Atheist News: Christians Demand Charges Against Sentinelese ✝️ Churches Are Dying ⛪

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

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1. Following the death of John Allen Chau, a US fundamentalist Christian group has sought murder charges against "those responsible" for his death. The organization has expressed concern over the "murder" and suggest the Sentinelese tribesmen should be charged with "murder" despite Chau having gone to the forbidden island in the Andaman's, in violation of the law. Chau's family said in a statement that they have forgiven those reportedly responsible for his death.

2. Warped Dowling, a 62 year old English man, admitted that he forced his son to have sex with the boy's own stepmother, Annette Breakspear, saying it was to prevent the boy from becoming gay. He was 38 when he began abusing his son who was 11 years old at that time. The son, Daniel, who is now 36, recalled the day the abuse began. It was Sunday afternoon when his dad and stepmom were playing board game Frustration with him. His dad suggested for them to take their clothes off whenever someone lost. His stepmom was completely naked by the end of the game and the abuse began. Daniel secretly recorded his father admitting the childhood abuse and Breakspear received 8 years in prison while Dowling was sentenced to 5 years.

3. During the "Focal Point" show, Bryan Fischer, the American Family Association's radio host, gave listener's an education on how dinosaurs went extinct. Fischer asserted that “you had little tiny dinosaurs on the Ark,” but they didn’t survive after the flood receded because all of the vegetation had been destroyed.

4. Wes Goodman, an Ohio state Representative, married, and an anti-gay, anti-abortion Christian lawmaker, announced his resignation from the Ohio House of Representatives over "inappropriate" sexual affair allegations with a man. His campaign website promotes "natural marriage" and anti-abortion propaganda.

5. Bishop Anthimos of Thessaloniki, a Greek Orthodox priest, made a comment that the Earth is the only planet in the universe after the NASA InSight mission successfully landed on Mars. He added that this was transferred to him by a Greek scientist whose name he did not catch.

6. Celine Dion has a gender-neutral clothing line and Msgr. John Esseff, a priest, says that it is created by "the devil" who wants to confuse everyone. The child models don't smile and many of the clothes feature skulls and dark colors. He was a past president of a group that trains exorcists, and who thinks gender issues in general are "demonic."

7. Director of the conservative group Unhyphenated America, Christopher Harris, commented on FOX News that we should not worry about the Trump administration lobbing tear gas at immigrants seeking asylum because they are mostly men. The Bible tells us to protect the poor, which apparently only includes women and children.

8. Sarah Salviander, an astrophysicist, took to Twitter why she converted from atheism to Christianity. This was her tweet:

I was raised atheist, but became Christian because:

– Genesis is consistent with science

– The legal-historical case for Jesus is strong

– Christianity is the source of things I cherish

– Christianity is the best explanation for evil

– Christianity gives me meaning and hope.

Her tweet went viral.

9. Three countries have halted arms sales to Saudi Arabia after the killing of Washington Post columnist Jamal Khashoggi. Germany was joined by Finland and Denmark in halting all future arms sales and sending of military equipment. Germany and Denmark cited the killing of Khashoggi. The crisis in Yemen is the reason for Finland.

10. Many of the churches in the U.S. are now being repurposed into bars, living spaces, and wineries due to low attendance and high property costs. The huge number of empty churches was described by Jonathan Merritt in the Atlantic as an American "epidemic."