How Conservative Christianity Can Warp the Mind | Alternet

Some religious beliefs can create habitual thought patterns that actually alter brain function, making it difficult for people to heal or grow.

http://www.alternet.org/belief/how-conservative-christianity-can-warp-mind

Mitch McConnell Reveals New Strategy To Attack Obamacare

In anticipation of becoming the next Senate majority leader in January, Sen. Mitch McConnell (R-KY) opened the door to a legislative attack on Obamaca... Read more

This Is Just How Disingenuous 'Personhood' Amendments Are

On Nov. 4, North Dakota voters will consider whether to add a "personhood" amendment to their constitution. If this amendment, Measure 1, passes, Nort... Read more

Kentucky GOP Invokes 9/11, Spreads Misinformation In Campaign Mailers

"He wasn't a citizen, but he had a legal license," the ad warns above a large picture of 9/11 bomber Mohamed Atta's Florida ...  Read more

Daily Show "fixes" ads for Koch Brothers

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Poor Countries Tap Renewables at Twice the Pace of Rich

“Clean energy is the low-cost option in a lot of these countries,” Zindler said by telephone. “The technologies are cost-competitive right now. Not in the future, but right now.”...The boom in renewables is often made for economic reasons, Ethan Zindler, a Washington-based Bloomberg New Energy Finance analyst, said in an interview. An island nation like Jamaica, where wholesale power costs about $300 a megawatt-hour, could generate electricity from solar panels for about half as much. Similarly, wind power in Nicaragua may be half as expensive as traditional energy.

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'The Daily Show' Makes Anti-Immigration Look Absolutely Ridiculous

Jon Stewart brought his "Daily Show" team to Texas this week, and sent correspondent Al Madrigal to speak with people on both sides of the immigration...  Read more

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Chain Restaurant Salads With 1,000 Calories ... Or More

Oh, how deceptive a salad can be. One would think that ordering a dish in which vegetables are the main event would be a more healthful choice than say...  Read more

"Good Abortions": 7 Women Speak Out About the Abortions Society Wishes They Never Had

"Half of all pregnancies among American women are unintended, and about 4 in 10 of those end in abortion. The numbers speak for themselves: Chances are good that we all know someone who has had, or will have, an abortion in her lifetime.

Yet as widespread as abortion is, we don't hear a proportionate number of women's stories. Or if we do, they are likely shared privately and in hushed tones. For those willing to share their stories publicly, like Texas gubernatorial candidate Wendy Davis, their abortions are often framed in the problematic "good" versus "bad" abortion narrative..."

http://mic.com/articles/102514/7-women-speak-out-about-the-abortions-society-wishes-they-never-had

Eternal Suffering: Brought to You by Gentle Jesus Meek & Mild

Short documentary on the history and abuse of the notion of hell to scare and manipulate people.
http://youtu.be/goeKDLLzBwE

Pope Francis Blesses The Exorcists

So much for that recent statement on science.
VATICAN CITY — Pope Francis has given a special blessing to a group of some 300 Catholic exorcists meeting in Rome this week ahead of All Saints Day a...  Read more

Drying Amazon Could Be Major Carbon Concern.

Since 2000, rainfall has decreased by up to 25 percent across a vast swath of the southeastern Amazon, according to the new satellite analysis.  Read more

Stupid Right Wing Tweets: Greta Van Susteren Edition

It didn't take long for Greta to blame Obama for Chris Christie's bullying.
...  Read more

Harry Reid Warns Of Impeachment If Republicans Win The Senate

It's crunch time in the midterm elections, and Democrats are pulling out all the stops to hold on to their endangered Senate majority, including reviv... Read more

Superstorm Sandy Anniversary: ‘It’s (Still) Global Warming, Stupid’

In the 2 years since superstorm Sandy made landfall, climatologists have explained the many ways human-caused global warming ...  Read more

The Terrible Ordeal One Texas Man Went Through Just To Learn He Wouldn’t Be Able To Vote

Texan Eric Kennie has voted in every single general election since his 18th birthday — his parents raised him to understand the ...  Read more

Senator Botches Key Obamacare Stat By 900%

Johnson's anecdotes appear to be outliers at best and fabrications at worst. ...  Read more

Ask Our Northern Neighbors Whether Higher Minimum Wages Kill Jobs

The evidence shows that higher minimum wages in Canada haven't hurt jobs. ...  Read more

Creationism conference at Michigan State ties Hitler policies to evolution, sparks faculty ire

A controversial event on creationism — which includes workshops with titles such as “Hitler’s Worldview” and “The Big Bang is FAKE” — is scheduled for Saturday at Michigan State University.

http://www.mlive.com/lansing-news/index.ssf/2014/10/controversial_creationism_conf.html

The Cognitive Science of Religion

"...The cognitive science of religion asks why religion is cross-culturally popular, which cognitive mechanisms ensure its popularity, how did they evolve, and which psychological traits dispose us to belief? Of principle concern is how religion became so pervasive when its associated behavior is a costly use of time and resources. Would natural selection favor such wasteful endeavor, or is our tendency to piety a byproduct of other adaptive traits? The following sections summarize key findings in the cognitive science of religion..."

http://hubpages.com/hub/The-Cognitive-Science-of-Religion

Burger King and McDonald's Pay Fast Food Workers $20 an Hour in Denmark

Enough to pay their bills, save some money and even go out with friends. Why can't we do that here?
...  Read more

Robert Reich: The GOP Has Empathy Deficit Disorder

A remarkable number of people who are supposed to be devoting their lives to representing others seem clueless about how their constituents actually live and what they need.
...  Read more

Why the Term 'Biblical Marriage' Is Misleading

While same-sex marriage is not endorsed in the Bible, neither is a loving, mutually agreed upon union of a man and woman.
...  Read more

Evangelical conference struggles with response to 'moral revolution ... at warp speed' on gay marriage

“I’m not worried about churches in our tradition conforming to the culture. I’m worried about them not effectively engaging the culture,” Moore said in an interview. “We have to be able to speak with conviction about what we believe. We have to speak to people.”

http://www.dallasnews.com/news/local-news/20141028-evangelical-conference-struggles-with-response-to-moral-revolution-...-at-warp-speed-on-gay-marriage.ece

Science and Religion Are Not Compatible

http://youtu.be/aB9NOpAYRcQ

Pope Is Trying To Have His Cake And Eat It Too!

http://youtu.be/zIiGgocr51U

The Serious Novelist's Guide to NaNoWriMo

National Novel Writing Month (NaNoWriMo) starts Nov. 1, which means there's still time for you to get prepped and ready. NaNoWriMo is an annual writin...  Read more

Away from home? Here's how to access your Mac remotely

There will undoubtedly be times when you are away from your Mac but need to access a file or two on it. While the advent of ... Read more

This C.E.O. Destroys GOP Lies About The Minimum Wage By Paying $50K Annually

As most retailers seek ways to avoid paying employees a living wage, one store has figured out that paying workers well not only increases loyalty, bu...  Read more

The Social Doctrine of the Church

Pope Francis Tuesday on the rights of the poor: "If I talk about this, some will think that the pope is communist. They don't understand that love for... Read more

Obama Seeks To Calm Ebola Panic: We Will Defeat It 'Based On The Science'

President Barack Obama on Tuesday told Americans that the United States will defeat the Ebola virus and prevent an outbreak at home by acting "based o... Read more

Sarah Palin: Despite The 'Haters' I May Run For Office Again

Sarah Palin said on Tuesday that despite the "haters," she may consider another run for political office. Read More -> ... Read more

McConnell: 'No One Thinks' A GOP Senate Could Repeal Obamacare

Senate Minority Leader Mitch McConnell (R-KY) downplayed the prospects of repealing Obamacare if Republicans win control of the Senate next week, whic... Read more

Three Airlines In Australia Just Inadvertently Demonstrated That Carbon Taxes Work

When the tax passed, all three airlines said they'd have to hike their ticket prices. Now that Australia has repealed the ...  Read more

"Big Lying Liar" Chris Christie

"I want to zoom in on something Chris Christie said yesterday. Because it's such an obvious lie about such an important topic that it deserves attentio..."  Read more

Scientists Discover Huge ‘Bathtub Ring’ Of Oil On Sea Floor From BP Spill

Scientists have discovered yet another unforeseen effect of BP's historic oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico.The post Scientists ...  Read more

Georgians Occupy Secretary of State’s Office To Protest Voter Suppression: ‘Let Us Vote’

"We are here to stop an election from being stolen," said Georgia NAACP President Francys Johnson. The post Georgians Occupy ... Read more

Cigarette Plant Will Be Turned Into A Factory For Solar And Wind Farm Batteries

Deep in tobacco country, the once booming Phillip Morris cigarette plant in Concord, North Carolina has been reborn into a ...  Read more

Oil Industry Spending Big In North Dakota To Oppose Saving Money For Conservation

Measure 5 is the "fiscally conservative way to conserve," but the oil industry still wants to quash it. The post Oil Industry ...  Read more

God is Not a Magician With A Magic Wand

On Monday, when Pope Francis addressed prelates and scientists attending a plenary session of the Pontifical Academy of Sciences, he yet again challen...  Read more

Secularism grows as more U.S. Christians turn ‘churchless’

(RNS) If you’re dismayed that one in five Americans (20 percent) are “nones”—people who claim no particular religious identity—brace yourself.

http://www.christiancentury.org/article/2014-10/secularism-grows-more-us-christians-turn-churchless

Every interview on FOX.

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'The Dictator' (Beautiful Panoramic of a sunset in the Icelandic Highlands). Photo by Max Rive. [OS] [1600×686].

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Last Week Tonight with John Oliver: Sugar

Sugar. It's in everything!
Is it good for us? Well, the sugar industry thinks so.

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Shigar, Skardu, Pakistan [1000x667] by Yasir Nisar

Probably the most biodiverse area in the world. Grassland, sandy desert, rocky cliffs and snowcapped mountains all in one frame.
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How to Have a Conversation With Well-Meaning People

We all have our family of origin, and then we have our family of friends. It's one of the great perks of adulthood -- you get to pick a second family ...  Read more

With Just A Hug, Obama Destroys Republican Fear-Mongering Over Ebola

"A strong leader leads by example!" "Obama's nothing but a big wuss!" "Obama's terrified wussiness will embolden our enemies!" Okay then, Conservative...  Read more

The Project 2017: GOP ACA Replacement They Don't Want You To See

During his debate with Alison Lundergan Grimes, Mitch McConnell stumbled around with his answer to what he would do with the Affordable Care Act. Whil...  Read more

How Cheap Wind Energy Threatens To Upend The Kansas Governor’s Race And Upset The Koch Brothers

Kansas Governor Sam Brownback once supported wind energy, but that was before petrochemical billionaires and Kansas natives ...  Read more

How Stock Market Rallies Are Screwing Over Average Americans

The wealthiest are able to capitalize on market lows and are more likely to benefit from highs, increasing inequality.The post ...  Read more

Kansas Governor Is Forcing Disabled People Off Medicaid

People with disabilities are losing life-sustaining services after Kansas became the first state to privatize Medicaid.The post ...  Read more

Spring Heat Wave In Australia Breaks Records Across The Country

Temperatures reached as high as 108.6°F this weekend. The post Spring Heat Wave In Australia Breaks Records Across The Country ...  Read more

New Study: Global Warming Has Doubled The Risk Of Extreme Winters In Europe

By melting Arctic sea ice cover, global warming actually shifts air circulation in the northern hemisphere, causing cold Arctic ...  Read more

Washington Post Runs Pro-ALEC, Anti-Science Op-Ed From Inhofe Ally Carly Fiorina

The Washington Post claims it wants to improve the climate change dialogue. If so, it should never have published Carly ... Read more

Atheist Target Alabama School After Baptism On Football Field After A Practice

"...A separate social media message from Hall that was posted to Facebook is also cited in the FFRF. He wrote, “Man I love that God allows me to do what I do! Baptized players today after practice.” This post also includes photos of the baptisms..."

http://www.theglobaldispatch.com/atheist-target-alabama-school-after-baptism-on-football-field-after-a-practice-94000/

Godless millennials could end the political power of the religious right

"...Millennials view religious demands for the oppression of LGBT people to be a bizarre and offensive anachronism. And as the major denominations vocally assert that opposing equal rights for LGBT people is a nonnegotiable condition of membership in the Church of Not-Gay, young people are driven away in greater and greater numbers..."

http://www.theguardian.com/commentisfree/2014/oct/26/millennials-godless-politics-religous-conservatives

The Church Isn’t Too Good at Introspection

"...There’s one causal factor, however, that goes virtually unmentioned in all these articles, even though the data suggests it’s the most important. As Pew’s 2009 Faith in Flux study found, over thirty million Americans are ex-Catholics, and of those: “Two-thirds of former Catholics who have become unaffiliated… say they left their childhood faith because they stopped believing in its teachings”...

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/daylightatheism/2013/02/the-church-isnt-too-good-at-introspection/