|
|
From CBC: http://www.cbc.ca/news/canada/story/2013/04/22/pol-rad-can-christian-college-infrastructure-funding.html?cmp=rss
The Harper government has awarded over $20 million of its infrastructure funding to Christian colleges and universities since the launch of the Knowledge Infrastructure Program in 2009.
Some of the schools receiving federal infrastructure funds prohibit things like homosexual relationships, based on the educational institution’s moral code or religious teachings.
A new [...]
Prof. Stephen Hawking tells students the universe does not need a God to exist | The Raw Story.
Former Cambridge Professor Stephen Hawking told students at Caltech this week that, contrary to the feelings of many God enthusiasts, the universe did not require a deity to create, nor does it require one to continue existing.
[...]
Humanist peers vocal in freedom of religion and conscience debate in the Lords » British Humanist Association.
A number of peers belonging to the All Party Parliamentary Humanist Group (APPHG) gave a robust defence of the rights of those who do not hold to any religious beliefs during a debate in the House of Lords [...]
Seeing God in the Third Millennium – Oliver Sacks – The Atlantic.
[Oliver Sacks, from his new book Hallucinations. Of course this is also related to the work of Dr Rob Buckman....]
“Hallucinations, whether revelatory or banal, are not of supernatural origin; they are part of the normal range of human consciousness and experience. This [...]
Generation Y And Religion: As Church Attendance Falls, Young Believers Ponder The Future Of Faith.
“What we’re seeing … is that there is a significant percentage of Canadian teens and young adults who are abandoning religious orientations after being involved in them as children,” said James Penner, an author and sociologist based in Lethbridge, Alta.
[...]
Roy Speckhardt: Religious Freedom on the Brink. [Roy is CEO of the AHA]
t seems as though many in the world are far more eager to use religion as a tool for consolidating power than are interested in protecting religious freedom and free speech. Countries such as Pakistan, Greece, and Egypt are imprisoning those who [...]
Bullet removed from the brain of 14-year-old activist shot by Taliban in Pakistan .
Relatives say 14-year-old Pakistani peace activist appears to be doing well after three-hour operation
Pakistani surgeons have removed a bullet from the head of Malala Yousafzai, the 14-year-old schoolgirl and peace activist who was shot by a Taliban gunman on Tuesday.
[...]
Non-Christian prison chaplains chopped by Ottawa – British Columbia – CBC News. [NOTE: no reference in the stats to services for NON-religious inmates]
The Harper government is cancelling the contracts of non-Christian chaplains at federal prisons, CBC News has learned.
Inmates of other faiths, such as Muslims, Sikhs, Buddhists and Jews, will be expected to [...]
Religious sensitivities no excuse for violence in Muslim world – The Globe and Mail. (editorial)
Religious sensitivities cannot be used to justify violent attacks. A perceived insult against one’s faith is simply not an excuse for breaking the law. And it is not an excuse to persecute people with different religious beliefs.
The looting and [...]
Going Godless: Does Secularism Make People More Ethical? – SPIEGEL ONLINE.
(note, the conclusions mostly related to Germany) Non-believers are often more educated, more tolerant and know more about God than the pious. A new wave of research is trying to figure out what goes on in the minds of an ever-growing group of people [...]
Republic of Ireland abandoning religion faster than almost every other country in the world – Europe – World – The Independent.
The Irish commitment to the Catholic religion is fast draining away, according to a new poll which points to a dramatic plunge in those who regard themselves as religious.
Worldwide, only Vietnam experienced a [...]
Humanism and the Olympics: Why Do Athletes Thank God?.
There are many bits of Olympian trivia floating about, ranging from the well known (ancient athletes competed in the nude) to the obscure (gold medals haven’t been solid gold since 1912), but one widely-acknowledged fact was that the Olympics originated to worship the Greek deity, Zeus. [...]
Biggest Threat to Religion? Clergy People Coming Out as Atheists | Belief | AlterNet. (from a member – some clergy project members are Canadian Humanists, as well!)
A burst of media attention has been focused on atheists of an unexpected stripe — clergy members. Could non-believing clergy change how we see religion?June 10, [...]
8 Ways Christian Fundamentalists Make People Convert — to Agnosticism or Atheism | Tea Party and the Right | AlterNet.
May 27, 2012 | (a couple of new ideas/terms here, like “Prooftexting” hmm)
If the Catholic bishops, their conservative Protestant allies, and other right-wing fundamentalists had the sole objective of decimating religious belief, they couldn’t [...]
Harold Camping Sorry World Failed to End | WebProNews.
Harold Camping, 90, the California radio preacher and numerologist who twice-predicted the end of the world last year, has acknowledged that his prophecies were wrong and has apologized. In a letter written on his Family Radio website, Camping called his last blunder a “sinful statement,” and [...]
One Jesus for liberals, another for conservatives . Love thy neighbour, so long as he is not an illegal immigrant. Blessed are the poor, so long as they are deserving. And, though it may be harder for a rich man to enter the kingdom of heaven than to pass through the eye of a needle, [...]
Losing Faith in Faith: An Intimate Conversation with Dan Barker. University College, UofT, 15 Kings College Circle, Room 179 Friday March 2m 4:00pm until 6:00pm The University of Toronto Secular Alliance presents a conversation with Dan Barker.
Dan Barker is the Co-President of the Freedom From Religion Foundation, which is now the largest organization of [...]
Why Are Young People Leaving Evangelical Christianity?.
A new five-year study on the Millennial Generation (those born between 1982 and 1993) has just been released by the Barna Group, a Christian research firm. It shows that young Christians – particularly those interested in scientific and creative fields – are leaving their churches. This is particularly [...]
Doug Saunders – The Globe and Mail.
A view of the recent ruling in Britain against prayers in council …..you may wish to write to the Globe if you feel inclined…
We always knew it could happen: A devout Muslim heads a conservative political party that takes office in a multicultural Western country, then leads [...]
Quebec students must take ethics-religion course – Canada – CBC News.
Canada’s top court on Friday rejected an appeal from parents in Quebec who sought the right to keep their children out of an ethics and religious culture program taught in the province’s schools.
The program, which was introduced in 2008 to elementary and high [...]
|
|
|
