Religion and Freethought News and Commentary 8/27

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24 Members of Congress Are ‘Secret’ Atheists, Humanist Group Claims

There are at least 24 members of Congress who do not believe in God but they are not willing to come out openly, claims Maggie Ardiente, the director of development and communications at the American Humanist Association. [Read more]

Atheist Politicians May Run the UK, But They Remain Closeted in the US

During a visit here four years ago, Maggie Ardiente of the American Humanist Association bragged to her British counterparts about the one atheist in the U.S. Congress, Rep. Pete Stark of California. [Read more]

Federal Appeals Court Judge: Ban On Same-Sex Marriage Is ‘Based On Hate’

There’s no subtle way to describe a federal appeals court’s reaction to an attorney for the state of Wisconsin’s effort to defend marriage discrimination on Tuesday. [Read more]

The Decline of Liberalism Threatens Secularism in America

From Oklahoma to North Carolina, from Kansas to Kentucky, state legislatures have been turned into theocratic test tubes, and now we helplessly watch Frankenstein’s monster hatch. [Read more]

Jewish-Atheist Says “There’s A Lot Jesus Says That Makes Sense” on Bad Christian Podcast

Mathematician, author and self-proclaimed Jewish-Atheist Herb Silverman recently appeared on the Bad Christian Podcast where he discussed his views on various topics such as the war on drugs and America’s perception of Atheists. [Read more]

The End of Liberal Zionism

The decision of Israel’s prime minister, Benjamin Netanyahu, to launch a military campaign against Hamas in Gaza has cost the lives, to date, of 64 soldiers and three civilians on the Israeli side, and nearly 2,000 Palestinians, the majority of whom were civilians. [Read more]

Students, Schools and Religion

While the issue raises some complicated questions, the general principle is simple: A student has the right to exercise religion. A school may not exercise religion. [Read more]

Americans United Warns North Carolina Schools Not To Comply With New Religion-In-Schools Law

U.S. Constitution Prohibits Public School Staff From Participating In Student-Led Religious Activities, Church-State Watchdog Says. [Read more]

Why Liberals Are More Tolerant of Atheists

A 2014 Pew Research study found that Americans are less likely to vote for an atheist presidential candidate than any other survey category—even if they share that candidate’s political views. [Read more]

Proposed Ky. ‘Ark Park’ Engages In Religious Employment Discrimination

Policies That Promote Bias Should Disqualify Attraction From Receiving Tax Incentives, Church-State Watchdog Says. [Read more]

Jesus Did Not Protect Me From My Abusive Christian Stepfather

Early on, my mother’s husband “Bob” gave me a picture of Jesus with a wooden frame. At the time I did not realize it was a cheap bit of laminated crap. I loved my blond Jesus with a beard who was going to save me from suffering. [Read more]

Teacher Fired for Pregnancy Sues Catholic School

Shaela Evenson filed the lawsuit in U.S. District Court in Butte on Thursday, alleging her firing violated federal and state laws that prohibit discrimination based on pregnancy. [Read more]

Christian Rockstar’s Revelation She is Lesbian Stuns Some Fans

Vicky Beeching, known for her songs “Great is Your Glory” and “Deliver,” told The Independent newspaper she hid her sexuality from her parents, church, and thousands of Christians who patronized her songs. [Read more]

Young People Appear Less Interested in Organized Worship

In 2012, a Pew Research Center study found that young adults are less religious than any other age group, with nearly a third declining to affiliate with any organized religion. [Read more]

Don’t Bless This Mess: Religious Right Claim Of Persecution In Tenn. Public School Doesn’t Check Out

As usual, the Religious Right’s outrage over a so-called “attack” on faith in a public school isn’t quite what it seems. [Read more]

Common Core Bill Sparks Creationism Debate in Ohio

A bill to repeal the Common Core education standards in Ohio has ignited a new debate about an old issue: whether schools should be allowed to teach creationism. [Read more]

Atheist, Agnostic Group Urges Charter Schools to Quit Christian Sports League

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is urging more than a dozen charter schools, including Prime Prep Academy, to withdraw from the Texas Christian Athletic League. [Read more]

The Gaza War Has Left Jerusalem More Divided Than Ever

There’s nothing holy about Jerusalem. Its civility has been crushed; its fragile peace has been blown apart by the mindless toxicity of a summer of violence. [Read more]

Shiite Militiamen Kill Dozens of Iraqi Sunnis in Mosque Shooting

A morgue official in Diyala province, north of Baghdad, said 68 people had been killed in the sectarian attack on the Muslim day of prayer. [Read more]

Spectre of Brocken Appears as God or Spirit in Sky

This optical illusion would either terrify or amaze people. Even if told or shown how it works, many would see this as a miracle. I bet many would still now. [Read more]

5 Crazy Myths About Sex From the Religious Right

Despite the fact that people have been having sex since literally before there were people, the religious right never stops acting like sex is some great conspiracy to bring about the end of human civilization. [Read more]

A Brash Style That Filled Pews, Until Followers Had Their Fill

Mark Driscoll has long been an evangelical bad boy, a gifted orator and charismatic leader who built one of the nation’s most influential megachurches despite, or perhaps fueled by, a foul mouth, a sharp temper and frank talk about sex. [Read more]

Travelblog: Hate Speech, the First Amendment and Religious Sensitivity

Does the First Amendment protect hate speech? Yes. Does it also protect you from being offended? No. [Read more]

Latest in Atheist Comedy: “Critical and Thinking”

There’s a long and impressive history of comedians taking on religion, from Mark Twain to Lenny Bruce, and from George Carlin to Sarah Silverman. [Read more]

Knights of Columbus Pushing for “In God We Trust” Plaque in Ballwin City Hall

The Knights of Columbus are attempting to get a plaque that says “In God We Trust” posted inside Ballwin’s city hall. [Read more]

Know Nothing: The True History of Atheism

Nick Spencer begins his spirited history of atheism with a fairy tale. Once upon a time, people lived in ignorant superstition, offering sacrifices to monsters in the sky. [Read more]

Forget Priesthood — Some Mormon Feminists Seek a Middle Way

When Neylan McBaine, a lifelong Latter-day Saint reared in New York City, accepted an invitation to speak about women’s issues at a Mormon apologists’ meeting two summers ago, she simply wanted to communicate to an orthodox audience that the pain of some women within the Utah-based religion was real — and potent. [Read more]

Islamic Authority: Extremists No ‘Islamic State’

The top Islamic authority in Egypt, revered by many Muslims worldwide, launched an Internet-based campaign Sunday challenging an extremist group in Syria and Iraq by saying it should not be called an “Islamic State.” [Read more]

For Nuncio Accused of Abuse, Dominicans Want Justice at Home, Not Abroad

“He definitely seduced me with money,” said Francis Aquino Aneury, who says he was 14 when the man he met shining shoes began offering him increasingly larger sums for sexual acts. [Read more]

Can Science Shed Light On Film’s ‘Out-Of-Body’ Plot?

While official statistics are hard to come by, anecdotal reports of out-of-body-experiences, also called astral projections, have existed for decades. [Read more]

U.N. Rights Boss Condemns ‘Widespread’ Islamic State Crimes in Iraq

United Nations human rights chief Navi Pillay on Monday condemned “appalling, widespread” crimes being committed by Islamic State forces in Iraq, including mass executions of prisoners and “ethnic and religious cleansing”. [Read more]

Pastor Held for Violating Security Act

A progressive Protestant minister was detained by the police in Jeonju, North Jeolla Province, on late Monday evening for not reporting his personal information to local authorities after being released from prison a year ago. [Read more]