ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 122

Preacher Accused of Sex Perversion Deemed “Not Qualified” to Run Ministry

By Hemant Mehta Now we know what it takes to be kicked out of Christian leadership. This saga involves Todd Bentley, a joke of a preacher who has said in the past that he raised 35 people from the dead (without proof, naturally). He also thinks kicking women in the face is a good way to heal whatever ails them. …

United Methodist Church is expected to split over gay marriage, fracturing the nation’s third-largest denomination

By Julie Zauzmer The United Methodist Church is expected to split into more than one denomination in an attempt to bring to a close a years-long and contentious fight over same-sex marriage. The historic schism would divide the third-largest religious denomination in the United States. Leaders of the church announced Friday they had agreed to …

There’s a Giant Mystery Hiding Inside Every Atom in the Universe

By Rafi Letzter No one really knows what happens inside an atom. But two competing groups of scientists think they’ve figured it out. And both are racing to prove that their own vision is correct. Here’s what we know for sure: Electrons whiz around “orbitals” in an atom’s outer shell. Then there’s a whole lot …

Pope Francis apologizes after slapping woman’s hand

By Angela Giuffrida Pope Francis has apologized after slapping a woman’s hand as he greeted pilgrims at the Vatican on New Year’s Eve. ‌Francis lost his cool when the woman abruptly grabbed his hand and yanked him towards her just after he reached out to greet a child during a visit to the Vatican’s nativity …

Harvard Law Professor: Atheists “Can’t Be Trusted” to Hold Public Office

By Hemant Mehta I’m not a Harvard law student, much less a Harvard law professor, but Adrian Vermeule is. Which is why it’s all the more disturbing that he seems to believe atheists are incapable of holding public office. Responding to a Washington Post article about how white evangelicals falsely fear that atheists would strip away their rights given the …

Christian Health Cost-Sharing Ministries Offer No Guarantees

By Reed Abelson Eight-year-old Blake Collie was at the swimming pool when he got a frightening headache. His parents rushed him to the emergency room only to learn he had a brain aneurysm. Blake spent nearly two months in the hospital. His family did not have traditional health insurance. “We could not afford it,” said …

OPEN DISCUSSION JANUARY 2020

This thread has been created for discussion on themes relevant to Reason and Science for which there are not currently any dedicated threads. Please note it is NOT for general chat, and that our Comment Policy applies as usual. There is a link to this at the foot of the page. If you would like …

The Satellite Images That Show a Decade of Climate Change

By Brian Kahn The 2010s will be remembered as the decade when we could no longer deny climate change. I mean, it’s not like any rational person could deny it in the preceding decades, but the past 10 years have seen scientists’ predictions become reality. Our world has entered an unsteady state, one where the things previous …

Mike Huckabee Blames “Education System” for Christian Man Who Stabbed Five Jews

By Hemant Mehta In the wake of an attack that took the lives of five Hasidic Jews as they celebrated Hanukkah, former Republican presidential candidate Mike Huckabee took to FOX Business to explain what caused the incident. It wasn’t anti-Semitism or mental illness. Instead, he blamed public school education. Because too much education is always the bogeyman for the …

Hanukkah Stabbing Suspect Appears To Have Been Driven By Anti-Semitism, FBI Says

By Bobby Allyn Federal prosecutors in New York have filed hate crime charges against the man accused of carrying out a stabbing rampage north of New York City over the weekend that wounded five people as they celebrated Hanukkah. According to the FBI, the suspect, Grafton E. Thomas, 37, appears to have been driven by anti-Semitism. The …