Your daily digest of news and links relevant to the secular and skeptic communities.

Today’s morning heretics are Dren Asselmeier and Cody Hashman. Paul is out, I think to find himself through reading Kerouac and fly tying (or just enjoying the new addition to his family), and will be returning on August 13th.

Look out, Olympics, here come the mathletes to steal your thunder! I know we nerds at the Center for Inquiry were all excited to watch the landing of the Curiosity rover Sunday night. If you missed it, check NASA.gov to see the images, or read the articles from Reuters, Los Angeles Times, or The Washington Post.

From Reuters:

Obama himself issued a statement hailing the Curiosity landing as “an unprecedented feat of technology that will stand as a point of national pride far into the future…It proves that even the longest of odds are no match for our unique blend of ingenuity and determination.”

Awesome!

Speaking of science that is real, did you know that there is such a thing as gem therapy? This is not to be confused with Jem therapy, however.

There was an interesting opinion piece about the separation of church and state published in the Santa Fe New Mexican.

The Military Association of Atheists and Freethinkers website has an article up asking the Virginia Chaplaincy to facilitate humanist services.

GOP insider reflects on how his political party has been taken over by religious theocrats and anti-intellectualism.

The Freedom From Religion Foundation awards 12 year old Maia Disbrow for her freethought activism with an award of $1,000.

Check out the video of Hitchens’ last public talk at the Texas Freethought Convention.

David McAfee interviewed the leader of the Global Secular Humanist Movement.

And finally, the latest iteration of “Speaking Out Against Hate Directed at Women” is a discussion between Surly Amy and Michael Payton, National Director of Centre for Inquiry Canada.

Quote of the Day   

We are all . . . children of this universe. Not just Earth, or Mars, or this system, but the whole grand fireworks. And if we are interested in Mars at all, it is only because we wonder over our past and worry terribly about our possible future.

— Ray Bradbury, Mars and the Mind of Man, 1973

Linking to a story or webpage does not imply endorsement by Dren, Cody, or CFI. Not every use of quotation marks is ironic or sarcastic, but it often is. 

Follow CFI on Twitter: @center4inquiry 

Got a tip for the Heresy? Send it to press(at)centerforinquiry.net!

The Morning Heresy: “I actually read it.” - Hemant Mehta 

Your daily digest of news and links relevant to the secular and skeptic communities.

Today’s morning heretic is Dren Asselmeier, CFI Campus Organizer and overly-enthusiastic high-fiver. Paul is still out making Tumblrs for how much he loves his Apple devices (just kidding—he is hanging out with his new baby) and will be returning on August 13th.

Chick-fil-A has been in the news recently for their president’s comments regarding his opposition to same-sex marriage legislation. The comments have spawned an internet storm of people saying that they won’t eat there, that they will eat there and feel guilty, or that they don’t care. More recently, some people who agree that same-sex marriage, you know, makes baby Jesus cry, have decided to promote an Appreciation Day. Today, I read All Alabama’s (al.com) report:

Those who oppose Cathy’s remarks, have ask supporters to donate the cost of a meal, about $6.50, to gay and lesbian rights groups, according to the Gay & Lesbian Alliance Against Defamation (GLAAD). ... GLAAD is supporting a “National Same-Sex Kiss Day,” encouraging same-sex couples to show up at Chick-fil-A restaurants nationwide Friday and hold a kiss-in. They are also asking those participating to post photos of the kisses.

Once all of the kissing and chicken appreciation is over, I hope we can just go back to agreeing that people who don’t eat fast food are better than those who do.

Beaking News! Evolutionary adaptations in bird beaks might be for temperature regulation and water conservation, not just what they eat. Finch, please. Bring the heat.

Bobby Jindal, possible Vice Presidential running mate for the Republican ticket, and governor of Louisiana, is “poised to spend millions of dollars of state money to support the teaching of creationism in private schools” according to Slate. This seems to be totally legal because of the Louisiana Science Education Act, a misnomer if we’ve ever heard one.

A Spokane Valley area newspaper interviewed a woman about her participation in the Freedom From Religion Foundation atheist billboard campaign. I particularly enjoyed the comment from the person who posted as “budlight.” Actually, there are quite a few gems in the comments.

Our BFF Hemant Mehta (aka the Friendly Atheist—the only friendly atheist—zing!) shared a piece from his colleague Daniel Florien, that discusses the recent tragedy in Aurora, Colorado. You can read the whole piece here.

Joe Nickell has a doppelganger. Just look at the picture. No need to read the article.

An About.com writer ostensibly calls his atheist critics illiterate. I’m sure the internet will forgive him for that one.

I’m still trying to wrap my head around the analogies made by a writer at The Hill. “Environmental Atheism” makes some comparisons between Madalyn Murray O’Hair being an atheist and Republicans being climate change deniers. I have no idea how they lumped these things together.

On the other side of the debate are the global-warming deniers. They share the same passion as the famed atheist Madalyn Murray O’Hair, and nothing gives them greater pleasure than poking holes in the arguments of the environmental movement.

What is this I don’t even? The comments on that are also pretty astute.

We would like to extend our sympathies to the family of Gore Vidal following his passing this week. The New York Times has a beautiful piece discussing the life and work of Vidal.

In awesome SPACE NEWS, a NASA satellite will be used to confirm the landing of the Curiosity Mars rover.

And today, in a segment I’d like to call “First World Problems—UK Edition,” a mother explains:

I have asked an old friend to be godmother to my daughter. I thought she’d be pleased but I received a terse email explaining that, as she doesn’t believe in God, she doesn’t think it would be appropriate. I don’t want to beg her, but I would like her to have some part in the christening regardless. Or should I just ask someone else?

The advice columnists gave reasonable answers, but I would have said, “Either tell your friend to get over because I bet she says ‘the sun rises’ but doesn’t actually believe in geocentrism, or accept that your friend is kind of a jerk.” Hey, I’m a professional atheist and I went to my nephew’s baptism. If I can do it, you can do it. End of advice.

Alright. I’ve sinned enough for one day.

Quote of the Day   

“Style is knowing who you are, what you want to say, and not giving a damn.” ~Gore Vidal

Linking to a story or webpage does not imply endorsement by Paul or CFI . Not every use of quotation marks is ironic or sarcastic, but it often is. 

Follow CFI on Twitter: @center4inquiry 

Got a tip for the Heresy? Send it to press(at)centerforinquiry.net!

The Morning Heresy: “I actually read it.” - Hemant Mehta 

Today’s Morning Heretic is Dren Asselmeier, the master of portmanteau. Paul is out on family leave due to the birth of his second child and will be returning August 13th. Until then, you’ll just have to settle for the B-list seculebrity writers like me. 

Executive Director of the Committee for Skeptical Inquiry and Skeptical Inquirer Magazine, and our favorite AOL user, Barry Karr was the interviewee on Skepchick recently in one iteration of the series “Speaking Out Against Hate Directed at Women” by Surly Amy. Barry said:

As skeptics, we are used to debating issues, sometimes vigorously. There is nothing wrong with making your points and engaging in the healthy give and take of constructive dialogue, sharing of facts, ideas and opinions. However there is nothing constructive in the personal attacks and vindictiveness that has come to dominate parts of the skeptical and humanist blogosphere of late. More importantly I find totally reprehensible statements advocating violence, rape and even death directed towards women.

Read the full article here.

Also on Skepchick, our Campus Coordinator and Director of African Americans for Humanism (also my office mate and BFF) Debbie Goddard wrote an article about the trial of Russian lady-punks Pussy Riot and the consequences they face for their pro-feminist demonstrations and “blasphemy.” 

News on evolution and education in Kansas comes from the Los Angeles Times under the super-creative headline “Kansas’ evolution debate just keeps evolving.” Jack Wu, a candidate for the Kansas Board of Education (and attendee of the Westboro Baptist Church), weighs in on what will happen if we teach evolution—er, ya know, reality:

The current public educational system in Kansas and the United States is preparing its students to be liars, crooks, thieves, murderers and perverts.

If that was true, the graduation rate would be much higher.

Several stories have risen in relation to LGBTQ issues. Vietnam, not exactly a country known for upholding high standards of human rights, might be the first Asian country to allow same-sex marriage. 

Also, The Washington Blade reports that the Democratic Party platform will endorse same-sex marriage and other “pro-LGBT positions.”

“Snoop Dogg” has become Snoop Lion thanks to religious influence after spending time in Jamaica. I’m not sure how religion turns you from a dog into a lion, but it has a record of turning two fish into Red Lobster, and turning Naval aviators into Operating Thetan level six…es, so no surprise here.

CNN reports that poor religious freedoms exist in Egypt, China, and Europe. 

In times of transition, the situation of religious minorities in these societies comes to the forefront,” says the State Department’s first report since the Arab Spring uprisings. “Some members of society who have long been oppressed seek greater freedom and respect for their rights while others fear change. Those differing aspirations can exacerbate existing tension.

A similar article focused on the low religious freedom in Afghanistan and Pakistan. I’m sure that’s not very shocking, but at least some are hopeful that change is happening for the better.

Austria was in the spotlight at HuffPo for ending religious circumcision in some cases. This is following a ruling by a German court that declared “the practice amounted to causing criminal bodily harm.”

Check out these epic time lapses from Colin Legg in Phil Plait’s article at Bad Astronomy. I’m not sure what the silhouette guy at about fifty-five seconds is all about, but I like it. Reminds me of the opening credits for The X-Files.

Adam Lee has a piece over at Salon about the “Rise of the new atheists.”

As you put on your Hawaiian shorts and flip-flops, or (FSM forbid) Crocs, you can rest easy knowing that mermaids still don’t exist. Joe Nickell explains:

Has the body of an actual mermaid been discovered? Well, no, but that very idea was launched by an Animal Planet “documentary” that proved to be a crockumentary-in this case a fictional story offered in the realistic style of The Blair Witch Project (1999). In two airings (May 27 and July 15, 2012), Mermaids: The Body Found prompted viewers to search eagerly for additional information about the creature. There was, of course, none to be had, since the “body” was nonexistent.

Quote of the Day      

From Brainy Quote:

Face reality as it is, not as it was or as you wish it to be. ~Jack Welch

Linking to a story or webpage does not imply endorsement by Paul or CFI . Not every use of quotation marks is ironic or sarcastic, but it often is. 

Follow CFI on Twitter: @center4inquiry 

Got a tip for the Heresy? Send it to press(at)centerforinquiry.net! 

The Morning Heresy: “I actually read it.” - Hemant Mehta

I heard that Mr. Tabash wanted to debate Chuck Norris, so, of course, I had to learn more. When asked about the open invitation, Tabash said this:

“As an atheist/secular humanist, I am horrified at the religious fundamentalist and anti-gay ideas expressed by Chuck Norris. Even though I have a black belt in Okinawan karate, I would run for the hills if anyone even suggested that I fight him physically. He is one of the most knowledgeable martial arts masters in the world. However, because I regard the America he envisions as antithetical to the crucial needs of a modern secular society, I hereby challenge him to a verbal—yes only verbal!—debate on the separation of church and state.”

Pretty awesome, right? Yeah, I agree.

As a member of the outreach staff at Center for Inquiry, I can confidently say that we’d be happy to help facilitate a debate between Edward Tabash and Chuck Norris if Mr. Norris would be willing. We can be reached via email.

For further reading on the situation and Chuck Norris’s recent anti-gay comments, read these:

Chuck Norris Supports Boy Scout’s Anti-Gay Policies, Suggests ‘Pro-Gay’ Obama Is Pushing Agenda

Chuck Norris attacked over anti-gay scouts article

You might wonder why Edward Tabash specifies “the separation of church and state” as the topic of this potential debate. Here you go: 

Chuck Norris Roundhouse Kicks Separation Of Church And State 

More about Edward Tabash:

Tabash.com

Have Edward Tabash speak to your group

It is surely no surprise to you that Council for Secular Humanism, Center for Inquiry, and The Committee for Skeptical Inquiry, have been busy this spring. Many of our groups have participated in Reason Rally, regional events, and annual conferences, all on top of our normal operations. You may not know, however, the extent to which we have been a part of these events and how our presence made an impact in countless communities across the country in just the first part of this year so far. Here is a summary of those events.

The Council for Secular Humanism and Center for Inquiry came together in Orlando for the Moving Secularism Forward conference this March. Daniel Dennett, Jessica Ahlquist, Sikivu Hutchinson, PZ Myers, Elisabeth Cornwell, and other fantastic speakers came together to talk about the future of secularism in the U.S. and around the world. Rita Swan spoke about the tragic connection she had with Christian Science and their neglect to give medical help to sick children. She fired us up for doing real activism that can save innocent lives when religious exemptions are not allowed. Jessica Ahlquist updated everyone on the lawsuit with her school district regarding the unconstitutional prayer banner that the school eventually removed. Eddie Tabash gave an impassioned talk about the future of secularism in connection with legislation in the United States. There were too many great speakers to summarize here, but the outcome was that the attendees were able to ponder these important topics, speak with each other and the presenters, and share their perspectives in Orlando. I was also extremely happy to see so many students in attendance. Getting young people involved ensures the future of our causes and allows for a way to convey our wisdom and experiences with activism and grassroots organizing.

Next, we went to Washington, D.C. for the Reason Rally. I imagine it does not need a summary because there was so much press, so many articles and pictures, and so many of you were there. The Reason Rally was the best way to really kick off the year and get excited for what the Center for Inquiry does because we had a chance to yet again meet so many people that we usually only see through the internet. There were a lot of hugs and high-fives in the information tent as several thousand people filed through all day to get to know more about all of our organizations. We gave away everything, explained everything, and gave a warm welcome to everyone. It could not have gone better, regardless of the weather. That is surely an experience that we will all carry with us as we continue driving science, reason, and secular values forward into the future.

Right after Reason Rally, CFI On Campus staff went to the American Atheists National Convention to run an information table and be a part of the wrap-up for the life-changing weekend. We again were able to show support for our allied organizations, and to spread our message to more students and supporters. Neither of us was able to sit in on talks because we were busy running the table and alternately taking much-needed naps, but the audience was enthusiastic and plentiful, with a lot of compliments to American Atheists for their event.

Just a few days after Reason Rally, I took a solo trip to North Carolina to help out with a Dawkins event at Duke University in in Durham. The first thing I noticed was that North Carolina is beautiful and far greener than I imagined. The second thing I noticed is that the people I met around the Raleigh-Durham area are friendly and receptive to secularism. I staffed an information table at the Duke University event and introduced countless people to the missions of the Richard Dawkins Foundation for Reason and Science as well as the mission of the Center for Inquiry. I was surprised by the large number of faculty that told me how happy they were to have Dawkins speak at the university. Students were also elated to know that our organizations care about them, have a presence in North Carolina, and can help them with grassroots organizing. It was a positive experience for everyone, and though I wasn’t able to listen to the talk, I heard tons of great feedback and compliments for the content that Dawkins discussed, as well as the overall pleasant organization of the event thanks to RDFRS and Duke University staff.

Immediately following that, Ed Beck, the education coordinator, joined me at the historic Rock Beyond Belief concert at Fort Bragg, NC. It was only one week after Reason Rally, but the turnout was still good. Plus, the military individuals and families were extremely appreciative of the support they received from the secular community. We met people who came from as far as Vermont and Arizona! The staff on base, though I’m sure not all of them supported the message behind Rock Beyond Belief, was all helpful and respectful. The performances were seamless with Ed Brayton at the helm as emcee. I know Todd Stiefel worked hard to gather the musicians and performers and to create the day of fun and solidarity for everyone, too. There were not many students at Rock Beyond Belief, but I was happy to be a part of this event and to staff the CFI table in order to make connections with the underserved military population as well as the somewhat isolated secular population in this region.

Again, just days after these events, the Center for Inquiry Institute happened in Pittsburgh. The speakers included John Shook, Barry Kosmin, and Debbie Goddard, along with a student panel that discussed the issues that secular groups face attempting to organize on religious campuses. The event was co-sponsored by the Pitt Secular Alliance and the School of Information Science at the University of Pittsburgh and was created to tackle controversies surrounding student group organizing on religious campuses, and the role of student groups in the greater secular community. The event went well thanks to the sponsoring organizations and to the CFI Education program, and I hope that we can have more student-centered discussions in the future.

That’s not all! These events all happened in March and the first few days of April, but later in April we also were represented at the Northeastern Conference for Science and Skepticism (NECSS-pronounced “nexus”) in New York City. The conference brought together some of the coolest and most thoughtful scientists and skeptics in the country. It was certainly well attended and even sold out of tickets for Saturday sessions. Center for Inquiry and Committee for Skeptical Inquiry were proud to be major sponsors, and it gave us a chance to introduce Skeptical Inquirer magazine as well as the CFI mission to a surprising number of people who had not heard of us. It can be humbling to realize that there are people in the secular and skeptical communities who have not heard of our organizations, but it is not a negative thing to me because it gives me a chance to get fresh perspectives from people and to let them know that we exist for them. I met so many amazing people from all over the country, and students from the Atheist Student Alliance at Rutgers, Bronx Community College Secular Humanist Club, and other impressive groups in the region. It was invigorating to be a part of the action at NECSS, and I look forward to attending again next year.

Finally, we entered May and prepared for the Women in Secularism conference. I cannot accurately describe how monumental this conference was. Women and men came together to discuss things that have never before been the main topics at an event like this. It seemed as though everyone breathed a sigh of relief Saturday night at the reception as we listened to Ron Lindsay, Melody Hensley, and Lauren Becker give opening remarks and set the welcoming tone for the event. We knew that nothing would be off-limits. Nothing would remain unsaid, and no one would be silenced. The only problem is that there was still so much to say after two days of talks. None of us guessed that the audience would be so involved, so considerate, and so meticulous in their input and feedback. We had no idea that there would still be so much to say. There has been talk of when we are going to do this conference again, and I hope that we can have more conferences in the future that focus on women, minorities, and traditionally unconsidered people and topics that intersect secularism and skepticism.

Besides these events, CFI On Campus also sent Debbie Goddard to speak at on a panel about “Freethought in Black History and Culture” with the Bronx Community College Secular Humanist Club in New York City, and she went to visit the Atheists, Humanists, and Agnostics at University of Wisconsin-Madison to give her talk “Diversity in the Atheist Movement.” We are proud to have such established and active student group affiliates and that they ask us to speak at their events!

I would like to extend a massive thank-you to our supporters, speakers, donors, attendees, and allies. This year has already been monumental. We have learned so much from our involvement, and we have continued making connections with the individuals and organizations are helping us to change the world. The kickoff of our summer events will be the CFI Leadership Conference June 21-24 in Amherst, NY. Back to work!

I didn’t know much about Christian Scientists before seeing Rita Swan talk. I think everything I knew about them I had learned from an episode of Family Guy. Before that, I figured they were actually science-based (oh boy, was I ever wrong about that). What sets them apart from other religions that follow the Bible is that some Christian Scientists use prayer exclusively in all areas of their lives, and use prayer in lieu of things like health care. The website describes their “basic teachings” as the following:

The heart of Christian Science is Love. It’s about feeling God’s goodness. It’s based on the Bible and is explained in Science and Health with Key to the Scriptures and other writings by Mary Baker Eddy. It addresses major points about God, good and evil, life and death, sacrament, salvation, and more. Christian Science encourages people to see things from a spiritual perspective, as Jesus taught. Jesus said, “He that believeth on me, the works that I do shall he do also…” (John 14:12). Mary Baker Eddy said, “these mighty works are not supernatural, but supremely natural…” (Science and Health, p.xi:14). This can mean resolving difficult challenges with health, relationships, employment, and so on through prayer, although people who practice Christian Science are free to make their own choices about what to think and do in each situation, including health care. [christianscience.com]

I made that last part bold. I think that they caught on to the problem with telling people that they can cure disease through prayer and that they should not seek medical help for themselves or their families is equivalent to advocating for suicide and child neglect or abuse.

Rita told us about her family’s loss of their young son, which caused them to leave the Christian Science faith. Before this terrible tragedy, they had been ostrasized for seeking medical attention for themselves. The fear they felt because of the teachings of their church caused them to put trust into the clergy, even while their son experienced horrible illness. After he passed, they decided to work toward preventing the injury and death of children and dependents due to “religious exemptions.”

Laws are in place to prevent abuse and neglect of dependent persons, but there are religious exemptions. You might wonder, as I did, how that is possible. Well, Rita explained to us that the Christian Science Church and other faith-based organizations have lobbied for the right to treat dependents and themselves “spiritually” and with spiritual practitioners instead of doctors. That means that if someone’s child gets sick and the parents hire a “spiritual practitioner” to pray for that child (instead of a doctor), and the child suffers injury or even death, the parents (in some states) will not be charged. Neither will the “practitioner.” Children can die from treatable illness and can suffer severe injury due to lack of preventative care, and because it is done in the name of religion, the state doesn’t prosecute. The state doesn’t even flinch. What makes me even angrier is that people of this faith are paying thousands of dollars to have someone, often in another state, pray for them to get better. These people are told not to see doctors and not to pray for themselves because that might “interfere.”

How is this possible? Have we become so enamored with “religious freedom” that we believe that people are free to kill children because of their faith? I think it is horrible, and so does Rita Swan. She’s been fighting religious exemptions in various states for decades, and is not done yet.

An article in People gives more details about what happened to her son Matthew. I encourage you to read it in order to understand the gravity of Rita Swan’s work and why this has become her mission, but be aware that it is graphic, and really difficult to read.

As far as the extent of religious exemptions from testing, care, and prevention, there is a comprehensive list at the CHILD site. Some of the most unbelievable are these:

• Seventeen states have religious defenses to felony crimes against children
• 48 states have religious exemptions from immunizations. Mississippi and West Virginia are the only states that require all children to be immunized without exception for religious belief
• California allows public school teachers to refuse testing for tuberculosis on religious grounds
• Oregon and Pennsylvania have religious exemptions from bicycle helmets
• California, Colorado, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, and Ohio have statutes excusing students with religious objections from studying disease in school
• Idaho, Iowa, and Ohio have religious defenses to manslaughter
• West Virginia has religious defenses to murder of a child and child neglect resulting in death
• Arkansas has a religious defense to capital murder

The list goes on. There are religious exemptions in federal policy, too. Dr. Swan’s work has overturned several religious exemptions in Oregon and is happening in other states, but it’s shocking how widespread the “religious exemptions” are, and how much resistance advocates for the safety of children have had to deal with. Dr. Swan’s talk mentioned heavy lobbying from Christian Scientists, legislators choosing to eliminate only some exemptions over others, and a total lack of accountability on the part of parents and communities that had basically killed children due to not treating their illnesses. One of the towns that she mentioned didn’t even have records of these deaths being caused by neglect or abuse because the paperwork simply looks like a child died of a disease. There is no way to know by looking at records which children died due to lack of medical care. Advocates had to monitor the church’s cemetery in order to see which children, and how many, had died.

When we start getting into discussions about where religious rights end, it’s important to tread carefully because most of us agree that we don’t want to limit freedom. Absolutely no one, however, has the freedom to harm their children or dependents for any reason. The rights of one person end where the wellbeing and safety of children begin. We must choose as a society to protect children above protecting the religious rights of their parents. There can be no exception to standards of physical health and safety for children. Period.

So, thank you, to Rita Swan and her allies for doing this important work. We’re looking forward to hearing more from Dr. Swan and will pass along any information we hear on how to help her with this cause.

Joe Bochinski leads a group of skeptics and secularists at Bowling Green State University called Bowling Green Secular Society. They recently were the focus of an article in their school’s paper, and they are busy planning to host James Croft for a debate in March. Details aren’t set yet, but we’re excited to be working with them on this event! Read the article at BG News.

Several groups had successful celebrations for Darwin Day, on or around February 12. There is a very active group at Broward College that always looks for the most fun and educational content. See Darwin Day–Broward College to check them out.

Illinissa is a group that continues to wow CFI supporters by being dedicated to community service and rigorous inquiry. We love them. Find out more about Darwin Day at Illini Secular Student Alliance.

University of Kansas Society of Open-Minded Atheists and Agnostics (KU SOMA) recently held ReasonFest, a regional event to promote reason and critical thinking in the square states. Check their website or Facebook as they post content from the awesome speakers they hosted.

University of Northern Iowa Freethinkers and Inquirers (UNIFI) are almost finished with Darwin Week. They have worked hard to put on this event for several years now, and I heard that the talks were as good as ever. They even set up a video stream for people around the world to enjoy the outcome of their hard work. Check the Darwin Week at University of Northern Iowa website for all of the info and post-event media.

Students For Free-thought in Flint, Michigan (a new group, headed by super-energetic Daniel Grasso) is another group that has been busy with their regular events and hosting a talk for Darwin Day. Check their Facebook page for more information.

The staff at CFI On Campus works to promote the Center for Inquiry mission among students and young people. We think that young people are our future, and secularism will not exist if we do not foster, mentor, and utilize the passion of the next generation. Students are some of our most active and inspirational members, and they’re capable of more than we even know. Check CFI On Campus for updates, or donate to help us continue to grow this program. Thanks for taking the time to learn more about us!

On January 31, Planned Parenthood’s President, Cecile Richards, sent an email with the news that Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation had “announced that it will stop supporting lifesaving breast cancer screening for low-income and underserved women at Planned Parenthood health centers.” They cited “politically motivated groups and individuals” as the sources that had “undermine[d] women’s access to care.” It was profoundly disappointing and disturbing news. I wondered, as many people did, why a group whose mission is to “save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures” would want to cut off funding that went toward providing preventative care for low-income and underserved women.

The next day, February 1, Cecile Richards sent another message that thanked everyone for the outpouring of support that they had received in the wake of the Komen announcement. It included a link to a letter that pledged supporters would stand with Planned Parenthood, and I think it worked because I saw iteverywhere. Okay, it wasn’t up on telephone poles, but it was all over the internet.

That same day, The Los Angeles Times published an article by Amina Khan which discussed some of the problems with Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation hiring the “pro-life Christian” Karen Handel as vice president of public policy. “There’s no proof that Handel had a role in the foundation’s decision to end a relationship between two major women’s health organizations that’s paid for some 170,000 breast exams and 6,400 mammogram referrals since the groups began their partnership,” but the article points out that “Handel has made no bones about her anti-abortion—and anti-Planned Parenthood—position” and quotes a blog post Handel wrote that explained her pro-life and anti-Planned Parenthood stance.

One day later, February 2, Planned Parenthood sent a message that thanked their supporters again, specifically mentioning Mayor Bloomberg. Mayor Mike Bloomberg reportedly “made a generous offer to match donations to the Planned Parenthood Breast Health Fund” to the tune of $250,000. Some people do care about women’s health.

After getting tons of support, attention, and props for what they do, Planned Parenthood won. Well, I’d call it a win for Planned Parenthood, and for women. Cecile Richards sent a message on February 3 with the subject “BREAKING: Susan G. Komen for the Cure Foundation restores partnership.”The email saidl that Komen “announced that it will continue to make grant funds for breast health and education available to Planned Parenthood health centers.” Boom. Roasted.

I received an email from the WeAreUltraviolet campaign on February 6 which went into further detail about Karen Handel. They quoted a line that Handel allegedly said (which was cited in this HuffPo article): “If we just say it’s about investigations, we can defund Planned Parenthood and no one can blame us for being political.” Now that’s class. The Ultraviolet email urged supporters of Planned Parenthood and women’s health to sign a petition “telling Komen’s CEO that Handel must go.” That petition reportedly collected more that 37,000 signatures, and a similar petition by CREDO Action garnered 50,000.

With all of the criticism of Komen and Handel, and support for Planned Parenthood, it’s no wonder that Handel resigned on February 7. Forbes published her resignation letter.

Here is a mash-up of her statements with my thoughts (Handel’s in italics):

As you know, I have always kept Komen’s mission and the women we serve as my highest priority.

As long as they are Christian.

We can all agree that this is a challenging and deeply unsettling situation for all involved in the fight against breast cancer.

It is deeply unsettling that you care more about your own politics than the health of women, yes.

As you will recall, the Board specifically discussed various issues, including the need to protect our mission by ensuring we were not distracted or negatively affected by any other organization’s real or perceived challenges.

Perceived challenges are a bitch, especially when they are made up.

I am deeply disappointed by the gross mischaracterizations of the strategy, its rationale, and my involvement in it.

Translation: I am deeply disappointed that people found me out. [Wario laugh]

What was a thoughtful and thoroughly reviewed decision – one that would have indeed enabled Komen to deliver even greater community impact…

Deliver even greater community impact by cutting off the icky parts of the community.

There is quite a bit more to the resignation letter, but those are the highlights.

So, that’s my run-down of the Planned Parenthood/Komen drama, but there’s even more good news! A California court overturned Prop 8!

Reuters reported that “an appeals court on Tuesday found California’s gay marriage ban unconstitutional in a case that may lead to a showdown in the Supreme Court.” The ruling is beautiful:

“Proposition 8 serves no purpose, and has no effect, other than to lessen the status and human dignity of gays and lesbians in California, and to officially reclassify their relationships as inferior to those of opposite-sex couples.”

Supporters of marriage rights for same-sex couples know that this is definitely not the end, and not even the end for California. Several sources are claiming that it will likely lead to a Supreme Court case, whereas others believe that the Supreme Court justices may decline to hear it. I don’t know how likely either outcome is, but I look forward to hearing more, and for now, I am celebrating the ruling of Prop 8’s unconstitutionality.

I wish I had more to report on the Prop 8 ruling because it looks like it is less important than the Komen/PP results based on how much material I have listed. The truth is that it is definitely not lesser news; I just don’t have as much drama to share. I hope to learn more as the fight continues.

(Feeling angsty and in need of something to fire you up for activism? Read about the possibility of the Obama administration allowing for religious exceptions to birth control mandates in future health care plans.)

This post is also available at WeAreSkeptixx. 

News broke yesterday that Susan G. Komen for the Cure, a well-known breast cancer charity, is no longer going to give grants to its Planned Parenthood affiliates because of “pressure from anti-abortion activists” and because “Planned Parenthood is under investigation in Congress,” according to this NPR article.

This is disappointing news. Planned Parenthood does a lot of good for women, especially in lower-income areas where they may not have access to a family physician. I thought that helping women was part of Komen’s mission. So why would Komen stop funding an organization that offered “more than 4 million breast exams over the past five years, including nearly 170,000 as a result of Komen grants?”

Susan G. Komen for the Cure claims that it is “the world’s largest grassroots network of breast cancer survivors and activists…working together to save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all and energize science to find the cures.” It’s fine if they do not want to provide funding for abortion services, or other reproductive health services, because it is their right to focus on breast health. However, Planned Parenthood does a lot more than abortion services. According to their own numbers, only 3% of services offered are abortions, whereas 34% are contraception, and 76% of their services are focused on prevention (source). Doing nearly 750,000 breast exams each year, and having a patient demographic with 76% having incomes at or below 150% of the federal poverty level, what about this goes against Komen’s mission to “save lives, empower people, ensure quality care for all” and so on?

Washington Post reported that “Komen said it could not continue to fund Planned Parenthood because it has adopted new guidelines that bar it from funding organizations under congressional investigations.” I remain skeptical of this explanation, but I also don’t know if this is a common “guideline” for any entity, so it could be true.

I understand that some people think abortion is killing a person, and that it is probably the worst thing a woman can do, so I know that this is going to continue to be an issue. I can’t just expect that everyone feels the same way about things that I do. Not everyone has the same kind of progressive values that Planned Parenthood and I have, but I can’t help but think that Susan G. Komen for the Cure is shooting themselves in the foot. They may be pleasing some people who are anti-abortion, but they are cutting themselves off from lower income and younger people who need medical services. They may find other organizations to be the receivers of Komen grants, but I doubt that Komen will be able to find any group that has such an extensive network of offices, contacts, and supporters like Planned Parenthood, and has the same mission to provide preventative care to all.

As a final note, I can say that I learned some new things about Susan G. Komen for the Cure out of this news. Mainly that they look for other charities that use “for the cure” in their names, and attempt legal action in order to halt the charities from using that phrase. There is a HuffPo article about it here. You may want to sit down.

This article is also posted on We Are Skeptixx.

Okay, so I am being a little facetious with the title here, but the fact is that an Indiana Senate panel “has approved a bill that would allow creationism to be taught in Indiana’s public schools” according to the Chicago Tribune. It’s not law yet, but this is not a good sign for science supporters and people who care about facts in lieu of dogma. Still, several of these bills were defeated last year, and we’ve got the tools to fight the unconstitutional injection of religion into science classrooms.