200,000 pledge to vote for Jesus in 2012

Keller is claiming that over 200,000 people have already pledged to vote for Jesus Christ on their November ballots.

MORE: http://www.examiner.com/article/200-000-pledge-to-vote-for-jesus-2012

False Prophets: Religious Right's Military Chaplaincy Predictions Bomb

When plans were made for gays to serve openly in the military, Religious Right zealots and the Catholic hierarchy were predictably apoplectic. They imagined a range of dire consequences including a devastating impact on the work of military chaplains.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/false-prophets-religious-right-s-military-chaplaincy-predictions-bomb

Atheist Points Out Biblical Hatred of Homosexuals

Many Christians use the excuse that some parts of the Bible are outdated and don't fit in with how they feel -- and this appears to be a whitewashed excuse for not following their own religion.

This, on its own, poses the valid question: Why, then, do you even follow the religion?

MORE: http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474981465288

Atheist Calls Out Pastor on Gays Can Go to Heaven Comments
http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheist-calls-out-pastor-on-gays-can-go-to-heaven-comments-77973/

Saints to change name on atheist night at ballpark

The St. Paul Saints plan to change their name for a game sponsored by atheist groups.
 
The American Association minor league club will call itself the "Mr. Paul Aints" when they host the Amarillo Sox on Aug. 10.

MORE: http://hamptonroads.com/2012/07/saints-change-name-atheist-night-ballpark

It's Graduation, Not Confirmation -- South Carolina School Begins Commencement With Prayer

Since when can a vote decide the extent to which a public educational institution adheres to religious liberty?

MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/it-s-graduation-not-confirmation-south-carolina-school-begins-commencement

County Commission Starts Clergy List; Atheist Escorted Out By Deputy After He Defies Chairman

The County Commission started its meeting on Thursday with the first opening prayer by a clergyman from the new ministerial list and ended the meeting with a declared atheist being escorted from the room by a deputy.

MORE: http://www.chattanoogan.com/2012/7/12/230107/County-Commission-Starts-Clergy-List.aspx

Stamp Of Disapproval: Bishops And Religious Right Intensify Crusade Against Contraceptives

Right-wing religious groups that seek to curtail Americans' ability to get and use birth control are feeling newly empowered.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/stamp-of-disapproval-bishops-and-religious-right-intensify-crusade-against

Bradlee Dean Blowback: Junkyard Prophet Ordered To Pay Up

In March, Dean's band Junkyard Prophet performed at a public school in Dunkerton, Iowa. According to the LaCrosse Tribune, Junkyard Prophet didn't offer much in the way of religion or hatred during its performance for the whole school, but when the band asked to divide the boys and girls into separate groups for breakout sessions, things really got bad.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/bradlee-dean-blowback-junkyard-prophet-ordered-to-pay-up

Some businesses see benefits to pro-gay stance

Google's campaign, announced last week, comes on the heels of Mother's and Father's Day promotions by J.C. Penney featuring same-sex parents, a Gap ad featuring a male Broadway performer and his boyfriend, and Target selling t-shirts as a fundraiser for the Family Equality Council, a group lobbying against a same-sex marriage ban in the retailer’s home state of Minnesota.

Last November, four dozen companies ranging from Nike to Microsoft signed a statement essentially supporting gay marriage by objecting to the Defense of Marriage Act. In February, Goldman Sachs CEO Lloyd Blankfein participated in a Human Rights Campaign web video in support of marriage equality. "There's no doubt that American businesses will be central to the dismantling of DOMA," Human Rights Campaign president Joe Solmonese told Politico last month.

MORE: http://bottomline.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/12/12667034-some-businesses-see-benefits-to-pro-gay-stance?lite

Mississippi's end run around abortion

The state has instituted a series of unreasonable regulations for doctors who perform abortions. Using a practice very similar to the kind of bottlenecking that was done to suppress black votes during the Jim Crow era, Mississippi has systematically squeezed the number of abortion clinics in the state down to just one.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/11/opinion/granderson-mississippi-abortion/index.html?hpt=hp_bn7

See also...

Judge lets Mississippi's only abortion clinic stay open -- for now
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/11/us/mississippi-abortion-clinic-hearing/index.html?hpt=hp_bn1

Strange religious bedfellows unite for letter against hotel porn

(CNN) -- A letter penned by two notable scholars – a Christian and a Muslim – and sent to a number of different hotel industry executives has asked those hotels to remove pornography from their company’s in-room movie selections.

MORE: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/12/strange-religious-bedfellows-unite-for-letter-against-hotel-porn/?hpt=us_t5

Faithful flock to 'bleeding' Virgin Mary

Dozens of believers gather on the lawn of a Baton Rouge family after their statue of the Virgin Mary appears to bleed.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t2#/video/us/2012/07/13/dnt-la-bleeding-virgin-mary-statue-wbrz.cnn

A Blip That Speaks of Our Place in the Universe

It is natural for those not deeply involved in the half-century quest for the Higgs to ask why they should care about this seemingly esoteric discovery. There are three reasons.

MORE: http://www.nytimes.com/2012/07/10/science/in-higgs-discovery-a-celebration-of-our-human-capacity.html?_r=1&pagewanted=all

See also...

A Super-Sized Sister Solar System!
http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2012/07/11/a-super-sized-sister-solar-system/

The Good Fight

Prominent scientists are in a bitter struggle over the origins of kindness.

MORE: http://blogs.scientificamerican.com/primate-diaries/2012/07/09/the-good-fight/

See also...

Love Thy Neighbor, Unless They Are The Weakest Link
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120712224624.htm

Scientists place 500-million-year-old gene in modern organism
http://phys.org/news/2012-07-scientists-million-year-old-gene-modern.html

New Pluto Moon Found--"Fringe Benefit" of Search for Risky Rings

Unnamed natural satellite underscores Pluto's surprising complexity.

MORE: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/07/120712-pluto-moon-hubble-space-telescope-satellite-science-nasa/

Death of scientific evidence mourned on Parliament Hill

Scientists, concerned citizens hold mock funeral in Ottawa to protest federal cuts.

MORE: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2012/07/10/pol-death-evidence-protest-parliament-hill.html?cmp=rss

Evolution? I don't believe it. Haven't you heard of Nessie?

They confidently claim that the Loch Ness monster disproves Darwinism and that there is clear proof of creationism. But that has not stopped a set of controversial Christian qualifications - used by dozens of British private schools - being described as comparable to international O and A levels.

--snip--

Some of the claims made in Accelerated Christian Education curriculum materials:

A science textbook denies that the sun is powered by nuclear fusion and says its creation took place "a few thousand years ago".

Evolution is described as an "indefensible theory".

One textbook says "no transitional fossils exist".

A current course textbook describes homosexuality as a "learned behaviour".

MORE: http://www.tes.co.uk/article.aspx?storycode=6259996

Dawkinsia, new genus

Etymology. The genus is named for Richard Dawkins, for his contribution to the public understanding of science and, in particular, of evolutionary science.

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/646501-dawkinsia-new-genus

Son: Iranian dad arrested for my Facebook posts

With more than 21,000 likes, the page explains, "Our goal is to use satire to take out the superstition from religion."

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/12/world/facebook-iran-imam/index.html?hpt=wo_t2

International outrage grows over destruction of Mali shrines

(CNN) -- The United States is condemning the destruction of two more tombs in northern Mali as international outrage grows over Islamist militants' attacks on historic and religious landmarks in the nation.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/12/world/africa/mali-shrines-destroyed/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Suicide bomber detonates at Afghan wedding, kills at least 17

"We suspect it is the Taliban who are enemies of Afghanistan."

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/14/world/asia/afghanistan-wedding-blast/index.html?hpt=ias_c1

Gunmen kill 9 Pakistani prison guards in attack on building

Shortly afterward, the Taliban claimed responsibility for the act.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/12/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

See also...

Bomb blast at political rally in Pakistan kills 7, police say
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/13/world/asia/pakistan-unrest/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

"Godless Billboard" Stirs Emotions

Omaha, NE -- It's the sign that has thousands talking about their religion or even their lack of religious beliefs.  Have you seen it?  It's sitting on the corner of 72nd and Pacific, the billboard is the first 'Godless Billboard' in Nebraska.

MORE: http://www.kmtv.com/news/local/161872095.html

See also...

Atheist Billboard Goes Up in Omaha
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/07/06/atheist-billboard-goes-up-in-omaha/

Godless Billboard in Omaha Heralds Freethought Conference
http://unitedcor.org/national/news/godless-billboard-omaha-heralds-freethought-conference

You don’t need God to be good . . . or generous

Examples of charitable relief efforts set up by non-believers in recent years include the Skeptics and Humanists Aid and Relief Effort, organised by the admirable Center for Inquiry; and the Humanist Charities operated by the American Humanist Association. At the time of the 2010 Haiti earthquake, the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science set up Non-Believers Giving Aid (NBGA). Entirely through the website RichardDawkins.net, NBGA raised more than half a million dollars (for Doctors Without Borders and the Red Cross) in less than a month, almost all of it in the form of small donations from thousands of individual subscribers, passed on in their entirety, with no deductions for expenses, handling changes etc.

The most ambitious example of such an initiative for non-believing donors has just been launched by the atheist activist and philanthropist Todd Stiefel. The Stiefel family has pledged to match up to half a million dollars, which would bring in a target total of a million dollars in aid of cancer research through Foundation Beyond Belief.

MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/646445-you-don-t-need-god-to-be-good-or-generous-also-in-polish

Join the American Humanist Association in Helping To Raise $1 Million for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society

Humanists from around the world are uniting to raise $1,000,000 for LLS, and we need your help. Now's the time to show what we can achieve together when we unite around our reason-based values.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-07-join-the-american-humanist-association-in-helping-to

What "Dummies" need to know about atheism

Dale McGowan is an author and executive director of Foundation Beyond Belief, a nontheistic charitable organization. He was recently enlisted to write "Atheism for Dummies," the first book about nontheists from the "Dummies" series of books.

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/what-dummies-need-to-know-about-atheism/2012/07/09/gJQAtKZvYW_story.html

Five Recommendations for a New Politeness

With political correctness an irreformable term, and chivalry having its own baggage, perhaps we can learn to be polite without allowing it to hamper our ability to be opinionated.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/roy-speckhardt/five-recommendations-for-_b_1648705.html

Timelapse video: artist paints 30 foot high mural on a CERN control room

This short, time-lapse video was finished June 2012, using photos that were taken during the project's execution:

What would disprove evolution?

If evolution is a scientific theory worth its salt, then there must be some conceivable observations that could show it to be wrong.

MORE: http://whyevolutionistrue.wordpress.com/2012/07/09/what-would-disprove-evolution/


Free iPad app: Evolution -- Making Sense of Life
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/646450-free-ipad-app-evolution-making-sense-of-life

Evangelicals Fight Over Therapy To 'Cure' Gays

Supporters call it "conversion therapy." Critics call it "praying away the gay." Whatever name you use, it's creating a ruckus in Christian circles about whether a person can change his or her sexual orientation. And now the largest "ex-gay ministry" is rejecting the approach.

MORE: http://www.npr.org/2012/07/06/156367287/evangelicals-fight-over-therapy-to-cure-gays?sc=fb&cc=fmp

Former Scientologist opens up on religion

CNN's Anderson Cooper talks to a former Scientologist about her experiences with the religious group.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/video/?hpt=hp_t2#/video/bestoftv/2012/07/10/ac-woodcraft-scientology-interview.cnn

Job And Justice: Judge's Mandate Is Mistake Of Biblical Proportions

Should judges require convicts to read the Bible and write essays about it? In a nation that separates religion and government, you’d think the answer would be a clear "No!"

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/job-and-justice-judge-s-mandate-is-mistake-of-biblical-proportions

Courting Confusion: Why Is The Ohio Supreme Court Hearing A Creationist Teacher's Case?

A middle school science teacher who was fired in January 2011 is set to have his case reviewed by the Ohio Supreme Court even though he not only taught creationism, but also was accused of branding a student with a cross.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/courting-confusion-why-is-the-ohio-supreme-court-hearing-a-creationist

See also...

Ohio Supreme Court agrees to hear creationism appeal
http://www.dispatch.com/content/stories/local/2012/07/05/supreme-court-to-hear-creationism-appeal.html

Family moves cross from adopt-a-spot after atheists complain

The white cross featuring the words God Bless America recently caused a stir when local atheist group, the Humanists of Rhode Island, wrote a letter to the mayor asking that it be removed because it violated separation of church and state since it sat on public land. The cross is located on a median on Pleasant Valley Parkway across from the Coca-Cola factory.

MORE: http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2489978&spid=37719

Episcopal bishops authorize gay blessing

(AP) Episcopal bishops approved an official prayer service for blessing same-sex couples Monday at a national convention that also cleared the way for transgender ordination.

At the Episcopal General Convention in Indianapolis, the House of Bishops voted 111-41, with three abstentions, to authorize a provisional rite for same-sex unions for the next three years. The liturgy next goes to convention's deputies for their authorization.

MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-201_162-57469077/episcopal-bishops-authorize-gay-blessing/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.1

Indiana abortion law ruled illegal

(CNN) - A controversial Indiana law that would keep low-income women from using federal Medicaid benefits to receive any kind of reproductive medical care from Planned Parenthood is unacceptable because it denies women the freedom to choose their health care providers, according to a federal hearing officer.

MORE: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/09/indiana-abortion-law-ruled-illegal/?hpt=hp_t2

Nature journal wins libel case, highlights holes in UK defamation law

A three-year long libel case brought against a science journal has been dismissed, in a move that highlights the need for a public interest clause in UK defamation law to protect the free press.

MORE: http://www.wired.co.uk/news/archive/2012-07/06/nature-wins-libel-case

Manhunt under way for Taliban who shot woman in public execution amid cheers

Kabul, Afghanistan (CNN) -- Afghan President Hamid Karzai ordered the arrest Monday of the Taliban who participated in the public execution of a woman accused of adultery.

Shock and outrage have mounted since an amateur video surfaced of a burqa-clad woman sitting on the ground while a man standing a few feet away shoots her nine times before a cheering mob.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/09/world/asia/afghanistan-public-execution/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

See also...

6 American troops killed in Afghanistan IED attack
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/08/world/asia/afghanistan-troops-killed/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Police: 11 dead, 37 wounded in Iraq blast

In June, at least 240 people were killed in militant attacks in Iraq, according to CNN estimates.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/06/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Afterlife

"In God We Teach" Complete Documentary

American Atheists Fly "Atheism is Patriotic" Banner Over NYC on July 4th

American Atheists flew a banner over New York City... July 4, 2012. The banner behind the airplane read, "Atheism Is Patriotic -- atheists.org."

MORE: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-811494?hpt=hp_bn1

TAM is next week!

The Amaz!ng Meeting (TAM) is an annual celebration of science, skepticism and critical thinking. People from all over the world come TAM each year to share learning, laughs and the skeptical perspective with their fellow skeptics and a host of distinguished guest speakers and panelists.

MORE: http://www.amazingmeeting.com/TAM2012/

See also...

The Opposite of Debunking 
http://www.randi.org/site/index.php/swift-blog/1765-the-opposite-of-debunking.html?widthstyle=w-wide

Louisiana Revelation: School Voucher Funding -- It's Not Just For Christians Any More

A member of the Louisiana House of Representatives who eagerly supported Gov. Bobby Jindal’s plan to fund private schools has had an epiphany: Muslim schools might start getting taxpayer money!

MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/louisiana-revelation-school-voucher-funding-it-s-not-just-for-christians

Atheists criticize prayers said at Pismo Beach council meetings

Chaplain's 'explicit' Christianity at council meetings cited; city has no plans to change them.

MORE: http://www.sanluisobispo.com/2012/07/04/2131838/atheists-criticize-prayers-said.html

Whites-only Christian gathering riles some Alabama neighbors

"Yes, we believe that the Europeans and their descendants are the chosen people of God," according to the website for Christian Identity Ministries, which is holding the event with Church of God’s Chosen. "We believe this, not because we think that the white race is superior, but because there is overwhelming proof in support of this belief. We do not back down from this belief, because we are certain."

MORE: http://usnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12583500-whites-only-christian-gathering-riles-some-alabama-neighbors?lite

Gay Dads Sue; Health Club Reverses Stand on Memberships

After a lawsuit was filed against the Roanoke Athletic Club by a same-sex couple for offering them a "family membership" then revoking it, the club today changed its policy.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Health/gay-dads-son-banned-roanoke-athletic-club-swimming/story?id=16717179#.T_aJs_VE6eY

The Classic, Beautiful and Controversial Books That Changed Science Forever

Without the work of intellectual giants like Einstein, Newton and Darwin, we might still be in the dark ages. But how many scientists still read the dust-ridden texts where these luminaries first expounded their theories? Thanks to the internet, you no longer have to hunt down these yellowing tomes in a moldy library vault.

MORE: http://www.wired.com/wiredscience/2012/07/classic-science-books/?pid=4147

Explaining the Higgs: on TV last night!

Let's just take a little time today -- now that we've confidently announced the discovery of the Higgs -- to recap what we now know.

MORE: http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2012/07/05/explaining-the-higgs-on-tv-last-night/

See also..
.
An idea thought up on a rainy weekend
http://www.independent.co.uk/news/science/an-idea-thought-up-on-a-rainy-weekend-7912760.html?origin=internalSearch

Lighter side of the Higgs boson
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12585302-lighter-side-of-the-higgs-boson?lite

Higgs' big loser: Why Stephen Hawking is such a bad gambler
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12587515-higgs-big-loser-why-stephen-hawking-is-such-a-bad-gambler?lite

Scientific Study Reveals That Individuals Cooperate According to Their Emotional State and Their Prior Experiences

ScienceDaily -- A study by researchers at Universidad Carlos III de Madrid and Universidad de Zaragoza has determined that when deciding whether to cooperate with others, people do not act thinking about their own reward, as had been previously believed, but rather individuals are more influenced by their own mood at the time and by the number of individuals with whom they have cooperated before.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120704124059.htm

See also...

Brain Center for Social Choices Discovered: Poker-Playing Subjects Seen Weighing Whether to Bluff
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705181248.htm

Endowment Effect in Chimpanzees Can Be Turned On and Off

ScienceDaily -- Groundbreaking new research in the field of "evolutionary analysis in law" not only provides additional evidence that chimpanzees share the controversial human psychological trait known as the endowment effect -- which in humans has implications for law -- but also shows the effect can be turned on or off for single objects, depending on their immediate situational usefulness.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705151425.htm

Dust Today, Gone Tomorrow: Astronomers Discover Houdini-Like Vanishing Act in Space

ScienceDaily -- Astronomers report a baffling discovery never seen before: An extraordinary amount of dust around a nearby star has mysteriously disappeared.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705201330.htm

See. also...

Cosmic Skyrocket: Geyser of Hot Gas Flowing from a Newborn Star
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703142509.htm

Solar Flare: Another M-Class Flare from Sunspot 1515
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120705172148.htm

A stunning close-up of Mars taken by visiting NASA rover
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48086325/ns/technology_and_science-space/#.T_aPQ_VE6eY

Vatican reports it's nearly $19 million in the red

The Vatican reported on Thursday that its tiny state wasn't spared by the global economic downfall. With its budget deficit hitting $19 million, 2011 was one of the Holy See's worst financial years on record.

MORE: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/05/12583425-vatican-reports-its-nearly-19-million-in-the-red?lite

6 killed, 20 wounded in Iraq bomb blast, police say

The violence came one day after 11 people were killed in attacks across the country, and two days after 36 people were killed.

In June, at least 240 people were killed in militant attacks in Iraq, according to CNN estimates.

And while the violence has dropped since the peak of sectarian strife between 2005 and 2007, Iraqi residents continue to express concerns over the stability of the country and the efficacy of its security forces.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/05/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

See also...

Series of deadly attacks hit Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/04/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

And...

Scores arrested after church attacks in Kenya 
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/04/world/africa/kenya-blast-arrests/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Mali separatists ready to act over destruction of tombs
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/01/world/africa/mali-shrine-attack/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

'Life Without God' Billboards Pop Up in Treasure Valley

Ahead of an Independence Day parade appearance, a local group of non-theists have launched a billboard campaign to spread awareness of its collection of agnostics, atheists and others who don't subscribe to a particular faith.


"Are you good without God?" asks the Treasure Valley Coalition of Reason via billboard on Caldwell Boulevard in Nampa. "Millions are," answers the same board.


Another billboard, just off eastbound Interstate 184 near Emerald Street, reads "Don't Believe in God? Join the Club," with a link to the Treasure Valley COR, a collection of six secular groups. The local chapter is part of a nationwide consortium of COR groups. 


MORE: http://www.boiseweekly.com/CityDesk/archives/2012/07/03/life-without-god-billboards-pop-up-in-treasure-valley


See also...


Atheists 'Come Out' in Idaho Using Billboards Claiming Millions Are Good Without God
http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheists-come-out-in-idaho-using-billboards-claiming-millions-are-good-without-god-77642/


Godless Billboards in Boise and Nampa; Atheists in July 4th Parade
http://www.unitedcor.org/national/news/godless-billboards-boise-and-nampa-atheists-july-4th-parade


Atheist Billboards Go Up in Idaho
http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2012/07/03/atheist-billboards-go-up-in-idaho/


Treasure Valley COR and two billboards!
http://www.dwnomad.com/2012/07/treasure-valley-cor-and-two-billboards/


Anti-God billboards in Treasure Valley bring mixed reviews
http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Boise-Billboards-news-161276345.html


Anti-God billboards in Treasure Valley bring mixed reviews
http://www.kboi2.com/news/local/Boise-Billboards-news-161276345.html?tab=video&c=y

Happy 4th!

Milestone in Higgs quest: Scientists find new particle

Scientists at the home of the world's most powerful collider say they've found a subatomic particle that's never been seen before -- a particle that could well be the fabled Higgs boson.


MORE: http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/04/12554487-milestone-in-higgs-quest-scientists-find-new-particle?lite


See also...


The Higgs boson made simple
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/03/12547980-the-higgs-boson-made-simple?lite


Scientists edge closer to proving existence of elusive particle
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/03/tech/physics-higgs-particle/index.html?hpt=hp_t1


What is the Higgs boson and why is it important?
http://www.cnn.com/2011/12/13/world/europe/higgs-boson-q-and-a/index.html?&hpt=hp_t1


The Biggest Firework of them all: The Higgs!
http://scienceblogs.com/startswithabang/2012/07/03/the-biggest-firework-of-them-all-the-higgs/


And...


Researchers capture shadow cast by a single atom
http://cosmiclog.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/03/12547726-researchers-capture-shadow-cast-by-a-single-atom?lite

Atheism and Patriotism

American Atheists again will fly a July 4th banner in 2012 in New York City. The banner will again read, "Atheism Is Patriotic." The banner will begin flying at 7:30 PM with plenty of light left and will fly over the Verrazano Bridge, then circle the entire New York Harbor, then up the Hudson to the George Washington Bridge, then south again to circle around the Statue of Liberty. After the Statue of Liberty the pilot will return to the Verrazano Bridge and finally fly west along the Staten Island Shoreline.


MORE: http://atheists.org/patriotism


See also...


Former Pastor Teresa MacBain New Public Relations Director
http://www.atheists.org/former-pastor-teresa-macbain-new-public-relations-director


And...


Protest for Indonesian Man Jailed for Atheism This Friday in New York City
http://richarddawkins.net/articles/646399-protest-for-indonesian-man-jailed-for-atheism-this-friday-in-new-york-city

Atheist student clubs could gain foothold in public schools

The Secular Student Alliance, of SSA has 300 branches on college campuses. Intended to spread and lead young people into an atheistic worldview, the organization is now planning to make inroads on public high school campuses across the United States.


MORE: http://www.catholic.org/hf/faith/story.php?id=46854

How to Learn to Think Like a Scientist (Without Being a Geek)

The premise of the course is that we have a serious problem: we live in the Age of Science and yet pseudoscience and the paranormal are believed by far too many people still. 


MORE: http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/07/03/how-to-learn-to-think-like-a-scientist-without-being-a-geek/

'America For Jesus': Is Religious Right Rally About Prayer Or Politics?

All of this suggests that the Philadelphia rally is yet one more effort to politicize religion and tear down the wall of separation between church and state. 


MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/america-for-jesus-is-religious-right-rally-about-prayer-or-politics

What does an atheist baseball game look like?

Aha. I’m glad you asked!


There are two events coming up on August 10th and 11th. The first one, I’m definitely going to, the second one…I’ve not decided yet. First, there will be an Atheist Baseball Game. Here in the Twin Cities we have a minor league team called the Saint Paul Saints. On August 10th, they will be rebranded as the Mr. Paul Aints, and the banners of the Minnesota Atheists and American Atheists will hang in the stadium as they play some other team. Other cute atheistic punny things will be implemented.


MORE: http://scienceblogs.com/gregladen/2012/07/03/what-does-an-atheist-baseball-game-look-like/

Don't trust the religious

Does science support the idea that we should have extra confidence in the devout? No way, says a prominent atheist.


MORE: http://www.salon.com/2012/07/02/dont_trust_the_religious/

Prominent Atheist Warns Against Taking Bible as 'Absolute Moral Truth' & Answers More of Your Questions

Over the past few months, atheist millionaire Todd Stiefel has answered numerous questions from Blaze readers. First, he addressed some curiosities about his personal faith journey and atheism on the whole. Then, he dove into the Ten Commandments and the Bible, highlighting the issues he sees with Christian doctrine. And in the third installment, he spoke about the character of Jesus Christ, among other sentiments.


In this fourth set of questions, the interview series comes full circle, with Stiefel tackling some of the more philosophical questions about atheism and non-belief.


MORE: http://www.theblaze.com/stories/exclusive-prominent-atheist-highlights-dangers-of-taking-the-bible-as-absolute-moral-truth-continues-answering-your-questions-about-secularism/

North Carolina Sea Level Rises Despite State Senators

Less than two weeks after the state's senate passed a climate science-squelching bill, research shows that sea level along the coast between N.C. and Massachusetts is rising faster than anywhere on Earth.


MORE: http://www.scientificamerican.com/article.cfm?id=north-carolina-sea-level-rises-desipte-senators

Atheists cry foul over Pismo Beach City Council’s Christian invocations

Pismo Beach’s City Council may find itself in court if it continues to allow Christian laden invocations to lead its supposed secular meetings.


MORE: http://calcoastnews.com/2012/07/atheists-cry-foul-over-pismo-beach-city-councils-christian-invocations/

'Inspiration' Repudiation: Florida Schools Wisely Reject Mendacious 'Message' Law

No schools are forced to create "inspirational message" policies, and Americans United sent letters to all public school districts advising them to steer clear of this potential legal quagmire. It seems school officials are listening. 


MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/inspiration-repudiation-florida-schools-wisely-reject-mendacious-message

Mormons quit church in mass resignation ceremony

SALT LAKE CITY (Reuters) - A group of about 150 Mormons quit their church in a mass resignation ceremony in Salt Lake City on Saturday in a rare display of defiance ending decades of disagreement for some over issues ranging from polygamy to gay marriage.


MORE: http://articles.chicagotribune.com/2012-06-30/news/sns-rt-us-usa-utah-mormonsbre86000n-20120630_1_mormon-culture-church-spokesman-president-brigham-young

Scientology's stars: Which celebrities practice the religion?

(CBS News) Tom Cruise and Katie Holmes' split has catapulted Scientology into the headlines again.


The couple wed before a Church of Scientology minister in 2006, and Cruise has been a key member of the church for years. But now TMZ reports that Holmes is seeking sole legal custody of their daughter because she doesn't want Cruise to control decisions relating to religion. 


MORE: http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-31749_162-57465642-10391698/scientologys-stars-which-celebrities-practice-the-religion/?tag=pop;stories

Why are we so curious

Evolution made us the ultimate learning machines, and the ultimate learning machines need to be oiled by curiosity. 


MORE: http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20120618-why-are-we-so-curious

Apes With Apps

Have you ever watched a toddler play with an iPhone?


Most likely, the child was completely captivated and surprisingly adept at manipulating the tiny icons. Two-year-old Teco is no different. Sitting with his Motorola Xoom tablet, he’s rapt, his dark eyes fixed on the images, fingers pecking away at the touch screen. He can’t speak, but with the aid of the tablet app I created for him, he’s building a vocabulary that will likely total several thousand words. What’s more, he’ll be able to string those words together into simple sentences and ask questions, tell jokes, and carry on conversations.


Such talents wouldn’t seem exceptional in a human child, but Teco is an ape—a bonobo, to be precise.


MORE: http://spectrum.ieee.org/computing/software/apes-with-apps/0

Revealed: watch an infection develop in real time 3D

The BBC reports that for the first time, scientists have been able to watch the an infection develop in real time, inside an animal. The best part? They used a special glowing bacteria and measured the rays of light escaping from the animal’s body:


MORE: http://scienceblogs.com/sciencepunk/2012/07/03/revealed-watch-an-infection-develop-in-real-time-3d/

The Advantages of Being First

ScienceDaily -- How people make choices depends on many factors, but a new study finds people consistently prefer the options that come first: first in line, first college to offer acceptance, first salad on the menu -- first is considered best.


MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120702210301.htm

Newly Discovered Dinosaur Implies Greater Prevalence of Feathers; Megalosaur Fossil Represents First Feathered Dinosaur Not Closely Related to Birds

ScienceDaily -- A new species of feathered dinosaur discovered in southern Germany is further changing the perception of how predatory dinosaurs looked. The fossil of Sciurumimus 
albersdoerferi,which lived about 150 million years ago, provides the first evidence of feathered theropod dinosaurs that are not closely related to birds


MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120702210225.htm

The courage to think for themselves

Over one hundred people joined the Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain’s hugely successful 5th anniversary celebration luncheon in London on 23 June 2012.


MORE: http://richarddawkins.net/articles/646406-the-courage-to-think-for-themselves


See also...


Council of Ex-Muslims of Britain 5th Anniversary Celebration June 23, 2012

Six Natural Wonders Declared World Heritage Sites

ScienceDaily -- Sangha Trinational -- shared between Cameroon, the Central African Republic and the Republic of Congo; Lakes of Ounianga in Chad and Chengjiang fossil site in China have been inscribed on the World Heritage List, following the recommendations of IUCN (International Union for Conservation of Nature). Lena Pillars Nature Park in Russia and Western Ghats in India were also added to the prestigious list by the World Heritage Committee, a 21-nation panel.


MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703025233.htm

Malaysian: Worldview of the Batek Tribe

The study provides an intriguing insight into the diverse elements found in Batek folklore. Twenty three elements including folk botany, traditional narratives, supernatural beings, sorcery and witchcraft, the physical world, the earth, the material world, animal folklore, fire, hypnotism and animal magnetism, the human body, life and death, folk medicine, traditional customs and ceremonies as well as folk sayings form the core of the stories.


The stories also demonstrate the belief that the origin of the physical world is a consequence of the play of supernatural powers among humans, thus providing explanations for the unknown.


MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120703023005.htm

Red Cross: Kenya church attacks kill 17 near Somali border

Al-Shabaab is linked to al Qaeda and has been designated a terrorist organization by the United States.


MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/01/world/africa/kenya-explosions/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Mali separatists ready to act over destruction of tombs

(CNN) -- A Mali separatist movement on Sunday said it was prepared to act against Islamic militants following the destruction of three sacred tombs in Timbuktu, and called on the United States and France "to help us kill them."


MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/01/world/africa/mali-shrine-attack/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Bomb blasts kill 37 in Iraq, officials say

The Awakening Councils, also known as the Sons of Iraq, are made up predominantly of Sunni Arab fighters who battled Iraq's al Qaeda militants after turning on them in late 2006.


MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/03/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Bob's Notes: Matthew 14

The Parade of Privilege: How Government Favors Religion

Religion in America today not only has all the "liberty" one could imagine but also enjoys an extraordinary array of special privileges.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/HNN/details/2012-06-the-parade-of-privilege-how-government-favors-religi

Atheist Acceptability on the Rise in America

More than half would now vote for a nonbeliever.

MORE: http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201206/atheist-acceptability-the-rise-in-america

Secular Woman Inc launched the first national organization for atheist, humanist, and non-religious women

Secular Woman Inc. is the first national organization for atheist, humanist, and non-religious women and they just launched their website called Secular Woman.

MORE: http://www.goddiscussion.com/97963/secular-woman-inc-launched-the-first-national-organization-for-atheist-humanist-and-non-religious-women/

See also...

Secular Woman launches
http://www.examiner.com/article/secular-woman-launches

Atheist Clubs Spring Up In High Schools Across The Country With Help From The Secular Student Alliance

With help from the Secular Student Alliance -- a national organization of more than 300 college-based clubs for freethinking students -- high school atheists clubs are springing up across the country, the Religion News Service reports.

MORE: http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/29/with-help-from-the-secula_n_1638950.html

See also...

Not just chess: Atheists are organizing high school clubs, too
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/on-faith/not-just-chess-atheists-are-organizing-high-school-clubs-too/2012/06/29/gJQAaBPmBW_story.html

Are atheists worse than rapists?

'We're here! We're godless! Get used to it!" chanted the crowd of about 20,000 atheists at a March "Rally for Reason" on the National Mall. As the chant suggested, the protesters styled their event as a "coming out" party for atheists. One participant even carried a sign ripped off from the heyday of gay rights demonstrations: "Hi Mom. I'm an Atheist!"

MORE: http://www.suntimes.com/news/otherviews/13486541-452/are-atheists-worse-than-rapists.html

See also...

Why Are Believers Willfully Ignorant About Atheists?
http://www.alternet.org/belief/156052/why_are_believers_willfully_ignorant_about_atheists/?page=entire

Foundation Beyond Belief "Light the Night" Leukemia Fundraiser

The FBB international team is going to be a rallying point around which local freethought, atheist, and secular humanist groups will make teams to participate in Light the Night Walks. Our goal is to unite the Freethought Movement around the world to raise one million U.S. Dollars in 2012 for The Leukemia & Lymphoma Society (LLS).

MORE: http://pages.lightthenight.org/2012/FBB

Humanists Salute Supreme Court's Decision to Let Stand Ruling Declaring Mt. Soledad Cross Unconstitutional

The case now goes back to the District Court to determine a remedy in the face of the determination that the cross as it stands is unconstitutional, leaving open the possibility that alternatives other than removal of the cross could be considered.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-06-humanists-salute-supreme-courts-decision-to-let-stan

Mormons quit in mass resignation

A group of about 150 Mormons quit their church in a mass resignation ceremony in Salt Lake City on Saturday in a rare display of defiance ending decades of disagreement for some over issues ranging from polygamy to gay marriage.

MORE: http://m.torontosun.com/2012/06/30/mormons-quit-in-mass-resignation

See also...

Born Evil: That's What the Mormon Church Taught Me as a Brown and Female Child
http://www.alternet.org/belief/156015/born_evil:_that%27s_what_the_mormon_church_taught_me_as_a_brown_and_female_child_?page=entire

Atheist billboard takes on Catholic bishops in Texas

"Quit the Church" says the large billboard alongside Interstate 30 east of Highway 360 in the Dallas-Fort Worth area.

MORE: http://www.examiner.com/article/atheist-billboard-takes-on-catholic-bishops-texas

See also...

Texas highway billboard tells faithful to 'Quit the Church'
http://www.foxnews.com/us/2012/07/01/texas-highway-billboard-tells-faithful-to-quit-church/

Atheist Billboard In Texas Targets Catholics With Phrase 'Put Women's Rights Over Bishops' Wrongs' (VIDEO)
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/06/29/athiest-billboard-in-texas-catholics-womens-rights_n_1638099.html

Bishops need not apply - New York Post

Garden State Victory!: N.J. School Voucher Plan Derailed For This Year

New Jersey's voucher bill is dead -- for this year.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/garden-state-victory-nj-school-voucher-plan-derailed-for-this-year

Seeking Justice: Jailed Rape Victim Who Was Denied Contraception Can Sue Florida Sheriff

No one should be denied access to health care just because it violates someone else's religious belief, especially when it's a government official who is doing the denying.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/seeking-justice-jailed-rape-victim-who-was-denied-contraception-can-sue

Law could force Mississippi's only abortion clinic to close

Mississippi has been one of the toughest states on the abortion rights movement. The state already has laws requiring a 24-hour waiting period, as well as parental consent if the patient seeking an abortion is a minor.

"All of that is wrapped in that cloak of conservative religion," said W. Martin Wiseman, director of the Stennis Institute of Government at Mississippi State University.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/30/us/mississippi-abortion-clinic/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Phylogeny: Rewriting evolution

Tiny molecules called microRNAs are tearing apart traditional ideas about the animal family tree.

MORE: http://www.nature.com/news/phylogeny-rewriting-evolution-1.10885

Indian atheists seek recognition in the land of a million gods

NEW DELHI: Question 7 in the 2011 India census form asked respondents to disclose their religion and if it fell in the list of six major religions, then write a corresponding code. Most atheists and agnostics found this to be a closed question that compelled a religious response.

MORE: http://articles.timesofindia.indiatimes.com/2012-06-30/science/32483706_1_atheists-religion-beliefs

Masked 'goons' kill at least 17 in attacks on churches in Kenya

Masked attackers killed at least 17 people on Sunday in gun and grenade attacks on churches in a Kenyan town used as a base for operations against al-Qaida-linked insurgents in Somalia.

MORE: http://worldnews.msnbc.msn.com/_news/2012/07/01/12506909-masked-goons-kill-at-least-17-in-attacks-on-churches-in-kenya?lite

See also...

Aid workers abducted from Kenyan refugee complex
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/29/world/africa/kenya-aid-workers/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2

Islamic militants set fire to sacred tombs in Timbuktu

According to several witnesses the militants said they wouldn't stop until the destruction was complete.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/30/world/africa/mali-shrine-attack/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

Taliban video shows 17 beheaded Pakistani soldiers

(CNN) -- Seventeen Pakistani soldiers who were kidnapped last week are shown beheaded in a video released by the Taliban.

A senior Pakistani military official confirmed to CNN that the bodies shown in the video, their identifications flashed before the camera as evidence, indeed belonged to members of the Pakistani army and a Pakistani paramilitary force.

Taliban spokesman Ehsanullah Ehsan provided the video, which restates the militants' goals -- to sever Pakistan's alliance with the United States and to bring sharia law to Pakistan.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/28/world/asia/pakistan-beheadings/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2

11 killed in attacks north of Baghdad

Police officials in Baghdad said they believe al-Qaeda in Iraq is behind Balad attacks as they have been trying to agitate the sectarian tension between Arab Muslims Sunni and Shiite.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/29/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

See also...

5 killed in attacks in Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/28/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

5 killed in Afghan blasts

"As a result of the Taliban's careless tactic of placing IEDs in areas where civilians could be harmed, they are knowingly killing innocent Afghan children, women, and men," said Lt. Col. Stewart Upton, spokesperson for Regional Command Southwest of NATO's International Security Assistance Force.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/06/30/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html?hpt=ias_c2