoff at Cairo mosque-turned-makeshift morgue follows deadly clashes
http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/16/world/meast/egypt-protests/index.html

Ravaged Churches Reveal Sectarian Split Feeding Egypt's Violence
http://readersupportednews.org/news-section2/318-66/19001-ravaged-churches-reveal-sectarian-split-feeding-egypts-violence

Political Islam on the defensive across the Middle East
http://www.religionnews.com/2013/08/20/political-islam-on-the-defensive-across-the-middle-east/

New Israeli settlement plan casts shadow on talks with Palestinians

"I think this whole series of settlement expansion, land confiscation will turn any peace initiative into a mockery, any negotiations become a travesty -- there is no possibility of peace with such actions and plans," she said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2013/08/10/world/meast/mideast-palestinians-israelis/index.html

Bob's Notes: Matthew 20

Why Am I An Atheist?

The video below, part of The Atheist Voice series, answers the question: Why am I an atheist?

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/04/why-am-i-an-atheist/

State Department Launches Office Of Faith-Based Community Initiatives

The new office will set Department policy on engagement with faith-based communities and will work in conjunction with bureaus and posts to reach out to those communities to advance the Department's diplomacy and development objectives. It will also work closely with faith communities to ensure that their voices are heard in the foreign policy process, including through continued collaboration with the Department's religion and foreign policy working group. The office will collaborate regularly with other government officials and offices focused on religious issues, including the Ambassador-at-Large for International Religious Freedom and the Department's Office of International Religious Freedom.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/08/state-department-office-faith-based-community-initiatives-_n_3720655.html

See also...

Remarks at the Launch of the Office of Faith-Based Community Initiatives
http://www.state.gov/secretary/remarks/2013/08/212781.htm

Slow-walking the Faith-Based Rules
http://marksilk.religionnews.com/2013/08/06/slow-walking-the-faith-based-rules/

Obama Administration Files Amicus Brief Backing Legislative Prayer

The Obama administration has taken sides in a significant new test case on the separation between church and state, urging the Supreme Court to allow prayers at the beginning of government meetings. The administration lays out its arguments in a newly filed amicus brief in Town of Greece v. Galloway, a case that questions whether the prayer practices at town council meetings of a small town in upstate New York violate the First Amendment. The case could drastically expand the types of legislative prayer practices considered constitutional.

MORE: http://rhrealitycheck.org/article/2013/08/08/obama-administration-files-amicus-brief-backing-legislative-prayer/

See also...

Uncensored clergy prayers should be allowed before town meetings, 23 states argue in SCOTUS brief
http://www.abajournal.com/news/article/uncensored_citizen_prayers_should_be_allowed_before_town_meetings_23_states/

Bad Brief: 23 State Attorneys General Tell Supreme Court That Tradition Justifies Coercive Government Prayer
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bad-brief-23-state-attorneys-general-tell-supreme-court-that-tradition

N.Y. town prayers at issue as Supreme Court takes up religion for 1st time in 30 years
http://mcalesternews.com/offbeatnews/x596958214/N-Y-town-prayers-at-issue-as-Supreme-Court-takes-up-religion-for-1st-time-in-30-years

Prayer Panacea?: Ky. Group Says 'Inspirational Messages' In Public Schools Will Solve Several Ills

A Religious Right group in Kentucky is calling on parents to demand the right to deliver "inspirational messages" during public school assemblies, and they're providing some interesting "facts" to make their case.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prayer-panacea-ky-group-says-inspirational-messages-in-public-schools-will

Prayer And The Power Company: Alabama Official Stands By Controversial Invocation Before Regulatory Meeting

Twinkle Cavanaugh, the elected president of the Alabama Public Service Commission, said she stands by a prayer that was delivered last month at a service commission meeting, despite a poll taken by the news site AL.com that found 79 percent of voters think it wasn't appropriate in that context.

Remember, this is Alabama, folks. Most people there aren't exactly big fans of church-state separation, so that means the prayer must have been really bad. And it was.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/prayer-and-the-power-company-alabama-official-stands-by-controversial

Bus Tour Aims to Help Save Colorado National Day of Prayer

Mobilizing support is crucial as amicus brief filings are now being allowed after the Colorado Supreme Court recently accepted Attorney General John Suthers' petition for Certiorari to appeal the Colorado Court of Appeals' May 2012 decision that struck down governor's prayer proclamations.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/bus-tour-to-help-save-colorado-national-day-of-prayer-101506/

U.S. military document teaches atheism is a suicide risk

The Military Religious Freedom Foundation (MRFF) said this week that it was planning to sue the U.S. military after discovering that Marine Corps training documents teach suicide attempt warning signs include "lack or loss of spiritual faith."

MORE: http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2013/08/07/u-s-military-document-teaches-atheism-is-a-suicide-risk/

See also...

The U.S. military has a problem with atheists
http://theweek.com/article/index/247830/the-us-military-has-a-problem-with-atheists

AHA Challenges "So Help Me God" in Air Force Oath, Officials Agree to Offer Secular Version

Earlier this week, a U.S. Air Force Officer Trainee demanded that he not be forced to recite an oath that contains "so help me God" during his graduation ceremony this week.

MORE: http://americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2013-08-aha-challenges-so-help-me-god-in-air-force-oath-offi

See also...

Air Force Offers Secular Oath To Trainees After Atheist Group Challenges 'So Help Me God'
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2013/08/06/air-force-secular-oath_n_3712926.html

Oath Oppression: It Makes No Sense To Coerce People To Swear To A God They Don't Believe In
https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/oath-oppression-it-makes-no-sense-to-coerce-people-to-swear-to-a-god-they

On The Way to Thor's Hammer...

An interesting thing happened at the Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) in July (2013), to little fanfare and even less media coverage; the VA approved the addition of the "Hammer of Thor" to their list of symbols allowed to be placed on the tombstones at the grave sites of veterans who are buried in veteran cemeteries.  The newly approved symbol is intended for the practitioners of a form of paganism that worships the Norse pantheon, including Thor.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/rockbeyondbelief/2013/08/06/on-the-way-to-thors-hammer/

Dangerous Wave: School Voucher Tsunami Threatens To Swamp Public Education

The surge of vouchers in states nationwide threatens to become a tidal wave as 13 states either expanded or created voucher or neo-voucher programs in 2013.

MORE: https://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/dangerous-wave-school-voucher-tsunami-threatens-to-swamp-public-education

Dispelling the myth of a 'Christian nation'

Culture warriors, pseudo historians and opportunistic politicians have spent the last several decades peddling the myth that America was founded as a "Christian nation."

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/blogs/on-faith/wp/2013/08/07/dispelling-the-myth-of-a-christian-nation/

Washington, D.C. Passes Law to Allow Atheists To Officiate Wedding Ceremonies

The act will grant bestow temporary "Civil celebrant" status on secular Americans who perform marriage ceremonies.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/06/washington-d-c-passes-law-to-allow-atheists-to-officiate-wedding-ceremonies/

Oklahoma Newspaper Features Atheists in the Bible Belt

The cover story of this week’s Oklahoma Gazette is all about how atheists are coming out in the Bible Belt and it features our friends Kai Tancredi, Red McCall, and Wolf-Blitzer-embarrasser Rebecca Vitsmun.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/08/oklahoma-newspaper-features-atheists-in-the-bible-belt/

See also...

Atheism increasingly finds a home in the Bible Belt
http://www.okgazette.com/oklahoma/article-18940-atheist.html

Chris Kluwe to speak at American Atheists convention

Raiders punter Chris Kluwe, one of the NFL's most outspoken players, now plans to speak out on another issue that may cause some controversy.

MORE: http://profootballtalk.nbcsports.com/2013/08/07/chris-kluwe-to-speak-at-american-atheists-convention/

Former Congressman Barney Frank Comes Out as an Atheist

When host Bill Maher commented on Frank's stint as a congressman and a liberal icon, "...you could come on this show, and sit next to a pot smoking atheist, and it wouldn't bother you." Frank then gamely asked which pot-smoking atheist he was referring to, while pointing to and from Maher and himself. Though he has long been known to be Jewish, it is only now that Frank was able to be open about his atheism.

MORE: http://www.atheistrepublic.com/news/barney-frank-comes-out-as-an-atheist

See also...

Former Congressman Barney Frank Finally Comes Out as an Atheist
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/08/03/former-congressman-barney-frank-finally-comes-out-as-an-atheist/