Among the many misconceptions about atheists is the one that we are ignorant of the basic tenets of the major religions. I’ve been in situations where I’ve identified as an atheist and believers assumed I needed a primer on the differences between the Old and New Testaments or something equally basic. Of course, they don’t know that I went to a Catholic college and was required to take theology courses. I can’t quote biblical chapter and verse, but I have a reasonably good grasp of the core beliefs of the world religions. In fact, a recent Pew survey found that atheists may know more about the faith than some Christians. For example, 53% of Protestants didn’t know that Martin Luther began the Reformation. But Christians aren’t alone in their ignorance. Fewer than half of all respondents knew that the Dalai Lama is a Buddhist.

That many of the faithful lack any curiosity about the historical context of their beliefs and posses a complete disinterest in other belief systems isn’t shocking news. I remember one of my college classmates expressing disbelief when I explained that Christianity spun off from Judaism. Our public schools have been scared away from doing any serious teaching of religion and it shows in the study’s results. And as long as Christian fundamentalists get apoplectic when anyone even mentions a sacred text that isn’t the Bible, that’s unlikely to change. Perhaps we atheists should start teaching some afterschool classes in comparative religion. I’m sure nobody will raise a fuss.

For your Friday enjoyment, here’s a story about UFOs visiting nuclear weapons sites. My Altairian overseers tell me they were just checking out potential sites for their slave camps and weren’t interested in our “primitive fission weapons.” So, nothing to worry about.

Civilization V, the next iteration of the enduring computer strategy game series, was just released. I picked up Civ IV last year and haven’t played it nearly enough, but the new version looks sufficiently shiny and pretty to justify an upgrade. Since I’m a person who appreciates irony, I like to play as the French and thoroughly dominate the other civilizations to the point that they are begging for mercy. If I ever find myself in the position of advising a conquering tyrant, I’ll be well-prepared.

Phillippe Croizon, a Frenchman who had all four limbs amputated after an electrical accident in 1994, swam across the English Channel in 14 hours. A specially designed snorkel and prosthetics assisted him in completing the journey. I’m reluctant to affix the “supercrip” label to anybody, but Croizon might be the rare person for whom it’s not hyperbole. I get a little winded just eating potato chips in front of the television, so I’m a little in awe of this guy. It might be time for me to look into that gym membership again.

It looks like commenting on the dramatic rise in Social Security disability rolls has turned into something of a fad. James Ledbetter has a piece in Slate that is highly critical of the program’s structural disincentives that dissuade people with disabilities from rejoining the workforce. He’s particularly interested in the growing number of people with mental illness who are receiving SSDI (the wonky acronym for Social Security disability benefits). He writes:

Perhaps more important, SSDI in its current incarnation is a moral and economic tragedy: We are paying millions of presumably otherwise fit mentally ill people to stay out of the workforce for the rest of their productive lives. And this at a time when mental illness is more treatable than it ever has been. When Congress passed the Americans With Disabilities Act, it established several overarching principles, including equality of opportunity, full participation, and economic self-sufficiency. SSDI, regardless of its good intentions, is public policy that pushes “disabled” people in precisely the opposite direction.

I’m a little troubled by his use of “disabled”–I’m picturing him etching quotation marks in the air with his fingers while rolling his eyes. Mental illness can be a significant barrier to returning to work for many people. I have no doubt that many are capable of working, but employers generally do a poor job of accommodating mental illness in the workplace. Any redesign of SSDI is going to have to be accompanied by a committed effort to place workers in jobs that suit their abilities and to instruct employers on best practices for accommodating a wide range of disabilities. Otherwise, we’re just yanking the safety net out from under people who might not be completely ready to stand on their own.