No More Football Prayers in DeSoto County

According to the Freedom From Religion Foundation (FFRF), they have managed to put an end to illegal prayers before high school football games in DeSoto County. Following a complaint by the FFRF, the DeSoto County School Board reaffirmed their policy against school prayer.

"Our current policy is not to have prayers in football games and we're going to abide by that which we believe the law to be," said Keith Treadway, board attorney. "We will not have prayer over the PA. The principals have all expressed they are aware of the law and intend to abide by it,” Treadway told the DeSoto Times Tribune.

It pays to complain because many violators base their continued violations on the argument that nobody has complained. We can take that argument away. This is also a good opportunity for us to remember to support organizations such as the FFRF who are working to protect separation of church and state.

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Who Will Speak for Reality?

In neighboring Louisiana, the state House of Representatives just voted unanimously to place a Ten Commandments monument on the State Capitol grounds. Here's how Austin Cline summarized this debacle:

Not a single state legislator spoke out against or voted against this measure. Not a single state legislator in Louisiana supports secularism, secular government or church/state separation. Every single one is, deep down, a theocrat just looking for an excuse to overturn secular democracy.

When our politicians make it clear that they are willing to do whatever is necessary, including breaking the law, to pander to those of their constituents suffering from religious delusions, who will speak for reality? Time and time again, this responsibility seems to fall to us.

I'm often asked why I care about this sort of thing. The short answer is that someone must speak for reality. And around here, that seems to mean atheists.

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CSICon is Coming to New Orleans in October

Do you look on with envy at the atheist- or skeptic-oriented conferences that always seem to require too much travel to attend? Do you wonder why these conventions never seem to happen here in the bible belt where they are most needed? If so, you are going to be happy to see that CSICon, advertised as "the conference dedicated to scientific inquiry and critical thinking," is coming to New Orleans October 27-30, 2011. Learn more at CSICONFERENCE.ORG.

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Christians Threaten Atheists After Fox News Interview

After Blair Scott, Communications Director of American Atheists, was interviewed on Fox "News" about his opposition to a cross at the 9/11 memorial, Christians littered Fox's Facebook page with death threats. Here's some video:

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