Ebay bans magic, psychic readings... and prayers

You can buy a lot of crazy things on eBay, the popular online auction site, but as of August 30th, these will not include magic, psychic readings or prayers. Some of the other newly prohibited items are advice; spells; curses; hexing; conjuring; blessing services; magic potions and healing sessions.

MORE: http://www.examiner.com/article/ebay-bans-magic-psychic-readings-and-prayers

Choice Charade: Lessons From Wisconsin's Voucher 'Experiment'

A miraculous infusion of taxpayer money gives a Lutheran school new life.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/choice-charade-lessons-from-wisconsin-s-voucher-experiment

School For Scandal: The Louisiana Voucher Plan Just Gets Worse And Worse -- And Your State May Be Next

Religious schools that receive vouchers are under no obligation to teach evolution. In fact, many of the fundamentalist academies plan to teach creationism instead.

MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/school-for-scandal-the-louisiana-voucher-plan-just-gets-worse-and-worse-and

Charter For Chicanery?: Texas Oversight Agency Says Shekinah Charter Schools Broke Law

Shekinah Learning Institute was cited by the Texas Education Agency for, among other things, using taxpayer funds for improvement to Shekinah Superintendent Cheryl Washington’s church.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/charter-for-chicanery-texas-oversight-agency-says-shekinah-charter-schools

What's (Still) The Matter With Kansas?: 'Revival Workshop' At Statehouse Shows Ongoing Church-State Problems

The statehouse should be devoted purely to public business, not to meetings of fundamentalist Christian revival groups.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-s-still-the-matter-with-kansas-revival-workshop-at-statehouse-shows

What In Creation?!: Kentucky Legislators Tout Fundamentalism, Assail Modern Science

'The theory of evolution is not science -- Darwin made it up,' says Kentucky legislator Ben Waide.

MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/what-in-creation-kentucky-legislators-tout-fundamentalism-assail-modern

An Open Letter to the Boy Scouts of America

Just because you CAN be a bigoted organization... SHOULD you be?

MORE: http://ireport.cnn.com/docs/DOC-829841?hpt=hp_bn1

A rebirth for "Butter Jesus"

MONROE, Ohio (WDTN) - It's been more than two years since the so-called "Butter Jesus" burned to the ground after it was hit by lightning, but now a new statue is being built at a Miami Valley company.

--snip--

The new statue will be 52 feet tall, weighing about 7 tons with a wing span of 35 feet.

--snip--

It will also contain a lightning rod to try and prevent it from burning down again.

MORE: http://www.wdtn.com/dpp/news/local/montgomery/a-rebirth-for-butter-jesus?hpt=us_bn9#.UC4yt6DI_Zh

Sun Is Roundest Natural Object Known

The sun is the roundest natural object ever precisely measured, astronomers say.

MORE: http://news.nationalgeographic.com/news/2012/08/120817-sun-shape-round-science-space-nasa

Book written in DNA code

Scientists have for the first time used DNA to encode the contents of a book. At 53,000 words, and including 11 images and a computer program, it is the largest amount of data yet stored artificially using the genetic material.

The researchers claim that the cost of DNA coding is dropping so quickly that within five to 10 years it could be cheaper to store information using this method than in conventional digital devices.

MORE: http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/2012/aug/16/book-written-dna-code

Pregnant teen dies after abortion ban delays her chemo treatment for leukemia

(CNN) -- The mother of a pregnant leukemia patient who died after her chemotherapy was delayed over anti- abortion laws is accusing doctors of not putting her daughter's health first.
 
The 16-year-old's plight attracted worldwide attention after she had to wait for chemotherapy because of an abortion ban in the Dominican Republic.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/18/world/americas/dominican-republic-abortion/index.html?hpt=hp_t1

See also...

Analysis: Why it’s irrational to risk women’s lives for the sake of the unborn
http://www.scotsman.com/the-scotsman/opinion/comment/analysis-why-it-s-irrational-to-risk-women-s-lives-for-the-sake-of-the-unborn-1-2467196

Philippines birth control: Filipinos want it, priests don't

In the Philippines, access to contraceptives is limited for the most part to those with the means to pay. The Catholic Church has fought a "reproductive health bill" in the legislature that would change that.

MORE: http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/population/la-fg-population-matters5-20120729-html,0,5897961.htmlstory

Mosque shooting, suicide bombing hit Russia's Caucasus region

Russia blames the attacks on militants who want to establish an Islamic state in the Caucasus region.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/19/world/europe/russia-caucasus-unrest/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

14 Yemeni soldiers killed; officials blame al Qaeda

Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- Fourteen troops were killed and seven others injured Saturday in an ambush of Yemen's headquarters of the intelligence service in Tawahi, Aden, the defense ministry and three local security officials said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/18/world/meast/yemen-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

All coalition troops at Afghan bases now armed around the clock

The Friday green-on-blue attacks follow a claim purportedly from Taliban leader Mullah Mohammed Omar that fighters are infiltrating Afghan security forces to attack NATO-led forces on their bases.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/17/world/asia/afghanistan-taliban/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

See also...

Attacks kill scores in Afghanistan
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/14/world/asia/afghanistan-violence/index.html

Wave of violence in Iraq claims more than 80 lives

Baghdad (CNN) -- A wave of shootings and bombings that Iraqi officials said bore the hallmarks of al Qaeda killed more than 80 people and wounded more than 270 across the country Thursday.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/16/world/meast/iraq-bloodshed/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

See also...

Blasts kill 10, injure 36 in Iraq's Diyala province
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/15/world/meast/iraq-bomb-deaths/index.html

9 killed in attacks in Iraq
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/16/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html

20 Shiites executed in sectarian attack in Pakistan

Islamabad, Pakistan (CNN) -- Gunmen ambushed a passenger van convoy Thursday in northwest Pakistan and executed 20 Shiite Muslims in an apparent sectarian attack, a police official told CNN.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/16/world/asia/pakistan-violence/index.html

Nigerian troops kill 20 suspected militants

From its base in Muslim-dominated northern Nigeria, Boko Haram has waged a violent campaign of bombings of Christian churches in Nigeria that have killed hundreds and wounded many more. The group is also blamed for an attack on a United Nations building in the Nigerian capital of Abuja last year that killed at least 23 people.
 
The group, whose name means "Western education is forbidden," has referred to itself as the "Nigerian Taliban." It seeks to overthrow the Nigerian government and replace it with a regime based on Islamic law.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/12/world/africa/nigeria-violence/index.html

Chick-Fil-A Promo (Parody)

Atheists fight discrimination too

In the U.S., there are laws protecting them. But laws aren't always obeyed, or enforced.

MORE: http://www.salon.com/2012/08/09/4_reasons_atheists_have_to_fight_for_their_rights_salpart/

Publisher Pulls Controversial Thomas Jefferson Book, Citing Loss Of Confidence

Citing a loss of confidence in the book's details, Christian publisher Thomas Nelson is ending the publication and distribution of the bestseller, The Jefferson Lies: Exposing the Myths You've Always Believed About Thomas Jefferson.

The controversial book was written by Texas evangelical David Barton, who NPR's Barbara Bradley Hagerty profiled on All Things Considered Wednesday. The publishing company says it's ceasing publication because it found that "basic truths just were not there."

MORE: http://www.npr.org/blogs/thetwo-way/2012/08/09/158510648/publisher-pulls-controversial-thomas-jefferson-book-citing-loss-of-confidence

See also...

The Most Influential Evangelist You've Never Heard Of
http://www.npr.org/2012/08/08/157754542/the-most-influential-evangelist-youve-never-heard-of

The Barton Lies: Conservative Christian Scholars Debunk 'Christian Nation' Propagandist
http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/the-barton-lies-conservative-christian-scholars-debunk-christian-nation

Pat Robertson Shares Hate with Sikh Temple Shooter

"Pat Robertson reacted to the hate crime in Wisconsin by cultivating his own brand of hate," said American Humanist Association Executive Director Roy Speckhardt. "By blaming atheists for this heinous crime, Robertson deliberately slanders nearly one in five Americans who don't happen to believe in a god.”

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-08-pat-robertson-shares-hate-with-sikh-temple-shooter

Atheists Banned from Serving in Arkansas

The Arkansas Society of Freethinkers is a secular group made up of people who are Atheists and Agnostics. It holds lectures and hosts social events. These Freethinkers champion reason over religion. They believe the law discriminates against them.

"It's insulting, we realize and we've been told by several people it's not enforceable and that may be the case but to have your name on the constitution as someone who is not competent to sit in a courtroom or public office, it's rather insulting," says LeeWood Thomas, with the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers.

MORE: http://arkansasmatters.com/fulltext?nxd_id=570632

'Evil Is Here': In Bid To Politicize Religion, FRC Demonizes Its Opponents

In the first place, when the FRC talks about "the wall," they aren't talking about the wall of separation between church and state. Just the opposite, in fact. They are talking about moving America as close as possible to a fundamentalist theocracy where their take on religion holds dominion over everyone.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/evil-is-here-in-bid-to-politicize-religion-frc-demonizes-its-opponents

Shen rejects atheist threat over two songs

CLIFTON PARK -- A national atheist organization is threatening to sue the Shenendehowa school district over two songs taught to elementary school children that mention God in the lyrics.

MORE: http://www.timesunion.com/local/article/Shen-rejects-atheist-threat-over-two-songs-3780195.php

NASA's Curiosity Beams Back a Color 360 of Mars' Gale Crater

ScienceDaily -- The first images from Curiosity's color Mast Camera, or Mastcam, have been received by scientists at NASA's Jet Propulsion Laboratory in Pasadena, Calif. The 130 low-resolution thumbnails, which were received Thursday morning, provide scientists and engineers of NASA's newest Mars rover their first color, horizon-to-horizon glimpse of Gale Crater.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120809190005.htm

See also...

Hubble's Close Encounter With the Tarantula
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120811110622.htm

Police free Russian cult kids who reportedly never saw sun

At least 57 members of an Islamist sect, including children, have been discovered living underground in the Republic of Tatarstan, according to Russian police.
 
Many of them have never even seen the sun, authorities said.

MORE: http://news.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/09/police-free-russian-cult-kids-who-reportedly-never-saw-sun/?hpt=hp_bn2

Egyptian president visits troubled border area

Violence has spiked because jihadists in the region see "an opportunity," said Adam Raisman, a senior analyst with the SITE Intelligence Group, which monitors jihadist groups.
 
"They see that what they wanted from the Egyptian revolution has not come to fruition," Raisman said. "They wanted a Sharia-based government." Angry with Morsy for not building a fundamentalist government, jihadists are "taking advantage of the tumult in the region," the analyst said.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/10/world/meast/egypt-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Official: Man kills 3 U.S. Marines at Afghan base

The shooter, who is believed to have links to the Taliban, was killed by other policemen, said Baluch. An investigation into the incident continues, he added.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/11/world/asia/afghanistan-unrest/index.html?hpt=ias_c2

Global Index of Religion and Atheism

59% of the world said that they think of themselves as religious person, 23% think of themselves as not religious whereas 13% think of themselves as convinced atheists.

--snip--

Globally, those claiming to be religious, drops by 9%, while atheism rises by 3%.

--snip--

The top ten countries experiencing a notable decline in religiosity since 2005 are Vietnam, Ireland, Switzerland, France, South Africa, Iceland, Ecuador, the United States, Canada and Austria.

MORE: http://redcresearch.ie/wp-content/uploads/2012/08/RED-C-press-release-Religion-and-Atheism-25-7-12.pdf

See also...

Number of atheists around the world is rising
http://www.secularism.org.uk/news/2012/08/number-of-atheists-around-the-world-is-rising

Atheism on the Rise in Asian and European Nations, Poll Finds
http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheism-on-the-rise-in-asian-and-european-nations-poll-finds-79685/

Religiosity Plummets In Ireland And Declines Worldwide; Atheism On The Rise
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/2012/08/08/religiosity-plummets-ireland-declines-worldwide-atheism_n_1757453.html

Missouri’s Deceptive Amendment 2 Passes: Will Lawsuits Follow?

Many who voted for the amendment probably thought they were merely protecting the right of citizens to express their religious beliefs, guarantee the right of school children to pray and require public schools to display the Bill of Rights.

In reality, Amendment 2 is not so benign. It opens the door for coercive prayer and proselytizing in public schools, allows students to skip homework if it offends their religious beliefs and infringes on the religious liberty rights of prisoners. 

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/missouri-s-deceptive-amendment-2-passes-will-lawsuits-follow

President Obama, Mitt Romney Agree: Gay Boy Scouts OK

Obama today joined Romney in publicly disagreeing with a controversial ban on gay members of the Boy Scouts of America, one of the nation's largest and most well-known youth development groups.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/blogs/politics/2012/08/president-obama-mitt-romney-agree-gay-boy-scouts-ok/

New Kenyan Fossils Shed Light On Early Human Evolution

ScienceDaily -- Exciting new fossils discovered east of Lake Turkana confirm that there were two additional species of our genus -- Homo -- living alongside our direct human ancestral species, Homo erectus, almost two million years ago. The finds, announced in the scientific journal Nature on August 9th, include a face, a remarkably complete lower jaw, and part of a second lower jaw.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120808132705.htm

See also...

Physics and Math Shed New Light On Biology by Mapping the Landscape of Evolution
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120808132454.htm

Scientists Discover the Truth Behind Colbert's 'Truthiness'

ScienceDaily -- A picture inflates the perceived truth of true and false claims.

--snip--

In a series of four experiments in both New Zealand and Canada, Newman and colleagues showed people a series of claims such as, "The liquid metal inside a thermometer is magnesium" and asked them to agree or disagree that each claim was true. In some cases, the claim appeared with a decorative photograph that didn't reveal if the claim was actually true -- such as a thermometer. Other claims appeared alone. When a decorative photograph appeared with the claim, people were more likely to agree that the claim was true, regardless of whether it was actually true.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120808081334.htm

Spain 'al Qaeda cell' may have planned strike to coincide with Olympics

(CNN) -- Three suspected al Qaeda terrorists arrested last week in Spain appear to have been interested in targeting a Gibraltar-area shopping mall in a strike that was likely intended to coincide with the London Olympic Games, an analyst says.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/world/europe/spain-terror-arrests/index.html?hpt=ieu_c2

19 killed in attack on Nigerian church

No one has claimed responsibility, but immediate suspicion fell on the militant Islamic group Boko Haram, which has carried out similar church attacks in the past.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/07/world/africa/nigeria-church-attack/index.html?hpt=iaf_c2

11 killed in blast south of Baghdad

Violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq since the peak of Sunni-Shiite clashes in 2006 and 2007 and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country in December, but insurgent attacks against civilians and security forces persist in the country, still smoldering with sectarian tension and political infighting.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/08/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Curiosity Rover Landing on Mars

NASA's Curiosity rover scores touchdown on Mars

Spacecraft survives '7 minutes of terror,' lands safely, sends first pictures.

MORE: http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48511087/ns/technology_and_science-space/?__utma=14933801.1796274438.1343881820.1344143138.1344314932.3&__utmb=14933801.6.10.1344314932&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1343881820.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Ccover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=117094790

See also...

Car-Size Rover Curiosity Lands On Mars: Two-Year Mission to Investigate Red Planet Begins
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120806014143.htm

Mars orbiter captures rover in midair
http://photoblog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/06/13146951-mars-orbiter-captures-rover-in-midair?chromedomain=cosmiclog&lite

NASA's Curiosity Rover Caught in the Act of Landing
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120806141917.htm

Video from rover looks down on Mars during landing
http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/48540619/ns/technology_and_science-space/?__utma=14933801.1796274438.1343881820.1344143138.1344314932.3&__utmb=14933801.1.10.1344314932&__utmc=14933801&__utmx=-&__utmz=14933801.1343881820.1.1.utmcsr=(direct)|utmccn=(direct)|utmcmd=(none)&__utmv=14933801.|8=Earned%20By=msnbc%7Ccover=1^12=Landing%20Content=Mixed=1^13=Landing%20Hostname=www.nbcnews.com=1^30=Visit%20Type%20to%20Content=Earned%20to%20Mixed=1&__utmk=153124408

And...

NASA Announces Next Steps in Effort to Launch Americans from U.S. Soil
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120803101756.htm

The National Atheist Party Partners with Foundation Beyond Belief

Florence, KY -- The National Atheist Party (NAP) has partnered with Foundation Beyond Belief, an organization that contributes 100% of donations received to charities around the world whose work is compatible with humanist values. By partnering with Foundation Beyond Belief, the NAP will be able to nominate and engage in discussion regarding the selection of Foundation Beyond Belief’s future charitable organizations. Registered NAP members who are also members of Foundation Beyond Belief when selecting NAP as their designated Partner, those donations accrue to the total given by NAP on their Partners page.

MORE: http://www.pr.com/press-release/432263

Officials: Temple Gunman Page Associated with 'Hate Group'

The Army veteran who opened fire on a Sikh temple in Wisconsin was associated with a white-supremacist organization called Volksfront, described by a watchdog group as "virulently racist," law enforcement officials told ABC News.
 
The gunman, Wade Michael Page, 40, was shot dead by police Sunday, ending a murderous rampage that left six people dead and several wounded, including an Oak Creek police officer.
 
MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/US/wisconsin-temple-gunman-wade-page-hate-group/story?id=16937739

Pat Robertson Concludes Sikh Temple Shooting Because 'Atheists Hate God'

What is particularly striking about Robertson’s conclusion is that, as of yet, there has been no evidence that the alleged gunman Wade Michael Page was an atheist. In fact, neo-Nazism and white supremacy movements often encompass a form of Christianity that emphasizes racial purity and nationalism.

MORE: http://www.mediaite.com/tv/pat-robertson-concludes-sikh-temple-shooting-because-atheists-hate-god/

See also...

Pat Robertson blames atheists for Sikh temple shooting
http://www.examiner.com/article/pat-robertson-blames-atheists-for-sikh-temple-shooting

Pat Robertson: Sikh temple massacre because 'atheists hate God'
http://www.rawstory.com/rs/2012/08/06/pat-robertson-sikh-temple-massacre-because-atheists-hate-god/

Satisfying Survey: Evangelical Leaders Reject 'Christian Nation' Designation

The lack of references to Christianity in the Constitution has to me always been fatal to Christian nation adherents. Nevertheless, the myth is still widely believed and in Religious Right circles has taken on near-cult status. Just as Religious Right leaders invented a phony "science" because they refuse to accept evolution, they have also crafted a made-up "history" of our glorious Christian character.

Thankfully, not everyone is falling for it. The National Association of Evangelicals (NAE) recently surveyed it leadership and asked if they believe we are a Christian nation. Sixty-eight percent said no.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/satisfying-survey-evangelical-leaders-reject-christian-nation-designation

R.I. Mayor Resists Atheists' Calls to Remove Cross

The mayor of a Rhode Island city has promised to defend a 91-year-old war memorial featuring a Latin cross and other religious symbols, which a national atheist group says must be removed from the monument.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/r-i-mayor-resists-atheists-calls-to-remove-cross-79471/

Mosque in Missouri burns to the ground one month after arson attack

A mosque in Joplin, Mo. that was the target of an apparent arson attack a month ago burned to the ground on Monday.

About 30 federal investigators from the FBI and Bureau of Alcohol Tobacco and Firearms were working with local officials to determine whether Monday's fire at the Islamic Society of Joplin was arson. It will take a few days to determine the cause of the blaze, officials said at a news conference Monday afternoon.

MORE: http://usnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/06/13146671-mosque-in-missouri-burns-to-the-ground-one-month-after-arson-attack?lite

Church that refused to marry black couple releases apology

(CNN)–After barring a black couple from marrying in its Mississippi facility in late July, the First Baptist Church of Crystal Springs released a statement Sunday apologizing for its actions.

MORE: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/06/church-that-refused-to-marry-black-couple-releases-apology/?hpt=hp_t3

Online petition launched after child rejected by school

ALBUQUERQUE, N.M. - A faith-based school that refused to admit a 3-year-old because his parents are gay has prompted an online petition asking New Mexico's federal delegation to look into why Hope Christian School can receive federal tax dollars.

MORE: http://www.koat.com/news/new-mexico/albuquerque/Online-petition-launched-after-child-rejected-by-school/-/9153728/15978746/-/7qfwo6/-/index.html?hpt=us_bn10

Orlando Magic, Amway Boycotted for Anti-Gay Marriage Donation

While companies like Amway and Chick-fil-A have been recently ensnared in controversy because of their executives' support for traditional marriage, they are not alone in taking sides in the gay-marriage debate.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Politics/OTUS/orlando-magic-amway-boycotted-anti-gay-marriage-donation/story?id=16812037

Bacteria transform the closest living relatives of animals from single cells into colonies

This raises an obvious question: did bacteria also help the single-celled ancestors of animals to band together? Did they contribute to the evolutionary foundation of every ant and elephant, every fish and finch? "That's my favourite hypothesis," says Rosie Alegado, the lead author on the new study. "Animals evolved in seas teaming with bacteria and have been passively exposed to bacterial chemical cues, intended and unintended." But she cautions that this is still an open question.

MORE: http://blogs.discovermagazine.com/notrocketscience/2012/08/06/bacteria-transform-the-closest-living-relatives-of-animals-form-single-cells-into-colonies/

Egypt's president condemns deadly attack in Sinai

(CNN) -- As Egyptian authorities vowed quick vengeance for a terrorist attack that killed 16 soldiers, officials in Egypt and Israel disagreed as to who was to blame for the bloodshed.

--snip--

Israel blamed militants associated with the group Global Jihad for the violence. Egyptian military officials called the attackers "enemies" of the nation. The Muslim Brotherhood accused the Israeli intelligence agency Mossad for the killings.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/06/world/africa/egypt-violence/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Gunmen attack NATO truck in Pakistan, killing 1

The Pakistani Taliban threatened to attack NATO trucks when the border reopened, saying the supplies are used to target its members fighting against occupation in Afghanistan.
 
Taliban have attacked NATO supplies in the past, and killed drivers and other crew.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/06/world/asia/pakistan-nato-convoy-attack/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

Officials: Dozens killed in suicide attack at Yemen wake

Sanaa, Yemen (CNN) -- A suicide bomber blew himself up at a wake in southern Yemen on Saturday night, killing more than 45 people and wounding at least 41, the interior ministry said.

--snip--

While no group immediately claimed responsibility for the attack in the town of Jaar in Abyan province, suspicion fell on al Qaeda which vowed to retaliate against tribesmen who fought alongside the government to uproot it from the region.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/05/world/meast/yemen-attack/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Spain 'al Qaeda cell' may have targeted Gibraltar

(CNN) -- Three suspected terrorists arrested last week in what Spanish officials call one of their largest operations against al Qaeda appear to have been interested in targeting a Gibraltar shopping mall.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/05/world/europe/spain-terror-arrests/index.html?hpt=wo_c2

First Aid Kit - Hard Believer

Missouri Mistake: Teachers Oppose Misguided Amendment 2, Too

As Turner correctly explained, Amendment 2 is completely unnecessary. There is no mass effort to marginalize religion in America, nor is anyone in this country restricted from praying or expressing one's faith publicly -- unless they're trying to impose such practices by government action on an unwilling audience.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/missouri-mistake-teachers-oppose-misguided-amendment-2-too

Atheist group sends 2nd complaint about war memorial

An atheist group based in Wisconsin has sent a second letter to the city of Woonsocket calling for the removal of a war memorial featuring a Latin cross from city property.

MORE: http://630wpro.com/Article.asp?id=2505431&spid=37719

Athiest group plans to sue Memphis City Council

MEMPHIS, TN - (WMC-TV) - Prayers before city council and county commission meetings are long standing tradition in Memphis. But a Wisconsin-based atheist group is looking for a way to stop those pre-meeting invocations.

MORE: http://www.wmctv.com/story/19192108/athiest-group-plans-to-sue-memphis-city-council

Wyoming city manager lambastes 'radical third party' atheist group's threat over church in logo

The FFRF faxed a latter to the city of Wyoming on July 20 demanding the municipality change their city seal because they say it violates the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment of the U.S. Constitution.

MORE: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/08/wyoming_city_manager_lambastes.html

See also...

Wyoming mayor lashes out at former Fox 17 reporter's ties to atheist group
http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/08/wyoming_mayor_lashes_out_at_fo.html

Mich. City Leader Denounces Atheist Group's Demand to Remove Church From City Logo
http://www.christianpost.com/news/mich-city-leader-denounces-atheist-groups-demand-to-remove-church-from-city-logo-79421/

Police classify attack of woman as a hate crime

The police incident report says a 33-year-old woman was tied up by unknown parties.  It says the suspects then carved words onto her body with a knife.

"It has been classified as a hate crime, words were spray painted inside the home making a derogatory comment towards someone's sexual orientation,"  says Officer Flood.

MORE: http://www.klkntv.com/story/19089534/police-hate-crime-assault-sexual-orientation-suspects

Eagle Scout Steven Colella rescinds status over gay members policy

In response to the Boy Scouts' reaffirmation to ban openly gay members, the 23-year-old Frederick resident decided to relinquish his status.

MORE: http://www.wjla.com/articles/2012/08/eagle-scout-steven-colella-rescinds-status-over-gay-members-policy-78410.html

Pro-gay marriage groups have Chick-fil-A 'Kiss-In'

McGehee started "National Same-Sex Kiss Day at Chick-fil-A" at which she said same-sex couples are encouraged to visit the chain, "have a quick smooch or hug or show of affection," then post a photo or video of it online. She said organizers of local kiss-ins have been told to suggest that participants take their pictures outside the restaurants by its signs to avoid violating trespassing ordinances.

More than 13,000 people have signed up as "attending" on the event's Facebook page.

MORE: http://bottomline.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/03/13104208-pro-gay-marriage-groups-have-chick-fil-a-kiss-in?lite

Pro-choice only for infant formula

Apparently it’s OK to pass laws requiring doctors to misinform patients and to reduce the quality of the health care they provide, but not to enact policies making it easier for doctors to encourage new mothers to adopt practices which have been shown to significantly improve their own health and the health of new babies.

MORE: http://scienceblogs.com/tfk/2012/07/30/pro-choice/

NASA's Curiosity Rover Faces Its Moment of Truth

ScienceDaily -- The Mars Science Laboratory is set to reach its destination the evening of Aug. 5 Pacific time, when its Curiosity rover will begin its complex descent to the planet. It will represent a moment of truth for researchers not only at the Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL) in Pasadena, Calif., but for contributors across NASA and around the world.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120802092700.htm

See also...

Hitchhiking Sensors Capture Curiosity's Entry
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120803101532.htm

Newest NASA Mars Mission Connects Past and Future
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120803100839.htm

Mars Tugging On Approaching NASA Rover Curiosity
http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120804204844.htm

Last-minute guide to the Mars landing
http://cosmiclog.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/04/13122321-last-minute-guide-to-the-mars-landing?lite

Signs Changing Fast for Voyager at Solar System Edge

ScienceDaily -- Two of three key signs of changes expected to occur at the boundary of interstellar space have changed faster than at any other time in the last seven years, according to new data from NASA's Voyager 1 spacecraft.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120804082858.htm

Irony Seen Through the Eye of MRI

ScienceDaily -- In the cognitive sciences, the capacity to interpret the intentions of others is called "Theory of Mind" (ToM). This faculty is involved in the understanding of language, in particular by bridging the gap between the meaning of the words that make up a statement and the meaning of the statement as a whole.

In recent years, researchers have identified the neural network dedicated to ToM, but no one had yet demonstrated that this set of neurons is specifically activated by the process of understanding of an utterance. This has now been accomplished: a team from L2C2 (Laboratoire sur le Langage, le Cerveau et la Cognition, Laboratory on Language, the Brain and Cognition, CNRS / Université Claude Bernard-Lyon 1) has shown that the activation of the ToM neural network increases when an individual is reacting to ironic statements.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/08/120803103048.htm

Artificial Jellyfish Made From Rat's Heart Cells

Scientists say "Medusoid" experiment could lead to natural heart pacemaker or valves.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Technology/video/artificial-jellyfish-made-from-rats-heart-cells-16837840

New kind of spider which looks like a goblin is named after Sir David Attenborough... and, believe it or not, this is a compliment

A tiny new species of Goblin Spider has been found on an island off Australia... and has been named after veteran TV naturalist Sir David Attenborough.
 
The Prethopalpus Attenboroughi, as it will now be known, was discovered on Horn Island in the Torres Strait off Queensland.

MORE: http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2183671/Sir-David-Attenborough-New-kind-spider-looks-like-goblin-named-TV-legend.html

British court convicts parents in 'honor' murder

The sentence came hours after the court found them guilty of murder in the death of Shafilea Ahmed. The girl's dismembered body was found on a riverbank in February 2004, months after she disappeared in 2003.
 
The death was the final act in a long-running effort by the couple to get their daughter to conform to their beliefs, Detective Superintendent Geraint Jones told reporters.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/03/world/europe/uk-shafilea-honor-murder/index.html?hpt=hp_t2

Riot Leaves an Egyptian Village Without Christians

The violence was ultimately rooted in a dispute over a badly ironed shirt that escalated into a fight in which a Christian burned a Muslim to death, in turn sparking the rampage by angry Muslims.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/International/wireStory/riot-leaves-egyptian-village-christians-16930420

Islamists: Two stoned to death for committing adultery in Mali

Bamako, Mali (CNN) -- Islamists in control of northern Mali said they forced a man and a woman into two holes and stoned them to death for committing adultery in the lawless region.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/02/world/africa/mali-couple-stoned/index.html?hpt=hp_bn2

Suicide Bombers Attack As Somali Delegates Approve New Constitution

As more than 600 delegates met in Mogadishu to approve Somalia's new constitution, marking a symbolic break with the country's turbulent past, two al Qaeda-linked suicide bombers tried to attack the gathering only to be killed by security guards.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/suicide-bombers-attack-somali-delegates-approve-constitution/story?id=16907274

Suicide bomber kills 25 in Yemen

The bomber targeted tribesmen who sided with the Yemeni army during an offensive against Islamist militants that the government hailed as a major victory in June.

MORE: http://worldnews.nbcnews.com/_news/2012/08/04/13122368-suicide-bomber-kills-25-in-yemen?lite

34 killed as violence persists in Iraq

Violence has dropped dramatically in Iraq since the peak of Sunni-Shiite clashes in 2006 and 2007 and the withdrawal of U.S. troops from the country in December, but insurgent attacks against civilians and security forces persist in the country, still smoldering with sectarian tension and political infighting.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/03/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

Acid attacks, poison: What Afghan girls risk by going to school

"People are crazy," said Razia Jan, founder of a girls' school outside Kabul. "The day we opened the school, (on) the other side of town, they threw hand grenades in a girls' school, and 100 girls were killed.
 
"Every day, you hear that somebody's thrown acid at a girl's face ... or they poison their water."
 
There were at least 185 documented attacks on schools and hospitals in Afghanistan last year, according to the United Nations. The majority were attributed to armed groups opposed to girls' education.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/02/world/meast/cnnheroes-jan-afghan-school/index.html?hpt=ias_t4

'Ultralight' Terrorists? Spain Says Al Qaeda Planned Airborne Attack

Spanish police arrested three suspected al Qaeda operatives Wednesday out of fear they planned an airborne attack in Europe, according to Spain's interior minister, Jorge Fernandez Diaz.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/spain-al-qaeda-operatives-planned-airborne-attack/story?id=16911781

'Dehumanizing' and 'insulting': Kenya Bishops slam Melinda Gates' contraception plan for Africa

The Catholic Bishops of Kenya have collectively slammed a pro-contraception article that appeared in the country's Africa Review earlier this month as "dangerous" saying that it could "lead to destruction of the human society and by extension the human race."

MORE: http://www.lifesitenews.com/news/dehumanizing-and-insulting-kenya-bishops-slam-melinda-gates-contraception-p/

Gore Vidal - The Humanist Interview

Remembering Gore Vidal: A Masterful Humanist Voice

The death of Gore Vidal on July 31, 2012 at the age of 86 has humanists mourning the loss of perhaps American's best known public intellectual. As honorary president of the American Humanist Association since 2009, Vidal added an enthusiastic, progressive and dynamic voice to the AHA and the humanist movement.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-08-remembering-gore-vidal-a-masterful-humanist-voice

See also...

Gore Vidal: Born-again atheist
http://www.examiner.com/article/gore-vidal-born-again-atheist

In Memoriam: Gore Vidal, atheist, humanist, intellectual
http://www.examiner.com/article/in-memoriam-gore-vidal-atheist-humanist-intellectual

Remembering Gore Vidal
http://www.cbsnews.com/8301-215_162-57484698/remembering-gore-vidal/?tag=cbsnewsSectionContent.13

Gore Vidal, chronicler of American life and politics, dies
http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/01/showbiz/gore-vidal-death/index.html?hpt=hp_bn9

AHA Asks Wilmington, NC City Council: Do Not Allow Return of Those Giving Sectarian Prayers

On July 11, 2012 the AHA's Appignani Humanist Legal Center sent a letter to the Wilmington City Council asking they address the unconstitutional practice of allowing sectarian prayers during their meetings. In a letter sent to the AHA by City Attorney William Wolak in response, the only action that will be taken is to remind those giving invocations to make them "nonsectarian."

On July 30, 2012, Appignani Legal Center Director William J. Burgess replied, pointing out that "the city is liable for the conduct of those it invites to offer official prayers on its behalf" and suggests that "those who have violated the policy should be banned from ever offering prayers at meetings again and that the city publicly disassociate itself from them and their sectarian prayers in order to mitigate your violation of the law."

The American Humanist Association remains in contact with local members who will continue to monitor the situation.

MORE: http://www.americanhumanist.org/news/details/2012-07-aha-asks-wilmington-nc-city-council-do-not-allow-tho

Billboards introduce Spokane to "their friendly neighborhood Atheists"

Billboards feature local Atheists like Ray Ideus, who said the day he retired was the last time he went to church.
 
Ideus worked as a member of the clergy in the Lutheran Church for 30 years. He said he questioned his religion for years, but feared "coming out" as an Atheist. He said the billboards are designed to let people with questions about the existence of God know they are not alone.

MORE: http://www.nwcn.com/home/?fId=164513826&fPath=/news/local&fDomain=10222

See also...

Area atheists come out of their closets
http://www.cdapress.com/news/local_news/article_05778f1d-287a-55a4-91d1-a33bcab9e1ae.html

Protesters assigned time slots at DNC

(CNN) – Winners of a lottery Monday in North Carolina won't be expecting big checks–but assigned protest times at the Democratic National Convention in September.

The city of Charlotte held a live lottery for those wanting to demonstrate at the convention as a way to organize the more than 40 applications for permits.

--snip--

So who's on the list?

Among the smattering, Charlotte Atheists and Agnostics was allotted the 6 p.m. time at the speakers' platform on Tuesday (Sept 4), while Occupy NCSU (North Carolina Statue University) is scheduled to appear one hour earlier.

MORE: http://politicalticker.blogs.cnn.com/2012/07/02/protesters-assigned-time-slots-at-dnc/

Off Course: Complaint Says N.C. Churches Used Taxpayer Money To Discriminate

This is yet another example of why it's problematic to give taxpayer funds to religious organizations to operate social programs.

MORE: http://www.au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/off-course-complaint-says-nc-churches-used-taxpayer-money-to-discriminate

Military Atheist Group Unhappy With Christian Majority Chaplaincy in VA Care

The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers say it is seeking an alternative to the services provided by Christian and other faith-based chaplains in VA hospitals and hospices. The group is campaigning for more secular humanist representatives for veterans -- the equivalent of chaplains for non-believers.

MORE: http://www.christianpost.com/news/military-atheist-group-unhappy-with-christian-majority-chaplaincy-in-va-care-79156/

A tale of two logos: Atheist group targeting Wyoming goes after Ohio city over cross

STEUBENVILLE, OHIO -- An eastern Ohio town with a cross on its logo is standing its ground for the moment against the threat of legal action from the same Wisconsin atheist group taking a similar issue with the city seal in Wyoming.

Reporter David Gossett of The Herald Star newspaper in the Upper Ohio Valley reports that city leaders in Steubenville are holding off a prior decision to change the city logo after several attorneys offered the city free legal representation.

MORE: http://www.mlive.com/news/grand-rapids/index.ssf/2012/07/a_tale_of_two_city_logos_athei.html

West Texas Saga: Federal Court Rejects Latest Effort To Bless Church Politicking In Lone Star State

A federal court rejects church politicking in Texas.

MORE: http://au.org/blogs/wall-of-separation/west-texas-saga-federal-court-rejects-latest-effort-to-bless-church

Investors of the Lost Ark

Enthusiasm for Ark Encounter tempered by news of fundraising troubles, construction delays.

MORE: http://leoweekly.com/news/investors-lost-ark

'Where was God in Aurora?' comments show Internet as church for atheists

(CNN) – The Internet has become the de facto global church for atheists, agnostics and other doubters of God, who of course don't have bricks-and-mortar churches in which to congregate.
 
We see this phenomenon in motion every day on the CNN Belief Blog, where atheists/agnostics/humanists are among the most zealous commenters.

MORE: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2012/08/01/where-was-god-in-aurora-comments-show-internet-as-church-for-atheists/

Fired pastor confesses to affair with teen

Stripped of his duties, the pastor of a northwest Indiana mega-church has confessed to having sex with an underage girl when she was 16.

MORE: http://www.wgntv.com/news/wgntv-hammond-pastor-dismissed-for-sin-20120801,0,2564065.story?hpt=us_bn9

Eagle Scout Returns Medal In Protest Of Anti-Gay Policy

Earlier this month, Boy Scouts of America reaffirmed its ban against homosexual scouts and leaders.
 
Giannini isn't gay, but he immediately thought to himself:
 
"What can I do here? And I thought the biggest thing I could do, the thing that just seemed right, was to give back the badge," he says.

MORE: http://boston.cbslocal.com/2012/07/30/local-eagle-scout-returns-medal-in-protest-of-anti-gay-policy/?hpt=us_bn7

Later Stone Age Got Earlier Start in South Africa Than Thought

The study shows the onset of the Later Stone Age in South Africa likely began some 44,000 to 42,000 years ago, said Paola Villa, a curator at the University of Colorado Museum of Natural History and lead study author. The new dates are based on the use of precisely calibrated radiocarbon dates linked to organic artifacts found at Border Cave in the Lebombo Mountains on the border of South Africa and Swaziland containing evidence of hominid occupation going back 200,000 years.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120730155047.htm

Eyes and Attention of Men and Women Meander in Distinctly Different Ways

Researchers discovered the following: Men, when focused on the person being interviewed, parked their eyes on the speaker's mouth. They tended to be most distracted by distinctive movement behind the interview subjects. By contrast, women shift their focus between the interview subject's eyes and body. When they were distracted, it was typically by other people entering the video frame.

MORE: http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2012/07/120731151743.htm

'Magic' log found in Cambodia

Some people rub talcum powder on the log, and try and read lottery numbers in the residue on their hands.

Others hope it will bring miracle medical cures.

--snip--

There have been no reports of any 'magical' results.

MORE: http://www.skynews.com.au/offbeat/article.aspx?id=776352

See also...

Logging In
http://www.skepticblog.org/2012/07/31/logging-in/

Suicide Bombers Attack As Somali Delegates Approve New Constitution

As more than 600 delegates met in Mogadishu to approve Somalia's new constitution, marking a symbolic break with the country's turbulent past, two al Qaeda-linked suicide bombers tried to attack the gathering only to be killed by security guards.

MORE: http://abcnews.go.com/Blotter/suicide-bombers-attack-somali-delegates-approve-constitution/story?id=16907274

Violence in Iraq reached nearly 2-year peak in July

Baghdad (CNN) -- Violence in Iraq hit a nearly two-year peak in July, with 325 deaths reported, the Interior Ministry said Wednesday.

MORE: http://www.cnn.com/2012/08/01/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2

See also...

Car bombs kill at least 17 in Baghdad
http://www.cnn.com/2012/07/31/world/meast/iraq-violence/index.html?hpt=imi_c2