End-Week Religion and Agnostic Report

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andrew brown, anjem choudary, arabs, arameans, atheists, australia, catholic, christians, church, denominations, dinosaurs, emotional, faith, ferdinand mount, gretta vosper, intelligence, israel, justice, karen armstrong, lawsuit, liberty, marvin ellison, morality, multiverse, noise, prayer, preachers, religious, reproduction, republicans, SOCAS, spirituality, stephen hawking, terrorist, women, youtube

Stephen Hawking Makes It Clear: There Is No God

For a time, it was thought that astrophysicist Stephen Hawking had also left a tiny gap in his credo window for a magical deity. However, he has now come out and declared that there is no God. [Read more]

Study: Most Israelis Favor Greater State-Religion Separation

The annual report, which was released Sept. 23 by Hiddush revealed that 61 percent of Israelis support increased religion-state separation and 78 percent are dissatisfied with the government’s actions on religion-and-state issues. [Read more]

It’s Official: Religion Doesn’t Make You More Moral

A recent study comparing views on morality of religious and non-religious people found something surprising: Religion doesn’t make our everyday lives more moral. [Read more]

Andrew Brown: The Low-Hanging Fruit of Atheism

If we accept Steve Neumann’s “Atheist Positivity Challenge,” and refrain from going after the “low-hanging Christians” (i.e., megachurch pastors, Ken Ham, etc.) for a month, can we still criticize atheists? Even the low-hanging ones, like Andrew Brown? [Read more]

Which Religions Care Most About Church-State Separation?

I attended an event at the Brookings Institution in Washington, DC, which focused on the 2014 American Values Survey created by the Public Religion Research Institute (PRRI). [Read more]

Atheist Group Files Complaint Against Another N. Ga. School System

The American Humanist Association is demanding that Madison County High School remove a monument at the school’s football stadium in Danielsville. [Read more]

Can Atheists Pray? Gretta Vosper on Andrew W.K., Sam Harris, and Atheist ‘Spirituality’

Musician and advice columnist Andrew W.K. recently made waves with a column encouraging an apparent atheist to pray for a brother recently diagnosed with cancer. [Read more]

Radical Preacher Anjem Choudary Among Nine Held for Supporting Banned Terrorist Group

Anjem Choudary, the radical activist and co-founder of the banned al-Muhajiroun group, was arrested today as efforts intensify to disrupt the ideological backers of young British Muslims travelling to fight in foreign conflicts. [Read more]

Neighbors Sue US Pastor and Church for Unbearable Noise

Neighbors of a Pentecostal Church in Columbia, the capital of U.S. state of South Carolina, are suing the pastor after a three-year dispute about noise that resulted in the minister spending a short spell in jail. [Read more]

An Interview with Rev. Marvin Ellison on the Role of Faith Leaders in the Reproductive Justice Movement

The whole large question about access to affordable health care, including reproductive health care, is very much an issue that both women and men in Maine are addressing during this election season. [Read more]

The Catholic Church Makes Life Impossible for Infertile Women

The Catholic Church’s rigid stance against abortion and contraception is well known. In Humanae Vitae, Pope Paul VI described the “transmission of human life” as a “sacred duty.” [Read more]

A Positive Review of Karen Armstrong’s Book: Frantic Osculation by Ferdinand Mount

A negative review in the Telegraph of Karen Armstrong’s new book—Fields of Blood: Religion and the History of Violence—has been balanced by a very positive review in the Spectator. [Read more]

The 3 Words Christians Aren’t Allowed to Say

Never say, “I don’t know.” This rule applies everywhere from the pulpit to the internet and anywhere in between. I mean, think about it for a second: When’s the last time you heard a pastor or Christian celebrity or religious talking head simply say, “I don’t know.” [Read more]

Israel Says Local Christians Can Choose to Be Arameans Instead of Arabs

Interior Minister Gideon Saar on September 16 ordered Israel’s Population, Immigration and Border Authority to recognize the majority of Israel’s Christians as Arameans instead of Arabs, Israel Today reported. [Read more]

ISIL – Islamic Fundamentalism and Ludditism

One of the things that we notice with regards to Islamic Fundamentalists is that when they do succeed in taking over there is a high degree of ludditism. [Read more]

These Are the Religious Denominations That Ordain Women

Although studies have shown that women are more religious than men–more likely to believe in God, pray daily, and regularly fill the seats at religious services–they are still underrepresented as worship leaders in many traditions. [Read more]

Australian Muslim Leaders Warn Youths About YouTube Preachers

Islamic Council of Queensland president Mohammed Yusuf says that youths should avoid anyone who speaks about Islam on YouTube as they are not affiliated to any official mosques. [Read more]

Meteorite That Doomed Dinosaurs Remade Forests

The meteorite impact that spelled doom for the dinosaurs 66 million years ago decimated the evergreens among the flowering plants to a much greater extent than their deciduous peers, according to a study led by UA researchers. [Read more]

Do We Live in a Multiverse?

Our universe may not be alone. It could just be one of multiple realms making up a “multiverse.” In fact, there are a half-dozen or so lines of reasoning that lead to this conclusion. [Read more]

Republicans Rallying Behind Religious Liberty

Prospective Republican presidential candidates are promoting religious liberty at home and abroad at a gathering of evangelical conservatives, rebuking an unpopular President Barack Obama while skirting divisive social issues that have tripped up the GOP. [Read more]

Can Adults Improve Their Emotional Intelligence?

A cautious answer is that psychologists still are not sure whether adults can enhance their emotional intelligence. Current research suggests, however, that people can almost surely increase their emotional competence. [Read more]