My four year old wants to be baptised....

....but thankfully Guardian Unlimited has some useful advice that follows the current 'Don't Label Me' theme.

'Evangelical' children used for Atheist Billboard

The Times today claims that the children fronting the Don't Label Me campaign are Evangelical. They are not, they are too young, they are the children of evangelical parents. we can't hold that against the children.

The reason these children seem so happy has absolutely nothing to do with the fact they "are" Christian. It is ridiculous to make such a claim. The photographs just happened to be from a photo library.

Atheist Billboard Campaign

A while ago the atheists took the war against religion to the sides of London buses. Then the Christians retaliated. Now the ball is back in the atheists' court.

The new campaign (reported by the BBC) aims to challenge the idea that children can be labelled with their parents beliefs. Which is a good thing to challenge. Freedom of thought goes alongside freedom of speech as being pretty important.

This is the last part of Ariane Sherine's project, and her Guardian piece on this campaign is found here: Hey, preacher - leave those kids alone.

More Tim Minchin

Why I like Mendeley?

I recently wrote a post on my personal blog about why like Mendeley. It has been bought to my attention that this may be due to the following reason.

More Than A Theory Lyrics

To the tune of More Than A Feeling. Thanks to Evolving Thoughts.

I woke up this morning and the sun still shone
Bath of neutrinos to start my day
The spectrum’s light was a familiar song
Now analysed, and the maths all say

It’s more than a theory (more than a theory)
When the data lines up that perfect way (more than a theory)
I begin dreaming (more than a theory)
Of a world where pure science holds sway

I want my science world ruling the day

By noon I wandered through Nature’s wilds
So many lifeforms to marvel at
All a wond’rous now as when a child
This jackpot we’ve won, just observing that -

It’s more than a theory (more than a theory)
When the data lines up that perfect way (more than a theory)
I begin dreaming (more than a theory)
Of a world where pure science holds sway

I want my science world ruling the day

When I’ve retired and gotten old
My life wasn’t wasted, regret no day
My dream still unfurls, and ever grows
I built my part, and they’ll always say

It’s more than a theory (more than a theory)
When the data lines up that perfect way (more than a theory)
I begin dreaming (more than a theory)
Of a world where pure science holds sway

I’ll have my science world ruling the day

Mayor Refuses to judge Halloweeen pumpkins

OK, Halloween is a fraud. There are no dark or evil spirits, just a chance to have fun, increase the rate at which children become obese, and get something tasty off of the old woman who wakes you up to the sound of Radio 4 every morning.

Except that the woman who wakes you up at such an ungodly hour is actually a mental, Halloween-hating Christian. Now the evidence for the dark side and the godly is equally scant, so I can only assume she uses one set of fairytales that encourage murder to stop my childhood self using a different set of fairytales to ask her for chocolate.

In fact she's almost as big a killjoy as the Mayor of Nuneaton, who for religious reasons refused to judge a pumpkin carving competition. We all know Halloween isn't Christian (some of us now Christianity isn't real either) - but as a mayor refusing to do something that pulls your community together is just wrong.