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General & Hellos
May 1, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKAstrobiologists In Search of a Breakthrough Researchers consider the frontiers of life at an annual conference in Berkeley. Read more at
FTA: Benner went on to present a new, far-reaching hypothesis claiming that the first life form on Earth probably originated as an RNA-based cell about 4.36 billion years ago, because only at that time did Earth’s atmosphere have the right chemistry for life to originate. [youtu.be]
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General & Hellos
May 4, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKPhotos: Climate-Change Protests Around the World - The Atlantic
Protesters look the same the world over.
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General & Hellos
May 4, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKDr. Hector Garcia—How Evolutionary Science Makes Sense of Our Political Divide (SCIENCE SALON 63) - YouTube
Through the lens of evolutionary science, Dr. Garcia offers a novel perspective on why we hold our political ideas, and why they are so often in conflict. Drawing on examples from across the animal kingdom, Garcia reveals how even the most complex political processes can be influenced by our basic drives to survive and reproduce—including the policies we back, whether we are liberal or conservative, and whether we are inspired or repelled by the words of a president.
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General & Hellos
May 10, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKXiahe jaw - How We Found an Elusive Hominin in China - SAPIENS
FTA: The Xiahe mandible is complete enough to now revisit the rich Chinese hominin fossil collection and identify other fossils as Denisovan, even without DNA evidence. I have no doubt that in the future the sequencing of ancient proteins will complement these morphological analyses. But the most extraordinary aspect of our findings, in my opinion, is the demonstration that such archaic hominins could successfully live in this challenging high-altitude environment, more than 120,000 years ...
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Religion & Spirituality
May 12, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKTrump Finds God in the Foxhole - The Atlantic
FTA: By this point it’s banal to note the mismatch between Trump—the coarse, libertine sexual harasser—and the American evangelical movement. It’s a marriage of convenience: Trump gets support he needs, and evangelicals get a champion of their causes, even if that champion is not especially Christlike in his bearing. But Trump’s statement that he leaned on God during the Mueller probe is notable because it’s practically unheard of for Trump to speak of God in a personal way like ...
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Politics
May 13, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKAndrew Seidel: The Founding Myth - YouTube
TheThinkingAtheist Streamed live on May 10, 2019 Andrew Seidel is author of the new book, The Founding Myth: Why Christian Nationalism is Un-American ([amzn.to]. He speaks with Seth Andrews and takes listener calls.
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General & Hellos
May 15, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKProsanta Chakrabarty: Four billion years of evolution in six minutes | TED Talk
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General & Hellos
May 19, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKSystematic Classification of Life - ep40 Catarrhini - YouTube
AronRa Published on May 12, 2019 Here is the link to the full playlist: [goo.gl] My wife, Lilandra asked me to do this series, based on our first interaction--back when she was a creationist. I often say that phylogenetic taxonomy is the strongest argument for evolution. After we talked about a couple dozen clades, she was convinced, and suggested I do something similar for the public.
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Philosophy & Meaning
May 24, 2019May 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKDr. Christian List — Why Free Will is Real: Response to Harris, Coyne, and Other Determinists - YouTube
FTV: Philosophers have argued about the nature and the very existence of free will for centuries. Today, many scientists and scientifically minded commentators are skeptical that it exists, especially when it is understood to require the ability to choose between alternative possibilities. If the laws of physics govern everything that happens, they argue, then how can our choices be free? Believers in free will must be misled by habit, sentiment, or religious doctrine. Why Free Will is Real ...
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General & Hellos
Jun 1, 2019Jun 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKPhotos of the Week: Swan Song, Eiffel Climb, Porcelain Starlings - The Atlantic
My favorite link to post. Please enjoy.
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General & Hellos
Jun 7, 2019Jun 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKConnect : Server Error 500
06/07/2019 6:00 AM PDT 2019 Annual Conference - Day 1 Live streaming now
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Silly, Random & Fun
Jun 12, 2019Jun 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKCreationists Are Mocking Flat Earthers for Not Understanding Science | Hemant Mehta | Friendly Atheist | Patheos
FTA: Ham also says people now ask him if he believes in a Flat Earth “all the time!” He doesn’t seem to realize it’s because when you promote fiction as science, you’re bound to draw in an audience that’s susceptible to bad arguments and distorted facts. When real scientists give talks, I assure you people don’t waste their time inquiring about the dumbest possible conspiracy theories. If one sneaks through, they’re roundly mocked. It’s just not surprising that the Venn ...
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General & Hellos
Jun 15, 2019Jun 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKPhotos of the Week: Jupiter Vortex, Sika Deer, Big Air - The Atlantic
The first one was my favorite one this week.
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General & Hellos
Jun 21, 2019Jun 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKBBC - Future - How modern life is transforming the human skeleton
"Feeling that something might be up, Shahar decided to investigate. Together with his colleague, he analysed over a thousand X-rays of skulls from people ranging from 18 to 86 years old. They measured any spikes and noted what each participant’s posture was like. What the scientists found was striking. The spike was far more prevalent than they had expected, and also a lot more common in the youngest age group: one in four people aged 18-30 had the growth. Why could this be? And should we ...
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General & Hellos
Jun 28, 2019Jun 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKSohrab Ahmari and the Rise of America's Orbánists - The Atlantic
FTA: The rapidity of that cultural shift, though, should not obscure the contours of the society that the religious right still aspires to preserve: a world where women have no control over whether to carry a pregnancy to term, same-sex marriage is illegal, and gays and lesbians can be arrested and incarcerated for having sex in their own homes and be barred from raising children. The religious right showed no mercy and no charity toward these groups when it had the power to impose its will, but...
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General & Hellos
Jul 5, 2019Jul 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKWorker threw exception | | Cloudflare
FTA: They hope to cleanse their membership of theological diversity, and assert top down control of conscience questions, replenishing their membership with anti-feminist, pro-natalist policies and proselytizing in the Southern hemisphere. But the more they resort to strict authoritarianism, insularity and strict interpretation of Iron Age texts, the more people are wounded in the name of God and the more people are outraged. By making Christian belief an all-or-nothing proposition – they ...
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General & Hellos
Jul 7, 2019Jul 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKPhotos of the Week: Mermaid Parade, Scarlet Sails, Moss Man - The Atlantic
Some more photos from around the globe.
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General & Hellos
Aug 12, 2019Aug 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKAtheism in America: misunderstandings, explained - Vox
FTA: The number of people who do not believe in any god has been on the rise in recent decades. According to the Pew Research Center, close to a quarter of the population identifies as a so-called “none,” up 7 percent from 2007 to 2014. About 10 percent of all Americans say they are atheists, although this estimate may be on the low side. Given our growing numbers, it’s important for non-atheists to understand what it means for someone to not believe in any god. Here are just a few things ...
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General & Hellos
Aug 20, 2019Aug 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKShura interview: ‘God can’t hate the gays – I was blessed by the Pope’ | The Independent
FTA: God can’t hate the gays. Both me and my twin brother are raging homosexuals.” Ever since that holy encounter, the 28-year-old has been fascinated by religion. She even considered, despite being a “staunch atheist”, studying theology at university, “It’s all being interested in humans and how we f things up,” she shrugs. “Oh great, let’s create a perfect image of a woman who also happens to be a virgin and a mother, which is physically impossible, and then for all ...
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General & Hellos
Aug 25, 2019Aug 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKOn a Kentucky Train Track, a Union Protest without the Union - TheHumanist.com
From The Article: FTA: By making it harder for workers to form and join unions, corporate interests keep the scales tipped in their favor. Without an effective union, it’s nearly impossible to collectively bargain for better wages, benefits, or working conditions. Due to these long-term union-busting efforts, by 2017 there was not a single unionized miner in Harlan County, a trend matched (albeit to lesser extremes) around the country.
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Sam Harris Fans
Aug 29, 2019Aug 2019

Posted by zblaze
167 - A Few Thoughts on White Supremacy
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Sam Harris Fans
Sep 12, 2019Sep 2019

Posted by zblaze
168 - Mind, Space, & Motion A Conversation with Barbara Tversky
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General & Hellos
Sep 12, 2019Sep 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKHouse Democrat calls it 'unconstitutional' to cite God in hearing oaths | TheHill
FTA: Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) said this week that requiring witnesses testifying before Congress to affirm an oath to God is “unconstitutional.” “It’s unconstitutional to require a witness in congressional testimony to affirm an oath to a deity they may not even believe in or to affirm an oath to a singular deity when you might be a polytheistic Hindu for example,” Huffman said during an interview on The Freedom From Religion Foundation’s “Freethought Matters” ...
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General & Hellos
Sep 16, 2019Sep 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKAtheism vs illogic - YouTube
AronRa This is a response to a couple of videos made by the Christian channel, Atheism vs Logic. By the way, here is another headline I forgot to add: "Life’s First Molecule Was Protein, Not RNA, New Model Suggests"
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Silly, Random & Fun
Sep 21, 2019Sep 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKThe Comics Section: The Universe is Ours - TheHumanist.com
How arrogant can you be??? LOL
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Sam Harris Fans
Sep 21, 2019Sep 2019

Posted by zblaze
In this episode of the Making Sense podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Kathleen Belew about the white power movement in the United States. They discuss white supremacy, white nationalism, white separatism, the militia movement, “The ...
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Music, Movies & Books
Sep 22, 2019Sep 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKRichard Dawkins and Reverend Richard Coles debate 'Outgrowing God'
FTA: From The Article: Here is the God I don’t believe in: a supernatural creator who has enough scientific and mathematical intelligence to design the cosmos, plus enough bandwidth left over to listen to the thoughts and prayers of all the beings in the world (even the universe?), who cares about their good deeds and their sins, and who rewards or punishes them posthumously. If that is not the God you believe in, I have no quarrel with you. But I’m then left wondering why you bother to go ...
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Silly, Random & Fun
Sep 29, 2019Sep 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKPhotos of the Week: Giant Penguin, Forest Tower, Glacier Battlefield - The Atlantic
Some great photos of our changing world. I liked 10, 12, and 32
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Politics
Sep 29, 2019Sep 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKImpeachment-Themed Cocktails - TheHumanist.com
FTA: It’s been quite a week here in Washington, DC, as news broke of POTUS, a phone call with Ukraine, a whistleblower complaint, and what appears to be a concerted effort to bury it. To keep spirits up during this troubled time—because even if you feel impeachment proceedings are a long time coming, this is a grave state of affairs—DC bars will soon be announcing their themed cocktails. Here are our suggestions, just in time for happy hour! The Whistleblower: straight ...
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Sam Harris Fans
Oct 3, 2019Oct 2019

Posted by zblaze
In this episode of the Making Sense podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Andrew McAfee about the history of human progress and the modern uncoupling of our prosperity from resource consumption. They discuss the pitfalls and hidden virtues...
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Silly, Random & Fun
Oct 4, 2019Oct 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKThe Comics Section: Protesting Blasphemy - TheHumanist.com
LOL
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Sam Harris Fans
Oct 22, 2019Oct 2019

Posted by zblaze
October 21, 2019 In this episode of the Making Sense podcast, Sam Harris speaks with Andrew Marantz about his book Antisocial: Online Extremists, Techno-Utopians, and the Hijacking of the American Conversation. They discuss the ...
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Philosophy & Meaning
Oct 26, 2019Oct 2019

Posted by zblaze
LINKSuch a Voice Is Needed: The Humanist Interview with Salman Rushdie - TheHumanist.com
I found this very interesting.
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Politics
Dec 12, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
Church Militant: A Right-Wing Media Empire in the Making - YouTube
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Politics
Dec 15, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
Masterpiece Cakeshop, “religious liberty,” and the culture wars - Vox
The idea that “religious liberty” is a mere cover for bigotry is misguided. The existing law of accommodation already contains within itself the resources to reject the claims that most trouble the left. The broader attack on religious liberty is inconsistent with the aspiration to have a society that is broadly hospitable to diversity. Deep disagreement about moral fundamentals is nothing new; it is what religious diversity consists of. That ought to include disagreement about such ...
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Politics
Dec 15, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
Why Al Gore isn't giving up the climate change fight - The Verge
The bipartisanship hit very high levels, until Barack Obama was elected and the Koch brothers and others financed the National Tea Party movement, began in January of ‘09 and coincided with the harsh impact of the Great Recession. The hundreds of millions of dollars spent by the Koch brothers and Exxon Mobil and other large carbon polluters intentionally created a partisan wedge that had at its principal target Barack Obama and his administration. So anyone who’s visible in the ...
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Health & Happiness
Dec 15, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
Coalitional Instincts | Edge.org
Forming coalitions around scientific or factual questions is disastrous, because it pits our urge for scientific truth-seeking against the nearly insuperable human appetite to be a good coalition member. Once scientific propositions are moralized, the scientific process is wounded, often fatally. No one is behaving either ethically or scientifically who does not make the best case possible for rival theories with which one disagrees.
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Academic (e.g., Science)
Dec 17, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
Is Psychology a "Self-Correcting" Science?
Why is this important? One of science’s great claims to special status and credibility is that it is “self-correcting” – i.e., that when new data comes in showing something that conflicts with scientific conclusions, scientists supposedly change their conclusions. Except that, too often, they do not, at least not very easily. The accepted scientific wisdom does change, but usually because new scholars take up the correction, not because the old guard “self-corrects.” Think I am ...
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Religion & Spirituality
Dec 17, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
PROOF Religion Compromises Moral Judgement (Dan Barker) - YouTube
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Politics
Dec 19, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
Franken's Fate and the Complexity of Unilateral Disarmament - TheHumanist.com
If the MeToo moment is going to claim success in keeping predators out of power, we have to ensure that Gessen is ultimately wrong. We cannot be satisfied with only toppling the deeply flawed politicians on our own side. And we cannot accept that Trump’s supporters and the Republicans in Congress will put up with any bad behavior from their side as long as it means that their terrible tax bill will be passed. It’s Trump’s turn to have his feet held to the fire.
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Family & Parenting
Dec 19, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
Advocating Equality: The Case for a More Frugal Santa Claus - TheHumanist.com
When Johnny comes to class the next week, what will he think of his generous sneakers from Santa when Sam has the newest iPhone X at the age of ten? Was Sam morally a better boy over the year than Johnny? That is a tough pill to swallow at any age, but especially under the guise of a story about a benevolent bestower who judges you only based on your good or naughty acts. We all learn in due time that life is unfair, but this is not the lesson of Santa Claus.
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Health & Happiness
Dec 22, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
The Making of a Modern Pilgrim - TheHumanist.com
A primal need resides in us all to bear witness and talk to our fellow travelers on this pilgrimage of life that, though we may disagree on much of it, such as origin and destination, should serve as a means of rejoicing in our shared humanity with its wonderful and stirring muddle of contradictions and finer aspirations. The more I hiked on, the deeper this sank in—with a palpable result. My energy levels rocketed. Bitterness and regret evaporated. Two decades were knocked off leaving me ...
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Health & Happiness
Dec 24, 2017Dec 2017

Posted by zblaze
Sam Harris Podcast
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News & Links
Jan 2, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Atheist Flag Will Be Raised Over Ten Commandments Monument : NPR
On a small bit of land in Somersworth, N.H., two very different symbols are soon going to be sharing a space. At ground level, a monument of the Ten Commandments. Just above it, the atheist flag will blow in the breeze. New Hampshire Public Radio's Todd Bookman reports.
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Philosophy & Meaning
Jan 7, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Elif Shafak: The revolutionary power of diverse thought | TED Talk
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Love & Relationships
Jan 8, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
The Humanist Dilemma: How to Drop out of Religion but Stay in a Marriage - TheHumanist.com
I’ve been doing the same thing throughout my marriage (over two decades) and with our kids since their births. One key difference is that I was clear about my nonbelief before we married and agreed that I would raise the kids in the family faith. I was also clear that I would not make any pretense about my views. So there was no sense that I had unilaterally changed the rules after the wedding vows, which could be an issue in your situation. But the fact is that individuals grow in different ...
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Academic (e.g., Science)
Jan 8, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
How the Loss of Critical Reasoning is Harming America - TheHumanist.com
It bled over into the idea that as an American I am absolutely free to ignore science, expertise, and reason to believe what I feel to be true. That happened over hundreds of years. Then another part of it, certainly relevant to the election and presidency of Donald Trump, is the degree to which a more benign blurring between fiction and reality—entertainment—has affected us. Entertainment values and show business have seeped more and more into American life, whether it’s in the press, ...
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Academic (e.g., Science)
Jan 11, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Scientists Can Now Blame Individual Natural Disasters on Climate Change - Scientific American
Three papers, for the first time in the Bulletin's history, suggested that the studied events not only were influenced by climate change but could not have occurred without it (Climatewire, Dec. 14, 2017). The studies determined that the record-breaking global temperatures in 2016 (the hottest year ever recorded), extreme heat in Asia and an unusually warm "Blob" of water off the coast of Alaska would all have been impossible in a world where human-caused climate change did not exist.
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Music, Movies & Books
Jan 12, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
The Handmaid’s Tale held a mirror up to a year of Trump | Matthew d’Ancona | Opinion | The Guardian
It wasn’t just the explicit satire of, say, Saturday Night Live that kept the US president front and centre in cultural life. Lee Hall’s triumphant reworking at the National Theatre of Network, Paddy Chayefsky’s 1976 film about mass media and demagoguery, held a more subtle mirror up to the age of Trump. Shakespeare’s history plays acquired fresh and often unsettling relevance (watch out for the Bridge theatre’s production of Julius Caesar, opening in London next month). Even War ...
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Politics
Jan 13, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Welcome to Bleak House, America 2018 - TheHumanist.com
And while I wrote the paragraph above it was reported that our president said, regarding immigration, “Why do we want all these people from Africa here? They’re shithole countries … We should have more people from Norway.” I am not so naive as to think the US was perfect before we voted Trump into office. But our political dialogue has never been so coarse. The disregard for human dignity, environmental conservation, economic equilibrium, equality, justice, and the wellbeing of future...
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Religion & Spirituality
Jan 14, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
A Certain Uncertainty: Brookings Holds Discussion on Recent Iranian Protests - TheHumanist.com
Furthermore, the protests have highlighted the harm inflicted on religion by Iran’s total lack of church-state separation. “There is a sentiment among Iranians to reject everything this government stands for. That includes the Islamic Republic… they reject Islam itself,” Bahari warned, noting a cultural shift towards irreligiosity and Zoroastrian revival among Iranians fed up with the Islamist government. Iran’s increasing reliance on force to suppress dissent can only further damage ...
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Academic (e.g., Science)
Jan 14, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
How to Celebrate Darwin Day in 2018 - TheHumanist.com
What are your plans to celebrate the originator of the biological theory of evolution? Not much is listed for the West Coast, guess I'll have to hold my own celebration. YAHOOOOOO!
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Politics
Jan 14, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
On the Hill: How Arcane Senate Rules Saved the Johnson Amendment (For Now) - TheHumanist.com
MacDonough ultimately ruled that the language within last month’s tax reform bill, which would have weakened the Johnson Amendment, did not comply with the rules of reconciliation, which is the process by which a bill can be approved by a simple majority without the threat of a filibuster. As the language weakening the Johnson Amendment did not have a budgetary impact, which is required for any bill to be considered under the reconciliation process, MacDonough advised that the language be ...
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Religion & Spirituality
Jan 15, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
The Museum of the Bible Is a Safe Space for Christian Nationalists
Given the theologico-political goals of its founders and patrons, it isn’t hard to see that the location of this museum was an act of symbolic and practical genius. If you’re going to build a Christian nation, this is where you start. That’s why Cindy Jacobs, a leading figure in the fast-growing world of charismatic Christianity, and a featured speaker at the Revolution 2017 event in December, described the museum as “God’s base camp.” There, in the auditorium of the museum, Ms. ...
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Philosophy & Meaning
Jan 18, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Freedom of Expression and the Flight from Reason - Quillette
8. The ‘Born-Again’ Experience. This is a powerful ally of the Manichean mindset. Fresh converts to belief systems can now confidently interpret their pre-conversion lives through the prism of an all-encompassing, all-explaining world-view. Every bad personal experience now ‘fits’ that new view. The convert to a fundamentalist religion now thinks that his new-found faith can perfectly explain everything that was wrong with his life up to that point: perhaps Satan caused his problems, and...
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News & Links
Jan 21, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
No End to Trump’s Destruction - TheHumanist.com
I’m hardly the first to say it, and I won’t be the last: Trump’s insatiable thirst for power should remind all of us of the perilous dictators of the past. His authoritative behavior, rolled out little by little, slowly chips away at our democracy and our constitutional freedoms. Reason, rationality, and facts have little place in Trump’s plan for the United States, and, though he can’t fool us all, he continues to be successful in controlling the media, controlling the Right, and has ...
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Silly, Random & Fun
Jan 21, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
The Comics Section: Icelanders, Evolution, and Devil Religions - TheHumanist.com
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General & Hellos
Jan 23, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Waking Up Podcast 114 — Politics and Sanity | Sam Harris
In this episode, Sam speaks with David Frum and Andrew Sullivan about the Trump presidency, hyper-partisanship, how democracies fail, and other topics.
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Silly, Random & Fun
Jan 24, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Why Don't You Want to Believe in God? | Paul - Knoxville, TN | Atheist Experience 22.02 - YouTube
I've had a crush on Tracie for about 4 years now, and feel that Matt is one of the best debaters around. I won't post anymore of these, there are literally hundreds of them, but just wanted to put this out to this critically thinking community to make sure you guys know about it.
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Religion & Spirituality
Jan 25, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
How Peaceful Religion Kills | Religion as a Placebo - YouTube
0 comments
General & Hellos
Jan 26, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Photos of the Week: Transport Mishaps, Epiphany Blessings, Bull Taming - The Atlantic
Hope you enjoy?
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General & Hellos
Jan 27, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Trump’s HHS Wants to Protect Health Care Workers Who Discriminate - TheHumanist.com
“The federal government has hounded religious hospitals…forcing them to provide services that violate their consciences,” Hargan said. “Medical students, too, have learned to do procedures that violate their consciences.” The move is yet another example of the Trump administration’s willingness to turn the concept of religious liberty into religious discrimination. The potential is ripe for abuse of this new office by evangelicals and fundamentalists who want to impose their ...
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Religion & Spirituality
Jan 27, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Rules Are for Schmucks: Fearing Paula White - TheHumanist.com
First, they were treated to a harangue about the concept of “first fruits,” which she says means they must fork over their first earnings of 2018—perhaps as much as a month’s wages—to God, via her. This is in addition to all the tithing, which the Bible couldn’t be more clear about. “All ‘firsts’ belong to God,” White told her flock. “When you honor this principle it provides the foundation and structure for God’s blessings and promises in your life; it unlocks deep ...
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Philosophy & Meaning
Jan 27, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
CPC Designations Omit Bangladesh, Egypt, and Russia, Are Weak on Pakistan - TheHumanist.com
Pakistan is also let off the hook in the latest report, as it has yet again escaped the CPC designation, despite sentencing those “guilty” of blasphemy to death and restricting religious freedom in general. But at least Pakistan is still mentioned in the report, unlike Egypt and Russia, two countries that are deserving of some sort of governmental criticism for their repressive religious policies. Egypt is currently seeking to ban atheism, a move that should surprise no one considering ...
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Silly, Random & Fun
Jan 27, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
The Comics Section: Pretending to Know The Answers - TheHumanist.com
0 comments
Politics
Jan 29, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Trump's HHS Rule Allows Religious Doctors to Refuse Care - The Atlantic
There isn’t a good count of either how many doctors harbor religious objections they’re not able to act on, or of how many patients get denied services by religiously objecting doctors. The most typical way medicine and religion tend to collide, these experts say, was for the sixth of all U.S. patients who are treated by Catholic health systems. Some of these hospitals don’t provide certain types of contraception, abortion, or assisted suicide. But those are hospitals, not the individual ...
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Politics
Jan 29, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Roy Moore goes back to supporters asking for money to battle sexual abuse accuser in court | WHNT.com
Roy Moore previously had a legal defense fund while refusing to move a monument of the Ten Commandments from the Alabama Judicial Building in Montgomery, despite a court order demanding he do so. That legal defense fund was later converted to the Foundation for Moral Law, which provided him more than a million dollars in compensation while the foundation employed multiple members of his family, including his wife as director. LMAAO
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Philosophy & Meaning
Jan 30, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
115 - Sam Harris, Lawrence Krauss, and Matt Dillahunty (1) A Live Recording from New York City Center in NYC
Audio only. I hope you enjoy.
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Religion & Spirituality
Jan 30, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
The unveiling of Christian nationalism – Religion News Service
To the white evangelical base back home in the heartland, the pastor in Maryland and the Coptic pope in Egypt were out of line. How dare they question the integrity of God’s servant and the vice president of the United States? But to most churches in the world — and to a great many Christians here in the United States — Pence’s week unveils the hypocrisy of a movement that has promoted white identity politics in the name of God. This is not new. Since plantation owners paid preachers ...
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Philosophy & Meaning
Jan 31, 2018Jan 2018

Posted by zblaze
Sam Harris - Morality and the Christian God - YouTube
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Academic (e.g., Science)
Feb 1, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Why do religious believers hate reality so much? - YouTube
AronRa Published on Jan 18, 2018 Recorded in the Keynes Library of Cambridge University on Jan 10th 2018. If you like what I do, please consider becoming a patron.
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Philosophy & Meaning
Feb 2, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Why Free Speech Matters - Quillette
Trump’s anti-media rhetoric is sometimes difficult to distinguish from the rants that former Venezuelan president Hugo Chavez specialized in. Trump’s censorious tendencies have led some to see German Chancellor Angela Merkel as the real “leader of the free world”. But Germany is no safe haven for free speech. Merkel’s government has adopted a draconian and arbitrary law against “illegal content” on social media which has seen both political speech and satire removed by Twitter. So ...
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Philosophy & Meaning
Feb 3, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
False Hopes and Invisible Enemies - Quillette
Those of us who suspect biology plays a role in explaining some group differences do not deny the existence of bias, which is especially powerful in traditional societies that lack norms of toleration and laws that protect minorities. But we are skeptical that racism or sexism or other pernicious forms of bias can explain all of the gaps that we see. More importantly, our hypothesis is falsifiable. One way to falsify it would be to find that genes which influence physical and mental traits – ...
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General & Hellos
Feb 3, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Photos of the Week: Aerobatic Performers, Snow Monsters, a Murmuration - The Atlantic
Wish I could take photos like these.
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General & Hellos
Feb 4, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Don’t Celebrate Black History Month without Creating Paths toward Free Black Futures - TheHumanist.com
The Black struggle for justice was not solved with the end of chattel slavery, with the passage of civil rights legislation, or by the presidency of Barack Obama. Blackness is still pathologized and the Black experience remains harrowing in more ways than language can describe. Black communities are ravaged by racism dispensed through redlining, educational apartheid, gentrification, healthcare discrimination, mass incarceration, the “war on drugs,” restricted access to the mainstream ...
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Politics
Feb 4, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
The “Spoken Word” of God Doesn’t Belong in a Courtroom - TheHumanist.com
Sanja Zgonjanin highlights that sectarian practices and expressions are accepted and even sanctioned by courts citing context or tradition. These practices include opening the Supreme Court session with “God save the United States and this honorable Court,” opening a legislative session with a prayer, recognizing the nation in the Pledge of Allegiance as “one Nation under God,” and not only printing “In God We Trust” on our money but posting the motto in court rooms, congressional ...
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Philosophy & Meaning
Feb 4, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
On Theocrats' Peculiar Definition of the "Sanctity of Life" - TheHumanist.com
Perkins and his colleagues’ concern for human life is fixated on the point before it is birthed into the world; after that, one can only conclude from his views on other policy matters that we are on our own. These leaders don’t have a monopoly on morality and Americans who don’t share their fundamentalist religious beliefs shouldn’t cede it to them—to do so is to cede the political battlefield. We have the right to enjoy our sexuality and to decide if and when we will embrace ...
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Philosophy & Meaning
Feb 5, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
The Weekly: Francesca Stavrakopoulou - YouTube
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Politics
Feb 7, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
FFRF corrects Eric Trump’s mistaken beliefs - Freedom From Religion Foundation
When my father mentioned "In God We Trust," the guiding principle of this country — no one stood. ... I think it's sad. There are things as Americans we should be united on and if we can't be united on God ... Trump didn't complete this thought, which is perhaps just as well. Americans are not now, nor have we even been, "united on God." Religion is divisive. It may unite believers of the same stripe, but it deliberately excludes all others — and often calls for worse. An early Wisconsin...
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Politics
Feb 8, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Kathleen Hartnett White, Trump’s Environment Pick: Fossil Fuels Ended Slavery, CO2 Is Good for You
We’re all used to the “fox guarding the henhouse” phenomenon in this administration: a longtime opponent of public schools heading the Education Department, a man who made his name suing the Environmental Protection Agency now heading it, and on down the line. So it’s not surprising that White has spent her career taking money from ExxonMobil and the Koch network and spouting nonsense about how fossil fuels ended slavery, emit “plant nutrients,” and, of course, do not contribute to ...
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Politics
Feb 10, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
The National Rubber Stamp for Theocracy Breakfast - TheHumanist.com
Trump’s interpretation of religious faith has a definite Christian focus. “As the Bible tells us, for we are God’s handiwork, created in Jesus Christ, to do good works.” Trump did not address specific cases of Christians facing penalties for refusing to support civil laws granting equal rights for all people. However, he clearly spoke a religious language that will be interpreted by the religious right as an intention to continue his quest to protect their “right” to impose their ...
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Politics
Feb 11, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Alabama Loopholes Marriage Equality - TheHumanist.com
Representative Merika Coleman (D-Pleasant Grove) said the bill is “unnecessary and very confusing to some Alabamians” and is concerned that it may create complications when individuals apply for spousal benefits, such as military benefits that have historically required a copy of a marriage license. “So why is the legislature taking up this bill, because there are some county officials that don’t want to adhere to federal law and give marriage licenses to same sex couples? If you don’t...
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Politics
Feb 11, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
States Push to Reinstate Net Neutrality Laws - TheHumanist.com
As Mark Dunbar addresses in his article, “A Tighter Net: FCC Hands Strings to Internet Service Providers,” net neutrality is essential to protect organizing groups like the American Humanist Association and other advocacy organizations. The telecommunications industry wants to become the renter class of the digital age. It also wants the power to censor speech it doesn’t like and promote speech it does. First ISPs will censor terrorists and criminals. Then ...
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Family & Parenting
Feb 12, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Man Who Lied About Christopher Hitchens Resigns Over Inappropriate Relationships – Friendly Atheist
Since then, he’s only gotten worse, writing that atheism “unquestionably exacerbates the evil in our nature.” He pushed ideas like these in his job at the director of the Fixed Point Foundation, a religious group that organizes debates between atheists and Christians. You know what those groups preach: Christianity makes you good, atheism makes you evil, and we should rejoice in the (false) narrative of a famous atheist who (allegedly) reconsidered God’s existence while on his ...
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General & Hellos
Feb 12, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Kevin Swanson Blames Larry Nassar Sexual Assault Scandal On The Fact That Gymnastics 'Involves A Fair Amount Of Immodesty' | Right Wing Watch
On his radio program today, extremist anti-LGBTQ pastor Kevin Swanson attributed USA Gymnastics doctor Larry Nassar’s sexual abuse of more than 150 women and girls he treated, in part, to the fact that gymnastics encourages “a fair amount of immodesty.” Citing a variety of supposed dangers, such as the use of open showers, Swanson warned Christian parents against allowing their children to participate in sports because “sports tend to focus on the body.” “There is an ...
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Silly, Random & Fun
Feb 17, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Live Views of Starman - YouTube
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General & Hellos
Feb 17, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Photos of the Week: Moving a Tyrannosaurus, Philadelphia Victorious, a Drive to Mars - The Atlantic
Some good ones this week.
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Politics
Feb 18, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Atheist Kicked Out of MO Town Meeting After Criticizing “In God We Trust” Sign – Friendly Atheist
This one pissed me right off!! From the article; She explained the history of the phrase. She told them why it excluded the non-religious people in the community. And she also pointed out that she’s heard these complaints from several people in the area but that they were fearful of speaking out in public — that’s why she was doing it on their behalf. Mayor Nick Guccione responded by essentially dismissing her criticism because she was the only person they had ever heard speaking out ...
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Politics
Feb 19, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Tennessee GOP Unleashes Attack on “Radical Atheist” Running for State Senate – Friendly Atheist
It’s this sort of attack that demonstrates why we need more atheists running for office. Republicans love creating straw men of us, assuming that our disbelief in God is somehow a danger to people who are religious. It never is. We want to persuade you to see things our way, but the atheists I know proudly defend other people’s right to believe in whatever nonsense they want to. (And I know plenty of Christians who want to maintain a separation between their faith and their politics.) ...
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General & Hellos
Feb 20, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
How US death penalty capital changed its mind - BBC News
"The death penalty wouldn't have survived in America if it weren't for evangelical Christians," notes Shane Claiborne, a prominent Christian activist and best-selling author. "Where evangelical Christians are most concentrated is where the death penalty survives." But, Mr Claiborne notes, younger evangelicals in states like Texas are increasingly embracing a pro-life interpretation that goes beyond the confines of the abortion debate to also include the likes of the Black Lives Matter ...
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General & Hellos
Feb 20, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Salon Retracts Article Criticizing Bible; It Didn’t Meet “Editorial Standards” – Friendly Atheist
Do you guys remember when I posted this article??? From this article; She talked about how having multiple authors (because “God” didn’t write it) led to “two different creation myths, three sets of Ten Commandments, and four contradictory versions of the Easter story.” She explained the possible forgeries, the mixing of literary genres, the possible mis-translations, and the numerous examples of “inside baseball” that made sense to the writers but not necessarily to people ...
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Religion & Spirituality
Feb 20, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Cardinal George Pell's barrister: loud, socially progressive and an avowed atheist
Pell and Richter certainly make an odd couple. Richter is a Jew, Pell is a Catholic: Richter is loudly leftwing and socially progressive. Pell is a mirthless arch-conservative who once claimed that homosexuality was more dangerous than smoking. An early campaigner for reproductive rights and drug law reform, Richter has built a career around confronting power and challenging authority. Pell is authority incarnate, a high priest in one of the most powerful institutions in the world; one, ...
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Academic (e.g., Science)
Feb 20, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Systematic Classification of Life - ep23 Mammaliformes - YouTube
AronRa Published on Feb 17, 2018 Here is the link to the full playlist: [goo.gl] My wife, Lilandra asked me to do this series, based on our first interaction--back when she was a creationist. I often say that phylogenetic taxonomy is the strongest argument for evolution. After we talked about a couple dozen clades, she was convinced, and suggested I do something similar for the public. If you like what I do, please consider becoming a patron.
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Politics
Feb 21, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
The EPA debunked Administrator Pruitt’s latest climate misinformation | Dana Nuccitelli | Environment | The Guardian
Pruitt’s goal with these answers is clearly to manufacture doubt – to make people think that we needn’t take urgent action to slow global warming because the outcome might not be so bad. But that argument ignores the vast body of scientific evidence that clearly shows the net consequences of continued rapid climate change will fall somewhere in the range of bad to catastrophic. [youtu.be]
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Family & Parenting
Feb 21, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Parkland Shooting Survivors School Congress on Gun Violence: The Daily Show - YouTube
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General & Hellos
Feb 24, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Photos of the Week: Skiing Robots, a Bichon Frise Wins Best in Show - The Atlantic
Some more for ya.
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Family & Parenting
Feb 25, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
TimesUp Takes Off - TheHumanist.com
Trump tweeted over the weekend, “Peoples lives are being shattered and destroyed by a mere allegation. Some are true and some are false. Some are old and some are new. There is no recovery for someone falsely accused – life and career are gone. Is there no such thing any longer as Due Process?” Of course, that defense makes a little more sense when you recall the fact that Trump would not be President if the American electorate believed any of the many women who have accused him ...
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General & Hellos
Feb 25, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Connecticut Hits a Darwin Day Trifecta - TheHumanist.com
Our first official Lobby Day in March, 2017 was a success and we met with Governor Malloy in May. He seemed surprised at the size and organization of our secular community. During our conversation, he mentioned that he’d enjoyed reading On the Origin of Species, that he was a fan of Darwin, and that he would issue our proclamation. We were elated! Unfortunately, Governor Malloy has stated that he won’t run for re-election, so next year we’ll be starting from scratch. But we are already ...
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Health & Happiness
Feb 26, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Religion Is Not Health Insurance - TheHumanist.com
Beyond the hypocrisy of their message and purpose, the programs face little oversight of their operations or even regulations they must abide by. Perhaps a small portion of people have benefited from these programs, but the majority of those who enroll in them won’t benefit. In fact, the customers who praise these programs are likely not sick often and face no significant illness. Serving as a placeholder for those who wish to simply opt out of the ACA—but most appealing to those who need ...
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Religion & Spirituality
Feb 26, 2018Feb 2018

Posted by zblaze
Leaving Religion Is an Equal Opportunity Endeavor - TheHumanist.com
What hasn’t made the news as often is the number of Americans leaving Islam, a phenomenon addressed in a new Pew study. According to Pew researchers Besheer Mohamed and Elizabeth Podrebarac Sciupac, “About a quarter of adults who were raised Muslim (23 percent) no longer identify as members of the faith, roughly on par with the share of Americans who were raised Christian and no longer identify with Christianity (22 percent).”
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Agnostic, Atheist, Humanist, Secularist, Skeptic, Freethinker
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