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=================================== FEATURED ARTICLES Justices reject appeals on rendition, word 'God' in presidential oath CNN International Michael Newdow, a California atheist and lawyer, had sued participants in President Obama's 2009 swear-in, including the man who administered the official oath of office, Chief Justice John Roberts. Roberts has pulled out of considering Newdow's ... http://www.cnn.com/2011/CRIME/05/16/scotus.rendition/ Student challenges prayer at Bastrop graduation Bastrop Daily Enterprise A student who claims to be an atheist has forced officials at Bastrop High School to take prayer from the graduation ceremonies scheduled for May 20, 2011, at the Bastrop High School football stadium. By Mark Rainwater For the first time ever, ... http://www.bastropenterprise.com/features/x2132687894/Student-challenges-prayer-at-Bastrop-graduation ATHEISM Government comes to atheist party The Age THE ''four horsemen of the anti-apocalypse'', the world's most prominent atheists, will share a public platform for the first time in Melbourne next year in an event partly funded by the state government. The Global Atheist Convention, ''A Celebration ... http://www.theage.com.au/victoria/government-comes-to-atheist-party-20110514-1enkv.html XTC song 'Dear God' gets Hamilton elementary school teacher suspended after ... Yahoo! News Canada (blog) The teacher's suspension drew the attention of the Centre for Inquiry, best known for buying advertising space to promote atheism, including on public transit buses across Canada. "What's the role of public education?" the centre's national director ... http://ca.news.yahoo.com/blogs/dailybrew/xtc-song-dear-god-gets-hamilton-elementary-school-150020162.html Rapture Fuels 'Godless' Group's Push Roll Call (subscription) Wright said groups such as the Secular Coalition misinterpret the separation of church and state as meaning that there is no role for faith or religion in the public sphere. Her group advocates using biblical principles to guide policy decisions. ... http://www.rollcall.com/issues/56_125/rapture_fuels_godless_groups_push-205759-1.html?pos=hln Atheists counter prediction of doom with 'Rapture party' The Seattle Times Atheist groups across the country — including in the Puget Sound area — are hosting "Rapture parties" in response to a prediction by a Christian radio broadcaster that the Rapture will occur May 21. By Janet I. Tu rap·ture - noun /? ... http://seattletimes.nwsource.com/html/localnews/2015071658_rapture17m.html Atheists band together to fight for acceptance in the military Tbo.com By HOWARD ALTMAN | The Tampa Tribune A few days before Easter at the MacDill Air Force Base chapel, in a room adorned with pictures of the cross of Jesus and posters of Mary, Galen Matson talks about being an atheist in the proverbial foxhole. ... http://www2.tbo.com/news/breaking-news/2011/may/16/MENEWSO1-atheists-band-together-to-fight-for-accep-ar-207683/ Atheists Offer May 21 Doomsdayers a May 22 Party NBC Bay Area If it doesn't happen, though, there's an Oakland-based atheist's group ready to help disappointed/unfulfilled believers with a party on Sunday. They've also raised their own counter-billboards to point at what they see as "nonsense. ... http://www.nbcbayarea.com/news/weird/Oakland-Atheists-to-Counter-May-21-Doomsdayers-122041049.html Restraining Order Request Dropped Against Atheist Official The Ledger By Jason Geary BARTOW | A Lakeland man withdrew his request Tuesday for a restraining order against Ellenbeth Wachs, an Atheists of Florida official, who was arrested and accused of simulating the sounds of a sex act so they could be overheard by his ... http://www.theledger.com/article/20110517/NEWS/110519465?Title=Restraining-Order-Request-Dropped-Against-Atheist-Official Planning on Being 'Left Behind' on the May 21 Rapture? Live-Streaming Judgment ... Benzinga From the crowd gathered at Bunjo's Comedy Lounge to a lecture by Al Stefanelli, journalist and atheist activist, there's going to be a bit of something for everyone. Emmy nominee Thomas Quinn, author of "What Do You Do With a Chocolate Jesus? ... http://www.benzinga.com/press-releases/11/05/p1089219/planning-on-being-left-behind-on-the-may-21-rapture-live-streaming-jud Atheists plan 'rapture parties' in contrast to doomsayers weekend DigitalJournal.com In response to the end-of-the-world certainty espoused by Christian minister Harold Camping, atheists nationwide are planning 'rapture parties' this coming weekend to celebrate their ongoing existence. Oakland minister Harold Camping has again gone on ... http://www.digitaljournal.com/article/306936 BOOKS, FILM, THEATRE, TV, YOU TUBE Richard Dawkins has written a children's book on the nature of reality Straight.com (Blogs) (blog) The noted British ethologist and evolutionary biologist Richard Dawkins is famous for his atheist and humanist views, so the publication of The Magic of Reality: How We Know What's Really True will no doubt create furor in religious circles. ... http://www.straight.com/article-393247/vancouver/richard-dawkins-has-written-childrens-book-nature-reality Richard Dawkins' Children's Book Available for Preorder on Amazon Geekosystem by Robert Quigley | 2:39 pm, May 19th, 2011 Evolutionary biologist, author, and outspoken atheist and skeptic Richard Dawkins is collaborating with celebrated comic book artist Dave McKean on a children's book, which will hit stores on October 4th. ... http://www.geekosystem.com/dawkins-childrens-book-magic-of-reality/ EVOLUTION, CREATIONISM, I.D. Gov. Christie: My view on creationism is 'none of your business' newjerseynewsroom.com Even the ACLU, the NCSE, and Americans United for the Separation of Church and State should find the policy acceptable: "As no theory in science is immune from critical examination and evaluation, and recognizing that evolutionary theory is the only ... http://www.newjerseynewsroom.com/state/gov-christie-my-view-on-creationism-is-none-of-your-business Debate Over Intelligent Design Ensnares a Scholarly Journal New York Times Yet as the editors of Synthese, a leading philosophy journal, can tell you, what they publish matters: in debates over Christianity, the teaching of evolution, and American politics. This story began in March 2009, when a special issue of Synthese was ... http://www.nytimes.com/2011/05/14/us/14beliefs.html?_r=1 Students, teachers, professors seek to repeal Science Education Act Alexandria Town Talk "Louisiana is addicted to creationism," he said, recalling a 1987 US Supreme Court case that threw out a state law that said creationism could be taught with evolution. At the urging of Kopplin and the Louisiana Coalition for Science, Sen. ... http://www.thetowntalk.com/article/20110515/NEWS01/105150335 Denver mayoral candidates on creationism and science Denver Post The issue has been compounded by one of Hancock's answers in a forum held months ago when asked whether he believes in evolution. On Saturday, he said he should have given a more thorough answer. "I believe in evolution and I believe in God," he said. ... http://www.denverpost.com/politics/ci_18066777 Muslim creationists tour France denouncing Darwin Reuters By Tom Heneghan, Religion Editor AUBERVILLIERS, France (Reuters) - Four years after they first frightened France, Muslim creationists are back touring the country preaching against evolution and claiming the Koran predicted many modern scientific ... http://www.reuters.com/article/2011/05/16/us-islam-creationism-france-idUSTRE74F3GC20110516 SCIENCE How a Person Remembers a Touch ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Neuroscientists of the Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now been able for the first time to document deliberate control of touch sensations in human working memory. It has been shown that the human brain can remember several touch sensations at the same time and consciously retrieve the touch if concentration is focused on these touches... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510101048.htm How a Person Remembers a Touch ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Neuroscientists of the Charité -- Universitätsmedizin Berlin have now been able for the first time to document deliberate control of touch sensations in human working memory. It has been shown that the human brain can remember several touch sensations at the same time and consciously retrieve the touch if concentration is focused on these touches... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510101048.htm Secrets of Plague Unlocked With Stunning New Imaging Techniques ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Researchers at Sandia National Laboratories have developed a super-resolution microscopy technique that is answering long-held questions about exactly how and why a cell's defenses fail against some invaders, such as plague, while successfully fending off others like E.coli. The approach is revealing never-before-seen detail of the cell membrane, which could open doors to new diagnostic, prevention and treatment techniques... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516141548.htm Personality Affects How Likely We Are to Take Our Medication, Swedish Study Finds ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — The results of a unique study from the University of Gothenburg, Sweden, show that personality has an impact on how likely people are to take their medication. This is the first major study of its kind to be published in the online journal PLoS ONE... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110510074430.htm New SETI Survey Focuses on Kepler's Top Earth-Like Planets ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Now that NASA's Kepler space telescope has identified 1,235 possible planets around stars in our galaxy, astronomers at the University of California, Berkeley, are aiming a radio telescope at the most Earth-like of these worlds to see if they can detect signals from an advanced civilization... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516102333.htm Using War Games to Treat Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Virtual reality offers returning soldiers 'psychotherapy by computer' to treat PTSD. For those soldiers worried about the stigma associated with seeing a therapist, virtual reality applications for the treatment of post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) may be the alternative to the traditional "talk therapy." A new paper¹, by Albert Rizzo from the University of Southern California, Institute for Creative Technologies, Los Angeles, and his team, reviews how virtual reality applications are being designed and implemented across various points in the military deployment cycle, to prevent, identify and treat combat-related PTSD... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516121539.htm Penguins Continue Diving Long After Muscles Run out of Oxygen ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Breathing heavily at the edge of an ice hole, an Antarctic emperor penguin prepares to dive. Taking a last gulp of air, the bird descends and may not emerge again for another 20 minutes. The penguin initially carries sufficient oxygen in three stores -- the blood, lungs and myoglobin in muscle -- to sustain aerobic metabolism. However, around 5.6 minutes after leaving the surface, lactate begins appearing in the penguin's blood and the bird crosses the so-called 'aerobic dive limit', switching to anaerobic metabolism in some tissues. So what triggers this transition... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512083139.htm Energy Harvesters Transform Waste Into Electricity ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Billions of dollars lost each year as waste heat from industrial processes can be converted into electricity with a technology being developed at the Department of Energy's Oak Ridge National Laboratory... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516141554.htm First Habitable Exoplanet? Climate Simulation Reveals New Candidate That Could Support Earth-Like Life ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — The planetary system around the red dwarf Gliese 581, one of the closest stars to the Sun in the galaxy, has been the subject of several studies aiming to detect the first potentially habitable exoplanet. Two candidates have already been discarded, but a third planet, Gliese 581d, can be considered the first confirmed exoplanet that could support Earth-like life. This is the conclusion of a team of scientists from the Institut Pierre Simon Laplace (CNRS, UPMC, ENS Paris, Ecole Polytechnique) in Paris, France, whose study is published in The Astrophysical Journal Letters... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110516080124.htm Successful First Test Drive of 'Sighted' Wheelchair ScienceDaily (May 16, 2011) — Research on an electric wheelchair that can sense it´s environment and transmit information to a person who is visually impaired, has been tested at Luleå University of Technology. Daniel Innala Ahlmark, a prospective graduate student in the research project, and himself visually impaired, dared to make the first public test... http://www.sciencedaily.com/releases/2011/05/110512110851.htm SEPARATION CHURCH / STATE Carr urges Gillard to scrap chaplain funding ABC Online By Michael Edwards Mr Carr is a firm believer in the principle of the separation of church and state. (AFP: Torsten Blackwood) Former New South Wales premier Bob Carr has called on the Prime Minister to cancel funding for the schools chaplaincy program ... http://www.abc.net.au/news/stories/2011/05/14/3216888.htm?site=sydney Neptune graduation in dispute Asbury Park Press “This whole issue of separation of church and state is a misnomer,'' resident Porter Brown said. “(The First Amendment) was designed to protected churches from government, not the other way around.” Applause again came when Superintendent David A.Mooij ... http://www.app.com/article/20110512/NJNEWS/305120114/Neptune-graduation-dispute Irving ISD to stop using church for graduation San Antonio Express DALLAS (AP) — A Dallas-area district has decided to stop renting a nondenominational megachurch for high school graduation amid concerns about separation of church and state. The Dallas Morning News reported Monday that the Irving school district in ... http://www.mysanantonio.com/news/article/Irving-ISD-to-stop-using-church-for-graduation-1381158.php Ottawa County votes to display “In God We Trust” NewsOK.com Loring said some objected due to issues involving separation of church and state, and others feared that equal representation in the courthouse would be demanded by religious groups they disagree with. Last month, county officials cited the Haskell ... http://newsok.com/in-god-phrase-will-be-displayed/article/3568654 Commissioners vote for "In God We Trust" motto to be displayed in new Ottawa ... Daily Journal Loring said some objected over the issue of separation of church and state, and others feared that religious groups they disagree with might demand to have equal representation in the courthouse. Clarke said commissioners are looking at sign companies ... http://www.dailyjournal.net/view/story/33ac1ced0ea0408087f3155823903fa2/OK--Motto-Ottawa-Co/ Lawmaker tries to put state in church's business Minneapolis Star Tribune The bill violates the separation of church and state required by the US Constitution, said religious scholars and critics of the legislation. Jason Adkins, executive director of the Minnesota Catholic Conference, which lobbies on behalf of the state's ... http://www.startribune.com/politics/statelocal/122201859.html 4th Circuit Court of Appeals hears Forsyth County Commission prayer case Yes! Weekly Ayesha Khan, legal director for Americans United for Separation of Church and State, also attended last week's hearing. Khan said she's confident both the facts and the law are on the ACLU's side. “The case really presents nothing new,” Khan said. ... http://www.yesweekly.com/triad/article-12081-4th-circuit-court-of-appeals-hears-forsyth-county-commission-prayer-case.html Ky. officials approve tax rebates for proposed biblical theme park that ... Washington Post Americans United for Separation of Church and State executive director Barry W. Lynn criticized Kentucky's decision, saying the state “should not be promoting the spread of fundamentalist Christianity or any other religious viewpoint. ... http://www.washingtonpost.com/lifestyle/travel/ky-officials-approve-tax-rebates-for-proposed-biblical-theme-park-that-includes-noahs-ark/2011/05/19/AFuDUK7G_story.html US high court won't hear atheist's argument against 'So help me God' during ... The Canadian Press WASHINGTON — The US Supreme Court is brushing aside an atheist's challenge to religion in government, refusing to hear a complaint about President Barack Obama adding "so help me God" to his inaugural oath of office. The high court on Monday refused ... http://www.google.com/hostednews/canadianpress/article/ALeqM5ikGRsXqveJyNYJ2Bc_OOo0r9OBBQ?docId=6864487 So Help Me God Stands Courthouse News Service The Supreme Court refused to take up an atheist challenge to the use of the phrase, "So help me God," at the conclusion of the presidential oath of office during a president-elect's inauguration. The lawsuit was the latest attempt by Michael Newdow, ... http://www.courthousenews.com/2011/05/16/36618.htm US Supreme Court Turns Down Atheist Lawsuit Against Inaugurations Standard Newswire (press release) WASHINGTON, May 17, 2011 /Standard Newswire/ -- The United States Supreme Court today decided not to hear an appeal by atheists and humanists challenging religious aspects of President Obama's inauguration. Today's action means the lawsuit will be ... http://www.standardnewswire.com/news/358466253.html MISCELLANEOUS Atheists Do It Better: Why Leaving Religion Leads to Better Sex AlterNet A new study shows that religious people have as much sex as atheists, but with less sexual satisfaction and more guilt. Sign up to stay up to date on the latest Sex & Relationships headlines via email. Do atheists have better sex? Yes. ... http://www.alternet.org/sex/150978/atheists_do_it_better%3A_why_leaving_religion_leads_to_better_sex Are All Religions Equally Crazy? AlterNet Are less established religions really crazier than older mainstream ones? Or are mainstream religions just more familiar... http://www.alternet.org/story/150885/?page=entire Atheist Group Offers Post-Rapture Pet Care NBC Dallas-Fort Worth by Bruce Felps So, we're about T-minus four days, one hour, and 15 minutes from the prophesied Rapture (as of this writing). You're good. Your faith tells you you'll be spirited up to Heaven leaving the non-believers on Earth to suffer the trials of ... http://www.nbcdfw.com/news/weird/122058804.html Atheist business vows to rescue pets on May 21 in case of Rapture, owners ... New York Daily News The post-doomsday pet rescue service, comprised of sworn atheists, already has 259 clients who have paid $135 for the first pet and $20 for each additional pet at the same address. You can trust an aetheist, according to Eternal Earth-Bound Pets. ... http://www.nydailynews.com/lifestyle/pets/2011/05/19/2011-05-19_atheist_business_vows_to_rescue_pets_on_may_21_in_case_of_rapture_owners_ascend_.html =============================================== |