I came across this excellent article written by Jacqueline Lavache at The Examiner.com.  She really sums up the challenges faced by Atheists to “come out” and how it compares to the gay movement as well as other civil rights movements. I think she puts things into perspective very well explaining how being homosexual may be considered a sin by many, but atheists are an anathema.  Not to downplay the hard battle being fought by the gay community but rather this article shows how atheists can take lessons from the movement. …

In a recent case, the Canadian Supreme Court upheld the decision of doctors who performed a blood transfusion against the wishes of a young Jehovah’s Witness girl. The blood transfusion almost certainly saved her life, yet the teenager likened it to rape.  The court further suggested that a child’s maturity should be taken into consideration but that by no means meant that a child should be allowed to make a decision that might endanger his or her life.

In the midst of news articles featuring the many summer conventions of the Jehovah’s Witnesses, I thought that the Atlanta Journal presented a much more honest picture as opposed to the usual “sunshine and lollipops” coverage. The article doesn’t simply focus on the size of the convention but discusses the program, highlighting the emphasis on the Jehovah’s Witnesses as an apocalyptic religion. What do you think about this year’s convention theme? Is it the same old thing or do you think the doomsday rhetoric is intensifying?

The following is an article by WPTV (May 30, 2009) outlining the Watchtower’s “The End is Near” campaign. Seemingly capitalizing on the current state of the world’s economy, the 2009 convention series looks like it’s targeting folks who are finding themselves down and out, hopeless and in dispair.  With all due respect, I can’t help but read this and feel like the Witnesses are upping their quota of “crazy talk”.  I’m not one to poke fun at the witnesses and in truth I feel compassion and pity for the spokesperson …

Western culture is a kaleidoscope of cultural and religious diversity. We’re not just talking about Christian vs. Atheist or Religious vs. Secular, but we’re talking about Christians, Secularists, Evangelicals, Baptists, Atheists, Muslims, Jews, Naturalists, Pagans, Adventists, Protestants, etc… you get my drift.
In my opinion, religious groups falsely demonize “secularity” because they believe it has an agenda which is equal to their own. 
I.e. The Christian agenda is equal to the Muslim agenda is equal to the Secular agenda.

Original Article Posted at: Unreasonable Faith 
We hear a lot about “biblical marriage” these days. Some of us might not be clear on what that means. The website Religious Tolerance has provided a helpful article on the types of marriage found in the pages of the bible.
Here’s a summary:

Polygynous Marriage
Probably the most common form of marriage in the bible, it is where a man has more than one wife.

I am extremely honored to be able to share the following story with you. This is the sincere, heart-wrenching and poetic account of Rob, a former Jehovah’s Witness from Australia.  I am in awe of his courage, strength and determination in sharing his story, and I hope that you, the reader, will be moved and encouraged by his bravery and integrity.
Without any further ado…

A ‘Witness’ to the future as Watchtower buys land upstate
Original Article at: The Brooklyn Paper
By Evan Gardner
“First came the sell-off, next comes the big move.
After five years of selling off hundreds of millions of dollars in real-estate holdings in Brooklyn Heights and DUMBO, the Jehovah’s Witnesses have finally bought something big: 248 acres upstate.
The Promised Land (for Witnesses, at least) has a name: Ramapo, NY.

What is Shunning?
“Shunning is the act of deliberately avoiding association with, and habitually keeping away from an individual or group. It is a sanction against association often associated with religious groups and other tightly-knit organizations and communities. Targets of shunning can include, but are not limited to apostates, whistleblowers, dissidents, people classified as “sinners” or “traitors” and other people who defy or who fail to comply with the standards established by the shunning group(s). Shunning has a long history as a means of organizational

The Times: Societies worse off ‘when they have God on their side’
By Ruth Gledhill, Religion Corresponden, Article Reposted from: http://www.timesonline.co.uk/tol/news/uk/article571206.ece

RELIGIOUS belief can cause damage to a society, contributing towards high murder rates, abortion, sexual promiscuity and suicide, according to research published today. According to the study, belief in and worship of God are not only unnecessary for a healthy society but may actually contribute to social problems.The study counters the view of believers that religion is necessary to

Inside the Watchtower School of Gilead!
by a Jehovah’s Witness Ex-Gilead Missionary
The following video is an extraordinary glimpse into the Watchtower School of Gilead. It features exclusive, inside footage never before seen, which includes video and audio of some members of the Governing Body of Jehovah’s Witnesses.
The video is commentated by a graduating member of the 115th Gilead class, who highlights the curriculum as well as other key points from his time