March 10, 2008
Volume 4, Issue 10
Published by the Center For Atheism (CFA)
Editor: David Birnkrant
The Focus provides links to articles collected from major newspapers and magazines, and is emailed weekly.
This Week in Atheism is a cable show that discusses the articles featured below, every Wednesday at 6:30 PM (EST), Manhattan Cable station 57.
Live streaming is available at: http://www.mnn.org.
Comments, suggestions and subscription:focus@centerforatheism.org.
Featured Articles
Clashing Over Church Ritual and Flag Protocol at the Naval Academy Chapel
The practice of dipping the American flag in a service at the Naval Academy Chapel was restored after a brief
suspension.
http://www.nytimes.com/2008/03/08/us/08chapel.html?_r=1&th&emc=th&oref=slogin
Atheist Soldier Says Army Punished Him
The Associated Press -
(AP) — A soldier claimed Wednesday that his promotion was blocked because he had claimed in a lawsuit that the Army was violating his right to be an atheist ...
http://ap.google.com/article/ALeqM5iTPjkhPtGfRjsMUS9Q_F95TRAdcQD8V7JRIO0
Area man founds Church of Reality
San Mateo County Times - San Mateo,CA,USA
The Church of Reality has its roots in atheism, humanism and science. Perkel has 24 principles, or truths, that revolve around the need for exploration and ...
http://origin.insidebayarea.com/localnews/ci_8473532
Atheist and rabbi argue finer points of morality
NYU Washington Square News - New York,NY,USA
One hundred people crowded into the NYU philosophy building last night, expecting to hear a debate between a prominent atheist author and an NYU chaplain on ...
http://www.nyunews.com/news/2008/03/04/Campus/Atheist.And.Rabbi.Argue.Finer.Points.Of.Morality-3250205.shtml
Storms Tries To Put Evolution Up For Vote
Tampa Tribune - Tampa,FL,USA
Ronda Storms to allow public school teachers to contradict the theory of evolution in class. Sen. Don Gaetz, R-Fort Walton Beach, chairman of the PreK-12 ...
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/04/na-storms-tries-to-put-evolution-up-for-vote/
Church steps into political fray in Spain
Los Angeles Times - CA,USA
Respect the separation of church and state, warned Vice Prime Minister Maria Teresa Fernandez de la Vega. The government formally protested to the Vatican, ...
http://www.latimes.com/news/nationworld/world/la-fg-spain5mar05,1,7373744.story
News Articles
(Some publications may require that you sign up for membership to view their article.)
ATHEISM
Roy M. Fish: Some things are moral regardless of religious beliefs
Shreveport Times - Shreveport,LA,USA
When asked if he is an agnostic or an atheist, he responded at times he may be a bit uncertain, but if required to choose it would be atheist. ...
http://www.shreveporttimes.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080301/OPINION03/803010335/1007/OPINION
Evolution Scare Tactics Undermine Florida's Quest For Excellence
Tampa Tribune - Tampa,FL,USA
Storms' bill protects instructors who teach intelligent design under the guise of offering a "full range of scientific views." Students would be tested but ...
http://www2.tbo.com/content/2008/mar/04/na-evolution-scare-tactics-undermine-floridas-ques/
BOOKS, FILM, THEATRE, TV, YOU TUBE
‘Flock of Dodos’ screening at Lory
The Coloradoan - Fort Collins,CO,USA
By Coloradoan staff See the documentary “Flock of Dodos: The Evolution-Intelligent Design Circus” at 7 pm Monday at the Lory Student Center Theatre on the ...
http://www.coloradoan.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080229/LIFESTYLE/80228043/1024
Intelligent Design Mob Turns On Climate in the Classroom
Daily Green - USA
By Dan Shapley If the first sign of the apocalypse is ice caps melting, and the second is raging wildfire, the third winter tornadoes, the fourth drought, ...
http://www.thedailygreen.com/environmental-news/global-warming-lessons-47030302
Living by the Bible's rules
Telegraph.co.uk - United Kingdom
An atheist club felt oxymoronic, like an apathy parade'. Playing with his son's Play-Doh, he makes only geometric shapes, aware that a cow or a cat might be ...
http://www.telegraph.co.uk/arts/main.jhtml?xml=/arts/2008/03/02/bojac102.xml
Expelled and the Argument against Denying the Discussion
Discovery Institute - Seattle,WA,USA
This is why it’s so important to encourage your friends and neighbors to go see this film – especially those inclined to write off intelligent design and ...
http://www.evolutionnews.org/2008/03/expelled_and_the_argument_agai.html
EVOLUTION, CREATIONISM, I.D.
From the Web: The Great Debate: Creation vs. evolution
SouthCoastToday.com - New Bedford,MA,USA
These same Americans believe in intelligent design creationism which is nothing more than a childish belief in magic. Teaching intelligent design magic is ...
http://www.southcoasttoday.com/apps/pbcs.dll/article?AID=/20080301/OPINION/803010369/-1/NEWS06
Church of the Flying Spaghetti Monster - amen to that!
WilliametteLive.com - Salem,OR,USA
In recent years, many Christians have pushed for the teaching of Intelligent Design alongside evolutionary theory in science courses. Intelligent Design is ...
http://willamettelive.com/story/Church_of_the_Flying_Spaghetti_Monster_amen_to_that133.html
Stories in Stone: Science on the ropes
Hillsdale Independent - Hillsdale,NY,USA
Young earth creation science and its fraternal twin, Intelligent Design profess that a great supernatural entity (God) created the world and all life on it. ...
http://www.zwire.com/site/news.cfm?BRD=248&dept_id=505345&newsid=19345668&PAG=461&rfi=9
Misinformed about evolution theory
Yuma Sun - Yuma,AZ,USA
It was disappointing to read another opinion by a misinformed individual on the theory of evolution, or it might just be an expression of the paranoia some ...
http://www.yumasun.com/opinion/theory_40038___article.html/evolution_based.html
SCIENCE
DNA technique and plant evolution
Natural History Museum - London,UK
Reported in the journal PLoS ONE, it is the first trial of the technique in undomesticated plants and the results give new insights into plant evolution and ...
http://www.nhm.ac.uk/about-us/news/2008/march/news_13448.html
Shorter women live longer
Times of India - India
Mutations in genes governing an important cell-signalling pathway influence human longevity, according to researchers at the Albert Einstein College of ..
http://timesofindia.indiatimes.com/Shorter_women_live_longer/articleshow/2841701.cms
Evolution’s Most Effective Killer: Snake Venom
Popular Science - New York,NY,USA
But none of these deficiencies matters much, because evolution has handed snakes the ultimate weapon: venom. With it, the several hundred types of venomous ...
http://www.popsci.com/scitech/article/2008-03/evolution%E2%80%99s-most-effective-killer-snake-venom
How Old Is the Grand Canyon?
Mongabay.com - USA
V. Polyak and C. Hill (2008). Age and Evolution of Grand Canyon Revealed by U-Pb Dating of Water Table-Type Speleothems. Science 07 March 2008.
http://news.mongabay.com/2008/0306-grand_canyon.html
SEPARATION CHURCH / STATE
Edina steps back from church-state line
Minneapolis Star Tribune (subscription) - Minneapolis,MN,USA
The city won't issue bonds to help a Christian school pay for its expansion, citing separation of church and state. By MARY JANE SMETANKA, Star Tribune A ...
http://wwwstartribune.com/local/west/16240932.html
MISCELLANEOUS
No Articles
CONVENTIONS / MEETINGS / EVENTS
American Atheists Mar 21- 23, 2008 Minneapolis, MN
Madalyn Murray O'Hair (Birthday) April 13, 2008
Gift for Life Day (BLOOD DONATION) May 1, 2008
Atheists Alliance International Sept. 2008 Long Beach, Ca.
Freedom From Religion Oct. 10-12, 2008 Chicago
Gift for Life Day (BLOOD DONATION) Nov. 4, 2008
CFA Program
The Center for Atheism (CFA) was established by the New York City Atheists as a separate and independent national organization to propose, develop, and be a catalyst for new national activities supporting the objectives of atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, skeptics, secularists and separation-of-church-and-state advocates.
CFA will accept and review suggestions from individuals and other secular organizations that will foster our goals.
Special Notices
There are no special notices this week.
Comments, suggestions, and subscriptions: focus@centerforatheism.org
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