BALTIMORE – Three Baltimore firefighters were injured Tuesday afternoon after witnesses saw lightning strike a West Baltimore church steeple, igniting a four-alarm blaze Tuesday afternoon, fire officials said. Fire Chief William J. Goodwin Jr. said the firefighters received minor injuries while battling the blaze at First Mount Olive Freewill Baptist Church. The fire started about 3 p.m. after nearby residents saw lightning strike the steeple, he said. “Once the fire involves the steeple, it’s pretty much a total loss of the building,” Goodwin said in an afternoon news conference. The church’s steeple collapsed early in the fire, forcing firefighters to flee. Goodwin said the building was a total loss.

OK but really. What do you theink SOME people would say if lightning struck American Atheists HQ?

Salisbury ? Former state legislator Coy C. Privette ? a Cabarrus County commissioner, retired Baptist minister and president of the Christian Action League of North Carolina ? was charged Thursday with soliciting prostitution, authorities said.Privette, 74, of Kannapolis, was charged with six counts of misdemeanor aiding and abetting prostitution by renting a hotel room and paying for sexual acts, according to State Bureau of Investigation Agent Kevin Canty.Tiffany Denise Summers, 32, of Salisbury, was charged with six counts of prostitution, Canty said.On Thursday, the Christian Action League board of directors suspended Privette, pending the outcome of the investigation. The organization represents the Christian groups’ interests in the General Assembly.?If these allegations are true, then I?m absolutely broken-hearted and extremely disappointed,? said Mark Creech, executive director the Christian Action League.

CNN is apparently running a youtube contest for questions to ask the Democratic presidential candidates during their July 23rd debate. Votes for the different videos are being counted here:http://www.communitycounts.us/debates/Right now, the #1 vote getter is a question I would love to see asked: ?How will you appeal to non-religious voters ?? The lead is narrowing, though. The initial response from infidels.org forum members and the like is pretty much over. The question was apparently intriguing enough for Newsweek to already do an article on it:http://www.msnbc.msn.com/id/19762059/site/newsweek/Thank you for your consideration,Ben DreidelOrganizer, Capital Region Atheists & Agnosticshttp://atheists.meetup.com/531

American Atheists Media Alerthttp://www.atheists.org ELLEN JOHNSON SLATED FOR CNN PAUL ZAHN SHOW,ROLE OF RELIGION IN PRESIDENTIAL DEBATE, ELECTIONTHIS THURSDAY, JULY 19, 2007 ~ 8:00 PM ET ELLEN JOHNSON, President of American Atheists will be interviewed on the popular CNN program “The Paula Zahn Show” this Thursday, July 19, 2007. The program will examine the role of religion in presidential campaigns, including the growing use of faith-based sloganeering by most of the candidates. “The Paula Zahn Show” begins at 8:00 PM ET, check local listings. For further information, visit http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/paula.zahn.now/ WHO & WHAT: American Atheists President Ellen Johnson live on “The Paula Zahn Show” discussing the growing role of religion in presidential campaigns. WHERE: CNN, “The Paula Zahn Show” WHEN: This Thursday, July 19, 2007 beginning at 8:00 PM ET. Check your local listings. MORE INFO: http://www.cnn.com/CNN/Programs/paula.zahn.now/ AMERICAN ATHEISTS is a nationwide movement that defends civil rights for Atheists; works for the total separation of church and state; and addresses issues of First Amendment public policy.

Just calling it like it is, folks…

CU biologists get death threatsBy PAULA PANT Colorado Daily Staff WriterThursday, July 12, 2007 9:26 PM MDTLast weekend more than a dozen envelopes bearing the image of skull and crossbones and containing letters threatening the lives of CU-Boulder evolutionary biology professors were slipped under the doors of CU-Boulder buildings.According to a reprint of the letter posted online, the threat reads: ?every true Christian should be ready and willing to take up arms to kill the enemies of Christian society.??EBIO (evolutionary biology) professors are terrorists against America and ? intellectual and spiritual child abusers of their young and impressionable students ? the EBIO department not only blasphemes God, who is invisible, but it blasphemes His Only Begotten Son and our Messiah, Jesus Christ, which is more unforgivable ? for all these reason all God-fearing and Truth-loving persons must say, They must go!?CU officials won’t name a suspect, but numerous sources close to the case say the letters – as well as a barrage of threatening e-mails – were signed ?Michael Korn.? Menacher ?Michael? Korn is a 49-year-old Israeli national and former Messianic Jew who says he was baptized into Christianity in the Sea of Galilee seven years ago and is now on a mission to convert Jews and Muslims. His blog, JesusOverIsrael. blogspot.com, references CU-Boulder specifically and says he lives in Denver, although he has a North Carolina area code.

Where is that lightning strike when you need it??Thx Lee