Elsewhere, 1/5

Atheists challenge the religious right: “They are astonished that a majority of Americans question evolution and support teaching intelligent design in the science classroom. They are distressed over polls that show that at least half of Americans are unwilling to vote for an atheist despite the Constitution’s requirement that there be no religious test for public office. And they contend that in recent years, Congress has passed bills and the president has issued executive orders that have privileged religion in inappropriate and unconstitutional ways.”

Sigh… Pat Robertson is making predictions again. I could say more, but I think I’ll just defer to Terry Mattingly’s comments.

Astronomers have discovered a 10 billion trillion trillion carat “diamond star.”

Relevant interviews mewithoutYou’s Aaron Weiss: “The Christianity I’d been exposed to was primarily concerned with the afterlife, little concern for people’s tangible, immediate needs. We pray, of course, ‘your kingdom come … on earth as it is in heaven,’ and I found myself wondering what the world would look like if the kingdom did come, if it were a paradise, right here, today.”