The Non-Prophets

 A public school let a Christian illusionist trick kids into attending a religious rally  The Friendly Atheist, By Hemant Mehta, on November 5, 2024   https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/a-public-school-let-a-christian-illusionist In this segment, the panelists discuss the controversial and manipulative use of magic shows by certain religious groups to attract young people, especially teens, into re...

Easier for students to come out as gay than Christian, Evangelical group says  Christian Post, By Anugrah Kumar, on November 11, 2024  https://www.christianpost.com/news/easier-for-students-to-come-out-as-gay-than-christian.html The panel discussed a growing cultural conflict in Northern Ireland surrounding Christian versus secular education, with a focus on sexuality and reproductive health. Jona...

Trump defense secretary pick Pete Hegseth was flagged as potential military 'insider threat' because of 'Deus Vult' tattoo   ABC News, By Lucien Bruggeman and Nathan Luna, on November 18, 2024 https://abcnews.go.com/US/pete-hegseth-flagged-potential-insider-threat-tattoo/story?id=115979853 The discussion opens with Cindy Plaza introducing the controversy surrounding Pete Hegseth, a nominee for Sec...

 Ex-Satanist, Witch and Psychic Embroiled in Darkness Abandons It All After Jesus Appears to Him: ‘I Was in Shock’ Faithwire, By Billy Hallowell, on October 31, 2024 https://www.faithwire.com/2024/10/31/ex-satanist-witch-and-psychic-embroiled-in-darkness-abandons-it-all-after-jesus-appears-to-him-i-was-in-shock/ Battling Demonic Evil: Pastor Sounds Off on Possession, Oppression, and Generational C...

 How Archaeologists hunting Noah's Ark made discovery at boat-shaped mound The US Sun, By Juliana Cruz Lima, on October 19, 2024 https://www.the-sun.com/news/12709948/noahs-ark-bible-discovery-turkey-iran/ Scientists unlock secrets of 3,000-year-old tablet revealing path to Noah's Ark  The Jerusalem Post by Jerusalem Post Staff on OCTOBER 30, 2024 This conversation delves into two significant clai...

 After their son came out, this conservative Christian couple went into a closet of their own CNN, By John Blake, on November 3, 2024 https://www.cnn.com/2024/11/03/us/conservative-christian-coming-out-gay-cec/index.html The panelists delved into the McDonald family's journey, reflecting on the tensions within conservative Christian communities when grappling with LGBTQ+ acceptance. Initially, Gre...

 An anti-abortion influencer insists she'll continue her high-risk ectopic pregnancy The Friendly Atheist, By Hemant Mehta, on October 28, 2024 https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/an-anti-abortion-influencer-insists The panelists discussed Alex Gooding's decision to continue her pregnancy despite the life-threatening complications of cesarean scar ectopic pregnancy (CSP). They critiqued her reliance...

Majority of Christians Confess to Using Porn — And Many Are Comfortable With It, Study Finds Faithwire, By Tré Goins-Phillips, on October 22, 2024 https://www.faithwire.com/2024/10/22/majority-of-christians-confess-to-using-porn-and-many-are-comfortable-with-it-study-finds/   This discussion explores the unexpected acceptance and prevalence of pornography use among churchgoing Christians, revealin...

A Woman Died After Being Told It Would Be a “Crime” to Intervene in Her Miscarriage at a Texas Hospital ProPublica, By Cassandra Jaramillo and Kavitha Surana, on Oct 30, 2024 https://www.propublica.org/article/josseli-barnica-death-miscarriage-texas-abortion-ban?fbclid=IwZXh0bgNhZW0CMTEAAR1Y0lGG-_K1AGP4xUGx4t80AgCOcvOFoRx1J59MSnGzO-_PCnysmJjk0xs_aem_LI_D0xI9zQdkz2MDkku8PQ   In a moving discussion,...

“Not Medically Necessary”: Inside the Company Helping America’s Biggest Health Insurers Deny Coverage for Care Pro Publica, By T. Christian Miller, on Oct 23, 2024 https://www.propublica.org/article/evicore-health-insurance-denials-cigna-unitedhealthcare-aetna-prior-authorizations   The panel delves into the complexities and pitfalls of the U.S. healthcare system, particularly the insurance indust...

Right-wing Christian worship leader Zach Radcliff charged with child sex crimes The Friendly Atheist, By Hemant Mehta, on Oct 23, 2024 https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/right-wing-christian-worship-leader The discussion highlights yet another scandal involving sexual abuse within a religious institution, this time focusing on Michigan's Liber University and its ties to a former student and church...

 Scientists Have Observed Evidence of Evolution in Real Time Popular Mechanics, By Darren Orf, on October 11, 2024 https://www.popularmechanics.com/science/animals/a62570259/snail-evolution-real-time/ In the final segment of the discussion, the spotlight is on a fascinating and often overlooked subject: snails. Kelley, the resident scientist, delves into a long-term research project being conducte...

 Publicly execute a few women: Pastor calls for executing women who partook in #MeToo movement The Mary Sue, By Rachel Ulatowski, on October 21, 2024 https://www.themarysue.com/publicly-execute-a-few-women-pastor-calls-for-executing-women-who-partook-in-metoo-movement/ In a recent panel discussion, the topic centered around controversial remarks made by Pastor Joel Webon of Covenant Bible Church i...

 Florida Republican says opponent's Humanism 'should disqualify her' from office The Friendly Atheist, By Hemant Mehta, on October 16, 2024 https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/florida-republican-says-opponents In Florida's District 38 State House race, the political landscape is heating up as Democrat Sarah Henry faces off against Republican incumbent David Smith in a highly anticipated rematch. Thi...

 Louisiana teacher of the year sues to stop state's Ten Commandments law Newsweek, By Natalie Venegas, on October 23, 2024 https://www.newsweek.com/louisiana-teacher-year-sues-stop-states-ten-commandments-law-1973796 The panel discusses Louisiana's HB 71, a law mandating the display of the Ten Commandments in public classrooms. Christopher Diehr, the 2020 Louisiana Teacher of the Year, has filed a...

Comb Jelly with Two Butts Is Actually Two Individuals Fused Together SCIAM, by Elizabeth Ann Brown, on October 7, 2024 In this episode, the hosts dive into a quirky yet significant scientific discovery about comb jellies, organisms known for their peculiar biology. The focus shifts to a recent finding where two comb jellies fused into a single body, leading to an odd scenario where each retained i...

Why people always think they’re right, according to science Fortune, By Ani Freedman, on October 9, 2024 The conversation starts with a humorous introduction about always being right, but quickly shifts to a discussion about a recent study on the "illusion of information adequacy." This study found that when given incomplete facts, people often believe they have enough information to make informed...

Turned My Whole Life Upside Down’: South Carolina Woman Charged with Murder After Giving Birth to Baby Prematurely On Toilet Atlanta Black Star, By Jill Jordan Sieder , on September 24, 2024 The conversation focuses on the case of Mary Marsh, a young Black woman from South Carolina who was charged with murder after the loss of her pregnancy. This tragic event unfolded in March 2023, and Marsh, jus...

Jerry Falwell Jr. is back and it's bad for everyone Religious News, By Karen Swallow Prior, on October 4, 2024 The story dives into Christian hypocrisy, particularly examining the scandal surrounding Jerry Falwell Jr., his fall from grace, and his eventual return to Liberty University during homecoming week. Falwell’s behavior highlights the deep contradictions within institutions like Liberty, wh...

 DeSantis Administration Threatens News Station With Criminal Charges for Airing Abortion Amendment Ad Truthout, By Chris Walker, on October 9, 2024 https://truthout.org/articles/desantis-administration-threatens-news-station-for-airing-abortion-amendment-ad/ The state government of Florida is attempting to suppress a news station, WFLA, by threatening to criminalize them for airing a pro-Amendmen...

War on wokeness: the year the right rallied around a made-up menace the Guardian, By Michael Harriot, on December 21, 2022 https://www.theguardian.com/us-news/2022/dec/20/anti-woke-race-america-history The discussion opens with a focus on the "war on woke," examining whether it's a real issue or just a political creation. Florida Governor Ron DeSantis' rhetoric against the so-called "woke mob" is...

 Here’s What I Saw Before I Got Expelled From Jordan Peterson’s Online “University” Slate Magazine, By Luke Winkie, on October 3, 2024 https://slate.com/life/2024/10/jordan-peterson-academy-university-online.html The launch of Jordan Peterson's online university seems like a calculated move to exploit the disillusionment of individuals frustrated with mainstream education. Peterson has branded his...

 How a beloved children's cartoon turns fathers into mothers and what the Bible says about it Blaze Media, By Jeremy Pryor, on October 6, 2024 https://www.theblaze.com/align/bluey-turns-fathers-into-mothers Bluey's dad adores his kids. A conservative writer says that's unbiblical.  The Friendly Atheist by Hemant Mehta on October 8, 2024 https://www.friendlyatheist.com/p/blueys-dad-adores-his-kids-...

Most anticipated' comet of 2024 returns this weekend after 80,000 years Earth.com, By Eric Ralls, on September 29, 2024 The discussion centers around Comet Suchin Shan Atlas (C/2023 A3), which has become visible to observers on Earth since late September and will remain so until late October 2024. This comet last appeared around 80,000 years ago, during a time when woolly mammoths roamed the Earth...

Wisconsin pastor arrested for allegedly sending intimate photos from victim’s phone without consent Yahoo.com, By Indiana Schilz, on October 2, 2024 https://www.yahoo.com/news/wisconsin-pastor-arrested-allegedly-sending-015540084.html   In a shocking incident, Pastor Gabe Mills of Journey Mega Church in Wisconsin was arrested for allegedly taking nude photos of a female congregant without her cons...