AOF Online - Freethought News

Suspect in Texas shooting wore 'Property of Allah' clothing and Iranian flag emblem, AP source says

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Bill to criminalize clergy sexual misconduct in Georgia gains momentum. They are not covered by the “improper sexual contact by employee or agent” statute.

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Taliban now allow men to beat their wives as long as they don’t break bones or leave open wounds as per a decree issued last month. It also makes sodomy punishable by death, allows beating children for failure to pray, and makes a woman’s testimony worth half of a mans.

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Taught my little brother a little about atheism and now my parents are mad

I am 20m and I was walking my dog with my little brother 9m , I forget how we got into the conversation but we were talking about religion. My mum the main Christian and my stepdad a luke-warm watches[…]

He broke the story of the US Catholic clergy abuse scandal. Now he reflects on struggling to keep his faith

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Latter-day Saint bishop sentenced to serve 32 days in county jail for assault and must register as a sex offender on release.

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What could go wrong?: Florida bill would allow churches to use unqualified armed volunteers for security.

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Why is religion still a thing?

I really don’t get it. You would think with natural human evolution that rationality would evolve as well. But here we are. Just passed a mega church today with giant parking lot PACKED. This is insane. We’re supposed to be[…]

I said the reason why my relative’s son died is because God hates him. Now I wonder if I went too far.

I come from a very religious family, and I usually try to be quiet when I hear comments I strongly disagree with. A few days ago, a relative was over and started talking about a man we knew who recently[…]

Nearly one in 10 Protestant Americans left church over sexual abuse concerns - study finds.

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Iran’s Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei Killed By US-Israeli Strikes: What Now For Religious Minorities?

The assassination — announced by President Trump hours after Saturday’s airstrikes — is expected to throw the Islamic Republic of Iran’s future into doubt and raises the prospect that the country’s theocratic government could be overthrown after nearly five decades.[…]

US-Israeli Airstrikes Take Aim At Iranian Theocracy: 3 Future Outcomes

(ANALYSIS) The joint U.S.–Israeli strike on Iranian targets on Saturday marked a dramatic escalation in the decades-long confrontation with the Islamic Republic — and raised two profound questions: Is this a real attempt at regime change? What would that mean[…]

Religious Freedom And The ICE Reckoning In Minnesota

(ANALYSIS) Recent events in Minnesota have exposed a thin understanding of religious freedom, reducing it to boundary enforcement rather than sustaining institutions that form moral life. The moment calls for deeper discernment: protecting worship without criminalizing dissent.

Who Is Telling The Truth About American Religion?

(ANALYSIS) Be warned — this one is super nerdy and goes very deep into the weeds of survey methodology. I want this newsletter to be really accessible to the average American, but I think it’s helpful every once in a[…]

"Why Adam and Eve Sinned & Problems with Free Will" by Edouard Tahmizian

"Why Adam and Eve Sinned & Problems with Free Will" by Edouard Tahmizian is Secular Web's Editor's Choice, Kiosk Article! Congrats goes to Edouard who is the Vice President & Social Media Manager of Internet Infidels! LINK

Acts 29 Vice President Removed After Admitting To Extramarital Relationship

The U.S. vice president of Acts 29 has confessed to a “long-term extramarital relationship.” The church planting network removed Tyler Jones from leadership, citing “clear standards of integrity, transparency, and biblical conduct.”

Meet Greenland’s Only Catholic Parish Priest Whose Church Faces Big Challenges

Greenland, a remote, ice-covered territory three times the size of Texas, has just one Catholic church, Christ the King, in Nuuk, where Pastor Tomaz Majcen serves a tiny, mostly immigrant congregation. Amid harsh conditions, social struggles and global attention, the[…]

March Madness: 5 Catholic Schools Battling For NCAA Basketball Tournament Bids

As the calendar prepares to flip to March, the race to secure a spot in the NCAA men’s basketball tournament has intensified. With Selection Sunday scheduled for March 15 looming, schools across the country are jockeying for position — some[…]

Crossroads Podcast: Inside Deepak Chopra’s Relationship With Jeffrey Epstein

It’s also important that this unconventional religious leader’s social ties to Epstein continued long after the financier became a convicted sex offender, after he pled guilty in 2008 to soliciting prostitution from an underage girl.

For Good Reason, Respect for Clergy Has Been in Decline

The clergy themselves are to blameMany times on this blog I have wondered, “Why isn’t membership in the Catholic church down to zero by now?” Are its faithful members just not paying attention? Their church has paid more than four billion dollars[…]

After Minneapolis, A YouTuber Chases Orthodox Jewish ‘Welfare Queens’

Overt antisemitism among online influencers has started to break into the real world. A notable recent example comes via Tyler Oliveira, a YouTuber who rose to fame with stunts like trying to absorb a swimming pool’s worth of water with[…]

‘Happy Last Birthday Ben!’: Sasse Faces Death With Faith And Resolve

Former U.S. Sen. Ben Sasse reflects on his pancreatic cancer diagnosis and limited prognosis. In a Hoover Institution interview, Sasse speaks candidly about pain, mortality and Christian hope, urging believers to face death without despair while serving others with whatever[…]

American Humanists Launch “How to Humanist” Podcast

Introducing humanist conversations to major streaming platforms. The post American Humanists Launch “How to Humanist” Podcast appeared first on American Humanist Association.

"Christian Nationalism—The Danger That It Poses to Our Democracy" by John W. Loftus

The following link will take you to Google Slides for my presentation on this topic. It was sponsored by CFI Indiana this past Saturday. LINK. Let me know this works. I press on the down arrow to switch slides. If[…]

Convincing Evidence for a Real Jesus Still Can’t Be Found

Close study of the Bible and other ancient texts isn’t helpingMy very devout mother was born in southern Indiana in 1905. It was always a puzzle to me that she was not a fundamentalist. I recall vividly that she never watched Billy[…]

The Warsaw Ghetto vs. God-Is-Good Theology

Horrendous suffering can never be ignored to protect god(s) Not too long ago, a post quoting Bertrand Russell popped up on social media. It was an excerpt from his 1930 essay, Has Religion Made Useful Contributions to Civilization? Much of this essay[…]

American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project

"Our response to the crisis of cruelty plaguing our communities." The post American Humanists Launch the American Empathy Project appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Here is a Visual of the Book "God and Horrendous Suffering"

In case you need a visual this is a very B.I.G. book! 600+ pages! Just released! You’ll get your money's worth. Get it. Review it. Laud it. Praise it. Love it. Hate it. It should challenge most readers to consider[…]

Honest Sermons on the Gospel of Mark, Chapter 15

The origins of anti-Semitism in this first gospel These 47 verses of chapter 15 should be read carefully, with curiosity fully engaged. How did the author of Mark’s gospel know—how did he find out about—any of what he depicts here? There[…]

2026 National Prayer Breakfast Opposition Letter – Organizational and Community Leaders Sign On

The Secular Coalition for America has joined several nonprofits, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation, to oppose the National Prayer Breakfast. The National Prayer Breakfast harms our national unity, the separation between religion and government, and the rights of the[…]

The Best Cure for Christianity Is Reading the Bible, Essay Number 8

There is far too much mediocre, alarming Jesus-script in the gospels On social media especially, there is[…]

Some Disturbing [Preconciliar] Catholic Art:

Some Disturbing [Preconciliar] Catholic Art: Figure 1: Some disturbing Preconciliar Roman Catholic art that I discovered on Pinterest. ‘Passiōnis Īnstrūmenta’, ‘The Instruments of the Passion’. Bad News About Christianity has some excellent posts about Christianity’s obsession with death. We have ‘[Christianity[…]

Horrendous Suffering Cannot Be Ignored in Guessing about God

Religious delusions no longer serve the needs of humanityIn my article here last week, I described three brick walls that Christian theology collides with, and which, in fact, demonstrate that it faces insurmountable problems: 1. Horrendous suffering, 2. Catastrophic superstition,[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Help Us Fight Preachers Endorsing Politicians

The Johnson Amendment is under attack. The legal prohibition against preachers endorsing candidates from the pulpit would be repealed if bills in the House and Senate pass this year. When you see a bill with a vague and seemingly patriotic title, like the Free Speech Fairness[…]

The United States Was Not Founded As A Christian Nation

You may have seen claims that the Founding Fathers created the United States to be a "Christian nation". This Christian nationalism narrative rewrites history and ignores America's Founders' mission to create a secular government where religious freedom is protected but[…]

American Humanists: “No More Regime-Change Wars”

“This is an issue of humanity." The post American Humanists: “No More Regime-Change Wars” appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Humanists Denounce Pete Hegseth’s Attacks on Religious Pluralism in the Military

"No right to tell anyone what to believe or how to pray." The post Humanists Denounce Pete Hegseth’s Attacks on Religious Pluralism in the Military appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Heretic on the Hill: The Law of Unintended Consequences Can’t Be Repealed

If this goes down as the “Pay Me” presidency with President Trump playing the role of mafia boss, demanding payments from universities, tech companies, networks, and whomever else he can shake down, then Stephen Miller will undoubtedly be the consigiliere. Miller[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Groups Like SCA Are Calling the Shots, Says Important Republican Senator. We Try.

Not long ago the Office of Personnel Management, the government’s HR department, released new guidelines for religious activity in federal offices. We thought they were so inappropriate, counterproductive, and counter to established federal employment policy that we put together our[…]

The Office of Personnel Management’s “Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace” Memorandum: What You Need to Know

The Office of Personnel Management’s “Protecting Religious Expression in the Federal Workplace” Memorandum: What You Need to Know Recently, Office of Personnel Management (OPM) Director Scott Kupor issued a memorandum detailing the rights and permissible behavior of religious federal employees[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Working Around the Shutdown

You’ve heard there’s a government shutdown. Most federal offices are closed and the “essential workers” are working without getting paid. Members of the military will miss a paycheck on October 15 which is the first event that might get one[…]

Humanists Applaud Introduction of Separation of Church and State Resolution in Congress

Real religious liberty can’t be taken for granted. The post Humanists Applaud Introduction of Separation of Church and State Resolution in Congress appeared first on American Humanist Association.

Heretic on the Hill: The Water’s Getting Hot

Tom Cruise has a good story about the incredibly dangerous stunt he did climbing the side of the world’s highest building in Mission Impossible: Ghost Protocol. He had been dreaming about doing that stunt himself for years, finally got to the[…]

After Court declares that grant to Ohio religious school was unconstitutional, no funds to be spent on religious education

State funds cannot be spent on religious instruction. The post After Court declares that grant to Ohio religious school was unconstitutional, no funds to be spent on religious education appeared first on American Humanist Association.

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[…]

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[…]

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[…]

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[…]

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[…]

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.

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.

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[…]

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[…]

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[…]

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