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Various News
For Turkey
Canadian Atheist - 1 hour 40 min ago
So, I was walking in downtown Toronto on Saturday, buying alcohol and getting ready to party. And then I came across a protest. This is somewhat common in Toronto, and I’m a jaded mo… I’m somewhat jaded.
But Turkey is arguably one of those good countries, that shit like this should not be happening in. Maybe I’m hopelessly lost in my own privilege…. but damn this shit can ruin a buzz.
If you are so inclined, THIS. Support Turkish Secularism and Freedom.
Categories: Various News
Woman trying to ‘live on light’ instead of food ends experiment
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 23:33
Naveena Shine, 65, is the Eastside woman who wanted to test out whether she could live just on sunshine and no food. She’s calling it quits Wednesday, on what would be Day No. 47, after dropping 20 percent of her body weight.
Read more of the article here.
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- Seattle Woman Trying To Live On Sunlight Alone Is Probably Going to Die
- God is opposed to food stamps? Let’s try an evidence-based approach to hunger instead.
Categories: Various News
On TV and the Lecture Circuit, Bill Nye Aims to Change the World
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 23:20
As the car pulled into the parking lot of a Starbucks, William Sanford Nye unknotted his trademark bow tie and slipped it off.
“This might buy us a couple of minutes,” he said.
Read more of the article here.
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- Bill Nye says nay: ‘Science Guy’ opposes teaching Of Creationism
- ‘Science Guy’ Speaks Out: Bill Nye Says Nay To Anti-Evolution Crusade, As Bills Pop Up In The States
Categories: Various News
How fish won the oxygen war
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 23:07
Barracuda hovering in the strong current at the Paradise Reef, Cozumel (Laban 712 / Wikimedia Commons)
A missing link in the story of how the fishes triumphed over toxic oceans and past climate changes has been revealed by an international team of scientists.
Read more of the article here.
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Categories: Various News
Religion and Mental Health
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 22:58
Do not know if anyone has had any similar experience, but something that happened to me regarding religion might need more disscussion or investigation.
It centres on my experience when i was going through one of my bad ' Episodes ' of extreme pychosis. This would involve voices in my head telling me to mutalate my body, and do some other extreme things. Around this time my Familly were involed with a religious group, and they had effectively disowned me because of what i was doing while going through these episodes.
One day i was stopped in the street by a ' Church Leader ', who said that my Mother had shown her a photo of me and that i was having problems. She continued to say that i was Possessed by a Demonic force or even by the Devil himself. and there were steps that they needed to carry out to ' cure ' me.
This included an Exorcism at the church, i also had to embrace God and go through a baptism. They also said my Doctors were the Devils servants who were keeping me possessed so i could do the devil's work. So she advised me to come off all my medication.
I refused and explained that i have no religion but that of Logic, and Logic tells me that religion is not Logical. But this did not stop complete strangers from the church stopping me on the street every day, and this went on for a year.
My only reason for bringing this up is that around the same time, someone with depression i knew had the same treatment and accepted there help. Needless to say they commited suicide a few months later. So just wondering if anyone has had the same experience.
Read more of the article here at its source.
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Categories: Various News
Evolution “problematic” for Orthodox Jewish ‘faith schools’
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 16:10
Government plans to place greater emphasis on evolution in biology classes as part of its proposals to reform GCSE content have been criticised for "causing problems" for strictly Orthodox Jewish faith schools.
Read more of the article here.
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- Evolution “problematic” for Orthodox Jewish ‘faith schools’
- Creationist Free School bids rejected as other ‘faith’ schools advance to interviews
Categories: Various News
Fighting female genital mutilation in Africa
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 14:49
Girls from Koumonin village, the first in Guinea to ban female genital cutting [Mary Matheson/Plan International]
Now in her 50s, Madina Bocoum Daff still cannot get over the agony and shame of her teenage years.
Read more of the article here.
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- Community-Based Program: More Women Refuse Female Genital Mutilation
- United Nations speaks out against Female Genital Mutilation
Categories: Various News
David Cameron: we want £1m prize to be Britain’s Got Talent for sciences
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 14:31
The government is to launch a £1 million prize to decide on, and then solve, the most pressing global challenge of today, David Cameron has announced.
Read more of the article here.
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- Kirk Cameron Taps David Barton for new Documentary
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Categories: Various News
Morning Read for June 17, 2013
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 13:40
National
House committee advances 20-week abortion ban (World Magazine)
A bill that would ban abortions nationwide after 20 weeks gestation is quietly moving in the U.S. House of Representatives and could reach the House floor as early as next week.
States
Public School Proselytizing Sparks Miss. Lawsuit (Americans United)
The Rankin County, Miss., School District is facing a federal lawsuit because it allegedly sanctioned coercive proselytizing during three mandatory assemblies at Northwest Rankin High School in Flowood.
Man Objects To Prayers Before City Council Meetings (WNEP)
An objection was made Thursday night at the Wilkes-Barre city council meeting over the council’s use of prayer before meetings.
W-B council urged to counter crime (Times Leader)
Attendees at a city council meeting Thursday night raise concerns at meeting about illicit drug sales, pit bulls and prayer.
Atheism & Culture
Republicans and Fox News telling humanists and atheists to get lost (Examiner)
House Republicans in the Armed Services Committee told humanists and atheists in themilitary to get lost. They voted down humanist chaplains in the military. Not one Republican voted for them.
Politics
School prayer: 50 years after the ban, God and faith more present than ever (Christian Science Monitor)
School prayer was banned by the US Supreme Court 50 years ago, but there is probably more presence of religion in public school environments – through club ministries, classes, after-school and interfaith programs, and faith-based services – than ever.
House Votes Down Amendment Allowing Non-religious Military Chaplains, but 150 Democrats Voted for It (Friendly Atheist)
Last week, Rep. Jared Polis (D-CO) put forth an amendment that would allow for non-religious military chaplains. Unfortunately, the full House shot this amendment down earlier this afternoon by a vote of 274-150. Every Republican and 44 Democrats voted against it.
Obama Threatens to Veto Bill Protecting Soldiers’ Conscience Rights (National Catholic Register)
The presidential move is the latest in a string of incidents that have generated concern among Catholics and other Christian leaders.
Rick Perry: ‘Religious Freedom Does Not Mean Freedom From Religion’ (Huffington Post)
During the signing of Texas’ “Merry Christmas Bill” on Thursday, Gov. Rick Perry (R) made a rather shocking claim. Click the headline to see the video.
Scott Walker would sign abortion ultrasound bill (Washington Post)
Wisconsin Gov. Scott Walker (R) says he will sign a bill requiring women seeking abortions to undergo ultrasounds. “I don’t have any problem with ultrasound,” Walker said Tuesday, according to the AP. “I think most people think ultrasounds are just fine.”
World
Pope praises Welby over gay marriage stance (The Telegraph)
Pope Francis praised the Archbishop of Canterbury for his stance on gay marriage suggesting David Cameron ‘s plans could undermine the “foundations of society”.
British atheist group looking to expand will host sermon at city dive bar (NY Daily News)
The Sunday Assembly, co-founded by comedian Sanderson Jones, will make a stop in New York during its U.S. tour. The location for the sermon will be at Tobacco Road, a ‘bikini bar’ where the staff has vowed to cover up during the service.
Woman Being Denied Citizenship because her Morality Doesn’t Come from Religion (Divided Under God)
Margaret Doughty, a 64-year old woman from the UK who has spent the past 30+ years in the U.S., is in the process of applying for United States Citizenship and happens to be an atheist.
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Categories: Various News
Catholic midwives face further legal challenge to “conscience” exemption
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 10:35
Two Catholic midwives who, in April, won a legal case at Scotland's supreme civil court for the right to conscientious exemption from all involvement in abortion procedures, now face a further legal challenge. NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde has confirmed to the National Secular Society that it intends to appeal the ruling which had given Mary Doogan and Connie Wood exemptions from delegating, supervising or supporting any staff involved in abortions. Their case was backed by the Pro-life group the Society for the Protection of Unborn Children (SPUC). Scotland's supreme civil court's verdict had noted that the right to conscientious objection enshrined, in 1967 Abortion Act, "should extend to any involvement in the process of treatment, the object of which is to terminate a pregnancy". It was the first time that legally, conscientious objection was understood to legitimately extend beyond direct participation in terminations. Following the Supreme Court ruling in April, the Secular Medical Forum and National Secular Society sent a joint letter to NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde urging it to consider the wider ramifications of the ruling to NHS provision of abortion services and other healthcare services when considering whether to appeal. Stephen Evans, campaigns manager at the National Secular Society, said: "We very much welcome NHS Greater Glasgow and Clyde's decision to appeal this judgement. Any extension of conscience objection could have a seriously detrimental impact on costs and service delivery – not only to women seeking abortions, but right across healthcare provision. "It should be the responsibility of individual healthcare professionals to apply only for roles which do not conflict with their personal beliefs. Where the two clash, the patient must always be the central concern, and should not be in any way disadvantaged by the personal views of individual healthcare professionals."
Related articles:
- Catholic midwives try to extend the “conscience” exemption in Abortion Act
- Catholic midwives succeed in attempt to extend “conscience” exemption
Categories: Various News
Center for Inquiry Board of Directors Statement on the CEO and the Women in Secularism 2 Conference
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 10:07
The mission of the Center for Inquiry is to foster a secular society based on science, reason, freedom of inquiry, and humanist values.
The Center for Inquiry, including its CEO, is dedicated to advancing the status of women and promoting women’s issues, and this was the motivation for its sponsorship of the two Women in Secularism conferences. The CFI Board wishes to express its unhappiness with the controversy surrounding the recent Women in Secularism Conference 2.
CFI believes in respectful debate and dialogue. We appreciate the many insights and varied opinions communicated to us. Going forward, we will endeavor to work with all elements of the secular movement to enhance our common values and strengthen our solidarity as we struggle together for full equality and respect for women around the world.
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- Center for Inquiry supports Unite Women: Rallies Nationwide on April 28
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Categories: Various News
Evolution “problematic” for Orthodox Jewish ‘faith schools’
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 09:18
Government plans to place greater emphasis on evolution in biology classes as part of its proposals to reform GCSE content have been criticised for "causing problems" for strictly Orthodox Jewish faith schools. The criticism followed last week's publication of subject content proposals for Biology by the Department for Education. Under the new proposals students would be required to describe how evolution occurs; evaluate the evidence for evolution to include fossils; describe the work of Darwin and Wallace in the development of evolution theory; and explain the impact of evolution on modern biology. Speaking to the Jewish Chronicle, Michael Cohen, an adviser to Orthodox schools, said: "I don't see Charedi [ultra-Orthodox] schools going along with it. It is something that flies in face of their ethos and culture. It is clear this kind of proposal is definitely going to create difficulties for Charedi schools." According to the Jewish Chronicle, modern Orthodox schools feel able to reconcile evolution with Jewish teachings on creation but Charedi schools regard it as opposed to traditional doctrine. There is currently just one Charedi Jewish school in the state sector. Unconfirmed reports on the internet have suggested that a question deemed unsuitable by Charedi teachers in a GSCE science exam this year was blacked out for pupils who sat it. Rabbi Avraham Pinter, principal of the state funded Chasidic girls' secondary school, Yesodey Hatorah, told the Jewish Chronicle: "sometimes Charedi schools, if they find anything in the paper which could be offensive to parents, advise children to avoid that question". He said that he expected Charedi concerns to be raised in consultations about the reforms. "We are confident that the government will take into consideration the educational priorities of parents and children of all faiths, and ensure that this topic is covered in a balanced and sensitive manner." The National Secular Society believes the proposals could be problematic for other 'faith schools' within the state system. Stephen Evans, campaigns manager of the National Secular Society, said: "The danger with faith schools is that religion can so often become a big part of the educational provision. Many faith schools make a point of ensuring that the 'religious ethos' permeates through all lessons – including science. "When scientific facts are incompatible with the faith of the school, too often it will be the children's education that is compromised, rather than the faith of the school. Parents do have a right to educate their children in accordance with their religious convictions, but the inclusion of faith schools in our state education system results in the state becoming complicit in the inculcation of children with religious beliefs – something the state should play no part in." Last year the Department for Education announced plans to make evolution a compulsory part of the primary school curriculum. The National Association of Jewish Orthodox Schools has since lobbied the department for a rethink. Read the Oral statement by Michael Gove on education reform.
Related articles:
- Approved 2013 Free Schools include first ‘faith’ special, alternative provision schools
- Even the government don’t know which Academies and Free Schools are religiously discriminating ‘faith’ schools
Categories: Various News
The Genesis Number Two Code
Canadian Atheist - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 08:00
Well, fellow atheists, it turns out we’ve been shown to be fools! For decades we’ve been mocking the Genesis story of creation, saying it doesn’t have any connection to facts we know at all… but luckily Daniel Friedmann, author of The Genesis One Code, has come to straighten us out. The Genesis story matches what we know of science if we just let each day equal 2.56 billion years!
Only… no. How are there still even people claiming this crap? No matter how long you make each Genesis “day” – even if you allow days to be “eras” of differing lengths – the Genesis myth still won’t match the scientific facts because the events are out of order. Genesis has insects created after birds, fruit trees before any animals, plants before the Moon and the Earth itself before the Sun, among other things. I must have heard every iteration of this theory there is, with all the wacky rationalizations (“Oh, the reason the Sun came after the Earth is because Genesis was written from the point of view of Israel, and when the Earth was first created there was a lot of dust in the atmosphere so you couldn’t see the Sun!” Then how did the fucking fruit trees grow, dipshit?), and I’ve never heard one that didn’t have more holes in it than… well, apparently than Daniel Friedmann’s head, it seems.
The reason this nut is causing a buzz in the atheist blogosphere now is that Friedmann has managed to get a place on the stage at Moses Znaimers’ (of CityTV and MuchMusic fame) ideacity Conference. ideacity has always been a mixed bag of quality. They’ve had Dawkins and Harris in the past, and this year they have several exciting speakers who will deliver talks on topics like robotics, 3D printing and “Earthship“-like sustainable development. But then they’ve also had Deepak Chopra, psychic Colette Baron-Reid, and Margaret Somerville making the daffy claim that “spirituality is to ethics as oxygen is to breathing”, which I suppose is true in the sense that too much of it is poisonous.
So having a presenter like Friedmann isn’t really a shock (beyond the shock that anyone is listening to that nonsense at all). At least we get some entertainment out of it though. For example, the ideacity presenter grid has Friedmann listed as “Physicist, Bible Decoder“. That’s actually kind of awesome. It kinda makes me want to write a whole series on people who describe themselves “[Real profession], Bible Decoder”. Like Ace McGunn, “Detective, Bible Decoder”, who, after using modern forensic science to determine that the victim was murdered by the husband because of the affair he was having with the wife, sends the wife off to be stoned for adultery and compensates the husband with 50 sheckels and a goat for his loss.
And then there’s the laughable Toronto Star interview by Antonia Zerbisias, where Friedmann claims that most of what is going on in Genesis is completely explained in science. To her credit, Zerbisias – who otherwise really seemed to be phoning in this interview, no pun intended (to be fair, her beat is really social justice issues; I can’t imagine why an editor put her on this story) – at least stopped at that point and asked: Most? Really? At that point, Friedmann doubles down on the crazy and says: Yes, with three exceptions. Seriously, just three exceptions. Genesis perfectly matches modern science, talking animals, rib-women and all… but for three exceptions. (Which are apparently that science can’t explain a] why the Big Bang happened; b] the soul; and c] the… Cambrian explosion? Whut?)
Now, kids, before you run off and dump all your MDA shares because the CEO, Friedmann, is such a dumbass, bear in mind that he’s not actually the guy doing any of the real thinking in the company. He’s just the CEO (which, really, is often the antithesis of “the guy doing any of the real thinking in the company”). I’ve worked with MD Robotics, and their engineers are uniformly brilliant – and MDA has done phenomenal work as part of the Canadian space program. I’m sure they’ll continue to do great work even while the CEO is staring dumbly at the rockets going up, scratching his head in confusion and mumbling, “fucking magnets?”
However, I suppose this will pretty much cement ideacity’s reputation as TED‘s slow-witted little brother; it’s really kind of embarrassing that it can’t even meet the standards of a TEDx conference anymore. It has me wondering what the hell is wrong with Toronto these days? Maybe Rob Ford is really just the tip of the crack-smoking iceberg.
Anyway, Friedmann’s presentation, along with the rest of ideacity, will be happening this week. I’ll be waiting for the web video to be released – this should be a hoot.
Categories: Various News
Christian Democrat calls on Congress to respect atheists in the military
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 00:23
Rep. Robert Andrews on Friday (D-NJ) implored his fellow lawmakers to support an amendment to the annual defense spending bill that would allow nontheistic chaplains in the U.S. Armed Forces.
Read more of the article here.
Related articles:
- Obama calls religious opt-out in new defence bill “unnecessary and divisive”
- Bias Brigade: Intolerant Members Of Congress Shoot Down Non-Theistic Chaplains
Categories: Various News
Reproduction? Help me understand!
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 00:17
How is it that the first living organism had offspring? Wouldn't one expect, under undirected circumstances, that the first living organism that came into being accidently would eventually just die without having the foresight to reproduce?
Read more of the article here at its source.
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Categories: Various News
Gaze upon all of Mercury for the first time ever
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 00:11
The existence of our solar system's innermost planet has been common knowledge since ancient times, but that doesn't actually mean we've always know much about it. Mercury's proximity to the Sun has allowed it to jealously guard its secrets, and so this NASA video offers an unprecedentedly detailed view of the planet's surface.
Read more of the article here.
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- NASA’S Kepler Discovers its Smallest ‘Habitable Zone’ Planets to Date
- NASA’S Kepler Discovers its Smallest ‘Habitable Zone’ Planets to Date
Categories: Various News
British atheist group looking to expand will host sermon in New York
Secular News Daily - Mon, 06/17/2013 - 00:03
British couple Sanderson Jones and Pippa Evans co-founded the Sunday Assembly. The atheist congregation's guiding ethos is to 'live better, help often and wonder more.'
The British atheists are coming to Hell’s Kitchen!
Read more of the article here.
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- I Wouldn’t Mind Telling the World I’m an Atheist… Except my Dad is a Preacher.
- British court punishes atheist for anti-religion posters
Categories: Various News
Christian college expels lesbian, charges tuition
Secular News Daily - Sun, 06/16/2013 - 12:35
Danielle Powell, right, and her spouse Michelle Rogers are photographed in Omaha, Neb., Wednesday, June 12, 2013. (AP Photo/Nati Harnik)
Danielle Powell was going through a hard time in the spring of 2011, just months away from graduating from a conservative Christian college in Nebraska. She had fallen in love with another woman, a strictly forbidden relationship at a school where even prolonged hugs were banned.
Read more of the article here.
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Categories: Various News
Google tests balloons to beam internet from near space
Secular News Daily - Sun, 06/16/2013 - 12:03
The giant balloons carrying computer equipment are being launched in New Zealand
Google is launching balloons into near space to provide internet access to buildings below on the ground.
Read more of the article here.
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Categories: Various News
R. Elisabeth Cornwell – We Are Atheism
Secular News Daily - Sun, 06/16/2013 - 11:09
This short video was shot in February 2013 for the We Are Atheism project.
Read more of the article here.
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Categories: Various News
