Atheist News Nov 24 2018: Preacher Killed Trying to Convert Tribe ✝️ Us Judge Drops FGM Charges 😡

We discuss the latest news on religion and atheism in the past week 😃

Please consider supporting us on

Listen to this podcast on iTunes, Stitcher or your favourite podcast app

Follow Armin

In order for us to be able to continue the Atheist Republic, we need your help. We think if we reach 100 patrons we'll finally be able to afford all our costs. Help us get there

1. John Allen Chau, an American preacher was killed by the Sentinelese, a remote tribe on India's Andaman and Nicobar islands. Arrows were fired by the natives once they spotted him. His aim was to bring gospel to the island's tribesmen. Outsiders are banned from even approaching the island to protect the people. The complete isolation of the Sentinelese means contact with the outside world could put them at risk to common illnesses. Seven people who helped Mr. Chau reach the island have been arrested. It might take more days to get his body.

2. On Dave Daubnemire's webcast, he said that women became lesbians because they are too ugly to attract men. While he was running errands, he was struck by the fact that there are a lot of unattractive people in the world, many of whom are women.

3. A ten-year-old Muslim fifth-grader student found a handwritten message saying "You're a terrorist." The girl then got another note saying "I will kill you." Aside from the police investigating, the school is also conducting a separate internal investigation.

4. The Catholic League's Bill Donohue, commenting on a recent Atlantic article about the rise in requests for exorcisms, says that's wonderful news. He added that exorcisms could be most helpful for victims of sexual abuse, who are obviously possessed by demons.

5. It has been decided by the Texas Board of Education to keep the biblical character of Moses in the part of the social studies curriculum that discusses historical figures important to the founding of the United States. The board also decided to keep Clinton despite a working group recommending for her removal.

6. Charges against a medical doctor from Michigan who was accused of mutilating the genitals of more than a hundred girls as part of a religious ritual were dismissed by a judge. A judge in Detroit declared the federal law against female genital mutilation unconstitutional. U.S. District Judge Bernard Friedman admitted the practice was despicable but then he added that Congress never had the authority to pass the ban the way it did by invoking the Commerce Clause.

7. Students in Scotland will now learn about the LGBTI history, proper terminologies and the various identities. It will be the first country to include LGBTI issues in public schools. Scottish Deputy First Minister John Swinney said that their education system must support everyone to reach their full potential.

8. Pastor John Lindell, pastor of an Assemblies of God church warned the Christians not to practice yoga because they will end up demon-possessed. It may not be intentional but it comes a week after a gunman shot and killed two people who were taking a yoga class. Lindell told the attendees of James River Church in Ozark, Missouri that the positions in yoga were created with demonic intent to open you up to demonic power because Hinduism is demonic. He added that the sun salutation, a common sequence of positions in yoga, is meant to worship the Hindu sun god, Surya.

9. Gavin Rogers, a Texas pastor, documents his travels with a migrant caravan on Facebook. He wanted to find out if they were really as evil and scary as Republicans make them out to be. Mr. Rogers found out that the majority of people fleeing their homes were doing so in order to avoid the actual rapists and murderers. He shares photos of what the migrants and the people helping them really look like. He writes "Kindness is all over the place," next to posts of "real images of Mexican police officers and refugees."

10. The German government says it has halted previously approved arms exports to Saudi Arabia amid the fallout from the killing of Saudi journalist Jamal Khashoggi. it wouldn't open any new weapons exports to Saudi Arabia. Germany’s foreign minister said Berlin has banned 18 Saudi nationals from entering Europe’s border-free Schengen zone because they are believed connected to Khashoggi’s killing.