Saturday Religion and Atheist Report (03/07)

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AFA, AIDS, atheism, bible, bigotry, CFI, choice, christian nation, city mayor, critical thinking, david barton, gay, god, government, greece, HIV, homosexuality, humanism, jewish state, map, minorities, morality, muslim, pat robertson, religious, rights, same-sex, society, students, supreme court, warren, wedding

The AFA’s Bigotry Map: A Who’s Who of Humanism

Congratulations to all the freethought and LGBT groups recognized by the American Family Association (AFA) last week on their much-discussed interactive Bigotry Map.

Societies Don’t Need an All-Powerful God to Thrive

New anthropological research demonstrates that belief in an all-powerful God is not essential to the formation and development of complex societies.

‘Atheism is Not a Religion’ Says US Mayor After City Fined $100k for Barring Atheist Exhibition

A US city and its mayor have been fined $100,000 for refusing to allow an atheist “reason station” to be erected next to a Christian “prayer station” in its city hall.

CFI Urges Supreme Court: Don’t Allow Religion to Decide Same-Sex Marriage Rights

The Center for Inquiry filed a brief Thursday with the Supreme Court in the case of Obergefell v. Hodges, arguing that denying the right of same-sex couples to marry is being defended only by an unconstitutional reliance on religious codes of morality.

Critical and Thinking: The Ian Harris Interview

Ian Harris is a Los Angeles based comic who has performed at the Center For Inquiry-Los Angeles and at CSI conferences.

4 Important Things That Atheists Wish Everyone Knew About Them

Atheists are widely distrusted and disliked in the United States, even as the number of Americans who consider themselves religious has declined.

White Christians Are Now A Minority In 19 American States — Including Some Parts Of The Bible Belt

“The U.S. religious landscape is undergoing a dramatic transformation that is fundamentally reshaping American politics and culture,” said Dan Cox, research director for Public Religion Research Institute.

Will Greece’s New Government Help The Muslim Minority Integrate?

For decades, Muslims in northeastern Greece were cut off from the rest of the country. Mainstream politicians backed by the Greek Orthodox church ignored them.

What’s the Difference between a Christian Nation and a Jewish State?

Humanists don’t agree on everything, but one area where we’re pretty close to unanimity is revulsion at the thought of America being officially (or even unofficially) declared a “Christian Nation.”

Gay Ex-Ballplayer Has the Perfect Response to Christian Player’s Criticism of His ‘Lifestyle’

Former major leaguer Billy Bean responded to Mets infielder Daniel Murphy’s anti-LGBT remarks.

Do Levels of Religious Devotion and Atheism Impact Moral Choices Among Students?

As the debate continues over whether religion impacts moral behavior, a new study out of the U.K. is claiming that religious students do, indeed, act more morally than their atheist or unaffiliated counterparts.

Leaders Of The Mormon Church Endorse LGBT Protection Laws

During a seldom-given news conference, church elders called for an end to sexuality-based discrimination and religious freedom.

David Barton: The Bible Says There Will Never Be A Vaccine For HIV Because AIDS Is The Penalty For Homosexuality

Right-wing pseudo-historian David Barton reiterated his belief that God will never allow a cure or vaccine for AIDS to be discovered because the disease is divine punishment for homosexuality.

Pat Robertson Urges Parents Not To Attend Their Gay Child’s Wedding

Pat Robertson took a question from a viewer who sought his advice on whether she and her husband should attend their gay child’s upcoming wedding, which Robertson predictably urged them not to do.