Monday, March 19, 2012

Scarlet Letter - Atheist Documentary Trailer


Special Sneak-Peek look at Scarlet Letter, a documentary about atheists.

David Silverman Calls Closeted Atheists to the Reason Rally


March 18, 2012 on CNN

Secularism - A Short Film


A Short Film by David M. Beadle. Robert G. Ingersoll wrote this essay in 1887, it's message is as urgent today is it was 127 years ago.

Friday, March 16, 2012

Moroccan Girl, 16, Commits Suicide After Being Forced to Marry Her Rapist


From Al-Arabiya English:
A 16-year-old Moroccan girl has committed suicide after a judge ordered her to marry her rapist, according to Moroccan media reports.

Last year Amina al-Filali’s parents filed charges against their daughter’s rapist, a man 10 years older than her but it was only recently that a judge in the northern city of Tangier decided that instead of punishing him, the two must be married.

The court’s decision to forcibly marry Amina to her rapist was supposed to “resolve” the damage of sexual violation against her, but it led to more suffering in the unwelcoming home of her rapist/husband’s family.

“After I filed a complaint against him, he said he will marry her. And when he married her and took her to his family's home he mistreated her, beating her and leaving her starve with no food,” Zahra Mallim, Amina’s mother told the Morocco's 2M TV.
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Tuesday, March 13, 2012

Neil deGrasse Tyson: The Most Astounding Fact About The Universe


Astrophysicist Dr. Neil DeGrasse Tyson was asked by a reader of TIME magazine, "What is the most astounding fact you can share with us about the Universe?" This is his answer.

Tuesday, March 6, 2012

New Atheist Billboard: God Is a 'Myth'


March 5, 2012 on My Fox NY
A national organization known as American Atheists said on its website that two billboards questioning the existence of God would be going up Monday in heavily religious neighborhoods in the tristate region.

American Athesists says the signs will be in English and Hebrew and another would be in Arabic: "You know it's a myth... and you have a choice."

The Arabic billboard is going up in Paterson, New Jersey, which has a large Muslim population.
And, one in Hebrew and English, will be up near the Williamsburg Bridge where there is a large Jewish community.
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Friday, February 24, 2012

What's the Place of Faith in Schools? - Lancaster University Faith Debate - Religion & Society


Speakers:

Professor Linda Woodhead [Lancaster University, Director of the Religion and Society Programme] introduced the debate. Preceded by a welcome by Charles Clarke. 8.45

Professor Robert Jackson [Director of the Warwick Religions and Education Research Unit, Warwick University] rooted his argument for improving religious education in human rights. 10.16

Professor James Conroy [University of Glasgow] produced evidence that what is happening to RE in schools is “a disaster for Britain”. 11.00

Professor Richard Dawkins [author of The God Delusion], responding, said education about religion has value, but no child should ever be labelled by the faith of her parents. Introduced by Charles Clarke. 11.29

The Rt Revd John Pritchard [Bishop of Oxford], responding, valued good RE and argued for proper recognition and resources. Introduced by Charles Clarke. 9.54

Questions and comments from the audience, and responses by the panel. 52.09
(via RichardDawkins.net)

Thursday, February 23, 2012

The Men Behind The War On Women


From Huffington Post:
A group of men with no real background in law or medicine, but blessed with a strong personal interest in women’s bodies, have quietly influenced all of the major anti-abortion legislation over the past several years. The U.S. Conference of Catholic Bishops may be one of the quietest, yet most powerful lobbies on Capitol Hill, with political allies that have enabled them to roll back decades of law and precedent.

Over the past two years the GOP-controlled House of Representatives has launched one of the most extreme assaults on women's choice the U.S. has seen in decades. Republicans voted twice to slash federal family planning funds for low-income women, moved to prevent women from using their own money to buy insurance plans that cover abortion, introduced legislation that would force women to have ultrasounds before receiving an abortion and, most recently, passed a bill that will allow hospitals to refuse to perform emergency abortions for women with life-threatening pregnancy complications.
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