Dealing with Religion in the Workplace
Monday June 30, 2003
Atheism at Work: People spend more time at their jobs than they spend in many other social situations - as a result, they also tend up spending more time with ... Read More
Pakistan's Taliban: Islamic Extremists Gaining Power
Monday June 30, 2003
Could a Taliban-style society develop in nuclear-powered Pakistan? That's the concern of many observers as Islamic extremists, especially those in Northwest Pakistan, continue to grow in power and popularity. ABC ... Read More
Honolulu Partners with the Christian Coalition
Monday June 30, 2003
According to the Honolulu Starbulletin, the city of Honolulu is teaming up with the Christian Coalition for this year's Independence Day parade and other events. For example, when groups want ... Read More
This Date in History
Monday June 30, 2003
June 30, 1971: Black families who had children attending public schools in Mississippi filed suit to have the IRS revoke the tax exempt status of private schools in Mississippi that ... Read More
Ten Commandments Plaque to Stay
Monday June 30, 2003
Robert Freedberg, president of Northampton County, New Jersey, has announced that a plaque displaying the Ten Commandments will stay right where it is. He based his statement on a federal ... Read More
Opium Returns to Liberated Afghanistan
Monday June 30, 2003
Although Afghanistan was supposed to be liberated by American forces, it seems that the more things change the more things stay the same. The poppy harvest has begun again, and ... Read More
God Watches Over Arsonist?
Monday June 30, 2003
We all realize that various Christian groups interpret the Bible in many different and often conflicting ways. This can make it annoyingly difficult to pin down just what Christians are ... Read More
Everyone's a Sodomite
Monday June 30, 2003
Andrew Sullivan explains in a recent column that at one time or another, nearly every sexual practice outside of sex in specific positions for the purpose of procreation has been ... Read More
Katharine Hepburn Dead at 96
Sunday June 29, 2003
With a career spanning over six decades, Katharine Hepburn has died at the age of 96. Born on May 12, 1907, in Hartford, Connecticut, Katharine Hepburn had a very independent ... Read More
Malawi Muslims Riot, Attack Christians
Sunday June 29, 2003
Rioting members of the Muslim minority of Malawi have attacked priests and vandalized churches of the Christian majority amid reports that suspected Islamic extremists who had been arrested by the ... Read More
Atheist Family Values
Sunday June 29, 2003
Atheism & Families: Most atheists will at some point have to contend with close family members who are religious - perhaps very devoutly religious, even objecting to atheism and atheists, ... Read More
Pope: Gay Families are Inauthentic
Sunday June 29, 2003
According to Pope John Paul II, any version of a family that does not involve a man and a woman having children is "inauthentic." This continues the Roman Catholic Church's ... Read More
Public Research in the Public Domain
Sunday June 29, 2003
There is a lot of important scientific and medical research out there that has largely or wholly funded by the public, but which the public cannot access due to the ... Read More
Faith-Based Treatment for Sex Offenders
Sunday June 29, 2003
The Meadow Creek Correctional Facility in Alaska is considering instituting a faith-based treatment program for the sex offenders incarcerated there. The reason? Aside from the growing desire of government officials ... Read More
This Date in History
Sunday June 29, 2003
June 29, 2002: Romulo Antonio Braschi, founder of a Catholic schismatic movement, ordained seven women in Austria: Christine Juner-Lumetzberger, Adelinde Roitinger, Gisela Forster, Iris Muller, Ida Raming, Pia Brunner and ... Read More
Obscenity Laws in Danger?
Sunday June 29, 2003
Currently, obscene pornography is not protected as free speech. According to Eugene Volokh, however, the recent Supreme Court decision in Lawrence v. Texas that overturned a Texas law criminalizing homosexual ... Read More
Rehnquist Family Values
Sunday June 29, 2003
At one time, the Supreme Court treated rights involving marriage, family, and the raising of children to be of fundamental importance in our society. Conservatives in America certainly use the ... Read More
Christian Video Games
Sunday June 29, 2003
Many video games today are violent and not the sort that evangelical Christians are likely to be interested in. They do, however, have alternatives: video games based explicitly around Christian ... Read More
Philadelphia Boy Scouts Losing Money
Sunday June 29, 2003
Because the Cradle of Liberty Council in Philadelphia has given in to pressure from the national Boy Scout council to keep its discriminatory policy against gays and atheists, it is ... Read More
The End of Natural Motherhood?
Saturday June 28, 2003
Artificial Wombs: Some day medical science will advance to the point where we can create artificial wombs. This would allow us to grow a fetus outside of the mother's body ... Read More
Jewish Landowners to be Killed
Saturday June 28, 2003
Ayatollah Kazem al-Husseini al-Haieri, a senior Iraqi cleric who is currently based in Iran, has issued a fatwa declaring that any Jews who buy or even try to buy land ... Read More
Secular Supremacy?
Saturday June 28, 2003
According to Dr. D. James Kennedy of Coral Ridge Ministries, the recent Supreme Court decision that overturned a Texas law banning sodomy is a "declaration of secular supremacy" because it ... Read More
Prostitution Decriminalized in New Zealand
Saturday June 28, 2003
After extensive debate, the New Zealand Parliament voted to decriminalize prostitution, allowing now for a framework in which the sex industry can legally operate. Previous laws technically outlawed prostitution, but ... Read More
This Date in History
Saturday June 28, 2003
June 28, 1971: The Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the case of Lemon v. Kurtzman that the direct government assistance to religious schools was unconstitutional. This produced the so-called "Lemon ... Read More
Hijacking Slavery
Saturday June 28, 2003
According to some, redistributive taxation is a form of slavery because it "extracts involuntary labour (or its fruits) from people." However, the mere fact that such taxation simply shares a single ... Read More
Religious Discrimination in Head Start
Saturday June 28, 2003
Is there religious discrimination in Head Start, a government program designed to help poor children? No - at least not yet. If the Bush administration has its way, however, thousands ... Read More
Court Upholds Ten Commandments Plaque
Saturday June 28, 2003
According to the Third Circuit Court, the Chester County courthouse (in the Philadelphia suburbs) can keep a plaque of the Ten Commandments despite its inherently religious message. The basic reasoning ... Read More
In God We Trust Lawsuit
Saturday June 28, 2003
According to a lawsuit recently filed in federal court, a plaque installed in late 2002 that bears the motto "In God We Trust" is a religious statement being made by ... Read More
Only Beholden to God
Friday June 27, 2003
A man in Tasmania tried to argue that he only answered to God and, hence, didn't have to obey the country's traffic regulations. But the judge didn't buy it, fining ... Read More
Saudi Women Speak Out
Friday June 27, 2003
In an unusual television event, eight Saudi women appeared on the program, "Saudi Women Speak Out" to complain about unemployment, the right to drive, and the restrictions on political participation. ... Read More
Prison Fellowship Ministries Challenged
Friday June 27, 2003
Americans United for Separation of Church and State has filed a lawsuit challenging the use of Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship Ministries at the Newton prison in Iowa. According to the ... Read More
Anglicans: Polygamy OK, Gays Not
Friday June 27, 2003
In Australia, the Syndey diocese of the Anglican church has banned from the pulpit even celibate gays, not to mention anyone who has had pre-marital sex but failed to repent. ... Read More
This Date in History
Friday June 27, 2003
June 27, 1844: Joseph Smith and his brother Hyrum were lynched by a mob in Carthage, Illinois. Smith was the founder of the Mormon Church and the mob was outraged, ... Read More
Marriage a Religious Institution, not Secular
Friday June 27, 2003
According to a large group of clergy in Canada, marriage is a religious institution - thus, it is wrong for the civil government to use that word to describe gay ... Read More
God's Wrath Hitting America
Friday June 27, 2003
According to Pat Robertson's Christian Broadcasting Network, American efforts to achieve peace in the Middle East between Israel and Palestinian militants is bringing some unexpected consequences: God's wrath in the ... Read More
Religious Sales Tax Exemptions Upheld
Friday June 27, 2003
The ACLU challenged Louisiana laws that exempt churches and other religious groups from paying the same sales taxes as everyone else when it comes to Bibles, song books, religious textbooks, ... Read More
California Rejects Gay Marriage
Friday June 27, 2003
With the votes split 61%-39%, Californians decided to ban any official recognition of gay marriages. Proposition 22 was sponsored by Republican state senator Pete Knight and heavily backed by churches. ... Read More
Girl Killed in Exorcism
Friday June 27, 2003
Sabrina Wright confessed in a New York court that she killed her 4-year-old daughter by holding her too long under water as part of an effort to exorcise evil from ... Read More
Suit Filed to Remove Ten Commandments Monument
Thursday June 26, 2003
In late 2002 the city of Frederick, Maryland sold a tiny sliver of land in a public park where a Ten Commandments monument stood in order to avoid a lawsuit ... Read More
Bush Wants Prisons to Push Christianity?
Thursday June 26, 2003
After the release of a report showing that Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship program may reduce recidivism, President Bush is seeking ways to have the same or similar Christian-only programs introduced ... Read More
Journalists Charged with Defaming Islam
Thursday June 26, 2003
In Afghanistan, two journalists have been arrested, charged with defaming Islam, and released pending trial. President Hamid Karzai was quoted in the an Associated Press article as saying that "We ... Read More
Governor Applies Christian Ethics; Conservatives Incensed
Thursday June 26, 2003
Usually conservatives in America are happy when Christian ethics are applied in government, but not this time. When Governor Bob Riley was elected in Alabama, he faced massive financial deficits ... Read More
This Date in History
Thursday June 26, 2003
June 26, 1858: The United States army entered Salt Lake City in order to restore peace and install Alfred Cumming (a non-Mormon) as governor. Mormon residents had opposed the replacement ... Read More
A Christian European Union?
Thursday June 26, 2003
Why do some people and states want a European Constitution to make explicit reference to the European heritage of Christianity - not all of which is positive? According to Ijaz ... Read More
Supreme Court Overturns Gay Sex Ban
Thursday June 26, 2003
In a widely anticipated ruling in Garner v. Texas , the Supreme Court overturned a Texas law that criminalized ""deviate sexual intercourse with another individual of the same sex." This ... Read More
Who's Who in Atheism?
Thursday June 26, 2003
Famous Atheists: Index of short biographies of famous atheists, agnostics, freethinkers, and other skeptics who have played an important role in the history of challenging and questioning traditional ... Read More
American Journalists Not Doing Their Job
Thursday June 26, 2003
According to Justin Webb, American journalists have in many ways given up on what should be their job: to challenge American political leaders and report to the public what is ... Read More
Islamic Extremits Killing Muslims in Pakistan
Thursday June 26, 2003
Much has been made about the violence committed by Muslim extremists against members of other religions and liberal, secular reformers - not only in Pakistan, but elsewhere in the world. ... Read More
This Date in History
Wednesday June 25, 2003
June 25, 1962: The Supreme Court ruled 7 to 1 in the case of Engel v. Vitale that it is unconstitutional for a government agency like a school or government ... Read More
Ousting Intolerant Foreign Churches?
Wednesday June 25, 2003
Should a nation get rid of religious groups that come in and intolerantly demand that citizens abandon their local but inferior religious traditions? That seems to be the argument of ... Read More
Onward Christian Soldiers... To Kidnap Little Girls?
Wednesday June 25, 2003
Since 1987 Uganda has been torn by a civil war waged by Lord's Resistance Army (LRA), a group seeking to have the nation ruled according to the Bible and the ... Read More
Salt Lake City Plaza Fight Not Over?
Wednesday June 25, 2003
Because the Salt Lake City government retained an easement over a plaza owned by the Mormon church, the 10th Circuit Court ruled that the plaza must remain open to free ... Read More
Gay Music Director not Welcome at Catholic Church
Wednesday June 25, 2003
Bill Stein was the music director at the Holy Family Catholic Church in Rockford, Illinois, for 5 years. He was, by all accounts, excellent at what he did - he ... Read More
President Bush Receiving Orders from God?
Wednesday June 25, 2003
In an article about the Middle East peace efforts, Haaretz.com quotes Palestinian Prime Minister Mahmoud Abbas saying that President Bush told him: "God told me to strike at al Qaida ... Read More
President Bush Backs Religious Discrimination
Wednesday June 25, 2003
In a message to Congress, President Bush asked that religious groups which receive federal funds to administer government social programs be allowed to explicitly discriminate on the basis of religion ... Read More
Antisemitic Passion?
Wednesday June 25, 2003
A recent report by a team of scholars suggests that Mel Gibson's upcoming movie "The Passion," about the last days of Jesus Christ and filmed entirely in Latin and Aramaic, ... Read More
Mass Genetic Screening in Britain
Wednesday June 25, 2003
A new initiative in Britain promises to perform genetic screening and testing on people starting just after they are born. The purpose would be to track diseases which are at ... Read More
Fundamentalist Christians Opposing Peace
Wednesday June 25, 2003
Peace in the Middle East is something everyone wants, right? Well... maybe not everyone. The Apostolic Congress and the and Religious Round Table, fundamentalist Christian organizations, have purchased space on ... Read More
Science Is As Scientists Do
Wednesday June 25, 2003
What is Science? This is a very reasonable question, but unfortunately it isn't easy to provide a simple, definitive answer because there is no entity with the authority to define ... Read More
This Date in History
Tuesday June 24, 2003
June 24, 1992: The United States Supreme Court decided in the case of Lee v. Weisman that prayers during school graduation violated the Establishment Clause of the Constitution.
Read ... Read More
Charge Husband with Breastfeeding in Public?
Tuesday June 24, 2003
Should a husband be charged with any crimes his wife commits in public? That's the legal theory being offered by Brad L. Barnhill whose wife, Catherine Nicole Donkers, was stopped ... Read More
Meteor Crash that Saved Christianity?
Tuesday June 24, 2003
Geologists in Italy have discovered a meteor crater which may have played a role in emperor Constantine's converstion to Christianity. The Cratere del Sirente in central Italy has been dated ... Read More
Modesty at Liberty University
Tuesday June 24, 2003
Before you go to Jerry Falwell's Liberty University this fall, be sure that you find out what does and does not qualify as "acceptable" modesty for women in classes! No ... Read More
Government-Supported Evangelism in Public Schools
Tuesday June 24, 2003
How would you like it if public schools were required to send home to parents flyers from a group that exists solely for the purpose of converting even the youngest ... Read More
Islamic Fundamentalism in Iraq
Tuesday June 24, 2003
The American "liberation" of Iraq was supposed to free a people from an oppressive dictator (and something about Weapons of Mass Destruction, maybe). That war, however, seems to have installed ... Read More
Reverse Genie
Tuesday June 24, 2003
The "standard" genie from stories grants us three wishes by changing the world to fit our desires. A reverse genie, however, "grants" three wishes by changing our desires to match ... Read More
Rabbis Call for Defense of Biblical Lands
Tuesday June 24, 2003
The Rabbis' Union, a creation of Orthodox Jewish leaders in Israel, has called for widespread opposition to the U.S.-backed "road map to peace" and has condemned any effort to turn ... Read More
Jesus Sandals Ditched by Danes
Tuesday June 24, 2003
Although the supermarket chain Kvickly has sold more than 4,000 pairs of sandals featuring images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, the receipt of more than 200 complaints is causing ... Read More
This Date in History
Monday June 23, 2003
June 23, 1530: Reformation leaders signed the Augsburg Confession, an explanation of their doctrines and differences from Roman Catholicism.
Read More:
Reformation
Augsburg Confession
Supreme Court: Split Decision on Affirmative Action
Monday June 23, 2003
In a hotly anticipated decision about affirmative action, the Supreme Court split the difference: a more general program at the University of Michigan was struck down while another program used ... Read More
Christians Are Not All Bad
Monday June 23, 2003
The comic This Modern World by Tom Tomorrow often satirizes the Religious Right in America; in this installment, he shows what it might be like if Christians who commit acts ... Read More
Real Estate of the Righteous
Monday June 23, 2003
Ruben Bolling's comic Tom the Dancing Bug satirized the all-too-common habit of religious groups to fight one another. Here, we see how even those who claim to be following the ... Read More
Cannibalism in India?
Monday June 23, 2003
According to the PakTribune, cannibalism is still being practiced in India by members Hindu Aghora sect. Even more amazing is the implication that this sect may be responsible for the ... Read More
Online Salvation in Twelve Seconds?
Monday June 23, 2003
The website of a church in Hokksund, Norway is offering visitors a free, quick, and painless method of obtaining salvation: just read a prayer they provide for you and then, ... Read More
Convicted Priest Continued to Serve
Monday June 23, 2003
Bruce MacArthur was convicted of trying to rape a disabled nursing home patient and served 29 months, but he was allowed to continue to work in the Roman Catholic Church ... Read More
Should Christians Convert Muslims?
Monday June 23, 2003
Evangelical Christians in the United States are starting to see the world of Islam as a great realm of "unchurched people" who need Christianity's spiritual message of hope and redemption. ... Read More
What is Theism?
Monday June 23, 2003
Theism 101: A primary purpose of this site is to provide material and resources necessary to understand atheism and the issues which concern atheists. Understanding atheism, however, requires some understanding ... Read More
Public Health vs. Personal Liberty
Monday June 23, 2003
Ethics of Quarantines: When an outbreak of a deadly, communicable disease threatens to overwhelm public health services, one of the tools available to government officials is a quarantine: segregating the ... Read More
What is Creationism?
Monday June 23, 2003
Varieties of Creationism: Like evolution, creationism can have more than one meaning. At its most basic, creationism is the belief that the universe was created by a deity of some ... Read More
Ethics of Biotechnology
Monday June 23, 2003
Book Review: Who Owns Life?
Modern biotechnology is creating ethical questions faster than most people can properly consider and learn to understand them, much less develop coherent and reasonable answers. We ... Read More
Demons in American Culture
Monday June 23, 2003
Book Review: American Exorcism: Expelling Demons in the Land of Plenty
Have you ever considered that you might be possessed by demonic forces? Has Satan visited you lately? Perhaps these seems ... Read More
This Date in History
Sunday June 22, 2003
June 22, 1844: Joseph Smith, accused of instigating a riot when Mormons smashed the presses of a newspaper critical of his secret doctrines on polygamy, fled from arrest.
Read More:
Books ... Read More
Locke vs. Davey: Government Sponsored Religious Training
Sunday June 22, 2003
Should government grants and scholarships be used to fund religious training - i.e., a person's education in pursuit of becoming a minister or pastor? Some think the government should do ... Read More
Sacramento: Intelligent Design vs. Evolution
Sunday June 22, 2003
The Roseville Joint Union High School District will consider a parent's request that supplementary materials that teach about Intelligent Design be included with the biology lessons about evolution, providing "balance" ... Read More
Canada Destroys Heterosexual Christian Marriages
Sunday June 22, 2003
It may be that gay marriages will become fully legalized in Canada; if that happens, many gay couples in America will travel to Canada in order to wed. Many Christians ... Read More
God's Poor Design
Sunday June 22, 2003
One popular argument that people offer for the existence of God is known as the Design Argument. According to this, the existence of God can be known simply by observing ... Read More
Pakistan Society Taking Dark Turn with Fundamentalism
Sunday June 22, 2003
Islamic extremists in Pakistan are wielding more and more power. Some of it is official, as with a strong showing in national elections in the Fall of 2002. Much is ... Read More
Opponents of God to Receive Death Penalty?
Sunday June 22, 2003
Ayatollah Mohammed Yazdi, a senior cleric in Iran, has asked the judiciary to treat the civil protestors as "opponents of God" rather than opponents of the government. He said that ... Read More
Full Disclosure on Abortion Views?
Sunday June 22, 2003
Most Americans want Supreme Court nominees to disclose their views on abortion before being voted on by the Senate. This represents an unusual confluence of interests with an issue that ... Read More
Studying and Understanding Religion
Sunday June 22, 2003
Philosophy of Religion: Sometimes confused with theology, the Philosophy of Religion is the philosophical study of religious beliefs, religious doctrines, religious arguments and religious history.
The line between theology and ... Read More
Catholic Confidence, Not Faith, Shaken
Sunday June 22, 2003
Recent polls show that the Roman Catholic Church's handling of its sex abuse scandals has weakened parishioners' confidence in the church's leadership, but not their religious faith in the church ... Read More
This Date in History
Saturday June 21, 2003
June 21, 1905: Jean-Paul Sartre, French novelist and philosopher, was born. Sartre is perhaps most famous for his development and defense of atheistic existential philosophy.
Read More:
Existentialism
Sartre, by Neil Levy
Biographies of ... Read More
Gays vs. The Roman Catholic Church
Saturday June 21, 2003
Catholicism and Homosexuality: What is the official Catholic position on homosexuality? It's unusual: homosexual orientation is accepted, but not homosexual behavior. This is necessary because any changes regarding homosexuality would ... Read More
Bioethics and Personal Identity
Saturday June 21, 2003
Genes & Identity : Everyone seems to feel the need for to have an identity; the problem is, it's not exactly clear just what "identity" should entail. Is it about ... Read More
Understanding Atheism and Religion
Saturday June 21, 2003
Atheism and Religion: Is atheism a religion? Are atheists anti-religious? Can atheists be religious or spiritual? Not even all atheists are readily able to answer questions such as these, much ... Read More
Sorcerers in Papua New Guinea: Burned, Beaten, Raped, and Worse
Saturday June 21, 2003
According to Minister for Welfare Lady Carol Kidu, women accused of sorcery n Papua New Guinea face torture interrogations which include beatings, rapes, amputations, and more. If they live through ... Read More
History of Medieval Christianity
Saturday June 21, 2003
Recently Received: The Christian World of the Middle Ages, by Bernard Hamilton
There have been a lot of books written about Christianity in the Middle Ages, so do we really need ... Read More
Secularism is Not Anti-Religion
Saturday June 21, 2003
Secularism is not about being agaisnt religion; rather, it is about ensuring that people of all religous faiths and of no religious faith get the same respect. That was the ... Read More
God's Defenders
Saturday June 21, 2003
Recently Received: God's Defenders: What They Believe and Why They Are Wrong, by S.T. Joshi
There are a lot of people who are willing to defend religion and theism, but not ... Read More
Catholic Bishops Discuss Nationwide Church Council
Saturday June 21, 2003
There hasn't been a nationwide church council in America since 1884, but the recent problems plaguing the Roman Catholic Church - especially those involving the sexual abuse of children priests ... Read More
Life, Death, and Meaning
Saturday June 21, 2003
Recently Received: Mortalism: Readings on the Meaning of Life, edited by Peter Heinegg
Can life have meaning even if we believe that we are mortal, lacking eternal souls? Many religious people ... Read More
Roman Catholic Catechism to be Updated?
Saturday June 21, 2003
At a recent meeting of American bishops, the possibility of updating the catechism because of complaints that Catholics who grew up after Vatican II don't know enough about the Catholic ... Read More
Is Global Warming Junk Science?
Saturday June 21, 2003
There are fierce political debates over the possibility that human actions may be causing the global temperatures to rise. Scientists debate the issue as well, but rarely with quite as ... Read More
Faith-Based Prison Rehabilitation Vindicated?
Friday June 20, 2003
A recent study indicates that prisoners who graduate from Charles Colson's Prison Fellowship's program are much less likely to return to crime. Conducted by Byron Johnson of the University of ... Read More
McCorvey Denied: Roe v. Wade Not Reopened
Friday June 20, 2003
Norma McCorvey, the "Jane Roe" in the Supreme Court case the legalized abortion in America, had requested that the case be reopened. A federal district judge denied the request, however, ... Read More
Gay Bishop Will Be Appointed?
Friday June 20, 2003
Richard Harries, the Bishop of Oxford, is standing by his nomination of Canon Jeffrey John as the new Bishop of Reading. Dr. John is openly gay and has been in ... Read More
Mandeans in Iraq
Friday June 20, 2003
The Mandeans are a small, secretive religion in Iraq. Their numbers are dwindling, which is perhaps one of the reasons why they promote procreation and mass weddings. John the Baptist ... Read More
Founder of Humanistic Judaism to Leave Pulpit
Friday June 20, 2003
Rabbi Sherwin Wine created the philosophy of Humanistic Judaism 40 years ago and, on June 27, 2003, he will retire from the Birmingham Temple outside of Detroit. This is the ... Read More
Philadelphia Scouts to Continue Discrimination
Friday June 20, 2003
It had looked for a while that the Cradle of Liberty Council which oversees scouting in the Philadelphia area would defy the Boy Scouts of America's discrimination policies against gays ... Read More
Secular & Irreligious: 30 Million Americans!
Friday June 20, 2003
A recent survey by the City University of New York found that 14% of people don't identify with any religion and 16% called themselves "secular." These results were achieved by ... Read More
Parishioners Demand Return of Atheist Pastor
Friday June 20, 2003
Thorkild Grosboel, the pastor of Taarbaek who was removed from his post for denying the existence of God, is very popular. Hundreds of parishioners from the village have come to ... Read More
Atheist Attacks Godless Constitution
Friday June 20, 2003
Poland's President Aleksander Kwasniewski, an outspoken and open atheist, has denounced the proposed European Constitution for its failure to make any mention of Europe's Christian and religious heritage. The Telegraph ... Read More
Atheist Discrimination Lawsuit Dismissed
Friday June 20, 2003
A $250,000 religious discrimination suit against Associates Commerce Solutions was dismissed by a judge. Carletta Sims alleged that she had been fired because she was an atheist; the judge, however, ... Read More
Catholic Theologian May Sue Over Atheist Allegation
Friday June 20, 2003
Catholic Theologian May Sue Over Atheist Allegation
Eamon Duffy, Professor of the History of Christianity at Cambridge University, is quoted on the website of an American television company as describing his ... Read More
Philosophy of Harry Potter?
Friday June 20, 2003
The Harry Potter series of books may be primarily aimed at kids, but adults are finding a lot to enjoy in them as well - and that includes academicians like ... Read More
Babri Mosque vs. Rama Temple
Friday June 20, 2003
For years Hindus and Muslims have battled over the site of the Babri mosque, demolished on December 6, 1992 by the Bharatiya Janata Party on the belief that it had ... Read More
Ten Commandments Monument: Polk County, Florida
Friday June 20, 2003
A group led by the Reverend Mickey Carter will be going ahead with the construction and placement of a $150,000 stone pedestal display named the American Heritage Foundation Rock, currently ... Read More
Doubting Danish Priest Suspended
Thursday June 19, 2003
Can a man who doesn't believe in God serve as a Lutheran priest? Not in Denmark, at any rate - Thorkild Grosboel, pastor of Taarbaek, a town close to Copenhagen, ... Read More
Warnings On European Antisemitism
Thursday June 19, 2003
At a conference in Vienna, Austria, former New York City Mayor Rudolph Giuliani urged European officials to do more to combat the growth of Antisemitism across Europe. According to data ... Read More
Ryan Berry v. U.S. Air Force
Thursday June 19, 2003
The Beckett Fund for Religious Liberty has negotiated a settlement over their lawsuit with the U.S. Air Force. In 1999 the Beckett Fund had taken up the case of Ryan ... Read More
Invisible World Organization Led by Christ
Thursday June 19, 2003
It may sound like a plot for a bizarre novel, but it's very real: politicians and business leaders who all belong to "The Family," an organization dedicated to creating a ... Read More
Eyes Sewn Shut
Thursday June 19, 2003
An Iranian Kurdish refugee and atheist who has been imprisoned in Iran for writing poetry that is critical of the religious government in that country has sewn his eyes and ... Read More
Sentenced to Church
Thursday June 19, 2003
According to the Charleston Post and Courier, Family Court Judge Charlie Segars-Andrews has been sending some juvenile offenders at the Charleston County Juvenile Drug Court to church. One sentence is ... Read More
Afghan Publication Is Banned for Blasphemy
Thursday June 19, 2003
A report from Reuters states that the U.S.-backed government of Afghanistan has banned the publication Aftaab due to its blasphemous content. Among other horrible things, it has suggested that the ... Read More
No Separation of Mosque and State?
Thursday June 19, 2003
In the Daily Times, a Pakistani publication, Amitai Etzioni has written an article arguing that the United States should not pursue a secular state in Iraq where mosque and state ... Read More
Genetically Modified Pets?
Thursday June 19, 2003
It has recently been reported that scientists at National Taiwan University have begun to create genetically modified pets - the first being a zebra fish that has had jellyfish and ... Read More
Politics of the James Ossuary
Thursday June 19, 2003
The decision of the Israel Antiquities Authority (IAA) that the inscription on the "bone box of the brother of Jesus" is a modern forgery should have settled matters, but that ... Read More
Paganism & Witchcraft in England
Thursday June 19, 2003
According to MSNBC, both paganism and witchcraft are on the rise in England. This has Christian leaders worried and some are even calling for stricter controls on the sorts of ... Read More
Tom Cruise Lobbies for Scientology
Thursday June 19, 2003
According to the Washington Post, movie star Tom Cruise has been to Washington D.C. to lobby on behalf of Scientology, the religious organization of which he has long been an ... Read More
Mark Foley Targets Nudists
Thursday June 19, 2003
In an apparent bid to raise his standing among conservatives and improve his chances at winning the U.S. Senate seat held by Bob Graham, U.S. Representative Mark Foley of Florida ... Read More
Reality TV Going Too Far?
Thursday June 19, 2003
The Tennessean has reported that the reality show True Stories from the Morgue has filmed the autopsies of people without the permission of families. As a consequence, Francis and Cheryl ... Read More
Evolution and Creationism in Minnesota
Thursday June 19, 2003
In an effort to develop new science standards for public schools, Minnesota may have to deal with the rancorous debate over evolution and creationism and whether both should be taught ... Read More
Catholic Bishops Failing at Abuse Prevention?
Thursday June 19, 2003
Paul Baier, an advocate for survivors of sexual abuse at the hands of Catholic priests and founder Survivorsfirst.org, a database of public abuse allegations, charges that the national bishops' group ... Read More
Teacher Suspended for Wearing Cross
Wednesday June 18, 2003
A teacher's aide in Indiana County, Pennsylvania, has been suspended because she insisted on wearing her cross necklace while working with kids and refusing to put it under her clothing. ... Read More
Science: A Danger to Religion?
Wednesday June 18, 2003
Some perceive science as a real danger to religious orthodoxy and religious values. Others, however, argue that true religion and true science can never conflict because they each involve very ... Read More
Spirituality as Self-Indulgence?
Wednesday June 18, 2003
Is it possible that some people adopt some particular spiritual system (and reject others) because those systems are or are not compatible with the lifestyle which they already follow? That ... Read More
Burden of Proof
Wednesday June 18, 2003
Who has the burden of proof in debates between atheists and theists? Atheists typically argue that the burden of proof lies squarely with the theists because they are the ones ... Read More
Same-Sex Marriages in Canada
Wednesday June 18, 2003
The Canadian Supreme Court has struck down the country's legal definition of "spouse." Although the court said that this should not be construed as giving same-sex couples the right to ... Read More
No Kidney for Oregon Death Row Inmate
Wednesday June 18, 2003
A death row inmate in Oregon has been officially denied the possibility of receiving a kidney transplant - although keeping him alive by other means will certainly cost more money. ... Read More
Christianity's Role in Europe
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to some, Christianity has played a vital role in the formation of basic European values - and, because of that, its role should be explicitly acknowledged in the new ... Read More
Private Companies, Legal Hacking
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to a recent report, Senator Orrin Hatch has proposed that private media companies be allowed to hack into and destroy the computers of those who are thought to have ... Read More
Problems with Scientific Literacy
Wednesday June 18, 2003
In a recent column, Matthew Nisbet discusses the common idea that more scientific literacy would blunt some of the fierce debates waged over new scientific advances like cloning. Although it ... Read More
Phoenix Bishop O'Brien Resigns
Wednesday June 18, 2003
On Wednesday, June 18, 2003, Pope John Paul II accepted the resignation of Bishop Thomas O'Brien of Phoenix, Arizona. O'Brien resigned because of charges that he was involved in a ... Read More
Nuclear Iran?
Wednesday June 18, 2003
On Wednesay, June 18, 2003, President Bush gave a very stern warning that he would not tolerate the presence of any nuclear weapons by the Islamic government of Iran. At ... Read More
Cloning Research Supported
Wednesday June 18, 2003
On Wednesay, June 18, 2003, the American Medical Association decided to put it's endorsement on the idea of cloning for research - something which has been specifically opposed by the ... Read More
Iranian Woman Dies in Firey Protest
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to Reuters, one Iranian women has died and another has suffered extensive burns after they set themselves on fire as part of a protest of the French government's actions ... Read More
Bishops' Power Unchanged
Wednesday June 18, 2003
In the wake of the scandals over bishops who had secretly reassigned priests accused of sexually abusing children, a board of lay Catholics was created for the purpose of monitoring ... Read More
Monogamy: In Style but Lethal?
Wednesday June 18, 2003
There are two recent stories on ABC News about Monogamy - one that discusses why monogamy is still in style, despite people's many options for other partners and another that ... Read More
Southern Baptists Woo Gays
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to CBS News, the Southern Baptist Convention is launching a new effort to convince gays that if only they accept Jesus Christ into their hearts, they can become heterosexuals ... Read More
Judge Steps Down Over Terrorist Comments
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to Newsday, Justice William Crosbie of Tarrytown, New York has resigned after revelations that asked an Arab-American woman if she were a terrorist. She was only in his court ... Read More
James Ossuary: Fake?
Wednesday June 18, 2003
There are reports on both MSNBC and Israel Insider that the Israel?s Antiquities Authority has concluded that the James Ossuary is not genuine. First revealed to the public at a ... Read More
My Dog, My God
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to the Sydney Morning Herald, Bill McGarrity believed that four-year-old Jessica Gallagher was an alien possessed by an evil spirit - so he killed her with a sword. At ... Read More
Virgin Mary in the Hospital
Wednesday June 18, 2003
The BBC is reporting that the Virgin Mary has been spotted at the Milton Hospital near Boston, causing the hospital to be swamped by thousands and thousands of visitors. An ... Read More
Firefighter Chaplains Challenged in LA
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to the LA Times, four veteran firefighters of the California Department of Forestry and Fire Protection has challenged the state's funding of a chaplain program within the department as ... Read More
Deadly Antibiotics?
Wednesday June 18, 2003
The BBC has reported that researchers have developed a new class of powerful antibiotics which mimic the way in which our own bodies fight off infections. These could prove to ... Read More
Overturning Roe v. Wade?
Wednesday June 18, 2003
Once known only as Jane Roe, a plaintiff in the (in)famous Supreme Court case of Roe v. Wade that legalized abortion in the United States, Norma McCorvey is in the ... Read More
Psychic Hotlines: Scams?
Wednesday June 18, 2003
A recent column in Slate was written by a woman who worked (briefly) for a company that advertised the services of psychics over the telephone. She reveals a bit about ... Read More
Banning the Veil in France
Wednesday June 18, 2003
There is a growing debate in France over the limits of religious liberty. Some fear the rise of Islamic fundamentalism and hope to suppress it by also suppressing the public ... Read More
Loving the Robovacs
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to a recent report in Wired, many people who own robovacs (small robotic vacuum cleaners that work automatically) are developing emotional attachments to them. They name their robovacs and ... Read More
Visions of the Virgin Mary
Wednesday June 18, 2003
According to Gianna Talone Sullivan of Emmitsburg, Maryland, the Virgin Mary appears to her every evening around 7:30 PM, except Fridays. She then delivers messages which Sullivan transcribes for the ... Read More
People's Temple to be Sold
Wednesday June 18, 2003
The People's Temple Full Gospel Church in Indianapolis, once home to Jim Jones and his group of followers who all later committed suicide in the jungle of Guyana, is still ... Read More