A Kentucky school district has decided to remove multiple Decalogue displays from various school classrooms in response to a complaint from a secular group.

Breathitt County Public Schools made the decision to remove the Ten Commandments from classrooms after a letter was sent to them by the Wisconsin-based Freedom From Religion Foundation.

Nancy Rodriguez, spokeswoman for Breathitt Schools, provided The Christian Post with a statement by the Kentucky Board of Education, saying that the displays were removed "to ensure compliance with federal law." more >>

A well-known atheist author has taken issue with recent claims that his criticism of Islam is a form of bigotry against Muslims.

Sam Harris, author of such works as End of Faith and Letter to a Christian Nation, posted a lengthy essay on his website last week responding to the controversy over his words.

"My criticism of faith-based religion focuses on what I consider to be bad ideas, held for bad reasons, leading to bad behavior," wrote Harris. "Because I am concerned about the logical and behavioral consequences of specific beliefs, I do not treat all religions the same." more >>

Teresa MacBain, the former Methodist pastor who left her faith last year and now serves as the executive director of the Humanist Association of Florida, has won the American Atheists' "Atheist of the Year" award.

The ex-pastor, who served in ministry for 20 years before revealing last March that she lost her faith, received the award at last month's American Atheists Convention in Bethesda, which celebrated the secular group's 50 year anniversary.

In an email to The Christian Post, MacBain revealed that during last year's convention, she only knew a few people but this year, after forming many new relationships, it felt more like a "big family reunion." more >>

Megachurch pastor Craig Groeschel says he thinks the increase in the percentage of religiously unaffiliated Americans, or "nones," over the last few decades has more to do with a growing resistance to certain religious labels than it does with a growing disbelief in God.

"Interestingly enough, though the number of those religiously unaffiliated is increasing, there is little to no trend in the number of those who express atheist or agnostic beliefs," he wrote in a recent article for FoxNews.com. "People aren't saying they don't believe in God. They're saying they don't believe in religion. They are not rejecting Christ. They are rejecting the church."

As the pastor of LifeChurch.tv, Groeschel says he is trying to push back against the negative connotations associated with certain labels. more >>

At the American Atheists' 50 year anniversary convention in Austin, Texas, last week, the national atheist organization awarded former California Congressman Pete Stark for his political efforts as an active atheist.

Former Congressman Stark, a Democrat who served in the state's Congress from 1973 to 2013, was awarded the atheist organization's 2012 First Amendment Award for openly expressing his atheistic beliefs while in Congress, and introducing such congressional resolutions as Darwin Day, which would officially commemorate the anniversary and birth of naturalist Charles Darwin.

The 2012 First Amendment Award's plaque commemorated Stark "For being an 'out' atheist in the U.S. Congress and bringing attention to the atheist community," according to a press release emailed to The Christian Post. more >>

A well-known atheist leader recently argued that he believes atheists in the United States can learn many lessons from same-sex marriage proponents regarding societal acceptance for their cause.

Herb Silverman, founder and president emeritus of the Secular Coalition for America, a widely-known atheist advocacy group, recently commended proponents of same-sex marriage for their efforts in promoting their cause, and suggested atheists take a similar approach to be more accepted by American society.

"The most obvious and effective lesson atheists are learning from gays [including all LGBTs] is to come out of the closet," Silverman, who is also a professor emeritus at the College of Charleston, wrote in a recent op-ed piece for The Washington Post. more >>