Wednesday Religion and Atheism News (02/18)

Tags

answers in genesis, ark, atheism, belief, catholic, chapel hill, christian right, christians, church, college, conservatives, consumer, crowdfunding, delusions, economics, evil, evolution, fraud, gop, homosexuality, humanism, iraq, islamic state, megachurches, militant, militia, murder, politics, polyamory, prayer, religion, religious, religious right, republicans, satanic temple, schools, secular, students, therapy, violence, women

Help Make Secular Women Work

There are benefits to claim at many levels of support in the kickstarter, such as getting to run your own ad in the conference program, or sharing a VIP dinner with a speaker of your choice (their consent required, of course).

The Chapel Hill Murders and ‘Militant’ Atheism

Sam Harris responds to the charge that “militant” atheism is responsible for the murder of three Muslim students in North Carolina. (w/ AUDIO)

When Humanism Is Attacked, Have Courage

Born of our protective drive for survival, fear can make even the best of us lash out at perceived enemies.

The Christian Right Is Quite Scary, But the GOP’s Economic Agenda Is America’s Big Nightmare

The holy rollers, naturally, seized the opportunity to present themselves as persecuted patriots defending America’s regular folk against godless liberal elites.

Is Atheism Evil?

Why, whenever a Muslim is involved in violence, are we so sure the perpetrator’s religious belief was the cause?

To Be Fully Religious, One Must (Partially) Embrace Atheism

When someone tells me they‘re an atheist and that they don’t believe, I often surprise them by saying I agree with them, at least to an extent.

Westerners Join Iraqi Christian Militia to Fight Islamic State

Thousands of foreigners have flocked to Iraq and Syria in the past two years, mostly to join Islamic State, but a handful of idealistic Westerners are enlisting as well.

Therapists Who Say Homosexuality Can Be Cured Are Committing Consumer Fraud, N.J. Judge Says

The ruling said conversion therapists could not advertise their “success rate” of turning people into heterosexuals because “there is no factual basis for calculating these statistics.”

Can the Satanic Temple Save America?

America’s new Satanists are less about animal sacrifice and more into ‘Paradise Lost’—and they may be our best hope for saving religious freedoms.

Too Much Prayer in Politics: Republicans, the Religious Right and Evolution

Faith and government shouldn’t be as cozy as they are in this country. Politicians in general, and Republicans in particular, shouldn’t genuflect as slavishly as they do, not in public.

Answers in Genesis Explains an Ark Mystery

What’s really important is how they all climbed out of the Ark when the Flood was finished. Be prepared to be enlightened, dear reader. Here are some excerpts, with bold font added by us and most of the scripture references omitted.

Charlie Hebdo and Americans’ Opinions on Religious Violence

A PRRI survey found that Americans have a double standard when evaluating violence committed by self-identified Christians and Muslims.

Do You Know How Many Megachurches Are in Your State?

More than one in ten Protestant churchgoers attend megachurches, according to Scott Thumma, a sociologist at the Hartford Institute for Religion Research who’s been researching the trend since the 90s.

College Students Are Abandoning Religion In Record Numbers

America’s Class of 2018 cares less about religious identity than any other group of college freshman in the last 40 years, newly released research shows.

‘Polyamorous’ Woman Loses Fight with Catholic Church

The woman filed the lawsuit against Brisbane-based Centacare last October claiming she sexually discriminated against, as well as accusing the centre of breach of contract.

The Upside of Delusional Beliefs

In the context of schizophrenia, if you are about to endorse a delusional thought, then you are likely to have had anomalous experiences.

What Conservatives Want in Schools

In a recent long interview with Bill Kristol on The Weekly Standard, Secretary Bennett shares his memories of his conservative leadership in education.