Pope Benedict Attacks Atheism

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Yup, Atheist Crusades, Atheist Inquisition, Atheist Witch Trials, Atheist Suicide Bombers.. man, us atheists are responsible for the worst atrocities known to man.

Papal encyclical attacks atheism, promises hope

VATICAN CITY (Reuters) – Pope Benedict, in a new encyclical released on Friday, said atheism was responsible for some of the “greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice” in history.

The 75-page “Spe Salvi”, which takes its Latin title from a quote by St Paul (in hope we were saved), is an appeal to a pessimistic world to find strength in Christian hope.

In the second encyclical of his papacy, Benedict urges Christians to put their hope for the future in God and not in technology, wealth or political ideologies which can often be deluding.

Atheism could be regarded by some as a “type of moralism”, particularly in the 19th and 20th centuries, to protest against the injustices of the world and world history, he said.

Reciting arguments made by atheists, he said: “A world marked by so much injustice, innocent suffering, and cynicism of power cannot be the work of a good God. A God with responsibility for such a world would not be a just God, much less a good God.”

History has proven wrong ideologies such as Marxism which say humans had to establish social justice because God did not exist, the Pope wrote.

“It is no accident that this idea has led to the greatest forms of cruelty and violations of justice,” the Pope said. Such a concept was grounded in “intrinsic falsity”.

Marxism, the Pope wrote, had left behind “a trail of appalling destruction” because it failed to realize that man could not be “merely the product of economic conditions”.

Shoot UK teacher, say protesters

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What’s wrong with religion? Here’s a prime example. A teacher somehow manages to insult their non-existent god by naming a stuffed animal the same name as their god in a class full of small children; instead of letting their almighty god take care of her blasphemy, they call for blood saying she should be killed.

Shoot UK teacher, say protesters

Thousands of people have marched in the Sudanese capital Khartoum to call for UK teacher Gillian Gibbons to be shot.

Mrs Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, was jailed by a court on Thursday after children in her class named a teddy bear Muhammad.

She was sentenced to 15 days for insulting religion, and she will then be deported.

The marchers took to the streets after Friday prayers to denounce the leniency of the sentence.

The protesters gathered in Martyrs Square, outside the presidential palace in the capital, many of them carrying knives and sticks.

Marchers chanted “Shame, shame on the UK”, “No tolerance – execution” and “Kill her, kill her by firing squad”.

Hundreds of riot police were deployed but they did not break up the demonstration.

Alaska’s `Papa Pilgrim’ gets 14 years

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 Good thing he’s a religious man, otherwise I might have thought he was an immoral man.

Alaska’s `Papa Pilgrim’ gets 14 years

ANCHORAGE, Alaska – A man who called himself “Papa Pilgrim” and took his family far from civilization to raise them according to his interpretation of the Bible was sentenced to 14 years in prison for sexually assaulting a daughter.

A judge imposed the sentence Tuesday after Robert Hale’s wife and many of their 15 children delivered statements that included intense stories of physical and mental abuse. Judge Donald Hopwood called it “one of the worst cases of domestic violence I’ve seen.”

Hale and his family came to prominence during a feud with the National Park Service after family members used a bulldozer without permission to clear a road in Wrangell-St. Elias National Park.

Land rights advocates rallied to their cause, and stories featured their plight as a case of big government versus simple folks loving music, fearing God and living off the land.

University to Teach ‘Intelligent Design’ as Myth

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 Now this is some good news. ‘Bout time schools treat myth as such.

University to Teach ‘Intelligent Design’ as Myth

LAWRENCE, Kan. (AP) — Creationism and intelligent design are going to be studied at the University of Kansas, but not in the way advocated by opponents of the theory of evolution.

A course being offered next semester by the university religious studies department is titled “Special Topics in Religion: Intelligent Design, Creationism and other Religious Mythologies.”

“The KU faculty has had enough,” said Paul Mirecki, department chairman.

“Creationism is mythology,” Mirecki said. “Intelligent design is mythology. It’s not science. They try to make it sound like science. It clearly is not.”

Earlier this month, the state Board of Education adopted new science teaching standards that treat evolution as a flawed theory, defying the view of science groups.

‘Muhammad’ teddy teacher arrested

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Good thing these guys are protecting god from evil teachers who dare desecrate the supremely omnipotent creator and ruler of the universe who apparently can’t clean house himself, right?

‘Muhammad’ teddy teacher arrested

A British school teacher has been arrested in Sudan accused of insulting Islam’s Prophet, after she allowed her pupils to name a teddy bear Muhammad.

Colleagues of Gillian Gibbons, 54, from Liverpool, said she made an “innocent mistake” by letting the six and seven-year-olds choose the name.

Ms Gibbons was arrested after several parents made complaints.

A spokesman from the British Embassy in Sudan’s capital, Khartoum, said it was unclear whether she had been charged.

Embassy officials are expected to visit Ms Gibbons in custody later.

“We are in contact with the authorities here and they have visited the teacher and she is in a good condition,” an embassy spokesman said.

The spokesman said the naming of the teddy happened months ago and was chosen by the children because it is a common name in the country.

“This happened in September and the parents did not have a problem with it,” he said.

Ontario School Board Bans Fantasy Book

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Nothing like keeping an open mind amongst religious schools. I guess a school is no place to learn, right?

Ontario School Board Bans Fantasy Book

BURLINGTON, Ontario, Canada (AP) — A Roman Catholic school board in Ontario ordered the popular fantasy book “The Golden Compass” taken off library shelves at dozens of schools Thursday after receiving a complaint about the author referring to himself as an atheist.

Similar concerns prompted a Catholic organization in the U.S. to urge parents to boycott a movie version of the book starring Nicole Kidman.

The board for Catholic schools in Ontario’s Halton region said a complaint was lodged after British author Philip Pullman stated in an interview that he is an atheist.

“We have a policy and procedure whereby individual parents, staff, students or community members can apply to have material reviewed. That’s what happened in this case,” said Rick MacDonald, the board’s superintendent of curriculum services.

The board, which oversees 43 Catholic elementary and secondary schools, has not released the identity of the complainant. It also removed two other books in Pullman’s “Dark Materials” trilogy as a precaution.

While “The Golden Compass” was first published in 1995, attention was drawn to the book by the film, which opens next month, MacDonald said.

Virgin Mary In a Window

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Can you see her? It’s the virgin mary! (what’s most amazing about this, some stupid group actually leased this building just so they could turn it into some sort of ‘sacred’ site.

Virgin Mary Window

Aww, she got smashed by some hooligan.

Mary Smash

Teen held in Virgin Mary smashing

“He was sorry. It wasn’t anything he intended to do,” said Officer Christian Zarra, one of two officers who interviewed Maskell. “It’s just pretty much that life caught up to him. He was very apologetic.”

Reactions from those visiting the image Monday were mixed. Some stressed forgiveness, others punishment and responsibility.

“We’ve been praying for whoever did it since the day it happened,” said Rosie Reed, site leader for Shepherds of Christ Ministries, which owns the building. “We pray for the whole world under Mary’s image. I’m going to continue praying for everyone involved.”

But Jose Pombo II, who was there to light a candle Monday, had punishment in mind.

“If he’s 18, he’s an adult. For this kid not to know, at the age of 18, what this represents is inexcusable,” Pombo said. “I think he should serve a very long time. It’s desecrating a holy place. That’s like going to Lourdes in France and desecrating it.”

The Anti-Crusader

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Good thing these religious nuts let people have faith in god, of their own volition and not forced belief, right?

The Anti-Crusader

At Mikey Weinstein’s home in the suburbs of Albuquerque, the picture window in the living room has been twice shot out. Sometimes Weinstein opens his front door to find dead animals on his porch, feces smeared on his walls, or slashes in his tires. Men have called to threaten his daughter, women to chant rhymes about shooting him in the head, small children to inform him that he will burn in hell. To his critics, he says, “Take a number, pack a picnic lunch, and stand in line.” He’s not going anywhere, and neither is his 5’6″ ex-Marine security guard, Shorty.

Weinstein is the middle rung in three generations of soldiers. A former Air Force JAG and White House attorney for Ronald Reagan, he has adopted a shock-and-awe approach to battling efforts by the military to impress Christianity upon American soldiers. “We have the Christian Taliban and the Christian Al Qaeda inside our military,” says Weinstein, the founder of the Military Religious Freedom Foundation, “and they really have WMD, unlike Saddam.”

An amateur pugilist with shoulders like a butcher block and a head like a cannonball, he several times challenged evangelical minister Ted Haggard to a boxing match. (Haggard declined.) His adversaries call him, to his great delight, “The Field General of the Godless Armies of Satan,” though his friends prefer nicknames like “Ticktock” and “Motor Mouth.” During one of his trademark rapid-fire, profanity-laced diatribes, he proclaimed, “Our job here is to kick ass, take names, and leave sucking chest wounds on the people who are trying to engage the machinery of the state to push their biblical worldview.” To allies who suggest that perhaps Weinstein should appoint someone more diplomatic to lead the foundation, he offers, “First they will have to prove to me that what we are engaged in is a polite exchange of views” with right-wing Christians, “instead of a bloody battle that only ends with the last person standing.”

‘Mega-Church’ Leader Caught With Secret Second Family

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Ok, on three, everyone slap their cheeks and act shocked. I know, I know, none of you can fathom how someone so respectable could possibly be up to such sinful behavior, right? Well, I’m sorry to have to break it to you.

Sex Scandal Hits Atlanta-Area Megachurch

Decatur, Ga. (AP) — The 80-year-old leader of a suburban Atlanta megachurch is at the center of a sex scandal of biblical dimensions: He slept with his brother’s wife and fathered a child by her.

Members of Archbishop Earl Paulk’s family stood at the pulpit of the Cathedral of the Holy Spirit at Chapel Hill Harvester Church a few Sundays ago and revealed the secret exposed by a recent court-ordered paternity test.

In truth, this is not the first — or even the second — sex scandal to engulf Paulk and the independent, charismatic church. But this time, he could be in trouble with the law for lying under oath about the affair.

The living proof of that lie is 34-year-old D.E. Paulk, who for years was known publicly as Earl Paulk’s nephew.

“I am so very sorry for the collateral damage it’s caused our family and the families hurt by the removing of the veil that hid our humanity and our sinfulness,” said D.E. Paulk, who received the mantle of head pastor a year and a half ago.

D.E. Paulk said he did not learn the secret of his parentage until the paternity test. “I was disappointed, and I was surprised,” he said.

Earl Paulk, his brother, Don, and his sister-in-law, Clariece, did not return calls for comment.

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