Bad Universe (is out to get you)

The Bad Astronomer, Philip Cary Plait, is hosting a new show on Discovery:

Canberra Declaration announced & Manhattan begs for money

Australia's Canberra Declaration was announced today on the Parliament House lawn in Canberra at the Government of God Conference.

It is apparently descended from the 2009 Manhattan Declaration in the U.S. and the 2010 Westminster Declaration in the U.K.

Born into a country where Christianity is hardly ascendant and the prime minister is an atheist (not their first), it may be a less effective email-address collection tool than either of its predecessors, the first of which is already begging for money. In a drum-beating email to the Manhattan Declaration list, Chuck Colson wrote Wednesday:

. . . although we are seeing a tremendous response from people to the emails, updates, and information on the website, we could use your help to cover the expenses related to these efforts. So we are asking you to please consider giving a small gift today. . . . We're going to increase our frequency of communication with you over the next few months, so check the website often, and watch your email for future updates.

Or adjust your spam filter.

Celluloid pastor/priest Polanski set free

Efforts to extradite Roman Polanski apparently collapsed in a heap of miscommunication.

Futile British appeal for women priests

"Pope Benedict Ordain Women Now", a UK "group of women and men who care deeply about the Roman Catholic Church" called Catholic Women's Ordination will be shouting from London bus sides.

It will appeal to deaf Vatican ears throughout September. We say deaf because, last Thursday the Vatican issued a declaration which among many other things said "the 'attempted ordination of a woman' to the priesthood was one of the most serious crimes in church law."

Campaign for Free Expression video contest

Center for Inquiry Campign for Free Expression is running a public service announcement video contest. The general idea is:

There is a $2,000 prize.

Here are the instructions and rules for entries, which must be submitted by Sept. 20.

Don't be shy.

Some South Carolina Baptists smeared themselves

Some South Carolina Baptists helped carry that "raghead" water which did not douse Nikki Haley's bid the South Carolina Republican gubernatorial nomination.

Failing Newsweek opens a war on marriage?

Soon to be radio showless but voice unlowered, Albert Mohler, dean of Southern Baptist Theological Seminary, finds that besieged, failing and for-sale Newsweek has begun the culture war to end marriage. Just like that. Mohler wrote:

The Newsweek article represents what may be the most direct journalistic attack on marriage in our times. Though only an op-ed column, it presents arguments that had to date been made largely, if not exclusively, outside of mainstream circles. Consider this column an opening salvo in a battle to finish marriage off, once and for all.

"I Don't" is, however, still just a well-written op ed in an increasingly obscure and endangered magazine.