AOF Online - Freethought News

at my school a teacher said same-sex couples can't hold hands

because there people at the school who have religious views against homosexuality and those views need to be respected however why should people have to follow rules based on a religion they don't believe and are they gonna ban pork[…]

"atheists have no morals"

I mean, obviously, morality couldn’t have emerged naturally as a product of human evolution. It’s not like we evolved as a cooperative, social species where empathy and altruism increased our chances of survival or anything. What now? Are you gonna[…]

Tennessee Pastor Urges Men to ‘Get 5 Guns,’ Says Immigrants Will 'Pay...with Their Lives’.

submitted by /u/Leeming [link] [comments]

The evangelists on the street corners with signs and the missionaries that come to your door aren't actually there to convert you

I stopped being insulting and started being a lot more friendly and polite when I realized this. They might have been told by their church leaders that the goal is to convert people, but really, their goal is to reinforce[…]

What I Wish I Had Said

by WizenedSage ~ Thanks to Carl S. for the idea. When the Mormons and Jehovah’s Witnesses came to my door, this is what I wish I had said… Men lie. We have all lied; most of us many, many[…]

When I was in high school I got suspended for wearing a T-shirt that had a picture of Jesus nailed to the cross giving two thumbs up that said “Jesus did it for the chicks”

When I was brought into the principals office they told me I had to take my shirt off or leave the school. And obviously I’m going to want to leave school, so I didn’t take it off. I told them[…]

FFRF: Ala. school district must stop teacher from displaying bible verses after she posted the violation on her popular TikTok account

submitted by /u/FreethoughtChris [link] [comments]

Felt like a trapdoor spider with LDS missionaries this weekend

Folks, I went evangelizing this weekend. By "went" I mean I stayed home and worked on my honeydo, and on Sunday evening I had 3 LDS stop by. We were done with dinner and I was just relaxing with a[…]

News Of The Obvious: Researchers say Christian Nationalism fuels violence against non-Christians.

submitted by /u/Leeming [link] [comments]

I solidified a Guy’s belief in God this weekend

I am an atheist. More correctly I am an Anti-theist. However this weekend I cemented a guys belief in god. And not on purpose. Background: I was at an event this weekend. It doesn’t matter what it was for. What[…]

Tariq Ramadan, a Muslim academic accused of promoting political Islam, convicted of rape in Switzerland

submitted by /u/part-time-stupid [link] [comments]

“Treating Science Outreach as a Side Gig” – Critical Thinking and Conspiracy Theory, Science Communication, and Blasphemy

Welcome back to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. You’ll find two brand-new features to start the week on the Skeptical Inquirer website. Cognitive psychologist D. Alan Bensley takes a deep dive into[…]

McIntosh and Horrendous Suffering

[This article is forthcoming in the Trinity Journal of Natural & Philosophical Theology, Vol. 2, Issue 2 (Fall 2024) in collaboration with the Trinity Graduate School of Apologetics and Theology. The version presented here is slightly different in formatting from the[…]

The Problem of the True Christian

By Wertbag ~ What is a true Christian? What are you required to believe or practice, and which parts can be skipped while remaining a Christian? The majority of Christians will point to Mormons as being false Christians, and yet[…]

The Problem of the Satanic Panic

From a series of stories in the Provo Daily Herald in July and August 1985 warned of satanism in Utah County. By Wertbag ~ The Satanic Panic was at its peak during the 1980's, where preachers around the world jumped[…]

Keep Leaping and You'll Never Have to Grow Up

The Tower of Babel by Pieter Brueghel the Elder By Carl S ~ Children are still being taught the Tower of Babel tale about building something so high it would enter God's realm in the sky. For thousands of years[…]

Passionate Machines

By Webmdave ~ Animals often strike us as passionate machines -- Eric Hoffer, Reflections on the Human Condition As scientific advancements unveil the mysteries of the universe, it becomes increasingly evident that everything appears to operate mechanistically. Atoms, molecules, stars,[…]

A Discussion on Faith with My Religious Relative

By Carl S ~ I've known my relative and his family for over 25 years now. I decided to share something with him in an email: "I woke up at 5 a.m. with a very peaceful and comforting thought. I[…]

Must Every Atheist Want Everyone Else To Be Atheists?

I've been writing a blog about atheism and related topics for several years. Does the fact I often write about atheism mean that I want everybody else to become atheists? It could mean that. It is possible that I write[…]

Why Religion Is Being Held Strictly, Bluntly Accountable

Critical thinking skills have kicked in There is perhaps nothing more stunning, more shocking, than clergy who have realized that their religion is false—and decided to tell this truth to the world. There’s the famous cartoon by John Billette depicting a[…]

AHA Announces New Executive Director Fish Stark, says “Game On” to Christian Nationalists

Lifelong humanist with an impressive array of experience. The post AHA Announces New Executive Director Fish Stark, says “Game On” to Christian Nationalists appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Being an Atheist Is Still Different From Not Collecting Stamps

Is it possible that I've written most of what I have to say on atheism and closely-related topics? Yes, it seems like this might be the case, and it has seemed this way for some time. But I must be[…]

The Obsession of Religion with Eternal Life, the Ultimate Scam

A tale of two deathbedsA few years ago, a devout Catholic woman told me she was having a tough time finding a new job. Since I was a career coach at the time, I offered to give her a book[…]

AHA Announces Candace Gorham is New Board President

Heralding an era of vibrant, new leadership at the AHA. The post AHA Announces Candace Gorham is New Board President appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Phil Zuckerman, What Happens When Countries Lose Religion?

Hollywood Celebs Help Battle Wacky Claims

CFIIG Web Series SkeptiLab: The Bunk Stops Here! Debunks Weird Claims … with Celebrity Assists Los Angeles, CA: What do Andy Richter (Conan), Matt Walsh (Veep), Julia Sweeney (Saturday Night Live), Jim O’Heir (Parks and Recreation), Phil LaMarr (Futurama, Samurai[…]

“More Dramatic Language” – New Skeptical Inquirer, Scientific Theory, and Invisible Gorillas

Welcome to a super-sized Friday edition of the Morning Heresy, CFI’s roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Our final Skeptical Inquirer Presents of the season will look at the religious right’s ongoing efforts to capture America’s judicial[…]

Beware Furious Christians on the Warpath to Defend Their Faith

Christian love shatters into denial, rage and hateBy the time my first book, Ten Tough Problems in Christian Thought and Belief, was published in 2016, its Facebook page was up and running. I decided to do paid boosts on weekends to[…]

The Elections and the Supreme Court: On the Brink of the Total Collapse of Science and Secularism | Edward Tabash on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, Thursday, September 5

Today’s religious right wing and their enablers on the Supreme Court are not just poised to abolish the separation of church and state; they seem determined to repeal all modern progress made by humanity in the past 300 years by[…]

"Man is the Measure."

All ethics are made by human beings, many of which are claimed to be given by a God. This means when the ethics of a God are deemed barbaric so also goes that God.It also means that it's not only[…]

“Bombarding Opponents With Falsehoods” – Anticipating CSICon, Life-Shattering Pseudoscience, and the Oklahoma Example

Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Rob Palmer (aka “The Well-Known Skeptic”) interviews Timothy Caulfield for the latest video in his “Anticipating CSICon” series. In the interview, Caulfield and I discussed[…]

“An Insidious Influence” – Paranormal Challenges, Straitjacketing Speech, and Fighting Drug-Resistant Infections

Ahoy-hoy! Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. CFI Investigations Group (CFIIG) shares the story of a Paranormal Challenge test from this past July in which the challenger, EJ, “claimed that[…]

If Devout Folks Get to Heaven by Using Magic Spells and Potions…

Why bother following the rules? We can find many examples of Jesus-script in the gospels that stress good behavior, compassion, carefully following god’s rules—as the ways to make it to heaven. In Matthew 19 we read the story of a rich[…]

“Indistinguishable From Random Guessing” – New SkeptiLab, an Astrological Faceplant, and the Secrets of Project 2025

Happy Friday! Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Make sure to check out the new episode of CFIIG’s SkeptiLab: The Bunk Stops Here! Host Jim Underdown is joined by famed[…]

Is Ethics without God Possible?

I've been honored to contribute a paper to an online interactive scholarly symposium on ethics without god(s). My major in a PhD program at Marquette Univ. was ethics. I also taught Intro to Ethics college classes. My recent focus has been[…]

“Religious Intrusion Into Public Schools” – Skeptical Inquirer Presents, Texas Teaching Theocracy, and COVID Booster Advice

Welcome to your midweek Morning Heresy, CFI’s roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. CFI Director of Education Bertha Vazquez was interviewed by National Center for Science Education deputy director (and CSI Fellow) Glenn Branch. They spoke in[…]

“Things Got Really Polarized” – Mental Health Pseudoscience, Vaccine Hesitancy, and Abusing Blasphemy Laws

Ahoy-hoy! Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Writer Mark West offers Skeptical Inquirer readers some background on Göbekli Tepe, a site that’s frequently featured on the History Channel’s “Ancient Aliens.”[…]

Mind the Science: Saving Your Mental Health from the Wellness Industry | Jonathan Stea on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, Thursday, August 22

The world of mental healthcare is very much caveat emptor: buyer beware. Today, people looking to care for their mental health face a market with at least 600 “brands” of psychotherapy—and counting. Most are ineffective, and many could be harmful.[…]

Is Religion Required to Believe in an Afterlife?

A belief in some sort of afterlife is a common theme one finds in most world religions. The two are often intertwined to the point that they seem hard to separate. There's something waiting for you after you die. Religion[…]

The Author of Mark’s Gospel Created Jesus Fantasies

Matthew, Luke, and John did too, but none of them knew how to write history […]

“A Gift From Medicine” – The Grafton Monster, ‘General Supply,’ and the Importance of Vaccines

Welcome to the Friday Morning Heresy, CFI’s roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Rob Palmer’slatest “Anticipating CSICon” video interview is with none other than Neil deGrasse Tyson. The iconic astrophysicist talks about his upcoming presentation at CSICon[…]

“Deceptive Practices” – OPP on Crisis Pregnancy Centers, Poster Trolling, and a Mid-Year Measles Update

Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. Massachusetts is considering H. 377, a bill that would regulate and rein in so-called “crisis pregnancy centers” throughout the state. CFI Director of Government Affairs[…]

Let's Highlight My Magnum Opus, WIBA.

Let's highlight my magnum opus, per a comment by Dr. Jim Sterba, Professor of Philosophy, University of Notre Dame: "I think your book 'Why I Became an Atheist' is unsurpassable." Amazon LINK.

Heretic on the Hill: From Washington to the Real World and Back

A quick Project 2025 update: The director of the project, Paul Dans, announced he was stepping down from the Heritage Foundation. This marks the end of the “policy operations” phase according to news reports. Which makes sense; 920 pages of[…]

“Oklahoma Schools in Revolt” – Supplement Scams, CSICon Scholarships, and Digging In on False Beliefs

Ahoy-hoy! Welcome to the Morning Heresy, CFI’s thrice-weekly roundup of news and headlines for the reality-based community. If you’re one of the many Morning Heresy readers who get to this page via the email newsletter or a direct link on[…]

Center for Inquiry Unveils Revamped Homepage Design

The Center for Inquiry (CFI) has released a redesigned homepage for its flagship website, centerforinquiry.org. For decades, the nonprofit Center for Inquiry has been a leading advocate for promoting reason, science, and secular values around the world. The homepage redesign[…]

AHA Applauds President Biden’s Call for Court Reform

"Democracy and our basic civil rights cannot wait." The post AHA Applauds President Biden’s Call for Court Reform appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Living in Mississippi Shapes My Perceptions

Where I live makes me more pessimistic about many things than I'd otherwise be. I sometimes forget this. I then assume that the views I encounter in Mississippi are more representative than I hope they are. This has caused me[…]

Heretic on the Hill: The Last Person Who Should Get Religion

Donald Trump mentioned God nine times in his speech last week. Some of them were perfunctory like “God bless the United States of America,” but others were more personal. “If the events of last Saturday make anything clear, it is[…]

AHA Legal Center Secures Major Establishment Clause Victory in Ocala, Florida, Stands Ready to Face Appeal

Police departments should not take sides in matters of religion. The post AHA Legal Center Secures Major Establishment Clause Victory in Ocala, Florida, Stands Ready to Face Appeal appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Project 2025 Religious Quotes

The following collection of quotes from Project 2025 includes all the significant mentions of religion, faith-based organizations, and even the Sabbath. It shows how religion, specifically “Judeo-Christian” religion, guides much of what Project 2025 proposes to change and/or eliminate in[…]

Sci vs. Psi: Testing Superpowers | Jim Underdown on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, Thursday, August 8

$500,000. It should be easy money for the right person. The Center for Inquiry Investigations Group (CFIIG) Paranormal Challenge offers a $500,000 prize to anyone who can demonstrate any paranormal, supernatural, or occult power under scientific testing conditions. It is,[…]

We Have Created the Conditions for Political Violence

Like most of you, I don't condone political violence. I can't reconcile it with the sort of democratic society I prefer. The democratic process doesn't always work the way we want it to, and our courts don't always get it[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Making the Swamp Great Again for Christians

On debate night Donald Trump and President Biden were tied in the national polls at 41 percent, with Kennedy at 9 percent (!), according to pretty good polling website fivethirtyeight.com. Today it’s Trump 42, Biden 40, and Kennedy almost at 10[…]

Project 2025 vs. The U.S. Department of Education

The primary recommendation in Project 2025 for the Department of Education is to eliminate it. When President Carter signed the Department of Education Organization Act in 1979 the goal was to bring various federal education programs at different federal agencies[…]

We Must Defeat Trump's Project 2025

In Trump v. United States, the Supreme Court ruled that presidents (and former presidents) are immune from criminal prosecution for "official acts" while they were in office. Can we agree that "Trump v. United States" is a fitting name for[…]

Éramos la pareja ideal, excepto por la religión y los perros

OKCupid nos calificó como “altamente compatibles”. Solo que él era ateo y yo musulmana practicante.

Twists and Turns in Teaching Evolution | Glenn Branch on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, Thursday, July 11

Multiple controversies over the teaching of evolution in public schools have rocked the nation over the past century. Evolution’s foes have consistently used the same arguments, but their ambitions have shifted: from outright banning the teaching of evolution to “balancing”[…]

AHA Demands Court Reform Following a Disastrous Docket of Supreme Court Decisions

With fear for our democracy, we dissent. The post AHA Demands Court Reform Following a Disastrous Docket of Supreme Court Decisions appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Sticking With a Flawed Candidate

I did not watch the first presidential debate of 2024. The thought of exposing myself to that level of depression and anger seemed unwise. It wasn't like the outcome was ever in question. Trump would lie, and Biden would seem[…]

AHA Strongly Condemns SCOTUS Power Grab in Loper Bright and Relentless Cases

Decisions will undermine our democracy for years to come. The post AHA Strongly Condemns SCOTUS Power Grab in Loper Bright and Relentless Cases appeared first on American Humanist Association.

A Perfect Match, Except for God and Dogs

What happens when deal breakers don’t break the deal?

AHA Statement on SCOTUS Decision in Moyle v. U.S.

Emergency abortions can resume in Idaho. The post AHA Statement on SCOTUS Decision in Moyle v. U.S. appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Heretic on the Hill: Ten Commandments, Nine Justices, and the First Amendment

It’s hot in Washington. Damn hot. It’s so hot I went by the Lincoln Memorial, and the chair was empty. That’s hot. It’s so hot I didn’t mind at all that my Hill meetings were on Zoom yesterday. I usually[…]

Louisiana Promotes Christianity in Public Schools

The state of Louisiana passed a law requiring public schools to display the Ten Commandments in every classroom. As expected, secular organizations oppose this. In their press release, the Secular Coalition for America (SCA) noted: This move is not only[…]

Secular Coalition for America Condemns Louisiana’s Unconstitutional Mandate to Display Ten Commandments in Public Schools

The Secular Coalition for America (SCA) strongly opposes the recent decision by Louisiana to require the display of the Ten Commandments in public school classrooms, deeming it a blatant violation of the constitutional principle of separation of church and state.[…]

This One’s Not About Flags Again

Last Friday was Flag Day, not just at the Alito house but everywhere. Flying the American flag upside down has long been recognized as a symbol of distress, such as when your boat is taking on water. These days the[…]

Hearts and Minds: Rebuilding Respect for Science | Laura Lindenfeld on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, Thursday, June 27

The American public is increasingly skeptical of experts, including scientists, healthcare professionals, and other researchers. Many experts respond by sharing more facts and information and/or bemoaning the lack of science literacy. Laura Lindenfeld believes there is another, more effective way[…]

Center for Inquiry Hails Supreme Court Ruling Protecting Access to Mifepristone

Yesterday morning, the U.S. Supreme Court unanimously rejected a challenge to the Food and Drug Administration’s initial approval of and ongoing ability to regulate the abortion drug mifepristone. The Court ruled that the plaintiffs, an organization of anti-abortion doctors called[…]

AHA Applauds SCOTUS Decision in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine

"We know that the fight for abortion access is far from over." The post AHA Applauds SCOTUS Decision in FDA v. Alliance for Hippocratic Medicine appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Heretic on the Hill: Raskin to the Rescue

“Everyone talks about the weather, but no one does anything about it,” said Mark Twain. In the global warming era I’m not sure that’s still true. We’ve done something about it. But it’s a good segue to “Everyone talks about[…]

Happy Atheist Pride Day!

No, I didn't realize it was Atheist Pride Day either. I can't seem to remember from year to year that there is such a thing. I heard about it for the first time in 2013 from American Atheists. It hasn't[…]

To the Honorable Merrick B. Garland Regarding the Judicial Recusal of Justices Samuel Alito and Clarence Thomas

The Secular Coalition for America (SCA), in collaboration with its 20 coalition groups, has written a letter to Attorney Merrick B. General Garland that asks the Attorney General to move forward with actions that would force the judicial recusal of[…]

Superfoods, Silkworms, and Spandex | Dr. Joe Schwarcz on Skeptical Inquirer Presents, June 13

Is superfood a scientific term … or a marketing one? Do supplements that claim to reduce inflammation actually reduce anything (other than your bank account)? What’s the deal with “red light therapy”? Everyday life is full of interesting science—and pseudoscience—from […]

Book Review: ‘An Emancipation of the Mind,’ by Matthew Stewart; ‘The Rise and Fall of the Second American Republic,’ by Manisha Sinha

Taken together, two new books tell the century-long story of the revolutionary ideals that transformed the United States, and the counterrevolutionaries who fought them.

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