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secularism
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- 1Cathy Ladman quip on religion sparks discussion●All religions are the same: # religion is basically guilt, with different holidays. —Cathy Ladman ______________________
A quip attributed to comedian Cathy Ladman — that religion is 'basically guilt, with different holidays' — is being shared and debated online under atheism and faith hashtags. The line plays on the idea that all religions share similar structures of obligation and ritual, framed as a joke. Reactions range from amusement to pushback from believers who see the characterization as reductive.
- 2Italy and Austria ban face coverings and hijab in schools●Italy has BANNED face coverings like the burqa at schools. Austria has BANNED the hijab for girls under 14 at schools. T
Claims circulating online say Italy has banned face coverings such as the burqa in schools, while Austria has banned the hijab for girls under 14. Austria did pass such a ban for primary schools in 2019. Italy's position is commonly linked to court rulings against full-face coverings in public settings, though details of a specific new school ban are unclear. The messages frame this as Europe-wide tightening on religious dress.
- 3Atheists toast Saturn's Day with a Roman greeting●Happy Sāturni diēs (Saturn's Day), everyone! ______________________ # atheism # faith # god
Users in atheist and secular circles are greeting each other with 'Happy Sāturni diēs', the Latin name for Saturn's Day, the ancient Roman root of the English word Saturday. The phrase is being used playfully to note the pagan origins of the weekday calendar, with posts tagged atheism, faith and god drawing amused responses about the pre-Christian roots of familiar traditions.
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A priest or parishioner writes in America Magazine that a Cormac McCarthy novel split a Catholic parish book club into opposing camps. The piece describes how the novel's violence and bleakness provoked sharply divided reactions among the group's members, turning a routine reading pick into a heated argument about faith, morality and what belongs in church discussion groups.