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=================================== FEATURED ARTICLES Don't pray for us, sing the Atheists - give us your vote GenevaLunch (blog) The group includes agnostics, atheists, secularists, rationalists, skeptics and those who are just plain critics of religion. We, and probably a lot of Swiss people who have never thought about humanism or atheism, are tired of the influence the ... http://genevalunch.com/blog/2011/10/21/dont-pray-for-us-sing-the-atheists-give-us-your-vote/ Mount Soledad Cross Still Unconstitutional Patch.com McElroy first became involved with the case in 1989 when he was retained by the late Phillip K. Paulson, an atheist. For anyone to claim that the cross is not a religious symbol would not be very credible, McElroy said. In a lawsuit filed against the ... Atheists misquote Jefferson on OC billboard OCRegister By JON CASSIDY / THE ORANGE COUNTY REGISTER COSTA MESA - A group of atheists called Backyard Skeptics is planning to unveil a billboard at 1545 Newport Blvd., Wednesday afternoon with a quote from Thomas Jefferson bashing Christianity. ... http://www.ocregister.com/news/jefferson-323913-quote-one.html Supreme Court considers removal of crosses from public property AHN | All Headline News The land later was transferred to the federal government. The Jewish War Veterans of the United States of America, Inc. says the memorial violates the Establishment Clause of the Constitution. The clause requires a separation between church and state ... ATHEISM New student group embraces free thinking UND The Dakota Student Founded in September by UND student Kenneth Flagg, the Freethinkers UND group is an organization that supports atheism and freethinking in the Grand Forks area. Flagg says that the goals of the Freethinkers UND are, "advertising our existence in the ... Gov. Brown rejects proclamation for freethinkers group Sacramento Bee "You can be a Christian or Muslim or Jewish freethinker, but most are atheist," he said. "It's someone who has decided to investigate the world and find your own truth." Speakers include Fred Edwords (American Humanist Association and United Coalition ... http://www.sacbee.com/2011/10/21/3992291/gov-brown-rejects-proclamation.html Atheist Leader Drops Suit Against Judd The Ledger EllenBeth Wachs, legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida, has dropped her federal lawsuit against Sheriff Grady Judd. By Matthew Pleasant BARTOW | EllenBeth Wachs, the legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida, has dismissed a federal lawsuit ... http://www.theledger.com/article/20111024/NEWS/111029620 Humanists find a home without a 'religious aspect' The Daily Princetonian [for some students] talking to our group is the first time they've revealed that they're atheist, he said. This is especially true for students from conservative, religious families, Schiff said, noting that the club provides a support system more ... http://www.dailyprincetonian.com/2011/10/24/29169/ Freethinkers of UTA meet every other Wednesday to debate faith, science and reason UTA The Shorthorn Robinson, an atheist, said she created the group because she felt there was a need for a place where people without religion could voice their thoughts. She noted how differently religion is viewed in Texas compared to her home state of Pennsylvania. ... New group helps students understand atheism University Star (blog) The fourth meeting brought guest speaker Matt Dillahunty, host of Austin-based TV channel, The Atheist Experience, to speak in support of the Secular Student Alliance. Having a student group like this is a great thing. It's hard for people to be open ... http://star.txstate.edu/node/4838 Atheist drops lawsuit against Judd News Chief Wachs is the legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida and was in court for a hearing on a marijuana possession charge. By MATTHEW PLEASANT BARTOW - EllenBeth Wachs, the legal coordinator for the Atheists of Florida, has dropped her federal lawsuit ... http://www.newschief.com/article/20111025/NEWS/110255001 Whoops! OC Atheists' Anti-Christian Billboard Misquotes Jefferson LAist Atheists in Orange County who have been on a billboard crusade to spread their message forgot to do some research before they unveiled their latest sign. The latest billboard features Thomas Jefferson's mug and the quote "I do not find in Christianity ... http://laist.com/2011/10/26/whoops_oc_atheists_anti-christian_b.php Atheist drops lawsuit against Fla. sheriff MiamiHerald.com The leader of a central Florida atheist group has dropped a lawsuit that accused a county sheriff of harassing her. The Ledger of Lakeland ( http://bit.ly/t1hXRa) reports that EllenBeth Wachs has dropped her federal suit against Polk County Sheriff ... http://www.miamiherald.com/2011/10/26/2472228/atheist-drops-lawsuit-against.html Reno Coalition of Reason launches atheist billboard campaign God Discussion "The point of our ongoing nationwide awareness campaign is to reach out to the millions of atheists and agnostics living in the United States," explained Fred Edwords, national director of the United Coalition of Reason. "Such non-theists sometimes ... http://www.goddiscussion.com/83570/reno-coalition-of-reason-launches-atheist-billboard-campaign/ Atheist group misquotes Thomas Jefferson on billboard (KABC) -- An atheist group put up a billboard that's kicking up controversy in Costa Mesa. The billboard sits near Newport Boulevard and says, "I do not find in Christianity one redeeming feature. It is founded on fables and mythology. ... http://abclocal.go.com/kabc/story?section=news/local/orange_county&id=8408874 BOOKS, FILM, THEATRE, TV, YOU TUBE 'What do you do when all of your dreams have come true?' Irish Times His comedy certainly pulls no punches, with bountiful songs about his firm stance onatheism, the absurdity of alternative medicine and cleverly inverted takes on political correctness. Like his rise to fame here, his popularity in the US is building ... http://www.irishtimes.com/newspaper/theticket/2011/1021/1224306152616.html Richard Dawkins: 'Somebody as intelligent as Jesus would have been an atheist ... The Guardian In the latest in John Harris's National Conversations series of interviews, Richard Dawkins is invited to defend his atheism. What about the comfort, community, and moral education offered by religion http://www.guardian.co.uk/science/video/2011/oct/24/richard-dawkins-video-interview?newsfeed=true Religion rarely mentioned in Dawkins' book The Varsity News The British author, and former Oxford professor, is also one of the most well-known atheists for having written "The God Delusion" in 2006, which has helped add clout to the current New Atheist movement. Whether or not you agree with his ideals, ... http://www.thevarsitynews.net/religion-rarely-mentioned-in-dawkins-book-1.2665646#.Tqtk-XKZauI Atheists Treated Unequally in US Military YouTube And one man is pleading for atheist chaplains to be accepted, so that those without a religious background can get the same services, as everyone else. Jason Torpy, President of the Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers explains. ... http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=aDWCf05x3io&noredirect=1 Penn Jillette's 10 Commandments for atheists Washington Post (blog) atheist magician Penn Jillette tells how he was challenged by conservative radio host Glenn Beck to come up with an atheist's version of The Ten Commandments. I wanted to see how many of the ideas that many people think are handed down from (G)od ... EVOLUTION, CREATIONISM, I.D. 'Ban teaching creationism in schools' Independent Online Those behind the call for evolution not creationism say teaching that God created the world is dangerous and must be prevented by law. Drives by creationist groups at schools mean there is a sense of urgency, they add. Evolution - the idea that we ... http://www.iol.co.za/lifestyle/family/kids/ban-teaching-creationism-in-schools-1.1163745 SCIENCE How the Milky Way Killed Off Nearby Galaxies ScienceDaily (Oct. 18, 2011) Two researchers from Observatoire Astronomique de Strasbourg have revealed for the first time the existence of a new signature of the birth of the first stars in our galaxy, the Milky Way. More than 12 billion years ago, the intense ultraviolet light from these stars dispersed the gas of our Galaxy's nearest companions, virtually putting a halt to their ability to form stars and consigning them to a dim future. Now Pierre Ocvirk and Dominique Aubert, members of the Light in the Dark Ages of the Universe (LIDAU) collaboration, have explained why some galaxies were killed off, while stars continued to form in more distant objects... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018092155.htm Forgetting Is Part of Remembering ScienceDaily (Oct. 18, 2011) It's time for forgetting to get some respect, says Ben Storm, author of a new article on memory in Current Directions in Psychological Science, a journal of the Association for Psychological Science. "We need to rethink how we're talking about forgetting and realize that under some conditions it actually does play an important role in the function of memory," says Storm, who is a professor at the University of Illinois at Chicago... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111018111938.htm Men Win Humor Test (by a Hair) ScienceDaily (Oct. 19, 2011) Men are funnier than women, but only just barely and mostly to other men. So says a psychology study from the University of California, San Diego Division of Social Sciences... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111019173314.htm Newly Discovered Reservoir of Antibiotic Resistance Genes ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) Waters polluted by the ordure of pigs, poultry, or cattle represent a reservoir of antibiotic resistance genes, both known and potentially novel. These resistance genes can be spread among different bacterial species by bacteriophage, bacteria-infecting viruses, according to a paper in the October Antimicrobial Agents and Chemotherapy... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020164020.htm Nearby Planet-Forming Disk Holds Water for Thousands of Oceans ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) For the first time, astronomers have detected around a burgeoning solar system a sprawling cloud of water vapor that's cold enough to form comets, which could eventually deliver oceans to dry planets... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020171448.htm Astronomers Explain Blue Stragglers: How Do Mysterious Stars Stay So Young? ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) Mysterious "blue stragglers" are old stars that appear younger than they should be: they burn hot and blue. Several theories have attempted to explain why they don't show their age, but, until now, scientists have lacked the crucial observations with which to test each hypothesis... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020024437.htm Cooling the Warming Debate: Major New Analysis Confirms That Global Warming Is Real ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2011) Global warming is real, according to a major study released Oct. 20. Despite issues raised by climate change skeptics, the Berkeley Earth Surface Temperature study finds reliable evidence of a rise in the average world land temperature of approximately 18C since the mid-1950s... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021144716.htm Simple Lifestyle Changes Can Add a Decade or More Healthy Years to the Average Lifespan, Canadian Study Shows ScienceDaily (Oct. 21, 2011) Health prevention strategies to help Canadians achieve their optimal health potential could add a decade or more of healthy years to the average lifespan and save the economy billions of dollars as a result of reduced cardiovascular disease, says noted cardiologist Dr. Clyde Yancy... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111021074730.htm Brain Scans Support Findings That IQ Can Rise or Fall Significantly During Adolescence ScienceDaily (Oct. 20, 2011) IQ, the standard measure of intelligence, can increase or fall significantly during our teenage years, according to research funded by the Wellcome Trust, and these changes are associated with changes to the structure of our brains. The findings may have implications for testing and streaming of children during their school years... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/10/111020024329.htm SEPARATION CHURCH / STATE Atheists claim credit for Big Mountain Jesus' denial The Missoulian WHITEFISH - A national atheist organization took credit Thursday for persuading the US Forest Service to deny a special use permit that for decades has allowed a statue of Jesus Christ to occupy a bite of public land on Big Mountain. ... http://missoulian.com/news/state-and-regional/article_d33766a2-fb8b-11e0-90f9-001cc4c002e0.html School keeps cross at front door Jamaica Plain Gazette ... school that is in the sticky situation of operating out of a church building still has a Christian cross next to its front door, despite warnings from the American Civil Liberties Union (ACLU) that it might violate separation of Church and State. .. http://jamaicaplaingazette.com/2011/10/21/school-keeps-cross-at-front-door/ USFS Wants Public Comment Before Controversial Statue Decision NBC Montana The government had decided to pull the statue after a group from Wisconsin complained it violated the First Amendment's guarantee of separation of church and state. Now the Forest Service says it's discovered the statue has local historical ... http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/29555191/detail.html Florida principal touts school prayer event, irking secularists Los Angeles Times The newsletter alarmed the Freedom from Religion Foundation -- the Wisconsin-based national organization of "atheists, agnostics and skeptics of any pedigree" -- who have called the memo item an "unusually egregious violation of state/church separation ... http://latimesblogs.latimes.com/nationnow/2011/10/florida_school_prayer.html Historical status could save Big Mountain Jesus statue from removal The Missoulian After Weber's decision to deny renewal of the special use permit - a decision due in part to pressure from a national atheist organization that threatened litigation - an archaeologist with the Flathead National Forest paid a visit to the Jesus statue. ... http://missoulian.com/news/local/article_e22c53d6-fc56-11e0-995f-001cc4c03286.html Attorney: Chesterfield schools counseled on church-state separation; Christian ... The Republic SUSANNE M. SCHAFER AP COLUMBIA, SC Leaders of a South Carolina school district where a Christian-themed rally was held at a middle school were counseled about the First Amendment'sseparation of church and state, said an attorney who met with them. ... http://www.therepublic.com/view/story/354bb06905214167a3466a38e684adbc/SC--School-Religious-Rally/ Forest Service Reverses Decision To Remove Jesus Statue From Public Land NBC Montana Just like the Big Mountain statue, all were fought over the separation of church and state. "We cannot seed federal property to the Knights of Columbus to put up a huge, proselytizing statue, said Co-founder Annie Laurie Gaylor The only way to keep ... http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/29557739/detail.html Is God coming back to public schools? UPI.com At issue in the case is whether government can ban worship services from school property to enforce the constitutional separation of church and state or whether the First Amendment's guarantee protects religious worship like any other type of ... Indiana judge blocks land sale to Catholic school Louisville Courier-Journal Miller concluded that the process violated the Establishment Clause of the First Amendment to the US Constitution, which guarantees the separation of church and state. City Attorney Chuck Leone said Thursday the city plans to speak to the plaintiffs in ... Clay County flagpole prayer draws big crowd after controversy Florida Times-Union The Freedom from Religion Foundation, a secular rights group, said Principal Larry Davis' promotion of the event violates the separation of church and state. The group doesn't believe Baker should even be allowed on Clay Hill campus. ... Proposed aid for Washington National Cathedral draws criticism Los Angeles Times But Joseph L. Conn, director of communications for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, blogged on the organization's website, "Asking the taxpayers to pick up the tab sets a very bad precedent and jeopardizes a critically important ... Mount Soledad cross won't go anywhere pending appeal SignOnSanDiego.com The 9th US Circuit Court of Appeals issued an order Tuesday delaying the effect of its ruling from January, which said the cross violated the constitutional separation between church and state. The court said Tuesday that the ruling would not become ... http://www.signonsandiego.com/news/2011/oct/25/cross-wont-go-anywhere-pending-appeal/ Hospital merger stance softens Louisville Courier-Journal Ayesha Khan, legal director of Americans United for Separation of Church and State, said she thinks the latest wording about the directives may be an attempt Ïto make this (merger) more politically palatableÓ and perhaps strengthen UniversityÌs hand ... http://www.courier-journal.com/article/2011310250010 School district reverses course, will allow 'Bible' on permission slip Deseret News Conflicts still flare up along the border between freedom of religion and the separation of church and state. In March, a San Diego student filed a lawsuit against his California high school for banning him from bringing his Bible to school, ... Headscarf ban ruled out for school mums The Local The French ban derives from its strict separation of church and state, enshrined in a 1905 law. As far back as 1937, the education minister of the day instructed head teachers to keep all religious signs out of their establishments. ... http://www.thelocal.fr/1561/20111025/# Group complains about Brooks' pregame prayers Times Daily I am simply taking a stand for the Establishment Clause and the separation of church and state in an effort to protect the constitutional rights of the nonreligious, he said. It is illegal for any public school to organize, sponsor or lead prayer at ... http://www.timesdaily.com/stories/Group-complains-about-Brooks-pregame-prayers,183602 Big Mountain statue draws heated debate Flathead Publishing Group A Wisconsin-based atheist group, Freedom From Religion Foundation, claimed credit last week for persuading the Forest Service to deny the permit. "The Knights of Columbus and its backers claim the Jesus statue memorializes World War II veterans ... http://www.flatheadnewsgroup.com/hungryhorsenews/article_0361944c-fff6-11e0-b963-001cc4c002e0.html Texas DMV considering 'One State Under God' license plates The American Independent But Barry Lynn, executive director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State, told the Texas Independent that if the government is producing the plate even if it's just an option it shouldn't be promoting religion at all. ... http://www.americanindependent.com/200896/texas-dmv-considering-one-state-under-god-license-plates Petoskey School Board meeting draws crowd over religious based group Petoskey News-Review Ling said that when Young Life first approached the board about coming into Petoskey schools, she was told all students would be approached equally, no matter what their faith, and that the group would respect the separation of church and state. ... Jackson County School District's pre-game prayers underfire by Mississippi Press (blog) According to the Freedom From Religion Foundation's bylaws, its purpose is to promote the separation of church and state and to educate the public on matters relating to atheism, agnosticism and non-theism. The foundation publishes the newspaper ... http://blog.gulflive.com/mississippi-press-news/2011/10/jackson_county_school_district_2.html Atheist group accuses Alabama school district of violating the law - by saying ... Daily Mail By Daily Mail Reporter An Alabama school district has been accused of breaking the law by allowing prayers to be said before football games. The Freedom From Religion Foundation said allowing the Lauderdale County school district to invoke Jesus Christ ... Atheist chaplains need to be available in the military, says Military ... God Discussion Non-believers are the second largest conscience demographic in the United States military, says Jason Torpy, President of the Military Associations of Atheists and Freethinkers. Torpy was interviewed by Alyona on her program aired by Russia Today, ... Church Or Jail Crime Intervention Initiative Still On Hold WKRG-TV ... Baldwin County churches have signed up for the program, but several civil rights groups have threatened legal action against Bay Minette...calling the church or jail program unconstitutional...and a violation of separation of church and state. ... http://www2.wkrg.com/news/2011/oct/27/church-or-jail-crime-intervention-initiative-still-ar-2617706/ Court battle begins over ballot measure The News-Press There was also disagreement over whether the ballot summary explained that the proposal may violate the US Constitution's "free exercise" and "establishment" clauses that deal with the separation of church and state and protections of religious ... Forsyth files petition to take prayer case to the U.S. Supreme Court Winston-Salem Journal The objecting plaintiffs were represented by the American Civil Liberties Union of NC and Americans United for Separation of Church and State. The Allied Defense Fund took the case for the county, and the issue went to federal district court. ... Whitefish Local Speaks Out Against Religious Statue On Public Land NBC Montana A Flathead statue that's become part of the national debate over the separation of church and state debate has one Whitefish man speaking out against it. Ian Cameron heads a local group called the Flathead Area Secular Society. ... http://www.nbcmontana.com/news/29608323/detail.html Petoskey to review outside groups' access to students Michigan Education Report Board President Mary Ling said there were concerns about the issue of separation of church and state, the News-Review reported, and at least one parent expressed concern at the meeting about the organization having access to her child during school ... http://www.educationreport.org/pubs/mer/article.aspx?id=15929 MISCELLANEOUS American Cancer Society Refused Atheist Donation..And Now Accepts It iNEWP- Freedom of Speech Recently, the American Cancer Society released a statement on their Facebook page regarding their controversial, but at the time relatively unknown, rejection of an atheist $500000 donation made by Todd Stiefel's Stiefel Freethought Foundation and ... Atheist Donation Declined by American Cancer Society Gather.com An atheist backed donation to the American Cancer Society was declined recently, sparking quite an uproar. Thankfully this uproar got the attention of the offending cancer society, and they (graciously?) re-accepted the donations. ... http://news.gather.com/viewArticle.action?articleId=281474980642220 |