ريتشارد دوكنز's Blog, page 92

Cardinal Pell’s Easter Message: Christians Handle Suffering Better Than Atheists

By Hemant Mehta Cardinal George Pell, the Catholic leader who was convicted of raping little kids until Australia’s highest court, this week, overturned his sentence, delivered an Easter message full of the same ignorance we’ve come to expect from a man whose own lawyer once described his actions as nothing more than a “plain vanilla sexual penetration case …

The Oldest String Ever Found May Have Been Made By Neanderthals

By Nell Greenfieldboyce Tiny bits of twisted plant fibers found on an ancient stone tool suggest that Neanderthals were able to make and use sophisticated cords like string and rope. Cords made from twisted fibers are so ubiquitous today that it’s easy to take them for granted. But they’re a key survival technology that can …

Religious freedom groups question governor’s day of prayer declaration

By Sarah Kay LeBlanc Iowa Gov. Kim Reynolds declared Thursday a day of prayer as the state continues to battle the coronavirus, but one group says that’s not her place. During her daily press conference Thursday morning, Reynolds asked Iowans to pray for protection, healing, grace and peace. “This has been a challenging time for all …

Court drops rape, other charges against megachurch leader

By Stefanie Dazio A California appeals court ordered the dismissal of a criminal case Tuesday (April 7) against a Mexican megachurch leader on charges of child rape and human trafficking on procedural grounds. Naasón Joaquín García, the self-proclaimed apostle of La Luz del Mundo, has been in custody since June after his arrest on accusations …

During coronavirus crisis, Congress’s first caucus for nonreligious belief seeks a larger role in promoting science

By Julie Zauzmer When Rep. Jared Huffman (D-Calif.) found out that a Trump administration rule that restricts research using fetal tissue from elective abortions was hampering scientists seeking treatments for the novel coronavirus, he had a coterie of like-minded members of Congress ready to help him protest. The group is called the Congressional Freethought Caucus — …

Black hole bends light back on itself

By Whitney Clavin You may have heard that nothing escapes the gravitational grasp of a black hole, not even light. This is true in the immediate vicinity of a black hole, but a bit farther out—in disks of material that swirl around some black holes—light can escape. In fact, this is the reason actively growing …

Another Break From The Past: Government Will Help Churches Pay Pastor Salaries

By Tom Gjelten In a development that could challenge the Constitution’s prohibition of any law “respecting an establishment of religion,” the federal government will soon provide money directly to U.S. churches to help them pay pastor salaries and utility bills. A key part of the $2 trillion economic relief legislation enacted last month includes about $350 billion …

Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt: Governor’s order limiting religious gatherings likely violates state constitution

By KSN News Kansas Attorney General Derek Schmidt said Governor Laura Kelly’s new executive order restricting in-person religious gatherings as a COVID-19 countermeasure is sound public-health advice that Kansans should follow, but the order likely violates state constitutional and statutory protections for religious freedom. Schmidt said in a news release that worshipping must not be enforced by …

Jerry Falwell Jr. says warrants are out for 2 journalists after critical stories on coronavirus decision

By Caitlin Oprysko Jerry Falwell Jr., the president of Liberty University, said on Wednesday that arrest warrants had been issued for journalists from The New York Times and ProPublica after both outlets published articles critical of his decision to partially reopen Liberty’s campus amid the coronavirus pandemic. Photocopies of the two warrants published on the website of …

‘Disco’ tardigrade parties under microscope, wins international photo prize

By Mindy Weisberger An image of a tardigrade with a psychedelic light show in its guts took home a top prize in an international photo competition. Inside the microscopic and endearingly tubby “water bear,” tiny internal and external structures are illuminated in brilliant fluorescent colors that glow like a disco dance floor. The photo was captured by …