Monthly Archives: August 2011

Seven-Year-Old May Not Get to Join Brownies Group because of God Oath

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Just as the Boy Scouts of America are happy to kick you out of the organization if you’re openly atheist or gay, Girlguiding UK (their version of the Girl Scouts) is telling seven-year-old Maddie Willett that she needs to pledge … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 105 Comments

‘Mass’ Destruction?

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

David Hayward points out one of the most divisive weapons we’ve ever created: The Bible isn’t the only problem, though. It’s any holy book. Or, more broadly, it’s anything dogmatic, anything that tells you “This is the Absolute Truth and … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Humor | 6 Comments

An Atheist Homeschooling Parent Comes Out

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

While I was gone, reader Leanna came out as an atheist! Who’s Leanna? A homeschooling mother living in Kentucky. (So this cant be easy for her.) … I could join one of several wonderful homeschooling co-ops that are available in … Continue reading →

Posted in Coming Out, General | 47 Comments

How Should Atheists React in Different Situations?

Posted on August 11, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Every now and then, we come across a situation where it’s not entirely clear how atheists should respond. Is every public mention of a god by a politician deserving of a lawsuit? Are there times when a religious issue may … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Lawsuits, Politics | 73 Comments

The Brazilian Atheist Billboards… in English

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Reader Paul liked those Brazilian atheist billboards so much that he went ahead and Anglicized them for all of us: Hats off to the Associação Brasileira de Ateus e Agnósticos (Brazilian Association of Atheists and Agnostics) for going bold and … Continue reading →

Posted in Atheist Advertising, General | 46 Comments

You Didn’t Have An Out-Of-Body Experience

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

While I was gone last week, Nightline ran a segment about out-of-body experiences and Bob Woodruff interviewed atheist superwoman Margaret Downey for a perspective that doesn’t involve the supernatural. She sets him straight about why those visions occur, politely counters … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Pseudoscience | 38 Comments

Brief Atheist Book Related News

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Richard Dawkins‘ next book, The Magic of Reality: How We Know What’s Really True, is set to be released on October 4th: Dawkins is making a few appearances in the U.S. to promote the book in October. Stops include Miami, … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General | 4 Comments

The Best Young Math Problem Solver in the World Is a Girl

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Remember how awesome it was that the top three finishers at the Google Science Fair were all girls? They got some well-deserved attention for that. Here’s a story that probably won’t get as much press, but it’s just as impressive … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Math | 52 Comments

SSA 2011: Dave Silverman on a Fight Atheists Can Win

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Dave Silverman, president of American Atheists (and recent subject of Jon Stewart‘s scorn) gave a talk at the Secular Student Alliance 2011 conference that earned him a standing ovation and got the audience energized about being activists. It’s about how … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Secular Student Alliance | 20 Comments

Woman with a Mancard: My Night at Kirk Cameron’s Marriage-Strengthening Event

Posted on August 10, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

This is a guest post by Annie Thomas. Annie is a science teacher and writer from Gainesville, Florida. She attended this event at my request and donated the ticket reimbursement to Atheist Nexus. *** The Hare Krishnas on University Avenue … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 69 Comments