This time of year, nativity scenes are going up, but one in particular is drawing a chorus of critics. The display is at a 3rd Street boutique and features a scantily clad Virgin Mary near wise women posed with shopping bags. "I'm not a Bible-thumper , not someone who is going to jam my beliefs down your throat," display critic Kaaren Benton said. "I just said to them, your display is degrading, it's disgusting and it is an insult to my religion." Diane Gan, another critic of the display, said that she didn't like the display because it desecrated Mary and it showed a lack of respect. The public relations representative for Madison, the boutique chain, says they are making no comment. Some onlookers wonder why people are making such a fuss. "It's done in good taste," Los Angeles resident William Smith said. "If the image had high heels and garter belts, yeah, but no." "There is so much going on in the world...

Judge grants Freethinkers’ request for kiosk at Arkansas state Capitol Winter solstice display to be erected at the Arkansas state Capitol. More information and photos of the display are available by clicking here . An atheist group’s display marking the winter solstice will join the traditional Nativity scene on the Arkansas state Capitol grounds as a result of a ruling by a federal judge Monday. U.S. District Judge Susan Webber Wright granted a preliminary injunction in favor of the Arkansas Society of Freethinkers, who sued Secretary of State Charlie Daniels after he refused to grant permission for the group to put up its display, dubbed the Box of Knowledge. “We liked the outcome,” said Mark Love, an electrical engineer who is the registrar for the society. “We wanted to be included and to be able to express our message. It looks like it’s going to happen.” STORY LINK MORE: Arkansas judge allows secular solstice display to join nativity scene at state Capitol Secre...

Image by DQmountaingirl via Flickr What is the essence of human nature? Flawed, say many theologians. Vicious and addicted to warfare, wrote Hobbes . Selfish and in need of considerable improvement, think many parents. But biologists are beginning to form a generally sunnier view of humankind. Their conclusions are derived in part from testing very young children, and partly from comparing human children with those of chimpanzees, hoping that the differences will point to what is distinctively human. The somewhat surprising answer at which some biologists have arrived is that babies are innately sociable and helpful to others. Of course every animal must to some extent be selfish to survive. But the biologists also see in humans a natural willingness to help. When infants 18 months old see an unrelated adult whose hands are full and who needs assistance opening a door or picking up a dropped clothespin, they will immediately help, Michael Tomasello writes in “Why We Cooperate,” a book...

Court officials were skeptical at first when on Monday a potential juror submitted a name change form with "Jesus Christ" on it. But the 59-year-old Birmingham woman, who previously went by Dorothy Lola Killingworth, assured the presiding judge that was her name. "It raised eyebrows, so I asked her if that were truly her name," Circuit Court Judge Scott Vowell said. "She assured me that it was. She had her name changed in the Probate Court, and she presented her driver's license." Christ was sent to Judge Clyde Jones 's courtroom for a criminal case. She was excused because she was disruptive, court officials said. Instead of answering questions, she was asking them, a court employee in Jones's office said. Efforts to reach Christ today were unsuccessful. Court administrator Sandra Turner said she and others in the jury assembly room were somewhat shocked at first when the woman insisted Christ was her name. And when her name was called, seve...