Sunday, October 31, 2010
Arrest in 'Revenge' Beating of Priest
October 29, 2010 on AP
A man allegedly molested three decades ago by a Jesuit priest was arrested Friday on charges that he tracked down the retired cleric in his retirement home and severely beat him.
Saturday, October 30, 2010
Christopher Hitchens vs. Tariq Ramadan: Is Islam a Religion of Peace?
Play all videos (10)
October 5, 2010 at the 92nd Street Y
Christopher Hitchens and Tariq Ramadan Debate: Is Islam a Religion of Peace? Moderated by Laurie Goodstein.(via Daily Hitchens)
With the Obama administration in its nascent years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proving as intractable as ever, relations with Iran reaching a boiling point and the political landscape changing rapidly both in the United States and the Middle East, wrestling with the issue of Islam is more crucial than ever and will be a defining feature of the 21st century. Join famous atheist and prolific author Christopher Hitchens and the accomplished and controversial scholar Tariq Ramadan as they debate one of the most pertinent questions of our modern age.
Friday, October 29, 2010
Dutch Churches Face Closure
October 27, 2010 on Radio Netherlands Worldwide:
The northern Dutch province of Friesland has the highest density of churches in Europe. But the number of worshippers is falling, and this is creating financial problems for the churches. As a result, 100 of the province's 700 churches are going to have to close.
Wednesday, October 27, 2010
Tuesday, October 26, 2010
Monday, October 25, 2010
Husband Confronts Abortion Protesters
From Salon:
We’re used to seeing videos of anti-abortion activists spewing venom in front of women’s clinics, but rarely do we get to see the tables turned. Thanks to Aaron Gouveia, now we do.(via Cynical-C Blog)
He and his 16-weeks-pregnant wife went to a women’s clinic in Brookline, Mass. for an abortion after discovering that their baby had a congenital deformity with no chance for survival. On their way in, they were confronted by images of dismembered fetuses and two women yelling, “You’re killing your unborn baby!” Enraged, Gouveia decided to confront the protesters while his wife was in surgery, and he caught the whole interaction on his cellphone.
Sunday, October 24, 2010
Saturday, October 23, 2010
Weekend Links
- GOP Creationist Candidates in Illinois Pushing the New Talking Point (Video)
- 'Hang them': Uganda paper publishes photos of gays
- Christopher Hitchens: 'My life is my writing ... my children come later'
- When in doubt, shout – why shaking someone’s beliefs turns them into stronger advocates
- Danish Review Of Creation Museum
- Canadian scientists fight back against censorship
- Astronomers find oldest galaxy yet
Friday, October 22, 2010
Dispatches - In God's Name - Channel 4
Play all videos (4)
Aired May 19, 2008 on Channel 4
As the Human Fertilisation and Embryo Bill continues its way through Parliament, David Modell follows some of the leading members of Christian pressure groups as they attempt to win converts and convince MPs to base laws on Biblical beliefs.(via TreVelocita)
Hard-line Christian activists are now mobilising believers in an attempt to make an impact on society nationally. Followers believe abortion and homosexuality should be illegal, there should be no sex before marriage and that the law of blasphemy should be strictly enforced.
They say the Bible is the definitive word of God and is literally true and are intolerant of other faiths. The film follows well funded and politically active Christian groups and shows them emerging as a significant voice in British politics.
*Repost
Thursday, October 21, 2010
Russian Inquisition? Church Teens Claim Harsh Abuse, Cry for Help
October 21, 2010 on Russia Today:
Allegations of child abuse in a convent school in central Russia: pupils are said to have been suffering from harsh treatment.
One of the convents in central Russia has made headlines after accusations of victimizing children from a boarding school based at the convent. Former students of the Svyato-Bogolyubovsky convent said that the nuns beat the children with belts and forced them to make hundreds of bows, as well as deprived them of food and sleep as "punishments".
“They beat us often, sometimes three times a day, 40 lashes each time,” recalled Ksenia Golovchenko, a former convent boarding student. “Once it was even 103 lashes for one girl. We cried every day. Our eyes were never dry, and always puffy. We would always have headaches from crying so much. And we had no one to complain to.”
Read more
Creationism in UK Schools
Clip from the documentary 'Dispatches - In God's Name' about the growing fundamentalist Christian lobby in the UK. Originally broadcast in May 2008.(Thanks to TreVelocita)
Glenn Beck: "I haven't seen a half-monkey, half-person yet"
October 20, 2010 on Premiere Radio Network's The Glenn Beck Program
(via Media Matters - Thanks Rich)
Wednesday, October 20, 2010
Dialogue of Reason: Science and Faith in the Black Community
The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science presents: "Dialogue of Reason: Science and Faith in the Black Community.".
A dialogue with Richard Dawkins, Anthony Pinn, Sikivu Hutchinson, Todd Stiefel and moderated by Mark Hatcher concerning the role of faith and science in the Black Community. Faith has traditionally played a significant role among African Americans, while science has been marginalized. It is time to confront the issues that have kept too many Blacks out of the halls of science and confined to the pews
The Poetry of Science: Richard Dawkins and Neil deGrasse Tyson
The Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science presents: "The Poetry of Science: Discussions of the Beauty of Science."
Two of science's luminaries converse on the beauty of science. Neil deGrasse Tyson, astrophysicist and host of NOVA and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins will explore the wonders of the Cosmos and of Life, its origins, its inspirations, and why science is not just an option, it is the only reality we possess.
Christine O'Donnell vs. Chris Coons on Teaching Creationism in Schools
October 18, 2010, Delaware U.S. Senate Debate
(Thanks Matt)
Tuesday, October 19, 2010
Rose Center Anniversary Isaac Asimov Debate: Is Earth Unique?
October 10, 2010 at the American Museum of Natural History
Join astrophysicist and Hayden Planetarium Director Neil deGrasse Tyson as he hosts and moderates a panel discussion dedicated to the perennial question "Is Earth Unique?" With what we now know about the stars in our galaxy and the planets that orbit them, we can begin to address this question with informed debate.
Monday, October 18, 2010
Iran Infuriated by Film of Woman's Stoning
October 15, 2010 on Sky News:
A film portraying the real-life stoning of an Iranian woman is opening in London despite protests from the country's government.
It depicts a brutal form of punishment still sanctioned by Iran's current hard-line regime.
The film's director claims some European governments have been reluctant to support it - fearful of antagonising Iran's regime, already at loggerheads with the West.
The film The Stoning Of Soraya M is based on the true story of a woman brutally killed after being falsely accused of adultery.
Read more
Sunday, October 17, 2010
Matt Ridley And Richard Dawkins Discuss What Extraterrestrial Life Would Look Like
From The Guardian:
One of the many things that I appreciate about Richard Dawkins is the overall scientific quality of his speculations: he is an interesting thinker as well as an imaginative one.(via RichardDawkins.net)
In this video we see him conversing with journalist and writer Matt Ridley. Dawkins speculates what is and is not universal about life: life on Earth, life in space, human life, artificial life, synthetic life, the origin of life, the secret of life, the meaning of life.
This discussion is focused on the central question; if/when we discover extraterrestrial life, what might it look like?
Read more
Saturday, October 16, 2010
Fox Station Reports Jupiter and Balloons as UFOs
October 13, 2010 on Fox NYC
October 14, 2010 on Russia Today
From Bad Astronomy:
Yesterday, there were UFO reports from all over the city. Not to keep you in suspense, but those UFOs were actually hundreds of balloons released on Broadway to celebrate a visit by Madrid officials. You can see more about this by my friend Ben Radford and at Science-Based Parenting.(via Derren Brown Blog)
Note that balloons explain everything: the UFOs were in clusters, they moved randomly, they were seen as dots, nothing was reported on radar, they floated for hours, they slowly disappeared, the timing was right. As far as explanations go, we’re done here. [I'll note that there were some reports of UFO earlier in the day, but those look just like balloons as well, probably from a different event.]
Now, I can forgive the Fox reporter for not knowing about the balloons; cases like this do happen. However, watch the video of the reporter: she clearly didn’t do any investigation at all of this other than to talk to a few people in the street
Pay attention around 35 seconds in. That star she spends a lot of time talking about is the planet Jupiter.
Read more
Friday, October 15, 2010
Weekend Links
- Sam Harris vs. Robert Wright (Video)
- Stephen Fry On Language (Video)
- Christine O'Donnel Dodges Evolution Question (Video)
- New BBC guidelines extend 'due impartiality' to religion
- Christianity in France is fading
- Belgian archbishop represents the church's love
- Poll to determine who saved the miners in Chile
PBS Frontline - God in America
Posted October 11, 2010 on PBS Frontline:
Since the days when the Puritan "city on a hill" beckoned on the horizon of the New World, religious faith and belief have forged America's ideals, molded its identity and shaped its sense of mission at home and abroad.
For the first time on television, God in America explores the tumultuous 400-year history of the intersection of religion and public life in America, from the first European settlements to the 2008 presidential election. A co-production of AMERICAN EXPERIENCE and FRONTLINE, this six-hour series examines how religious dissidents helped shape the American concept of religious liberty and the controversial evolution of that ideal in the nation's courts and political arena; how religious freedom and waves of new immigrants and religious revivals fueled competition in the religious marketplace; how movements for social reform -- from abolition to civil rights -- galvanized men and women to put their faith into political action; and how religious faith influenced conflicts from the American Revolution to the Cold War.
Interweaving documentary footage, historical dramatization and interviews with religious historians, the six-part series is narrated by actor Campbell Scott and includes appearances by actors Michael Emerson (as John Winthrop), Chris Sarandon (as Abraham Lincoln. and Keith David (as Frederick Douglass), among others.
Read more
BBC Horizon: What Happened Before the Big Bang?
Play all videos (6)
Aired October 11, 2010 on BBC Two
They are the biggest questions that science can possibly ask: where did everything in our universe come from? How did it all begin? For nearly a hundred years, we thought we had the answer: a big bang some 14 billion years ago.
But now some scientists believe that was not really the beginning. Our universe may have had a life before this violent moment of creation.
Horizon takes the ultimate trip into the unknown, to explore a dizzying world of cosmic bounces, rips and multiple universes, and finds out what happened before the big bang.
Thursday, October 14, 2010
Joel Burns' Emotional Speech at Fort Worth City Council Meeting
October 12, 2010, Fort Worth, Texas
See also: Focus On The Family: Anti-Bullying Efforts Promote Homosexuality
(Thanks Drew)
A Murder of Crows - CBC TV
Watch on CBC TV
UPDATE: The video can only be streamed in Canada - Torrent Link
A Murder of Crows is a visually stunning one-hour documentary that offers a rare and intimate glimpse into the inner life of one of the most intelligent, playful and mischievous species on the planet - the common crow. It is also a film that explores a unique pairing of science and cinema as world-renowned scientists, including crow expert Professor John Marzluff, joins forces with an award-winning camera team to explore the secret world of crows. A scientific exploration with a compelling twist, the film is a visually stunning HD documentary that reveals new insights and understanding into this haunting and elusive species.(via RichardDawkins.net)
crows may be like us
The average crow knows a tremendous amount about us, from our eating habits to our traffic patterns, but the average human knows relatively little about the intimate life of crows. And there is so much worth knowing. Crows are one of the most common birds on the planet. They have more brain mass per unit than any other bird group except the macaw and as result they often behave more like primates or even humans than they do birds. Crows have a proven ability to reason and problem-solve and have long and dependable memories. They engage in complex social interactions that range from group play and hunting to gang-style killings and funerals.
Continue reading
Wednesday, October 13, 2010
Hitchens Brothers Debate If Civilization Can Survive Without God (Clip)
October 12, 2010 at the Pew Research Center
From CNN Belief Blog:
Brothers Christopher and Peter Hitchens squared off Tuesday in a debate over whether civilization can survive without God. Christopher, the older of the two, is a renowned atheist thinker and author. Peter, the lesser known of the two, is a practicing Christian and also a well-regarded author.(via Daily Hitchens)
Christopher Hitchens is going through a very public battle with cancer, a subject that came up often during the debate. Michael Cromartie from the Ethics and Public Policy Center, moderated the debate and mentioned Christopher, who lives in the District of Columbia, was attending in between doctor appointments. Peter Hitchens had flown in from England specifically for the lunchtime debate.
Christopher Hitchens arrived with a white straw Panama hat. Beneath the hat he has no hair, lost from cancer treatments. Though noticeably thinner, Hitchens did not seem to suffer any intellectual consequences from his treatment.
Read more
Life Series - Sir David Attenborough - BBC
Watch all 10 parts at Archive.org
*Note: Play the embedded video on Archive.org to watch all parts in full screen
Tuesday, October 12, 2010
Monday, October 11, 2010
Churches Named Most Segregated Place in U.S.
October 10, 2010 on Fox & Friends
From CNN Belief Blog:
“Sunday morning is the most segregated hour of Christian America.”
That declaration, which has been attributed to Rev. Martin Luther King Jr., used to startle listeners. Now it’s virtually become a cliché. For years, various academic studies and news articles have reported what many churchgoers already know: most American congregations are segregated.
In the latest issue of the academic journal Sociological Inquiry, two professors dug deeper into why Sundays remain so segregated.
The article, “Race, Diversity, and Membership Duration in Religious Congregations,’ said that nine out of ten congregations in the U.S. are segregated - a single racial groups accounts for more than 80 percent of their membership.
Read more
Saturday, October 9, 2010
Friday, October 8, 2010
Weekend Links
Older visitors of this blog might remember the 'Links' posts. As before, the featured video will not be related to atheism.
- Yavin IV reaches the edge of space (Video)
- Should an online poll determine what is cruel and unusual?
- The censored "Where's Muhammad?" cartoon
- British schools where girls must wear the Islamic veil
- Brazil “values voters” go YouTube against prez hopeful Rousseff
- New Humanist needs you to nominate this year's enemies of reason
Moderate vs. Extremist Islam
Full Episode - Should Americans Fear Islam?
October 3, 2010 on ABC's 'This Week' with Christiane Amanpour
(via RichardDawkins.net)
Thursday, October 7, 2010
Christopher Hitchens vs. Tariq Ramadan: Is Islam a Religion of Peace? (Clip)
October 5, 2010 at the 92nd Street Y
Christopher Hitchens and Tariq Ramadan Debate: Is Islam a Religion of Peace? Moderated by Laurie Goodstein.
With the Obama administration in its nascent years, the Israeli-Palestinian conflict proving as intractable as ever, relations with Iran reaching a boiling point and the political landscape changing rapidly both in the United States and the Middle East, wrestling with the issue of Islam is more crucial than ever and will be a defining feature of the 21st century. In the clip here, famous atheist and prolific author Christopher Hitchens and the accomplished and controversial scholar Tariq Ramadan debate one of the most pertinent questions of our modern age.
Wednesday, October 6, 2010
Philip Roth: When the whole world doesn't believe in God, it'll be a great place
October 3, 2010 on CBS News - Full Interview
Philip Roth has been called "America's greatest living novelist" many times over. Roth rarely does interviews, but he invited Sunday Morning into his home. And that's where Rita Braver sat down with him to talk about his work, his life, and his legacy.(via Cruciefiction)
Tuesday, October 5, 2010
The Daily Show - Sam Harris
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Sam Harris | ||||
| ||||
Sam Harris wants to begin talking about morality and human values in the context of our growing scientific understanding of the world.Viewers in Canada can watch it on The Comedy Network
Viewers in other countries can use Hotspot Shield or Modify Headers
Monday, October 4, 2010
Sam Harris - The Moral Landscape
A short introduction to Sam Harris's new book, The Moral Landscape: How Science Can Determine Human Values.
More information at SamHarris.org
Sunday, October 3, 2010
Saturday, October 2, 2010
Druids Given Religious Status in the UK
October 2, 2010 on ITN News
Next year's summer solstice at Stonehenge will be the first at which Druidry has been officially recognised as a religion.
Friday, October 1, 2010
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