God Burns Widow's House, But Saves His Own Stuff

The headline says it all: Firefighters say Bible pulled from burned house is 'a miracle'.

"A family is counting their blessings tonight after an early morning fire in Dearing, GA destroyed most of their home. But one pretty special item was left unscathed ... Bernice Hunt's Bible was pulled from the ashes without a charred edge or a burnt page. The only damage at all was a little moisture from the fire hoses."

So let me see if I get this. God decided to burn this woman's house to the ground. He let all of her possessions go up in smoke. She already lost her husband, has cancer, and had open-heart surgery ... presumably God was responsible for all of that too.

So what 'miracle' does God perform for this poor, sick widow? He saves his own Holy Bible from the flames!

I mean, after all, it is His own word, isn't it? I guess if I were

Kentucky Church Bans Interracial Marriage?

Seriously, can this be real?

Pike church takes stand against interracial marriage

"A small Pike County church has voted not to accept interracial couples as members or let them take part in some worship activities.

The decision has caused sharp reaction and disapproval in the Eastern Kentucky county."

The article points out that this is the same county where the Hatfields and McCoys had their famous feud.

The good news? Most Kentuckians disapprove and are embarrassed by this overt racism.

"It sure ain't Christian. It ain't nothing but the old devil working."

"Most of us thought that we'd moved well beyond that."

"It's not the spirit of the community in any way, shape or form."

Amen to that!

Truth has a Liberal Bias!

Those damned college professors! They're always teaching the facts! And everyone knows that Truth has a liberal bias. Well, these students aren't taking it lying down:

Conservative College Students Launch Website to Battle Liberal Academia

What courage! Real conservatives, standing up to those liberal professors ... but wait ...

Alas, it turns out these students aren't really concerned about conservative politics. They're Christians, and they're angry that the professors don't respect their beliefs, which probably include creationism, suppression of homosexuality, and the subjugation of women. According to Editor-in-Chief Zachary Freeman:

"I think perhaps we (as a nation) have lost our faith and our understanding. The College Conservative works to indirectly promote the biblical truths."

In other words, they want

Catholics Persecuted over Gay Adoption in Illinois? Not Even Close.

Once again, the Roman Catholic Church is giving out misinformation instead of facing the truth.

Catholic Charities, an Illinois adoption agency, had to close its doors because it lost funding from the state. According to attorney Peter Breen, the state is breaking the plain language of the law and violating the will of the citizens:

"The Religious Freedom Protection and Civil Union Act only passed after specific assurances that the law would not impact the work of religious social service agencies. Specific protections for these agencies were written into the law, but unfortunately, Illinois officials refused to abide by those protections. This stands as a stark lesson to the rest of the nation that legislators promising 'religious protection' in same sex marriage and civil union laws may not be able to deliver on those promises."

Gosh, that sounds awful, doesn't it?

But this is nothing more than a smokescreen to hide the real truth. They lost on Constitutional principles that had nothing to do with the Illinois Civil Union Act.

The simple fact is that the Catholic Charities can continue to provide

"Ministerial Exception" - A Solution to Legalized Discrimination

The Christian Science Monitor has cast its vote on whether churches are allowed to discriminate on the basis of faith. Their answer, not surprisingly, is "yes":

"On Wednesday, the Supreme Court hears the case of a Christian schoolteacher fired in a dispute over a disability and church doctrine. The justices should be careful about allowing government to judge a faith's teachings when it is charged with discrimination."

(The fourth-grade teacher was fired because she took a disability leave, was asked to resign, and then filed a discrimination lawsuit rather that using the employer's Christ-based dispute-resolution process.)

The Monitor goes on to explain that some religions are so bizarre

Right-Wingers Threaten to Beat Health Teacher over "Bless You!" Ban

A health teacher wants his kids to stop saying "Bless you!" after someone sneezes. He reminds the kids that we actually learned about germs and stuff a century or two ago. A sneeze, it turns out, isn't your body's attempt to expel demons! To drive the point home, teacher Steve Cuckovich is deducting points from a student's score when the student says "Bless you!" in response to a sneeze.

Cuckovich sounds like a great teacher to me, one with a sense of humor and a way to drive a point home to the students. Maybe a bit idealistic, but his heart is in the right place. But the reader comments at the end article ... well ... I'm speechless. This has to go into the "quoted without comment" category. It speaks for itself.

redwhiteandblueuniverse: "Steve Cuckovich, Mind your own business and stop acting as though you have any authority ... Try pushing your personal beliefs on my child and I will beat your ass. Period, end of story."

rogers1756: "Amen. This teacher needs to be slapped off his mock pedestal of intellectual superiority. This is what the progressives would have if they had their way ... Typical Hillary fascist mind control ..."

Gay Student Ousted from Christian Choir

In an article subtitled "Standing Firm," a Christian "Good News" site tells the rather sad story of a young gay man who was ousted from Psalms 100, a Christian Choir at the University of North Carolina whose mission is "to spread the joy of the Lord through song." You can probably tell that the article was a bit slanted by the subtitle "Standing Firm."

Most of the students and faculty are properly outraged at this Christian group that professes God's love but rejects one of their own because God chose (or so they believe) to make the man gay. It's discriminatory and appears to violate the University's anti-discrimination policy.

But they're missing the point.

The real problem is religion itself. As long as we have religions that teach mythology as fact, morality is absolute and only from God, and feelings and faith are more important than rational thinking, then we're going to have this sort of bigotry. It's not that they're misinterpreting the Bible: their whole way of thinking is wrong.

Christians, Jews and Muslims are taught from an early age to accept authority without question, to ignore obvious contradictions and hypocrisy, and to value faith over rational thought. They're taught that their holy books, which contain thousands of contradictions, errors of fact, and clearly immoral lessons, are actually

Catholics Ban Girl Scout Membership

Pity the poor Girl Scouts of America (GSA). They've been criticized heavily for discriminating against atheists, agnostics, humanists, Muslims, Buddhists and other non-monotheistic girls. But unlike the Boy Scouts, who have stuck to their old discriminatory habits, the GSA modified its pledge to allow girls of all faiths ... as long as they have some faith (atheists are still not allowed).

But now they're getting hammered by Christian groups! Who would have expected that? Christians are banning their young girls from joining GSA, and the ringleader of this is the Roman Catholic Church itself.

The reason should be obvious: GSA has ties to Planned Parenthood, which provides resources on sex education to teens around the world. Yes, it's true. Girl Scouts of America is educating teen girls about their bodies! Can you imagine?

I should at least give the Roman Catholic Church credit for consistency. Their stance on abortion is unbending, and Planned Parenthood does provide abortions. I may vehemently disagree with the Church's moral position on abortion, but I can't blame them for enforcing it.

But other Christian groups are really going nuts. They have all sorts of crazy>

Norway Terrorist was NOT a Christian, and don't say he was

The bullets in the tragic massacre in Norway had barely stopped flying before the words "Christian terrorist" started spreading in news reports and the blogosphere.

• USA Today: Norway suspect sought 'Christian war' against Islam
• Huffington Post: The Face of Christian Terrorism?
• The Palestine Telegraph: Christian terrorist behind attacks in Norway
• Religion Dispatch: Is Norway's Suspected Murderer ... a Christian Terrorist?
• Deutsche Welle: Norway terror suspect believed to be a Christian fundamentalist

And the Christians were equally quick to disown the murderer:

Crazy Christian Preacher: Oprah is a Preacher for the AntiChrist! A Harlot Babylon!

I am speechless ... but this guy isn't!

Holy Desperation! Christian Book on Homosexuality!

Holy Desperation Batman! The Gays are taking over America, and Christians are fighting back!

Or maybe it's just hate speech wrapped up in the mantle of religion. Take a look and see what you think.



As for me, I suspect these right-wing Christians are getting desperate. They just figured out that they're losing the battle. So in spite of the obnoxiousness of this advertisement, I think we can take it as a good sign.

(Thanks to M.I. for the link on San Diego New Atheists and Agnostics.)

Obama Should Read Ezekiel, Start Nuclear War in Middle East

President Obama finally made his first really serious attempt to restart the Middle East peace process. And he didn't pull any punches. After what must have been months of hard work and dozens of meetings with the best and brightest scholars and politicians in America, Obama laid out a new plan.

But uber-conservative Christian radio commentator Michael Savage has a better strategy for setting U.S. foreign policy: read Ezekiel, then start a nuclear war!

Everything you need to know about Middle East diplomacy is right there in the Bible. Savage tells us how God is on Israel's side. All of Israel's neighbors are "despicable nations" in God's eyes. "There will be a nuclear war in the Middle East, according to [Ezekiel]," says Savage. He goes on to point out that by associating with Israel's enemies, President Obama is an enemy of Israel, and therefore an enemy of God.

Not only that, but Savage seems to say that there is only one solution in the Middle East: the inevitable war that will destroy Israel's enemies. Ezekiel says it will happen, so it must be true, so bring it on! Anyone who is working toward peace in the Middle East is violating the prophecies in Ezekiel.

Let's be sure we understand Savage's theory. Ezekiel was written over 2500 years ago by a Jewish priest who almost certainly had some sort of epilepsy or other mental illness. He knew nothing of the lands beyond Israel and its neighbors. The armies of Ezekiel's time fought with swords and spears, not missiles, jet fighters, tanks and nuclear weapons. Ezekiel could no more predict what's going on today than I can predict what will happen in the year 5,000 AD.

And yet Savage believes Ezekiel's predictions are about the Middle East of 2011. And if I understand Savage's logic, Ezekiel was not writing about 2001 or 2021. Ezekiel was talking about 2011.

If Savage were in charge, he would immediately engage in a massive war. All of the nations surrounding Israel would be the enemy, and the war would only end when the enemy was completely destroyed. Yeah, that's the Bible for you. All the knowledge we'll ever need. Completely 100% moral in every regard.

It would be funny except that millions of people listen to this whack job, and those people are allowed to vote.

Maybe the reason so many Christians believe Armageddon is coming is because they would create it if they were in charge.

Church Bucks Lawyers, Apologizes to Victims and Worshipers!

A church sex scandal mixed with an insurance company and lawyers ... what a recipe for disaster! Here's how it started to go down. The insurance company sent a letter with this statement:

"Do not make any statements, orally, in writing or in any manner, to acknowledge, admit to or apologize for anything that may be evidence of or interpreted as (a suggestion that) the actions of Vienna Presbyterian Church … caused or contributed to any damages arising from the intentional acts/abuse/misconduct" by the youth director."

But amazingly, the church ignored it! They very next day they issued a humble apology.

The insurance company gave the church legal but immoral instructions ... and the church ignored it and did the right thing. Instead of a coverup, we have a church that is trying to apologize and to make amends. Now those are what I call good Christians.

It's refreshing to see a congregation following their own teachings.

Egyptian Church Burning: Why the Intolerance Meme Will Never Die

When will the violence between religions end? Will Christians, Muslims and Jews ever be able to get along and live in peace? They've been killing each other for thousands of years and it seems there's no end in sight.

This week we got to witness yet another example of this ageless fact when ultraconservative Salafi Muslims in Egypt decided to burn down a Christian church. Their logic? They claimed the Christians had kidnapped a Christian woman who had converted to Islam. Twelve people were killed in the conflict. These are the same guys who cut off a man's ear for allegedly befriending a prostitute (note that there was no trial ... they just decided he was guilty).

I'd like to think that this barbarism is just a relic. We all have hope that in the not-too-distant future the moderates will win the day, the extremists will be put in jail, and we'll all live as one big happy world where everyone can worship (or not) in peace and with respect for other faiths.

It's pure bullpucky. It will never happen.

The church burning in Egypt illustrates the fundamental problem: religions evolve as the

Bible Thumper Arrested for Preaching to DMV Line

Here's a little fun for the Friday fishwrap: a Bible-thumper finds a captive audience of people waiting in line outside a government office and starts reading the Bible in a loud voice. He refuses to leave when asked, and is arrested a few minutes later by the California Highway Patrol.

What happens next? Why, the video goes viral on YouTube of course!

I don't know about you, but I don't want to be preached at by a religious fanatic when I have to do business with my government. If a preacher is shouting on a street corner,

Dating Site Statistics: Gay Sex is Surprisingly ... Uninteresting

There are two fascinating items in the news today that once again illustrate how silly and misguided the religious right's anti-gay agenda really is. First, we find that gay dating is remarkably unremarkable, and second, we learn that in the Netherlands, the legalization of gay marriage had virtually no effect on the country.

The first news comes from OKCupid.com, the new "high tech" dating site that appeals to the young tech-savvy crowd. In addition to connecting people with their soul mates, OKCupid has published a fascinating series of articles about the statistics of dating. For example, they're the ones who discovered that Atheists get more first dates, and that Atheists score higher on writing skills.

The newest study from OKCupid is even more fascinating. They compared gay-versus-straight dating habits, and found that contrary

They Found the Nails Used to Crucify Jesus!

Does anyone actually believe this stuff?

"Film claims discovery of nails from Jesus's cross"

Come on, people. This guy is going to lose his shirt on this film. Nobody could believe such baloney. Right?

But then I remembered that eBay auction that netted $28,000 for a ten-year-old grilled cheese sandwich with Jesus's image in the toast.

Sadly, nobody ever lost money underestimating the intelligence of the public, or overestimating their gullibility. And when it comes to images of Jesus and the Virgin Mary, religious people go crazy. They're starving for confirmation, for

Koran Burning: What are Muslim Extremists Afraid Of?

Yesterday I called Pastor Terry Jones a coward and jerk. Jones is the one whose Qur'an burning in Florida triggered violent protests and more than sixteen deaths. Today I want to get to the truly guilty parties in these murders: the Muslims who rioted and killed those people.

I really don't understand this. How is it that a two-bit Baptist preacher in Florida is taken seriously by Muslims? This guy can barely scrape up enough money to maintain a small church and a pitiful congregation. If it weren't for the Muslim reaction, this guy would be nothing but a passing joke, another loser that could barely make the back page of the newspaper on his best day.

One of the things I've learned in life is that we give power to people who make us angry. When someone tries to hurt me, the worst thing I can do to that person is to not even notice. If someone launches a nasty attack on me, my best response is, "I'm sorry, did you say something? I wasn't paying attention."

On the other hand, if I respond to my attacker with a vigorous defense and counterattack, then my attacker knows that I've been hurt. He knows I actually care

Florida Atheists Attorney Arrested by State

The persecution of EllenBeth Wachs, a retired attorney and the legal coordinator for Atheists of Florida, is a disgrace to all Floridians. Christians everywhere should be ashamed of how their fellow Christians in Florida are stomping on the United States Constitution and on a fellow American citizen's rights.

Atheists of Florida was doing what most atheist and secular organizations have to do these days: fighting the rising tide of government-sponsored religion. They've been playing a whack-a-mole game with the City of Lakeland's mandatory prayer that was held before each city council meeting. First Lakeland added a rabbi to the mix to prove they were inclusive, not just Christian. When Atheists of Florida got that thrown out, the city passed a new law giving Christians a few minutes before the "official" meeting to pray so that it looked like it wasn't an official part of the city council meeting. Everyone saw through that ruse too, and another lawsuit was filed.

So what did Lakeland do next? They arrested EllenBeth Wachs on felony charges of impersonating an attorney!

But that's not all.

On March 3, over a dozen sheriff’s deputies and other law enforcement officials, many garbed in SWAT style para-military gear, descended on her home in unmarked vehicles, arrested Ms. Wachs, and searched her home. Two bearded officials in SWAT gear held her two retail employees at gunpoint and for several hours unidentified agents proceeded to systematically tear apart her house, including searching her cars and employees’ cars and belongings. Agents seized Wachs’ personal and business computers, cell phone, documents and other items.

And guess what? It turns out that the arrest affidavit was signed by one of the defendants in Ms. Wells' prayer lawsuit. Big surprise.

It's a ridiculous charge. EllenBeth is a retired attorney (she practiced in Pennsylvania). The "evidence" of her

Gingrich: Fears Secular Atheist Country ... Dominated by Islamic Fundamentalists???

Is this for real? Newt Gingrich, who is working up to announcing his presidential candidacy, actually said this:

I am convinced that if we do not decisively win the struggle over the nature of America, by the time [my grandchildren are] my age they will be in a secular atheist country, potentially one dominated by radical Islamists..."

Wait a second, Mr. Gingrich. Radical Islamic secular atheists? Did I hear that right?

Mr. Gingrich, maybe someone forgot to explain to you that Muslims believe in Allah. That means they're not atheists. Get it?

By the way, Gingrich made these remarks at the Cornerstone Church, a prominent evangelical congregation that's led by the pastor John Hage ... the same guy who said Hitler was fulfilling God's will when he murdered seven million Jews, because it hastened their return to Israel. Good move, Mr. Gingrich.