RELIGIOUS STUDIES: “The Only US Public School with a Mandatory World Religions Course?” / ReligionForBreakfast / Andrew Henry ☮

Teaching neutral, academic religious studies courses in American public schools is tricky. Many people don’t even realize that it is legal! But one school district in Modesto, California is proving that a world religions requirement for all students can help improve religious literacy and foster respect for religious freedom.

WHITE-WING REPUBLICAN CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIANITY: “2016 GOP Platform Supports ‘God-Given’ Law from the Bible” / Secular Talk / Kyle Kulinski ☮

Republicans moved on Tuesday toward adopting a staunchly conservative platform that takes a strict, traditionalist view of the family and child rearing, bars military women from combat, describes coal as a “clean” energy source and declares pornography a “public health crisis.”

CONSERVTIVE CHRISTIAN THEOCRACY: “2016 Republican Party Platform = More Theocracy, Less Democracy” / Secular Talk / Cenk Uygur, and John Iadarola ☮

More details are coming out about the Republican Party platform, the leaks appear to show the GOP is officially moving even further to the right. Cenk Uygur and John Iadarola (ThinkTank), hosts of The Young Turks, break the latest details on the Republican party platform. Tell us what you think in the comment section below.

“The Republican Party, as it prepares for its convention next week has checked off item No. 1 on its housekeeping list — drafting a party platform. The document reflects the conservative views of its authors, many of whom are party activists. So don’t look for any concessions to changing views among the broader public on key social issues.

Four years ago, the platform called state court decisions legalizing same-sex marriage “an assault on the foundations of our society.” Since then, the Supreme Court backed the right of same-sex couples to wed. But in two days of deliberations this week, platform committee members rejected all attempts to sound a more moderate tone on the matter.

“A man and a woman family is the best, ideal vehicle for raising children,” according to James Bopp, a GOP delegate from Indiana, and a prominent conservative attorney.”

WHITE-WING CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN BIGOTRY: “Is the Religious Right Abandoning the Republican Party?” / The Ring of Fire / Farron Cousins ☮

According to the latest reports, the Evangelical wing of the Republican party is actually having quite a bit of trouble right now trying to identify with the GOP.

SECULAR HUMANISM: “Atheist Sunday School?! Philosophy and Community for Nonreligious/Interfaith Families” / The Humanist Hub / A. Hughman ☮

The E.O. Wilson #BigQuestionLab is a humanist children’s program; a model secular sunday school and online show for nonreligious and interfaith families.

In 2016, E.O. Wilson, one of the most distinguished evolutionary biologists and humanists in modern history, endorsed the program. We are honored to name our classroom after him.

A. Hughman YouTube Channel

WHITE-WING CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN IDIOCY: “2016 GOP: Porn is a ‘Public Health Crisis’ and a ‘Menace'” / Secular Talk / Kyle Kulinski ☮

Republican delegates unanimously adopted an amendment to their draft platform Monday morning that called pornography “a public health crisis” and a “public menace” that is destroying lives.

WHITE-WING CONSERVATIVE CHRISTIAN IDIOCY: “Fox Noise Pastor: Police are ‘Ministers of Gawd, Sent by Gawd'” / Secular Talk / Kyle Kulinski ☮

Dr. Robert Jeffress, pastor at First Baptist Church in Dallas, lashed out at what he called “bogus ministers” who did not preach about having “respect for the police.”

During an Sunday interview on Fox & Friends, Jeffress called on churches “to instill in their a members a respect for the police.”