Rob Boston: Taking Liberties on FFRF

In The News: Arizona Governor Jan Brewer vetoes the controversial bill denying service to gays. We educate the bible-illiterate Tony Perkins, of the Family Research Council, about why the Christian scriptures are insulting. We talk about the movie Philomena, and about Ricky Gervais's view on "something to live for." Then we talk with Rob Boston, of Americans United For Separation of Church and State, about his new book: Taking Liberties: Why Religious Freedom Doesn't Give You The Right To Tell Other People What To Do.

Interview:
http://ffrf.libsyn.com/guest-rob-boston

"Christian Nation", Fred Rich on Atheists Talk #258, February 23, 2014

"What do people like Sarah Palin mean when they say the U.S. is a "Christian nation"? What would their vision look like if it were made real? Could they ever really succeed in taking control of the country? Author Fred Rich tackles all these questions in his recent book, Christian Nation: A Novel. From the publisher's description:

In the spirit of Philip Roth’s The Plot Against America, one of America’s foremost lawyers lays out in chilling detail what such a future might look like: constitutional protections dismantled; all aspects of life dominated by an authoritarian law called “The Blessing,” enforced by a totally integrated digital world known as the "Purity Web." Readers will find themselves haunted by the questions the narrator struggles to answer in this fictional memoir: "What happened, why did it happen, how could it have happened?"

Interview:
http://mnatheists.org/news-and-media/podcast/948-fred-rich-christian-nation

Spin Doctors' Mark White on Atheists Talk #266, May 4th, 2014

Coming off of his talk at American Atheist's National Convention in Salt Lake City, Utah this past month, Mark White continues his atheist speaking as this Sunday's Atheists Talk radio show guest. He'll speak about leaving Christianity and perhaps share a few stories about his musical career and his time with The Spin Doctors.

Mark White is a founding member of the alternative rock band, The Spin Doctors. Best known for Two Princes and Little Miss Can't Be Wrong, the Spin Doctors have sold millions of records and were nominated for a Grammy for Two Princes. 

Interview:
http://mnatheists.org/news-and-media/podcast/969-spin-doctors-mark-white-on-atheists-talk-266-may-4th-2014

Pope says favors celibacy for priests but door open to change | Reuters

"It is a rule of life that I appreciate very much and I think it is a gift for the Church but since it is not a dogma, the door is always open," he said.
http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/05/27/us-pope-celibacy-idUSKBN0E61WY20140527

Swiss group to allow assisted dying for elderly who are not terminally ill | Society | The Guardian

Exit adds 'suicide due to old age' to its statutes, giving people suffering from age-related problems the choice to end their lifehttp://www.theguardian.com/society/2014/may/26/swiss-exit-assisted-suicide-elderly-not-terminally-ill

Michelle Obama Bites Back at Critics of Her Healthy School Lunch Standards

In one of the most political speeches she’s given, Michelle Obama accused House Republicans of “playing politics” with “our children’s future”.

http://time.com/120611/michelle-obama-school-lunches/

Supreme Court declines to hear new contraception cases

The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday declined to take up preliminary appeals brought by Roman Catholic groups that want an exemption from part of President Barack Obama's healthcare law requiring employers to provide insurance that covers contraception...

 http://www.lifescript.com/health/centers/health_care/news/2014/03/31/supreme_court_declines_to_hear_new_contraception_cases.aspx

Why Are the Openly Secular Openly Disdained?

Which moral position is worse, cheating on one's spouse or rejecting religious dogma? Are you less trustworthy if you use an illegal drug or reject supernatural explanations for life?

http://www.huffingtonpost.com/robyn-blumner/why-are-the-openly-secula_b_5381248.html

1797 treaty makes religious stand clear

"As the government of the United States of America is not in any sense founded on the Christian Religion -- as it has in itself no character of enmity against the laws, religion or tranquility of (Islam)."

Did you read that quote? If not, go back and read it, because it's important.

http://www.stamfordadvocate.com/news/article/1797-treaty-makes-religious-stand-clear-5502148.php

Congressman Louie Gohmert Calls Gays Intolerant - JUST LIKE NAZIS!

Texas Congressman Louie Gohmert (R-TX) took to the House floor to explain how supporters of gay rights are just like Nazis in their intolerance for people - like Gohmert - who merely want to deny gay people the right to marry, just like everyone else.

In this clip, The Young Turks' Cenk Uygur breaks down Gohmert's dubious logic and reveals why Gohmert, with one finger pointed at the gays' intolerance, really has three fingers pointing back at his own.

http://youtu.be/XuGIQdQytKE

problem solving by conservatives versus progressives

Quote of the day: 
The difference between conservatives and progressives is the way they approach problems.
Conservatives think their solution works because it is the right solution.
Progressives think they have the right solution because their solution works.

Can Scientists Be Trusted? Not According To The Tea Party

"It's one of the biggest trends in US politics over the last decade: A growing left-right split over the validity of scientific information. This "science gap" is apparent most of all on the issue of climate change, but the problem is much broader, encompassing topics ranging from evolution to the safety and effectiveness of condoms in preventing sexually transmitted diseases.

Yet even those of us who know how politicized science has become may be surprised by some new polling data out of the Carsey Institute at the University of New Hampshire. There, survey researcher Lawrence Hamilton has run a new analysis of 568 New Hampshire residents, asking them a variety of questions including the following: "Would you say that you trust, don't trust, or are unsure about scientists as a source of information about environmental issues?" Hamilton then broke down the responses by party, separating out members of the tea party from more mainstream Republicans."* The Young Turks hosts John Iadarola (TYT University), Dave Rubin (The Rubin Report) and Jimmy Dore (The Jimmy Dore Show) break it down.

http://youtu.be/8JQube3nDy0

Was Congress Right to Cut Off Long Term Unemployment Benefits?

"Alan Krueger has a response for people, including top officials at the Federal Reserve, who question his research showing the long-term unemployed have been pushed to the fringes of the job market: More research.

"Using a survey of households conducted by the Census Bureau between May 2008 and July 2013, the Princeton University professor finds only 22% of the people who entered long-term joblessness during the 2008 recession had gotten steady, full-time jobs by the first half of 2013. Mr. Krueger finds 35% dropped out of the labor force during that period, 28% had jobs that either weren't steady or weren't full-time and 14% were still looking for jobs unsuccessfully."*

In this clip from The Young Turks, Ben Mankiewicz and John Iadarola break down the data on the long term unemployed and decide whether critics of expanding unemployment benefits were right.

http://youtu.be/Fw5FbglHr18

After My Deconversion: I Refuse To Let Christians Judge Me

"Pay attention, Christians, as I explain to you the power you unjustly held over me for years and the power that, as a consequence, I am immune to now. Try to manipulate me in the ways I describe and you will find me indignantly contemptuous of your paltry bait..."

http://www.patheos.com/blogs/camelswithhammers/2012/11/after-my-deconversion-i-refuse-to-let-christians-judge-me/

5 Takeaways From Jim DeMint, One of Washington's Most Hated Men

A new book takes ideological blinders to a new level.

... Read more




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Sexual attraction toward children can be attributed to abnormal facial processing in the brain

Human faces can motivate nurturing behaviour or sexual behaviour when adults see a child or an adult face, respectively. This suggests that face processing is tuned to detecting age cues of sexual maturity to stimulate the appropriate reproductive behaviour: either caretaking or mating...
Read more

The Science of Love | Can Men and Women Be Just Friends?

Is it actually possible? What if there's some attraction there? Have you ever found yourself trapped in the, "friend zone?" This week on The Science of Love we're investigating attraction in friendships - talking to real friends to find out how and if you can actually make it work.

http://youtu.be/XsFJFfegkj4

A History of God

"I explain how I learned from A History of God by Karen Armstrong that the evidence indicates that the Jewish concept of monotheism evolved from the syncretism of various polytheistic sources like Canaanite and Babylonian polytheism..."

Based on; A History of God: The 4,000-Year Quest of Judaism, Christianity and Islam: http://www.amazon.com/History-God-000-Year-Judaism-Christianity/dp/0345384563

Part 1:
http://youtu.be/MlnnWbkMlbg

Part 2:
http://youtu.be/yPfFx9JTQl8

David Silverman on "Atheist Chaplains" in the Military

Lou Dobbs Tonight, Fox Business, 5-13-2014,
David Silverman, President, American Atheists, Inc.

http://youtu.be/wHaNxfZtDr4

One Nation, Under Allah...

When the Cultural Arms Club at a Colorado high school translated the Pledge of Allegiance into Arabic (again), conservatives took the opportunity (again) to put their ignorance, xenophobia, and intolerance on display.

http://youtu.be/gsGCbDPGOuQ