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UK. Reform councillor demands Christian-only RE to end ‘brainwashing’

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‘Triumph Of The Heart’ Wins Big At Showing Faith In Suffering

(REVIEW) “Triumph of the Heart” is a rare movie that leans into the parts of the Christian walk we often like to talk about but not experience. In doing so, it shows us the beauty of standing up against evil.[…]

Advice please: My atheist child was threatened by his teacher today.

My 5th grader mentioned in class that he’s an atheist, and his teacher responded with “That is sad” and “Any religion is better than no religion.” After I raised it, the teacher apologized. But then told my son he would[…]

China Tightens Digital Grip On Religion With Sweeping Rules For Clergy

China has introduced sweeping new regulations that strictly control how clergy from the country’s five state-recognized religions can operate online. The 18-article “Code of Conduct for Religious Clergy on the Internet” bans livestreaming, social media preaching, AI-generated religious content, and[…]

Taliban ban books written by women from Afghan universities.

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The most frustrating thing about being an Atheist , is that I am more Christian than any Christian I have ever met.

And trust me, I've read the bible. Religion has taught me one thing, If you believe in a pretend, omnipotent and omnipresent thing in the sky, you can feel superior. And hate. And hate and hate. I know beautiful people[…]

Raising our son without the Pledge of Allegiance

Yes, we object to “under god.” I’m not sure what else needs to be said. I’ve left those words silent for years, but under our new Christofascist overlords, something about the Pledge of Allegiance just doesn’t feel the same. Like[…]

FFRF blasts Dept. of Education for partnering with Christian nationalist groups to rewrite U.S. history

The Freedom From Religion Foundation is deeply troubled about the Department of Education’s just-announced partnership with Christian nationalist groups to turn history curricula into propaganda. The “America 250 Civics Education Coalition,” named for this country’s approaching 250th anniversary and unveiled[…]

Majority Of Christians Reject Biblical Teaching On Sin

Only 66 percent of American Christians accept the biblical teaching that all have sinned, George Barna said in its newest release from the 2025 American Worldview Survey he overseas at Arizona Christian University. Most Christians, 72 percent, also believe people[…]

Dept. of Education partners with Christian nationalist orgs to shape “civics education” ahead of America’s 250th anniversary

The U.S. Department of Education announced a partnership Wednesday with more than 40 conservative organizations to create programming around civics aimed at the celebration of the 250th anniversary of the United States. This coalition "will take bold steps to educate,[…]

Blame It On The Stars: Astrology’s Rise In An Age Of Uncertainty

(ANALYSIS) Scroll through TikTok, browse dating profiles or sit at a cafe, and you’ll often hear people reference their astrological sign. Someone might proudly claim their Leo energy; others joke that they would never date a Scorpio.

FFRF stops Georgia teacher from forcing first-graders to pray before lunch

The Freedom From Religion Foundation has ensured that a teacher in Georgia’s Jenkins County School System will not be able to force first-grade students to recite a prayer right before lunch. A concerned parent informed the state/church watchdog that a[…]

AI Now Claiming to Be God, apps are allowing untold millions of users to confess to AI chatbots, some of which claim to be channeling God himself.

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Alliances Serve Those Facing Homelessness And Addiction: ‘It Humanizes People’

In Trinidad, Colo., 200 miles south of Denver, Clay Mason leads a 12-member ministerial alliance. But his move from Texas to Trinidad, a city of 8,200 bisected by Interstate 25 and the Purgatoire River, was not about ministry. He and[…]

Concrete Over Ashes: Modi’s Manipur Visit Ignores Demands For Justice

(ANALYSIS) Justice cannot be replaced by roads and hostels. The violence in Manipur was not a clash between two aggrieved groups, but the targeting of the Kuki-Zo minority by extremist groups from the majority Meitei community, allegedly backed by the[…]

On Religion: In A Cloud Of Doubt, Charlie Kirk Clung To The Cross

(ANALYSIS) Months before his assassination, Charlie Kirk joined comedian Bill Maher on the “Club Random” podcast for a wide-ranging conversation on faith, science, politics and free speech. Despite Maher’s irreverence and marijuana use, Kirk held firm to his Christian convictions[…]

‘Link Faith With Community’: UK Cathedrals Spark A Public Art Renaissance

It’s not just modern, but historic art also plays a role in this rebirth. In 2024, Winchester Cathedral collaborated with the National Gallery on a groundbreaking immersive exhibition centered around a 16th century masterpiece by Flemish artist Jan Gossaert. It[…]

What Jesus Teaches Us In The Wake Of Charlie Kirk’s Murder

(OPINION) When I read or listen to the news, I often think: What is God calling us, specifically as Christians, to say and do in response to this moment?It is so effortless for me to take pre-existing political talking points[…]

UN Inquiry Concludes Israeli Actions In Gaza Meets Legal Definition Of Genocide

(ANALYSIS) A United Nations commission — the Independent International Commission of Inquiry on the Occupied Palestinian Territory and Israel — concluded that Israel has committed acts of genocide against Palestinians in Gaza since Oct. 7, 2023.

Heretic on the Hill: A Thoughtful Presidential Statement on Building the Wall

Sixty-five years ago today President John Kennedy said about the Wall of Separation, “I believe in an America where the separation of church and state is absolute, where no Catholic prelate would tell the president (should he be Catholic) how to act, and[…]

Secular Coalition for America’s Stance on Political Violence

Secular Coalition for America’s Stance on Political Violence WASHINGTON, D.C. – The Secular Coalition for America unequivocally condemns all forms of political violence. A healthy democracy depends on vigorous debate, peaceful protest, and fair elections—not intimidation, threats, or bloodshed. Violence[…]

Pause on Charlie Kirk and related posts

We have had problems with people making threats of violence and other ill-advised comments in discussions of Charlie Kirk. I dislike having to ban so many people. Therefore, I am going to put a temporary pause on all new posts[…]

How Strong is 2nd/3rd Handed Testimony?

From Jack Johnson on Facebook. He studied Biblical academics and counseling at Baptist Bible College, Baptist Bible School of Theology, Trinity Seminary. He says: "All three of these apologists think 2nd and 3rd hand accounts of the life and times[…]

Honest Sermons on the Gospel of Mark: Chapter 10

Another mix of flimsy theology and cult propagandaThere are several different topics in this chapter, but the author’s agenda of cult promotion is transparent. Condemning divorce At the outset (verses 2-12), Mark’s holy hero Jesus makes pronouncements about divorce, positioning his decree[…]

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay No. 4

Matthew 7: A good start, then cult severity and braggingIt might be a good idea to compile a list of the Top Ten Bible Texts that Christians Ignore—and, no surprise, these can be found in the gospels, especially in the Jesus-script.[…]

Round Two Edits On My Paper Concerning Atheist Morality

I received a huge endorsement from Philosopher Jersey Flight on X. What a nice thing to hear! It happened on the same day I finished the first round of edits from my peer reviewed paper on atheist morality. This paper[…]

Oh the Irony: Religion Is Shooting Itself in the Foot

Disbelief and atheism are on the rise A few years ago I had the misfortune of attending a First Communion service at a suburban Rhode Island Catholic Church. The place was packed, parents and relatives eager to see the children going[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Judicial Activism, and the Treaty of Tripoli?

It’s the August recess in Washington and Members of Congress left town faster than a Texas Democrat. So Congress is not threatening to pass any bad legislation at the moment, which is nice. And it’s a good time to meet with Congressional[…]

Richard Carrier, David Kyle Johnson, and I, Oh My!

We three have been invited by Dr. James Sterba to write papers on ethics without God. So far Johnson's and Carrier's papers have both been published. Mine is to come shortwithly. There is a lot of similarity between Johnson's paper[…]

Do Our Souls Require a Gender?

Do you regularly operate a motor vehicle of some kind? If so, is your motor vehicle male or female? This will seem like a nonsensical question to some. Machines don't have a gender! Others might think of their vehicle as[…]

Honest Sermons on the Gospel of Mark: Chapter 9

A sorry mix of superstition, cult bragging, and bad theologyBaptist preacher William Miller predicted that Jesus would return on October 22, 1844. Thousands of people were psyched for this dramatic event, which turned into what became known as The Great[…]

How Does One Become a Christian Today?

Suppose I woke up tomorrow morning and decided that I wanted to be a Christian. I realize that seems unlikely, but that's not the point here. And because it isn't the case that I want to be a Christian, we[…]

The Federal Workforce is now Allowing Proselytizing. Here’s how Secular Groups are Taking a Stand

The Office of Personnel Management, in partnership with the White House Faith Office, has released a memorandum on “Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace.” The memo is filled with policies that support religious coercion and proselytizing in the workplace, which[…]

What Could Convince Reasonable People to Accept the Miracle Stories in the Bible?

This is a segment of my talk at last weekend's BAHA conference in Sarnia, Canada. The conference was fantastic, by the way, with excellent speakers who were experts in several different areas that contained some great content! What you'll see[…]

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay No. 3

Matthew 6: Yet more deeply flawed Jesus-script In my article here last week, I mentioned that the Sermon on the Mount is treasured by Christians as the pinnacle of wisdom—Jesus at his best. Yet, if we asked churchgoers where we can[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Telling Your Federal Co-worker They’re Going to Hell OK Now

The federal government has about 2.3 million employees, not counting postal workers. It’s difficult to get an exact count because so many have been fired this year and their firings are being appealed in court. 2.3 million is slightly larger[…]

Dying Without Withdrawing From Your Faith Savings Account

Imagine that your parents set up a savings account for you when you were a child. They did so to teach you about money, the importance of savings, and whatever else. Every month, they required you to make a small[…]

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay No. 2

Matthew 5: Highly prized, but deeply flawed, Jesus-script Christian clergy and theologians—drawn to their profession by devotion to Jesus—are committed to the idea that the gospel accounts of their lord must be true. Hence they have no trouble claiming that the[…]

Some Lessons Learned During My Angry Atheist Phases

I've gone through at least two prolonged "angry atheist" phases in my life so far. I regret one of them. I knew it was counterproductive and hard to justify at the time. This insight wasn't enough to stop me, but[…]

SCA Let’s it be Known: The Johnson Amendment MUST be Enforced

The IRS has officially destroyed the Johnson Amendment as we know it. The creation of the Johnson Amendment happened over seven decades ago because Congress knew religious places of worship should not engage in political activities. As a coalition of[…]

I Live My Life As if Bigfoot Does Not Exist

Do Bigfoot creatures exist? I don't know, but it strikes me as quite unlikely. It would be cool if they did, but that isn't an adequate basis for believing that they do. And yet, it would not occur to me[…]

I Have Known Few Atheists

Living in the United States, it comes as no surprise that most of the people I've met have been Christians. I recently started to wonder how many atheists I've known. This question is much more difficult to answer than it[…]

VICTORY: Court rules grant to out-of-state Catholic Institution violates West Virginia Constitution

“Public dollars should always serve the public good." The post VICTORY: Court rules grant to out-of-state Catholic Institution violates West Virginia Constitution appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Heretic on the Hill: Religion Almost Stays Out of the Big Beautiful Bill, Until the Comments Section

It’s said that Republicans run for office for two reasons: to cut taxes and to increase military spending. The One Big (add your own adjective) Bill signed into law last week certainly does both of those, and a lot more.[…]

The Secular Coalition for America Denounces the IRS Demolishing the Johnson Amendment

The Secular Coalition for America Denounces the IRS Demolishing the Johnson Amendment Washington, D.C. – It’s now official: the Internal Revenue Service (I.R.S.) has declared that political endorsements from the pulpit are permissible. Religious leaders may now use their[…]

American Humanists Decry the Death of the Johnson Amendment

"All bets are off" The post American Humanists Decry the Death of the Johnson Amendment appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Is Identifying Oneself as an Atheist a Claim About Reality?

Suppose someone proclaimed that there were no gods or insisted that gods don't exist. They would have made a claim about the world, right? Well, maybe not our world since gods aren't supposed to inhabit our world but to transcend[…]

American Humanist Association Admonishes School Privatization Program, Other Heartless Provisions in Senate Reconciliation Package

"This bill is as un-American as it is un-humanist." The post American Humanist Association Admonishes School Privatization Program, Other Heartless Provisions in Senate Reconciliation Package appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Humanists Incensed By Supreme Court Ruling on Curriculum Opt-Outs

"A betrayal of public school students across the country." The post Humanists Incensed By Supreme Court Ruling on Curriculum Opt-Outs appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Heretic on the Hill: Religious Liberty, Thomas Jefferson, and Dr. Phil

The Religious Liberty Commission met for the first time last week. Established by the President with an executive order, the Commission is technically an arm of the Department of Justice but the hearing was held at the Museum of the Bible here[…]

American Humanists Say “No War With Iran”

"Choose diplomacy over destruction." The post American Humanists Say “No War With Iran” appeared first on American Humanist Association.

The Wheres and Whens of Growing Up Atheist

What's it like to grow up in the United States and realize at some point along the way that one is an atheist? It depends a great deal on where one lives, doesn't it? The influence of religion varies a[…]

Humanists Outraged at SCOTUS Decision on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors

"Gender-affirming care saves lives, period." The post Humanists Outraged at SCOTUS Decision on Gender-Affirming Care for Minors appeared first on American Humanist Association.

SCA Has Questions for the Religious Liberty Commission

The Secular Coalition for America reached out to the Religious Liberty Commission (RLC) ahead of their first official meeting. As an organization, we’re concerned about the establishment of the commission. The RLC says its mission is to “safeguard and promote[…]

When Uncomplicated Grief is a Luxury

"Everybody grieves in different ways." This sentence has been replaying in my head since my mom died a week ago. It reminds me that it is okay to grieve and that I will do it sooner or later. I'll do[…]

Implications of Supreme Court Ruling Could Be Broad and Dangerous, Warn Humanists

"Today’s decision is yet another wake-up call for secular Americans." The post Implications of Supreme Court Ruling Could Be Broad and Dangerous, Warn Humanists appeared first on American Humanist Association.

ICYMI: Center for Freethought Equality Testifies in Support of Legislation to Protect Oregon Consumers

Read Fish Stark's testimony warning against health care sharing ministries. The post ICYMI: Center for Freethought Equality Testifies in Support of Legislation to Protect Oregon Consumers appeared first on American Humanist Association.

American Humanists Respond to St. Isidore Supreme Court Ruling

"Christian Nationalists failed, and the Supreme Court held the line." The post American Humanists Respond to St. Isidore Supreme Court Ruling appeared first on American Humanist Association.

American Humanist Association Wins First Amendment Case Against City of Ocala

It is never appropriate to use taxpayer dollars to promote religious beliefs. The post American Humanist Association Wins First Amendment Case Against City of Ocala appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Finding the Balance Between Staying Informed and Sinking Into Despair

If you ask most people why they interact with news sources, you'll hear some version of the same answer. We do it to stay informed. We want to know what's happening, and that's why we interact with the news. This[…]

France Declares Scientology a Fraud, Not Religion

Isn't this a bit link saying the Strawberry ice cream isn't really ice cream? Link: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/france/120202/france-labels-scientology-business-not-church

In Honor of Black History Month: Ex-Slave Tells Ex-Master to "Shove it"

This is brilliant and really needs minimal comment Dayton, Ohio, August 7, 1865 To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and[…]

Indiana Slouches Toward Idiocy

As was mentioned in an earlier post, the Indiana state senate was scheduled to vote on allowing school districts to require "creationism", aka religious drivel, to be taught in public schools. They did, and it pasted with 28 out of[…]

Keep your Temples; We Have Greater Things

Alain de Botton, wants to build an Atheist Temple in London. Alain de Botton has announced plans to construct a 150 foot high temple to atheism in the heart to London. He claims that it is a terrible thing that[…]

A Review of "A Universe From Nothing"

From the AVClub: "With an afterward by Richard Dawkins, A Universe From Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing is solidly in the New Atheism camp, a cosmologist’s version of Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker. Krauss takes several jabs at[…]

The Myth of Jesus

UCF Professor Tells Ignorant Students What Higher Education is Really About

Charles Negy Charles Negy directly address the impact of students' religious bigotry, small mindedness and irrationality in the college classroom. Anyone who has ever taught a college class, especially in the humanities, knows that every word he wrote is accurate. Negy[…]