AOF Online - Freethought News

What Can We Learn From The 100 Largest United Methodist Churches?

(ANALYSIS) Whenever you think about the very largest churches in the United States, what denominations come to mind? I think that most of you, if you’ve been following along with this newsletter for any amount of time, would think of[…]

Southern Faith, Football And Everything in Between

(ANALYSIS) The war between Auburn and Alabama has verged on a crusade, with fans so devoted some seem possessed. In the most infamous moment on “The Paul Finebaum Show,” “Al from Dadeville” offered this explanation, quoting former Alabama football player[…]

656 - The Grifty Legacy of Jim Bakker

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Jim Bakker, the godfather of scamvangelism, is[…]

Why People Keep Looking For Noah’s Ark In Turkey

(ANALYSIS) A team of researchers from Sivas Cumhuriyet University in Turkey is investigating a long-standing claim: That a boat-shaped geological formation in the country’s east contains the remains of Noah’s Ark. In the Book of Genesis, God decides to destroy[…]

Vincent Torley Responds! News and Views From An Apologist Who Became a Skeptic

I have argued with Vincent Torley a time or two. As an honest Christian scholar he eventually changed his mind. A history of our debates can be found here. [Especially see Christian Apologist Vincent J. Torley Now Argues Michael Alter’s[…]

"Catholic" Christian Apologist Vincent Torley Asks, "Is Joe Schmid Right on Catholic Miracles?"

LINK.

UFOs, Demons Or Something Else?: Mystery Grows Around Sacred African Mountain

The highest peak in Zimbabwe, standing at 2,592 meters above sea level, has been the source of local intrigue for decades: People have gone missing, strange natural phenomena have created inexplicable mystical experiences, and now, some are even claiming the[…]

They Led Protests Against Netanyahu. Can They Turn Outrage Into Political Power?

The election is expected to serve, in large part, as a referendum on Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu and his coalition’s refusal to take responsibility for the failures of Oct. 7. But the fallout will also appear on the ballot itself,[…]

Pastors Are Preaching Longer — With Churchgoer Support

More pastors are preaching longer sermons, and most churchgoers are OK with it. In fact, a small but growing number would prefer even more each week. A Lifeway Research study of Protestant pastors and churchgoers finds little disagreement between the[…]

Can Documentaries Like ‘Death Of The Pastor’s Wife’ Help Stop Clergy Abuse?

The Netflix documentary series “Death of the Pastor’s Wife” has garnered over 40 million views in just over a month. But is a Netflix show the best way to tell this story? Why does clergy abuse happen so frequently? On[…]

Jim Bakker, Televangelist Whose Empire Collapsed In Scandal, Dies At 86

For more than five decades, Bakker embodied both the possibilities and the perils of American televangelism. He was a pioneering Christian broadcaster who understood that TV could turn a ministry into a mass-media enterprise. He was also a convicted felon[…]

Former Worship Leader And ‘American Idol’ Star Gets Life For Wife’s Murder

Former Christian Life Center worship leader Caleb Flynn was sentenced Monday to life in prison without parole for murdering his wife, still insisting, “I did not kill my wife.” Flynn, 40, acknowledged adultery, lies and broken marriage vows at a[…]

‘Sowing And Growing’: UK Churches Bring Back Community Gardens

More than 9,000 Anglican churches and chapels across the United Kingdom participate in the A Rocha U.K. Eco-Church movement, which encourages congregations to care for the environment around their buildings. This has become a bigger part of church outreach, especially[…]

If Devout Christians Don’t Love Reading the Gospels…

How do they feel about the letters of Paul?Many years ago, I met a devout Catholic woman who bragged—during out first meeting—that she had seen the Broadway musical, Phantom of the Opera, more than 200 times. She was obsessed with[…]

655 - Noah's Ark Was Not "100% Confirmed"

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— The Christian grift behind Life Surge’s celebrity-packed[…]

Never Think about the Religion You Were Taught as a Child?

Yes, DO THINK about it: study and research it ceaselessly!At the Methodist church I attended as a child in rural northern Indiana, every Sunday service began with a cherished hymn with these lyrics—as the choir walked down the middle aisle:“Holy,[…]

654 - Jehovah's Witnesses Gut Their Blood Ban

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Jehovah’s Witnesses just gutted their deadly blood[…]

Rick O'Sheikh Points Out an "Undesigned Coincidence" About The Judeo-Christian god Yahweh

What are undesigned coincidences in the Bible? AI Overview: An undesigned coincidence is an apologetic argument used to support the historical reliability of biblical narratives by pointing out subtle, interlocking details that fit together naturally across independent accounts. It occurs[…]

Three Hard Hitting Posts by Richard Carrier

1. Christianity Is a Conspiracy Theory. In essence all supernaturalist theories are conspiracy theories, only wherein the conspirators are gods and angels and other superbeings—including, even, Satan, demons, and their secret devilish cabals, because they conveniently also further the conspiracy[…]

Why Did Jesus Change His Mind So Much?

The better question: Why did the gospel authors create such different Jesus-Script? The general consensus of non-evangelical New Testament scholars is that the gospels were written many decades after the death of Jesus: all of them were created after the destruction[…]

"Horrendous Suffering Effectively Refutes God" By John Loftus

Here's a direct link to my paper on the minimal approach to the problem of evil, titled Horrendous Suffering Effectively Refutes God. It appeared in the Freedom from Religion Foundation's monthly newsletter. Please share! [For the record I'm in Facebook jail.[…]

653 - This Megachurch Has Eyes Everywhere

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— A Texas megachurch’s 400 AI-powered surveillance cameras[…]

Why Are the Devout Okay with Demons, Superstitions, and Magical Thinking?

Because they don’t grasp that the gospels are fantasy literatureIt seems to me that most of the devout who attend church are not obsessed with studying history and science—nor are they aware of implications of seeing their faith in the[…]

652 - Can White Evangelicals Be Defended?

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Bonnie Kristian’s “Defense of Evangelicalism” avoids the[…]

An Earlier Draft of "An Atheist Morality without God"

When readers look at my paper, "An Atheist Morality without God", the first thing seen is that I had trouble getting it passed peer review.Submission received: 2 March 2025/Revised: 22 September 2025 / Accepted: 3 November 2025 / Published: 12[…]

651 - Justice Dept. Releases False "Anti-Catholic" Bias Report

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Justice Department “Weaponization” report falsely accuses FBI[…]

650 - A Demon Hunter Showdown

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Conservative Christians in Texas are trying to[…]

649 - Ten Commandments Showdown at Supreme Court

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Texas’ Ten Commandments law is heading toward[…]

2026 Congressional Reason Reception

The post 2026 Congressional Reason Reception appeared first on Secular Coalition for America.

648 - Christian Beauty Queen Loses Crown Over Racist Posts

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Miss North Carolina USA said she lost[…]

647 - Anti-LGBTQ Food Bank Leader Rejects Gay Food

Patreon supporters who give $5 a month will get an ad-free AND VIDEO version of the show!Join our private Facebook group and Discord server!Jessica and I spoke about several stories from the past week involving religion and politics.— Annoying "Sky Evangelist" kicked off airline after scaring everyone[…]

Comment on Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance

Comments on New OMB Rule for Grant Administration Download Full PDF The post Comment on Regulation for Federal Financial Assistance appeared first on Secular Coalition for America.

Comments From the Secular Coalition for America on the Religious Liberty Commission’s Draft Report

Comments From the Secular Coalition for America on the Religious Liberty Commission's Draft Report Download the Full PDF The post Comments From the Secular Coalition for America on the Religious Liberty Commission’s Draft Report appeared first on Secular Coalition for[…]

Religious Liberty Commission Report Reimagines Religious Freedom as Religious Privilege

Washington, D.C., June 29, 2026 – The following is a statement from Secular Coalition for America Executive Director Steven Emmert in response to the Religious Liberty Commission’s final report. “The Religious Liberty Commission’s final report is not a blueprint[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Me Settling a 250-Year-Old Argument

With less than two weeks to go before the anniversary of the Declaration of Independence, we’re in the home stretch of hearing “America was founded as a Christian nation and the Declaration proves it.” The Religious Liberty Commission report is[…]

Heretic on the Hill: A National Prayer Service in DC Gets Golden Idol-ed

You may have missed it but Jesus showed up on the National Mall last week for "Rededicate 250: A National Jubilee of Prayer, Praise & Thanksgiving,” a day-long event of Christian music and mostly evangelical Christian speakers. The stated goal[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Project 2027 Will Solve The Scourge of Anti-Christian Bias

The Trump Administration’s Task Force to Eradicate Anti-Christian Bias released a report April 30th claiming that Christians faced discrimination in federal agencies and public institutions during the Biden administration. (Find the link here.) The report focuses on complaints about religious colleges,[…]

Talking Points in Opposition to the Free Speech Fairness Act

During SCA's 2026 Member Meeting, we urged Congress to oppose the Free Speech Fairness Act. You can read more about the bill and how to talk to your members of Congress about it here: Talking Points in Opposition to the[…]

2026 National Prayer Breakfast Opposition Letter – Organizational and Community Leaders Sign On

The Secular Coalition for America has joined several nonprofits, including the Freedom From Religion Foundation, to oppose the National Prayer Breakfast. The National Prayer Breakfast harms our national unity, the separation between religion and government, and the rights of the[…]

Heretic on the Hill: Help Us Fight Preachers Endorsing Politicians

The Johnson Amendment is under attack. The legal prohibition against preachers endorsing candidates from the pulpit would be repealed if bills in the House and Senate pass this year. When you see a bill with a vague and seemingly patriotic title, like the Free Speech Fairness[…]

France Declares Scientology a Fraud, Not Religion

Isn't this a bit link saying the Strawberry ice cream isn't really ice cream? Link: http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/europe/france/120202/france-labels-scientology-business-not-church

In Honor of Black History Month: Ex-Slave Tells Ex-Master to "Shove it"

This is brilliant and really needs minimal comment Dayton, Ohio, August 7, 1865 To My Old Master, Colonel P.H. Anderson, Big Spring, Tennessee Sir: I got your letter, and was glad to find that you had not forgotten Jourdon, and[…]

Indiana Slouches Toward Idiocy

As was mentioned in an earlier post, the Indiana state senate was scheduled to vote on allowing school districts to require "creationism", aka religious drivel, to be taught in public schools. They did, and it pasted with 28 out of[…]

Keep your Temples; We Have Greater Things

Alain de Botton, wants to build an Atheist Temple in London. Alain de Botton has announced plans to construct a 150 foot high temple to atheism in the heart to London. He claims that it is a terrible thing that[…]

A Review of "A Universe From Nothing"

From the AVClub: "With an afterward by Richard Dawkins, A Universe From Nothing: Why There Is Something Rather Than Nothing is solidly in the New Atheism camp, a cosmologist’s version of Dawkins’ The Blind Watchmaker. Krauss takes several jabs at[…]

The Myth of Jesus

UCF Professor Tells Ignorant Students What Higher Education is Really About

Charles Negy Charles Negy directly address the impact of students' religious bigotry, small mindedness and irrationality in the college classroom. Anyone who has ever taught a college class, especially in the humanities, knows that every word he wrote is accurate. Negy[…]