1. 'Imagine No Religon' Billboard Only Lasts a Few Days in Rancho Cucamonga

Comment #288856 by Alex1956 on November 22, 2008 at 2:22 pm

They should buy, not lease, a billboard, thus leaving them free to be as in-your-face as they want to be. Just think of all the churches with signs out front stating some variation of "if you don't believe as we do, you're going to hell."

2. Police: Girl Dies After Parents Pray for Healing Instead of Seeking Medical Help

Comment #149995 by Alex1956 on March 26, 2008 at 11:39 am

What makes this even sadder is that it's not a case where the girl had cancer or something where treatment could not guarantee a positive outcome. Type 1 diabetes is totally treatable with insulin and, at 11, the girl was even old enough to take charge of a lot of her treatment.

It's a tragedy, and while the parents obviously bear significant fault, I can totally believe that their beliefs were honestly held. The real culprit is a society that respects religious beliefs to the point where such things are possible. If we acknowledged right off the bat that all religious beliefs are unfounded, then they would not enjoy the kind of respect necessary to allow the delusions which the parents here obviously suffered to flourish. After all, if I believe in Santa Claus I can't very well criticize you for believing in the Easter Bunny.

Sad, sad, sad.