More on Hosanna-Tabor
Advocatus Diaboli with Tom Flynn
January 13, 2012
The U. S. Supreme Court's curious decision in Hosanna-Tabor endorsing an amorphous ministerial exemption against Federal employment law leaves me conflicted. As a secularist, I regret any court finding or legislation that broadens religion's power vis-a-vis a secular polity. Still, as I understand the First Amendment and its unique religion clauses, the Supremes probably did the right thing -- though I wish the Justices had found a way to do it that seems less certain to catalyze a tsunami of new employment litigation.
Blogs Are Valuable and Enrich the Discourse, Says Study. I Agree.
Guest Blog from Debbie Goddard
January 12, 2012
Some commenters say they’re tired of skeptics and freethinkers talking about sexism and privilege; some accuse freethoughtblogs.com and skepchick.org of being echo chambers and commenters of being “ditto-heads” (a term I’d never seen before). In my own organization, there are a few individuals who downplay the value of the skeptic/freethought blogosphere instead of seeing it as a valuable space for getting feedback, evaluating interest, building connections, and impacting attitudes, among other things.
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And another thing, Tebow…
Hollywood Reality Check with Jim Underdown
January 12, 2012
Let's get something straight football fans.
A recent poll revealed that 43% of those asked thought that God helps Denver Broncos quarterback Tim Tebow win.
He (God) does not.
God, almost certainly, does not exist.
Hold on, believers, there's another point here!
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Federal judge orders removal of prayer banner in Rhode Island high school
Democratic Discourse with Michael De Dora
January 12, 2012
The case was especially notable for the Center for Inquiry because it was brought by the American Civil Liberties Union on behalf of CFI-On Campus volunteer high school coordinator, Jessica Ahlquist, and her father, Mark.
The Tebow Effect
It’s Only Natural with John Shook
January 12, 2012
What effect is Tim Tebow having on the rest of us?
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RileyGate: Lessons Learned
A Skeptic Reads the Newspaper with Ben Radford
January 11, 2012
A recent blog I wrote about a viral video featuring a "pint-sized pundit" ranting about gender stereotypes was flawed in several ways, and deserved much of the criticism it got.
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Hosanna-Tabor and the Weird Status of Religion
No Faith Value with Ronald A. Lindsay
January 11, 2012
Today the Supreme Court ruled unanimously in the Hosanna-Tabor case that there is a “ministerial exception” to the nation’s laws forbidding discrimination in employment. The Court ruled that both religion clauses of the First Amendment—the Free Exercise Clause and the Establishment Clause—effectively provide religious institutions with absolute discretion to select their “ministers.”
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Good News: Skeptical Inquirer Is Putting A Few More Women in Its Pages
Guest Blog from Julia Lavarnway
January 10, 2012
The Skeptical Inquirer has in the past been accused of publishing the writing of only "old white dudes." SI's stellar January/February 2012 issue is proof that its gender ratio is slowly but surely evening out.
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Standing Up to Gender Bullying
Guest Blog from Julia Lavarnway
January 09, 2012
Kristen, a woman who works as a shift manager for Gamestop, recently witnessed a father trying to bully his son, age 10–12, out of buying a purple game controller along with a game with a female protagonist. Luckily, the boy’s elder brother, a high school wrestler, stepped in and stood up to the man. Kristen also comforted the boy by assuring him that “There’s nothing wrong with what you like. Even if it’s different than what people think you should.”
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About Free Thinking
No Faith Value with Ronald A. Lindsay
January 06, 2012
What is the cornerstone of CFI’s mission? Is it atheism or humanism? No, not really. Commitments to atheism or humanism or any other “ism” are conclusions we arrive at, presumably after consideration of the relevant evidence and arguments. The cornerstone of our mission is freedom of expression and critical inquiry. We see freedom of expression and critical inquiry as indispensable tools for arriving at an accurate understanding of just about any issue of importance, including, but not limited to, the truth of religious or fringe science claims. This brings me to the recent controversy concerning Ben Radford’s blog post on Free Thinking, as well as the related controversy about the blog Free Thinking itself.
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