On August 23, 2005 the TIME Magazine reported, "Most people probably think of the Boy Scouts of America as a Christian group--and not a particularly inclusive one, a reputation earned in part through its efforts to keep out gays, atheists and agnostics. But the Scouts insists it is open and diverse, especially in matters of faith... There are Jewish, Hindu, Mormon and Baha'i scouts. There are Muslim scouts too, and for at least 20 years there have been all-Muslim troops in the U.S... There are now all-Muslim scout packs and...
On July 12, 2005 The New York Times reported, "Evangelical Christians are growing force in Air Force chaplain corps, illustrated by recent government-financed 'Spiritual Fitness Conference' at which hundreds of chaplains held evangelical services and workshops and scanned material from organizations like Focus on the Family; photos;...
On May 23, 2005 The New York Times reported, "to the uninformed, the gathering here may have seemed like a church revival, full of zeal and fervor. But worshipping God was most decidedly not part of the agenda.
The attendees of the 'All Atheists Weekend' came together to discuss what they call the rise of fundamentalism in the U.S. and...
On January 20, 2005 The Boston Globe reported that a Boston atheist group "meet under the aegis of an organization called Meetup Groups, a worldwide asssemblage of cliques that meet to discuss topics of common interest, from knitting to politics to Pekingese dogs. Founded in 2002, the Boston Atheists Meetup Group is one of 405 similar cells around the world that claim 7,500 members. Although 95 are enrolled in the Boston Group, the meetings attract no more than 12 people."
On January 16, 2005 Beliefnet reported, "an 'inauguration summit' of some 50 humanists, atheists and secular Jews has been held in Washington to plan how to fight faith-based initiatives. The activists met this weekend at a Dupont Circle hotel to make plans to hire lobbyists to block federal legislation that would limit abortion rights, deny homosexual rights and oppose federal funding to religious social-service programs,...
On January 14, 2005 the Associated Press reported, "an atheist who tried to remove 'under God' from the Pledge of Allegiance lost a bid Friday to bar the saying of a Christian prayer at President Bush's inauguration. U.S. District Judge John Bates said Michael Newdow had no legal basis to pursue his claim because he could not show he would suffer...
On January 11, 2005 The Washington Times reported, "a California atheist's lawsuit to prevent Christian clergy from praying in the presidential inauguration should be dismissed because it is a recycled case about an issue that does not violate the U.S. Constitution, attorneys for President Bush said. 'There is no reason to 'reverse course' and abandon a widely accepted,...
On January 7, 2005 Beliefnet reported, "an atheist group is considering an appeal after a federal appeals court ruled that a Ten Commandments monument may remain in a La Crosse, Wis., park.
The 7th U.S. Circuit Court of Appeals ruled Monday (Jan. 3) that the city was within its rights to sell the monument and the property around it to...
On January 6, 2005 Beliefnet/RNS reported, "bracing for what's to come from a Republican-controlled White House and Congress, people who don't believe in God are joining forces as never before to make sure their rights don't get trampled in what they perceive as a stampede of religious zeal. Riding a post-election spike in new memberships, groups...
On January 3, 2005 Beliefnet reported, "Dr. Michael Newdow, the California atheist who sued to get 'under God' removed from the Pledge of Allegiance, says he has refiled a suit regarding the pledge and filed an additional suit to try to prevent members of the clergy from praying at President Bush's inauguration. Newdow refiled the pledge suit in...