News items from the past week include problems with criminalizing anti-social behavior in Britain, whether the existence of atheists disproves atheism, a judge who thinks that Christians and Jews should be treated better than others, the difference between journalism and propaganda, and more.

ACLU, Abortion, and Evolution
It's interesting how often conservative critics link complaints about abortion and evolution. There is no inherent connection, but there seems to be in the critics' minds. This helps demonstrate, I think, that their complaints are based primarily on religious dogma rather than reason, logic, or common sense.

If Not Torture, Then What?
One would think that the mounting evidence of organized and officially approved torture of detainees in American custody should have created greater public outrage - especially among conservative defenders of traditional values. But it hasn't. If torturing suspects isn't enough to cause conservatives to criticize their leaders and party, is there anything that would?

Government Censorship of the Word 'Gay'
A federally funded conference on suicide prevention has been marked by controversy because of government efforts to remove the words "gay," "lesbian," "bisexual," and "transexual" from the program. People are scared of even acknowledging the role of Christian hate and homophobia in suicide in America.

Judge: Jews and Christians Have Special Rights
That's Alabama...

Disproving Atheists
How?

Government & Religion
Should they be connected?

Criminalizing Anti-Social Behavior
A good idea?

Governor Opposes Ten Commandments Display
...sort of

Journalism vs. Propaganda
What's the difference?

Catholic Church Frowns on German Burial Trends
Why?

 

Book Reviews:

1) The Incredible Shrinking Son of Man:
Did Jesus exist as a real, physical person? That's always been assumed by Christians, but recent scholarship has begun to cast some doubt upon that. The more one looks at the biblical record, the less reliable the evidence of a historical Jesus becomes. If one probes deeply enough, belief in a historical Jesus may become unjustified.

2) Same-Sex Marriage: The Moral and Legal Debate
Those who support the legalization of gay marriage in America as well as those who oppose it are each convinced that theirs is the moral, legal, and rational position to hold. They couldn't be farther apart in the contents of their beliefs, but they are very similar when it comes to the manner of holding those beliefs. How is one to determine who is correct?

3) Priests: A Calling in Crisis
The year 2002 was one of profound crisis and crisis management for the Roman Catholic Church in America. This was the year that the stories of priests sexually abusing children - and the church hierarchy covering up for them - really broke out into the open and captivated the media's attention. What, though, were the causes of the abuse? Should things be changed to eliminate homosexuality, as the conservatives say, or to eliminate celibacy, as the liberals say?