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If I Were an Unethical Atheist
More times than I can count, I’ve heard the argument that atheists can’t be trusted to act ethically, that human beings need to believe in a supernatural source of morality to coerce us to behave. [Read more]
Repost: The Perils of Scriptural Morality
By granting the moral authority of books that contain these misogynist norms, the facilitators are painting themselves into a corner. And it’s not just women who stand to suffer from this, either. [Read more]
New Book Claims the Old Testament Drew Extensively on Plato’s Writings
According to the author, Russell Gmirkin, the idea for the earliest Bible came out of Plato’s Laws, which proposed a new form of government with divinely inspired laws and a carefully approved ethical national literature. [Read more]
Pope and World Religious Leaders Vow to Oppose Terror in God’s Name
The head of the Roman Catholic Church closed a three-day meeting where about 500 representatives of Christianity, Islam, Judaism, Buddhism, Hinduism, Shintoism, Sikhism, Zoroastrianism and other faiths discussed how their members could better promote peace and reconciliation. [Read more]
Atheists Object to Mizzou’s Chaplains, Prayers
FFRF complained that Chaplains Shay Roush and Nathan Tiemeyer are not uncompensated or purely “volunteer,” because they received per diem payments for their services, as well as Mizzou-sponsored flights for themselves and their families to bowl games. [Read more]
Christian University Expels Student After Racial Social Media Post
A Belmont University freshman “is no longer a student” at the Christian school after sending a racist Snapchat post about three African-American football players who had protested the treatment of minorities in America. [Read more]
Pakistani Christian Charged with Blasphemy Over Mecca Snap
Nabeel Chohan was arrested for liking and sharing on social media a disparaging photograph of the Kaaba, the building in Mecca, Saudi Arabia, that Muslims turn and pray to five times a day. [Read more]
Christian Calligraphers Lose First Battle in Quest to Discriminate Against Same-sex Couples
Designing same-sex wedding invitations is neither compelled speech nor an exercise of religion. [Read more]
Kong Hee Lawyers: Funneling Church Money Into Wife’s Music Career Was in Church’s Best Interest
At the sentencing in November, the judge gave five other church leaders prison terms ranging from 21 months to five years. [Read more]
Appeals Court Disaster: Ruling Lets Rowan County (NC) Leaders Keep Praying to Jesus at Meetings
The controversy began in 2012, when the ACLU of North Carolina warned the Commissioners about the problem with their prayers. The letter was ignored. [Read more]
When a County Board’s Prayer Goes Too Far
Plenty of local governments open their meetings with a quick, generic prayer from a member of the clergy. [Read more]
Botswana Deports U.S. Pastor Steven Anderson Over Anti-Gay Views
Anderson, of the Faithful Word Baptist Church in Arizona, notoriously welcomed the gunning down in June of people at a gay nightclub in Orlando, Florida by saying “there’s 50 less pedophiles in this world”. [Read more]
Dalai Lama: There is no “Muslim Terrorist” or “Buddhist Terrorist”
The Dalai Lama, who is teaching on ethics beyond religion at the moment in Strasbourg, has been making this point for some time already. [Read more]
NYC Bombings, Being Muslim and Forgoing the Fear
What do we focus on? The fact that this keeps happening? Acts of violence perpetuated by all sorts of individuals? [Read more]
How Do You Report on ‘Muslims Get Out’ Sign? Interview Diner Owner Who Put It Up, of Course
In recent months, we’ve seen a bunch of slanted, squishy reporting on the topic of “Islamophobia.” [Read more]
Settlement Boycotts – Calling Time On the Hypocrisy of Our Jewish Leadership
With 2017 marking 50 years of the Israeli Occupation of the West Bank and the annexation of East Jerusalem you can guarantee that the debate over boycotting Israeli Settlements will be a strong feature of the anniversary. [Read more]
Chabad is Orthodox, But Jewish Students It Caters to Are Not
One of the most prominent Hasidic movements, with outposts on nearly 200 U.S. college campuses, isn’t steering students toward its brand of Orthodoxy. [Read more]
Rising Anti-Semitism in the U.S., on Campus and Elsewhere
What people don’t realize is that there’s a tremendous diversity of opinion among Jews about Israel and Palestine, as well as distortions in reporting. [Read more]
Our Place In Space
A universe that extends forever into the past is one option, and I know what you’re referring to when you say some scientists rejected the idea, but they didn’t really. [Read more]