http://www.infreethought.org Current events from the world of freethought, faith, and politics. daily 1 2007-11-25T02:35:04Z http://www.infreethought.org/news/former-pastor-found-guilty Lewis, who lost his job at the church shortly after his arrest, admitted early that he was living a double life, preaching on Sundays then drinking and doing crack cocaine on Mondays, authorities said. No publisher admin 2008-07-11T15:32:38Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/crosses-to-be-removed-from-police-chaplain-badges Crosses will be removed from badges worn by Spokane Police chaplains under terms of an out-of-court settlement between the city and a former Lutheran pastor-turned-atheist who sued over the government agency’s use of the insignias and Christian prayers. No publisher admin 2008-02-08T20:37:20Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/god-tells-hayden-man-to-cut-off-and-microwave-hand A Hayden man cut off his hand with a circular saw Saturday and put it in the microwave, allegedly to rid his body of the mark of the beast and escape the wrath of God. No publisher admin 2008-01-09T20:32:28Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/spokane-ex-youth-minister-gets-15-years-for-sex James Ritter used manipulation to groom young girls at a Lutheran church, deceive their parents and fool church leaders. But the former youth minister didn't dupe a Spokane County judge on Monday with his words of remorse and acknowledgement of deplorable acts as he pleaded for community-based sex-offender treatment rather than prison. Ritter was sentenced to 15 years on six counts of first-degree sexual misconduct. The charges stem from at least six times he met and had sex with a 16-year-old girl after youth group. No publisher admin 2008-01-08T19:08:57Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/powerful-civil-rights-group-calls-atheism-a-civil The right to not believe in a higher power is now considered a civil right to be defended like any other by one well-established civil rights organization in Washington, D.C. The Secular Coalition of America (SCA) is the first nontheist group invited to join the Legislative Conference on Civil Rights (LCCR). No publisher admin 2008-01-07T03:34:33Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/bishop-blames-child-abuse-on-children Bernando Álvarez said that there are 13-year-olds who are wanting to be abused, and 'if you are careless they will provoke you' No publisher admin 2008-01-04T18:20:29Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/youth-pastor-charged-with-performing-sex-acts-on A youth pastor at Bible Way Church has been charged with performing sex acts on a 14-year old girl three separate times. Investigators say 36-year-old Falcon Davis worked at the Augusta church for 2 years. They say Davis confessed to the crimes. He is now in jail awaiting a bond hearing. No publisher admin 2008-01-04T02:57:02Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/priest-charged-with-lying-about-mob-ties A Roman Catholic priest was arrested on perjury charges Wednesday, accused of lying about his relationship with a mobster in testimony to a grand jury investigating a casino owner's possible ties to organized crime. No publisher admin 2008-01-03T01:43:02Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/ex-pastor-sentenced-alleges-molestation-by-a-4 A retired pastor from Canada was sentenced to three years in prison today after telling a McHenry County judge he was sexually harassed by the 4-year-old Lake in the Hills girl he pleaded guilty to molesting. Kenneth R. Cooke, 73, appeared to have reasonable chance at a probation sentence given his age, health problems and lack of criminal history heading into his sentencing hearing this afternoon. But the Calgary man who once headed his own ministry likely blew his chance of avoiding prison when he took the witness stand and painted his pre-school age victim as a sexual aggressor. "On a couple of occasions I felt I was sexually harassed," Cooke said. "I think there is psychological evidence that children even in their younger years can become interested in sex." No publisher admin 2007-12-29T20:16:18Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/what-we-believe-atheism-a-belief-in-the-here-and Atheist Fernando Aguilar of Walla Walla reads extensively to learn about the world around him and believes it's possible to live a moral life without religion. "Live your life the way you want other people to live. Enjoy family. Do something in the community that helps others. It's the community and family, to me, that are most important," he said. No publisher admin 2007-12-29T20:01:46Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/military-evangelism-deeper-wider-than-first For US Army soldiers entering basic training at Fort Jackson Army base in Columbia, South Carolina, accepting Jesus Christ as their personal savior appears to be as much a part of the nine-week regimen as the vigorous physical and mental exercises the troops must endure. That's the message directed at Fort Jackson soldiers, some of whom appear in photographs in government issued fatigues, holding rifles in one hand, and Bibles in their other hand. Frank Bussey, director of Military Ministry at Fort Jackson, has been telling soldiers at Fort Jackson that "government authorities, police and the military = God's Ministers," No publisher admin 2007-12-25T04:47:44Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/from-the-censorship-desk-toronto-area-catholic (Are ideas threatening your dogma? Censorship to the rescue!) After yanking The Golden Compass from its library shelves for review, a Toronto-area Catholic school board has decided to make the removal permanent. At a board meeting Tuesday evening, the trustees of the Halton District Catholic School Board voted to ban the title as well as the remaining two books in atheist author Philip Pullman's His Dark Materials trilogy: The Subtle Knife and The Amber Spyglass. No publisher admin 2007-12-21T17:58:35Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/the-council-for-secular-humanism-chides-congress (December 14, 2007) -- Experts from the Council for Secular Humanism noted with alarm the passage of H. Res. 847 in the House of Representatives. This unnecessary, unwarranted, and bigoted law, under the misleading title "Recognizing the Importance of Christmas and the Christian Faith" passed the House with overwhelming bipartisan support It effectively undermines the sort of religious tolerance necessary in these changing times. No publisher admin 2007-12-16T06:39:27Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/father-says-killed-daughter-in-canadian-hijab-case A Canadian teenager who was said to have clashed with her father about whether she should wear a traditional Muslim head scarf died of injuries late on Monday, and her father told police he had killed her. No publisher admin 2007-12-12T00:16:22Z News Item http://www.infreethought.org/news/news_item.2007-12-10.1411070037 The gunman was identified as Matthew Murray, 24, who was home-schooled by his family and raised in what a friend said was a deeply religious Christian household. No publisher admin 2007-12-11T01:37:23Z News Item