One of the projects we've been stewing is a debaptism challenge.  Ex-Priest Dr. Stephen Uhl has committed copies of his book Imagine No Superstition as prizes as we gather more info on how we want to run it.  While researching the idea I came upon this video series of a Sally Jessy Raphael episode from 1988 featuring the St. Louis Rationalists and a few fundies.  As for our own debaptism challenge, we're still a while away.  If anyone who participated in or led a debaptism with the St. Louis Rationalists is reading this please drop me a line, I'd like to have you on our radio show.

Check out this show, I think you'll enjoy. 

Unsinkable Atheism," the 14th Annual Atheist Alliance International (AAI) Convention, will be held the weekend of September 25—28, 2008 on the beautiful and historic Queen Mary, which is permanently docked in Long Beach, California. READ MORE »

Unsinkable Atheism," the 14th Annual Atheist Alliance International (AAI) Convention, will be held the weekend of September 25—28, 2008 on the beautiful and historic Queen Mary, which is permanently docked in Long Beach, California. READ MORE »

Some exciting news:

I have been invited to be a panel member for a discussion happening sometime in Nov. or Dec. 2008 at the Delaware County Community college.
A professor of comparative religions there was  READ MORE »

What is with the dishonest Christians? Today I wake up and have to deal with Joshua Ryan Dellinger and then another dishonest Christian who has gone by several names on our site: Voice of Reason, Bryan Cox, and Riverwind. When I say deal I mean "moderating."

Here's where you'll see the first character exposed: http://www.rationalresponders.com/Joshua_Ryan_Dellinger

For the record, Kelly and I have been doing this for a long time, while Joshua Ryan Dellinger didn't say he was a Christian, his argumentation resembles that of a Christian perfectly, and he's become a Christian pawn at the bare minimum.

The second character was exposed in a post by me on this page: http://www.rationalresponders.com/damn_right_im_angry_part_two?page=2

You win Christians... 4 hours of my day was just wasted researching and keeping dishonest people in check, when instead I could've been proactively fighting the concept of religion, instead of the personalities who embrace it. How ironic that your arguments almost beg us to deal with the concepts rather than the personalities. I'll try to find some solace in exposing you to others but it's not as useful to me as the 4 hours you stole... terrorists.

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Kelly is now featured on Dailykos: http://kelly-oconnor.dailykos.com/

The subject of Kelly's most recent blog is Marty Fields.  If you're viewing this thread while the post is still hot, google "Marty Fields" to see where the post comes up in google.  When I checked it was 7th, and the first listed refutation.  Marty Fields is posting in the thread as "Pastor McFly."

Today Rook taped with Ellen Johnson, President of American Atheists.  He's a guest on their TV show Atheist Viewpoint.  More details will be posted in this thread soon.

Welcome aboard, readers of Bastrop Daily!

As you may know we've been advertising the Rational Response Squad anywhere we can find a good deal, and as the budget permits. This week because we initially hoped to have site upgrades working by today we had a few ads run in print newspapers through google ads. We've found a few surprisingly cheap ads, the ad below ran in the Louisiana Bastrop Daily Enterprise, Church Section. We didn't plan the juxtaposition of ads below but we love it...

Paper: "The popularity of religion as a whole may be in a slight decline here in America, but that certainly doesn't mean the Holy Book's reputation as being a perennial No. 1..."

RRS: "Religion is divisive and dangerous, it's time for us to stand up to it!"

We have been heard!

Support the Rational Response Squad advertising campaign. This ad cost $8 for 6,000 readers.

View a large JPG of the Rational Response Squad ad in the Balstrop Daily Enterprise near a Bible article.

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To the creators of: faith20.org

Dear "the bad guys,"

We are winning. We are winning because we are more honest, our views are more solid, more logical, more reasonable, and more scientific. Your churches will die, we will continue to win. On your site you have a Church assistance program in which you help dying churches. You state on this page:

Quote:

Sometimes churches die. It's sad, but it's true. Hundreds of churches in America will close their doors this year and sell their buildings because they cannot reach new people. It happens all the time.

But it doesn't have to happen to you.

Oh but it does need to happen, it should happen, and we're making it happen. If we hope to maximize the human potential we must start becoming more reliant on things we can prove rather than claims of faith. We must embrace science and discard all Churches, and not just the churches you aid and abet but also any other instutitution that embraces faith over reality.

Don't be sad that your churches will die, instead find a new line of work.

Here is some info on the issue from American Atheists

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We know of dozens of stories like this.  If you have a similar story to report.  Post it in the comments.

Posted by August Brunsman at the SSA on Sat, 2008-02-02.

This post originally appeard on Hemant Mehta's blog friendlyatheist.com.  Hemant is the chair of the board of directors of the Secular Student Alliance. 

Anatoly is vice-president of a campus atheist group that meets at Wilfrid Laurier University, a public school in
Ontario, Canada. The goal of the “Laurier Freethought Alliance” (LFA) is: “to promote science, freedom of inquiry, skepticism, and a good life without the need for superstition or religious belief.”

Sounds reasonable, no? READ MORE »

From the anals of, "religion makes you a better person" I bring you todays most loving Pastor... 

Quote: 

DIAMOND, Mo. -- A small-town mayor and pastor charged with enticing a child over the Internet called the investigating detective at home and asked him to stop the case.

Police Detective Jim Murray played a tape of the Wednesday phone call from Allen Kauffman, 63, to The Associated Press.

On the tape, Kauffman says he is begging for mercy and asks the detective to make the case go away.

At one point, Kauffman asks if the detective could "just take" the hard drive seized from Kauffman's home computer and not do anything with the evidence.

Kauffman, reached at home, confirmed to the AP that he had made the phone call but denied he was asking the detective to destroy evidence.

Kauffman was arrested Friday on four counts of felony enticement of a child in a sting orchestrated by Murray, who was posing online as a teenager from another southwest Missouri town. Kauffman is free on $50,000 bond.

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