ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 52

Principal expels gay student because “Jesus would want me to”

By Alex Bollinger A Christian school in Texas has expelled a student for coming out as gay, and the school principal is defending his decision saying that Jesus wanted him to expel the student. Devin Bryant, 17, has attended the Covenant Christian Academy in Dallas since he was in kindergarten, but last month his mother …

Once Religious, Always Religious?

By Daryl R. Van Tongeren Ph.D. A friend of mine once said, “Once a Catholic, always a Catholic.” And he’s no longer a practicing Catholic. The idea behind his saying was that religion sticks with you, even when you no longer consider yourself religious. Is this true? And if so, what makes religion so hard to …

Research Shows How Public Schools Discriminate Against Atheist & Muslim Families

By Hemant Mehta A group of researchers say that public school principals in the U.S. discriminate against atheist and Muslim families, and the way they made this claim is fascinating. The new paper was published in the journal Public Administration Review, and it’s the work of Steven Pfaff (University of Washington), Charles Crabtree (Dartmouth College), Holger L. Kern (Florida State University), and John B. Holbein (University …

The Biggest Threat to Herd Immunity Against COVID-19 May Be the Religious Freedom Restoration Act(s) and State Religious Exemptions

By Marci A. Hamilton Our national guru of vaccination, Dr. Anthony Fauci, recently stated that he did not anticipate needing or endorsing a mandate to be vaccinated once a COVID-19 vaccine is ready. He stated: “They have the right to refuse a vaccine. I don’t think you need a contingency plan. If someone refuses the vaccine in …

Atheists trump the religious when it comes to sleep quality

By Brittany A. Roston Religion may offer some people comfort, but that apparently doesn’t translate to improved sleep quality, at least according to a new study from the American Academy of Sleep Medicine. The organization recommends that adults get at least seven hours of sleep every night, but found that Baptists and Catholics are far …

OPEN DISCUSSION SEPTEMBER 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 coronavirus is most deadly if you are older and male — new data reveal the risks

By Smriti Mallapaty For every 1,000 people infected with the coronavirus who are under the age of 50, almost none will die. For people in their fifties and early sixties, about five will die — more men than women. The risk then climbs steeply as the years accrue. For every 1,000 people in their mid-seventies …

Religion Takes Larger Role for Democrats This Year

By Frank Newport It looks to me as if religion is going to be a bigger part of the presidential election process this year than it has been historically. This, to some extent, reflects a renewed emphasis on religion by Democrats and Joe Biden’s campaign, particularly as evidenced during the recent Democratic National Convention. Here …

Alice Roberts: ‘Atheism is defining yourself by an absence. Humanism is a positive choice’

By Harriet Sherwood Prof. Alice Roberts, the broadcaster, scientist and author, has been filming this week for the third series of Channel 4’s Britain’s Most Historic Towns, after a five-month gap. “The last time we were out, back in March, people were pulling the shutters down around us. We felt very nervous. I drove home …

After Jerry Falwell Jr.’s departure, Liberty University faces questions about faith, power, accountability

By Susan Svrluga, Michelle Boorstein, and Sarah Pulliam Bailey Liberty University students watched their first all-school convocation of the semester one day after their high-profile president, Jerry Falwell Jr., resigned amid personal scandals. Falwell has been “an inspiration,” said Jerry Prevo, a powerful, fundamentalist pastor from Alaska serving as acting president. He told students that Liberty’s …