Things may change even in Texas

It is quite moving video and from unusual school board session in Dallas, Texas.




Besides the story of teenage suicides which is always tragic and nonsensical, I think that interesting thing is the impact on the social changes which is made by technology that allowed to film such events and distribute them everywhere using Internet so the message may reach young people who strongly need such support. I must say that I feel very lucky to live in such transforming times.

The court analogy

Believers sometimes provide argument that their case is similar to the court case in the sense that the skeptic is examining their beliefs (as a set of claims), demanding evidence and providing verdict that belief is correct or is false. In that analogy the defendant, thee believer should have the right to be presumed as "innocent unless proven".

The Story of Marjoe

I have found the full length version of this movie online. It tells the story of the youngest in history American evangelist. He was 4 when he started to preach sermons and assist at marriage celebrations.

It sums it up quite well

It is short clip but it humorously shows the ridiculous stance of religious accommodation.

How is doing student sentenced to death in Afghanistan?

I have recently reminded myself about the situation of the young student, Sayed Pervez Kambaksh from Afghanistan imprisoned and sentenced to death by authorities (mostly hardline Islamists). His only grave crime was to download the report about womens' right from United Nations agency web site. It is worth to mention that this happened under rule of Karzai and while american troops present in Afghanistan.

Science debunking religion

One of frequent whines of religious people is that science actively "debunks" religion or at least some group of vocal unbelievers apparently participates in that business. Those persons sometimes support in general science (and evolution) in their specific sense of but they just do not like the idea that conclusions of science may contradict their deeply hold beliefs and expose them as false.