NASA expected to announce second origin life found on Earth

NASA is expected to announce later today that they have discovered arsenic-based bacterial life in Mono Lake, California. This is the first discovery of a possible “second origin” life, that is, life not evolved from the same original organic molecules from which all other known life arose.

This discovery is potentially very damaging to the heart of the religious worldview: the origin (and perhaps purpose) of life. Though current theories on the formation of RNA, DNA and other basics of life have been around for decades, a confirmed second origin would introduce a particularly striking validation to those theories. The discovery of arsenic-based life also greatly widens the search parameters when looking for life on other planets.

We’ll certainly be tuned into what the religious community has to say about this fantastic new piece of human knowledge.

Palmdale Cult Women Found Alive

A group of thirty-something El Salvador immigrant women were recently found alive after a worried police search, prompted by their husbands reporting an involvement with a possibly suicidal cult leader. It appears that no one was hurt and the women deny any mass suicide event, despite some members having made preparations such as collecting title deeds and social security information together for their families.

While the revelation of minute cult activity in America is not surprising, we cover this news nevertheless to better cultivate an attitude of suspicion in groupthink and highlight the dangers in non-emphereical, non-sketpic belief.

Episode 16 Now Available

Episode 16 of the American Atheist show is now available, featuring new contributor Daniel and a smattering of topics:

* Discussions of naturalism and denialism

* Lars Vilks Attacked During Lecture

* California Moves to Block Textbook Changes

* Nun Demoted for Perfoming Abortion

* Child denied Admission to Religious School for having Gay Parents

And much more. Please let us know what you think of this episode using the comments section, and thanks for listening!

 Episode 16 [54:53] Play Now | Play in Popup | Download (5)

California Moves to Block Texas Politico-Religious Textbook Alterations

In a follow-up to a story covered some time ago on the podcast, Sen. Leland Yee D-San Francisco has introduced a bill into the California state government to block the controversial changes introduced by Texas a few months ago; Texas notably, due to its size and well-funded public education say, has a great deal of clot when it comes to demanding standards of the national textbook publishers, who themselves save money by selling the same book to multiple states despite varying educational standards.

While this is all good business to the textbook industry, it doesn’t much help the states that don’t agree with Texas’ changes, chief among them the erroneous statement that the American Founding Fathers were largely guided by Christian notions, and that the 1980s saw a conservative resurgence which greatly improved the nation.

The bill would require that the California Board of Education review the textbooks specifically for the changes introduced by Texas, to deem them worthy or not for California students. The article quotes the bill has saying that the Texas changes are specifically “a sharp departure from widely accepted historical teachings” and are “a threat to the apolitical nature of public school governance and academic content standards in California.”

Redding atheist sues against forced participation in religious rehab program

40 year-old Barry Hazle, Jr. filed a lawsuit against his parole officer after being imprisoned for refusing participation in a religious rehabilitation program. Hazle had asked for a secular option when he was directed to a rehab program; if there were only religious options he asked to be excused from participating in such programs. However, during his appeal he refused to participate in the program presented to him at Empire Recovery Center, and thus was imprisoned for 125 days.

Hazle sought damages and an injunction that would disallow state money to go towards illegal parole practices. Federal judge Garland E. Burrell, Jr. denied the injunction, citing a ruling by the 9th Circuit Court of Appeals that declared the placement of people in religious rehab programs against their will unconstitutional. The judge also dropped Empire Recovery Center from the lawsuit, leaving only the parole officer and others involved in the imprisonment.

Source: http://www.redding.com/news/2010/apr/08/judge-atheists-rights-violated/