Atheist leaders  Richard Dawkins and Christopher Hitchens want Pope Benedict XVI to be arrested when he visits the UK in September for “crimes against humanity,” Christian Today reported.

Dawkins and Hitchens charges come amid reports that the pope had signed a letter in 1985 when he was known as Cardinal Ratzinger on behalf of priest Stephen Kiesle who was charged with sexually abusing boys under his watch in California.

The Vatican denies they tried to stonewall Kiesle’s defrocking and say that they are victims of a hate campaign generated by their unpopular stance on several issues including birth control and same sex marriage.  They maintain that sexual abuse by priests is limited and not as rampant as some media reports maintain.  Read more... (279 words, 2 images, estimated 1:07 mins reading time)

Many scientists now suggest scolding your child by alternate means rather than spanking.

A special research task force of the American Psychological Association (APA) recently stated that, “parents and caregivers should reduce and potentially eliminate their use of any physical punishment as a disciplinary measure,” according to the January 2010 issue of “Scientific American Mind” magazine.

The group of 15 child development psychologists, headed by Sandra A. Graham-Bermann of the University of Michigan at Ann Arbor, concluded that such physical discipline (often referred to as corporal punishment) may lead to “an increase in childhood anxiety and depression” as well as “behavioral problems, including aggression and impaired cognitive development.”  Read more... (494 words, 2 images, estimated 1:59 mins reading time)