Sunday, January 13, 2008God's Skeptics Get Comfort From Above A group of atheists and agnostics has rented a billboard along the New Jersey Turnpike to trumpet what it says is a seldom-heard message in 21st century America. "Don't Believe in God? You are not alone," the 48-foot-wide sign says. More... A sampling of other coverage so far: Beware of the fruit of the 'Tree of Knowledge' Don't believe in God? You are not alone. Sign of the times? More to come... 
Mind Reading Is Now Possible
A computer can tell with 78 percent accuracy when someone is thinking about a hammer and not pliers.
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Texas Official: Call It Creationism Degree
AUSTIN, Texas (UPI) -- The Texas commissioner of higher education suggested that a creationist group call its proposed on-line science education degree a degree in creation studies.
--snip-- The program is open only to students who believe that God created the universe in six days and that those who deny Jesus Christ face eternal damnation, the newspaper said. Adultery, homosexuality and fornication are banned. More...
Mom Charged In 'Possessed' Girls' Deaths
Authorities estimate the four girls - ages 5 to 17 - had been dead for at least two weeks. Jacks told police they were "possessed by demons" and had died in their sleep, one by one, within a week of each other, court documents say.
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City Chief Who Killed His Daughter Believed Satan Had Possessed Her
A millionaire City executive and "totally devoted father" killed his two-year-old daughter by smashing her head against the floor because he believed she had been taken over by a "malign and satanic entity".
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Terror Plot To Blow Up Eiffel Tower Uncovered
A plot by Islamic terrorists to blow up the Eiffel Tower has been uncovered.
More... See also: Fears of terror attack in Germany
Where "Soft Islam" Is On The March
Indonesia has some worrying radicals but it seems to be following Turkey, with Islamists moderating as they get closer to power.
More... See also: Saudis behead Indonesian maid
Fish Out Of Water: Your Inner Fish
Hernias, hiccups, and snores - oh, my! It's been 3.5 billion years, and the human body's past still plays a role in our lives and health.
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Why People Believe Weird Things About Money
Would you rather earn $50,000 a year while other people make $25,000, or would you rather earn $100,000 a year while other people get $250,000?
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The Moral Instinct
Which of the following people would you say is the most admirable: Mother Teresa, Bill Gates or Norman Borlaug? And which do you think is the least admirable?
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Friday, January 11, 2008Mark Your Calendar For 2008's Sky Shows
This year's astronomical calendar features not just one, but two pairings of the sky's brightest planets -- plus a total solar eclipse visible from exotic locations, and a total lunar eclipse that most Americans will be able to see from their backyards.
More... See also: Cosmic Log: Double bull's-eye for Einstein
Suicide Bomb In Lahore Kills 24
A suicide bomber killed at least 24 people and injured 70 others in Lahore, Pakistan's second largest city, in the first major attack since the assassination of Benazir Bhutto two weeks ago.
More... See also: Strong Blast Hits Pakistani High Court
Study: 151,000 Iraqis Slain As Of June 2006
(CNN) -- A study published Wednesday in the New England Journal of Medicine estimates that 151,000 Iraqis died of violent causes between March 2003, when the war began, and June 2006.
This is much lower than a national survey published in the Lancet journal that put the number during the same period at more than 600,000, but higher than the figures compiled from media reports by the Iraq Body Count, which registered more than 47,000 deaths, the study said. More... See also: Who Is Killing the Women of Basra? Six U.S. soldiers killed in Iraq house explosion 9 US Soldiers Killed in Iraq in 2 Days Nine US Soldiers Die in New Iraq Offensive U.S. airstrike in Iraq one of largest of the war Major Offensive Targets Insurgents U.S. bombs 'safe haven' for al Qaeda in Iraq In Iraq, U.S. airstrikes target insurgents near supposedly safe zone U.S. Attack in Iraq Is No Surprise to Many Insurgents Battling in the Bread Basket
Pentagon Weighs Sending 3,000 More Troops To Afghanistan
WASHINGTON (AFP) - US Defense Secretary Robert Gates is considering sending some 3,000 additional marines to Afghanistan to boost forces ahead of a Taliban spring offensive, a Pentagon spokesman said Wednesday.
More... See also: Afghanistan welcomes U.S. troop "mini-surge"
Somali Police Kill Kidnapping Suspects
MOGADISHU, Somalia (AP) -- Police killed two men suspected in the recent kidnappings of three foreigners during a fierce gunbattle Thursday in northern Somalia, witnesses and officials said.
--snip-- Puntland is generally considered safer than the war-wracked south, where government troops and their Ethiopian allies are battling an Islamic insurgency and thousands of Somalis have been killed this year. But in recent months the two northern regions have seen an upsurge in piracy and kidnappings, and a border dispute has raised tensions. More...
10 Commandments Hung Monday In KY Courthouse
A new ten commandments display was unveiled Monday morning, after the fiscal court voted unanimously to place it in the courthouse.
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Spate Of Executions And Amputations In Iran
TEHRAN -- Using strict enforcement of Islamic law, the judicial authorities in a restive region of southern Iran amputated the right hands and left feet of five convicted robbers this week, part of what the government said was an effort to deter other troublemakers.
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Man Cuts Off, Microwaves His Own Hand
HAYDEN, Idaho (AP) -- A man who believed he bore the "mark of the beast" used a circular saw to cut off one hand, then he cooked it in the microwave and called 911, authorities said.
More... Earlier... Cop: Suspect says God made him kill, cook girlfriend
Funerals Set For Sisters Found Dead After 'Magic Spell'
SIOUX CITY, Iowa -- Funeral services are set for two sisters found dead in their burning home in Sioux City last weekend.
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'Honor Killing' Motive For Slain Sisters?
Still, the case has generated significant speculation -- including by some friends of the girls -- that the father's motive may have been some sort of an "honor killing" in the Muslim tradition. Specifically, the reported Westernized behavior of the teens, including the boys they dated, may have brought shame to a father said to be strict and religious, prompting the killings.
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Joy Behar: No More Saints Due To Modern Medicine
Saints were psychotic and advances in modern medicine have essentially wiped them off the planet. That's "the view" of comedian Joy Behar, as expressed on national television Wednesday.
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Missouri Senator Wants To Require Using B.C. And A.D.
JEFFERSON CITY, Mo. (AP) -- Legislators have started a fight with Father Time - at least with his name tag.
Worried about a push to take the religious references out of time, a state senator has filed a bill that would mandate the use of B.C. (Before Christ) and A.D. (Anno Domini or "Year of our Lord"). Many historians and textbook publishers have switched to B.C.E. (Before Common Era) and C.E. (Common Era) as a nod toward non-Christians. And that's a problem, said Sen. John Loudon. "There is an effort to sort of scrub our public institutions of acknowledgment of God," said Loudon, R-Chesterfield. More...
Evolution Debate Heats Up In Florida
MIRAMAR, Fla. -- Kelli McCormack decided to homeschool her two daughters because she didn't want them being taught "medieval superstitions" and "religious doctrine" in their science classes, especially when it came to evolution.
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Youth Pastor Admits Fondling Little Girls
Testimony started Tuesday in the trial of a Sinton youth minister accused of sexually assaulting a 6-year old girl.
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Egyptian Liberal Hisham Al-Tukhi: 'I Have A Dream'
"Fifty Years Ago, A Great Egyptian Declared 'Religion Belongs to Allah and the Homeland Belongs to All'"
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Motion Called For Abolition Of Church Of England
EYEBROWS were raised in Britain's House of Commons when a motion calling for the Church of England to be disestablished was listed with the number 666, a symbol of the Antichrist.
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Voodoo Flu Vaccine
Health experts in the West African country have warned that the manner in which Voodoo priests slaughter chickens in sacrifice could lead to contamination into the human population. The priests say that their faith will protect them from the virus but there have been two cases of the virus in poultry from the country in the last four weeks.
More... See also: Benin priests battle bird flu with Voodoo
Spain's Deputy Premier Raps Church Influence
Madrid (CWNews.com) - The deputy prime minister of Spain, Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega, has charged that Church leaders in the country are "falsifying the truth" with their criticism of government policies.
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Jail For Terror Plan To 'Kill Many'
A London dentist detained as he boarded a plane to Pakistan carrying night sights and computer discs full of military information was jailed yesterday for four and a half years.
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Two Ex-Jehovah Witnesses To Tell Why They Became Atheists
New York, Jan. 9, 2008 -- Ann and Ben (not their real names) have asked us not to disclose their true identity because, only a year out of Jehovah's Witnesses, they still fear the repercussions from the their parents and what they call "The Organization."
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The New Encyclopedia Of Unbelief
Successor to the highly acclaimed Encyclopedia of Unbelief (1985), edited by the late Gordon Stein, the New Encyclopedia of Unbelief is a comprehensive reference work on the history, beliefs, and thinking of America's fastest growing minority: those who live without religion. All-new articles by the field's foremost scholars describe and explain every aspect of atheism, agnosticism, secular humanism, secularism, and religious skepticism. Topics include morality without religion, unbelief in the historicity of Jesus, critiques of intelligent design theory, unbelief and sexual values, and summaries of the state of unbelief around the world. More than 130 respected scholars and activists worldwide served on the editorial advisory board and over 100 authoritative contributors have written in excess of 500 entries.
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Tuesday, January 08, 2008Nontheist Billboard Greets NYC Area Motorists
January 8, 2008
For Immediate Release  (Washington, D.C.) "Don't believe in God? You are not alone." Starting tomorrow morning,these words will be read by southbound motorists on the New Jersey Turnpike at the section of I-95 near Ridgefield, between the George Washington Bridge and the Lincoln Tunnel. They are part of a highway billboard that features an image of blue sky and clouds with the words superimposed over. The billboard will be placed by FreeThoughtAction, an independent adjunct of the American Humanist Association. "The point of the billboard is to let nontheistic people, such as atheists and agnostics, know they're not alone," explained Roy Speckhardt, executive director of the American Humanist Association. Jan Meshon, founder of FreeThoughtAction, added: "For all the attention given to religion lately, the number of secular Americans is booming. The tide is definitely turning." "So why have nontheistic Americans been made to feel marginalized and deviant?" Speckhardt asked. "This billboard demonstrates our will to push back and refuse to be passive in the culture wars. And after so many religious billboards, it's only fair that we should have one that gives voice to nontheists." The billboard will be up until February 3 and is only the first of a series that will appear around the country, raising the public profile of humanists and freethinkers. The billboard is backed by an active Web site at http://www.freethoughtaction.org/ that sets forth the larger mission of the effort and offers ways that individuals can get involved. # # # The American Humanist Association (http://www.americanhumanist.org/) advocates for the rights and viewpoints of humanists. Founded in 1941 and headquartered in Washington, D.C., its work is extended through more than 100 local chapters and affiliates across America. Humanism is a progressive philosophy of life that, without theism, affirms our responsibility to lead ethical lives of value to self and humanity. LINK
"Witchcraft" Suspected In Family Slayings
(CBS/AP) A man has been charged with stabbing and strangling his two stepdaughters in what police describe as ritual slayings at the family's home in Sioux City.
Lawrence Douglas Harris Sr. was charged with two counts of first-degree murder after authorities arrived at his burning home and found the girls in their second-story bedroom and blood on Harris, police said Monday. Police Lt. Marti Reilly said Harris had been performing "some strange ritual" and told officers he cast a spell that had gone bad. Reilly said he could offer no other details on how the girls were killed. More...
Iraqi Awakening Council Members Kidnapped, Killed
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- Insurgents have kidnapped eight Awakening Council members and killed 14 other people in Baghdad attacks, said an Iraqi Interior Ministry official on Tuesday.
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Pakistanis Want Larger Role For Both Islam And Democracy
An in-depth survey of Pakistani public opinion reveals majority support for a moderate and democratic Islamic state, though a small but significant minority shows sympathy for Islamist militant groups.
More... See also: Next-Gen Taliban Pakistanis See U.S. as Greatest Threat
Texas Authorities Find A Body...
TYLER, Texas: A Texas man who told an emergency dispatcher he killed his girlfriend and cooked parts of her body later described his actions as being compelled by God, police said.
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UK Court Investigates Unsolved Death
KENDAL, England: A coroner was due to reopen an inquest Tuesday into the unsolved killing of a British teenager who opposed her Pakistani parents' plans for an arranged marriage.
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Bereaved Find More Solace In Pets Than Priests
Family pets have emerged as the number one comfort for Irish people who are suffering from bereavement, ranking ahead of even priests, spiritual advisers and counsellors for people trying to come to terms with loss.
The research was based on the Bereavement Care Service at Beaumont Hospital in Dublin. More...
Monday, January 07, 2008Carl Sagan's COSMOS Begins Airing On Jan 8th
Carl Sagan's Cosmos will be airing in its entirety beginning January 8th on the Discovery Science Channel in the US, check your local listings.
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Police: 2 'Satanists' Held In Church Arsons
PHENIX CITY, Ala. -- Two men who authorities said dabbled in satanism have been arrested in connection with a recent rash of arson and vandalism at rural churches.
Satanic graffiti was scrawled at or near some of the east Alabama churches, and the 21-year-old suspects "called themselves professed spiritual satanists," Russell County Sheriff Tommy Boswell said Monday. More...
Anti-Al Qaeda Leader Among 15 Killed In Baghdad Blasts
BAGHDAD, Iraq CNN) -- A well-respected Sunni leader who was key in helping reduce violence in his northern Baghdad neighborhood was among at least 15 people killed in three separate suicide bombings Monday, officials said.
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Pakistanis Flee Into Afghanistan
Thousands of Pakistanis have fled into Afghanistan with the security situation deteriorating in Pakistan's tribal regions over the past week.
--snip-- The UN refugee agency (UNHCR) says historic clashes between Shias and Sunnis in the villages in Kurram, North West Frontier Province, have escalated in the past couple of weeks. More...
Woman Finds Christ-Like Image In Potato
A Houston woman and her husband have discovered what she says appears to be the image of a crucifix in a potato.
More... Earlier Oddball Religious Sightings HERE and HERE.
Vatican Calls On The Faithful For Mass Apology For Sex Scandals
The Vatican has called on Catholics to atone for the sex abuse scandals that have engulfed their church in recent years by taking part in what may be the largest global prayer initiative ever seen.
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Sunday, January 06, 2008God, Science And An Unbeliever's Utopia
Last year's wildly popular Beyond Belief 1.0 scientific conference primarily focused upon and championed irreligion. The Beyond Belief 2.0 conference held at the Salk Institute in La Jolla, Calif., this past November was wider in scope. Rather than aiming to be another undiluted atheist lovefest, it attempted to consider changes in the ideas of the Enlightenment that are necessary given advances in various disciplines since the 18th century.
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Pakistan: You Can't Hunt Al Qaeda Here
(AP) Pakistan reiterated that it will not let American forces hunt al Qaeda and Taliban militants on its soil, after a news report said Sunday that the Bush administration was considering expanding U.S. military and intelligence operations into Pakistan's tribal regions.
More... See also: Pakistan: Militants Kill 8 Tribal Elders
Palestinian Sources: 4 Dead In Gaza Attacks
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- Four Palestinians were killed Sunday as a result of fighting in the area of al-Breij, in central Gaza, Palestinian security sources said.
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Al Qaeda Taps Cell Phone Downloads
CAIRO, Egypt (AP) -- Al Qaeda video messages of Osama bin Laden and Ayman al-Zawahri can now be downloaded to cell phones, the terror network announced as part of its attempts to extend its influence.
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Iraqi Soldiers Throw Selves On Suicide Bomber
Story Highlights:
Suicide bomber kills 11, including Iraqi soldiers who tried to block blast Shiite sheik shot dead by gunmen in Baghdad neighborhood, officials say Ismaiel Abbas had been active in efforts to counter militia activity 16 people killed, 32 wounded in three separate bombings in Iraqi capital More... See also: American al Qaeda member renounces citizenship
Dallas Judge Rules Silence Is Secular
AUSTIN -- A mandatory moment of silence for Texas schoolchildren has a secular purpose of encouraging thoughtful contemplation and does not advance or inhibit religion, a federal judge said this week in a ruling upholding the 2003 state law.
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Atheist Sues To Prevent Son From Attending Catholic School
LA GRANGE, Ky. -- A father is in a courtroom battle, trying to keep his son from attending a Catholic high school.
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Some Churches Take Stand On Gay Unions
MINNEAPOLIS (AP) -- It doesn't matter if you're gay or straight, you can't get legally married at Lyndale United Church of Christ.
The small, liberal church in south Minneapolis was the first of several Twin Cities congregations last year to stop performing civil marriage ceremonies as long as gay marriage is illegal. These churches, and a handful of others around the country that took the same step, will still hold a religious ceremony to bless the unions of straight and gay couples -- but straight couples must go separately to a judge or justice of the peace for the marriage license. More...
Church's Abuse Defense Takes Hit
A judge has thrown out a jury decision that Vermont's Catholic Church isn't liable for a pedophile priest because an accuser's civil lawsuit was believed too old to prosecute under the state's statutes of limitations.
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Friday, January 04, 2008Ads In Presidential Campaign Call For Protection Of Religious Freedom
For the first time in a presidential election and on the eve of the New Hampshire and South Carolina primaries a new series of television and newspaper ads is being launched to urge presidential candidates to protect religious freedom.
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Inside The Supernova Machine
The exploding-star people on TRIUMF's DRAGON research team select short-lived isotopes that are thought to exist naturally only inside a star, and smash them into hydrogen or helium nuclei. The results shed additional light on the primordial nuclear reactions that gave rise to the heavier elements we see on Earth today - including the elements needed for life as we know it.
--snip-- Someday, ATLAS may pick up the first evidence of the Higgs boson, an elusive subatomic particle that is thought to be responsible for giving other particles their mass. "The first guys who see it probably will get a Nobel Prize," Ramsay told us. More...
Academy Stresses Evolution's Importance
WASHINGTON - The National Academy of Sciences on Thursday issued a spirited defense of evolution as the bedrock principle of modern biology, arguing that it, not creationism, must be taught in public school science classes.
--snip-- Creationism, based on the explanation offered in the Bible, and the related idea of "intelligent design" are not science and, as such, should not be taught in public school science classrooms, according to the report. --snip-- A 2006 Gallup poll showed that almost half of Americans believe that humans did not evolve but were created by God in their present form within the last 10,000 years. More... See also: Survey: 61 Percent Agree with Evolution Americans would rather hear about evolution from scientists than from judges or celebrities, according to a new survey that finds a majority agree that evolution is at work among living things. A coalition of 17 organizations reacted today to the survey by calling on the scientific community to become more involved in promoting evolution and other aspects of science education. The coalition, including the National Academy of Sciences, the American Institute of Physics and the National Science Teachers Association, released this statement: "The introduction of 'non-science,' such as creationism and intelligent design, into science education will undermine the fundamentals of science education. Some of these fundamentals include using the scientific method, understanding how to reach scientific consensus, and distinguishing between scientific and nonscientific explanations of natural phenomena." --snip-- "The bottom line is that the world is round, humans evolved from an extinct species and Elvis is dead," Weissmann said. Creationism dismissed by scientists A revised version of a book supporting the theory of evolution as "the foundation of science" and discrediting theories of creationism and intelligent design will spark controversy but do little to change minds, proponents of both theories said Thursday. The third version of "Science, Evolution and Creationism," released Thursday by The National Academies of Science, was revised by a committee chaired by Francisco Ayala, an award-winning UC Irvine evolutionary biologist. Evolution Book Sees No Science-Religion Gap The book also denounces the arguments for a form of creationism called intelligent design, calling them devoid of evidence, "disproven" or "simply false." Related: Is Darwin Losing the Battle With God? Some TX Biology Professors Support Evolution Education
Recruiting Priests With Slick Movie Ad
Responding to a decline in interest in the priesthood, the Roman Catholic Archdiocese of New York has launched a campaign to find recruits in the most unlikely of places -- the movie house.
More... See also: What's a Scandal-Ridden Celeb to Do? Go to Church
Key Al Qaeda Deputy Killed In Iraq
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- An al Qaeda in Iraq leader who was suspected of helping to plan a large scale attack against coalition forces "in the near future" was killed by a U.S. air strike south of Baghdad last week, the U.S. military said.
More... See also: Iraq militants turn to women for suicide attacks
Aid Chief Says Taliban Control A Quarter Of Afghanistan At Night
It has been "a bad year in Afghanistan," according to CBC News, with thousands killed, including hundreds of Afghan police, and large areas of the country still outside government control. The NATO forces battling Taliban guerrillas are stretched thin, unable even to guard key roads, and now some are asking, "Is it Mission Impossible?"
More... See also: Afghanistan warns of dire food shortages
Israel Pounds Gaza In Response To 'Escalation'
JERUSALEM (CNN) -- The Israeli military Thursday cracked down on Hamas and Islamic Jihad targets in Gaza in response to what Israel called an escalation in rocket attacks.
More... See also: Palestinian pilgrims return to Gaza
9 Dead In Attacks By Hindu Gangs
Nine people are dead and dozens of churches and hundreds of Christians' homes have been torched during a surge of Hindu violence in India, according to reports from organizations working there.
Compass Direct News reports that the deaths and damage have been reported since Christmas Eve, when members of the extremist World Hindu Council launched their assaults on the faithful belonging to Christianity. More... See also: The Other Jihad: Islam's War on the Hindus
Pat Robertson Predicts Worldwide Violence, U.S. Recession In 2008
NORFOLK, Va. -- Religious broadcaster Pat Robertson predicted Wednesday that 2008 will be a year of violence worldwide and a recession in the United States, followed by a major stock-market crash by 2010.
Sharing what he believes God has told him about the year ahead is an annual tradition for Robertson. On Wednesday's "700 Club" broadcast, the founder of the Christian Broadcasting Network predicted that evangelism will increase and more people will seek God as the chaos develops. Robertson said, "We will see the presence of angels and we will see an intensification of miracles around the world." Last year, Robertson predicted that a terrorist act, possibly involving a nuclear weapon, would result in mass killing in the United States. Noting that it hadn't come to pass, Robertson said, "All I can think is that somehow the people of God prayed and God in his mercy spared us." More...
JREF Million Dollar Challenge Will Be Discontinued
The James Randi Educational Foundation Million-Dollar Challenge will be discontinued 24 months from this coming March 6th, and those prize funds will then be available to generally add to our flexibility. This move will free us to do many more projects, which will be announced at that time.
--snip-- Ten years is long enough to wait. The hundreds of poorly-constructed applications, and the endless hours of phone, e-mail, and in-person discussions we've had to suffer through, will be things of the past, for us at the JREF. Those who believe they have mystic powers now have two full years to apply... Let's see what happens. More...
Science Bows To Theology As The Pope Dismantles Vatican Observatory
Science is to make way for diplomacy at the Pope's summer residence, with the dismantling of the astronomical observatory that has been part of Castel Gandolfo, south of Rome, for more than 75 years. The Pope needs more room to receive diplomats so the telescopes have to go.
The eviction of the astronomers and their instruments, reported by the Italian daily Corriere della Sera, and their removal to a disused convent a mile away, marks the end of a period of intimacy between popes and priest-astronomers that has lasted well over a century. More...
God's 'Death' Gave Birth To Uproar
Hamilton didn't see an active God anymore. But the theologian was not an atheist. And he didn't want to let go of Jesus, as the example of how humans should treat one another. "The death of God is a metaphor," he says. "We needed to redefine Christianity as a possibility without the presence of God."
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Pregnant Rape Victims 'Must Abort'
CAIRO - Al-Azhar, Sunni Islam's highest seat of learning, today declared that any woman pregnant by rape must abort the baby immediately in order to maintain "social stability".
"A raped woman must terminate the pregnancy immediately upon learning of the pregnancy if a trusted doctor gives her clearance for the abortion," the Islamic Research Council of the Cairo-based institution said in a statement. This would ensure "social stability", it said. According to the independent Egyptian Centre for Women's Rights (ECWR), two women are raped every hour in Egypt, a country of 76 million. More...
Man Claims Wal-Mart Fired Him For Not Playing Santa
SANFORD -- A Lebanon man alleges he was fired last month by the local Wal-Mart because he refused to dress up as the store's Santa Claus.
A spokesman for the retail giant denied the claim, which was filed this week with the Maine Human Rights Commission on behalf of 27-year-old Christopher Nolan. In his complaint, Nolan said he thought it was a joke when he was asked on Dec. 8 to fill in as the store Santa Claus at the Wal-Mart on Main Street. He said his co-workers were laughing. Nolan, who described himself as an atheist who does not believe in Christmas, said he laughed as well and then declined. "I said, 'Uh, no way,'" he said in an interview last month. Nolan said he was surprised when his supervisor called him later to say he had an hour to change his mind. When Nolan again refused to don the Santa suit, he said, his boss brought him into his office and told him he was fired. "He said, 'We have to do an exit interview,'" said Nolan, who said he worked at the store for three years, most recently as a bicycle assembler. Nolan provided Blethen Maine Newspapers a copy of his exit interview form that was signed by the store manager and includes the following statement of termination from his supervisor: "Asked Chris several times to dress up as Santa Claus. Repeatly (sic) told me no and then said he would look for another job. Didn't listen to me at all. Told him I would take him out of the system." More...
Malaysia Maintains Ban On Non-Muslims Referring To God As ''Allah''
KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia (AP) - The Malaysian government has reiterated that non-Muslims cannot use the word ''Allah,'' sparking concern Friday among Christians who use it to refer to God in their Malay-language Bible and other publications.
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Sparks Fly Between Church And Government
MADRID (IPS) - The Spanish Catholic Church "has strayed from the fundamentals of democracy," said the governing socialist party (PSOE) Wednesday, in response to harsh criticism from the Church leadership.
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The Humanist Touch: Why Weddings Are On Increase
Humanist weddings, requiring faith only in each other, and perhaps the weather, will become second only to civil marriages in popularity within five years of being made legal, the Humanist Society of Scotland claimed yesterday.
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Brazil Would Shun Atheist Presidential Candidate
(Angus Reid Global Monitor) - Few Brazilian adults would cast a ballot for a presidential contender with no religious beliefs, according to a poll by Instituto Sensus published in Veja. Only 13 per cent of respondents would vote for an atheist candidate.
In addition, 32 per cent of respondents would vote for a homosexual candidate, 57 per cent would support a woman, and 84 per cent would vote for a black person. More...
Wednesday, January 02, 2008FreeThoughtAction Hero Of The Day - 01/02/08 Dr. Isaac Asimov (c. January 2, 1920 - April 6, 1992) According to Wikipedia, Asimov "was a Russian-born American author and professor of biochemistry, a highly successful writer, best known for his works of science fiction and for his popular science books. "Asimov was one of the most prolific writers of all time, having written or edited more than 500 books and an estimated 90,000 letters and postcards. His works have been published in nine of the ten major categories of the Dewey Decimal System (all except the 100s, Philosophy). "Asimov is widely considered a master of the science-fiction genre and, along with Robert A. Heinlein and Arthur C. Clarke, was considered one of the 'Big Three' science-fiction writers during his lifetime. Asimov's most famous work is the Foundation Series; his other major series are the Galactic Empire series and the Robot series, both of which he later tied into the same fictional universe as the Foundation Series to create a unified 'future history' for his stories much like those pioneered by Robert A. Heinlein and previously produced by Cordwainer Smith and Poul Anderson. He penned numerous short stories, among them 'Nightfall', which in 1964 was voted by the Science Fiction Writers of America the best short science fiction story of all time, a title many still honor. He also wrote mysteries and fantasy, as well as a great amount of nonfiction. Asimov wrote the Lucky Starr series of juvenile science-fiction novels using the pen name Paul French.... "Asimov was a long-time member and Vice President of Mensa International, albeit reluctantly; he described some members of that organization as 'brain-proud and aggressive about their IQs'. He took more joy in being president of the American Humanist Association. The asteroid 5020 Asimov, the magazine Asimov's Science Fiction, a Brooklyn, NY elementary school, and two different Isaac Asimov Awards are named in his honor." Asimov Quotes: Creationists make it sound as though a "theory" is something you dreamt up after being drunk all night. Imagine the people who believe such things and who are not ashamed to ignore, totally, all the patient findings of thinking minds through all the centures since the Bible was written. And it is these ignorant people, the most uneducated, the most unimaginative, the most unthinking among us, who would make themselves the guides and leaders of us all; who would force their feeble and childish beliefs on us; who would invade our schools and libraries and homes. I personally resent it bitterly. Properly read, the Bible is the most potent force for atheism ever conceived. Although the time of death is approaching me, I am not afraid of dying and going to Hell or (what would be considerably worse) going to the popularized version of Heaven. I expect death to be nothingness and, for removing me from all possible fears of death, I am thankful to atheism. Humanity has the stars in its future, and that future is too important to be lost under the burden of juvenile folly and ignorant superstition. See also: The Last Question [A 1956 Asimov Short, Short Story (one Internet page), one of my all-time favorites.]
Joe Zamecki On 'Answers In Atheism'
JOE ZAMECKI, Texas State Director for American Atheists will be the guest on Thursday night, January 3, 2008 on the "Answers in Atheism" internet radio program.
Find out what's happening on the First Amendment front in Texas! Tune in beginning at 7:00 PM ET (check your local time zone) at http://www.answersinatheism.net/ . "Answers in Atheism" is hosted by the curmudgeon Edwin Kagin. Call in toll free with questions or comments to 877-814-9287 or local 859-384-7000 or send email to theshow@answersinatheism.net.
New Light Shed On Night Clouds
HAMPTON, Va. - A Hampton University professor is shedding new light on night-shining clouds that might be affected by climate change. Jim Russell is the lead scientist for the NASA-funded AIM satellite, the first to study the wispy "noctilucent" clouds, which only appear above Earth's poles.
More... See also: Scientists: We've Entered a New Epoch, the Anthropocene What's Your Consumption Factor? by Jared Diamond
Scientists Look To Sperm To Power Nanobots
A tiny assembly line that powers the whip-like tail of sperm could be harnessed to send future nanobots or other tiny medical devices zooming around the human body, according to a preliminary research report.
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Baby Planet Spotted Near Faraway Sun
Astronomers say they have discovered the youngest planet to date circling a sunlike star, a find that will be a boon to the field of planet-formation theory.
More... See also: Anyone Out There? Hot on the trail of cosmic rays
Deaths From Baghdad Funeral Bomb Rise To 36
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- The toll from the deadliest Baghdad attack in five months rose to 36 killed and 34 wounded, said an Iraqi Interior Ministry official on Wednesday.
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Four Dead In Algeria Car Bomb
ALGIERS, Algeria (AP) -- A car bomb exploded near a police station in a town east of the Algerian capital Wednesday, killing at least four people and ripping off the building's facade, witnesses said.
The blast followed twin suicide bombings on December 11 at U.N. offices and a government building that killed at least 37 people in the capital of Algiers. --snip-- The suicide bombings in December and others in April were claimed by al-Qaida in Islamic North Africa, which emerged out of an alliance between Osama bin Laden's international terror network and a local Islamic insurgency movement known as the Salafist Group for Call and Combat. More...
Priest Arrested On Perjury Charges In Alleged Mob Case
HARRISBURG, Pennsylvania (AP) -- A Roman Catholic priest was arrested on perjury charges Wednesday, accused of lying about his relationship with a mobster in testimony to a grand jury investigating a casino owner's possible ties to organized crime.
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Divine Intervention? Indians Seek Help From The 'Visa God'
HYDERABAD, India -- Lord Balaji is one of the most-worshiped local incarnations of the Hindu Lord Vishnu. His adherents flock to his many temples to pray for things like happiness, prosperity and fertility.
Lately, the deity has grown particularly popular at the once-quiet Chilkur Balaji temple here, where he goes by a new nickname: the Visa God. The temple draws 100,000 visitors a week, many of whom come to pray to Lord Balaji for visas to travel or move to the U.S. and other Western countries. More...
Nepal's God King Loses His Power, Prestige And Palace
The Nepalese monarchy dates from 1769, after the unification of the Kathmandu valley by the Gurkha ruler Prithvi Narayan Shah and the establishment of his dynasty. He also founded Kathmandu, the capital. The kings who succeeded him were said to be reincarnations of the Hindu god Vishnu. It is the last remaining Hindu monarchy.
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Gay Muslims Party In Berlin, Nervously
European Muslims, so often portrayed one-dimensionally as rioters, honor killers or terrorists, live diverse lives, most of them trying to get by and to have a good time. That is more difficult if one is both Muslim and gay.
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Director Forced To Quit After Making Shi'ite Joke
A director of Barclaycard has left the company in disgrace after making a joke deemed offensive to Muslims.
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Pakistan Clerics Persecute 'Non Muslims'
Hardline clerics are using Pakistan's blasphemy laws to persecute members of a small Islamic splinter group they say are not proper Muslims.
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Tuesday, January 01, 2008Deep Impact Flies By Earth
LOS ANGELES -- NASA's comet-busting spacecraft is on its way to rendezvous with another comet in an extended mission that will also hunt for Earth-sized planets around a cluster of stars.
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Pakistan Vote Delayed By A Month
Elections will be delayed by one month following the turmoil sparked by Benazir Bhutto's assassination, despite opposition threats of street protests unless the crucial vote is held Jan. 8 as originally planned, a top official said Tuesday.
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New Year, New Same-Sex Unions
(CBS) Dozens of gay and lesbian couples entered into civil unions in New Hampshire in the early moments of New Year's Day as a new state law legalized the partnerships after midnight.
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Gun Battles Rage Across Gaza
(CBS/AP) Palestinians celebrating the anniversary of the founding of the Fatah movement fought gun battles with members of the ruling Islamic militant group Hamas.
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Funeral For Iraq Bomb Victim Bombed, Killing 30
BAGHDAD, Iraq (CNN) -- A suicide bomber Tuesday targeted a funeral procession for a victim of another bombing, killing 30 people and wounding 38, an Iraqi Interior Ministry official said.
More... See also: Bloody Start To New Year In Baghdad
Family Sees Virgin Mary On Living Room Wall
A New Mexico family is counting its blessings after it discovered an image of the Virgin Mary on their living room wall, reported KOAT-TV in Albuquerque, N.M.
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Man: Girl, 4, Provoked Me
WOODSTOCK -- A retired Canadian pastor likely on track to leave a McHenry County courtroom Friday with probation for sexually abusing a 4-year-old girl instead found himself behind bars after he told a judge that the girl acted sexually provocative toward him.
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Catholicism Now Britain's "Most Popular" Faith
LONDON (Reuters) - Catholics have overtaken Anglicans in church attendance in Britain, according to research published on Sunday.
--snip-- Attendance at Anglican services has almost halved over the past 40 years as Britain has grown steadily more secular. Only 6 percent of the population attends church regularly. In the United States, that figure is nearer 40 percent. More...
US Anglican Head In Sexuality Row
The head of the Anglicans in the United States has accused other churches, including the Church of England, of double standards over sexuality.
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