2014: The top stories in atheism

2014 was a dynamic year for atheists and agnostics.

MORE: http://chrisstedman.religionnews.com/2014/12/22/2014-top-stories-atheism/

Openly Secular: An Introduction from Richard Dawkins

Atheist coalition wants you to know they are 'Openly Secular'

The campaign, "Openly Secular: Opening Minds, Changing Hearts," was unveiled at the 65th annual gathering of the Religion Newswriters Association here on Sept. 20. It includes a website, resources for families, employers and clergy, and a YouTube channel featuring both prominent and rank-and-file nonbelievers announcing their names followed by the declaration, "I am openly secular."

MORE: http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/atheist-coalition-wants-you-to-know-they-are-openly-secular/2014/09/24/a1964cfa-4429-11e4-8042-aaff1640082e_story.html

Godless to meet at Charlotte convention

Atheists, agnostics, freethinkers and humanists from all over North and South Carolina will converge on Charlotte the weekend of September 26-28 for the fourth Annual Carolinas Secular Conference. Organized by the Carolinas Secular Association and co-hosted by the Charlotte Coalition of Reason (Charlotte CoR) and the Charlotte Atheists & Agnostics, the event will be held at the Hilton Charlotte Executive Park hotel, 5624 Westpark Drive.

MORE: http://www.enquirerjournal.com/features/church/x1528971349/Godless-to-meet-at-Charlotte-convention

Godless Billboard in Denver Heralds Secular Conference

"Don't believe in a god? Join the celebration."

MORE: http://unitedcor.org/national/news/godless-billboard-denver-heralds-secular-conference

Godless Road Sign Vandalized in Chico

A vandal has pasted words over part of an Atheists of Butte County Adopt-a-Highway road sign. The sign is located on the south side of Highway 99, near Nelson Road. The words in black block letters add "God loves" above "Atheists of Butte County."

MORE: http://unitedcor.org/national/news/godless-road-sign-vandalized-chico

Atheist Lawsuit Against Pittsburgh's Port Authority Settled

A federal lawsuit by the Washington DC-based United Coalition of Reason (UnitedCoR) against the Port Authority of Allegheny County has been settled. The Port Authority offered to pay UnitedCoR $20,000 in damages and pay the Appignani Humanist Legal Center of the American Humanist Association--which handled the case for UnitedCoR--$40,000 in legal expenses. This offer of judgment was accepted and lawyers for the Port Authority and UnitedCoR filed notice of the agreement in federal court yesterday.

MORE: http://unitedcor.org/national/news/atheist-lawsuit-against-pittsburghs-port-authority-settled

'I'm an Atheist': Stephen Hawking on God and Space

World-famous theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking says flat-out that he doesn't believe in God, but he does believe that space travel offers the best hope for our species' immortality.

MORE: http://www.nbcnews.com/science/space/im-atheist-stephen-hawking-god-space-travel-n210076

Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry turning 20 years old

The Secular Humanists of the Lowcountry, a nonprofit group of self-described "atheists, agnostics and other freethinkers," is throwing a 20th anniversary party Saturday.

MORE: http://www.postandcourier.com/article/20140917/PC16/140919486/1177/secular-humanists-of-the-lowcountry-turning-20-years-old

Study: "Spiritual" People More Likely to Commit Crimes than Atheists

Atheists also less likely to be mentally troubled, suffer anxiety and have phobias.

MORE: http://www.alternet.org/religious-people-more-likely-commit-crimes-atheists

Graphs: 5 signs of the 'Great Decline' of religion in America

We are in the midst of the "Great Decline of Religion" in America.

MORE: http://tobingrant.religionnews.com/2014/08/01/five-signs-great-decline-religion-america-gallup-graphs-church/

Atheists Are Just 2% of the Population, but 59% of Americans Claim to Know One

So many atheists remain in the closet that the vast majority of Americans probably *do* know an atheist. They just don’t know that they know an atheist.

MORE: http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2014/07/17/atheists-are-just-2-of-the-population-but-59-of-americans-claim-to-know-one/

Religion Remains a Strong Marker of Political Identity in U.S.

Little change in basic relationship over last six and a half years.

MORE: http://www.gallup.com/poll/174134/religion-remains-strong-mReligion%20Remains%20a%20Strong%20Marker%20of%20Political%20Identity%20in%20U.S.arker-political-identity.aspx

Supreme Court Rulings Raise Concerns Among Secular Groups

Secular activists were at the Supreme Court and Capitol Hill this week raising concerns about the wall of separation between religion and government. The Secular Coalition for America led demonstrations against recent Supreme Court decisions, including the Hobby Lobby ruling, which they believe allow religion to encroach on the state. They expressed their concern with a symbolic "wall of separation" that was sewn from 1600 knitted bricks collected from supporters across the country.

MORE: http://www.pbs.org/wnet/religionandethics/headlines/secularists-knit-wall-separation-government-religion/

US Air Force: 'So help me God' in oath now optional

The policy change comes after an atheist airman in Nevada struck out the words on his Department of Defense reenlistment paperwork and ran afoul of a policy that prohibits omissions. The case went up to the Department of Defense General Counsel, which issued an opinion saying the language could be left out if the airman preferred. All of the other military services have allowed the alternate language for years.

MORE: http://www.gopusa.com/news/2014/09/19/us-air-force-so-help-me-god-in-oath-now-optional/

The irony of the Air Force's anti-atheist oath

Christians, once forced to swear oaths to powers in which they did not believe, seem now to be forcing others to swear oaths to powers in which they do not believe.

MORE: http://religion.blogs.cnn.com/2014/09/17/the-irony-of-the-air-forces-anti-atheist-oath/?hpt=us_bn3

Arguments Heard in Challenge To Tax Exemption for Clergy

This week, the Seventh Circuit Federal Appeals Court heard oral arguments in Lew v. Freedom from Religion, a constitutional challenge to tax exemptions for cash allowances made to clergy members.

MORE: http://hamodia.com/2014/09/11/arguments-heard-challenge-tax-exemption-clergy/

Plucky NC High Schoolers Win Right To Start Atheist Club In Stunning Civil Rights Victory

It began last summer, when a small group of atheist students decided to form an after-school club. They put in their request, like every other club, but their application was turned down. They met with Assistant Principal Connie Weeks, who told them that she needed to "look into” whether or not they could form their group. More meetings followed and, eventually, the students were told that their group just "didn’t fit in" at Pisgah High School.

MORE: http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/02/20/pisgah-high-nc-students-atheist-club/

Atheists want you to sit down for the Pledge of Allegiance

"Until the Pledge is restored to its inclusive version, we can take it upon ourselves to refuse to participate in what's become a discriminatory exercise," the campaign's website, Don't Say the Pledge, says. It also describes the current pledge as "twisted, with divisive religious language that implies true patriots must be believers."

MORE: http://www.religionnews.com/2014/09/09/atheists-want-sit-pledge-allegiance/

See also...

Have You Talked with Your Kids About Pledging Allegiance?
http://www.psychologytoday.com/blog/our-humanity-naturally/201409/have-you-talked-your-kids-about-pledging-allegiance

Atheist Kicked Out of Florida City Meeting for Refusing to Stand for Pledge of Allegiance
http://www.christianpost.com/news/atheist-kicked-out-of-florida-city-meeting-for-refusing-to-stand-for-pledge-of-allegiance-125750/

Study: One-Third of Americans Support Changing Pledge of Allegiance
http://www.newsmax.com/US/Pledge-of-Allegiance-American-Humanist-Association-Pledge-poll/2014/09/05/id/592822/

David Niose: 'Under God' in Pledge Divides Americans
http://www.newsmax.com/Newsmax-Tv/Pledge-divisive-God-Americans/2014/08/26/id/590989/

Pledge of Allegiance center of school dispute

The American Humanist Association's Appignani Humanist Legal Center has sent a letter to school officials, saying that coercing a student to stand for the pledge infringes on his or her constitutional rights.

MORE: http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/Pledge-of-Allegiance-center-of-school-dispute-5759119.php