DN Speak: 12/28/14

Saturday, January 3, 2015

The Unholy Trinity Tour Part Three: AronRa

In the spring of 2014, atheists AronRa, Seth Andrews and Matt Dillahunty teamed up for a 3-city tour bearing the tongue-in-cheek-titled name, "The Unholy Trinity." This podcast features the audio from AronRa's San Antonio presentation, and it's part three of a 3-part podcast series from this tour. Enjoy. VIDEO of Aron's presentation is on YouTube: http://youtu.be/bXHsFlizTbs
http://www.thethinkingatheist.com/podcast/the-unholy-trinity-tour-part-three-aronra

Why Putin's Russia Is The Biggest Threat To America In 2015

Like the stock market crashes that periodically wipe out so many fortunes, military crises are hard to predict. Washington's track record as a seer of... Read more

4 Things To Understand About Youth, Mental Health & Juvenile Justice In The US

Almost 2 million youth – those under the age of 18 – are arrested each year in the US, which is more than 5,000 delinquency cases per day. Of those, a... Read more

The Ban on Tube-Tying in Catholic Hospitals

Sterilization is forbidden in Catholic doctrine—but many doctors in systems affiliated with the Church believe the restriction runs counter to their patients' best interests.
... Read more

Are Police Stealing People’s Property?

"Don't even bother getting a lawyer. The money always stays here." That's what the Tenaha Police Department told 27-year-old Arkansan James Morrow af... Read more

Our Terrifying New Congress: Meet 5 Tea Party Extremists Taking Office this Month

...the crop of Republicans taking power next month is even further to the right than the current House GOP conference. The newly Republican Senate, too, will feature more than its fair share of ultraconservative hard-liners. Today, Salon looks at five of the most extreme Republicans taking power in Washington this month. ... Read more

Paul Krugman: How Soaring Inequality May Lead the World Down the Path of Fascism

The circumstances are ripe: this is the second time the world has experienced a global financial crisis, immediately followed by a protracted worldwide slump. If you guessed that the first time was 1930s Europe, then you might already be worrying right along with Krugman. ...Read more

falls named Skogafoss in Iceland(886x591)[OS]

Barrientos Island, Antarctica [2048 × 1365]

Bishop Calls On Catholic Church To Recognize Same-Sex Relationships

According to the bishop, the Catholic Church "does not have to be exclusive nor does it have to close the door on a diversity ... Read more

Alan Grayson Explains Why We Need To Stop The Trans Pacific Partnership Agreement

Okay, the holidays are over and it's back to our depressing work as citizens. We need to stop this trade agreement: Congressman Alan Grayson of Flori... Read more

Friday, January 2, 2015

‘Skepticism Is Rising’: Former Atheist Journalist Who Became a Famed Christian Author Takes Aim at Major ‘Crisis’

Famed Christian author Lee Strobel has teamed up with Houston Baptist University to launch a new initiative that will address the urgent “crisis” of skepticism and non-belief that he believes is running rampant in American society.
http://www.theblaze.com/stories/2014/12/31/he-was-once-an-atheist-journalist-but-now-hes-a-famed-christian-author-launching-an-initiative-to-combat-a-major-american-crisis/

Americans view Bible positively, but survey finds skepticism now tied with engagement

The number of those who are skeptical or agnostic toward the Bible -who believe the Bible is "just another book of teachings written by men that contains stories and advice" - has nearly doubled from 10 percent to 19 percent in just three years.
http://www.ecumenicalnews.com/article/americans-view-bible-positively-but-survey-finds-skepticism-now-tied-with-engagement-27708

McHendry: Pew Research Project examines voters' religious ties

"...Voters who attend services less than once a week (rather than once a week or more), voted for Republican candidates at higher rates than in the 2006 midterms, which was the last time midterm exit polls included a comparable question about worship attendance..."
http://www.broomfieldenterprise.com/home-life/ci_27224316/mchendry-pew-research-project-examines-voters-religious-ties

Astrophysicist Writes Brutal Response To WSJ Article Claiming Science Has Proven God Exists

"I was rather surprised to read the unfortunate oped piece “Science Increasingly makes the case for God”, written not by a scientist but a religious writer with an agenda. The piece was rife with inappropriate scientific misrepresentations..."
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/01/02/astrophysicist-writes-brutal-response-to-wsj-article-claiming-science-has-proven-god-exists/

Bad News For The GOP: Pope Francis Calls For Ending Modern Slavery And Exploitation Of Workers

"...The GOP and the Catholic Church had a cozy alliance, until Pope Francis came along and ruined everything. Right-wingers could count on Pope John Paul II and Pope Benedict XVI to take conservative positions on most issues, and to spend a lot of time ranting about abortion..."
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2015/01/02/bad-news-for-the-gop-pope-francis-calls-for-ending-modern-slavery-and-exploitation-of-workers/

Fox News Tries To Start Twitter Trend, And It Pretty Much Goes As Expected (SCREENSHOTS)

The tweet train didn’t even manage to leave the station before things got downright hilarious. Soon, #OverIt2014 was populated with exactly the opposite of what Rupert Murdoch’s propaganda machine had hoped it would be...
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/12/31/fox-news-tries-to-start-twitter-trend-and-it-pretty-much-goes-as-expected-screenshots/

Why oil prices keep falling — and throwing the world into turmoil

The plummeting price of oil is still the biggest energy story in the world right now. It's bringing back cheap gasoline to the United States while wre... Read more

Remarkably easy ways to read more books in 2015

You've likely spent the last few days tossing around ideas for a New Year's resolution. If you've landed on something that involves reading more, writ... Read more

If Congress hadn't extended copyright, Batman and Gone with the Wind would be free today

January 1 is Public Domain Day, the day that works whose copyright terms ran out in the previous year fall into the public domain. Until 1998, the law... Read more

So these two ladies walk into a mortician's office.

The first woman says to the mortician, "I've got my husband here in his very best blue suit, but what I'd really appreciate is if you could have him in a black suit for the funeral. Here's a blank check, use whatever you need, I just want him in a black suit."...
Read more

Norway's Lofoten Islands

4 Things That Were Supposed To Happen By 2015 Because Obama Was Reelected

A few years ago, prognosticators were very confident about what would happen to America by now because of Obama's reelection. ... Read more

Fox News’ Stunningly Retrograde New Year’s Advice To Ladies

Fox News started the new year off with a bang by providing the women of America with some startlingly retrograde advice. The ... Read more

There Is Only One Congressman Demanding Scalise Resign Over Ties To White Supremacist Group

The sound of silence. The post There Is Only One Congressman Demanding Scalise Resign Over Ties To White Supremacist Group ... Read more

Thursday, January 1, 2015

9 Resolutions Your Blended Family Should Make This Year

It's that time of year again for resolutions and bold declarations of "new year, new me." Here at HuffPost Divorce, we're a little less drastic when i... Read more

The many superpowers of Apple's Preview app: Part 1

Apple's Preview app, preinstalled on every Mac for years, is one of the most underused programs ever. Far from being an ... Read more

Wednesday, December 31, 2014

More adults are using weed in the states that legalized, but teen use is flat.

"...The national-level data from this study, released back in September, showed that drug and alcohol use rates among all Americans is essentially flat, while teen use is actually trending downward. ..."
Read more

Fox's Ralph Peters Calls President Obama A Child For Ending Combat Mission In Afghanistan

The talking heads on Fox "news" never pass up an opportunity to disrespect the President of the United States... Read more

Are Republicans behind Tesla sales bans? Data offers clues.

Tesla supporters commonly assume state auto-dealer lobbyists work with Republican legislators to enact laws banning direct sales of Tesla's electric c... Read more

10 excellent books you might have missed in 2014

Which 2014 books were so good that a critic would gladly read them again on his own time? Danny Heitman shares his list. ... Read more

Court Rules Kansas School Budget 'Inadequate' Under Constitution

A Kansas school finance court on Tuesday ruled that the Kansas public school budget is not sufficient and violates the state constitutin, the Wichita... Read more

GOP Leaders Back Lawmaker Who Spoke At White Supremacist Event

How do you wind up at a David Duke event and not realize it?The post GOP Leaders Back Lawmaker Who Spoke At White Supremacist ... Read more

America’s Retirement Security Crisis Is Huge and Quickly Approaching

Tens of millions of aging Americans face a slow slide into poverty.
... Read more

The Scary Revolving Door: Black Water Lobbyist to Run House Intel Committee

The revolving door between government and private industry is quite scary.
... Read more

There's a Big Anniversary This January That the Christian Right Doesn't Want You to Know About

An important turning point in the separation of church and state happened in January, 1786.
... Read more

Scandal Rocks The GOP Congress, Before It Even Takes Office

Rep. Michael Grimm (R-NY) handily won reelection in November, despite the fact that he was under indictment for 20 counts of tax fraud...
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/12/29/scandal-rocks-the-gop-congress-before-it-even-takes-office/

Transgender teen: 'My death needs to mean something'

...There are no national statistics about how many transgender people commit suicide, partly because it's not always known.

In 2010, the National Center for Transgender Equality and the National Gay and Lesbian Task Force reported 41 percent of 7,000 transgender people surveyed had attempted suicide...
http://www.cincinnati.com/story/news/2014/12/30/transgender-teen-death-needs-mean-something/21044407/

After living without God for a year, former pastor Ryan Bell no longer believes

"...I wish more Christians knew that atheists are not nihilists who have no meaning to their lives or people with no moral compass. They’re not stubbornly rejecting God. All the atheists I have met have seriously hit a brick wall while trying to know God.

I wish more atheists knew that Christians care very deeply about knowledge and truth. They are not stupid. In every group there is a percentage that are ignorant — but if you take a wider view, Christian intellectuals have contributed a great deal to the body of human knowledge through history..."
http://www.washingtonpost.com/national/religion/after-living-without-god-for-a-year-former-pastor-ryan-bell-no-longer-believes/2014/12/30/3485778a-904b-11e4-a66f-0ca5037a597d_story.html

Tuesday, December 30, 2014

Yet Another Transgender Teen Commits Suicide Due To Fundamentalist Christian Hate

There is no love lost between the LGBT community and fundamentalist Christians, and stories like this are exactly why. Yet another transgender teen is dead after suffering unspeakable rejection and abuse at the hands of her deeply religious Christian parents.
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/12/30/yet-another-transgender-teen-commits-suicide-due-to-fundamentalist-christian-hate/

Pat Robertson’s Biggest Prophecy Flops

"...How many times do Robertson’s false prophecies need to fail, before people wise up and figure out this guy is not communicating with or for God, just a bunch of right wing con-artists like himself..."
http://www.addictinginfo.org/2014/12/26/pat-robertsons-prophecy-fails/

http://youtu.be/euEeYsBlyCk

Exiled From Westboro: Leaving America’s Most Hated Church

Zach Phelps-Roper is the latest in a long line of defectors from Westboro Baptist Church. Now he’s working to save the reviled anti-gay group—and himself.
http://www.vocativ.com/usa/us-politics/westboro-baptist-church/

Religious extremist event draws objections from university community

Kevin Cope, president of the Louisiana State University Faculty Senate, talks with Rachel Maddow about objections by the university community to Governor Bobby Jindal using a campus facility to headline an even with the American Family Association...
http://www.msnbc.com/rachel-maddow/watch/religious-extremist-event-draws-objections-376623683993?CID=sm_FB

'I don't think God exists'

Conservative pastor who gave up religion for a year in social experiment confirms he is no longer a believer despite falling for a woman who's a devoted Christian...

http://www.georgianewsday.com/news/regional/310472-i-don-t-think-god-exists-conservative-pastor-who-gave-up-religion-for-a-year-in-social-experiment-confirms-he-is-no-longer-a-believer-despite-falling-for-a-woman-who-s-a-devoted-christian.html

Will religion ever disappear?

Atheism is on the rise around the world, so does that mean spirituality will soon be a thing of the past? Rachel Nuwer discovers that the answer is far from simple.
http://www.bbc.com/future/story/20141219-will-religion-ever-disappear

‘Living the Secular Life,’ by Phil Zuckerman

Nonreligious Americans are usually pressed to explain how they control their evil impulses with the more neutral, albeit no less insulting, “How can you have morality without religion?” Phil Zuckerman, a professor of sociology and secular studies at Pitzer College in California, attempts to answer this question in “Living the Secular Life.” He offers an insightful mixture of academic research on shifting American religious views, his own experience as a parent, and interviews with others facing moral crises without God — from a woman overcoming drug addiction to a Holocaust survivor who bristles at the idea that God was looking out for anyone when the Nazis were murdering Jews...
https://richarddawkins.net/2014/12/living-the-secular-life-by-phil-zuckerman/