Atheism

Despite complaints and threats of protest from an atheist group, a Pennsylvania mayor followed through with his town’s annual Christmas tradition of displaying a Nativity scene in front of the Municipal building on Friday.

Hundreds gathered at Ellwood City’s borough building to support the erection of the Nativity display, which was part of a 50-year tradition of the city, WCN reported. Last year, the Freedom From Religion Foundation in Michigan tried to break the ritual, accusing Ellwood City of endorsing Christianity.

The FFRF contended that the city violated the separation of church and state through the erection of the Nativity scene and threatened to protest this week as a result. more >>

At Perdue University in West Lafayette, Ind., a fundraiser titled "Send an Atheist to Church" and co-sponsored by the Episcopal Student Organization and the Society of Non-Theists, enables people to make donations to a local food bank. In return, SNT atheists will attend church.

According to Jennifer McCreight, president and co-founder of SNT, the charity raises money by allowing people to choose which church they would like atheists to attend. There is no minimum, but the more money donated in the name of a church, the more visits from atheists that church gets, McCreight explained in a blog post.

This is the second year that SAC has organized this event. Last year, the charity raised nearly $400 and the Episcopalians edged out the Baptists in number of donations. This year, the Episcopalians have teamed up with the atheists to raise even more money for the local food bank. more >>

A penny for your “thorts?”

Bestselling atheist author Richard Dawkins may eventually give his thoughts on the controversial anti-abortion “180” film produced by evangelist Ray Comfort. But in the meantime, the British biologist posted a video mocking the pro-life advocate for an alleged misspelling on a personally signed cover of the DVD copy given to him.

After Dawkins recently spoke at the University of Miami, he was given the “180” DVD with a message on it from Comfort. more >>

A recent study out of the University of British Columbia has found that distrust is the primary reason religious people don't like atheists and suggests atheists are less trusted than rapists in certain situations.

"Where there are religious majorities – that is, in most of the world – atheists are among the least trusted people," said Will Gervais, lead author on the study and a doctoral student at UBC, in a statement. "With more than half a billion atheists worldwide, this prejudice has the potential to affect a substantial number of people."

Researchers Ara Norenzayan, an associate professor at UBC, and Azim Shariff, an assistant professor at the University of Oregon, also contributed to the study, which is titled “Do you believe in atheists?” and examines prejudice against nonbelievers. The study appears in the current online issue of the Journal of Personality and Social Psychology. more >>

British Prime Minister David Cameron fired back at Richard Dawkins comments on religious schools, and said the atheist author "just doesn't really get it."

Dawkins recently asked Cameron in a Guardian article: “Why do you support faith schools for children who are too young to have chosen their faith, thereby implicitly labeling them with the faith of their parents, whereas you wouldn’t dream of so labeling a ‘Keynesian child’ or a ‘Conservative child'?”

Cameron replied in an interview: “Comparing John Maynard Keynes to Jesus Christ shows, in my view, why Richard Dawkins just doesn’t really get it." more >>

A sheriff in Onslow County, N.C. is taking heat from a national atheist organization after he purchased an advertisement in the local newspaper declaring that “the Truth of God” is greater than the opinions of those who hold doctoral degrees.

"I don't make it any secret. I am a Christian, and I'm referred to by the reporters with the local papers as a 'devout Christian.' I think there's only one way to be a Christian, and that is to be exactly what you feel like Christ wants you to be,” said Sheriff Ed Brown in an interview with The Christian Post on Monday.

The advertisement, which is written in letter format and is addressed to “All Decent and Respectable Citizens of a Decent and Respectable Society,” features the county sheriff's logo and is signed by Brown. In the ad he states that American citizens have a tendency to trust men who are highly educated rather than God (though he mistakenly refers to them as those with “doctrinal” degrees rather than those with “doctoral” degrees). more >>