Ernie Chambers Takes On Nebraska Homophobes

Living in Nebraska means putting up with a lot of religion and other types of nonsense from our politics.  We're not quite as bad as some other states, but it's bad enough that I have to compare our state to the shenanigans of states like Tennessee[1] or Mississippi[2] to make it seem better by comparison.

But we've also got Ernie Chambers[3].

He's even caught the attention of The Friendly Atheist[4].  If Nebraska can have one Ernie Chambers, I bet we could have more.  We would just need to work to make it happen.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  http://www.advocate.com/politics/2013/01/30/tenns-dont-say-gay-bill-back-and-it-could-out-students-their-parents
2.  http://www.latimes.com/news/nation/nationnow/la-na-nn-mississippi-ratifies-slavery-amendment-20130218,0,7978766.story
3.  http://aksarbent.blogspot.com/2013/03/video-nebraska-state-senator-asks-ex.html
4.  http://www.patheos.com/blogs/friendlyatheist/2013/03/16/non-theistic-nebraska-state-senator-questions-orientation-of-ex-gay-man/

Science vs Religion - HIV Edition

Science and religion are at odds with other on a regular basis^[1][2].  Science explains how old the universe is^[3], how old our planet is^[4], and how we evolved over millions of years^[5].  Religion pretends science is not real^[6].  Science says to use condoms to reduce the spread of HIV & AIDS^[7].  Religion spreads lies about condoms^[8].

On the subject of HIV, science may have just made an incredible advancement.  By curing it^[9].

Doctors announced on Sunday that a baby had been cured of an H.I.V. infection for the first time, a startling development that could change how infected newborns are treated and sharply reduce the number of children living with the virus that causes AIDS.

 Even in rural Mississippi, science can help people.  I'm sure religion will come along shortly to try to undo this progress.  Probably also from rural Mississippi.

---------------------------------------------------------------------------------
1.  http://www.iep.utm.edu/s-rel/
2.  http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Relationship_between_religion_and_science
3.  http://map.gsfc.nasa.gov/universe/uni_age.html
4.  http://www.talkorigins.org/faqs/dalrymple/scientific_age_earth.html
5.  http://www.livescience.com/474-controversy-evolution-works.html
6.  http://www.missiontoamerica.com/genesis/six-thousand-years.html
7.  http://www.fda.gov/ForConsumers/byAudience/ForPatientAdvocates/HIVandAIDSActivities/ucm126372.htm
8.  http://www.pbs.org/newshour/bb/health/jan-june11/vatican_05-30.html
9.  http://mobile.nytimes.com/2013/03/04/health/for-first-time-baby-cured-of-hiv-doctors-say.xml