12 Sept. 2015 Religion and Atheism News

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Finding Your Place: Atheism

Last year, three atheists and agnostics took over took over an empty table at the Activities Fair, which yearly takes place on College Walk.

American Churches, Capitalism, Consumerism

One of the interesting features of modern American Christianity is how much it has borrowed from American capitalism and popular American business practices.

Atheist Bloggers Flee Bangladesh

At least 12 bloggers have packed their bags and fled abroad in recent weeks. Others are preparing to follow suit and leave the Muslim-majority country.

Religion 101: Students Can Benefit From Religion Classes As Long As Public Schools Teach Rather Than Preach

Linda K. Wertheimer wrote recently that even well-intentioned public schools don’t always get this stuff right.

Creationists Are Already in Denial About the Newly Discovered Species Homo Naledi

The fossils were discovered in an African cave in 2013 and could force us to rethink what we know about human evolution.

Ken Ham Ain’t No Kin to Homo Naledi

However, there is someone who already knows everything, so he is not in doubt. Yes, we’re referring to Ken Ham (ol’ Hambo), the Australian entrepreneur who has become the ayatollah of Appalachia.

Church Warns Against “Spiritually Transmitted Disease”

Churches are always trying to get your attention with flashy postcards and fliers, but Blue Mountain Community Church may want to rethink this one.

James McGrath Reveals That He Is a Fundamentalist Who Has Never Read Any Contemporary Scholarship in His Field

Skipping almost the entirety of the book, McGrath jumps all the way now to one single part of Chapter 10, with his new entry at Bible & Interpretation, “Mythicism and the Making of Mark.”

Assisted Dying Bill: The Church Has No Right to Deny Dignity in Death

While religious leaders are as entitled as anyone else to express their views about the Assisted Dying Bill, there is no doubt the media give the opinions of “faith leaders” disproportionate prominence.

Pastor Arrested for Blocking Traffic Calls Charges False

Pastor Westley West, 27, was charged with attempting to incite a riot, malicious destruction of property, disorderly conduct, disturbance of the peace, false imprisonment, and failure to obey, police said.

Following Warning, a “Prayer Requests” Board in a Mississippi Classroom Has Been Removed

A couple of weeks ago, the American Humanist Association’s Appignani Humanist Legal Center sent a letter to a Mississippi school district where a teacher had put up a Prayer Request Board in her classroom.

Why the Christian Right’s Homophobia Is Indefensible

Two months have passed since Obergefell was decided, and the Christian right are right back at it. Most of the Republican candidates, especially Mike Huckabee, are applauding Kim Davis.

Religious Exceptionalism and the Law: Kim Davis’s Marriage Equality Protest

Davis cited “religious conscience” as the reason why she discriminated against same-sex couples seeking marriage licenses, failed to do her job, and willingly broke the law.

Conservatives Against Kim Davis

In the case of same-sex refusenik Kim Davis, some conservative intellectuals and pundits are willing to break ranks and see the bigger picture.

Religious Tax Exemptions: Overview

The most fundamental thing to understand is that no group and no church is “owed” a tax exemption. These exemptions on various taxes are in no way protected by the Constitution.

Minnesota Muslim Pleads Guilty to Conspiring to Aid the Islamic State

Hanad Musse stood before a federal judge Wednesday, ready to plead guilty for his involvement in conspiring to support terrorists in Syria. But U.S. District Judge Michael Davis wanted more.

Did the ‘Prophet’ Muhammad Suffer from Temporal Lobe Epilepsy?

If there is but a single religious figure from human history that people should be discouraged from emulating, it’s the founder of the Islamic religion, Muhammad.

Sex Abuse Victims to Pope Francis: The Church Has Been an Obstacle to Justice

Mark Rozzi says he was 13, a young altar boy, when a priest at his eastern Pennsylvania parish sexually assaulted him in a shower.

Doug Wilson’s Shaming Letter to the Father of an Abuse Survivor

In 2005, on behalf of the elders of Christ Church, pastor Doug Wilson wrote a letter to a member of his church, Gary.

Japan’s First Psychotherapies: Between ‘Religion’ and ‘Therapy’

Christopher Harding discusses the historical negotiation between Buddhism and Psychotherapeutic frameworks, in Japan.

Gods’ Contradictory Characteristics: Making God Impossible to Exist

If theists are going to have any chance to get a skeptical, the first step must obviously be to have a coherent, understandable definition of the subject being debated.

Why Arkansas Might End Up With A Statue Of Satan On Its Capitol Grounds

The New-York-state based Satanic Temple announced it has applied to construct a statue in Arkansas of Baphomet, a goat-headed deity often used to represent Satan.

Falling Asleep in the Afterlife

Why are books about visiting heaven so boring—and popular?

Family Says DCF Discriminating Because Religion OKs Spanking

The state will go to court this week to defend a policy that bans people who believe in spanking children from becoming foster parents.

Children and the Bible

A society can often be judged by how it treats its children. Unfortunately, the laws supposedly handed down by this “god” to the ancient Hebrews were not always very “kid-friendly”.

Atheist Group Wants to Destroy Montana’s ‘Big Mountain Jesus’ War Memorial. Now the Court Has Spoken

The battle between the Freedom From Religion Foundation and supporters over a war memorial statue in the Flathead National Forest has been raging for years.

Atheist Professors and Creationist Coaches

Look what we found at the website of the Christian Post, which describes itself as “the nation’s most comprehensive Christian news website.”

How Much Do You Know About Science Topics?

Test your knowledge of science facts and applications of scientific principles by taking our short 12-question quiz. [QUIZ]

Asylum without God: The Refugee Crisis in Europe

It’s easy to advocate that Europe establish an open-door policy to welcome the refugees, but Europe’s history of reluctance further complicates the situation.