Early Week Religion and Skepticism Report

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atheists, bible, bill, china, christian, churches, common core, convert, corruption, creationism, criticism, dalai lama, duck dynasty, ed hindson, egypt, end times, gay marriage, god, ice bucket, iran, jews, kill, magic, marriage, military, neil cavuto, ohio, pastor, pat robertson, Phyllis Schlafly, pledge, prayer, satanic, science, selena owens, sexual assault, south africa, USA, victoria osteen, WND

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Biblical Criticism & Atheism: Why Bother with the Bible?

Self-professed Christians aren’t asked how much they have studied the bible before becoming adopting Christianity as their religion, so why the double standard? [Read more]

Why Do Atheists Promote Atheism?

Atheism may not be any sort of independent belief system with teachings that need to be explained, but atheists do find themselves explaining what atheism is and is not. [Read more]

Dear Neil Cavuto, the United States is Not a Judeo-Christian Nation, and That’s OK

There’s no doubt that child indoctrination is powerful. In the 1950s there was a lot of nationalism in the U.S. Much of it was misguided. People influenced by that era often have fond memories of it. [Read more]

Churches Urge High Court to Act on Gay Marriage

The Mormon church and four religious organizations are asking the U.S. Supreme Court to intervene and settle once and for all the question of whether states can outlaw gay marriage. [Read more]

Convert Them or Kill Them

For me, it doesn’t matter where that phrase is coming from to make it seem sick. If an Islamic leader says it, many Americans will be quick to say how awful that is. [Read more]

WND’s Owens: Ice Bucket Challenge Is A ‘Satanic Ritual’

WorldNetDaily columnist Selena Owens recently watched an online video about the supposed evils of the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge, and she is now convinced that the charity fundraising challenge is a “sacrilegious,” “cultic,” “Satanic ritual.” [Read more]

Iranian Pastor Faces Death Penalty for ‘Spreading Corruption on Earth’

A jailed Iranian pastor is facing the death penalty after the government leveled against him a new charge called “spreading corruption on earth” or “Mofsed-e-filarz,” in Pharsi. This a capital crime, according to Christian rights activists. [Read more]

Common Core Bill Loses ‘Creationism’ Language

Language that could have allowed the teaching of creationism in science classrooms was removed yesterday from a bill designed to eliminate Common Core in Ohio, but the fate of the legislation remains uncertain. [Read more]

South Africa Denies Dalai Lama Another Visa to Visit ‘Due to China Relations’

The Dalai Lama, a personal friend of Desmond Tutu, has again been refused entry to South Africa, where he was scheduled to attend the 14th world summit of Nobel peace laureates, his representative has said. [Read more]

Newly Discovered Ancient Christian Magical Spell Reveals Egyptian Influence

A 1,500 year-old papyrus fragment found in The University of Manchester’s John Rylands Library has been identified as one the world’s earliest surviving Christian charms. [Read more]

Atheist Airman Denied Reenlistment

A “statutory requirement?” Really? All these changes being made in the various military corps and they found one the requires an act of congress? [Read more]

I’m Not a Self-Hating Jew — I’m a Tribe-Unexceptionalist Jew

I was born Jewish and like most folks I love myself and my tribe. I especially like our flavor of self-effacing irony, much as I love the self-effacing irony of other tribes, Mexicans, Black Americans. [Read more]

God Doesn’t Even Answer Prayers to Himself from Himself

For if Christians cannot bring themselves to agree on what mandates of God are, is it not at least an indication that they are not guided by the same omnipotent deity but rather by their own interior preferences and prejudices? [Read more]

Phyllis Schlafly: Women Can Avoid Sexual Assault By Focusing on Marriage, Not Career

In her radio address yesterday, Phyllis Schlafly took on the issue of domestic violence and sexual assault, which she said could be eliminated if women would just get married instead of focusing so much on their careers. [Read more]

The New And Refreshing Honesty Of American Christianity (Or Why Victoria Osteen Gives Me Hope)

Who knew that Bill Cosby and Victoria Osteen would be a match made in heaven? Or is it hell? Either way, you know what I’m talking about, right? That hilarious video of Bill Cosby “responding” to Victoria Osteen’s declaration that “When we obey God…we’re doing it for ourselves.” [Read more]

Why Isn’t The US Mentioned In The Bible? Because So Many Americans Will Be Raptured In The End Times

On Tuesday, VCY America’s “Crosstalk” hosted End Times prophet Ed Hindson to discuss the impact of the End Times and the Rapture on the United States. [Read more]

In Defense of “Fundamentalist” Atheism

The notion that there can be a “fundamentalist” atheism is nonsense because atheism isn’t an ideology with dogmas that a person can be “fundamentalist” about. [Read more]

Reframing the Debate Over the Pledge of Allegiance: Make God Optional

Children are back in school and, as part of their daily routine, most of them will be expected to participate in the reciting of the Pledge of Allegiance. Recitation of the Pledge is a requirement under the laws of over forty states. [Read more]

How Will Humans Meet Their End? 5 Cosmic Risks

On Sunday, an asteroid passed close to Earth, reminding us once again that our existence on this planet is fragile. Humanity will, in fact, meet its end someday, but whether it’s tomorrow or millennia from now is all just speculation, even if the threats to the planet are very real. [Read more]

Is Marriage About Love & Happiness or Children & Ownership?

Most of the arguments offered against gay marriage are religious in nature and therefore invalid as legal arguments in the courts. [Read more]

Two Reasons ISIS Is Even More Terrifying Than You Think

In the writings of Thomas Hobbes, the great 17th-century political theorist, we find a keen analysis of the danger ISIS poses to civilized life in the 21st century. I’ll explore Hobbes’s insights a few paragraphs down. [Read more]

Pat Robertson Advises 80 Year Old Tither to Get Her Butt to Work

We all know Pat Robertson can be completely off his beam, but today on his program The 700 Club, he ventured into the realm of downright cruelty. An elderly woman, clearly on a very tight fixed income, wrote in for advice on what to do about her money woes. His response is absolutely brutal.

[Read more]

This Old Supercluster: Scientists Measure the (Massive) Place We Call Home

Ever heard of Laniakea? Well, it’s a supercluster of 100,000 galaxies including the Milky Way, and scientists just took a tape measure to it for the first time.

[Read more]