ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 232

The Mental Health of Atheists and the ‘Nones’

By Rob Whitley, Ph.D. Christmas is approaching, and religious people across the world are preparing with the appropriate prayers, observations, and services. However, a growing proportion of the population is non-religious, and for them, Christmas can be a meaningless, empty, and lonely period. Indeed, a small but growing body of research continues to explore the relationship …

Florida GOP Gov.-Elect Appoints Anti-Science Members to Education Committee

By Hemant Mehta With Florida’s next governor, Republican Ron DeSantis, ready to take the helm, you can bet science education isn’t on the list of priorities. We saw the first sign of that recently when DeSantis “announced his 41-person team to develop a plan aimed at implementing his education goals.” On that list? Two people who are connected …

Atheists in Egypt ‘don’t exist’ but are still considered a ‘threat’

By Amr Ezzat Toward the end of 2009, an Egyptian blogger announced the imminent publication of his book, A Muslim Atheist. The title is reflective of a concept he believes in, based on his experiences: he isn’t Muslim currently; he used to be, but then he became an atheist. However, after a while, he found himself not …

What does Martian wind sound like? Now we know

By Soo Youn and David Kerley For the first time, humans can hear wind from Mars. InSight, or NASA’s Interior Exploration using Seismic Investigations, Geodesy and Heat Transport lander, provided the first “sounds” of Martian winds to human ears on Friday. The spacecraft’s sensors captured a “haunting low rumble caused by vibrations from the wind,” a …

Hundreds of sex abuse allegations found in fundamental Baptist churches across U.S.

By Sarah Smith Joy Evans Ryder was 15 years old when she says her church youth director pinned her to his office floor and raped her. “It’s OK. It’s OK,” he told her. “You don’t have to be afraid of anything.” He straddled her with his knees, and she looked off into the corner, crying …

California DOJ Allows Catholic Hospital Groups to Merge, Raising Questions About Patient Access

By Amy Chen & Hayley Penan Imagine lying in an operating room, bright fluorescent lights shine in your eyes as a blur of health providers move around you preparing the room for emergency surgery. In the midst of this chaos, a nurse asks you why your chart says female when you present as male. The reality …

Trump’s Attorney General Pick William Barr Rejects Separation Of Church And State

By Michael Stone Theocracy alert: Trump’s Attorney General Pick William Barr is a Catholic conservative who rejects the separation of church and state, calls secularists “fanatics,” and blames secularism for “moral decline.” Earlier today Trump announced he would nominate William Barr to succeed Jeff Sessions as the nation’s attorney general. Barr previously served as attorney general under …

Dr Jones Evolution of Human Skin Color

D.C. may soon have America’s toughest conversion therapy ban

By Alex Bollinger The D.C. Council approved two pro-LGBTQ bills and one “Sense of the Council” resolution yesterday. The first bill – the Conversion Therapy for Consumers Under a Conservatorship or Guardianship Amendment Act of 2018 – bans licensed mental health professionals from providing conversion therapy for “a consumer for whom a conservator or guardian has been …

Republican in Disputed North Carolina Race Is Favorite of Christian Right

By Elizabeth Dias On election night, in the back room of an exclusive country club outside of Charlotte, N.C., Mark Harris, a pastor turned politician, gathered a small group of friends and advisers to pray as they waited for the results. A longtime friend and fellow pastor, Mike Whitson, assured Mr. Harris, the Republican congressional …