15 April Religion and Atheism News Digest

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americans united, atheism, bible, celebrities, christopher hitchens, college, countries, creationism, discrimination, documentary, evangelical, hitch, homeschool, journalism, ken ham, kristoffer hellesmark, louisiana, noah's ark, oklahoma, pledge, reason, religion, religious, restoration act, school voucher, science, scientologists, supreme court, ted cruz, tennessee, under god, USA

“The Hitch”, A Wonderful New Film About Hitchens: And It’s Free!

The film was made by Kristoffer Hellesmark, and you can get more information here. Although Hitch is gone, and if you were a fan, this will make you sad. The great voice is stilled forever.

<p><a href=”https://vimeo.com/94776807″>'The Hitch'- Christopher Hitchens documentary</a> from <a href=”https://vimeo.com/user24292589″>Kristoffer Hellesmark</a> on <a href=”https://vimeo.com”>Vimeo</a&gt;.</p>

Are Scientific And Religious Explanations Incompatible?

If science is concerned exclusively with facts and religion exclusively with values, for example, then they might avoid direct conflict by explaining different things.

Map: These Are the World’s Least Religious Countries

The survey of 65 countries, conducted by Gallup International and the WI Network of Market Research, is based on 63,898 interviews.

The Real Reason Atheism Is on the Rise

Religion and culture expert Dr. Alex McFarland, host of the national Stand Strong Tour, says the numbers are disturbing but not surprising.

No Doubt About It, Believers and Secularists Are Fated to Live Together

In the United States, 56 percent of residents say they’re religious, 33 percent say they’re not, and 6 percent describe themselves as atheists.

Atheists Demand Investigation of Nurse Who Refused to Treat Eighth-Grader Because She Wouldn’t Stand For Pledge

The student contacted the American Humanist Association about the incident and the group is demanding an apology from the school.

Americans United, Allies Ask Oklahoma Supreme Court To Strike Down School Voucher Program

Sooner State Constitution Does Not Allow For Direct Taxpayer Aid To Religious Schools, Say Civil Liberties Groups

Teen’s Defense of ‘Under God’ Just Won Big After Atheists ‘Threw in the Towel’ on Pledge of Allegiance Legal Battle

A conservative legal firm is claiming victory after an atheist activist group announced that it will not appeal a recent New Jersey trial court decision in favor of the presence of “under God” in the Pledge of Allegiance.

Religious Restoration Act is Unnecessary

They are used by people who have businesses that are supposed to be open to the public, but who want to force their beliefs onto others.

Academic Freedom vs. Creation College

At conservative religious colleges, leaders are in a real pickle. Hosting faculty with unpopular beliefs could lead to a loss of tuition dollars. Getting rid of them could lead to charges of dictatorial ambition.

Why Are “Sophisticated” Newspapers, Websites, and Magazines So Clueless About Atheism?

They either ignore it (the NYT sporadically gives it a tiny nod), or, when they mention it, do so in a mealymouthed way, equating it with faith.

Reflections of a Homeschool Graduate

While I realize that many of our experiences differ, common threads reveal themselves in story after story of pain, exclusion, confusion, betrayal, abuse, doubt, faith crises, questioning loyalties, and more.

Louisiana’s 2015 Creationism Repeal Effort

The law was based on the Discovery Institute’s anti-science, anti-evolution, pro-creationism Academic Freedom Act (about which see the Curmudgeon’s Guide to “Academic Freedom” Laws).

Ken Ham: The Water Supply on Noah’s Ark

Besides room for Noah, his family, and thousands of animals — including dinosaurs! — there was “more than enough space” for large cisterns. That’s amazing!

How Will U.S. Evangelicals Affect 2016? For That Matter, What Is An ‘Evangelical’?

A detailed survey of 1,300 local congregations showed white evangelicals are by far the category least involved in political activism in comparison with Catholics, black Protestants, moderate and liberal “mainline” Protestants and non-Christian groups.

Ted Cruz Wants to Use Religion to Discriminate in Our Nation’s Capital

Opponents of reproductive freedom and LGBT rights, taking this message to heart, have been pursuing an aggressive, ever more brazen strategy of using religion to discriminate.

Why So Many Celebrities Are Scientologists

The interface of celebrities and Scientology gives the film its main source of fascination.

Attorney General Says Bible Can’t Be Official Tennessee Book

A bill seeking to make the Bible the official book of Tennessee would violate separation of church and state provisions in the federal and state constitutions.