NevadaGayAtheist

Christian Family Values vs. Dutch Family Values: "If a secular state with a secular society can produce so many improvements in the lives of families, all of the Christian Right's rhetoric about how conservative, evangelical Christianity is necessary for strong families is proven to be false. However important religion might be to individuals, it's not necessary to have a strong, happy, productive family. "

I'm not sure what to make of the following tidbit found at the end of this Crooked Timber post, but it is fascinating. Could it be a very early sign of the eventual collapse of religious conservatism in America? It seems to much to hope for.
Crooked Timber » » Eumerica: "According to the Pew study, members of Gen Y (18-30) are about as likely to be atheists/agnostics (19 per cent) as Republicans (no age group breakdown, but it must be less than the 25 per cent for all voters given low party identification in this age group)."

EvolutionBlog : A Note on Spirituality: "“Do you consider yourself a spiritual person.”
“No,” I replied.
He seemed a bit taken back of the bluntness of, and lack of hesitation in, my answer.
“Really,” he said, sounding surprised. “Why not?”
I said, “Well, I've never seen any evidence that would lead me to believe that there is anything beyond the material world we see around us. I don't see any particular reason to think that God exists or that any particular relgion has much to offer in terms of understanding the world.”
Then he pounced. “Ah! I didn't say religion. I asked about spirituality.”
“Then you'll have to explain to me what you have in mind,” I said. “To me spirituality and religion are very similar.”
“I mean things like feeling one with nature, or having a mystical experience.”
“Well,” I said. “I think those are really just nonsense phrases people use but that don't really mean anything.”"

See also: "Spirituality"? Another word for lies and empty noise

The Scientific Activist: This Is Me Banging My Head Against the Wall: "Any party that is anti-science is one that I will actively work against, regardless of name. "

I love Dan Savage.
Savage Love Dan Savage The Stranger, Seattle's Only Newspaper: "Well, I should say that He designed straight men and straight women to be sexually incompatible. Lesbian couples, with their bags of Doritos, and gay couples, with our mutually insatiable sexual appetites, seem pretty intelligently designed. Thank you, Jesus!"

P.S. Here's some great advice Savage once gave to a gay man who worried that God might be watching him during sex.

Let me walk you through this: If there were such things as angels -- which
there are not -- and if there were such a thing as God -- which there is not --
God and his heavenly host would have more important things to do than stand at
the foot of your bed and watch you get fucked in the ass.

I guess this is a historical first, at least in the last 30 years or so. Hurray for Pete!
Rep. Pete Stark (D-Cal.): first openly nontheistic member of Congress