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Dangerous IdeasAtheism and Politics get Complicated in IllinoisSubmitted by Lyz on Tue, 2008-04-15 07:25.
As a resident of Illinois, eMpirical Editor-in-Chief Elizabeth R.A. Liddell has been paying close attention to the recent controversy surrounding Illinois representative Monique Davis and atheist activist Rob Sherman. Here, she explains what's been happening and outlines a few things we can all learn.
Secular Student Alliance Board Member Matthew LaClair Challenges High School TextbookSubmitted by MaryEllenSikes on Mon, 2008-04-14 09:50.
Once more, high school senior Matthew LaClair, now beginning a term on the Secular Student Alliance (SSA) board of directors, has attracted the attention of national media by challenging some aspect of his public school education. Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein on Speaking of FaithSubmitted by Lyz on Thu, 2008-04-03 23:56.
 In the last week of March, American Public Media's program Speaking of Faith featured Harvard University's Humanist Chaplain Greg Epstein and humanism. The program is available online and was broadcast on public radio stations nationwide.In a recent Pew poll, 16 percent of Americans identified themselves as "unaffiliated," meaning atheist, agnostic, or - most prominently - "nothing in particular." Greg Epstein described himself that way until he discovered the tradition of humanism, and is now passionate about sharing an atheist identity driven not by a stance against religion but by positive ethical beliefs and actions. Rational Response Squad: Kelly's BlogSubmitted by Lyz on Thu, 2008-04-03 23:12.
March 12 - Vox Day - "There is no god. Because I'm an asshole." Ellery Schempp Speaks at the University of Texas-ArlingtonSubmitted by Lyz on Sat, 2008-03-29 09:25.
This article originally appeared in the Feb. 29, 2008 issue of The Shorthorn, and is used by permission. Article by Jhericca Johnson, The Shorthorn staff
When Ellery Schempp’s high school required students to read ten Bible verses every morning “to learn valuable moral lessons,” he began to wonder if the students of Abington High School had fewer morals than students everywhere else. Schempp was the main student involved in the 1963 Abington School District v. Schempp Supreme Court case which declared school-sanctioned Bible reading unconstitutional. He spoke Thursday in the University Center Red River Room to tell the campus community about his experience. At the event, which was sponsored by Freethinkers of UTA, Schempp told students how the event occurred and his thoughts during the case. In 1956, Schempp was a student in the Abington School District in Abington, Pennsylvania, and was told to read Bible verses every morning. On the Monday after Thanksgiving break, Schempp decided to bring a copy of the Quran to school and read it instead. His said his decision came from reading the First Amendment of the constitution and his own religious choice — Unitarianism. “There is nothing in the constitution about the Bible, and there is nothing in the Bible about democracy,” he said. “And the word ‘religion’ is only in the constitution twice — in the First Amendment and the Sixth.” After bringing the Quran to school and reading it quietly to himself, Schempp stayed seated while his classmates said the Lord’s Prayer and stood up for the Pledge of Allegiance. Immediately, his teacher asked him why he was disobeying. Once he explained his position, Schempp was sent to the school disciplinarian. “He told me that there were 1,300 other students following the rule and that it was all a matter of respect,” he said. “He said that he felt like I was being disrespectful.”
Complimentary ConscienceSubmitted by august on Wed, 2008-03-12 01:03.
Hello Secular Student Alliance eMpirical Subscribers,
Catholics for Choice is a pro-choice, pro-contraception, pro-sexual rights and pro-separation of church and state nonprofit based in Washington, DC. We at the Secular Student Alliance know that very few readers of the eMpirical are Catholic, and we know that not all readers are pro-choice. We hope you're all pro-contraception, pro-sexual rights and pro-separation of church and state. We also hope that many of you will be interested in getting a free copy of Conscience magazine (www.catholicsforchoice.org/conscience/). Humanists Promote Science-based Legislation on Darwin's BirthdaySubmitted by Lyz on Wed, 2008-02-27 21:27.
On Feb. 12, 2008, the Institute for Humanist Studies (IHS), hosted the first ever Humanist Legislative Advocacy Day. Humanist activists in New York state came to Albany to persuade their elected representatives to support such issues as: access to emergency contraceptives; same sex marriage legislation; comprehensive sex education in the schools; and expanding therapeutic embryonic stem cell research.  "Today, you've made history, the largest minority group never to be counted was heard," said Matt Cherry, at an afternoon press conference in the Legislative Office Building. Discovery Institute on Darwin DaySubmitted by Lyz on Fri, 2008-02-22 07:43.
Don't you just love it when other people tell you what you're doing?  John West, a senior fellow at the Discovery Institute, claims that "evolution proponents have launched a movement" with the plans of elevating Charles Darwin and demoting President Abraham Lincoln. Yes, that's Darwin Day he's talking about. No, we didn't know anything about Lincoln-bashing, either.The Blogging of a Secular LobbyistSubmitted by Lyz on Fri, 2008-02-22 07:41.
 Lori Lipman Brown is Director of the Secular Coalition for America, where she serves as the first Congressional lobbyist representing atheists. She is also a speaker on the SSA's Speaker's Bureau. She writes a weekly blog for The Humanist; we reprint select articles with permission. Rational Response Squad: Kelly's BlogSubmitted by Lyz on Sun, 2008-02-17 04:37.
February 7 - How to Respond to a Supercilious Christian  |
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Kelly of the 