Newsletter 01-25-06

News items from the past week include why God can't explain the universe, the demands that Christian congregations place on clergy in America, whether redistribution might achieve equality in America, why the Christian Right refuses to compromise politically, how the media privileges religion and religious beliefs, and more.

Cry Out to Buddha: Why Don't Christians Try, Just in Case?
Too many Christians seem to want to make a virtue out of dishonesty. They use Pascal's Wager as a defense for theism, arguing that it's acceptable to convert simply out of self-interest. They tell non-believers to simply pretend to believe for a while to see if that belief helps them. Why don't they follow this advice when it comes to other religions?

Why God Can't Be Used as a Cause of the Universe
Theists often insist that the universe needs an explanation and science can't provide one; therefore, their god is necessary and must be believed in. Such theists miss something, however: causal explanations are functions of natural laws which are themselves products of the universe. Therefore, they can't be used to explain the universe. Perhaps there is no 'cause' of the universe.

American Clergy: What Do Congregations Expect?
American families no longer reflect the 1950s ideals which the Christian Right insists on pushing. There's no way to achieve this ideal, either, and people's failure to face up to this fact may be one of the most significant causes of social strife and stress in American today. Just how far we have to go is demonstrated by the demands congregations put on their own ministers.

Children, Suggestibility, False Memories
Too few understand

Ghettoized Christians?
By their own hand...

Equality and Redistribution in a Just Society
Is it possible?

Christian Right, Political Compromise
There's a serious conflict

Evangelicals in Muslims Lands
Targeting Christians?

Atheists on Souls and Heaven
Do any believe?

Religion in the Media
Privileging Religion and Christianity

 

User Polls:

1) Should the Mentally Retarded be Executed?
Some of those who commit heinous crimes suffer from mental retardation or other mental disabilities. Almost by definition, they suffer from a diminished capacity to understand what they have done. Some states, however, allow them to be executed - but is capital punishment appropriate for someone who is mentally retarded?

2) Did Jesus Really Exist?
Many people assume that Jesus really existed and was a historical figure - even if they don't accept the Christian claim that he was the Son of God. But is this assumption really justified? Is there any reason to think that the gospel stories are about a real person rather than a collection of legends?

3) Can Marriage Between Atheists & Theists Work?
There are more theists in the world than there are atheists - so it's only natural that when an atheist gets involved in an intimate relationship with someone, it's more likely that that person will be a theist than an atheist. But can such relationships really work, or will the disagreements pull them apart?