…and god told them to be ironic. Lawsuit threatened over atheist councilman in NC Bothwell’s detractors are threatening to take the city to court for swearing him in, even though the state’s antiquated requirement that officeholders believe in God is unenforceable because it violates the U.S. Consititution. “The question of whether or not God exists [...]

Christian group’s billboards denounce separation of church, state A Hillsborough public policy group whose Christian platform included a push for a state ban on gay marriage has embraced a new attack on an old target: the separation of church and state. Ten billboard advertisements against what activist Terry Kemple called the separation “lie” are being [...]

When Atheists Attack By Sam Harris Let me confess that I was genuinely unnerved by Sarah Palin‘s performance at the Republican convention. Given her audience and the needs of the moment, I believe Governor Palin’s speech was the most effective political communication I have ever witnessed. Here, finally, was a performer who—being maternal, wounded, righteous [...]

Abortion foes in healthcare to get federal protection WASHINGTON — The Bush administration Thursday announced plans to implement a controversial regulation designed to protect antiabortion healthcare workers from being required to deliver services against their personal beliefs. The rule empowers federal health officials to pull funding from more than 584,000 hospitals, clinics, health plans, doctors’ [...]

The Swedish government is making it illegal for schools to teach religious doctrine as if it were true. Britain should follow suit. The Swedish government has announced plans to clamp down hard on religious education. It will soon become illegal even for private faith schools to teach religious doctrines as if they were true. In [...]

 Isn’t it great when religion and politics mix? Italian government near collapse after Vatican ‘plot’ The Vatican has been accused of trying to bring down the Italian government after a Catholic minister abandoned Romano Prodi’s coalition government, leaving it facing collapse. The prime minister was forced to call a vote of confidence after Clemente Mastella, [...]

 It gets better every day. Sigh. The Crusaders Meet the Dominionists — biblical literalists who believe God has called them to take over the U.S. government. As the far-right wing of the evangelical movement, Dominionists are pressing an agenda that makes Newt Gingrich’s Contract With America look like the Communist Manifesto. They want to rewrite [...]