Read a little. Learn a lot. • Tightly-written news, views and stuff • Follow us on Twitter • Be a Facebook Fan • Tumble us!

11 Apr 2011 16:10

tags

World: More on France’s veil ban: Who does this help, really?

  • Protests over French veil ban: As we mentioned earlier today, France has banned the full-faced Islamic veil (imposing a fine of 150 euros for violators), which is provoking some understandable dissent. A question for France: For a Muslim who wears the veil, how is this anything but crass discrimination? And for somebody without religious faith, how is this anything but the government fining people for their fashion choices? Any way you slice it, it comes out awful. source
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

17 Mar 2011 15:30

tags

World: Jakarta’s terrorism concerns rise with recent “book bombs”

  • 4 mail bombs sent in Jakarta, Indonesia in just three days source
  • » Thankfully, only one has actually gone off. That occurred as authorities were attempting to disarm it, and it injured four. The bombs are reportedly being sent through the mail within books, the last of which was “The Militant Jewish,” addressed to Ahmad Dhani, a recording artist and vocal supporter of religious freedom. The other people targeted were Gorries Mere, a high-ranking anti-terrorism officer, Ulil Abshar Abdalla, a senior member of Jakarta’s Democratic Party and a vocal critic of fundamentalist Islamic groups, and Yapto Soerjosoemarno, also an advocate for religious freedom. Jakarta has absorbed a lot of pain from terrorism over the last several years- here’s hoping they get this under control right away.
Posted by Chris Tognotti • 0 Comments • Permalink

26 Jan 2011 19:51

tags

U.S.: Mosque drama: California town allows one … after much NIMBY rage

These folks here? Muslim. They want a mosque in Temecula, Calif. But the crazies came out and filed an appeal. The City Council eventually denied the appeal after a LOOONG meeting. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

19 Dec 2010 10:55

tags

Politics: Just in time for the holidays, Ricky Gervais explains his atheism

  • As an atheist, I see nothing ‘wrong’ in believing in a god. I don’t think there is a god, but belief in him does no harm. If it helps you in any way, then that’s fine with me. It’s when belief starts infringing on other people’s rights when it worries me.
  • Ricky Gervais • In a lengthy essay he wrote for the Wall Street Journal titled “A Holiday Message from Ricky Gervais: Why I’m An Atheist.” He points out that he wasn’t always this way: “I loved Jesus. He was my hero. More than pop stars. More than footballers. More than God. God was by definition omnipotent and perfect. Jesus was a man. He had to work at it.” But one day, his older brother questioned him about his religion, and then he started thinking about it, and that was that. Gervais ends the essay with a pretty simple but smart point about the whole matter: “You won’t burn in hell. But be nice anyway.” Good to know. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

03 Dec 2010 18:45

tags

Culture, U.S.: Church pastor: Sure, we’re a hate group

  • I do hate homosexuals and if hating homosexuals makes our church a hate group, then that’s what we are.
  • Pastor Steven Anderson • Of the Faithful Word Baptist Church. The Tempe, Arizona church was recently classified by the Southern Poverty Law Center as a hate group; this was the church’s response. source
Posted by Seth Millstein • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Nov 2010 00:11

tags

Politics: Obama’s own grandmother offers up “Obama’s a Muslim” ammo

  • birthers The president’s biggest doubters believe Obama is a Muslim for some reason, and that he wasn’t born in the U.S. despite the fact that he has a birth certificate. (La la la, they can’t hear you!)
  • grandma The president’s own grandmother, 88-year-old Sarah Omar of Kenya, wants him to convert to Islam: “I prayed for my grandson Barack to convert to Islam,” she said. That should freak birthers out. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

18 Oct 2010 10:47

tags

Culture: Vatican not familiar with The Simpsons’ recent decline in quality

  • Few people know it, and he does everything he can to hide it, but it is true: Homer J Simpson is a Catholic.
  • An article in the Vatican’s official newspaper, L’Osservatore Romano • Making the claim that Homer J. Simpson is a Catholic whether he likes it or not. The article bases its analysis on a 2005 episode of the show where Homer and Bart convert to Catholicism at the suggestion of a priest played by Liam Neeson. Yeah, you read that right. A 2005 episode. Which means that it’s not canon and you don’t need to care about this analysis. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 

29 Sep 2010 02:53

tags

U.S.: Bishop Eddie Long accuser: “You Are a Monster.” Whoa

  • That man cannot look me in the eye and tell me we did not live this pain. While you can sit in front of the church and tell them that you categorically deny it, you can’t say that to our face. And you know this. You are not a man. You are a monster.
  • Accuser Jamal Parris • Choosing to go forward to the media in the wake of the lawsuit. A reporter traveled all the way from Georgia to Colorado to talk to Parris, and well, there is A LOT HERE. This 23-year-old sounds like he’s been through the wringer. “I cannot get the sound of his voice out of my head,” he said. “I cannot forget the smell of his cologne and I cannot forget the way that he made me cry many nights when I drove in his cars on the way home.” Whether or not he’s telling the truth, this has to make it harder to stick behind Long. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

28 Sep 2010 10:21

tags

Culture: Study: Agnostics and atheists know more about religion than you

  • what A new Pew study suggests that atheists and agnostics know more about religion than their Christian counterparts do.
  • why Higher education is part of it, but some of it might be a lack of self-examination of faith by those who have already converted.
  • butNot every religious group has this problem – Jews and Mormons rank nearly as high as agnostics or atheists in understanding. source
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink

23 Sep 2010 10:46

tags

Politics: Posted without comment: Texas Board of Ed’s stance on Islam

  • The purpose of this resolution is to ensure there is balanced treatment of divergent groups. In the past, the textbooks have had some bias against Christianity.
Posted by Ernie Smith • 0 Comments • Permalink
 
<< newer 
top tags
older >>