Category Archives: Politics

The Aftermath of a School Prayer Case and a Judge’s Awesome Statement

Posted on February 13, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

Last year, Christa and Danny Schultz sued the Medina Valley Independent School District in Castroville, Texas because they knew their son’s high school graduation ceremony would include a prayer. U.S. District Judge Fred Biery agreed with them, saying that the … Continue reading →

Posted in Education, General, Lawsuits, Politics | 5 Comments

Teddy Roosevelt: ‘In God We Trust’ on Money is ‘Sacrilege’

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

When the phrase “In God We Trust” was going to be placed on the $20 gold coin in 1907, President Teddy Roosevelt was against it (PDF): “My own feeling in the matter is due to my very firm conviction that … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 11 Comments

I Went to a Rick Santorum Speech and Lived to Blog About It

Posted on February 12, 2012 by Bentley Owen

I arrived a half hour early to the Mabee Center at Oral Roberts University, which turned out to be a good idea. There were already hundreds of people crowded into the lobby waiting for a “town hall” sponsored by the ORU College … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 35 Comments

How Will Tammy Duckworth Represent Atheists?

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

Tammy Duckworth (a Deist) is running for Congress in the same Illinois district as Tea Party-backed Joe Walsh, who was discussed on this thread. Jacob Kramer of the National Atheist Party was at a Town Hall meeting for Duckworth Wednesday … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 15 Comments

Atheists’ Political Holy Grail

Posted on February 10, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

My friend Paul Fidalgo has written a Kindle-only book called “Under the Stained Glass Ceiling: Atheists’ Precarious Place in Modern American Politics.” (The title is self-explanatory.) One of the chapters from the book discusses the prospect of an atheist getting … Continue reading →

Posted in Books, General, Politics | 16 Comments

Air Force Officials Rightly Remove God from Group’s Patch

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

The U.S. Air Force’s Rapid Capabilities Office patch used to look like: The motto is “Opus Dei Cum Pecunia Alienum Efficemus,” Latin for “Doing God’s Work with Other People’s Money.” Except they’re not doing “God’s work.” I’ll be honest; I … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Military Atheists, Politics | 27 Comments

An Oklahoma Lawmaker Makes News – In a Good Way

Posted on February 9, 2012 by Bentley Owen

My home state, Oklahoma, has a reputation for producing inept legislators. Last month, Sen. Ralph Shortey tried to ban aborted fetuses from our food (you know, just in case). Rep. Sally Kern declared in 2008 that “no society that has totally … Continue reading →

Posted in Abortion, General, Humor, Politics | 25 Comments

Anonymous Woman Sues City Over Prayers, but Judge Won’t Proceed Unless She Reveals Her Identity

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

The Pittsylvania County Board of Supervisors in Virginia has a nasty habit of beginning meetings with prayers explicitly referencing Jesus Christ. (That’s even worse than the typical non-denominational prayers local government officials often get away with…) So one local resident … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Lawsuits, Politics | 34 Comments

Who Knew Mitt Romney Had a Skeptical, ex-Mormon Second Cousin?

Posted on February 6, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

Park Romney is Mitt Romney‘s second cousin. They’re not close (Mitt claims not to know Park, which is entirely possible when you come from freakishly large families), but what’s really interesting is that Park is an ex-Mormon: Mitt Romney’s religion, … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 39 Comments

Do You Believe in Secular America?

Posted on February 5, 2012 by Hemant Mehta

I don’t know who Jared Scheib is, but if the simple-yet-powerful video below is any indication, can we get him to design all of our billboards, too? That’s one of the seven videos selected by the Richard Dawkins Foundation as … Continue reading →

Posted in General, Politics | 13 Comments