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State failed to outline Bible classes for schools: I was sure the state board would give this matter the same thoughtful evaluation as it gave courses in aerobics and apparel in our public schools. In fact, the state board’s aerobics standards are specific to the point of making sure students can identify appropriate footwear. Standards [...]

A priest has died after trying to demonstrate how Jesus walked on water. Evangelist preacher Franck Kabele, 35, told his congregation he could repeat the biblical miracle. But he drowned after walking out to sea from a beach in the capital Libreville in Gabon, west Africa. One eyewitness said: “He told churchgoers he’d had a [...]

Stem Cells Without Embryo Loss – New York Times: Nevertheless, religious conservatives have already denounced the technique, and the President’s Council on Bioethics, in a white paper evaluating alternative ways to produce stem cells, declared this approach “ethically unacceptable.” The technique would seem to sidestep the council’s main objection, that it is unethical to put [...]

I wonder how long until Pat Robertson claims that the flooding in Massachusetts is God‘s wrath for gay marriage. Any takers? We could set up a betting pool. Today’s 700 Club is probably too easy a guess, so any other time, through any other venue is open.

Since I seem to be in a metaphorical mood, it’s only fitting that I run across someone else of the same mind today. PZ Myers, [tag]biologist[/tag]-blogger extraordinaire, has a nice extended metaphor up on his blog. Go read: Doors: Here’s an entirely hypothetical scenario. You’re in a room with two exits, marked Door A and [...]

Every once in a while you run across something online that makes you come up short. I’m sure someone else has made this insight somewhere else in the past, but it was the first time I had seen it: God hates squid: From the comments, here’s something bizarre: creationists (at least the ones at Answers [...]

What’s this? Could there truly be a worldwide shift in the attitudes of clergy? Are we seeing the beginnings of a return the ethics of social gospel? Another story: Kenya church in Aids apology: Kenya’s Anglican Church issues a public apology for previously shunning those with HIV/Aids. (Via BBC News Front Page.) Again, this is [...]

Churches resist tougher immigration laws: Religious leaders are trying to recast the issue as a moral imperative. (Via Christian Science Monitor.) This is what I like to see: churches getting involved in public policy on the truly compassionate side. When churches attempt to advance debate by taking the side of those who lack power, they [...]

Newsvine – Robertson Finds Radical Muslims ‘Satanic’: Robertson’s Virginia Beach-based network did not include his remarks when it posted the program on its Web site, however. That decision was made out of concern Robertson’s remarks could be misinterpreted if viewed out of context, Watts said. (Via Newsvine.com.) I was talking to a friend who said [...]

Several related stories for this post. There’s been much discussion lately about education in this country, and (happily) at the moment rational forces are winning out over those that would dilute the foundations of a rationally-based humanistic liberal arts and sciences education with not-so-sly “teach critical thinking” attacks that are designed to sow confusing, pseudo-science, [...]

Mega-progress at a megachurch: “Kingdom Life Christian Church’s story is a study in how a megachurch succeeds.” (Via Christian Science Monitor.) Not really much of an article, but the following bit really struck me: “Conventional wisdom says their popularity lies in people’s penchant for anonymity and that the churches bow to a consumer mentality, redesigning [...]

Do you ever have doubts in the middle of the night that maybe the “teach the controversy” position could be reasonable, and perhaps we ought to consider it? Well, don’t worry. There are plenty of good reasons for opposing Intelligent Design from anything but the most inclusive of classes dealing with philosophy or current events [...]

Pope says science no threat to faith: “VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Science made such rapid progress in the 20th century that people may sometimes be confused about how the Christian faith can still be compatible with it, Pope Benedict said on Friday.” (Via Reuters: Science.) Related to posts here and here. The Pope is making [...]

Every once in a while, people make some small action that really encourages me. I’m really a very optimistic person; I believe in the intrinsic goodness of most people, given appropriate education and guidance. There are many, many times where it seems that either this is not the case, or that the entrenched systems currently [...]

I Almost Want to Shout “AMEN”: “From Pharyngula comes this stirring and delicious article that makes this confirmed cynic want to shout with glee. Someone gets it! There are still functioning brains out there! Idiot America“ (Via Escapee from the Meme Machine.) Apparently from an Esquire article behind a pay-wall. I might have to get [...]

“Intelligent design” belittles God, says Vatican astronomer: “February 1, 2006: The director of the Vatican Observatory, Father George V. Coyne S.J., delivered a talk in which he argued that ‘the Intelligent Design (ID) movement, while evoking a God of power and might, a designer God, actually belittles God’ on January 31, 2006.” (Via National Center [...]

Abortion rights groups say battle being lost: “KANSAS CITY, Missouri (Reuters) – In Wichita, Kansas, abortion rights supporters held a ‘chili for choice’ fund-raising dinner. In Pierre, South Dakota, they plotted strategy in the ‘Back Alley’ meeting hall. And in Minneapolis, volunteers led women past protesters into an abortion clinic.” (Via Reuters: US News.) We’ll [...]

Vatican gives nod to Darwin, not Design:: “VATICAN CITY, Jan. 19 (UPI) — The official Vatican newspaper has published an article praising as ‘correct’ a recent U.S. court decision that intelligent design is not science. “‘If the model proposed by Darwin is not considered sufficient, one should search for another,’ Fiorenzo Facchini, a professor of [...]

Lamar Advertizing says: Threatening atheists is A-OK!: “Lamar Advertising, a billbord company, refused to allow an ad from the Democratic Party (depsite being under contract) admonishing Jean Schmidt for her vile behavior because it was ‘too negative.’ But this is evidently perfectly acceptable: Want to air your grievances? Write to:Mr. Kevin P. Reilly, Jr.Chairman & [...]

Girl expelled for kissing girl sues: “A private school in Loganville, Ga., is facing a $1 million lawsuit after school authorities expelled a ninth grader for kissing another girl during a slumber party.” (Via Gay.com News.) This appears to be a private Christian school in the deep south. While I think they’re backward, I don’t [...]

Robertson’s Christian theme park nixed.: “Israel refuses to do business with Pat Robertson, who is leading the right-wing coalition to build a Christian ‘heritage center’ in Israel’s Galilee region, after he said that Ariel Sharon’s stroke was divine punishment.” (Via Think Progress.) A good move. It seems odd to me that Israel would even seriously [...]

I ran across a post at an evolution/science blog that I read occasionally: The Panda’s Thumb: Two Better Conservative Reactions to Kitzmiller: “Many outspoken political conservatives have denounced the Kitzmiller decision, but many others have defended it, and deserve praise for their stand. James Q. Wilson had this very good article in the Wall Street [...]

Perry: Add intelligent design to teaching: “Friday, January 06, 2006 Gov. Rick Perry, a Republican who has made outreach to Christian conservatives a theme of his gubernatorial portfolio, thinks Texas public school students should be taught intelligent design along with evolutionary theory, his office said Thursday.” (Via The Austin American Statesman.) Not that I was [...]

Maybe I’m not up on my middle east history, but wasn’t the Jewish homeland historically divided between the kingdoms of Israel and Judea? Robertson Links Sharon Stroke, God’s Wrath: “NORFOLK, Va. Jan 5, 2006 — Christian broadcaster Pat Robertson suggested Thursday that Israeli Prime Minister Ariel Sharon’s stroke was divine punishment for ‘dividing God’s land.’” [...]

What really smells about Abramoff scandal – The Situation with Tucker Carlson – MSNBC.com: “Someone suggested I talk to the Reverend Lou Sheldon, the head of a group called the Traditional Values Coalition. Apparently he was an expert on [helping the urban poor]. So I called him. “Sheldon came to my office for the interview. [...]