Neil DeGrasse Tyson:

‘Enlightened Religious People Don’t Use The Bible As A Textbook’

Astrophysicist Neil DeGrasse Tyson, director of the Hayden Planetarium, is the host of “Cosmos,” the rebooted version of Carl Sagan’s classic science show. “Cosmos” debuted Sunday on Fox, and Tyson joined the Brian Lehrer Show on WNYC to discuss its return, as well why the Bible shouldn’t be used as a textbook. [Read more]

‘Cosmos’ Accused of Taking a Jab at Catholics

Some are crying foul at the opening episode of the much-anticipated reboot of the Carl Sagan science program “Cosmos.” Hosted by astrophysicist Neil deGrasse Tyson, Sunday’s debut episode featured an animated segment on the persecution of Giordano Bruno, a 16th-century monk and astronomer. [Read more]

Religio-Secular

“Our Secular Future: The redefinition of religious liberty in American society” is a promising and threatening reflection by Richard R. Reno in the Jesuit-based weekly America (February 24, 2014). [Read more]

Brunei to Implement Shariah Law, Including Amputations and Stoning

Beginning on April 1, the tiny but oil and petroleum-rich nation of Brunei, will be the first eastern Asian country to implement nation-wide the strict penal code of Shariah. This law strictly regulates punishments such as the amputation of limbs for theft, stoning for adultery, and flogging for alcohol consumption, abortion and homosexuality. Those punishments are referred to as “hudud,” or punishments that are fixed for certain kinds of crimes, ones which are referred to as “claims of Allah.” [Read more]

BBC Drops Homosexuality Debate from ‘Free Speech’ Show After Objections from Mosque

The BBC has controversially dropped a debate on homosexuality from a live panel discussion show because of objections from Birmingham Central Mosque in which the programme was being filmed. As first reported by Breitbart London, the BBC Three live debate and discussion show aimed at young people, Free Speech, had intended to ask the question, “When will it be accepted to be Muslim and gay?” [Read more]

Christian Sacked from Nursery Did Not Suffer Religious Discrimination, Appeals Tribunal Rules

An Employment Appeals Tribunal (EAT) has dismissed an appeal from a woman who claimed she had been fired from her job in a nursery because of her religious beliefs. The woman, referred to as Ms Grace, was employed as a manager at an Islington nursery, Places for Children. She was dismissed from her employment after nine months because she held an unauthorised training session for staff members, which gave rise to complaints by some of those who attended it. [Read more]

Enticing Men Back Into Church

It is pretty well established that women are more likely to be regular churchgoers than men.

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Pope’s First Year of Papacy Has Been a Failure on Child Abuse

At the first anniversary of his papacy, it’s a good time to review the Pope’s handling of the child abuse crisis, which so plagued the papacy of his predecessor. Few would dispute that clerical child abuse was the most pressing issue, given that his predecessor’s lamentable performance on this was widely thought to be the main reason that a papal election took place. [Read more]

Fatwa Prohibits ‘All You Can Eat’ Offers

A fatwa (religious edict) against “all you can eat” buffets by a Saudi cleric has stirred debate among users of social networking site Twitter. The cleric, Saleh al-Fawzan, recently issued a fatwa through a kingdom-based Quranic TV station prohibiting open buffets, saying that the value and quantity of what is sold should be pre-determined before it is purchased. [Read more]

U.S. Calls Guantanamo Hunger Strikes ‘Non-Religious Fasting’

New Guantanamo Bay U.S. prison guidelines describe hunger striking detainees as undergoing “long term non-religious fasting,” a copy of the document obtained by Reuters shows. Two U.S. military officials, speaking on condition of anonymity, said on Wednesday the change in terminology helps differentiate between detainees with medical conditions caused by malnourishment, and political protesters who were at or above their ideal body weight. [Read more]