ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 133

‘Sometimes, divorce is necessary.’ Fight for LGBTQ inclusion may finally split United Methodists

By Lindsay Schnell Nica Sy felt devastated as she stared at her laptop screen. How could the church that had baptized her, raised her, nurtured her and encouraged her to explore ordained ministry say she was unworthy, just because of her sexuality? Sy, 20, a Filipino American college student who identifies as a lesbian, had watched a livestream of a global gathering of …

Regulators Allege Christian-Based Health Care Provider Broke State, Federal Rules

By Todd Bookman Insurance regulators across the country are taking action against a Georgia-based company that markets and administers programs on behalf of health care sharing ministries. State officials in Texas, Colorado, Washington and most recently New Hampshire accuse Aliera, as well as Trinity HealthShare, an entity with which it contracts, of violating state and federal requirements. Those violations include failing …

Physicists Have Finally Seen Traces of a Long-Sought Particle. Here’s Why That’s a Big Deal.

By Meredith Fore Scientists have finally found traces of the axion, an elusive particle that rarely interacts with normal matter. The axion was first predicted over 40 years ago but has never been seen until now. Scientists have suggested that dark matter, the invisible matter that permeates our universe, may be made of axions. But rather than …

Paige Patterson’s career ended after she came forward. Her struggle continues.

By Yonat Shimron Megan Lively glanced down furtively to the copious notes she had jotted in a thick spiral-bound notebook resting in her lap. She was about to speak to a room full of Southern Baptist pastors about the sexual abuse she experienced, and she was nervous. Her message to more than 50 male pastors …

Josh Duggar’s Business Investigated by Homeland Security Officials

By Trudy Ring An Arkansas business tied to disgraced former reality star and anti-LGBTQ activist Josh Duggar is involved in an investigation by the Department of Homeland Security. Homeland Security agents had been at the Springdale, Ark., business as part of an “ongoing federal investigation,” a spokesperson confirmed to Fayetteville TV station KNWA Wednesday. The spokesperson gave …

Franklin Graham Promises Christians Chick-fil-A Will Keep Hating The Gays

By Michael Stone That Jesus chicken tastes like Christian hate: Leading conservative Christian Franklin Graham promises his Facebook followers that Chick-fil-A will keep hating the gays. In a recent Facebook post Graham says he spoke with Chick-fil-A’s CEO Dan Cathy, and, according to Graham, Cathay said the chicken franchise “haven’t changed who they are or …

50 Years Ago, Americans Made The 2nd Moon Landing… Why Doesn’t Anyone Remember?

By Geoff Brumfiel Fifty years ago, astronaut Pete Conrad stepped out of the lunar module onto the surface of the moon. His first words were: “Whoopie! Man, that may have been a small one for Neil, but that’s a long one for me.” Conrad, who stood at just 5 feet 6 inches tall, was only …

Prominent Anti-Choice Group Aided Propaganda Campaign Against Planned Parenthood

By Helen Christophi A national anti-choice organization with close ties to the Trump administration helped activists launch a smear campaign against Planned Parenthood, a watchdog group announced Monday. Americans United for Life (AUL) provided “extensive support” to the scheme launched by the Center for Medical Progress (CMP), the anti-choice front group that attacked Planned Parenthood, with …

Wisconsin Town Denies $10,000 Grant to Church After Warning from Atheists

By Hemant Mehta The city of Fitchburg, Wisconsin will no longer be giving a $10,000 grant to a local church after the Freedom From Religion Foundation raised questions about the constitutionality of that move. The program in question is called the Healthy Neighborhoods Initiative which aims to improve three specific parts of the city with respect to …

Trump advisory board member: Women should strive to be “handmaidens,” stay out of the workplace

By Eric Hananoki Right-wing pundit and recently announced Trump advisory board member Clarence Mason Weaver has said that women aren’t equal to men and that they damaged society when they won the “‘right’ to leave the home and go to work.” He has claimed that women who report sexual misconduct at work are the reason …