26 Oct 2015 Religion, Atheism News, Commentary

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9/11, americans, arson, believers, bible, BJU, blasphemy, bob jones, boy scouts, ceremonies, christian, christians, church, faith, fraud, fundamentalism, general motors, godless, gods, gregory aker, HB-1418, health, holidays, homosexuals, indoctrination, iowa, jesus, laws, malaysia, megachurch, mike huckabee, papua new guinea, pat robertson, poland, poverty, public, religion, religious, science, sex, singapore, slavery, st louis, steven andrews, stigma, televangelism, tennessee, terrorist, theism, torture, voting, wedding, witchcraft, word of life

My Atheism Does Not Make Me Superior to Believers

It’s easy to look at terror done in the names of different gods and think, look at these foolish religious folk. But we’re in no position to cast the first stone.

Godless Marriage: Making Marriage Work Without Gods or Religion

There are quite a few options available for people who are uninterested or unwilling to have any of the traditional religious wedding ceremonies. Some are both nonreligious and without any real ceremony.

What Do “Certificates of Purity” Communicate to Sexual Assault Survivors?

If you are a young person committed to Christian purity or the parent of such a child, obsessing with the young person’s genitals is a red herring.

Experts: The Stigma of Atheism Has Faded in Iowa

When Jason Benell told his mother-in-law he is an atheist, she asked if he worshiped the devil. “Absolutely not,” he told her.

Tennessee Religious Indoctrination Bill Inspires Praise and Confusion

Rep. [Sheila] Butt introduced a bill, HB 1418, which if it came from a liberal legislator in a progressive state, would be praised by the entire secular community.

Christian Voter Guide: Jesus is Wrong on the Issues and Wrong for America

I’ve taken the liberty of revising [Rev. Steven] Andrew’s guide to reflect new information, but the criteria remain the same, based on his “Five Biblical Qualifications for Voting.”

Bristol Palin Attacks Richard Dawkins for His Non-Existent ‘Defense’ of 9/11 Hijackers

“Their agenda is to attack people of all faiths,” Palin wrote on her blog. “And Dawkins has to fit even something as obviously evil as the terrorist attacks on 9/11….”

Blasphemy Laws Upheld, in Malaysia and Poland

Two related stories from the last few weeks — the first from Bernama, “the national news agency of Malaysia” and the Warsaw Business Journal.

Religion and Science

Highly religious Americans are less likely than others to see conflict between faith and science.

Exploring the Connections of Faith, Sex, and Public Health

I now realize what an important role I played for them, yet never once asked them some of the most crucial questions as they told me about their experiences.

Former Scout Leader, Religion Teacher, Admits Possessing Child Porn

From all appearances, Gregory Aker was solid member of his community, an assistant scoutmaster with the Boy Scouts in Clark and a volunteer religion teacher at a Linden church.

Singapore Megachurch Leaders Convicted in Pop Music Fraud Case

The mix of money, faith and scandal in the case has fascinated the public in affluent Singapore, where such cases are rare under a system with little tolerance for corruption.

Word of Life Church’s Path From Bible Group to Lethal Sect

Children sat facing the bare classroom walls inside Word of Life Christian Church, separated from one another by plywood dividers and forbidden to so much as swivel their heads to get a teacher’s attention.

Seventh Church Set Fire in String of St. Louis Arsons

Capt. Garon Mosby of the St. Louis Fire Department said no one was injured in the blaze. No one was inside the church when it happened.

Time to Bury the Fundamentalist Hatchet?

Since the beginning in the 1920s, leaders of the two schools fought viciously. BJU founder Bob Jones Sr. accused sitting Wheaton president J. Oliver Buswell of jealousy.

Religion vs. Theism

Are religion and theism effectively the same thing, such that every religion is theistic and every theist is also religious?

Raised on Televangelism

The televangelists came into our home through cable, showing us miracles and speaking to us the truths by which we were to live if we wanted to achieve paradise, if we wanted to escape hell.

GM Beats Workers’ Lawsuit Over Religious Holidays, For Now

General Motors Co has won dismissal of a class action lawsuit by two employees in Texas who say the top U.S. automaker violated federal law in denying them unpaid time off on religious holy days.

Mike Huckabee Agrees with Bible Verse That Says Poor People Should Be Sold into Slavery

Radio host Jan Mickelson asked Huckabee about … a potential solution for our broken prison system and the GOP President candidate took the bait.

Papua New Guinea Students Share Video Appearing to Show Women Tortured for ‘Witchcraft’

Videos of sorcery-linked violence and murder are shared on social media out of approval rather than horror, says man involved in rescue of victims.

Robertson: ‘Homosexuals … Want to Come Out and Stick It to the Christians’

“The 700 Club” ran a story about American Christians who are supposedly suffering persecution by being forced to violate their religious beliefs in order to maintain their jobs.