A resolution made it out of committee in the Missouri state legislature "that supports prayer in schools and recognizes a 'Christian God'". The article in STLtoday.com discussing this resolution goes on to discuss some familiar myths:"The proposed resolution states that the country's forefathers 'recognized a Christian God and used the principles afforded to us by Him as the founding principles of our nation. ... As elected officials we should protect the majority's right to express their religious beliefs while showing respect for those who object.'".

 

Myth #1 - That our forefathers "recognized a Christian God".

Myth #2 - That Christians religious rights in this country are in dangered

Myth #3 - And last but not least, that these extremist Christians want to "[show] respect for those who object."

 

These Christian extremists either ignorantly believe their own myths or ...

 

The late Pope John Paul II was a conservative, without doubt, and he stacked the College of Cardinals with like-minded men. But that pope had an outward attitude of compassion and love. He may have been stern morally, but he reached out to all people.

 

The new pope, Benedict XVI is also morally stern, as much as John Paul, but without that face of compassion and love, no pretense whatsoever.

 

The Catholic Church has been scandalized by it's lax response to the horrendous child abuse problem that had been "swept under the rug" for decades until victims came forward and fought back.

 

The Church's response to that problem had been to circle the wagons and be more concerned about the image of the Church then protect it's children. Disgusting! They would shift pedophile priests to other ...

 

Pope Benedict XVI will soon be reviewing a document "produced by the Congregation for Catholic Education and Seminaries, the body overseeing the church's training of the priesthood" that will recommend gay men not be allowed to serve as priests in the Catholic Church. This is an apparent reaction to the sex abuse cases involving priests and boys in the United States.

 

I do not think anyone would argue that pedophiles should not be excluded from the priesthood. Of course. But to assume all gay men are potential pedophiles is absolutely outrageous and shows how religious extremists once again are trying to scapegoat society's ills on gay people.

 

It is assumed a large portion of priests currently serving are gay, certainly a larger segment of the priesthood then gays are in the population as a whole. It could be ...

 

As a rational skeptic, this blogger takes pride in trying to remain open minded on any issue and be prepared to change my mind based on new evidence. I have argued in this space before about the existence of God and other beliefs related to a belief in God. Apparently a well-known atheist, Anthony Flew, a British philosophy professor, has changed his mind at 81 and now believes in a superior intelligence he calls God.

 

What finally "convinced" him was the complexity of DNAand how it"has become inordinately difficult even to begin to think about constructing a naturalistic theory of the evolution of that first reproducing organism". Mr. Flew still does not believe in life after death and his view of God is more like a deist, where God created the universe and is not personally involved in people's lives.

 

We must never forget those brave men and women fighting in far off lands who often are asked to make the ultimate sacrifice as 20 brave Marines from my old home town of Cleveland did the last week of July 2005.

 

When I heard on the news that week a 20 year old young man telling his mother in email that he was afraid, that things were getting ugly "over here" and then several days later he is killed, it breaks my heart.

 

Many who serve joined after 9/11 and they joined for the same reasons their grandfathers did after Pearl Harbor, patriotic duty to country. No matter how we as Americans feel about any particular military excursion, we must never forget those who wear the uniform go where they are ordered by their President and his ...