American Atheists Flash LineNews of Interest to AtheistsEx-Christian Coalition Whiz Had Revolving Door To White House Committee on Abramoff Scandal- October 13, 2006 Ralph Reed, the man once dubbed "God's Right Hand" and Former Christian Coalition head, was at the center of an influence peddling scandal run by disgraced lobbyist Jack Abramoff. Find out about the latest House Reform Committee report and how evangelicals were manipulated for political gain and big bucks.(10-13-2006)http://www.atheists.org/flash.line/reed2.htm Millions For Faith-Based Marriage Programs- October 11, 2006 Under the “Healthy Marriage Initiative,” the Bush federal faith-based initiative is spending tens of millions of dollars to subsidize church programs aimed mostly at low-income and minority groups. Is this violating the separation of church and state Is it targeting vulnerable Americans with a proselytizing message Opponents say that these programs may promote the subordination of women, encouraging them to remain in abusive relations, or disparage single parents working hard to...http://www.religionandsocialpolicy.org/news/article.cfm?id=5222 Thanks To Bush Admin, Christian Relief Groups Use Our Money To Promote Their Religion- October 10, 2006 President Bush’s faith-based initiative has gone international. Taxpayers are funding international programs that blend proselytizing religion – usually Christianity – with foreign aid. A Boston Globe investigation reveals that many restrictions about mixing religion and international assistance are being ignored or revised.(10-10-2006)http://www.boston.com/news/nation/articles/2006/10/08/bush_brings_faith_to_foreign_aid/ Minnesota Democrat May Be First Muslim Congressman- October 10, 2006 State Representative Keith Ellison has won a Democratic primary race and may well be the first member of the Muslim religion in the U.S. Congress. Opponents are quietly avoiding asking questions about how his faith may affect his views on politics. Should we be concerned Check out this news story, then join the conversation at the NoGodBlog. Discuss this at NoGod Blog.(10-10-2006)http://news.yahoo.com/s/nm/20060913/pl_nm/muslim_dc Times Probe Finds Explosion Of Laws Benefiting Organized Religion- October 8, 2006 “In recent years, many politicians and commentators have cited what they consider a nationwide ‘war on religion’ that exposes religious organizations to hostility and discrimination. But such organizations – from mainline Presbyterian and Methodist churches to mosques to synagogues to Hindu temples – enjoy an abundance of exemptions from regulations and taxes. And the number is multiplying rapidly.”(10-08-2006)http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/08/business/08religious.html?hp&ex=1160366400&en=35... Texas GOP Plays Religion Card, Brands Democrat Court Nominee Atheist- October 7, 2006 The Austin-based Republican Party of Texas played the religion card in a Sept. 21 online newsletter. As alleged in the newsletter, Texarkana solo E. Ben Franks, Democratic nominee for a seat on the 6th Court of Appeals, “is reported to be a professed atheist” and apparently believes the Bible is a “collection of myths.”(10-07-2006)http://www.law.com/jsp/article.jsp?id=1160125527178 What Makes Us Human TIME Probes The Latest Developments In Human Evolution Research- October 7, 2006 “As scientists keep reminding us, evolution is a random process in which haphazard genetic changes interact with random environmental conditions to produce an organism somehow fitter than its fellows. After 3.5 billion years of such randomness, a creature emerged that could ponder its own origins–and revel in a Mozart adagio. Within a few short years, we may finally understand precisely when and how that happened.”(10-07-2006)http://www.time.com/time/magazine/article/0,9171,1541283,00.html Complete Interviews Now Available From A Rough History Of Disbelief- October 6, 2006 Following the production of “A Rough History of Disbelief,” narrator Jonathan Miller and Director Richard Denton realized that the interviews, all made during production, were too valuable to go unseen. Therefore it was decided to make the interviews available as a series. Four episodes are currently available here. Each episode is approximately 29 minutes.(10-06-2006)http://exchristian.net/exchristian/2006/09/atheism-tapes-richard-dawkins.html Evangelical Youth Abandoning The Faith In Droves- October 6, 2006 Good news – young people are leaving evangelical sects “in droves.” According to the New York Times, “if the current trends continue, only 4 percent of teenagers will be ‘Bible-believing Christians’ as adults.” In a world with a dangerous excess religious enthusiasm, let’s hope that young people abandon the Mega-churches and the likes of Jerry Falwell for Reason and independent thinking!(10-06-2006)http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/06/us/06evangelical.html?_r=1&hp&ex=1160107200&... Nothing Spooky Or Supernatural Here Neuroscience Shows Brain Is To Blame For Out-Of-Body Experiences- October 5, 2006 Electrical stimulation of specific areas of the brain may account for reports of bizarre, even supernatural phenomenon like “out of body” experiences. There may be no soul or ghost in the human machine, but the brain remains a complex, little-understood and fascinating organ.(10-05-2006)http://www.nytimes.com/2006/10/03/health/psychology/03shad.html |