From TampaBay.com:
A group representing people who do not believe in God or any gods has revved up an awareness campaign in Hillsborough and Pinellas counties.
The United Coalition of Reason paid to have two billboards erected that feature a blue sky with clouds and the words: “Are you good without God? Millions are.”
The move is the latest in an advertising blitz involving religion that has people talking.
Best-selling atheist author Sam Harris pushes back against Karen Armstrong’s sympathetic take on religion.
From Skeptico:
I was reminded of the Kennedy/Thimerosal fiasco when I looked at the recent Climategate hacked emails. You know the ones. The leaked emails that proves, just proves I tell you, that global warming is a hoax, a conspiracy of lefty scientists, environmentalists and Al Gore.
From citypages.com:
University of Tennessee professor Stan Guffey is considering legal action against Ray Comfort, the evangelist who has spearheaded a nationwide drive to distribute free copies of his doctored version of Charles Darwin’s “The Origin of the Species” on college campuses, including at the University of Minnesota. Comfort, who denies evolutionary biology, published his own edition of Darwin’s treatise so he could annotate it with fundamentalist Christian criticism. But it turns out that Comfort’s introduction apparently contains whole passages from Guffney’s biography of Darwin — without citing Guffney. And here’s a twist: Guffney is an ardent opponent of Comfort.
From Huffingtonpost.com:
Jon Stewart went after “Fox & Friends” host Gretchen Carlson last night. Saying she plays the “troubled mom, just trying to make sense of this modern country,” Stewart explained Carlson seems to be dumbing herself down in order to connect with an audience that sees intellect as an elitist flaw.
| The Daily Show With Jon Stewart | Mon - Thurs 11p / 10c | |||
| Gretchen Carlson Dumbs Down | ||||
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From TimesOnline:
Chip fat, dogs’ rear ends, potato chips, factory walls, the foil wrapper of a cider bottle…
God moves in mysterious ways to show his face in even more peculiar places and he’s been exceptionally busy this year.
Inspired by BuzzFeed’s comprehensive round-up of this year’s sightings, here’s Comment Central’s pick of the 10 best objects in which Our Lord (in his infinite wisdom) chose to reveal himself in 2009.
Read the rest of the article here.
David Williamson, participant of Free Inquiry Forum, is starting a new group called Suncoast Skeptics.
Group description from David:
Southwest Florida Critical Thinkers and Skeptics gather to network and to promote science and reason.
Let’s start with a Skeptics in the Pub event in Sarasota and see if we have interest in Bradenton, Venice, or Port Charlotte, too.
If you are interested in helping to get things started, please be in touch and PLEASE spread the word!
The first Skeptics in the Pub will be January 8th at 6 PM. More details are here.
Check out these links for more info:
Meetup Site
Facebook Group
From ABC News:
Anthropologist Not So Gently Points Out Basic Superiority of Our Ancient Forebears
In “Manthropology: The Science of the Inadequate Modern Male,” anthropologist Peter McAllister argues that any Neanderthal woman could beat Arnold Schwarzenegger from his “Conan the Barbarian” years in an arm-wrestling match.
First Friday Freethinkers Group at the Unitarian Universalist Church of Sarasota meets on Friday, 12/4/09.
Topic: “The Neurobiology of Spirituality”
Are human beings genetically disposed towards spirituality? Can spirituality be inherited, along with the color of your eyes and hair?
The answers to those questions may surprise you. As Unitarians, we search for answers to the larger questions in life anywhere we can find them. And on December 4th, the Freethinkers of UUSC is proud to present one of the leading thinkers on the subject of spirituality and the brain: Sarasota neurologist Dr. Alan Grindal.
Dr. Grindal has spent a lifetime trying to understand why humans seem to have such a need to believe in a power greater than ourselves. He thinks he may have found some answers.
In fact, he has learned that certain drugs [eg.,psilocybin, peyote and LSD] can affect our own level of spirituality. Brain injuries, Alzheimers and even epilepsy can cause a diminished spirituality.
If you are intrigued by these findings you should set aside an hour next Friday, Dec. 4, at 10 a.m. and come to the Unitarian Church (3975 Fruitville Road, Sarasota) to hear Dr. Grindal explore these findings in more detail. The event is free and open to the public.
You can learn more about Dr. Gindal’s findings in this review.
Background on Dr. Grindal
Dr. Grindal graduated from Northwestern University with a B.A. and received his M.D. .from the University of Illinois. His neurology training was completed at the Medical College of Virginia where he served as a faculty member.
Dr. Grindal has been in the private practice of neurology in Sarasota Florida since 1978. He has been chosen by his peers to be among The Best Doctors in America and honored with a Fellowship in the America Academy of Neurology. Currently he serves as a neurological consultant to the Memory Disorder Clinic at Sarasota Memorial Hospital and as a Clinical Assistant Professor at Florida State University.
When: Friday, December 4, 2009
Where: Jefferson Room at Sarasota UU, 3975 Fruitville Road, Sarasota, FL 34232
Time: 10:00 AM
Membership: Open to all
Questions: Call Tom Dente 921-1598 or e-mail freethinkers@uusarasota.com
