Indianapolis Schools Ban Atheism Websites Indianapolis Schools Ban Atheism Website by Jesse Galef The Indianapolis Public School system has a policy to ban certain websites from being viewed at school. Wait, what? “Sites that promote and provide information on religions such as Wicca, Witchcraft or Satanism. Any site addressing LGBT issues or sexual identity is also banned – great idea for the kids going through confusing times, right? Ok, first of all, I don’t know why “atheistic views” are in the same category as Satanism. The Freedom From Religion Foundation is on the case, writing a letter to the superintendent and urging people to voice their concerns. Steak au Poivre - The Showstopper I have a comment on this comment, then I have a comment for the OP. To Amy: Removing to foil is simply a way to keep the steaks warm whilst resting (FOR 5 MINUTES AT LEAST… ALWAYYYS!). When the OP says remove to foil, he/she doesn’t mean to wrap them tightly. They mean to place them in a plate, and form a loose ‘covering’ of foil. This will simply trap some of the heat and allow it to remain warm, without trapping too much moisture. To the OP and to anyone else who decides to try ‘flambe’: It is important to note: When you add cognac or any other high proof liquour to a hot pan, then ignite, you are not burning the alcohol itself, per se. - Never light alcohol while there is an open flame/heat source. - Notice how in the OP, they remove the pan from the stove and then light. - Keep a heavy lidded pan nearby, just in case things Do go awry (if you follow the first 2 tips, they won’t) - Always have at least an ABC rated fire extinguisher within arm’s reach
Why atheism is winning-11: Some concluding thoughts The last hope of religion is the fear of death. Fear of death is what religion thinks of as its trump card. In any discussion with believers, they will invariably get around to talking about how you (as an atheist) are risking your immortal soul and ask whether you are not fearful of what will happen in the afterlife. By Mano Singham I know that this is coming and tell people who raise this that when I die, nothing spectacular will happen and that I will simply cease to be, with my body returning to the basic elements. I am quite comfortable with the idea. Why atheism is winning is because when a belief structure has no empirical basis, it only survives by everyone agreeing to maintain the illusion that it makes sense. On the level of simply ideas, religion is losing because fewer are converting into religion than are converting out, especially amongst the young. Brigstocke's last point is worth reiterating: This series is archived here.
Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups Soooooo… you know that episode of Sex and the City where Miranda has to dump dish soap on top of chocolate cake just so she will stop eating it?? Uh. Yeeeeeah. These are like… of that caliber. And that totally almost happened to me. I ate what felt like a million, then had a plate of 5-day old green bean fries from the fridge and called it lunch. I definitely recommend those. For lunch. Face? Inhale. Chocolate Chip Cookie Dough Peanut Butter Cups [cookie dough adapted from cookie dough dip] makes 24 cups 2 1/2 cups milk chocolate chips 1/2 cup unsalted butter 1/3 cup packed brown sugar 1 teaspoon vanilla extract 1/4 cup creamy peanut butter 3/4 cup powdered sugar 2 tablespoons all-purpose flour 1/4 teaspoon salt 1/2 cup mini chocolate chips In a small saucepan, heat butter until melted. Line a mini muffin with with liners. Remove muffin tin and cookie dough, then place 1 teaspoon of cookie dough (I somewhat rolled mine) into the chocolate cups. Sigh.
Let Atheists (or Jews or Muslims) Care For Your Pets After the Rapture For a small fee, of course. Via Tyler Cowen, two websites -- Eternal Earth-Bound Pets, USA and JesusPets – that promise a service in which atheists who are also animal-lovers agree to care for the pets of those taken in the rapture. From Eternal Earth-Bound Pets: You've committed your life to Jesus. You know you're saved. We are a group of dedicated animal lovers, and atheists. We are currently active in 20 states and growing. Our service is plain and simple; our fee structure is reasonable. For $110.00 we will guarantee that should the Rapture occur within ten (10) years of receipt of payment, one pet per residence will be saved. Unfortunately at this time we are not equipped to accommodate all species and must limit our services to dogs, cats, birds, rabbits, and small caged mammals. From JesusPets: If Jesus returns tonight, who will feed your pets tomorrow? Make hard CA$H from home while the world is in flames! JesusPets will pay YOU to take care of dogs, cats, and other pets.
Is "Freethinker" Synonymous with Nontheist? Jeffery Jay Lowder In this column, I want to consider two distinct but closely related questions: (1) can a theist be a freethinker?; and (2) are all nontheists freethinkers? Can a Theist be a Freethinker? For many nontheists, the concept of a "theistic freethinker" is a contradiction in terms. But why should we accept the CFA's definition of "freethinker"? I am quite aware that the number of theists who fit the above description must be very low. At this point, I can imagine the reaction of most nontheists: "I agree with you that a theist can be a freethinker, but a theist would have to be liberal in order to be a freethinker. In order to avoid any misunderstandings, let me clarify what I mean. That Evangelicals cannot be freethinkers is confirmed by leading Evangelical scholars themselves. It is unbiblical to think of doubt as a virtue; to the contrary, doubt is always portrayed in the Scriptures as something detrimental to spiritual life. Are All Nontheists Freethinkers? Notes
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