Obama administration values feel-good religionism over free speech

A good friend just sent me an article about an op-ed the talented Jonathan Turley wrote for USA Today (which is generally a little less talented, journalistically speaking, but that’s a different post). He discussed that the Obama administration helped pass the UN resolution we discussed in March which would recognize exceptions to free speech [...]

Open forum Friday: Separate but equal?

The ground rules:

Anything goes, as long as you do not become verbally abusive, or start trolling. Getting off topic is one thing, but doing so to provoke an irrational or emotional response is another.
We’ll provide a topic to begin with, but if you have something else to say, please say it. We’re all ears.
Theists [...]

President Obama’s Inauguration Speech (Transcript)

I’m going to post this here without any editorializing. I’d be interested to hear everyone’s thoughts on President Obama’s Inauguration Speech. here is the transcript as found on nytimes.com
My fellow citizens: I stand here today humbled by the task before us, grateful for the trust you have bestowed, mindful of the sacrifices borne by our [...]

The blogging President

Barack Obama’s campaign was the first Presidential campaign to truly embrace the internet. Now comes word that The Whitehouse has its own blog, complete with RSS feed. I’m sure the blog will be written by PR flacks, but at least this is a sign that the Obama administration is serious about taking the Presidency to [...]

An Alternative (Humanist) Invocation

The choice of Rick Warren to give the Inaugural Invocation was seen by many as an afront to homosexuals and a betrayal of Obama’s principles. Of course, atheists would argue that invoking supernatural beings at the Presidential Inauguration is silly outmoded superstition and a violation of First Amendment principles. Instead I present you with an alternative, humanist, invocation.

Post-Partisan Invocation

Much has been made of Rick Warren being invited by Obama to give the invocation at the innauguration. I didn’t much care until I ran across the news that Rick Warren calls his critics “Christophobes.”
I take exception to that. I am not phobic of Christ, but of his followers. I am in fact, a Rickophobe. [...]

Opinions are like…

Well maybe I won’t finish that title but you get the idea.
Now that the 800-day election cycle has just been completed and Barack Obama appears to be the President-Elect he is sure going to get a lot of advice, some of it requested much of it not. Over the next few months he’ll be planning his [...]

A Change is Gonna Come

Seal released a timely new video cover of the 60’s civil rights theme of Sam Cooke’s, “A Change is Gonna Come.”
For you freethinkers, there is a great agnostic line in the lyrics: “It’s been too hard living, but I’m afraid to die. I don’t know what’s up there beyond the sky.”
Here is today’s up-to-date polling [...]

Anybody else watching the Vice Presidential debate tonight?

I’ve actually been looking forward to watching the Vice Presidential debate tonight.  I only know Palin from some of the articles I have read and haven’t had the opportunity to see her live.
So far, the main thing that has captured my attention is the disperity in education between both party’s candidates.  I don’t base everything [...]

Conversation with a Friendly Christian

About 9 months ago, I was introduced to the website FriendlyChristian.com (I believe through FriendlyAtheist.com). Even though I am a fairly committed atheist I still like to keep up on what “the Fundies” are doing. I have a list of these sites in my Google Reader however it became obvious very quickly that the author [...]