ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 163

Astronomers Uncover 39 Ancient Galaxies — Moving So Fast That Even Hubble Can’t See Them

By Rafi Letzter Ancient, massive galaxies haunting the dusty reaches of our universe have been in hiding, invisible to the eyes of the famous Hubble Space Telescope. But now, astronomers sifting through infrared data have discovered 39 of them — lurking in strange places from the early universe where (and when) the night sky would …

The Religious Hunger of the Radical Right

By Tara Isabella Burton Domestic right-wing terrorists, like the man accused of the shooting last weekend in El Paso, are not so different from their radical Islamist counterparts across the globe — and not only in their tactics for spreading terror or in their internet-based recruiting. Indeed, it is impossible to understand America’s resurgence of reactionary …

Our Galaxy’s Black Hole Suddenly Lit Up and Nobody Knows Why

By Becky Ferreira The supermassive black hole that lives at the center of our galaxy has been mysteriously sparkling as of late, and nobody knows the reason. This dark behemoth, known as as Sagittarius A* (Sgr A*), is four million times as massive as the Sun. Though no light escapes its boundaries, astronomers can observe the hole’s …

Trump administration weakens Endangered Species Act

By Jonathan Lambert President Donald Trump’s administration is making drastic changes to how the Endangered Species Act (ESA) is applied. The revisions weaken protections for threatened species, and will allow federal agencies to conduct economic analyses when deciding whether to protect a species. The changes, finalized by the Fish and Wildlife Service (FWS) and the …

‘Using the Lord’s name in vain’: Evangelicals chafe at Trump’s blasphemy

By Gabby Orr Paul Hardesty didn’t pay much attention to President Donald Trump’s campaign rally in Greenville, N.C., last month until a third concerned constituent rang his cellphone. The residents of Hardesty’s district — he’s a Trump-supporting, West Virginia state senator — were calling to complain that Trump was “using the Lord’s name in vain,” …

Famed Christian Songwriter Renounces Religion: “I’m Genuinely Losing My Faith”

By Hemant Mehta Another prominent Christian is now publicly saying he’s no longer a believer. (For once, Joshua Harris started a positive trend!) This time, it’s Australian songwriter Marty Sampson, well-known in the contemporary Christian music scene for his work with the bands Hillsong Worship, Hillsong United, Delirious?, and Young & Free. (Hillsong Church is a prominent megachurch based in Australia that puts …

Transgender student suspended from Christian college after top surgery

By Gwen Aviles A transgender male student was suspended from a Christian college because of his gender identity on the same day he got surgery to remove breast tissue. Yanna Awtrey, 21, was staying with family friends for the summer before his junior year at Welch College, a Free Will Baptists Church institution, in Gallatin, …

No Tie Between Mental Illness and Gun Violence

By Arash Javanbakht, Wayne State University President Donald Trump called for reform of mental health laws on the heels of two deadly shootings that claimed the lives of at least 31 people and left a grief-stricken country in disbelief. The president, saying that “hatred and mental illness pulls the trigger, not the gun,” also called for better identification of …

The Mormon Church Just Got Sued for Perpetuating a Giant “Scheme of Lies”

By Hemant Mehta A woman who grew up in the Mormon Church is suing it — the whole damn religion — for lying to her. Laura A. Gaddy filed the class action lawsuit this week, and it’s a doozy. She insists that her lawsuit isn’t about the Church lying in the same way all religions make things up (otherwise …

Ex-cardinal’s letters to victims show signs of grooming

By Nicole Winfield At first glance, the handwritten postcards and letters look innocuous, even warm, sometimes signed off by “Uncle T.” or “Your uncle, Father Ted.” But taken in context, the correspondence penned by disgraced ex-Cardinal Theodore McCarrick to the young men he is accused of sexually abusing or harassing is a window into the …