Bill requires all Idaho kids to read ‘Atlas Shrugged’

BOISE – Coeur d’Alene Sen. John Goedde, chairman of the Idaho Senate’s Education Committee, introduced legislation Tuesday to require every Idaho high school student to read Ayn Rand’s “Atlas Shrugged” and pass a test on it to graduate from high school.

When Sen. Bob Nonini, R-Coeur d’Alene, asked Goedde why he chose that particular book, Goedde said to laughter, “That book made my son a Republican.”

Goedde said he doesn’t plan to press forward with the bill, but it was formally introduced in his committee Tuesday on a voice vote. He said he was sending a message to the State Board of Education, because he’s unhappy with its recent move to repeal a rule requiring two online courses to graduate from high school, and with its decision to back off on another planned rule regarding principal evaluations.

Full Article @ www.spokesman.com

Posted in Political | 1 Comment

What happens at an atheist church?

_65688547_assembly624attendee

Not many sermons include the message that we are all going to die and there is no afterlife.

But the Sunday Assembly is no ordinary church service.

Launched last month, as a gathering for non-believers, it is, in the words of master of ceremonies Sanderson Jones, “part foot-stomping show, part atheist church, all celebration of life”.

A congregation of more than 300 crowded into the shell of a deconsecrated church to join the celebration on Sunday morning.

Instead of hymns, the non-faithful get to their feet to sing along to Stevie Wonder and Queen songs.

There is a reading from Alice in Wonderland and a power-point presentation from a particle physicist, Dr Harry Cliff, who explains the origins of antimatter theory.

It feels like a stand-up comedy show. Jones and co-founder Pippa Evans trade banter and whip the crowd up like the veterans of the stand-up circuit that they are.

But there are more serious moments.

The theme of the morning is “wonder” – a reaction, explains Jones, to criticism that atheists lack a sense of it.

So we bow our heads for two minutes of contemplation about the miracle of life and, in his closing sermon, Jones speaks about how the death of his mother influenced his own spiritual journey and determination to get the most out of every second, aware that life is all too brief and nothing comes after it.

The audience – overwhelmingly young, white and middle class – appear excited to be part of something new and speak of the void they felt on a Sunday morning when they decided to abandon their Christian faith. Few actively identify themselves as atheists.

“It’s a nice excuse to get together and have a bit of a community spirit but without the religion aspect,” says Jess Bonham, a photographer.

“It’s not a church, it’s a congregation of unreligious people.”

Full BBC Article w/video

Posted in Interesting, Spiritual | 1 Comment

Dad pays daughter $200 to quit Facebook

Rachel Baier, a 14-year-old high school student from Wellesley, Mass., struck a deal with her dad that would require her to completely walk away from the popular social network for five months. In exchange, her father Paul will pay her $200. If successful, the teenager will receive $50 on April and $150 in June.

To ensure fulfillment of the signed agreement, the elder Baier has access to the high schooler’s Facebook account and can change the password to avoid reactivation. Given that this was the 14-year-old’s idea in the first place, that shouldn’t be a problem.

Paul Baier, a vice president at a Boston-area energy firm, posted a photograph of the signed contract on his blog, which usually focuses on energy technology and sustainability.

“It was her idea,” Baier told the Daily Dot. “She wants to earn money and also finds Facebook a distraction and a waste of time sometimes. She plans to go back on after the 6 months is over.”

Full Article @ www.dailydot.com

fbcontract

Posted in Interesting, Pop Culture | Comments Off on Dad pays daughter $200 to quit Facebook

Drive-Thru Prayer Ministry in Corpus Christi

628x471adfasdfdCORPUS CHRISTI, Texas (AP) — The corner of Airline Road and South Alameda Street epitomizes suburbia. A pharmacy, car mechanic, gas station, liquor store and credit union cluster nearby.

But next to McDonald’s — literally on the other side of its wood plank fence, within a french fry’s throw — there’s a new kind of drive-thru.

“Our philosophy: Like the post office, rain or shine, they deliver mail,” the Rev. Tom Ferrell muses. “We’ll deliver God’s mail.”

To be sure, the new prayer ministry at South Shore Christian Church, where Ferrell serves as associate pastor, is less a delivery service and more a come-and-get-it kind of service. But for the 5 o’clock commuter, the convenience is hard to beat. Engine running, just roll down the window and talk. Volunteers will pray with, or for, motorists. They might get nuggets — of wisdom, hope or comfort.

It began Jan. 15. Each Tuesday from 5 to 6 p.m., a few church clergy and members stand by. Cars can turn off either street, then cross the parking lot to the awning at the front of the church.

South Shore wants it to be a low-pressure, high-comfort experience. There’s no requirement to adhere to any religion or denomination, nor to attend services. Confidentiality will be honored, Ferrell said.

Full article @ www.mysanantonio.com

Posted in Spiritual, Texas | Comments Off on Drive-Thru Prayer Ministry in Corpus Christi