This story, which I reported on my blog on Sunday, has hit the mainstream media today, with stories in the Newark Star-Ledger, The Jersey Journal, and forthcoming on NYC-area radio and television (WCBS radio, 1010 WINS radio, and Fox 5 News and NBC 4 News television). The basic story is that Kearny High School U.S. … Public school teacher tells class: “You belong in hell”

A.C. Grayling writes under this title at Guardian Unlimited: It is time to reverse the prevailing notion that religious commitment is intrinsically deserving of respect, and that it should be handled with kid gloves and protected by custom and in some cases law against criticism and ridicule. It is time to refuse to tip-toe around … Religions don’t deserve special treatment

Cross-posted from my blog. MSNBC has the story, about David Kuo’s new book, Tempting Faith: More than five years after President Bush created the Office of Faith-Based Initiatives, the former second-in-command of that office is going public with an insider’s tell-all account that portrays an office used almost exclusively to win political points with both … Bush just using Christians, says former faith office leader

From P.Z. Myers at Pharyngula: For more context and discussion of this list (including suggested additions and criticism) visit Pharyngula. UPDATE (October 4, 2006): The slides for the talk in which this list was given–about why scientists should oppose religion–may be found here.

Continuing on the theme of Christianity and giving away wealth, the Associated Press notes that religious fraud is on the increase: Billions of dollars has been stolen in religion-related fraud in recent years, according to the North American Securities Administrators Association, a group of state officials who work to protect investors. Between 1984 and 1989, … Religious fraud increasing

A little bit of entertainment from YouTube: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=2r-kIBARMpM

P.Z. Myers at Pharyngula points out Godchecker’s “Your Guide to the Gods,” a searchable database of over 2,850 gods. You can search by pantheon (African, Australian, Aztec, Caribbean, Celtic, Chinese, Egyptian, Finnish, Greek, Incan, Japanese, Mayan, Mesopotamian, Middle Eastern, Native American, Norse, Oceanic, Roman, Slavic and Baltic, South American, and Southeast Asian), look at the … A catalog of gods

Evangelical Christian “Arkeologists” have again claimed to have discovered Noah’s Ark, this time in Iran. On a recent (second) trip to the site, the explorers included “some of America’s leading businessmen, an attorney who has argued several cases before the U.S. Supreme Court, and two leading apologists,” including Josh McDowell. The main explorer is “international … Noah’s Ark, discovered yet again

It has been tradition at Russell County High School in Kentucky for graduating seniors to elect a “graduation chaplain” who delivers a Christian prayer at the graduation ceremony. This year, a Muslim student filed a lawsuit and a judge issued an injunction to prevent it. As the principal began his opening remarks, 200 students stood … Russell County High School students demonstrate their faith

Janet Reitman has written an excellent article for Rolling Stone magazine called “Inside Scientology.” She began with no cooperation from the Church of Scientology (not an unusual state of affairs), but then was given access to Scientology leadership, tours of facilities, and was able to interview current Scientologists. My first reaction on hearing about this … Inside Scientology