Monthly Archives: November 2011

Here’s to an Awkward Thanksgiving

Posted on November 21, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

The Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD) has a wonderful suggestion for what you can do during Thanksgiving dinner: The fact is, while you’re scarfing down mashed potatoes and staying silent while everyone else at the table is freely … Continue reading →

Posted in General, GLBT | 19 Comments

QEDcon Takes Place in Manchester This March

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

For those of you living in (or wanting to visit) Manchester, UK, here’s a conference you’ll want to attend: QED is a two-day science and skepticism conference taking place in the Piccadilly Hotel, Manchester on the 10th-11th March 2012. Fantastic … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 6 Comments

Support Songs for Nonbelievers

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Cynthia Carle is a singer/songwriter who’s working on an album called Songs For Nonbelievers. (The title is pretty self-explanatory.) Cynthia needs some help, though, so she’s raising funds on Kickstarter. Need some motivation to donate? Listen to the lyrics in … Continue reading →

Posted in Fine Arts, General | 9 Comments

A Secular Wedding Ceremony from Start to Finish

Posted on November 20, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Reader Dennis and his wife Holly got married in July. The ceremony was secular — and from what you’re about to see, everything about it was awesome You want to see how a non-religious wedding works from start to finish? … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Love, Math | 45 Comments

One More Comparison Between Penn State and the Catholic Church

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

One question a lot of people are asking in the wake of the Penn State scandal is: Why didn’t anyone who knew about Jerry Sandusky‘s crimes go to the police? Mark P. McKenna has a theory about it — and … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Sports | 7 Comments

How Much Religion Should You Expose Your Children To?

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

The folks at Penny Arcade, the Series just released some bonus content from their Season 2 DVD and it involves an interesting discussion about how much (if any) religion you should teach your children: Just to be clear, the argument … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Humor | 36 Comments

Insert Your Own ‘Stuffed Crust’ Joke Here

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Al Vernacchio teaches the best high school sex education class you’ll find anywhere — it’s honest, frank, and doesn’t shy away from answering the questions kids really want answered. My favorite excerpt from this New York Times article is the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, General, Love | 24 Comments

Secular Voters in Iowa are Supporting Ron Paul

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Iowa Caucus voters are still very divided over which Republican candidate to vote for this January, and when you separate them by religious beliefs, the differences are even more striking: “That’s more the story than who’s ahead,” said Jim McCormick, … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 89 Comments

The Story Behind Patheos

Posted on November 19, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

The Denver-based alternative paper Westword has a cover story on Patheos and it provides a lot of insight into how the site began and where it’s going: Creating Patheos’s second layer involved bringing in established bloggers from multiple religions — … Continue reading →

Posted in General | 18 Comments

Military Nearly Pulls Atheist from Graduation Ceremony After He Refuses to Bow Head and Clasp Hands in Prayer

Posted on November 18, 2011 by Hemant Mehta

Sometimes, people in leadership positions just assume everyone believes in God. It’s not that they’re trying to force their religion onto you; they just don’t know any better — like a teacher who tells every student to stand up and … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Military Atheists | 45 Comments