ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 105

Nova Scotia class action against charity Gospel for Asia alleges $100M fraud

By Angela MacIvor After a three-year legal battle south of the border that ignited a major controversy in evangelical circles, the charity Gospel for Asia has now become the focus of a class-action lawsuit filed in Canada. Plaintiff Greg Zentner of Woodburn, N.S., alleges the charity “defrauded or made negligent misstatements” to him and other …

A Gay Couple Is in Hiding After Their Kiss Went Viral

By Nico Lang A gay couple in Azerbaijan has been forced into hiding after a video of them kissing went viral in the conservative Eastern European country of Azerbaijan. The controversy began when Ravan Nasimi, 27, bought his boyfriend, 20-year-old Alvi Aghabeyov, a cake to celebrate Valentine’s Day on February 14. In a short video …

Church denied 8-year-old boy First Communion because he’s autistic, New Jersey family says

By Minyvonne Burke A New Jersey couple said their 8-year-old son is being denied the chance to receive First Communion by their church because he is autistic. Jimmy LaCugna said in a Facebook post that he and his wife were informed Tuesday by the Rev. John Bambrick at Saint Aloysius Church that their son Anthony won’t be …

Newts and frogs light up like glow sticks under the right light

By Rodrigo Pérez Ortega At first glance, most salamanders don’t stand out: Their mottled, earth-toned skin helps them blend into the background of forests and streams around the world. But shine the right type of light at them, and they will light up like glow sticks. That’s the finding of a new study, which reveals …

Most Americans don’t see Democratic candidates as very religious

By Michael Lipka Religion has been a topic of conversation during the Democratic presidential primary, and some candidates have pointed out how their religious beliefs have shaped their political positions. But Americans don’t consider the Democratic candidates to be particularly religious, according to a new Pew Research Center survey that covers four of the top contenders: Joe …

‘Church is no longer a safe place:’ State prison for local priest in indecent assault of girl

By Sarah Cassi A former Allentown priest was sentenced Monday to state prison for the indecent assault of a girl he met through his city parish. Lehigh County Judge Maria Dantos noted it was a maximum sentence of one to two years in state prison for 31-year-old Kevin Lonergan, who has been free on bail in the …

Oklahoma GOP Lawmaker: “It is Impossible to Separate Church from State”

By Hemant Mehta Republican lawmakers in Oklahoma are trying to pass a bill, HB 3817, that would require all state-run buildings (including public schools) to display the words “In God We Trust.” While the bill specifies that this isn’t meant to “[favor] any particular religion or denomination thereof over others,” of course that’s the point. It’s …

Scientists discover first known animal that doesn’t breathe

By Brandon Specktor When the parasitic blob known as Henneguya salminicola sinks its spores into the flesh of a tasty fish, it does not hold its breath. That’s because H. salminicola is the only known animal on Earth that does not breathe. If you spent your entire life infecting the dense muscle tissues of fish and underwater worms, like H. …

Brigham Young U says policy on homosexual behavior remains the same after reports suggest ban lifted

By Leonardo Blair Officials at Brigham Young University in Utah said Thursday that the school’s policy on “homosexual behavior” had not changed despite reports that a recent update to their Honor Code signified students would no longer be disciplined for engaging in same-sex relationships. “Just know that the Honor Code remains the same and as we have [done] so …

WV House approves Bible course elective for high schools

By Mark Curtis After a sometimes heated debate, the House voted to let individual counties decide if they wanted to have classes on biblical history in public schools. The move is voluntary and the students could decide if they wanted to take the elective courses, or not. Bill backers say these are to be non-religious …