THE   FOCUS
centerforatheism.org

August 3, 2007 Volume 3, Issue 31
Published by the Center For Atheism (CFA)

Editor: Kenneth Bronstein

The Focus provides links to articles collected from major newspapers and magazines, and is emailed weekly.

This Week in Atheism is a cable show that discusses the articles featured below, every Wednesday at 6:30 PM (EST), Manhattan Cable station 57.
Live streaming is available at:
http://www.mnn.org.

Comments, suggestions and subscription: focus@centerforatheism.org.



         
       Featured Articles
 
       In Memoriam: Rabbi Sherwin T. Wine (1928-2007) | Secular Student ...
       Rabbi Wine and his longtime partner, Richard McMains, were vactioning in
       Morocco .. figures as Salman Rushdie, E.O. Wilson, Amartya Sen, and Steven
       Pinker. ...
       Eternity for Atheists - New York Times
       If god is dead, does that mean we cannot survive our own deaths? Recent best-selling
       books against religion agree that immortality is a myth we ...
 
       Hebrew, Arabic Schools Seen Stretching Boundaries - New York Jewish Week
       Academies in Florida and New York spur church-state questions; ADL 'concerned'
       about Hollywood school run by rabbi. Are they academies celebrating two ...
 
      Court Okays Using Churches As Polling Places - August 1, 2007 ...
      New York Sun.
                 

 

       News Articles
        (Some publications may require that you sign up for membership to view their article.)



     ATHEISM 

     Hitchens - Scheduled to speak at Atheist Convention , Generates ... - OpEdNews -
    Should Hitchens speak and if so should he speak alone or debate?

    Books, Film, TV

    The bookstores have noticed us
      Minnesota Atheists notes a new policy at Borders Books — they've put up a small 
     display section dedicated to books about atheism.
 
     Recommended Reading - SAM HARRIS' LIST

     EVOLUTION, CREATIONISM, I.D.

    400-mln-year old fossil bridges gap between fin-to-limb evolution - DailyIndia.com 
    University of Chicago scientists, who have described the finding in a paper in the 
    July/August 2007 issue of Evolution and Development, say the fossil
...

    Gene Duplications Give Clues to Humanness - Science Now
    "It could easily lead to a disease, but the upside is it increases variation that
    evolution can use. It's more evolutionary fuel." 


   SCIENCE  

   Geotimes - Alexandria,VA
   Paleobiologist Mark Webster compiled morphological 
   data 
on nearly 1000 species of trilobites to learn more 
   about their evolution. ...
 
   Advances Cited in Research on Multiple Sclerosis - NYT
   Researchers say they have identified new genetic variants
   that contribute to the neurological disease.
 
   Who’s Minding the Mind? - New York Time
   The subconscious brain is more active, independent and 
   purposeful than once thought. Sometimes it takes charge.
 
   In Games, an Insight Into the Rules of Evolution - NYT
   Martin Nowak’s projects may seem randomly scattered 
   across the sciences but they share an underlying theme:
   cooperation.

 
    SEPARATION OF CHURCH AND STATE     

   Secularist councillor won't pray in chamber - National Secular Society
   I'm an atheist and don't wish to take part in Christian worship. It's highly
   inappropriate to put pressure on people to act in this way when there are ...

  Jesus vs. the ACLU - ABC News
  The American Civil Liberties Union filed a federal lawsuit Tuesday, saying 
  the display  violates the constitutional separation of church and state. ...

  U. of Michigan Will Provide Muslim Footbaths - New York Sun
  Yet groups such as the American Civil Liberties Union who are usually fierce
  advocates of separating church and state are giving the plan an approving nod.

  Students will say four more words in Texas pledge - Houston Chronicle
  ... pledge in order to be either patriotic or religious," said Barry Lynn, executive
  director of Americans United for the Separation of Church and State. ...


  MISCELLANEOUS

   Jonathan Falwell on the march - Media Transparency
   He then proceeded to reject the idea of the separation of church and state saying
   that "the word separation is not in the constitution," and that it is ...

     The Whys of Mating: 237 Reasons and Counting - New York Times 
     Researchers may have come up with the most thorough taxonomy of sexual motivation
     ever compiled.
    
     Jesus, Barbie To Share Shelf At Wal-Mart - August 1, 2007 - The ...
     New York Sun.
 
     Man Tries To Perform Exorcism, Dies - July 31, 2007 - The New York Sun
   
       

 

          CFA Program
 

The Center for Atheism (CFA) was established by the New York City Atheists as a separate and independent national organization to propose, develop, and be a catalyst for new national activities supporting the objectives of atheists, agnostics, humanists, freethinkers, skeptics, secularists and separation-of-church-and-state advocates.

CFA will accept and review suggestions from individuals and other secular organizations that will foster our goals.

 

 

          Special Notices

There are no special notices this week.

 

 

          Legislation Alerts

There are no legislation alerts this week.

 

Comments, suggestions, and subscriptions: focus@centerforatheism.org