"What Would You Do?" (not this) So, ABC airs this situational "reality" show where it places actors among unsuspecting bystanders to see how they'll

     
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"What Would You Do?" (not this)

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So, ABC airs this situational "reality" show where it places actors among unsuspecting bystanders to see how they'll react to various scenarios.

Often, it's an interesting social exercise, and I often find it encouraging to see so many people choosing to help, aid, assist, protect and serve in these manufactured moments of crisis.

HOWEVER. Last Friday's broadcast featured an innocuous religious family (played by actors) praying in a restaurant, and an angry atheist (also an actor) telling them to stop. The other patrons quickly jumped in to shut down this heinous attack on individual religious freedoms.

(sigh)

The situation is ridiculously misrepresentative of non-believers, so I (and hundreds of others) sent messages to ABC and posted comments on the WWYD Facebook page. If you get a few minutes, feel free to lend another voice of reason to the discussion. ABC's feedback page is HERE. (Choose "show not listed.")

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What Should We Think About Death?

about death

I so often hear the question, "If you don't believe in God, how can your life have any meaning or purpose? How can you have any joy? How can you value life without the belief in an afterlife?"

Allow me to turn you onto a short clip produced for the British Humanist Association (and narrated by Stephen Fry) which kindly and accessibly addresses life and death. It's not hugely deep, but it's a non-threatening and balanced clip that might help explain things to your religious friends. Click HERE to view.

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Creation...Science?

Podcast230-Selective Science

This week's podcast features a wonderful panel of skeptics, educators and champions for science over pseudoscience: Joshua Roseneau and Dr. Barbara Forrest from the NCSE: The National Center for Science Education, and paleontologist/geologist Donald Prothero.

Next week, we're featuring Dr. Darrel Ray in a show called, "The Myth of Sex Addiction."

I'll also be releasing - in August - short form interview videos featuring Dr. Peter Boghossian and Professor Richard Dawkins.

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KINDLE and AUDIO BOOK are out!

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Thanks for bearing with me as I see the (belated but finally here!) release of my 2nd book "Sacred Cows" finally come to fruition. Paperback and Hardcover available on Amazon.com and BarnesAndNoble.com. Kindle and Nook versions added just a few days ago. And Audible and iTunes now have the audio book, which was great fun to read.

Do me a favor. If you read "Sacred Cows," please take a few moments to (honestly) review it at the site the book was purchased from. And if you enjoyed it, try lending it to a religious friend. It's my hope that the wild tales of snake handlers, foot psychics, dog spinners, Jedi priests and Mormon underwear will gently nudge mainstream believers into comparisons to their own "sacred cows." And thanks!

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Rat Dog Update!

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After knee and ACL surgery, lil' Rat Dog is free of the cast, free of the stitches, and back on her feet. Limping and a bit wobbly, she's through the worst and - after a few months of recovery - is expected to be bouncing around like new. Thanks for all of the well wishes. -Seth

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