ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 152

Scientists worldwide join strikes for climate change

By Quirin Schiermeier & Kate Atkinson Greta Thunberg sat in front of the Swedish parliament in Stockholm last August for the first ever ‘school strike for climate’. One year on, the teenage activist’s Fridays for Future campaign has grown into a global movement involving people of all ages and backgrounds, including many scientists and scholars. As government …

United Methodists float plans to split denomination after LGBTQ vote

By Emily McFarlan Miller The United Methodist Church’s deadline for petitions for its next global meeting passed Wednesday (Sept. 18), setting the terms for a final reckoning with LGBTQ issues that have divided the denomination for more than 40 years. The UMC’s General Conference 2020, to be held in May in Minneapolis, will consider the …

As Connecticut’s immunization levels decline, Gov. Ned Lamont, legislative leaders vow to repeal religious exemption for vaccines

By Daniela Altimari Flanked by legislative leaders, public health officials and members of the clergy, Gov. Ned Lamont on Monday pledged to eliminate the religious exemption for vaccinating schoolchildren. “We’re going to have hearings, we’re going to do it in a respectful way,” Lamont said during a press conference in his office. But, he added, …

Faith-Based Hospitals Are Not Adequately Training Residents in Abortion Procedures

By Amy Littlefield OB-GYN residents in programs dominated by faith-based hospitals are not receiving full reproductive health-care training, especially when it comes to abortion and postpartum sterilization, a new study published in the American Journal of Obstetrics and Gynecology found. The researchers found that in approximately 11 percent of OB-GYN residency programs, residents spend at least 70 percent …

The hard truths of climate change — by the numbers

By Jeff Tollefson Bruno Rodriguez is only 18, but he has seen enough in his time on Earth to know that he must to do something for the planet. Inspired by the student climate strikes in Europe, he founded Youth for Climate Argentina in his home country. The group drew more than 8,000 demonstrators to …

Something Is Killing the Universe’s Most Extreme Galaxies

By Toby Brown In the most extreme regions of the universe, galaxies are being killed. Their star formation is being shut down and astronomers want to know why. The first ever Canadian-led large project on one of the world’s leading telescopes is hoping to do just that. The new program, called the Virgo Environment Traced …

Lowndes County Schools to allow prayer at Friday football games

By Emma Wheeler The Lowndes County Schools Board of Education announced a new policy for student-led prayers before Friday football games. On Monday, the Board of Education had its first reading of a new policy allowing students to lead a prayer before the football games. The new policy comes after administration did not allow the prayer …

Pennsylvania state senator, charged with possession of child pornography, resigns

By Lateshia Beachum Pennsylvania state Sen. Mike Folmer has resigned after being charged with possession of child pornography on Tuesday night. Authorities said they discovered images of child pornography on his cellphone. The Patriot-News reported that the charges against Folmer (R), 63, include sexual abuse of children, possession of child pornography and criminal use of a communication …

Secular Identity, Belief in God, and 2020 Preferences

By Socioanalitica Research Introduction This post is part of a series of short reports about secular Americans and the 2020 Elections based on the Secular Voices Survey. Socioanalitica Research conducted the survey on July 11, 2019, among a representative sample of 520 nonreligious Americans. For the survey topline and methodology visit this link. Secular Identification According …

Economists calculate monetary value of ‘thoughts and prayers’

By Ian Sample All things have a price – and if not, economists will find one. Researchers have calculated the going rate for thoughts and prayers offered in hard times. Rather than settling on one price for all, the study found the value of a compassionate gesture depended overwhelmingly on a person’s beliefs. While Christian …