For most of last week and this weekend I was representing CFI at the Religion Newswriters Association annual conference in Columbus, Ohio. I’m telling you this because it means I haven’t been able to write The Morning Heresy for many, many days, and I am now way, way behind on the news. I also want to tell you that in my presentation at the conference, I extolled CFI in the form of three rhyming sonnets. I may or may not make this work public.
The Truth Seeker is the oldest freethought publication in the world, and, turns out, the Center for Inquiry owns it. I mean, it does now. Tom Flynn recounts this periodical’s very weird history, from its golden age championing evolution and women’s rights, to its ugly “dark age,” and all the way to now, where it’s in good hands:
Its editorial focus is solidly on freethought history, including but not limited to the title’s own glory days under D. M. Bennett and Eugene Macdonald when it was the journal of record of a large and culturally resonant reform movement.
Celestia Ward, in her Peeling Back the Onion column for CFI, has a great piece on the “bridezilla” trope, an example of how stories go viral by playing on existing stereotypes, regardless of whether they’re true.
Joe Nickell explores the phenomena of “weeping” statues as claims emerge about an effigy of Mary in Hobbs, New Mexico.
Rob Palmer, in his Well-Known Skeptic column, takes issue with Sharon Hill’s recent piece on why she’s “turning in her skeptic’s card” and rejecting the “skeptic” label. (Palmer also reminds us of the fact that some of us atheists tried to call ourselves Brights, which I thought we weren’t talking about.)
Caleb Lack looks at how the term “evidence-based” is being co-opted by psychological practices that are, well, less so, and offers advice for figuring out who actually does rely on evidence.
At Skeptical Inquirer online, Ben Radford discusses the “secret hand signs” conspiracy theory regarding the alleged white-power signal displayed at the Kavanaugh hearings by a Trump advisor. Who was born in Mexico. And is half-Jewish.
Ben also looks into the alleged Yeti footprint found by Josh Gates of the ironically-named Destination Truth show.
Pyotr Verzilov, a Russian activist with Pussy Riot, seems to have been poisoned in Moscow, and has been flown to Germany for treatment. Pussy Riot members are pissed.
Bloomberg Government reports on the organizations from across the political spectrum pushing for or against Brett Kavanaugh, and the Center for Inquiry is among them.
Jim Underdown in his Ask the Atheist column waves goodbye to Finding Bigfoot, ending on its 100th episode:
How do you shoot 100 episodes of a no-chance search and keep people interested Remember in 1986 when Geraldo aired The Mystery of Al Capone’s Vaults. It was a colossal bust, and people were pissed they wasted time watching. Watching 100 episodes of Finding Bigfoot would be like watching Geraldo another 99 times after getting burned the first time.
David Gorski writes about the frustrating phenomenon of cancer patients looking to crowdfunding to pay for their treatments, which all too often include quackery.
The National Solar Observatory in New Mexico has been evacuated and NO ONE KNOWS WHY. No, really, no one does.
This will be something to look into: There’s an A&E documentary on the faith-healing problem in Idaho, No Greater Law.
After meeting with bishops to deal with the Catholic Church’s sex-abuse crisis, Pope Francis makes the BOLD claim that the Mafia is bad. What is the Latin translation for “wag the dog”?
Elizabeth Bruenig at the Post tells the harrowing story of Michael Reading, who in the 1980s sought to become a priest, a fact that he says Archbishop Theodore McCarrick used as leverage to sexually abuse him.
Religion and law professor Leslie C. Griffin writes at the CFI website about the sexual abuse crisis in the Catholic Church, including her own work to make sure the Pennsylvania report was made public.
The archbishop of Canterbury, meanwhile, says corporate greed is bad (which is also true), specifically attacking Amazon and those promoting the “gig economy.”
The Texas State Board of Education HEY WAIT DON’T LEAVE okay thank you. Ahem. The Texas State Board of Education has decided that its history curriculum should not include Hillary Clinton or Helen Keller, but should include a lot, and I mean a LOT more stuff starting with “Judeo-Christian.”
The Phoenix New Times profiles Joseph Kezele, the young-Earth creationist on Arizona’s committee for deciding evolution curriculum. Yep. That’s a thing that’s happening.
Oh, but we’re not alone with this problem. At Haaretz, Uri Misgav warns about religious “missionary brainwashing” in Israel’s public schools.
Planned Parenthood has a new boss: Dr. Leana Wen. Sounds qualified:
Wen will be the second physician ever, and the first in 50 years, to preside over Planned Parenthood. She graduated from college when she was 18 and first volunteered at a Planned Parenthood clinic in medical school—this was all before she became a Rhodes Scholar. She’s since been an emergency room doctor at two hospitals in the Boston area.
As of right now, there’s no official “category 6” for hurricanes, which would mean winds over 200mph. But there probably will be.
Abby Ohlheiser at the Post does an overview of the many hoaxes that pop up during natural disasters like hurricanes, including claims of sharks swimming around downtown.
Leading biologists write in Science that world governments need to set aside half of the planet for wildlife by 2050, or we’re all screwed.
NBC’s Today reports on the death of an 11-month-old from chickenpox, contracted from his unvaccinated siblings.
The current incarnation of “Dear Abby,” Jeanne Phillips, warns about psychics:
As for her “psychic life coach,” you should know that — unlike physicians, psychologists and social workers — life coaches do not belong to any organization that requires them to adhere to ethical standards. Your daughter should be made aware of the possible risk in placing her future in that person’s hands.
She should probably have also added, “Also, no one actually has psychic powers.”
Hoosiers are hopping mad about those awful Satanic Temple types who have the GALL to CLEAN UP TRASH along a HIGHWAY. AAAAUGH!!! (╯°□°）╯︵ ┻━┻
Quote of the Day
Some atheist red meat for y’all. The great Nigerian humanist activist Leo Igwe on what happens when we die:
Look, when we die, we rot. This is a fact, and an incontrovertible fact. The evidence is there. The organ/faculty that makes it possible to realise anything rots and disintegrates. So there is no way to realise the existence of anything including God when the facility for realisation is not there. Religion has always tried to create and superimpose God on this life and on an imagined post mortem realm.
This is one of the narratives driving religious extremism in today’s world. Unfortunately, religion has made a huge capital out of death and what happens hereafter. Whatever makes the idea of God impossible, and untenable; whatever makes God an inexistable being before death makes God’s existence unrealisable after death. Religious minds should get over this childish thinking.
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Linking to a story or webpage does not imply endorsement by Paul or CFI. Not every use of quotation marks is ironic or sarcastic, but it often is.