UN Human Rights Council statement prepares the way for international criminalization of religiously offensive speech
President Barack Obama in his history-making Inaugural Address today sounded the clarion call for a more inclusive and progressive America. The President’s speech outlined a largely humanistic agenda, promising to “restore science to its rightful place,” as we collectively face the massive challenges facing us as a country in the twenty-first century. Significantly, in affirming the pluralistic character of American society, President Obama expressly included “non-believers” among Christians, Muslims, Jews and Hindus, as part of the body politic.
The Center for Inquiry and the Council for Secular Humanism, in collaboration with the American Humanist Association and seventeen other nontheistic organizations, have banded together to call for President-elect Barack Obama to decline an invitation by the Boy Scouts of America to receive the honorary presidency of the group. The BSA makes no attempt to downplay the fact that it does not allow a substantial segment of the population to join—and ejects members in good standing—for the simple reason that they do not believe in a deity. What these nontheistic groups perhaps find most offensive is the Scouting bylaw that claims, “no member can grow into the best kind of citizen without recognizing an obligation to God.”
The people at the Westboro Baptist Church are at it again with a new video in time for the holidays:
In a move designed to firm up faith-based opposition to embryonic stem cell research and other cutting-edge biomedical technologies, the Vatican has released a 32-page document titled “Dignitas Personae” – meaning “the dignity of a person.”
The Center for Inquiry is appalled that at its current session the U.N. General Assembly is adopting a resolution to combat the “defamation of religions,” which urges member states to curtail freedom of expression out of respect for religious belief, particularly Islamic belief
Scholars gathered this past weekend, December 5-7, in Amherst, New York, for the inaugural meeting of The Jesus Project in a renewed quest for the historical Jesus.
Hugh Laurie was a guest on James Randi’s show “James Randi, Psychic Investigator”. Hugh Laurie and Stephen Fry were subjects in an astrology experiment where their horoscopes drawn up by a newspaper astrologer and Hugh was asked how closely the horoscope was to his real life experiences.
Some people want investigations because inexplicable events happen and/or they see ghosts or they want to join a ghost hunting group. There are those who desire a psychic reading, to contact with deceased loved ones or communicate with a pet. People attend lectures and read books to learn about the paranormal. When to get help? It’s like trying to find a good handy or cleaning person. Companies offering these services aren’t available in all geographic locations. What does one do after finding a potential person or organization? Using debunking principles is an excellent tool for identifying bona fide people and organizations.
By Rhian Gibbings
One of the most fascinating mysteries to have taken the New Age movement by storm has to be that of the ancient crystal skulls.
Only recently I attended a crystal skull conference in my hometown of Glastonbury, UK. As an energy healer and crystal therapist, I can verify that a great deal of excitement [...]
