Skeptic: Promoting Science and Critical Thinking

Fortune tellers OK’d in Selma Selma has lifted its unconstitutional ban on fortune tellers. The city also is taking steps to regulate how fortune telling businesses operate. The Selma City Council accomplished both things at an emotion-packed meeting Monday night. A standing-room-only crowd listened as speakers voiced two different views of fortune telling. A majority… more

Mother, ‘spiritual father’ convicted in faith-healing case but questions remain. Ten years after a 15-year-old Loudon County girl died from a rare form of bone cancer, two questions that have dogged the case from the start remain unanswered. When, under Tennessee law, can a parent rely on God — not medicine — to heal a… more

New Humanist Blog: Nigerian ‘witch hunt’ pastor suspends controversial US trips. Earlier this year, we reported on a planned visit to the United States by Helen Ukpabio, a Nigerian evangelical pastor responsible for a series of threatening and dangerous campaigns in her home country against those accused of being being witches. Now, four months after… more

Computer specialist contends his views cost him his JPL job – latimes.com. A computer specialist rankled some of his JPL co-workers by pressing intelligent design and other issues at work. Now a judge must decide if that is why he was laid off. David Coppedge’s co-workers at one of the nation’s most prominent scientific institutions… more

A look at the kind of thinking that determines how religious we are A new University of B.C. study suggests analytical thinking can be harmful to religious faith. The psychology report, published today in the prestigious journal Science, reveals that religious belief drops after subjects perform analytical tasks or are exposed to Rodin’s sculpture The… more

New film on science and creationism in schools explores how we find meaning in life. Were There Dinosaurs on Noah’s Ark? These and other questions are explored by the Texas School Board of Education in Scott Thurman’s riveting documentary The Revisionaries. The Revisionaries is a story about a small town dentist who chairs the Texas… more

‘Aswang’ in Pangasinan not true, says Archbishop Cruz | Inquirer News. Retired Archbishop Oscar Cruz says the aswang (Philippine ghoul) believed to be lurking in Pozorrubio, Pangasinan that have kept residents sleepless for a number of days was not true. In a phone interview with Radyo Inquirer 990AM, Cruz said that he thinks the residents… more

Teen God squad Culture Shifters’ miracle cure claims | News.com.au. The Pentecostal group Culture Shifters says it has healed people suffering from cancer and multiple sclerosis and is developing a large youth following. Children from the group have been approaching people at random on the street, prompting alarm from parents and warnings from doctors for… more

There is no #AntiAtheistCampaign on Twitter. It’s just a crackdown on spam. « Skeptical Software Tools. I happened to stumble across a few Tweets yesterday that contained the hashtag #AntiAtheistCampaign. Hashtags are often used to organize on Twitter. This appeared to be some people organizing against some sort of oppression against certain Twitter accounts. Was… more

Macedonians Flock See to ‘Miraculous’ Frescoes Frescoes that appear to have changed colours overnight have attracted thousands of Orthodox believers to the St Demetrius church in Skopje – though not everyone is persuaded it really is a miracle. Long lines of people from all parts of the country have appeared since Monday in front of… more